#ch: daughter of the wolf

[sitpwgs]

please, i've been on my knees, change the prophecy.

[the20thangel]

The Dragon and The Raven Ch 4: The Duel

Chapter Summary: Daemon couldn't believe that his daughter was betrothed. As he stared at the Lord of House Blackwood, Daemon decided if Lord Benjicot Blackwood was truly serious about his daughter, he needed to prove it to the Prince.

Stay on track with the story: masterlist

Daemon stared at the young lord, watching his facial features, but the boy seemed to know how to mask his emotions. After another beat, Daemon turns to his daughter, smirking tauntly. 

“I think I misunderstood you, my sea dragon -” 

“There is no misunderstanding, Kepa ; I have chosen Lord Benjicot Blackwood as my betrothed.” Aemma clarified schooling her features to be indifferent, knowing that her father would try to get a ruse out of her. 

Daemon’s frown deepened as he looked at his daughter's face. She was serious. “Has your mother given her approval on this boy?” 

Aemma cursed internally, knowing that her betrothal was not officially valid since her mother had not sealed her approval. 

Aemma cleared her throat. “I have sent a letter to let her know of my intentions. She will trust my judgment of Ben—Lord Blackwood. 

Daemon deadpanned at his daughter for using the blackwood boy’s name with such familiarity. Knowing he wasn’t going anywhere with his daughter, he focused on the boy.  

“And you, boy, do you think you are worthy of my daughter? A princess with the blood of Old Vayria?” Questioned Daemon as he stalked towards Benji, who straightened his back, never breaking eye contact with the Rouge Prince. 

“Well…. I think you are just some boy who will piss his pants at the first sight of battle. Do you even know how to fight? Hmmm, boy… where were you when your brother foug-” 

“DAEMON!” shouted Aemma angrily, as she saw Benji grow angrier with each sentence her father said. 

Daemon smirked at seeing the boy break from his poker face, but his smirk fell once he noticed Aemma's anger. She looked just like her mother, returning memories of how he left Dragonstone. Sighing through his nose, Daemon refocused himself. 

“Fine, if you think you are so worthy, I challenge you to show your skills in a duel,” stated Daemon. He noticed his daughter widen her eyes, and the Blackwood boy gave him a crooked smirk. He was either brave or stupid, that boy. 

“I accept your challenge, Prince Daemon,” agreed Benji as he noticed his aunt arriving with his men. “If you excuse me, I need to settle my men, Prince Daemon, Princess Aemma,” said Benji as he bowed and walked away. 

Aemma watched as Benji left her and her father, upset that he once returned to propriety by using her title; she was getting used to being just Aemma to him. Aemma turned to her father giving him the stink eye. 

“What?” Asked Daemon, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he noticed her expression. 

“You could have been nicer or at least given more respect to him, and you trying to ruse him by using his brother, Kepa -” Aemma explained her disappointment but was cut off by her father. 

“I needed to see his worth, and I stopped, didn’t I? Besides, I will know if he is worthy of you from the duel.” Daemon defended himself as he and Aemma started walking towards camp. 

“Are you really going to duel him?” Asked Aemma as she stopped to look at her father in disbelief. 

Daemon paused, looking at her reaction; he chuckled while taking a strand of her hair between his fingers. 

“I will not be the one dueling him… you are.”

Aemma’s eyes widden in shock, “But-” 

“I never told the boy it was me; you and him assumed it would be me. I trained you, and you have bested me a few times. Who else can prove if that boy is worthy of your hand if not yourself?” explained truthfully to his daughter. 

Aemma, understanding her father’s words, agreed and continued walking to the camp. She saw Aly and Benjicot greeting the Wolf of Winterfell. As Aemma joined the group, they bowed to the princess. Lord Cregan Stark gave Aemma a wolfish grin as he took her hand and kissed it. 

“Princess, it's good to see you again. How is Prince Jacaerys? Asked the Winter wolf. 

Unbeknownst to him, Benjicot’s smile turned to a sneer once he saw the Lord of Winterfell kiss her hand. Again, the ugly monster of jealously clawing up his chest. 

“My brother is doing fine at Dragonstone, although I have a feeling he will be joining us soon,” replied Aemma sweetly. Cregan had become a good friend and ally to the siblings. She turned to Benji, and her smile loosened, noticing his sneer. Seeing the princess staring, Benji bowed and turned to walk to his tent. 

“Um, if you excuse me, Cregan, I need to speak with Lord Blackwood. Have you met his aunt, Lady Alysanne Blackwood?” Aemma hurried an excuse as she walked away, leaving them behind. 

Cregan, with his eyes, followed the princess going towards the Blackwood tents before he awkwardly smiled at Alysanne. 

Aemma entered the tent and saw Benji sharpening his sword with hard eyes and a clenched jaw. She walked in to stand beside him, but the young man did not notice as he continued sharpening his sword. Aemma sighed and reached to touch his cheek, which made Benji flinch as he glared up, only to widen his eyes once he realized who it was. Aemma smiled as she lowered herself in front of her betrothed. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Aemma as she held her hand to his cheek, lightly caressing it. 

Benji shook his head and went to turn away from her, “Nothing…” 

Aemma quickly turned his head towards her again, with a frown mirroring her face. “Don’t lie to me, Ben. Let us not start our courtship with lies. What bothers you? Was it my father?” asked Aemma quietly. 

Benjicot sighed deeply before looking at her entirely. She raised her eyebrows and waited for his response.

“I don’t like how familiar he was to you…” Benji finally explained. 

Aemma was confused about who he was talking about when it clicked: he was talking about Cregan. Aemma giggled, which only made Benji’s frown deepen.

“Cregan…Lord Stark is a friend and only a friend, Ben. He and my brother grew close to each other. There is nothing between him and I, and there never will be.”  Aemma explained as she leaned closer to Benji. 

Benjicot wanted to believe his princess, but he just couldn’t; how could Lord Stark not want to court her? She was gorgeous. Aemma sighed, seeing how he didn’t fully believe her words. Feeling daring, she stood up and sat on his knees, her legs on either side, cradling his face. 

“There will never be anything between me and Lord Stark because he does not make me feel the same feelings as when I am with you,” she whispered.  

Instead of replying, Benji reached up, grabbed her face with his hands, and kissed her. His kiss was desperate as if she were telling him she would leave him. Aemma gasped at the sudden kiss, but she leaned more toward him instead of pulling away. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands left her face and onto her waist, bringing her body closer to him. The world seemed to melt away as they deepened their kiss, and as much as Aemma was enjoying it, she knew they had to stop before risking it going too far. She slowly pulled away before giving one last peck at the corner of his mouth. 

“We should stop; we can’t risk anything… not until our wedding.” 

Benji smirked before he nuzzled her neck in contentment. Aemma giggled at the sensation, his hair tickling her as she held him in content. Feeling that she could spend hours like that when they heard a slight cough. Both heads turned quickly to see Aly smirking at them at the tent's entrance. Aemma blushed furiously and jumped off Benji’s lap, which made Benji quickly glare at his aunt before standing. 

“ You both are lucky it was just me who found you. Ben, you know better,” Alysanne lightly scolded as she entered the tent. 

“Are you here just to scold me, dear aunt, or did you need something?” asked Benji as he grabbed Aemma’s hand, caressing her knuckles.

Alysanne’s smirk widened, “Prince Daemon is looking for you both; something about our dear Ben proving his worth? What does he mean by that?”  

Aemma stiffened before she released Benji’s hand, “I should go and help him prepare…I will see you there, yes?” 

Benji stared at her but slowly nodded as he watched her leave the tent. He then turned to his aunt, who gave him a questioning stare while waiting for her answer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Dragonstone, Queen Rhaenyra was eating her lunch with Jacaerys, Rhaenys, and Baela when Maester Gerardys came in holding two letters. 

“My queen, two ravens came by, one from Princess Aemma and the other from Prince Daemon.” Gerardys held the letters to Rhaenyra before bowing and leaving the room. 

Rhaenrya held both letters before handing Prince Daemon’s letter to Jace, asking him to read it. She was still upset with him and his actions. Then she hurriedly opened her daughter's letter, wanting to know how her time in Raventree Hall was spent. As she read, she was pleased to see that Aemma was accepted, and the people of House Blackwood were grateful. Stopping at the words “I have done my duty…” she was interrupted by Jace asking a question. 

“What does Daemon mean? ‘Our sea dragon has gotten a pet raven.” Jace asked, looking at his mother and grandmother in confusion.

All three women were equally confused regarding the statement.  Rhaenys reached for the letter and re-read the statement, noting that it held no more explanation, just those simple words. Baela, seeing her grandmother’s puzzled look, turned to her stepmother. 

“ Muna, maybe in Aemma’s letter, there will be an explanation of what Kepa wrote. 

Rhaenyra smiled at her and decided to read Aemma’s letter out loud so they could hear it. She started to read from where she left off.

“ Muna , I have done my duty to strengthen our house with allies. If your approval is given, my queen, I have decided to give my hand of marriage to Lord Benjicot Blackwood.” 

Gasps were heard as Jace quickly stood up and took the letter from her, re-reading the letter. Rhaenyra was shocked. She and her daughter haven’t even discussed marriage, yet she stated that she was betrothed in her letter. Baela and Rhaenys were equally shocked but decided to wait before expressing their thoughts. 

“This was not a decision made at the spur of the moment; both houses, Blackwood and Targaryen, can benefit much from our union…I eagerly await your answer at Harrenhall. With Love, Crown Princess Aemma Velayron.” Finished Jace with a sour look on his face. He didn’t know this, Lord Blackwood. Had he forced his sister to make this match? But Daemon would never allow that. 

“ Muna , we must send a letter rejecting the match and telling Aemma to come back home we-” Jace ranted as he reached for a parchment only to have his mother stop him. 

“Jace, we must trust both your sister’s and father’s judgment; if Daemon has not expressed rejection of the betrothal, then we should allow both your sister and her intended the chance.” Soothed Rhaenyra, as she knew her son would not want to agree.

“But..” 

“Jace,” whispered Baela while staring at her betrothed. “We should listen to your mother, sister, and my father. If Kepa likes him, then he must be worthy of Aemma.” 

“How about we allow Jacaerys to meet the lad and get a feel for him? If he approves, we will start making quick preparations for the wedding. We should be quick with the wedding as war is so close. If not, he will return with Aemma to Dragonstone?” proposed Rhaenys, trying to be diplomatic, even though she wanted her granddaughter back in her arms. 

Rhaenyra considered it for a moment before she, too, nodded. 

“Yes, we will do that, Jace; go quickly and swiftly to Harrenhall. Get to know Lord Blackwood and see if he is the best for our sweet Aemma. Baela, go with him in case Aemma becomes difficult for Jace.” 

Both Jace and Baela nodded and left to get ready for the trip. Jace is determined not to give Benjicot Blackwood a chance, as he felt that Cregan would be the perfect husband for his sister. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aemma was finishing her laces when her father came into the tent holding something behind his back. 

“Is everything ready?” asked Aemma as she walked to her father. 

“Yes, the boy is eagerly waiting at the training field, poor fool,” chuckled Daemon. His laugh only grew once he saw his daughter send a glare toward him. 

Daemon grinned widely, “I have a gift for you… rather than using an old sword, you, as a Targaryen princess, should hold a Valyrian steel.” Daemon brought out a shortsword, which took Aemma’s breath away as she took hold of it. 

The sword was light enough for her to swing easily. The handle was a beautiful black, and two dragons were carved on each side, their eyes made from rubies.  

Aemma grinned as she hugged her father, grateful for the gift. Daemon returned the hug and nuzzled her head, whispering, “Do not go easy on him; let all see the true power of the dragon.”

Daemon let go of her, and the two walked to the training grounds, where a huge crowd gathered, waiting for the duel. Benjicot was speaking with two lads, who happened to be heir Kermit and his brother Oscar Tully. Once the Prince and Princess reached the grounds, the crowd turned to them. 

Daemon smirked condescendingly at the Lord of Raventree Hall, “Well, boy, are you ready to prove yourself?” 

Benji returned a rabid grin, his tongue running through his teeth, “More than ready, my Prince; I am eager to duel with you.” 

Daemon laughed, which stopped Benji and brought a frown to his face. 

“Oh, you think you will be fighting me, my mistake, but you won’t be dueling with me.” 

Puzzled, Benjicot looked at the Prince like he grew an extra head, “If not you, then who…” Benji never finished his sentence as he made eye contact with Princess Aemma, who grinned at him, spinning her new sword in her hands. 

“You will be dueling Princess Aemma, one of the best sword fighters in Dragonstone. Beat or catch her in a draw, and you will have my blessing.” explained The Rouge Prince as he sat.

Benjicot’s eyes widened as he stared at his Princess, seeing her getting into position. 

“I wish you luck, Lord Blackwood,” spoke Princess Aemma as she saw him become more confident, giving her a smirk. 

“And to you, my princess,” Benjicot stated before he lunged at her. 

Aemma waited until he nearly reached her to pivot and turn to him while swinging her sword, almost grazing the young Lord, who dropped and tried to kick the legs from under her. Thankful for her quick reflexes from flying, she jumped back, grinning. Benjicot quickly stood, his eyes becoming wilder as he and the princess continued striking and dodging. The crowd stared in awe; it looked like the young lord and princess were dancing instead of dueling, unable to take their eyes off each other. 

Aemma was getting frustrated and bored, thinking the duel should have ended a while ago. Of course, it went to show the skill level Benjicot had with his sword if neither of them could get to the other. In the last strike, Aemma saw Benjicot widen his stance a little too much as he turned to her. Grinning, she pivoted away from him and kicked him on his shin. Causing the young man to buckle, as she pushed him to the floor while kicking his sword away as she swung hers. Benji quickly rolled away and kicked her feet from under her, causing her to lose her grip and drop her sword.  Using this time, Benji promptly reached for his sword, swinging it as he turned to her. Then, everyone inhaled sharply. Aemma and Benji each held their swords to each other's necks, breathing heavily. A pause happened between them as they struggled to catch their breath. 

Cregan smiled, “I believe we have a draw, everyone.” 

This prompted everyone to cheer as they surrounded the lord and princess, who grinned at each other and moved away from each other, allowing them to stand side by side. The cheering then quieted once Prince Daemon walked up to the pair. 

“Not bad, boy. You truly have some skill…  but I have one last question.” 

Benjicot stared at the Prince, making sure never to break eye contact.  

Prince Daemon approached Benji and asked, “Would you give up your life for her if given the chance?” 

Both Aly and Aemma gasped in shock at the question, “ Kepa , what-” 

Daemon raised his hand, pausing her, and continually stared at the Lord of House Blackwood. 

“We are at war and have many enemies who will do everything to hurt her or, worse, kill her, so boy, if you needed to, would you give your life for her to ensure she had the best chance to survive.” 

Benjicot stared at the Rouge Prince as the rest of the crowd stared in tense silence. Finally, Benjicot kneed in front of the prince, who proudly stated. 

“I swear upon the Old Gods of the North and the Fourteen Flames of Valyria that I, Benjicot Blackwood, Lord of Raventree Hall, will love and cherish Crown Princess Aemma Valeyron with everything in my body and soul. To protect and keep her happy and, if need be, lay down my life for her from now until the day I die.” 

During his pledge, Princess Aemma started smiling, her eyes welling with tears, and she looked at her father with hopeful eyes. Daemon stared at his daughter before he sighed; he could never say no to her. Daemon reached out and held out his hand for Benji to take. As he helped raise the young from the ground, Daemon shook his hand. 

“Very well, you have my blessing to continue courting her until the queen sets the day for your wedding.” 

The crowd again cheered as Prince Daemon walked away, allowing Aly Blackwood to hug the princess and the Tully brothers clapping Benjicot on the back with Cregan smiling in the background. Aemma, feeling giddy from the leftover adrenaline, ran to Benji, jumping into his arms and kissing him. Which made the Blackwood and Northern men start whistling.  After a while, she separated herself from him, blushing, as he ducked his head, suddenly feeling shy with all the attention on him and his princess. 

In the distance, two dragon roars were heard, making everyone turn to the sky widely while Aemma and Daemon looked up. 

“DRAGONS!” yelled a few knights as people ran from the clearing. Moondancer and Vermax came into view. Aemma grinned at seeing her brother and step-sister landing as she quickly walked to greet them, with Daemon, Benjicot, and Cregan following her. Once Jace helped Baela off Moondancer, he barely had enough time to compose himself as his sister jumped him. Laughing, he picks her up and spins her around. He had missed her terribly. After putting her down, he smiled at Cregan and nodded at Daemon before he noticed Benjicot. Jacaerys sobered up, looking at the young lord up and down, analyzing him. 

“Lord Blackwood…”

[ayasuki]

6th Bakugou x Reader FANFIC RECS

some are short but they're good hehe (most of these are suggestive :P)

> • 𝑹𝒆𝒄 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕

" Dream Eater " by justatypicaltrash

dream eater!bakugou x reader

warning: slight angst

bakugo is an eternal living dream eater.

" I Like You, Okay?! " by kikyo-bnha-imagines

bakugou x fem!reader

summary: katsuki struggles to confess to his crush.

" Workshopped Romance " by itsmm4hiii

pro-hero!bakugou x fem!reader

summary: working for a hero costume designer has its perks like; meeting heroes, playing with cool technologies, getting you're name out- y/n didn't  really expect her own boss will try and hook her up with a customer. 

" Blood Moonlit, Must be Counterfeit " by irisintheafterglow

pro-hero!bakugou x reader

warning: swearing ofc cuz it's bakugo, mentions of drinking and alcohol, halloween party, first meeting, emotionally constipated katsuki and reader is kinda oblivious lol

summary: a guy at a party has a really good dynamight costume, and you two get to talking about your favorite heroes.

WARNING | beneath the cut are slightly suggestive to full on smut fics

" no title " by moominsuki

bakugou x fem!reader

warning: ch. 359-362 spoilers kinda. a little suggestive but fluff all around

summary: katsuki hates being off the job. but what he hates more is being treated like glass, especially by you.

" as the years go by " by quitesins

pro-hero!bakugou x fem!reader

warning: suggestive, slight nsfw, friends to lovers, unrequited love ig? virgin!reader, drabble

summary: being friends with bakugou since UA, watching each other change as the years go by, but still having room to learn more, so much more.

" no title " by izvmimi

warning: palace drama au, multiple wives, fem!reader, brief explicit sex.

" One More Time " by yanderenightmare

warning: derogatory dirty talk, spanking, angsty but with a fluffy ending

" no title " by dreamland03

bakugou x reader

warning: mention of sex like once, drinking, mention of trauma, bad self image

" Come Sit " by saturnorbits

bakugou x fem!reader

warning: cock-warming

summary: after a long day, all you need is bakugo.

" Feral " by smiley-babe

wolfhybrid!bakugou x fem!reader

warnings: aged up characters, lowkey monster fucking (hybrid bakugo has wolf ears, a tail, and fangs), knotting, HUGE breeding kink, no specific dynamics, biting, small blood kink (if you squint), marking/ bonding, heat/ rut behavior, panty sniffing, kind of rough sex, oral (f receiving), and fingering

summary: taking in a wolf hybrid already didn’t seem like a good idea, but when spring hits… all hell breaks loose.

" Personal Trainer!BKG " by bakubunny

personal trainer!bakugou x plus size!fem!reader

warning: oral sex (m receiving), rough sex.

" On To Better Things " by savnofilter

prohero!dilf!bakugou x fem!reader

warning: angst, strangers to lovers

sfw | toxic & abusive relationship, toxic baby daddy, mentions postpartum, mental health, arguing, mentions of legal proceedings, counseling, drama, cultural family expectations, love bombing, manipulation, a man being a hypocrite, reader low-key needs a new circle of people around them but that's neither here nor there, reader loves their daughter to pieces </3, reader's daughter is a hand full but we stan!, reader spaces out a lot, "our kids are best friends but we never met before and so happen to be single" trope.

nsfw | fingering, cunnilingus, groping, praise kink, reader has multiple orgasms (2, hinted 4), reader is a bit shy as it's been awhile and feels nervous, vocal queen reader, clothed sex, protected sex, comforting!bakugo, non-established relationship.

" Swipe Right " by ryukatters

bakugou x fem!reader

warning: dubcon, quirkless/college! au, jealousy, possessiveness, breeding, creampie, unprotected sex, cum eating, cunnilingus, overstimulation, praise, biting, bkg gets a little rough with you, and bkg's also a fucking simp

summary: your boyfriend decides to make a fake tinder profile for you just to see how many matches you get. he comes to a realization just how many other people want what’s already his.

" no title " by katbakubae

bakugou x fem!reader

warning: language, dom!bakugou, possessiveness, jealousy, (mild) stalking, name calling, spanking, rough oral.

summary: sick of your boyfriends lack of time with you because of his busy schedule, you decided to take some time for yourself. unfortunately, letting that happen was never an option for him.

[feyhunter78]

Chapter Six - The tourney has finished, and Jon finds himself in your chambers. As the events of the game go on Jon must adapt to his ever-changing role.

Ch 7

He is sweaty, dirty, tired, and yet he feels more alive than he has in years, perhaps it is the remaining exhilaration of victory, or the words of King Robert that ring in his ears.

You look up at Jon, then at your aunt, then back to Jon, and there is a sinking feeling in his gut. You do not want to kiss him, not even on the cheek.

He decides to spare you the shame and embarrassment, turning to King Robert intent on gracefully declining when your lips meet his cheek. It is quick, a peck, a whisper of soft lips against his stubble covered cheek and the words die on his lips.

The crowd behind him cheers, King Robert raises his glass towards him, his eyes glazed over with drunkenness. “A fine paring they would make, if it were not for his unfortunate birth.”

Lord Stark, his father, clenches his fist, but puts on a smile, patting King Robert’s shoulder. “I think it is time we retire to your tent, my friend.”

Shame washes over Jon, and a muscle in his jaw twitches as he looks away from the makeshift throne.

“Father, I have grown tired from all this excitement, might I be allowed to retire to my chambers?” You ask, loud enough for all around to hear. You are giving him an escape.

Tyrion nods magnanimously. “Of course, my daughter, and take your champion with you, lest he be mobbed by his hard-won crowd of admirers.”

It is only now that Jon realizes the chanting that he’s been blocking out is for him. The moniker they have bestowed upon him White Wolf. A reference to Ghost he knows, but it fills him with pride, never has a crowd chanted his name, never had more than his siblings chanted his name, but now? Now he was their champion. At least until the jousting began, then a new champion would be chosen. It matters not, for in this moment Jon feels special.

In your chambers nestled within Maegor’s Holdfast, Jon sits as you tend to his wounds. They are nothing, truly, some cuts and bruises, but still, you treat each one with such care.

Ghost rests his head on his knee while you work, painting on salves and covering cuts with soft gauze.

“Look up for me?” You half ask, half order, gently cupping his chin with one hand, keeping his head still as you tend to the cut on his cheek.

He winces when the cloth you are holding meets his broken skin, and you breathe out a soft apology before gently dabbing the salve on the cut. Your fingertips are soft, your focused expression allowing him to observe you. His lovely lady, truly his, until you marry that is, but there are no signs of any marriages happening soon.

Not for the first time he allows his mind to wander, to imagine you and him together—married somewhere, maybe Casterly Rock in one of the many wings you have told him about, or a keep in the North, perhaps Moat Cailin. If he could get his father to lend him the men, the supplies, it could be restored to its former glory.

“Ser Jon?” You ask, pulling him from his daydreams.

“Apologies. My Lady, I was lost in thought.”

“I asked if you had any other injuries?” Your voice is soft, as soft as your touch, and he craves it. Desires to feel more, to hear more, for you to always look at him with such rapt devotion, with such interest in his wellbeing, with such care. Gods he had never felt so cared for in his life.

Jon bites his tongue hard. He does, earlier in his duels one of the Redwyne men had slammed his elbow into his stomach, Jon is sure there is a bruise forming. “I do, My Lady, but it is in a place that would require the removal of my tunic.”

Your eyes widen ever so slightly, and you nod stiffly. “Well, it is my duty to care for my champion, so I shall turn around, then you let me know when you have removed your tunic. We are both members of great houses, we can act with decorum.”

Jon nods and waits.

You wait as well, just staring, then seem to realize what he is waiting for with an adorable “oh, right,” and turn around.

He chuckles and sheds his tunic folding it neatly and placing it in his lap, dislodging Ghost who grumbles and goes to lay on the plush pile of pillows you had moved into your chambers especially for him. “Alright, My Lady.”

You turn back around, and for a moment Jon thinks you are having a stroke.

You blink rapidly at him, your lips parting then snapping shut. “Oh, um, yes, right, where is the injury?”

He motions to the ever-darkening bruise in the center of his abdomen.

You make a small, strangled sound, one he would not have been able to hear if not for the quiet of the room, and gently kneel, salve in hand as you scrutinize the bruise. “I cannot get a good position for my hand without digging my elbow into your leg; I need to get a little closer…”

You and Jon stare at each other, you can only get closer if you invade the space between his legs.

He coughs and spreads them, looking away as casually as possible, praying to the gods, old and new, that a certain part of his anatomy does not decide to take interest in the sight before him.

You work quickly, but diligently, using featherlight touches as you apply the salve, your other arm resting on his thigh keeping you steady. “You did very well today, I am glad to see all your training has paid off.”

Jon looks at you instinctually because you are talking, he always looks at you when you speak, it is only polite, and he immediately regrets it. You are looking up at him through your lashes, on your knees between his legs, your hand on his abdomen. It is a sight he only dares to imagine in the darkness of his own chambers, with his hand wrapped tightly around himself.

“And I must admit it brings me no small amount of pleasure that it was my sworn sword who was named champion, you should have seen Ellyn Farman’s face, she was all but green with envy.” You smile, it is a joyous, deviously delightful smile, and he feels the urge to go back to the tourney field and defeat another seven men.

“My victories are yours.” His voice pitches up at the end when you slide your hand down as you get up, your head turned towards Ghost, fully unaware as you continue talking.

“And of course your moniker, how exciting, truly Ser Jon you are making quite a name for us.” He grabs your wrist preventing it from sliding any further, and you turn back towards him with confusion in your eyes, then you glance down then rip your hand away as if he had burned you. “I am so, so, sorry, I did not mean—”

“It is alright, I know you had no intention, and neither do I.” He reassures you. He never wants you to feel unsafe with him, never wants you to doubt his loyalty is not contingent on the possibility of carnal pleasure.

You hold your hand to your chest, taking him in with those ever-inquisitive eyes. “I do understand why the other girls speak so highly of you, I always have, but I understand this reason now.”

“What reason?”

You tuck a lock of hair behind your ear and glance back at Ghost. “You are handsome, Ser Jon, surely you must know that.”

“Robb is handsome, Theon is handsome, I am—”

“Tarnishing one’s maidenhood worthy?” You supply, that teasing tone in your voice making him glad his tunic still remains over his lap.

“I would not.”

“I know, you are honorable, and I admire that, greatly.” You have dropped the teasing tone and give him a genuine smile. “Now, I suggest you redress, lest someone find us here and think you not so honorable.” You turn back around, humming a song to yourself.

Jon feels special, you make him feel special. More than the crowds, the king, and it is a feeling he sees himself becoming quite addicted to.

He no longer feels special, not as he looks on as his father kneels before Joffrey, Sansa in tears pleading for mercy. They were bastards, the three of them born of incest, had you not told him as much in his nightmares? Why had he waited, why had he not gone to his father the moment he suspected his dream were truth? Now the King was dead, and Joffrey had taken his place.

“Lord Stark, you have claimed the late king declared you as his regent and leveled great insults against my son.” Queen Cersei says, her chin held high, a cruel light in her eyes.

The steps of the Great Sept of Baelor are pristine, the domes of glass and gold looming behind them, the sun shining down through the fluffy white clouds. He stares at his father’s feet to keep the tears back, his throat tight as Sansa’s sobs tear at his heart.

You are dressed in Lannister red, the bright ruby, not your darker crimson, your gown lavish, and intricately embroidered, your hair up in a southern style, a near perfect duplicate of the Dowager Queen. Your hand has an iron grip on his wrist, fingertips outstretched to his palm, hidden behind your skirts.

“Please, I beg of you, spare my father, send him to the Night’s Watch for his crimes.” Sansa cries, clutching at the collar of her gown, tears streaming down her face. Theon stands behind her, still part of the crowd, his eyes never leaving her form, his lips etched into a deep frown.

“I am nothing if not merciful.” Joffrey says, spreading his hands wide, a smile on his face.

Jon’s stomach churns and your grip on him tightens.

“Do not act rashly.” You whisper, leaning into him ever so slightly, keeping him grounded.

Sansa sobs her gratitude, her sobs turning to screams when a kingsguard grabs her, pulling her back as Ser Ilyn Payne steps up Ice in his hands.

Jon can see Theon struggle against a few men, his curses muffled by a rag they shove in his mouth.

“Close your eyes, you should not have to see this.” You tell him. He ignores you, ripping his arm from your grip, but you move in front of him your hands on his chest, your strength is nothing compared to his, but the tears in your eyes stop him for a moment. “Please, Jon, he will kill you if you interfere.”

A whistling sound fills the air, then Lord Payne falls to the ground, an arrow sticking out his back. Another flies towards Joffrey and misses, clattering to the steps beside him. Chaos breaks out, people scream, arrows fly, the steps of the sept are tainted with blood.

His father gets to his feet, grabbing Ice, Theon rushing to him, a flash of Sansa’s red hair then Jon can no longer see them, the crowd closes in, and he hears a scream. It is you, he knows your scream, heard it time and time again in his nightmares. Jon turns on his heel, you should be right beside him, you are always right beside him, but now the space you always occupy is empty.

“Y/N!” He yells, scanning the crowd, hand on his pommel as the crowd surges against him.

“Jon!” Your voice comes from somewhere on his right, and he pushes through the crowd, catching sight of your gown. It is enough, and he presses on, a wolf stalking its prey, even as bodies crash into him, the sounds, and smells overwhelming, he follows you, elbowing and shoving others to get by, gaining ground until he is able to see you fully.

Some man has you, one he has never seen before, hooded, and cloaked, his arm around yours, a knife to your side as he drags you along.

You do not call out when you see him, smart girl, and he quickly overtakes the man, driving his sword through his back, the man freezing and sputtering, before collapsing as Jon pulls his blade out. This is the first life his blade has taken, and it is a righteous deed.

“Jon, oh gods, oh gods.” You sob, throwing your arms around his neck, your body trembling.

He wraps his arms around you, crushing you to his chest. “Seven Hells, y/n, are you hurt?”

You shake your head, jasmine perfume drowning out the scent of the city, of the crowd. “No, no, are you?”

“I am unharmed.” He assures you, releasing you only so he can pull back and examine you.

You are unharmed, roughed up, dirtied and scared, but there is no sign of injury. More screams, more people push past, and you look at him, tear rimmed eyes, large and fearful. “I want to go home.”

He is strong, stronger than Robb, than his father, and you weigh nothing compared to the barrels Lord Santagar makes him run with day after day, so he throws you over his shoulder.

You yelp at the sudden switch in gravity, clinging to him as he pushes through the crowd, his knuckles will be bruised and bloodied, but he cares not, he must get you to safety.

Jon does not put you down until you are safely inside the Red Keep, your father is there, in the throne room, as well as your grandsire, a surprise Jon is unsure whether is welcomed or not. Both men were not due to arrive from Casterly Rock for another fortnight.

“And here comes the White Wolf with my daughter slung over his shoulder like a Dothraki warlord.” Tyrion sighs.

Now on your feet but still clinging to Jon, you face your father. “He saved me, it is what he swore to do, I will not stand here and allow you to insult him.” Your words are weak, stained with tears, and you are still trembling, but they are earnest.

“Yes, yes, good job, Ser Jon.” Tyrion says, patting Jon’s hand.

“Thank you, My Lord.” He says, stunned and unsure. Where is his family, have they escaped? Been killed?

“Where is Sansa? Is she alright?” You ask, searching the room for her.

“The bitch has escaped, along with her traitor of a father, and that Greyjoy scum.” Joffrey’s voice rings out, as he sits down on the throne, the queen standing beside him, Lord Tywin going to flank her.

He is alone, alone in enemy territory, but at least his family have been able to escape. He sends a prayer to the old gods for their safety, then one for his own.

You smooth down your hair and craft your expression into one of disbelieving outrage. “My King, I am sorry. I never thought sweet Sansa would betray you.”

“She is a Stark, it is what they do, Ned Stark betrayed my father, and now his daughter betrays me.” Joffrey turns his eyes onto Jon, they are not like yours, no life lives within them, only death, sickly green and glowing with malice. “And what about your Stark, dear cousin, will he betray you?”

Jon shakes his head; he has seen you play this game with Joffrey enough times that he believes he knows what role he must play. “No, My King, I am a bastard, and sworn to Lady y/n, I hold my oath to her higher than that of my so-called blood.” It pains him to speak the words, to play this game, but he will have no chance of seeing his family, of seeing Arya, again if he’s dead.

TL: @mostclevermiss, @solacestyles, @2valentines, @sharknutz

[otakubimbo]

The Rabbit and The Wolf

I love you????

Kakashi confessed to you and now you must deal with your feelings while going on a mission with him. How's that gonna go?

MDNI. MATURE CONTENT.

Ch 1 2 3 4 5 6

master list

OBnote: Please don't hate me, I know I said this would come out a lot sooner but I'm just a girl????

It takes you a moment to really register everything that is going on and then the panic starts. . You’re completely flustered, mouth agape but no words can be formed. You don’t know what to do. You don’t know what to say, what could you say?

“I’m sorry for being a coward,” he says still holding your gaze strongly and you can’t do anything else but nob, eyes glossing over as if you were going to cry.

Your childhood best friend said he was currently in love with you. He confessed that he was currently in love with you and has been since that night after your sister's wedding. Before you could even try to wrap your mind around everything that was going on, his face started leaning down towards yours as he went to pull his mask down. Now it was your time to be the coward, you had never made hand signs faster in your life to get the fuck out of there.

Kakashi sighs at the emptiness in front of him. He didn’t really know what to expect from you after his confession and attempt at kissing you. Well, he didn’t expect you would just vanish, maybe yell a little, or be mad and confused. Anything other than disappearing completely. He did see the panic in your eyes before you decided to vanish, but it felt good to finally be honest with you. Above all you were a professional, so he had no doubts in his mind about the success of the mission. He just didn’t know what was going to happen between the two of you now that you knew how he felt that he had been feeling this way for years and never had the guts to confront his feelings for you. There was only one person he could talk to about this, and it was your sister. With a heavy sigh, he turns and makes his way back to the hospital to explain the situation to your sister.

After pouring his heart for the second time today, your sister couldn’t help but chuckle at the two of you. She didn’t expect such a development to occur today, but it was so cute seeing the two of you both flustered over each other, Kakashi more upfront about his feelings than you were currently.

“I did not expect her to be so dramatic, even though, “she begins as she holds back another laugh that was brewing at the imagine of you just pooling away in front of him, “it's not her first time being dramatic”

Kakashi wasn’t as amused by your behavior as it seems your sister was, he really didn’t know what to do at that moment. He had never been good at love or feelings, especially when it came to you. And now here sat the great Kakashi Hatake, the copycat ninja pouting in front of your sister over you. She couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Oh, don’t be like that. I’m sure it was a lot for her to hear that from you. She panicked, be it dramatically but I know she feels the same about you as you do about her.”

Her words don’t do anything to relieve his stress over this situation. He just poured his heart out to you, confessing something that he had held onto for a year, and you didn’t even respond, just left.

“Y'all have been in love with each other since your first Anbu missions together. You know I’ve always said that you two would get married. She just got a little panicked and ran, you know she takes after our dad.” Your sister chuckled to herself; you

were your father's daughter. Emotions get too much, time to cut and run. That’s part of the reason you became one of the youngest Anbu’s along with Kakashi, you put all your emotions into training instead of into the death of your mother.

Kakashi knew your sister was right but that didn’t stop all the negative thoughts that were occupying his brain. You on the other hand were probably in worse shape, pacing back and forth in Kurenais' living room.

“What am I going to do?” You ask mainly for yourself. Your friend is trying to keep her composure and not laugh at you. Anyone could have seen this coming, especially you the signs were all there especially more recently but here you were pacing in her house like it was all a surprise that man was in love with you.

“You could tell him that you feel the same.” She offers which makes you stop in your tracks to stare at her as if she had just grown a second head.

“That’s insane” You comment before continuing to pace. Again, she tries not to laugh at you.

You were so dramatic, it’s so obvious that you’re both in love with each other. Why were you making this so difficult for yourself?

“No, that’s usually what happens when two people are in love with each other.”

You freeze again but don’t look at her this time. Just thinking. Were you in love with him? The memory of your almost kiss flashes through your mind. The soft expression on his face, the warmth in his hands, his subtle shyness as he was bringing his face to yours, the fact that at that moment you really wanted him to kiss you. And you were sober, stone-cold sober. Nope nope nope. You shake those thoughts out of your head.

“Insanity” is all you say as you continue pacing. Your friend just sighs, shaking her head as she watches you. She does stop you eventually.

“Okay how about you go get some training in to take your mind off it, yeah? You’re going to drive yourself actually insane and me also with all this pacing back and forth.”

“Yeah alright, great idea. I’m gonna punch some shit.” You say immediately making your way to the door. Once you leave, Kurenai just sighs, you were hopeless truly but what is she to do?

The dummy targets you set up didn’t stand a chance as you started throwing punches at them. There was too much adrenaline going through you currently to not destroy them into tiny fragments with just one hit. Your thoughts are racing as you punch your way through the setup. Kakashi was in love with you. Punch. You think you may also be in love with him. Punch. This felt like a mistake. Kick. Each thought was accompanied by a strike to a dummy.

Amid your thought process, you feel someone sneaking up on you. On reflex, you appear behind them with a kunai to their neck. Realizing who it was, you immediately relaxed and let them go. It was Sasuke.

“What are you doing baby Uchiha? I could have killed you.”

“Glad to see you’re not rusty” He comments rubbing at his throat, there is a small cut there now. Not enough to bleed but it stings. Your hands move to your hips at his deflection, mildly annoyed at his presence during your session.

“What are you doing here Sasuke? It’s late and we have a mission tomorrow.” You scold him. His hands are in pockets not directly looking at you.

“Do you like Kakashi sensei?” He asks and you're taken aback, there is absolutely no reason he should have asked you that.

“You’ve been really nosy today. Off brand” You joke to deflect his accusatory question.

“I went to your house to see if you could train me today since training was canceled.” He begins, face growing red as he speaks. “So, I thought you may be visiting your sister and was going to ask if you could after you were done.”

You stand there confused for a moment as he speaks and then the realization starts to hit you. Why did you choose to have that conversation with that man in such a public place you do not know? You weren’t thinking at the time, and it didn’t seem as if anyone was actually around especially not caring about the conversation the two of you were having. Or so you thought. You attempt to keep your composure, realizing exactly where this conversation is headed.

“I saw you two.”

“And we were just talking. That’s what friends do, kid.” You say ruffling his hair hoping that’s all he saw.

“Yeah but then I saw him try to kiss you and then you dis – “Your hand cuts him off, slamming it against his mouth to get him to stop talking.

“What is up with you and being so damn nosy baby Uchiha.” You say as you choose to not remove your hand from his mouth. In response, he licks your hand once you don’t remove it forcing you to remove your hand from his mouth. Your face scrunches up in disgust at the action.

“That was disgusting and childish. You’ve been hanging out with Naruto too much.” You wipe your hand off on the grass.

“Don’t compare me to that loser.” He huffs at you.

“Then don’t do shit like that kid”

“You’re trying to ignore what I said I saw” He counters. You sigh, squeezing the bridge of your nose between your fingers, wishing he would just drop the topic.

“Why does it even matter? Especially to you.” You ask exasperated.

“Because I care about you, you’re basically the only family I have left and then you left for two years only visiting on the occasion. Kakashi sensei really helped me out a lot while you were gone. You don’t know how much I missed you.” He confesses, his fists are balled up at his side in tension.

“Oh Sasuke” you say before pulling him into a hug. “I’m sorry” He barely reciprocates your hug, fist still balled, stiff in your arms. It takes a few moments before his body relaxes into you, taking comfort in the warmth he hasn’t felt in what felt like forever.

“Stop this is embarrassing” He complains pushing you away, once he realizes how much he was enjoying the hug “It’s just after seeing that it just kind of made sense. The way you two look at each other. Ya know. I just thought you would be happier. I want you both to be happy.”

Sasuke was never one to directly tell you how he felt, he was more of an action kind of kid. He always wanted to maintain that brooding personality as if nothing phased him

You sigh, giving him a soft smile, “Thank you for caring about my happiness. That means a lot coming for you Sasuke. It really does.” You pause before continuing, “But it's all just really complicated at this point.”

He scoffs at your response, “Seems simple to me”

“If only it were.” You sigh again, placing your hand on the top of his head. He was so thoughtful, he really reminded you a lot of his brother. The good parts of him, of course. “Come on, it's late. You can stay at my place tonight like when you were just a little baby boy” you tease pinching his cheeks. He hits your hand grumbling but agrees to join you. Maybe Sasuke was right. Maybe it was all that easy. You just didn’t really know how you felt, it was all too much to think about. So many years of unanswered questions, pushed back feelings, all so much. At your house, you set him up on the couch, making him a hot chocolate like old times. Times when things were so much simpler.

The next morning, you wake Sasuke up and he is not too pleased, he’s always been like this, and it brings a gentle smile to your face because he’s still that same kid not at all a morning person. He complained the whole time saying that being early is not being on time, it's just being early. It took some effort to drag him out of your house. Once you finally get to the meet-up spot, he finds a spot under a tree to take a nap before everyone is expected to arrive, he is exhausted. You take a seat next to him and sharpen your swords, this should have been something you did yesterday, but you were a bit distracted for obvious reasons. Eventually, Naruto and Sakura show up, perfectly on time which Naruto surprises you.

“Why is Sasuke-Kun sleeping?” Sakura asks concern written all over her face.

“Oh. I just knocked him out before y’all got here” you say casually trying not to laugh as her jaw drops and she screams waking up the boy next to you.

“OMG SASUKE YOU’RE OKAY” Sakura screams, obviously irritating Sasuke more. Which just makes you fight another giggle that was threatening to escape your lips “y/n sensei said she knocked you out before we got here!”

“Yeah!” Naruto chimes in just as loud.

“No, she didn’t you idiots, I was just tired because she decided to wake me up so early for us to be here.” He complains staring daggers at you which you just laugh off.

“HAHA, y/n sensei had to go to your house to wake you up” Naruto teases.

“Oh no, he stayed the night last night.” You say casually and Naruto’s jaw drops, and Sakura falls backward in complete shock at the thought of what could have been going on in your house with just you and Sasuke last night.

“Why does Sasuke get to spend the night at your house and not me? “Naruto whines.

“Because she doesn’t like you, loser” Sasuke replies as he takes a stand, stretching out from his short nap.

“That’s not true. Be nice.” You say putting your swords up, “It was just circumstantial, and he used to spend the night all the time when he was little.” You ruffle Naruto’s hair.

“Well, next time I’m coming.” Naruto declares.

“Absolutely not” Sasuke argues back as they continue to debate over who can and can’t stay at your own house.

You just laugh and check on Sakura, who was just sitting there in a daze what could possibly be going through her head, “You good?”

“yes, I was just having thoughts,” She says with a glazed expression. You were afraid to ask what her thoughts were. Sasuke and Naruto continue to argue about who was allowed to stay at your house or not and you couldn’t help but laugh at them. It was music to Kakashi’s ears as he walked up on the scene, he loved hearing you laugh. You feel his presence behind you, automatically turning to face him mid laughter and his step falters a bit. Now that he’s admitted to you and himself that he was in love with you, everything you did was magical and breathtaking. He was allowing himself to feel for you openly and it was as if he was seeing you for the first time.

“Nice for you to arrive” You gently smile at him, trying your best to act as normally as possible but looking at him made your heart start to race.

One of his arms goes to the back of his head, as he makes that cocky smile he always does when he’s late “Sorry had to help a cat get out of a tree.”

“You’re a liar Kakashi sensei” Sakura states pointing at him, which he just chuckles at amused.

When the group is ready to leave, the kids lead the way. Kakashi walks next to you, keeping your slower pace. You had never been on a mission with a Team before that wasn’t as equally capable as you, you didn’t want anything to happen to team 7, so you were keeping on high alert. You haven’t seen them in actual combat, so you just wanted to keep focused in case anything happened. Kakashi could tell you were tense, watching your eyes scan the surroundings. This was exactly how you acted on your first mission with him, expecting the worst to happen at a moment's notice. Serious. Quiet. Focused.

“We don’t have anything to worry about on the way there. It’s not like we are escorting documents. It’ll be fine. They’re capable. I’ve trained them. You’ve trained them” He comments hoping to ease some of your worry and your stance relaxes a bit at the thought.

“Sorry,” You mutter, attempting to take some of your guard down despite it being so second nature.

“No problem, I remember when you used to get like this during our first missions when we were young.”

“We? I’m still young. You’re the old one” you point out. He scoffs at you.

“you’re the one who keeps calling them kids.”

“They are kids, I’m just an older kid” you laugh when he shoves into you. You and Kakashi lock eyes for a moment, his gaze softening as he looks at your face.

“Glad you’re here,” he says gaze still locked on yours, soft, loving which makes you immediately break eye contact, feeling your body heating up from the subtle intimacy.

“Well ya know I have a mission to complete, and I have an impeccable record to keep up. Never missed or failed a mission.” You’re trying to stay casual as you twirl a kunai under your finger, ignoring the way your breath is hitching and your heart is beating.

“Yeah, you are perfect.” He states plainly, hands in his pockets. The statement makes you trip over your own feet, “Careful” he teases enjoying the way he was starting to affect you and you just scowl at him not appreciating him trying to mess with you.

Up ahead of y’all, Sakura leans slower to Sasuke and whispers “Did Kakashi sensei take this mission just to flirt with y/n sensei?”

Sasuke looks back to see you trying to hold in laughter, hitting his other sensei playfully.

He shrugs as if the sight doesn’t make him happy, “Seems so I guess, I don’t know or care.”

“But I thought you two were close,” Sakura says confused at his nonchalant attitude.

“Yeah, like a sister and the last thing I care about is her love life,” he says before taking a glance back at you and Kakashi, you are both smiling and laughing at each other as you walk.

“Well, I think they would make a cute couple,” Sakura says

“Wait, y/n sensei and Kakashi sensei are dating?” Naruto says louder than the group wants him to.

“Stop being so loud!” Sakura yells as she hits him in the head. He yelps in pain.

That sound immediately catches your attention, and your hand instinctively goes to your blades then settle as you see they’re just arguing with each other.

“It gets easier” Kakashi mentions at your defensiveness, his instincts since long settled from being so reactionary.

“Oh? You’re inviting on more missions with your team?” You ask coyly, trying to make a joke out of it.

“Absolutely but you know if you ever get your own team.” He says earnestly. You thought about it before shaking your head.

“Nah, I think I’ll leave that responsibility to you.”

“You would be good at it though. You’re good at it now.” He replies as he fixes his gaze on you. The look in his eye you knew he meant it which made you even more flustered.

Time to deflect how you’re feeling, “I don’t think so. I’m more of the lone WOLF type. Ya know”

“Now who’s the comedian” he snorts.

The rest of the way to the village was nice, team 7 arguing about whatever is in front of you two as you talk casually, laughing and joking. It was nice, it felt normal, like old times, once there, you need to find lodging for the night, so you go to the nearest inn.

“Oh, I’m sorry, we are basically all booked for the night due to the festival. We only have two rooms.” The innkeeper says to you as you asked for three rooms. Before you could even make a comment Sasuke interjects.

“That should be fine right? The three of us in one room and the sensei’s in another room.” He says casually, yet he knew exactly what he was doing. You couldn’t even get out a glare before Sakura jumped for joy agreeing. And then, still unable to speak, the innkeeper starts.

“Oh, that’s wonderful I’m glad we can accommodate you.” She says as she leaves to get the keys. If looks could kill, Sasuke would be dead twice. You wrap your arm around Sasuke's shoulder in a playful manner bending down to whisper in his ear.

“I’m going to kill you” you whisper in his ear.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” he says as he removes your arm from his shoulder. The damn brat, you were going to choke him later for this. You take a step back while the lady gets the keys to your rooms.

“Is this okay with you?” Kakashi asks just into your ear, sending shivers down your spine

“it’s fine” You say not even turning to him because yeah sharing a room with the man who is in love with you that you may or may not be in love with is totally just fine with you. “It’ll be like old times” you attempt to be nonchalant about it but then remember what happened the last time you shared a room. Fuck.

“As long as its good with you” He says before reaching and taking the key from the lady. It was late so you wished the team a good night, which means it was time for the actual mission. Your mind solely focused on the mission, so focused you didn’t even realize that you were changing right in front of Kakashi before you were already dressed.

“What?”You ask as you can feel his stare on you as you pull your mask from your bag, turning to then realize you just were ass naked in front of him. “I’m sorry” you blurt out almost instantly when the thought came to your head. “I wasn’t even thinking. Just was trying to get ready”

“oh no no no no” He begins waving his hand in front of him, “I wasn’t even looking or anything. Just –“ He states trying to think of something that made sense “Haven’t seen you in your anbu gear in so long, brings back memories.”

Your brain decides to believe him even though a part of you doesn’t, you give him a small smile. “It does bring back memories huh?” You say as you place your ask on the side of your head, the rabbit side eyeing him. “Wanna make a bet?” You ask playfully.

He smirks back at you, forgetting the awkwardness that just occurred “ what are we waging?”

“Hmmn, whoever wins gets the bed” you state, proud of your answer. It was very much like old times. You slide your mask down over your face, “Deal?”

He does the same, extending a hand for you to shake, “Deal”

The bet was simple, whoever gets to the scroll first wins. People think because you’re going in as a team that it’s best to stick together but that’s not the case. Especially a stealth mission, cause if someone gets cause the other person has the opportunity to finish the mission. So, the both of you separated, he went from the back and you went from the front. You weaved through the corridors, it was surprisingly quiet. This made your suspicious on high, you couldn’t even feel any chakra around you. Once you peak around the corner, you see exactly why there was no one the room was sealed. Luckily, unsealing was a specialty of yours but there were so many seals it was going to be annoying. Eventually you completed all of the seals with no sign of Kakashi, you were going to win this bet. Or so you thought until you say the white haired bastard coming through the window of the room.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” you huff in defeat. Luckily, you couldn’t see the smug smile that Kakashi had on his face as you threw a mini tantrum. “You were just waiting for me to unseal the room weren’t you?”

“Oh the room was sealed?” He asked in mock surprise, which made your scrunch up your face in a pout under your mask. “It does seem you’ve lost your touch, it used to take you far less time to unseal a room.” If only he could see you roll your eyes but he could see you flip him off.

It was no work finding the scroll after that. But now what about the bet?

No winner. A tie between the two of you since technically you both did reach the scroll at the same time regardless of him using your own skills to his advance. Now here you were back in the room with no compromise of sleeping arrangements. With that thought in your head you rush to the bathroom to shower first. You made sure to scrub your body throughly it’s not like you were planning on doing anything tonight. You were definitely not doing anything tonight but you didn’t want to stink of anything. Your brain was doing its best to relax itself as you finished your shower and slipped into your pajamas. Thank the heavens that you actually brought real pajamas instead of the oversized shirts that you usually wear. Kakashi went in right after you, not waiting for any conversation on sleeping arrangements.

As you waited for him to exit the bathroom, you couldn’t help but fiddle with your weapons, it was a nervous habit you had. It happened on the way there and it was even worse now, your nerves unsteady with what the night could entail. You felt like a damn teenager with your first boyfriend, it shouldn’t be this nerve wrecking. It was just sleeping in the same bed with him, nothing more than that. Well yeah, tell that to your stupid heart that was beating so fast and loudly in your ears that you just knew it could be heard from outside your chest.

Once he came out of the bathroom, he noticed your frazzled state, a wave of concern came over him. He could only guess what has got you in this state, sharing a bed with him but he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know where your head was at.

“You alright?” His voice held such a soft tone of concern for you, yet and still your head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Your hands immediately stop fiddling with your weapons, the look on Kakashi face was of concern. He didn’t have his mask on and his visible frown took you back for a moment. You used to see his face all the time but it’s never held such a softness and concern for you as it did right now and if it did before your brain couldn’t think of a time to remember.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine, I just guess….” You begin before looking away from him, “since no one won the bed, we just have to share the bed.” You’re hoping your voice sounds as strong as possible but you know it doesn’t. Kakashi doesn’t think he’s every heard you speak so nervously.

“Are you fine with that?” He asks hesitatingly, you looked like you were going to run back to Konaha at any moment. “I can just sleep on the couch, it’s fine. It’s not like I haven’t slept in worse places.”

“No, really it’s fine. Neither of us should be sleeping on the couch when there’s a bed available.” You say with a shrug. The cot that should have gone to your room, you had to give it up to the kids since it only had two beds. You quickly lay in the bed before you could change your mind, pulling the covers over you. Kakashi carefully gets in the other side, back towards yours. There’s a comfortable silence between y’all, that you feel the need to break.

“I missed going on missions with you, that was too easy” You say not bothering turning around to face him while you speak.

“it wasn’t that easy because you didn’t beat me” He teases which makes you turn over to face his back poking it.

“First of all, we were in and out. But if I brought up the fact that you had less obstacles than me, you’d be sleeping on the floor. I’m literally the one who unsealed the room!”

He turns to you when you poke him again after his statemen, a small smile gracing his face as you pout at him.

“I missed this. I missed you” He confesses and yet again your brain turns off. You hated this new characteristic of yours, every time he did something it just made your heart race and your thoughts jumble.

All you manage to get out was “Kashi”, your mouth not being able to form any other coherent words. Somehow you can see the way he’s looking at you even in the dark, you could FEEL the way he was looking at you. You want to disappear again, but you can’t, so you think of the second-best thing.

“I think I’m tired.” You abruptly say before turning over hiding your face. Kakashi sighs inwardly realizing he may have pushed a little too far too soon with you, you weren’t rejecting him, you weren’t pushing him away but you were trying to run, run from your feelings, run from him. Maybe your sister was right about you after all.

It took everything in you to force yourself to go to sleep, you could at least escape this situation in your dreams. In the midst of your sleep, you woke up briefly to get yourself rejected in bed. There’s a warmth underneath you that is trying to bring you back into your deep sleeps. Slowly though, you realize what’s going on lland the position you were in as you raise your head out of sleep. It took all your strength to not immediately jump out of the bed, you take in your own form, your arm and leg were thrown over Kakashi as his arm held onto your back in a cuddling manner. You thought about moving off of him, out of his grip, until you saw. His face. He was much like you in the way that he was always on alert for something but the look he had on his features right now was one of pure relaxation. He was relaxed and you realized that you had been relaxed too. What would be the harm in staying in this position, you would be the only one who knew that you knew. You could enjoy this secret for yourself, you think as you lay your head back on his chest snuggling in. Soon enough, you were peacefully back to sleep but little did you know that in your moments of contemplation Kakashi in fact did wake up. He studied your face through half open eyes as he could see a discussion in your head until laying back down into him. Kakashi couldn’t be more at peace as he felt you snuggle in all your consciousness back into him.

taglist: @smarsd @ferretsqueen @yellowflashof-theleaf

[hwasoup]

Tale As Old As Time

@kit-and-wolfe drew this for me in the server so, now imma use it :') Omg hi guys, Ik its been a while since I last updated but it's mainly bc I'm not ready to say goodbye to this series yet TT there's about 2 chapters left guysss so I hope you guys understand how much I'm edging it. Anywho the chapter is finally here !! I hope you enjoy !!

warnings: fearmongering, manipulation words: 1.8k

ch.6 | next

Chapter 7: The Mob

The days have passed since y/n traveled back to the village

Eddie was simply lounging around nearby Y/N’s home, as per Ben’s instruction from a couple of days ago to alert him if Y/N was home. He was just sitting by a bush minding his own business until he looked up and saw in the distance, a woman riding on a horse as fast as the animal could take her. He squinted a bit and realized it was Y/N. Immediately he got up and ran to where Ben was located, obviously in his tavern. 

Eventually after a bit of running, he manages to catch Ben before he leaves on a hunt. Gasping for air, he holds onto the cuff of his sweater. “She’s…. She’s back…” Ben stops in his tracks and smirks to himself “well then…. it's time to initiate the plan…” On the other hand, back at the humble inventor’s cottage. Y/N swiftly made her way back home and immediately into her father’s room. She looked at him and gasped at how sickly he looked. His eyes looked sunken, and it was clear that he hasn’t exactly been able to take a bite of food in a couple of hours. Y/N quickly walked to his bedside and grabbed the nearest towel and dunked it in some cool water that was in a bucket in the corner of his room. She wrings it out and proceeds to approach him and wipe his face, hoping that his fever would subside a bit. Mauricio’s eyes slightly flutter at the feeling of cool water drying on his face, he looks up groggily and mumbled “Mija?” Y/N’s heart melted, and she whispered “shhh, no te preocupes…I’m home.”

Mauricio took a minute to process her words. His eyes widened when he fully registered that his precious daughter was sitting right before him. He immediately adjusts his posture and tries to sit up to the best of his ability "…. I thought I would never see you again...” Mauricio immediately leans in for a hug. Y/N happily returns it to him and rests her chin on his shoulder “I missed you so much…” Mauricio tightened his hug with his daughter until he remembered a specific detail... “But…but the beast. How…how did you even escape!”

“Papa, I didn’t escape…he let me go..” She says fondly. Mauricio looked at her shocked “what? The Beast did ??” Y/N unknowingly smiles fondly at the thought of the man… “yes…Miguel let me go...” Mauricio raised some eyebrows “MIGU-” he started furiously coughing. Y/N patted his back to help him ease his lungs from all of his coughing. His voice was strained from his coughs, and he cleared his voice a bit. “That…ese monstruo ?”  Y/N immediately shook her head “not a monster…he’s different…he’s quirky, silly, and incredibly gentle..he’s…. he’s changed…” She bites her lip and looks up at her father until she hears a knock on the door. “I’ll be back papa.” She stands up from sitting on the edge of the bed and goes to attend the door. A man stood at the door with a menacing grin “erm…con que te puedo ayudar..” she says hesitantly. “Vine a recoger a tu padre” he says with an eerie voice. “Wait…my papa ??” she says in surprise. Y/N stands there looking at the man with confusion in her eyes, as well as worry as she hopes that her father didn’t do anything to further tarnish the broken reputation he has in the village.

“Don’t worry senorita..we’ll take care of him” the man says as he moves from her sight and shows her a locked wooden carriage, on the side saying Psiquiátrico de alocado. Surrounding the carriage, she noticed the villagers all surrounding it, with torches and pitchforks ready to use them as weapons if it comes to that point. Y/N immediately registered what was happening and immediately protected her father “MI PAPA NO ES UN LOCO” she said with fierceness in her voice. She was pushed aside by two villagers who barged into her home and forcibly dragged-out Mauricio and threw him inside the carriage. Y/N got up immediately and tried her best to try and get him out, but all she could do was just be pushed away. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as everything suddenly started to look hopeless. “Poor Y/N…it really is a shame about your father...” “Ben!” Y/N looked at him desperately as she held onto the hem of his shirt “please, you know he’s not crazy” Ben hummed as he played faux innocence “but you see Y/N your father… he’s been making absurd claims, but….I am able to…well clear up this small misunderstanding…if…” Y/N looks up at him desperately “If what!” Ben chuckles and grabs her by the waist making her body be pushed against his. “If you marry me” he says with a grin. Ben leans down and tries to sniff her soft hair “one small word Y/N that’s all it takes…” Anger bubbled in Y/N’s body, and she pushes him away, her nonverbal actions speaking in volumes as to her response to his manipulation tactic. Ben scowls at her and gruffly says “Have it your way then...” and he walks away to the crowd until Y/N yells “WAIT” 

“WHAT CLAIMS WAS MY FATHER EVEN MAKING” she yelled out. Ben turned to her and chuckled “oh…why about a Beast..” Y/N in that moment remembered she had the magic mirror in the pocket of her apron and she pulls it out “PLEASE ITS TRUE… I HAVE PROOF.” She looks down at the mirror and softly spoke to it  “Show me The Beast”

The mirror glowed a green color and rose into the air, a bright flashing light arose and projected an image on its reflective glass surface and revealed Miguel and his beastly appearance. Every villager, including Ben gasped at his ghastly sight. Even Eddie stepped back a bit after seeing it

In awe Ben ripped the mirror out of the air and approached the villagers “look at this sorcery, look at this BEAST!” He turned the mirror around to show the villagers “LOOK AT HIS FANGS, HIS CLAWS!”

Y/N’s heart broke at how people saw him and tried her best to defend him “No..please…don't be afraid…He’s gentle…and kind” Murmurs were heard throughout the crowd…but Ben…he was appalled…the woman he desired so much to be his wife…was calling the Beast KIND….words that she had never said to him. He turns to her in anger, anger that the Beast has clearly won her affections and in an accusatory tone pointed at her 

“The monster has her under his spell…. IF I DIDN'T”T KNOW BETTER I CAN SAY SHE CARES FOR HIM” “HE'S NOT A MONSTER BEN…YOU ARE” Ben’s face grimaced, but he had to mask it in front of the villagers “I’ve heard of the effects of Dark Magic, but never like this…” Ben decided on what to do. “THIS IS A THREAT TO THE BANE OF OUR EXISTENCE” The villagers cheered in agreement as they truly believed that Y/N was under a spell and that she is now a danger.  “WE CAN'T HAVE HER WARNING THE CREATURE, LOCK HER UP TOO !”

Y/N’s heart shattered as she was immediately grabbed by the arms of Ben, the man of the carriage opened the doors and allowed Ben to throw her inside the wooden box alongside her father as well and closed the doors of it as well. His face was filled with fury, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Eddie.. “Ben… with all due respect but-”

“SHUT IT OR YOU'LL BE WITH THEM TOO, AND FETCH MY HORSE”

Eddie’s voice reduced to a whimper and he looked down…He knew this was wrong…what was originally a menacing plan had now become just pure cruelty. He knew he couldn’t fight against an angry Ben so he stayed silent and left to do what he was instructed.

Ben then proceeded to initiate a riot with the villagers, to prepare to fight, to encourage them to kill the Beast. Each villager went into their homes and brought out muskets, pitchforks, knives, torches, anything that could be used as a weapon. After what seemed minutes, Ben led a mob of angry villagers and used the magic mirror to find where the castle was located and led them out and directly into the woods.

______________________________________________________________ Inside the carriage however Y/N was huddled beside her father as she tried to check on his health despite the severe conditions they were in. Y/N was scared for Miguel…she wanted to warn him desperately, but she also needed to watch her father. She thought long and hard until she decided that she needed to warn Miguel.

“Papa…I need to warn him..” Mauricio looked up at her and coughed “Ay Mija..but…I- I’m scared for you…It will be dangerous” Y/N crouched beside him and nodded “yes…it will be..but, he did everything for me…he even gifted me his library..” Mauricio’s eyes widened “a library ? How many books are there ?” Y/N chuckled “more than what this village can even hold, Papa..trust me…he saved me from the wolves and now..I must repay him..” Mauricio looked into her eyes and saw a look that he had never seen in his precious daughter’s eyes. He used to have that look when he was younger and when his wife was alive. He then smiled softly knowing that well…his daughter is all grown up now, even if she hasn’t realized it herself. “If it what your heart desires…then…I could try and pick the lock” Y/N smiled as she listened to her father ramble “After all, it's only just gears and springs” he reached his hand outside the bars of the carriage to get a hold of the lock. “ But..I would need something..” he turns to look at her “shar…p” Y/N was already holding a hair pin on the palm of her hand. Mauricio chuckled and took it into his hands “perfect” He then placed his hands back out of the bars and took a hold of the lock again and used the pin to start picking at it. He eventually finally opened the lock and pushed the doors of the carriage open, quickly getting himself out as well as y/n. He turned to her and ran with her to the stables and whispered to her “take Felipe as well as this coat and go warn your friend” Y/N nodded and whispered a small thank you to him as she quickly packed everything and immediately got on Felipe and rode on him, holding onto the reins as she prayed that the trusty steed would gallop as quickly as possible to the castle.

Maurico watched as she disappeared back into the forest and smiled softly, reiterating the thoughts he had before…

 his daughter was in love…even if she hasn’t realized or admitted it yet.

taglist:

@cupcakeinat0r , @miguelhugger2099, @mcmiracles,@xxsugarbonesxx,@codenameredkrystalmatrix,@deputy-videogamer,@lxverrings,@miguelzslvtz,@itsameclinicaldepression,,@ricekrisbris,@loser-alert , @thedevax, @uncle-eggy, @m4dyy, @freehentai, @synamonthy, @razertail18, @s0lm1n,

@badbishsblog, @faimmm, @keendreamknight, @texanadmirer, @stargirrls, @itzsab,@delectableworm,@jadeloverxd @pinkmistart, kishimiest,

[rosanna-writer]

we said hello and your eyes look like coming home (21/?)

Summary: A canon-divergent AU where the bond snaps for Rhys on Calanmai, Feyre unwittingly accepts it, and Fire Night magic proves to be more transformative than anyone bargained for. Feyre drags a mate she hardly knows out from Under the Mountain, then puts him back together as war with Hybern approaches. Warnings: dubious consent, canon-typical sexual violence, canon-typical violence Rating: Explicit Chapter Word Count: ~4.6k

ch. 1 - 10 | ch. 11-20 | ch. 21 - i wouldn't marry me either

Feyre gets her ring, and there's angst about it that literally no one asked for.

Some text in this chapter is taken directly from A Court of Mist and Fury.

Read on AO3 or you can find the twenty-first chapter below the readmore.

Well met, High Lady.

The words clanged through me.

But there was hardly time to consider them. The Weaver's dress rustled as she stood and prowled towards me. Though her features were so rotted and warped that they could hardly be called a face anymore, I still recognized a look of hunger—I'd seen it enough back in that cabin.

I suspected, however, that her appetite was far more gruesome than mine.

"I'm here to make a bargain," I said quickly.

She took another step closer, the motion oddly graceful—the Weaver carried herself more like a lady than I could ever manage. Perhaps, millennia ago, she'd been one.

"What could you possibly have to offer me?" she said in that voice that sounded so youthful, so clear and lovely.

"Lives," I said. "A few dozen, enough for several meals and bolts of cloth. There isn't much meat on my bones, but they'll have more."

"Not even a thread from your own life, little wolf?" The Weaver reached out a sickly-looking bone-white hand, running a gnarled, spindly finger down my ribs. I trembled. Her touch was feather-light, but it seemed to leech the heat from me all the same. "The one I see right here is quite beautiful."

The mating bond. Nothing was worth giving that away. I took a step back, all-too-aware that I was dangerously close to being cornered.

"That is not on offer."

The Weaver's laugh was bright and and musical. "Are you sure about that?Powerful magic makes for fine cloth. I'd pay a pretty penny for a golden thread like that."

The Weaver of the Wood might have been a death-god, but she sounded no different than the businessmen I'd overheard meeting with my father before his downfall. I was too much of a merchant's daughter to fall for it.

"I"m here to retrieve the ring that's rightfully mine as Lady of the Night Court. Nothing more." I seldom voiced my title aloud, and perhaps for the first time, saying it didn't make me feel like a girl playing dress-up with clothes far too big for her.

The dark lines of the Weaver's mouth widened into what might have been a grin. "And I was told by the last one not to make it easy on you."

Of course his mother did—Rhys could be maddening, and I supposed he must have gotten it from somewhere.

"If you accept my offer, there may be more than one mating bond in it for you. I don't know how many of them have a mate, but the rogue Illyrian war-bands are yours if you return my ring and allow me to leave this place unharmed."

I'd practiced the words in my head, careful to close a loophole, but it still came as a surprise that my voice didn't shake. The Weaver circled me, occasionally reaching out a bony hand to inspect the knives strapped to my waist and thighs. I let her look, even as I shivered—if they were something she wanted, she could have them, too.

"You will touch nothing in this cottage save the ring. Bring me half of your prisoners as a show of good faith, and you will have until I'm finished with them to find what's yours. Then deliver the rest immediately and leave me be."

I doubted she'd take very long doing…whatever she did to her victims. But I still didn't feel a pull towards a single object in any of the crowded shelves or piles of junk filling the cottage. There wouldn't be time for a thorough search.

And the bloodthirsty delight sparking in pits that should have been her eyes told me she knew it, too.

"What happens if I don't find the ring?" I said, letting my hand drift towards the handle of the knife at my hip.

"My terms have been more than generous, High Lady. Don't push me any further."

There it was again…that title. "Why did you call me that?" I should have focused on bargaining, but the words were out of my mouth before I could think them through.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

More cryptic faerie bullshit, then. I flexed the fingers of my left hand self-consciously. A death-god could probably see through a glamour. Nothing more.

I squared my shoulders. "Fine. I accept the terms of your bargain."

The tang of magic filled the air as a small, curling tattoo formed just behind my ear. A crescent moon—its twin was now inked on the Weaver's forearm.

One tug on the bond, and Rhys delivered half of the rogue Illyrians to the cottage door.

I'd turned away just as the Weaver's mouth of stumped teeth went wide in anticipation. There were screams, sickly gurgles, wet noises as she ripped flesh into pieces, the crunch and crack of bones breaking.

Bones. Snapping, splintering bones, just like—

I forced myself to breathe, even as my heart raced and bile climbed up my throat. Borrowed time. I was on borrowed time, and there wouldn't be much of it.

I scanned the shelves, hoping to catch sight of a jewel glittering in the gloom. But all I saw was junk, even as I crouched and looked over the cluttered tables and overstuffed drawers…

Then I felt it.

A tug, a tap on the shoulder. A glimmer of something reaching for me, familiar as the whorls of night that had left me with my tattoo, laced with a constellation pointing the way. But even as it grasped me…there was something else.

The star-flecked power felt quintessentially Rhys, but…there was something of me in it, too. It was strange, like looking into a mirror and finding two sets of eyes—one violet and one blue-grey—staring back.

Take me home, it seemed to say. I've been away far too long.

Heedless of the horrible noises behind me, I barreled through the maze of tables and junk, letting the pulse guide the way. I stopped at the shelf on the wall next to the hearth. Close—it was close.

An old letter knife, books in leather that I did not want to touch or smell; a handful of acorns, a tarnished crown of ruby and jasper, and—

The ring.

It was made of twisted strands of gold and silver, flecked with pearl, and set with a stone of deepest, solid blue. Sapphire—but different. I’d never seen a sapphire like that, even at my father’s offices. This one…I could have sworn that in the pale light, the lines of a six-pointed star radiated across the round, opaque surface.

My ring.

"There you are," I couldn't help but whisper. "I've been looking for you."

Careful to keep my bargain, I plucked it from the shelf, pinching it between my forefinger and thumb to avoid touching anything else. Time to go. I turned towards the door.

And nearly retched on the spot. The Illyrians weren't dead yet—they were still shrieking like wounded animals—but their shredded entrails were…everywhere. And the Weaver had unhinged her jaw to sate that unholy hunger.

As I walked past them to leave the cottage, I did not look away. I had chosen this fate for them, horrible as it was. The least I could do was bear witness, even as my feet slid along the blood-soaked floor and crossed the threshold.

The rest of them were hers, too. The screams started again, and I felt the tattoo fade. As I stalked towards the trees, I clutched the ring so tightly that the prongs around the sapphire nearly split open my skin.

And perhaps it made me a monster, a murderous human with ice in her heart, but…I didn't feel guilty. If anything, I was relieved. The echo of magic that had wormed its way into my soul belonged solely to the Night Court, and there was nothing linking me back to Tamlin or Spring. I wasn't…tainted.

I found Rhys leaning casually against a tree, hands in his pockets—lounging practically. As I approached, his groomed brows flicked up in a silent question.

I held up the ring.

A smile—a real one, not a smirk, something boyish and decidedly un-High-Lord-like—bloomed on his face. Despite the agonized screams still ringing in my ears, my stomach flipped pleasantly. I grinned back.

With the horror growing even more distant, I let myself feel proud of what I'd done. And maybe it was just the way Rhys was smiling at me, but I felt…lighter. Giddy, almost.

I'd done it. The ring in my hand was tangible proof that I deserved my place in the Night Court, at his side, and I hadn't realized how much better it made me feel to have it.

Too eager to walk, Rhys winnowed the last few feet of distance between us. I pressed forward to kiss him, rising up on my toes, and he scooped me up in one smooth movement.

Not that I'd ever doubt you, he said in my head, but should I take this to mean it all went smoothly?

Of course it did—I only ever bargain fairly.

Rhys laughed against my lips, setting me back down. When he pulled away, his violet eyes were soft. "You're brilliant," he breathed, reaching up to run a thumb along my cheek. "I didn't think I'd ever see that ring again."

He took my free hand and winnowed us away. I'd assumed we were going to the townhouse, or at least, back to Velaris, and blinked in surprise when a clearing in a pine forest materialized instead. Illyria.

Before us were two stones—headstones. They were small but unworn, with no decoration or text other than two names I didn't recognize. And in front of them, the grass was covered in pebbles and small rocks.

Rhys must have understood my confusion. Voice thick, he said, "Our kind don't leave flowers on graves like humans do. As immortals…we prefer something more permanent and leave stones instead."

Each stone a visit, and there were piles of them, small stacks like miniature fortresses. I wondered how many Rhys had left, if any had been added since he'd been imprisoned Under the Mountain. The grass around the graves was well-kept—someone had been taking care of this place, or at least cast a few preserving spells. Rhys slipped his hand from mine and stepped forward, folding his wings back so they didn't drag on the ground as he sat in an empty patch of grass.

"I'm sorry," he said, and I almost asked why he was apologizing before I realized he wasn't speaking to me, "for going so long without visiting both of you. I was— It's over now. I'm back. And I didn't come back alone. This is Feyre. She's my mate, and I kept my promise, mama. Feyre bargained and got the ring back."

Still feeling like a bit of an intruder, I took a few cautious steps forward and sat in the grass next to him. I reached a hand out, but Rhys didn't take it, just wiped at his eyes. For a long moment, everything was quiet except for the distant sound of birds and the wind blowing through the pines.

I'd never visited my own mother's grave. It had been years since I'd missed her, and if our situations had been reversed, I doubted she would have visited mine. I'd long since made my peace with it.

Perhaps my mother-in-law could have filed that void, been someone I could lean on. But all I had from her was a lesson on ruthlessness that had won me the ring in my hand.

"I wish I could have asked you for advice, on how to be Lady of Night when you're a nineteen-year-old outsider. I have the ring but…I don't know if it's enough," I said quietly. "More than anything, though, I'd like to thank you. For raising him."

A ragged noise escaped Rhys, and I reached my free hand out again. He interlaced our fingers, squeezing almost to the point of pain. I squeezed back, then turned to the other grave. "I grew up with two sisters, Nesta and Elain. But now…I suppose I have three," I said.

As one, Rhys and I got to our feet. We stood there, hand-in-hand, and for a moment, the hole where his family should have been seemed deep enough to swallow everything. It didn't matter that centuries had passed—so much was missing and irreparably broken.

But I wasn't finished, and I forced myself to keep going. I'd fulfilled a promise today, but I had a new oath to swear. "The male who got you killed ripped me from my family and manipulated me for his own ends. If Rhys and I hadn't found each other…my blood would have been on Tamlin's hands, too. I won't allow him to endanger a Night Court female again."

We lingered in silence a bit longer, then left two stones behind on each grave. Rhys winnowed us to the living room of the townhouse. There was more to do—Amren would no doubt want to be informed about what I'd sensed in the Weaver's cottage, and I wanted to change out of my leathers first.

But I couldn't keep holding onto the ring forever. I uncurled my fingers, holding it out to him. "Do you…want it back?"

"It's yours," he said, as if that settled it.

I didn't have the nerve to slip the ring on, even after shedding blood to get it. Not even here, in the privacy of our own home. I'd never questioned the mating bond—how could I when it was the strongest thing I'd ever known? But this was different.

The bond belonged to the two of us. Wearing a family ring was a public declaration.

Rhys cocked his head, studying me again. I was still too caught up in my own thoughts to move. For a moment, I expected a familiar caress of talons against my shields, but it never came.

No, Rhys just plucked the ring from my hand and dropped down to one knee. "Feyre—"

My heart hammered in my chest, and I nearly bolted upstairs. But I couldn't run from him without a word—not again and certainly not like this.

"Don't," I choked out. Rhys went utterly still, forcing his expression into something blank and composed. My eyes stung, but I kept going before I made this worse than it already was. "You wouldn't marry me if I were a faerie."

He blinked. "Of course I—"

"You wouldn't. Because marriage is a silly, pointless formality when there's already an unbreakable thread binding our souls together. But I…" My throat bobbed. "Please don't start treating me differently because I'm human."

In Spring, I'd been something to be gawked at, addressed as "human" instead of my name. I'd felt small and stupid and useless, and I would not let anyone do that to me again, not even if they meant well, like he did.

And especially not in the Night Court, where I belonged.

Rhys stood and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down my cheeks. I let the soft brush of his calloused hands settle me as his wings nudged me closer and encircled us both.

"I'm sorry. You looked so unsure just now, and I… I needed you to know I'd choose you in every way possible."

A surprised—if still a bit teary—laugh bubbled out of me. I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I know you would. Sometimes what we feel for each other is the only thing I think I'm sure of."

I felt the tension melt from his body. With a stab of guilt, I wondered if running off to the House of Wind on our first night back had left him with doubts that ran deeper than I'd originally thought. But I let it go—it was hard to keep dwelling on the past when he was letting out a contented hum and kissing the top of my head.

I let myself savor the peace for a few heartbeats, but I couldn't ignore the way he'd only wrapped one arm around me. The other still held the ring.

"For what it's worth, I do want to wear it," I whispered. "I know I can't, at least for now, but if things were different, I would. Every day."

Rhys stepped back and smiled, taking my left hand in his, cradling it as if it were something delicate—not calloused in odd places from holding a bow, with crescents of dirt and blood under my ragged nails. The glamour fell away, revealing the swirling lines of the half-finished tattoo.

He slid the ring onto my finger. I'd thought it might look wrong there, but the ring was Illyrian and my hands were rough like a warrior's. The fit was perfect, and it sat in a gap that had been left between the whorls of my tattoo.

Like it was always meant to be there.

The intensity of emotions rippling across his face was so strong I nearly had to look away. Love, reverent adoration…and that purely male, possessive gleam in his star-flecked eyes. My toes curled in my boots.

"I'm yours, mate," I whispered.

His mouth crashed into mine just the way I'd hoped it would. I parted my lips eagerly, ready to lose myself in the sweep of his tongue.

Maybe I'd never get used to how quickly I could be ready and aching for him. But the pleasure he'd wrung from me last night hadn't been enough, not after several days keeping our hands off each other in Illyria. One scrape of his teeth against my bottom lip, and I was scrabbling at the fastenings of his leathers.

I reached for him through the bond, and his shields were down in an instant. Will you wear one too, Rhys? To let everyone know you're mine?

Those last two words dragged a groan from deep in his throat. He shucked the leathers and undershirt off in one smooth movement, and I ran my hands down, down the hard planes of his muscled chest. Lower and lower, until I brushed the trail of soft hair above the waistband of his pants.

Even in our minds, I sounded breathless. Fuck me while I wear the ring and nothing else.

A flash of pain sparked and lit up the mating bond, even as his tongue plunged deeper into my mouth. I leaped back, shocked as if a bucket of ice had been thrown over us both.

Rhys was breathing hard, eyes wide and wild. He pushed me out of his mind, and his shields were firmly in place again. The walls of adamant were higher and thicker than I'd ever felt them.

"What's wrong?" I said aloud.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. Darkness fell from his shoulders in pulsing, furious waves. A few tendrils wrapped around him like a cloak, and the rest dimmed the room.

He reached for me. I stepped back again. "Rhysand. Tell me what's wrong."

For a long moment, Rhys said nothing. He pressed his eyes shut, his breathing still uneven. I waited. The darkness kept leaking into the room, and when it was pitch-black, he finally spoke.

"The ring with Jurian's eye. She never took it off. Not even when we…" he managed to say.

My heart cracked in two.

"Cauldron, Rhys, I'm so sorry. I should have realized." That ring had featured in so many of our nightmares; I'd been utterly, monumentally stupid not to think of it.

I wanted to hold him, but that seemed….unwise. It might startle him if the dark was too thick for him to see me coming closer. With his shields up, I couldn't reach down the bond and drag him back to the present like I wanted to.

His wings. He still had his wings out. "Rhys," I said, as gently as I could manage. "Go fly. Circle Velaris as many times as you need to. I'll be here when you get back."

There was a rustling noise as his wings snapped outward. Something soft brushed my cheek, and then I was alone, squinting in the too-bright sunlight when the darkness disappeared with him.

I'd ruined everything, so there was nothing to be done but change out of my leathers and wait. My heart was heavy as I sank into one of the chairs on the roof and watched the sky, hoping for a glimpse of him.

I wished I'd been the sort of person who could have just smiled and happily accepted a proposal. Or at the very least, not someone who made it worse by dredging up his nightmares unexpectedly.

Maybe we'd never get completely free from Under the Mountain.

The other end of the bond was silent, and I twisted the ring around my finger so many times I nearly rubbed the skin raw. I could just make out his dark shape against the clouds, the powerful beat of his wings as he looped and looped over the city. One day, I hoped, he'd do the same and carry me with him.

It was a while before Rhys landed on the roof. The movement was easy and graceful, the draft of wind from that massive wingspan ruffling my hair as he touched down with silent feet. He regarded me, eyes dry, standing stiff-backed in a way that seemed unnatural for him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I said, though I knew he didn't.

He shook his head. "I just want you."

In an instant, I was on his lap on the other chair. His breath was warm against my ear as he sighed, draping both arms over my shoulders as he leaned his chest against my back. Exhaustion seemed to roll off him the way his power usually did. We said nothing, but Rhys laced our fingers together and pressed a kiss to the knuckle of my left hand, right next to the ring.

No hard feelings, then.

It was another day before we met with Amren, who made me describe everything I'd felt in the Weaver's cottage in excruciating detail. There was more research to be done, but she had a new working theory—that the Spring Court hadn't left me with any of its own magic, just reshaped the Night Court's existing claim on me.

The faint magic within me wasn't an echo—it had become a seed.

Whether it would bloom or bear fruit or something else entirely was anyone's guess. If given the opportunity, I had the sense Amren would pick me apart to find out. But it was better than going on no information at all.

A few weeks later, I landed a hit on Cassian with a wooden sword the same day I finished the first book I ever read from cover-to-cover. The days had passed as a steady rhythm of training and reading, mostly spent in the House of Wind.

Life was…quiet. Better, though not perfect. Rhys and I still depended on the sleeping draught, and the library was the only windowless place either of us could tolerate for more than an hour at a time. We chipped away at the work of catching up—me on literacy, him on the business of running the Night Court—in companionable silence on sunlit balconies or tucked away among the priestesses.

The rest days were the hardest to tolerate. Without exhaustion to settle my mind, I found myself wandering the city aimlessly, too restless to sit still. The streets of Velaris quickly became familiar.

All of it, except for the Rainbow. I hadn't gotten up the nerve to set foot in the artists' quarter. I'd skirted the edges carefully, and in truth, stared at it wistfully on more than one occasion.

I suspected that Tamlin had given me paints as a distraction, a ploy to quiet me down and soften my feelings towards him. And even if it had just been an attempt to break the curse and save his people…it hurt. Something I loved had been used against me, and I wasn't sure I could throw my whole self into painting so fearlessly ever again.

But I did finish the snowdrops lining the edges of the kitchen table. And it had felt…good. My heart squeezed at the way Rhys smiled every time he looked at them.

There were more leftover paints, so I took to hiding clever decorations in my room, just as I had in the cabin. Behind the curtains, under the dressing table, inside drawers…and nothing more than flowering vines, curls of flame, or intricate, abstract designs. Nothing with me in it.

It was all I could manage. Not a secret, but…I didn't want to be watched or talk about it.

Rhys spotted them eventually, of course. He'd been sprawled out on my bed one morning, staring at my ass as I slipped off my nightgown to get ready for the day. When I heard his sharp intake of breath behind me, I figured he'd noticed the ivy painted on the inside of the drawer I'd just opened.

I'd whirled around, ready to lob a pair of socks at his head in response to a teasing remark. Or worse, for him to be upset that I hadn't told him I'd painted.

But he'd just tilted his head, regarded me thoughtfully, and said, "That's one way to hide what's precious to you."

He'd once said something similar about his wings. And I'd supposed the same thing was true for keeping Velaris and our mating bond hidden. Those violet eyes met mine, and I felt…understood. Somehow, it wasn't terrifying.

It gave me the confidence to start leaving those little hidden designs around the rest of the townhouse. I'd started with his room, then expanded to the kitchen and the foyer. Claiming marks, if you knew where to look for them.

Similar to my mating band, which I took to wearing hidden on a chain under my shirt. Rhys did the same, after he'd offered to find a horrible creature to retrieve his from and call us even.

I wasn't quite sure what I'd do when the paints ran out, and I'd been deliberately not thinking much about it. But my walks took me past the city's outdoor sculptures and murals more often lately, and perhaps that was progress.

But it was only a matter of time before the peace was broken again. We were roused from our beds with news of another attack on a temple, this one at Sangravah.

The security measures Rhys had arranged for the priestesses left survivors this time, though not many. Once he left for the temple, I headed to the library, prepared to help with whatever the priestesses needed, just like before.

I'd expected to prepare more bodies for burial, but Mor walked in with an auburn-haired female wrapped in a blood-soaked cloak that was far too big for her.

"I healed her," Mor said, "but she needs someone to help her get settled."

I agreed to handle it, and the priestess turned at the sound of my voice. Her teal eyes were distant—haunted, really. More blood, hers or someone else's, had spattered on her face.

Clearing the mess away with magic wouldn't be enough for her to feel clean after whatever ordeal she'd just gone through—I knew that after everything Under the Mountain. I fetched a washcloth and basin and helped her clean off.

She didn't speak. And perhaps that was for the best—I had no idea what I would have said anyway. Later that night, I learned from another priestess that her name was Gwyneth Berdara and Hybern had slaughtered her twin sister during the attack.

As Catrin Berdara's name was read during the funeral service a few hours later, I decided it was finally time to stop avoiding my own sisters. Mortal lives were short, and in a hundred years, I'd regret not making the most of the time I had with them.

Even if I couldn't find the words to tell Nesta and Elain all the ways my life had changed since coming to Prythian, I'd go to the mortal lands tomorrow.

[crazyunsexycool]

My little love

Chapter 18

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x enhanced!reader

Word count: 4.5k

Warning: bit of angst, fluff, GOATS!!!!

A/N: I wish I could have this out sooner but work has been kicking my ass lately. Anyways I hope you like this chapter I have maybe one or two chapters planned of them being in Wakanda!

Series masterlist

Ch 17

As soon as the alarm went off you were on your feet and rummaging through everyone’s luggage. You had overpacked for a reason. Although you knew the main purpose of this trip was to help Henry, you knew there was a chance that people that Bucky had interacted with would want to see him again. It was important to you that they see he was doing well and was being taken care of. That the chance they had taken on Bucky hadn’t been a waste.

Bucky on the other hand seemed un-bothered that he was going to have dinner with the Queen mother of Wakanda. It was as if he always came to the palace to have Sunday dinner or something.

“Sugar,” Bucky caught you by the waist as you walked back towards the kid’s room. “Why are you freaking out? It’s just dinner.”

“With a literal Queen, James. I want us to look presentable.”

“We will. You practically packed their whole closet but this isn’t some huge feast or something. It will most likely just be Queen Ramonda, Shuri and T’Challa. Maybe Nakia if she isn’t on a mission. There’s nothing to worry about, it’s just a small dinner.” He gave you a kiss on the cheek before calling Henry and ushering him to the bathroom so that he could shower.

“It’s just a small dinner.” You mutter to yourself as you turn your attention toward Lottie who was turning the pages of her favorite picture book about animals.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bucky had been so wrong. There were a few leaders of the other tribes already waiting. You were glad you insisted on dressing up a bit considering everyone in the room looked amazing. They wore the colors representing their tribes and they all looked regal. You and Bucky were dressed both in black, while Lottie wore a dress and Henry wore a button up with a sweater on top and jeans. They looked adorable as they walked hand in hand.

Charlotte of course being the most outgoing was waving at anyone that would look in her direction. Bucky introduced you to a few of the tribe leaders as you all awaited the arrival of the royal family.

“So it’s true what I’ve heard. The white wolf has found a pack of his own.” You turned to see one of the younger men in the room walk towards you and Bucky. He was tall and broad, he wore furs and looked very intimidating.

“M’Baku, it’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you back, although I wish it were under better circumstances. Now, who is this?” He smiles in your direction and he doesn’t look as intimidating as before.

“This is Y/N. She’s an Avenger, my girlfriend and the mother of my children.” Bucky said as his hand rested on your hip.

“Pleasure to meet you M’Baku.”

“No no, the pleasure is all mine.” He winks in your direction causing you to smile. “I hope you enjoy Wakanda. Just let me know if you would like a tour.”

“Ok, stop flirting with my girl.”

“I wasn’t flirting, I was just being a good host.” He laughs at Bucky’s unamused expression and you can’t help but join in.

The doors open and in walks T’Challa, Shuri and Ramonda. The Dora Milaje right behind them. When Lottie sees the red uniforms and spears she turns to you and Bucky and points at the group with excitement. Bucky picked her up while Henry moved to stand beside you just as Ramonda approached.

“James.”

“Queen Ramonda.”

“You must be Y/N. I’ve heard many great things already. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiles at both of you.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

“And who is this little one?” Her face lights up as she looks at Charlotte.

“This is our daughter Charlotte and this is our son Henry.” Bucky explains with some pride at being able to show his family off.

“Hello Charlotte, how are you?”

“Good.” Lottie responds softly and a bit shy, which is completely opposite of how she entered the room just a few minutes before.

“And how are you Henry?”

“I’m ok.” He says partially hidden behind you.

“Well I know that you are here so that Shuri can help you but I hope your baba takes you out to explore too. Would you like that?”

Henry nods.

“Good, I’m sure you’ll have fun. Now why don’t we sit down?” She says before leading you into a dining room.

The room was large with huge windows that allowed a perfect view of the sunset and of Wakanda. A long table sat in the middle. Ramonda led you to the end of the table you’d be sharing with her and Shuri while T’Challa sat at the head on the other end with the rest of the tribe’s leaders. Bucky sat Lottie next to him and Henry sat between you and Lottie.

****

By the end of the meal you have heard so many embarrassing stories about T’Challa from Shuri. Your mascara was probably ruined from your tears due to laughter. Henry now sat next to Shuri as they made up a handshake of their own. Lottie sat in Ramonda’s lap giggling at whatever Ramonda was doing. Bucky just smiled at the scene and you moved closer to him.

“What’s the smile for?”

“I was just thinking that if we were back in the 40s this is how it would be with my ma and my sisters. They would love the kids and you.” He has that look you’ve seen so many times, it’s a look of yearning for his family.

“I’m sure they’d be very proud of what a great father you are.”

Bucky smiles at you and places a kiss at your temple. Henry tugs at his arm and Bucky leans down to hear Henry whisper something in his ear. He excused himself and Henry and you are left with Shuri, Ramonda and Lottie.

“So tell me Y/N, how is motherhood treating you?” Ramonda asked.

“It’s been a big adjustment. Most of the time I’m afraid I’ll mess up and they’ll be scared of me or hate me. But I love them so much, I can’t imagine my life without them.”

“That is normal. I messed up many times while my children were little.”

“All of those stories of T’Challa are proof.” Shuri chimes in, making you snicker.

“The most important thing is that you tell them and show them how much they are loved. I’m very sure they love you too, isn’t that right Charlotte?”

“Yeah.” She said looking from Ramonda to you with a big smile. “Lobe mama.”

“I love you too.”

Charlotte giggles and stretches her arms out for you to pick her up. You kiss her cheek once she’s in your grasp and then you feel it. She tenses and she has that far away look in her eyes.

“Shit,” you start patting her back once you realize she isn’t breathing. “Come on baby, breathe for me.”

Shuri is up and out of her seat so quickly that it gathers the attention of the others in the room and Bucky who was walking back in. He quickly walks over with Henry as Shuri grabs one of the beads from her bracelet and starts a scan to figure out what’s going on.

“How long has she been like this?” Bucky asks as he takes Lottie from you and sits her on his lap. He starts to rub circles on her chest to try and get her to breathe.

“Just a few seconds.”

Lottie inhales sharply and Bucky prepares to run out since she usually cries after a vision. This time however she just has a scowl on her face.

“Lottie what’s wrong?”

“Steebie.”

“Does uncle Steve have an owie?”

“No, don’t wike it.” She says as she glared up at you and Bucky. Her little hands balled up into fists. “Bad Steebie.”

Bucky looks over at you as you both struggle to suppress laughter. When Charlotte has visions she either smiles or cries but never have you seen her get angry before. It’s somehow even funnier that the person that has made her mad is her precious uncle Steeb.

“Does that happen often?” Shuri asks as she stands beside you.

“The vision thing or the breathing thing?”

“Both.”

“The visions are unpredictable and so is the not breathing part. But she tends to hold her breath when the vision is very intense or upsetting. There have been other visions that don’t affect her this way.”

Shuri nodded while deep in thought as she processed what Bucky had said.

“Bring her to my lab tomorrow morning along with Henry. I’d like to run some tests if that’s ok with you.”

“Of course we’ll be there bright and early.”

“Good, I will see you all tomorrow.” She excuses herself and leaves.

“You deal with that every day?” Ramonda, who had been silently watching the whole thing, asked.

“Yes, it’s very unpredictable. Most visions aren’t as intense but when they are it’s scary.”

“One time the vision lasted so long and she wasn’t breathing that her lips started to turn blue.” Bucky adds. “Usually holding her close helps her not get lost in what she sees. And this is the first time she is able to somewhat communicate what her vision was about.”

“And Steebie is?”

“Steve Rogers.”

“Oh, the Captain.” Ramonda smiles. “Children are so precious at this age.” She looks fondly at Henry and Charlotte. The former gently caresses his sister’s cheek as he checks over her. Charlotte rests her head against Bucky and yawns.

“I think it’s best we call it a night. She’s going to sleep the rest of the night.”

You excuse yourself and head out of the dining room. Bucky holds on to a sleeping Lottie and you hold on to Henry.

“Is everything alright mother?” T’Challa asked.

“Yes, the little one just had a vision.”

A look of understanding crosses T’Challa’s face and he looks at his mother. He furrows his brows at her expression.

“Are you alright mother?”

“Yes, I was just imagining what this place would be like if I had grandchildren running around. I guess I must make the most of Henry and Charlotte while they are here.”

“Mother please let’s not start this again.” T’Challa pleads.

“I won’t say anything else. But I am not getting any younger.”

“Mother.”

She looks up at him and laughs. “Fine I will not bring it up again. For tonight at least. Have a good night my dear son.”

“Good night Mother.”

The next morning bright and early the four of you were in Shuri’s lab. Henry walked toward a display of gadgets that were being worked on by a lab assistant. You, Bucky and Lottie stood to the side waiting for the young genius to walk over to you.

When she was ready Shuri waved you over to a table at the center of the room. For privacy most of the lab assistants left so it was just the five of you.

“Alright let’s start with Charlotte.” Shuri patted the table and turned to grab som equipment.

“Just so you know she may not like this.”

“It’s ok, we will figure it out.”

You looked at Bucky and picked Lottie up. As soon as you sat her down on the table she gripped your shirt with such strength that she almost ripped it.

“Mama don’t wike, pwease. Don’t wike it.” Lottie immediately got teary eyed which in turn made you teary eyed. “No mama. Dada pwease.”

“Doll It’s ok, we aren’t leaving you. Mama and I are right here.”

Shuri walked back over and stood beside you. She held something that looked like a sleek version of a price gun in her hand.

“Look Lottie,” she placed it just behind your ear, near your hairline and pressed the trigger. There was no pain whatsoever and you wondered what she did. Then she moved to the other side and did the same thing. “See, it doesn't hurt.”

Lottie let go of your shirt and blinked away the tears as she looked up at Shuri.

“No owies?”

“No owies, little one.” Shuri smiled. “Here you try.” She walked around the table and motioned for Bucky to move closer. Shuri took Lottie’s hand and placed the gun into it while guiding her to her father’s forehead. It clicked and stuck something to Bucky’s head making Charlotte giggle. “Now you, ok?”

“Ok.”

Charlotte sat still as Shuri did what she needed. There were two small squares stickers placed on her head both behind her ears.

“I want to get some readings first. These will not come off even if she tries to peel them or with water or sweat. Only I can take them off.” Shuri explained as she grabbed a small tool similar to a pen and held it up to Bucky’s forehead, pulling the small square away with ease and then she did the same with yours. “We’ll keep them on for a couple of days, hopefully she will have a vision and we can see how her brain reacts.”

“That would be amazing. We haven’t been able to perform any tests on her.”

Shuri nodded in understanding. “You should be good for now. If anything happens, bring her back. Henry's first treatment will take about three hours.”

“Ok, we’ll see you back in the room.”

You turn to find Henry and see him by the table he was at before. With open arms you kneel in front of him and give him a hug.

“Listen sweetheart, no one is here to hurt you ok? Your dad is going to stay with you all the time and I’m going to be with Lottie. I’ll see you in a little bit ok?”

“Will you cuddle with me later?”

“Absolutely.” You smile and kiss the top of his head before standing up.

“Ok, come on Lottie.”

You stick out your hand in order for her to take it but she doesn’t. When you look down her arms are crossed over her chest and she has a pout. She was upset with you and you hid your smile behind your hand because she looked so cute. You waved goodbye to Shuri and Bucky and ushered Lottie out.

You sat in the garden of the palace with a book in hand while Lottie walked around and looked at all the plants. She was unusually quiet which let you know she was still upset. Every so often you’d look over the book to see where she was at. Little by little she got closer to you until you looked over and she was standing in front of you. Her pout was still present. After placing the bookmark in its place and setting the book aside you look at Lottie as she stares up at you.

“Can mama pick you up?” She nods and lifts her arms for you to grab her and sit her on your lap.

You weren’t sure how to have this conversation with her and how much of it she would understand but it was important to teach her about communication.

“Are you mad my sweet Angel?”

“Don’t wike it mama. Don’t wike owies.” She said with tears in her eyes.

“I know, baby. I don’t like it when you get hurt either. Mama and daddy would never hurt you like that, we just want to make sure you don’t have other owies we can’t see.”

“No habe owies.” She extends her arms so that you can see that there are no cuts or bruises on her.

“You’re right. But mama and daddy want to make sure. We want you to be happy and healthy so we can watch you grow up and be a big girl.”

“Mama,” She said as she put her hands on her chest, looking almost offended that you didn’t know. “Am big.”

You laugh before kissing the top of her head.

“Is that right? You’re a big girl?”

She nods and grins at you.

“Well then you gotta stop growing so fast.” You said as you tickled her. She giggled and tried to get off your lap. “I love you so much my sweet Angel.”

“Lobe you, mama.”

You pull your phone out after giving Lottie another hug to find a message from Bucky saying they finished a bit early. With a quick reply you tell him you’ll be in the room in a few minutes. You put Lottie on your hip and grab your book with the other and head back to the rooms you’ve staying in.

You can hear Henry crying the closer you get to the room and it’s heartbreaking. Even Charlotte looks worried as you walk in. Bucky immediately takes Charlotte from you.

“He doesn’t want anyone near him except for you. ” He says in a rushed tone and you rush into the adjoining room.

The minute you walk into the room Henry runs towards you. His face is red, cheeks are tear stained and his eyes are red and puffy. You manage to open your arms and catch him just before he knocks you down.

“Oh my sweet boy, it’s ok.” You say while rubbing his back hoping it will sooth him. “Just let it out baby.”

After kneeling there for a moment you get up and lift Henry up with you. He’s still sniffling and hiding his face in your chest so you get comfortable on the bed. You hummed a lullaby while playing with his hair only stopping when he fell asleep. Henry’s grip on your shirt is tight though so you stay in the same position and let him rest. Bucky pokes his head in with a sleepy Charlotte in his arms. He mirrors your position on the bed and lets Lottie rest against his chest. You both stay like that for a while so that the kids can get their sleep. Bucky hasn’t said what he had planned for the afternoon except that you’d be out of the palace.

Once the kids were awake and changed into more comfortable clothes you left. Bucky’s excitement was palpable as he led you away from the palace. Lottie matched his eagerness to get out and begin to explore. Henry on the other hand stayed closer to you at all times, he was withdrawn from everything going on around him and instead kept his head down.

The first stop was the small farm Bucky was living at when he stayed in Wakanda. It was far away from the palace and near a lake. Bucky grabbed a blanket he had packed and placed it on the grass near the lake. He had promised to pack everything while you comforted Henry and he did just that. After he set everything up you sat down and Henry made himself comfortable on your lap while Lottie kept Bucky busy by running around and playing close to the water’s edge.

“Are you ok sweet boy?”

“I don’t know.” He said quietly while he watched his sister and dad play. “What happens if we can’t get the words out?”

“What do you mean?”

“If Shuri can’t make me stop being bad, are you gonna stop being my mama, and is daddy not gonna be my daddy anymore?”

You scooped him up and turned him around so that you could look him directly in his eyes. There was so much fear in his eyes and he started going back and forth between transparent and visible. Your hands cup his face gently and you tilt his head up so that he’ll look at you.

“Henry I want you to really listen to me ok. You are not bad, the bad men made you do things you didn’t want to do. I know it’s going to take some time for you to understand that and that’s ok, we’ll work on it together. Now, your dad and I are always going to be on your side. No one in the whole world can make us stop being your parents. We love you so much and we’re always going to take care of you. Do you understand that?”

By the time you’d finished Henry was crying softly again. Bucky had walked over and sat down next to both of you after having heard Henry’s question.

“Hey bubs, c’mere.” Bucky pulled Henry into his own lap and looked over at you, silently asking you for some time alone with his son.

You smiled at him and got up in order to run around with Charlotte.

“I know this is a scary feeling. Not knowing if what Shuri is doing will work. But I promise it will because it worked on me. We just have to give them a little bit of time.”

“I’m scared daddy,” Henry hugged Bucky. “I don’t wanna hurt mama again and I don’t want to hurt baby or you.” He cried into Bucky’s chest but Bucky pulled him back.

“Let’s make a deal ok? I promise that I am going to be there with you the whole time and I’ll keep mama and Lottie safe until the bad words can’t hurt you anymore. What do you say?” Henry nodded and leaned into Bucky again.

They stayed like that for a while as you played with Lottie. You were looking over at Bucky, smiling in his direction when Lottie let out what could only be described as a scream mixed with a squeal of excitement as a small herd of goats walked in your direction.

“Mama, goats.” She said excitedly as she shifted her weight from side to side.

“I see that, let’s go see them.”

She ran toward Bucky and Henry first and tugged on her brother’s hand. He hesitated for a moment but followed her as she led him to the herd. Lottie was usually a happy child but you had never seen her this excited or happy before. Ever since the petting zoo she had loved goats. You teased Bucky saying it was another trait she got from him.

The goat herder recognized Bucky and they started to talk while the herd ran around the field. Lottie was a giggling mess when one of the smaller goats butted her in the belly playfully causing her to fall. When Henry bent down to pick her up the same goat tried to climb his back. He started giggling too and you felt a weight lifted off your shoulders.

Fortunately you had started recording everything as soon as Lottie screamed, so you’d be able to watch it as many times as you liked. You knew the team would love to see this too.

“Mama,” your sweet Angel called between fits of laughter. “Mama look.” She said even though you were watching her trying to mimic a goat's bleat. Henry soon joined her and you had a feeling they would be doing that for a long time after you got back to the palace.

“They’re probably going to lose their mind over this.” Bucky says as he stands beside you. He held the smallest goats you’d ever seen. “These two were born recently and need names and he’s letting us do it.”

You grinned in his direction.

“I bet I already know the names they’ll choose.”

“Me too.” Bucky chuckled as he walked towards the kids who were petting some of the goats. “Hey bubs, doll C’mere.” He said as he crouched down. Once the kids were in front of him Lottie awed at the goats he was holding. “Sit down so you can hold them. These babies need names. How about you each give them a name.”

You were sure Charlotte’s cheeks were going to hurt from how big she was smiling. She sat down quickly and opened her arms to allow Bucky to set one of the goats down and Henry did the same.

“Ok, you have to think about the name you have to give them.”

“Steebie.” Lottie said quickly as her hand gently patted the goats head. “This baby Steebie.”

“What about this one Henry?”

He looked down at the goat in his lap with a very serious expression before speaking up. “This is Sammie. Like Uncle Sam.” He gave you both a small smile when he looked back up.

“Those are great names. Steebie and Sammie.”

“No mama, baby Steebie.” Lottie corrected you.

“Oh ok, baby Steebie and Sammie.”

Bucky chuckled as he got up and went to speak with the goat herder. You sat down with the kids and ended the recording.

“Feeling a bit better bubs?”

“A little.” Henry replies.

“You know your dad took care of goats after Shuri helped him. Maybe we could get a pet when we get back home.”

“Can habe goat mama?” Lottie asked.

“I don’t know sweet Angel. Maybe something smaller like a dog or a cat. We don’t have space in the apartment for a goat.”

“I like cats better.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the black panther now does it?” You raise a brow.

“Maybe.” He smiled sheepishly.

“We’ll talk about it more when we get back home. For right now let’s play with these guys, what do you say?”

Both kids got up and started running around, giggling as they were followed by the herd. Bucky’s arms pulled you against his chest, his chin resting on your shoulder.

“It’s going to get harder isn’t it?” You asked quietly.

“Yeah, he’s going to remember everything they had him do but in the end he’ll be free. He’s scared that he’ll hurt you again or that he’ll hurt Charlotte. I told him I’d protect you both.”

“I’m proud of you. You’re such a good dad.” You say as you turn to look up at him.

“I’m only giving him what I wished I had while I was going through this too. I was alone during most of it and I was terrified most of the time.”

“We’ll never let Henry feel like that.” You reach up and caress his cheek.

Bucky agreed as you watched both kids playing without a care in the world they way it should always be for them. Henry looks at you and smiles before waving you over. Happily you and Bucky join your kids and stay in the small peaceful corner of Wakanda until the sun starts setting. By then Henry and Lottie are exhausted and you make it to the palace before they can fall asleep.

After quick showers and getting dressed in comfy pajamas you all lay down in the kids rooms as they sleepily talk about goats. Once they’re fast asleep Bucky quietly leads you to the adjoining room and pulls you into bed with him. As Bucky absentmindedly runs his hand up and down your arm, you push away the worries of what the next few days or weeks would bring and enjoy the peace of the moment.

Ch 19

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Noble To The Core- CH. 4

Descendants × Fem! Reader Summery: y/n gets to met her roommate.

Prev Chapter

 •| ⊱ Miss. Sutree ⊰ |•

The room was divided. The right side was lifeless. There was nothing there aside from a bed with an elegant wooden side table beside it. Soft blankets covered the white sheet. Compared to the other side of the room, it was quite sad-looking.

The left side, though looking a little plain, had more personality. There was a dash of pink and green with a few potted plants. A desk sat near the window. There sat a dresser at the bottom of the bed since the right side had a closet. Everything looked meticulously well put together.

And that's just how Frida was. Meticulous. She had no time or need for trivial matters. The only reason she was here was to learn and that's what she was going to do.

So when Ben comes to her and proposes the idea of letting one of the aisle girls be her roommate. She was surprised since she'd heard how important this little endeavor was for the prince. And he thought she'd be the right person to help with the job? She'd be flattered if it wasn't so insane. The two quarreled for several days until Frida gave up. Ben was certainly persistent despite having such a carefree persona.

But there were a few requirements that needed to be met before she started sharing a room with someone. She'd only share a room with the Evil Queen's daughter. Out of the three, the Queen's daughter seems to be the safest option in her opinion. Of course, she knew she could be completely wrong about it, she never met any of them. But what could the Queen's daughter do?

The other two have magic flowing in their veins. What did the other girl have? Nothing. Frida knew that the girl could just put a pillow over her face while she slept. Anyone could do that, but it felt better knowing that her enemy didn't have magic on their side.

Frida's other requirement was that there be a guard posted outside not just in her room, but all the Isle kids' rooms. Just in case the Queen's daughter is physically stronger or somehow can overpower her. She also didn't like the idea of just trusting those kids to not do anything nefarious in the dead of night. Ben agreed to everything. Though she wanted a guard right outside her door for the whole time they were there. Ben was able to surprise her by calming her rampant paranoia. She let him lower it to just six months.

She knew that today was when they would be arriving, but she didn’t bother showing up to their grandiose welcome. Why would she? She’ll probably meet them or see them in the halls. It’s not like she had any interest in befriending them regardless if they were from the Isle. They could have come from the wealthiest noble house and she still wouldn’t care to get close to them.

It was a complete and utter waste of time.

Okay. She was a little intimidated by them. Maybe not them, she hadn’t even met them, but the idea of them was intimidating. Now she is hitting herself in the head for agreeing to share a room with one of them. How could she be so short-sighted?

While in the library she didn’t even study. Her mind kept floating back to them and her worries. She had spent two hours in the library and she hadn't even gotten through five pages of the book she was supposed to read.

At some point, someone has to put up their hands and call it a day. Frida wasn’t that kind of person, but she couldn’t let herself simmer in her paranoia. She packed up and headed to her room to face what had been plaguing her thoughts.

As she slowly walked to her room, she almost walked by the cafeteria. An idea popped into her head. What if she met her new roommate with a gift? Like giving a wolf a slab of meat and praying that it won't eat you.

The cafeteria was open all day. So she looked through food options. She wasn’t sure what to pick but decided to choose something sweet. Who didn’t like sweets? It was also the safest option in her opinion. Then she wondered if they had any allergies. What if they were lactose intolerant?

She spent way too much time mulling over this person she hadn’t even met. In the end, she grabbed strawberry pudding. It was rather simple and nothing too over the top. She also liked the presentation. It was a pretty pink color with a little whipped cream on top. It was a perfect last-minute gift.

By the time Frida made it to the door, she couldn’t help herself from hesitating. It was frustrating. It wasn’t like her to be scared of something or someone. She took a deep breath and entered.

There was no one in the room. Only the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Frida listened closely and realized that they were taking a shower. She placed the bowl of pudding on her desk and pulled a book from her bag before sitting on her bed to kill some time faster.

The Evil Queen’s daughter didn’t take long and stepped out of the bathroom with an old suitcase in hand. The girl’s [hair color] hair was still damp. Her clothes consisted of bland brown and red. They looked well worn. Maybe a little too worn because they made her look like a commoner rather than a troubled kid. Upon seeing Frida the girl slightly tensed up and her [eye color] eyes widened.

“You must be my roommate.” If it wasn’t for her face showing how flustered she was, then her slightly high-pitched voice did. “Oh, don’t worry I didn’t use any hot water.”

Frida raised an eyebrow which seemed to make the girl anxious. For a moment Frida thought the hot water comment was odd, but she quickly realized that of course, the isle didn’t have running hot water. The Isle was a place where people were supposed to slowly die, not live.

Getting off the bed, Frida mustered up her best smile. “You don’t have to worry about that. You can use all the hot water you need,” She held out her hand, “I’m Frida Sutree.” The girl hesitantly took her hand and shook it while giving an awkward smile. Frida resisted the urge to shiver at the girl’s cold hand.

‘How cold was that shower?’ Frida asked herself, not breaking her smile for a second.

“Frida,” The girl said the name as if testing it before adding, “Is such a beautiful name. I’m y/n.”

“Grimhilde, right?”

y/n’s expression turned to slight confusion. “Um, no. I’m y/n Vainira.” For a split second Frida’s smile faltered. It was only for a second and if y/n had blinked, she wouldn’t have even seen it.

“Oh, okay. I’m sorry for the mix-up. It’s been a long morning for me.” Frida faked a slight chuckle that y/n almost fell for. Frida slowly pulled her hand out of y/n’s and grabbed her gift. “Since we are going to be sharing a room now, I brought you a little something.”

Even though y/n noticed how the air became tense after saying her last name, she couldn't help herself from getting excited. No stranger ever gave her something before. Not even her friends gave her much of anything because that was just the way of life on the Isle.

Her parents were right. Life here was going to be so different.

For a moment she tried hiding her big joyful smile, but gave up quickly. There was no real need to hide how she felt. As the bowl was placed in her hands she said, “Thank you! You didn’t have to, but- thank you so much!”

Frida was slightly put off by how she was so happy receiving pudding. Though if y/n liked it so much, Frida didn’t mind nor care.

After thanking Frida like she had told her the meaning of life, y/n looked into the bowl. Her electric excitement slowly became puzzled. Now Frida was starting to sweat, ‘Did she upset her? Does she not like it? She’s not going to hurt me right?’

Quietly y/n mumbles to herself, “It’s so bright and pink.” She was examining it for a moment before finally asking Frida what it was. Frida was quick to explain that it was just normal strawberry pudding with a little whipped cream.

“You aren’t lactose intolerant, right? If you are, I can get you something else.” y/n only smiled, “No. I’ll just take this.” She didn’t even know what that meant but didn’t want to ask out of fear of looking dumb.

Frida started to slowly head towards the door. “I just realized I left one of my textbooks in the library.” She grabbed the door handle and began to twist it, “Enjoy the pudding and I’ll be right back.” With that y/n was left alone once again.

She stared at the pudding. It looked so unusual. Taking a sniff, she couldn’t explain what it was. She never had anything sweet. Of course, there were sweets on the Isle, but they were so rare.

After playing with it with the spoon and goggling at how shiny the spoon was, she finally put a spoon in her mouth. She nearly spat it out because it felt like they were electrocuted. She swallowed the pudding and she wasn’t too sure if she liked it or not.

She tried a few more spoonfuls before deciding that she didn’t like it. She wasn’t a fan of the soft texture. It just didn’t feel right but it was a gift. She forced herself to finish it or she’d end up feeling guilty for being so wasteful and ungrateful.

The bowl was empty, she started putting her clothes away in the closet. After that, she wasn’t sure what else to do. So she sat on the bed with the bowl in her lap and waited. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for as the boy who escorted her to her room didn’t seem to know what was going on. She just assumed that maybe someone would come and get her.

She just didn’t feel confident walking out of the room on her own.

With an unknown amount of time in her hands led her to think. Of course, she thought of her family. How much she already missed them and wondered how they were doing. It wasn’t long before her mind drifted to him.

Harry Hook. What was he doing right now? Was he as heartbroken as her when she broke things off with him? Did he hear about her leaving? Did he miss her? In a twisted way, she hoped that he did. She hoped that maybe with her being really gone, that maybe he’d want her back.

It was an ignorant thought. She knows that which was why she shook those thoughts away to focus on something more important. Carlos. He’d have to be back with Jay by now surely. Or he must have been found by now.

But what if he wasn’t found yet y/n asked. With worry and doubt plaguing her, she got up and looked out the window. As if she’d catch a glimpse of the boy.

The longer she waited the more anxious she was getting. At some point, she starts thinking of going into those woods and looking for Carlos herself. Except that she’d probably end up getting lost herself. While she thought of what she could probably do, there was a knock at the door.

She was half expecting it to be Prince Ben or maybe that boy Douglas. Instead, she saw a woman standing there. Her brown hair was up in a bun and she wore light blue clothing. The woman looked so sharp and clean that y/n couldn’t help, but stare.

“I’m sorry for not being here when you arrived. I had some personal business to attend to. I am Fairy Godmother. It’s nearing lunchtime and we have made a special reservation for our guests’ first day here..” y/n didn’t even have time to awkwardly introduce herself as the woman started walking. y/n had no other choice but to quickly follow.

y/n heard that Fairy Godmother was a big deal and many believe that she might have been one of the few people who made the barrier on the Isle. Though how and who made the barrier is still a mystery at least on the Isle. y/n couldn’t imagine why they’d be quiet about that here.

The woman rounded up the kids. y/n felt a prickle of worry when Carlos didn’t seem to be with Jay. Seeing how the others seemed unconcerned by it, she tried to act indifferent as well. They followed the woman through the school. Everyone, but y/n made light conversation with Fairy Godmother. Though Mal kept steering the conversion to Godmother’s wand.

Asking where was it. Did she still have it? What could you do with something so powerful? Fairy Godmother gave vague answers and at some point, Mal went quiet altogether. Not bothering to jump into the conversation anymore after the unsatisfying responses.

They would come to a stop at a pair of doors. Fairy Godmother pushed open the doors to show a balcony. There were some potted flowers with a large dining table that was filled with food. Six chairs sat around the table with Carlos occupying one of them. He was scarfing down food so fast that it was amazing that he didn’t choke.

“Carlos!” y/n cried out a little too loudly. The others would have given her a strange look if their attention wasn’t on Carlos.

The girl nearly forgot that they weren't supposed to be friends anymore. If she could get away with it, she would have run to him and took him into a bone-crushing hug. Though she wondered if she could play it off as worrying about her fellow islander. They were on foreign lands. Isle residents should stay together, right?

His friend bombarded him with questions. He brushed off most of their questions and said casually, “I just started running and kept running for… I don’t know. Until I was breathless. Then I was found by some big scary-looking guy. I started running again and-”

Mal cut him off. “Whatever. You're here now and that’s what matters.” Right after that, she mutters to herself, “I don’t need to hear you blabber on about how you got here.”

After the short reunion with Carlos, Fairy Godmother had them all take seats. Mal and y/n sat on the opposite ends of the table. Evie sat next to Mal and across from Carlos. Jay sat across from Mal. y/n didn’t mind having an empty chair in front of her. It meant no one was blocking her view. Though she wouldn’t lie to herself, she kinda wished Carlos and her were closer.

The moment they sat down they all stared at the food for a moment. Hesitating to even touch it with their own fork. They all seemed to take a collective glace at Carlos who was just devouring the food on his plate. Seeing that it wasn’t poisoned or maybe it was slow-acting poison, they took a bite.

One bite was all they needed to start digging into the food. Scarfing it down like they were wild animals and something could take their food at any moment. Fairy Godmother was startled by their hunger for a second, but it was swiftly replaced by pity.

When Fairy Godmother spoke up, she hid her pity with a soft smile. “I’m glad you are all enjoying your lunch. I’ll be sure to let the cooks know that their hard work is appreciated.” Evie and y/n would have forgotten that the woman was there if she didn’t speak. Too enamored with the luxurious food. The two girls slowed down their eating to not look too ill-mannered. The others didn’t seem to care.

“I’m here to tell what your first week here will look like. Since we are unsure of your academic level we’ll have you take a couple of tests for the first week. Just to make sure what would be the most appropriate classes for you to take. Of course, there will be extracurricular classes you can choose from. ” Fairy Godmother said.

The teens didn’t like the idea of taking tests let alone their whole week filled with it. When hearing the explanation there was a varying degree of understanding among them. y/n wasn’t a fan but understood the reason and was ultimately fine with it. Mal on the other hand despised the thought of it.

“What grade you get will determine what classes you’ll be put into except for one. You’ll all be taking ‘Remedial Goodness 101’ together. It’s exactly what the name implies.” Contrary to what she said, they all seemed confused at the name. Mal only rolled her eyes.

“Oh, before I forget. y/n, since you are technically able to inherit the throne. You’ll automatically be assigned to Sovereignty 101.” y/n raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Her parents never talked too much about their life before the Isle. Of course, she got a few tidbits of information. Her mom talked about how she lived in a closed-off village in the forest. That her dad was born into a powerful family in some kingdom. It wasn’t until she got a bit older that her mom explained that he was second in line for the throne.

She didn’t explain much further. Maybe out of a sense of shame, y/n didn’t know or even care that much. It just didn’t matter to her at the time. Still, she was surprised to hear that she could still inherit the throne despite everything.

“You are free to do as you please for the rest of the day. Dinner is from six to seven-thirty. Curfew starts at nine and you are expected to be in bed by ten.” The woman rambled on about the times before adding, “Oh, you can look at the schedule if you forget. Don’t worry about cleaning up, you can leave everything there when done. It was good to meet you all and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Once Fairy Godmother left the air became less tense. Evie immediately looked at y/n. “Miss. Vainira, have you done something with your hair? I just can’t seem to look away.” y/n looked at Evie like she said the sky was green.

“Didn’t realize you were that desperate.” Jay joked with a mouth full of food.

“Close your mouth, Jay, no one wants to see that,” Mal said, “But it's not like she really has a chance at becoming Queen or whatever. Aren’t rulers supposed to be hardworking? She wouldn’t last a day as a Queen.”

‘And you're too vindictive to be in any position of power.’ y/n thought to herself before responding. Ignoring what Mal said so as to not fan the flames. “I have no interest in the throne. So I can’t be your ticket to the royal court. Sorry, Evie.” y/n shot a small smile at the blue-haired girl.

Evie only sighed, “You almost had one redeeming quality.”

Though the conversation was brief and didn’t lead to anything. It made y/n wonder. ‘Could two women be together?’ She sneaked a glance at Evie, her heart slightly beating faster. ‘No, Evie is too hot and cold.’ Her thought came as quickly as it left.

They all ate the food relatively fast. After they were done, they discussed what they’d do next. Mostly everyone wanted to go back to their room to lie down, feeling too full to do anything else. But Jay and Mal wanted to explore the school some more.

Carlos didn’t know where his room was. All he knew was that he was sharing with Jay. He begged Jay to show him where their room was so that he could rest, but Jay told him that he’d find it before running off with Mal.

Once those two were gone, y/n swiftly offered to show him where he was going to stay. “I remember where it was.” If Evie wasn’t still here Carlos would have thanked y/n as if she saved him from death. Instead, he gave her a thankful look before acting casually. “Yeah, sure thanks.”

As they left together the two were silent for a moment. Neither one didn’t know how to break the dead air. Their silence wasn’t intolerable, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It brought y/n’s mood down. They used to be so close before silence like this didn’t bother them. Then again it wasn’t like they talked with each other every other day or really saw much of each other.

‘Are we still even friends?’ y/n questioned. The halls were empty. Most of the students were in the dining hall or still in class. Making the silence between them so much louder.

Carlos would speak up, “So…Do you like Auradon?” There was a slight tremor in his voice.

“Um, I don’t know. It's too early to say, but my roommate seems nice.”

“Who’s your roommate?”

“Her name was Frida Sutree and gave me some pudding when we met. I didn’t like it that much…”

“Oh.”

Silence engulfed them once again. The conversation was painfully bland and superficial that y/n doesn’t know if she’d rather keep this silent trend going or try to keep talking. It didn’t take her long to choose which one she preferred.

“So what about the woods? Did they look nice?” y/n masked her voice and face with something more happy and energetic. Showing how disheartening their withdrawal from one another wouldn’t help this already dull mood.

He shrugged slightly, “Yeah, it looked nice.”

“What was nice about it?”

“I don’t know. I was too busy running to take in everything.”

“Oh.”

After that, neither one tried striking up another conversation. y/n kept questioning what was wrong. Should she have said something else? Maybe he was just too tired to talk. It's been a long day for everyone and it hasn’t even ended yet.

Once they made it to his room, they both dryly said their farewells and left it at that. y/n couldn’t stop thinking about her underwhelming time with Carlos. It couldn’t be that he didn’t like her anymore right? They were still friends to an extent. Just not as close as they used to be.

y/n couldn’t bother to dwell on the thought any longer. She didn’t want to come to the conclusion that they weren’t friends or anything because she knew she’d think that. All her insecurities would pile up and crash down upon her. Leading her to believe that she was alone now.

While in her room she tried to sleep away her worries. It had worked for her in the past, but she was too anxious. The bed and pillows were heavenly soft compared to her one at home. Yet she just couldn’t drift off in her new bed.

Looking at the clock hung up on the wall, she didn’t even lay in bed for a minute. Believing that she wouldn’t sleep or even take a nap yet, she pulled out an old leather journal and pencil from her suitcase. She started writing a letter to her family about how her day was going so far.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Frida practically ran around the school to find Ben. When she finally found him, she explained the mix-up. She expected him to fix it immediately, but it looked like a light bulb turned on in his head. That’s when she started feeling uneasy.

“This is great,” For a moment Frida looked dumbfounded when he said that. Then she wanted to wipe that smile off his face. She deeply inhaled. It wouldn’t be right to spit out venom at the prince. No matter how much she would have liked to.

“What are you talking about?” She asked kindly. Hiding her displeasure behind a smile. “You can conquer your fear,” Ben explained. She clasped her hands together tightly. Squeezing them like they’d take away her mixed emotions.

She opened her mouth to rebuttal but then closed it with a sigh. She was at a loss for words. Was he suggesting that she share a room with that girl? Her? Really?

“Just one night,” Ben started, “And if you can’t stand her then you can switch to another room. Any room of your choice.” Frida thought about the deal for a moment. “Any room? Even one that is already being used?” Ben was slightly puzzled but stated yes. With a huff, Frida agreed and left the prince alone.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

When Frida came back, y/n smiled at her. “Did you find your textbook?” Frida casually came up with a lie, “Yeah, but I gave it to my friend. They needed it.” y/n quietly hummed as a response.

Frida grabbed her book and sat on her bed then pretended to read. She kept glancing at y/n. Just waiting for something horrible to happen. “What are you doing?” Frida asked innocently.

“I’m just writing a letter to my mom. Then I’ll write one for my dad and my younger brother.” Frida tried not to tense up when hearing y/n say her dad.

“You said younger brother. Does that mean you have an older one?” y/n shifted her eyes to the left for a moment. “Yeah, but I don’t like him. I don’t think he can read anyway.” That was the first time Frida heard the girl sound so cold and it was towards her brother.

“If you're writing a letter, I can get you some paper so you don’t have to use your journal. And you can use my desk too.” y/n denied Frida’s offer at first before giving in after she kept insisting. When handing y/n the blank papers, Frida was thanked multiple times.

And that was how y/n spent the rest of her day. Sitting at Frida’s desk and writing. Her hand cramped up, but she kept going. Dinner time came around. Frida asked if y/n wanted to come with her, but she declined saying that she wasn’t hungry.

It was a lie. y/n could feel her stomach wanting to eat, but she didn’t feel like eating anything. While alone her stomach growled at her and she just ignored it. She finished her writing and started drawing on the edges of the paper before falling into her bed.

The moment she hit the mattress she was out. Her sleep felt like a blink because when she woke up, she didn’t feel rested. It was dark and she couldn’t even see the clock to check the time.

Since it wasn’t morning she tried going back to sleep. Rolling around in bed. Staying in one position before changing to another one. After a bit, she ended up lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. With nothing else to do her mind wandered.

Of course, she couldn’t help herself from thinking of Hook. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop from wondering what he was doing now. How did he spend his day? What was the crew up to now?

She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about him. He probably didn’t think about her. He probably didn’t even spare her a second once she left his line of sight. Right now he was no doubt flirting with the first person he saw. Or maybe he was with someone better fitted for him.

Someone better than her.

Anyone and everyone was better than her.

She started snuffling and blinking her eyes in an attempt to stop those tears from coming. It seemed like it was working until she felt a tear travel down her face. With that, the whole dam broke. She shoved her face into her pillow to muffle her crying. She wanted to be back at home. In her mom’s arms or just hear her mom’s calming voice. The thought of her mom didn’t help her and it seemed to only tighten her heart and make her cry harder.

Any thoughts that had brought her comfort in the past were met with a painful ache of longing. Her family, her house, everything was so far away. There was nowhere to run now. No one to cry to. Just alone.

“Are you crying…?”

y/n sat up in her bed. Wiping her face with the front and back of her hands. Her voice was shaky and unstable, “I’m sorry. I’ll try to quiet down.” There were small sniffles that cut through the dark silence.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Frida's voice sounded so soft and concerned. It made y/n feel silly. Everything here is so good and nice compared to home. While in a moment of weakness, she wanted to throw it all away because she couldn’t handle being away from her family.

Taking a deep inhale, y/n said, “I just miss some people at home.” Her voice sounds slightly more stable. Only slightly, but at least it didn’t sound like she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

“Do you want to talk about them? It might help.”

She hesitated for a moment before she started talking. She talked about how she missed her ex-boyfriend and his friends. Talking about all the trouble that trio would get into and how she’d become skilled at bandaging wounds because of them.

Then she talked about her family and told Frida the little things about them. Frida would ask questions from time to time. The two would share a few chuckles at the stories she told.

y/n let out a long yawn before asking, “I never had a sleepover before. Would this be considered a sleepover?” Frida thought about it for a moment. She wouldn’t consider it a sleepover considering they were roommates, but for y/n’s sake, she said yes.

Frida would hear the smile in y/n’s voice. “I’m glad my first sleepover was with you, Frida. I think I’m going to sleep now.”

“Alright. Goodnight, y/n.”

“Goodnight.”

Next Chapter

Noble To The Core Masterlist

I love all the comments I get from you guys. Even if you don't write anything, I still love you. To show my thanks. I made a drawing of Firda and y/n. I just drew y/n as what I depict her as looking. So don't worry she's still your barbie doll to customize. Again thank you all for the support! Link To Artwork

Taglist: @nobl3sse

[justagalwhowrites]

Beskar Doll - Ch. 3: Battle Scars

You're making an effort to get along with the armored man you're stuck traveling with - at least so you don't want to kill each other. The Mandalorian isn't sure what to make of any of it. A continuation of Beskar Doll Ch. 1-2, found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Din Djarin/The Mandalorian x Female Reader

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence and injury; SA threatened but not described, did not happen to reader. No use of Y/N. Whole fic is violent and smutty, 18+ only. Minors DNI.

Length: 7.2k

The Mandalorian seemed to spend more time in his quarters than usual. You set up your bed before devouring the ration he’d shoved into your hands, eating the whole thing and almost making yourself sick, but you were so hungry it was hard to stop yourself from wolfing it down. 

You were already awake when he emerged and you were surprised he wasn’t already in the cockpit. You’d slept deeply enough that you thought he’d probably just slipped past you in the dark. But he stopped and looked at you for a moment as you were braiding your hair, trying to remember one of the more intricate styles from your home world that you hadn’t attempted in years. He turned to leave and you quickly tied the braid off before scrambling to your feet, half your hair still loose down your back. 

“Wait,” you jogged to catch up with him. He turned to face you, arms crossed, a silent wall of metal. “I know you said to stay out of the cockpit…” 

“I don’t…” he began but you held your hand up to silence him. 

“I’m not trying to be in your way and I don’t want to spend time with you any more than you want to spend time with me,” you said, your diplomat voice on. “But I was hoping you’d be OK with me going in the cockpit when you weren’t there.” 

He looked down at you. You could feel the intensity of his gaze but you held it all the same. 

“Why?” He asked eventually. “Planning to detour us?” 

“No,” you said, making sure your voice stayed even. This wouldn’t work if he saw you as an adversary all the damn time. “The hold is dark and boring. I’d like to look outside.” 

“Do you think space somehow isn’t dark and boring?” He asked, skeptical. 

“It’s better than the same four metal walls all the time,” you shrugged. “I won’t disrupt anything and I’ll leave as soon as you need back in. I’ll only do it when you’re resting.” 

He considered you for a moment. 

“Fine,” he said. You smiled a little and gave him a quick nod before turning to leave. “Wait.” You turned back, trying to hide your frown. You hoped he wouldn’t take your deal back already. 

“Yes?” You asked. He paused, like he was rethinking his question. 

“Are you really Imperial?” He asked eventually. 

You considered him. You’d read about Mandalorians since you’d come aboard his ship. They were bound by their word and their creed and you were pretty certain you wouldn’t need to worry about him slitting your throat in your sleep, even if he did hate you. But the Empire had been cruel to his people, decimating their race and their planet. The metal your father had paid for your transit - beskar - was probably stolen from his world during an Imperial assault, intercepted in a rebellion mission and then passed off to your father as an insurance policy of sorts. If he truly thought you were Imperial, you wouldn’t blame him at all for saying “fuck the creed” and throwing you out of the nearest airlock. But it was a useful lie, good cover for exactly what you were truly hiding. At least for now. 

“If I were,” you said slowly. “Would you kill me?” 

He looked at you, head cocked slightly to the side. 

“No,” he said eventually. “I said I would transport you and I will. Your allegiance in the war wouldn’t change that.” 

You nodded slowly, trying to find a way to fold yourself into the story he’d invented for you without outright lying. 

“I have…” you paused for a second. “Imperial ties.” 

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Your mother had known Bail Organa and you grew up playing with his daughter, Leia. Both had been Imperial Senators. You’d used your profession and connection for years to bring information from rebellion sympathizers within the Empire to where it needed to be. Imperial ties were important.

He nodded slowly, not speaking again before climbing into the cockpit for the day. 

You didn’t speak again for four days. You’d become skilled at learning his patterns and understanding exactly how to avoid him. If you timed it right, you could climb into your hiding place just as he was getting up for the day, watching from your perch in the ceiling as he went about his morning routine. He glanced around the hold when he came through but you weren’t sure if he was looking for you or for evidence of your wrong doing. Either way, you waited until you were sure he was settled into the cockpit before beginning your routine of practice and exercise, retreating to your hideout again just before he came down, seeking food and to use the fresher. 

He’d started monitoring your ration intake, which you weren’t sure what to do about. If he decided you hadn’t eaten enough, he’d leave a ration pack on the crate near your first hideout. He never said anything about it. But you’d eat what he put out before laying down in what you were pretty sure was the afternoon to sleep, always waking up with just enough time to clean up your bed, scramble into the ceiling, and watch as he retreated to his quarters for the few hours of sleep he seemed to need every day. 

That was your favorite part of the day. You gave him a few minutes, made sure he wasn’t going to come back out, before you crept into the cockpit. He darkened it before he left it, everything running at minimum power. But that was how you liked it best. You tried sitting in one of the seats the first night but it wasn’t close enough to outside for your liking, so you clambered over the controls and tucked yourself between the dash and the viewer, the stars bright and close, taking up your whole field of vision. 

You stayed there as long as you could, bringing your blanket with you so you could feel safe and comfortable while staring out into the vastness of it all. Space always made you feel so small. It was comforting, knowing just how small and inconsequential you really were. 

The fourth day, you’d lost track of time, your head resting on your knees as you felt like you were swimming in starlight, the galaxy whipping past outside. 

“Do you always sit up there?” Mando’s voice made you jump, your head whipping around to see him standing beside the captain’s chair. 

“Yes,” you said, unfolding yourself from your perch and deftly climbing down. “The view is better. Sorry, I lost track of time. I’ll get out of your way.” 

“Stay,” he said, not looking at you as he took his seat. “We’re coming up on Hosnian Prime.” 

You nodded, strapping into what had become your designated seat. 

“Another puck to fulfill?” You asked, giving in to your drive to fill the awkward silence. 

“And a resupply,” he said, not looking at you. The ship slowed, the planet appearing in front of you, a cloud of ships around it. 

“What do you need?” You asked. He glanced your way. “For the resupply, I mean. Do you have a list?” You could feel the skepticism in his gaze and it irritated you how clearly you could feel his eyes through that helmet. “I’d like to make myself useful. And the faster we get off this rock, the faster you can be rid of me.” 

“Fine,” he said after a moment, looking forward again. “I’m not sure how long this will take, Hosnian Prime is big and it’s densely populated, tracking is harder here. Try not to get yourself killed buying rations and bacta.” 

“I’ll do my best,” you rolled your eyes, settling back into your seat and watching as the Mandalorian eased you into a hanger at a spaceport. 

You perched on top of a crate to watch him load himself down with ammunition and gear, quietly observing his habits, hoping to make him predictable. 

“If you leave the ship, come back every night,” he said stiffly. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back and I’m not waiting for you while you go…” he paused, like he was searching for a word, and you raised your eyebrows. “Dancing. Or whatever it is dolls do.” 

“Don’t worry Mando,” you rolled your eyes. “I won’t let my vibrant social life get in your way.” 

You watched him descend the ramp and you waited a few minutes before you went and sat on the end of it. It was nice, seeing people again. Your life on Tatooine had been pretty isolated, occasional trips into Mos Espa the only thing breaking up the monotony of daily chores. You’d had your family, at least, which was a comfort but it was different than Naboo. There, you’d always been surrounded by people. It was hard to remember a time you were ever alone, often sleeping in the same room as Sosha to keep her safe. 

Of course, the last time you’d been to Mos Espa - before the day you boarded the Razor Crest, anyway - you’d found so much trouble that you had to flee the planet and change your name. Maybe you and throngs of people didn’t mesh as well as you thought.

The first few days, you kept to the ship, sticking with your usual habits and replacing curling up in the cockpit with people watching from the ramp. By day four, you were restless enough you decided to venture out and cross some things off Mando’s list. At least this way you’d get a say in the rations that were aboard. 

Hosnian Prime was an almost overwhelming place after spending a few years isolated on the outer rim. You’d forgotten what it was like to be in a crush of bodies flowing from one place to another, the noise and the color and the smell of this many people all together. It took some time for your senses to adjust, your ears not able to focus on any one sound, snippets of different conversations and people yelling from stalls and the drone of speeders melding together into a disorienting mass, your mind flitting through languages trying to understand it all. You shook yourself, putting up your hood. You needed to be able to focus. Anyone could sneak up on you now and kill you and Maker knew there were plenty of people who wanted to. You had to be on guard. 

You stocked up on rations and shopped around until you found bacta and other medical supplies for less than a small fortune. You also picked up some cleaning materials for weaponry and found a small kit you could use to patch clothing and flight suits - useful tools when your wardrobe options were limited. It was nice, feeling productive. It was small but it was the first time you’d accomplished something in weeks, and you made your way back to the Razor Crest with a smile on your face. 

The outing was enough to keep you satisfied for a few days of routine again before you started feeling restless. Mando had been gone a week now and in a planet that was more city than anything else, it would be impossible to know where he was or an idea of how long he’d be gone unless he planned to tell you - which he obviously didn’t. 

A week and a day after he left, you decided a different kind of practice was in order. It had been a while since you’d try to surveil anyone or get into places you shouldn’t be in an urban space. You put on your most nondescript clothes and grabbed a few of the credits your father and stashed in your bag before bidding you farewell and headed out into the city. 

It took you a bit to find someone to follow but you settled on a large man who looked like he was up to no good, leering at women who passed and sneering at everyone else. You kept to the shadows behind him, weaving through the press of people as he went about his business, never close enough that he saw you but never so far that you lost him. You tailed him for hours until he went into what you assumed was his apartment. Once he’d stayed inside for more than an hour and you realized you’d been slinking through the city for eight or nine and the sun was starting to set, you started trying to navigate your way back to the spaceport without asking for help. It was after dark when you returned and you were relieved to find the Razor Crest was still there and that Mando hadn’t come back and left without you. 

A new pattern began to take shape. One day, you’d stay at the ship, going about your usual routine. The next, out into the city to keep other skills sharp. You sometimes followed strangers, other times tried to break into places that seemed tricky, once you even just went and found more nondescript clothes than what you’d brought from Naboo and Tatooine, hoping they’d help you blend in on the myriad planets you’d likely be dragged to before the Mandalorian finally deposited you on Dantooine. 

Half way through his third week hunting, you were in the city, your challenge for the day having found their way home as the sun began to set. You were working your way back to the ship, pleased with how your self-made training session had gone. Your selection that day was a bit more challenging, often using a different exit for a building he visited than an entrance and he was smaller so he would often blend in with crowds as he went from place to place. But you’d tracked him all the same. You were starting to get concerned about when Mando was returning - at what point did you decide he’d just been wounded or killed and get yourself off world? - when you heard a scream. 

It was loud and pleading and close so you ran for it, slipping into holes in the crowd where you could and just pushing through where you couldn’t until you found the source. In an alley off a side street was a woman, her back to a wall and a cluster of four men around her. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she was obviously terrified, cowering and pressing herself into the building behind her like she was wishing it would swallow her whole. 

“Hey!” You snapped, stalking over to them. You’d left your blaster on the ship but your knife was heavy in your pocket. Four on one weren’t great odds, but you’d had worse. “I think she wants you to leave her alone.” 

“Stay out of this, off-worlder,” one spat, glancing at me. The woman looked at you, her eyes wide like she was begging for help. 

“Don’t think I will,” you said, stepping closer, cataloguing what you could read about the men. One had a blaster at his waist but he was close to you, you could probably take it quickly. Another had his hand to the woman’s throat and looked to be the biggest - you’d go for him second. “Last chance. Go home with life and limb intact.” 

“Do you understand what you’re getting yourself into, little girl?” The third man, whose back had been to you, turned to face you, a vibroknife in his hand. You nodded, admiring the weapon as you prowled closer. It was large and looked to be custom. It’d be a nice addition to your collection. Just a slight change of plan. 

You looked at him and smiled before hooking your leg around his and pulling it out from under him, grabbing the wrist of the hand that held the knife as he collapsed to the ground. You twisted it and he dropped the knife, crying out as you kept twisting until the bones snapped. You snatched the knife out of the air and spun it in your hand until your grip was right. 

Everything happened quickly then, the man holding the woman by the throat dropping her to lunge for you. You sidestepped him and used the butt of the knife to hit his temple as he passed you, knocking him off balance. 

“Run!” You yelled to her. She didn’t need to be told twice, taking off. You positioned yourself between her attackers and her escape route, vibroknife in hand in front of you, blade out toward them. 

“Fucking bitch!” The one you’d hit in the temple swore, clutching his head. 

“Warned you,” you shrugged, waiting for their next move, stolen knife at the ready. The one whose wrist you’d broken was still on the ground, clutching his injured arm. One down. 

You were about to go for the one with the blaster when the final one - the one you hadn’t truly assessed - pulled something from his side and extended it before igniting it. An electrostaff. Shit. You hadn’t planned for that. 

You went for the one you’d hit in the temple first, feigning a low strike and instead punching him hard in the face with the hand that held the vibroknife, both the pain and force of the punch amplified by the metal in your hands. He crumpled to the ground, so the hand injury was at least worth it. The staff wielder swung for you and you barely managed to dodge it, ducking below his swing that was a bit too high for someone of your size, anyway. At least he seemed like a rudimentary user. 

The blaster draw you only caught by luck, a brief flash of metal out of the corner of your eye as a light a few floors above you flickered to life. You dove just as he got off a shot, tucking and rolling to jump back to your feet and come up alongside the shooter. You gave him a glancing strike with the vibroknife - enough to need bacta but not so much that it would kill him. He clutched his weapon tighter but fell to his knees with a strangled moan, the ragged gash at his side gushing blood.

You watched him for a second too long, making sure he wasn’t going to try to pull another shot off when you barely saw the electrostaff swinging in your direction. You tried to twist away but it was too close to fully dodge and the weapon made contact, glancing off your ribs. You clenched your teeth and fought to stay standing. This, in comparison to what you’d suffered in the past, was nothing. But it had been years since you’d last had a real fight and the blow knocked the wind out of you. You spun and backed away, just outside of his threat radius, vibroknife at the ready. The distinctive smell of burning flesh reached your nose, turning your stomach. 

“Should have stayed out of it, baby girl,” the only man left standing smirked at you. “But since you were so eager to bail out your friend the whore, maybe we’ll just take you home instead.” 

“You can try,” you shrugged, getting a firmer grip on the knife. The man with the blaster started to move, looking like he might try to shoot you again. With barely a glance, you kicked where you’d cut him before and he instinctively dropped the blaster with a wail as he went to clutch his side. You kicked the weapon behind you, hearing it clatter into the side of the building. “Don’t like your odds, though.” 

With a snarling yell, the last man standing lunged for you and your body reacted, every ounce of training you’d ever had rising to the surface. Adrenaline took over, the pain from the blow fading until you forgot it completely. His movements seemed almost slow and you sidestepped him, slamming your shoulder into his diaphragm as you ducked below his arm. The electro staff buzzed near you and you twisted again to dodge it as he brought it back around, aiming to catch you with a second pass. 

He spun and backed away, keeping you in his line of sight and panting for breath, smirking slightly. “Good,” he said, eyes raking over your body. “It’s more fun when you fight.”

“You know,” you said, eyes narrowing. “Just for that, I think I’m going to kill you.” 

He went for you again. He had tells, you’d quickly learned. His training was rudimentary, he couldn’t hide his plans for shit. You dodged him easily this time, bringing the knife down on his arm as you moved to avoid him. Your angle wasn’t quite good enough to take the whole limb off, even with the vibroknife, but it still did some damage as you heard his pained, enraged scream. He recovered quicker than you expected, swinging the weapon down as you turned to face him again, the electric current caching on your back, burning and cutting as it went. He smiled defiantly, ragged flesh hanging from his injured arm. You wondered what your back looked like as you adjusted your grip on the vibroknife again, looking him up and down. 

Before he had the chance to strike first yet again, you lunged. He wasn’t anticipating your movements, putting him behind already, but he fell even more behind when he didn’t realize that you weren’t going for his head, heart or even stomach. No, you went low, bringing the blade around to the back of his ankle as you twisted around his body and severed the tendon there, forcing him to collapse, unable to hold himself up. His hands instinctively flew out to catch himself, one releasing the electrostaff entirely. In one fluid motion, you took advantage of his weakness and snatched it away from him, throwing it at the wall near the blaster before grabbing him by the hair, bringing your knife around his shoulders to put the blade to his throat. 

“What did you call me before?” You panted for breath. “Baby girl, was it?” 

“Please,” he whimpered, all his cockiness gone. “Please don’t kill me…” 

“Why shouldn’t I?” You asked, pressing your lips against his ear as though you were a lover. “Give me a reason why I should let you live. You’re a rapist, right? Is that what you were trying to do to that woman before? I should kill you and all your little friends, leave you to rot here…” 

“No,” he was crying. “Please, we just… she wouldn’t give us the rate we wanted…” 

“So you decided to take what you wanted, is that it?” You asked, pressing the knife into him lightly, holding the back of his body tightly to the front of yours. 

“Please,” he said again. “My mom…” 

“Should be ashamed to have you as a son,” you said. “She’d be better off without you, we all would. You’re wasting my time, baby boy.” 

“She’s sick,” he said quickly. “Please, she needs me, I promise I won’t hurt anyone ever again, I promise…” 

“Where’s your identification,” you asked, still holding your knife to his throat. 

“Back pocket,” he said quickly. You took he knife away from his throat before bringing it down to his intact ankle and severing the tendon there, too. He shrieked and you let his limp body fall forward before reaching into his pocket. The ID looked legitimate. 

“OK Chellen,” you said, reading the name off the ID, moving to squat beside his head as he lay on the ground, crying in front of you. “I’m keeping that. I hear one word of you getting into trouble - if you even fucking shoplift - I will come back and I will kill you. I don’t care where in the galaxy I am, I will be on you like flies on bantha shit, do you understand me?” 

“Yes,” he sobbed. 

“Good,” you straightened up and went to pick up the electrostaff, examining it for a moment before turning it off and collapsing it down. “And I’m taking this. You don’t deserve it.” 

You turned to leave the alley before taking one last look back down at the destruction in your wake. 

“Behave, Chellen,” you said. “I’ll be watching.” 

With that, you started off back to the Razor Crest. 

It wasn’t a terribly long walk considering the size of the city - only about an hour - but about 15 minutes in, the adrenaline from the fight wore off and the pain took over. It damn near took you down, the screaming agony at your back and side. You hesitantly reached back and delicately touched the torn flesh and then examined your fingers. They were wet with blood and your burns were already weeping. You forced yourself to keep going, you couldn’t just collapse in the street in a city where you knew all of one person - and even he’d be fine if you dropped dead. 

When you made it to the ship, you barely trudged up the ramp before you collapsed, laying face down on the floor of the hold while the ramp closed behind you. Normally, you enjoyed the fresh air when you were on world, luxuriating in something that wasn’t filtered and recirculated hundreds of times. Now, you needed the safety a closed and locked ship provided. 

You may have passed out but you couldn’t be sure. There wasn’t a good way to track time. But eventually, you forced yourself to your feet, your legs shaky, and you stumbled to the galley where you’d stashed the medical supplies. 

Bacta cost an arm and a leg and it belonged to the Mandalorian, so you just looked longingly at the pads there before sighing and finding disinfectant, gauze, glue and thread. You grabbed water and a ration pack, too, chugging the liquid and taking a few bites of the food. You had to do this without collapsing or you wouldn’t get through it. 

Back in the hold, you positioned yourself in front of the reflective crate you usually reserved for hair braiding, your injured side facing the shiny surface. You delicately adjusted your ragged shirt and inspected the injury, blood still oozing from the wound that was charred at the edges but frustratingly uncauterized. You poured some disinfectant on the gauze, took a deep breath, and pressed it into the gash, hissing as it burned. 

“Fucking Maker,” you cursed, forcing yourself to hurt as you cleaned the wound. The last time you’d gotten hurt was far worse, but you’d been unconscious for the patching up. At least no one else was having to stitch you up this time. 

Though speaking of stitches… you sighed, threading the needle and throughly covering it and the thread in disinfectant. You took your own knife - not the one you’d just stolen and had no idea where it had been - and put it between your teeth, biting down on the leather-wrapped handle. After moving in close to the reflective crate, you took a deep breath and pierced your flesh with the needle, howling against the knife handle as you did. You pulled the thread through and pierced the other side before tugging it together, holding the wound closed. You repeated the process 20 times, dripping sweat and vocal cords aching from screaming. You’d been making enough noise, the pain a loud enough roar in your body, that you hadn’t heard the hatch open on the ship. 

***

He hadn’t anticipated screaming when he came aboard his ship. 

Din had been hunting for a while, tracking someone in an urban landscape like Hosnian Prime the kind of challenge he thrived on, but he was happy it was over. He needed more than an hour or two’s sleep at a time, a chance to let his mind relax after being on high alert for weeks. But when he heard your muffled screams from inside the hold, he’d run inside before the ramp had fully lowered, dragging his quarry behind him. He cuffed the still defiant man just inside the gate, slamming the button to close it as he spotted blood on the floor in a small pool, with a trail leading to the galley. 

“Sounds like your friend’s having a bad day, Mando,” the quarry laughed. Din ignored him, flipping on his heat sensor. He didn’t have time to try to find whatever hole you’d hidden yourself in, he needed to locate you now. He spotted your heat signature immediately and ran but he froze when he saw you. Your back was to him as you twisted to see your work in the mirror but you were in obvious agony, your face contorted in agony and a knife clenched between your teeth as you sewed a charred gash at your side closed. There was a second, longer, deeper cut that ran up your spine, your shredded shirt exposing the damage. You were so absorbed in your work and overwhelmed by the pain, you hadn’t noticed him standing there. He approached hesitantly, kneeling behind you and gingerly taking the hand holding the needle. Your head spun to face him, your face red and wet as you panted for breath around the knife in your teeth. 

“I’ve got it,” he said gently. “I’ll finish it, I’ve got it, OK?” 

You nodded, choking on your tears. You let him take the needle and do the final two stitches. He winced as he did. The wound was bad, jagged and deep and stitching burned flesh closed was a whole other level of pain. He wanted to take some of it from you. Even through his gloved hand, he could feel your exhaustion, how your body shook with the pain. He finished the stitch and cut it, arranging himself so he was on his knees in front of you. 

“It’s done,” he said quietly, gently removing the knife from your mouth. He glanced down at the handle. You’d almost bitten clean through the leather. 

“There’s more,” you said, fighting to swallow tears. “But…” 

“I know, it’s OK,” his voice was slow and soothing. A gloved hand went to your shoulder, gently guiding you forward and you collapsed against him, your head on the cool metal of his shoulder as your body trembled. “You can give it to me, it’s OK.” 

His hands stayed on your head and neck and shoulders. He told himself he was touching you to ground you and calm you but he knew it was as much for himself as it was for you.

“Who did this?” He asked as your shaking slowed. He fought to keep his voice gentle. “Tell me where to find them and I’ll kill them.” 

“You don’t need to,” you sniffled into his shoulder, voice shaky. “They’re in worse shape than me.” 

“They?” He asked, pulling back from you slightly but keeping his hands on you. You nodded, drying your eyes. 

“There were four of them,” you said. “Trying to hurt a woman, she was scared…” 

“So you got them to attack you instead?” Below the helmet, he was frowning. 

“Something like that,” you laughed a little, then winced. “But if you want an electrostaff, it’s all yours. I’m keeping the vibroknife.” 

He examined you for a moment, taking stock of what he could see of your body from this angle. He realized that he’d never really seen much of your flesh, just hints of your shape. You were small with gentle curves, nothing that would indicate strength or skill as a fighter. But you were clearly experienced if you’d walked away from a fight where you were outnumbered four to one with relatively little damage. 

“What did you do to get their weapons?” He asked, trying to keep you talking. He wanted to keep you conscious, push through the shock phase. 

“The knife was easy,” you shrugged. “He was an idiot, so I took out his leg, broke his wrist, caught the knife.” 

Mando nodded slowly. Hand to hand combat - not what he’d have expected of you. 

“Staff was trickier,” you said, blinking the tears from your eyes. “He wasn’t well trained but he had some knowledge and plenty of reach on me. Ended up taking him out at the ankles, cut the tendons. Took his identification, told him I’d kill him if he so much as breathed wrong in the future.” 

Din smiled beneath the helmet, impressed in spite of himself. You turned your face to the ceiling, blinking back the last of your tears, your breathing returning to a more normal rate. 

“Where’s your quarry?” You frowned, looking back to Din. “Didn’t come back just for me, did you?” 

“Cuffed by the door,” he said gruffly. “I need to get him… settled. Once I’m done, we’ll move you to my quarters, I’ll get your back fixed up.” 

You nodded, wrapping your arms around your waist as Din went to retrieve the bounty he’d locked by the entry. 

“Someone obviously couldn’t handle themselves,” the man taunted. “Didn’t think a Mandalorian would keep such weak company…” 

“It’d be smart to watch what you say,” Mando said, pushing him forward with enough force that the man stumbled a few steps. “There are plenty of ways I could mess up carbonite storage.” 

It didn’t occur to Din to have you move from where he’d left you on the floor until the quarry caught sight of you on the way to the carbonite chamber. 

“I see the appeal now, Mando. Nice to have something good and tight waiting at home,” the man focused on your body at first, leering, before he reached your face and stopped in his tracks. “Oh ho! Would you look at who we have here.” 

You glared at him, defiant. He twisted to look at Din. 

“Do you have any idea who your little friend is, Mando?” He asked. 

“I’m just cargo,” you snapped, sitting up a little straighter and wincing as you did. 

“Oh you’re valuable cargo indeed,” he looked at you like you were meal and he was salivating before turning back toward the bounty hunter. “You have no idea, do you?”

“Shut up,” you hissed. 

“We could sell her,” he ignored you. “I know people who would pay so much for her it would make your head spin. We could split it. Hell, I’ll even pay what you’d make from my bounty out of my portion and still walk away a rich man…” 

“Shut up!” You got to your feet with surprising dexterity, considering the gaping wound on your back. You grabbed your new vibroknife and nearly ran for the man, pressing the blade to his throat. “Or I will make you shut up.”

“Someone knows when she’s in hot water,” he smirked at you. “I’m telling you, Mando. We’re men of business, you and I, and you’re sitting on the opportunity of a lifetime.” 

There was genuine fear in your eyes when you pulled your glare from the quarry and looked at him. You were afraid the Mandalorian would surrender you to this man’s allies for the payout, afraid of what they’d do to you if they had you. 

“I don’t work with Imperial bounties,” Mando said simply, taking a guess at just who might want you. The man’s reaction proved him right. So you weren’t Imperial after all. Or, at least, you’d fallen out of favor. He shoved the man forward toward the carbonite chamber, leaning in close and lowering his voice in hopes that you wouldn’t hear. “Your bounty holder only needs what’s in your head. They said nothing about bringing the rest of you in intact.” 

The quarry fell silent and he worked quickly to secure him in carbonite before finding you again. You were still standing, slumped against the crate you’d been using as a mirror, eyes closed. Blood dripped down your back but your breathing was steady and unhurried, a good sign. 

“We don’t have time of find a medic,” he said. It was almost like you’d forgotten he was on the ship with you, your head whipping around toward him when he spoke like you were surprised to find him there. “But I can do it.” 

“I don’t need a medic,” you said. Your voice was weaker than he liked. “I’ve had worse. It’s fine, I…” You sighed, wincing. “Well, don’t trust you but. Close enough.” 

He put a hand at the top of your back, above the wound, and you pressed yourself into his side. He took your weight, wishing he could just pick you up and carry you the way you clearly needed but that would just aggravate what was already a devastating wound. You moved as quickly as you could to his quarters and he helped you onto the bed, laying you out flat on your stomach. He increased the light and started examining you, looking closely at the wound. He could see part of your spine through the cut, exposing your nerves and bone. It was amazing you’d stayed conscious. 

“I’m going to cut the rest of your shirt,” he said, keeping his voice gentle. He wasn’t used to looking at anyone’s wounds besides his own. “Make sure we’re not contaminating the field any more.” 

“OK,” you said quietly. Your arms were folded under your head like a pillow, your face turned out to watch him. He cut the shirt and exposed the rest of your back before gently examining the cut. He frowned, a small sigh picked up by the modulator. “What?” You asked. He saw some of your body tense. 

“There’s some tissue that I think I’ll need to cut away,” he said. “There’s no saving it and…” 

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, looking up at him. “You don’t need to tell me it all, it’s fine. Just give me something to bite so I don’t scream your ship down. And once you start, just finish it. Keep going so I don’t have to do this again.”  

He gave you a stiff nod, grabbing a spare holster from his bedside and putting it between your teeth before he started working. He cleaned the area first, monitoring your breathing to make sure you weren’t going to pass out as you worked through the pain. When he moved on to disinfecting the area and the tools, the panting turned to moans which turned to screams as he cut away the skin that had been exposed to enough electricity that it was dead, already blackened and threatening to rot. He glanced up at your face and saw your hands, nails digging into your arms so hard that you were drawing blood. You were drenched in sweat and tears, teeth clinging to the holster, searching for some kind of outlet for the pain. 

“Here,” he took your hand gently and delicately pulled it out from below your head, glancing at the bloody crescent shaped marks on your skin. He put it on his leg, over his flight suit where there was no armor to protect him. “Give it to me. I can take it. I’m going to start sewing now, just give it to me.” 

You nodded and he started stitching you up. You didn’t hesitate to dig into his thigh as you screamed, strong enough that he was constantly aware of your grip but not so much that it distracted him from his work. He was nearly done, having lost count around 40 stitches or so, when your grip suddenly went lax and the screaming stopped. 

“Hey,” he dropped the needle, ripping his glove off and searching for the pulse point on your neck. “Come on, stay with me…” 

He found your pulse, weak but there, and put his other hand in the middle of your back until he was sure he felt your chest rising and falling. You were alive, at least. He quickly finished closing the wound and put gauze over it, leaving you unconscious in the bunk. 

Din went to where he kept the medical supplies, wondering if there were any salves or something left that might ease the pain or speed the healing. But if you hadn’t been able to find bacta here, there might not be much else. He made a plan to take a side trip to Coruscant on his way to the next bounty and find bacta, there should be some there even if there was a shortage that kept it from getting to Hosnian Prime. If he jumped, it would probably be fast enough to keep you from much scarring…

But when he opened the medkit, he froze. There were bacta patches inside, at the top. More than a dozen of them, plenty to have covered your injuries and still had a reasonable stock for the ship. You hadn’t used it. 

He stared at it for a second, like there was a connection missing in his mind. He’d seen you using a needle and thread, heard your agony, why would you have put yourself through that when there was bacta right next to the stock of disinfectant and gauze you’d obviously grabbed? He’d just assumed you hadn’t found any and he’d known that there was almost none left before this stop… The rations. He’d never told you that you could use the bacta, or anything else, just like he’d never told you you could eat.

“I… well, I don’t trust you but. Close enough.” Your words echoed in his mind, alongside the look on your face when the quarry mentioned the high price you’d fetch if taken to the right Imperials. You didn’t act like it but you were scared of the Mandalorian. Afraid that you’d do the wrong thing and he’d do away with you, afraid enough that you’d rather torture yourself and risk infection or death rather than chance using some bacta. The safer bet was suffering. He looked toward his quarters. He knew what it was like to be alone but he’d always had other Mandalorians he could trust and call upon if needed. You, it seemed, had no one. 

He took a few bacta pads and returned to his quarters. You were still unconscious, your breathing shallow but steady. He opened the pads and gently pressed them to your body, covering every inch of your wounds. He got a damp cloth and wiped away your sweat and tears. As his hand ranged over your back, he noticed the tell-tale signs of past injuries that had been healed with bacta before. Your skin was smooth, no raised scarring, but small variations in the color betrayed your earlier wounds. He couldn’t see all of you but it was clear that, at some point, you’d been nearly torn apart. 

“I’ve had worse,” you’d said. “It’s fine.” 

You were a person who was on the run from Tatooine, enough that you were changing your name. You held your own in a fight where you were outnumbered and out gunned. You were able to sew yourself back together to survive. You were wanted so badly by the remaining Imperials that they were willing to pay a high price - high enough for half the amount to pay off an already hefty bounty. 

Who the fuck was on his ship? 

[kraken17]

One quote from Enid Sinclair per every chapter of Kooky Spooky in which she has been present.

(Note: She is present in Ch.6 & 7 but in a total wolf out, so she has no dialogue).

"Yeah, yeah... relax. The knife-throwing contest is still on. I already made it clear to Wednesday that she could only use volunteers as living targets. Yoko has offered." (Chapter 1)

"I think she's mine and Wednesday's daughter, but not from around here." (Chapter 2)

"Sigh... as tempting as it is I'd ask you both not to maim her just because of her bad habit of spouting occasional idiocy." (Chapter 3)

"They've captured our Friday. Let's go find her and then you'll teach me what's the most painful way to rip off the head of the person responsible." (Chapter 4)

"Sorry, I just… I don't feel like wasting time with this ceremony right now..." (Chapter 5)

"OMG! Why do I always forget this now when I return to my human form!!??" (Chapter 8)

"Holy shit, I'm a hunk." (Chapter 10)

"Aaaw, I think it's very cute. I'm sure deep down your Bruno appreciated this kind of attention." (Chapter 11)

"Are you very fond of this nightgown?" (Chapter 12)

"And I smell people, and pollution, lots of pollution." (Chapter 13)

"Gosh, you're a year older than us now. This is disconcerting." (Chapter 14)

"Wednesday, don't talk about your parents as if they were rabbits." (Chapter 15)

"I'm sorry... I..." (Chapter 16)

"You threw me against a building and caused me to terrify a family! That's very rude!" (Chapter 17)

"At least you're not a racist nutcase who would use her personal Hyde to gather bits of human remains for resurrection rituals." (Chapter 18)

"Your sister told us a little about you when we met her. Well, she told us that you liked to be thrown with catapults..." (Chapter 19)

"I'm not going to fight you! We don't have the time!" (Chapter 20)

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" (Chapter 21)

"Uh, I should say something, but just for calling Tyler a dime-store Hyde I'll let you have a pass." (Chapter 22)

"Wednesday and I are keeping our names because our dimension was the one originally visited by the others... Pure convenience but it was all by mutual agreement between all parties." (Chapter 23)

"What happened to my local counterpart?" (Chapter 24)

"God, it's a little trippy to think of myself as dead." (Chapter 25)

"Principal Weems! Or maybe I should say director... uh... because of the... Yeah, I'd better shut up." (Chapter 26)

"Uh... yeah, it's something I usually do, Wednesday. You used to love to complain about it." (Chapter 27)

"For your own sake, you'd better..." (Chapter 28)

"They will have no hesitation in killing any of you." (Chapter 29)

"You're going...to pay...for..." (Chapter 30)

"Oh... erm... apology accepted my... err... my lord?" (Chapter 33)

"But wait a minute, if they're a confederation of packs how come there's a princess?" (Chapter 34)

"I'm sorry. There's nothing wrong with your last name. It's just that... well, in my reality a counterpart of you is one of my best friends." (Chapter 35)

"Ok, the doppelgänger thing I can get, but what's with the homunculus?" (Chapter 36)

"And now... now I get this story that I'm some kind of... multiversal warrior who reincarnates, like a cheap copy of Avatar: The Last Airbender!?" (Chapter 37)

"Ah, ah. I already know the electricity trick." (Chapter 38)

"We're going to breach The Bright One's defenses. And we won't use magic to do it. What we need is science. Mad science." (Chapter 39)

"What do you say about finding a way to inter-dimensionally travel to a magically sealed universe to rescue Wednesday and Friday and deal with an army of supernatural monsters?" (Chapter 40)

"Six months, my love. It has taken me six months to be able to come back to you." (Chapter 41)

"It's just that if you leave me stranded in another universe I have a bad habit of trying to find my way back." (Chapter 42)

"Oops, someone's a wee bit cranky." (Chapter 43)

"It's just that… Look at her! We're not even talking about being just a MILF anymore. I'm going to be totes a GILF, for real." (Chapter 44)

“My name… is… Enid Addams.” (Chapter 46)

"Fuck, Weds, getting stabbed by a saber shouldn't feel so good!" (Chapter 47)

"Who are we? Right now and right here, we are the Addams family." (Chapter 48)

"Well...I mean...the truth is...erm...Ireallylikeyourhairandyourloosehairdoesthingstome." (Chapter 49)

"Six months, Weds. I've been six months away from you. The word insatiable doesn't even come close to describing how I feel.” (Chapter 50)

“You know, if you keep calling them that they're going to end up being born with horns and wings.” (Epilogue)

[mara-xx217]

Ending H (Fear & Hunger) Ch. 12- (Night Lurch) A Fistful of Silver

He was once sentenced to the prisons. He used to lust to hurt women. Now he is an epitome of his perversions. - The New Gods when asked about the Night lurch.

Warnings: Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Torture/Blood, Anal Rape, Monstrous Creature, Monster Penis, Internal Trauma, Character Death

The people of Rondon cautioned their wives and daughters of a dreaded wolf that prowled the streets. 

A beast it was, though not one that skulked about on all fours, rather one that danced in the shadows, taking the shape of a man, one of a well bred and trusting face that morphs and changes with the flickering torch and moonlight. 

He seeks lone girls of all stations, be they of the upper class or merely a lowly waif, as they wander the city streets after sunset. 

He lures them not but accosts them with sudden vigor and savagery, pulling young maidens, especially the virgin and yet to reach marrying age, into the darkest of alleyways so he can violate them in the foulest and cruelty of ways. 

Maidens wearing of white have been found wandering the streets, dresses stained red-brown, a token of the depravity they were subjected to plain for all to see. 

None know of who attacks the young girls of Rondon and thus tales of “The Little Maiden Dressed in White” begin to spread.

Little maiden, dressed in white, take to your grandmother loaves of bread and wine of red.

Little maiden, dressed in white, linger not among the cobbled streets, lest someone unsavoury you will meet. 

Little maiden, dressed in white, a hand will grab you with a devil’s might, pulling you deeper into the night. 

Sequestered away from the light, oh, little maiden, dressed in white, how you will cry, your screams of pain would be mistaken for delight.

Little maiden, once dressed in white, released from the devil you will wander, your precious flower of virtue squandered. 

The wolf absconds with your purity, vanishing beyond sight into obscurity.

Little maiden, no longer dressed in white, never will you be wed, for the Lord witnessed how you bled. 

Little maiden, now dressed in red, how you will wish that you were simply just dead.

The perpetrator would be found and he would be tried for his crimes. He never denied committing the atrocities levied against him and so justice was swift for the people of Rondon and all the girls and women he had violated during his reign over the empty alleyways and nighttime streets. 

Death would be the punishment for many that were guilty of even one of the many crimes that man committed, they would be sentenced to death. But to be accused of hundreds of different sodomizations and to not even deny it? He would be sentenced to the only fate worse than death that the government of Rondon could bear down onto such a monster.

The serial rapist of Rondon, the Night Lurch, was sentenced until the conclusion of his natural life in the Dungeon of Fear & Hunger. 

He was to rot away and die, forgotten in the black of that terrible place and he did, though die, he did not.

Like everything in that place, the black changed him. He was already twisted and corrupt, the change to a monster was already complete in mind and soul though not yet in his body. That would take time, which was all that the rapist had in the Dungeon of Fear & Hunger. He was forgotten by the people, by the government and even by the guards meant to ensure his slow demise. He didn’t need food or water to sustain himself any longer, only the pain and suffering of those around him, things in vast quantities in that terrible dungeon. It might have starved and withered his body but it did anything but weaken him.

The black made him into the embodiment of what he was: his perversions. Sadistic and cruel, his body was made to inflict pain. It mattered not to who, men, women, children, other prisoners, animals… The Night Lurch was a being made to torture. 

And he would, time and time again.

You wouldn’t be the first and certainly not the last. You heard the sinister clicking of teeth against teeth, claws against stone. Of all the monstrosities in this terrible place, you didn’t think it possible it could get any worse. Everything here thrived off of cruelty and perversion. You have seen terrible things, been subjected to terrible things… 

All your companions had succumbed to the darkness in some way, be it death or madness. You were close behind them, wavering in between despair and hysteria. You staggered in the dark, blind and down to your last tinderbox. Your hands shook with terror, unable to strike a light in spite of your best efforts to hold back your panic. A torch was held in between your knees, the moisture of the stonework seeping into your trousers as you furiously strike the tinderbox over and over and over and over again. 

The noise grew louder, that awful clicking. It sounded like it was mocking your attempts to beat back the darkness.

click

Click

CLICK

Why wouldn’t it stop?

CLICK

CLICK 

CLICK

You couldn’t stop your chest from heaving.

CLICK

CLICK 

CLICK 

The cloth affixed around the stick in between your legs burst alight, momentarily blinding you. In the moments that it took your eyes to readjust to the harsh torchlight, you screamed as you were tackled to the ground by something that lingered in the darkness before you. 

All it took was for you to produce light for him to find you. He didn’t need the light, for his eyes were mutilated beyond recognition. Porcelain-white skin reflected the light of your fallen torch, grey-black teeth coated in blood and saliva flashing as the creature licked his nonexistent lips. Long, blade-like claws pinned your arms to the cold ground, slicing through your leather armour as though it were wet parchment. 

Deep gashes splintered your skin apart, allowing river falls of blood to seep out from beneath your armour. You desperately kick out your legs, screaming as you realize that this thing was much, much stronger than he appeared. He was bone thin, with every rib evident and skin barely clinging onto his body, yet he was as strong as a healthy, well defined man in his youth. No, worse, it was supernatural. The panic you displayed only seemed to excite the creature, as he nearly purred with hideous laughter as something thick and sharp began to poke against the crotch of your trousers. 

“G-GODS-!!! N-NOOO!!! D-DON’T-! PLEASE!!!” Terror raised the pitch of your voice. It was ear piercing and music to the creature’s ears. A long, thick grey tongue lashed out and licked up your tears of fear. You waited for him to tear your face off, to slice you to ribbons, to do… something. Anything! But shockingly-

He allowed you to struggle free. 

You didn’t think, didn’t take a moment to consider why, your body moved with a will of its own. Fight, flight, freeze was cycling through your veins up until the moment that creature lessened its weight off your arms and you simply… Reacted. 

Your legs kicked the monstrosity in the abdomen and you pulled yourself out from underneath his body, panting and screaming even though your lungs screamed for air. Your diaphragm cramped, forcing out any breath that you tried to take. You managed to rise to your feet with startling speed, tripping over your own limbs as you did so. 

If you had your wits about you, perhaps you would have realized just how odd it was that the creature had allowed you to flee at all. If you weren’t in hysterics, perhaps you could have capitalized on the fact that the monster couldn’t actually see you, only hear you and your panicked breaths as you stumbled away from him. With your footsteps retreating, it gave the Night Lurch the exact opportunity that he was waiting for.

A scream dies in your throat as you are knocked off your feet. The Night Lurch had tackled you from behind, sucking on his teeth and producing that terrible clicking noise somewhere within his throat. In the fraction of a second that it took you to fall to the ground, the creature managed to force his sharp, barbarous member into your anus.

The thick padding of your reinforced trousers did nothing to stop or even slow the Night Lurch as he sodomized you. It was like the blade of a knife was slicing you open from the inside out. Instantly you were bleeding, screaming as one of the most sensitive parts of your body was brutalized over and over again. The creature’s hips jerked and bucked with little grace or rhythm, merely responding to the stimulus of your agony and acting according to his own lust to hurt another. 

The monster’s skin was clammy against your own, sticking to the few bare patches of your skin that was exposed from the hole that was torn into your trousers. Hot blood poured in between your legs, starkly contrasting the cold sweat that seeped through your pores as you began to vomit in between screams of torment. Your sword had fallen just out your reach and mocked you in your rapidly fading torchlight. It glimmered and shined, much like the claws that pinned your arms to your sides as the Night Lurch shredded your insides with his mutated cock. 

It was like you were being raped with the blade of a sword… The Night Lurch’s crotch horn might not have been as large as some of the other denizens’ members but it might have been even more deadly for how hard, curved and sharp it was. It was totally inflexible, unyielding towards the soft, thin walls of your anus, hooking upwards and carving its way through your body. 

You reacted violently to the pain, choking on bile in between shrieks of pain. You struggled and fought for your life, kicking and thrashing like a wild, rabid animal that was caged against its will. You were exactly that, a little rodent that was trapped under the paw of a mighty predator, being batted around and toyed with before you were to be devoured. The Night Lurch had no need to eat your flesh though he would consume you just as he had when he was the wolf of Rondon. 

The serial rapist drank in your guttural cries, hissing and clicking as your body squeezed down on him in spite of your best efforts to pull away from his thrusts. Your body rocked in forceful waves, your screams waxing and waning along with it. You never fell silent, even after you screamed your throat bloody raw. Your extremities would cool and become numb long before you would ultimately succumb to your extensive internal injuries. With the blood having drained from the wounds you sustained from such a brutal sodomization, you would die from the massive hemorrhaging in your anus. 

Your last moments were spent in agony as one of the most infamous criminals in all of Rondon’s sordid history repeatedly abused your mangled body. Long before your death, the torch you were only just able to light had died, leaving you to suffer in the cold and the black without any comfort whatsoever. Even after you lost all feeling in your body, you were still aware of that creature’s presence, the awful clicking and clattering of something precious being discarded onto the cold ground as the violent assault continued, long after your final death.

Ending H- A Fistful of Silver

@prettycutebunny, @infinitewhore, @kennbb, @slutwithadegree, @dead-bxxxtch-walking, @space-arsonist, @pink-soft-shadow, @sinlessdesire, @hoemine, @memoryofheather, @horny-3

[scorpionrising]

there is love that doesn't have a place to rest — ch. 1

pairing: finan x fem!oc word count: 2395 content warning: this fic deals explicitly with the trauma of sexual assault. while there are no drawn out, graphic scenes, it is made explicitly clear what is going on. for context: oc is uhtred's daughter and was captive in dunholm for all her childhood. proceed with caution. additionally, expect canon typical attitudes, behaviors, violence, etc.

read on ao3

“no words appear before me in the aftermath salt streams out my eyes and into my ears every single thing i touch becomes sick with sadness 'cause it's all over now, all out to sea” –taylor swift, bigger than the whole sky

Ravna awoke in a blind panic, scrambling about her bed and gasping for air. The scent of smoke was heavy in her lungs, vision going hazy. She screamed up a storm, wailing as loud as she could. Surely someone would be able to hear and help. Something was keeping her trapped, holding her arms down. But the room was on fire. She knew it was. She screamed louder, head flinging back into her pillows. 

The door opened with such force that it flew from the hinges. Hazy as the smoke, her father stood in front of her. Her screams stopped as he came into focus, turning into gasping hiccups. 

“Oh, igða,” he whispered, sitting down beside her with a frown. He ran a hand down the back of her head and pulled her into an embrace as she began to sob against him. He shushed her gently, rocking both their bodies. “What is it? What do you dream of?”

“Fire,” she gasped, curling her fingers into the soft material of his shirt. 

He made a small noise, but did not stop rubbing her back. He hummed quietly to calm her, but it did not stop her racing heart. 

“Breathe,” he instructed. “You need to breathe.” 

“I cannot,” she said. 

“You must.” 

She tried, she really tried. She listened to the steady thrumming of his heart and his own quiet breathing. He brought his hand up and down along her spine, continuing his humming. He did this until the sun began to rise and filter the room with golden light and her eyes began to drift shut. He did this until long after her eyes drifted shut and his followed. 

It was Gisela who woke them hours later, Ravna’s little sister in her arms. Stiorra lept from her mother’s grip and onto the bed. The toddler giggled, smacking her meaty fists into Ravna’s face as her feet dug into their father’s stomach. 

“Devil child,” Ravna groaned, rolling away, hardly able to remember the dream from the night before. 

Stiorra giggled even more shrilly as their father grabbed her by the legs and tickled her viciously. Gisela smiled and looked to Ravna. She held out her hand and beckoned Ravna away from her father and sister. 

“You frightened me last night,” Gisela whispered, looping her hands around Ravna’s upper arm. “Will you tell me what ails you?” 

“I apologize,” Ravna said, bowing her head. “I hope I did not wake Stiorra or Feilan.” 

She thought of her little brother and his quiet, watchful disposition. He shared a name with their father, but she felt it too strange to call the little boy Uhtred. That was a man’s name, and Feilan was her little wolf. 

“It is no matter,” Gisela said. “It is you I worry about.”

Ravna glanced down, embarrassed. Gisela, seeming to notice this, tutted quietly and patted Ravna’s arm. 

“Do not fret,” Gisela said. “I am concerned. You have been plagued by these nightmares for a fortnight.” 

Ravna shook her head. “It is nothing. Merely dreams.” 

“Dreams have meaning,” Gisela said. “There is something haunting you.” 

Ravna frowned, uncomfortable with the attention given. She much preferred when everyone was fixated on Feilan or Stiorra, rather than her. She found it difficult when eyes were on her, reminding her all too well of how it felt to be caged.

“I know how to make a tea so that when you sleep, it is dreamless,” Gisela said. “Would you like me to brew it for you?”

“It works?” Ravna asked. 

“It does. I have used it many times.”

Ravna wondered what it was that haunted Gisela, who was a seemingly perfect woman. In the year since Ravna came to live with her father and his new wife, Ravna had not once heard Gisela even begin to raise her voice, and she was always kind to everyone. Whatever it was that tormented her, Ravna’s heart ached. 

“Thank you,” Ravna said. She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked around. “I will go down to the river later, I think.”

Gisela smiled at her. “More drawing?”

Ravna nodded, unable to meet the woman’s eye. Another thing that made Gisela so delightful was how she did not push conversation. She allowed it to ebb and flow, like water, and never grew upset when Ravna was no longer interested in keeping up with talking halfway through it. 

After eating—one whole egg and half an apple under her father’s careful supervision—and dressing in proper clothes, Ravna slipped from the hall and found her path through the woods. With expert feet, she made her way to the spot she found with Sihtric the summer she first came to live with her father and he was the only face she knew. It was at the widest part of the river that ran through Coccham’s wood, with weathered boulders large enough to sprawl on without fear of rolling off. 

In her eight years imprisoned at Dunholm, she rarely ever was allowed outdoors. No longer a slave, she could be free in the fresh air and sunlight. She would even take a miserable rainstorm over being inside all day. She needed to be far away from walls and locked doors. Even now, having been free from her dark prison for as long as she had been kept there, this was the only place she truly never felt caged. 

So, she sat on the rocks, lifted her face to the sun, and hummed quietly to herself as she drew. She listened to the world all around her; the rushing water, the birdsong, the rustle of leaves, the whistle of wind, the twigs snapping. She opened her eyes and sighed.

“I know you’re there, Finan.” 

His bearded face emerged from the brush.

“How in God’s name did ya’ know it was me?” 

She grinned. “Who else would my father send after me?”

“He is worried about ya’, ceann beag.” 

“He does not need to be. They are merely dreams.”

“Night terrors of the very thing that stole your family,” he corrected, maneuvering over the rocks and coming to sit down beside her. “Is his concern not so understandable?”

“No,” Ravna sighed, flopping backwards. “I still wish he would not.”

“Now, now. Worrying about you is something he will do until he stops breathing.”

Ravna rolled her eyes, knowing the warrior so often delegated to looking after her was right in his words. 

“I’ve been asked to bring you back for lunch,” Finan said.

Ravna nodded, expecting this. “Has the whole morning really gone by?”

“Yes,” Finan said, standing up and beginning his descent down the rocks. “And you might want to prepare yourself. The king is here.”

“What?” Ravna nearly slipped in her shock, but Finan swiftly steadied her. “Why?”

“I assume that is what we will come to learn.”

Ravna moaned miserably and took hold of his arm as she clambered down. She liked Finan for a great many reasons, but namely because he often understood her in a greater sense than her father did. Uhtred had been barely more than a child himself when Ravna came along, and then she had been so young when Kjartan took her. He never got to truly be her father and still struggled to see her as someone other than the five year old girl he watched get ripped from the flames of their burning hall. Finan, however, had been a slave for a great while when he met Uhtred on that slave ship, and he understood captivity in a more intimate sense than her father did. 

In all her grief, she was still a woman grown. 

“Must I really join them?” Ravna asked. “I’d much rather find wherever Osferth has skulked off to.”

“The King likes you for some reason only God, Himself, knows, lady,” Finan said. “He’ll be in a better mood if you’re there.” 

“Is that all I’m good for? Placating kings?”

Finan shot her a look. “Ya’ know that’s not what I meant.” 

She snorted and marched on. Whenever the king came to visit, he always brought with him a horde of guards and even more priests. They milled about the village, looking out of place in the casual comfort of Coccham. Finan was behind her with every step she took as though he were a shadow, as though he thought she were going to make a run for it. In all fairness, she was considering it. There were several other places she would have rather gone than the hall. But, she did as she was bid and walked inside. 

Sihtric was seated at the table a little ways down, which took Ravna by surprise. His wife had given birth to a son barely a week before and Sihtric had seldom left her side since then. She held in a sigh. This was surely important, then. She went to take a seat by him, but Finan held his arm out to stop her. He shook his head and gestured towards the head of the table where her father was sat. She bit the inside of her cheek and, again, did as she was bid. 

“Lord King,” she said, bowing her head in deference. 

He looked thinner, more gray, than he had when she saw him last during his daughter’s wedding. His health had been failing him for years, and Ravna could not help but wonder when his god would finally come for him. 

“Ravna, my dear,” he said, “you look well.” 

“Thank you, Lord,” she said, sitting down beside her father. 

Uhtred pushed a bowl filled with stew in front of her, and then placed a large bread roll in her hands. She ripped a small piece off the bread and dunked it into the stew. She hated eating like this, when so many eyes could fall on her. 

“I hear you have taken an interest in the Holy Book,” Alfred said.

Ravna looked down. She could hardly say she had taken an interest in Christianity, just that she was trying to understand more about the world. She did not understand the notion of something being both all good and all powerful. At least her father’s religion acknowledged that the gods were cruel and petty. She swallowed down the rising ball in her throat and forced a smile. 

“Yes, Lord,” she said.

What she did not say was that most of her lessons on Christianity were had with Osferth. She was confident the king would not like that, nor would his many priests. She glanced up to where Father Beocca was sat, across from her father and next to Finan. 

An old and trusted friend of her father’s from his childhood in Bebbanburg, Father Beocca had always been kind. When she lived with Thyra in the aftermath of Dunholm while her father still searched for a place to call his own, Father Beocca would visit often. She wondered where Thyra was—if she had joined the king’s party in their visit, or if she stayed in Winchester. Ravna had to assume the latter, if her aunt was not here at the table. 

“That is very good to hear,” Alfred said, an approving smile on his face. 

Her father nudged her shoulder with his, a twinkle in his eyes telling her that she was doing well. Warm in the face, Ravna looked down at her bowl and mushed the spoon around. Idle talk was made, and Ravna almost would have believed this to be a purely social visit. It was not until the bowls were cleared away and Alfred clasped his hands together atop the table that Ravna knew something dark awaited them on the horizon. 

“You are needed, Uhtred, at the northern border of Wealas,” Alfred said. “The Britons and Danes alike have been tormenting and raiding several villages and they must be beaten back.” 

Her father sighed heavily, as though he had been expecting this. Ravna frowned as well. She knew what this meant. Her father would ride off, perhaps to his death, and she would not see him for months. She would stay, without him once more, and Stiorra and Feilan would grow. Unable to bear it any longer, she excused herself at the earliest pause in conversation with the lie of having promised to help Gisela with the children. 

Her stepmother was outside behind the hall, sat on a large blanket with her two children sprawled beside her.

“What now?” Gisela asked with a sigh, noticing Ravna’s face. 

“Raiders from Wealas,” Ravna mumbled.

Gisela hummed, running a hand through Stiorra’s fine hair. “It never ends,” she said in a falsely happy tone, as if to not alert the children. 

Ravna pressed her lips together and sat down with her crossed over each other. Feilan’s head was at her knee, his eyes barely open. He had a sweet face and soft features, while Stiorra was far more severe—even at merely three years old. 

“Hello, my sweet,” she mumbled to her little brother. 

He wrinkled his nose and shifted so that he could use her thigh as a pillow. Stiorra, noticing her big brother, sat up from her position on her mother’s lap and crawled over to join Ravna and Feilan. Ravna smiled and began to mimic the motion Gisela had been making. 

“They love you very much,” Gisela said quietly.

Despite her ire at her father’s impending departure, Ravna preened a bit at the compliment. She loved her siblings fiercely, even if she had been fifteen when Feilan was born and eighteen when Stiorra came about. There were years and years of difference between them, but when they looked at her, they did not see the ghosts of Kjartan’s abuse. How could she not adore them? 

“And so do I, you know,” Gisela continued. She reached out and grabbed Ravna’s hand. “I know I am perhaps too young for you to ever view me as a mother, but please know I love you just as much as I do your siblings.” 

Ravna blinked, stunned. It was a precarious situation; her father being six years Gisela’s elder, and Gisela being only nine years Ravna’s elder. In another life, Gisela might have been a more sisterly figure. However, Ravna’s life was what it was, and Gisela was the closest she would ever come to a true mother.

“Thank you,” Ravna whispered, unable to say much more. 

[ranchracoon]

Ch. 6 The Involuntary Servitude

The blond, Bela, dragged Carmen down through corridor after corridor until they arrived in a long hallway not nearly as beautifully designed as the rest of the castle. The walls and floor were made of stone, with rusty doors leading to who knows where. Bela hands her a musty stack of clothes and ordered her to wash up and join the others. Carmen flinched and hissed as the ice-cold water hit her skin, she shivered violently and made this the shortest shower of her life. As she dresses in the plain black dress, she groans under her breath and decides to stash her old clothes rather than throw them away. This has to be a joke. Any minute her true mate will reveal herself, there's no way that woman is her mate. If she is, did she truly not feel anything? This was a mistake. She wants to go home and forget any of this happened. She has to get out of here. She remembers one of the daughters mentioning a third, Daniela? Maybe she is the key. 

Carmen found herself amongst the others who were kidnapped into servitude, all of them gave her a wide berth and hardly spoke to her. They all reeked of fear, and she can't blame them, for she too felt the embrace of fear and uncertainty. She found the head maiden, a girl no older than 16 by the name of Lilliana. Carmen wanted to scoff at the notion of following the orders of a literal child, a human one at that, but then she remembers her goal: escape. This would be so much easier if she hadn't forgotten her cell phone. The child leads her to the main dining hall adjacent to where she was first caught, there she finds three others scrubbing the table, including the girl from before. 

Carmen growls, she wants to wring her neck for giving her away! As Carmen approaches, she pauses, yet another child, looking closer this one can't be older than 14 and that's being generous. She huffs, this child sniffles and bows her head begging for an apology while the others stare. Carmen relaxes and gently touches the girl's shoulder, but she flinches away and sucks in a sharp breath. She can't hurt her, nor can she truly be mad, but something stirs within her; she not only needs to escape but she needs to protect these children. Carmen looks around at the others who quickly look away, the head maiden sighs softly when Carmen rejoins her. They go into the kitchen where more children are working, Carmen realizes she's the oldest one there. 

"Why is everyone so young?" Carmen blurts out. 

There's a pause in the kitchen, everyone looks at each other and silently speak to one another; who is going to tell her. 

"The Lady requires virgins for her wine." The head maiden finally speaks. 

"Wine?" Carmen asks. 

"Her blood wine. Her and her daughters live off consuming blood and human remains." Says one bitterly. 

"So...you're all-" Carmen starts. 

Cattle. That's what they are. They're all cattle waiting for the day that they'll be sent through the slaughterhouse. New objective: escape and help these children escape. Suddenly there's a rush of cold air that surrounds her, she hugs herself and looks around but sees no windows or anything to cause such a breeze. She feels uneasy, like someone or something is watching her. A bell rings from overhead, Carmen flinches and covers her sensitive ears from the loud intrusion, the maids from the dining room suddenly appear behind her. Carmen moves out of the way and watches these poor souls move in rehearsed fashion. 

"It's dinner time. You'll be joining me." She states matter of fact. 

Carmen hates how her inner wolf wags her tail; she'll get to see her mate again. NO. There's no way that monster is her mate! She must know something, because Carmen knows it's none of the daughters and it can't be any of these children. She has two feelings: fear of being skinned alive, and excitement because she's so close to her mate. Her idiotic wolf brain is only focused on the later and not on the fact that she needs to get out of here and find her true mate. If only she could reach out somehow. 

Carmen follows the head maiden and stands by her, it's weird being the tallest one for once for she practically towers over the other staff. That's quickly dwindled when the daughters arrive; Bela is first, then the brunette, and then a redhead who must be Daniela. They sit next to each other on the opposite side of a large chair which can only be for one person who makes her presence known. Carmen can't help but straighten her back a little more, present herself a little, and curse her stupid, horny, wolf for making her this way. The lady crouches through the doorway and stand upright, completely ignoring Carmen and the other staff as she takes her seat. A little deflating but no matter, Carmen has to impress her mate! No, she has to escape. 

"Good evening daughters." The lady states. 

"Good evening mother." The daughters respond in unison. 

"Bela, report."

Bela, starts off with her day. Carmen gathers she must be in charge or the oldest judging from her duties: she took inventory of stock, which included staff, ordered for the private wine tasting room to be restocked, etc. The more Bela speaks the more Carmen feels queasy, that is until Bela mentions her. 

"We had an intruder and no one told me? Where is she?!" The redhead interrupts. 

Carmen stiffens and suddenly looks up and finds the redhead staring directly at her. Carmen gulps and feels sweat begin to form in her lower back. 

"Wow. She's pretty. Can she be mine?" The redhead asks. 

"No." The lady responds quickly, "she is an outsider. Mother Miranda will decide what to do with her. Until then, she'll be working under myself or Bela." The lady looks over at Carmen, who can't help but straighten up again and internally grin, "we wouldn't want her wandering off."

"Aw. Bela always gets the new playthings." Whines the redhead. 

"That's because you kill them too quickly." The brunette comments. 

"I do not!"

"Enough!" orders the lady, "Cassandra report your day."

Ah, so the brunette is Cassandra and the redhead is Daniela. Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela. Carmen's wolf is leaping for joy at the thought of being closer to her mate, but Carmen's mind is wandering on how she's going to get to Daniela. Bela strikes her as the type to never deviate from what her mother says, so she'll have to be sneaky and crafty. Just like hunting. As Carmen listens to Cassandra report, suddenly she perks up when the daughter mentions hunting. Okay, so her and Cassandra have something in common. Perhaps she can work her way in that way? Cassandra seems like the hardest to get through but if she finds common ground, Cassandra might be her key to getting to Daniela. Already the wheels are turning. 

Daniela finishes with reporting, she spends most of her time near the library wherever that is.  Carmen will have to learn the layout of this castle quickly if she's going to escape. Finally, it's the lady's turn to speak and Carmen hangs on every word despite it all being mundane. The lady never looks in her direction while speaking until the very end when they make eye contact and Carmen beams with joy. The lady sneers. 

"Come here."

Carmen obeys, she curses herself by how easily she approaches the woman who threatens her very existence. 

"Carmen was it?"

"Yes." Carmen responds. 

"Yes...what?" The lady growls. 

Carmen raises an eyebrow, "yes...ma'am?"

"Acceptable but you will refer to myself or my daughters as my lady, ma'am, or with a proper title. Understood?"

"Yes...my lady." Carmen grumbles. 

"And none of that." The lady spits, "can you read? Write? Obviously, you can talk."

"Can you shake? Lie down? Sit? Play dead?" Cassandra snickers but quickly quiets down when her mother glares at her.

"Yes, I can read, write, type, hunt" Carmen emphasizes the last word, capturing Cassandra's attention. 

"You will only answer my question directly. Now, I have no use for you in my wine, so I'll have to find something else for you to do until I hear from Mother Miranda." 

Carmen blushes, her entire body heats up, can she smell that she's not a virgin? Or maybe it's her age? Either way it's embarrassing. The lady dismisses her, and Carmen returns to her post, she sighs heavily as she relaxes but her wolf is going fucking nuts inside her. She wants to burst out and claim her mate, but this woman isn't going to accept her, but she hasn't rejected her either. After dinner Carmen helps clear the table and joins the staff in the kitchen for dinner, the serving is measly compared to what she's used to. It's bland and honestly, she's pretty sure it's not even food but she eats it anyhow to sate her growling stomach. She follows the staff to the staff quarters where she finds an empty bed to claim as her own, but despite the exhaustion haunting her body, sleep does not find her easily. 

[feyhunter78]

Chapter Sixteen - The first move has been made, and the Stark boys take what is theirs. Ch 17

My darling Lord Robb,

First, I must thank you for my gifts, they are quite lovely and as you requested, I wore them on my nameday this night past. Many paid me compliments, even Tommen which I must admit was quite humorous. Oh, my love, I long for the day when we are united, I grow tired of waiting. I know it is harsh, but today I was forced to spend three hours listening to Tommen describe his blossoming sword skills. I know he is a child, but the desire within me to tell him that he is nothing compared to my true husband, the Young Wolf, was quite strong.

Y/N reminds me that I must be patient, but I think that is hypocritical considering she has been in such a foul mood since Jon has decided he must act proper as to not get them in trouble. She believes I do not know of their affections, of their dalliance, which I find both insulting and amusing. Only a blind man would be unable to see what is between them, and even a blind man would be able to hear in their voices the affections they have for one another, even now as Jon pretends he is nothing more than a guard.

I am hoping they shall resolve this little spat before you come to save me from this lion’s den. I would like there to be no conflicts within our family, so rest assured I will do all I can to assist either y/n or Jon so that our ascension to power is a peaceful one—at least within our own houses. There will be nothing to distract us upon meeting.

I anxiously await your next letter and the day when we may finally cease writing and speak face to face.

-          Yours in earnest, Margaery

Robb presses his lips to her signature before folding the letter and slipping it into his pocket, earning a snort from Theon.

“Will you be this unbearable when you finally get your hands on the girl, or can I expect a reprieve from these disgusting displays of undying affection?” Theon asks, pressing his hand to his forehead pantomiming a swooning figure.

It looks ridiculous as Theon is fully cloaked, his armor hidden by the black fabric, his voice low as they wait for the signal.

They had been lying in wait ever since word had gotten out that the royal family was soon to pass by on their return trip to King’s Landing. The snail’s pace they had taken down to Riverrun to meet with Stannis then here to Highgarden had nearly driven him mad with boredom, but they could not risk alerting the Lannisters further than they already had. Now a mere week after Margaery’s nameday they have set the trap along the Roseroad.

Robb can hardly contain his excitement, soon he will be able to see her, speak with her, take her hands in his own. She will be angry, yes, that she will no longer be queen, that he had deceived her, but she would be queen of his heart. When he thought about such a line, the back of his head still stung from where Sansa had smacked him for it. It will be no replacement for Queen of the Seven Kingdoms , she said, but Robb hoped Margaery would forgive his deception.

It was not even truly a deception born of his own mind; it had been her grandmother's. The North did not want the Iron Throne, would not fight to put one of their own upon it, and his father was far too honorable a man to go against Stannis. There was no other suitable option. Stannis himself was married, had only a daughter, Margaery could not climb any higher, and she would not be safe if she remained married. Not with the truth of Tommen’s birth spreading farther and farther each day.

“You want me to scare her a bit, make you seem more the hero? Might ease her anger.” Theon offers an easy smile spreading across his face.

“Is that what you did to win over my sister?” Robb drawls, scanning the dimly lit road, they should hear the wheelhouses any moment now.

Theon chuckles quietly. “It was I who carried her through the streets of King’s Landing, who kept her safe from the ruffians and murders among the crowd that day.”

“Funny, Sansa said you held onto her sleeve and my father’s tunic as you ran, that you swore you would never visit a brothel again if you survived to the edge of the city.”

Theon scoffs but shifts in his crouched stance. “I have not visited a brothel since then, this is true, but I did not hold onto your father.”

“Just Sansa then?”

“Fuck you Stark.” Theon snarls, but there’s no bite to his words, only the playful ribbing that Robb has grown accustomed to since they were children.

“Will you two shut up?” Dacey Mormont hisses, her eyes like will o’wisps shining in the dark.

Then he feels it, the slight tremor in the ground, Grey Wind's ears perking up. The rush of adrenaline as the carts and wheelhouses begin to appear flanked by guards, guards who are either on their side or far too tired to expect an ambush on a road as well guarded as the Roseroad.

Robb counts the wheelhouses and carts as they pass, he will know hers on sight, Lady Olenna Tyrell had sent him a letter describing it down to the spokes on its wheels. She would not have any other man kidnap her granddaughter. Finally, finally, he spots it, gold trimmed, a rose embossed on each door, the curtains, a red crushed velvet pulled closed, and a freshly repaired third spoke on the second wheel.

Glass shatters up ahead, flames leaping into the air, horses rearing up, and it is time.

Jon guides his horse away from your wheelhouse, towards Robb and Theon. This has been the plan, it has always been the plan, though he had not known it until his father appeared.

“Brother.” Robb says, leaning forward to clasp Jon in a one-arm hug. He is smiling, joyful as if the sky was not filled with smoke, and the road alight with flames, as if the sounds of battle did not rage around them.

“I thought you were told?” Jon asks, confusion adding to the heavy stone of guilt in his stomach.

“I was, nothing has changed, we were raised together, you are my brother as Theon is.” Robb shrugs, nodding towards the Ironborn who had gone to fetch you and Margaery.

Jon squeezes his brother tightly. “Thank you.”

Robb pulls back with a smile. “Do not thank me, not until the anger of our wives dies down.”

Wives. Robb has no fear, he calls Margaery his wife, caring not that she is married to another, but Jon does not share that courage. He cannot shake off the lingering aches of being labeled a bastard all his life so easily. There is still fear someone better will steal you away, that you will resent him for the stigma that followed him for so long.

“Fucking hells.” Theon curses loudly, stumbling back as you and Margaery bust out of the wheelhouse, pushing past him, a blade clutched in Margaery’s hand.

“What a woman.” Robb whistles lowly, kicking his horse into a gallop after you both.

Jon follows, tugging the hood of his cloak further down.

Robb sweeps Maragery from her feet, but your hand is still in hers, and you cry out her name, as she cries out yours. Raw fear and desperation are clear in your eyes, and you dig your heels into the ground, pulling Margaery from Robb’s grasp, the two of you tumbling to the dirt.

You quickly help her up, just in time for Robb to round his horse and ride towards you both. Jon grabs you as he passes by, his arm an iron band around your waist keeping you locked against his chest.

You struggle against him, screaming when Robb sweeps Margaery onto his horse. “The Queen, save the Queen!”

Your cries draw the attention of some Lannister guards who are fighting against men Jon remembers from Winterfell, arrows fly and take advantage of their distraction, the Lannister men crumbling to the ground.

You scream again, terrified, and it guts him to realize you are screaming his name, begging him to save you.

Why has he not spoken? Why has he let you believe he was a stranger? It is the adrenaline, the rush of battle that has paralyzed his tongue, dried out his mouth and he finally forces it to work, unsticking it from the roof of his mouth. “Y/N, y/n, it is me, my starlight, you are safe.”

You twist in his hold, terrified eyes meeting his. “Thank the gods, Jon, we must turn back, we must rescue Margaery.”

“She is well, all is well, I promise.” Jon says, kicking his horse into a gallop.

Robb cannot say if he is upset or overjoyed at Margaery’s reaction to the news. It had been a few hours now, the moonlit fading, the sun soon to rise. First, she was frightened, then apologetic when she saw the cut she had given Theon with her dagger, then she was smiling, and it is a smile he would gladly give his life for. But now, now she is angry, her words calm, her voice even, and soft, but he can see it in her eyes.

“You deceived me, My Lord, you said I would be queen.” She says, fixing him with a look that he knows he will see much more of in their shared years to come. “Now you tell me Stannis’ dour wife will sit in my place instead. That you have organized a kidnapping to lure the remaining Lannisters here, that way Stannis and your father will have no trouble taking King’s Landing.”

“My Lady, it was your grandmother’s idea, Stannis would not hesitate to lock you away or marry you off to an old, fat bannerman of his if you had attempted to keep your position as queen. He might have even ordered you killed if an agreement had not struck for your safety.” He explains, taking her hands in his and pressing them to his lips, they are as soft as he imagined.

Margaery cannot hide the smile tugging at the corners of her lips, not from him, even though her eyes still flash dangerously. “So, you thought to make that choice for me? What if I wished to marry an old, fat lord?”

He chuckles, and presses her hand to his chest, allowing her to feel not only his steady heartbeat but the hardened muscle. Y/N had written to him of Margaery’s likes and dislikes, what caught her eye, what displeased her. “If you truly want that, I am sure there is a Frey somewhere you could marry.”

He slides her hand down slowly, taking a step closer, his voice low. “But I have waited a very long time to finally set my eyes upon you, to feel your hand in mine, and if I am to send you to a Frey, at least allow me the honor of hearing my name fall from your lips.”

Her eyes flicker to his, then to his lips, then back again, a smirk curling on her own as her lashes flutter. “Like this, Robb? ”

She says his name so sweetly he nearly groans, but he stands firm, “not quite.”

Margaery pouts up at him, then tangles her fingers in the laces of his tunic and pulls him forward, going up on her toes, her lips parted so invitingly. “Do not be mean to me, Robb, I am to be your wife.”

Old gods take him, he is not Jon, he does not possess the strength his cousin does. He cups her cheek and kisses her, crushing her to him, walking her backwards until she falls onto his bed, him hovering above her, refusing to relinquish her lips.

Margaery sighs beneath him, carding her fingers through his hair. “Was that better?”

“Much better.” He laughs breathily, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips.

“I am queen Robb; I wish to still be queen.” She says softly, looking up at him with those doe eyes, she is so beautiful, a goddess of spring.

Robb caresses her cheek, pressing a chaste kiss to the tip of her nose. “I wished to keep you as queen, but it would not be safe. I offer you myself instead, and the whole of the North, I shall remake it to your desires.”

She ponders his words, and for a moment cold fear strikes through him.

“I guess that will be enough. I shall draw up plans quickly, and present them to you for your input, you know the capabilities of your people far better than I do.” She says, giving him that radiant smile, her hair splayed out, her lips kiss swollen, her eyes lowered demurely.

“Do not look at me like that, I know you are much too spirited to play such a meek part.” He says, flipping them over and running his hand through her hair, the silky tresses falling through his fingers like water.

Margaery plants her hands on his chest, smiling coyly. “You do not wish me to play your good little wife?”

He chuckles. “You may pretend with all others, but not with me. I have seen you Margaery, the core of you, we have spent too long writing each other for me not to know who you truly are.” He sits up, brushing the hair from her neck, his fingers trailing down the pure, unblemished skin. “And I quite like you without the mask, will you allow me to see more?”

Her breath catches in her throat, and he takes that as a yes.

Jon sees you bite your lip and glance at him, the sounds from within Robb and Margaery’s tent are soft, but not soft enough to spare you both the embarrassment. “Do you think they know we are here?”

He knows his ears are bright red, he can feel them burning, and he shakes his head. “I doubt it, Robb is bold, but…not that bold.”

“Perhaps we should come back at a later time?” You suggest shuffling your feet in the dirt.

The sounds grow louder, and Jon takes your arm, walking briskly away. “I think that would be best.”

You both wait until you are far enough from the tent and dissolve into peals of laughter, doubling over.

“I cannot believe—oh I must tease her for that later.” You get out through your laughter, the moonlight giving you an ethereal glow.

Jon wipes tears of mirth from his eyes. “I knew he was eager to meet her, but I thought his honor would hold till her marriage was annulled, at the very least.”

You look at him, laughter dying down, a smile on your beautiful face. “I guess I cannot blame them, I do not know what I would do if we were separated for such a long time.”

Jon reaches for your hand, caressing the soft skin, admiring the silver ring gracing your hand. His father had brought it from Starfell, it was his mother’s, a starburst amethyst that shined when the light hit it. “I do not think I would bed you where anyone could hear, even if we had spent years apart.”

You give him a mischievous smile, taking a step closer, your free hand on his chest, your lips mere inches from his. “Even if I asked?”

He presses your hand in his to his lips instead of responding, and you giggle.

“Let us pray we shall never be parted then.” You say, rising up on your toes to press your lips to his in a quick kiss.

His cheeks burn, and he ducks his head. “Y/N, someone could see.”

“We are to be married remember, and we are among your cousin’s men, I am sure they will not begrudge us one small kiss.” You tease, ghosting your lips over his as you speak, your fingers sliding between the laces of his tunic.

“You are a temptress, a vile, vile temptress.” Jon groans softly, his eyes fluttering shut as you begin to draw circles on his chest with your nails. He bridges the gap between you two, even the scent of smoke that lingers on your clothing can smother the smell of your jasmine perfume. He nearly groans again when you part your lips for him so readily, desperate to further intertwine yourself with him.

A familiar sharp cough breaks the two of you apart, and Jon swears beneath his breath. “Theon.”

“Jon.” Theon smirks.

“Lord Greyjoy.” You say, brushing the hair back from your face in an attempt to look put together.

“Lady Lannister.” Theon nods his head towards you, still smirking. “We have been called to gather. Tyrion Lannister has sent his response.”

TL: @mostclevermiss, @solacestyles, @2valentines, @sharknutz, @idohknow, @bdudette, @pluraldoggo, @legolastheleafyelf, @faerie-film, @wifiatthetrainstation, @duskypinki, @tartine-de-pain

[otakubimbo]

The Rabbit and The Wolf

It's A Date?

Now that you and Kakashi are friends again, all can now go back to normal. Can it go back to normal? Who knows but this get weird when Iruka asks you to hang out with him. Just the two you you.

otaku note: yeah sorry, editing this has been a headache cause the writers block in me has HANDS but hopefully we can get more consistency, requests are open if you have any. Mwah. ALSO I realized I already uploaded chapter 4 without editing and then I edited it and now here it is, my bad

MDNI. MATURE CONTENT.

Ch 1 2 3 4

master list

For once, you did what you were told, drank some water, and went to bed. Surprisingly, you didn’t wake up with the worst hangover, but still one. With little reluctance, you got up to visit your sister. Her husband was there, and you’ve grown to tolerate him, still a dumb ass but he loved your sister.

“How you feeling today?” You ask while pulling up a chair.

“A little tired but I’m doing okay.” Your sister says attempting to sit up. You sigh, helping her get adjusted, oh how frail she was.

“That’s good. I went for drinks last night and Kakashi was there.” speaking as casually as possible. For some reason, it meant a lot to your sister for the two of you to talk again.

“And?” She perks up, a small glow coming to her face.

“We talked and decided to be friends again.”

 It was as simple as that, giving her a small shrug of your shoulders. Even if it wasn’t a big deal to you, you knew it would be to your sister. Her favorite thing to joke about was the two of you getting married one day, from friends to lovers, ‘how romantic’ according to her.

“Just friends?” She pries, leaning forward.

“Yes, just friends.” You gently push her back down, she shouldn’t be straining herself over something like this.

She sighs, “When will you see that y'all were made for each other? I know y'all slept together.”

You start choking on your own spit, coughing away from her with a bewildered look on your face as your breathing evens and you see the smug smile that graces her lips.

“What are you talking about?” you finally manage to get out.

“You really are your father's daughter you know? I’m not stupid, I remember the way he looked at you when you left my wedding. And then after the fact, you two never spoke again it seemed and you just left. When times get hard, you leave, just like dad.”

“Yeah, I think the sickness has gone to your brain, and with that,” You say standing up, “ I have to go. I’ll be back before visiting hours end.”

Aki pouts like a child but you ignore that, she's the one who started it after all. As you leave see her husband on the way out, letting him know of your departure. Before you were even out of earshot, you could hear your sister gossiping about the conversation y’all just had. With a roll of your eyes, you leave with errands you need to run, especially since there wasn’t much in your house with your continued absence.

Amid your shopping, you hear your name being called by an oh-too-familiar voice.

“Y/N” Kakashi's voice calls out to you and when you face him you smile for once, grinning almost from ear to ear. You hadn’t looked at him like that in ages, if he didn’t have the mask on he might be embarrassed by the expression under it. He almost forgot how radiant your smile was, how blinding it was when it was finally directed at him.

“Hey Kashi.”   With your basket in hand, as you stride over to him, it is mostly filled with snacks and other things. There was nothing in there to make a real meal in sight.  

He peeks into your basket, surveying the assortment of savory and sweet treats that you gathered for yourself. Almost on instinct looking at your basket and his taking some of your favorite treats out of his basket holding it up to you.

“This is your favorite right, here” he places it in your basket without even asking if you really wanted it.

You giggle excitedly, biting your lip thinking about the snack for later “Oh I love these. Yeah, how’d you know these were my favorite?”

“I just know you,” he says shrugging. His eye never left yours, his gaze was intense as if he had something to say that you were supposed to understand just with the look.

“Well, I should go.” You stammer, getting all your items together. All you could muster was a “See you later” as you scurried off.

You were sweating, it wasn’t even hot, but you were sweating. Why the fuck were you nervous?! It’s literally just Kakashi like yeah y’all had sex but that doesn’t change him as a person. Right? Things were bound to be awkward of course, because y’all haven’t really spoken in two years after sleeping with each other. But that shouldn’t make you nervous, you had no clue why you were nervous. Friendship with him was going to be weird, to say the least.

The only walk home, you couldn’t stop thinking about the way he was looking at you and what it could have meant. There was no way to get it out of your mind, so you needed a distraction. Since your sister had many complaints about not keeping up with yourself, you could only think of doing your hair in that moment, it was a process as it was it would surely get your thoughts off of Kakashi.

First step; hair washing. It was so much easier for you to wash your hair in the shower since you had to wash it in sections to prevent knotting. As you work through the sections, all you can think about is Kakashi’s wet and naked body behind you helping you. Imagine him taking a section, gently scrubbing your scalp while detangling the section and spreading the shampoo. The thought sent shivers straight to your core, a small moan escaping your lips. You hadn’t even realized you closed your eyes when you snapped them open with the realization of your fantasy. This wasn’t good, this was very bad actually. It’s not going to go like that, y’all were JUST back to being friends.

Quickly, you finish washing your hair before your brain decides to take a worse course. After putting the dead conditioner in, you go cleaning around the house. There wasn’t a way you could fantasize about him while cleaning, that would be weird. There’s nothing sexy about cleaning. Unfortunately, you were wrong, very wrong.  Your brain was a lot more creative than you thought it was. As you were cleaning the mirror in your bedroom, your mind wandered. The thought of Kakashi sitting on the bed, legs spread, rubbing himself to the view of your ass as you bend over and reach to wipe the mirror. He would get up and press himself behind you, wrapping his arms around you. Close. Too Close. In your mind, you could feel his hardness up against your ass, the way his breath would tickle your neck, the wetness starting to form as you watch how he would hold you in the mirror. Your knees get weak with the thought, and you slam them right into the dresser.

“Fuck that hurt. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” You curse, sitting on your bed holding your knee. What the hell is going on?! Maybe you were just horny and needed to get it out. He was the last person you had sex with intimately. Like yeah, you’ve fucked some people in the last two years, but it hadn’t been that great. Bingo! That was the problem, obviously, you were just horny and unsatisfied. Now, that makes more sense than just being horny specifically Kakashi. The issue now was how to solve this problem and it wasn’t going to be an issue you could solve now because you literally need to finish your hair. For now, you needed a real distraction.

Kurenai! Friendship!

That’s what you would do, send a message over and make her come over with some sake. You needed a word with her for telling your business. In her best interest, she agreed. While you wait for her, you go ahead and rinse out the deep conditioner and start blow-drying your hair out to get into twisting it. By the time you were getting ready to start on your twists, Kurenai was at the door. She had a key, for emergencies, so she came right in and she brought the good stuff with her. Oh, she really didn’t want you to yell at her.

“Sooooooo” Kurenai starts after you gave her a good one for not telling you she told Asuma. You didn’t really care if she told him, you just needed to know beforehand, you were so thrown off.

“What?” You question, hands still working away as you tip back a shot of sake with your teeth.

“So Kakashi walked you home last night.” She states even though it came out more as a question.

“He did.” You say plainly, you knew what she was getting at.

“And?!” she practically yells, getting impatient.

“And nothing, we agreed to go back to being friends. Like old times” You state, fighting the flashbacks of your own imagination.

“Just friends?” She questions, not believing you one bit.

“Yes, girl! Just friends. Like old times, I said.” You say focusing more back on your hair. You knew that she was ready to pry more information out of you because that couldn’t just be it. Not between the two of you, no, surely not.

“And you’re just fine with being friends? I saw the way he was looking at you and don’t act like you weren’t looking all over him.” She states smugly, settling into your couch.

“You know what? You’re right, I never even got an answer to what happened two years ago so why do I even want to be his friend.” You attempt to change the subject back to what should be the real issue.

“You’ve never even asked him!” She yells at you, almost spilling her drink. You roll your eyes, taking another sip.

“I shouldn’t have to ask! What am I supposed to say? ‘Yeah, remember when we fucked? Why did you leave and avoid me?’. That literally sounds mental.” You’re annoyed, getting your hair tangled in the process.

“OR literally just ask him what happened? What are you so afraid of?”

Now that was the question. What were you afraid of? That the friendship would be ruined? It already had been when you left. That he could say it was the worst sex of his life? Now you know that would have been a lie, especially since he didn’t even pull out. The questions were going through your head and silence fell. You didn’t really know. You didn’t know what you were afraid of. Sleeping together already changed the dynamic. So why couldn’t you just ask him what happened? You’ve literally looked death in the eye on more than one occasion.

What were you afraid of?

You finally acknowledge Kurenai and lock eyes with her.

“I don’t know what I’m afraid of.” You say softly, out of character for your own voice.

“Then ask him.” She says sincerely putting her hand on yours.

“Absolutely not” You state, proceeding to chug the sake straight out of the bottle. Kurenai just shakes her head sighing. For one of the strongest ninjas in this village, you sure were a wuss when it came to anything emotional. Luckily for you, she dropped it after that. Yall had regular girl talk until you finally finished your hair, way too late at night and you were sure the top middle part looked a little worse for wear, but it wasn’t like anyone would see it or notice anyway.

NEXT DAY

There was nothing like having a new hairstyle to put a pep in your step. You had your twists up in a high ponytail because you may have made them a bit too tight dealing with Kurenai and her interrogation. Even still, you glided on your way to visit your sister before your regularly scheduled training with Team 7. This would be the first-time training with Kakashi and the team on solid terms. That would be nice, it should be good.

As you pass the school, you hear someone call your name for your attention. It was Iruka. He jogs over to you as you wave at him.

“Hey, your hair is different.” He says sort of breathy rubbing the back of his neck. You swing your ponytail back and forth to show it off a bit.

“Oh yeah, I did its last night.” You say showing off, with a smile on your face. You were just in such a good mood today.

“I like it. It’s pretty.” He says weirdly, he must be tired you thought as he looked nervously at you.

“Thanks Iruka.” Again you say with a smile. Iruka was always so kind, such a dear friend to you.

“So, we really haven’t had time to just catch up. Just the two of us. I was thinking maybe we could do something together tomorrow night, maybe.” He looked really uncomfortable which confused you.

“Of course, Iruka, I love spending time with you.” You state earnestly. This was the truth, you enjoyed his company, especially all the times you used to help him around the school. He was such a gentle nurturing soul. He did seem surprised at your response.

“OH really? Awesome. Great! Uhm how about we meet at that new sushi place? Around 8?” He suggests enthusiastically, which you giggle at. You can’t help being reminded of Naruto by his demeanor, you see how close they have become that they act so much like each other.

“Yeah, that sounds great, but I have to get to the hospital. I’ll see you later, okay?” You smile and wave goodbye.

This was going to be a nice time. You’ve been waiting to try that new restaurant and Irukas company was always enjoyable. Maintaining that glide in your step, you make your way to see your sister. Once at the hospital, you tell your sister about the encounter with Iruka because that meant you wouldn’t be able to stay as long.

“You know that’s a date right?” Aki asks laughing at your now confused expression.

“It absolutely is not. Me and Iruka are just friends. There’s no way he sees me like that.” You state dismissively, almost disgusted. It’s just two friends catching up.

“So then, why did he ask for it to be just the two of you?” She questions, a smirk on her face.

“Because he said we haven’t really caught up with each other personally.” Your rebuttal matter of factly.

“Okay, but then why was he in your own words ‘acting weird and sweaty’ hmm?” She probes.

“I think you’re reading too much into what I said. He’s probably having a tough morning.” You reply crossing your arms. The last thing you wanted was for Iruka to like you, now that would be too weird.

“If you say so but,” Aki starts putting her finger in the air to make a point, “if it is a date, would you be happy?”

You grimaced at that almost immediately, not disgusted because he was a sweet guy and wasn’t ugly or anything, just definitely not your type. Aki burst into a fit of laughter, almost in tears.

“Whew, you’re so mean and so funny.” Your sister says still giggling holding her sides. You roll your eyes at her.

“I didn’t even mean it like that, he’s just not my type ya know.” You say shrugging.

“Well, why don’t you ask your new friend Kakashi if he thinks it’s a date or not? He’s a guy after all I’m sure he would be able to tell.” Aki suggested, still trying to hold back laughter. This gets another eye roll from you.

“Fine, I’ll ask him.” You say with a sigh, standing up with a little stretch. Aki developed a sly smile on her face.

“Good” She comments, and you raise an eyebrow at her in question. “Oh nothing, now get going before you’re late.”

You give her a quick hug and make your way to the training grounds. There was something definitely on your sister's mind but for once you couldn’t really read her. Maybe it was just a sly joke about you and Kakashi being friends again like y’all used to. You used to always use him to solve arguments between you and your sister. He was level-headed and unbiased in that way, definitely unbiased because even though he was YOUR friend, he would always end up agreeing with your sister.

When you finally make it to the training grounds, Kakashi is actually there on time for once. Surprising, especially since your definition of being on time is being early. This meant he was early, super early for him.

“Hey Kashi, you’re early.” You greet him with your past pleasantries. He just looks up from his book for a moment giving you a quick nod and returning to his smut.

“I’m actually glad you’re here early. I need to ask you something” you say gliding over to him. That got his full attention, and he finally looks at you directly. His eye gives you a once over and he notices the pep in your step and how you’re smiling directly at your ponytail swinging behind you.

“Your hair looks nice.” He states and your smile widens as you flick your hair.

“Thanks, it took all night but yeah I have a question.” You say hands behind your back playing with your hair. He raises an eyebrow at you and gives a simple hmmmn in question.

“Okay so I ran into Iruka today and he asked me to catch up with him over dinner tomorrow and my sister has this crazy idea that he wants to take me out on a date.” You state making gestures with your hand to show how crazy you think your sister is being. Kakashi’s eye flickers for a second and his expression is something you can’t exactly read. Everyone was being so damn weird today.

“What exactly did he say?” He questions sounding rather casual about it.

“He said that we haven’t caught up yet, just the two of us, and then he said we should get dinner tomorrow and suggested the new sushi restaurant. You know how much I love sushi.” You respond plainly as if it’s still no big deal. Kakashi was leaning on a tree when you arrived but now he lifted himself off it standing straight in front of you.

“I think your sister is right,” He says looking down at you and you scowl.

“And I think both of y’all are crazy. Me and Iruka are friends. Just friends. There’s no way he could even see me like that.” You exclaim, pouting. How could anyone see that this was just a friendly dinner?

“See you like what?” Kakashi questions and that makes you pause for a moment.

“Like in a romantic sense, obviously!” You exclaim again rolling your eyes and crossing your arms in front of you with annoyance.

“And why wouldn’t he?” He questions softly, grabbing your chin and making you look at him. Your annoyance almost immediately melts away as he looks into your eyes.

“Because we are just friends.” You state just as softly as he did.

“Just like we are friends?”

Another question. A question you didn’t even really know how to answer because your brain wasn’t working right then. His hand didn’t leave your chin as you stared at him trying to formulate some type of sentence. He gazed at you in a way that he’s never looked at you before.

“I mean…..” you start before trailing off. Before you could even think of what else to say when someone loudly calls out Kakashi's name.

“KAKASHI SENSI YOU’RE ACTUALLY HERE ON TIME! BELIEVE IT” Naruto’s too-loud voice comes bellowing towards you two. Kakashi’s hand drops from your chin taking a step back and now you’re just standing there a bit dumb waiting for your brain to restart again.

What the fuck was going on today.

The training session went smoothly as usual and neither of you brought up the topic of Iruka. You actually planned on not bringing it up at all until after to prove to those two that it was definitely not a date and just a friend thing. This same mood carried on over to the next day and you were not going to bring it up as training ends with Team 7.

“So are you still going on that date with Iruka?” Kakashi asks nonchalantly.

“YOURE GOING ON A DATE WITH IRUKA SENSEI?!? WOW HOW LUCKY!” Naruto interjects and Sasuke looks disgusted at you.

“It isn’t a date. We are just two friends catching up. Not a date.”

“Is it just the two of you? Tonight?” Sakura asks. Of course, the only thing she’s ever really interested in is dating.

“Yupp. Just two good ol pals hanging out. At dark. Not a big deal.” You groan rubbing your temples

“That sounds like a date to me” Sakura giggles and that makes you groan even loader which gets a smirk from Kakashi.

“But the thing is, its not a date”

“Are you gonna kiss him?!” Naruto asks because of course he does.

You and Sasuke both make the same uncomfortable face which gets a slight rise out of Kakashi.

“Absolutely not because it's not a date and we are literally only JUST friends.”

“Good” Sasuke says stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking a bit annoyed.

“Anyways, I’m going to go now.” You say exhaustedly turning away and starting to walk off

Sakura calls after you in a teasing tone, “Hope you have a good date”

“I will literally kill all of you” You say over your shoulder and all you can hear is giggles.

Sigh, kids.

Of course, you do not rush home because this is not a date. But now you have to figure out what to wear. You knew it had to be something casual because again, not a date but you didn’t want to look frumpy. Simple. Cute. Not date attire. Next is hair, a cute little half up, half down. No makeup, just brows, mascara, and lip gloss. The amount of effort in trying to make sure you didn’t look like you were going on a date was making you sweat. You really hoped it wasn’t a date, but everyone was starting to make you believe it may be. That made you nervous, you really liked Iruka but strictly as a friend. Just like you told your sister, he wasn’t your type, and the last thing you needed was to ruin another friendship.

8 pm came a lot sooner than you wanted it to and now you were walking up to the new sushi place. Iruka was already there which means he got there early. He had flowers. Fuck. He was dressed really nicely, a lot nicer than your casual attire. Fuck fuck.

“Hey Iruka,” You say walking up, “Are those for me?” You question sheepishly.

He thrusts the flowers at you, which makes you giggle a bit. It was cute. “Yes, yes these are for you.”

“Thanks Iruka, that’s so sweet of you. Should we get a seat now?”

His face is red and a little sweaty. Yeah he definitely is hoping this is a date. He places his arm to direct you inside. Once inside and seated, you immediately order a shot. You needed a little something to take the edge off and ordered a beer.

“Thanks for making time for me” Iruka says nervously.

You smile, he was cute but in a brother type of way, “Of course. I love catching up with my friends and we haven’t spent time together in a while.”

You emphasize ‘friend’, hoping he would get the hint but it didn’t seem like he did.

Great.

Even though he obviously thought it was a date, you were still nice and were actually having a good time. A really good time. He made you laugh through the whole night with his stories of his antics with Naruto. He really loved the kid and the way he spoke about him was just so sweet. The evening carried on in good spirits, you talked about your long missions and what was going on with your sister. He was so sympathetic about it, it was all so nice.

At the end of the night, he offered to walk you home and you said you didn’t need it but thanked him for hanging out with you that night. Before you could even get anything out, he kissed you.

He fucking kissed you.

You never thought he would be that brave to do that, he was so red and nervous the whole time y’all were out. So all you could do was stand there shocked. Luckily, he quickly pulled away looking at your stunned face.

“I’m so sorry.” Iruka starts apologizing. He looked mortified.

“It’s fine Iruka.” You reply still kind of stunned.

“It’s fine?” He questions back, hopeful look in his eyes. And now you were going to have to crush that hope.

“I mean I’m not mad at you about it but I don’t think I’m really ready to date. Ya know with just getting back in the village and having to deal with all the stuff with my sisters' health. It’s just not a good time for me. I hope you understand.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie and it looked like he took it well and actually believed you.

“Oh no! I completely understand. You have so much to deal with, it literally took us this long to hang out so yeah I get it.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.” You say putting your hand on his shoulder and giving him a SMALL kiss on the cheek. The last thing you wanted to do was crush him but the two of you together would never happen.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll see you later. Have a great night.” He blushes, quickly going in the opposite direction of you as you turn to make your way home. You decided to take the long way since you wanted to get rid of the awkward tension from Iruka kissing you. And to your surprise and annoyance, you ran into Kakashi out in the middle of the night.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?”  You asked as soon as your line of sight met.

He ignored your question, ‘So how was your day’ He asks with a somewhat smug smile underneath his mask as if he already knew what happened.

“I literally hate you” you pout as you begin walking besides him.

“I’m guessing the date went well.” He replies trying to hold back the laughter.

“He brought me flowers. You know I hate flowers, I can’t ever keep them alive” You hold them up towards him, showing him the lovely bouquet.

“Yeah, you do have a black thumb.” He agrees.

“And everything was going so well until it was time to leave. It was just a normal hangout eating really good sushi. We should go there, by the way. And then he had to go and ruin it when before we left each other.”

“He didn’t kiss you or something?” Kakashi says with a chuckle.

Silence.

More silence.

“He kissed you.”

You groan, “He kissed me. It was so awkward.”

“You didn’t like it?”

“No, I didn’t like it” You yell, “I feel as if I’ve made it very clear I don’t want to date Iruka. I had to make up a whole excuse that I wasn’t ready to date, and it just wasn’t the right time and blah blah blah.”

“So it was a ‘it’s not you its me’ situation. Cruel” Kakashi says laughing

“I was trying to be nice about it” You whine on the other side “He’s a good guy, he’s just not my type. And I wouldn’t even mind the possibility of dating someone. Just definitely not him. Absolutely not him.”

“So you’re open to dating?”

“I mean yeah I guess”

“Hmmn okay.” He says plainly.

“Okay?” Which you posed more as a question than a statement.

“Well you should probably get some rest from your disaster date.” He chuckles as the two of you near your house.

“Hardy har har. You’re SOOOOO funny. I really do hate you. Good night.”

“Hate you too. Goodnight.” He says softly, a smile in his voice as you walk towards your house leaving him behind.

Now it was just you and your thoughts. Not good.

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