#come on spine and muscle and sinew let's get it done!
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Cleaning is not meant to be a solitary activity
#I am starting to feel this in my bones more#I have been trying to find a friend who would like to talk to on the phone but most of them are busy or phones drain them#I have done the cat litters and dealt with the bathroom#kitchen and living room waste baskets#I still plan to do a hearty load of dishes and move my wife's clean clothes somewhere else so I can clean more clothes#i also cleaned the toilet bowl#company for cleaning is always nice but I may just listen to Night Vale to motivate me and maybe light a scented candle#maybe I will pretend I am an NPC and have ambient music playing instead#come on spine and muscle and sinew let's get it done!#my post
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Life is Crazy part II
A/N: This is not proofread and I am not perfect. There will be spelling and grammatical errors. I have not written smut in over 6 years, I��m sorry if itâs terrible.Â
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION BASED ON THE AMAZING HUGH JACKMAN AND MY CRAZY IMAGINATION
Word Count: 1.5k
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, Age gap reader is late twenties and Hugh is 55, swearing, P in V, unprotected sex (WRAP IT BEFORE YOU TAP IT), rough sex
Before you had decided to pursue your passions, you were familiar with normal workplace environments and you also knew that fucking or dating your coworkers can make things incredibly messy but yet here you were on Hughâs coach in the aftermath of what had been an amazing time.Â
âWould you like something to drink?â Hugh asked you hoarsely while pulling his jeans up but leaving himself shirtless.
âAbsolutely. Um, water would be good.â You responded, suddenly very aware of how naked you were. You reached for your dress, putting it back on before following him. âI think that you should know Iâm really not the type to just do this.â
âI mean itâs fine if you are.â He said with a chuckle while pulling a cold water bottle from his fridge.
âWell, I know that but I guess I donât want you to get the wrong impression of me.â You responded.
âAnd whatâs the right impression?â He said challenging your thought process.
âThe correct impression is someone who doesnât just randomly suck her coworkers dick is what comes to mind.â You explained with all seriousness causing him to start laughing.
âI donât know what kind of assholes youâve dealt with before but I donât think less of you because you sucked me off. This doesnât have to change anything, we can still be friends and get to know one another.â He responded with the last sentence stinging a little bit. You had never been the hookup type and unfortunately for you, if you did hook up with someone, it was because deep down, you had a hope for more.Â
âWell thatâs good because Iâm still pretty new to this whole hollywood thing and I donât think that I can navigate everything alone.â You said while you subconsciously admired his body.
âIf you keep looking at me like that then weâre gonna end up in my bed.â He said gruffly causing an insurgence of arousal course through you.
âI mean, would that really be a bad thing?â You said moving closer to him with a mischievous look in your eyes while taking a sip of water.Â
As you sip the cold water, your gaze continues to travel up his body, taking in the broad shoulders and the defined arms. He was a work of art, a sculpture of muscle and sinew, and you couldn't help but appreciate every inch of him.
"You know, Hugh," you begin, setting the bottle down on the counter, "It's not like I wouldn't be willing to move things to the bedroom." You lean against the counter, crossing your legs, letting your dress ride up slightly, revealing a hint of thigh. "I mean, we could always..." You trail off, biting your lip again, this time with a hint of mischief.
Hugh's eyes darken with desire as he takes a step towards you, his movements purposeful. "Oh, really? And what did you have in mind?" His voice is low and gravelly, sending a rush of heat between your thighs. He leans in close, his breath tickling your ear, sending shivers down your spine. "I thought you might need a break after the way you eagerly sucked me off."
Feeling a surge of boldness, you turn to face him, your eyes locked with his. "Who said I'm done with you, Hugh?" You reach up and run your fingers through his dark brown hair, pulling his head down for a kiss. Your lips meet hungrily, and you can taste the remnants of your desire on his tongue. His hands grasp your hips, pulling you closer, and you can feel his growing erection pressing against your belly.
His hands roam over your body, cupping your breasts, thumbs brushing over your sensitive nipples through the fabric of your dress. You gasp at the contact, arching into his touch, wanting more.
Without warning, Hugh spins you around, pressing your body against the kitchen counter. You feel the cool granite against your heated skin as he hikes up your dress, exposing your bare ass. "Maybe I should just take you right here against the counter" he growls, his hot breath on your neck.
You moan, a mixture of pleasure and anticipation, as you feel his hand connect with your ass cheek, delivering a sharp smack that makes your skin tingle. "Holy shit!" you cry out, your body already responding to his dominant touch. Hugh spanks you again, this time harder, and you squirm, feeling a delicious mix of pain and pleasure.
His rough hands grip your thighs, spreading your legs, and you feel the cool air on your core. "You're so fucking responsive," he whispers, his lips close to your ear. "I love how your body betrays your shy nature." He teases your pussy with his fingers, tracing your folds, but avoiding your aching clit.
"Please, Hugh," you beg, your voice hoarse. You yearn for his rough caress, craving the release only he can provide. Hugh chuckles, the sound sending a thrill through you. "Please, what? What do you want me to do, baby girl?"
âTouch me, fuck me, I donât care, just do something.â You beg, causing a smile to paint on Hughâs face.
He steps back, leaving you breathless and wanting, and you turn your head, watching as he unzips his jeans. His hard cock springs free, thick and veiny, and you lick your lips at the sight.Â
He takes a step forward, positioning himself at your entrance. With one swift thrust, he fills you, his girth stretching you deliciously. You gasp, your eyes rolling back as you feel him hitting all the right spots. "Fuck, yes!" you exclaim, meeting his thrusts with abandon.
Hugh grips your hips, pounding into you relentlessly, his balls slapping against your sensitive skin. "You like it rough, don't you, y/n?" he grunts between thrusts. "Tell me you want my cock."
"Yes, Hugh, yes!" you cry out, your nails digging into the countertop. "Your cock feels so fucking good inside me!" His dominance fuels your desire, and you match his rhythm, pushing back onto his length.
He reaches around, his fingers finding your swollen clit, and begins to rub it in firm circles. "That's it, cum for me, you little slut," he growls, his voice hoarse with need. Your orgasm builds, a coiling tension deep within, and you scream as the pleasure explodes through your body.
Hugh's own release is close, and he grabs your hips tighter, his breath coming in harsh gasps.Â
With a final powerful thrust, he empties himself onto your back, his cock throbbing as the final spurts release. You collapse onto the counter, spent and satisfied, your heart pounding. He leans on against you for a minute before grabbing a paper towel to clean off your back.
Hugh turns you around, pulling you into a tight embrace, his lips finding yours in a tender kiss. You smile, content. Once you come down from your high, you see the clock in his kitchen reading past midnight. You werenât sure if you were supposed to stay or go.
âDid you want me to head back to my house? If you did, itâs totally fine. I just would like you to walk me back to my car.â You asked nervously, looking up at him.
âWell when I brought you here, I fully intended for you to stay the night, but if you want to leave, I can walk you to your car.â He stated.
âI can stay as long as Iâm not imposing.â You stated.
He smiled at you before walking you to the bedroom where you two went another round. You figured that youâd deal with the consequences later.
When you woke up in Hughâs bed, he wasnât there but you could smell bacon or sausage of sorts. You got up, realizing that your dress was left in the kitchen. You walked into the kitchen nervous cause you were completely naked and didnât see Hugh. You quickly grabbed your dress and slipped it on. As if in perfect unison, as soon as you had slipped on your dress, Hugh entered the room.Â
âI hope you know that I donât think that this means anything.â You started, seeming to surprise Hugh with the statement.
âGood. It makes this less complicated. I made breakfast so you can eat and then we can head back to Ryanâs to get your car.â He said kindly.
Tags:
@godlypresley
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Donnie + gagged and/or drugged
If he ever gets out of this chair, Donnie's going to cut out Kendra's tongue so he doesn't have to hear her stupid voice anymore.
She's spent the last ten minutes gloating and rubbing it in his face that she has him tied up and at her mercy. He's given up interrupting her because the banter's gotten boring. And his wrists are starting to hurt from the bindings holding him to the chair.
"--which means we obviously need you and your dumb brothers out of the way for a while," Kendra's saying, pacing in front of him as she preaches, "So in a few minutes we're gonna have a visitor. They're gonna give me a shit ton of money...and we're gonna give you to them. Don't worry, they take care of exotic animals, I'm sure you'll be fine."
That makes his temper flair, "Animal!? ANIMAL!? I am not some pet! This is human trafficking!" He snarls, wrenching against his restraints.
"It might be...if you were human," Kendra laughs, cruel and nasty and cold. Jeremy looks smug. Jase is nowhere to be seen.
Donnie snaps his teeth in frustration and decides he doesn't want to stick around to play her game anymore. His markings flicker as he calls his mystic powers to the surface. Constructs are clicking into an array of guns around him when a needle bites into his elbows. It breaks his concentration and he whips his head around to glare at Jase, who'd snuck up behind the chair while Donnie had been preoccupied by Kendra.
Fuck.
There's an empty syringe in his hand. Donnie's heart pounds in his chest as his gaze snags on it. He looks up sharply at Jase, who won't meet his eyes, and then turns to stare at Kendra.
"What did you do? What was in that?"
"You need to be less...bitey for our client," Kendra says with that mean smile of hers, "Rellaaaxxx, it'll make you feel good, Von Ryan. It'll be the best trip you've ever had."
Panic is making his breath come faster. Drugged. She's drugged him. And he swears he can feel it surging through his veins, his frantic heart pumping it through the rest of his body. He's never done hard drugs; he and Leo had the curious bit of weed every now and then but even that was a rare thing, done only in the confines of secrecy and solitude when they knew without a shadow of a doubt that they would not need their wits about them for several hours.
"Kendra--" Donnie chokes on his voice. This is ludicrous. It doesn't feel real. Sure, the Purple Dragons have tried to kill him and his brothers half a dozen times, but they're too stupid and incompetent to actually do it.
But now Donnie's tied to a chair, at their mercy, and he--
His head feels strange.
The room has started tilting like the deck of a ship. (Heâs never been on a ship at sea. He's never been to the ocean.) He sways, rocks, his body is loosely connected by sinew and bone, wet meat and hot blood. Inefficient and easily damaged.
He doesn't like this. It's weird. Everything's wrong.
The world groans and vibrates with movements and sound. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block it all out. His own breath whistles down his throat and he can feel the creak of his lungs expanding balloons, pushing his plastron, stretching his flesh, muscles flexing and contracting, organs settling, blood racing--
Fingers dig into his face, tilt his head up, and he blinks against the lights. There's someone leaning over him, bigger than Kendra. A stranger. Donnie whines, feels the sound vibrate in his skull (he can count the vertebrae in his spine and so can Leo). His eyes roll. The stranger's touch is poison ivy; it makes his flesh itch and burn. He tries to pull away but they tighten their hold, grinding into his jaw bones. There are voices but he can't remember what sounds words make and he only catches a few things.
"-------old did you------------looks young---------"
"----teen I guess------never asked."
The stranger's thick fingers pry Donnie's mouth open, running a clinical finger over his gums and examining his teeth. He lets out a garbled wretch. He can taste the atoms that make them up, every place they've been sticking to their filthy hands, smearing dirt inside his mouth (stop stop stop stopstopstopstoptstop). But he doesn't have the strength to resist or even spit the horrid flavor out. He's floating a million miles away. There are stars in his bloodstream.
Hands leave heat trails over Donnie's arms and down his plastron. His gear is peeled away, the bindings removed. Some distant part of him screams to run, but his body and mind giggle and remain boneless rubber.
"----like this or------"
"----bites-------dose of some-------"
His body jerks, slumping forward. Someone's trying to pry the battleshell off his back and he lets out a high pitched keen that pops in his own eardrums.
("Don't be afraid, little Hamato...")
No. No no no no nononononono--
("You are not alone.")
Violet neon light erupts around him, blinding and avenging.
The world turns with rapid click click click click click.
A blaze of noise. He's dropped, the stranger's hands are gone. He hits the floor and he can hardly breathe, his head spinning in a million different directions, trickling into electrical outlets and clambering up grounding lines.
He's spread so thin...
...what was his name again? (where are his brothers?)
There's something sticky and warm on his hands. On his chest. It smells like iron. Metal and heat and something grinding to a halt. A dead engine. Ozone.
No one's touching him anymore.
The universe has gone quiet.
#oops this one got longer than i meant it to ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ#what's more fun than drugging your character?#drugging your character and letting their powers go haywire in a panic#tmnt angst prompts#rottmnt#donnie#sage writes turtles#tw drugs#tw non consensual drug use
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6/28/2023 2:53am
Hello, My name is Cosmo. Not really, its just been for awhile now, i gave myself the name after watching kengan ashura, where a character named cosmo imai was portrayed as the youngest fighter in the kengan, and called the young prodigy. the reason i resonate with him so much is that in every fight hes in, hes always been beat to wihtin an inch of life, somehow snactching victory from the maw of defeat. i idolized his tenacity, fortitude and determination, aswell as the way he faced everything with a smile in his heart, so i took his name.
it was only around june of 2022 that Cosmo really became a person. It started with an individual named Ares. they were the first person i met upon getting into harlingen, and mind you 2022 was the very first year i began living, outside of just existing. Cosmo has met so many people, made so many friends, Now, a year later, Ares is gone, for good i assume. I threw away a good job and lifestyle for another 7 hours in her presence, and im not sure if i regret it at all. im doomed to die again, i always pick june it seems, to die. Ive been two months unemployed, was served a move out notice about 48 hours ago, and have only one more day to leave what i called my cave. I have no money, and only one glimmering hope that i might be able to get a job out of state with an ild friend through the funds of my family, but nothing is certain. i am afraid, and have never felt more alone. What i will do, i do not know, but i know that i still find myself thinking of you. wondering why you slept with music every night. was it so that your mind would only track the lyrics till you lulled yourself to sleep, so that you didnt have to retrace your thoughts? or did you just need background noise? i wonder if you meant it when you said you dont miss me. i still hurt over us, but i dont have time to grieve over us. i dont have time to grieve for any of my losses, i dont have time at all.
Cosmo might die this year, and im afraid of who i will be after, for Cosmo has given me the best of times so far,
i wonder who athian really is.
im so tired. i feel like i should be freaking out, considering the situation, but i cant bring myself to care. i shouldnt have let it go on this long, i couldve done something to save myself, but instead i feel things so brutally, it damn well incapacitates me so heavily. as if i wore cinderblocks for gloves and shoes, while being strung up by the spine, attached to a meat hook. Why do i feel things so deeply? Why did i have to feel this so deeply? Why was i the only one who felt anything?
sometimes, i wish i was a bird. their life spans are quite short lived, but they are freer then most, not to mention people look at you in awe, envious of your wings, and your ability to just leave. sometimes, i wish i was a bird.
ive been spending time with my friend and their family. i love them. they are all very unique, and the boys remind me of me so much, just in different stages in life. One is a bit of a fool, but just wants to be liked and have friends. The other is rough around the edges, a bit afraid to be less then useful and more then alone, but thats just something we all will face, and im sure he will do okay. They argue often, but always come to even ground and an understanding, and often have mediators. Its nice, not to be in a home where everything falls on one person. My mother just threw me into the river and said "swim". So i learned to swim, alone, cold and more often then not, so very afraid.
My body is so tired. i dont remember a time in my life, where my back, muscles, bones and sinew ever relaxed the way they did when youd rest your hand on my back. Every day, some muscle group was sore. i am constantly tense, and it hurts so much. hot showers dont soothe, not the way your hands would. instead, the water feels like drops of hot oil on sunburnt skin. cold water causes my muscles to tighten, and cramp, and its not at all much better. its usually only a good 15minutes after i get out the shower that my body tenses itself, and again im wondering how long i can keep it up for.
i miss your hands, i miss feeling so safe. being with you, made me feel like i had a planet to protect, and in turn this planet would give me its love and adoration. It was so good while it lasted.
i hope one day, it doesnt feel like i have to actively keep my head up. that i wake up looking forward to the day, rather then the end of it. i hope i get to paint, and sing again. I hope i get to take your pictures again one day, and tell you i messed up just so i can take more. just not today, maybe not tomorrow either, maybe not ever,
hope is all i have right now. i hope i get so much stronger then this, i need to be. i need to survive this, i need to be different, to make it out. by god i will, or go down fucking swinging a lit torch, setting the world ablaze in my rage. i have to live. you have to.
Signing off, Cosmo. See you, space cowboy.
3:32am
FOR THE FUTURE ME READING BACK
hey. i hope you made it out, i really do. if you did, im so fucking proud of you, and thankful for saving me. i know you havent been the best to me, but its okay, i havent been the best to you. well work on it, okay?
and if you didnt, its okay. well figure it out, we always do, right? dont be afraid. be soft, be strong, and be ready.
no matter what happened, i love you, and thank you for still sticking it out, for better or worse.
please dont die, not yet, okay?
we still have to prove them wrong.
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Misadventure May Day 7!
Prev
Longest one so far but I think Iâm alright w it n Iâm rly excited for tomorrowsSS!!
âââ
7. Plan Of Action
The underside of the beast is worse than its claws. Itâs warm and muscled, leathery skin slamming against the two of them as the lasso bobs in the rough air. Rigelâs grip stays firm around Romero as theyâre brought up and up at breakneck speed, the thing releasing a chittering whine that rumbles its gut like a bass string, the regular screech trapped behind roped shut teeth.
It doesnât stay within the city limits this time, it just keeps rising, wings beating hard, illuminated in scarce moments to show a thrashing mass of dark flesh and sinew. They rip through the net dome with a snapping sound, string and sharp wood scraping down against them in bristling carnage.
âYahh-hoo!â Rigel whoops, craning their neck down to look at Romero. âYou havinâ fun?â they ask.
Romeroâs fingers tighten against their sternum, curving angrily into the rocky gaps around their neck.
âAh donât look at me like that âMero, I know ya trust me!â
He doesnât, he really doesnât.
âIâve got us covered, promise! Now come on and use those nice hands of yours to get us up this rope!â
Romero stares at them hard, and for a moment his light flickers, disbelief and indignance choking out the warmth. And then, because there is nothing else to do, he pushes an arm up pointedly, and begins to pull them along the beastâs underbelly, alternating his grip with Rigel.
Now, Romero doesnât fancy himself an angry man. He tries to be reasonable, he tries to get things done and get them done straight. He doesnât like fighting, despite the job field heâs taken on, he just finds it⌠unpleasant. It gets complicated and messy too fast, makes people do stupid things and hurt people theyâd rather not. He knows heâll stop someday, that heâll set down the gun, settle down on some nice farm and waste whatever days heâs got left of existence growing tomatoes or lavender, but thatâs not happening quite yet. For the moment, this is his job, and heâll just try to quell that anger and push on through.
Heâs absolutely failing at that right now, though.
âSo once we get up there, weâre gonna flip topside!â Rigel shouts, like itâs the easiest task in the world.
Romero pauses in the climb, looking at them incredulously again.
Rigel cocks their head, holding Romero a bit tighter as the creature jerks in a different direction to try and shake them off. âItâll work fine,â they say, âyou just tag along now! Follow what I do!â
And Romero does, because he has to, because they are in the fucking sky.
When they finally reach the creatureâs jaw, the world is a void of cold air and heated monster, and all that matters is that Rigelâs lasso is still stuck right around the things snout. The knot is digging into its soft gullet, keeping them from falling into whatever abyss lays below.
The creatureâs eyes gleam in the light, contracting into thin dots that stutter between them up close.
âThar she flies!â Rigel yells.
The beast growls again, a vibration that makes them both shiver.
âNow donât be like that darlinâ, weâre here to take you for a ride! Youâve been so courteous with yours, we only gotta return the favor!â
They jut their jaw out slightly, one of those movements that gives a sense of a bright smile that Romero swears he can almost see, before they shift to press their teeth against the side of his head, voice dropping.
âNow hold on tight and donât let go, even when I lean away. Get ready to grab your pistol, weâre gonna need it.â
And with that they lean back, slipping a hand up to hook in between the beastâs jaw and their lasso. Immediately, Romero digs his arms into the gap of their hips and spine, gripping tightly to the hard, thick, surface. Rigelâs fingers slip past to unhook something from their belt, and Romero readies himself for a free fall, for getting dive bombed by sharp white fangs and the billowing mass of a predatorâs body. He readies himself for the action of an idiot, for a companion too lax and impulsive to think twice about process, but he also hopes, with a selfish, burning, spark, that Rigelâs confidence has a basis beyond good aim.
Thereâs a soft grunt as Rigel moves, a jerk of their body and a muffled screech of pain from the creature, hot breath gusting through tight lips, before blood splatters against Romeroâs collar, and all at once heâs being hauled up by Rigelâs hips and over the swell of a hairy neck. He slips around to hold on against their back in the process, jostled out of place, and finds them settling against the base of the creatureâs skull. Still gripping tight, Romero watches Rigel lean forward to wrench a knife from the batâs snout, looping the lasso around its ears like a makeshift headstall.
âYaaah-hoo!â they cry, voice rising triumphantly over the wind.
The creature thrashes, diving suddenly and twisting to try and shake them off. Rigel keeps the two of them pulled snug against its neck, forearm wrapped up in their lasso.
âFigured we canât very well fight this thing down there!â they shout back to Romero. âNot when itâs got half a dozen things to bulldoze through and we got no space to move, so thought instead weâd wrestle it down like a raginâ bronco!â
Theyâre jerked heavily to the side as the creature bucks mid-air, and Rigel whoops loudly again.
âNow get that pistol oâ yours out and shoot it in the ear! Weâre gonna throw it off balance!â
Romero leans around them quickly and does just that, the beast flinching and rearing up immediately as his hand recoils, pulling the gun back gleaming. And it makes sense. It fucking makes sense and itâs worked so far against anything that shouldâve, and for the moment he feels ready to carry this stupid goddamned idea to fruition, whatever next step Rigel has planned.
But⌠they make no move afterwards. They just sit straight and proud and keep the two of them secured as the bat becomes more and more erratic beneath them, and Romeroâs hope sinks.
He jostles them roughly with the arm looped around their waist, throwing his free hand up when they crane back to look at him as if to say âNow what?!â
âDonât worry,â Rigel yells, an ecstatic brightness filling their voice, âthis is where he comes in!â
âââ
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(ID in ALT)
#misadventure may 2023#misadventure may#the fruits ocs#romero tag#rigel tag#my fic#my-fic#writing#cowboys
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Bilgerat
Bargaining with Beskar, Chapter 10
(The Mandalorian x f!reader) (+18)
"The grip on your back tightened, and a low growl reverberated through the iron underneath you. Youâve got company."
<-Previous Next->
Rating: Explicit
Word count: 18.3k whoopsie
Content warnings: Big kinky: cock warming, wet-ish dreams, knife play (no blood), vibrator play, squirting. Small kinky: predator/prey dynamic, lots of biting, soft choking, mentions of chapter 9's shenanigans. Kinkles (kink sprinkles): breeding/pregnancy, begging, overstim. Not-smut stuff: alcohol consumption, lots of story, introduction of OCs, more backstory for reader, some fuckin ANGST.
A/N: Story time! Some slice of life, some romance, some adventure! Once again Mando and his love get themselves in trouble because they tried to be cute so shocker-roony-roo there's some long fluff scenes cushioning the smut that I hope you enjoy~
Chilly.
You grumbled and squished yourself closer to the heat source you were wedged against, but your backside was uncovered and prickling with goosebumps in the faint, icy wisps that still made their way through the slap-n-patch fixes youâd made to the Crestâs busted walls. Groping blindly you searched for your bantha wool blankie, but all you found was the cold, unforgiving durasteel of the sleeping alcove under your fingers. You flopped an arm over the hot body pressed to your chest, trying to see if the blanket was on his side, but only found more frigid steel. Din rumbled and hugged you closer, nuzzling his face against yours like a big dopey massif and snoring right in your ear. His arms and chest were wonderfully warm, but the skin on your booty stung in the chill air. Blanket.
You pressed a lazy kiss or two to his sleeping face and started trying to untangle yourself from his limbs. His fingers burrowed deeper into your sides, begging you not to leave. I know, just gimme a sec. Somehow you managed to get yourself sitting up, and you glanced around the cot trying to find your cover. The only thing beside you in the narrow space was the stretched out body of your Mandalorian, the dim emergency lights catching on his many scars. The smooth patches of skin outlined his form in the dark like lost stars that had come to rest next to you, shimmering over the sleeping warrior with each slow breath.
It was still a little strange to see him so vulnerable, though you had earned the right to see him this way, he usually chose to wear his full beskar even in your presence. However, squashed into the sleeping alcove next to you he was buck-ass naked, and you couldnât help but stare. Stars above heâs beautiful, even as a dark smudge in the faded light you could see the way he was built. Muscle, and lots of it, laying gracefully under his marred skin. He wasnât bulky by any means, but he was big. At his full height he was an impressive stack of meat and sinew, but laying on his side he looked like a mountain range, rolling peaks and valleys that called you to climb them.
You let yourself indulge in the sight of him, just for a moment. Battleborne shoulders nestled on either side of a wide, sturdy back that led your eyes down the dip of his spine to the rise of his hips, over their swells, and down to the slopes of his legs. His angled knees sent your eyes right back up, past the tuft of fuzz that hid his groin and over the soft, sweet rolls of his tummy. The breadth of his chest was hidden by his long arms, but their lovingly chiseled curves brought your eyes to his wide, calloused hands.
Maker above those hands. Versatile and strong, hands that fired weapons with lethal accuracy, tossed bounties like bags of garbage and drove blades through bone like it was wet paper. And yet they held you so perfectly, so softly when they wanted to. They sat beautifully anywhere on your body, your hips, your shoulders, your breasts. Perfectly cupped to lay flush with your skin wherever they roamed, and just the right size to lace between your fingers while you slept. Or finger you til you passed out.
Distracted by the sleeping warrior you shivered in the cold air, reminding you that you could lay back down next to the man youâd chosen to walk the stars with as soon as you found your fucking blanket. As you worked yourself off the bed you set a hand on his hip, gliding your fingers through the soft fuzz that dusted his thigh while you snuck out of the cot. He grumbled and twitched from your touch, his own hands fidgeting in his sleep to try to find you.
You scootched off the bed, holding onto his leg for support as you did. Your bare feet hit the floor, and you nearly screamed from the cold of it, oh fuck cold! The icy floor of the ship woke your ass right up and had you doing a stupid dance to escape the frostburn. Ouch ouch ouch! You jazzed your way to the closest locker, grabbing a blanket and a pair of socks and hobbling back over to the bunk. Why donât I have socks on? Oh, thatâs right, hehe.
Yesterdayâs events lazed through your mind while you tugged the tubes up your legs, realizing that they werenât your socks when the heel stretched past your ankle. Sitting on the edge of the bunk you noticed the beskar strewn about the cabin like so many scattered plates. It wasnât like him to just discard his cultural armor, but you remembered what the hydraâs nectar had done to the both of you, your face going hot at the memory of his face buried in the apex of your thighs, dripping with sweetness.
Idley you ran a palm over your middle, poking yourself in the guts just to be sure. Nope, no stragglers. You pushed your fingers as far into your stomach as you could, relieved and a little surprised to find that you felt no pain. Din had done a fantastic job of ridding you of yourâŚquarries, though you were still a little bummed that you had only managed to capture one. You werenât sure where it was at now, probably stashed in one of the many mangled lockers with the trophy you had taken from the last hunt, hopefully not growing anything. Hmm, wouldnât mind taking another ride on that amorous anemone though, truth be told. You chuckled at the thought, the movement of air in your throat making you thirsty, and you headed to the fresher to get something to drink.
Draped in your blanket like a cloak you tip-toed in your stocking feet to the tiny space, squinting your eyes closed before you turned on the light. Dark, slime-covered shapes clogged up the narrow alcove, and you begrudgingly collected the laundry to chuck into the automated cleaner. Something clankered out of the fabric when the clothing hit the drum of the washer, check the pockets, dingus!
Son of a bitch there was a lot of shit in those pockets, from munitions to bacta to petrified teeth, and you started to tick yourself off that you had somehow started doing chores in the middle of the night. I should have just stayed in bed! The fresher sink heaped with junk when you finally had all the pockets cleared and the fabric piled in the scrubber. You punched the cleaners activator, mindlessly watching the clothes spin round and round while you sipped at a cold cup of water.
Frazzled neurons blared the word âfoundlingâ through your head, and you strode through the poorly illuminated space to where the childâs pram hovered on the other side of the cabin. As you went you took a moment to glance up at the distant night sky through the ladder hatch, cursing when you tripped over a piece of tossed beskar. You slid the cradleâs lid open as quietly as you could to see the sleeping prince, curled in a little ball in his fatherâs cloak. Itâs too cold for you to be by yourself, you need to be with your boo-ear.
Out like a light, he didnât budge when you scooped the heap of fabric into your arms and snuck back over to your bed. You clambered over your sleeping partner and plopped down on your butt, keeping the child in your lap while you adjusted the warm blanket to fit over you and your mate. You tucked Goobs up under your chin and made yourself into the middle spoon, pushing your backside into the hollow of Dinâs hips. The mighty warrior hummed fondly against the back of your head as he spooled himself around you. Aaannd⌠there it is.
You grumbled and reached down to adjust your thighs, settling the pillowy flesh around the stiffy that prodded against your ass. Din huffed and rutted between your legs with a deep sigh, his cock twitching softly against your mound. Itâs only natural youâd once told yourself, and itâs not like either of us are going to accomplish anything. Fine, you can bunk with me, mini-mando. You ignored Dinâs poker to get the foundling comfy in between your arms and the arms that were wrapped around you like a big warm octopus. Snug as a bug in a rug the baby was, and a gurgling snore made your heart swell. Like father, like son.
A whiskery muzzle snuggled against the back of your head, brushing through your hair and bumping against the shell of your ear. Tiredness tugged at your eyelids, and you were almost back to sleep when the beast between your legs shifted, sliding backwards and forward again to catch uncomfortably in the dip of your mound. Damn it all are you kidding me! You shuffled your hips, dislodging him from the poorly stuck spot to sit like a sausage in a bun between your thighs. There, stay put you big horndog.
Nope, the sleeping mountain humped again, snagging himself in the same spot. You suck. With a groan you stuffed your hand down between your legs and notched the tip of his cock into the slick space it was made for, the heat of it making a delicious shiver work its way up your spine. Din moaned and hugged you closer, rocking himself deeper into your core and mumbling some Mandoâa against your hair with another warriorâs snore. You were still decently lubed with yesterdayâs happy fun times, and you slid your thighs against each other to roll your coils around the deliciously thick spear you now had sheathed in you.
His warm, velvety length sat perfectly in your hearth, sending plumes of heat spreading through your body. You were nice and toasty now, snuggled under the wooly blanket and squashed between the snorers on either side of your body. Din sighed in his sleep and let himself be still, keeping his cock warm in the blessed heat of your core. You could feel him, not just as the human blanket impression that he was doing wrapped around your body, but also between your legs, the gentle thrum of his heartbeat felt inside and out; and the slow, steady rhythm put you to sleep in seconds.
~
Thirsty.
Din was thirsty, the dryness in his mouth waking him up from the most wonderful dream. In his nectar-addled mind he was making love to you on some lush, sundrenched world while the setting sun lit up like a halo behind you. Your legs had been thrown over his hips while you rode him, the swell of your pregnant belly sitting heavily on his abdomen. What a sight she is! Maker above truly there can be no other creature as beautiful as her. In his dreamscape his words were distant, but he remembered telling you how much he loves you, how much he will love your younglings, how proud he is to be your husband. He watched awestruck as you crested above him over and over again like a ship breaking the waves, mighty and unyielding as a galleon in a storm.
He didnât want to wake up from that perfect vision, but the feeling of his tongue sticking to his teeth forced his eyes open. You were pressed so close to his chest he couldnât tell where he ended and you began, and he carefully slid his hand down your arm to find the foundling nestled against your chest. When did he get in bed? Din didnât remember you getting up, and he knew he had left the child in his pram right before the ambrosia took control. I must be sleeping heavier than I realize.
Bantha wool brushed against his arms while he let his free hand roam, sliding his rough palm over your soft skin. He made a loop from the sides of your hips, up the curves of your waist, and down your arms to the foundling again; running his thumb over the long green ears of his adopted son and smiling at the gentle coo noise that came from under your chin. How did he get so lucky to have the two most precious creatures in the entire galaxy right there in his arms? He kissed the back of your head, the movement reminding him what had woken him up in the first place, thirsty.
Din carefully started to pull himself upright, only to find himself stuck, and he shuddered at the sensation of discovering what else he had slept through. Brows knit together, he blinked and squinted in the dark down the curve of your spine to where he was buried to the hilt between your legs, wondering if he was still dreaming. How rude of me, hasnât she had enough of that? Hot embarrassment scalded his cheeks as he tried to work himself out of your silken folds, but the squeeze that you bore down to keep him in place had him biting his lip to keep from moaning out loud. Stars aboveâŚ
Gently he slid himself out, torn between trying not to wake you and desperately needing to free his wandering cock. Fuck though you were so warm, and wet⌠wonderfully wet. Heâd nearly pulled his length free when you shuffled in your sleep and stuffed your ass back against him, and the groan that broke its way out of his throat couldnât be suppressed, the heat of it fanning steam against your hair. He bit down hard on his tongue and tugged his cock out, wincing from the quick draw.
Din pressed a chapped kiss to the side of your head and snuck himself out of the sleeping nook you both shared. It was frigid inside the ship, and the cold air that circulated in through the damaged air ducts stung against his flesh. Silent as a lothcat he slinked to the fresher, and the first thing that caught his attention was the sound of the automated cleaning unit spinning round. It had nearly finished its cycle, and he smiled a little sheepishly at the pile of trinkets that heaped out of the sink.
He picked a kraytâs tooth out of the pile, slowly running his thumb over the intricate patterns carved into the opalized bone with a lopsided grin on his face. My riddur. Pushing the rest of the items aside, he carefully turned the faucet and filled a mug. She must have gotten up at some point then. Din sipped quietly at the chilled water, watching the laundry spin round and round in the hazy lights. I wonder why, itâs not like her to wake up in the middle of the night. He giggled to himself in the dark, that woman sleeps through everything, including me.
His brain was slowly coming out of power-saving mode, and the reason for the clothes needing to be washed gooped its way into his frontal lobe. Quarry. A weird mix of emotions sloshed its way through him, first and foremost was rage. Knuckles cracked in his tightening fist, Iâll strangle whoever commissioned that bounty, there was definitely some need-to-know information missing from that fucking puck!
Gross jealousy sizzled behind his eyes at the thought of what that thing did to his wife, followed by a shudder at what it might have done to him. He took another swig, the ice water burning on the way down, at least sheâs not hurt. She actually looked like she enjoyed it. A new heat made itself known across his cheeks, what had that looked like before I showed up, I wonder?
His shaft had just started to cease its midnight delinquency, only to perk right back up at the thought of the show he had missed out on. He shook his head and strode over to a mangled locker, finding himself some long johns to pull up and contain himself with. But the thought wouldnât leave him, that thing had literally fucked you fuller than his wildest dreams. Lust tangled with envy in his chest, between the image of that thing pumping you full and the memory of what it had filled you with he was starting to sweat. But both feelings lost against the ultimate competitor: fear.
What if sheâs in pain?
Suddenly fear crept its way to his throat, tasting like bile on the back of his tongue. That was a lot to take in at once, what if thatâs why she got up to dig through the pockets, to find some bacta for her sore stomach? The sweat on his brow turned to ice, maybe it wasnât your stomach that hurt. He cast a glance over to where you still laid with your baby, curled up in a protective ball around him. She would have told me if she was in pain though, right? One thing he knew for sure about you was that you were stubborn, and you usually chose the âsuck it upâ route over asking for help. Help. I should help! Iâm a good helper!
Downing his drink he dug through another cabinet, trying to stay quiet as he did; though probably more so for the foundling than for the bantha he bed with. He found one of the big tubes of bacta salve that he kept for emergencies, forgoing using one of the e-bacta shots he kept for emergency emergencies. Tube in hand, he slid back into bed behind you, carefully bunching the blanket over your side so you wouldnât get cold. He warmed a big glob of bacta between his palms and slowly massaged it over your tummy, trying not to get it on the blanket or the foundling as his fingers kneaded the soft, supple flesh.
Bacta was a strange marvel of science, and maybe a little bit of magic. With enough of it you could patch a wound or heal a burn, and Din hoped that if he slathered enough of it on it would soak into your guts and fix anything that might be broken. This is mine, and I must protect it. Protect her. You grumbled in your sleep at the sensation of the medicinal salve, but your eyes stayed closed, allowing your riduur to lovingly caress at your precious belly. Never hurts to be cautious.
When heâd finished his administrations he wiped the remaining bacta off on his under-armor, trying to clean the ointment off his fingers before they went numb. Squeezing himself back into place along your spine, he burrowed his nose in your hair and sighed deeply, letting the scent of you fill his lungs. I told you I would bring you the stars, my love, I can bring you bacta as well. His adoration for his lifemate lead his lucid mind back to the dreams he had left, and he curled himself around you and the foundling as he drifted back to sleep.
~
âElectrical?â
âUp and running, seventy-eight percent capacity.â
A frosty morning had greeted you in the bottom of the glacial basin you were still stuck in, though hopefully not for much longer. Ship repairs had been finished to the best of both your abilities, and you were scurrying from task to task, helping Mando make the final prep checks before you hobbled your way off of fabulous vacation destination: Hoth. You had woken up that day feeling like a fat, lazy lothcat all curled up on your bunk, comfy and warm in a pile of bantha wool.
âComms?â
âOperational, for now. Might lose those when we break the stratosphere, though.â
A mug of hot, watery caff had been waiting for you in the nervous hands of your re-armored riddur, and youâd drank it like youâd been stranded in the desert for days. Heâd watched you eagerly, those honeywell depths of his full of curiosity and reverence, never leaving your form until youâd emptied your mug. Din had offered you another, and three more times you drank it down. Thirsty.
âCabin pressure?â
âHolding!â
Still covered in the bacta you had been slathered in while you slept, youâd finally gotten to do the repairs on the shipâs exterior like you had planned to. The foundling was left on the flight deck, and you would wave to him through the transparisteel while you were on the roof. The pair of you gave it everything you had to piece the broken bird back together, but you had been right in your assumptions that an actual mechanic would be needed to suture the gashes that still twisted the iron flesh of the Razor Crest. Hyperdrive was too much of a risk to take in such a condition, and you would be holed up in the crowded cockpit until you were able to limp your way to the nearest station.
âNavigation?â
âFunctional, sortaâŚâ
âRadar?â
âHot garbage.â
Everything you didnât want to lose to the vacuum of space had to be moved into the upper deck. Weapons and quarries and all the amenities that made space travel bearable had to be crammed into the auxiliary space between the flight deck and the fuselage access door, leaving very little room for the living creatures that called the Razor home.
âWhatâs our offensive capabilities?â
âZilch, unless you wanna roll down a window and we can shoot at whatever comes our way.â
âFucking fantastic.â
This would be dangerous. Your forecanons were mangled, curling upwards like a pair of tusks from the mechanical beast. The blackmarket blaster cannons would probably need to be replaced, though the last dredges of your credits would have to go towards the ship itself.
âFoundling?â
âSnacking! Want a biscuit? Theyâre double chocolate.â
â...Yeah. Thank you cyare.â
Din stuffed the cookie in his mouth and pulled his helmet back down, signaling the start of the launch sequence. Your checklist was complete, and you made to buckle yourself and the foundling down to enjoy your pile of trip snacks when a heavily armored paw caught your arm. âHow are you? You havenât said anything about⌠the encounter.â
You shrugged, truth be told you were fine, though you werenât sure if your âencounterâ had left you numb or if it was the ridiculous amount of bacta you had been drenched in while you slept; but either way you were just dandy. If anyone was still reeling from the events in the creeping reef, it was him.
âIâm alright, fussbucket. Really!â You curled your lips with a sneer, âWanna open the thermos? Take a sniff?â
âNo! Keep that damn thing locked up, if anything just so it doesnât dry out. When we turn that fucking puck in Iâm going to strangle whoever commissioned itâŚâ Rage quaked his shoulders, but he shook the fury off, bringing his attention back to you. âDo you need more bacta?â
âNo I do not need any more bacta! I feel like a damn stifling Iâm so slimy. Do we even have any left over?â He gave a half-assed shrug, and you added bacta salves to your mental grocery list. His gloved hands fidgeted against his armrests, and you reached out to squeeze one. âHow about you, are you alright?â
âFine.â came a curt reply, quick and decisive and obviously a lie. âFineâ was a four-letter-word as far as you were concerned, but it would have to do for now. You could discuss whatever was bugging him more in depth when your ship wasnât threatening to fly apart at the seams and you were off of this frozen hell-hole.
âIf you say so.â You tugged his hand to you and gave it a long, strong kiss. He pulled your hand back to him almost too quickly, knocking your knuckles against the brow of his helmet. A foolish tug of war ensued, both of you trying to keep the otherâs hand for themselves. Neither of you won the battle, opting to just lace your fingers in the space between the two chairs and let your hands hang together. He was motionless besides the gentle roll of his thumb over your knuckles, and the tension in the air gave you the feeling he wanted to say something, but a final squeeze was given before he returned to the steering controls. Later.
âAlright, starting engine sequence.â Rocketeer extraordinaire, your Mandalorian fired up the old ship, carefully taking her through her paces. âRouting power to main ion accelerators⌠now.â The turbines that jutted out from the shipâs sides sputtered and roared, backfiring so loudly that chunks of ice fell from above and crashed into the window. Mando cursed under his breath and eased off the accelerator, flipping a handful of switches and gently pushing the joystick forward again. The engines spooled back up, barking out a few more explosions in protest before they were chugging away.
âYeah thatâs not terrifying or anything.â You held your hands over the foundlings ears, trying to protect his sails from the noise. The child was happily distracted by the crumbly snack he was working on, and glanced up at you with eyes too big for his head. Out the window you could see one of the offending engines, sparks splashing out over the patch job the two of you had made. âCome on baby girl, you can do it! Booger, help me out.â You held your hands out in front of you and waggled your fingers at the engine, and the foundling did his best to copy you without dropping his snackies.
Your combined sparkle fingers must have worked, because a final -kErPlOw- rocked the boat to her core before she was lifting off from the ground. As dainty as a cement mixer full of bricks she rose through the cerulean cathedral, shaking snow and ice from her iron mane. The Mandalorianâs grip on the steering controls creaked when she tilted to one side, listing unevenly while he tried to level her out. Slowly she ascended, and soon the -KaRunCh!- of the frozen ceiling hitting the roof echoed threateningly in the cabin. Just a bit moreâŚ
The breach fell away beneath you, a dark, jagged stain on an otherwise pristine sheet that blazed with the fading sunset. The ice plains of Hoth spiraled away until you were in the clouds, crystals freezing on the window as you started to break through the atmosphere. The Crest rebelled, shuddering and creaking as she bullied her way through. Over the roar of the engines you could hear the sound of your heartbeat, galloping like a fathier while you clutched the foundling to your chest. He didnât give a royal fuck, and you wondered just how much bullshit heâd gone through before you met.
The shuddering stopped when you broke the exosphere, and you watched the secretive ice planet glide out of view. Ideally you would have flown to an on-world shipyard to get repairs, but aside from the âfriendsâ youâd made, there was no sentient life left on the forsaken snowball. The Empire had seen to that. Your star maps indicated that there was an outpost near the systemâs rim, but traveling under the speed of light meant you would be on the proverbial road for almost a cycle. At least you had good company.
Sorta. The foundling was a riot, and the two of you sat on the floor and played with the little silver ball that usually screwed onto one of the levers, rolling it back and forth trying to score âgoalsâ against the other; and you were losing by a landslide. Your pilot on the other hand was dead quiet, focused intently on getting to the station. It was just as dangerous not to be in hyperspace as it was to be, though for entirely different reasons. The streaking stars could rip you to pieces if you got your math wrong, but taking a leisurely stroll through the void could make you an easy target for roving outlaws.
The foundling grew bored of the ball game eventually and wandered over to his papa, who pulled the silly creature into his lap to look out at the unmoving stars. The child went right for the flashy buttons on the dash, earning himself a weak scolding and unfortunately inventing himself a new game: bug dad! So many buttons, so many choices! What does this one do? How âbout this one? Oooooh, levers! Tiny green paws raised hell from his perfect perch until the metal monolith sighed and hugged the baby tight, making the tiny terror gibber grumpily at his living prison.
âThatâs enough, womp rat, we donât need to crash a second time.â Though he was trying to be stern, Mando couldnât help but bounce the baby on his knee, making the child giggle sweetly. You glanced quickly at the star maps before joining your crew, noting the distance you had put between here and Hoth and how much further you had to go. There were a few orbits you would have to pass through before you got to the station, and you made a mental note of a planet that seemed to mark the halfway point of your journey.
You joined your boys at the front of the flight deck, lazily draping your arms over your oathswornâs shoulders and patting the baby on the head. Din leaned his helmet into the crook of your neck while you tried to teach the foundling how to play patty-cake. âOk hands up, lemme see your- there we go. Hold your paws up like this...â You clapped your hands together and slowly patted the childâs palms in turn, âSay, say oh play-mate, come out and play with meâŚâ
Beans gibbered and laughed, though he wasnât able to follow along very well, but as long as he was having fun then so were you. You finished a round and grabbed Dinâs gloved mitts, holding on to his wrists and making him play with the baby too. He huffed against you, but your ears had long since learned to tell the difference between a disgruntled huff and a contented sigh.
A handful of road trip games ensued until the child yawned, and the two adults yawned with him. Din passed the baby off to you, insisting that he take the first watch and that he would wake you when you were closer to the planet that marked the half-way point.
Snuggled up with the foundling you had yourself a catnap, though more to pass the time than to actually rest. You were dreaming about a parade of Ewoks in funny hats when you felt something tug on your leg. Opening sleep-crusted eyes you squinted at the visor that was in your line of sight and grumbled, âAre we there yet?â
A warm laugh rumbled his beskar, âNo, but thereâs something I want you to see. Look.â He cocked his head towards the front window, and you followed his gaze to see the jaw dropping view spread out against the transparisteel. You had traveled space for many moons, seen countless wonders that many a spacer had written odes to, but the ships you sailed on rarely got so close to a gas giant as big as this.
It was massive, clouds the color of a raging wildfire swirling over its surface, a fireball of reds and golds that overtook the starry backdrop it hung against in a blaze of glory. A broad splotch of crimson smeared over the atmosphereâs surface, a storm the size of a hundred worlds. Though the celestial sphere was a beauty on itâs own, its crowning jewel was the expansive ring that curled around it. Thousands of miles wide, the glittering bands of ice and nebular material shimmered in the distant light of the star that the planet orbited, and only got brighter as your ship glided closer.
Your captain brought the old gunship in smoothly until the belted disk was directly beneath you, and at this range the rings spread out to infinity on either side of the window from the radiant planet to the void of space; chunks of quartz and silica flashing like flames with the reflection of the gas giant as they disappeared under your keel.
The faint whirring of the shipâs innards didnât do the scene justice, though her engines seemed to be tuned to a specific note that started a symphony between your ears that soon grew an entire orchestra for your thoughts alone. The rings of the world before you would serve as the staff that the notes rested on for your celestial song, and you let your own mind be the maestro to lead it.
A swell of strings, clear and mellow would rise to the occasion, lifted by a deep harmony of bass. Bows slide over the strings of oaken cellos, low, slow and strong, their notes as rich as gold. Like an outstretched hand their swells beckon a viola to dance. High and fast, beating like a hummingbird's heart. One two three, one two, one two three, one two. Step, slide, spin, throw! The notes become a ballet, the viola pirouettes, leaping from the arms of her cello she soars! Cosmic wings unfurled like solar sails she climbs, higher and higher, her flight sending a meteor shower down to fall on a brassy percussion that serenades the stars.
A minor chord summons the viola back to grace the stage, and she bows before the major key returns victorious. A woodwind competes with the melody, a challenge of fire and ice, knives of frost and bolts of lightning. A rise like a comet burning through the atmosphere fills the astral amphitheater as the polyphonic harmony blends into one single sound. A crescendo blooms the symphony away into the depths of space, and it fades from your thoughts to herald the planetâs dawn to the unending corners of the Universe, pouring like molten gold.
Magnificent.
Spellbound by the music that never met your ears, you were almost startled to feel a gloved hand settle on your arm; careful not to disturb the foundling that you still cradled. You peeled your eyes away from the window to meet with the tilted visor of your companion, giving him a sheepish little smile when you realized he had been watching you. With one hand still on the steering he brushed the backs of his knuckles against the skin of your arm, and you adjusted the sleepy green baby to let one of your hands find your husbandâs.
Din tugged gently on your hand and bid you to him until you were seated across his lap in the way you sometimes rested together. Leaning your head against his beskar, you cuddled the foundling and watched the enormous span of rings flow under you. Din only needed one hand to drive, the other wrapped protectively around your back to hug you tight. There was no reason for him to be this close to the planetâs rings, you realized, he had chosen to bring the ship in, just for you to see.
Or maybe just to see you see.
âThank you.â You whispered against the armor where his ear should be, pressing a kiss to the cool metal as you did. âItâs beautiful.â
âNot as beautiful as you, meshâla.â
Youâd left your own beskar by your seat, so there was no chime when you knocked your brow against the side of his beskar, but he rumbled against you anyway. With a flick of his wrist he angled the Crest through a thin patch in the ring, flipping the disk over your head. The artificial gravity in the ship was the only source of relativity in the vastness of space, and the change in position gave you a slight sense of vertigo now that you appeared to be flying upside down. The Mandalorian could probably thread the old ship through the rings more adventurously if the busted bird was in better shape, but for now just a few dips would do.
The ship breached back up through the rings once more like a durasteel whale, sailing towards the black smear where the planet blocked the closest starlight from reaching the disk. The shadow of the sphere draped over the rings ahead of you, a blanket of night on an otherwise glaring garter of galactic glitter. Your ship coasted into the umbral shadow, making the daylight side of the planet fade into a sliver of light, eclipsing the stars with a ring of fire. The darkness made the belt nearly invisible, but the stars above glittered brighter than ever against the backdrop of the void.
Youâd nearly cleared the dark side when something else glittering caught your eye. Against the black, starless space where the planet was something shimmered.
Something metallic.
From out of the celestial giantâs shadow a wide-winged ship soared out of the umbral cast, the distant starlight shining brightly on its copper-colored hide. A sleek aerofoil, long and flat like a manta ray with a wide receiving port on its bow coasted towards you, casting its own shadow over the planetâs rings. The grip on your back tightened, and a low growl reverberated through the iron underneath you. Youâve got company.
A red light began flashing on the comms panel, announcing that you were being hailed. âThe fuck do they want?â You stood up from your armored seat and made to hit the open frequencies button when an armored paw stopped you.
âWhat are you doing? We have enough to deal with.â His voice was level and cold, commanding like a captainâs should be, and the rasp of it almost made you want to be complicit at his orders. He wasnât wrong though, you had no guns and barely a ship to sail in, the last thing you needed to do right now was make friends.
You glared at the blank radar screen, giving it a bit of percussive maintenance until the nearby ship flashed to life on the green and yellow field. âHunk of junk! So what, we're just going to ignore them?â A single stiff nod was your only reply, but the comms light kept flashing away. If they were in distress then they were shit out of luck, because fuck, so were you.
The blinker on the dash was joined by another, more ominous blare: enemy targeting systems locked on. âShit balls of hell, Din, theyâre going to shoot us! Fucking answer them!â
He slammed down on his only option, the busted communications transmitter sputtering to life with a maliciously friendly voice. âGreetings and salutations! You lost, friend? Nobody comes âround these parts, especially at such a leisurely pace as you! Donâtcha know how dangerous it is through this system? Weâd be happy to⌠escort you out of the area...â
âNo, thank you.â Din barked into the microphone, âWe have everything under control.â
âOh do ya now? I reckonâ by the looks oâ that hackjob holdinâ yer fuselage together Iâd say you were in quite a pickle. Havenât you heard thereâs pirates in this neck oâ the woods?â
Pirates. Of course thereâs pirates. Your armored companion growled low in his throat, the timbre of it making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. These spacers were threatening his crew, and to him and his Creed that was an act of war. He cleared the venom from his throat before opening the receiver again. âWe can handle it, please go about your business.â
The copper rayâs propulsion engines flared as it drifted closer to your ship until it was nearly on top of her, drifting along just behind your stern and casting shadows over your wings. Big. The Crest was nothing to scoff at, but the monstrosity that floated over top of your little old lady could swallow her alive.
It just might.
The voice on the other end chuckled darkly. âAh but my friend thatâs where youâre mistaken, yâsee, helping others is our business! And business is boominâ!â
-CruNcHa-krUnCH!-
The rancorous words were articulated with the destruction of something striking your already damaged wings. From the jagged maw on the front of the ray a pair of vicious grapples had coiled around the stinted wings of the Crest, sinking their teeth into her wounded flesh. The old girl lurched when the lines were pulled taut, the screams of twisted durasteel echoing loudly behind the blast doors that protected you from the vacuum of space. Mando swore, âFucking pirates! As if there isnât enough bullshit going on-â
You cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. âLet me take the comms, I might be able to negotiate something.â
âIâve heard your negotiating, I donât think thatâll help us right-â
âJust let me try? We donât have much in the way of options.â
For a moment he was still as a statue, then he gave the faintest nod. âAlright.â
You cleared your throat and took a long, deep breath, switching into your best communications mode. âThis is the co-captain speaking, We have nothing of value on this ship or anything that would be of use to-â
âNow, listen âere, missy, I know bounty hunter sigils when I see them. Hand over your quarries and your credits and maybe we wonât clip your wings!â
âAs previously stated we are not carrying anything of value, including quarries. We were engaged in a skirmish planetside that rendered our ship unfit for hunting. Release our ship and we will exit your domain posthaste.â Ugh, I hate using this voice.
The pirate was silent for a time, then a slow, malicious laugh rumbled through the comms.
âThen I guess weâre taking your weapons as consolation! Prepare to be boarded, bilgerat!â
Fucksake is it that obvious?! Auxiliary jets fired on the grappleâs edges, adding power to the winch aboard the rayship, and the Razor was dragged backwards against the pull of her engines. The wounded bird sputtered and died from the strain, giving up the ghost as the cutthroats hauled her towards the open hangar. You watched as a bluish field slipped over the rounded window, the edge of a magcon field that protected the maw. Your ship wasnât just being boarded, it was being captured.
The Crest was swallowed whole by the assailing ship, and in a few more seconds your ship was dropped unceremoniously to the floor when the artificial gravity kicked on inside the hanger you now found yourselves in. More screeching metal told you that some of your patchwork had been ripped back open in the hold below. Well fuck, there goes our motherfucking repairs.
âDamn it!â Mando roared, âI thought you said you could negotiate?!â
âI did my fucking best, ok?! I didnât see you coming up with anything better!â Ahead of you the jaws of the hangar snapped closed, trapping your ship inside the belly of the beast. You scurried back to your seat, grabbing your armor and your guns. âIf itâs a fight they want, then itâs a fight theyâll get! We can handle Imps and poachers, I think we can handle some motherfucking pirates, donât you?â Your armored companion nodded sharply, rising from his seat and drawing his blasters; slamming a fresh cartridge into each one.
âI donât care how many there are, theyâre not getting you or our foundling.â His growl made you shudder, and a nagging thought in the back of your head wondered if you would ever get used to how scary he was sometimes. Mandalorians were drop-dead lethal, and this hunk of metal was no different. Good thing heâs on your side. He snapped his wrist, making an array of lights pop out of a conical prong that jutted off of the vambrace. âI have spoken.â
âCool.â Beskar slid over your face, replacing your vicious grin with Mandalorian steel. You made to hide the foundling in his pram when something on Mandoâs belt caught your eye.
Something red.
Something flashing.
Fast.
You tore his cloak out of the way to yank the flashing bounty fob off of his belt. This is what you get for not checking your pucks! It wasnât often that quarries just delivered themselves to you, but at least that meant you might save yourselves some fucking fuel. You dug through his pouch to get the accompanying puck, but before you could find out exactly who aboard this copper coated colossus you were hunting, the light on the comms panel flashed again, this time with a secondary light: incoming holo.
Mando slammed down on the receiver, making an image flicker to life where only a voice had once transmitted. A tiny ghost arose from the dashboard, showing the image of a tall, overly dressed Togruta woman. She very much looked the part of âspace pirateâ in her complicated overcoat that stretched past her knees and the bandanas tied around her montrals and lekku. She was crisscrossed in holsters and belts that were straining under the weight of all the armaments she carried, from blasters to vibros and everything in between. Show off.
Her voice was clear now that your fucked-up transmitters were in such conveniently close range. âHello hunters, put down your-â
âYou listen here,â Din snarled, his teeth biting down on his venomous words. âYouâve made a big mistake, capturing my ship, putting my family in danger-â
Aww he said family. You peeked around your bristling oathsworn to brandish a pistol at the miniature maiden that was making demands of you, but your phantasmal orchestra started to ring the bells of familiarity between your ears. Din was still going off like a Nexu firing his verbal barbs, and it took several good shoves to move him out of the way so you could get a better look at your host.
Though the blue light of the holoprojector gave her a monochrome appearance, her lavender skin and tall swirled montrals were still clearly visible. She smiled arrogantly at your tilted armor, making her sharp fangs glitter like polished pearls and rolling her cheeks right up into her sapphire eyes. It can't beâŚ
You slid your armor to the top of your head, bunching your brows at the tiny, noble-birthed face until they were nearly dancing off of your forehead.
"Alewyn?â
The pirate princess cocked her head, and the whites of her facial markings went wide around her pedigree eyes. âNo fucking way!â Her melodic voice chimed with a laugh, âHunter! Long time no see! What in Makerâs mishaps are you doin' out here?"
"I could ask you the same fuckinâ thing! Hey don't shoot me I'm comin' out!" You could hear Alewyn yelling at her crew to stand down as she hung up on you, and you stood with hands on your hips and a big stupid grin on your face. "How the fuckâŚ"
Behind you Mando was staring at you with that black hole gaze of his, his visor tilted with confusion. "Friend of yours?"
You nodded "You could fuckin' say that!" You scooped up the foundling and patted your partner on the shoulder, trying to be reassuring. It took him a few good breaths to clear the adrenaline from his veins, though his shoulders still jutted wide like he was ready to tackle the entire galaxy to defend his clan. Another twist of his wrist had the little explosives on his vambrace tucking themselves away, and he watched you disappear down the ladder first before following suit.
The Crest's ramp chuggered as it opened, sticking halfway down and forcing you to jump off of it to escape. Your boots hit the hangar floor, putting you in front of almost a dozen of the most ragtag looking bunch of scoundrels you'd ever seen. They were a myriad of species, from Twi'leks to humans and even a Gungan for fucks sake, but what struck you as oddest of all was that they were all ladies. Ferociously armed to the teeth, the gaggle of gals murmured amongst themselves before a loud, commanding voice soared over their heads.
"Move aside you bunchâa blaggards! Lemme greet my guestsâŚâ The crowd parted, allowing the newcomer to saunter between them. Long, lavender-swirled montrals waggled on top of the well-dressed and well-armed lady who was making her grand entrance, and you couldnât help but stare. She walked with an undeniable air of nobility that couldnât be hidden even by her swashbuckling swagger, the strength of her bloodline showing through even at her most roguish. She swung her arms wide as she rushed you, âHunter! It is you! Canât get enoughâa me can you?â
"Alewyn! If you wanted to see me again you could have just called!" You took her wild-armed hug with gusto, ignoring the many pokes of the blades you both carried. Stars above, of all the strangers in the galaxy youâd run headfirst into the one and only Princess Alewyn of Shimi, the Togruta woman who you had let escape your bounty so many moons ago. Freeing her had sullied your reputation with the Guild and put a hefty price on your head that had led the most fearsome bounty hunter in the parsec to your doorstep, and eventually into your heart. You had a lot to thank her for, but for both your safeties it was best that you never saw each other again. Yet here she was, decked out in blasters and blades, surrounded by a wild pack of pirates that she no doubt led as their captain. Good for her.
She squeezed you tight, making the child that you had tucked under your arm grunt in protest. The captain stood back from you to get a look at the creature you carried.
"What in blue blazesâs that thing? Itâs cute!â She reached out and ran her thumbs over the child's long green ears and pinched his chubby face, making him fuss and bat his tiny paws at her. âAw Iâm sorry pumpkin, I didnât mean to upset you! My baby girl is so roughân tumble I forget littleâuns are sâposedâta be soft. Sheâd loveâta play with you though!â
Thatâs right! The last time you had seen Alewyn she was defending her swollen belly, ready to shoot you dead if you tried to stop her egress. Your big mean bounty hunter heart couldnât take the idea of a mother not being able to raise her youngling, and youâd given up your own ship so she could escape. How time flies.
âAlewyn, this is my boy.â You covered his ears, âHeâs adopted.â The princess snickered at the obviousness of your statement, but the mirth quickly left her face at the sound of armored thunder dropping down off of the ramp behind you. Her lovely eyes did their best to hide the terror on her face as the Mandalorian you traveled with sauntered up behind you. âAnd this,â you made a grand gesture of waving at the mountain of living beskar, âIs my partner. Life partner.â You grabbed his hand and threaded your fingers through his, making his helmet tilt just slightly on an otherwise stiff stance.
âWell aâll be damned, youâve been busy! But I guess... so have I!â The captain threw her hands in the air, and the crew around her cheered. âAlright you lot! Showâs over, weâll not be rescuing anything other than these two guttersnipes from that ship.â The fem fatales groaned and roared, laughing and shouting in a multitude of galactic obscenities as they wandered away.
You cocked a hip, jutting your baby out on one side and stabbing your hand to the other with an air of indignation. âRescuing? You nearly tore our wings off! What kind of rescue operation are you running here?â
Alewyn laughed, bright and chipper. âLetâs just say all bounties arenât warranted, I should know! Come on, I want you to meet my wife and daughter and the rest of my crew. I can tell you more over some spicewine. Welcome aboard the Sunskate!â She stuck her hand out to you, tugging on you so hard you almost keeled over. You cast a wayward smile over your shoulder at your husband as you were led over the hangar floor to one of the corridors that branched off of the open space. He sighed and looked back forlornly the busted body of the Crest before dutifully following along.
A multitude of crewmates scurried around you as you made your way through the ship on the arm of the pirate princess, listening to her tell you all about her travels. â-and then my dad said âWynnie you disgrace this family with the company you keep! You will marry the duke and stop this nonsenseâ blah blah blah.â She made talking motions with her hand, bobbling her montrals with sassy head tilts. âAnd I said fuck you dad! Iâm in love and nothinâs gonna keep us apart!â Course daddy wasnât gonna have noneâo that, sending fuckinâ hunters after his own daughter.â The sting in her voice was obvious on that last word, anger and pain enunciating her words. âBut you know what they say, love conquers all, yeah?â
âYeah!â You squeezed the foundling under your arm, bringing him in range of a kiss. The sound of armored footfalls echoed behind you, your oathsworn keeping a polite distance. The winding corridors of the Sunskate flowed more organically than anything built on Corellia, and eventually they led you to a recreational space where more of the pirate crew were talking and eating. At the center of the group was another Togruta, this one a gradient from navy blue to bright sunshine yellow. On her knee a tiny cotton-candy colored baby nibbled on the womanâs lekkus, adding fresh marks to her already scarred tendrils.
The infant noticed your approach first, throwing her chubby arms up in the air and flashing her razor sharp teeth in a smile a mile wide. Alewyn let go of your captured hand and strode to the pair. âThereâs my girls! Fae have you been trying to eat mamaâs lekku again?â Alewyn bent and picked up her daughter, peppering the gibbering baby with kisses before leaning down to kiss the other woman. âHello kitten, need me to kiss those, make them better?â
âWynnie you flirt!â The sunrise Torgruta laughed into the kiss that was being pressed to her lips. âCan you be professional for one second?â
âWould you love me if I was?â The princess chided, brushing her palm down the swell of the other womanâs lekku until she had the chewed-up tip of it in her hand. âFay-fay has done quite a number on these!â She pressed a kiss to the marked skin before turning back around to face you and your own crew. âLilah, youâre not gonna believe who we picked up! Itâs the hunter, the hunter! The one that spared me from carbonite back way back when.â
Lilah stood and reached for your hand, clasping your elbow as she shook it. âWell blow me down, I never thought Iâd get a chance tâthank you for what you did.â The handshake slid flawlessly into a brash hug, the air squashed from your lungs in the process. âThank you for giving me my Alewyn back, her father didnât exactly approveâa us.â She patted you on the back and held you out at arms length. âI donât sâppose you got a name now do ya, hunter?â
âMy name is Traâlaar!â You beamed, flexing the sound of your gifted name against new ears. At that Mando placed a hand on your shoulder, giving it a gentle pat before falling back down to his side. Lilahâs emerald eyes flickered between your face and the armored man standing at your side, then down to the baby that you carried in your arms.
âWell, Traâlaar, you gonna introduce those two?â
You knocked a knuckle against the beskar of your partner âOh sure, this is-â UhâŚ
âMando.â Din filled in the blank for you, sequestering his true name to be known by his clan alone. He stepped forward and gave a stiff, respectful handshake that made Lilahâs montrals whip with the strength of it. She laughed heartily at his uptight demeanor.
âSo, we got Traâlaar and Mando, whoâsâs lilâ guy? Whatâsâs name?â She gently took your foundling from you, and the change in the electricity in the air was palpable. At your side your oathsworn was bristling defensively under his armor, fighting the urge to pull his child away from the stranger you so easily trusted with your precious cargo. You ignored Mr. Scary to ponder the question you had just been asked.
His name...?
HiS nAmE?!?!
Oh fuckadoodledoo! What a question! Nobody in your crew got called their own name that often, from cyare to tinman to Beans the Crest was full of fondly fabricated titles. Youâd just accepted it, using what Din called him: the foundling, the child, womp rat sometimes. You usually went for more adoring choices, beans and goobs and booger, but the child never had a real name.
How?! How does this child not have a fucking name?!
The gears in your head spun out of control, you canât tell these women that your baby's name is Booger! Shit fuck fuck fuck!! UuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhâŚ
You stared at the child, meeting his nebulous eyes with your own distressed gaze. He tilted and blinked at you as though he could hear the machinations in your head melting together with the friction of them grinding to a halt. Your thoughts went wild, the musicians in your mind dropping their instruments and tripping over their own feet, crashing cymbals and tooting horns in cacophony of confusion.
Green Beans⌠Goober⌠Booger...Grooboog⌠Groobeans... Grooberoo... Grober GroâŚ
âGrogu.â You didnât break eye contact with the child, watching as his cosmic orbs lit up like fireworks. âThis is our son, Grogu.â
Fucking Maker are you kidding me?! Grogu?! What kind of-
âPatu!â The green terror shrieked in delight, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. He churruped and flailed in the wide blue palms of the Togruta woman that held him until she was passing him back off to you. He wiggled like a womp rat in a trap, flashing his tiny toothy grin at you while he wildly patted at your cheeks.
âIâm so sorry, thatâs a terrible name.â You whispered to him alone, but he took your whole face in his arms and squeezed, giving you little baby kisses that made your heart flood with warmth. The baby didnât usually do kisses, that was supposed to be your job. âDo you like that or something? Grogu?â The foundling kissed your nose and butt his forehead against your own,the most sacred show of love known to his clan, his family, and suddenly it just clicked.
Grogu.
You pulled the child to your chest, hugging him tight while you looked at your partner. He was motionless as always, a silver statue catching the fluorescent lights of the wardroom on his many plates. His visor tilted slowly, so imperceptibly slowly that only the light sliding over the black gloss of his singular eye gave away the movement at all. In that moment everything faded away. No more pirates, no more Alewyn and Lilah and pointy-fanged Fae, or their band of misfits. Even the Sunskate disappeared into the background noise of the universe. Nothing else existed except for you, your Mandalorian, and the foundling.
âGrogu?â
The name rasped out of the modulator with gravelly relevance, tentative and soft. Sailcloth ears perked up at hearing his papa repeat the ridiculous name you had bestowed, followed by a pair of fat grabby baby paws reaching towards the metal mountain. The potato sack of a child was passed again, this time into the armored embrace of his father where he could patta-patta on the indents of his cheeks.
âGroguâŚâ Mando spoke it again, lowering his brow to meet with the babyâs. Seeing the pair of them so close together in that moment almost made you melt into the floor, and you sighed heavily before turning back to your hosts, recomposing yourself.
âYep, themâs my boys. Mando and... Grogu.â You puffed yourself up, trying your fucking damndest to stay dignified. Alewyn snickered again, sweet and trilling as she leaned over to Lilah.
âHeâs adopted.â She whispered, making the other woman giggle as well.
âGood to know, I was starting tâwonder how Mando kept âis ears hidden under that helmetâa his.â Her laugh was warm and rich like aged whisky, reverberating around the rec-room. âWelp, you kids wanna stay for dinner?â
You thought back to the ruined ship that youâd left back in the hangar, not going anywhere any time soon. âYeah dinner sounds great, thanks.â You followed the pair of pirates to where the rest of the crewmates had gathered, preparing to take supper. Mouthwatering scents wafted from the galley while you made friends with the rest of the wild women, getting to know them between the uproars they frequently broke out into. They were rough, undisciplined, and unbelievably vulgar, and you loved every second of it. Though you had a family now, you never really had a people after you left your sailor life behind, but if you did, they would look just like this.
When dinner was served you nearly drooled on yourself, but you forwent eating to feed your son, opting to eat with your partner later. A bottle of spicewine was opened by your rambunctious hosts, and a tall goblet was filled for you more than once, so at least you werenât insulting them by not accepting any of their offerings. Grogu ate heartily, and in between his bites you spoonfed little Fae who sat in her mamaâs lap at the dinner table. Alewyn razzed you several times about not eating her chef's hard-cooked meal, and you slugged her playfully each time.
âSo whut, he donât take that thingâoff? Howâsâat work?â She said with a mouth full of food, swirling her fork in the air.
âWe make it work.â You scolded, and she shrugged.
âIsâe cute?â
Next to you Mando went stiff as a board, and you snorted a laugh, trying to hide your smile with a spoon. He gawked at you behind the visor, thankful that it hid his embarrassment so well.
âYeah heâs cute, I think so, anyway.â You poked at his armor with your spoon, earning yourself a trademark huff. He didnât say much for the remainder of the dinner, though your conversations with the runaway royal got progressively more invasive until you could feel the heat coming out from under his beskar.
âIs he human?â Yes
âDoes he have a nice ass?â Well obviously, look at it.
âIsâe good in bed?â Fucksake.
âDOES THE HELMET STAY ON?!â Alewyn!!
Lilah scraped her plate directly into her mouth and slammed it back down on the table. âWynnie leaveâem be! Look how fuckinâ red her face is, canât you tell youâre embarrassing her?â She laughed and shook her head, pouring herself another full glass. âSince yer not gonna eat then you better entertain. Tell me, hunters, do eitherâaâya know any songs?â
âDo I- do I know any songs?!â You sputtered, thankful for the rescue but feeling just as indignant. Jumping up from your seat made you wobble a bit from the wine. âDo you know The Ballad of Transport Eighteen?â
Lilah nearly cackled, raising a glass and clearing her throat, âWe were thirty-eight crewmen on Transport Eighteen-â
You joined in: âThe hour was late and the talk was obscene!â
The towering Togruta stood up, one boot on her chair and one boot on the damn table, and you followed suit, singing the old sailor ditty in unison and waving your wine through the air.
âWhen the raiders streaked down and their bright lasers cut, some twenty-odd holes through her steel-plated gut!â
The noise the two of you made was absurd, and a handful of other cutthroats joined in with their own ragged voices. By the time you were to the second verse the walls of the Sunskate were ringing with your songs. When youâd finished Ballad, another pirate stood and started up a shanty that you didnât know, and you did a silly little dance that you were finally getting to learn a new song or two.
Most of the ladies had songs of their own, but after several rounds you were so shitfaced on spicewine that you couldnât remember them if you tried. But what you could do, at least what the wine told you that you could do, was dance! You swung Grogu around in your arms, kicking your feet and prancing around the room with the rest of the swashbucklers. A bug-eyed Rodian whipped out an instrument that resembled an accordion, pumping out an upbeat ditty that had the whole room stomping. Lilah took Grogu in her arms, holding him next to Fae while you danced with Alewyn, the two of you knocking elbows and spinning one way and then the other, laughing like schoolgirls the whole way.
The shanty slowed way down, letting some of the gals catch their breath or get another swig of ale. You took your son and the Togrutan youngling in your arms so that the captain could dance with her wife. With a babe under each arm you swayed over to your partner, who had only been tapping his foot along to the beat. You dipped Grogu to him, then Fae, swaying in time with the music. Mando brushed a gloved palm over his son's wrinkly little head when it came back to him, tilting his helmet softly.
Fae yawned and rubbed her emerald eyes, and Grogu followed suit. You danced over to where a padded bucket seat was, setting the two younglings down so they could rest and you could free your hands. Sauntering back to your tinman, you took his hands in yours and pulled.
âMando dance with me.â
He stayed firmly in his seat, âI.. I donât know how.â
âPff, neither do I, bucket boy. Just.. just get up here!â You yanked again, and this time he allowed you to pull him along. You held his hands and did your own dance, using him like a mannequin to hold one of his hands up in the air and spin underneath it. He barely moved, too nervous to show any softness in such company. The slow dance started to near its completion, and you moved one of Dinâs hands to your waist, lacing your fingers between the other and leaning in close to his audio intake. âHey, remember that âcourtship ritualâ you tried on me the other day?â
Heat radiated out from the beskar you were pressed against, any hotter and you could cook an egg on it. âY-yeahâŚâ
A catty smile crept over your face, âThink you can do it again? Iâll say when.â He was still for a moment, then nodded faintly. You waltzed around him slowly in time with the music, doing the dancing for the both of you until the final stanza was being played. Pressing yourself as close to his body as you could so you would only have to whisper, you met his visor with your own gaze. â...now!â
The arm on your waist went tight, and the one holding your hand twirled you around until you were parallel to the floor, earning a slew of cheers and whistles from the schnockered swashbucklers. Youâd known the dip was coming, but your face flushed beet red anyway, and you fought the urge to knock his helmet off and kiss him right then and there. He seemed to feel the same longing, his breath catching in his modulator above you and making his chest heave. You could just imagine it, the feel of his plush lips against yours, the heat of his kiss on your face and the softest touch of his tongue making its way past your teeth to find your own.
âLater.â He whispered, slowly spinning you back up to your feet. Blushing, you nodded, only now realizing that the music had stopped before you were standing back upright. Many eyes on you made your face burn until it was nearly melting off your skull, and you sheepishly looked to your hosts. The Togrutas were sitting back down, though Alewyn was using Lilah as a chair and playing with her lekku.
âYou two make quite a sight.â The captain purred, crossing her boots on the table. âMaybe you should get a room!â She shouted with a laugh that had the rest of the crew in an uproar. Inside you wanted to shrink away until you didnât exist anymore, but brashness and vulgarity came more naturally to you than cowardice.
âWe would, but somebody totalled my ship! Iâm lookinâ at you two tangle-heads.â You glowered at them with a cocky grin. Alewynâs chiming laugh coupled neatly with Lilah's oaken bass, perfectly in tune together. The pirate princess twirled the end of her wifeâs lekku between her fingers and fixed you with a playful glare.
âYeah yeah sorry âbout that. We can give ya a liftâta Elgon Station since itâs conveniently on the way. Weâre makinâ our way to Thrask to drop thatâun off.â Alewyn jabbed a thumb back over her shoulder at a short, pinkish frog woman who had been hiding back in the corner. Between her knees sat a large tankard filled with orangish orbs. The dainty woman croaked with surprise at being noticed finally, hugging her container a bit closer. âCanât get inâta hyperspace with that jugâo eggs sheâs got there. Theyâll pop.â
The ovatious reminder of your last hunt wormed a shiver up your spine, but you shook it off to throw your host a nod. âThanks, Alewyn, âpreciate it.â Your host hopped up from her lavish throne, slowly letting her wifeâs lekku fall from her hand as she sauntered to you. She reached for your hand and pulled you along behind her, asking you to walk with her through the Sunskate's corridors. Eventually you passed through a bulkhead to the flight deck of her ship, the transparisteel showing nothing but stars as far as the eye could see. A radar screen near the navigation panel blinked with a lazy yellow light, showing the location of Elgon Station where only void met your naked eye.
âHunter, I wanted to talk to you in private.â Her voice was level, and all traces of her raunchy, spacefaring, swashbuckling accent evaporated, and you were once again talking to the Queen-in-Waiting of Shimi. She didnât meet your eyes, her sapphire globes flitting between the stars ahead while she locked her elbow to yours. âRemember when we met? I was pregnant with Fae, on the run, just⌠just trying to get back to my LilahâŚâ Her voice trailed off at the memory. You nodded, but allowed her to continue without interruption. âIf it wasnât for you I wouldnât be standing here right now. Doing exactly what I want to do with my life. I wasnât cut out for nobility, no matter how badly daddy wanted me to be his perfect little princess, I just wasnât. He never did take that well.â
She forced a laugh, patting your forearm with her other hand to compose her thoughts. âFirst and foremost I wanted to tell you thank you,â She turned to meet your eyes with the jewels that sat in her orbits, their vibrancy shining with more stars than there were out the window. âSince that day weâve been living on the edge, just like I always dreamed of! Taking out hunter ships, sorry about that, by the way, and rescuing their quarries. That fucking Guild of yourâs is indiscriminate. Princesses, pirates, popes for fuckâs sake Iâm sure.â Her eyes rolled at her own joke. âNot all of them deserve to be carted off in carbonite. I certainly didnât.â
She took herself off of your elbow and held both of your hands, asking you to face her directly. âHunt- Traâlaar,â There was an edge of seriousness to her words now, sharp as a dagger with her noble voice. âIf you ever want to stop working for those quacta-kissing skuglords, you give me a call, ok? Youâre always welcome back aboard my ship. Could use a good pair of asskickers, and your baby boy too, of course.â
The smile on the lavender ladyâs face could melt Hoth with its warmth, and you let her pull you in for another hug. âYouâre welcome, Alewyn, and thank you for the offer.â You hummed against the side of her montral where an ear might be, though you couldnât be sure. âIâll⌠Iâll consider it.â
âFair enough.â She stepped back from you, holding you at arms length so you couldnât escape her eyes.
âAlewyn, were you on the comms? When you roped our ship?â She nodded. âHow⌠how did you know?â
Her head tilted. âKnow what?â
âThat⌠that I was a bilgerat.â You spat the word out like it was poison, but the captain only laughed.
âHalf of my crew were bilgies at some point, you get an ear for it after a while. Nobody else uses the word posthaste besides those that were raised as boat-brats.â You rolled your eyes at her, relieved and a little offended that she had clocked you so well. She saw your half-hidden embarrassment and decided to dig a little deeper, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. âIs he good to you?â
Her question caught you off guard, making your brows fly high and your cheeks flush. âY-yeah, heâs good to me. Thereâs a lot more to him than meets the eye, yâknow.â
âOh yeah? Like what?â
âLike⌠heâs sweet. And caring. And he loves that boy of ours, heâd die for either one of us, nearly has once or twice. Fuck me sideways youâre nosy!â
Her lilting laugh was bright as a fresh spring day, and just as sunny. âJust checking! You wouldnât believe some of the stories those women have told. Donât even get me started on that Gungan! Sheâs deadly, if you catch my drift.â She said with a wink and a laugh, though you werenât sure if you did. âBut seriously, if he treats you wrong you tell me and Iâll gut him like a fish!â
âI can handle myself, Wynnie!â
âI know that! Just looking out for you is all. Iâm glad we ran into each other again, and Iâm glad to see you doing so well for yourself.â
âRight back atcha, Captain.â
âCome on, we better get back to our spouses before Lilah challenges your Mando to a fight, sheâs dastardly! I love her so much, and our daughter Fayfay. Pairâa lucky ladies, ainât we?â Her spacer accent returned, coarse and arrogant as ever while she jabbed you in the side with her elbow.
âUnquestionably.â She started to walk back towards the door you had come in from, but you stopped her, grabbing her hand. âWait. I have something for you.â From your pockets you dug out the blinking fob and puck, stuffing them into Alewynâs purple palms and closing your fingers over her fists. âNot all bounties are warranted.â
Stars shimmered in her noble eyes the same way they had the first time youâd met, glittering softly when she nodded and pocketed the hunter tools in one of her many secret compartments. Youâd never know who the puck was meant for, and you didnât care.
The captain's frock coat swished against the side of your leg as the two of you walked back to where you had left your crews. Contrary to what she had predicted, the crewmates that werenât passed out on the floor seemed to be engaged in some kind of discussion, circled around Lilah and Mando in the center. You couldnât see much over the heads of the many miscreants, but you caught the wave of a sheathed vibroblade in the blue palms of the co-captainâs hands. Mando was listening to whatever it was that she was saying intently, leaning forward as not to miss a single word.
When they noticed the approach of their wives, Lilah smacked your tinman and cut the conversation short, but not before she flashed him a wink and a grin. She stood and pocketed the knife, âThere they are! We were startinâta think youâd gotten lost.â She made an exaggerated gesture of yawning and stretching. âWhelp itâs gettinâ late, since you two ainât goinâ anywhere any time soon, why donât you two getcher selves comfortable. We got space.â
You grabbed the plates of cold food from the table and made to follow her when you remembered your foundling. He was still curled up in the padded seat with the Togrutan youngling, though even in her sleep Fae was trying to nibble his ears. You rescued his ear from her relentless biting, but he looked so comfortable that you were reluctant to move him. Alewyn stood beside you and brushed her hand over her daughterâs montral buds, âLet them sleep, theyâre safe here.â
Mando loomed over you, and you could feel the reluctance coming off of him without him uttering a single word. You turned and flashed him a look, somewhere between a glare and a plea. âLetâs go eat dinner, then we can come back for him, sound good?â His slight nod was almost nonexistent, but it was good enough for you, and you followed your host to one of the many extra quarters that the Sunskate boasted.
You waved a thank you to the departing co-captain, ignoring the lecherous wink that she gave you before walking into the modest suite. The room was small, though not cramped, and it even had a little porthole for you to look out of, fancy! Instead of beds there was a broad hammock hanging in the corner, heaped with blankets and quilts; an unusual choice in space but welcome nonetheless. The Togrutans made sure that any of their ârescuesâ would be comfortable, though you were curious as to how both of you would get in the hammock. But first, dinner.
A small table and singular chair wouldnât be enough for the two of you, so you plopped down on the floor and beckoned your partner to you. He glanced around the room, suspicious as always, then closed the door and carefully dropped to the floor behind you. You dug in, shoveling much-needed sustenance into your gob, but your partner remained still. You turned to him with a mouthful of food, âYou gonna eat?â
âThere might be cameras, or people watching. I canât-â
âFuckinâ bucket, hang on.â With a groan you set your plate back on the floor and wobbled over on your knees to the hammock, tugging one of the blankets off of it and accidentally pulling down the entire stack. Picking what you guessed was the biggest you fluffed it in the air and draped it over his head, giggling as you snuck underneath your blanket fort with him. âHowâzat?â
Hissing latches answered you, and the offending beskar fell away to reveal the handsome man that had remained hidden from you for so long. âThank you, cyarâika.â Dinner was obliterated in a matter of minutes, but once youâd both finished you stayed under the covers with him, just to enjoy seeing his face in the low light. Scooting around to his front, you brushed the side of your face against his, feeling the stubble on your skin. He hummed and nuzzled against you, bringing his hands up to cup your jaw and slide you over for a much-awaited kiss.
He tasted like dinner, but the scent of him was strong, and the combination of flavors and smells made you giggle a bit. Dinâs lips were soft against yours, gentle and tender and a little ticklish from his facial hair. Arms wrapped around you and hauled you up into his lap, making you gasp faintly into his unbroken kiss. Seated on his lap side saddle, you kissed him with vigor, only now aware of the twinge of jealousy you had felt at the two lekku-laden-ladies getting to kiss each other whenever they wished. Speaking ofâŚ
âSo, what were you and Lilah talkinâ bout?â you asked directly into his mouth. A sharp little inhale hinted that maybe youâd caught wind of something secret.
âShe was just giving me some⌠uh⌠suggestions.â Even in the dark of the pillow fort you could see heat rising to his face. Like a knife you dug in deeper.
âOhoho? What kind of suggestions?â
A boyish smile tugged on the edges of his lips, and his eyes went a little darker. âWhy donât you let me show you instead?â Warm lips were pressed to yours again, longer and deeper with every kiss. You were only marginally aware of the change in your position, slowly being lowered onto your back while his tongue pushed its way to yours; licking into your mouth. Soon you were laying down fully with him over top of you, caging you in with his metal plated arms. You felt him shuffle, then an ungloved hand snaked its way to your shirt, tugging it up over your head and taking your mask with it.
A strong hand kneaded at the pillowy flesh of your breast, letting the weight of it fill his palm. Warm fingertips pinched at your nipple, rolling the sensitive bud gently til it pebbled between his callouses. The sensation pooled heat in your belly and tightened in your guts, but this wasnât anything new. Appreciated, for sure, all of his touches were, though you couldnât help but wonder if this was what was suggested. His kisses continued in tandem with his fingers, building with intensity until his teeth were biting at your lower lip and tongue, catching the sensitive skin in his sharp bite.
Hot breath fanned against your neck as he tilted his head to chase along the edge of your jaw, letting the boneâs curve lead him to the soft spot under your ear. He wrapped his lips around your earlobe, and the nick of sharp teeth coupling with the steam in your ear made your eyes flutter and roll. You tried to kiss at his neck, wanting to repay the favor, but the teeth on your ear snarled and sank into the meat of your pulse point, making you cry out against him. Biting turned to sucking, his fervent kisses pulling the tender skin up and leaving blooming welts to mark you as his.
His hand left your breast and disappeared from your body, but you were too busy worrying about having your throat ripped out by the man who had you pinned. Of course he wouldnât hurt you, but the flight instinct was still there, making your heart try to pound out of its cage when those sharp canines bore down on your larynx. Without taking his vicious teeth from your neck, he started digging at your belt, and you let your body relax since you knew what was next.
The hand came back up, forcing a needy groan out of your captured throat from his teasing, but your eyes snapped wide when you felt cold metal on your skin. Din released your throat and met your eyes with his half-hooded honeywells, bearing his teeth to you in a wolfish grin. âCyareâŚâ he purred with a lust laden drawl. âTell me to stop, and Iâll stop, but I want to⌠try something.â You werenât looking at him though, you were looking at the blade that he had drawn, the edge of it pressing into the side of your neck.
âUm⌠ok⌠I trust you.â Eyes wide with fear and stuck fast to the knife you watched him move it down your chest over your sternum. âDo not cut my clothes off.â You scolded, and he hummed a deep, dark laugh. The blade coasted over your belly, your belt line, and then sat right at the top of your mound, sending adrenaline burning through your veins. What the hell?
Leaning back from you, Din rocked up to his haunches and traced the sharp edge of the vibro over where your slit pushed against the duraweave, and you furrowed your brows at him trying to decipher just what the fuck he was up to. Please donât stab me in the snatch. From your belt he tugged the empty leather sheath off and slipped it over the knife, then holding it by the blade end he flipped on the thrummer, making the vibroblade come alive in his hand.
âAre you ready, cyarâika?â
Shrugging, âYes? I still donât- ooo-ooo-ooh-hhhh~!â Your entire body tensed up when he pressed the vibrating hilt to your crotch, using his whole body to keep your knees from snapping together. The muscles in your abdomen convulsed, forcing your hips to cant upwards with each shaky spasm. âF-f-f-fuuck! Th-th-hatâs n-n-ne-ew-ew-w!â You stuttered through clenched teeth like youâd been shot with a pulse rifle, but this was a thousand times more pleasurable. Even through the thick fabric of your pants the strength of the vibrations felt raw, untethered. Hands dug like claws into the blanketâs edge, knees squeezing at armored shoulders, eyes screwed shut. The intensity was overwhelming, and your bootheels scootched out from under you when you tried to find your footing, squirming on the floor like an electrified worm.
The knife was pulled away from you and its vibrator silenced, and you were instantly torn between happy to catch a break and desperate for its return. With blurred vision you squinted at him in the low light, panting and shaking. He had used no effort whatsoever to coax you so close to climax, and the pride of it was obvious across his face.
âDo you want me to stop?â
Bared teeth and a snarl was all you could muster, and you stabbed your thumbs down to your belt, trying to pull your remaining clothes off. Din grabbed you by the hem and yanked, nearly ripping your pants off to expose you to him. The salacious humming started again, and you stuck your tongue out between your teeth in a wry grin that was obliterated in seconds when the pommel found your clit. High pitched cries broke their way out of your throat as the Mandalorian softly rubbed his fun new toy around the pearl of nerves that quickly spun you to a frenzy. Every muscle in your body went tighter than a guitar string, making your back arch and quiver until Din was pushing a palm to your sternum, holding you down against the floor. Aside from keeping you in place he exerted barely any effort, meanwhile you were being flung into hyperspace, trying not to lose your mind.
Molten lava burned in your veins and your tightened muscles, an eruption building quicker than you knew how to stop, and the fire of it nearly burned you alive when it combusted. Knees jerked and claws scratched when you came, and through the feverhaze of it you were almost aware of your scream. You squirmed in his grasp, the singing dagger playing its song with your own vocal cords, unable to stop coming. Hot slick coated your thighs, drenched them, flooded them, fuck! Blinded by your ecstasy you wailed, crying and straining, begging him to stop. Only when the knife left your swollen, engorged clit did you notice the tears in your eyes, pooling in their corners and streaking down your cheeks.
You threaded your hands through your own hair, trying to force yourself back down out of hyperspace. A question was posed to you that you didnât hear, one that was repeated a second time. âAre you ok?â
âFuuuuuuuck...â Was all you could come up with. You felt him shuffle between your legs, and you jerked when his hands found your drenched cunt. Warm, villainous laughter oozed against your ears.
âThatâs a good girl, coming so hard for me. Did you like that?â Breathless, you nodded. âHmmm⌠I wonder if you can do that again.â His fingers slid up your sopping wet pussy, soon joined by the vorpal blade and making you choke on the air in your throat. Long, calloused fingers pumped in and out of you, digging at the sweet spot he had so expertly learned to find, working in tandem with the vibro that was spinning you right back up faster than you could think. âCome on, come on my hands, ner riddur, give me all you- oh!â You sucked air between your teeth in a silent scream and bore down on his fingers with bone-breaking strength to squirt a hot splash of cum all over his hand and wrist. âHoly shit.â
âTh-thatâs not u-usually what⌠what someone w-wants⌠t-to hear after th-they comeâŚâ You let your legs drop to the sides, letting you get a glance at the man between your legs. He looked mystified, staring at his hand and wrist and vambrace with some kind of mix between arousal and reverence. He licked a broad stripe up his wrist and palm, taking each of his fingers in his mouth one at a time to lick them clean. You sneered at him, âDirty boy.â
He pulled the last of his soaked fingers out of his mouth with a pop!, glaring at you with hooded eyes that swirled with desire. âDirty? Iâll give you dirty, cyarâika. Flip over.â
âMake me.â
Din growled and wrapped his arms around your boneless form, flipping you effortlessly on to your knees. He stuffed his own legs under your hips, keeping you up off the floor that you so desperately wanted to melt back down onto. He freed himself in short order, giving himself a couple of warm up tugs before he was thrusting his length into you; but rather than fuck you stupid he just let himself fill your folds as if he was warming his cock.
You were about to give him hell when you heard the -wrrrrrrrrr- of the vibro again, and suddenly you didnât need him to move for you to be pleasured. The wet, slick pommel tapped against your clit, and every muscle in your gut snapped tight, curling you nearly into a ball. Behind you you could hear him hiss through clenched teeth, and the little spasms from his thighs told you that he was enjoying the toy as well. Again you were sling-shot to your climax faster than you could process it happening, making you clamp down on his thick, girthy length and forcing a choked moan from the Mandalorian that was lost so deep inside you.
He fell forward against the curve of your back, trying to roll up in a ball as well, but you were conveniently in the way. The cold of his beskar stung against the arch of your spine, but the heat coming off of you warmed it right up. Hot breath puffed against the back of your neck, followed by the nick of sharp teeth and the drag of a flattened tongue. He slid a hand up between your breasts to your collarbone and he fell backwards to his haunches again, making you straddle his legs with him still buried in your heat. You were squished as tightly to his chest as he could get you, and the knifeâs blunt end was pressed again to where you were joined together.
Little thrusts were all he could manage in the throws of the vibrators strength, as if you could do any better, squirming and thrashing on the spear that split you while the vibro tore another climax from you. If your eyes had been open you would have gotten to see yourself come, the glistening splash flying out from where the hilt met your swollen bud and coursing hot down Dinâs shaft and balls til it was dripping onto the floor. You mewled against the side of his scruffy jaw, feeling the tears spring to your eyes from the overstimulation; but thankfully it didnât last too much longer. He gasped and growled in your ear, pressing the vibro against the marriage of your slick lips and his throbbing cock, and a handful of short, desperate thrusts were all he needed to drop over the edge of ecstasy with you; adding his own cum to the growing pool between your knees.
The vibro was dropped, rattling on the floor until you bent down and grabbed it, flipping the switch and silencing its song. Ragged panting filled the tiny space of the blanket fort, yours high and shaky, his deep and growling like a wild animal. You reached back and found him, tangling your fingers through his soft curls, digging into them so his face was pressed against yours. Bristles tickled your skin with each breath, followed by sloppy, needy kisses. His lip dragged against your skin, whispering praises in your ear and sneakily trying to eat you alive. Teeth nipped at your cheek, then down your jaw, finding the spot that he had started with and sinking them into your tender flesh a second time. A third. Fourth.
âDin p-please!â You begged, your voice going higher and whinier than you had intended, but he ignored you, lost in the wellspring of desire that he called his wife. He licked a broad stripe up from the crook of your shoulder to the bottom of your ear.
âI like it when you beg.â He bit down and sucked, turning your throat into a red and purple patchwork of his territorial markings. âYou sound so pretty. So needy.â His cock throbbed between your legs, refusing to soften just yet, forcing another hot gush of your mixed cum to flood down your thighs. A broad hand snaked its way to your tormented throat, squeezing ever so gently but still making you gasp. âI want you to beg every time I breed you.â His armored embrace constricted around your ribs and throat, making you choke on the air you so desperately needed. He forced his cock in just a little deeper before pulling his length out, making the head of it bob against your engorged cunt and sending shivers through every inch of your body.
You were gently lowered from his arms, flopping on the floor like a glob of useless jelly. The Mandalorian laid down on top of you, slowly returning to his loving, doting self. He kissed at the welts he had put on your neck, each one a delicious combination of pain and pleasure. Dark, lust-soaked eyes became soft and doelike again, watching your heaving form with adoration under lifted brows. He kissed your lips tenderly, plush and promising, gentle as a rose petal and just as sweet.
âAre you alright? Iâm sorry if that was a little roughâŚâ
You shook your head, feeling your brains slosh around in your skull, drowning in dopamine. âWhat? That wasnât rough, Iâve seen you rough, but that was⌠different.â A little pouty face told you that might not have been the best word to pick, so you tried again. âThat was amazing, but maybe we should invest in an actual toy instead of using the same tools we use for work.â That got you an excited nod and a dazzling smile. Realization dawned on you, âIs that what Lilah suggested?!â His magnificent smile went sheepish under bright red cheeks, and a slow nod made the curls on his head bounce. âWe should hang out with them more often...â
The Mandalorian laughed, kissed you deeply once more, and pulled his helmet back on, allowing the two of you to get back out from under the blanket fort. You readjusted your clothes and armor, making yourself presentable, then strode over to the door to go find your foundling. The bulkhead door lugged open, and you swore you saw something, or someone, dashing down the hallway. Was someone eavesdropping!?
You didnât see anyone until you got to the rec-room where you had left your child. Grogu and Fae were still curled up in the padded seat, but the seat itself had been scootched closer to where the Torgrutas had fallen asleep in their chair. You stepped over the handful of pirates that had passed out on the floor until you could get to your foundling. He gibbered at you, and you tucked him under your arm, jumping slightly when you caught the glint of green eyes.
Lilah watched you drowsily, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and the ice froze in your veins at how well she had read you. She winked and hugged her Alewyn closer, burying her face in the other woman's lekku and letting you escape ungoaded.
The ship was quiet all the way back to your room, and you tucked back into the little suite with your foundling in hand. He had woken up during the walk and chirruped at you sleepily, cooing softly when he saw his papa as well. âFucksake...You know what I need? A shower! You want a rinse, Grogu?â He chittered at the sound of his goofyass name, and you held him up to your nose, tickling him your sniffs. âHm⌠Nope, youâre good. Stay here and keep papa company, won't cha?â Grogu chirped with what you decided was a âyes, buirâ, and you set him down in the hammock. âWhat about you, tinman? Shower?â
Din was seated in the little chair, cleaning the stains from his armor, stains you had made. âNo thank you, Iâd like to keep my armor on while weâre here.â You shrugged, since you were used to his strange rituals by now, and strode into the fresher room to find something you hadnât seen in a long fucking time.
A mirror.
In the fresher stood a formidable figure, though definitely one that needed a fresh change of clothes. There were no mirrors on the Crest due to some kind of mando mumbo jumbo, though you guessed if you spent all your life in the same outfit you really wouldnât need to know what it looked like every day. You leaned on the modest sink to inspect the bags under your eyes and pick at something on the side of your nose, the tilt of your armored crown catching the light and drawing your eyes. The beskar slid around its pivots until it covered your face, and you stared at the warrior before you.
Maker above, is that what I look like? No wonder that merchant had fled from you so quickly, the sight of your armored visage was terrifying, just as ferocious as the bonafide Mandalorian you traveled with. You tilted your head and jutted your chin, trying to intimidate your own reflection as if that was difficult. The foggy vanity lights streaked like quicksilver over the beskar and the black gloss of your visor, catching faintly on the embossed mudhorn on your brow. You reached a hand up to brush over the raised emblem, feeling it with your fingers and watching how the light moved over its curves.
You were just reaching the tip of the animalâs horn when your doppelganger was joined by another armored hunter. Standing behind the woman in the mirror was a large, broad shouldered Mandalorian, his own visor rising a whole head above hers. He towered above her, tilting his helmet slightly while he rested his palms on her waist. The yellow tipped gloves coasted down her sides to her hips and pulled her backwards, and you could no longer ignore that the show you were watching was your own reality.
âHello, meshâla.â Din pressed his chestplate to your back and wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly to his armored chest. Though he had gotten his armor cleaned he still smelled like sex, sweat and sweetness; the mix of your bodies pooling together like your arousals had pooled on the floor. He tucked the edge of his helmet against the side of your neck, and you turned enough to chime your beskar softly against his. The ironsong rang clear and true over a rumbling hum.
âHiya bucket boy.â You set one of your palms on where his were overlapped on your middle, bringing the other one up to hold the indent of his cheek. He leaned his weight on your back, rocking with you slightly.
âHow did you come up with that name, Grogu?â
âIâm⌠Iâm not really sure.â That wasnât a lie, though it felt like it was. âIâm sorry, I know Itâs terrible, we can change-â
âNo, itâs perfect. Did you see his face when you said it?â You nodded softly, thankful for the beskar that covered your shyness. âHe likes it, thatâs what matters.â His gloved hands brushed over the fabric of your tunic, wrapping one around your waist and crossing the other between your breasts like a seatbelt. âYou make a very good buir. Iâm proud to call you my mate.â
Your face stung against the cold of your faceplate, flushing with heat at his term of endearment. âAww you like me.â You whispered with just a touch of sass, blushing at his adoration. The hand on your middle slid lovingly over your tummy before moving up your chest with more direction. In the mirror you watched your reflection as she was attended to by the man behind her. His gloved hands came up to her mask and lifted it gently away, setting it down on the counter. It was hard to break your own eye contact, but those yellow tips of his gloves were so much more fun to watch.
Din brushed the back of his hand down your cheek, setting his fingertips on the bottom of your chin before dragging them down the expanse of your bruised neck. For a moment you thought he was aiming for your breasts, but instead his palms came to rest on your shoulders. His own armor plated shoulders stuck wide out past yours nearly by the entire width of his arms, dwarfing you with their size. You were just about to ask him what he was up to when you felt his thumbs dig into the meat of your back, making you groan whorishly at the sensation.
âDoes that feel good?â You could barely nod, letting the circles his thumbs were making do the work for you. The feeling of him working the knots out of your shoulders hurt so good, and you let your eyes close while he massaged your back. His wide hands captured the muscles in your back with ease, diligently kneading the residual tension away. He pushed the pads of his thumbs closer to your spine, and you heard the crack-crack-crack of your vertebrae popping with each honed squeeze.
You had to lean on the counter for support, though your Mandalorian wouldnât let you fall no matter what. Dinâs hands followed the path of your spine, rolling strong circles into the aching muscles and putting extra pressure on each rib joint to get them to pop. His fingers hugged the bottom of your rib cage once heâd made it that far down, keeping you in place as he slid his circles down to the top of your pelvis. The pressure on your sacrum had you arching your back into his hands, more or less accidentally pressing your ass into his groin. He pushed back, but maybe more to keep you steady then to be suggestive.
Deft hands glided back up your spine, and you flickered your eyes back open to see the pair of you in the mirror. Heat returned to your gut at the sight of the massive mountain of metal standing behind your bent figure, pressing his hips tightly to yours. You bit your lip and smiled at him in the mirror, watching the way his visor cocked at the look you were giving him. âYou seem to be very good at picking up new tricks, tinman.â
He shrugged, âI just want to take care of you.â What an understatement that was. You and the foundling were his everything, there wasnât a single thing in the entire universe that mattered more than the two of you. You were his wife, his riddur, the living culmination of all his dreams and desires strutting around like you owned the place; and he was honored to be asked to stand in your presence. âCan I get you anything?â
âHmâŚâ Poking your head into the shower you inspected the soap that was provided, giving it a tentative sniff. It smelled like a girl, flowery and pretty and not at all what you were expecting from a literal pirate ship. It wasnât for you. âDonât happen to have any of our soap on you, do ya?â He shook his helmeted head, and you batted your lashes at him with a pleading pout. âPwease would you get me some of our soap? Please⌠oh please?â You begged him sarcastically, reveling in the way his shoulder puffed up while you exploited his kink. His cape billowed behind him he spun around so fast, dashing out of the fresher and the room without another word. Laughing, you turned on the shower, letting it heat up a bit before you got in.
The curving hallways of the Sunskate were quiet and dark, save for the few gravediggers that ambled through the corridors, sipping at their piping hot caff. Soon the hangar doors parted, and he felt a wave of sadness at the sight of his ship. The old dropper had been through so much, but at least she was still kicking. As he got closer he noticed a few tools scattered around the area and a fresh, silvery patch job that had been added to the side of her hull. Somebody has been busy. He ghosted a hand along a welding scar, it wasnât enough to get her starborne, but it would keep her from dissolving into a heap of scrap metal when you reached the station.
He would have to find out more later, for now he was on a mission: soap! Climbing up the half-hanging ramp he strode to the ladder, hauling himself up to where all of your utilities were stashed. You had packed like you were on the run, shoveling shit in wherever it would fit, and Din was cursing to himself at the mess he was sifting through. While he was at it he grabbed you some fresh clothes, filling up a little satchel with goodies for his lovely, canât-pack-worth-a-shit wifey-poo.
The smell of fresher soap caught his nose, and he dug down into a deep crate, looking for his objective. He pulled a rifle out, a bundle of towels, an electric kettle, the smell growing stronger the deeper he got. A severed tusk was tossed aside, then a full thermos.
-sloshCLAck!-
Din stopped his search at the noise, clack? He picked up the impromptu quarry capture device and shook it carefully. -slosh-clack-slosh-clack-
That was very much not the noise it had made when he had filled it, distinctly remembering the sound of a metallic plonk instead. Heebie-jeebies prickled under his many layers, and morbid curiosity drove him to place his hand on the lid. No! What if itâs alive? He set the canister down and fished a knife from his belt, holding it in his pinkie while he unscrewed the lid. Heart in his throat and breath held firm he opened the jar, pointing the end of his blade at the syrupy goop that sloshed around, ready to stab anything to death should it try to jump him.
Nothing moved.
He swirled the container, watching the holographic slime shimmer on top of the large purple pod that had sunk to the bottom, and he heard the metallic noise again. Running out of air, he carefully poked his blade into the pool of nectar, nudging the seedpod out of the way to reveal something sitting underneath. Using the vibroâs tip he scraped the curio up out of the goop, slamming the lid back on the jar the moment he had whatever it was in his hand.
The deep breath he took filled his lungs with the residual essence of the hydraâs perfume, sending fresh blood to his spent cock. Focus, Djarin. Glistening in his palm was the tiniest microchip, about the size of a grape and roughly the same shape. On one side it had a set of tiny legs with little grips on their tips, designed so that it would stay in place wherever it was at. Had this been what the bounty was for? Maybe it wasnât the pods at all, maybe it was this thing. Though what was it doing all the way down at the bottom of a cave?
He bumped it with the tip of his knife, getting it to stand on its feet and making the rainbow sludge slowly reveal the item in its entirety; and suddenly he had more questions than answers.
Blood turned to ice in his veins, freezing him solid. There, in the light coming off of his helmet, proudly stamped on the top of the device, was an emblem. It was a circle with a gear in the center, sort of shaped like a snowflake with a second gear hollowed out in the middle. It wasnât popular any more, but Din had seen it many times in his life, most recently when Moff Gideon tried, and failed, to take his son away from him.
But the first time he had seen it had been burned into his memory for decades. Emblazoned on the sides of gunships and walking tanks that rained decimation on to his adopted homeworld, purging all life from Mandalore and turning the wartorn planetâs surface into a sea of glass.
It was the mark of the ones who had tried to hurt the child.
It was the mark of the ones who had decimated his clan.
It was the mark of the people who would destroy entire planets just to assert their dominion over the citizens they subjugated.
It was the mark of the Empire.
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@what-iwish-youknew
@misscamptl
@t3a-bag
@poppunkdee
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@panndastasia
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#the mandalorian#the mandalorian x reader#the mandalorian x you#din djarin#din djarin x reader#din djarin x you#bargaining with beskar
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hi yes this is another installment in the raised-as-sith anakin x jedi obi-wan au i co-write with @obiwanobi. weâve been putting what we got so far on ao3 for archiving/organizing purposes so before you read this pls check it out first if you havenât bc there is some semblance of continuity, thank you :â) (this installment on ao3)
content note: past psychological and physical abuse, messy healing, please proceed with care
you love him dearly
You stand alone in a great dark hall. Thereâs no sound but your pulse jolting in bouts inside your ears. Like the footsteps of a scared bantha. And you feel like a scared bantha. You havenât felt like this in a long time. You used to be worth less than a bantha, with your weak hands and your small body. All you were ever able to do was get yourself and your mom hurt. You felt so bad, so very bad, so bad that you were willing to beg your mom to let you go, when this man came and swept you up. This man who called you the Chosen One. This man who you now call...
âMaster,â you say, and waits for your Master to acknowledge you.
Sometimes you think itâs strange, to trade one master for another. But this Master, your Master, is a different sort. Your Master taught you how to hate the right people, in the right way; gave you a crystal and let you forge your own lightsabers. Your Master told you you were special. No, no, it doesnât matter that you were a slave, you are special, my boy. You know you are different, do you not? That you learn faster than children your age; that your reflexes are sharper, your intuition stronger. You see things before people do, know things before people see, and do things before people know. The future and the past are sometimes indistinguishable in your dreams. Clever child, golden child, you are certainly worth more than a bantha; oh, you are worth more than the population on that sandy speck combined. You are the Chosen One! You are destined for greatness.
You were weak and small and nothing. You deserve so much more, so much more. A pity that the universe has never given you and will never give you what you truly deserve. None of that is your fault, my poor boy; they are simply too blind and puny to appreciate your capacity and recognize your power. But worry not: Your Master will give it to you. Your Master is here to help you. You love him dearly, because you are nothing without him, because the universe is stupid and cruel and you hate it for making you feel like nothing. Your Master, on the other hand, must love you dearly, or else he would not have told you all about how special you are. Would not have trained you to be so strong. Would not have given you the respectable name ofâŚ
âDarth Vader.â
The greeting sounds more like a warning, because you deserve it. âIâIâm sorry. I wasnât strong enough.â Even your voice comes out too small.
âLittle need to apologize in words, my apprentice,â says your Master. âYou know what must be done. You must learn your lesson.â
You love him, you love him, you love him. You love your Master, you chant in your heart, as you hang your head and tuck your tongue back and wait like the good apprentice you are.
The first blow is always the hardest. You convulse, feeling as if a thousand red-hot needles are exploding from within your sinews. Blinding pain crackles through your body, and you scream yourselfâŚ
Awake.
Anakin sits up in his sleeping bag, panting. He thinks he heard the tail end of a scream, his own, but itâs all silent now. Heâs alone in the dark, the healed stump of his right arm tingling under the prosthetic cap. He searches his psyche for the tatters of a bond between him and the late Sith Lord; there's nothing left. Darth Sidious is truly dead. Two strides away from him, Obi-Wan Kenobi sleeps soundly in his bed.
His eyes soften. The sight of Obi-Wan soothes him, reminding him of where he is in time and in space. It has been a few months since he killed his Sith Master. He is in the Jedi Temple, in quarters belonging to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Nobody knows he is here.
Anakin turns away as one would turn away from a too-bright light. You canât look at the sun for too long or itâll burn your eyes; especially if you are used to darkness. He breathes in, and out, and shakily pulls off the cover of the sleeping bag. His new metal fingertips nearly tear through the fabric.
âAnakin?â
Anakin doesnât flinch, but his stomach flips. Obi-Wanâs silhouette slowly sits up in bed, tousled and softly rumpled and Anakin feels frighteningly tender in the chest. He keeps his head down, not wanting to meet Obi-Wanâs eyes right now.
âAnakin, is everything alright?â
Anakin mumbles out something vaguely affirmative, and pushes himself to his feet. âFresher,â he says, hurrying away. He doesnât return to the bedroom afterwards, but goes straight to the kitchenette and begins to prepare a rather large breakfast. He knows Obi-Wan doesnât go back to sleep either. He wills himself to ignore the circles under Obi-Wanâs eyes, come morning.
â
âAnakin, I have been thinking,â Obi-Wan begins, as he takes their empty plates to the kitchen, where a dishwashing droid stands await. âYou donât happen to have a habit of meditating, do you?â
Anakin almost tenses up at meditating, but he only lets out a huff of breath and opens the droidâs compartment doors. Heâs glad Ahsoka is away for the night, staying in her friendâs quarters or some such. If she joins in with Obi-Wan itâll only be harder for him to reject the request. Because thatâs clearly a request, no matter how fancily Obi-Wan phrases his question.
I hate it teeters on the tip of his tongue, but Anakin just answers: âNo, I donât.â Obi-Wan likes meditation, as all Jedi do. It would feel bad, be bad, to say he hates something Obi-Wan likes.
Obi-Wan hums. Dishes clink as he sets them in one by one. âWould you be so opposed to it, then?â
Anakin pulls his shields higher so that none of the screaming No no no I hate it in his mind is going to bleed through to Obi-Wan in the Force. He makes the mistake of turning to look at Obi-Wan, because he canât help it, and he's met with a hopeful smile and gentle, crinkled eyes. He can't bear to see that smile fall. â...Guess not,â he mutters.
âI would keep you company, if thatâs fine,â Obi-Wan continues on merrily, like the good-natured Jedi he is. âI mean to invite you to join me for meditation before bedtime, in fact. Is that alright?â
Anakin stares down at his mismatched hands. If there is one thing he hates more than meditating, itâs meditating with someone watching. He tries very hard not to grit his teeth.
âOf course, you donât have to,â Obi-Wan adds, fingers briefly brushing Anakinâs flesh wrist. The sensation shoots right into Anakinâs heart. That settles it; itâs not even a question. Obi-Wan will be disappointed if he doesnât.
âItâs alright,â Anakin says, shutting the droidâs compartment door. The timer beeps, unhelpfully helping him count down to the dreaded session.
â
âSo this is meditation?â Anakin blurts.
Obi-Wan sits cross-legged on his bed, in his soft robes and sleeping pants. He opens his eyes in a quizzical gaze as Anakin remains standing. Anakin curls his hands into fists and tries not to fiddle with the hem of his tunic. Obi-Wan frowns, unfurls from his position and comes up so near that Anakin wants to hold his breath. He smells like the cotton flower-scented fabric softener, like crisp, warm laundry - he smells like hard-earned safety. âYou donât need to lie to me, Anakin,â he says, a hand on Anakinâs shoulder. âI will instruct you from the beginning if you need me to, and I promise to help you with any difficulty. Now tell me: Have you meditated before?â
Obi-Wan says so, but Anakin is not about to tell him about the Sphere; about the long hours spent in that terrible spheroid room with enough space for you to wish you could move from your spot, but the walls were too smooth and curved for you to scale; about how silent it was in there save for his Masterâs voice in his mind. Anakin is not about to tell this Jedi about the splatter of blood in the Sphere where he once bashed his head against until he passed out because he could not take it. How Sidious had punished him for it afterwards. How he never dared to do it again.
â...No,â Anakin says. âShow me.â
Obi-Wan nods; his hand slips down his shoulder and runs gently down his arm. Anakin blinks. Obi-Wan's touch always feels so⌠nice. Unhurried and mellow and never really demanding anything back. âI see. Take a seat beside me. Make yourself comfortable, please.â
Anakin crosses his legs as Obi-Wan does. Nervousness winds his core tight, makes his back rigid and ramrod straight. Obi-Wan is near him, both in physical presence and in the Force, his signature pulsing with the light of sunrays through butterfly wings.
âRelax, Anakin. Loosen your musclesââhis warm hand traces across Anakinâs back from shoulder to shoulder, then down his spineââand your jaws.â His fingertips brush the hinge of Anakinâs jaws just as he says so. Anakin nearly shivers. It takes him longer than he thought it would, to truly follow those orders.
â...There we go,â Obi-Wan says. He draws back, and Anakin should be glad that the distracting touch is gone, but he feels disappointed instead. âNow breathe in deep. Ah, wait. Do it again, breathe in, deeper, and try to hold it. Yes, like thatâŚâ
They spend the next quarter hour or so wrestling with his breathing pattern, keeping it both deep and steady. Anakin goes from counting the beats to counting the breaths to finally not needing to count at all. And then when he thinks heâs gotten the hang of itâŚ
âLet go? You mean I shouldnât focus on my breathing anymore?â he asks, puzzled, bordering on frustrated. âBut you just told me to be mindful of it.â
âYes, correct, Anakin.â Obi-Wan sounds unfazed. âBe mindful of the rhythm, and keep it up. Youâve done well so far. Now you must turn your focus inwards, and meet the Force within you.â
Anakinâs eyes slide open for a split second and then fall shut again. He doesnât understand, but he could just try. This isnât any difficulty that he needs to bother his instructor with. He nods, and begins again. He begins with his breathing. In, and out. Slow, and steady. And now he must not think about the breaths anymore. Now he must...
The Force within him is a well of ink. Ink that glisten from black to crimson like the blood on his hand. Ink that sloshes and laps against the walls and the echoes turn into screams. A bright white fracture crackles from one corner of his vision to the other. Centipede-like arches of incandescence skitter under his skin. Drip, drip, the blood, no, the ink, it drips and it trails and it tickles his skin. Thereâs the familiar taste of copper at the back of his tongue, flavors just waiting to burst. Cruel laughter echoes from the bottom of the inky well, and somewhere in the thick darkness there is the outline of a womanâs silhouette, of small but strong shoulders andâ
Something warm brushes his psyche.
Warm, but too close. Anakin snatches that tendril without a thought and delves counter-current through Force-realm. He forces himself to the other side, even as something shatters around him. He knows the drill. *Your self-preservation can only come at the cost of others', my boy.* Colors begin to flash, gentle and muted, bearing the fuzzy quality of memories. Sunlight flickers, filigree wings flutter, landing on durasteel grounds. He feels tears on his face and tears in his throat and his forehead is pressed close to someone elseâs, someone he loves so dearlyâno, not him, someone that the person to whom this mind belongs loves so dearly.
â...proud of you. Carry on, Obi-Wan. Live brightly.â
âYes, Master.â
There's no silence more thorough than a heartbeat evening out into nothingness. There's no solitude more poignant than the company of a vanishing light. Saying goodbye is never an easy feat, even for a Jedi, and the anger and sorrow he feltâ
âAnakin! Stop!â
Anakin jolts awake. A thick, ferric drop trails from his nose, warm on his lips. He opens his eyes and finds Obi-Wan beneath him, wide-eyed. His hands are pressing Obi-Wanâs shoulders into the mattress. Obi-Wan, who was teaching him to meditate, who brushed his mental shields in the process of instruction. Obi-Wan, his teacher. And if all of those images belonged to Obi-WanâŚ
He just broke into Obi-Wanâs mind.
Anakin scrambles back. The ink, no, the blood, now drips down his chin. It tickles. His teeth clatter as shivers rake up inside him. He clenches his jaws and stares at the ground. The sheets rustle.
âI think thatâs quite enough for tonight.â Obi-Wan doesnât sound angry, just somewhat breathless. Even concerned. Anakin doesnât believe it. âAnakin, youâre bleeding. Do you needââ
âNo.â Anakin staggers to his feet and backs away. Nothing worse than asking for more and becoming even more of a burden because everything he takes is a debt and he will pay for it. His Master always made sure he paid. âNo. IâllâIâll clean up. Iâm sorry. Iâll clean up.â
He stands there just long enough for Obi-Wan to respond - with anything, words, blows, anything. In the end, Obi-Wan only says, âAlright. Please, take care.â Anakinâs eyes flick up to find a grimace. He turns away and all but runs to the fresher, more dismayed than relieved.
Because if the punishment doesnât come right away, that only means heâs going to have to wait.
#obi-wan kenobi#obi wan kenobi#anakin skywalker#raised-as-sith anakin#always-a-sith anakin#ex-sith anakin#so many tags for this au#star wars prequels#shatou writes#obikin#angst
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Fawn - Part 4
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Â Part 4 | Â Part 5 | Part 6 | Masterlist
Title: Fawn - Part 3
Words: 3.2k
Summary: Yennefer confirms Geraltâs suspicions and a rift is created between you and the White Wolf. Angst. Suggested smut. Fluff. Hurt/comfort.
Pairing: Geralt x reader
Warnings: Suicidal ideation, miscarriage, abortion. If youâre triggered PLEASE skip ahead. Please check out the trigger warnings (tw:) in the tags!
A/N: Donât blame me. It was that fricking wish! Iâm not happy about it, either, but itâs canon. Comments welcome. Thanks for reading as always!
Like an expectant father waiting outside the delivery room, Jaskier paced just outside the tent while Geralt sharpened his sword near the fire.
âNo. Get out before I portal you away,â Yennefer demanded yet again when the bard poked his head in and asked for an update.Â
âSheâll come out when sheâs ready,â the burly Witcher grunted. Another plume of purple smoke rose from the tent door and static sizzled inside. Jaskier began thinking of a verse that needed to rhyme with âplume.â
Wiping her hands, she emerged and motioned at Jaskier: âWatch her. Geralt, youâre with me.â
Sauntering across the way to her own much larger, and much more richly furnished tent, Geralt followed behind like a puppy.
âWell?â
âWell? Well, I saved her life, darling,â the raven haired woman smirked, turning to face him once they reached the foot of her lavish bed. Tossing aside the cloth, she twirled a finger and a dozen candles lit around the space.
He was not impressed by simple tricks. âWhat happened? It wasnât just poison, was it? It was a curse.â
âYes, my love,â she sighed, bored with conversation, so she lifted his shirt and ran both hands up his muscular torso, making the tense fibers just under his skin twitch. âI lifted it though.â
Craning his neck low, he crushed his mouth to her plump lips. The relief and gratitude expressed in his kiss melted when feral heat took over. They were souls bound together by a wish he made years ago to save her life. As such they were drawn time and again to this exact moment.
She moaned, tugging at the ties on his breeches pressed against her stomach. Biting down on his bottom lip suddenly, she flattened her palms to his chest and pushed him back to the bed, intent on climbing him and claiming payment for a job well done.
*
âSo sheâll be able to travel soon?â Geralt huffed lazily, one arm under his head on the pillow.Â
âYouâre really taking her back to her father?â Yennefer sighed, playing with the glistening sweat droplets along the center of his chest.
âThatâs the plan.â
âWell, if you do travel with her just have her take it easy the next few days.â
âWhy?â He arched an eyebrow down at the naked woman still tangled up with him under the sheets.
âWell, sheâs with child, Geralt. But the child is much smaller than it should be. She probably needs to see a real healer to have it dealt with anyway - given the circumstances.â
His brow furrowed sharply and he gripped her upper arms, dragging her off of him as he sat up. âDealt with...?â
She sighed, running the back of her fingers down the sinews of his forearm. âMm. She told me who the father is. I just went to his wedding just last month. It's a bad idea to show your new bride your bastard child. So yes⌠dealt with.â
âWedding?â he mirrored, breaking into a cold sweat. âDid you tell her this?â
Yennefer shrugged and rolled over. âI alluded to it. Hmm. You know she may not need a healer on second thought. Baby isnât well. Body might try to reject it after this, so watch for - where are you going?â
Stepping into his breeches, he glanced over his shoulder at the raven haired woman lounging in bed still. âWhy didnât you tell me about this?â
âWhy? Did you want to attend with me? The food was decent but the wine was weak. I so would have loved to have dressed you, though.â
His frustrated growl was not lost on her but she didnât budge by the threatening sound of it. âShe told me where you met. Geralt, I said Iâd try to save her life but sheâs your whore. Iâve done more than enough here, my love. If you leave this tent tonight, Iâll be gone by daybreak.â
He didnât even have his pants tied before he stalked out of the tent barefoot into the dewy grass. Jaskier heard him coming from his own cot opposite yours. Finding it quite impossible to sleep anyway, he met the Witcher at the tent flap opening.
âThat witch gave her something to sleep but itâs not quite doing its job,â the bard forewarned, touching Geraltâs shoulder. He held his friend back just a moment longer to catch his golden-eyed attention. âItâs not you sheâs been calling for.âÂ
Jaskier excused himself, ducking past his friend breathing hard with his jaw clenched. Every muscle up the back of his legs and across his spine snapped into tension; the coppery scent of bloody cloths left on the table sent his senses into a frenzy the moment he stepped inside.
âN⌠no⌠n...â you moaned in your fitful sleep, writhing and grasping at the pillow under your head.
Cat eyes dilated in the near dark, his attention drew to the shadow of your body tucked under a thin blanket. In two strides, he dropped by your side and dragged the tear-soaked hair from sticking to your cheeks.Â
Your head rocked back and forth on the pillow, your expression wrought with grief, one hand grasping at nothing but air until his fingers closed over it.Â
He lifted his brows in the center, anguish lining his forehead. Your breathing came in hiccups, clearly crying in your nightmare.
âWake up, little fawn,â he rumbled, pulling deep from within to sound calm so as not to frighten you. âCome on, wake up.â
âAhâŚâ Your legs shifted under the blanket and you inhaled deeply.
Your wet eyelashes flashed open, revealing still slightly ink-stained black tears rolling down your cheeks. âWhere is he? Whereâs Acheros?â
Rolling his eyes at the sound of his name, Geralt backed up into the shadow of a tent peg. âThatâs a good fucking question.â
âWhy did he leave me in that horrible place?â You pressed, eyes bleary from tears, pain and exhaustion.
âHmm,â he grunted, sitting back against the other cot.
âHe said heâd always come find me. âNothing in all of eternity could keep us apart,â he said.â
Another frustrated grunt as Geralt sat back. As Jaskier stoked the flames of the fire outside, the walls of the canvas tent illuminated with flicks of orange light.
You stayed silent a long time, letting the length and breadth seep into your conscious thought. Curling up on yourself, you rolled over into the tent wall and away from the brutish man sitting in silence across from you. âIs it true? Did he - get married - without me?â
âMmm,â Geralt hummed in the affirmative, dropping his head back as the reflected orange flames danced on the ceiling. He cursed under his breath.Â
There is a screech a striga makes when you deliver that final death strike straight through its heart; the sound is horrendous up close. Because of their circulation system, it takes them a moment to go, all the while realizing theyâve met their end. And then there is the soft little squeak of a rabbit as its neck is being broken. It doesnât understand what is happening to it and doesnât expect the end.
Neither startled cry at their moment of death is as difficult to listen to as your trembling gasp and wailing sob at the exact moment your heart broke in two.
Snarling his upper lip in disgust, he planted a fist on the ground to stand up, but stilled hearing you speak into your own hands.
âBut⌠this is his child. And... Iâm his.â
âFuck.â Geralt replanted himself and sighed harshly, rubbing his rough thumb of one hand into the palm of another.
âWhat?â you shuddered, glancing over your shoulder. âBut I love him...â
âYouâve said,â he husked, glancing at the exit with an arched brow and a changed mind. Waking you from that nightmare, he actually considered taking you in his arms and comforting you with all of the strength he had in him. He was not particularly given to tender moments, but if youâd have asked, even whimpered, anything at all, heâd have moved heaven and earth to shelter you.
You turned away from his frustrated growling. âWhere is he? He should be here.â
With a huff of rage, he lifted to his feet and took the one large step to the door. Rolling over, your torso twisted and you yelped at the sharp pain. âAh - fuck! What -â
âYou were very sick,â he oversimplified, glancing behind his shoulder. âYenneferâŚâ
âYennefer? She says sheâs the âLove of your lifeâ? I thought I was dreaming but sheâs really real?â
âYou should know Yennefer saved YOUR life.â
You mewled, ripped the covers down your thighs and tugged at your torn shirt, trying to find the source of the overwhelming pain.
Setting his jaw, he breathed deep and clenched his fist to keep from absolutely roaring at you. âYou wouldnât have survived - to be reunited with whoever this arsehole is, since thatâs clearly all you can think about.â
It was neither his tone nor his words that shook you, rather the ache in your belly. âSomething feels wrong.â
âAs it should. Sleep.â
âFuck you,â you spat holding your middle, getting up onto your feet much more slowly than he did. Bumping chests, you glared up at him. âYou knew, didnât you? You knew and you didnât say a damn thing.â
Nostrils flared, patience dwindling, he looked over your head; he knew the second he glanced down and saw the pain in your eyes, itâd just add fuel to his fire and one of the two of you needed to be levelheaded.Â
âNot for certain until Yen told me a few minutes ago. Although I had suspected something like this when you told the story yesterday.â
Suddenly alert, you bolted toward the tent flap, but a heavy arm across the front of your shoulders blocked your way. Desperately, you reached both hands out. âPlease! I need to go home. I just need to see him. Heâll explain and fix it.âÂ
Your pained gaze finally lifted to his, digging your fingernails into his forearm locked across your chest.
His sharp gaze narrowed. âThereâs a reason he didnât come back for you. Showing up on his doorstep, now, wonât produce the results you want, I guarantee you.â
âBut - I did everything I was told to do,â you gasped, blinking back tears that spilled down your cheeks anyway. Dropping your head, the tears dripped freely onto the ground. Tilting your shoulders just slightly into him, you bumped your forehead against his chest and stayed like that a long while.
âI hate you...â you sniffled and hiccupped, speaking slowly, clearly drained.
âMmph.â He grunted, holding the back of your bare neck.
The rage had worn around the edges like two fighters in the last round dragging their feet; both of you were slow to swing back.
âCome on,â he encouraged as gently as he could muster, thumbing behind your neck. âLie down.â
He sighed, glancing down at your trembling, balled up fist thumping against his chest.
âI-I h-hate y-â you sobbed, nosing into his chest. âI h-aate-â
âI know,â he grumbled, closing his hand around your fist. âYou hate me.â
He rested his chin on your head and carded his fingers through your hair. Feverish tears eventually gave way to panting, then to soft breaths against his skin.
âWhat am I going to do?â you croaked, dragging your fingertips down his spine, releasing the muscles youâd been clawing into. âI donât know what to do.â
âThe first thing youâre going to do is get some rest,â he graveled overhead. Not giving you a second to protest, he collected your wrists from behind his hips and drew you back to your cot, throwing open the covers with his free hand.
âI donât want to sleep,â you whined, giving him a side eyed glance.
âLie down and count geese then,â he huffed, clearly not budging on it.
With a long sigh, you crawled in and curled up, pressing your face down into the pillow. Your eyes closed when the blanket rugged up over your shoulders.
Hearing your voice just barely mumbling into your pillow, he came down onto a knee and tilted his head.Â
âHmm?â he graveled just above a whisper. âYou donât mean that. ⌠No, you donât. ⌠Hm? Fine, I will. Sleep.â
Settling down cross legged, he reached over the short expanse between you and the edge of the cot. As promised, he smoothed over your hair, and hummed a deeply soothing tune, the one heâd sometimes hum to Roach when she was being groomed.Â
Tag Team: @ly--canthropeâ @marswritingsâ @fire-in-her-veinzâ @thiclikeh0ney @uncoolcloudyheadâ @michelle-1185â @boop-le-snootâ @tearsontape13â @confusinglumpâ @mary-ann84â @the-soot-sprite @wanderingsoulcelticheart @henry-cavill-obsessedâ @ruthoakenshieldâ @nerra75â @raspberrydreamcloudsâ
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Â Part 4 | Â Part 5 | Part 6 | Masterlist
#tw: pregnancy#tw: suicide#tw: suicidal thoughts#tw: suicidal ideation#tw: miscarriage#tw: spontaneous abortion#tw: abortion#fourmarkdovewrites#geralt of rivia#geralt x reader#geralt x you#witcher fanfiction#witcher fic#henry cavill fanfic#henry cavill fic#henry cavill angst
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Title: Convenience Â
Summary: Clark doesnât like sleeping out in the cold.Â
Pairing: Clark Kent x OFC ReaderÂ
Word Count: 2546
Warnings: Sex. There is sex.
A/N: So all this lovely text got deleted after I shared it. This story was a beast, but worth it to power through and finish. The idea came from this NSFW gif here, which gave me the thought âwhat if Clark was an escort while he was a nomad looking for his parents?â which then translated to âwhat if he just parachuted into each town if he didnât intend to stay?âÂ
Song drabble number ? for the 500 Event, sent in anonymously!
Clark wasnât saving for much, he was just looking for a place where he could remain anonymous, a place to hide from who he was. And that required a certain amount of cash put away. But it was hard to find a job when he was constantly on the road, and he was always on the road it seemed. No jobs meant no money, and no money meant no place to sleep.Â
So Clark would offer out his services. He was young, handsome, and had the stamina of... well, of Superman.
He never asked for money. His preferred payment of choice was a place to crash and a shower, and breakfast if he could swing it. Though heâd never tell them that was what he was up to. Why hurt their feelings?
This particular evening, heâd come upon a small town in the middle of nowhere, as usual. Clark went straight to the local dive bar; that was the best place to find pretty girls desperate enough to take a man home. He entered the establishment and surveyed the room, a gruff expression etched into his features. Slim pickings tonight. Still, it was early, so he went to the bar, checking his wallet to see if he had enough for dinner and the drinks that would be needed. Just enough for the drinks. Fuck.
Clark ordered a beer, making kind but vague eyes at the girls staring at him from the corner. He was hoping for something a little more appetizing but beggars canât be choosers, and either of them would be a better choice than sleeping out in the cold. He was nearing the end of his beer and had just resigned himself to his fate when she walked in.
Target acquired.
She was all legs; a pencil skirt gracefully hugged her figure and a low cut blouse accentuated her small bust. She was clearly out of place here, which meant either she was meeting someone, or sheâd had a bad day and desperately needed a drink. Long dark curls hung over one of her shoulders, and she met his gaze with large, bambi eyes. He tipped his beer toward her and went back to his phone; she would not be easy prey.Â
He had to make her comfortable, make her seem as though he wasnât interested. She was pretty enough that some lug would make a move on her soon, and then Clark would step in and defend her. That typically works. Sheâd be grateful, offer him a beer of thanks, and then theyâd get to chatting and heâd turn on the charm. Sheâd be putty in his hands.
Sure enough, a big ugly brute that had downed probably three beers too many sauntered up to the woman.Â
âHey, pretty lady,â he slurred, running a finger along her thigh. The woman grabbed his hand and firmly removed it from her leg, but the brute caught her wrist, pulling her close and leaning in for a kiss.
Clark watched the exchange through his glass, seeing how sheâd manage. The woman tried to fight the man off but she was clearly overpowered, and her words werenât working. Clark decided now was the time to intervene. He stepped in and clapped a hand on the idiotâs shoulder, squeezing harder than he should. The man was taken aback by his strength but he took a swing and Clark let him, knowing it would do far more damage to the brute, and would earn him some sympathy points. He pretended to fall down while the brute was thrown out of the bar, howling in pain and clutching his hand.
âOh my god, are you okay?âÂ
Her large brown eyes met his steely blue as she touched his shoulder, and Clark shook his head in mock confusion, standing up at his full height to tower over her. He could hear her heart race faster, could see the blood in her veins pumping harder at his nearness.Â
Target locked.Â
He pressed the heel of his palm to his eye a couple of times.
âIâm fine, are you?â
âYes, thanks to you.â
âHappy to help. No one else should bother you.â
Clark turned to head back to his drink.
âCan I buy you a beer?â
There it is.Â
âNo itâs alright; Iâm just glad youâre okay.â
âCome on, itâs the least I can do to say thank you.â
Clark turned to look at her, a smile on his face.
âWell, if you insist.â
Bullseye.
~~~~~~~
Claire had just wanted a drink. She hated this town, and couldnât wait until this weekend when she could go back home. Being assigned to this town for two months had been hell, but in her line of work, shitholes like this just came with the paycheck.
But every now and then some fun would come her way. Like the man behind her.Â
The man with impressive stature and beautiful black curls. The man with soft eyes, steel blue eyes that held a haunted past and an uncertain future. Steel⌠itâs fitting. Thatâs what Iâll call him. Claire didnât want a relationship, just a good fuck, but she wouldnât tell him that. Why hurt his feelings?
They were back at her apartment, she jimmying her key in the fickle lock as Steel held her close, his breath tickling her ear. His hands were at her hips, hiking her skirt ever so slowly up over her ass.
âLet me,â he whispered, and Claireâs knees nearly buckled. His voice was so low, so husky, and it shot fire straight through her. Steelâs fingers gently slipped over and between hers as he grabbed the key from her, reaching around her body to grasp the door knob. A shiver ran down Claireâs spine as he kissed the back of her neck. The door swung open in seconds.
Claire stepped into the small apartment. Steel followed, greedily grabbing at her waist as she toed off her pumps. He spun her around and cupped her face gently with his hands, the first brush of his lips slow, heated. He smelled like cedar and smoke, and tasted like whiskey and hops. There was a pleasant flavor to his tongue that she couldnât describe, one sheâd never tasted before on any man.Â
âWhereâs your bedroom,â he asked, whispering again, and Claire moaned against his mouth.
âEnd of the hallway.â
He picked Claire up with such surprising ease, and never in her life had she felt so small. It was as if she weighed nothing. She straddled his broad waist and his hands grasped her ass as he walked her down the hall, his lips never leaving hers. As they reached the bedroom, Claire felt his fingers clasp the zipper of her skirt, revealing her soft skin slowly as he continued to taste her lips.Â
Every touch felt gentle and firm but calculated, as if he was restraining himself from something. So when her blouse was suddenly yanked open, Claire gasped in surprise. Quickly relieved of the torn garment, Steel hoisted her in the air again and tossed her onto the bed. A pang shot through her belly at the feeling of being so roughly handled, and the way he licked his lips as he stared at her like she was his prey left her loins singing.Â
Steel undressed carefully as Claire stared at him, and she wondered briefly if he was even human. Every sinew, every muscle stood out from underneath taut skin, dark curls trailing down his abdomen to frame the largest cock sheâd ever seen. He stared back, his eyes taking in her own petite form, decorated elegantly with the dark undergarments sheâd been left in.Â
He crawled to her slowly, hovering above her, trapping her in the cage of his body. His lips fell back onto hers, his hands tracing every line of her skin. Claire shivered at the touch; it had been awhile since sheâd brought someone home, and she wondered how sheâd forgotten the heavenly feeling of being pressed into a mattress by the delicious weight of a man.Â
His lips were talented, dedicated, travelling the length of her neck to the valley of her breasts. His hot breath warmed her nipple through her bra, and he gently pulled the cup down to reveal the sensitive nub to his tongue. Claire arched her back and Steel took the opportunity to reach underneath her, unclasping her bra and holding her in that position to afford himself more access to her chest. She gasped as his lips returned to the beautiful center of her breast, sucking it effortlessly into a peak that he could flick with the tip of his tongue.
Claire writhed and moaned beneath him, gasping and mewling at the feel of his mouth on her flushed skin. He trailed wet kisses down her ribs to her hips, fingers running along her thighs, hands forcing her wider. He grasped her underwear in his teeth and pulled gently, his nose running along her leg until Claire joined him in his nakedness. Those teeth made their way back up her other leg, nipping at her tender flesh as she whined, her soft sounds begging him for more.Â
Steelâs fingers discovered her sex, slipping easily through the slick that had coated her folds. Claire couldnât remember the last time sheâd been this wet, this fast, but the moment his fingers slid deep inside of her body she realized that she didnât care. He was knuckle deep and somehow able to push so hard that Claireâs body snapped; no build up, no swell. She had been picked up and dropped over the edge, and shock rang clear on her face as she came without warning around his fingers.Â
He watched her with the knowing look of a man who has done this before, a man who knew the effect he had on women. But the gleam in Steelâs eye had a dullness to it that Claire noticed, almost a sadness. It made her want to comfort him, though she didnât know why. She lifted a hand to stroke his cheek with her thumb and he wrapped his arm around her waist, hoisting her into a sitting position.Â
Claire was higher than she expected and looked down to discover that Steel was holding her literally with just his hand, impaling her core with his fingers. Shocked pleasure contorted her face as she snapped her head up to look at him, confusion and arousal striking her features. A second orgasm barrelling toward her at lightning speed the moment he wiggled his fingers against her cervix, and Claire clasped her hands around Steelâs neck, her forehead falling to his shoulder as her body convulsed. He held her close, burying his face in her hair. His lips surround her collarbone, the comforting caress of soft kisses alighting on her flushed skin as she rejoins him from the clouds.
âWell fuck,â Claire exclaimed breathlessly, and Steel chuckled, brushing her clit on purpose as he removed his fingers from her wet heat. She gasps and bucks her hips, sliding off of his lap and onto the bed. He grinned at her, flipping her over effortlessly. Claire felt like a rag doll, and it made her bite her lip in anticipation.
She watched him through hooded eyes as he tore open the square foil. How had she missed his beauty when she first saw him in the bar? Long lashes brushed his cheeks every time he blinked, dark curls hung over his forehead. He had a strong jaw, and there was a smattering of freckles over his nose that were only just barely visible in the low light of the room. He looked up at her and Claireâs heart skipped a beat at the dark lust that had taken over his amiable features.Â
Steel knelt on the bed and grasped her hips, yanking Claire up to meet him. She felt the tip of his length press against her folds, but for some reason he hesitated. Claire pushed against him, whining softly and urging him to continue. Faster than she thought possible he was sheathed inside of her and she cried out, the sudden fullness bursting through her abdomen. She gasped and moaned, panting heavily as her body tried to reject him, but Steel slowly eased them down so that he was lying on top of her, holding still so that Claire could grow accustomed to his size. He kissed her cheek softly, slipping a hand underneath her to tease her opening.Â
Claire shifted as Steelâs fingers cupped her mound. He spread her folds, softly stroking her clit with his middle finger as she adjusted slowly. She clenched around him, filled with an unbelievable desire to be fucked raw by this astonishing person. He thrust into Claire once, testing her, and she uttered a moan, throaty and full of need.Â
âPlease!â Claire whispered urgently. Steel didnât hesitate this time; he began thrusting into her in earnest, ripping her apart seam by seam. Claire cried out each time he struck deepest, her eyes closed, face skewed in the painful pleasure of sexual rapture. She could hear Steelâs voice in her ear, grunts and growls winding the coil in her belly tighter and tighter. One of his hands laced with hers for support and the other continued to play with her folds, spurring her on to another tumble over the edge.Â
Unable to move, the coil sprang open, and stars burst behind Claireâs eyes as she came. She heard Steel groan as her walls milked his cock, and he sat the two of them up suddenly. His hands grasped her hips and slammed her repeatedly down onto his pulsing length, and Claire fisted her hands in the sheets, her orgasm remaining strong. Harder and stronger, stronger than sheâd ever felt a man before, he snapped his hips up into her until she felt his cock swell, releasing everything he had. Claire slumped to the bed when he was finished, exhausted beyond belief.Â
Panting heavily, she turned and watched through tired eyes as Steel cleaned up. He hardly seemed out of breath and Claire couldnât believe it; she was gasping for air. He came back over to the bed and laid the blanket on top of her, and Claire grabbed his hand and pulled. She didnât want to be alone tonight. Steel slipped under the covers and draped his arm over her still-trembling form, brushing her hair softly from her face. Her eyes soon closed and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~
Clark watched the womanâs chest rise and fall as she slept. Everything about her was beautiful. He closed his eyes and listened to the thump of her heart, the rush of blood sweeping through her pulse points, the sharp draft of air swelling her lungs. The gentle ambient melody of her body lulled Clark into a sense of calm, and he found that self-loathing that often accompanied his thoughts in this moment didnât appear this time; he was peaceful for once. He snuggled into her warmth as he fell asleep with her, comforted by the soft bed and the notion of a shower tomorrow. He might also find comfort in her body again in the morning, but for now, this was enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Title: Monster
 SHIP (if applicable): Geraskefer PROMPT DAY: 6 MEDIUM: Books WARNINGS: Self-loathing, more accidental self-harm than deliberate, canon typical suicidal ideation SUMMARY:
âWhat a hideous smile I have, Geralt thought, reaching for his sword. What a hideous face I have. And how hideously I squint. So is that what I look like? Damn.â -Andrzej Sapkowski, Sword of Destiny
-
âDo you know, Visenna, what is done to witchersâ eyes to improve them? Do you know it doesnât always work?â
âStop it,â she said softly. âStop it, Geralt.â -Andrzej Sapkowski, Sword of Destiny
WORD COUNT: 11891 AUTHORâS NOTES: Read on Ao3
@geraltwhumpweek
Geralt hated sorcerers. They were never good company, with the except of Yennefer who still had her moments, and they were usually unnaturally cruel whenever given the chance. He had, of course managed to run afoul of this one, he always did. If there was a sorcerer involved, he was going to suffer. That was simply the life of a witcher, or any other poor soul who happened to cross paths with them.
âGeralt of Rivia, Geralt of Nowhere. Geralt of Kaer Morhen, Geralt of No Parentage. Geralt the Witcher, Geralt the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt the Monster.â
Yes, that was all true, as far as Geralt was concerned. Nothing new, no worse than anything anyone else had said to him.
âI curse you.â
Fuck.
âI curse you so that you will look on the outside as you are on the inside. You will be the hideous monster you truly are. The monster you know yourself to be.â
Pain racked him so hard he thought he might die. His bones shifted like they had during the changes, his face stretching, cheekbones raising and flattening, jaw jutting forward and expanding as his mouth filled with sharp teeth, his lips pulling back and tearing as they failed to keep up with the changes to his skill. He screamed with the pain of it, and horror swamped him when an alien sound came from his mouth.
âKill me, and itâs permanent,â the mage informed him.
The changes continued, his hands stretching into claws as his nails thickened and turned black like a wolfâs, his silvery hair spreading across more of his body. Geraltâs eyes turned true yellow, and he cried out again, the hoarse howl of a monster as his legs lengthened and thickened, making him taller even as his spine curled forcing him to hunch forward.
âHowever, true love, the purest kind can break the spell. Someone will have to love you as you are, seeing you as you truly are, for the spell to break.â
As his nose changed, growing sharper and hooking slightly he felt more shifts in his bones and tears in his skin where it failed to keep up and he moaned low in his throat. His voice had been unpleasant before, but now? Now it was the guttural sounds of a monster utterly incapable of speech. He tried. He tried to curse the mage before him, tears and snot running down his mutated face. When he tried to run his forearm across his face, he noticed the sinew and muscle standing out and the once fine dusting of milk white hair was now thick like pelt over his arm. He screamed again, hardly able to think. Geralt tore at it, the thick claws digging into flesh as he tried to pull some of the hair free.
He accidentally raked his own face in horror at the damage his claws had done, lifting them to try and cover his eyes and feeling them pierce the skin around his eyes and howled again.
âI suppose you should get used to your knew form, enjoy it, Geralt. After all, who could learn to love a beast?â The sorcerer opened a portal and stepped through it, smiling. Geralt lunged but was too late.
While his figure was mostly human, he felt, he couldnât be too sure. His neck had changed and he had more trouble looking down at himself than he had before. Stay calm, focus, breathe, control your heart rate, control yourself. He looked down and saw his clothes mostly hanging in tatters. Something moved behind him and he twisted in panic raising his hands to defend himself with a cry of surprise. But nothing was there. But he could see something from the corner of his vision, and he twisted painfully to look down at himself and saw that he now had a tail.
The shock of it dropped him to his knees, cracking them painfully on the stone floor of the mageâs tower. He gripped it and thought about simply cutting it off. All that stopped him was that when Yennefer reversed the spell, it might hurt him in some other way. All of this had come from his body and to remove some of it might mean he would be less whole when returned to his natural state.
He tried to speak again and again but all that came out of his throat were horrible hoarse sounds. Wasnât Dandelion always telling him all he did was grunt and grizzle? Now that was true. Perhaps a letter. He could send her a letter.
When he tried to pick up a writing implement from the desk his hands⌠claws, his hands were very nearly paws, and blackness edged around his vision again. He couldnât hold the quill. Could barely pick it up, it was too fine, too delicate. Then he realized, who would mail the letter for him? How would he pay? A horrible chuffing sound came out of him and he realized that was his laugh. He screamed again, unable to help it.
It was daylight.  He was effectively trapped in the tower until nightfall. If people saw him they would hunt him down and kill him and he couldnât even speak to them to explain. Couldnât write them a message⌠or perhaps⌠perhaps he could.
It didnât occur to him to use the inkwell, which would have been smarter. Instead, he dug his claws into his flesh tipping them in his own blood as he carefully wrote a message to Yennefer on the parchment. He had no idea if sheâd ever find it. It said very little, and he had no way to mail it⌠no coins⌠but perhaps somehow it would make its way to her.
Yennefer- Mage. Curse. Help. -Geralt.
When he wiped at his eyes again, the fur on his forearm was streaked with blood. Bloodied tears? His heart squeezed. Was no part of him left human? He had to get out of there. He paced around the tower room and stopped when he saw a mirror. It was slightly warped, the silver bent and twisted, not good quality. But it was enough to make him sink to his knees in horror.
His clothing had torn around him, in some places digging into his skin and cutting him. He pulled it off where string and thread still tore into his flesh and looked at himself. While he had never been especially hairy fur had mostly replaced natural body hair and he uncomfortably touched his cheeks. He never even wore a beard, and now he had an odd coating of fur that started an inch or so away from his eyes and ran halfway down his neck. It picked up again at his sternum in a large circular shape before continuing over his abdomen and down to his groin.
âI envy you this, you know. It looks so low maintenance. Iâve never seen you trim or shave any of it,â Dandelion told him softly, stroking along his sides and hips. âDoes it truly just grow this way? Nice and neat?â
âI donât know if itâs neat,â Geralt protested lightly. âBut itâs true, I donât alter it.â Who did?
The poet gently stroked up the insides of his legs and over his hips, circling his groin with gentle touches. Geralt would have given anything for those delicate fingers to never stop. Being comfortable and safe like this was far better than sex. âI do, I spend quite a bit of time on it, maintaining it.â
âWhy?â Geralt asked, he hadnât particularly cared one way or the other about Dandelionâs body hair.
âOh Geralt,â the bard teased, eyes twinkling. âAs much hair grows here, if I didnât keep it trimmed,â his fingers gently ran through the hair above Geraltâs cock, âpeople would think me much smaller than I am. Too much hair and you hide too much and even if thereâs plenty no one will believe it.â
Geralt snorted in shock and laughed. Dandelion grinned at him, pleased to have made him smile. The bard gently leaned over to press a kiss to Geraltâs hip, and the witcher knew he was being given a choice. They could just continue to lie like this, or they could make love. He found both options tempting, but he didnât feel like the amount of movement the latter would require. He gently cupped Dandelionâs cheek, guiding him up to kiss him on the mouth.
âJust sit with me,â Geralt asked, voice husky.
âOf course, love,â Dandelion agreed easily, continuing to let his fingers trail over and explore his lover. Every so often Geralt twitched a little, and the bard knew heâd found a new place to touch and tease during their lovemaking, but for now just being together was enough.
Thankfully his genitals were barely visible under the hanging fur, since pants werenât going to be an option for him. Ashamed in ways he hadnât thought possible, he tried to pick up his cloak from the chair and drape it around himself. All that happened was his claws caught and shredded the fabric. He laughed bitterly and startled when it came out as the chuffing bark noise from before. Tears ran over his cheeks again, the blood dyeing the fur on his face pink.
How was he going to wash himself? Or dress himself? Keep himself warm? His entire body wasnât furred.
The mirror allowed him to see his jaw elongated and widened, new teeth full of sharp points that prevented him from closing his mouth entirely, which meant drool was starting to form at the corners of his lips. Hatred for himself sang in his heart. Even his ears had moved slightly, higher on his head and more pointed and leathery like a batâs, perhaps. Barely recognizable as human other than the color.
His skin had turned even whiter, even less human, more like alabaster than the usual sallow paleness he was used to and his eyesâŚ. Oh, they were so yellow and the slitted pupils- nothing he did would round them again like a normal manâs. The could widen and thin them but not enough. He would have thrown up if he could have.
Mostly his bone structure appeared to be the same, outside of his face, just longer and thicker. His hips pushed against his skin the way they did in lean months where he had little to eat, but he had a feeling this was permanent. Just as his ribs pulled the skin tight between them and his hips, leaving him with a small waist that exemplified several drawings of famine heâd seen.
Unable to bear the sight of himself he slammed a hand against the mirror without thinking and cried out when the silver burned. The glass shattered and bits of it stuck into his knuckles and flew at him, leaving red marks as if heâd been scalded. His claws were too brutish to pull the glass out and he found himself shredding skin attempting to pull the burning embers of silver from his body. Once they were out, he was left with mutilated knuckles and red welts all over himself where the mirror had exploded with the force of his strike.
Unsure of where to walk, his feet were mostly bare, his boots shredded and useless. He glanced at his medallion, he had torn it off along with his shirt. How would he wear it? How would people know it was him? He couldnât speak, couldnât tell them, couldnât write⌠Moaning, he covered his face with his hands and wept, he had never felt so helpless in his life.
âYen this is humiliating.â
âYour leg was broken and so was your skull. Get up and walk around with me.â
âIâm wobbling like a fawn, Yen, I donât want to.â
âAnd how will you get better if you refuse to use your muscles?â
âMy head aches.â
âAnd I shall rub your neck after, and perhaps your shoulders too, if you stop trying to delay the inevitable and get up and walk with me.â
âPerhaps you could rub something else?â
She snorted. âAre you done whining?â
âI wasnât whining,â he argued, getting out of the bed shakily. The linen pants moved across the bandages on his shin and he took her hand, allowing her to help him up. Then slid his arm around her shoulders, leaning on her as they walked out of the room. She made him pace the length of the hall and back before allowing him to rest, and he was happy to hold her in his arms as he waited for his muscles to stop shaking.
He loved the feel of her hair over his skin, and the coolness of her touch on his body. She gently ran fingers through his hair, pressing gently as she massaged away the worst of his headache. He loved when they were close together like this, when there was no expectation, no pressure. They could just be.
Walking carefully through the splinters of mirror he knew whenever he failed because the pain burned him. Welts and blisters rose up, but thankfully no more glass made its way into his flesh. Not sure what to do with his old clothes, or his medallion, he did his best to work around his claws and bundle the silver without touching it. His medallion. His mark, who he was. He had no pockets, no pack, nothing.
Pawing through the mageâs things, he did manage to find a satchel with a long strap which he tucked the medallion in, the leather barely touch enough to withstand his claws as he shoved it in. It took some doing but he also managed to get the strap over his shoulder without destroying it or the bag. He couldnât leave yet, and his body still ached.
There was no food to take, nothing to do but wait. So he crouched down in a corner away from the debris, running a claw over the shaggy rough hair sprouting from his scalp. His sensitive fingers had been covered in thick callous that made it hard to feel, but he could still tell his hair was no longer the fine silky texture his partners had loved. Ciri had loved it, too. His hair was smoother than hers, no curl, and so she had loved brushing it out. She had often put it into braids. Now, the rough strands would be not only unpleasant to touch but near impossible to groom. It was going to mat so easily, he knew.
âYour hair is so soft,â Ciri marveled, running fingers through it as he sat with her by the fire. They had spread out a few blankets and pillows on the hearthstones to wait out the storm. While she wasnât afraid of the weather, after the Wild Hunt had near taken her, she was a little jumpier about the noise. He didnât fault her.
He closed the book in his lap, leaving his index finger between the pages to mark their spot. He had chosen a bestiary at her request and was teaching her more of what she would know to be a witcher. Initially, he had wanted to read history or philosophy or something else, anything else. But it was what she had asked him for.
She gently combed out his hair again, having used a little bit of unscented oil to make the strands gleam. Since she had decided to take an interest in grooming him like a beloved feist his hair always shone in the light. It was always neatly brushed. He looked healthier. Of course, taking her into his life he had had to start taking better care of himself simply because he was taking care of her. If she needed food, he found food rather than go hungry. If she felt filthy, he found a place for them to bathe. It was just what he did now.
While he was well able to keep himself clean and his hair free of tangles without assistance, they both found the routine soothing. So many ugly things happened around them day in and day out that it was nice to end the day by the fire together, doing something peaceful. Not to mention both Yennefer and Dandelion had commented on the change in texture of his hair, enjoying the silkiness Ciriâs ministrations had brought out.
He fell asleep somehow, curled into the corner. The stones on his skin were cold enough to leech away some of his body heat and leave him to wake shivering and miserable. So much for the new layer of fur keeping him warm or being useful in any way.
The sky was dark, and most of the village around the tower asleep. Humiliated by his nakedness, he knew he didnât have a choice about it, or about having to leave. If the mage sent someone back to clear him out, or alert the villagers, he would be killed in a small space unless he was willing to let his actions match his appearance. Perhaps he should just let them kill him.
But he had hope, small hope, that Yennefer would somehow find his message. Would somehow find him and save him. She loved him, didnât she? So did Dandelion. One of them should work, or perhaps she could just reverse the spell without anything. In case her love wasnât even⌠he loved them both so much. Surely, surely one of them could break it. Would it take a kiss? Just some blood? He tried to remember how Nivellenâs curse had been broken with the bruxa, but he didnât want to have to kill one of his lovers. He wouldnât. He would kill himself first if that was the only solution.
The doorknob was difficult to grip and slippery against his skin and he barely managed to get it open. Only the terror of acting like the beast he was kept him from smashing through it. He was bigger, and bulkier, and going through the doorway and down the twisting steps made him aware of how much he had changed. It was difficult to navigate where before he would have run quickly.
He paused at the bottom, smelling food. A bit old, perhaps, but not turned. He listened for a while, didnât smell any signs of human life or hear anything, and the thought of food made his mouth water. Ropes of drool slid over his chin and hung down and he shut his eyes. Nothing he did would take away the feeling. Ashamed, he almost didnât open the door to the kitchen. He should perhaps just starve to death. But, never seeing Ciri again, never seeing Yennefer or Dandelion⌠not if there was a chance he could be saved⌠even if he didnât deserve itâŚ
Tthe hunger pressed on him and he pushed through the door and raided the stores of food he found. The vegetables were hard to chew, since all of his teeth had apparently been replaced with fangs leaving him with very little molar. He ended up gulping down chunks of carrot and potato raw. The meat he found was dried, and even more difficult to manage. His claws allowed him to tear it easily enough and he swallowed strips whole. He ate until his stomach ached and bulged, knowing he had no way to carry any of it with him.
While he was sure he could hunt, and while he could process raw meat if forced, he had no taste for it. Perhaps his new monsterâs body and tongue would. Ripping into raw flesh and still beating hearts⌠that had always been his destiny hadnât it? Shunned by society living like an animal? Looking around for anything that might help him, anything that might keep him human, there was nothing.
At the door to the tower he listened, and when he heard no one moving around he ran.
**
âMadam Yennefer, a message for you.â
âOdd, a letter coming from my banker.â
âItâs an odd situation, if you donât mind me saying,â the dwarf twisted his hands.
âPlease, explain.â She took the missive in her hand, looking at the odd parchment. When she opened it, it bore five words written in blood. The implement used to write had scratched the fibers of the page, making it hard to read and the blood had trailed along the disrupted grooves. It was hardly legible, but she know how Geralt made his runes. Even if he was clearly badly injured and writing her in blood. Although the marks were like no quill she had ever seen. It was too thick, and far too coarse. Disturbed, she looked up at the dwarf.
âWell. There was a contract for your witcher, and he took it. Went up to meet a sorcerer who said they had information and would also pay for parts of the beast. I donât know all the details, mind. But Geralt went in, and he never came out. One of my fellows heard that he hadnât come to pay his inn bill, or the fee for keeping his horse stabled. I had someone go take care of it. The horse is on her way to your home in Vengerberg, where she and his bags will be safe. I also had the money owed settled.â
âAnd youâll have it taken from my accounts?â
âI was simply waiting on approval.â
âThatâs neatly done then. Iâll need to withdraw some coin, then. To take with me. If you hear anything of Geralt, have it passed along to me as quickly as possible. Here, Iâll leave a kestrel, send it with any news.â
âDone.â
âGiancardi?â
âYes?â
âThank you.â
**
He tried to keep track of the days, scratching a mark into the bark of a tree. But after the first week time became meaningless. He knew it might take a full month before Yennefer got his note, assuming she ever did. He had told her the contact might take him weeks. She wouldnât think to check for ages yet. He was on his own for much longer.
He had dug up various roots he had found, keeping himself alive as best he could, and much to his disgust he had managed to fell a deer and the carcass had fed him for days. Geralt was doing his best to behave as a human might. He tried to keep himself clean. Bathing in the cold stream was even worse with the added fur to soak in and hold the icy water against his skin.
A bear had chased him out of the first cave he found, and then a pack of wolves another. Finally, he had given in and dug himself a sort of shelter, doing his best to create more space by breaking branches and aligning them to create a sort of roof and wall. With his hands thick and unwieldy he could barely manage. Using vines to tie anything was out of the question. The crude lean-to kept the worst of the wind and damp away but he would have given anything for a fire.
When hunters came through and found his shelter, they almost found him. He hadnât remembered to hide his tracks and they chased him for days. He could endure more, suffer more, but some part of him hoped they would catch him. Kill him and make all of this end.
The longer he was alone in the wild, the more terrifying he became. He caught glimpses of himself in the streams and rivers and puddles⌠his appearance continued to change and his body never stopped aching.
 **
âCiri, pack your things. Iâve found a place to hide you and Iâll need you to stay there.â
âYennefer, Iâm hardly in need of that kind of care anymore. Iâm capable in my own right.â
âGeralt would never forgive me.â
âIf he was taken as part of a contract, Iâm your best bet at luring out whoever it was. If they want a witcher, letâs give them a witcher.â
âI donât intend to use you as bait.â
âPlease, Mamma, please. Donât make me wait here twiddling my thumbs when Iâm just as good with a sword as he is. Let me help.â
âOne promise or I will use magic to keep you here.â
âWhat is it?â
âYou obey. Something both you and Geralt are terrible at. But this time, you do as I tell you. Or I will send you through a portal to somewhere only I can find you and take you back out.â
âI promise.â
**
When his knees had reversed to match those of the predators whose forest he shared, the agony was so bad he couldnât move for days. He laid there in the dirt and leaves, bugs crawling over him and didnât move, and wished for death.
He fought and killed the giant cat that wanted his territory, and the pelt that grew over his body kept him far warmer than his clothes ever had. This time, he had chosen a place far from humans and higher in the mountains where not many bothered to travel to. Hunting was scarce but he had found a cave that was his and had dragged plenty of dried leaves in it to act as a bed. There was a hollow in the back that collected rain that dripped from a crack in the roof and it kept him from having to leave for fresh water too often.
He had no idea how many days had passed. Time had no meaning for an animal. He woke, he hunted, sometimes he ate, and then he slept.
**
âThereâs some sort of silvery-haired werewolf living in our woods, you know, Master Dandelion.â
âOh pish, I know what werewolves look like. The things your villagers have been saying are lies. Some sort of primal man-ape creature living in the woods.â
âWe chased him out,â a man interjected. âWe caught sight of him and chased him out. Silver haired and yellow eyed, monstrous. Huge claws, sharp teeth, found his dwelling and razed it so heâd never return. Thought about calling ourselves a witcher but we handled it just fine on our own, we did.â
âSilver hair and yellow eyes?â
âFangs as big as my arm, âe jusâ ran though,â another man called out, this one older and missing some teeth. âBig cowarâly cretchur,â he explained.
Dandelion looked around the tavern. He had planned to meet Geralt a few days ride from here and they had intended to travel together back to Vengerberg to meet with Yennefer and Ciri. Only Geralt hadnât been in the area that anyone knew of. Not recently. He had come a month or more ago, had met with the sorcerer and disappeared. All heads were nodding in agreement and he felt a moment of concern.
âWhat tower did you say the sorcerer lived in?â
âLook outside, Master Poet, and see for yourself.â
He finished his beer, gathered up his things, and did exactly that. Gathering up the reins of his horse, he unhitched Pegasus from the post and mounted up, kicking the fat grey gelding into a slow trot.
When he reached the tower he found the door slightly ajar. Fear mounting in his chest he fairly ran up the steps, and was horrified to find blood all over the floor of the tower, shattered glass all over, and ⌠Geraltâs clothes, shredded to pieces. There was no sign of him. The bard looked over the tower, seeing torn paper, broken quills, a shredded cloak, and Geraltâs things. His sword belt had snapped, and he had left his swords. Or was eaten, Dandelion supposed, tears welling up in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.
Further inspection revealed silvery-white fur littering the room and the heaviest coating was reserved for a bloody corner. âDid it kill you Geralt?â Dandelion asked the swords softly. As if there would be answers there. He lifted them up and gathered up whatever he could of Geraltâs clothes and boots. Some spells required the essence of a person.
He needed to contact Yennefer. And perhaps, with what heâd found, she could do something to track Geralt, or the monster that killed him.
He quickly used the parchment and half a quill to pen a letter, noticing the untouched inkwell. Then he folded it, sealed it after relighting a candle and ran down the steps again, Geraltâs swords crushed to his chest. Dandelion quickly found the messenger service in the town and paid the fee to have his letter sent to Yennefer.
**
Geralt barely knew himself anymore. He knew he was waiting for something. He knew the pouch on his body meant something, but his paws wouldnât allow him to open it. He couldnât get it off over his head, it was stuck in matted fur and dried blood. Eventually it snagged on something, choking him and he tore it free, not caring that the strap shredded. He gathered it up in his teeth, the sharp fangs snagging on the leather and brought it back to his cave and left it there among the leaves he used as a bed.
Whatever it was, he couldnât get to it.
**
âYennefer!â
âDandelion!â They hugged briefly. Their affections for each other were largely glued together by Geralt. While they were fond of each other, he was what brought them together.
âI found his things, or what was left of them, I see you got my letter?â
âI got this from him, too, about a day or two before your letter found me.â
âIs⌠is that blood?â
âIt is, his, I think. Youâve been staying in the area?â
âI got the locals to show me the direction they had chased the supposed monster in. I found signs of the habitation, I donât know⌠if itâs the thing that killed Geralt, or something he was trying to kill, or what happened to him.â
âI stopped by the tower on the way here, all the blood was his. It called out to the blood on the paper. Youâd best show me around the area the monster was in, if it killed him his blood will sing out wherever it was left.â
âAnd if it didnât? How will we find him?â
âIf heâs injured by it, or kept tracking it, itâll lead us to wherever his blood was last spilled. Weâll find him. If we can.â
âCiri?â
âWith the horses, waiting. She promised to obey me in all things or I would portal her into a dungeon on a mountain where no one could get to her. At least not without a portal. Iâve promised her that she will help us track down the beast. Or mage. Geralt wrote âcursed.â I donât⌠I donât know what to think. Was he cursed and killed by the monster? Was he cursed⌠in another way? Was all that fur in the tower his?â her voice shook.
âI donât know,â the poet said grimly. âI donât know. But if heâs alive weâll find him. In whatever condition, and weâll break the curse, and weâll take him with us and weâll put him to rights. Itâs what heâd do for us, and what weâve done for him before, and weâll do it again. As often as it takes.â
âI miss him, Dandelion. I hadnât expected to see him for another few weeks, our plan was to meet later, as you well know. But I miss him and it terrifies me thereâs no sign of him. Iâll get Ciri, and you can show me the woods.â
**
The monster pawed loosely at the leather in his bed. The hard object inside had hurt him when heâd slept on it, digging into the flesh of his side. Arrows had broken off in his body after an attack he hardly remembered, and whatever it was in his bed had pressed into it, making it hurt worse. He pawed feebly at the wounds, knowing they were infected, but his clawed paws couldnât pull out the arrowhead. He had scratched himself raw and bloody, creating a further mess in his side. His body didnât bend to allow him to lick it clean or care for it, he moved half upright and half on all fours, but he hadnât gone to hunt in a few days.
Food had passed by his cave, but he had stayed, trying to regain his strength and heal. Some part of him remembered cool hands touching him, easing the pains and hurts in his body. Something had cramped his gut and made him ill and he had fallen a long ways, and those hands had nursed him back to health. But it made no sense, his only clear memories of humans were violent and painful. If they saw him, they chased him screaming and firing arrows and waving swords.
They were right to fear him, his slavering jaws and cruel claws were to be hated and feared.
Continued attempts to discover the source of his discomfort in the leather pouch allowed him to open it, claws tearing and shredding, and a round metal object fell out, skittering across the cave floor to land near his water supply.
When he reached out to touch it, nudging it with his muzzle, he roared in pain, feeling his face burn and welts raise up on his sensitive nose. Whimpering and howling, he leaves it alone, afraid to touch it again and curls back on his uninjured side in the leaves.
**
âHe bled heavily here, look. Someone shot arrows into him,â Ciri lifted up the fletched half of an arrow. âBroke off, or he broke it off and pulled it through. Donât see the other half anywhere, though. He was alive when he left here.â
âThe question is, was he chasing the beast that the townsfolk were, or is he the beast?â
âYennefer, donât say that. Witchers arenât that strange.â
âDandelion, he said he was cursed. His blood is all over. Heâs still alive, as far as we know, but thereâs been no sign of him. The footprints we found are far too large to belong to a normal man, with evidence of clawed feet. So if this is Geraltâs blood, where are his footprints?â
âYennefer, look, by the shelter, thereâs notches in the tree. Keeping track of time. If it was Geralt, he was here a little over a week. Hunting, or waiting for help.â
âThen we press on.â
**
The monster went out hunting, the pain in its side making it gasp and wheeze with each breath. But it had to eat. Food was survival. It got lucky and stumbled across an injured rabbit. The creature hardly lasted a second once the monster had it, ripping it open with stubby claws and sharp teeth. It wasnât enough, but the rabbit would keep it alive a bit longer.
A little stronger from the meal, it snuffled around, bloody drool hanging off its jaw as it rooted around for tubers in the dirt, digging them out with its paws and eating them straight from the ground. Some part of it knew things werenât right, but it assumed it was the festering open sores in its side, and not the meal.
After it had dug up what it could, it moved on, looking for something else to eat.
**
âLook, bones.â Ciri kicked over a bundle of them, chunks of fur still clinging in some places.
âHeâs out here somewhere,â Yennefer says slowly, hands held out, the letter tucked into her belt. She had opted to wear menâs clothing and a cap over her hair to make travel easier. The woods were not easy to traverse in her usual gowns. âMore of his blood here than anywhere weâve been other than the tower.â
âSomething with white hair rubbed up against a tree here, and itâs soaked in blood,â Dandelion calls softly. He looks around the woods, feeling lost. The sun is high in the sky, they werenât sleeping much. They rested once it was too dark to make the horses go on, and pressed on the minute the sky turned grey with predawn light. He touched the scratched bark and noted the blood was old. There were signs of a creature living in the area, something large. The fur and blood was around shoulder height. âItâs large, whatever it is. Do we think heâs hunting it and got hurt, or do we think he is it?â
âI donât know,â Yennefer rubbed at her temples. âHe would have left us a trail sign, if he was able. I canât help but think perhaps it is him. But I havenât seen any time markers, or evidence of him hiding his tracks, but I never saw him doing that before either. But the âbeastâ the villagers chased, when we looked around that area⌠it was sentient. Smart enough to brush away tracks, and build a shelter. Thereâs none of this here. I donât know, Dandelion. I donât know. I wonât know until we find one of them. Or if itâs both in one, him.â
âI found some evidence of marking, look, just like a bear does.â
âGood, Ciri, any blood?â
âSome, the blood doesnât look healthy. Infection. Geraltâs injured.â There was plenty of it splattering the leaves around the tree marked with deep gouges. She found bits of broken claw just like she might have a cat would leave on a rug. Lifting up a chipped piece, the marks had to have been caused by a claw longer than her fingers.
The monster pricked up its ears when it heard voices. It hadnât heard humans in ages. It swiveled its ears and prepared to run. The injury in its side was exhausting it, and it gathered itself slowly. It would wait until they were too close to avoid, but it hoped they would go and it could stay. It would hate to give up its warm cave and safe watering hole.
It didnât understand the speech, or the words they were calling out. It just knew the cry was sad, and lonely, and it lay there in the detritus, knowing somewhere in its monsterâs heart, the cry hurt.
âGeralt! Geralt are you out there? Geralt! Weâve come to find you, please call out if you can hear me us!â Dandelion shouted at the top of his voice. He was able to be far louder than either Ciri or Yennefer.
Ciri continued to look for tracks, and finally realized she was seeing them. Five deep even punctures, long claws that couldnât be retracted. It would be painful to walk on anything but loose dirt, where the claws would provide traction. She followed them to a cave and to her shock saw something glinting in the back.
Drawing her sword, she cautiously swept forward. âI see something!â she called back behind her, hoping that she was about to find one of Geraltâs daggers, or something that would indicate he was alive and well.
The leaves littering the cave floor were covered in white hair and blood and reeked of infection. The creature was sick. Badly injured. Or⌠Geralt was badly injured. She carefully sifted through the leaves and came across a torn leather pouch. It wasnât Geraltâs, but it meant a human had been here. The pouch was shredded and the strap broken. In the mess of the pouch she found scraps of black cloth. âGeralt.â She sheathed her sword and stepped closer to the small pool of water and almost fainted in a mix of relief and horror when she saw his medallion lying there on the ground. âYennefer! Dandelion!â Her voice was not as loud as the bardâs, but she could still scream.
The monsterâs ears twitched. The humans had invaded its home. A low growl rumbled through it and it snuffled miserably. It was in no shape to fight them out. Its home was lost, again. But it was sick of being forced out of its home by other animals, and it had found a good spot and it didnât want to leave. Aching and pained, it heard the continued howling and babbling of the humans and dragged itself up, prowling around the edges of the clearing around its cave. It didnât want to be seen early, but humans were weak prey, perhaps it could scare them off or win the fight. If they didnât have the things that would stick in him and hurt him so badly.
âHis medallion, look!â Ciri held it up with trembling hands.
âOh, he never takes that off, not ever,â Dandelion moans softly. âOh, the thing ate him! It isnât him, he was here hunting it, and he got eaten!â
âDonât be dramatic,â Yennefer snapped. âIt isnât bloodied. It was kept in a bag wrapped in the scraps of his shirt, look.â She lifted up the black fabric scraps and the remains of the leather satchel. âThis cave is filled with his blood all over the leaves,â she lifted up a few. âHeâs been camping here.â
Ciri edged towards the front of the cave and froze. âYennefer,â her voice was tight.
A smallish human, female. Another small human female, and a small male. Nothing that should be too troubling. It didnât see any of the sharp implements that hurt it so much earlier.
âWhat?â
âCome here, please, look, do you see it, too?â
âSee what?â the sorceress snapped impatiently, holding her hands out to try and sense more blood. There was more, something near the cave mouth. She got up and went over to Ciri and peered out over her shoulder, hands held up in front of her. âIâŚ.â she croaked. âI see⌠Geralt? Geralt is that you? Step into the light, come here, I canât undo the curse if you wonât come overâŚ.â
The beast in the woods growled at her and slunk forward, teeth bared. Saliva ran over its jaws in thick ropey strands. White fur covered its body and it walked with an odd mix of all legs and just the back two, giving it an odd lolling gate.
âHeâs injured⌠its? Mamma⌠is⌠is that Geralt?â
âDandelion, get out of the cave, weâll corner him in there. Or it. Weâll find out in a moment but be out of the way. Ciri, can you circle back behind it, keep it from running?â
âHis eyesâŚ. Thatâs⌠thatâs got to be himâŚ.â her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. But she gathered herself. âYes, Iâll flank him, heâs hurt badly.â
Dandelion stepped out of the cave and swore. The creature in front of him flinched and growled, peeling its lips back from bloody pink gums to bare sharp white fangs. âGeralt?â his voice came out as a whimper. âOh, Geralt. Fuck. Yennefer itâs Geralt.â
The monster wasnât sure what the noises meant, but they still sounded sad. A wolf with no pack. It rested a front paw on the ground, leaning heavily. Its breaths came out short and sharp, side aching. It flared its nostrils wide, taking in their scent. One smelled like ice and something else it didnât understand. The other smelled like flowers in the meadow, and the smallest of them smelled like the sea and something it couldnât place. Something familiar. They all smelled familiar but the monster didnât know humans. It had always been this way, always alone, and always terrifying to behold.
When the dark haired one lifted its hands he flinched and snarled, gnashing his teeth at her. He could remember curls on his fingers. Other than heâd never had fingers. The other one, the one breathing hard and whimpering made noise. Beautiful noise with his hands and mouth. But the small one, the small one was his. He rushed the first one, he would chase them out and the odd feelings would stop. So would the odd images in his head.
Yennefer stepped aside when he charged, she had seen the muscles in his body tense. Dandelion was right, she could feel the magic, the curse was active and changing constantly. When his first charge didnât work, he tried to circle back but Ciri had closed in on him and shouted, waving her arms widely behind him and Dandelion joined her, cutting off his other avenue of escape. Between the three of them blocking his way he roared in frustration and then ran into the cave, trying to defend the entryway.
Ciri brought out his medallion, holding it out to him, and he backed away, whimpering from them, the silver burned. The monster remembered the silver burned. It wanted nothing to do with them. When he made to charge them again the small one drew a blade and slapped at him with the flat of it.
He cowered low, confused, and terrified, pain glazing his eyes. It was so hard to breathe and all the exertion the humans were causing was making it even harder to get enough air. He hadnât been eating well, barely able to hunt, and while he had done his best to pull the arrowheads from his side or to rub them against a tree and force them out, he couldnât. The infection kept his skin hot and rotted the fur around the wound.
âGeralt, itâs me,â Ciri told him quietly.
Geralt meant nothing to him. Neither did the sounds. But the voice was kind, and he hoped that perhaps they would simply kill him quickly.
Yennefer pressed in on his other side, âthis is badly infected, and has been. If he was gone at least a month before we started looking, and itâs taken us at least another one to find him⌠they shot at him near two months ago, itâs a miracle heâs alive.â
Fear and pain dropped him to his side, and he whimpered once, letting his head drop to the leaves, feeling them tickle against his muzzle. Drool slowly began to cover the ground under his head and he waited for them to kill him.
âLet me see, Geralt, let me see it, I can help,â she said in her best attempt at a soothing voice. âCiri, I donât think heâs lost all the fight in him yet. Help me. Dandelion? Get our packs, weâll need them. Also, firewood.â
Yennefer jumped back just in time as he lunged and snapped at her, and he would have taken off her arm if she hadnât been waiting for him to attack her.
Dandelion came back in to see Geralt lying on his side, wheezing, tongue lolling with his eyes rolling in panic in his head. âWhat did you do to him?â
âNothing, he tried to attack me and he keeled over,â Yennefer said brusquely.
âYen, heâs starving,â Ciri said softly. She tried approaching him, hands out, and he lifted his muzzle and snapped at her, growling savagely.
âThereâs food in the packs, Dandelion, get out all of it.â
âWill that work?â he asked quietly, dropping the packs to the ground immediately and starting to dig out their travel rations. They had dried meat, hardtack, hard cheese, and they had stopped by a small settlement at the edge of the woods and had some root vegetables and a large loaf of slightly stale bread. They had eaten the other loaves already.
Ciri wasnât listening, she grabbed up the cheese, meat, and bread, watching Geralt as his nostrils flared and pupils dilated slightly at the sight of food. He licked his chops and continued to pant, lying there and staring at the food. He watched her, watched her hands, and when she lightly tossed a bit of meat he opened his jaws and snapped it up, gulping it down before it could be taken.
He startled when he looked at her next and she was closer, the fur rising up along his back and shoulders and he growled again, a low warning growl. Then the small one held up another piece of meat and lightly tossed it to him, and he snapped that up, as well. There wasnât enough to fill his belly, not by a long shot, but the girl had more. The blonde girl. The one who smelled familiar. She threw him another piece and then stepped closer. He kept his hackles up, teeth bared after he ate the next piece.
Before he knew it, she was within biting distance, and held up a piece of cheese. He couldnât recall the taste of it, but the sight and smell made him drool.
âCiri, be careful,â Yennefer whispered, worried. âDandelion, get us firewood, and weâll try and set some snares, he needs to eat more. Although if we could shrink him back down to his usual size, we wonât need as much food⌠the⌠the little settlement, they were⌠a few hours out? Can you make it there for more food and back? Take my palfrey to carry the food, and ride Roach down, donât take Pegasus. I know you donât want to leave him, but I can create a spell to keep him from leaving the cave⌠and it wonât stick if Iâm not here to hold it. Can you go?â
âAlready leaving, but firewood first?â
âPlease,â she said, watching those yellow eyes in the dim light of the cave. They had an odd sheen and she imagined if heâd been human, he would have burned with fever. She could smell the rot in his side. He was near the size of a horse, and she wasnât sure how much it would take to feed him, but she could feel the edges of the curse, but not the conditions.
The bard stepped out quickly, rushing about to gather up wood. The sooner he left the sooner he could come back. And perhaps they would have made some progress with Geralt in his absence. They had healing supplies with them, they had anticipated he would be hurt. Just, not like this. They had never anticipated this.
Ciri got a little closer, holding out the rest of the cheese. He tipped his head up and his tongue flicked out to grab it, and he swallowed the chunk whole. She was close enough to rest a hand on his muzzle, but she didnât. She could see the way he kept trying to watch both her and Yennefer, fear making his rib cage flutter as he fought to breathe. âOh, Geralt,â she said softly. âWeâre here now, weâll fix it.â She tore the loaf of bread into chunks and sat, letting the pieces rest in her lap. She held out another one and he took it from her.
After the last chunk was devoured, she slowly reached out to touch his muzzle. âThis isnât right you know,â she told him quietly, watching as Yennefer held her hands out, brow furrowed in concentration. He flinched away from her, but she ignored it, gently stroking the damp white fur.
The noises she made almost made sense, like a forgotten memory. The food in his belly wasnât enough, but it was different than the raw meat and whatever he could dig up and scarf down.
âMamma, please bring me the rest of the food,â she said quietly, idly stroking the fur between his eyes. âHeâs still hungry.â Ciri watched some of the fight go out of his body, paws curling as he lay there. His ears swiveled around tracking Yennefer as she moved around the cave. The panting got worse as Yennefer moved, but eased when she was back in his line of sight.
âI canât imagine heâll enjoy hardtack.â
âNo one enjoys it, that isnât the point,â Ciri sniffed, and then carefully fed Geralt the rest of their food supplies. He was exhausted, she could tell. He reminded her of her grandfatherâs hounds after too long of a hunt. Too tired to rest. She kept up the gently stroking and leaned forward to touch his leathery ears. They were soft and warm, and his eyes closed when she started gently stroking them. Yennefer moved again, shoes scraping on the floor and his eyes opened, and he snarled again, wheezing after. âItâs alright, youâre alright,â Ciri promised him, scratching the top of his muzzle and then the rough hair of his cheeks before moving under his chin. The fur was soaked in spittle but she didnât mind. It was Geralt. The yellow eyes closed in pleasure and she kept it up as his body slowly relaxed and eased.
Yennefer put her hands over his wound, and he opened one eye to stare, dragging his lip back over his teeth to show her their sharpness.
âGeralt, itâs alright,â Ciri said softly, and the words almost had meaning. His ears flicked forward to her and she smiled at him. âDo you want me to keep talking to you?â
Yennefer watched carefully, and then gently laid her hands on his side, feeling the heat and swelling radiating from the wound. The initial injury had to be somewhere in the middle of his ribs, but it had radiated from shoulder to flank and her heart dropped. He was very ill. Dangerously ill. Half starved, he didnât have what he needed to fight off the infection that was killing him.
His skin twitched and rippled under her palms, and she felt tears slide over her cheeks. They could save him, it would be even easier to do it if they could turn him back. âTrue love often breaks curses,â she tells Ciri quietly. âCan you keep him calm while I come around to his head?â
âYou plan to kiss him on the mouth?â
âNo, the forehead,â Yennefer told her dryly.
Ciri stuck out her tongue impudently and continued to let her hands smooth the thick white fur under her palms. âI imagine youâre exhausted. Youâve been running a while, and youâre hurting badly. Iâm sorry Geralt. Iâm sorry we didnât find you sooner. You can understand me, canât you? I want you to understand me.â
Yennefer knelt down at his head and gently started stroking his fur. âI love you,â she told him gently. âEven when weâre fighting, or Iâm angry, I always love you. I always will. We always love each other.â She leaned over him and ignored the way his lips peeled back from his gums and kissed him gently on the top of his head, feeling the coarse fur brush her lips. She pulled away, tears dripping down her cheeks to soak into his fur. âOh Geralt, what kind of curse weas this? Can you talk to me? Can you understand us?â There was a catch in her voice and she hated it.
Both she and Ciri waited with bated breath, and Ciri sighed when nothing happened. Tears ran down her cheeks when she realized Geralt wasnât miraculously changing back. They sat with him, stroking and comforting him until it started to get cool.
Yennefer gathered up leaves and the firewood and started a fire. Geralt had started to tremble and she knew he was going to need help staying warm. The fur didnât seem to be doing him much good. Not with the illness such as it was. It was obvious he had tried to get the arrowheads out, but she could see part of the shaft of one still sticking out. He had probably driven them deeper in, dangerously close to his lungs.
She planned to wait until Dandelion got back before she attempted to pull the arrows out and start any of the healing process. They would need to boil water and prepare bandages and two sets of hands wouldnât be enough.
Ciri kept up a steady stream of chatter, and Yennefer gasped in surprise when Geralt nodded his head to something she said. Ciri looked up at her in shock, and then kept talking, her words speeding up with an almost frantic edge. He didnât seem to know what she wanted from him when she tried asking him questions.
âLet him rest, Ciri, let him sleep, heâs exhausted.â
They kept vigil together, hands gently smoothing the matted white fur on his head and chest. Dandelion came back before full dark, laden with bags of food and more bandaging.
Geralt woke up at the sound and with raised hackles, snarling and growling, he staggered up on all fours, backing himself into the wall of the cave.
âStop!â Ciri said quietly, holding her hands up. âGeralt, itâs me, you know me, itâs Ciri. Iâm your destiny. Geralt, do you remember? Iâm your destiny. Tell me, nod, something, but tell me you understand. Do it!â
âCiri,â Yennefer said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder, not expecting Geralt to respond. But instead he whined low in his throat and ducked his head, ears flattening and tail curling up between his legs. He bobbed his head lightly and stepped closer to her, snuffling her shirt and allowing her to pet him and scratch him around his neck and under his chin.
âHe understands,â Dandelion said softly, voice awed.
âFeed him,â Yennefer told him immediately. âWe need to feed him,â she added. Perhaps the bard was his true love, perhaps the bard would break the spell.
Dandelion pulled a roast chicken heâd purchased specifically for Geralt. He unwrapped it from the linen it had been wrapped in. Carefully, he edged in until he could hand Geralt the food. Dandelion jumped when Geralt carefully took it from him, mindful not to bite his hands. âOh sweet Melitele, is that really him? Is that really you? Oh, Geralt. Youâre so large, how can we possibly keep you full?â Â He bravely put out a hand and let Geralt snuffle his palm, smiling when he received a lick for his troubles. âI love you so much,â he smiled. It was easy to step in closer and he wrapped his arms around Geraltâs neck, kissing his cheek.
âFuck,â Yennefer said softly, she had hoped. She had hoped so much that if it wasnât her it would be Dandelion. They could worry about the curse once they cleaned out his wounds, at least. She would figure out how to undo it, since true love wasnât going to do it, or he hadnât met his yet.
âWhat?â
âI had hoped that would break the spell.â
âGeralt,â Ciri smiled. âCome lie down, let us see your side, it hurts right?â
Dropping his head, he let the words wash over him. He could mostly understand now. âGeraltâ still didnât mean anything to him, but âhurtâ was a word he knew. He laid down where he was, unwilling to get too close to the flames.
âYouâre so big,â Ciri mumbled, smoothing hands over his skull. âI wish you were smaller, like you were. Do you remember? Geralt? Do you remember being human?â she asked gently. âYou were a good size, the proper size for a witcher. The perfect height for hugging,â she added.
âCiri, whatever you do, keep talking, donât stop,â Yennefer told her quietly. âDonât stop.â
âWhen I was younger I barely came up to your waist, and you put me up on your shoulders in Broklin, do you remember? You called me a brat and threatened to belt me if I wouldnât behave. Your shoulders are a little broader than Dandelionâs, do you remember? But strong. Youâre so strong. And we can take care of you better if you were back to your usual size.â She felt his head start to shrink under her hands, and her breath caught in her throat only for tears to pour over her cheeks when she saw he wasnât changing, just shrinking some. When he finished, he still looked the same, he was still covered in fur, and still barely resembled a human in the loosest sense possible.
âThatâs better,â Yennefer told her.
âHow do we change him back?â
âI donât know, Ciri, but first we have to make sure he doesnât die.â
It took them half the night to cut away the putrid flesh to allow Yennefer to pull the arrowheads out of the festering wounds theyâd created. Geralt had snarled, snapped, and made pitiful attempts to attack them the pain was so bad. It was clearly he didnât quite know them and didnât understand all the words they said to him. When they tried to return his medallion, he whined and whimpered, drawing back with his hackles up and tail between his legs.
They stayed with him a week in the cave before they gained any more ground. Keeping the wounds clean and clear of infection had been near impossible, and he had gotten sicker and sicker with each day that passed. It was terrifying, wondering if they would lose him without him ever knowing who they were or who he was. They would have tried his elixirs but since he was nothing like himself, they didnât know how they would react with his body chemistry and they might kill him immediately.
Dandelion made routine trips down the mountain and back to bring up more food and supplies. They kept Geralt fed, and as comfortable as they could. The next bit of progress was made when he curled up between his loversâ bedrolls. After that, he started to respond to his name, and would nod or shake his head.
Yennefer made little to no progress on the curse other than to say it was still active and adapting and she wasnât sure how to break it yet, it was too flexible. Geralt was also still incredibly weak and sick, and prone to pacing until he was panting too hard to breathe and would simply lay on the cave floor, wheezing until he fell asleep again. They were all miserable.
Ciri woke up, unsurprised to feel Geraltâs bulk pressed against her back. She rolled over and wrapped an arm around his neck. âYou were human like us, you know,â she told him softly. She tickled his ear, watching it twitch away from her touch. âYou had ears like mine. And hands I could hold. Hands that could hold me. I miss that. You werenât covered in fur either. I used to brush your hair, do you remember? I would brush it and oil it and keep it clean. You wonât let us bathe you,â she wrinkled her nose. âEven though you need it. You make a very smelly whatever you are. I think if you had less fur it would help.â When she reached up to tease his ear again, it wasnât there, and she sat up to look and saw a human ear nestled in all the fur, hairless and pale, just like it had been before.
When Yennefer and Dandelion woke next, they immediately noticed the change and monitored him for others, but saw nothing other than perhaps less fur, but they couldnât be sure. He was docile at almost all times, even when having his wounds poked at.
âGeralt,â Ciri started one night, tickling the pads of his paws, pushing her fingertips against the blunt claws at the ends. âDo you ever miss holding hands? I think I would. I miss training with you, so even if you donât miss holding hands, do you think you miss holding a sword?â
She gasped when the claws against her fingertips melted away and the pads of his paws followed after, fingers elongating as his hands became human. He flexed them in wonder, he couldnât recall what he had looked like or felt like before. He barely knew himself, but hands made it far easier to eat. Exhausted, he fell asleep and didnât wake until the next morning.
When he felt tapping against his teeth he woke up and tried not to snarl. It was just Ciri.
âThese are ridiculously large, you know, they donât even fit in your mouth, Geralt. What kind of idiot mage cursed you with these? It makes no sense, you canât close your mouth, you drool all over your fur⌠youâre very messy.â She opened her mouth and pointed, âThese are what your teeth should look like,â she informed him. âYour whole head should look more like mine,â she added. âI donât see what the fur adds, either, if Iâm being honest.â
She wasnât surprised this time when magic crackled and swirled around him as his teeth and jaw shrank, his muzzle flattening into his skull to form an almost human jawline.
More days passed and none of her suggestions took. His memory seemed to be coming back and while he couldnât speak, he could write, fingers in the dirt. They communicated well enough, until one day he just stopped.
When they went to bed he was there, and when they woke up, he was gone.
They split up to find him, he had remembered to hide his tracks. Ciri found him some time well after midnight.
âGeralt? Donât run, please donât go.â
âCiri,â his voice grated from his throat. âGo, just go. PleaseâŚâ
âWhy?â
He had pressed himself against a hollow log, seeking some small shelter from the cold. No fire, nothing. No clothes. He still mostly moved hunched over, rather than upright. He was so ashamed. âI donât want you to see me like this,â his voice broke.
âI love you,â she said simply. âHow you look doesnât matter.â
âIâm a monster,â his voice broke. He could remember now, all of it. How he had failed them. âThe curse didnât change me, it revealed me,â he told her hoarsely. âThe curse was to show my true self,â he whispered, bloody tears trailing over his cheeks. âGo away, Ciri,â he told her more firmly, baring his teeth and lunging at her.
She didnât move. âNo. No, I will not. You canât make me. You told me once you would always be there for me. We would never be apart. You havenât done the best of jobs keeping that promise. Iâm going to hold you to it, now.â
âPlease,â he moaned. âCiri, you donât deserve the horror of having someone like me in your life.â
âHorror? The horror?â She slapped him before she could stop herself. âYou idiot!â He didnât make a move to stop her, or to cower away from another strike when she raised her hand again and she stared in shock at what sheâd done. âIâm sorry!â She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and sobbing. âI love you, Geralt, I love you, thereâs nothing horrible about you!â
He hesitated before holding her, thinking of the things he had done with his hands recently. Digging around like a boar, ripping rabbits open to eat them raw and bloody. He shouldnât touch her. âCiri, Iâm a monster,â he told her softly. âInside and out, Iâm⌠let me go. I⌠it would be better if I just disappeared.â
âNo!â she clung even more tightly to him, tangling her fingers in his fur and hanging on tightly, her tears and snot soaking the fur on his shoulder. His own bloody tears dripped into her hair, staining the strands pinkish red. âYou arenât a monster! Youâre Geralt! Youâre a witcher, and a mutant, but not a monster! Even if you never change back, even if you look like this forever, you arenât a monster. Your outside has nothing to do with your inside! You taught me that! You, and Eskel, and Lambert, and CoĂŤn. I was so afraid at first, but I know now. I know witchers are just men, Geralt.â She couldnât keep talking when another sob choked her and she fell silent. Â
Her sobs shook her entire body and she clung to him so tightly he had no hope of dislodging her. He shifted as best he could to hold her, and stroke her hair, and soothe her. He didnât notice when her tears fell on his bare skin, didnât notice the crackle of magic around him as he worked to hold her better, closer. He wanted to be the man she wanted him to be. He loved her. She was his child surprise.
âCiri, I⌠Iâm not what you think I am, I canât be who you want me to be.â
She screamed in rage, shaking her head against his chest, slamming her fists weakly against him as she battered his chest, sobbing harshly. âDonât leave me!â
He didnât try to stop her from hitting him, the blows didnât hurt. And even if they had, he deserved them. He let her vent her rage and fear against him, and ran his forearm across his nose and eyes, trying to clear them. Geralt didnât notice he wiped tears against his skin, the fur covering his arm gone.
âIâm sorry,â he told her, rocking her back and forth on the forest floor, ignoring the unpleasant sensation of detritus poking into his legs and backside. âI love you, Ciri, I love you. Iâll stay. Iâll stay.â
Yennefer and Dandelion came upon them some time later, the sky grey with the coming dawn.
âGeralt!â Yennefer cried out in shock, rushing forward to drop to her knees beside them, wrapping her arms around them and kissing him hard. He looked at her in shock. He could feel her palms on his cheeks. Feel the scrape of stubble, not fur, on her hands. Her skin was cool against his, like it always was.
Before he could process it, Dandelion was at his other side, holding him tightly and swearing vehemently at him and the whole world. The bard rocked them all back and forth slightly, kissing Geraltâs face, neck, shoulder, and any part of him he could reach without pushing Ciri out of his way.
The bandaging had come loose as his body shifted and changed, and the impact and hugging along with everything else had aggravated his wounds.
âCiri, Ciri, look, Ciri,â Yennefer stroked her hair, gently pulling her away from Geraltâs chest. âLook, look at him.â
âOh, Geralt,â Ciri said softly, her voice full of wonder as she stoked his hair, and then his face. âYouâre you again,â she hiccupped and sobbed. She ran her hands over his face and hair and shoulders over and over, kissing his cheeks and forehead as she did, frequently bumping heads with either Yennefer or Dandelion who kept touching and kissing him, too.
When he started to shiver, they pulled away in concern. Dandelion dragged off his cloak and wrapped it around Geraltâs shoulders, as Yennefer and Ciri went to get the horses. Dandelion helped him to his feet, tucking the cloak around him tightly. He held Geralt as the sun rose, glad to have him back.
Geralt had near forgotten how to walk like a man, much less ride, in the months heâd spent living as a beast. With a little help from the poet, he was able to mount up when Yennefer returned with Ciri and their mounts. They would get near the edge of the settlement and find him something to wear until they could go home.
He had agreed in spite of his deep fear, to allow Yennefer to portal them to Vengerberg after, and to begin his recovery in earnest there. His wounds would need further care, and he needed time to rest. He was exhausted. But he was home. And returned to the people who loved him.
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Another Year
Summary:Â Arthurâs birthday is coming up. Y/N wants nothing more than to make it great.
Warnings: Swearing
Words: 3,892
A/N: This request came from the one-of-a-kind, fabulous @sweet-nothings04â! Thank you for asking for this. I enjoyed writing it a lot!Â
If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open! Keep them coming!
Y/N hadn't realized how much she'd missed putting together birthday celebrations. Not until the unexpected serendipity of falling in love again. Her ex-husband had preferred not to make a big deal of them, had stated he hated getting older. (Considering he'd been in his twenties, she'd found that assertion silly.) As her father had slipped away, special events and gifts had gone by the wayside to focus on routines that wouldn't throw him off kilter. She'd been invited to her sister's and brother-in-law's parties but had only stayed for the hour or two she'd hired a sitter. And while she wasn't the most attentive aunt, she always ensured her nephews and nieces at least got a card and money for a treat.
From what she'd gathered, birthdays had never been an important facet of Arthur's life. That had become obvious upon learning his was 11/21/1946 by reading documents instead of from him. When she'd discovered he'd turned thirty-five and hadn't even told her. But unlike her ex, it wasn't because he didn't want them to be. It was due to neglect, isolation, and the inability to connect. As much sympathy as she had for Penny, for her own illnesses and suffering, for what had been done to her, the wounds she'd inflicted on her son hurt Y/Nâs heart. There were so many lost years. She was determined to make-up for them by spoiling him.
The diner where Patricia and she often met for lunch was halfway between their two offices. A five- or six-minute walk for them both. Y/N arrived first. She sat at the white and gold Formica counter and perused the menu. (Though she'd already decided to get her usual pastrami on wheat, garlic pickle, and coleslaw.) Patricia strolled in as the waitress jotted down Y/N's order, and told the young lady she'd have whatever Y/N was having.
They caught up quickly. The Wayne Foundation case was going to have a preliminary hearing in three weeks. Y/N couldn't have rolled her eyes harder. ("Thank god I won't be there. They'd have to drag me off the stand.") Patricia listened with interest while Y/N went on about a dispute involving break violations at Ace Chemicals. And Patricia invited her to stop by the office soon, claiming Matt had realized he'd been stupid to let her quit. ("I'm sure he misses me being a pain in his ass.")
Y/N was picking at the crust of her sandwich when she changed the subject. âI need a favor.â
Patricia arched a brow at her. âIs this going to involve me lugging boxes of files to your apartment?â
âOnly if you want the workout.â Chuckling, Y/N shook her head. âArthurâs birthday is next Saturday. You bake the best cakes. If Iâm left to my own devices, heâs going to get something out of a Universal Foodsâ box.â
âMine are out of a box. I just modify the directions and make my own frosting.â Patricia used the rest of her bread to sop up her coleslawâs dressing. âHow old did you say heâs going to be? Thirty-five?â
âThirty-six.â
Swallowing her last bite, Patricia quirked up the corner of her lips. âI still owe you for running those supplies to the office when my foot was broken. What kind does he like?â
Y/N hugged her tight across the shoulders. After a short discussion, they decided on chocolate with vanilla cream frosting - a safe choice. It would be small, since it was only for the two of them. Arthur had a job the day before. That would allow her to take it home without him seeing. Sheâd just have to keep him away from the fridge the rest of the evening.
They talked about the other things Y/N had in-store for him, the reservation, the gifts. She giggled, pleased at having successfully hidden it all from him so far. âYouâre putting a lot of work into this,â Patricia said. âWhat did you do last year?â
âI didnât know about it last year. He didnât mention it.â Though Patricia was already aware of some of Arthurâs past, Y/N had kept the details to a minimum. She tried to think of an elaboration, one that respected his privacy but was honest. She started in on her pickle. âWith Penny being sick - with everything he was going through...â
Sipping her coffee, Patricia spun her stool to face Y/N fully. âYou donât need to say anymore. I remember. It was hard for you both.â
The empathy in Patriciaâs gaze prompted a smile. And reminded Y/N how grateful she was for a friend who was frank but unjudgmental. âBack then, he thought needing or wanting anything from me was a bother. But heâs getting better at letting me love him.â Y/N put a hand on her chest. âAnd now heâll never need to mention it. Itâs locked in here for good.â
~~~~~
Yesterday had left Arthur in a funk. One that showed signs of adhering to his brain the way flies had stuck to the tape heâd had to hang from the ceiling of his old apartment every spring. Heâd spent close to twelve hours dancing and waving a âStore Closing! Everything 50-70% off!â placard in front of Daveâs Pleasure Emporium in Gotham Square. (The city must really be fucked if its denizensâ finances were shitty enough that adult shops were shutting down.) It had been his least favorite gig in months. But the slow season was coming on, and the pay had been decent.
The dull ache in his lower spine, radiating to his hip, had made it harder than usual to sleep. And soreness was seeping from familiar spots to sinews heâd forgotten were there. Even the tips of his toes hurt. Two more ibuprofen tablets and acetaminophen went down easily. Carefully, not wanting to rouse her, he removed Y/Nâs hand from his stomach, wincing as he shifted onto his left side to alleviate the pressure on his right.
Thirty-five was too old for this. While he loved performing for children, he should have made it as a comic by now. And he should have finished school. Heâd be able to do more than be on his feet all day, then. Have more options. Opportunities...
Or maybe he simply shouldnât have taken that particular job.
The ability to stop catastrophizing, adjust his way of thinking, was new. And rare. He made a mental note to write todayâs accomplishment in his journal and share it at his next appointment. The therapist would be impressed with him. Dozing, he thought his funk might abate after all.
It could have been five or fifty minutes later when he felt the comforter being dragged down. Heard the zip of the shades being rolled up. But he was in that snug state between wakefulness and slumber and refused to react. Then there was a pinch on his chin, a light weight on his scalp. âWhat are you doing?â he mumbled gravelly.
âItâs someoneâs special day today,â Y/N said.
Oh. Thatâs right. He was thirty-six now.
Squinting in the bright sunlight filtering through their sheer curtains, he propped himself on his forearm. She was half-reclined next to him, draped in a short, black nightdress. The one she found a tad tawdry but he liked. He rubbed his eyes, his forehead. Thin cardboard stopped him when he reached his hair. His fingers followed it, found it tapered into a point.
A party hat. Sheâd gotten him a party hat. He couldnât hold back his snort.
In his line of work, birthdays were for kids. Heâd stopped caring about his own as a teenager. Penny had seemingly been glad he was around. But she never remembered. Hell, heâd had to remind her of her own. But the last acknowledgment of it, the last one before meeting Y/N, had been by a teacher. Heâd gotten an extra five minutes of recess and escaped punishment for inappropriate laughter for the day.
This was his first birthday with a person who saw and loved him. Understood who he was. Knew he was more than some image projected onto him. A person who appeared thrilled he existed and to be in his life. As a husband. Every sit-com and film heâd watched had clued him in: wives deemed them important. They hid gifts, cooked special meals, sneaked around arranging parties. There hadnât been any sneaking on Y/Nâs part, none that he could detect. He wondered what she could have planned.
The kneading of her thumb in the hollow of his hip, briefs slung too low as usual, gave him a good idea of her plan for this morning. The entangling of their legs confirmed it. âI got donuts. Coffeeâs ready.â
âYou, um-â He cleared his throat, closed his eyes at the brush of her thigh against his length. Which was getting harder with each touch of her lips to the crook of his neck. âYou didnât make breakfast?â
âNo.â Her chuckle was throaty, full of desire. âI wasnât going to torture you with burnt eggs.â She was pulling at his biceps, trying to get him to settle over her. âLetâs work up your appetite, Mr. Fleck.â
But he flinched and halted her movements. The painkillers hadn't kicked in yet. His muscles burned. "We'll get to it later," he promised between languid, lingering kisses. The kind that made him feel safe. Loved. Famished for her. She guided him onto his stomach, stroked him affectionately. Breaths mingling, they chatted lazily until they both cooled off.
Once his stomach started rumbling, Y/N insisted they get up, despite his protestations that he wasn't hungry. That staying under the covers with her for hours would be fun. That they could eat in bed, crumbs be damned. His back would get worse if he continued laying like that, she told him. He needed to stretch and move. Although he grumbled, his experiences with injuries, whether from overwork, assholes, or sleeping on a couch most of his life, had taught him she was right.
Following a cigarette on the fire escape, he went to the kitchen, grabbed a mug, and did a double-take at the round table in the dining nook. He approached it in disbelief. He tensed as he ran his hand along the rectangular gifts and their shiny red paper. Squeezed the puffy, tan winter coat. Fingered the silver ribbon tied to the chair, dangling from an aluminum helium balloon. The lump in his throat forced a short laugh. But he didn't cover his mouth, not having to hide from her. He shook his head, wiping at the sudden wetness in his eyes. "All this is for me?" He did his best to sound normal.
"No. They're for my other husband, Carnival." She came behind him, hugged him around his torso and splayed her fingers on his chest. "You may have met him. Has a penchant for making balloon animals? Wears pants with the cutest patch on his bottom?" He grasped her forearm, held her tight to him as his shoulders shook with mirth.
It wasn't yet eight o'clock. And the day was already shaping up to be one of his favorites.
~~~~~
At the vanity on Arthur's side of the bed, Y/N was attempting to create the perfect oval eye with brown liner. The wide smile creeping onto her face wasn't making it easy. But it couldn't be helped. Everything had gone wonderfully so far. Had more than met her expectations. She hoped his had been met, too.
She'd been badgering him to get a winter coat since last Christmas. (His teeth had chattered almost the entire time they'd stood outside to watch Gotham's Christmas parade. The hot chocolate from a vendor hadn't done much good. A long bath had been necessary to finally warm him up.) The one she'd picked out fit him well, and he'd seemed to like it, hanging it by the door next to his tan jacket. And she'd known he was attached to his trusty, foil razor. But it was over fifteen years old, taped together, and on its way out. The new one had a rechargeable battery. He wouldn't be tethered to the outlet over the sink if he wanted to move around a bit.
The twitch of his nostrils, his hitched breath as he'd whispered, "Thank you," had compelled her to kneel next to his chair. The poignancy of his reaction had affected her keenly. Hollowed out her core and filled it with compassion and love. He'd frowned and wiped his nose with the back of his knuckles. "Sorry," he'd scoffed, glistening eyes darting to hers. "I don't mean to be weird."
"You're not, Arthur." She'd gently removed his black and red polka-dotted party hat, set it on the table. "You're being you."
After a quick lunch, they'd leisurely strolled arm-in-arm through the neighborhood, including a visit to the nearby park. Arthur had wanted to stop into the used record shop three or four blocks away. She'd caressed up and down his back, observing his content visage as he flipped through the LPs. It was lovely to see him treat himself to a couple without hesitating to worry about the cost for too long. At home, he'd settled on the floor by the record player and put them on. He must have been feeling better, because he'd kept his earlier promise: they'd made love on the carpet. Unhurried, sweet, and giggling like idiots.
The opening of the bathroom door broke her out of her reverie. She started blotting her darker-than-usual red lipstick with a tissue. "It was nice of Patricia to get me aftershave," he said.
She smoothed the lines of her champagne color, mid-length dress, adjusted its petal sleeves, then twisted around just as he entered the bedroom. Her movements halted. Would his handsomeness, his beauty, ever fail to stun her? Gaze roaming his slender form, she stared at him. He'd only worn his black and brown oxfords seldomly, saving them for special occasions. The wrinkled white socks didn't match his black pants, but they paired well with him.
It was the teal button-up, patterned with white circles of various opacities and sizes, that caused her to need a few seconds to process his remark. It'd hung in the corner of his old living room; she'd eyed it in their closet since he'd moved in. It was such a contrast to his usual conservative clothing. Quite unlike him, she'd assumed. But seeing him standing there in it, the way it complimented his lithe figure and brought out the light green of his irises, made him look a little less withdrawn, she realized she'd been mistaken.
"She thought it'd suit your new shaver." He gave a gentle hum in response, bashful smile appearing. Such gestures were unfamiliar to him. Eventually, they'd become such an integral part of his life he'd grow tired of them. Y/N would make sure of that. The idea prompted a grin and she stepped around the bed to approach him. "You look great. Are you ready?"
âYeah.â The crook of his mouth, the furrow of his forehead alerted her to his nervousness. He rubbed the back of his neck, flitted his look to hers. âIt sounds fancy.â
She kissed him soundly and he eased into her embrace. âYou donât have to impress me,â she said. âYou already did that. Use whichever fork you want.â
The restaurant was in Gothamâs Little Italy district, only a block or two from Chinatown. Y/N had never been to Bamonteâs but her colleagues had given it good reviews. (One had said he and his wife went there every anniversary.) Arthur gaped when they went inside. She watched him survey the lavish, red curtains decorating the walls; the dim lanterns suspended from the ceiling; the faux-marble floor. Huffing, he turned to her, concern clear on his face. She grasped his elbow. âItâs all right. You belong here as much as anyone else.â
The maitreâd led them to a secluded table, behind its own drawn back drapes in the rear corner of the smoking section. Arthur traced the edges of the three lit, tulip-shaped votive holders. Caressed the cream color tablecloth as he sat in the fabric covered chair. An anxious chuckle left him and he smoothed his palm over his thigh. âI hope I donât spill anything.â
Y/N assisted Arthur with the menu, explaining some of the more exotic-to-him dishes. He was interested in the antipasto, which wasnât unexpected, since he always kept a jar of olives in the fridge. The gnocchi with tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, and mozzarella was what he thought sounded best. She chose an old favorite, chicken in a mushroom and white wine sauce and a Caesar salad on the side. Arthur picked the least expensive Moscato on the wine list. When the bottle was opened and left on the table, he blinked at it, then shrugged and filled their glasses.
After a couple of sips, he crossed his legs and puffed on his cigarette. âI wrote a new joke. Well, I really just changed an old one.â He reached across the table to graze across the back of her hand. âWhy didnât the old man like having insomnia?â
Her eyelids fluttered, his gossamer touch setting her aflame. She ran her toes along his calf, his resulting twitch causing her to giggle in delight. âHe wanted to sleep with his wife?â
Dark brows shot up in surprise, his eyes lighting up. Their fingers laced together. âHow did you know?â
Leaning forward, she traced his crow's feet, prominent due to his beaming smile. Then her touch drifted to his jawline. âIt was the first joke you ever told me," she murmured. "How could I forget?â Clutching her hand, he pressed a kiss to her wrist. He held her to his lips, hard enough to feel his teeth. And he grew quiet. âWhat is it?â she asked after a minute.
His eyelids shut. She could feel his pulse quicken together with hers. âI- I wanna sleep with you forever,â he breathed.
Out of anyone elseâs mouth, she would have taken that to mean sex. From him, however, she knew it meant mountains more. Adoration welling in her chest, her fingertips weaved into his loose, chestnut curls. âYou will.â
~~~~~
Once, in high school, Arthur had gotten a hold of some grass. It was supposed to induce giddiness and euphoria, make a person relax. God knows he could have used it back then; Penny had started declining and heâd had to learn to run a household. Plus, heâd thought at the time, itâd make him one of the guys. All the cool kids were doing it. Maybe heâd be able to connect with one and learn how to be popular. But all it had done was make him nauseous and paranoid. There hadnât been one iota of the âhighâ heâd imagined. Heâd thrown it out and never tried it again.
Now he wondered: was it possible to be high on a person? To be drunk on their presence? To feel their essence down to the cell? Necking on the sofa with Y/N, their coffee forgotten on the coffee table, he figured it must be. Enraptured, he wanted to capture her ragged breaths, take her into his lungs, make her a perpetual part of his being. Perhaps heâd stay happy naturally, then, like everyone else. Even if that didnât work, sheâd always be close.
Giggling, she pushed him off her and headed towards the kitchen. âWait here. No peeking.â
Laughing softly, Arthur pushed his hair out of his face. Sheâd already gotten him gifts. Let him make love to her. Taken him to an eatery where he was totally out of place and managed to make it comfortable. What else could she possibly do? Luckily, he didnât have to wait long. He eagerly followed at the call of his name.
The loveliest cake heâd ever seen was on the counter. Dark chocolate shavings embellished its round border. And it was the perfect size for the two of them. Y/N was rushing to light a mass of candles on it. âQuick, make a wish before wax drips onto the frosting.â
He mused for a moment. He no longer needed to pine for daydreams and delusions of companionship - he had Y/N. In spite of the icons his mother had had in every room of their apartment, heâd long ago stopped praying to what he suspected was nothing for his conditions and illnesses to go away. Then it occurred to him. Bending to blow out the candles, he wished for his innate comedic gifts to be recognized. To be validated as the stand-up he knew he was. And to provide for Y/N. To be what she needed. To make her happy.
Although he was grateful for Patriciaâs thoughtfulness, and he knew Y/Nâs baking wasnât better than his own, part of him had wanted her to be the one who made the cake. But he tried to push that aside and appreciate it regardless. The slice she gave him was far too generous. He ate it all, anyway, because it was delicious. The sponge was fluffy. And the chocolate could actually be detected, instead of a vague, sugary flavor. The frosting tasted finer than that on the grocery store bakery cupcakes heâd sampled in the past.
As he was rinsing off the cutlery, Y/N saddled up beside him and held out a bright purple envelope, inscribed with âHappy Birthday!â in her pretty longhand. He leaned his hip against the counter as he grasped it, intentionally brushing his hand against hers. Gingerly, he lifted the flap and pulled out the card.
The cardstock was a vibrant gold and white. Two mugs, one green and labeled, âYours,â one pink and labeled, âMineâ sat on sketched coasters. The shiny purple letters underneath proclaimed, âYou get me. I get you.â Pressing his thin lips together, he opened it. And sighed when he read the rest: âHope you know how happy that makes me.â
One of his wishes had already come true.
The elation coursing through his veins made him shudder. He nearly missed the stiff papers that fell from the envelope. Y/N retrieved them and gently placed them in his palm. A wide smile spread across his cheeks as he read aloud. ââGotham Pops presents A Night with Gershwin?ââ He double-checked the date. âThese are for New Yearâs Eve.â
She nodded. âI snagged them as soon as they went on sale. Theyâre orchestra seats.â Then she squeezed him flush to her side, bumped her nose to his. âDonât think I havenât heard you sing to yourself in the tub.â
âOh,â he chuckled, eyes tracing the diamond pattern of the grey, linoleum floor. âI thought I was quieter.â
âIâm glad you werenât.â Enthusiastically, her lips pulled at his before she grinned up at him. âDid you have a happy birthday? Was it worth getting older?â
Arthurâs answer came without delay. âYes.â There wasnât a way to explain what it meant to him, to explain that she helped him feel good to be alive. How full his heart was. That she patched cracks in his soul he hadnât known existed. He longed to do the same for her. He cupped her jaw on either side, guiding her to his mouth and rasping, âI donât mind getting older with you.â
~~~~~
Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolveâ @howdylilflowerâ @sweet-nothings04â @stephieraptorrâ @rommiesâ @fallenstarsabyssâ @gruffle1â @octopus-plasmaâ @tsukiakarinobaraâ @arthur-flecks-lovely-smileâ @another-day-in-chuckletownâ @hhandley80â @jokerownsmysoulâ
#arthur fleck#arthur fleck fanfic#arthur fleck x reader#arthur fleck x female reader#arthur fleck x ofc#joker 2019#watchwhathappens
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Something Just Like This, Chapter One (Trixya) - Calliope
a/n: hello hello hello, this is cal, the writer of cirque d'amour and I'm back back back again! (with a slightly different pseudonym)
this fic will be the slowest of slow burns if y'all can handle that, with the beloved friends to lovers trope; however, that friendship will always be a little blurred...
I'm actually quite nervous to post this! I do hope you enjoy it.
*TW: MILD MENTIONS OF UNDEREATING/OVEREXERCISING
---
Trixie is sweating.
Trixie isn't quite used to the sensation - the fire on her skin, the rush of blood throughout her veins, the protest of every single sinew - and to be beetroot red in front of a wealth of fit strangers.
Trixie could hardly care, though; her mind was in a thick fog. She'd force-fed her thick thighs into some loose leggings, had pulled a baggy t-shirt over her head, and lost herself in arguably the healthiest form of self-punishment. Trixie was by no stretch interested in becoming a gym bunny - but today, she needed the release.
Trixie cranked the height of her treadmill up higher, feeling her muscles screaming in protest. She ignored their pleas, puffing out laboured breaths as she increased her speed. Her neighbours, all buff and beautiful, paid her no attention, and that is exactly what Trixie needed - to be ignored, whilst she punished herself.
Her music was cranked up as loud as her broken iPhone would allow, and she pitifully replayed Ed Sheeran on a loop as she climbed. Every time her mind dare wander to the forbidden fruit she had just tasted, she would stubbornly shut her thoughts down.
Trixie was not a home-wrecker. Not, of course, on purpose, anyway.
But despite telling herself on a loop that this was the truth, Trixie couldn't help but feel like she was, at the very least, being white-lied to.
A bead of sweat trickled from Trixie's pounding temple, which she quickly dashed away with a feeble hand. Her insides felt weak, and she couldn't quite decide whether that was from lack of food and forced exercise, or because she couldn't help but think about what happened only two days before.
***
4 years earlier
K: hi :)
Oh for the love of all things, what am I doing?
Trixie rubbed a weary hand across her face, pressing sharply into the cheeks that poked out from under her skin. Her phone vibrated a second time, a new message waking her phone from its momentary sleep.
Trixie glared at it as though it was betraying her, and she silently turned her phone face-down against her desk.
Trixie had joined a dating site. A dating site named Brenda, no less. She uploaded her cutest photos; where her tiny cat Kim were pressed against her cheeks, or the one where she were her skinniest; make-up painted and hair in perfect ringlets.
This was not her current reality, though: Kim had stubbornly ignored her all night, probably judging her every move, and Trixie had gained a little weight. It was okay, though, because who wanted to date someone who had their spine on show? Damn, fuck. Be friends with . Not date.
The thing is, Trixie wasn't looking for love.
A third buzz from her dormant phone jumped Trixie from her fervent haze, and she snatched it into clawed hands.
Pearl: I can't come this weekend - gotta work. sorry
Trixie's baited breath shuddered from her lips, the familiar feeling of upset creeping at her insides. This was the very first message she'd received from her long-distance girlfriend all day, and hardly a pleasant one at that.
Trixie lay her phone flat against the desk where she was perched, and drew her legs up onto her computer chair. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, her chin resting somberly against the soft fabric of her Disney pj's that were littered with tiny grey thumpers.
No, Trixie wasn't looking for love. Her heart was occupied; occupied by someone far away, someone who had stolen her heart at a time she thought she needn't have one. Someone who was now so distant, not only in a physical sense, but miles apart emotionally.
Trixie couldn't understand it. Her and Pearl were a match made in heaven; even their astrological signs had aligned, making Trixie think that the very stars wrote out their love in ageless constellations. Pearl would smoke a short blunt, her arm wrapped tentatively around Trixie's small shoulders, and they'd play old runs of GTA on her dusty PlayStation 2. Pearl would cook beautiful dinners for her, vegetarian of course, and let her watch reruns of Barbie's Dream House, despite her disdain for its childish backdrop. Pearl would fuck Trixie into oblivion, tending carefully to all of her kinks and indulging full-heartedly into every single fantasy that Trixie had ever had.
Would. Pearl would do these things. But not anymore.
Trixie carefully plucked her phone back up, turning it over in her hands for a few hesitant moments before finally unlocking it.
T: hey :)
Trixie felt a prickle of guilt gnaw away at her bones as she pressed a thumb to the "send" button on the Brenda messenger. No, she thought. I am doing nothing wrong. I'm just making friends.
She turned her attention to the pitiful thread of texts from Pearl.
Trixie: okay⌠I could come to you? I don't mind hanging out at your flat while you work.
Trixie knew that Pearl's reply may not come for hours, days even. She heaved a shuddering sigh, forcing herself to her slippered feet in search of her grumpy cat.
Her phone buzzed against the thick of her thigh from her pocket, and she snatched it up immediately, hoping desperately for Pearl's response.
No, it was the girl from Brenda.
K: how are you doing? I'm not very good at this malarkey, but you seem cute, so⌠here I am
Trixie snickered slightly, deciding to inspect this person further.
She thumbed at her profile picture to get a closer look - she was butch, but softly so, with dirty blonde hair that was religiously scraped back throughout all of her profile photos. She seemed cute, though, Trixie thought. She had piercing green eyes and Trixie swore she could spy a chiselled abdomen beneath her plain t-shirts.
T: thank you, that's sweet! you seem cute too, is that a guitar I spy in one of your photos?
Trixie knew this game she was playing was inherently dangerous. She knew that she was projecting dissatisfaction from her current relationship, and seeking some form of, well, anything , from anyone . Still, she couldn't help but feel a thrill when a second message - from a different girl, no less - brightened her dormant screen. Another butch, with thick, jet-black hair, and piercings on her lip, offending her with the opening line of "hey there ;)".
Still, this fruitless back and forth with cute, eager bachelors certainly beat her usual evenings of misery; overeating, overthinking, and waiting for a call from Pearl that would never come.
"What's up?"
Trixie nearly flung her phone from her palms with fright, her hair whipping her pink cheeks as she spun on her heels to greet the intruder, fist raised with a warning.
Of course, it was only her roommate, Blair - a boy who, despite creeping past the age of 20, looked like he belonged in a primary school. His deer-like legs stretched below him, and in his tiny arms lay a bag of what could only be Chinese takeout.
His sculpted eyebrows raised in wonderment at his roommate's defensive stance. "Trix, hun - - - are you alright?"
Slowly, deliberately, Trixie lowered her raised fist, choking back a fit of laughter. "Jesus, fuck, Blair. You scared the living daylights out of me."
Blair carefully laid the takeaway bag onto the dining room table. "I was singing as I came in. How did you not hear that?"
Trixie audibly groaned. "Show tunes?"
Blair grinned, all teeth. "What else?"
"What did you bring me?" Trixie asked, trotting excitedly over to the dining room table towards the source of the delicious smell.
"Sweet and sour tofu," he shrugged, heading for the kitchen to retrieve some cutlery. "I figured you could use some cheering up."
Trixie could've kissed him right there and then. "You are the best housemate ever."
"I know!" Blair sing-songed in response from the kitchen, the tell-tale sound of clattering telling Trixie he was picking out plates. Trixie thought for a moment.
"Wanna watch Chicago?" she called out, already knowing the answer.
Blair's boyish face appeared in the doorway at once, his cheeks flushed red and his bright blue eyes wide. "Of fucking course! "
Trixie chuckled. Blair was the pinnacle of the gay stereotype, she thought, listening to her friend hum along to an 80's power ballad she had forgotten the name of.
Trixie was in such high spirits that she almost forgot the back-and-forth she was having on Brenda, and the reason for it. That was, until part-way through the film, and a mouthful of crispy tofu, her phone buzzed angrily against the countertop.
Both Blair and Trixie startled, and Blair's carton of seaweed went flying across the room, littering the hardwood floor with tiny, crispy sprigs.
"Fuck sake!" Blair exclaimed, throwing his hands up and staring with dismay at the mess.
Trixie shot him an apologetic glance, before throwing herself at the vibrating phone.
Pearl.
"H-hey, baby!" Trixie babbled into the mouthpiece, clutching the phone as if it were a precious gemstone. Blair rolled his eyes to the heavens with great exaggeration, and Trixie promptly gave him the finger.
"Hey," Pearl's voice, deep and soft and laced with sleepiness, was like music to Trixie's ears. The mounting unread messages from Brenda now evaporated into nothingness.
"How are you doing, I---" Trixie stumbled around the coffee table in her haste to reach her bedroom, the spilled seawood crunching beneath her bare feet. Mouthing another "I'm sorry" at Blair, Trixie managed to reach her bedroom, and collapsed onto her bed, clinging the phone to her ear with desperation. A smile crept against her dainty lips. "How are you?"
"Tired," Pearl muttered, though Trixie could hear the smile in her voice. Trixie's heart fluttered.
"All done in the studio?"
"Just about," Pearl mumbled boredly. Trixie's heart sank at the pause that followed; hollow and vast.
"Listen," Pearl's voice was slightly muffled, and Trixie knew immediately that she was rolling a cigarette between her perfect teeth. "I got your message, and I appreciate the offer, but I'm doing overtime at the bar. There'd be no point in you coming down this weekend. By the time I get back home, it's late, and then I'm back in at 10 in the morning."
Trixie nodded somberly, feeling utterly stupid for allowing herself to feel a flicker of hope that she might see Pearl this week. Or this month.
"Trixie? You there?"
"O-oh! Y-yes, I'm hereâŚ"
"Oh, come on, Blondie," Pearl's words were blown out in exasperation, and Trixie could visualise the tendrils of smoke rising from her nostrils like a dragon as she smoked. Trixie wasn't sure why Pearl had christened her with the nickname "blondie", when she herself was also a pale, silver-blonde. "Don't give me that sad, sad voice. You know I have to work."
Trixie could feel pricks of upset choking up her throat at the bemused tone from her girlfriend. She shook herself slightly, forcing a shaky smile despite it not being visable. "No, no, of course. I get it, it's fine. What about a call? A video chat?"
Pearl hummed against the cigarette in her mouth, and Trixie knew at once that she was to be further let down. "Probably not, babe. I'll be tired. I have music to make."
Trixie nodded again against the handset. At least, she thought with a tiny glup, at least Pearl had called tonight.
"Well---" Pearl blew out smoke again, and Trixie swore she could taste it. "I need to go⌠love ya."
The call went dead in her hands, but Trixie still cradled the phone to her ear, as if in doing so would bring Pearl's voice back. She thought bitterly about how they used to spend hours on that very phone, talking about everything and nothing at all. Trixie continued to listen to the tone of the terminated call, and she couldn't help but think it sounded like a flatlining heart.
#rpdr fanfiction#trixya#trixie mattel#katya zamolodchikova#pearl liaison#blair st clair#slow burn#fluff#angst#pining#friends to lovers#cheating#eventual smut#something just like this#calliope#tw mention of under-eating/over-exercising
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Ragnarok
TITLE: Ragnarok CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4: All Hela Breaks Loose AUTHOR: traveling-classicist ORIGINAL IMAGINE:Â Imagine you take care Odin when he was homeless on Midgard (based on the deleted scene from Ragnarok). You take him in and listen his crazy stories about Asgard and Thor thinking heâs just some crazy hobo who needs help. Then one day, Thor and Loki break into your apartment looking for their father. Hela returns in your living room and insanity ensues. RATING: TÂ (PLEASE READ THE NOTES)
AO3 Link: Here NOTES/WARNINGS: This chapter has some rather graphic depictions of violence and wounds. I know this can make some people squeamish so I thought Iâd whack a warning in here, just in case.
âGet out of my house, or I will shoot you this time,â Theo shouted at Doctor Strange. âHi Wong, how are you?â she added kindly, smiling at Strangeâs friend. He smiled and bowed politely to her.
           âOooh, I would love to see you shoot him,â Loki said, stepping out of the way to stand behind her. âYou know, Iâm really starting to like you. Here, donât let me get in the way. Go ahead, fire away.â
           âDonât get comfortable,â she spat at Loki. âYouâre next.â
           âWho gave you gun? Why do you have a gun?â Doctor Strange asked.
           âFor lunatics who break down my doors,â she shouted, waving the gun at Loki, who gracefully ducked out of the way. âOr assholes who teleport into my house without my permission! Oh my God, what am I saying?â She pointed the gun back at Strange.
           Thor and Odin approached them. âLoki, we need to go,â Thor said. âOh, hello Doctor Strange. We were just going.â
           Theo glanced at Odin. He looked worried. She could see tear trails on his cheek. She lowered the gun and went to him. âOdin? Are you alright? What did he say? Do I need to punch him?â she asked, pointing at Thor. He took her hand.
           âWe must go now,â he said, looking up at her sadly. âBack to Asgard. We need to address this situation with Hela.â
           âWho?â Loki and Strange asked in unison.
           âArenât you paying attention, brother,â Thor sneered at Loki.
âHela, your daughter?â Theo asked Odin, ignoring the others.
âYour what?â Loki shouted.
âWe cannot discuss this now, Loki. We need to go back to Asgard. Quickly, before she breaks free and Ragnarok begins. I can feel it, she is close now.â
âOh, yes, I do think itâs time for all of you to go if someone is coming to destroy you or us,â Doctor Strange said, herding them away like geese towards the door. âNot you,â he said, pushing Theo aside. She frowned at him and brandished the gun still in her hand, giving him a warning. âThank you for stopping by. Please, do not come again,â he said, opening the door for them and gesturing for them to leave.
A sudden piercing noise rang out from somewhere near the ceiling. Theo grabbed her ears and held them, trying to block out the spine-tingling noise like a thousand nails on a chalkboard. She heard Odin cry out in pain and she straightened up, looking for him. Loki was holding him up, Thor standing close by. Near the ceiling in the living room, where the noise was coming from, a black, vortex-like portal was opening.
âWhat the hell is happening in my living room!â Theo shouted. âStrange! You better knock this off right now!â
âItâs not me,â he shouted back. Wong stepped past her to Strangeâs side. They lifted their hands and in front of them. Orange, circular shields formed. Theo shook her head in disbelief. After everything that had happened to her in the last five years, how on earth could she actually be surprised by anything. Especially, after the two men had literally teleported into her living room.
She turned her attention back to Odin and his sons. She grabbed Lokiâs arm and pulled him back. The three of them took several steps back, behind the magicians. Loki put Odin behind him and Thor. There was a flash of light and Thor and Loki adorned armor. Theo stood between the brothers and the wizards, holding her gun and wondering what on earth she was going to have to do to have a normal life again.
A woman materialized from the vortex in ragged black clothes. Her hair was black and pin straight. Her eyes dark, with even darker eye shadow and liner. To Theo, she looked like sheâd just arrived back from a My Chemical Romance concert.
âAhh, Midgard?â the woman breathed.
âHela,â Odin said from behind Loki.
âWhat a stinking rathole for you to be hiding in, you old bastard,â she said.
âHey, I just cleaned yesterday, but your siblings wrecked my living room!â Theo said, pointing her gun at her.
âOh, and who is this? Your slave? Or your pet?â she scoffed.
âRoommate,â Theo said, finger steady on the trigger.
âOh, youâve fallen low, Odin. Itâs almost pitiful. But if this is the place youâve chosen to die, I wonât argue with you. Come out from behind that greasy son of yours.â
âGreasy?â Loki spat. Thor tried to stifle a chuckle. âI beg your pardon?â
âYouâre excused, little brother, now get out of my way!â She charged forward. Swords shot from her hands. She moved faster than lightning. Theo reacted instinctively, jumping and pulling the trigger, firing off three rounds into the womanâs face.
Each bullet hit its mark, tearing away chunks of flesh and bone. Hela broke away from her charge, tumbling over the couch, holding her face and letting out a howl of pain. Theo was hyperventilating. She stared at the gun in her hand as it trembled with fear and shock at what she had just done. The gun had always been there for protection, but she had never planned on actually shooting anyone.
The men in the room looked at Theo in shock.
           âWell,â Loki said, shrugging. âThat was much easier than I expected. Ragnarok diverted.â
Hela rose from the ground, kicking over the coffee table, sending books, apple tarts, and coffee flying in all directions.
âBrother, I think you spoke too soon,â Thor growled.
She removed her hand from her wounded face. Her right eye was white, blinded; the skin around it, scarred as if burned from the bullet wounds. The muscle and sinew of her jaw was exposed, showing her teeth and jawbone. The tissue began to necrotize and turn black before their eyes. Theo took a step back out of fear, her stomach turning at the sight of what she had done.
The movement sent Hela into the attack and she flew at Theo. Two swipes of Helaâs arms sent the men careening into the walls. She was on top of Theo in an instant, screaming and howling at her.
She wrapped her fingers around Theoâs neck and squeezed. The air was trapped in Theoâs lungs and she choked. Hela had her pinned to the floor, half smashed against the wall and the wood flooring. Theoâs gun skittered across the floor and landed a few feet away. Her hand flopped, frantically for it, as black spots began to appear in her vision. Hela squeezed harder, Theo heard tiny, crackling noises in her neck and a horrendous gurgling came from her mouth.
She abandoned her gun and tried desperately to peel Helaâs fingers away from her throat; scratching, hitting, punching, kicking, her; anything she could do to get her off her, but it was to no avail. Hela stood over her like a statue and her grip was like steel.
The men were still struggling on the floor. Thor was the first to his feet as Loki helped Odin. Thor threw his hammer as hard as he could at Helaâs back. She whipped around and with her free hand, caught the hammer. The hollow thud echoed through the apartment.
The hammer vibrated in Helaâs hand. Sparks rippled out from it, licking up her fingers and wrist. Cracks formed outwards from her fingers and a noise like metal being sheered pierced Theoâs eardrums.
âThatâs not possible,â Thor squeaked.
The hammer vibrated faster, the cracks split wider, and the noise intensified. Hela did not remove her eyes from Thor. Theo, who was still under the iron-like grip of her other hand, was beginning to lose consciousness. She was beginning to panic. Her limbs felt heavy, her eyes felt like they were bulging out of her head.
In an instant, the hammer exploded, sending lightning and chunks of metal flying across the room. The windows in the kitchen shattered in a shock wave that felt like it shook the whole city block. The cabinet doors flew off their hinges. The furniture shattered and curtains shredded.
Theo could hear yelling in the hallway as one of her neighbors was trying to figure out what was going on. In the back of her mind, she hoped they just minded their own business on this one.
Her mind was beginning to shut down. She could no longer think straight. The others were regaining themselves from Thorâs hammer breaking into a thousand pieces, but Theo didnât have time for them.
The pain in her neck was too much for her to bear any longer. With all her remaining strength, she kicked Hela as hard as she could. While it did not send her flying across the room as Theo had intended, it did get her hand off her throat long enough for her to turn over and stretch for her gun.
           She made a lunge for it, but her hand flubbed over it, her mind unable to coordinate her fingers to grab it. Abandoning the instinct to fight, Theo tried to run. She put the rest of her energy into her legs and tried to scramble away from Hela. She stood over her, watching the pathetic mortal who had deformed her so flop about on the floor.
Hela kicked her over, bearing down on her with her sword. Theoâs eyes widened in terror at Hela. She closed her eyes. This was it. This was how it felt last time too. Time seemed to slow, and silence fell and once again, Theo wasnât ready to go.
Loki cast a spell that knocked Hela back against the wall. Helaâs sword slashed across Theoâs chest, creating a long gash, diagonally across her torso. She cried out in agony at the pain that erupted through her body.
Hela turned and advanced on Loki, swords blazing in a green fire. Loki stepped backwards.
âThor! Help me!â he shouted. âLightning her! Do something!â
âI canât!â Thor shouted back. âMy hammer!â
Hela lunged at him. Loki conjured daggers and caught her sword in a cross above his head. She was strong. He could feel the heat of the flame on her swords. Something dripped from them, thick and black, like oil. It dripped onto his skin and burned through, revealing the muscles and tendons of his hand, down to the bone.
He cried out at the burn and let his dagger fall, stepping to the side to avoid the strike of Helaâs blade, holding his hand. He hissed at it as his skin boiled, leaving lesions and blisters in its wake around the epicenter of the ghastly wound.
 âItâs poison,â he muttered. He looked up and she was striking at him again. She spun quickly round to continue her attack. He sidestepped once more and made a quick jab at her side. His dagger hit its mark: a rip in the fabric of her armor. She made no cry of pain, no flinch, nor effort to conceal the wound. It bled but she paid no heed. She swung wildly with her blade, but Loki ducked out of the way.
He waved his hand, creating a bright flash of light and loud bang to distract her. In her daze, he made several copies of himself around her and attacked all at once. She spun in a circle, releasing swords in all directions, striking several of the Lokis and making them disappear. Loki could feel twinges of pain at their deaths. Strange and Wong blocked some of the swords from hitting Thor, Odin, and Theo with small force fields.
Loki rolled out of the way of the sword meant for the real him. He had to think of something else. Hela was too clever, and this was too small a space with too many morons in it for them to fight properly.
           âStrange!â Loki shouted. âOpen one of your portals to the empty dimension! Make her fall through!â
           Doctor Strange moved his hands in a circular motion and a portal opened beneath Helaâs feet. She screamed as she began to fall. She made a last ditch lunge at Loki with her sword as she fell through the floor and the portal closed up behind her.
Theo was gasping on the floor. She felt an eerie, coldness permeating through her body. Her back arched as waves of a burning pain washed over her like fire lapping at her skin. Spasms of electric-like shock wracked her muscles, causing her to convulse on the floor. The pain radiated from her chest. She looked down. She could see the blood and the wound, but she could not feel it. The wound felt numb, but the rest of her body was filled with its pain. She screamed but the effort made her head spin.
           Loki ran to her side and knelt, examining the wound on her chest and comparing it to the wound on his hand. Strange was right behind him.
           âMove,â he said, pushing Loki away from Theo. He turned Theo over. âIâm going to pull up your shirt, Theo. Please, donât punch me this time,â he said.
           âNo,â Theo begged as she rolled side to side in pain. âPlease,â she moaned.
           Strange lifted her torn sweater, revealing the long gash. Her abdomen was littered with other older scars; one rather large, star-shaped scar covering the lower right side of her torso. She struggled to pull her shirt back down but Strange held her. Lokiâs eyes widened at Theoâs battle scars. He straightened up and turned to Thor.
           âThor, you stupid oaf! What was that?â he shouted, picking up what was left of Mjolnirâs handle and throwing it at Thor. It hit his chest and bounced off him. Loki shapeshifted into an image of Thor and mocked him. ââOh no! My special hammerâs broken! I canât do anything anymore! Iâm just a weak little boy! Iâm just gonna sit here and watch my crazy sister kill my dear brother! Maybe Iâll have a spot of coffee and an apple tart while he bleeds out!ââ
He turned back into himself and grimaced at Thor who was fuming, ready to tear Loki to shreds. Odin stopped the two of them, putting his hands on their chests before they could go at each other. His eye was on Theo who was moaning and crying on the floor, clearly in agony from the wound she had received from Hela.
           Strange and Wong were trying to hold her still to examine the wound. The gash was not fatally deep, but it was bleeding badly and parts of it had already become infected as if it were days old. Strange was confused.
Before his eyes, the tissue began to necrotize and die around the edges of the wound, turning gangrenous and then black. Theo moaned with pain. Her hand searched for something to hold. Odin knelt beside her and took her hand and held it.
âI donât wanna go⌠no,â she whimpered. âIt hurts. Too much.â
           âItâs a poison,â Loki said, holding up his own hand to show Strange. The poison on Helaâs blade had burned away Lokiâs skin to reveal the tendon and bone of his right hand. The tissue around it was blackened as if dead. âYou wonât be able to deal with it here on Midgard. Sheâll have to come back to Asgard with us, if sheâs to live.â
           âLoki,â Odin breathed, seeing his injured son. Loki paid him no heed.
           âShe is not leaving this planet,â Strange said, not looking up at Loki.
           âSheâll die, then,â Loki retorted.
           âShe is a citizen of earth, and she will not be leaving with a hostile force like you.â
           âThorâs here,â Loki said, gesturing to his brother who was kneeling over the broken pieces of Mjolnir. âHeâs not hostile. Just tell whoever that she went with Thor. I donât care. If she stays here. Sheâs dead.â
           âI donât want to be dead,â Theo whimpered, deliriously. âPlease.â
           Loki stared at Strange, searching for his answer. Theo did not have much time. There was a pounding on the door.
           âPolice, open this door!â someone shouted.
           âNope, we donât have time for your indecision. I thought you were a doctor,â Loki said. âBring us back, now! Leave the silly magicians.â
           âEXCUSE ME!â Strange roared as the room was filled with rainbow colors.
           Bifrost opened. Loki picked Theo up. He hoped she would survive. Strange made a move for them but was blown away by Bifrost. They were picked up and thrown into the rainbow bridge, careening through space. The gate opened on the other side and they materialized in Asgard. Theo was barely alive in Lokiâs arms.
           âI need a skiff, now!â Loki ordered. A flying boat-like vehicle arrived almost immediately, and Loki put Theo inside.
âLoki, where is Heimdall?â Thor asked.
           âNot now, you idiot,â Loki replied.
Odin was helped in by two Einherjar and Thor stepped in as well, doing his best not to strangle his brother in front of everyone. They flew to the palace and Theo was quickly taken inside to the Healing Room.
           âHealers!â Loki addressed several women in the room as he entered, carrying Theo. âThis woman is Midgardian. She has been struck with a poisoned Asgardian blade. I donât know what the poison is, but itâs killed the tissue around the wound.â
           âOh dear,â one woman said. âPut her in the soul forge, sire. Weâll try to stop itâs movement through her body.â
           Loki placed her on the table and the healers started the forge. Theo was awake but confused and delirious. What she saw around her did not make any sense. The table she was laying on suddenly came alive and golden clouds formed above her in shapes that looked eerily like her own body.
She had been drifting in and out of consciousness until now. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. Her chest felt as if it had been cleaved open by a chainsaw in a horror movie. Her head spun with the pain.
            The shapes above her billowed and undulated as if moved by an unfelt breeze or wave. Her eyes could not focus well on them, but she thought she could make out a darker colored cloud floating somewhere around where her chest was.
           Loki watched the soul forge and the healers do their work. The forge had picked up on the poison and was able to halt its movement in Theoâs body but could not identify nor neutralize it. At least with the poison stopped, the healers could have a better look at the wound. They removed her shirt, much to her distress. She fought back with what little strength she had left.
           âTry to relax, Theo,â Loki said. âTheyâre trying to help.â
           âDonât tell me to relax, you bastard,â she hissed.
           âClearly, sheâs not as far gone as I feared,â Loki said flatly.
           He looked at the healers and nodded gently. They turned a switch on the forge and Theoâs limbs fell limp.
           âI canât move!â she said. âWhat did you do to me!â
           âItâs by design,â Loki said, calmly. âSo, you donât hurt yourself or anyone else. Like I said, just try to relax and let them do their work.â
           They continued to remove her clothing and clean the wound. Lokiâs attention fell to the star-shaped scar on her lower abdomen. He knew the mark: a blast from a Chitauri weapon. His mind was filled with flashes of memory too fast for him to catch. He could hear the Chitauri battle cries and weapons blasting, he could hear people dying and buildings falling, he could hear the Avengers rallying. He shook his head, violently.
           Thor stepped up beside his brother and addressed the healers, pulling Lokiâs attention away from Theo. âDid you call him âsireâ?â he asked the healers. âYou do know who he is, right? What heâs done?â
           âOh, of course, we do, dear. Weâve known for a while now.â
           âYouâve what now?â Loki asked, surprised by the matron healerâs answer.
           âWe all know the Allfather was reaching his limits with the Dark Elves, what with the Queenâs death and yours â twice - and all that mess with Midgard. And then, for you to abdicate, we all thought it had been too much for you too to bear.
âThen, after all that, for Odin to suddenly take an interest in philanthropy over war and military, was, well, rather unlike him,â the healer explained to the brothers, while she worked on Theoâs wound.
 âAnd then, there was the giant golden statue of you, sire, and the plays and the speeches and the epics and the books and the new libraries and theaters and amphitheaters. We started to put a few things together. The Council called a bit of a private meeting with palace staff about it, and we agreed that we were more prosperous this way, so we just let it be.â
           Loki turned to his brother smugly and smiled. âWell, how about that?â Thorâs jaw nearly hit the floor. âWait a minute. You knew and you let me walk around in that old manâs body for years? My back still hurts from being as old as him!â Loki said to her.
           âWell, sire, thatâs what you get for lying to us. We also agreed that was fair.â
           âRight, well, next time we have another one of these âlittle meetingsâ, make sure Iâm invited,â he said, winking at her. She giggled and shook her head.
           Odin wandered up to the forge and gently laid his hand on Theoâs arm. It seemed to calm her a bit. She was weakening again from the pain and effort. Odin looked up at Loki and smiled.
           âI like what youâve done with the palace,â he said. âI was just admiring the drapes. Your mother would have like the color. Yellow was her favorite.â
           âI thought they were gold,â Loki muttered. He turned back to the healer. âWhat are you finding?â
           âThis is a strange poison. Iâve never seen anything like it before. It is so fast acting,â she replied.
           âIs it possible to get a sample from it?â Loki said. He turned to a guard. âYou, go to the library. In the botany section there is an old tome under âSkarsgardâ. Itâs several millennia old so be careful with it. Itâs called Ancient Poisons and Their Workings. Bring it to me, quickly,â he ordered. The guard scampered off.
           âSire, we may not have time to look up an antidote for her. Her mortal body will not be able to withstand this for much longer even with the forgeâs help,â the matron said.
           Loki turned back to the soul forge. Theoâs life signs were fading quickly. Loki picked at the palm of his hand. A nervous tick heâd picked up from his mother. His weight shifted from one foot to another.
           âTry a regeneration ointment on her,â he said. The healers moved together, preparing Theoâs wound. The matron poured an ointment out of a bottle and rubbed it on the wound with a gloved hand. The wound began to heal but immediately died again. Loki shook his head, afraid that would happen.
           âTry healing hands,â he said. âI donât know the effects of these spells on mortals.â
           âMyself, either, sire, but itâs worth a shot,â the matron said, casting the spell over Theo. As long as she kept the spell up, Theoâs wound healed and her life signs improved but as soon as she let it drop, the wound began to necrotize, and Theo diminished. Loki growled to himself.
           âA healing stone,â he said. The matron powdered the stone in a mortar and pestle and sprinkled the dust over the wound. To Lokiâs surprise the potency of the stone kept the poison at bay for far longer than the other remedies had, but soon he could see the wound beginning to infect again, turning red and white but at a far slower rate.
           âThat seemed to have worked better,â the matron said.
           âWe cannot waste too many stones, we have to find something more sustainable,â Loki said.
           âWhat about Idunnâs apples?â Odin said, looking at Loki.
           Loki considered Odinâs proposal. No mortal had ever been given one so it would either kill her immediately, give her immortality, heal her wound, or none of the above. It was worth a shot, Loki thought. He nodded at the matron.
           The healerâs kept a basket of the apples on hand as they were useful healing items for Asgardians with minor wounds and injuries and other minor maladies. She sliced off a piece of one and fed it to Theo. Her life signs improved dramatically and the infection in the wound slowed.
           âAlright,â Loki said. âGive her a little more until it heals the wound. Letâs see what happens.â
           The matron continued to feed Theo pieces of the apple, but the healing process appeared to taper and plateau. The wound would not heal beyond a large scab on her chest before reverting back to an open, infected wound a few seconds after Theo had swallowed a bite of apple.
           âWhatever that poison is, it wonât let her body heal,â Loki said. He looked at his own hand. He felt a little twinge in his own stomach at seeing his own bones. The pain was intense at the area of injury, but Loki was used to pain like this. He was more interested in the necrotized tissue.
           âAre you hurt, sire? Were you cut by the same blade?â
           âYes,â he said, simply, hiding his hand from the healer. âKeep her fed with the apples whatever way you can and try to keep her comfortable. Give her something for the pain. Mandragora, poppydew, datura, something thatâs not too strong. Iâm afraid it might put her to sleep permanently,â he said. âMortal composition is weird so do not give her very much of anything.â
Theo muttered something from the bed. Loki looked down at her and leaned closer. âNo opioids,â she muttered. âPlease, I canât.â
âOn second thought, no poppydew,â he said, straightening up again. âTry a teeny, tiny bit of datura. And donât let her leave the Healing Room if she starts hallucinating.â
           âYes, sire, weâll take care of her. But, please, let me see your hand,â the matron said, grabbing his hand before he could turn away.
           âNoâ, matron, Iâm fine, please,â he said, trying to pull away.
           âShush, let me look,â she said. âIâve never seen anything like this before. You must be in excruciating pain.â
           âReally, Iâm fine,â Loki said, he pulled away, but she pulled him and walked him to a counter with healing supplies.
           She applied a healing stone powder to it which eased the pain and healed it somewhat. His skin did not immediately die again as Theoâs had so his healing factor was an advantage, but it still did not heal completely. The healer gently wrapped his hand in silken bandages, taking care with his hand and fingers. He winced a little when she tightened the bandage but quickly regained himself.
âI know why youâre acting this way,â she said, leaning in close to him and gesturing with her eyes back towards Odin. âYouâre no use to us injured or sick so let us help you too.â
Loki smiled and nodded at her. âThank you, matron,â he said, sincerely. âWeâll work on finding out what this poison is, just keep the mortal girl here, please.â
Loki turned back to Thor and Odin. One of the healers had given Odin a cane for him to lean on. He did appear weaker than before. He looked about as if it were his first time in the palace. Occasionally, he would look down at Theo and squeeze her hand, gently, then go back to aimlessly looking around.
Loki led Odin and Thor to the council chambers. Odin plopped down in the Kingâs seat out of habit. Loki walked up behind him and cleared his throat. Odin looked up at him, smiled, and moved over to Lokiâs old seat. Loki took his seat at the head of the table.
           âNow, Odin, tell me about Hela, I missed that part while we were on Midgard,â he said.
           âBecause you were flirting,â Thor muttered.
           âI was not flirting!â Loki snapped. âI was cleaning up your mess as usual, brother!â
           âDo you two always fight?â Odin asked them.
           âWhere have you actually been for the last fifteen centuries?â Loki asked him, sarcastically. âNow, would you care to explain this random other offspring youâve locked away for several dozen centuries?â
           Odin looked down, seemingly ashamed. He cleared his throat. His sons watched him as he shifted his weight in the chair.
           âI have not always been honest with you, my sons,â he began. âDonât interrupt me, Loki!â he snapped, as Loki took in a breath to make a snarky remark. He closed his mouth and let his father go on. âAsgard is not eternal. There was a time when it did not exist here. When it was not this,â he gestured to the fine palace around them.
           âThe Realms were not united. They were once chaotic and ungoverned. My ancestors sought for eons to bring about peace. We have succeeded but it was never a sturdy peace.
           âWhen I was young, when your mother and I had first been married, when our peoples, the Vanir and Aesir, had been united, it was during one such unsettled and chaotic times that we had a daughter together: Hela.
           âPerhaps, it was the chaos she was born into or my want for war to settle the peace, but I realized almost immediately the childâs aptitude for battle. Like she was made for it. I trained her for the battlefield. When she was old enough, she commanded my armies; fought by my side. And, together, we brought peace to the Realms.â
           âBy âbrought peaceâ do you mean, you bullied the Realms into a bloody submission to you?â Loki asked.
           Odin raised his head to look at his son. âSay what you will,â he responded. âAll successors judge their predecessors. I surely did my own father. And he his. But Helaâs appetite for war could not be sated with peace. She sought out battle wherever she looked. She wanted more than peace. More than I could ever give her. She wanted the universe in her hand.
           âWhen I could not give her that, she attacked Asgard, her own people. I sent in the Valkyrie to stop her, but she slaughtered them all. I conjured all the dark magicks that I could, and I locked her away in Niflheim where I thought she would be safe, where Asgard would be safe from her.â
           âIn Hel,â Thor said.
           âAn echo of her own name, not itâs original,â Odin remarked. âIt destroyed Frigga. She begged me to remove her memory of Hela so she would not suffer with the knowledge that she had helped create a monster. I thought I would lose her. It was never her fault. Hela was what I made her to be. Frigga wanted to do it herself, but it was far too dangerous.
âSo, I removed her memories of Hela. It would be several centuries before we had another child,â Odin looked up at Thor, there was a tear in his eye for his beloved wife. It slipped down his cheek. He dropped his head, ashamed to be crying in front of his sons.
He went on, âIt was foretold to me by Mimir that Hela would lead the charge at Ragnarok and kill me. And then destroy Asgard.â
           âMimir was insane,â Loki scoffed.
           âHe knew more than us all,â Odin said.
           âIs that why you betrayed him? Because he was wiser than you?â Loki asked, darkly. Odin did not respond.
âFather, youâre the Allfather. There must be a way to stop her,â Thor said
           âThere is none.â
           âPfft, how Allfatherly of you,â Loki said, rolling his eyes. âSo, how could she have escaped?â
           âI do not know. Her cage in Yggdrasil was supposed to be impenetrable.â
           âPerhaps, she had help, then,â Loki posited.
           âImpossible. No one knew of her existence.â
           Thor made an uneasy noise and Loki sneered at him. He enjoyed seeing his brother squirm at learning the truth after centuries of Odinâs lies.
âWell, clearly someone did,â Loki went on. âSomeone who shares her interests, perhaps. Thereâs plenty of beings who would love to see Asgard go up in flamesââ he trailed off, thinking of what Odin had said. ââShe wanted the universe in her handâŚââ he breathed, opening and closing his good hand on the table.
           Loki stood so fast his chair tumbled over backwards. His face paled as white as snow, his eyes widening as if heâd seen a ghost. He ran out of the room with Thor hot on his heels.
           âBrother, where are you going?â Thor asked. âLoki!â
           He followed Loki through the halls of the palace. They descended several staircases. They were headed to the dungeons. Three guards walked up the stairs towards them, likely just getting off their guard duty.
           âYou three, with me,â he ordered. The stepped to and followed him.
           They arrived at an unassuming door in the dungeons. Thor had never seen the door before. At least, he couldnât really remember if he had.
           âLoki, explain. Whatâs going on?â
           Loki was ignoring him. He threw open the door. It led down a dark tunnel that Thor could not see the end of. Odin had just caught up with them. He watched Loki.
           Loki gathered his seidr and moved his hands in intricate patterns in front of him. Green ribbons began to form woven Asgardian knotwork that he blew onto the door, magically sealing it. He flung the door shut and posted the two guards at it.
           âGuard this door and ensure no one enters or comes from it, understand,â he said. The guards nodded.
           Thor peered down the tunnel. He could feel magic in it that was for sure, but he could not place where it came from. He tried to concentrate on it. Magic was Lokiâs thing; Thor had never really been good at it. It felt like it radiated a familiar energy, similar to the feeling Bifrost gave him when they traveled on it. The realization hit him. This door was one of the secret pathways through Bifrost that Loki knew.
âThis door is to be added to the guard patrols, immediately,â Loki said to the third guard. âI want you to go to the guard barracks and summon High Commander Ingvild here at once.â
           The guard nodded, genuflecting and rushing off back up the stairs.
           âIngvild? A woman?â Thor exclaimed. âWhereâs Sven? I thought he was High Commander.â
           âI cut off his head,â Loki said, flippantly, pacing back and forth.
           âYou what?! Are you mad! He was one of our best warriors! He trained us both!â
           âHe was plotting to kill you; do you know that?â Loki snapped. âEnsure you could never come back for the throne, overthrow our line, and take over. How would you like a giant hog as our new sigil, then? Huh? Why donât you leave the ruling to me, brother?â
           Odin chuckled. âA giant pig on our banner,â he laughed. âI always thought that man was off. He looked like a pig. You know his name meant pig?â
           âThis isnât real,â Thor said, running his fingers through his hair. âIâve gone mad. This place has gone mad.â
âWelcome home, brother,â Loki smiled, giving him the craziest face he could muster. âWhatâs the matter, brother? Is it mad to have a woman as High Commander?â
âUh⌠no,â Thor blushed. âI just meant, uh⌠I was just surprised that⌠you know that I fully support female warriors and women⌠donât look at me like that.â
Loki shook his head disappointedly at his brother as the guards gave him looks of discontent.
âIngvild is an accomplished warrior,â Loki explained. âCrime has seen a massive fall since she took over and she rooted out all those pesky little corrupted council weasels for me. My first choice would have been Sif, of course, if she werenât so eager to toss aside all her oaths for you, her one true love,â he bat his eyelashes at Thor. He was blushing nearly the color of his cape now.
And Ingvild is a good choice, I guess. Iâm glad you havenât cut off Sifâs head too.â
           âOh, believe me, brother, I wanted to more than once, but I refrained. Youâll thank me later. You can put all that mortal girlfriend business behind you. After you uphold your oath too. Donât think Iâve forgotten.â
âFather, please, do something about this!â Thor said, gesturing to Loki.
           âWhat am I going to do? Iâve been deposed,â he said, walking away from them. âHeâs your king, now. You have to listen to him.â
           Lokiâs jaw dropped for a moment at Odin agreeing with him, but he took the opportunity to sneer at his brother. Thorâs fists clenched and he lunged at his brother. Loki put his hands up and the guards lifted their spears at Thor. He stopped short of strangling his brother, sparks arcing over his fingers.
           âAh, I wouldnât do that,â Loki said. âThey donât like it when you get that close to me and neither do I, sparky.â He lowered his brotherâs hands. âAh, Ingvild, you have impeccable timing,â Loki said, addressing the woman descending the stairs. Thor growled at him but tried to control himself, dispersing the rest of his electricity into the air and making the guards hair stand on end.
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a bow for the bad decisions: chapter 20
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(on ao3)
warnings: mentions of Wei Wuxian's death and suicidal ideation; anxiety attack and discussion of the golden core transfer
Late morning light streams softly through the jingshi when Wei Wuxian wakes again. He doesnât need to check to know heâs alone this time; no matter how quiet he is, Lan Zhanâs presence fills the space heâs in. Blindfolded, Wei Wuxian would still feel him there the same way he could stand before a great lake and feel its gravity without use of any senses. Some deeper tether binds them, the harmonics of their souls. Padding across the house, he finds a bath waiting behind a privacy screen, a warming talisman stuck to the side, and a set of clean robes. Surprised pleasure curls behind his ribs at the thoughtfulness, and he sheds his robes to settle in and scrub away the dirt and sweat of the past three days of being alive again. Once heâs clean, he shakes out the neat stack. Heâs always been a little taller than Lan Zhan, but when he holds the robes before him he finds them suited to him: a dark blue-grey with more closely fitted sleeves than Lan Zhan usually wears. They fall to the proper length at his ankles and wrists, and he hums in quiet contentment at the dark against the white underrobe left with them.Â
A plain dizi lies on the same table as the robes, and he spins it between his fingers curiously. Itâs far higher quality than the hack job heâd made on Dafan Mountain, likely made with better instruments than a sword and the first length of bamboo he spied. His hands itch for Chenqing, for the echo of his own spellwork through its familiar timbre, but the chances of him reforging a spiritual tool of that caliber again areâŚdaunting. By the time heâs dressed, Lan Zhan hasnât returned, so he sets out to find him. Cloud Recesses is quiet, hushed like a monastery even now in the middle of the morning. He passes courtyards and thinks he sees the ghosts of his own history, flickers of white that could be shijie or Nie Huaisang or his own shadow. His feet take him down the path to the Cold Spring Pond unconsciously, but when he recognizes his destination, he decides itâs as good a place to start as anywhere else. He passes through the bamboo humming absently along to the song Lan Zhan played as he fell asleep. Hopping down the last step before the pond, Wei Wuxian spots Lan Zhan immediately and stops short. Without all his robes and layers, Lan Zhanâs bared frame is surprisingly small, but whatâs revealed is all lean muscle â and scars. Discipline whips leave distinctive marks. It takes a certain kind of weapon to scar anyone with cultivation as high as Lan Zhan, and discipline whips are meant to leave reminders, biting into the spiritual energy of the recipient with each hit. A single lash to a cultivator with a weak core can leave them unconscious; twenty can kill. The lines across Lan Zhanâs back form a lattice. Before he can say anything or even attempt to count the tallies cutting through his skin, Lan Zhan has risen and pulled his robes back over himself. He ties the last knot as he steps up to where Wei Wuxian has frozen. âLan Zhan,â Wei Wuxian starts, âyour backââ He doesnât know how to finish, canât find the words. Lan Zhan has always been a model disciple, the kind every sect wishes they had. What could he possibly have done to warrant such punishment? âHow do you feel?â Lan Zhan asks. Wei Wuxian frowns at him. Confused, mostly, but he doesnât think thatâs what Lan Zhanâs asking. Huffing out a breath, heâs about to answer when quiet steps crunch on the gravel behind him and Lan Zhan straightens, gaze shifting up and past Wei Wuxian. Turning, Wei Wuxianâs stomach drops. Lan Zhan had said Lan Xichen already knew of Wei Wuxianâs presence here, but he still feels a little uneasy before the Lan Sect leader. Lan Xichen has always seemed kind and amicable, but Wei Wuxian has the sneaking suspicion he doesnât like him very much. Itâs not an unwarranted assessment, but it makes nerves crawl up his spine anyway. He bows politely, back of his neck prickling the way it did when he was a kid and Sect Leader Yu would visit with an imperious stare that made even Madam Yu seem mild. âXiongzhang,â Lan Zhan greets. âWangji, Wei-gongzi,â Lan Xichen replies with a gentle smile and a nod before turning to Lan Zhan. âWangji, Uncle has requested your assistance in the summoning in the mingshi.â Lan Zhan hesitates, his gaze flicking toward Wei Wuxian, and Lan Xichen breathes out something almost like a suppressed laugh. He turns to Wei Wuxian, still with that pleasant expression. âWei-gongzi, would you walk with me?â he asks. Lan Zhanâs eyes flit to Lan Xichen, mouth parting slightly as if to speak. Before he can object, Wei Wuxian salutes. âOf course, Zewu-jun,â he agrees. He doesnât want to cause any more trouble for Lan Zhan, especially not with the brother he so admires. Besides, Lan Xichen is too righteous to attack him under the guise of a peaceful walk and too patient to be provoked by Wei Wuxianâs mere presence. Heâs confident he could accidentally goad any other sect leader into stabbing him, but Lan Xichenâs tranquility and self-control are legendary. After a small hesitation, Lan Zhan bows in acceptance and starts back up the path. Lan Xichen watches him go for a moment before turning back to Wei Wuxian and inclining his head in a clear prompt. They walk quietly for a few moments, Wei Wuxian growing increasingly itchy in the silence. âThank you for allowing Lan Zhan to bring me here, Zewu-jun,â he says finally. âI apologize for any trouble I have caused you.â Lan Xichen tilts his head more in acknowledgment than acceptance. âI am glad to see you well, Wei-gongzi,â he says. âI confess I did not hope to see you again, when neither Inquiry nor summoning received any answer.â Something shifts in Wei Wuxianâs chest like a bone shard floating loose under his skin. Shame and something else â the echo of that great consuming darkness that had filled him back then â rise up in his throat and he falters, losing a step. Lan Xichen slows just enough for him to regain his footing. Patient as he is, heâs clearly waiting for a reply, and Wei Wuxian fumbles for any answer. He canât tell Lan Xichen that, when heâd let himself think about it at all, he hadnât really thought his soul still existed when he walked out of the Burial Mounds the first time. He hadnât thought there was enough left for anything like living. In the end, heâd been so tired, so ready to be done. Heâd tried so hard â to protect his family, to protect the Wens, to do what was right in the face of injustice â and in the end, he had failed every single time. He hadnât wanted to die, exactly, but it had still felt like a relief to accept the inevitable. âIn all sincerity, Zewu-jun,â he says, âI donât remember anything from these years. I remember being in the Burial Mounds and destroying the Stygian Tiger Seal butâŚâ He remembers resentment digging in and tearing him away strip by strip. He remembers the way his entire body had been remade in agony, every tendon and sinew searing pain. He has some ideas of what the Seal might have tried to grab in its desperate struggles not to be destroyed. âApologies, Wei-gongzi,â Lan Xichen says, breaking him out of his thoughts, âI did not mean to bring up painful memories.â âAh, no, no need,â Wei Wuxian says quickly, pasting on a smile. âLike I said, I donât remember much.â Lan Xichen studies him for a moment with a look that reminds him strangely of Uncle Jiang, gentle and knowing. He didnât get that look too often growing up, mostly just when he took the blame for some mischief heâd gotten Jiang Cheng into. They walk together toward the gates of Cloud Recesses in quiet for a few moments before Wei Wuxian gets up the nerve to speak. âAh, Zewu-jun, could I ask you something?â he asks. The look Lan Xichen slides him is a little curious, but he nods. âThe scars on Lan Zhanâs back,â Wei Wuxian starts, and immediate understanding dawns over Lan Xichenâs expression, forestalling anything further. Standing just shy of the gates, Lan Xichen lifts his chin slightly, just enough to turn his perfect posture into something a little taller, more rooted. His face isnât quite cold when he looks at Wei Wuxian, but the smile is gone and something has closed off behind his gaze. âOf course. As Wangji does not see it as anything important, he wouldnât say.â He sighs, gaze dipping briefly before resettling on Wei Wuxianâs face. âDuring the Siege of the Burial Mounds, Wangji left our disciples to try to reach you. After you had died, he defied our uncle and elders when they tried to take him from your cave.â The earth is tilting strangely, or maybe his knees are getting weak. He feels like he needs to sit down, press himself close to something steady. Lan Zhan was there? He was at the Burial Mounds? Wei Wuxian doesnât remember him there, canât call any recollection to mind. Lan Zhan had saidâ The last time you saw me. âHe received thirty-three lashes from the discipline whip for trying to protect you,â Lan Xichen continues, even and steady as a death knell, âand was sentenced to three yearsâ seclusion to consider his errors.â Swallowing, Wei Wuxian tries to push away the horror sinking long fingers under his collarbones. âButâwhyââ he starts and canât finish. Lan Zhan is the shining model of Gusu Lan, a beacon to all disciples in how they should behave and act: brave and righteous and capable. He was always the one trying to pull Wei Wuxian back to the righteous path, back into the sunlight of the broad avenue. His stomach twists as he struggles to understand. Lan Xichen meets his gaze evenly. âOur actions have consequences, Wei-gongzi,â he says. âIt is important to remember that.â He nods mutely. Thereâs always a cost: his soul for survival, his core for Jiang Chengâs life. Heâs known all his life that the things that matter, the things worth anything, never come free. The trick is not to worry about the cost but to remember what itâs for â family, love, home. As long as it matters, the sacrifice comes easy. But heâs the one whoâs supposed to pay. He made the Seal, he took the remnants to the Burial Mounds. Lan Zhan never tried to do anything but what was right. He shouldnât have toâ âA-Liââ bones breaking red writhing through the pass resentment revenge revenge â shijieâ âWei-gongzi?â He blinks, startled, and finds Lan Xichen watching him closely, leaning in a little as if to catch his eye. Wei Wuxian flinches back. âAh â Iâm sorry,â he blurts out. Frozen where heâd stopped a half-step away with his hands raised in the start of a seal, he catches himself and forces his hands down, tucks them neatly behind his back. A small furrow grows between Lan Xichenâs brows. His lips thin just-so. âPerhaps you might visit the healers while you are here in Cloud Recesses,â he suggests after a moment. âThereâs no need, really,â Wei Wuxian says and tries to draw up his most convincing smile. âI donât want to trouble anyone. Iâm fine.â He can already imagine their horror. Whatever effects dying might have had on his body and spirit, it will pale in comparison to their realization of his golden core. Jiang Cheng was right all those years ago; mediocre is worse than a death sentence in the cultivation world. If he goes to the healers, theyâll want to check everything: the wounds from the sacrifice summons, any sign of physical ailment from being dead for thirteen years, and, of course, his spiritual energy. Theyâll find it sitting sluggish and unmoving along his meridians like old blood in a corpseâs veins. He can picture their revulsion, the way theyâll recoil as if from a plague victim. Heâd been lucky with Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan and even then, he can still taste the sting of their pity and despair. Heâd rather they think him strange and unorthodox than look at him like a broken thing, a half-dead body still stubbornly dragging itself along. Lan Xichen exhales, closing his eyes briefly, before he shakes his head. âI hope you will consider what we have discussed, Wei-gongzi,â he says in clear dismissal, and Wei Wuxian hurries to salute. Turning, the sect leader passes through the gates before stepping up onto his blade and rising effortlessly into the air. Wei Wuxian swallows and averts his eyes. The last time he flewâ No, no sense following that track. He stands on the footpath before the gates for long minutes, trying to reconcile the fuzzy humming of his brain into something approaching ordered thoughts. Lan Zhan was in the Burial Mounds when he died. Lan Zhan left the Lan disciples to reach Wei Wuxian. His thoughts circle and buzz like a hundred cicadas chorusing in the back of his skull. A great clanging rings out, the clamor of a warning bell breaking through his fruitless worries. Startling, Wei Wuxian hesitates only a moment before eschewing every warning he received as a student and bolting back up the path. Rule three hundred and twenty-six can kiss his ass. The tolling takes him to a staunch grey-black building on the opposite side of the complex as the jingshi. A handful of disciples, mostly juniors with two seniors marked out by their heavier robes, stand around the doorway with swords drawn and make no move forward. As he skids to a halt, the great doors swing open and two juniors stumble out, supporting each other. Blood is smeared down the side of one of their faces and the other is coughing up weak spoonfuls of it. âSenior Mo!â Lan Jingyi calls, wiping blood off his lips with the back of his hand. âWhatâs happened?â he demands. âItâs the arm from Mo Manor,â Lan Sizhui says. âItâs too strong. The summoning isnât working.â Catching Lan Jingyiâs other side, Wei Wuxian squeezes his wrist to draw his focus. The kidâs eyes are wide, fear paling his face. âWhereâs Hanguang-jun?â he demands. On his other side, Lan Sizhui jerks his head back toward the sealed doors. His dark eyes are big and scared, hands trembling even as he tries to hold up his friend. âHanguang-jun is inside,â he says. âHe told us to run.â Well that makes things easier. Turning from the juniors, he jogs up the stairs to the mingshi. âSenior Mo, wait! The doors are sealedââ âOpen!â he commands, drawing up every ounce of will. The doors boom open, and he steps forward into the stifling dark.  Smoke hangs heavy in the air, and resentment hums deep in the heart of the building. Through the narrow entry, he can hear the sound of Lan Zhanâs playing and he frowns as he tugs the dizi from his belt and tries to catch which song is being used. Blood and soot mar the central chamber when he steps out of the hall. Near to the entrance, Lan Qiren lays limp and bruised, and three senior disciples are collapsed across the array carved into the floor. Across from him, Lan Zhan still sits upright with his guqin across his lap. Thereâs a streak of blood from his lip and a patch soaked through at his waist, but it looks more like he got hit than spiritual exhaustion. In the center of the room, the arm sits planted on end, fingers claw-like and straining. Lifting the dizi to his lips, Wei Wuxian joins in on Evocation. Thereâs enough resentment rippling off the arm to flood the spell, fill it with that heavy, curling energy; between him and Lan Zhan, no spirit should be able to evade the lure. The guqin and dizi sing together, weaving the melody around and around the arm. Itâs been a long time since they played together, but it comes back to him naturally. Theyâd always made a good team before. There should be a surge when the spirit is summoned, a pulse of energy that reverberates through the walls based on the strength of the arm. Nothing comes. Even as their notes wind down into silence, the arm stays fixed and straining with barely-repressed rage. It shouldnât be possible â unless the spirit was cut up along with the body. Frowning, Wei Wuxian brings the dizi back and starts into a new melody. Itâs one he wrote during the war, to suppress the Seal and settle his corpses after a battle. A few bars in, Lan Zhan picks up the harmony and plays along. At last the arm finally drops to the ground, sealed off for now, and Wei Wuxian lowers the flute from his lips. âSuppression is still only temporary,â he says. Lan Zhan gives a slight nod, gaze falling to the arm. Thereâs a bang behind Wei Wuxian, the sound of the doors swinging open and footsteps hurrying down the hall. âHanguang-jun! Hanguang-jun, are you alright?â The crowd from outside has flooded in now that Lan Zhanâs released the doors, and Wei Wuxian stifles a smile as both Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui rush to Lan Zhan. He stands, dismissing his guqin with a graceful wave of his hand. âSee to the injured,â he says. âCheck that the warding is secure.â The juniors bow hurriedly and set to their tasks, though Jingyi stops to ogle the arm. âDid you summon the spirit?â he asks. âWhat was it? It looks terrible.â âWe will trace its source,â Lan Zhan says, stepping around to Wei Wuxianâs side. He glances over him as if checking for any harm, like Wei Wuxian was the one stuck in here with a spirit that took out four Lan cultivators. âTrace its source?â Lan SIzhui echoes. He looks up with a solemn frown from where heâs channeling spiritual energy into one of the other cultivators. âHow do you know where to go, Hanguang-jun?â Amused, Wei Wuxian taps his arm with the dizi. âEh, canât you see?â he prompts. âOur friend is telling us.â Lan Jingyi recoils, incredulous, while the other disciples around the chamber try to squint at Wei Wuxian without abandoning their tasks. Wei Wuxian nods toward the arm and where itâs fallen. As the cultivator Lan Sizhuiâs tending stirs, he props his shoulder underneath their arm and helps them to their feet. With the change in angle seems to come understanding; his eyes widen abruptly, mouth parting in a sharp intake of breath. âOh! I see,â he says. âItâs pointing northwest on the array, isnât it?â âVery good, Little Lan!â Wei Wuxian praises. The boy â he canât be more than seventeen, really â smiles in surprised pleasure, a look that crinkles up by his eyes, and Wei Wuxian is hit with a funny wave of fondness. He really did miss his shidis over that last year of his life. Thereâs something about working with kids that always just feels right â their curiosity, their bright pleasure at praise, the funny tangles they knot themselves into. âHanguang-jun,â Lan Jingyi says, suddenly standing very straight before bowing deeply, âthis disciple would like to request to join you in following this spirit.â âAh!â Lan Sizhui gently passes the cultivator leaning against him to another disciple and hurries to join Lan Jingyi. âThis disciple as well, Hanguang-jun. It was our night hunt that brought the arm. Rule eighty-four states that one must take responsibility for their actions.â Wei Wuxian has to hide his laughter behind his fist as he tries to reign in his expression. Of course Lan Zhanâs juniors would cite the sect principles from memory in order to justify going on an adventure. Once his smile is restrained, Wei Wuxian affects a stern expression and raises his eyebrow. âAre you going to remember all your supplies this time?â he chides. Lan Sizhui looks up, eyes widened in alarm, before he bows again. At his side, Lan Zhan slides a questioning look toward Wei Wuxian. âThese disciples will be sure to prepare thoroughly,â Lan Sizhui says, âand we will copy out the chapter of proper night hunt procedure ten times to meditate on our mistakes at Dafan Mountain.â What are you doing to these kids? Wei Wuxian wants to ask. There really is something unnerving about Gusu Lan to have their juniors volunteering their own punishment. âAh, Lan Zhan, donât be too hard on them,â he says, knocking their shoulders together. âThey really did well at Mo Manor.â Lan Zhan cuts him a look thatâs more exasperation than annoyance, and Wei Wuxian grins. Lan Zhan takes a neat step to the side that moves his shoulder out from where Wei Wuxianâs leaning. Stumbling a step, Wei Wuxian laughs and straightens up. âSo, what about it, Hanguang-jun?â he asks. âWill you let your dutiful disciples help out?â They wind up leaving a little past midday, after the juniors have rattled off everything theyâve packed and shown Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan the signal flares in particular. âHanguang-jun, why arenât we flying to Qinghe?â Lan Jingyi asks as they leave Cloud Recesses. âAh, Lan Jingyi, do you see a sword?â Wei Wuxian chides. âNot all of us are rich young masters.â The kid scowls at Wei Wuxian, crossing his arms over his chest. âSenior Mo, we could take turns flying with you,â Lan Sizhui offers. Unease flips in Wei Wuxianâs belly at the thought of being up in the air under someone elseâs control. Before he can come up with a reasonable excuse, Lan Zhan has turned toward the road once more. âWe will get horses in Caiyi,â he says. Thereâs a twist to Lan Jingyiâs lips like he wants to protest, but he falls in with Sizhui. Relieved, Wei Wuxian bumps his shoulder into Lan Zhanâs arm in silent thank you. He pauses as he pulls back, something a little off about the motion. Canting his head, he straightens up to his full height and realizes he has to look up to meet Lan Zhanâs eyes now. âLan Zhan,â he gasps, horrified, âIâve shrunk.â Concern flits through Lan Zhanâs eyes as he turns to look at Wei Wuxian, but it quickly disappears and something like amusement twitches at the corner of his lips. âI grew,â he corrects. Huffing out a breath, Wei Wuxian canât help frowning a little, disgruntled. Itâs such a silly little thing, butâ He shakes his head and brushes the thought away.
âLan Zhan, you ought to catch me up on what Iâve missed,â he teases instead, only half hoping for a real answer. âIs Emperorâs Smile still made in Caiyi Town? Has Nie Huaisang built a wing for all his fans? Is â is my shijie still in Lanling?â He tries to ask it all with the same nonchalance, but he stumbles a little on the last. He hurt her, he knows. He doesnât deserve forgiveness for it, but â but he wants to know that sheâs alright at least. That sheâs been safe all these years. Lan Zhan fixes him with a funny look, a slight furrow in his brow. âJiang Yanli has been the madam of Jinlintai for eight years,â he says. âOh.â Wei Wuxian blinks. She must have remarried, he supposed. It doesnât seem right â shijie was always too devoted to Jin Zixuan, though the thought now makes guilt twist in his belly â but Madam Jin had always been so fond of her. Maybe she thought remarrying would protect her, keep her in Lanling. Jin Guangyao was not the worst option; heâd always seemed conscientious at least.
âAh well thatâs good,â he says. âJin Guangyao seemed nice enough; Iâm sure he would be kind to shijie.â Thereâs a hitch in Lan Zhanâs next step, and a strangled noise from the juniors behind him. âAh, Senior Mo,â Lan Sizhui says delicately, âLianfang-zun is the Chief Cultivator, not the Jin Sect Leader. Jin-zongzhu is Jin Zixuan.â âArenât you from the Jin sect?â Jingyi demands. âJin Ling said you wereââ It sounds like Sizhuiâs stuffed his hand over Jingyiâs mouth, but Wei Wuxian canât spare them any attention. He stares at Lan Zhan, his heart thudding too-loud in his ears. âLan Zhan?â he asks. âIs it true? Jin Zixuanââ It canât be. He killed him. He doesnât remember much, but he remembers the sound of bones breaking, of Jin Zixuanâs rattling breath as he gasped out shijieâs name. It had been the mistake that ended everything, that brought them to tear down the Burial Mounds. Lan Zhanâs hand lifts to brush against Wei Wuxianâs wrist but falls short, fingers curling to his palm without quite touching. âWei Ying,â he says, low and gentle, too quiet for the juniors to hear. âButâ Qiongqi Passââ âJin-zongzhu was injured many years ago, Senior Mo,â Sizhui provides helpfully. âYeah, they say the Yiling laozu sicced the Ghost General on him,â Jingyi adds, âand he only survived because Chifeng-zun arrived.â Thereâs a hand-sized hurt digging at the backs of his ribs, and he swallows hard. There, in the edges of his memory, the dark figure that appeared just before it all went black. âWei Ying.â He forces a smile on his lips even as he feels it tremble and nudges them back into motion. He doesnât think heâll survive Lan Zhanâs steady gaze at the moment, not without some kind of distraction. âSo that really was Jin Ling at Dafan Mountain,â he says, âand his sister?â âMn,â Lan Zhan hums in affirmation. âJin Mu, courtesy Ruxia. Their younger son is Jin Xue, courtesy Ruliang.â Swallowing hard, Wei Wuxian releases an unsteady breath. He has a niece and two nephews. Shijie has a whole family in Lanling. The hand clenches tighter in the soft meat of his belly, digging in. Heâs happy for her. She deserves nothing less than a beautiful family who love and respect her. Sheâs always looked forward to her marriage. âGood,â he says. âThatâs good.â Lan Zhan still has that worried look in his eyes, the one thatâs only apparent by the way his eyes tighten ever-so slightly. Before he can say anything, Wei Wuxian laughs and tugs the dizi from his belt to spin through his fingers. âNext youâre going to tell me that Jiang Cheng went off and married some beautiful young maiden and has a dozen baby stormclouds running around Lotus Pier,â he jokes. He can still probably rattle off the list Jiang Cheng had made when they were young, of all the traits he wanted in a wife. Wei Wuxian had always wondered if such a woman even existed, but he assumed the Jiang elders would sort it out. For himself, Wei Wuxian had never worried much about marriage. His duty was to Yunmeng Jiang, as their Head Disciple, as Jiang Chengâs right hand. His family was Jiang Cheng and shijie and that was enough. Lan Zhan makes a small humming noise that isnât quite affirmation but isnât outright denial. Twisting around, Wei Wuxian tilts his head at him. âLan Zhan?â he asks. âJiang Wanyin married Wen Qing,â Lan Zhan says after a long moment, the words coming out as if heâs having to pull them up by their roots. âThey have a daughter, Jiang Lu.â Wei Wuxian stares. âWen Qing?!â he demands. Itâs absolutely incomprehensible. When would they evenâ Wen Qing has far too much sense for that and anyway, she hardly meets Jiang Chengâs requirements of a delicate, obedient young woman. Some part of him thinks that he must still be dying and this is the punishment he gets for denying the natural order of things. None of this makes sense otherwise. âLan Zhan, please tell me truthfully,â he says, because he canât really take any more of these surprises, âdo you have a wife hidden in Cloud Recesses that youâve forgotten to mention?â âYââ Jingyi bursts out before being suddenly stifled. Lan Zhanâs expression has shaded from worried to outright displeasure, and Wei Wuxian feels a rush of relief run through him. Heâd wanted Lan Zhan to move on. He wants all of them to be happy and live good lives. He just hadnât expected to be around to watch them leave him behind. Even with horses, itâs a long dayâs travel, and heâs grateful when they stop at an inn just past Moling. The juniors set to brushing down the horses and settling them in the innâs stable while he and Lan Zhan head in to reserve rooms. Heâs never been to this part of the region before, but thereâs something soothing about the great canal running through the city. Itâs far too orderly to compare to the rivers of Yunmeng, but the sense of water moving is always comforting. They eat dinner all together on the lower floor, silent per the Lan sect rules. For once, Wei Wuxianâs almost glad for the quiet. His head still feels a little like a swarm of gnats all fluttering around in maddening spirals. A hollow discomfort sits heavy in his chest, weighing down his stomach, and he picks at the food as much as he eats it. His appetite never did really return from the Burial Mounds. When the juniors are dismissed and he and Lan Zhan turn to enter their room, thereâs a moment where Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhuiâs eyes go wide, but they hurry off to their own room next door before he can do more than frown a little at them. Weird kids, he thinks but itâs a little fond. Sliding the door closed, Wei Wuxian groans and presses his hands against his lower back before twisting. His knees feel fused, like tired wet sand clumped together. Itâs been a long time since he rode â not since that flight from Qiongqi Pass, and heâd had a few other things to worry about than his own aches â but he swears it didnât use to feel like this. âUgh,â he whines, âif this Mo Xuanyu really wanted to bring me back, he couldâve given me a better body.â He drops his hands with a huff and rolls his neck. Itâs pointless to be frustrated about this. Heâs alive. Heâs got more of a body than he had when he died. Itâs a miracle! Heâd still like the back of his hip to stop aching like the muscleâs being stretched too far around the bone. âWei Ying?â Lan Zhanâs voice is gentle, a hint of a question in his tone. Glancing over, Wei Wuxianâs startled to find him down to his inner robes, setting aside his silver hair pieces. Half his hair spills down across the white, turns him softer and more open. Wei Wuxian freezes, struck by the sudden urge to reach out, to settle his hands on Lan Zhanâs waist and pull him close. A hint of a frown lingers in the angle of Lan Zhanâs brow, his amber eyes intent on Wei Wuxian. Swallowing the sudden dryness of his mouth, Wei Wuxian waves his hand and forces out a laugh. âIâm just joking, Lan Zhan,â he says lightly. âDonât worry about it. Itâs almost nine, isnât it? You must be tired.â He starts away from the door with the intent to strip down and shake his own hair out of the high tail thatâs fallen in tendrils and hanks around his face during the ride. âWei Ying, why didnât Jiang Wanyin know about the golden core transfer?â He freezes. The thing is, he always knew it wasnât a good plan. Wen Qing had bombarded him with questions when he was trying to convince her, demanding how he thought Jiang Cheng wouldnât find out, how he was going to survive a war without it, what he was going to do if it went wrong. Heâd mostly answered her with non-answers: Jiang Cheng wouldnât find out, Wei Wuxian would figure out how to keep going, Wen Qing was too skilled to mess up. He hadnât let himself think about anything except it working. Jiang Cheng had been lying there, refusing to eat or sleep, saying only that he didnât want to live, didnât have any reason to live. Even shijie hadnât been able to draw anything out of him, and the whole time, Wei Wuxian had stood there with Madam Yuâs voice and Uncle Jiangâs command ringing in his ears. This is your fault. You have to protect Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. Heâd already failed. He couldnât afford to fail again. So. He fiddles with his belt, loosening it more deliberately than necessary. âAha what do you mean, Lan Zhan?â he says. âWhat transfer?â Under other circumstances, heâd be proud of the sigh he draws from Lan Zhan. Now, it just makes the skin along his neck and shoulder blades prickle with the start of something like panic. âDuring the months you were missing,â Lan Zhan says, âJiang Wanyin said that youâd been attacked and his core damaged. You lost your core and said you were indebted to Wen Qing and Wen Ning.â Fuck. Wei Wuxian swallows, his hands stilled and white-knuckled around his belt. Hadnât he once scoffed at others for underestimating Lan Zhan? Sudden fear surges up in his chest, and he twists around to meet Lan Zhanâs eyes. âLan Zhan,â he says, âyou didnât tell Jiang Cheng. Tell me you didnât tell him.â Lan Zhanâs eyes dip down, lashes a sooty curve against his cheeks, and ice branches through Wei Wuxianâs chest in horror. No. No, Jiang Cheng canât know â heâll never forgive him, heâll tear himself up over itâ âI did not expect such an operation could be done without the recipientâs knowledge,â Lan Zhan says. There isnât exactly condemnation in his tone, but Wei Wuxian still feels guilt creep up his spine. Heâs disagreed with Lan Zhan a hundred thousand times â over following Lan principles, over battle plans, over his own cultivation. As long as he knew he was doing what was right, what he believed was right, it had always been easy enough to laugh it off and breeze on through. This timeâ âI didnât know how else to save him,â he admits before drawing in a breath and pasting on a grin. âAnyway, it worked out fine. He had to be sect leader, and Iâve gotten on fine, havenât I?â Minus the whole dying thing and piecing himself back together beforehand, but really, heâs pretty sure the Burial Mounds would have been worse with a golden core. If heâd had traditional cultivation to even try using, he wouldnât have been desperate enough to figure out demonic cultivation until it was too late, and then what? Heâd just have died even earlier in the very same place, and then they wouldnât have defeated Wen Ruohan and shijie and Jiang Cheng wouldâve been dead or prisoners orâ He sets the belt down and starts untying his outer robes with jerky motions. He canât think about that. âI wish you wouldnât have told him, Lan Zhan,â he says, and his voice comes out cheerful but heâs trying too hard to keep himself from panicking to keep the edge out of his tone. âYou shouldnât haveâ I made Wen Qing and Wen Ning promise to never tell him. Heâs never going to forgiveââ Heâs never going to forgive him. Jiang Cheng will never forgive Wei Wuxian. He shouldnât. For all his justifications, Wei Wuxian knew it was a violation, knew he was reaching in and altering something fundamental to Jiang Cheng and wrapping it all in lies. He knew and he couldnât let his little brother die, couldnât do anything to save him but this horrible offering. Thereâs a hand covering his wrist, and he realizes from that contact that heâs shaking all over, fine tremors running through him as his heart rabbits in his chest. Lan Zhanâs eyes are wide and worried, eyebrows pinching together in concern. Wei Wuxian swallows and forces out a shaking exhale. âWei Ying, Iâm sorry,â Lan Zhan says, hand a tether on Wei Wuxianâs wrist. He manages a slight nod, jerky. He canât quite get the words out. âSorryâ is an anchor around his neck.
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Careless - Jamie Benn - Part 2
Requested: No
Word Count: 2667
Warning:Â Smut, like NSFW smut, oral, sex, cursing
Notes:Â So I was totally in my Jamie Benn feels yesterday and after I wrote the first part; I just had an overwhelming need to write the smut that came afterwards. I hope you guys enjoy this one. Also, I apologize in advance to any misspellings, etc...I didnât proof read these last two pieces very well before posting them.
READER POV
 The kiss with Jamie was everything and had you wanting more, before it even ended. So, when he pulled back you said the only thing that came to your mind, âLetâs get out of here.â Jamie didnât have to be asked twice. He was grabbing your hand and ready to head straight out the door. âJamie, I need to finish up here first.â
 âOh, right. Sorry.â He was anxious, but then so were you.
 âGive me fifteen minutes, to clean up the tables and then we can be out of here.â One of his hands still held you by the waist, as if he let go of you; you might not return. Going up on your tip toes you kissed him fast and hard; anything more and youâd never get out of the store room. Grabbing the hand on your waist, you led him back to the bar.
Thankfully, all the customers had left. You assumed one of the bartenders had settled up the tab from the rowdy bunch youâd had earlier. Jamie sat at the end of the bar, leg bouncing up and down in anticipation of what was to come; you werenât far behind him, as the tray of empty glasses wobbled when you carried it back to the kitchen. Quickly you wiped down all the tables, then clocked yourself out. Grabbing your stuff, from backstage; you sauntered up to Jamie, placing a gentle hand on his arm. âReady to go?â
 âMmmm,â it was all he said; as if he didnât trust his own voice to speak. His hand held yours as you walked out the door and headed to the car. Youâd both taken this path, numerous times over the last few weeks, but never like this; and usually to your lonely car to head home. Assuming your vehicle was the destination, you started to dig through your purse to find your keys. âLeave it, weâll get your car later.â Crossing over to the customer lot, Jamie took you to his SUV. In true gentleman fashion, he opened the door for you and you slid inside; the cool leather caused a chill up your spine. Jamie made his way to the driverâs seat and within minutes you were on the road.
  JAMIEâS POV
 Finally, you had (Y/N) exactly where you wanted her; well not exactly, but you were headed in that direction. She was in your car, on the way to your home. There was no question as to where you two were headed; you wanted her in your house and in your bed. An overwhelming need to possess her, overtook you; you wanted to show her everything you could give her, if sheâd let you.
 Reaching over you put her hand in yours; music played in the background, but you paid it no mind. The fifteen-minute ride to your place was silent, but not uncomfortable. Deactivating the alarm, you pulled into the garage and hopped out of the SUV quickly; to get the door for (Y/N). Grabbing her bag and her hand, you led her into your home.
 Her eyes swept over the house, which wasnât quite prepared for entertaining; yet still she seemed to admire it. âWow Jamie, this place is amazing.â Youâd only made it through the kitchen; which opened up to a family room. It looked better in the daylight and you relished the chance to show it to her in the morning.
 âDo you want something to drink or eat orâŚâ shit, itâs been a long time since youâd done this; though you never were one to have the smoothest moves, you were failing miserably with (Y/N). You always seemed tongue-tied around this woman.
 You still held her hand, as well as her bag; so, you set it down on the kitchen island. She tugged your hand then, drawing you close to her. âI donât need anythingâŚbut you.â Your lips crushed hers, as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Mouths fused together, tongues swirling learning what the other liked. Vaguely you heard a moan, whether it was yours or (Y/N)âs you couldnât tell. Releasing her hand from your grasp, you trailed it down her spine; causing her to shiver. Hands threading through your hair, she pulled you deeper into the kiss.
 Her body pressed up against you, and your cock twitched in expectation; you were certain she could feel its hard length against her. You needed more, but not here in your damn kitchen. Unwilling to break the kiss, you reached down and cupped her ass; lifting her in the air. Her legs wrapped around your waist as you slowly carried her down the hall to your bedroom. The lights were off, only the dim light from the hall lit the room. Gently you laid her down onto the duvet; only then did you break the kiss, both of you breathing harshly. She looked stunning sprawled out on your bed; and you took a moment to absorb the imagine into your brain. Lips swollen and red from the kisses youâd shared, long gorgeous hair spread out like spun silk strands; to say she was beautiful was an understatement and didnât do her justice. âGod, (Y/N) youâre exquisite.â
 Lifting your shirt over your head, you tossed it aside; you saw her eyes roam your body appreciatively. She pulled her lip between her teeth and you swore your dick hardened tenfold. Slowly you climbed over top of the goddess spread out before you; bending down to capture her lips once again. Her hands roamed your chest; nails lightly raking your skin. Trailing kisses down her neck, you slid a strap off her shoulder; exposing one of her breasts. The skimpy costume didnât allow for a bra and at the moment you were thanking the dress making gods for their easy access. Soft and full, you cupped the breast in your palm, drawing her nipple in your mouth. She inhaled sharply and a moan escaped her lips. âMmmm, yes Jamie yes.â Easing the other strap down, you gave the same lavish attention to her other nipple; flicking your tongue over it. She squirmed underneath your ministrations, a feeling that had you on edge.
 Gliding your hand down, you scrunched her dress down to her hips; it wasnât enough, you wanted the offense garment off her body. Impatiently she lifted her hips and slid it down around her knees; where you were able to remove it all together. Clad only in a black thong, she was everything youâd ever wanted. Sliding your hand up her thigh, you slowly made your way to her sweet center. Running a finger over her panties you could feel her desire for you. âBabe, youâre so fucking wet.â A blush slowly crept up her body; which was soon squirming as you danced your fingers over the cloth covering her clit. Kissing down her stomach; you hooked a finger on each side of the thong. Drawing it down as you inhaled her scent. It was intoxicating.
 Trailing your lips up her thighs, you made your way up to her sweet little pussy. You blew a warm breath of air over her folds and she shivered. âOh god!â You flicked your tongue across her clit and were rewarded as she screamed out, âJamie.â Slowly you licked up and down her folds; hands on her hips to keep her still. She moaned some more, which only spurred you on. Glancing up you saw she was playing with her breast, rubbing her nipple between her thumb and finger.
 âGod thatâs so fucking hot, (Y/N).â Resuming your assault on her clit; you gradually pressed a finger inside her. Another moan came from her mouth, as you slowly moved your finger in and out of her. Her hips bucked up into your mouth, and you picked up speed; suckling at the swollen bud between your lips. Gently you added another finger, her walls compressing against them as they stroked her core. âYouâre so tight.â
 âJamieâ she panted. âIâmâŚgonna.â Lapping harder with your tongue on her clit; you moved your fingers in and out of her entrance, fucking her with your hand. She shuddered then, screaming your name as she broke apart. Legs shaking, head lolling back and forth as the orgasm hit her. Her juices drenched your mouth and fingers. You continued to pump your digits as she came down from the high, she just experienced. Gradually, her body relaxed. She reached for you then, bringing your mouth to hers; she tasted her juices on your lips. This woman was everything and so much more.
  READERâS POV
 The climax youâd just had with Jamie was like none youâd ever experienced before, but you still wanted more. You wanted to feel him deep inside you. So, as you kissed your wetness off his lips; you trailed your hands down to his jeans. Undoing his belt proved more of a challenge than you thought; your hand fumbled. Probably more from the orgasm youâd just had then anything else. Once you regained composure you easily unfastened it, as well as the button; sliding them down to his knees. Your hand snaked back up to feel the length of cock through his boxer briefs. Just like the rest of him, his dick was impressive; you knew youâd be sore tomorrow just from the girth of it. Breaking the kiss, you moved to kiss your way down and return the favor youâd just received. Jamie halted your progress. âNot this time baby, Iâll never last and I want this to be good for both of us.â
 Standing, Jamie strode to the nightstand and pulled out a condom; sliding his jeans and his boxer briefs off at the same time. If a man could be gorgeous, Jamie was definitely that. He was all muscle and sinew. Tattoos covering different limbs of his body; you wanted to spend all night tracing them with your finger. But that was for another time. Right now, he was standing in front of you rock hard; more wetness flooded your pussy. Rolling the condom on his length; he then climbed back on to the bed. You wanted to feel his cock in your hand, but Jamie wasnât having any of that. Instead he laid you back down on the bed, pushed your knees further apart and settled himself between them. His cock in hand, he stroked it up and down your pussy, coating it with your wetness, and eliciting another moan from your lips; before pressing the tip at your entrance. Painstakingly slow he pressed into you; only giving you one inch at a time.
 You wanted him pressed all the way inside you, but Jamie was not to be rushed. A weak plea escaped your lips. âPlease, Jamie, pleaseâŚI need you.â
 âYou want more baby girl. You need me to fill you up.â
 âGod, Jamie yesâŚplease.â Finally, he pushed forward filling you with his cock. He stayed there just for a minute. Hands on either side of your head; breathing harshly. It was if he needed a minute to get himself under control. You lifted up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips; he deepened the kiss right away as he began to pump in and out of you. The two of you built up a steady rhythm, you meeting each of his thrust. A fine sheen of sweat broke out across his brow. You could tell he was getting close, but you knew you wouldnât be able to climax again without some direct stimulation to your clit. So, you reached between your bodies and found the little nub so desperate for attention.
 âYes babyâ Jamie panted out. âMMhmmm. Iâm so close. Are you?â
 You flicked your clit once, then again; finally applying just the right amount of pressure to go with Jamieâs thrust. The next thing you knew, you were coming around his cock. Screaming âJamie.â Your walls spasmed around him and with a few short thrusts he came with you, spilling his seed into the condom. Groaning your name as the force of his orgasm hit. He collapsed on top you then. The weight of him felt wonderful; you could stay like this for days. That was until he moved, rolling you both onto your sides; his cock flaccid, still inside you. He held you tight, while he rained kisses all over your body.
 âThat was fucking amazing babe.â His hands were running up and down your back now; you felt completely satisfied.
 âMmhmmm. It really was.â Lazily you traced circles on his arms and chest. You didnât want to move, but you werenât sure how Jamie would feel about you staying. During the ride over youâd already decided you could just Uber to your car and head home from there; the only problem was his cock was still inside you. His callused fingertips ran down your spine causing you to shiver.
 âYou ok?â When you nodded, he gently pulled his cock out of you and got off the bed; instantly you felt empty without him. He walked into the ensuite then; you could hear the water running. Mind racing, you werenât sure if you should get up and gather your clothes or perhaps stay and see if there would be a round two. Blowing out a frustrated breath, you swung your legs to the side of the bed and started to get up. âWhat are you doing?â
 âI was just going to grab my stuff.â Your eyes searched in the dim light for where he had discarded your dress. âDonât worry, Iâm just going to call an Uber; you donât have to get dressed or anything.â
 He looked confused and disappointed. âSo, youâre not staying?â
 âUmmmâŚI didnât really think you wanted me to.â Gesturing over to the bathroom that heâd just been in minutes ago.
 âWhat? Of course, I want you to stay. I just went to get this for you.â A wet wash cloth, hung limply in his hands. â(Y/N) I meant it when I said I want you to be my girlfriend.â
 âOhâ it was all you could say as your brain processed his last comment.
 Standing in front of you naked as the day he was born, he looked vulnerable and masculine all at the same time. âI understand if you donât want that. Just give me a second and Iâll take you back to your car.â
 He started to turn back to the bathroom then; âJamie, noâŚI mean...â you got up, striding over to this soft teddy bear of a man. Taking a deep breath, you started over. âIâd love to be your girlfriend Jamie. In fact, Iâve wanted that for a long time now.â His lips quirked up into a devasting smile; making you yearn for this man even more. Sliding your hands up, you brought his lips close to yours; just letting them hover there not quite making contact.
 Softly, he whispered, âReally?â
 âYes, really silly. Iâve wanted you from the first night I saw you Jamie; when all your teammates were acting like jerks. You, you saw me for me and not just some piece of ass. But when you didnât do anything after that I thought maybeâŚyou just wanted to be friends; and I respected that.â
 He pressed closer to your body then, taking one of your hands, he placed it on his dick; it hardened instantaneously. âI want more than friendship from you (Y/N).â Kissing you firm on the mouth; he pulled back too soon for your liking. âStay with me tonight, and then tomorrow; and possibly everyday after that.â
 âMmmm. Yes.â Crushing your mouth against his, wordlessly you showed him how much you wanted that. The two of you stayed like that for some time; worshiping each other with your mouths. Needing air, you finally broke apart. âTake me back to bed Jamie.â You didnât have to ask twice; you never had to with Jamie. He always knew what you wanted and needed from there on out.
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' pyrrhic. '
pyrrhic ( adj. ) - won lost at too great a cost.
AND THE WORLD CRIES HAVOC: dogs howling with their snappish jaws / men screaming war, screaming revenge / a thunderous roar sweeping over the hills, blood gushing from an open wound, leaving behind nothing but dry salt. Yet all this arrives underwater, delayed by the weight that presses down on his chest and flexes its palms over his sternum, urging them to crack in twain / daring his ribs to yawn open ever wider, telltale heart unmoored - TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS. Everything ripples like water in his ears - his eyes roll back in their sockets without input / thoughts as waves crashing against an unyielding cliff-face, fingers catching painfully on the jagged shards of rock jutting out like rows upon of serrated teeth. GET UP. GET UP, YOU USELESS WASTE OF SKIN. YOU HAVE TO FIGHT !! JUST GET UP ALREADY !! GET UP AND FIGHT !! Never before has he felt this degree of pain, this all-consuming disorientation. Even the earth beneath him - which he can do no more than twitch against - feels too soft, liable to swallow him whole any minute now. ( Iâm tired. I want to go to sleep. I want to lie here and rest for a minute. Why do I have to move ? Iâm so tired. Just let me ... )
He closes his eyes and shudders against the Paths to his back. This, too, is a raw nerve: a wildfire with flames licking up the length of his spine, senses all askewer. Is this a drowning ? Is this a funeral pyre ? Is this, somehow, a strange paradox of both ? Reluctantly, he feels the familiar tether to reality growing stronger with each passing century, Motherâs hands working tirelessly to rebuild his broken body / plucking invisible strings out of thin air to weave his poorly-stitched tapestry back together. He feels a surge of anger, suddenly, though it feels misplaced - no, Mother does not work at his behest, Mother does not know what she is doing. She has no eyes / no mouth / no will of her own. Only her hands. Only her aching feet. Only her ears and the Kingâs will echoing through them. He cannot resent her for her diligence - isnât he, after all, supposed to be the one looking after her, looking out for her ? ( YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THEM / YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM THAT WE CAN RELY ON YOU - ) He feels sick. He feels abused. He doesnât want to fight anymore. He doesnât want to be anything / he just wants to go home.
The sigh that punches through him is a monumental effort in-and-of itself: his lungs bellow like a smothered furnace, trying desperately to expel the smoke that is sealing the chimney up / coughing and hacking and spitting little sparks of ember-ash. Unbidden the image comes to mind of Shiganshina in apocalypse, her dying throes a guttural scream he arrived too late to salvage. He remembers sloughing away at the wreckage, oblivious to it all, confused and apathetic ( BLOOD EVERYWHERE: ON HIS HANDS IN HIS EYES UNDER HIS FEET TOO LATE TOO LATE CANâT MOVE CANâT SCREAM CANâT FIGHT- ). And then the turning away, the indifferent numbness, the slow trek back to his home of the past one-hundred years. Too late. It was something he could have intervened upon, should have prevented - but how ? And why ? Why then ? Why there ? Why them ? Why Humanity ?! Why HER ?! WHY HAD HE NOT SAVED HER ?! WHY HAD HE NOT DONE ANYTHING AT ALL ?!?! WHY HAD HE JUST LET HER DIE- ?!?!
                     ... No, thatâs wrong.                      It was always ... you.                      YOU ... PIECE OF SHIT.
He rises slowly, a carcass suspended from butcherâs twine. He is no stranger to vertigo but the process is nauseating all the same, despite what little he had done to prepare himself for it. A thick wash of ichor trickles from the back of his throat and he spits it out in disdain. His insides shift awkwardly / joints popping back into place / bones groaning / muscles flexing. GOD, WHAT A FUCKING DISAPPOINTMENT. He is no unlikely savior - the blow he had just been dealt had been an abundantly-clear reminder of that - but still he must stand / take stance. ( Someone has to do it. Someone has to get up, has to fight back, has to- has to- to ... ) A growl breaks open his aching mandible, the corners of his lipless maw tugging into a snarl as he feels his enemyâs approach draw ever-nearer. AND YOU- YOU ARE MY ENEMY, MAKE NO MISTAKE OF THAT. It infuriates - that cautious, calculated approach, that leisurely gait. Thereâs nothing to discern past the Armoredâs impenetrable expression, though despite that he still feels the Otherâs presence / the way They carefully hide Themselves behind layers of thick sinew and hardened exoskeleton, as though They could be protected from his sight. Yes, he sees Them - glares through the Armoredâs vacant skull through to the inept pilot lurking beneath. YOU ... IF IT WERENâT FOR YOU ... IT WAS ALWAYS YOU / YOU / YOU !!
( What kind of face are you making right now ? Was it all an act ? Was this all predetermined ? Was it worth it ? Well ... it doesnât matter now, anyways. Despite everything - ... No, despite you. Everything in spite of you. THIS TIME / IâLL DESTROY YOU - IâLL FIND YOU, IâLL HAVE MY FILL. THIS TIME, IâLL BE THE HUNTER ... AND YOU MY PREY. )
uncommon words.
#I've never planned how to end anything I have ever written and it Shows#Reiner stop being mean he just wants to take a Nap#gepanzrt#ENCHAINED.#ALL THAT EXISTS WILL BE DESTROYED.
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