#cornelia fluff

[anime-fan-05]

Hey 🤗

Before making the request, I wanted to tell you I really like how and what you write ❤️

I saw the scenario of the first kiss you did for Naruto characters, could you also do it for Lelouch, Suzaku, male Kallen and male Cornelia (I'm obsessed with them in the male version; if you don't mess with characters' genderbends, you can not do them), please?

Thank you very much 😘

Code Geass ~First kiss~

Manga/anime: Code Geass

Warnings: nothing

(Y/N): your name

Kal: male Kallen

Cornelius: male Cornelia

Thank you very much for the compliment! Yes, I can make stories with male versions of female characters, but I'd rather not do the opposite.

"Z-Zero?" A meek voice rings out in the temporary headquarters of the Black Knights.

Lelouch blinks from behind his mask and looks away from some documents to look at the voice that had called him. (Y/N) was there, playing with her hair and with her pink-tinged cheeks, avoiding eye contact with her leader. The boy lets out a small sigh behind his mask, annoyed at being disturbed.

"What happens?" (Y/N) flinches at his words and shifts uncomfortably, the pink turning red on her cheeks.

"W-well, Tamaki told me you wanted to talk to me about the plan..." Lelouch's purple eyes narrow: he had never told Tamaki to call her. Damn Tamaki, he did it to embarrass me, the boy thinks.

The leader is both frustrated by the interruption of his work and annoyed by Tamaki's prank, but he suppresses the urge to get angry to avoid scaring the already intimidated girl in front of him. Actually, not because he doesn't want to scare the girl, but because he doesn't want to scare (Y/N): ever since Lelouch met (Y/N) at school a few months before obtaining the Geass, he's always felt a very strong attraction towards her; then, that attraction turned into love.

Furthermore, when she showed up in front of Zero, saying she wanted to join the Black Knights, his first instinct was to forbid her from participating in the missions due to the fear she would get hurt. However, the boy was then dissuaded from carrying out that behavior by C.C. to avoid anyone noticing his preference for the girl.

So, Lelouch quickly thinks about how to extricate himself from the complicated situation he's in: "(Y/N), I-"

He can't even finish the sentence he was about to say, because a loud sound screeches in their ears, echoing in the room occupied by Zero and (Y/N). The girl is stunned and closes her eyes, preparing for the worst, when they feel the ground shake and pieces of the ceiling begin to collapse. When she doesn't feel any pain, she opens her eyes.

"Z-Zero? A-are you okay? A-are you hurt?" One of Lelouch's arms is against the wall next to (Y/N); the other arm holds her close, caging her body with his and acting as a shield.

"I'm fine." The boy pulls away from the girl, loosening his grip.

After standing a little distance from her, Zero calmly presses a button on the side of his mask with one hand, shocking and astounding (Y/N) when she hears the whirring of gears, causing the back of the mask to retract.

"Z-Zero, what are you-"

"Answer me, (Y/N) -he interrupts her- are a few months enough to fall in love?"

"I-I think anything is possible in love. Why did you ask me this?"

(Y/N) swallows, watching the boy adjust his mask so his mouth is visible.

"Because I'm madly in love with you." The girl doesn't even have time to realize what he said, before Lelouch grabs her face and brings it close to his, and presses his lips to hers.

"Suzaku, I'm scared" (Y/N) whispers.

While she and her brother Schneizel were in a meeting, an attack by the Black Knights was reported, so Suzaku, (Y/N)'s Knight, grabbed her hand and started running to carry her to safety.

After they moved away from the attacked area, the princess felt the pressure collapse on her; she burst into tears, both because of the fear for her life and because of the concern everyone had managed to escape to safety.

The girl feels strong arms around her and then herself being carried against a warm body. Her eyes open: she sees her Knight embracing her.

"I'll protect you, princess." Suzaku says softly in (Y/N)'s ear, holding her tighter to him.

"S-Suzaku..." The princess murmurs in surprise, looking at him shyly and sweetly, heat flooding her cheeks.

Suddenly, loud battle noises ring out and the sounds of explosions, which cause the ground to shake, almost causing the princess to fall, are heard. Suzaku's eyes widen a little, and he immediately turns, almost as if to go back.

"Where are you going?" She cries.

"I must go back to fight with 'Lancelot'. Please, princess, stay here, so you'll be far enough from the combat zone."

"But Suzaku, you have to follow me -she whispers- I'm scared."

"Princess -the boy approaches the girl, with his eyes full of pain- I have to fight again to protect you." (Y/N) knows Suzaku must respect his duties as a Knight.

"But... You can't protect me if you're there." The girl says, trying to convince the boy to stay with her, since she doesn't want him to go because she fears he might die.

"I have to go -Suzaku replies with regret- those from the R&D Division have already called me before: they need 'Lancelot'."

"Wait!" (Y/N) screams as her Knight turns and takes a few steps towards the headquarters Zero attacked, running to hug him from behind and starting to sob.

"Please, please, don't go! I already lost Euphy, don't leave me too!" The princess can't breathe because of the tears and sobs, and she's crying so much she can hardly stand up straight: she's in the middle of hysterics.

So, Suzaku immediately hugs (Y/N), first hesitantly, fearing her panic attack might get worse, then more tightly, after seeing she showed no sign of resistance and, indeed, she seemed to calm down the closer he was to her.

"I'll never leave: I'll always stay next to you and protect you."

Minutes pass, and (Y/N) slowly calms down, cradled in her Knight's arms and soothed by his sweet, relaxing words.

"Hold out your hand." Suzaku says, placing a watch on his princess' outstretched hand, and he continues: "This watch is very important to me: it's the last gift my father gave me. Keep it safe for me -he gently closes her hand- and, when we meet again, you can return it to me. I swear I'll come back to you."

After saying that, the boy starts to turn around, but the girl calls his name, so he turns back again to look at her.

"Princess?"

"I love you, Suzaku! Please, come back." After saying those words, which shocked him, (Y/N) looks at her Knight softly, and she gently presses her lips to his.

Britannian Military Prison in Japan, evening.

After another day of torture, (Y/N) is in her cell, hurt, sore and crying in pain.

Unfortunately, the Britannian Military had discovered the girl was one of the Black Knights' girlfriend, so it had captured her and has continued to torture her to have information about them. However, it was wrong: (Y/N) didn't even know her boyfriend Kal was one of the Black Knights.

While the girl was reflecting on her boyfriend, a very loud noise is heard and the ground begins to shake, and her cell's door is thrown open. That scares her a lot, so she tries to hide herself in the most remote corner of her cell. Nevertheless, it isn't a soldier who enters, but a tall man, dressed in black and with a mask on his face: he's one of the Black Knights.

"(Y/N)!" The girl recognizes the man by his voice.

"Ohgi? It's you?"

(Y/N) already knows Ohgi: he had come to Kal's house several times while they were together; her boyfriend said he was a friend of his brother and, after his death, he continued to come to visit him. The girl never would have thought that kind man was one of the Black Knights.

"Yes, it's me. (Y/N), are you ok? Kal was so anxious about you... Come, he's waiting for you outside." Ohgi holds out his hand towards her, but (Y/N) pulls away.

"I don't want!"

"Why?"

"I don't want to see Kal: he lied to me the whole time! I don't want to go back to him! Please come back. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

The man looks at the girl for a few seconds, torn between whether to leave or try to convince her to follow him. However, before Ohgi can make a decision, sounds of footsteps are heard, and then a head pops out of the door: Kal.

"(Y/N)!" Kal rushes to embrace (Y/N), wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in the crook of her neck. Nevertheless, she doesn't feel good in his embrace like all the other times: his lie has hurt her too deeply. In fact, she violently and quickly breaks away from the embrace.

"Stay away from me!" The poor girl screams, quickly pulling away and falling to the ground from the force she broke away with.

"Darling?" The boy tries to move closer to his girlfriend, but she pulls away again, trembling and almost crying from the pressure and worry.

"What happens? Are you ok? What have they done?"

"The soldiers hurt me, but you hurt me more: why did you lie to me? You were taking advantage of me, weren't you? I'm a Britannian, were you pretending to love me just to get information about the Britannians?"

"No!" Kal exclaims.

"I swear to you: I've never taken advantage of you. When I fell in love with you, I wasn't one of the Black Knights yet; after I became one, I didn't want to tell you anything because I didn't want to worry you or put you in danger." He continues more calmly, gently helping the girl to get up.

"You don't necessarily have to continue to be my girlfriend, but at least let me continue to protect you, please. I don't want anything to happen to you again." After saying that, Kal hugs (Y/N) again, taking care not to hurt her, and he brings his face closer to hers, until they touch their foreheads.

"Will you let me protect you?" After she gives her nod, the Black Knight captures his girlfriend's lips with his in a tender kiss, while continuing to hold her tightly, as if protecting her from all harm.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Sorry." (Y/N) repeats, as she finishes treating Cornelius' many wounds.

"I already told you not to be." The prince replies.

They both remain silent for a few minutes. (Y/N) is embarrassed to be so close to the person she loves, Cornelius is trying to repress the groans of pain caused by his wounds.

"Are you angry?" The woman breaks the silence, worried her superior was angry with her. In fact, (Y/N) was a new Knightmare Frames pilot, but, during her first mission, an attack against the Japan Liberation Front, a disaster happened: the group led by Prince Cornelius, in which she had been placed, was the victim of a surprise assault, and (Y/N) would have died if it weren't for her commander, who threw himself into the path of a spear to save her, but injuring himself.

"Not with you." The prince answers.

"Why not with me?"

"Why should I be angry with you?"

"I was careless. I almost got myself killed. Because of me you got hurt!" The soldier screams with a broken voice, surprising Cornelius with her outburst.

The man, recovered from the shock of the woman's outburst, smiles almost sweetly, and he gently caresses her head.

"Don't worry. I don't care you cause me trouble or I hurt myself to save your life."

(Y/N) wonders if what Cornelius told her was some kind of confession, while blushing profusely. Nevertheless, despite wanting to ask him the meaning of those words, she can't say anything other than an apology.

"Stop apologizing or I'll get angry."

"Excu-" (Y/N) stops before finishing the sentence.

"I can't help saying that!" Due to her phrase, the prince bursts out laughing, making the soldier blush again.

"I've done it!" The woman exclaimes happily and, after seeing the man's confused look, she continues, but with a bit of shyness: "Since you're always so serious and, forgive me if I say it, even a little sad, I set myself the goal of making you laugh at least once."

After a few seconds of silence, Cornelius murmurs: "You're wonderful, (Y/N), you know?"

"Really? Are you serious?"

Without even realizing it, the soldier steps closer to her superior, taking his right hand in hers.

"I really mean it." The prince whispers, tucking a strand of her hair, which had escaped from her bun, behind her ears with the hand that wasn't held by hers.

"I think this is why I fell in love with you." Without giving (Y/N) time to realize his words, Cornelius bows his head and presses his lips softly and delicately to hers.

💮 Rules 💮 Masterlist 💮

[leilanihours]

🗝️, prompt 5 + kate martin

# JACKET 'ROUND MY SHOULDERS IS YOURS

pairing: kate martin x teammate!reader

word count: 710

warnings: one suggestive comment

prompt: "here, take my jacket"

⭑ from lani: lyric from cornelia street and theyre in new york...but not cornelia street...who wrote ts fr 🙄

celly masterlist !

main masterlist !

YOU SHIVER WALKING through the cold yet vibrant streets of times square, skin covered in goosebumps as you brave the unfamiliar weather.

"y/n, please, it is not that cold," gabbie laughs, observing your shaking figure.

"i know," you shrug, "i'm actually hot."

"girl, you don't have to lie, it's okay," jada adds, "you just have to remember to bring your jacket next time."

"i swear i hate you guys," you say, shaking your head as you continue to subtly rub your arms in an attempt to warm up your body.

the night progresses, and you are just getting colder and colder. as a girl from the west coast, you were definitely not used to this type of cold. and even worse, you hated being an inconvenience, which is why you kept denying your friends' offers to give you their jackets.

you also hated being wrong. you wouldn't even buy a jacket for yourself when you would stroll through shops - you were stubborn if anything.

the one person who persisted despite your dismissive behavior was kate. your best friend and also the girl you were in love with.

you'd slowly started to fall for the girl throughout your years at iowa. to you, she was your other half on and off the court. but you had no idea if she felt the same way.

"y/n, please for the love of god take my jacket. you look like a penguin the way you're wobbling from the cold," she says, her blue eyes pleading for you to accept her offer.

you turn to her, seeing that she's already stripped out of her thick letterman jacket and is now walking beside you in a simple nike hoodie.

"kate, i swear i'm fine, please put your jacket back on, you're gonna get sick."

"you're crazy if you think i'm gonna let you walk around new york city in nothing but jeans and a long sleeve."

"i actually have socks and shoes on too so i'm good, i promise," you joke, trying to distract her from the matter at hand.

"y/n," she deadpans, clearly not giving up. at this point she had stopped the two of you from walking as she stood before you, her hands on either side of your shoulders.

she looked down at you with a certain look in her eyes, one that only happened to shine through when she talked to you.

the rest of your group had walked ahead, not noticing your stoppage, "kate, we're gonna lose them, let's go."

"y/n, i will tie you down if that's what it takes for you to put this on," she states with a serious face.

"kinky," you smirk playfully, trying to change the topic once again.

"y/n i swear-"

"okay fine!" you sigh, "i'll put it on."

"finally," she breathes out, "thank you."

she helps you slip into the large jacket, the sleeves a little too long for your arms considering the extra height kate has over you.

"why are you thanking me? i should be thanking you," you laugh.

"because," the blonde starts as you resume your path behind the rest of the girls, "i hated seeing you uncomfortable. plus i get to see you in my clothes," she mumbles the last part, but it doesn't go unnoticed by you.

"well, aren't you just the sweetest?" you smile, only half joking. kate was quite literally the definition of a sweetheart.

you often make the joke that if you were to look up the word "sweet" in the dictionary, it would just say "kate martin" plain and simple.

you jog ahead to walk with hannah and gabbie, leaving the blonde to watch you longingly.

"only for you, y/n, only for you," she sighs before catching up to the group.

little did either of you know that your fellow teammate, kylie, had been vlogging the past few minutes and had managed to catch your interaction with kate in the background.

it was nothing but a meaningless background detail until fans noticed the exchange and it became the highlight of the video in its entirety.

but, hey, at least they were able to notice the way you two looked at each other - something either of you couldn't even comprehend.

— leilani signing off ! 📁

[princessniitza]

[The English fic] An Evening At The Whipps (1/1)

Title: An Evening At The Whipps

Fandom: The English

Pairing: Eli Whipp/Cornelia Locke

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: ~ 2.300 words

Tags / Warnings: Alternate Universe – Modern Setting, Kid Fic, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, All The Fluff

Summary:

“Mama, how did you and Papa Wolf meet?” Asteria asks. “How did you fall in love?” Roxanne adds, before Cornelia has the time to reply.

Link to the fic: An Evening At The Whipps

[jomiddlemarch]

gingerbread

5. “I’m home,” Gilbert called out. He didn’t have to raise his voice much since the cottage wasn’t very large, but there was a certain pleasure in it he hadn’t had since Susan Baker had come to work for them and expected a reliable degree of decorum from Dr. Blythe and Mrs. Dr. that Gilbert and Anne felt obliged to satisfy, though there were nights they reminisced about the scrapes and nonsense they’d gotten up to growing up in Avonlea which would be bound to horrify Susan if she knew.

“I’m here,” she answered, her tone as glum as when she’d once dyed her red hair green. “In the kitchen, Gil.”

“Why, Anne, what in heaven’s name?” he said. She couldn’t blame him for his surprise, wouldn’t blame him if there had been some disapproval or judgment, for she was sitting on the floor in her stocking feet, streaked in flour, the striped cotton smock Miss Cornelia had made for her straining over her positively enormous belly.

“You’re home early,” she said.

“Old Josiah Simpson took a turn for the better, told me to go fishing or bring home my pretty missus some flowers,” he explained, a charming posy of wildflowers loosely grasped in his left hand. He laid them down on the table and knelt beside her.

“Sweetheart, what’s happened? Are you ill? Hurt?” he asked. “Is it the baby?”

“A fine mother I’d be blaming it on the baby, but I admit, it’s tempting,” Anne said, trying to wriggle into a more appropriate position, as if there could be one on the scrubbed kitchen floor.

“It’s nothing terrible, you don’t need to worry, it’s only embarrassing and frustrating and thank goodness Susan isn’t here to see it!”

“Why don’t I help you up and get you settled, then you can tell me all about it?” He reached over and took her hands, then managed to help her stand up and kept a hand at the small of her back as she lumbered over to the rocking chair in the sunny corner of the kitchen where Susan was wont to sit and knit if she ever managed a moment of quiet. Gilbert dragged over one of the kitchen chairs and sat before her, waiting patiently.

“I suppose it is the baby,” she began. “I’ve never had such a craving for sweets before and you can see by the size of me, it seems impossible to satisfy.”

“You know that’s completely normal and healthy,” Gil said. “I count us both blessed that you want something so unobjectionable. Mrs. Tom Taylor had to have stewed eel with strawberry compote and Mrs. Fred Walker wanted nothing but clams for weeks, I have it on good authority from Miss Cornelia, though I could always smell the clams before I even stepped a foot over the threshold.”

“Yes, that’s as may be. I wanted something sweet and so, I ate the last of the apple tart Susan left and tried a few of the sugar cookies in the jar, but none of it was right and I was still hungry and then I knew what I wanted. What your child was demanding,” Anne said.

“What?”

“The Blythe gingerbread,” Anne said and Gilbert grinned. “I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult, your mother had left a receipt when she visited, but it was impossible—I couldn’t reach anything with this,” she gestured to the curve of her belly, “getting in between me and the shelves, the kitchen table and the mixing bowls, and trying to open the oven door might as well have been Hercules’s thirteenth labor. I’ve made a mess of the kitchen and myself and worried you and I don’t even have one bite of gingerbread to show for it!”

Gilbert chuckled, a wonderful warm sound that had become ever more precious since they’d lost little Joy, and Anne rested one hand atop the apex of her belly, feeling the baby within respond with a reassuring kick.

“Well, that’s easily solved,” he said. “I guess those flowers I brought home weren’t the ones you needed. You just sit here and rest and let me make up a batch of the gingerbread.”

“That’s not fair, Gil, you worked all day and now you’re going to muck around in the kitchen because I can’t manage to make some biscuits,” Anne said.

“This isn’t work and I’ll have you know, I don’t muck around in any kitchen, let alone Susan Baker’s,” Gilbert said, standing up, taking off his coat, and putting Susan’s voluminous pinafore apron on over his waistcoat and trousers, rolling up his sleeves for good measure. It did seem to only be a few minutes before he’d gotten a big crockery bowl full of all the ingredients, his hands as deft in mixing up the dough as they were treating his patients or seeing to her delight in the privacy of their room, a thought which made Anne blush. Within an hour, he was setting before her a plate of freshly made gingerbread, cut into cunning little blossoms exactly like the ones in the bouquet he’d brought home. She took a bite and sighed as she tasted the spices, the rich sweetness of the molasses, the extra little crunch of the castor sugar he’d sprinkled on top.

“I have to tell you, you could never had made it, Anne-girl,” he said, sitting beside her again, the apron and rolled-up sleeves somehow making him look more manly and heart-stoppingly handsome, the touch of flour at his right temple a glimpse of their future. “My mother never includes all the ingredients or instructions in a receipt. She never wants anyone else to make her food as well as she does.”

“That’s iniquitous!” Anne exclaimed, but her mouth was still full of gingerbread.

“It doesn’t signify,” he said. “I know the receipt by heart, in every detail.”

[mschivs-works]

Scar(r)ed - Part 1 & 2

(The start of) a take on how Dustfinger got his scars. Further notes at the end, enjoy :)

You even get part 1 & 2 because I'm cool like that 😎

1.2k words

—

PART 1

Just like any other day the people were eager to get from stall to stall, trying to navigate through the crowded market. Few kids listened to their mothers and instead of staying close to them marveled at the baked goods, glazed with honey, edible flowers and nuts or at the Firedancer. Though Dustfinger had not only attracted the children. Everyone loved watching him throw the torches into the sky and catching them every time without fail. All five of them. If the tight-rope walkers in their blue garments would lean down and reach out they would have surely been able to catch them.

Dustfinger was without a doubt the greatest attraction.

He felt their eyes darting back and forth in between him and the flames and couldn't help but smile. Though he heard neither their cheers nor their clapping, giving his undivided attention to the fire. The wind picked up but it only took a few whispered words in its language to keep the flames bright as ever. One by one Dustfinger caught his torches and finally looked at his audience, taking a bow. He had been growing his hair out all summer and it fell onto his shoulders, the very front strands framing his face. The sunlight seemed to set it on fire and when he straightened back up his eyes glistened, full of life.

Roxane had to smile. She stood not far away, a little to the side and was clapping with all her might. Her arms were starting to get tired but she couldn't have cared less. Dustfinger caught her eye and she had to smile even more, giving him a thumbs up. Was that a hint of a blush on his face? It was gone before she could be sure, for Dustfinger was already putting the torches down to move on. As soon as he let go of them the flames jumped into his hands instead. The people blurted out 'Woa'-s and 'Oooh'-s and looked at the flames with astonishment. Roxane chuckled, they didn't know why the fire wasn't scorching Dustfingers skin and it made his acts all the better. Not like the Sootbird, he burned himself every time he performed. Though today he wasn't on the market and so Dustfinger drew all eyes onto him.

Dustfinger. The best fire dancer in all of Lombrica and Argenta. He who threw his torches the highest. He who had made friends with the fire.

It was currently climbing up his arm, flames licking at his skin but never biting. He made it jump to his other hand and formed a flower. Its petals wilted away in mere seconds but new ones sprouted in their place. Dustfinger looked at Roxane and it warmed his heart to see her in awe. He knew she loved the flowers and made sure to make at least one every time she was watching. He gave the flower a blow and it turned into countless moths, almost the size of his hand, that flew up above the heads of the crowd before vanishing into thin clouds of smoke. Once the last one was gone he formed his hands into a dome and gently blew into it. The inside began to glow like embers and you could hear the roaring of the fire. Then he opened them and with a stronger blow set a jet of fire into the sky. The people gasped and stumbled backwards only to lean forward again eagerly awaiting another one. Dustfinger did it again. And again. The kids were cheering the loudest, they loved it more than anything, he knew. Dragonbreath is what he called it.

—

His knife was polished to perfection - as per usual -, reflecting the sun perfectly, as well as Basta's hateful eyes. His fingers caressed the back side of the blade lovingly, almost as if he was petting a small animal. However, this pet had sharp teeth and Basta wanted nothing more than to see it bite off the fire-eaters face.

He was leaning against the wall of a house, envying the damned fire dancer. He didn't understand what they all saw him or his fireplay, why they were all so in love with him! Basta didn't care what the people thought of the fire-eater but oh how he hated that Roxane loved him. Beautiful Roxane. She was madly in love with Dustfinger and for what?! He was a coward and what else could he even do besides throwing a few torches into the air? She was stupid to love that unfortunate boy and not him, Basta. Oh yes, Roxane loved Dustfinger and Basta hated her for it but he loved her all the same. It was insanely frustrating. He huffed as the fire dancer came down from his stage and met Roxane with a smile.

—

The people were still clapping and while coins rained into the opened bag Dustfinger had placed at the front of the stage he grabbed his shirt. It was black with accents of red - of course, the colors of the fire dancers. Then he took his bag with a thousand thank you-s directed at his audience and put his torches inside. He hung it over his shoulder and as he made his way down he tried to fix his hair a little. A moment later he stood in front of Roxane. She took his hands and smiled at him. "I love it when you make the flowers." "I know. I make them just for you." Roxanes gaze shifted a little and Dustfinger could have sworn he saw her blush. A smile settled on his lips. Though it did not last long. In the corner of his eye he recognized a characteristically dark silhouette. Raven hair, piercing eyes and black clothes. And a knife in hand. "Is something wrong?" Roxane's voice immediately pulled his eyes back to her visage. Her head was tilted, making her long hair fall off the side a little and Dustfinger saw the concern in her eyes. "N-no don't worry," he answered with a smile to sell his words.

"Listen Roxane, I need to leave now. I have to bring the Prince some rations, I promised. People think his bear is a Night-Mare and no-one will leave him alone if he shows his face anywhere near the city." A chuckle echoed in his voice and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Meet me at the old barn at sun down. You know, the one with the withered away well." Roxane gave a nod in agreement and Dustfinger smiled. "Wonderful, I will see you then." He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then he made his way to the city gate.

Dustfinger looked over to the house. Basta was gone.

PART 2

Dustfinger passed the guards at the gate and followed the path. His long legs gave him a fast stride which he did not mind, not at all. tht uneasy feeling from seeing Basta still clung to him and he wanted to get away from the city as quickly as possible. He took a breath and checked his bag. Alongside the loose coins - he would sort them later -, and his torches there were some rations, wrapped in leather. Everything was still there. Satisfied Dustfinger kept walking and soon the late summer sun and the chirping of the birds made him forget about Basta. Or at least he wasn't bothered by him anymore.

The prince was with the others in one of the camps near the city. After walking along the path for a while he had gone straight into the forest. Dustfinger knew every tree, stone and bush near the city and in less than an hour he arrived. The kids were playing while most of the women prepared some food or repaired clothes. One came back with a load of fire-wood and dumped it near the fireplace. Dustfinger gave her a quick nod and she smiled before tending to another task. "Dustfinger! There you are." The prince came over and Dustfinger embraced him with a big smile on his face. He glanced at the bear but he seemed to be half-asleep. "I hope you brought-" "You can always count on me." Dustfinger got out the rations and handed them to the prince, who eagerly uwrapped them. His face lit up when he saw the fresh loaf of bread. "Thank you my friend." Dustfinger shrugged it off and sat down next to the fire instead. The flames turned towards him but Dustfinger looked at the Prince.

"Judging by the sound of your bag you had a successful day." Dustfinger had bitten into an apple and nodded in response. "Was Roxane there?" The Prince's voice was smug but affectionate and the fact that his best friend seemed to blush only made him smile more. Dustfinger sighed. "Yes, she was. And so was Basta." Evidently Dustfinger was not happy about that. "Don't worry about him. To Roxane he is the same that he is to all of us; a sign of trouble. She chose you." The Prince gave him a nudge and Dustfinger couldn't help but smile a little.

Yes, she had chosen him… why? He didn't know. Roxane was the most beautiful girl he knew and not even a nightingale could match her voice. She had had many admirers but she had sent them all away. Roxane only had eyes for him, Dustfinger, a no-body that happened to know how to make the fire speak to him. Sometimes he believed it was all a dream, that he'd wake up one day and see her with someone else. The thought of it alone made his heart break, because he was sure that living without her was a thing of the impossible. He loved getting lost in her eyes and hearing the sound of her voice, oh yes he loved it. More than anything else in this world. When she sang all of his worries simply faded away into nothingness and the world seemed a better place. He forgot about the cold winter nights, about the Fire-Raisers and Capricorn and the Adderhead. He loved it the most when she sang only for him. Then it was just the two of them, his head resting in her lap while her fingers gently ran through his firey hair.

A sudden huff of hot breath next to his ear let Dustfinger flinch. He turned and stared right into the beady eyes of the bear. He took a breath of relief and chuckled when the bear nudged his arm. "You want the apple, don't you." As if he understood exactly what Dustfinger said the bear grumbled and a second later the fruit vanished into his mouth. Dustfinger turned back to the prince. "Speaking of, unfortunately I can't stay because I am supposed to meet her at sun down. But I am sure you and your 'Night-Mare', " he nodded over to the bear with a grin, "will be just fine. I will be back tomorrow." Dustfinger and the prince gave each other a pat on the back and he was already on his way back to Ombra. Or more specific: the farms and fields surrounding it.

—

Hi all. I will update this as frequently as I can. I like to go into detail and build up scenes so expect a couple more individual parts. Later this fic will get exolicit with descriptions of violent and angst but triggerwarnings at the top will warn you.

Let me know your thoughts in the tags and comments!

Also that's MY art do not steal! (may use with credit)

[wilted-society]

i mean... it's not like no one would be willing to read these right???.??????????????

#should i continue these

[sagiow]

In camera - Chapter 4

Eli woke up to the sun rays darting between the foliage, to birds crying far away. The air crisp upon his face, over the warm heaviness of his blanket; a heaviness that barely registered against that of Cornelia’s head on his shoulder, of her body pressed against his, her gloved hand abandoned on his chest. He wanted to take it, but did not dare do so; he could not risk moving and waking her, and for this moment to end.

He still could not quite believe the turn of events from the previous day: how she had suddenly pushed back against herself, sending the barricades tumbling down, revealing the secret source of all the terrible anger and fear she’d been carrying all this time. How she had stood there afterwards, open and unguarded, her burden cast away but her body still bent from its weight, waiting for him to judge and dismiss her for it. How she had risen and clutched to him, as if not to float away, when he had not.

She had let go as he returned her to the solid ground, to the tangible present; when she let herself to consider that nothing else should matter but them. He felt a shift in her focus: eyes no longer set on the fateful road ahead, but curiously taking in her immediate surroundings and all the trivial little things they held, as if she was seeing them for the first time. As if she finally allowed herself to see them, and care for them. Be amused and amazed and moved by them.

He taught her how to read the river, to set a line, which bait would do for which type of fish; and when she pulled the string and caught a trout larger than his, her laughter had been clearer than the water before them, than the sky above.

And when that sky turned from the blue of her irises to the purple of her riding outfit, to the dark navy of his cavalry coat, its stars’ brilliance could not match that of those in her eyes as she reached out for him once more, her hand in his and her cheek on his shoulder as they sat by the fire, grilling and eating the day’s catch, she mostly talking, he always listening. Remaining as such as they’d laid down for the night and he’d pulled his blanket over them, pressed a kiss to her temple as she’d nestled closer, and fallen asleep a mere few breaths later.

Had she been Pawnee, this would have meant something. Everything. But she was not, and he did not explain. It was enough for him to know. To have and to hold.

Read the rest on AO3

[hxllfires-gifs]

PAIRING. cornelia jakobs x fem!reader

SUMMARY. cornelia is picked to be sweden’s representative in eurovision and decides to take her girlfriend to italy with her.

WORD COUNT. 1,154

Y/N WAS SURE that if someone told her a year or so ago that she would be in Italy for 2022 Eurovision with her girlfriend who was a contestant, she would not have believed it at all; not because she doubted Cornelia but because she hadn’t attended the contest or even traveled much outside of Sweden. She had the occasional trip here and there but it was nothing too special.

She was thankful for the opportunity that was given to both her and her girlfriend. She had been there every step of the way for her blonde lover and she was beyond proud. For the time that she’d known Cornelia, she was always hardworking and she deserved all of the credit and love. Being chosen to be the Swedish representative for the contest was something that many people dreamed of.

It had become a reality for the Jakobs but she was still processing everything as each day passed by since things were moving so much faster than anticipated. It genuinely did feel as though yesterday was when she was selected, but that was months ago. The time proved to be something that the two of them needed to enjoy since Eurovision was not going to last forever, no matter who had wanted it to.

There was a level of stress but Y/N being there helped tremendously with the blonde’s varying degrees of emotional drainage. With each interaction Cornelia had, the more she needed some quiet time in the hotel with the woman she loved. Feeling emotionally and physically drained was not something that she experienced often but it always took its toll on her when she did, but it honestly was to be expected in some capacity.

Eurovision was a very social heavy event, which was understandable but Cornelia just needed those small moments alone with her girlfriend to recover from the stress. She did want to do well, just like everyone else she’d met over the span of a month and a half. For her, this contest was such an important and exciting experience, so she attempted to get that thought into her head more; she wasn’t going to take it for granted.

The L/N watched as Cornelia finished the process of getting ready for rehearsals. She was amazed by the backstage preparations and questioned if she should change jobs or not; it was a question that appeared often in her brain but she never once acted on it. To be completely honest, she wasn’t sure if she would do well, so she resorted to watching it instead. Her girlfriend was so invested and it was quite the sight to see.

She didn’t realize she was staring until the Jakobs brought it up with a smirk, “Angel, if you take a picture then it’ll last longer.” Each word was teasing and gave more reason for the H/C haired girl to blush at her girlfriend’s tone.

“You can’t blame me,” Y/N spoke truthfully as she went to sit down on a nearby couch. She grew tired of standing around so she’d chosen to rest her body, but still paid close attention to the Swede.

Cornelia smiled at the simple sentence as she expected the L/N to say something like that. “I’m pretty, I know.” She was messing with the other female since she was always told about how pretty she was. They would often have compliment battles and that was a normality for the couple; of course, it was started by Y/N and stuck around over time.

“Yes, you are! You’re the prettiest person I have ever seen.” Y/N complimented Cornelia without much thought or hesitation.

The Jakobs gave her a pointed look when she began speaking. “I think you are talking about yourself. Also, I have to do some voice warmups, so you can’t distract me. The last time, you were making me laugh too much. I love your humor but rehearsals are in seven minutes.”

“Got it, boss.” The H/C haired woman saluted her partner as a way to tease her before leaning back on the couch, listening to Cornelia’s vocal warmups once she had started them.

Cornelia rolled her eyes before starting to warm her voice; the process took a couple of minutes but finished quite quickly. With a minute or two left, she could feel some slight nervousness creeping through her since this was the last rehearsals before the second Semi-Final. She was hoping that everything turned out as it should and that she would end up qualifying when the show actually started.

She heard her girlfriend stand up and the sound of her footsteps neared. Y/N was very aware of the signs Cornelia’s body gave in her times of fear and anxiety, so she could tell that her lover was feeling one of those, if not both. She yearned to help as much as she could whenever this happened since the blonde would always do the same for her. It made things much easier as they were both in tune with one another’s emotions.

“Hey, you’re okay. You are going to kill it, both at rehearsals and the Semi-Final. The people love you and your song. You’ve got this! I believe in you completely.” Y/N didn’t stop talking until she was sure that Cornelia was feeling a bit better.

The L/N didn’t always know what to say if she did not understand what something felt like, but she would comfort her lover even if she didn’t understand to the fullest extent. She would try her best regardless of what was happening. She wanted for the woman she loved to know that she wasn’t alone and that she would always have support, both of those being truthful.

The Swede made eye contact with Y/N, a small smile overtaking the anxiety because of the comforting words and presence. She was beyond thankful for her girlfriend and it was always something she’d tell her often in their daily life. How could she not? She was absolutely in love with Y/N.

“Thank you, lovely. I truly don’t know what I would do without you in my life. You’re very beautiful and sweet. I could go on about my admiration for you but that’ll have to be in private, later on. For now, I’ve got to make sure everything is perfect for tonight.” The blonde leaned forward and her lips met her girlfriend’s for a short but loving kiss.

The two had to break apart for Cornelia to leave but Y/N wished her good luck for what seemed to be the hundredth time already. It would be a lie if the blonde said she did not enjoy it or find it to be cute. Whilst the Jakobs ran through her performance, Y/N L/N watched with nothing but fondness in her eyes since she adored seeing Cornelia doing what she loved; it was one thing that she could witness forever if she were allowed to.

[counting-leaves]

I want to write a cheolsoo jeongcheol cardigan+august+betty au so bad but I'm not good with angst so ig i won't

[mischievoussilvertongue]

GUYS the first two parts of Scar(r)ed are out on my other Tumblr. A fic on how Dustfinger got his scars.

[poetsblvd]

fic recs ﹐ ( charles leclerc x reader )

— key . fluff (❀) angst (✿) smau (❁) mature (❃) —

leclercs type (❀) @thebearchives

always, evermore, even after and still (❁) @love-belle

it’s never over (❀) (❃) @leclsrc

fix what has been broken (❁) @lorarri

you’ll change your name, or change your mind (✿) @monzabee

heartbreak on tour series (❁) @twobluejeans

right timing (✿) (❀) @moneymasnn

baby leclerc series (❀) @starkwlkr

lightning mclover (❀) @f1version

10 seconds (❀) @lxclerc

itch (❃) @monzamash

this is what it feels like (❁) @love-belle

sweet pea (❀) @leclsrc

delicate series (✿) (❀) (❁) @redclercs

north star series (✿) (❀) @harley-sunday

amour rose (❁) @cartierre

cherry tomato (❀) @xxblairexxss

to live for the hope of it all (❁) @pierregazly

una noche en monaco (✿) (❀) (❃) @charlesswife

sparks (❀) @writingstoraes

a house, a home (✿) @vetteltea

saw your mom at the grocery store (❁) @love-belle

it’s called love (❀) (✿) @racinggirl

honeymoon (❃) @lecsainz

what would you say (if i told you i loved you) (❁) @cieloclercs

what could’ve been (✿) @norrisleclercf1

pardesi girl (❁) @fleetwooods

i’d never walk cornelia street again (❁) @love-belle

night tea and tears (❀) (✿) @httpiastri

the seasons of love series (❀) (✿) (❃) @formulaforza

pretty visitors (❀) @strawberrysainz

still writing pages (✿) @leclercsbunny

royal series (❁) @maryleclerc

lonely call (✿) @lxclerc

for sentimental reasons (❀) (✿) (❃) @deadaydreams

the delicate series (❀) (✿) @fleetwooods

when it rains it pours (✿) @silverszobo

you gotta move, or move on (✿) @formulaforza

thirsty thoughts (❃) (❁) @lorarri

you’re losing me (✿) @oconso

why we broke up (✿) @charlesluvr

shoulder to lean on (✿) (❀) @silverszobo

ma moitié (❀) (✿) @thebearchives

the winner takes it all series (✿) @silverstonesainz

stories old and true (❀) (❃) @cherry-leclerc

i have forgotten (✿) (❃) @cherry-leclerc

lily’s notes , if i studied for half the time i spent on tumblr i’d be a genius. but this is more fun and i slowly find myself tumbling down the tumblr black hole and re-experiencing my old fav fics that i’ve stumbled across again , and omg wow im having so much fun making fic recs so expect a lot more !! so this is the charles rec list aka the current f1 poster boy , max rec list next !! thank you to all the amazing writers for pushing their hard work onto these masterpieces mwah xx

[a-boca-do-inferno]

blueberry (caesar x human!reader)

summary: Man is insecure and, perhaps not so surprisingly, so are apes.

warnings: angst, swearing, fluff

words: 3.6k

notes: can be read as a standalone or a continuation to alone. this is set somewhere between the events of wftpota but he is alive in my heart btw. enjoy x

gif credit

“I don’t care”, you sign and huff, glaring at him. You needed to hurt him; like he had hurt you just now. You point to the cave entrance. “Leave.” 

Caesar shoots you a desolated look, standing in the middle of the rain, completely soaked. He can’t speak. Not this time. He’d done it so many times before, repeating the same thing over and over again. I will change. I will stop worrying. I love you. And now you could see the truth: no matter how much he claimed to love you, his sorrows would always be stronger than his feelings and you just had enough. You were a tired woman. And he knew that, too. 

“Okay”, he mumbles at last with a brief sign as he watches his step and backs away. 

He leaves with his head down and disappears into the dark of the night. You’re only left with the sound of heavy drops smashing onto the floor. The ground now felt like opening up under your feet, but it wasn’t always like this. 

Caesar stared at you with widened eyes, not noticing your presence until you spoke up. A smile spread on his face and he shrugged off his worries, his frown fading gradually. “You… lifesaver.” He gesticulated toward the food you carried with a grateful look. It smelled so good and he didn’t hesitate to grab the bowl of soup, sipping on it and letting out a sigh of relief. “Thank you... for everything”, he signed with his free hand after a moment.

“You’re welcome, now what do you want?” You teased and ruffled his head lightly. Caesar had become a good friend over the past few months. It felt like you’ve known each other for a long time, even before the flu. “Or were you just that hungry?”

Caesar snorted, still drinking the soup. “Both… I think.” He swallowed before adding hoarsely, “sometimes I just need… to see you.” It sounded like a lighthearted comment, but he wasn’t smiling because deep down he knew it was true. You made him feel like he never did with anyone, ape or otherwise. He recoiled in his spot, watching you with attentive eyes. 

And you, to your credit, chuckled quietly with pink cheeks, “well, here I am.” You sat in front of him and leaned forward, resting your elbows on your knees. “You know, Caesar, I’ve been thinking… Maybe you should come stay with me for a while.” 

You were well aware of his problem with loneliness ever since he lost Cornelia and couldn’t help but want to take care of him. Being a leader had its perks and many included a deep sense of isolation, especially when the very lives of a whole species depended on him to make it in this world. Humans were still a constant threat, even amidst the downfall of civilization, but you reckoned Caesar felt lonely long before the apocalypse from the few stories he’d tell you about Will. If anything, being surrounded by his own kind only alienated him more overtime due to the burden of the “crown”.

Caesar tensed up, his eyebrows raising at the unexpected offer. He stayed unmoving for a few seconds, however his demeanor eventually changed into one of contemplation. Perhaps it wasn’t such a terrible idea at all. He’d been greatly feeling the change in environment since they moved and doing things alone had always proven to be harder for him, if more familiar. Taking another sip of his soup, his thoughtful gaze traveled the ceiling. 

“Sure… you wanna live… with my drama?” He finally asked, with an almost amused expression.

“We can be dramatic together”, came the quick reply, as you carried a playful tone of your own. “But really, I think it’ll do you some good. It’s not permanent, I just wanna help you get a little more time to adjust while you sort things out with the council.” You grinned softly, “change is always overwhelming and some company might broaden your horizons, maybe even help with your decision.”

Caesar pondered your words, still with a humorous smile. “I could stay… for a while.” He added with some emphasis. 

“It’s settled then, you can move in anytime you want”, you stood up and patted his shoulder. As you noticed there was a hint of uneasiness lingering in his eyes, you hummed, “consider it my formal thanks to you for taking me in. Now we’re even.”

“Then I move in… tonight.”, he tried to play it off with humor, signing with a smirk. “Don’t like my place… anyways.”

In fact, deep down Caesar was glad to get away from there; especially because he was about to face the most challenging phase of leadership: letting go. By the end of the day, he was all settled into your home. He took your bed under your indignant protests that the floor was a “back killer”, in your own words. You had a way of making him sustain a smile for far longer than he was used to—which wasn’t often—and that was the sole reason for his compliance. 

As you were fluffing the makeshift pillows made out of animal skin, he organized his stuff in the small cabinet you made yourself. You were a handy carpenter. A quiet chuckle reached his ears and he shot you a glance. 

“I didn’t take you for the messy type, I thought all leaders were neat.”

Caesar rolled his eyes, closing the cabinet door. “I only clean… other people’s messes”, he signed with a wry smile. He turned around and leaned against the wall to face you properly, his grin fading into a sterner look. “I’m glad… you’re here.”

“And I’m glad you’re here with me, that way I don’t have to worry about your insomniac ass wandering in the cold”, you threw a stick at him, sitting on the bed with a small beam. “I really do worry and care for you, Caesar. I hope you know that.”

Caesar caught the stick with ease and met your gaze with warm eyes once again. He was clearly touched by your words and his shy grin turned into a real one, despite the tiredness on his features. He came over to sit beside you, much closer than before. 

“I know”, he replied huskily, gently caressing the nape of your neck with his thumb. “And I hope you know… I care about you.” You shivered under his touch and your lips reached for his rough palm as you kissed it. His breath hitched at the sensation of your smooth skin and he touched your foreheads, shutting his eyes.

It was now but a distant, bittersweet memory haunting you while you gathered your things and left your tent-like home with him, preparing to move in with Maurice. You had a close bond with the ginger ape due to his calmer nature; sometimes you even assisted in his classes, too, and he knew better than anyone about the shortcomings of your relationship with Caesar. This time was no different and he offered you shelter right away. He had always been supportive of you two, but never judging when you had a falling out with the boss.

Maurice knew better than anyone as Caesar got older, his stubbornness and overprotective nature only got bigger. You left out a humourless laugh, walking into your new home. Man is insecure and perhaps not so surprisingly, so are apes. And with insecurity comes obsession, along with an unhealthy need for control. Yet you always had too much understanding in your heart. Caesar just needed help, you thought, as you would peck his head whilst he slept soundly on your lap. It was so rare to see him that serene, and you cherished every second of it. 

He still had trouble sleeping; nightmares and such. Your heart ached with the ever present reminder that you just couldn’t make all his pain go away forever, no matter how hard you tried. And God, did you try. Rocking a grown chimpanzee’s body to make him go to sleep wasn’t exactly in your plans when he brought you into the colony, but you gladly took the task. You loved the guy, after all. 

And wouldn’t it be stupid to even doubt that? Still, that’s what Caesar did on occasion. He wasn’t easily upset, but when he was... It often got ugly. You were never a fearful girl, but seeing his angry fits deeply affected you. Soon talking to him became a constant walk on eggshells and if he noticed your change in behavior, he never really spoke on it, which was perhaps his biggest flaw; not communicating. But he was a leader, and a perceptive one at that. Even though he never said it out loud, it must have been clear that you couldn’t take it anymore. There was something telling about the way he simply let you go a few hours before, with no fight. 

“Comfortable?” Maurice eyes you carefully, bringing some blueberries with him to cheer you up. 

You can’t help but grin at the sight. “I am. Thank you.” You sign back and nod, taking a deep breath as you gaze around. “Caesar?” You hum, curious of where he might be. You hadn’t seen him since last night’s argument.

The orangutan shakes his head slowly, pointing at the forest, “he hunts… when angry.”

You snort. “Sounds about right.”

Maurice grunts in agreement, signing softly, “you two… end?”

You take a moment to consider his question. It looked like a break up, didn’t it? Although you weren’t sure if apes even used the concept of “breaking up” with their mates. Every couple you knew in the colony seemed happy together. No trouble in paradise. You shrug and look down. “Maybe.”

“Caesar is… difficult”, he rasps, causing you to smile despite yourself. That’s the understatement of the year. The ape adds, “you like blueberries… for a reason. They’re not… always sweet.”

You scoff at the comparison. No wonder Maurice was a great teacher. You sign with amusement, “except I can smash a blueberry if I don’t like it, but with Caesar, I can’t.”

Maurice laughs deeply. “Fair enough.”

As the night fell again, you watched the apes gather around the fire to hang out after another tranquil day from a distance. Since the war, things were slowly returning to normal and you felt a mixture of relief and anxiety every time the thought crossed your mind; growing accustomed to peace those days was dangerous. Hope could be a friend, but also a great enemy in the apocalypse. Caesar had taught you that through your many late night talks after you made love. A light blush came across your cheeks as you sighed and tried to shake off those memories. 

Dating another species was already a challenge on its own, now add being the leader of a colony on top of that, you were surprised you two had made it that far. When Caesar found you all alone hiding in a cave, struggling to survive on your own, never in a million years did you think that creature would become your closest friend and even lover. He didn’t like or didn’t see the point of those nomenclatures, sure, as he only ever referred to you as his family. If other apes outside Maurice and Blue Eyes knew about the implications of it, though, no one dared speak on it. Yet it didn’t make it any easier to digest whenever you stopped to think about it, even more so amidst his angry fits.

You finished preparing for bed and lay down in silence, staring at the stars. Another summer had begun with the difference of Caesar’s absence by your side as you tried to sleep. You took a deep breath and wiped away some stubborn tears, turning to face the wall. You closed your eyes for a brief second and when you opened them again, a large silhouette appeared on the stone surface and you slowly shifted back to find Caesar standing tall, eyeing you silently.

“Talk?” He signs hesitantly, his expression difficult to read in the dark. You only nod and he approaches you, and as he steps in an angle under the moonlight, you see he’s got a deep cut across his abdomen. You immediately sit up, looking alert. He smiles weakly and waves a dismissive hand, taking a seat beside you. “It’s… fine. Not… serious.”

You frown nevertheless, tracing his bruise and inspecting it. “What happened?”

“Bear.” He murmurs hoarsely, with an amused gleam in his green eyes. You grunt in displeasure and he asks with an almost mocking tone, “worry?”

“Of course I do, Caesar.” You huff indignantly and it only makes him smirk, but you keep glaring at him. “You think it’s funny?”

“Yes”, he says, reaching out to take your hand over his furry stomach. He comes closer, bringing his forehead to yours, “I’m… sorry.” You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. You’re not sure what to say, but he fills in the silence with a low sound, “miss… you.”

“You’re a stubborn old man”, you pull away to look him in the eye, albeit your voice stays tender. He looks humoured by your choice of words. “But I missed you too.”

Caesar’s expression softens significatively. He produces another coo, “forgive?”

You smile and bring his hand to your lips, kissing his knuckles. “Maybe.”

“Brought… present.” He rumbles after a moment and you watch him leave in silence, coming back shortly with a bowl full of blueberries. You grin and Caesar hoots quietly, feeding one to you. You blush and accept the gesture, causing him to nuzzle your face gently, “Maurice… advice.”

You roll your eyes. “That turncoat.” 

Caesar only snickers and shrugs, making a face as he tries a blueberry. He signs and pushes the bowl towards you, shaking his head in comic disapproval, “sour.”

It’s your turn to laugh.

[princessniitza]

[The English fic] A (Second) Year In The Life (1/4)

Fandom: The English

Pairing: Eli Whipp/Cornelia Locke

Rating: Teen

Word count: ~ 800 words (of ~ 4000 words)

Tags / Warnings: Alternate Universe – Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Reincarnation, Alternate Universe – College/University, Established Relationship, Birthday Fluff, Sickfic, Home, Fluff, Humor

Summary:

4 seasons & 4 glimpses into Eli and Cornelia’s second year of graduate school.

Link to the fic: Fall |

[jomiddlemarch]

gingerbread

6. There was the lightest rap on the door, which meant Anne could ignore it if she wanted to doze or was too fatigued to visit with whoever it was on the other side, but as weak and worn out as she felt, she was beginning to be bored and missed the world that wasn’t bounded by the four walls of her bedroom in Ingleside, for all that she had a view into the garden.

“Come in,” she said, making an effort to sit up and failing, until Gilbert hurried over and plumped the pillows behind her, his strong arm gentle around her ribs as he helped her up, dropping the briefest kiss on her cheek before he smoothed back her loosened hair and let her go.

“We’ve brought you something good, Mother!” Jem announced. He had such a look of Gilbert about him, sturdily built, his expression always open and frank, his little jaw square as his father’s.

“Yes, something very good,” Walter piped, the very sounding much like Sandy McPherson’s verra. He was slighter than Jem and she could see he was working hard to hold up his end of the tray they’d carried in. “Papa says it’s good for you—”

“Father,” Jem corrected, quite determined to be the big boy of the family, but so cheerful and stalwart that Walter was clearly untroubled by it.

“Father said so and he’s a man of since, Susan says, so he knows,” Walter went on.

“Science,” Jem said. “That means he’s a doctor, he knows all about people’s insides and what they need to get better and strong. Even if they’re very sick after having a baby.”

“I’m not very sick,” Anne said. “It’s just taking a little while for me to get my strength back and Susan is helping so much with the new baby and Miss Cornelia with the twins.”

“Nan cried for an hour after Miss Cornelia said she had to eat all her porridge,” Jem announced. Gilbert caught her eye and nodded in agreement, raising an eyebrow. “She didn’t finish it though and Miss Cornelia said she’d never seen the like and then Di asked whether angels could have mustaches and they forgot all about the porridge.”

“I put in the garden. I thought it might be good for a fairy,” Walter said.

“A fairy wouldn’t eat porridge, Walter,” Jem said.

“You never know,” Gilbert interrupted. “Shall we give Mother the treat you worked so hard on?”

“It was mostly you, Papa,” Jem said, forgetting to call Gil Father, which made Anne smile.

“It’s sweets and Papa let me put in the ginger,” Walter said. “I sneezed but it most all went in.”

“I mixed up all the flour and sugar and m’lasses,” Jem said. “It was hard work, it seemed as if it didn’t want to be all stirred together, but it must be, otherwise it would be ruined. It was lumpy for a while, then Papa fixed that too.”

“I think I know what it must be,” Anne said, lifting her hand to beckon the boys closer. They were old enough they wouldn’t clamber onto the bed the way the twins did. She could probably invite them up to give them a cuddle after she’d eaten, one on each side nestled in, Walter sure to lay his head against her breast, Jem more reluctant to leave, though he’d refuse to say why.

“You do? Are you a witch?” Jem asked. “Milton Derry says witches have red hair and queer powers like owls seeing in the dark, and they’re not all bad, he says.”

“No, I’m not a witch,” Anne said, glancing at Walter. “I’m not a fairy either. I just know Papa very well, so it must be the Blythe gingerbread. That’s his specialty.”

“I thought he liked to fix people’s hearts the best, that was his specially,” Jem said.

“He does,” Anne said. She looked up at Gilbert and held his eyes for a moment. He smiled and she saw how it lightened the fatigue in his face, how he looked like the boy she’d once known and fretted over. “Sometimes he uses his stethoscope and sometimes medicine in big brown bottles and sometimes he makes the Blythe gingerbread. And now you’ll be able to as well.”

“We tried it,” Walter admitted. “It’s good, but a little spicy.”

“That’s how it works,” Jem said. “The spiciness is how it fixes you, makes you all warm inside. That’s zactly what Mama—what Mother needs, because otherwise why would she have to stay in bed under her blankets all day long?”

“Let me have some and we’ll see how much better it makes me feel,” Anne said.

“Don’t feel you have to finish it,” Gilbert said. “Just take as much as you like.”

“The boys will help me, won’t you?” Anne said. “Come up here with Mother and let’s have some of this lovely gingerbread and then you may play in the garden for a bit while Papa stays here with me and helps fix my heart some more.”

[death---dealer]

I just need to talk about Cornelius because he's just a baby and for sure keeps Blue Eyes on his toes 🥺

Title: Actions are Stronger. Fandom: Planet of the Apes. Pairing: ( Mildly, I'm working on it okay ) Implied! Blue Eyes x Reader. Rating: K. ( FULL OF FLUFF BABY. ) Words: 1.6K Summary: You were left alone to watch Cornelius until Blue Eyes returned. You had no idea what you were doing. ●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・●・○・

You felt small hands tangling into your hair. Laughing at the mere sensation, you raised your arms and grasped at the small Chimp responsible. Sounds of sadness left them as their fingers rose out of your hair, your grasp bringing them down and away from the prospect of pulling your hair right out of your head. Cornelius looked up at you - eyes so familiar and so impeccably like his Fathers that you found it difficult to not find any endearing feelings towards him. 

He hooted at you, obviously not content that you had grasped him and pulled him down from the eagerness he had to explore your hair, and with that, you placed him softly on the ground in front of you. Now--- It wasn’t your responsibility in the Colony to watch the young. In fact, you were pretty adamant to Caesar when he told you to look after his offspring that you weren’t sure how to. He just told you for a few minutes, until Blue Eyes returned from his endeavors with Ash.

Cornelia was resting, Blue Eyes knew he needed to be back by dusk. Caesar wanted her to rest, irked in all respects that his other son was not back yet and that’s how you ended up with the younger of the two Ape Prince’s. Well, better to learn now than later, right?  You thought to yourself and watched as the baby Chimp shuffled back towards you on all fours after momentarily being entranced by a few rocks, eyes rather sharp and focused with wonderment as he jumped right into your lap. 

To be analyzed by a baby was to be loved, right? A soft chuckle bursted from your mouth as he pried at the zipper of your jacket at the base of your neck, bringing his face in and placing his mouth against it. You watched as he went through stages. It was not food, that much was apparent. Small fingers moved it side to side. Nothing. He decided to grasp it firmly and pull. It moved downwards. The shock rocketed through him, he pounced on your lap, up and around your shoulders to rest snuggly now on your right shoulder, still peering down at the zipper. At the vibrations of the zipper and whimpered at it quietly. The sound must have scared him, you figured.

“Zipper,” You said, very aware of the small green eyes now focusing on your word, “That’s called a zipper.” You knew it was fruitless, that he wouldn’t talk back to you but that was more than okay. He had to learn communication one way or another, and you were more than willing to teach Cornelius a word or two as you waited patiently for his older brother near the bonfire of the Colony. Blue Eyes was nudged by Ash, forcing the Ape to stagger slightly on his feet with a huff of a laugh. They just returned, albeit a bit late, from their watch of the area. Assigned in pairs of two, they were responsible to maintain security around the land perimeter Caesar established so many years ago for the Colony. After tendering the horses into the paddock, Blue Eyes signed to his friend that he was responsible for Cornelius that evening, and that he would be unable to hang out anymore unless Ash had a strong desire to hang out with his baby brother. Ash nodded in understanding, joking a bit with his closest friend, ‘Could teach Cornelius the right way to do things, the Blue Eyes way.’ The young Chimp laughed at that again and nodded, responding in quick signing, ‘Don’t think Father would like that at all.’ And with a goodbye to part, Blue Eyes and Ash went their separate ways. Ash, to his family. Blue Eyes to trail his way to the family nest to get his brother. He felt tired- it was an incredibly long and boring day and that’s how it often is for the security perimeter entailment. Luckily, Blue Eyes thought to himself, he wouldn’t have to do it again for a few weeks. “That’s my hair.” Hm… That sounded like… Blue Eyes shifted his body, angling himself towards the bonfire. If you were there, he hadn’t seen you in his initial sweep as he trailed through the common area just seconds ago. “You have fur,” That was definitely your voice, Blue Eyes would recognize it anywhere--- Wait, he would? He pondered that silently as he moved towards the sound of your statement. “I have hair.” There was a chittering after your words came to stop. Just as quickly as Blue Eyes recognized your voice, he was washed all too familiarly with the sounds of his baby brother. He wasn’t aggressive in nature as he rounded the bonfire, finally setting his gaze on the two of you, he was quick to move though, absolutely floored at the sight in front of him. He stood silently, observing for a few tender moments. His brother--- On your back now, fingers absolutely crushing into your hair. Blue Eyes was tentative at that--- Until Cornelius pulled, probably harder than either of you were expecting and you yelped, reaching up to grab the baby once again and scolding him, “No, no. We don’t pull my hair!” He whined at you, Blue Eyes narrowed his eyes to see the expression of his brother’s face. He was disappointed and sad. Shuffling forward on all four, he finally allowed himself the pleasure of being seen. You hadn’t noticed him yet, but Cornelius did as he quite frankly popped out of the grasp you had on him and jumped excitedly towards the larger frame of Blue Eyes. He had heard your protest, asking to come back, watching as you fell onto your knees in front of you before you finally turned to see where the baby had gone.

An unfamiliar expression hit your face once you saw Blue Eyes; a flush of heat encapsulating your entire body at the fact that you were now on your hands and knees and must have looked like an absolute fool  Without hesitation or reservation on either side, Blue Eyes grasped his brother with one hand and placed him tenderly on his good shoulder, his other still sore and scratched from the bear attack a few weeks ago. You needed to say something or this entire situation was going to get more weird than it already was. Straightening yourself up, you stood onto your feet and wiped the dirt off your knees and hands. “I uhm…” You started speaking, moving towards the two of them. Out of caution of being too close to you, as Blue Eyes typically was for some reason, you stopped moving and bit your bottom lip in contemplation of what to tell him. “Your dad-- Caesar,” How odd to correct yourself, Blue Eyes tilted his head but let you continue as Cornelius began playing with the fur on his back. “He uh--- asked me to watch Cornelius until you came back. He had---” You laughed awkwardly, not sure what the Ape King really needed to do, “No idea. He asked me to watch him…” 

Blue Eyes did soften his gaze once he got a logical and sound reason from you. He nodded, pacing towards you ever so slightly. Only three or four steps, depending how you looked at it as he was still on all fours. Smiling at him, you were almost entranced by the nature of his eyes in the light of the fire next to you. You were always so curious how he ended up with blue instead of the green all the other Apes had, but that’s what kept you so captivated as he looked at you- From your feet all the way up to your head. If he were human, you’d almost make the assumption that he was checking you out but… This was Blue Eyes. Soften, quiet and fiercely protective of what he loved and held dear to him. You swallowed softly, bringing your hand up to lightly place it on Cornelius’ head, Blue Eyes launched into a small panic at the prospect that you were going to touch him. “I had a good time watching him, he’s very good.” Blue Eyes felt pride at that. “I think I taught him a few new words. If he starts talking and says any of them, let me kno---” “Thank… You….”

You blinked, dropping your hand away from Blue Eyes and his younger brother. Had…. Had you just heard correctly? Did… Your eyes widened in surprise. Did Blue Eyes just verbalize? You knew he could, it would have been incredibly ignorant for you to think otherwise given his father was the Ape King, and the entire Colony had sprung from Apes that evolved from the ALZ. You just… In your fit of confusion, you tried to recollect but to no avail. You were right in your assumption.

This was the first time you had heard Blue Eyes say something. Not just sign, but use his voice. It was surely gruff, most likely from years of non-use, but it felt good, a pudding sense of accomplishment hitting you that he had spoken something, even if it were the most meager idea of gratitude. Feeling rather transfixed at that, you nodded an acknowledgement. Blue Eyes gave you one more gaze, lingering just a few seconds longer, before he turned to trail away, back towards the nest for the evening to watch his brother and get rest.

You?

You were left just as perplexed as before, if not more now that you knew the sound of Blue Eyes’ voice.

[bigtedbear]

“ 𝐥’𝐚𝗺𝗼𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞 𝗺𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐞 “

𝐩𝐫𝗼𝗺𝐩𝐭: 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝗼 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝗼𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝗼 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝗼𝐟𝐟

content warning: quite literally no warnings, married life, two old men, complete tooth-rotting fluff, male reader, dragon male reader, this is a part two, large family, a lot of sisters, most of this is character building, can they kiss already

Part 1 here: " serein "

" welcome back, caller @juiceedapplee! connecting your line as we speak! "

"Cornelia, do you happen to know where the Iudex has snuck off to? He promised he would meet with me for lunch."

You felt slightly bad when one of the many assistants around his office nearly dropped the stack of papers she'd been carrying and fumbled to stand at full attention. One of the many things the assistants around the building had yet to get used to; your near silent footsteps when you loitered around your husband's office.

Just as quickly as she nearly dropped her papers, you were lunging forward to support the back of the stack with your palms. She stuttered over her tongue for a moment, seemingly knotting it up in the process. It took her a second before she finally managed to spit out a quiet, "I believe his grace was headed down to the gardens, I overhead him mentioning it to Sedene around the time when he usually takes his lunchbreak."

There was a pause before you huffed out of your nose indignantly. "Without me? He knows I love lunch in the gardens." You helped her set down her stack of papers on her desk before giving her a quiet nod, "Thank you, Cornelia, tell Eunomia that I'll be joining him. I'll need to cancel my prior arrangements at the Opera Epiclese."

She nodded quickly, though, it wasn't as though you saw her nod with how quickly you turned on your heel to immediately head towards the residential wing again.

Before the attendant at the door could so much as give you a greeting bow, the doors were flung open as you rushed out into the endless pockets of color. "Neuvillette!"

It seemed even your own husband was surprised you'd showed up based on the expression stretching across his formerly blank face. He blinked a few times as you stalked towards the table. "You scoundrel, don't tell me you were trying to get out of having lunch with me!"

He blinked a few more times before the cup of tea he was nursing was set back down on the table, "I apologize, my dear, it seems our arrangements slipped my mind."

You huffed again, setting your arms on the back of his chair. "This simply won't do, as the Iudex you must always remember your promises." You tapped your finger on the wooden frame, tail haphazardly swinging back and forth by your ankles. "You even promised you'd set aside an entire hour to spend with me today."

He hummed again, leaning his head back onto your lower stomach. With his eyes closed, he pondered absentmindedly to no one in particular, "Did I really?"

You nodded eagerly, punctuating it with a verbal hum of agreement. "I remember specifically that you promised me because I had something I needed to tell you."

His brow raised curiously, eyes finally peeling open when you moved your hands tenderly to cup his shoulders. "Oh? Did you mention that you had something you needed to tell me when I promised you?"

"No," You squeezed his collarbones before retreating from his chair. There was a small bit of glee swirling at the bottom of your stomach as you watched him chase after your hands subconsciously. As you sat yourself down in the chair across from him, you added, "I thought it'd be best if I simply told you over lunch."

The way his eyebrows twitched indicated his vested interest in the matter. Instead of picking up his cup of tea again, his hand reached for a fork. "Really? Is it something you couldn't have shared while the two of us readied ourselves for sleep?"

You shook your head, reaching across the table to set out your own porcelain. With the saucer and teacup now making themselves at home in their appropriate spots in front of you, your other hand grasped the handle of the teapot. "No, I was afraid you would be far too tired to grasp what I was saying."

He gave a reserved smile in response, watching your wrist tilt at the perfect angle to pour your own serving of tea. "Surely I'm not as incapable as you say when I return home, am I?"

Your own grin crept up towards your ears cheekily, a terribly concealed mirth in your voice when you responded, "Oh please, you might as well be deaf when you get home. After hours of listening to everyone but your dear husband, you barely remember to say goodnight half the time."

You took satisfaction in the deep rumble emanating from his chest in response, "You're exaggerating."

You snickered at him in response, "Am not!" You plucked one of the many food choices laid out on a platter between the two of you off the plate and brought it to your lips. Before finally allowing yourself to indulge in it's flavors, you tacked on a quick, "Just last week before your trial presiding over the one couple who couldn't seem to keep their sticky fingers off their neighbor's jewelry, you forgot to give me a kiss goodnight."

He pursed his lips, his hand coming to rest under his chin thoughtfully for a moment.

You shook your head, "That's completely besides the point." You wiped the crumbs from your lip with your pocket square handkerchief, "I wanted to tell you I'll be taking a trip out of the capital."

He titled his head to the side lightly, "I don't see why you would need to alert me that you're leaving the Court, it seems every other day you're making a trip to Poisson to aide in the Spina de Rosula's operations."

You nodded, "While that may be true, I'm not just going to be making a quick stop into Rosula headquarters.

...I've decided I'm going to be visiting my family in the Western Slopes of Mont Automnequi."

He choked on his tea, automatically bringing a fist to pound on his chest.

You automatically stood up, looming over the table as you went to thump on his back to get whatever was lodged in his throat to clear out.

However, in response, he held up his other hand as though to stop you. When he finally managed to stop coughing, he immediately began the questioning, "What exactly prompted this sudden need to visit your family again? I understand that you're close with your sisters, but I remember you swore you wouldn't see your parents faces unless absolutely necessary again."

You snapped your fingers pointedly, "Exactly why I must visit this weekend!" You ignored the scandalized noise from your husband's throat as you continued. "My parents will be away from home to partake in a local farmer's market in a nearby town. It'll be one of the only chances I have to see my sisters without the interference of either of them."

It was as though he deflated into his seat at the mention of you leaving for so long so soon. "Surely, they'll be gone for long enough you can push the trip back. If you're truly going to be leaving for so long, I must get in as much time with you as possible."

You shook your head, "Only this weekend. They are adamant that my younger sisters not be expected to tend to any of their crops. They'll only allow Helene and Elise to work the fields and the two of them can only be expected to handle themselves for so long when they've never been forced to work the fields before."

He pursed his lips, crossing his arms, "Well, have you considered bringing your sisters to the Court of Fontaine instead?"

"What in the world are you-"

"Move, Helene, I wish to see the children."

In all of her shock, your twin sister didn't put up any fuss as you pushed her aside in favor of invading the walls of your family home. The small cramped hallway welcomed you, but a little bit too snugly. Your antlers had grown a couple inches since you'd last been inside, so had you funnily enough.

"Odette, Aurelie, Evangeline!"

You crouched to make yourself fit underneath the doorway to the main den, finally standing tall and proud in the main living room where the large family of eight you woke up to every morning often shared breakfast. It didn't take long before you heard a few pairs of footsteps begin to clamber down the staircase.

"Big brother's home!"

A head of pure platinum blonde hair bestowed by your mother's angelic genes was the first to bash itself into your stomach, a groan filling the room as your arms wrapped themselves snug around her little head to get the mini daggers stemmed from her temples off your stomach. Despite looking like a carbon copy of your mother, you sister inherited your father's short, stumpy, bull-like horns that curled forward towards her forehead.

You flicked her on the forehead playfully while your youngest sister all but danced at your heels and the third eldest, just barely brushing past the age of a young lady, stood and watched from the bottom of the stairs. "You're far too tall to be Odette, what did you do with my precious little sister?"

A gleeful giggle lit up the room as she squeezed her arms around your much bigger form. "Don't be silly, it's still me!"

Your own joyful laughter chimed like a bell in tandem with hers. She was still just barely young enough that you could lug her around like a baby. The fact brought a sad twinge to your heart, but instead of settling on it, you hooked your arms under her shoulders and twirled around a big circle in the air.

Evangeline, the baby of the family, tugged impatiently at the leg of your far too luxurious pants. "Me too! Me too!"

She looked similar to yourself and your father, the same hair and a similar build to all those that descended from his half of the family. The two big differences stemmed from her brilliant green eyes and the big antlers that were already growing from the crown of her head. As you set down Odette, you tapped your own antlers while you examined her. "Now look at those horns! Soon enough, they'll be even bigger than mine!"

Her own snickers highlighted the room when you gave into her requests for a turn spinning around in the air, setting her back on the solid ground after giving her a big bear hug.

Evangeline, when you left, had just been barely old enough to remember you as her older brother. She had been four, now, just barely hitting her ninth birthday. Odette had only been six, now eleven.

Then, there was Aurelie.

You turned to her standing at the bottom of the stairway. You might've expected her to have been joyful to see you again, but instead of a happy smile, there was a tight-lipped frown. She had the same color hair and eyes as yourself, your dad's horns, and a much more liberal tongue than your parents had ever cared for. Sheepishly, you opened up your arms in case she might've wanted a hug.

Instead of a hug, she offered an unforgiving punch to your bicep. You winced, only to then be taken off guard by her embrace. She'd been eleven when you'd left, now hitting the pivotal age of 16.

You cocked your head to the side, looking down at where she was burying her own bull-horns in your chest. "I missed you too?"

She clicked her tongue in response, muffled by the fluffy fabric of your cravat in her face, "You're an asshole for not visiting sooner, you know that, right?"

You whistled, "Dad would have your head for swearing. That isn't very ladylike, now is it?"

She pounded her fist on your chest again, smiling when you grunted in acknowledgement, "I should have your head for abandoning me for some rich snob in the capital, besides mom and dad aren't home."

"Hey, it wasn't even my decision," You pulled back from her hug to flick her on the forehead, "And I'll have you know Neuvillette is not a snob."

She rubbed the spot on her head, letting go of your plentiful coat to nurse the new red mark. You gave her one last squeeze before turning your attention back to your much younger, much more hyperactive, little siblings. Their first question was one that had you raising your eyebrows.

"Who's Neuvillette?"

You pursed your lips, turning to look at your twin sister who had finally trailed into the den after you. She shrugged sheepishly in response, "Mom and dad said it'd be best not to say anything to them."

You hummed, crossing your arms. When you finally settled on an answer, you held Odette's hand in yours, the other intertwining fingers with Evangeline, "Well, you know how in all your storybooks there's always a prince to save the princess from her tower or rescue her from the mighty, fearsome, and evil dragon?"

Both little girls nodded their head.

"Let's say I'm the princess," your smile grew when you heard their mischievous laughter, "and our parents are the evil stepmother that made me work all day in the fields so they could go and spend all their time doing other things."

Evangeline raised her hand, you nodded for her to ask her question, "Can we put you in a dress?"

Your twin sister cackled from the doorway. "HAH!"

Your cheeks flushed pink, "Maybe another time, Evangeline." You cleared your throat, "Anyways, so our parents are the evil step parents in the storybook, right?"

The two little girls nodded again.

"I get kidnapped by these evil people that want to hurt me cause I'm a dragon! " You pulled your hand from your sister's to place it dramatically on your forehead, "Even worse, our poor parents don't even know because they're busy doing other things"

There was an audible gasp between the two of them. This time, Odette interrupted without prompting, "If mom and dad didn't know you were gone, how did you manage to get away from them?"

You grinned, "That's where Neuvillette comes in!" You put your hand over your heart, playing up the dramatics, "There I was, being tortured over and over by these terrible people, and then, suddenly a beautiful prince shows up and he beats up all the bad guys!"

Evangeline immediately slapped her smaller hand on top of yours, shaking them back and forth excitedly, "And then you guys kissed and got married!"

You snapped your fingers, your own laugh filling the air, "Exactly!"

Odette frowned, "You got married without us?" She paused again, putting her free hand on her chin, "Wait, since you're the princess, did you wear the wedding dress or did Neuvillette?"

You shook your head, "Sadly, neither of us got to wear a big wedding gown that night. We both wore suits." You paused for a moment, seemingly thinking something over.

"Well, would either of you be interested in meeting him? I might be able to convince him to wear a wedding dress."

“Are you Monsieur Prince Charming? How come you didn't buy our big brother a nice wedding dress?"

Before Evangeline could say anything else further incriminating, you shushed her, "As sure as I am that you have a lot of questions for Neuvillette, you can ask them later. We have a lot we planned to do today and you need to settle into your rooms before we head out."

Before you could convince the two girls to leave, Neuvillette asked aloud curiously, "A wedding dress?"

Odette nodded quickly, "Yeah, if you were going to marry him without us there, you should've at least made sure that he looked pretty!"

Your face lit up a stark claret. Instead of answering, you cleared your throat loudly and motioned towards the large doorway connecting to the residential area of the building, "Come, come, Odette, Evangeline, you'll be rooming together in a bedroom next to Helene." You placed your hand on the small of either girl's back, silently pleading with your twin sister to bail you out of this little situation. From across the room, she watched silently. She was more than amused, only breaking her silence to laugh behind her finest pair of gloves. The pure white fabric seemed to mock the fact that you were being teased over a wedding dress.

With a fake sincerity dripping in her every move, she went to pick up the pitifully small bags that had been packed for their week-long stay in the Palais Mermonia. However, she was quickly stopped by a pair of attendants scrambling to pick them up for her. More surprised than anything, she stopped in her tracks and simply let them handle the group's luggage for them. She called your name in astonishment, "I dare say you're living the easy life, you don't have to so much as lift a finger anymore, do you? I remember having to get you to sit down next to the tub so I could pick clumps of dirt out of your hair when we were still-"

"Helene!" you hissed between gritted teeth, unable to hide the whine forcing the end of your statement to trail up in pitch.

She held her hands up in surrender, her heeled boots clicking against the tiled floors in tandem with the near-silent snickering. "Yes, yes, I suppose I can hold my tongue for your sake. Now, which way are we headed? Only just walking into the place makes me feel like I'm royalty, I simply cannot wait to see the bed chambers!"

Neuvillette could only watch on in quiet bewilderment as you walked your two younger sisters towards their guest room. There was a quiet patience in the way you presented yourself as they hung off of you. Even when they asked to be picked up, without a complaint you slung Evangeline onto your shoulders and silently put up with her tugging on your antlers while she all but squealed in delight at the beautiful, intricate tile and marble works.

It took Aurelie clearing her own throat before Neuvillette seemed to snap out of his daze. "It's a pleasure to meet you Monsieur Neuvillette, I'm Aurelie, fourth eldest of the family. It is a pleasure to call myself an in-law to the well-respected Iudex of Fontaine."

It took a moment to recompose himself, eyes still locked on your long gone frame disappearing behind the large doors. "Ah, truly, the pleasure is all mine. I've long anticipated meeting the newest extension of my own family."

Elise bowed her read respectfully, "I apologize if we aren't as informed in etiquette as you expected. I'm afraid we are only able to pick up so many manners when we live so far away from the Court."

He shook his head, planting the same polite smile on his face as he motioned for her to lift her head again, "You have been more than polite, there is nothing to be afraid of. After all, we are family, treat as you would your brother." He give a small chuckle, "I'm simply surprised to see my husband so spirited."

Aurelie immediately raised a brow, "Really? We've always joked that he's more like the family dog than our brother."

Without missing a beat, Elise swatted her younger sister up the backside of the head. "Aurelia, manners."

Despite having gotten in trouble with her older sister already for not holding her tongue, she held the back of her head bitterly, sputtering out a quick, "What?! He told us to act like we're family!"

She shook her head, disapprovingly. "That doesn't mean to completely drop all pleasantries-"

Their small bickering was cut off when a low rumble resounded through the room. They both turned to look at the source, quiet as they watched Neuvillette try his best to suppress his laughter behind his hand. "Really? I'm curious, how did he manage to earn that title?"

There was a quiet mirth behind his eyes, both girls holding their tongues quietly.

The younger of the two spoke first, "Well, he's just really cuddly, I guess? He always acted more like a dad than our own dad." She took a step further away from Elise before adding on a pointed, "That and dad always yelled at him for leaving holes in the yard during harvest season."

Her elder sister didn't bother attempting to correct her this time, simply sighing. "Well, I suppose if it's alright, I might as well exchange my own experiences. I was the one that watched him grow up." Aurelie perked up immediately, going to open her mouth, but Elise cut her off once again with a sharp tone and a raised hand, "But, I'll only tell you this once and I'm never going to let another word slip if I hear this gets back to him. He'll have my head."

Aurelia nodded quickly, immediately at attention as a wicked smirk overtook her usually demure features. "You should be excited, these are what we would call insider secrets."

Neuvillette nodded silently, quietly resting a majority of his weight on his cane. He was excited, but he didn't know if it was his place to let that show.

Elise took in a deep breath, before using her hands to smooth out any potential wrinkles in her bodice, "Once, our mother and father forgot my birthday during a terrible harvest season. All of our crops were dying and they ended up going to Poisson to try and find a miracle farmer from Sumeru to fix our calamity." Her own smile grew on her cheeks, "The night they left was the night before my birthday, and since our brother knew our parents didn't have anything planned, he tried to make me a special birthday breakfast but he didn't have any clue how to because he was only seven."

She paused before putting a hand over the bottom half of her face, "He tried to make me a batch of my favorite food, Conch Madeleines, but they ended coming out looking more like little pieces of oddly misshapen beignets." There was a sweet chortle that slipped past her glove, "I obviously knew that he tried to make Conch Madeleines since I had no interest in beignets, but when he swore up and down that they were beignets I didn't have to heart to tell him I knew they weren't."

She sighed, "He truly does care a lot for the people he holds dear, but he's a very proud young man and it often gets in the way of him trying to be sincere. If he'd told me that morning he'd bartered away his favorite toy sword to afford the ingredients, I would've taught him how to make them properly myself and he was more than aware of that. But he refused my help altogether and I ended up having to throw away a lot of the that breakfast because it was undercooked."

Neuvillette hummed, placing a contemplative hand on his chin. "Ah, I see."

Aurelie frowned, "Man, I can't even make fun of him for being a softie because you won't tell me anymore stories like this if I do."

Elise nodded in agreement, "Precisely, now let's go find out where those poor girls are holding him captive." She bowed her head politely once again, curtsying before grabbing her younger sister's hand, "If you'll excuse us Monsieur."

He nodded, "Please, call me Neuvillette. I hope to be viewed as just another member of the family."

"15,000 Mora?! This is insanity, this- this might as well be extortion!"

Your eldest sister sputtered as she stared at the price tag on the dress she was supposed to be trying on. Helene, on the other hand, twirled in her own gown. She looked into the mirror with a dreamy and far off stare. Her eyes were intensely focused on each layer in the train and the way they followed her every movement. "Oh, this dress makes me feel like a princess, are you sure this is truly alright to even be trying on?"

Neuvillette nodded, adjusting the cuffs on his own suit. "As much as I offered to chip in, your brother wouldn't so much as let me bring my wallet. He's insistent on being the one to fund all of this."

Elise bit her bottom lip, examining the price tag again. "Oh, but I couldn't think of asking my baby brother to pay for something so extravagant. I'm sure there are some less expensive options somewhere in this store."

Almost as if you had some kind of sixth sense tingling, you entered the room with your three younger sisters all in their own outfits. "Nonsense, I'm more than privileged enough to spoil you all for the day. Think of it as repayment for not visiting for five years."

Your twin sister had snagged a beautiful emerald green gown, each layer transitioning into a darker green until it gradually faded to black. There were silk shoulder length gloves in black that beautifully complimented her figure. Her bright green eyes stared into the mirror, absolutely in love with the way it hugged her curves and accentuated her waistline.

Your oldest sister chose a much more muted mauve color to try on, having always stated that she loved purple. It was a simple A-line gown with fewer layers and a cute sweetheart neckline that dipped into an ornately embroidered white bodice. "Oh but this money could be going to much better things. What about a new pair of pointe shoes for Odette? Or even new toys for Evangeline? Not to mention, Aurelia is thinking of attending school in the capital-"

You put your hand firmly on her shoulder, "Elise, as much as I love you, you have always been a worrywart. Try on the dress, I am not hurting for money. If you, Helene, Odette, Aurelie, or Eva need anything, you need only write me a letter."

She clutched the ballgown in her hands, still staring at it with a swirling sense of uncertainty.

You sighed, "If not for yourself, do it for me? Maybe I want to see my eldest sister feel beautiful in a new gown for once."

She huffed out of her nose, finally hugging the fabric to her chest with a sense of feminine glee she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a while. "Oh, alright. But consider this the first and last time I try on a gown this expensive."

You cheered along with the rest of your family, Aurelia grabbing her by the hand to lead her into one of the many dressing rooms in case she needed help lacing up her corset. Aurelia herself chose to avoid wearing a dress entirely. Instead, she wore a conservative pant suit with a flashy red coat and a high riding boots the same color.

Neuvillette took the opportunity to watch as you began to spin your younger sister around, Evangeline clapping in glee as she watched the two of you twirl around.

Odette had chosen a pure white gown, graced with white feathers on the front of the dress. She chose to skip gloves and even had a shorter dress to show the length of her slender, toned legs. When she'd been born, your mother had been so insistent she be named after the famed protagonist of Swan Lake she'd nearly divorced your father to ensure her love of dance would be carried on through the family.

Even now, as your family struggled to make ends meet with you gone, you always insisted on sending enough money to your parents to make sure your siblings were cared for. This included money that was specifically allotted to pay for each expensive pair of pointe shoes that your younger sister wore out when she would make the walk to the nearest city to study dance.

A new, pristine white pair of ballet slippers on her feet, Odette laughed with a shy glee as she rehearsed the steps to the Sugarplum Fairy's dance in the middle of the private room you'd rented in the high end boutique. Despite having two left feet yourself, your etiquette lessons finally served you right, allowing you the necessary grace to support her in her turns as you gingerly spun her around in her pirouettes.

Your husband let his posture soften when your youngest sister bowed to indicate the end of her little dance. He clapped politely, "You are a wonderful dancer, Odette."

You nodded, chest puffing out with pride as you rested your hands on her shoulders. "You truly are, mother is always more than proud when she writes of your accomplishments. You will make a wonderful performer when you sign on with a company."

She nodded shyly, suddenly bashful from the attention. It seemed Evangeline noticed the brewing tension in the air as she quickly changed the topic, jumping up and down with a cheerful, "Me next! Me next!"

Neuvillette also couldn't help the smile that rose to his face when you took your nine-year-old sister's hands in your own, twirling her around like a top while she giggled in her baby pink ballgown. The expensive sequins dragged against the beautiful tiled floors, and yet it seemed nobody in the room was able to hear the scraping over the noise of unbridled joy all throughout the room.

You, yourself, were in a new suit that was the same color you always wore. It was a little more extravagant than usual, something Neuvillette chalked up to you wanting to indulge a little bit while your sisters were in town. He had chosen a more conservative, but comfortable blue suit. He stated it would be something to wear around the Palais Mermonia when he didn't have any trials.

You couldn't deny he was still as handsome as ever... or that you were more than happy to gift him this suit.

He couldn't deny the way your sisters seemed to ignite a new spark in your eyes he hadn't had the pleasure of seeing before.

Aurelia and Elise emerged from their dressing chambers after caving and begging Helene for help with the corset. Elise seemed all too eager to hide behind your twin sister, but she couldn't seem to shield away from everyone's prying eyes. Speeding up the process, you yanked her out from her cover and spun her around in the beginning steps of the waltz. Evangeline squealed with glee; Elise all but shrunk in on herself.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she called your name, reprimanding you with a tremble in her tone, "You'll dirty the dress, We haven't bought anything yet-"

You nodded sternly, jokingly of course, "Well then, everyone gather up their things, we'll pay for them now so you can truly enjoy them."

Before she could voice any protest about the mind-boggling amount of money you were about to drop, she couldn't help but close her mouth again when she watched the two youngest girls all but skip towards their respective dressing chambers, all smiles. She only felt further cornered when the older girls did nearly the same, whispers and giggles the entire way.

With a sigh, she went to collect her own clothing in her new expensive dress.

You couldn't help the unadulterated happiness that was written all over your features as you approached your husband, still sitting in the corner observing everyone.

"I apologize if this isn't your scene, love." You gave him a chaste peck on the cheek, "I might be getting a little carried away."

He only smiled in return, hands coming to rest on the lapels of your coat. "On the contrary, I'm more than happy to see you get carried away." He gave a firm tug to straighten out any wrinkles, smoothing them out further with the back of his hand, "I haven't seen you this smitten with anything really ever."

"For being as expensive as it is, you'd think there'd be more of it."

You hid your laugh (and inconsequential agreement) behind your napkin with a cough. Neuvillette himself couldn't help the small smirk that appeared and then disappeared off his face just as quickly as it showed up.

You wiped the smile off your face with your fabric napkin before laying it in your lap once again. "Well, at the fancier upscale places like this, they cook things in small portions but then give you like twenty courses so you can be full and try everything all at once."

Aurelia frowned from where she was sitting, staring down at the small plate with barely anything on it. "That's-" She could feel Elise's hot glare beating down her back, "...not very intuitive. Why have all these small meals that are-" she paused again, thinking hard on her word choice, "-unconventional, when you can order one big one that you know you'll enjoy?"

You simply shrugged back at her, instinctively picking up your salad fork to pick at the green leaves in front of you. It'd been long enough in noble society that it came as muscle memory. You leaned in to whisper in her ear, "If you ask me, that's a much better way of doing it."

Her brows further creased her forehead as she looked down at the copious amounts of silverware set in front of her. Coming from a family that lived in the countryside, especially when that family usually didn't even utilize a knife unless they were cutting thick chunks of meat, she was more than confused. It seemed, so was the rest of your family.

Elise did her best to follow your example and Neuvillette's, picking up the smallest fork to her left. She pointed to the same fork in front of both of the younger girls, "This one, this one should be for salads."

Odette huffed, grasping onto the normal "dinner fork" next to it. "I don't see why I can't use this one."

Helene did her best to mediate, "Well, just think about it like this, if you could chose, you wouldn't want to mix your salad with your meat, right? You'd want to be able to have a fork for each and every food you tried so that then you could taste only that food, right?"

Evangeline was the next one to interject, "Well, I wouldn't want to cause that's a lot more dishes to wash."

Helene bit her bottom lip to stifle her laughter, she couldn't help the shift in her tone when she went to continue in her corrections, "Well, here, you don't need to wash the dishes. We just get to eat without worrying about it."

Odette's frown only deepened, "Well if we don't wash it, someone else will have to wash it, right? Why not just use the same fork so they don't need to wash more dishes than necessary?"

Elise pursed her lips, "That's enough with the questions, from the both of you. This is the proper fork to use, please use it."

Immediately, as soft-hearted as you were, you stepped up to the defense of your younger sisters. "Oh, don't be so harsh on them Elise, they're only girls, let them use whatever fork they want. I didn't invite you to the city to force you to follow rules everywhere you went."

The muscles in her cheek tightened as she held her own fork in her hand, she hadn't even dug into the food yet. "Well, I worry for if one of them manages to find a husband or wife that lives in the court. What if they grow tired of their lack of manners? Oh, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

You rested your hand on top of hers, "If their potential suitors have any problems with their lack of etiquette, they can take it up with their older brother. I will be more than happy to set the record straight."

"You can't really expect that you'll always be there, sometime the girls need to detach themselves-"

You put your hand up, setting down your own salad fork and picking up your dinner fork. You used it to scoop up a healthy amount of salad before shoveling it into your mouth. You chewed slowly, watching the horror spread over your sister's face. You then swallowed your food, "It isn't as big a problem as you're making it out to be." You turned to Neuvillette, "After all, you still love me all the same, don't you?"

He blinked owlishly a few times, his cheeks painting themselves in a soft pink that was barely recognizable under the dimmed candlelight atmosphere of the restaurant. "Oh- Yes, of course I do."

You smiled triumphantly, now opting to comfortably switch to using your dinner fork exclusively. "I rest my case, dear sister." Even if you would have to go back to being called a "cute countryman" for the night, it would be more than worth it if you could spare your sisters the embarrassment of feeling like fools.

Despite your more than clear demonstration, Elise protested once again. "Well, not all nobles are as understanding as Neuvillette. I don't want any chances to be ruined for Evangeline, Aurelia, Helene, or Odette just because they don't know which fork to use."

You hummed, taking another bite of food into your mouth. You wiped your lips with your napkin again, "I find it strange you didn't include yourself in that arrangement. I'm sure the girls can decide for themselves who they want to marry in the future since I've already been married off by mother and father, you only need to worry about the kind of man you wish to marry in the future."

She huffed, simply unable to drop the topic. You could tell there was true irritation dripping through her veins when you heard the audible smack of the end of her tail against the ground. "You know what I mean, I want them to have an easy life. If it means scolding them occasionally, then so be it."

You sighed, setting your fork back down in its appropriate spot. "Elise, as I said before, they're only girls. The moment they go home, the only fork they're going to be using is going to be a dinner fork. They're going to forget all about this little 'lesson'." You added on cautiously, "I wouldn't want any of my sisters to marry a man that would shame them for their less than well-off upbringing. As much as they may love him, if I see him so much as utter a sour word towards any of the three of them, I will have his head."

Neuvillette couldn't help but feel a sense of proud vindication course through his bones as he watched you defend your younger sisters so vehemently. Something in his gut compelled him to do something else to back you up, besides just sit there and nod his head. It would seem like he was too put on the spot to truly agree.

Hesitantly, he laid his salad fork down on the table.

While your sisters couldn't tell what he was doing, your eyebrows raised immediately.

He picked up his dinner fork pointedly, taking a bite of his own portion quietly. After properly chewing and swallowing, he couldn't help the bashful smile adorning his normally composed and refined features as he felt your gaze infinitely soften.

"I don't see any harm in it, let the little ones use whatever utensils make them comfortable. If they need to learn these skills later, I have full confidence they're bright young ladies who will have no problems grasping the concept then."

"Eva, Odette, what are you two doing still awake?"

That was the first thing Neuvillette heard when he was stirred from his sleep. Groggily, his eyes blinked open when he felt two different smaller weights shift onto the mattress. Where you'd previously been laid down, you now sat up with your back pressed against the headboard. Silk pajamas loosely hanging off your shoulders, you held a worn brown storybook in your hands. Evangeline cozied herself up underneath your arm while Odette remained seated in front of you on the bed.

It seemed you weren't quite awake enough to really register that there was a book in your hands, seeing as you stared between the two girls in half-asleep confusion. Neuvillette chose not to interfere in the moment between family, instead he opted to observe as the two girls waited patiently.

"Eva had a nightmare," Odette whispered, resting her palms on top of the aged and well-loved pages, "I tried to read to her, but she said it wasn't the same as when you or Helene did it."

With each little muffled thump of the end of one of their tails on the bedspread, he could see more awareness soak your expression as you absorbed your surroundings. You took a deep breath, rubbing the remaining sleep out of your eyes. He shut his eyes as you scanned over what should've been his sleeping form.

Your voice was lowered to a raspy whisper as you shifted around in the bed, "As much as I would love to read you a bedtime story, Neuvillette is in bed with us. We can go back to your room and read it."

At this his eyes fluttered open again, a sleep-steeped noise resounding from the back of his throat as he pulled himself to sit as well. He curved his back, all but purring at the various cracks the resounded from his spine. "There's no need to leave now, they've already made the trip."

You sighed, voice remaining much quieter than it usually was, "It seems I can never seem to get anything past you, can I?"

He shook his head with a small smile, motioning for you to hand over the brown hard back in your lap. You blinked a few times, not really able to process his request. He reached towards the lamp on the beside table, clicking the soft light on so the letters on the page became legible. You turned open the first page of the book, interpreting it as him gesturing for you to start reading.

With a small huff, he reached forward and set his own palm down on the book, asking for permission to take it from you. This time, Odette chimed in, "Are you going to read for us, Monsieur Neuvillette?"

You blinked a couple times, finally processing what he was implying. You squeezed your little sister with one arm, "Would that help you sleep? If Neuvillette read you a story?" You smiled at her, a little bit too tired to really censor the soft affection all over your face as you attempted to reassure her, "He has a very soothing voice."

Evangeline nodded quickly, just about burying herself in the sleeve of your sleep-shirt. She hung on your bicep like it was a teddy bear. Odette herself laid her head on your thigh, curling up into a little ball on top of your blankets.

Doing your best not to disturb either girls positions, you pushed the book into Neuvillette's waiting palms. He yawned into the back of his hand, doing his best to blink the sleep out of his eyes as he scanned the rather large print on the page.

It was the average children's storybook, more pictures than it was words. Still, he mustered up his best storyteller voice. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. Her name was Snow White."

Neuvillette paused, flipping to the next page. It seemed the sound of the flipping page further pacified the younger girls. "Snow White lived inside of a castle with her father, the King, and her mother, the Queen. But, things were about to change very soon." You remained silent as he flipped to the next page. "Snow White was very young when her mother died, but it was a long time before the King would remarry."

You delicately stroked your finger's across the older of the two's scalp, adding a flippant, "This was because the King loved the Queen so much he couldn't stand to so much as look at another woman.

He smiled as he once again turned the page, basking in the warmth of such a quiet scene. "Well, ultimately, for the good of the kingdom, the King ended up marrying a new woman, a new queen." He put both of his palms on the page of the book, deciding he too could add onto the story himself, "Now, the new queen was very beautiful, but she knew she would never be as beautiful as Snow White." Flipping to the next page of the book, his lavender pupils glazed over the text before adding, "Even though she knew this, she went up to her magic mirror and she asked it, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?'"

It was a little bit before the two girls found themselves trailing off to the land of dreams. Your voice lowered to a whisper when you realized the two of them had fallen asleep on you, just like they always had at your home in the Western Slopes of Mont Automnequi. "Thank you."

Neuvillette's head tilted to the side curious as he set the book on the nightstand situated on his side of the room. "What for?"

You gestured with your free hand to the two sleeping children on your lap, "With story time, usually, they don't fall asleep this quickly." Your own voice slurred with a tired undercurrent. "I usually get to the end of the story and have to start making some stuff up."

He nodded silently, turning off the lamp at the side of the table off. "Do you need any help laying back down? I wouldn't want you to wake up with a sore back."

You shook your head, whispering back, "They're heavy sleepers once you can actually get them to bed." With this, you scooted around on the plush bed, slinking underneath the covers after carefully maneuvering around your sisters to ensure you wouldn't crush them. You reached your hand out of the little happy cuddle pile of draconic dreams, intertwining your fingers with his. You pressed the back of his cool knuckles to the side of your face, letting your eyelids fall over your pupils once again.

You pressed a sloppy, but almost ghostlike kiss over the band on his ring finger before letting out a sleepy grunt under your breath and pulling the covers ever tighter around yourself and your sisters.

He couldn't help but stare down at the three of you, a sense of domestic longing settling over his heart. This, he realized, was something he felt he couldn't do any longer without.

As of now, he was just about drowned in his work, but what he wouldn't do to have just a little more time to spend with you in moments like this. To have happy moments on the town, to see this entirely new side of you he had yet to explore.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized the two of you had an entire lifetime ahead of the both of you. A lifetime where you could share these moments forever. Every morning, he would wake up to your face. Every night, he had the blessing of being able to fall asleep listening to you breathing in rhythm with him. He could feel the warm of your face pressed against the back of his hand. Just little moments like these, you had decades, centuries of them just waiting to be realized.

Maybe the two you could share these tender moments with a family, a family you could start together.

there's a note on the side of the phone booth, read it?

" yes guys this is the result of begging me for mpreg u get a throw away line at the end of a fic "

THIS IS A REPOSTED WORK FROM MY ORIGINAL ACCOUNT BEFORE IT CRAPPED AND DIED ON ME

I USED TO BE FOUND AT @steadybear

I FEAR YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SEEING @bigtedbear INSTEAD FROM NOW ON