#cullen x oc slow burn

[littlelostmabari]

One of the Good Ones Chapter 24

Injustice (Part IV)

In which Saoirse makes it to the Gallows and, again, is told to run.

This is the chapter the title comes from 🤭

Fandom: Dragon Age 2 / Dragon Age Inquisition

Current Pairings: Cullen Rutherford x OC. Background F!Hawke x Anders

Rating: M (Canon-typical violence & behavior, check tags & CW on chapters)

Links: Whole Work | Chapter 24 | Saoirse Character Sheet

(Dividers by cafekitsune)

[truffle-draws]

Another one of my Lavellan and Cullen from my fic “Something’s Gotta Give”

I just can’t get enough of them and their chaos 🥲

(Click the photo for better resolution cause Tumblr hates good resolution 👹)

[tired-truffle]

Something’s Gotta Give

A CullenxLavellan fic

Chapter Word Count: 8k

Part 24 - A Rematch

Tag list: @bloodoflathander

"You touch me like I am everything you asked god for. Underneath your hands I become poetry. This is the alchemy that you do." - T. James

Warning: NSFW in this chapter!

Masterlist

Ash's heart pounded as she paced her quarters, fingers twisting in her hair. Creators, why was she so nervous? It was just Cullen. Cullen with his stupidly handsome face and those arms that could probably bench-press The Iron Bull. She bit her lip, remembering how his scar curved when he smirked.

No. Focus. This was ridiculous. One ex-templar shouldn't reduce her to a blushing maiden.

But oh, the things she wanted to do to that man. Images flashed through her mind - pinning him against his desk, running her tongue down the long column of his neck, feeling those strong hands gripping her hips. Heat pooled low in her belly, a fire she couldn’t extinguish.

Ash groaned, flopping onto her bed. This was getting her nowhere. She needed to go to him and see where it led them. What was the worst that could happen? Maybe he'd reject her and she'd die of embarrassment. But maybe…maybe he wanted her too.

Fuck it. Or rather, fuck him. Hopefully.

Ash stood, smoothing her robes down over her curves. No more overthinking. She was going to march down to Cullen's office, grab him by that ridiculous fur mantle, and kiss him senseless. And if he didn't like it? Well, there was always more wine in the cellar. Josephine would understand.

She barely remembered making her way across the battlements and was at his office in the blink of an eye. With the tact of a wheelbarrow full of nugs, she opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it smoothly behind her. 

“Interested in another round?�� she offered, a promise in the smirk adorning her lips. Cullen stood across the room with his back to her, his mantle obscuring his face from view. His body stiffened as she spoke, and the tension pulled taught between them. For a moment too long to be casual, he didn’t move. Ash swallowed around the lump in her throat, briefly doubting if her choice in attire - the robes she’d worn during their match - was too obvious. 

When he finally turned, his eyes darkened, bags staining the skin beneath, he remained silent, his jaw clenched. Oh, she’d really fucked up this time. 

Ash’s smirk took on a sheepish tinge, her stomach turning over. “I’ll take that as a no to a rematch then?”

He took carefully measured steps until he stood in the middle of the room, folding his arms over his chest and widening his stance. “Why would I be interested when you use such underhanded tactics.”

Finally, something she could work with. She remained where she was, leaning back on the door unconcerned, almost lazy. “Whatever could you mean, Commander?” she asked with saccharine sweetness. “I didn’t break any rules.” 

“Not technically,” he said, taking a few more torturous steps towards her. "But you used non-combat distractions, you…made a noise in my ear.” 

“What noise? I can’t recall what you’re referring to. Perhaps you could provide a demonstration to jog my memory.”

Ignoring her last request, he said, "You moaned in my ear.” His gaze flicked between her eyes, her lips, and down to the cleavage spilling out of her robes. The few feet of space between them begged to be closed, but Ash refused to be the one to do it. He needed to come to her. 

“Oh, right, of course. How could I forget? Would you like to hear it again?” 

The air shifted, becoming heady and thick. As she’d silently hoped he would, he closed the remaining distance, his chest plate inches from away her. He placed a hand beside her head, fingers splayed, effectively caging her in against the door as he leaned down. “Is this just a game to you, Ashvalla?” 

Ash's breath caught in her throat, a hitching gasp as she instinctively angled her face towards his. Frankly, it was embarrassing how badly she needed him and she was doing everything in her power to retain some semblance of control over herself. “Do you dislike this game?”

“I…” Hesitation crossed his face, though it succumbed to his frustration. “Yes, I dislike it.”

Ash placed a hand on his chest, watching as he tracked the movement. 

“Liar.” 

Cullen's eyes flashed, and before she could prepare, he grabbed her wrist from his chest and pinned it above her head. His other hand found her hip, fingers digging into the soft flesh exposed by the slit in her robe as he pressed her back against the door.

"Is this what you want?" he breathed, his lips ghosting over the shell of her ear and making her bite back a curse. "To provoke me until I break?"

"Maybe," she admitted, breathless and chest heaving. "Is it working?"

Cullen's grip on her wrist tightened, his breath hot against her neck. "More than you know," he growled, low and dangerous.

Ash's legs trembled, ready to give out beneath her. She arched into him, desperate for more contact, for his heat to seep into her. "Then show me," she challenged, her free hand sliding up to tangle in his hair.

With a guttural sound, Cullen crashed his lips against hers, claiming her, searing himself into her like a brand. The kiss was all teeth and tongue, messy and desperate, the intoxicating taste of him - the bitterness of elfroot and mint from the tea that sat cooling on his desk. Ash moaned into his mouth, the sound swallowed by his hungry lips - softer than she'd imagined, yet insistent, coaxing little gasps and whimpers from her throat. Ash tugged at his hair, pulling him closer. Cullen responded by releasing her wrist to cradle her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone.

He pulled back and Ash followed with a needy whine. "I'm going to make you beg first. Payback for all your teasing."

"I'm not above begging," she panted, her fingers tightening in his hair.

"You beg? I'd love to see that."

Ash trailed her fingers down his neck, his hand clenched on her hip. "How should I beg? On my knees with your cock in my mouth?" She nipped at his lower lip. "Or perhaps you'd prefer me over your desk?"

Cullen groaned, his hand sliding up her waist, slipping under the fabric of her robe. "Maker's breath, woman," he muttered as he ducked his head down, placing open-mouthed kisses across her collarbone.

Ash's head fell back against the door with a dull thud as Cullen's fingers teased along the edge of her smallclothes. She whimpered, her hips canting forward, seeking more contact that he refused to give - a slow torture.

"Please," she whined, surprising even herself with how quickly she'd resorted to begging - but he had asked for it, and she was more than happy to oblige. "Cullen, I need-"

It was the first time she’d ever said his name - not his title or an honorific - and he silenced her with another fiery kiss, muffling her pleas, his weight pressing her into the door. She should say his name more often if that was the reaction she received.

Cullen's hand stilled, his fingers hovering just beneath the band of her smalls. "You deserve more than being bent over a desk.”

The tenderness in his words, so unexpected, cut through her bravado like a knife through butter. She felt exposed, more vulnerable than if she'd been standing before him naked. Her heart thundered in her chest, a flush creeping up her neck to stain her cheeks.

Cullen's brow furrowed slightly as he pulled back, noticing the shift in her demeanour. But before he could comment, Ash rallied, forcing a coy smile to her lips even as her pulse raced.

"How do you want me then, Commander?" she purred, her voice only slightly unsteady.

"On the bed," he rasped. "Now."

A shiver ran down Ash's spine at the command in his voice. How times had changed - where she would have once chaffed at any sort of order, she now found herself craving it, from him and only him. She nodded, her legs shaky as she stepped away from the door, Cullen reluctantly releasing his hold on her. "You'd better lock the doors," she said, glancing at the ladder leading up to his loft. "Wouldn't want any unexpected visitors."

As Cullen moved to secure the entrances, Ash approached the ladder. She paused, finding Cullen's eyes fixed on her. With deliberate slowness, she began to climb, making sure he got an eyeful of her legs as her robe rode up.

“Hurry up or I’ll get so impatient that I’ll have to start touching myself on your bed…without you.” She looked over her shoulder, giggling as he tripped and stumbled towards the door, keys jangling together in his haste.

She gave him no time to respond, and when she reached the top, she took a moment to survey Cullen's sparse living quarters. The large bed dominated the space, neatly made with simple linens.

Ash's bare feet - save for the strap of her stockings that looped around the arch - padded across the wooden floorboards as she made her way to the far corner. She gazed out through the gaping hole in his roof, the cool night air kissing her flushed skin. Stars winked at her from the inky sky, and the faint silhouette of mountains loomed in the distance. The hole was oddly charming, in a way - and she had dutifully followed his request to not have it patched up, though she could not for the life of her fathom the reason why he insisted upon keeping it.

She heard the creak of the ladder behind her, followed by Cullen's footsteps, anticipation coiling low in her stomach. She turned slowly, her breath catching as her eyes met his.

Cullen stood a few paces away, his gaze burning with an intensity that made her knees weak, her lips parting slightly as she drank in the sight of him. His usual composure was gone, replaced by raw hunger that matched her own.

A flurry of emotions swirled within her. Desire, certainly - that was a constant undercurrent whenever Cullen was near. But there was something else, something that made her heart clench and her stomach flutter. It terrified her, this feeling, so foreign to her. She knew what it was - Love’s constant beating at her ribcage whenever she felt it had ensured that - but she refused to acknowledge it. That would only make it real, and at least this way, she could pretend like this was nothing more than a casual dalliance.

Ash had always kept people at arm's length, using humour and flirtation as a shield. But Cullen had a way of slipping past her defences, of making her want things she'd never allowed herself to want before. She couldn’t have what she wanted, she would do well to remember that.

She swallowed hard. "You know," she said, her voice huskier than she'd intended, "with that hole in your roof, everyone in Skyhold will hear us."

A predatory gleam sparked in Cullen’s eyes. In three long strides, he closed the distance between them. His strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her flush against his broad chest.

"Let them.”

If he hadn’t been holding her up, she was sure she would have fallen to the floor.

His large, sword-roughened hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone - a motion he’d done once before that she didn’t understand. It was so…tender.

Ash leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed. When she opened them again, she saw both lust - as she had expected - and something softer in Cullen's gaze. It made her chest ache, but she quickly pushed aside the swell of forbidden feelings and reached for the fastenings of Cullen's armour. "Let's get you out of this, shall we?" she said, her fingers working at the buckles and straps. She’d done it once before with his instruction, but she was much too flustered to remember the details now.

His lips descend upon the non-scarred skin of her neck, nipping and sucking at the flesh there and making her squirm. "Impatient, are you?"

“Fuck, yes. Now get out of this armour before I rip it off.”

His low chuckle reverberated from his chest through to hers. "Impatient and bossy. But I wouldn't mind seeing you try.”

“One day you’ll have to teach me.” She bit back a curse at the implication in her words. She’d meant for this to be a one-time thing, but her mind had other ideas. “But I’m not in the learning mood today.”

“Perhaps another time then.”

Would it be so awful if this was more than a one-time thing? It may take a few tries before he was out of her system.

Cullen reached for the fur mantle first - that blasted monstrosity that Ash had grown to both love and hate - and tossed it off to the side and began removing his armour piece by piece. Ash's fingers itched to help, but she forced herself to stay still, savouring the gradual reveal of his muscular form. The heavy breastplate came off first, followed by his pauldrons and vambraces. Each discarded piece of metal hit the floor with a satisfying clunk.

Ash's gaze roved hungrily over Cullen's body as more of it was exposed. The thin linen shirt he wore beneath his armour clung to his chest, damp with a slight sweat. She could see the outline of his defined muscles through the fabric, and her mouth went dry at the sight.

"Much better," she said, leaning in to press a kiss to the hollow of his throat.

Cullen's hands found her waist, and before Ash could react, he hoisted her up with ease. She yelped in surprise, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips as he carried her towards the bed and he all but tossed her onto the mattress. He smirked with self-satisfaction, the scar bisecting his lip pulled taught as she bounced slightly on impact.

Ash propped herself up on her elbows and quirked an eyebrow at him, fighting back a grin. "Proud of yourself?"

"Immensely," Cullen replied in a low rumble. He remained at the side of the bed between her splayed legs, making no motion to follow her.

"Well, don't just stand there admiring the view," Ash teased, her foot nudging his thigh. "Come here and finish what you started."

Cullen caught her ankle, his thumb tracing circles around the jutting bone. "So demanding," he chuckled, but obliged, crawling onto the bed with raptorial grace.

He hovered over her, his muscular arms caging her in as her legs bracketed his hips. The heat of his body seeped through the thin fabric of her robe, and she arched up, desperate for more.

"Patience." Cullen lowered himself until his mouth traced over hers like a light breeze. "I intend to take my time with you."

"Patience was never my strong suit," Ash retorted, her fingers tangling in his hair to pull him down for a kiss.

Cullen groaned against her lips, his hips grinding against hers with a delicious friction that had her whimpering like the ravaged mess she was soon to become. "Maker, you're going to be the death of me."

Ash grinned wickedly, her hand sliding down to palm him through his breeches, already hard and twitching. "What a way to go, though."

Cullen bit his bottom lip as he held back a gasp, his hips stuttering into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment before he regained himself. He caught her wrist, pinning it above her head as he had done earlier by the door. "You're an insufferable woman."

“You like it,” Ash shot back. “Now take your clothes off.”

Cullen's pupils widened in the low light - she hadn’t realized how much he would enjoy being told what to do - and he released her wrist. "As my Lady commands.”

Ash sat up with him as Cullen slowly peeled off his sweat-dampened shirt. The moonlight cast shadows across his muscular torso, highlighting every dip and curve. She traced the lines of his abs with her eyes, the broad expanse of his chest, the strong set of his shoulders.

But it was the scars that drew her attention most. They crisscrossed his skin like a roadmap of his past - some faded and silvery with age, others newer and still pink. A jagged line ran along his ribs, likely from a sword strike. Smaller, circular marks dotted his shoulder - remnants of arrows, perhaps. And there, just below his collarbone, was a starburst scar that made her heart clench.

Creators, he was gorgeous. A living work of art, that should be lovingly sculpted of rich clay and displayed in the most extravagant museums. But he was here, with only her, no one else could see him as she did.

Cullen's hands moved to the laces of his breeches, and Ash's mouth went dry. She watched, transfixed, as he slowly unlaced them, the fabric sliding down his muscular thighs to pool at his feet. He kicked them aside, leaving him clad only in his smalls, straining with evidence of his arousal.

Ash's robes felt impossibly constricting, despite how little they actually covered. The fabric clung to her overheated skin, the low neckline felt almost prudish compared to Cullen's near-nakedness. She squirmed, desperate to feel his skin against hers.

Without a word, he crawled back onto the bed and over her. Ash reached out, her fingers tracing the contours of Cullen's bare chest. She felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat, quick and strong, matching her own racing pulse.

Cullen leaned in, his lips brushing against her neck as kissed and licked his way down her throat, his stubble scratching lightly against her skin. His hand found the strap of her robe, pushing it aside to trail kisses down her shoulder.

Eager for more, Ash shrugged out of the loosened strap, quickly freeing herself of the other as well. She wiggled her hips, shimmying until the robe bunched around her waist, leaving her torso bare save for her breast band.

Cullen's eyes roved over her newly exposed skin like she’d given him the best present he’d ever received. His calloused hands skimmed up her sides and Ash pressed into his touch, a soft gasp escaping her lips as his thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts. Agonizingly slowly, Cullen lowered his head, pressing kisses along the scarred side of her neck that she could hardly feel. His tongue darted out, tasting the salt of her skin. But as his mouth moved lower, ghosting over her collarbone and down to her shoulder, the tingling warmth she'd felt faded to a dull pressure.

"As lovely as your kisses are,” she murmured, her voice huskier than intended, “I can't really feel that."

He froze, raising his head, regarding her with confusion. Ash bit her lip, an uncharacteristic shyness creeping over her. She'd never hidden her scars before, but now, under Cullen's intense gaze, she felt oddly vulnerable.

"The burns," she explained, gesturing to the angry red scars that marred the left side of her body. "I lost a lot of feeling in the worst areas."

Ash held up her left hand, palm facing him. The skin there was twisted and mottled, a patchwork of scar tissue. Without breaking eye contact, Cullen gently took her hand in his. He brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her scarred palm. The tenderness of the gesture made Ash's breath stutter.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his breath puffing against her skin, though she could hardly feel it.

"Not anymore."

Cullen nodded, his eyes never leaving hers as he placed another kiss on her palm, then her wrist. "Show me," he murmured. "Show me where you can feel."

Heart pounding, Ash guided his hand to her shoulder where the scarring on her arm began. "Here," she said. "I can feel pressure, but not much else."

Cullen's fingers skimmed down the inside of her bicep. "And here?"

"A little more. It's…different. Like everything's muffled."

His hand moved to her ribs, just below her breast. "Here?"

Ash sucked in a sharp breath. "I can feel that," she managed. “Thanks to your chestplate’s protection.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Cullen's mouth. He leaned in, replacing his fingers with his lips. Ash gasped as he pressed a soft kiss to the discoloured skin, her back arching off the bed.

"And here?" Cullen murmured against her skin, his stubble scraping lightly as he made his way to the swell of her breast. One hand cupped the soft flesh, kneading gently, while his mouth found her other breast. Even through the fabric of her breast band, Ash felt the heat of his breath, the wetness of his tongue as he lavished attention on her nipple.

“Y-yes,” she answered, “I can feel that too.”

Ash's fingers tangled in Cullen's hair, holding him close and needing him even closer. She felt his hands slide around to her back, fumbling with the ties of her breast band. With a frustrated grunt, he tugged at the fabric - similarly to how she’d tugged at his armour minutes ago.

"Allow me." Ash reached behind herself to undo the stubborn knots. The breastband fell away, and Cullen wasted no time in replacing the fabric with his mouth.

Ash gasped as Cullen's mouth closed around her nipple, his tongue swirling around and flicking the sensitive bud and a wetness gathered at the apex of her thighs.

Needing to be free of everything left between them, Ash reached down to push her robes and stockings the rest of the way off. As she shifted, Cullen's mouth slipped from her breast. His hand shot out to grab her, keeping her from moving any further, and a low, possessive growl rumbled from his chest, startling them both.

Ash's eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. Cullen froze, a flush crawling up his neck and over his cheeks. For a moment, they stared at each other, neither knowing exactly what to say.

A slow smirk formed on Ash's face as realization dawned. "Oh," she said silkily. "So you were thinking about them when you commissioned my chest plate."

Cullen's blush deepened and she thrilled at the effect she had on him. His eyes flicked down to her breasts and back up to meet her gaze. "I…yes. It’s difficult not to," he admitted roughly.

Ash's smirk widened into a grin. "I knew it," she said, running a finger down his chest.

Cullen's embarrassment quickly melted into determination as he lowered his head once more. His lips found the soft curve of Ash's breast, and this time, he didn't hold back. He nipped and sucked at her flesh, drawing a startled gasp from Ash as he left a trail of marks across her skin.

His mouth was hot and insistent, alternating between gentle kisses and sharp bites that sent jolts of pleasure straight to her core. Ash's head fell back against the bed, her fingers twisting in Cullen's hair as he lavished attention on her breasts. Each mark he left felt like a tattoo, a claim staked on her body that made her pulse quicken. It should have alarmed her how much she enjoyed the idea, but she wanted to be his, wanted everyone to know who had left those marks.

Cullen's hands slid down her sides, removing her robes as he went. The night air tickled her bare skin as he gripped her hips and pulled her flush against him, the hard planes of his stomach pressing against her center.

Ash rolled her hips, seeking friction, but Cullen's grip held her firmly in place. She whined, frustrated as she writhed against him.

"Cullen," she panted, tugging at his hair to get his attention. "Please, I need you."

But Cullen was relentless. His mouth moved to her neck, sucking hard at the sensitive spot just below her ear. Ash's pleas dissolved into a wanton moan, her nails digging into his shoulders as he marked her there too.

The room filled with the sounds of their laboured breathing and the rustle of sheets as Ash wriggled beneath him. She could feel the heat of his arousal pressed against her thigh, tantalizingly close yet too far away.

Ash's frustration mounted, a needy whimper pulled from her throat. She hooked her legs around Cullen's waist, trying to pull him closer, to get some relief from the ache building between her thighs. But Cullen remained stubbornly still, his mouth busy leaving yet another mark on the swell of her breast.

"Cullen, please," Ash begged, ragged with need. "I can't take it anymore. Touch me, fuck me, anything - just do something before I combust."

Cullen pulled back, his eyes roving over Ash's flushed skin and the constellation of marks he'd left across her chest and neck, her hair splayed out around her. His gaze was molten, filled with desire and that soft…something that had a flicker of panic igniting in Ash’s throat.

"Andraste preserve me, you are…" He breathed his reverence into words. "You are absolutely breathtaking."

Ash stared up at him, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. The tenderness in his eyes, the gentle way his thumb traced her cheekbone - it was too much. Love fluttered wildly in her chest, beating against her ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. She tried to ignore it, to focus on her aching cunt, but the spirit's presence was impossible to deny.

Cullen's hand cupped her face, his calloused fingers contrasting the softness of his touch. "I've never seen anything more beautiful than you," he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was meant to be a quick tumble, a way to scratch an itch and nothing more. But the way Cullen looked at her, touched her, spoke to her - it was unravelling every defence she'd carefully constructed.

Ash felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with her nakedness. Her wit and bravado deserted her, leaving her raw and vulnerable beneath his tender scrutiny.

Love surged within her, filling her chest with a heat that both terrified and exhilarated her. Ash swallowed hard, her throat tight. She wanted to tell him how he made her feel, how he'd wormed his way past her carefully maintained walls. But fear held her tongue.

Instead, Ash whimpered, her hips canting upwards in a silent plea. Cullen's large hand splayed across her abdomen, holding her in place as his other hand drifted lower. His fingers toyed with the edge of her smallclothes, tracing along the trim.

"Please," she whispered again, beyond pride or pretense.

Finally, mercifully, Cullen's fingers disappeared beneath the fabric and he slipped between her folds, gathering the wetness there. A low groan rumbled in his chest.

"By the Maker," he grinned, "is this all for me?"

But Ash was beyond words. She surged upwards, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Her teeth nibbled at his lower lip as she rocked against his hand. Cullen's fingers circled her clit, and she moaned into his mouth, her nails raking down his back.

The kiss was messy and uncoordinated, all clashing teeth and searching tongues. Ash poured all her pent-up frustration and longing into it, her body pressing against Cullen's. His fingers continued their maddening exploration, teasing along her entrance before returning to her clit.

They broke apart, gasping for air, but Cullen rested his forehead against hers. The intimate gesture was not lost on her and she pushed her hips towards his fingers, her body aching for him. Cullen obliged, slowly inserting a large finger inside her. Ash's breath faltered at the intrusion, her inner walls clenching around him.

As he began to pump his finger in and out of her, Cullen's other hand came up to cradle her cheek with an impossibly gentle touch. The slow, steady rhythm stoked the fire in her belly without providing enough friction to satisfy.

When Cullen added a second finger, Ash couldn't hold back the moan that fell from her lips. He crooked his fingers, searching, and when he found that wonderful, perfect, spot inside her, Ash saw stars. Her hips bucked involuntarily, chasing the sensation.

Cullen's hand on her cheek moved, his index finger brushed across her lower lip, and without thinking, Ash took it into her mouth. Her lips closed around it, her tongue swirling as she sucked. She gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes as he lifted his forehead from hers, pupils blown wide with desire - desire for her, intoxicating and heady. His eyes were transfixed on her mouth, watching intently as she hollowed her cheeks and took him deeper.

His fingers inside her stilled momentarily before resuming their rhythm with renewed vigour. Ash's hips bucked as pleasure coiled tighter in her core.

When Cullen withdrew his finger from her mouth, a thin string of saliva stretched between her lips and his finger before breaking. A droplet landed on her cheek, glistening in the moonlight, but before she could wipe it away, Cullen dipped his head, his tongue darting out to lick away the moisture and place kisses there instead.

Cullen's now-free hand found her breast. His calloused fingers kneaded the soft flesh and lightly pinched her nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger and making her keen.

She felt his muscles shift beneath her touch as he moved above her, his body a solid weight pressing her into the mattress. Cullen trailed kisses down her jawline and to her neck. When he reached the juncture of her neck and shoulder, he bit down gently before soothing the spot with his tongue.

"Cullen, I-please,” Ash babbled, "More, please. I need-"

Her words cut off in a sharp cry as his thumb found her clit, circling the bundle of nerves in time with the thrusting of his fingers.

Ash's world narrowed to the points where Cullen touched her - his fingers between her legs, his mouth on her neck, his hand on her breast. The pleasure built rapidly, coiling tighter and tighter in her core until she felt she might snap from the tension.

"Come for me, Ashvalla," Cullen commanded. While she’d normally balk at being told what to do, those words, combined with the relentless rhythm of his fingers, sent Ash tumbling over the edge. She cried out, her nails digging into Cullen's shoulders as she shuddered beneath him. Cullen worked her through her climax, his fingers slowing but never ceasing as aftershocks rippled through her body.

As she floated down from her high, panting and flushed, Ash came to the unfortunate - or fortunate, depending on how she was feeling - realization that she wasn't yet sated. The ache between her legs had dulled but not disappeared, and judging by the hardness pressed against her thigh, Cullen wasn't finished either.

With a surge of renewed energy, Ash pushed at Cullen's chest. He went willingly, removing his fingers from her cunt with a wet pop and rolling onto his back. She followed him, straddling his hips. Her smalls were soaked through and she wasted no time in shimmying out of them, tossing them carelessly aside along with her stockings.

Cullen's hands found her hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh there as Ash rocked against him. The friction of his fabric-covered length against her heated core drew a gasp from her lips and a strangled curse from his.

A wolfish grin spread across Ash's face at his reaction. She loved seeing the usually composed Commander come undone beneath her. Leaning forward, she braced her hands on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart beneath her palms.

"Something wrong, Commander?" she teased, rolling her hips in a particularly delicious way that had them both groaning.

Cullen's response was to thrust up against her, his hands guiding her movements. The head of his cock brushed against her over-stimulated clit, sending sparks running through her body.

Eager to feel more of him, Ash reached between them to tug at Cullen's smalls. He lifted his hips, allowing her to pull them down and off. When his cock sprang free, Ash's eyes widened. He was larger than she'd anticipated, thick and long and already glistening at the tip.

Ash wrapped her hand around him and Cullen hissed through his teeth, his hips jerking involuntarily as she gave him an experimental stroke. She marvelled at the feel of Cullen in her hand - hot and hard, yet velvety soft. She traced the prominent vein along the underside with her thumb, revelling in the way his cock twitched in her grasp as she explored, learning what made him gasp and groan.

She varied her strokes, sometimes long and languid from base to tip, other times quick and focused just below the head. Cullen's hips bucked upwards and his arms shook with the effort of holding himself back, but Ash kept her touch maddeningly light. She wanted to draw this out, to savour every reaction she could wring from him.

Her free hand roamed his body, nails scraping lightly down his chest and over his abdomen. She felt his muscles clench beneath her fingertips, watched the way his jaw tightened as he fought to maintain control. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, disappearing into his hair.

“Ashvalla,” Cullen moaned, his hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, but she relished the sting.

She leaned down, her breasts brushing against his chest. "Yes, Commander?" she said, twisting her wrist on the upstroke and making him curse.

Cullen's eyes were melted gold as they met hers. "If you keep that up, this will be over embarrassingly quickly."

She laughed, kissing the underside of his jaw and ceasing her strokes. “If you insist,” she said as she positioned herself over him, the head of his cock nudging at her entrance. She slowly began to sink down onto him, gasping at the stretch. Cullen's hands gripped her hips tightly, his muscles taut with the effort of holding still.

"Maker's breath," he panted. "Ash, you feel…incredible."

Ash's hips stuttered, not just from the feeling of the stretch and fullness as she took him in, but from hearing her nickname on his lips for the first time. She loved when he used her full name, the way it rolled off his tongue like a caress, but there was something thrilling about him being so lost in the moment, so overcome with desire, that he couldn't manage more than that single syllable.

She paused halfway down, trembling as she adjusted to his size. His thumbs traced soothing circles on her hips as she willed her walls to accommodate him.

Ash met his eyes, her heart clenching at the affection she saw lying in his open gaze. She braced her hands on his broad chest, his skin flushed and slick with a fine sheen of sweat, muscles rippling as he fought to keep still and let her set the pace. She leaned down to capture his lips in a deep, languid kiss as she sank the rest of the way onto him - bottoming out, Cullen fully sheathed inside her, his hands tightening on her hip as he breathed raggedly.

For a moment, they stayed like that, foreheads pressed together, sharing the same breath. Ash indulged in the feeling of fullness, of being so intimately connected to him. When she finally began to move, it was with slow, shallow rolls of her hips.

Cullen's hands roamed her body, calloused palms skimming over her curves. He cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples and drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.

As she lifted herself up and sank back down, Cullen met her with shallow thrusts. The sound of their laboured breathing and the slick sounds of their joining echoed around the room.

Cullen’s hands clamped on her hips, urging her to go faster, harder. Ash obliged, her thighs burning with the effort as she rode him with increasing fervour.

The moonlight streaming through the hole in the roof painted Cullen's skin in silver, highlighting the sheen of sweat on his chest and the furrow of concentration between his brows. Ash committed every detail to memory - the way his muscles tensed and relaxed with each thrust, the parting of his lips as he panted, the dark desire in his eyes as he gazed up at her.

Ash's thighs began to tremble, her muscles burning from the exertion. She struggled to maintain the rhythm, her movements becoming erratic as fatigue set in. Sweat beaded on her brow, her hair sticking to her forehead and neck.

Cullen noticed her faltering and pulled her down to him, kissing her like she was the air he needed to breathe. His strong arms wrapped around her, hands splaying across her back as he held her close. He planted his feet on the bed and spread her knees wider, opening her up to him. With a sharp thrust of his hips, Cullen drove up into her. Ash gasped against his mouth, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he set a punishing pace.

The change in position pressed Ash's body flush against Cullen's, her sensitive breasts dragging against the hair on his chest with every movement. The friction against her clit built the pressure in her core with each thrust.

Ash broke the kiss, panting heavily as she buried her face in the crook of Cullen's neck. His skin was slick with sweat, tasting of salt on her tongue as she mouthed at his pulse point. The bed creaked beneath them in time to the slap of skin against skin.

Cullen's hands gripped her ass, guiding her as he continued to thrust into her. His stubble scraped against her cheek as he turned his head, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

"Come for me, Ash, one more time." She thought it a rather greedy thing to ask for seconds, but she was a giving person. "I want to feel you come around me."

Who was she to deny such an earnest request?

She cried out, muffling the sound against Cullen's neck as her finish pulsed through her. Her inner walls clenched around him rhythmically, drawing a deep groan from his chest.

Cullen's hips stuttered, his rhythm faltering as Ash's climax triggered his own. With a hoarse shout of her name, he came, spilling himself deep inside her as his arms tightened around her shaking body.

For several long minutes, they remained entwined, both panting heavily as they let the last of their climax ebb. Ash's body was boneless, utterly spent and sated. She nuzzled into Cullen's neck, breathing in the scent of sweat and sex and armour polish. Not once did he complain about taking her full weight, nor did he seem particularly keen to remove himself from her.

She attempted to push herself up, but the movement caused Cullen's softening cock to shift inside her. They both groaned at the overstimulation, and Ash collapsed back onto his chest, her cheek pressed against his sweat-slicked skin.

"Sorry," she said, hoarse from their illicit activities.

Cullen chuckled as his fingers traced lazy patterns on her back. "There’s no need to apologize.”

After a moment to catch their breath, Cullen carefully held her hips, lifting her slightly as he slowly withdrew from her. Ash hissed at the sudden emptiness, feeling bereft at the loss of connection. A warm trickle of his spend leaked onto her inner thighs as she slid off him, rolling onto her back.

Ash draped one arm over her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. If she couldn’t see him, she didn’t have to face what she’d done, right?

The mattress dipped as Cullen shifted beside her. She felt his gaze on her, heavy and searching. Ash's heart raced, unsure of what came next. This was the part where she'd planned to make a quip and saunter out, never to speak of it again. But the thought of leaving Cullen's bed made her chest ache in a way she wasn't prepared to examine too closely - and she wasn’t sure her legs had the strength to carry her all the way back to her room.

He propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand coming to rest on her plump stomach. His fingers swept over her skin, a gentle supplication. Ash peeked out from under her arm and wished she hadn’t so she could continue to ignore the tenderness in his honeyed eyes.

"Is everything okay?" he asked softly, his brow creased with concern.

Ash swallowed hard, her throat suddenly tight. "Yeah," she managed. "Just…give me a minute."

Cullen nodded, his thumb brushing soothingly across her hipbone. The gentle touch sent a pang of longing through her body, and Ash fought the urge to curl into him, to seek out his warmth and comfort. His fingers skimmed up her sides and traced along her collarbone, ghosting over the marks he'd left on her skin. His touch was soft, almost reverent, as he mapped the litany of bruises blooming across her neck and chest.

"You look thoroughly ruined," he said, a hint of pride colouring his voice.

Ash raised an eyebrow at him. "And whose fault is that, I wonder?"

A slow, self-satisfied grin spread across Cullen's face, his scar pulling taut. The sight of it made Ash's heart flutter traitorously in her chest. She rolled her eyes, hoping to mask the effect he had on her.

"Your hair's come undone," she noted, reaching up to run her fingers through his tousled curls. The product he ordinarily used to keep them tamed had been ruined, leaving his hair the way she suspected it naturally was.

Cullen's hand flew to his head, patting at the unruly locks with a frown of mild embarrassment. "Ah, yes. It tends to…do that."

"I like it," Ash said, surprising herself with her honesty. "The curls suit you."

"They're unruly. Unprofessional."

"They're charming," Ash insisted, twirling a lock around her finger. "Very dashing. Like a knight in shining armour."

A flush coated Cullen's ears at her compliment, but he seemed to relax under her touch. His hand dropped from his head, coming to rest on her waist instead.

Cullen's eyes softened as he gazed down at Ash. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly leaned in, his intention clear. Ash's heart raced, panic rising in her chest. This was too much, too intimate. A quick fuck was one thing, but tender kisses in the afterglow? That was dangerous territory.

He must have sensed her unease and he started to pull back. Disappointment flashed across his face, quickly masked but not before Ash caught a glimpse of it.

Something inside her snapped. Fuck it, she thought recklessly. She wanted to kiss him and so she would. It was as simple as that. Before she could second-guess herself, Ash sat up swiftly and pressed a quick kiss to Cullen's cheek.

She laid back down, a delighted giggle bubbling up from her chest at the pure surprise on Cullen's face. His eyes were cast wide, jaw slack as he stared at her in wonder. A slow smile spread across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes and making Ash's heart skip a beat.

Following her lead, Cullen cupped her face in his hands and kissed her properly. His lips were soft against hers, the kiss achingly sweet. It was nothing like the heated, desperate kisses they'd shared earlier. This was slow, like they had all the time in the world, a promise of more to come.

She melted into the kiss, her hands coming up to tangle in Cullen's curls. The silky strands slipped through her fingers as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, both slightly breathless, Ash found herself smiling. Not her usual smirk or the coy grin she used to flirt, but a genuine smile that made her cheeks ache. This couldn’t lead anywhere good, but Cullen's answering smile was radiant, lighting up his entire face in a way that made him look years younger, and Ash would covet that forever.

"That was…" Cullen trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Nice?" Ash supplied

"More than nice," he said, laying his forehead against hers.

Despite how much she craved this, craved him, she found her eyes darting towards the ladder leading down from the loft. A familiar urge to flee tugged at her, whispering that she should leave before things got too complicated. She could still salvage this, keep it casual if she left now. But her body felt heavy, limbs sore and uncooperative.

Cullen caught her glance toward the exit, his face softening with understanding rather than hurt. Ash wondered if she should be offended by his lack of shock at her impulse to bolt. Was she really so predictable? Or did he simply know her better than she wanted?

"Stay," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. It wasn't quite a question, but not quite a command either. "Please."

The sincerity, the open longing in his eyes, broke down the last of Ash's defences. She nodded, unable to find her voice.

Relief washed over Cullen's features, and he pulled her closer. Ash allowed herself to be tucked against his side, her head coming to rest on his chest. She could hear the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear, feel the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

Sighing contentedly, Cullen reached down and pulled a blanket up over them both. She snuggled closer, her legs tangling with his.

As they lay there, wrapped up in each other, Ash felt the tension slowly drain from her body. The urge to run faded, replaced by a sense of peace she hadn't felt in years - if ever. She knew she should be alarmed, should be putting distance between them before she got in too deep. But in that moment, with Cullen's steady breathing and gentle touch lulling her towards sleep, she couldn't bring herself to care.

Ash drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep. For once, her mind was quiet, free from the usual worries and responsibilities that plagued her nights.

Hours later, in the still-dark period before dawn, Ash stirred. She blinked slowly, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. As awareness crept in, memories of the night before flooded back, bringing with them a surge of panic.

Cullen's arm was draped over her waist, his body curled protectively around hers. His breath tickled the back of her neck, warm and even in sleep. For a minute, Ash allowed herself to savour the feeling of being held, of being safe and wanted. But even if she wanted to stay - which she both did and didn’t - she had to go, she had a mission to join.

Extricating herself from Cullen's grasp, she moved slowly, carefully, holding her breath as she lifted his arm and slid out from under it. Cullen stirred slightly, a small wrinkle appearing between his brows, but he didn't wake. Ash paused at the edge of the bed, her heart pounding. She refused to look at Cullen, knowing that if she did, her resolve might crumble. Instead, she focused on locating her clothes in the dim pre-dawn light.

Her robe lay in a crumpled heap near the foot of the bed along with a singular stocking. Ash snatched them up, shaking out the wrinkles as best she could. She searched for her smallclothes and second stocking but couldn't find them in the shadows. After a few fruitless minutes, she gave up, unwilling to risk waking Cullen by searching more thoroughly.

Clutching her robe to her chest, Ash padded silently to the ladder. She descended with care, wincing at every small creak of the wood. When her bare feet touched the cold stone floor of Cullen's office, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Ash slipped into her robe, the fabric cool against her skin. She tied it hastily, her fingers fumbling in her haste to cover herself.

Her eyes landed on Cullen's desk, where a ring of keys lay atop a stack of reports. Uttering a silent apology, Ash grabbed the keys and unlocked the door. Before she could give in to her need to climb back into bed with him, she slipped out into the morning air and was gone.

Next Chapter

A/N: 8k of almost entirely smut as a reward for waiting for 24 chapters. There is plenty more where this came from! I hope you enjoyed their first kiss (among a few other things).

You can find the nsfw art for this chapter (*gasp* there’s boobs!) here if you’d like to check it out!

[jr-acrux101]

Rebirth - Ch. 3:

School

Jasper Cullen × OC 《- Chapters

Word count : 3.9k

Summary: First days of school together.

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The blaring alarm was shut off when Aurora threw a pillow at it, and it fell. It was probably broken, but she didn't care. Amora stepped into the room, sighed, and put her hands on her hips.

"Come on my little sleeping beauty get up." Aurora groaned.

Amora shifted closer and started to poke Aurora cheeks, "Come on pumpkin."

When that sweet and thoughtful approach didn't work Amora started to shake her, "Shake the baby awake shake the baby."

"Okay, okay, stop, you're gonna break my neck, christ." Aumora chuckled and stopped but not letting her fall back.

"Come on, sleepy head, get ready." Aurora gave her a blank stare but nodded. Amora finally let her go but gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, I have to go to work. You be good and start making Abuela's coffee and make sure her cigarette is by the coffee, just one, remember. Lord knows that women could smoke up 4 cartons and still outlive us." Her mother rolled her eyes but headed.

Aurora gave her mom a kiss on the cheek as well and grumbled, "Bye." Her mother yelled "Bye" one more time as she put her shoes on and headed towards her Jeep.

Aurora started to rise out of bed slowly. She huffed and kicked off the blanket. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, put on: vitamin c, moisturizer, sunscreen, a bit of concealer around her dark circles, slightly smudged winged eyeliner and mascara. She went back into her room and threw clothes on the bed. There were her warming tights, a skirt, blue jeans, a cropped long sleeve, and a black hoodie. She opted for the jeans, sleeves, hoodie - based on outside, it looked a little chilly. She brushed her hair and did 2 little braids.

She looked in the mirror, ' Not bad, not bad at all.' She grabbed her backpack and went down stairs, she made her grandmothers coffee and grabbed a cigarette from the 'stash' - as her mom called it - and put it right next to it. She glanced at the time and rushed to the room right next to the dining room. "¡Abuela voy a la escuela, tu café está listo!"

"Si si cariño, adios!" With that, Aurora walked down the stone path to the sidewalk to the Swan residence.

Bella just closed the door, she saw Aurora and waved. "You ready?"

The girl grinned, "As I'll ever be." She hopped in the passenger side, and Bella started to drive.

(Loose translation: Grandma I'm going to school, you're coffe is ready!

Yes yes honey bye!"

They pulled into the parking lot and parked next to a van.

A mocking voice was heard, "Nice ride." Bella just ignored them while Aurora flipped them off.

They walked together inside rowards the office, Aurora’s mom was waiting for them, talking to the secretary with slips in her hands.

She noticed the two teenage girls and smiled. She finished her conversation and went to Aurora. She gave her a side hug, then gave Bella a warm smile.

"Hello girls, here are your classes. Made sure I got them ready for when you came in case you came in late." She winked and handed the papers to them, " Okay, well, I have to get back to work, I'll probably stay late a bit. Do you want to stay with me cariño?"

"I can take you home, I don't plan on staying after school." Bella gave the offer before Aurora answered.

"It's okay, Mama. I'll ride with Bella home, I want to be for sure caught up with everything for school."

Amora smiled again and nodded. "Okay, okay, off to class you two." One last hug and smile and Amora shoo'ed them off.

"Your mom is really nice."

Aurora nodded, "Thanks she took after me," she said solemnly, clutching her chest. Bella gave a hearty laugh. Bella hoped that they were friends and, if so, that they would stay friends for a long time.

Bella had biology. Well, Aurora had AP Spanish. They parted ways and promised to see each other at lunch. While Bella was bombarded by Erick Yorkie, Aurora bumped into a pixie. Literally. The girl in front of her looked like a pixie that escaped into the real world.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" She apologized to the other short haired girl. Alice blinked. 'Holy shit this is her,' was all the girl could think. She had an earnest expression. She blinked again.

"You're okay. It was just a bump."

"Okay, again though, I'm super sorry. I should've been paying attention to where I was walking."

Alice smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine. I'm assuming you're new, I haven't seen you before."

Aurora nodded, "Oh yes, that's why I bumped into you. I was looking for AP Spanish."

"Oh, I know where that is, don't worry, I'll take you." Alice grabbed Aurora's hand. She was cold to the touch. Aurora almost recoiled from the holding but was pulled away by Alice. She led her 3 doors down. "Tada! Here you go."

"Oh, thank you so much ! I really appreciate it. I'm Aurora, by the way.

"Aurora." Alice whispered the name. "That is a beautiful name."

Aurora blushed and thanked her. "My name is Alice."

"I've always liked that movie." Alice smiled at her.

"While I always liked Sleeping Beauty. " The bell ringed.

"Well, Aurora, I will see you later. If you need help again, don't hesitate to ask!" Alice winked and waved.

The class filled up, while Aurora waited to the side. She could literally die at this moment. Introducing herself was going to give her a heart attack.

"Alright, class. Listen up. Tenemos una nueva estudiante aquí, llamada aurora. Por favor presentate."

Aurora felt that she looked like a strawberry, "Hola, mi nombre es Aurora. Me mudé aquí desde Los Ángeles ayer. Encantado de conocerlos a todos."

The teacher smiled, someone else who spoke Spanish well. "Hmm. Tome asiento junto al señor Hale. Hale levanta la mano por favor."

'Hale?' She searched and finally found the honey blonde combo. There he was in his black turtle neck and leather jacket. He looked the same yet entirely different. He raised his hand, and Aurora nodded to the teacher.

She sat next to Jasper. He didn't spare her a glance. 'This is him, right? What the fuck are the chances of another Jasper Hale with blonde hair and golden eyes!?'

(Loose translation: This is the new student aurora. Please introduce yourself.

Hello my name is Aurora. I moved here from Los Angeles yesterday. Nice to meet you all.

Take a seat by Mister Hale. Hale please raise your hand.)

Jasper could feel her hurt and confusion. He needed more time. A little more time to gain control.

Aurora sighed, 'Of fucking course. He was just being nice. Who would want me.'

The self-doubt and insecurity hit Jasper like a train.

She made sure to lean the to right as much as possible. Okay, fine. Jasper was going to pretend not to know her. That is fine. She understood. She sighed. The teacher rambled on and on about the AP test, before classed ended, he told Aurora to stay behind. He wanted her to complete a project and some work sheets by the end of the month. It was doable.

They had AP history together, too. And honors Chemistry. And calculus. And AP English. Fucking christ Jasper couldn't get away from her. Finally, finally she had AP Art while he had a free period, expect she had art with Alice

Jasper wanted to leave. He really did. He didn't want to hurt her, and the best choice was to walk away now. But he couldn't, physically couldn't. He stayed behind by the exit right before her class ended. Leaning against the wall, eyes close. 'Control. Control. Control.'

He could do this, he hoped. He heard Aurora thank the teacher and started to walk out with Alice. She walked into him while putting the materials inside he backpack.

"What the fuck did I walk into a concrete wall?" She muttered to herself. She look up, a hand holding her forehead, and eye contact was made. Alice chuckled but tried to kep quiet.

"Hey there, little princess." Aurora narrowed her eyes. She huffed, stepped to the side, and continued to walk. Alice eyebrows were raised in shock but continued after Aurora. She gave a shrug to Jasper.

Jasper understood, he ignored her, which was quite fucked up in his opinion. 'Okay all I need to do is apologize, and say it because... because.... I didn't want to distract her? Thats horrendous but its all I got.' He sighed and followed the pair.

"So, how do you know Jasper?"

Aurora glanced behind them, "I don't really. Just meet him once."

While it stung a bit for Jasper, it was the truth.

"How about you? You seemed to know him?" Aurora wasn't expecting her answer.

"Oh, he's my adopted brother." Aurora looked at her wide-eyed.

"Seriously? Like you're not fucking around?"

Alice gave a small giggle, "Yes, seriously."

'Oh,' was uttered by Aurora. At her locker, she finished putting the papers in her bag, 'Christ, this shit is full,' as she was about to put the backpack on, an arm reached around back. Jasper put her back pack on, his at his house because of his free period.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. Now, he wanted to start acting like Prince Charming.

Aurora halted, "Um, excuse me."

"Yes, little miss?" Oh, that accent made her swoon, 'No, don't fall for it ! He was a jerk!'

"My backpack, please." She gave out an expectant hand.

Alice slowly backed away toward the end of the corridor.

"Come on, Ms. Princess, I'm truly sorry. I was just shocked that we had that many classes, and at first, I didn't want to distract you, but then it just felt odd to try and beg for forgiveness in class."

Aurora narrowed her eyes, "While, come one then, beg." She crossed her arms over her chest

Jasper was in slight shock. He didn't expect to actually beg just a simple sorry. "Okay, you're right."

He started to get on his knees. Aurora was flushed. She just thought he was going to say sorry again!

"Miss Aurora, I am truly sorry -" "Okay, okay, please get up, you're forgiven. Just stand up."

Aurora held out her hand, which Jasper gadly took. Just as he was dusting off his knees, Aurora's name was called. The first was her mother, and the second was Bella.

They both went to her and Jasper, with Alice standing still to the side, watching how this all played out. Bella was behind Amora.

"Cariño! ¿Cómo era la escuela? ¿y quien es este?" Amora was under the impression only her and her daughter knew spanish, but Jasper knew, and so did Alice a bit.

"Hi mamá, la escuela estuvo bien, solo había muchas cosas para ponerme al día y este Jasper Hale. Lo tengo en la mayoría de mis clases."

Jasper put his hand out to shake, "Hola señora, soy Jasper Hale. Encantado de conocerlo. Iba a ofrecerle ayuda a la señorita Aurora aquí para las clases que tenemos juntas."

(Loose translation: Hi mom, school was fine, just a lot of things to catch up on and this Jasper Hale. I have him in most of my classes.

Hello ma'am, I'm Jasper Hale. Nice to meet you. I was going to offer to help Miss Aurora here for the classes we have together.)

Amora was impressed. For looking like one of the whitest boys ever, his Spanish was good. She took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you." She went towards Aurora and gave her a hug and kiss on the head.

"Okay cariño I'll see you later at home. Be good, and don't forget to help Abuela with dinner, I should be home before then, but just in case."

Aurora hugged her mom back," Okay bye mama, see you at home. Love you!" She waved as her mom started to walk away.

"Love you too!"

Bella was just a little jealous, Aurora’s mom was like the perfect mom, and she knew her mom tried, but she also knew that it was just the bare minimum.

"You ready to go?" Bella spoke into the silence.

"Um," she did a quick glance to Jasper before nodding, "Yeah, let's go."

"We'll walk you to the car." Alice smiled and clapped her hands, no room for discussion. Bella was shocked it clicked in her that the "Adonis" was Jasper Hale, and she even knew Alice Cullen, Edward's sister!

The two human girls nodded. They trailed behind the siblings, Bella shot Aurora a look and pointed towards them with her head.

Aurora gave her a wide-eyed look and shrugged.

The siblings shared a look, Jasper quickly shot a galnce towards them, which Alice only gave a sly smile.

Once they were outside, Edward saw them. He internally groaned, 'This wasn't how it was supposed to go.' He got in the car and started it, annoyed at Jasper and Alice.

"Okay, it was wonderful to meet you too, but our brother is waiting for us!" Alice waved at them and started towards Edward.

Jasper nodded hesitantly. He took the backpack off and leaned close to Aurora, "Sorry Princess, duty is calling me, and he looks mad as hell." He grinned when Aurora blushed at their proximity.

"See you tomorrow?" Aurora asked.

"Most likely." He winked and waved bye to both girls. They waved back. Bella pulled Aurora to the car.

"How? When? And most importantly, how again!"

Alice and Jasper shared a look at Bella's question. They quietly laughed together.

Aurora shrugged again. "Like I told you I have no idea, maybe it's like you said yesterday: I just have serious game." The two girls laughed, as did the two vampires at Aurora's statement.

"But seriously, it was random, by chance."

"More like fate?" Tone questioning. They reached Bella's truck.

Aurora shrugged and got in, "If you want to call it that."

They pulled up in the middle of their houses. "Um, do you wanna come over and do homework? I already have a shit ton."

"All those AP classes."

Aurora nodded solemnly. Bella chuckeld and agreed to go over. "Let me just tell my Dad."

"Okay, I'll wait at the door." The two separated, and Aurora waited at the door. Bella soon came over, and the duo took off their shoes and entered.

Aurora shouted, "Abuela estoy en casa y traje a Bella, la hija del jefe, a estudiar!"

"Ok, mija! Estare haciendo mi crucigrama!" Jacinda smirked. The girl and her father would be here all the time.

(Loose Translation: Grandma I'm home I brought Bella, the Chief's daughter, to study!

Okay dear Ill be doing my crossword!")

"Alright, well, let's go up?"

Bella nodded and followed Aurora upstairs and to her room, still cozy. Aurora dropped her backpack off by the bed, as did Bella.

She got two of the throw pillows off the window seat and put them on the floor for the both of them. She quickly took out her phone to text her mom.

'I have Bella over to study. Can she stay to dinner?'

'Are you gonna want me to ask for Mr. Charlie to come over, too? °~°' -Aurora

'DON'T MAKE ME GROUND YOU.'

'yes she can and go head and invite him...' -Amora

Aurora smiled and sat on the floor. She motioned Bella to do the same.

"What classes do you have?"

"Um, english, gov, trig, spanish, bio, and gym. What about you?"

"I had AP spanish, AP history, honors chem, calculus, AP english , and AP Art."

"Fuck, thats alot of AP."

"Yes, while after that, I'll only take 2 for senior year and just chill."

"Anyone who is thinking taking 2 AP classes as chill is insane." Aurora giggled while Bella shook her head.

"Okay, let's study? It's 3 and I have to help my grandma with dinner at 5:30. Oh, do you want to come over for dinner? You can invite your dad too."

"Sure! What are you guys making?"

"Chicken soup."

"Oh, that sounds good, honestly perfect for the day."

'Hey, Dad Aurora invited us to dinner again. Can we eat here? They are making chicken soup?'

"Okay, texted him. He'll respond like in an hour."

"Alright, let's start homework, yay!" She said sarcastically. Bella shook her head.

The two brunettes started their homework, Bella doing biology first since it was easiest for her and Aurora doing AP Spanish because that is the one that had the most to-do.

Aurora finished the AP Spanish class and the honors homework with in the 2 hours. Well, Bella finished 3 classes homework. 'Not bad,' they simultaneously thought. They had a maximum of 2 weeks for the catching up assignments, but the sooner they get it done, the sooner they won't have to worry about it. Around 5, they stopped and went down stairs.

Jacinda was in the backyard smoking. Aurora saw the smoke from the little window and rolled her eyes. "Well, my grandma is smoking. Do you wanna sit while I get everything out?"

"Sure. How often do you guys cook together?"

"Oh, um, probably like 5 days out of the week. The other 2 is when either just one of us cook or we get take out."

"Oh, that must be nice." Bella gave a small sad smile.

Aurora nodded, seeing Bella with that expression made her think that her mom and her hardly did stuff like this.

"Wanna help?"

"Are you sure, I haven't really cooked, plus I'm very accident prone."

"You can skin the potatoes. That's probably the most less dangerous thing?"

She held the bowl of potatoes and the potato skinner, Bella smiled and took it. "Yeah, dont jinx it, though."

"You're right." Aurora knocked on the wood, and they laughed.

After about 10 minutes, Jacinda walked back inside and put her slippers on. She heard the chopping of the vegetables. There she saw Aurora cutting the potatoes. Bella was finishing up skinning. The carrots and onions were right next to her next in line, and the chicken was already washed and soaked in lime, knorr, and salt and pepper.

Jacinda heard them speak," So after washing it and seasoning in, you gotta put the water to boil. You can salt that, too. Usually my grandma will do that, the salt in water, let it boil, and once it starts boil throw the chicken in there just to let it cook and then welll pull it out to de-bone the chicken. Always cook chicken with the bone so the nutrients get in the soup."

Bella scribbled that down. 'Have bones in when boiling chicken.' Jacinda chuckled, she patted her clothes down to get rid of the smoke smell a little.

Jacinda entered the room. "Hola mijas, ok bien ya empezaron. Puedes poner el pollo en Bella y dejar que hierva."

Bella looked up at her name being said. She looked at Aurora. "She said hi and that you can put the chicken in the water. Do it slowly, though! So you won't get burned by the water splash."

Bella nodded nervously, "Um, okay. You might want to back up so I don't get it all of you guys."

Aurora smiled, "Don't worry. You got this." She gave her a thumbs up. Bella grimaced.

She poured the chicken slowly using a fork to help. "You did it! See, it wasn't too bad !" Aurora and Jacinda clapped while Bella blushed.

Amora pulled into the gravel driveway just as Charlie was walking down the street. Amora saw him and took a quick look in the mirror: eyebrows...check, mascara...check, lipstick and lip liner...check and semi check, hair down flat...check, and lastly breathe...not bad, check.

She opened the car door and saw Charlie about to stop right in front of her, "Here." He held out his hand. She noticed he was still in uniform. She accepted the offer and slowly got out of the car.

As the chicken boiled, Aurora heard the Jeep pull up she went down the hallway and waved for her grandmother and Bella to follow. The trio sat on the window seal, Aurora on the middle, and the other two to the sides. They all peeked through the closed curtains tiny openings.

There, before them, they saw Charlie helping Amora out of the car. They all shared a look.

Amora could feel eyes burning on to her, but she ignored them. "Thank you, Chief of Police." She gave a wink. Charlie blushed and touched the back of his head with his right hand, the other Amora was still holding on to.

"Um..." Charlie blanked.

"Um...." Amora copied him, hoping he would finish the sentence.

"Um... would you," Charlie tried to control his breath.

"Yes! Pick me up on Thursday at 7." That wasn't what Charlie was going to ask. He was going to ask if she wanted to go inside. But Charlie nodded. He did want to ask her out he just didn't have the balls quite yet.

"Okay. Great." He blushed, and she smiled.

She grabbed his hand and motioned towards the door. Together, they walked up the steps, Aurora unlocked the door, but Charlie opened it for her.

Before going inside, Amora put her hand to block it from opening too much.

"Let's not tell the kids just yet, you know, since it's the first date and all. If you can make it to the 5th, then we'll tell them."

"Yeah, okay. And don't worry, I'll make it to the 5th date." This Charlie was the bold and winked at her. She reddend and nodded.

"Good. I look forward to it." She took off her shoes, as did Charlie.

"Aurora! Abuela! And Bella! I'm home! Charlie got here at the same time I did!"

"We're in the kitchen! Finishing up cutting the veggies."

The duo headed towards the kitchen and saw Aurora cutting the celery, Bella cutting the onions, and Jacinda shredding the chicken.

"OH hola mija, veo que trajiste a tu novio a casa." If looks could kill. Aurora snickered, and Bella and Charlie looked confused. Bella looked towards Aurora to translate, and she gave her a wave and mouth 'later.' Bella nodded, assuming, correctly that is, Jacinda was teasing Miss Flores.

"Hola mama, míralo antes de que te quite esos cigarrillos que tanto te gustan." Jacinda squinted her eyes but waved her off.

She turned to Charlie, "Food is almost done. Go sit with Amora in the other room." Charlie looked perplexed. He knew she understood English, just thought she wouldn't or maybe couldn't speak it.

"Okay, ma'am." Not wanting to get on Jacinda's bad side already, he motioned to the dining, with a hopeful look. Amora glared at her mother and nodded. The two adults left the room.

"So what did she say?" Bella whispered.

Jacinda leaned in close to the girls, "I said, so you brought your boyfriend home." Bella's mouth fell open, and she laughed, as did Aurora.

"And then, she tried to threaten my cigarettes. Can you believe her? One of the few old lady's pleasures, mean." Bella snickered and nodded. Aurora shook her head in disbelief, her Abuela's cigarette? Come on, did her mother have a death wish?

Charlie heard Bella's laugh and smiled. He hasn't heard her laugh like that at all since she's been her. Of course, it's only been about 3 days, but still, it was nice to hear her enjoying herself.

The night was filled with laughter from the Flores house as the food was served, prayer said - for Abuela's sake - and the food being eaten. If the date went well and the others continued, Bella and Charlie could get used to this.

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆

SHHEEE'S BAAACK

Yall my bad 🤭 I've had this story like 70% done just never had time to proofread, edit, and all that fine stuff, my bad. I apologize. But I'm back I'm still gonna be writing this and the second movie I already have the plot for my girls tho so I gots to see it thru my boy. Anyway hope you guys enjoy! There will be more frequent updates too so do not worry ♡

[ar-lath-ma-cully]

and it slips through loose fingers - chapter 33

🌻read it here🌻

Rating: E / Fandom: Dragon Age / Pairing: Cullen/OC / WC: 100k / Chapters: 33/?

CW: low self-esteem, depressive thoughts

What happened? She mouthed again, a question in the furrow of her brow. As far as her memory was concerned, it had been Ellana who had almost died. And what of Solas? Cassandra?  “Something incredibly stupid.” Ellana’s voice quaked with anguish though she shed no tears. “You stepped in front of the Despair demon’s attack and took a blow meant for me as if you hadn’t expected the barrier you’d created to do what it was meant to. Did you want to die? Is that it?” Shaking her head, she took her sister’s hand, desperately squeezing it, but—did she? Did she want to die? You will only fail, as you always have, as you always will. Just as you failed all who have laid their trust in you. And you will fail her, too.

DAFF tag list: @warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren

@breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @theluckywizard | @oxygenforthewicked

@exalted-dawn-drabbles | @blarrghe | @leggywillow | @plisuu | @hekaerges

[ashcal99]

Golden Hour : Rosalie Hale~

Prologue

"She's got glitter for skin, my radiant beam in the night. I don't need no light to see you shine. You slow down time in your golden hour."

Summary: By the young age of twenty years old, Grayson Cly had been through his fair share of trauma. Trauma that had left him a single father. Trauma that only grew more complicated when he joined his cousin Sam Uley as a shape shifting wolf. But, what happens when he imprints on the one thing he was born to protect the world from? Can he stick to his instincts when it comes to that protection, or will the persistence of that imprint derail his life even more?

Warnings: Eventual smut (18+ only), mentions of death, depression, violence, general angst, slow burn

Words: 1.2k

A/N: Not sure how many parts this will be but yahhhh. Comment if I missed any warning or anything plz. Lmk if you'd like to be added to the tag list thnx.

Soundtrack

Series Masterlist

------------

Grayson had always been mature for his age, taking every shocking thing that came his way with stride. So, when his girlfriend, Evelyn, of three years became pregnant with his child the beginning of their senior year, he promised himself he would be a better father than his had been for him. A father that their child deserved. His life had of course grown more complicated given the baby that grew more and more day by day, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Of course he was terrified. Terrified of not being enough, terrified of what this meant for not only his future, but Evelyn’s as well. That didn’t stop him from being excited at the end of the day. Deep down, he knew that this was what he was made for, the instinct of being a parent seemingly being born inside of him. So, when the day came that the contractions started, he had felt as prepared as possible, despite the butterflies filling his stomach. He had held her hand throughout the entire labor, her squeezing so hard that he was sure she would end up braking something. 

The cry of his son as he entered the world made him the happiest he had ever been in his life. And then everything else shattered around him. Everything was seemingly fine, until the bleeding wouldn’t stop. So much blood. Something was horribly wrong, that much was obvious, and the panic began to set in. There was nothing he could do, but sit back and pray to whatever god there was that the doctor would be able to save her. In the end, his prayers weren’t enough, and what had been the happiest day of his life had quickly also become the worst. 

So as he sat there, on the plush worn out cushions of his mother’s couch, just days after loosing the love of his life, he stared into the beautiful eyes of his child. The same eyes that he had gotten from his mother, and he allowed himself to feel the pain of her loss. The pain that left a gaping hole in his chest. Tears pricked at his eyes as he attempted to blink them away, but if there was one thing that he knew now to be true of grief is that it demanded to be felt. 

Despite the help his mother had been giving him in his time of need, the same mother who had raised him single handedly, he felt utterly alone in that moment. His heart ached so badly his whole body was sore as he realized that the beautiful child in his arms would never know just how wonderful his own mother had been. He would never feel the warmth of his mothers embrace, never feel the touch of her kiss on his forehead, and the thought sent his brimming tears over the edge. 

The big blue eyes of his son blinked up at him curiously as he eyed his father. Footsteps trailed into the room, a soft hand landing on his shoulder, flinching back as she felt the heat radiating off of his skin. “Why don’t you get some fresh air, Gray? You seem a little overheated.” She suggested, concern coating her voice as she gently took the baby from his arms, ushering him towards the back door. 

Grayson nodded, sniffling slightly as he moved forward, attempting to wipe the tears away as he pushed his body numbly to the door. A cool summer breeze blew through his hair as he shut the door behind himself, sucking in a shaky breath. The grief stabbed him in the chest, finally having been by himself long enough to feel all of the emotions he had been bottling up since her death. How was he expected to do this alone? Why her? She didn’t deserve to die, why was this world so cruel as to take her away from him?

An agonizing sob left his lips, the memory of her smile running through his mind.  A smile he would only ever see again on their son. Sudden anger flooded his heart, anger at whoever had taken the woman he had loved so dearly. Red hot pain seared through every inch of his being as something ripped inside of him. Fire raced across his skin, muscles tearing and growing back together all at once in a moment in time. Seconds morphed into hours of unbearable obliterating pain, before, almost like nothing happened at all, the pain vanished. It had taken a moment to realize anything had actually changed as his eyes trailed down to the ground that was occupied by a very large pair of paws nestled in the tall grass surrounding him, the white fur a stark contrast in the dark green landscape. The anger he had felt just moments ago vanished as it was quickly replaced by shock. 

“Don’t panic.” A voice rung through his mind. A voice he recognized. His eyes shot up to the large black wolf in front of him, knowing almost instantly who the figure was. Memories of the Quileute legends rushed through his mind as he realized that despite having learned the stories himself, the memories had been coming from the other wolf, seeing himself as a child within those memories. 

Suddenly everything was clear. It was all real, everything, and Sam was right there in front of him, explaining it all. They had grown up together, cousins on his mother’s side, spending hours upon hours together as children, so when the words had come from him, it had fairly quickly calmed the panic that had previously held a tight grip on his chest. 

So much had changed in so little time, it was almost as if he had reached his peek. So many emotions had been filling his heart in the past weeks that hearing that the legends were not only real, but included him didn’t set his world on its’ side like it should have. Vampires were real and the fact should have terrified him, but instead, knowing it gave him a sense of purpose. It was his job now to protect his child from the cold blooded monsters and he would be damned if he didn’t put every ounce of effort into doing so. 

As the months went on, the pack grew, along with the danger of the blood suckers around them. His newly found brothers created the strongly knit support system that he needed to cope through Evelyn’s death, and even though he knew he would never truly get over the loss that had left a gaping hole in his heart, he would try his best to be okay. To be the father that his son needed. To be the protection that he needed from the evil in this world, because there was no way in hell that he would ever let anything harm him.

Next Chapter -coming soon

[streamafterlaughter]

Soundtrack to Disaster

Chapter IX: Want This Like a Cigarette

masterlist | playlist | pinboard | prev | diaries coming soon

songs for this chapter: colorblind by movements (acoustic), guilty pleasure by chappell roan, grudges by paramore

chapter tags: yearning, angst, missed opportunities, miscommunication, all the fun stuff! drinking, smoking (weed, cigarettes), adult language and scenarios | fic tags: angst, hurt/(eventual) comfort, (eventual) smut, slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, Eddie Munson x Fem!OC!Reader, Modern AU | This fic is rated 18+ MDNI each chapter will have its own content/trigger warnings

summary: you continue to piece together the mystery of your brother's sentence, learning little by little exactly what happened.

a/n: act I of god knows how many is coming to a close! things are about to get.... well. I don't wanna spoil anything. disregard!

taglist: @children-of-the-grave @five-bi-five @kellsck @faggotinie @xplrnowornever @taccobelle @micheledawn1975 @mewchiili @dreamerjj @losingmygrasponreality @munsonburn3r

DISCLAIMER: I do not consent to having my work fed to AI engines, or reposted in any way, shape, or form on other websites. Unless otherwise stated, this is the only account that features and contains this work, and any replication was done without my consent. Please let me know if you see my work elsewhere. Please reblog and comment to support the author!

--

You arrive at Steve and Robin’s a few hours before you’re supposed to leave for the concert. You feel the giddiness in your chest, the looming excitement of finally seeing one of your favorite artists live. That feeling quickly fades when you see the van parked outside of your friends’ place.

Inside the apartment, Steve pours four shots, one for each of you, and Eddie who’s lounging on the couch with a beer in his hand. You try not to stare, but it’s difficult to look away from the display; Eddie dressed in leather pants and a cropped t-shirt, his battle vest draped over the arm of the couch. His hair is tied into a low ponytail, revealing a dangly earring swinging against his neck. You clear your throat, feeling suddenly claustrophobic. 

“Bee! Come in! Have a shot, I call it the Pink Pony.” Steve gestures dramatically to the kitchen island.

You laugh, reaching to strip your jacket from your shoulders. “What exactly is a Pink Pony shot?” You humor him, knowing you’ll probably regret it.

“It’s vodka, pink lemonade, and glitter.” Robin deadpans, plucking one of the glasses from the lineup. “Steve found this drinkable glitter shit online. To me it just looks like Edward Cullen pissed in here.” She closes one eye, inspecting the drink, but ultimately decides it’s worth the risk and downs it in one gulp. Her face scrunches as if she’s in pain, and she shakes her head wildly. “Delish.” She gives an extremely unconvincing thumbs up, and Steve rolls his eyes.

“Whatever. Here,” He hands another glass to you, “I don’t think it’s that bad.”

You gesture the glass to your friends before throwing it down your throat, trying desperately not to wince as it burns in your stomach. “This is…”

“Gasoline.” Eddie adds from the couch. “Jet fuel, even.”

You nod. “He’s right. Steve, where the fuck did you buy this shit?”

“I dunno! I got an ad on TikTok.”

There's a collective groan from the three of you, followed by various exclamations of Steve’s naive purchase. “It might actually be vampire piss!” You joke, earning a giggle from Eddie that makes your stomach flutter. 

“You guys suck.” Steve pouts, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“Steve, baby, you’re good at so many things. Making drinks just isn’t one of them.” Robin gives her roommate a loving pat on the shoulder, and he surrenders. 

“It is not that bad.” He takes his own shot, and fails miserably to hide his disgust. “Fine, I digress. Bee, you wanna make the next round?”

You sigh, approaching your friends in the kitchen, and feeling Eddie rise from the couch behind you. “You know I’m not working tonight, right?”

Robin juts her lip out. “Please, Bee? We can’t suffer through another round of Pink Pony farts.”

Steve gasps, but you throw your head back with laughter. “Alright, fine. If it means saving the lives of my friends, I guess I’ll do it for free. Just this once, though.” You snatch the glitter from Steve’s hand. “None of this shit, though.” And you dump it down the sink while Robin holds Steve back from lunging at you.

Once the damage is done, you turn to where Steve keeps his alcohol, on the rack by the fireplace. You peek through his half empty bottles, returning with a few you can use. “This, friends and Eddie, is the Bazooka Joe.” You place the Irish cream, banana liqueur, and blue curacao on the counter. “It’s supposed to taste like bubblegum.” You eyeball the measurements, filling each shot glass with the liquids, creating a milky teal color. Your friends each take one, throwing them down quickly. Their reactions are mixtures of shock and pleasant surprise.  

Eddie is the next to speak. “I don’t have any drink recipes to offer, but if anyone would like to join me on the balcony for a joint,” He pulls one from behind his ear, “speak now or forever hold your peace.” His eyes meet yours then, and you can’t dismiss it as an accident. He’s asking you to come out.

“I’m good,” Robin says, narrowing her eyes at Eddie. “Don’t like to smoke before going out in public.” 

Steve starts, “Ooh, I’ll—,” but stops short when Robin shoves her elbow into his side. “I’m good,” he coughs, “You guys go ‘head.”

You frown. He knows your rule, but he makes that stupid pouty face at you anyway. “C’mon, Bee. Don’t make me smoke alone.”

Rolling your eyes, you secede. “Fine. I’ll make a one time exception to the rule. On one condition.”

“What's that?”

“No talking.”

—

He lasts all of five minutes. “This is stupid.” You shake your head, refusing to indulge. “That’s fine. I’ll talk. You can keep not-talking.” He hands you the joint, and you take it, inhaling sweet smoke as Eddie continues, disregarding your agreement. “I wanna apologize. For a lot of things, actually. Last night, that wasn’t cool. I shouldn’t have sunk to his level, I don’t know what came over me.” You sense him staring at you, but fight the urge to look at him. Instead you keep your eyes forward, staring into the darkness of your neighborhood. He sighs, and continues, “And I’m so, so sorry about everything with your brother. It wasn’t easy for me either, y'know. Chris and I were best friends. But I couldn’t not listen to him. He did it to save my stupid ass.”

You finally look at him, passing him the joint as you try to read his face. “What do you mean by saving your ass?” The riddles are tired, and you can’t stand the thought of never getting the whole story. 

He inhales before responding, “The cops already had it out for me. Since the second I turned eighteen, they waited for me to screw up. Pretty sure they had a bet on when I’d get arrested.” His tone is light, but you can see the sadness on his face as he recalls it. “I begged Chris not to tell you. He told me he wouldn’t, but only because he wanted me to. He made me promise to take care of you, and I broke that promise. You already hated me so much when you found out I snitched, you couldn’t even look at me. We stopped talking. I didn’t think telling you would change anything.” 

The information sinks into your skin, and you have to focus on a tree in the distance to stop the world around you from spinning. You cycle through the stages of grief on a loop, getting emotional whiplash each time you try to make sense of what Eddie’s just said to you. Finally, you land on anger and stay there. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He shakes his head, bewildered. “What?”

“Eddie, if you had just told me all of this six years ago–”

“I couldn’t, Bee. I wanted more than anything to tell you, but I couldn’t get out of my own way.”

The buzzing in your head is loud, disorienting. “So you ran away instead?”

Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes closed in concentration. “Bee, listen–” 

“Eddie, please. Stop talking.” This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. You slide the screen door open, returning to the warmth of inside, trying not to let your friends read the shock and pain written plainly on your face. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

–

Lining up for concerts used to be one of your favorite hobbies. If a show had general admission, you’d park yourself outside the venue for hours, holding your spot in the hopes that the artist would sweat on you. As you’ve gotten older, you’ve realized it is definitely not worth the hassle of waiting outside all day, sitting on the concrete until your butt falls asleep. When you and your friends arrive at the venue, the doors are already open, and a bouncer is leading you to the VIP lounge, where you give them your names. It earns you a few glares from people in the general admission line.

“Swanky!” Robin exclaims when she enters the green room, which is actually pretty lackluster. The dressing room holds a long fold out table filled full of snacks and drinks, parallel to an old couch with garish print that you’re sure probably hasn't been cleaned in decades. 

“Sure, if that’s how you wanna put it.” The giggling comes from behind you, where Macy is leaning against the doorframe. “Hi, guys! Really glad you could make it.” She approaches you first, pulling you into an unexpected embrace. “Hi, doll! So nice to see you.” Something about her disposition puts you off, her smile looks plastic. 

Macy makes her rounds, greeting each of your friends with a hug before turning to her boyfriend. “Hi, honey.” She stands on her tiptoes to daintily plant a kiss on his cheek, and the grin he wears is wide. You squint at the couple, trying to read them. “Make yourselves at home, we go on in half an hour. See you out there!” She gives a wave in the general direction of the room, and exits back to what you assume is her dressing room.

“This is so cool. Eddie, hold on to this one, yeah?” Steve plucks a cookie from the plate, and Robin gives him an expression of disbelief. “What?” He asks, mouth full. She just shakes her head. 

–

The lights dim a few minutes after eight p.m., and the incoming crowd cheers with excitement. You and your friends are lined up across the barricade, off to one side to avoid the screaming teenagers only here for Chappell. You’re between Eddie and Robin, Steve on Robin’s other side yelling something in her ear you can’t make out. 

A backing track fades in as the band takes the stage, and Macy approaches the mic stand. “Welcome to the show, everyone! We are Statuesque Dolls, from Hawkins, Indiana!” Zoe clicks her drumsticks together, and they start in on what you can only describe as a pop rock power ballad. Macy’s voice is stunning, you have to admit, reaching octaves you could only ever dream of reaching. The audience gets into it, swaying and dancing along to the rhythm, heads nodding to the beat. Some kids in the front are even singing, never missing a word Macy sings, and she points them out with a beaming grin on her face. Though you try, you can’t bring yourself to enjoy the set. The music is right up your alley of taste, and the band’s stage presence is nothing short of incredible, but the feeling of Eddie’s shoulder rubbing against yours as he belts out the words makes your chest tight, and every time Macy smiles at him you feel a throbbing in your temples.

Finally, they end their set, waving to the crowd before stepping off stage. Eddie announces he’s getting a drink, and nudges you. “Come with me?”

You glance at Robin, and swear you see her nod, as if giving you permission. “Okay.” You follow Eddie out of the crowd, over to the bar where a mass of people have gathered to attempt getting a drink.

“That was good, huh?” You ask feebly, trying to make small talk.

Eddie shrugs. “Yeah, they’re really good.” His tone is flat, and you raise an eyebrow at him.

“What’s up with you?”

He shakes his head, causing his already frizzy curls to fly around his face. “We uh, broke up. Me and Macy, I mean.”

You can’t help but drop your jaw, quickly shutting it when, even in the dim room, you see him blush with embarrassment. “Oh, shit. Eddie. I’m sorry. Wait, but she kissed you like, an hour ago?”

“Yeah, it was pretty amicable. I’m not, like, hurting over it. The band is going on tour after this, and I have, like, no interest in a long distance relationship.”

For some reason, it pisses you off. “But you still love her?”

“Whoa, Bee. Who said anything about love? I told you, it was pretty casual to begin with. What’s got you freakin’ out?” You think you sense teasing in his voice.

“I’m not freaking out, I guess I’m confused. You don’t think she’s worth the effort?” 

He chuckles lightly as you approach the bar, ordering a cider for yourself and a beer for Eddie. “Of course she is. I’m not, though. She deserves better than that. Does it bother you?” 

You roll your eyes, handing the bartender far too much cash for just two drinks. “You just said it wasn’t that serious, why would you care what I had to say about it?”

“Do you have something to say about it?” If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he sounded hopeful.

You pretend to ponder his question, then deadpan, “No. Believe it or not, I don’t give a shit about what you do with your dating life. You might break Steve’s heart if you tell him, though.”

Eddie visibly deflates as you hand him his drink. “Fuck, you’re right. You tell him.”

“No! I’m not doing your dirty work for you, Munson. Time to grow a pair.” With that, you breeze past him, back into the crowd. 

–

“Thank you, Indy, I have been Chappell Roan!” The redhead onstage is a dream, absolutely stunning in a sparkly, pink, and complicated outfit. The fan blows her curly locks around, and you’d been so mesmerized that you’re only now registering the show is almost over. 

She ends with pink Pony Club, causing Robin and Steve to jump around, screaming their voices hoarse, and you join them. By the end, you’re sweating bullets, makeup practically sliding down your face.

When she leaves the stage, you feel the relief of the crowd leaving, their weight that had been pressed to your back for hours finally fading. “That was insane. She’s incredible. Ethereal, really.” Steve is raving as you follow your friends out of the venue and into the cold of the night. “Eddie, man, you gotta go on tour.”

Eddie shrugs shyly. “Yeah, I’m workin’ on it, man.”

“No, man! With Macy, be the tour wife! You’ll get to see her all the time, and Macy! Her band is awesome, I can’t believe–”

“Steve, Macy and I broke up.”

He stops in his tracks. “What? Why? What did you do?”

“Why do you always think I did something?”

“Because you always do something. Remember in high school when you wanted to ask-”

“Okay! Enough. For your information, I didn’t do anything. I just don’t want anything serious right now.”

It barely satisfies Steve, but he backs off with a huffed “Okay, whatever!” You look from the boys to Robin, who’s already staring at you, seemingly studying your reaction.

“What?” You ask her, and she shakes her head. 

“Anyone want food? I’m buying.” Steve offers, earning collective nods and mumbles of affirmation. Eventually, you end up at a late night diner, and Eddie holds the door open for the rest of you. 

–

You arrive home past midnight, eyes and limbs heavy with sleep. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right Bee?” Robin asks. You nod, only just now remembering you promised to help Steve set up his and Robin’s new entertainment center. “Okay, cool. I’ll get us coffee!” Your friends and Eddie all say goodbye, and the car pulls away as you enter your house, foregoing the shower you’re definitely going to need in favor of sleeping longer. 

When you’re finally cozied up in bed, your phone buzzes.

Eddie (block later): Thx for listening. Gn bee.

You decide against a real reply, instead tapping the Thumbs Up reaction, and locking your phone before rolling over. Sleep doesn’t come, though, despite how physically tired you are. Your brain is wired, thoughts racing by too quickly to focus on. Every thought you’ve shoved aside, rushing at you at once. Most of them are questions you can’t answer on your own; Why did Eddie tell you about his breakup? Why is he suddenly being so fucking nice to you? Has he always been this goddamn pretty?

You groan, shoving your face into your pillow to stifle the noise. Unfortunately, that telepathy you share with your brother hasn’t gone away, even after six years apart.

“Hey,” Your bedroom door cracks open to reveal Chris’s forehead, illuminated by the hall light behind him. “Can’t sleep?”

You shake your head before remembering you’re in the dark. “No. You?”

“Nah.” He opens the door fully, stepping into the dark of your room. “How was your night?”

“Really… good?”

“You sound unsure.” He throws himself down on the end of your bed, bouncing you up and down with the mattress. “What happened?”

You pause, unsure of how much Chris needs to know. Ultimately, you know you can’t hide anything from him, even though he’d spent the last six years pretty much conspiring with Eddie against you. “Nothing, really. We went to the show, it was fantastic. I had a really good time.”

“And…?”

“And nothing!”

“Then why are you groaning into your pillow like a child throwing a tantrum?” He snickers, and you whack his arm. “C’mon, something’s bugging you.”

“Yeah, but it’s gonna sound stupid.”

“You’re my little sister, everything you say sounds stupid.”

“Wow, Chris. Thanks, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.” You sit up, tucking your comforter into your waist. “Seriously, you’re gonna think I’m insane.”

“Well, I already do, so you got nothing to lose.”

“It’s something Eddie told me.” He doesn’t speak, waiting for you to continue. “He said you told him to rat you out. That’s not true, is it?”

Your brother sighs, bringing his legs up onto your bed to mirror you. “Would it change anything if I said yes?” You huff, waiting for him to continue. “Bee,” Chris flops onto his stomach. “You ‘hate’ Eddie for something I told him to do. You iced him out because of me. I know you probably don’t want to admit it to yourself, but I am the reason you and Eddie don’t get along. I’m sorry, I didn’t think he’d up and leave you, I never would have expected that from him. He lo–” He stops himself short, then continues instead, “He cares about you so much, kid. I feel awful for ruining that.”

It hurts your brain, hearing Chris confirm that gnawing feeling you’ve had for days, since Eddie blurted out the same truth in a fit of anger. Now it washes over you like a tidal wave, suffocating you under its weight. “It’s not too late to fix things with him, Bee. I know he’s been a little weird lately, but I can understand why. Just, give him a chance to redeem himself. For me?”

“Chris, why the fuck would I do anything for you after you told me all that? You basically just admitted to ruining one of the closest friendships I have ever had, and six fucking years too late. I can’t just pretend that didn’t happen! Eddie fucking left because of it! I thought he’d betrayed you!”

“In all fairness, I told him to tell you, begged him even. I figured he had, until I got out. I had no idea he’d kept that part from you. I told you that.” He argues. 

It’s too much at once, you can feel your skin burning. “Get out, Chris. Please.”

He doesn’t argue, rising from your bed and walking to the door before turning. “I can take the heat, I’ve been getting it from you my whole life, but the kid did nothing wrong. It was stupid of him to run instead of telling you, but he didn’t screw me like you’d thought for so long. Don’t hold that grudge, Bee, it’s not worth it.” Before you can respond, Chris closes the door behind him, leaving you to be swallowed by the dark of your room.

[brain-rot-central]

Sonnet was mentioned by @deadly-diminuendo, @bardic-inspo, and @paganwitchisis! Thank you guys so much -- stealing the game from you, if you don't mind!

words posted: 67,589 additional words written: (nothing as of yet; taking a brain break for today lol) grand total of words: 67,589

fandoms: BG3, Dragon Age

highest kudos: Sonnet of the Lone Cardinal, sitting at 510! <3 highest hit oneshot: Possession, at 7,168 new things I tried: Started a longfic (Sonnet), a new fandom, and just allowed myself to be more creative this year. fic I spent the most time on: Definitely Sonnet, and my pegging fic. I distinctly remember sitting on my couch trying to finish that one up as quickly as possible lol. fic I spent the least amount of time on: A Moment's Respite; really started as an idea tossed around with friends and I wanted to write a short, sweet scene. favorite thing I wrote: I'm still currently writing Sonnet; there was a line I wrote for Tav in chapter 10 as she's arguing with AA:

“Is that what I’m to do, Astarion? Piece everything together and just assume how you feel? Like a dog that waits patiently for scraps at the dinner table?”

Also this one:

“Should I take a page out of your book then, and lie to your face?” Tav realizes she's playing with fire the more she pushes, but she can't help herself. The smell of raw, open wounds fills her; she finally has him cornered. “Would you rather I fall to my knees and swear fealty to you, all while brandishing a dagger behind my back? Is that in more of a language you understand?”

You ever write something, read it back to yourself and go "oof yeah. that's it. that's so fucking it"? Ngl was real proud of myself after that lmao.

favorite thing(s) I read: I'm absolutely loving @cursedhaglette's new fic Requited. It's a DAI retelling from dual POVs between Solas and her oc Morinne Lavellan. It contains spoilers for Veilguard, so if you haven't played that yet or are planning on doing so, just a word of caution. It's sweet, thoughtfully, and the slow burn is killing me. The fire was just recently sparked in her latest chapter and my god is it good. Definitely something to read if you're a Solavellan fan!

Midnight at Skyhold by LadyDanya on Ao3. Where the fuck do I begin? A Cullen/Female Trevelyan fic; he's crushing on the Inquisitor but doesn't think he's enough as is to face her. Varric also decided to litter copies of his latest smut novel around Skyhold, leaving all the women in a tizzy. Cullen gets his hands on a copy after hearing Trevelyan's praise about it and decides to take a few pages out of the book to help him out. Idk the whole concept makes me insane in a good way. It's unfinished but where the author left off is more than sufficient of an ending.

You'll hate me (make love) by @astarionfreak AA x Tav post-break up fic. They're dying and their last wish is to have the rogue they fell in love with make love to them one final time. I absolutely love this fic though it also makes me want to bawl my eyes out.

writing goals for 2025: not really writing but I hope to put more energy into reading more fic. If I'm actively writing, I find it hard to simultaneously read fic because then I start comparing myself to what I'm reading and psyche myself out of writing. Absolutely no one's fault but mine, I know, and I apologize for it. But that's the truth lol. But I hopefully will finish Sonnet by the end of the year. We're about halfway done. And idk, maybe allow myself the space to think of an original work? I'm not the best with world building but I've also never allowed myself to explore the possibility of writing something entirely from my own brain. Hopefully I can unshackle it this year and come up with something. Will it ever see the light of day, who knows. But everyone should be able to dream, yes?

Opening this up to all to participate!!

[etdraconis]

( More for myself than anything else, but I’m bored, so here is a list of all my DA OC’s and their main/in-game ships )

Origins

Oliver Amell x Zevran

Rosalie Amell x Alistair (only bc Anders isn’t an option tbh)

Pyke Brosca x Happiness

Amara Cousland x Zevran (but really Nathaniel has he been an option in Awakenings)

Brennon Cousland x Morrigan (only bc he couldn’t romance Alistair in game 😭)

Theron Mahariel x Morrigan

Aurelia Tabris x Leliana (tho she 100% would have fucked Morrigan if given the chance)

Alim Surana x Happiness (only bc he couldn’t have Alistair)

DA2

Callum Hawke x Isabela (he so wanted Sebastian tho)

Kenton Hawke x Anders

Leanore x Fenris (she really is Varric’s girl tho lbr)

Inquisition

Hava Lavellan x Solas

Claire Trevelyan x Cullen

Declan Trevelyan x Dorian

Evelyn Trevelyan x Blackwall

Everett Trevelyan x Cassandra

Maxwell Trevelyan x Iron Bull (he also really had a thing for Cullen too tbh, and for Dorian)

Persephone Trevelyan x Josephine

Veilguard

Elysia Caius x Emmrich

Naivara Valisti x Lucanis

Sterling Mercer x Lucanis

Mia Cousland x Davrin

Drakaan Laidir x Taash

Tyrion Ingellvar x Emmrich

Annabelle Amell x Neve

Alessio de Riva x Lace

Xan Thorne x Lace

Malcolm Hawke x Bellara

Rowan Theirin x Neve

Arinaya Aldwir x Bellara

Others I could see

Julian Amell x Dorian

Arden Aclassi x Dorian (tho it would be a SLOW burn tbh)

Lauryl Cousland x Cullen (or Davrin too tbh, they would be cute)

Victoire Ducet x Josephine (or Lucanis or Emmrich too)

[theluckywizard]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (if you’d like). Spread the self-love ♥️

Ohhh thank you for asking! 🥰

In no particular order (I love all my children):

Kiss Me Moonstruck

Explicit | Hawke x Trevelyan | WC 50k+ (WIP) | Dragon Age 2 | Fluff and Smut | Fish out of Water

This Satinalia romantic comedy is set during Dragon Age 2, Act 2. Old friends Leandra Hawke and Alsatia Trevelyan have conspired to fix up their incorrigible children Garrett and Rose. 100% inspired by the madcap romantic comedies of my youth in the 90s and writers like Stella Gibbons and P.G. Wodehouse smashed up with a little Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, this fic is perhaps most representative of my life's work as a writer 😂 Shamelessly romantic, funny, a little bit ridiculous and underpinned by the madness and angst that is Dragon Age 2/ Kirkwall. I'm really super proud of this one.

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Thirst

Mature, WC 6450, Angst and Whump | Cullen POV

This is a big brained companion fic to my DA:I long fic In the Shattering of Things in Cullen's POV (though it pretty much stands on its own). He's on the outs with his love interest Rose Trevelyan, he's struggling to feel like he belongs in the position of Commander and there are a bunch of extra delicious flashbacks to Dragon Age 2 featuring Samson and Meredith. Dragon Age 2 Cullen has always fascinated me because you really only get to see his growth if you make certain choices and pay close attention. This fic is my exploration of his growth, particularly his relationship to The Order as the situation in Kirkwall deteriorates and how that relates to his current predicament in Inquisition. I am also extremely proud of this fic! (I will note that it is *not* a deep exploration of his relationship to mages, so please don't go in expecting that).

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Something Wicked This Way Comes

Mature, WC 7,380, Angst & Action, Multiple POV

Yet another companion fic to my DA:I long fic In the Shattering of Things but I think it would be an interesting read without the greater context. The premise is that Inquisitor Rose Trevelyan has disappeared in the midst of the Peace Talks Gala at the Winter Palace and follows the POVs of Cullen, Garrett Hawke, Josephine, Vivienne and Orlesian Bard Fidencio Frye (my friend @monocytogenes's OC) as they learn she's missing and try to find her. This is a very non-canonical take on WEWH. It was an incredible challenge to write and i think I did a bang up job capturing the tension and stakes.

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The Boy Who Talked too Much

Explicit, WC 2373, Fluff Smut, Alistair POV

This is one of my older fics, born of a writing prompt for Dragon Age Drunk Writing Circle. Mostly I was having a wonderful time getting into Alistair's head as he experiences a bit of a sexual awakening with a bold, but also inexperienced Elissa Cousland. In addition to feeling that I captured Alistair really well, I also think I nailed the kind of fumbly, youthful awkwardness that is mutual first times. It's a bit smutty but it's also just really sweet and funny.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Shattering of Things,

Explicit | Cullen x Trevelyan | Hawke x Trevelyan | WC: 450K + (WIP) | DA:I | Epic | Multiship | Slow burn | Fast burn | Complications While Saving the World

I would be remiss if I did not recommend my Inquisition long fic (which I'm still working on-- currently approaching Here Lies the Abyss). It's also a little bit complicated because my writing talent has come *a long way* since I began the fic in January '23. It basically begs the question: what if the Inquisitor is in over her head and what's it like trying to navigate falling in (and out of) love when the world is falling apart. It's got it all: romance, humor, heartbreak, ridiculously high stakes, a delicious but grown-up love triangle and a protagonist you can root for that is imperfect but doing her bloody best. When it's all done, this fic will probably be my greatest achievement and I will lie on the floor crying.

[littlelostmabari]

Chapter 23: Injustice (Part III)

In which Polve gets his due, but at a cost.

Fandom: Dragon Age 2 / Dragon Age Inquisition

Current Pairings: Cullen Rutherford x OC. Background F!Hawke x Anders

Rating: M (Canon-typical violence & behavior, check tags & CW on chapters)

Links: Whole Work | Chapter 23 | Saoirse Character Sheet

(Dividers by cafekitsune)

[truffle-draws]

Tarot card for my Dragon Age Inquisition Lavellan <3

If you’d like to read more about her (and her romance with Cullen) you can find it here!

[tired-truffle]

Something’s Gotta Give

A CullenxLavellan fic

Chapter Word Count: 6.8k

Part 25 - Morning Departures

Tag list: @bloodoflathander

Warning: NSFW begins at "I don't regret a single second." and ends at the second break.

Masterlist

Dorian had been shooting her smug looks all morning as she adjusted and readjusted herself atop her horse. The soreness between her legs had been a pleasant reminder at first, but once they’d gotten on the road it had been nothing more than a nuisance and she cursed Cullen’s name. 

“Someone had a fun night,” Dorian said when he could no longer hold himself back. Sera and Rae rode behind them, their giggling chatter skittering through the trees lining the path. 

Ash lifted her nose in the air, holding back a wince. “I don’t know what you’re on about.”

His grin turned impish and his eyes sparkled with delight, making her feel like a bird with its tailfeathers caught in a cat’s claw. “The mark beneath your ear says otherwise.” 

“Fenedhis!” she hissed, slapping a hand over her neck like it could erase his memory. She’d thought her high-necked robe had covered the multitude of marks Cullen had left behind - her breasts hadn’t escaped the imprint of his mouth and teeth either. Seemingly, she’d been mistaken. 

Dorian laughed, his horse whinnying in response. “Do not fret, my friend, there is no mark, but thank you for confirming it for me.”

“Confirming what?” The giggles had quieted, but Ash hadn’t noticed, and Sera and Rae had taken advantage. 

Baring her teeth in a growl aimed at no one in particular, her ears tilted down, she gripped tightly to her reigns - cornered as her companions shuffled closer with gleaming interest. 

Dorian waved her off with a huff. “Don’t be like that. I’m happy for you, we all are. It’s about time you ended all that fiery tension. Maybe now he’ll focus on our chess games again.” 

Her lips twisted into a scowl. It wasn’t like her to get so defensive, nor did she truly understand why. It was just sex, nothing to be emotional about. 

“Cully-wully finally got you over him,” Sera paused, thinking harder than was necessary, “or under him. Beside him?”

Ash was not going to answer that. 

“How do you know it was him?” 

The unimpressed look Dorian gave her and Rae’s scoff said all she needed to hear. With an exasperated sigh, she released her irritation. Maybe a small part of her had wanted it to remain secret for just a bit longer and maybe she didn’t trust Dorian not to confront her about her feelings.

“Fine,” she conceded, looking over her shoulder to scowl at Rae’s resounding grin, “you win. What’s your prize?”

Dorian placed the tips of his fingers on his chest. “As I was the one to first uncover the truth I am requesting the salacious details. Did he sweep you off your feet and bed you properly or did he succumb to the burning passion and take you on his desk?”

“The Commander is a private man,” she tossed her hair over her shoulder, “he would not approve of me divulging intimate information.” 

At Dorian’s exaggerated pout, Ash grinned. “But,” she said and watched with immense satisfaction as his eyes lit up, “I will tell you this one thing: Sera’s intel was correct.”

Rae made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and Sera barked a giddy laugh, slapping her thighs as her horse whinnied its irritation. “I knew it!” she exclaimed. “He’s hiding something big beneath all that armour.” 

Dorian’s face scrunched up in confusion, glancing at the elves behind him for any hints. With a roll of her eyes, she chopped her hand on her inner thigh midway down. The gears turned in his head, and when they finally clicked into place, his mustache twitched with barely contained glee. "Oh my! Our dear Commander is truly blessed, isn't he? No wonder you're having trouble sitting comfortably."

Ash’s cheeks burned, and she spurred her horse onward, eager to put some distance between herself and her nosy companions.

"Come now, don't run away!" Dorian called after her, urging his own mount to catch up. "We have so many more questions!"

Questions she had no intention of answering. Let them squirm for a little longer, it's what they deserved after all their poking and prodding.

Ash hated the Storm Coast. She hated the constant rain that soaked through her tent, the hills that made her lose her breath as they traversed the landscape, and the red Templars swarming in their cave like ants in the dirt. 

Disgusting didn’t begin to cover how she felt. Hair plastered to her skull from the rain that had followed them home, sweat caked to her skin, and blood beneath her fingernails, all she really wanted was a bath. And Sweetpea. 

She refused to acknowledge the burning in her chest signalling Love’s disapproval of her ignoring what else she craved. Sword-roughened hands gripping her hips, lips caressing her neck, weakening her knees. 

Rae had to attend to her advisors and provide a debrief before she could wash the stench of travel from her body. Unfortunate for her, but a great boon for Ash who could steal into her sister’s bath while she was preoccupied. 

When her fingers started to prune, Ash hauled herself out of the tub, warm and smelling of lilacs, hair wonderfully clean of oil and grime. Sweetpea hadn’t been waiting for her in her room as she’d hoped, nor was she attempting to poach meat from anyone’s plate in the dining hall when Ash arrived. Strange, but not unheard of. Perhaps she’d found refuge with Cole in the Herald’s rest, or was hunting mice in the hay of the horse’s stables. 

“Looking for your paramour?” Dorian asked as she sat beside him. 

She didn’t take his bait. “I haven’t seen Pea around, have you?” 

Dorian shook his head. “I have not, but I’ll be sure to lure her your way should I spot her.” 

By the time she made it to her room, night had descended and the rain had become a light pitter patter. Exhausted from their journey, she changed into a spare nightgown that Rae had lent her, eyeing the ruined one on her dresser - another thing she hated about the Storm Coast, she’d love that nightgown. While Rae and Ash may have similar faces, their sizes differed drastically. Rae’s nightgown was much too short and thin, barely reaching Ash’s mid thighs and tight around her torso - she was surprised that she could get it over her head at all, but then again Rae had always preferred loose clothes.

The hole in her door that was made for Sweetpea’s ease of access remained unused as she readied herself for bed. Most likely the rain was keeping her away, but after a week apart, she missed the little creature. 

Sweetpea had taken some odd hiding spots over the years; once Ash had found her asleep with her upper half in an old boot, her butt sticking out and legs splayed on the floor. 

Getting on her hands and knees - though doubtful that she would be there and not have come out already - Ash leaned down, squinted into the darkness below her bed. As her eyes adjusted, a knock sounded at her door. 

“Come in!” Ash called without thinking, distracted by her search. 

The door creaked open, heavy boots halting in the doorway. “Sweet Maker! Ashvalla, what are you doing?” 

Ash popped up upon hearing Cullen’s exclamation, turning to glance over her shoulder. Blinking at him, she took in the blush on his cheeks as he tore his eyes off her raised backside, dressed in all his gear. 

“Looking for Sweetpea,” she pushed herself off the floor, brushing her hands against her stomach. “Have you seen her?”

Cullen’s gaze flickered over her body, his breath faltering as he took in the exposed flesh and the remnants of the marks he’d left during their…last encounter that still marred her neck and chest. They’d faded and some had disappeared, but the bruises were easily visible. 

He found great interest in her ceiling, his ears a light shade of pink. “I, uh, I believe she’s in my office, or at least she was the last time I was there.” 

Ash put her fists on her hips. “Missed me so much you had to kidnap my cat?” 

“No!” he protested too quickly, finally returning her gaze. “I would never—“

Ash strode towards him, her bare feet padding softly against the cold stone floor. “Relax, Commander, I’m not actually accusing you. Pea’s always been fond of you and I should have considered that possibility earlier.”

His shoulders lowered from around his ears, exhaling his tension. “It’s…been a long day.” 

Standing only a foot from him, she kept her hands at her sides, unwilling to be overly familiar and reach for his forehead without his permission. She’d done it before, but after sleeping with him and vanishing come morning, she wasn’t exactly sure where they stood. He’d left her door open, did he wish to get this over with quickly and make a break for it? “Headache?” 

“No,” he rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. “Just paperwork and nobles wasting my time. You’d think they’d have better things to do than enquire about my private affairs.” 

“I don’t know, I’m also pretty curious why you’re visiting the Herald’s sister so late at night.” 

Her comment seemed to catch him off guard, bringing another blush to his cheeks. While she’d enjoyed the side of Cullen that had pressed her up against his door and ravaged her, she was partial to his bashfulness. 

“Um, I, well,” he stammered as she leaned closer, her head tilted slightly to the side. “I wanted to see you. I mean, to ensure you were well after your mission is all. And to return these.”

Cullen reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a small bundle of fabric. As he unfurled it, Ash's eyes widened in recognition. There, dangling from his gloved hand, were her smalls - the very ones she'd hastily discarded during their passionate encounter.

"Oh," she said stupidly, having forgotten entirely about them. "You found them."

Cullen cleared his throat, his free hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. "Yes, well, they were, ah…rather conspicuously in the ivy."

Ash bit her lip, fighting back a grin at the memory of how they'd ended up there. She reached out to take them, but hesitated, noticing how clean and neatly folded they were. "Did you…wash them?"

His blush deepened, spreading down his neck and disappearing beneath his armour. "They were somewhat soiled. And I felt partially responsible for their…state of disarray."

A laugh bubbled up in Ash's throat, but she swallowed it down, not wanting to embarrass him further. Instead, she gently plucked the garment from his fingers, letting her hand linger against his for a moment longer than necessary.

"How very chivalrous of you, Commander," she teased, pitching her voice low and husky. "I do hope you didn't task one of your soldiers with the laundry duty."

Cullen's eyes widened in horror. "Maker's breath, no! I would never…" He trailed off as Ash's lips curved into a mischievous smirk. "Ah. You're teasing me."

"Always," she winked, tossing the cleaned smalls onto her bed. "Though I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed you didn't keep them as a souvenir."

His blush deepened. "That would be highly inappropriate."

Before she could respond, a familiar meow echoed from the hallway. Sweetpea trotted in, damp from the rain but otherwise unharmed, rubbing against Cullen's legs before making a beeline for Ash.

"There's my girl," Ash cooed, scooping up the cat and nuzzling her face. "Did the big bad ex-Templar steal you away?"

"She followed me of her own accord," Cullen protested weakly.

Ash laughed, scratching behind Sweetpea’s ears before the feline began squirming. Ash put her down, and with a flick of her tail, she darted out into the misting rain once more, her greeting accomplished - there were mice to hunt.

Ash rocked back on her heels. “Our goals have been accomplished then,” she strode towards the door, holding it open. “Other than a few minor scratches and a ruined nightgown, I am otherwise unharmed and both Sweetpea and my panties have been returned to me.” When Cullen glanced between her and the exit with the reluctance of a puppy thrown from the house, she added, “Unless there’s something else you wanted.” 

His jaw clenched and he shifted uneasily as he debated what he wanted to say. The borrowed nightgown suddenly felt far too thin, the fabric clinging to her curves and leaving little to the imagination. Cullen's eyes darted down, taking in the sight of her, before snapping back up to her face. A blush coloured his cheeks, but he made no move to leave. 

Ash closed the door, the latch clicking with a finality that had excitement vibrating through her bones.

“You mentioned a ruined nightgown?”

An easy way to sour her mood. She marched over to her dresser, holding up the torn fabric with a pout. “My favourite one, or my only one, I guess. I’m borrowing Rae’s, if you couldn’t tell by the size.”

Cullen reached for the hem, frowning as he inspected it. “What happened?”

Ah, that question she’d been hoping to avoid. In all honesty, she was surprised that Rae hadn’t told him in her debrief, intent on furthering her embarrassment. Ash must be on her good side after having saved her from stepping in a deep puddle when she wasn’t looking. Rae would have been beside herself if she’d gone up to her knee in muddy water.

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” The twitching at the corners of his lips betrayed his lie, but refusing would ruin this game they were playing, and she was reticent to give it up. 

Exhaling deeply, she tossed the nightgown back onto her dresser. “We were ambushed by bandits while we slept.” He nodded, signalling he had already heard that part of the story. “I didn’t have time to put on armour or anything so I had to fight them in my nightgown, but I was disoriented from waking up, and I tripped into a very thorny bush. When I got up it ripped the ass out and the bandits got an eyeful before they died.”

Like the liar he was, he laughed. Ash narrowed her eyes, stomping back to him to poke him in the chest plate. “You promised you wouldn’t laugh.” Her fist placed on her hips did nothing to improve her lack of intimidation, her too-tight nightgown undercutting her menacing. 

“I’m sorry—I’m sorry,” he managed to hold back his laughter, though her attempt at intimidating him seemed to only make it harder. “I—forgive me.”

“Rae and Dorian will never let me live this down, I don’t need you on about it too.” And as revenge, she had the perfect idea. Turning to the side, she lifted the hem of the nightgown up her hip until most of her plump backside was visible, and like she’d been attacked by a rapid squirrel, cuts scattered across her cheek. “Look at what it did to me.”

His eyes dropped to the soft flesh, his fingers twitching at his sides and his pupils expanding. Throat bobbing, he couldn’t tear his gaze away. “That seems…rather uncomfortable.” 

“It’s not so bad.” Ash shrugged, they’d stopped stinging days ago and had only been a mild irritant since. Pulling the nightgown higher until her hip was exposed, she watched with immense satisfaction as his jaw slackened and he inhaled a sharp breath. “It goes well with the bruises, don’t you think?”

Five fingertip-shaped bruises discoloured her skin. If she were to pull up the other side of her nightgown, there would be a matching pair. 

He inched closer, gaze fixed on her hip as guilt and desire warred in his eyes. “Are…those from me?”

Reaching for his hand, she tugged his leather glove off, tossing it carelessly onto the dresser. Guiding him, she lined his fingers up with the bruises - a perfect match. Looking up at him through thick lashes, she said, “Looks like it.” 

“I didn’t realize…” Cullen quickly pulled his hand away as if she’d stuck it into a roaring fire. “I didn’t mean to—I didn’t want to—“

Tugging the nightgown back down to cover herself, embarrassment hanging on a tentative precipice, she locked down her desire under a mask of nonchalance. “Didn’t want to fuck me or didn’t want to leave evidence behind?”

Cullen looked up sharply, her harsh words pulling him from her entrancing skin. “It’s not—I mean…” He pressed his lips into a thin line, breathing forcibly through his nose. “I know how I can get when I’m…That is to say, I shouldn’t have left any marks, not without asking at the very least.” 

It wasn’t exactly an expression of regret for sleeping with her, but her wariness was too difficult to shake. Slowly turning away from him, she took a few steps towards her dresser, her fingertips gliding over the smooth surface as if seeking comfort. Her gaze wandered down to her ruined nightgown, wrinkling her forehead in frustration as she tried to sort through the jumble of thoughts swirling in her mind. The silence was thick and heavy, punctuated only by the soft rustle of fabric as she fidgeted with the torn edges of her garment.

She wanted to fuck him again, but only if that’s what he wanted too. There was no room in her life for someone who was disgusted by how he wanted her - it had to be an enthusiastic willingness. She couldn’t bear to see any regret from him, and she hadn’t last time, but it could have been lost in the euphoria of after-sex bliss, clouding his thoughts and muddying his true feelings. 

She had to be certain, and beating around the bush would do them no favours. 

Keeping her back to him - unable to bring herself to face his potential rejection - she said, "I don't want you to regret anything, Cullen." His name again, not his title. Her fingers curled against the wood of the dresser. "If you'd rather pretend that night never happened, I understand. But I…" She swallowed hard. "I liked it. All of it. And I'd like to do it again, if you want to."

The silence stretched between them, taut as a drawn and quartered body. Ash's heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears. She fought the urge to fidget, to turn and gauge his reaction. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the torn nightgown, willing her mind to be blank - though it never shut up.

Then, she heard it - the soft clink of armour, the whisper of leather and fur. Cullen's warmth radiated against her back as he stepped closer, close enough that she could feel his breath stirring the wisps of hair at her nape. His hands came to rest on either side of hers, caging her in without touching.

Slowly, she turned her head, meeting his gaze over her shoulder. His amber eyes were dark, pupils dilated with desire, but there was a softness there too - a tenderness that made her breath catch.

"I don't regret a single second," Cullen said, his words deliberate and measured. "And I want—Maker's breath, I want you."

He leaned in, his lips brushing against the point of her ear as he spoke. "I want to hear you cry out my name. To feel you come apart around me."

Slickness gathered between her legs. She pressed back against him, feeling the solid planes of his armour-clad chest as she leaned her head to rest against his shoulder. "Then what are you waiting for, Commander?"

Cullen's arms encircled her waist, one hand splaying across her stomach while the other cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her nightgown. His teeth grazed the edge of Ash's ear and she gasped, her knees nearly buckling as pleasure radiated from the sensitive tip down to her toes. Her reaction seemed to surprise him, his arms tightening to keep her upright as she sagged against him.

"Are you alright?"

Ash nodded, not trusting her voice. Cullen's hand left her breast, trailing up to ghost along the pointed shell of her ear. She shivered, biting her lip to stifle a moan.

"I've never seen you react like that before," he said, curiosity colouring his tone. His fingers traced the delicate curve, eliciting another full-body shudder.

Finding her voice at last, Ash managed a breathy laugh. "Elvhen ears are very, ah, receptive to touch," she explained, her words punctuated by small gasps as Cullen continued his gentle exploration.

She felt a wicked grin spread across his face. "Is that so?" he purred, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

He captured the tip of her ear between his teeth, applying just enough pressure to have her crying out, her legs trembling, ready to give way entirely. Cullen's arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her upright as he alternated between gentle nibbles and soothing licks.

Her hands scrabbled for purchase on the smooth surface of the dresser, knocking over bottles and trinkets in her desperation. The nightgown that had seemed so revealing before now felt stifling.

Merciful enough to give her a brief reprieve, his lips moved lower, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck. She sighed her relief, his stubble scraping against her skin as he worked his way down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. When he bit down gently, then soothed the sting with his tongue, she whimpered with need, her chest heaving.

Cullen's hand kneaded her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple until it peaked beneath the fabric. His other hand slid lower, tracing patterns on her inner thigh just below the hem of her nightgown. Ash whined, frustrated by the teasing touches that weren't nearly enough.

She pressed her hips back, wiggling against the hardness she felt there. Cullen growled low in his throat, his hips jerking forward instinctively, grinding his arousal against the curve of her ass.

"Cullen," Ash panted, breathy and desperate. "Please."

His teeth grazed her earlobe as he whispered, "Please what, Ash? Tell me what you want."

She squirmed in his grasp, trying to guide his hand where she needed it most. "Touch me. I need you to touch me."

His fingers inched higher, trailing along the delicate skin of her inner thigh. "Here?"

"Higher." She arched her back to press more firmly against him.

Cullen, ever eager to please, finally brushed his fingers against her core through her smalls. They both groaned at the contact, Ash from the thrill it sent shooting into her stomach, and Cullen at finding her already so wet for him.

Ash ground her cunt into his hand, chasing more friction from his palm, panting when he pressed against her aching clit. Cullen's fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her smalls, and she moaned, loud and wanton, as he touched her properly. His calloused fingertips explored her slick folds with agonizing slowness, circling her clit without providing the direct pressure she craved. Ash whimpered, her hips rocking desperately.

Coherent thought escaped her as he brushed over her swollen clit. A keening moan tore from her throat, her head falling back against his shoulder, looking up at the ceiling with glassy eyes.

Cullen tugged at the thin straps of her nightgown, sliding them off her shoulders. The fabric stuck around her waist - it was a miracle she’d been able to get into it at all - exposing her breasts. His warm palm cupped one breast, kneading gently before rolling her nipple between his fingers. Ash bit her lip, holding back a moan - though at that point, she wasn’t sure what good that would do.

Cullen's hand left her breast, trailing up her neck to cup her jaw. He gently tilted her head, angling her face towards his.

"Don't hold back, I want to hear you."

Before she could respond, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. The angle was awkward, her neck craned back, but Ash didn't care. She melted into him, parting her lips to allow his tongue entry. He tasted of mint and floral tea, and she drank him in greedily.

As they kissed, his fingers resumed their teasing circles around her clit. Ash moaned into his mouth, the sound muffled. Cullen smiled against her lips, pleased by her responsiveness.

Ash felt utterly exposed, her nightgown bunched around her waist, breasts bare. Cullen loomed behind her, still fully dressed beside the mantle he’d removed. The sword at his hip pressed against her, yet despite her vulnerability, Ash had never felt safer. Cullen's arms around her were a fortress, his body a shield. She trusted him more than she had any other man, a realization that thrilled and terrified her in equal measure. This was more than just physical pleasure - it was a surrender of sorts, letting someone past some of her carefully constructed walls. But only some, there were many she refused to allow him passage through.

As Cullen's fingers found a rhythm that had her toes curling against the cold stone floor, Ash felt her release building within her. It was like a spring coiling tighter and tighter, a dam straining against the pressure of a raging river. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, each exhale carrying a whimper or moan and Cullen moved back to kiss her throat, allowing her sounds to carry across the room.

The pressure built until Ash thought she might shatter from the intensity of it. She was a string pulled taut, vibrating with tension, ready to snap.

Then Cullen's teeth grazed her ear and she was falling, flying, shattering into stardust. Her body sang, every nerve alight with bliss. She floated among the clouds until gradually, awareness seeped back in. The steady thump of Cullen's heart against her back. The graze of his stubble on her shoulder. His fingers, still moving lazily between her thighs, drawing out the last tremors of her release.

When she whimpered from oversensitivity, he withdrew his hand, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

Ash sagged against him. If not for his arm around her waist, she surely would have crumpled to the floor - for the second time that night. But it wasn't enough. The ache between her thighs only intensified, leaving her desperate for more. She pressed back against him, feeling his hardness through his breeches.

"Fuck me," she begged. "Please, Cullen. I need you inside me."

Cullen tensed behind her, his breath faltering. For a moment, Ash feared he might refuse, might step away and leave her aching and empty. But then she heard the rustle of fabric, felt him shifting. The clink of his belt, the sounds of laces being undone. Her heart raced, anticipation coiling tight in her belly.

His hand on her back gently urged her forward, and Ash bent over the dresser. The polished wood was soothing against her fevered skin, her breasts pressed to the smooth surface. She gripped the far edge, bracing herself.

He nudged her legs further apart with his knee, and the blunt head of his cock pressed against her entrance. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to push back and take him all at once.

He entered her, stretching and filling her inch by inch. Ash's mouth fell open on a silent moan, her eyes fluttering closed as she savoured the exquisite burn. When he was fully seated within her, he paused, panting, giving her time to adjust to his size.

She relished the feeling of fullness, of completeness. But it still wasn't enough. She needed more, needed him to move.

She rocked her hips experimentally, and he gasped at the slide of her slick walls around him. Encouraged, Ash began to move in earnest, fucking herself on his cock with increasing urgency. The wet sounds of their joining filled the room, lewd and intoxicating.

Cullen's hands gripped her hips, guiding her movements but letting her set the pace. His thumbs pressed into the fading bruises there, and she wished he’d hold harder - renew the marks he’d left.

Lifting her right leg, she planted the inside of her knee on the dresser. The change in angle had them both crying out as Cullen slid deeper.

It was too much for Cullen's restraint. With a growl, he snapped his hips forward, driving into her - his fingers digging into her hips hard enough to leave fresh bruises, just like she’d wanted.

Cullen's hand snaked around her waist, his fingers finding her sensitive clit. Ash gasped, her body already wound tight from her climax. His fingertips circled her clit, pleasure tingling through her limbs, bordering on too much, but the feel of his cock thrusting inside her grounded her.

"Cullen," she whined, nails digging into the wooden dresser.

He leaned forward, his chest plate cool against her back. "Let go, Ash. I've got you."

The coil of tension in her belly snapped without warning. Ash moaned, her inner walls clenching around Cullen's length as waves of pleasure rippled up from her cunt. Her vision blurred, spots dancing behind her eyelids as she rode out her release.

Cullen slowed his movements, but didn't stop entirely. As the aftershocks faded, Ash became acutely aware of the stretch of him inside her, the press of the dresser's edge against her hips, his fingers still circling her overworked clit.

She squirmed, whimpering as the pleasure edged into discomfort. "Too much," she gasped.

Immediately, Cullen stilled his hand and carefully withdrew from her. Ash's legs shook, but the dresser beneath her torso held her steady.

When she was able to support her weight, he pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder before stepping back. Ash turned, leaning against the dresser for support as she watched him begin to remove his armour. His movements were efficient, practiced, but there was an urgency to them that betrayed his arousal.

As each piece of armour fell away, more of Cullen's sculpted body was revealed. Ash's eyes roamed hungrily over his broad chest, tracing the scars that marked his skin. When he was finally bare before her, her gaze dropped lower, lingering on his still-hard length.

Cullen's cheeks flushed under her scrutiny, but there was heat in his eyes as he closed the distance between them. He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her deeply as he guided her backwards towards the bed.

Ash's legs hit the edge of the mattress and she allowed herself to fall back, pulling Cullen down with her. He braced himself above her, careful not to crush her with his weight. His cock pressed insistently against her thigh.

Feeling a renewed spark of arousal, Ash reached between them, wrapping her fingers around his length. Cullen groaned, his hips bucking as she began to stroke him languidly.

Ash's cunt ached, her clit throbbing with a sensitivity that bordered on pain. Yet as Cullen hovered above her, his amber eyes dark with desire, she felt a sudden surge of energy course through her veins. Love's presence pulsed within her, stoking the embers of her arousal into a roaring flame.

Despite her exhaustion, her body craved more. She needed to feel Cullen inside her again, to be filled and stretched to her limits. With trembling fingers, she guided his length to where she burned for him.

Cullen hesitated, his brow furrowing with concern. "Are you sure?" he asked. "We don't have to—"

"Yes," Ash breathed, cutting him off. She arched her back, pressing herself more firmly against him. A wicked grin curved her lips as she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I want you to fuck me until I forget my own name, Commander."

Always happy to serve, his control snapped like an overstretched bowstring. He surged forward, sheathing himself inside her in one smooth thrust. Her body stretched to accommodate him, but it was easier this time, having already loosened herself with two climaxes and a quick fuck. The initial discomfort quickly gave way to pleasure as he set a relentless pace that had the headboard slamming against the wall.

Ash wrapped her legs around his waist, her heels digging into the small of his back to urge him deeper. Her fingernails raked down his spine and Cullen hissed at the sting, retaliating by capturing one of her sensitive ears between his teeth.

Skin slapped against skin, breathless moans, and half-formed pleas. She was burning from the inside out and still, she moved closer to the flames. She was distantly aware that she was babbling, a stream of elvhen and common spilling from her lips as she begged him to fuck her harder, deeper, faster.

Cullen's rhythm faltered, his thrusts becoming erratic as he neared his own finish. He slipped a hand between their bodies, his fingers finding her clit - it was too much for Ash's overstimulated body. She came with a keening cry, clenching around Cullen's cock. He buried himself to the hilt with a guttural groan, the hot pulse of his spend spilling inside her, prolonging her orgasm as aftershocks rippled through her body.

They collapsed together in a tangle of sweaty limbs, panting heavily. Ash’s mind had gone wonderfully blank, all her swirling, nagging thoughts shut out beneath her bliss. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so at peace, and while she should find that at least mildly concerning, she could only wonder when it would happen next.

As their breathing slowed, Cullen gently withdrew from her sated body. He rolled onto his side, pulling her into his arms. She didn't protest, nestling into him and pressing her face into the crook of his shoulder. She closed her eyes, weariness tugging at her tired limbs.

For just a moment, Ash allowed herself to pretend this was more than just sex. She imagined waking up to Cullen's sleepy smile every morning, sharing quiet moments between their duties, stolen kisses in shadowy corners of the keep. The fantasy was so vivid she could almost taste it - sweet as honey on her tongue, warm as sunlight on her skin.

But fantasies were dangerous, especially for someone like her. Ash knew better than to let herself hope for more. Still, as sleep overtook her, she couldn't quite banish the tender ache in her chest.

Cullen woke to sunlight streaming through the windows and an empty spot on the bed beside him. He blinked, disoriented for a moment before memories of the night before came flooding back. The passion, the tenderness, her warmth cradled in his arms.

He sat up, scanning the room for any signs of her. Her clothes were gone, the floor swept clean of any evidence of their encounter - his items arranged neatly on the dresser. If not for the lingering scent of her on the pillows and being in her bed, Cullen might have thought it all a vivid dream.

Discomfort settled in his chest as he realized she had slipped away while he slept. Again. Just like last time. Cullen ran a hand through his tousled curls, frustration warring with disappointment.

Was he doing something wrong? Had he misread the situation entirely?

He couldn't afford to dwell on it, not when he had duties to attend to. He began to don his armour, piece by piece, the familiar routine offering a sliver of calm.

As he fastened the last buckle, a soft meow drew his attention. Sweetpea had slipped in through the cat hole, her ringed tail held high as she trotted over to him. She wound herself around his ankles, purring loudly.

"At least someone's happy to see me." Cullen bent down to scratch behind her ears.

Sweetpea meowed again, butting her head against his hand.

"I don't suppose you know where your mistress has run off to?"

The cat blinked up at him, uncomprehending. Cullen shook his head, feeling foolish for talking to a cat. Not that it was the first time he’d done so, especially this past week. Should he tell Ashvalla that he’d set up a small bed of blankets for Sweetpea in his office, or would she just tease him mercilessly for it? Pathetically, he wished for the latter, if only to receive more of the attention he coveted. He gave Sweetpea one final pat before straightening up.

"Right. Well, I should be going."

He paused at the door, glancing back at the rumpled bed. For a moment, he considered straightening the sheets, erasing all evidence of his presence. But something stopped him. Let Ashvalla return to find the lingering proof of their night together. Let her remember what she'd walked away from.

With that thought, Cullen squared his shoulders and strode out of her room. He had work to do, after all. The Inquisition wouldn't run itself.

Ash flopped onto Rae's bed, wincing as her sore muscles protested the movement.

"Long night?" Rae's voice dripped with sarcastic amusement.

Ash groaned, turning her head just enough to glare at her sister. Rae sat cross-legged on the floor, sorting through a pile of reports. Her hair was dishevelled, as if she'd been running her hands through it in frustration.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ash mumbled unconvincingly.

Rae snorted. "Please. I saw Cullen returning to his office this morning looking thoroughly ravished."

"He could have come from the training yards," she protested weakly.

"Training you to take his reportedly massive dick, maybe."

Ash grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Rae's head. Her sister dodged it easily, cackling.

"I hate you,” Ash grumbled.

"No, you don't. You love me."

"Debatable."

Ash flopped back down, her body still aching pleasantly from the night's thorough fucking. She allowed herself a small, secret smile. It really had been amazing. Cullen had been attentive, passionate, and eager to provide.

But then reality came crashing back. She'd left him sleeping, slipping away before dawn like a thief in the night. It was easier that way, wasn't it? No awkward morning-after conversations, no false promises or raised expectations. Still, the memory of his peaceful, sleeping face tugged at something in her chest. He’d looked so relaxed, his lips parted slightly as he breathed evenly, and she’d just…left him.

Ash sighed, pushing away her lingering guilt. She had more pressing matters to attend to. "So, what's got you scouring through missives before breakfast?"

Rae grimaced, holding up a crumpled letter. "News from our clan. Bandits near Wycome are harassing them. Keeper Deshanna is asking for our help."

Ash sat up. "Shit. How bad is it?"

"Bad enough that they're reaching out to us. You know how reluctant the Keeper is to involve outsiders in clan business."

Ash nodded, a knot forming in her stomach. Their clan had always been fiercely independent, preferring to solve their problems rather than risk entanglements with Shem politics. For Deshanna to ask for aid meant the situation was dire indeed.

"What are our options?" Ash asked, sliding off the bed to join her sister on the floor. She winced as her muscles twinged - maybe she should consider stretching beforehand.

Rae spread out three reports, each bearing the seal of one of her advisors. "Cullen suggests sending in troops to deal with the bandits directly. Leliana wants to send her skirmishers to take out the bandits while her agents gather more intelligence. And Josephine thinks we should appeal to the Duke of Wycome for assistance, since his forces are closer and could reach the clan faster."

Ash chewed her lip, considering each option. Cullen's plan was direct, but mobilizing their forces would take time. Leliana's was similar; it would take time to get her people there, though intelligence gathering was a plus. As for Josephine's suggestion…

"I think Josephine's got the right idea," Ash said. "The Duke of Wycome is our best bet. His forces are already in the area, and it would be a good opportunity to build some goodwill with a local noble, right?"

Rae nodded slowly. "You don't think he'd use it as an excuse to move against the clan?"

Ash shook her head. "Not if it's framed right. We could present it as a chance for him to prove his commitment to maintaining order in his territory. Plus, saving an elvhen clan from bandits would make him look magnanimous."

"Look at you,” Rae elbowed Ash’s side, “thinking like a politician. Josephine would be proud."

Ash rolled her eyes, but couldn't help feeling a little pleased. "I've picked up a thing or two hanging around this place. But what do you think?"

Rae nodded, her lips set in a resolute line. "Yes, I think you're right. It's our best chance of getting help to the clan quickly."

Ash nodded, happy that Rae agreed with her assessment. "Good. The sooner we can get help to the clan, the better."

Next Chapter

A/N: When will Ash face her feelings for him? Will she manage to avoid it forever? Find out next as Ash continues to try to sleep her way out of a confession. 

Also I posted an Alistair x Cousland one shot (with some smut at the end) called Ball and Chain if y'all wanted to check it out while you wait for *checks notes* more Cullen and Ash smut hehe

[jr-acrux101]

Rebirth - CH.13 : PHOENIX

Jasper Cullen × OC 《- Chapters

Word count:1.2k

Summary: Stuck in Phoenix.

Not beta read.

The ride was long. Every couple of hours Amora would call to check up on the teenagers, only Aurora and Jasper would answer. Bella felt as if she would break down, crying if she started to talk to Amora.

While the 4 of them drove, the Cullen family that stayed behind was working hard. Edward, Rosalie, and Esme were off, putting Bella's scent towards the south. Rosalie tore a tiny swatch of Bella's shirt, not noticing as they hurried to the next location to scent.

They stopped every so often to make sure the two human girls were eating, Bella would take a bite but the appetite wasn't there.

Time passes as they drive to the Scottsdale hotel. They made it in the early, early morning. The girls head to the bed and are immediately knocked out. Jasper and Alice lounged around til they woke up again. 

Aurora's phone rang and she answered, “Hello?”

Everybody stood still, “Aurora?”

“Mom?”

“Yeah sweetie, where are you guys now?”

“Whose phone is this?”

“What? Oh! My phone died and this sweet girl lended me hers.”

“Sweet girl?”

“Yeah,” Amora turned to the red head,” What was your name again honey?”

WIth full white teeth showing in her seemingly sweet smile, “Victoria.”

“Her name is Victoria, she was passing by diner Charlie and I are supposed to meet but he hasn’t shown yet. Anyway, have you guys stopped at a hotel yet?” 

Aurora’s blood ran cold, “Oh how nice. No, we're still on the road, but don’t worry I will call you when we get to a hotel, just go inside and wait for Mr. Charlie. Um, order his favorite pie mom.” 

Amora scoffed, “I didn’t know you were the mom here. FIne I’ll let you go so I won't hold up this girl's time but do call me when you do sweetheart, love you!”

“Love you too mom.” The phone disconnected and Jasper got off the phone with Esme.

Her heartbeat was fast, suddenly her hands felt numb. Her breathing was fast and her vision blurred. She stumbled into Bella. Tears were streaming down her cheek but she didn’t even notice when she started to cry. 

“Aurora, it's okay, breathe. I need you to breathe for me.” She gasped out a breath. Why was it so hard for her to breathe, she had done it all her life but suddenly there was this immense pressure that constricted her.

Jasper laid his hand on top of hers, “Sweetheart, it’s okay I just got off with Esme and said your mom is fine, eating with Charlie now. It’s okay.”

Alice watched, not knowing what to do. Her and Jasper heard the vigorous heartbeat slow and her breathing return to semi normal. 

Aurora felt nauseous. Jasper clenched his teeth, the feeling was overwhelming for him. She looked up at Bella through her teary eyes. Bella felt horrendous, she had put her best friend through the possibility of losing those close to her, all because she wanted to know Edward better. “Our parents are fine, they’re safe.” She guided the younger girl to the couch, Alice ran to the kitchen and brought some pizza that was delivered earlier.

“You two should eat.” Aurora nods but Bella ignores the food.

Bella moves, so Alice sits with Aurora. She went back to the couch where Jasper still stayed. He looked deep in thought. 

“Are you…okay?” Jasper snapped out of his trance.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Jasper saw Bella nod, but her emotions gave it away. 

“Are you okay?’

Bella swallowed hard, “They could get hurt. It's not worth it.”

“Yes. It is.”  She was taken aback. For some reason she thought that Jasper really didn’t like her. Jasper continued, “ Edward's changed since he found you. And none of us want to look 

into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you,” he turned to Aurora’s direction, “I wouldn’t be able to look Aurora in the eyes either. It's worth it.” 

She gave a small smile, and the two of them went to where Aurora and Alice were. As Japer sat next to Aurora, Alice suddenly disassociates. Jasper turns to her, wide-eyed with worry, “What do you see?”

Alice eyebrows pinched together and eyes wide, “The tracker. He just changed course.” Jasper quickly sets a piece of paper and pencil in front of her.

“Where is he going Alice?” A hazy flash of room with mirrors pops into her mind with him hovering in the middle.

“Mirrors. It's a room of mirrors.” Alice keeps her eyes closed and begins to sketch out the scene stuck in her mind.

Bella was confused, “How do the visions work? Edward said they weren't always certain.”

Jasper answered, “She sees the course people are on, while they're on it. If they change their choice, then visions change too.”

Aurora peered over Jasper's shoulder, “So the course James is on now will lead him to... is that a ballet studio?

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, “The ballet studio?”

“You've been here?

Bella pondered, “No. Maybe? I don't know. I think I used to take ballet lessons as a kid. The school had an arch like that.”

“Was your school here in Phoenix?” Jasper was worried this was too close if it was here in Phoenix.

“Yeah, around the corner from my house.  But I haven't been there in years,” Bella was starting to feel uneasy.

“Do you have any reason to go now?”

“No. Hell, no. I hated the place.”

Alice and Jasper share a look, trying to figure this out. Aurora felt anxious, the knot in her stomach was starting to grow tighter. Suddenly, Bella was startled as her cell phone started to ring. She picks it up, relief coursing through her seeing who it was.

“Edward? Are you alright?”

Aurora's ears perked up, Bella motioned for her to come over.

Edward was pushed forward from Dr.Cullens' fast driving on the rough terrain, "We're coming over to you, me, Carlisle, and Emmett,” he paused regretting what he had to say, “We lost the tracker. Esme and Rosalie stayed behind to protect your family.”          

The sinking feeling of everything going horribly wrong settled in her stomach, “This is my fault. You warned me, but I didn't think I just..,” Aurora laid a hand on Bella’s shoulder.

“Bella, no. We can't change how we feel about each other. That means I have to do everything I can to protect you.”         

 “I just… I just wish…. When will you get here?” Bella didn’t want to say it.

“In a couple of hours. I will get you and Aurora. The three of us will move locations for the time being and the others will hunt.” Edward was determined to protect them, “Bella, I swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe again. You too Aurora.” 

Bella started to cry, while Aurora blinked back her tears, “Thanks Edward, keep us updated til you get here.” They said goodbye to Edward, and the two girls sat down.

The day passed and on the morning of the next day Alice and Jasper went down to the lobby to settle the bill. Bella started to gather her things as Aurora went to the bathroom to wash her face.

Bella’s phone started to ring. The caller I.D. showed ‘HOME.’ It was her mom. She answered hastily, “ Mom! I'm so glad you got my -

 “Bella? Bella? Where are you!”

Bella was kind of surprised by the level of urgency her mom was expressing, “Mom. Calm down. It’s okay I-.”

The line went static then Bella heard rustling, “Mom? Hello? Are you there?”

*****************************************************************

another chapter out, let's see how long it takes for me to post the other ones

[ar-lath-ma-cully]

and it slips through loose fingers Chapters: 32/? WC: 98.9k Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Rating: Explicit Warnings: major character death, explicit depictions of violence and death Relationships: Cullen x OC, Solavellan, Blackwall x OC, OC x OC Additional Tags: character death, long fic, slow burn, characters start out young and age throughout the story, eventual romance, PTSD, trauma, hurt/comfort, growing up, Modern Girl in Thedas, canon divergence, recreational drug use, friends with benefits, *work in progress* Summary:

"Amaryllis wondered — not for the first time, nor the last — why misfortune seemed to follow her everywhere she went."

Amaryllis is nine years old when she dies and wakes in a forest naked, afraid, and alone.

DAFF Tag List: @rakshadow, @rosella-writes, @effelants, @bluewren, @breninarthur,

@ar-lath-ma-cully, @dreadfutures, @ir0n-angel, @inquisimer, @crackinglamb,

@theluckywizard, @oxygenforthewicked, @exalted-dawn-drabbles, @melisusthewee, @blarrghe,

@agentkatie, @delicatefade, @leggywillow, @about2dance, @plisuu

[ashcal99]

Golden Hour : Rosalie Hale*

Series Masterlist

Soundtrack

Smut*

Summary: By the young age of twenty years old, Grayson Cly had been through his fair share of trauma. Trauma that had left him a single father. Trauma that only grew more complicated when he joined his cousin Sam Uley as a shape shifting wolf. But, what happens when he imprints on the one thing he was born to protect the world from? Can he stick to his instincts when it comes to that protection, or will the persistence of that imprint derail his life even more?

Prologue

Chapter One - coming soon