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danceswithsporks · 1 year ago

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Calm- Part 1

Part 2 of 6 in the Complete Series!

Wrecker x Seamstress Reader

Warning this fic will contain spoilers for the season 2 finale.

Story About: You love how calm and peaceful your life on Pabu is. When trajedy strikes the island, a handsome clone pulls you into his world and you discover there’s more to the Galaxy then you realize.

Chapter About: A tsunami shakes the island and you require the help of someone strong to help you out.

Authors note: Well here we are everyone!! Calm is finally here! I’ve honestly been a bit nervous to post this first part, kinda worried that it won’t be as good as Warm, but I still want to give y’all a great story. So I hope the wait was worth it!

Also! Here is a height comparison reference to put into perspective Wreckers height. I’m basing the other persons size off of the average height for women so feel free to alter that however you want! But damn is our boy TALL!

Now. Without further ado! Here’s the opening chapter to Calm!

Calm, that’s how you’d describe Pabu. The weather was always perfect, save for a rare storm every few months, and the waves always crashed against the rocks of the island in a calming rhythm. Standing on the patio of your shop in upper Pabu, you could easily watch the fishing boats on the horizon bob up and down against the waves while the sun silhouetted them. You were born here, raised on the sea life brought in daily by the fishermen. While others had escaped whatever horrors they experienced out there in the galaxy by coming here, you’d learned to walk on these cobblestones. Scraped your knees in the plaza at the top of the island and learned to swim in the bay on the back of the island.

While others had brought their businesses with them when they immigrated to Pabu, like the tea shop family or the sweet girl who ran the inn, your shop had been there for generations. Your grandmother had opened it when she immigrated from Coruscant and then passed it to your mom, who passed it to you. While your parents had decided to stay in Pabu, your aunt on her side had moved back to Coruscant. Determined to bring fashion and style to Pabu, though those trends were far above what anyone would want to wear here. She was doing well for herself there and had offered for you to live there countless times. But you loved Pabu and loved how calm it was here. You wouldn’t trade this peace for anything in the Galaxy.

You stood at the stone wall of your patio and looked down as another boat left the port. It was the Chief's boat, his daughter, and the blonde girl you’d seen walking around earlier the only passengers. From the whispers of the elder women who helped in your shop, the ship that had arrived carrying Phee had been filled with clones. You’d seen them briefly as they walked by, the three men were unique in their sizes and looks, weren’t clones supposed to look the same? Briefly, the large one had turned his face and stared for a moment before he continued, and oh how your heart fluttered for a moment. The shoulders alone on him had your mind swimming with ideas, you liked a big boy.

The glass of water next to you trembled against the stone and you stood back with a confused look on your face. That…didn’t seem right. All around you the wildlife screeched and scattered away from lower Pabu and towards the top. Well, that wasn’t normal either. You stepped away from the wall and made your way back inside. “Animals are acting weird.” Left you nonchalantly as you made your way back to the gown you were working on.

“What do you mean by that, dear?” One of the elder women, Magda, looked up from the quilt she’d been knitting.

“After that little shake, they started rushing toward the top of the island. Sea birds took off too.” You walked over to the woman and looked over the blue and gray quilt she was almost finished with. How she did it was beyond you. Sitting there and knitting the same rows over and over again for hours a day seemed so monotonous. To your surprise, the woman looked up at you seriously. “What?”

“What did the water look like?” Sue, another of the elder woman who worked with you, asked. The pants she’d been hemming, were now left forgotten.

“Like water?” The ground shook once more and you suddenly felt a wave of dread wash over you. Maybe you should go check the water? The memory of something you’d learned in school ran through your mind. Stepping outside, you realized something was very wrong. All across your patio were countless moon-yos, their large eyes staring down toward the water. It took you a moment to shuffle your way towards the wall once more but when you did, your heart jumped to your throat. “Tsunami”

The water of the sea receded away from the shore and before you could even scream for those around you to run, the warning system roared across the island. In theory, you would be safe up here, right? In school, they’d told you that the waters wouldn’t get as high as upper Pabu. It was lower Pabu that could be wiped away completely. Already you could see those below rushing upwards. “Ladies! Time to go!” You made your way back inside and found Magda and Sue continuing with their work. “We need to go.”

“Oh darling, don’t fret. The waters won’t reach us here. The last time we had one of these lower Pabu was only partially destroyed.” Sue waved you off as she stuck another pin in the cuff of the pants.

You grimaced at her in uncertainty. “Yeah, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Let’s go.” You shooed the two women eagerly and after another ‘Let’s go’, they finally got up. Following behind them, you made sure to lock the door of your business. As cute as the moon-yos were, you’d rather they not seek shelter within your inventory.

“Grandma!”

“Mom!”

The families of your two helpers rushed towards all three of you and sighed in relief.

“They were giving you lip about leaving, weren’t they?” Sue’s daughter rushed to her mother's side and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders.

“You know how they get. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.” More people rushed up the path and you silently thanked your parents for adding on the enclosed patio. Without it, you’d all be overtaken by the crowds in no time.

“We would have been fine.” Magda waved off her granddaughter's extended hand. “The waters never come this high.”

Blue eyes rolled as the granddaughter, Lacey, crossed her arms. “Grandma, you know the Chiefs rule. Everyone heads to the top just in case.”

Magda scoffed as you walked behind her, shooing her and the others towards the main road. “How would you know about these rules? You weren’t even alive when the last one happened!”

Lacey slid her arm around her grandmother and helped steady her as people rushed by. “They teach us about it in school, grandma. Plus we just had a drill last month.”

“Did we?” A humph left Magda as she looked around at the crowds.

Shaking your head, you continued to herd your little group upwards. You felt like you were herding cattle with the way you were moving around your group to keep them all together. All around you, people were rushing towards the top of the island. The island shook as the large wave finally hit and your group staggered for a moment before resuming your hike up the mountain. Everyone around you seemed to freeze and while you wanted to turn back and look as well, the two elder women in front of you seemed to be spurred on and were now rushing to the top.

By the time you and your group had reached the top of the island, people had begun to settle down. Across the courtyard you could see the chief speaking with the men from before, Phee standing close by. A part of you wondered what was being discussed, but Magda drew your attention instead.

“There weren’t as many survivors the last time this happened. My mother was lost.” She looked around at the groups of people huddled together.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Your group continued your path toward the Archium. You could see more of the elders settled down with their families. To think this could be their second or third or even fourth sea surge was wild to you.

“Last time we didn’t have the wall to protect us.” Sue shooed her daughter away as the girl fussed over her once more. “But the needs are still the same afterward.”

You tilted your head as you finally arrived at the Archium. “What do you mean?” You offered your hand to Sue and helped her sit against one of the arches next to the building.

“People have lost their homes, their livelihoods. They have nothing now. They’ll need places to stay and supplies to get through these next weeks.” Magda sat with a huff next to Sue.

You squatted back on your heels and began to chew your lip. “Supplies, huh?” A hum left you as you thought for a moment before an idea began to form. “If I got the supplies, do you think you and the others could make some blankets, clothes, stuff like that?” You watched as the two women looked at each other and then the others around you for a moment before nodding.

“Bring us whatever you can, we’ll get those who know how to knit and sew together and begin working.” Magda hummed as she leaned back against the wall, her eyes closing. “For now, I think I’ll take a nap.”

“Sounds like we have a plan. I’m gonna go talk to Shep and see what he thinks.” With a slap on your thighs, you stood and made your way across the courtyard. Passing by the tree you noticed many people resting in the small patch of grass. Pausing for a moment, you looked at everyone settling in and smiled at the sight of the large clone from earlier and the small girl that was with him curled against each other. A part of you began to wonder if she was his daughter, if somewhere out in the galaxy he had a wife. You could have sworn you’d heard something about clones aging fast, but who knew how accurate that was? People were always saying things that weren’t true.

Someone called your name and with a final look at the large man, you made your way to the source. “Shep, Phee. Good to see you two made it out ok!” You smiled happily as you hugged Phee who looked you over quickly.

“Everyone from the shop make it out ok?” Phee watched as you nodded and then motioned toward your group. “Took some convincing but I got them up here.”

“Phee” One of the clones from earlier, the one with a face tattoo, a bold choice but who were you to judge? “Tech and I talked it over and we think we’re gonna stay. If you’ll have us?”

“Yes!” You covered your mouth quickly as soon as the words left you. All eyes turned to you and you chuckled quickly. “Sorry. It’s just that extra help will be needed. They look strong and capable. Plus with their ship, it would be helpful to get supplies from the other islands. Which brings me to why I’m here.”

Shep crossed his arms and chuckled. “Let’s get some introductions out of the way first.” He motioned to the two clones. “Tech and Hunter, meet one of the island's seamstresses.”

You finished the introduction for him, letting the two know your name, before extending your hand to each of them. “Nice to meet you both.” Smiling, you nodded towards the tree. “Saw your other two friends sleeping over there.”

“That would be our sister Omega and our brother Wrecker.” Tech adjusted his goggles and looked past you and towards his siblings before his gaze shifted toward the woman he’d just been hanging over the ledge with.

So she was his sibling and not his child. That sent a surprising wave of relief over you. “Wow, unique names.” You chuckled as the men shrugged.

“You said you were here for a reason?” Phee wrapped her arm around Techs shoulder and drew his attention back to the conversation. He was practically drooling over the tea shop owner.

“Ah, right!” With a clap of your hands, you told the group your idea. “I have more than enough stock to supply the ladies with. We should be able to get a few blankets and basic clothing out of that. I can call my suppliers on the other islands as well and see if they can spare anything.”

“You’d do that?” Phee watched as you shrugged with a smile. “Of course. A community stands together through all the good and bad. Mom said that all the time.”

“We’ll find a way to pay you back for the supplies.” Shep reached over and grabbed your shoulder gently. He was glad to see you stepping into the same role your mother used to have. So many times she’d stepped in and taken care of refugees arriving with nothing. To see you helping in the same way was heartwarming.

Smiling, you shook your head and patted his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Shep. I’m just glad to help. Which is something I will need to get everything over here, some of the bolts of fabric can be pretty heavy.”

Phee nodded with a smirk. “I’m sure our new friends here will be happy to help.” With a slap to Tech's back, she caused the clone to stumble slightly before he regained his footing and adjusted his goggles.

“Indeed. Allow us to get Omega settled and we will be available to help.” He tapped at his datapad a few times. “It seems the seismic activity is subsiding. I estimate the waters will recede fully in approximately two days. However, a more pressing matter needs to be addressed.”

“What’s that?” Hunter looked over Tech's shoulder and at the datapad. His eyes ran over the information on the screen and he quickly understood the problem. “Your water is most likely contaminated. That’s gonna need to be figured out quickly. Make sure your people know not to drink anything not already bottled or in containers.”

A long breath was released from you as your hands found their way to your hips. “Well, I’ll let you guys handle that. I’m gonna let my group know and then head to my shop.”

The two clones, Phee and Shep all nodded to you before you turned and headed back to your small group. You let them know the current plan as well as the new information about the water. Lacey took on the job of spreading the word to the others about the water and agreed to look for others to help with the clothing. Satisfied that everything was under control, you headed back to your shop.

-*-

The moon-yo’s had done a number on your patio, fruit and other ‘gifts’ were scattered across the ground. With a sigh, you sidestepped some of the mess and made your way to the stone wall, and looked down at the calming waters that now covered the lower half of your island. The buildings below the waves would survive, they were built sturdy and with the possibility of a tsunami in mind. But everything inside, people’s belongings and prized possessions, would be gone. You realized at that moment how lucky you were to live in upper Pabu. Your home would almost always be safe and secured here. The wall from which you now looked over would always protect your beloved home and generations of hard work and memories. You’d do all you could to help those affected by the tsunami.

The squeak of the gate drew your attention away from the sea. Turning to greet the new arrival, you smiled brightly. “I was hoping they’d send you.”

Wrecker had finally fallen asleep beneath the large tree, his precious sister safe and sound beside him, when he felt Hunter shake his shoulder. With a groan, he’d tried to quietly pull himself away from the small blonde who woke for a moment before settling back into a restless sleep once more. His Vod had quickly filled him in on what was currently happening and before he had a chance to ask for a rations stick, he was so kriffing hungry, he was sent off to find the island seamstress who needed help.

What he hadn’t expected to find was the woman he’d passed earlier in the day looking over the edge of the island wall. Unafraid and unconcerned by the height. It had been the smile on her lips that had caught his attention earlier, for the briefest of moments he found himself lost in them. But then Omega had drawn his attention away from the woman and he’d quickly been distracted. That smile had stayed in the back of his mind though. Now he was staring at that smile once more. “You were hoping they’d send me?”

You nodded as you stepped forward and extended your hand to him, your name falling from your lips as you watched him shake your hand back. “I was. Gonna need someone tall and strong to get some bolts of fabric down. You seem to fit that bill perfectly.”

“O-oh.” Wrecker watched as your hand practically vanished inside his, your name rolling around in his mouth like a piece of candy. “Glad I can help.” He smiled as he released your hand and waited for you to lead the way inside. Instead, you turned and headed back towards the wall. After a moment of looking down, you looked over your shoulder at him and motioned for him to join you. Swallowing the fear already building inside him, he made his way over.

“Crazy how so much can change in the blink of an eye.” You hummed softly as you crossed your arms and leaned against the wall, your eyes skimming the ocean for any boats.

Wrecker stood a few steps away from the wall and focused on you instead. How your curves moved with your body as you found a comfortable position to lean against the wall in. He took in the way your hair was pulled up and away from your face, a multicolored hair clip holding the strands in place against the back of your head. It looked soft, Wrecker wondered what it would feel like sliding through his thick fingers. Your voice pulled him from his thoughts and he nodded carefully. “Happens more often than you think.” He’d experienced that a lot lately.

Looking over your shoulder at him once more, you found him more steps than expected away from you. “What are you doing over there? I won’t bite.” You smirked playfully at him. “Unless you’re into that.” A blush crept across his cheeks and you bit your lip. Oh, he was cute.

“I..well…” Wrecker tried to find the right words to explain that he wasn’t a fan of heights, but then you made the comment about biting and he felt his head swim for a moment. Were you flirting with him? Him of all people? You giggled while turning to face him. He watched as you placed your hands behind you and boosted yourself up onto the wall, your back now facing the wide sea. “You should be careful.” It left him quicker than he intended.

“Don’t worry, Wrecker.” You purred his name as you leaned back a little and allowed a warm breeze to dance around you. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. Now please, come closer?”

Your hand raised to him, beckoning for him to come closer to you and to the edge. “You could fall.” Was spoken carefully as he took a tentative step closer. Come on, Wrecker. A cute girl is flirting with you and calling you closer. The little voice inside his head was screaming at him to get the lead out of his boots and move all the way to the wall.

A happy hum came from you as you watched him take another step closer. Was he afraid of the ledge? “I guess it’s a good thing you’re here then. If I f-“ The island shook once more and due to the way you were balancing on one hand, you lost your balance and began to fall backwards.

“No!” Wrecker shot forward and grabbed your wrist quickly before pulling you against him and holding you tight, grounding you both to the island with his large frame. The tremor lasted for only a few seconds and when it finally ended he realized he’d squeezed his eyes shut.

Your heart felt like it was in your damn throat! Maybe he did have a point. The tightness in which he was holding you wasn’t painfully tight, which was surprising given his size, it was pretty nice. Against his body like this, you felt so small. Like a child hugging her father. Tilting your head back to look up at him, you realized he had to be at least six foot six. Stars, how could a man be so tall and so stacked? You noticed his eyes screwed tightly shut and with a little wiggle, you were able to free one of your arms and place it against his chest. “As I was saying, if I fall, you’ll be here to catch me.” Standing on your tiptoes, you tried to place a kiss on his cheek. But you were far too short to reach him.

Wrecker heard you clear your throat as he finally opened his eyes. Your hand patted his chest gently and he hoped you couldn’t feel his heart racing. Looking down at you he smirked, you were so little against him. He watched as you bit your lip and curled your finger up at him, beckoning for him to lean down. “Yes?”

With a happy hum, you closed the distance between you two and placed a lingering kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for saving me, Wrecker.” His hand around your back loosened and you used the opportunity to wiggle free from him. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

His hand raised to his cheek as he watched you bounce away and towards your shop. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that your breasts bounced with your movements. “Wait, how did you know I was hungry?”

“I felt your stomach rumble against my chest just a few moments ago.” With a wink, you headed inside your shop.

When you said you felt it in your chest, did you mean your boobs? The thought made his cheeks flush once more while something stirred below the belt. More importantly, you were going to feed him? Wrecker quickly followed you into your shop. Maybe he could flirt back?

-*-

Compared to him, your shop was small and intimate. He had to duck to enter the shop and had to be even more careful not to knock over a stack of boxes near the door. You disappeared behind a curtain while the large clone tried to find a place to wait without being in your way. Wrecker liked how your shop smelled, it reminded him of incense and the tea Tech made. He hummed softly as he leaned against the wall, it was comfortable and warm in the shop. No doubt he could easily fall asleep here. “S-so you make clothes?”

“Yeah!” Your voice carried from behind the curtain. “My family’s been in the business for generations.” Opening a jar on the counter, you pulled out a few of the cookies you’d baked the day before. Usually, you set them out for the kids that came through with their parents, but you could make an exception for the cutie in your shop. Moving over to the fridge, you pulled the sandwich you’d prepared for lunch out and placed it on the plate next to the cookies.

Wrecker nodded as he listened to you, the sound of something clanking against porcelain made him look at the dark blue curtain. “You must be good at measuring then.”

Was he trying to flirt with you? With a giggle, you picked up the plate and two sealed bottles of water. “That’s kinda part of the job.” Passing through the curtain, you held out the plate to him. “Why, you need help measuring something?” Wrecker coughed at your comment and you couldn’t hide the laugh that left you. He was so cute.

“N-no. Yes. I mean…” Wrecker picked up two of the cookies and ate them quickly. Another laugh left your lips and he found himself chuckling as well. Your laugh was contagious it seemed. “You have a nice laugh.”

Your cheeks flushed at his comment. “Thank you.” Looking down at the bottles of water, you bit your lip shyly. No one had ever complimented your laugh before. “Yours is nice too.” It was deep and full. When he laughed once more it felt like it was in your belly as well. Making warmth spread through you. “I should…start figuring out what we’re gonna take back.” Passing one of the bottles over to him, you pointed to the counter next to your register. “You can eat over there if you’d like, Wrecker.” You liked saying his name, it felt warm in your mouth.

Wrecker smiled as he looked over the plate of food. Cookies and a hearty-looking sandwich. His favorite kind of meal. Would it be weird if he said that he loved you? He watched you pick up a datapad and begin to look at the walls of fabric. He’d never actually flirted with anyone before, not on purpose. But you were cute, funny and nice. Plus you seemed to already know what he liked to eat! How exactly was he supposed to flirt with you? Maybe he should ask Hunter? For now, he’d have to do this himself based on things he’d heard from the other clones. Women liked compliments, didn’t they? “I like your shop. It’s cozy.”

“Thanks.” Looking up from your datapad, you watched as he took a happy bite from the sandwich. “Good?” When he smiled and nodded with his cheeks full of the food, you giggled loudly. “Good.” Smiling brightly, you looked back at the datapad and ran through your inventory. You had a good amount that you could give to the island. Not to mention you had a few blankets already done that you could donate as well. You’d take a decent hit doing this but you thankfully had savings that should cover most of the lost inventory. “So, Wrecker. Interesting name.” This time you didn’t look at him, your eyes scanning the wall of material trying to now locate the ones you needed. But you heard him chuckle and that warmth spread through you once more.

Swallowing the food in his mouth, he chuckled while opening the water. “My brothers picked it for me. I used to break things a lot and wreck things. So they picked that name.”

“Used to?” You smiled over your shoulder to him, earning a cute crooked smile back. Your dad was around his size and before he died he was accidentally breaking things of his size.

“Yeah. I guess I still kinda break things.” He reached behind his head to rub it awkwardly with a smile, knocking one of your shelves and sending a few of the trinkets on it flying. “Oh! Sorry!” He turned to fix the shelf and knocked a few of the items on the counter.

You let out a surprised squeal as you watched him turn multiple times, trying to fix the mess he was slowly growing. Laughing excitedly, you dropped the datapad and quickly moved over to help him. “Woah woah woah. Slow down there.” You raised your hands and grabbed his arms quickly, stopping him from loving anymore. Another laugh left you as you took in the growing blush on his face. “You’re kinda like a little wrecking ball, huh?”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at you. “Sorry.” Now he’d made a fool of himself in front of you. “I can pick it all up.” He moved to kneel down and hit the empty plate in the process, causing it to fall. His hand shot out and grabbed it before it could hit the floor, earning another giggle from you.

Stars, he was adorable. Giggling, you knelt with him and began to pick up some of the items that had fallen. “You’re really funny.”

Wrecker really hadn’t been trying to be funny, but knowing that he’d made you laugh made him laugh. “Sorry about the shelf, I’ll fix it.” He passed you a few of the items that had fallen. So much for flirting with you flawlessly.

You took the items from him and placed them up on the counter. “Oh don’t worry about that. I’ve been meaning to move it.” He just helped the process along. You watched the clone stand carefully and chew his lip. Oh man, he was so cute.

“You should get back to the materials. I can pick this all up.” It was the least he could do after making such a big mess.

“Oh, how sweet. But you don’t have to do that.” You waved your hand dismissively at the mess. “I can pick it up later.” Raising your hand out to him, you beckoned him towards you. “Besides, I have a different job for you.”

Wrecker swallowed as he moved around the counter and towards you. His hand slid into yours and he happily followed you towards the larger wall of fabric that spanned the length of the back of your shop. “How can I help?”

“Well, you can start by pushing me against this wall and kissing me.” You watched as he stared at you in surprise while squeezing your hand. A laugh left you as you quickly patted his hand. “I’m kidding. You’re not that lucky. Not yet at least.” He squeezed your hand once more, making another laugh leave you.

He smirked at your laugh. It reminded him of birdsong. “Not yet?” He hoped that meant what he thought it meant.

The way he smirked made your heart flutter. “Probably should know you for more than an hour before we do something like that.” Releasing his hand you moved closer to the wall and tilted your head back to locate the first bolt of fabric you’d need.

“So about two hours?” He watched as you placed your hands on your hips in thought. Oh, you had nice hips. He wondered how they’d feel in his large hands. To his delight, you laughed once more while looking over your shoulder at him.

“You’re really funny.” He sent you a happy smile making your cheeks flare. Was it wrong to want to just continue to hang out with him? He was funny and sweet and made you feel safe. Those arms of his looked like they could hold you in the warmest of bear hugs. But that would be wrong wouldn’t it? With a slightly sad sigh, you returned to the task at hand. “We should probably focus on getting back to the others.” Pointing up to a bolt of fabric, you smiled. “Can you use your exceptional height to grab that blue one? Careful, it’s a little heavy.”

Wrecker smirked as he easily reached up and pulled the fabric from its slot on the wall. “Don’t worry. Nothing is too heavy for me.” He easily adjusted the bolt onto his shoulder with one hand, a casual smile on his lips. “What other ones do I need to grab, sarad?”

Oh, so those muscles were for use and not just for show. “Sarad? What does that mean?” You moved down the wall and spotted another bolt you needed. Pointing to it, you watched as he easily strolled over and once more pulled it out with one hand and placed it on his shoulder. Your heart fluttered at how easily he threw his strength around.

“I’ll tell you next time we hang out. Give you something to look forward to.” He watched as your eyes went wide with excitement. If Crosshair was here he’d probably tell Wrecker that he was being smooth. But Wrecker just really wanted any reason to spend time with you again. He watched you bite your lip while a blush crept across your cheeks. Kriff you were cute. You pointed to another two bolts and he quickly pulled both of them. “Got anything heavier?”

“Let me see what I can find, strong man.” You moved around him and towards a different wall. Excited to see how much he really could hold.

-*-

An hour later the two of you returned to the top of the island. Wrecker easily carried two crates full of materials and supplies on his shoulders while you walked a few steps behind with a bag full of knitting needles, scissors, and other smaller supplies. Were you a few steps behind for any other reason? Of course not. Definitely not to enjoy the view of Wrecker carrying the crates. Nope, not at all. You definitely weren’t imagining him shirtless carrying the crates either, his muscles on full display and rippling while covered in sweat. Phew, you were starting to get thirsty.

Stopping in front of the large tree, you watched as he bent over and placed the crates down with ease. Damn, he looked good bending over too. Smiling, you walked next to him and placed the bag down on one of the crates. You placed your hand on his upper arm and squeezed gently. “Thanks for the help.”

Wrecker easily flexed his arm, making you giggle quietly. “No problem, Sarad. If you need help bringing them back down, let me know.”

“I will.” You heard your name called and looking over your shoulder towards the Archium, you realized Sue and Magda were staring straight at you with knowing smiles. “I should check on my group.” Wrecker nodded to you and you began to walk away. Stopping you turned back towards him. “If you ever get bored of the soldier's look, let me know. I’ll make you a new outfit.” His face lit up as you turned to walk away. Deciding to have a little more fun with him, you looked over your shoulder at him while pulling the clip out of your hair. Your locs fell free and with a mischievous smile, you made eye contact with him. “After all, I’m good at measuring.”

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#clone wars fic #the bad batch fic #clone wars #the bad batch #wrecker x you #wrecker x reader #tbb wrecker #wrecker tbb #bad batch wrecker #Spotify

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wydstepcat · 2 years ago

Text

Me venting a bit. (My personal experiences with Chiaki, and the fandom's perception of her.)

(Posted on Reddit as well, so my bad if some wording is a bit off.)

Hi everyone.

I wanted to make this post to let out some steam and to sort out my mind, and maybe some people here can relate/feel the same.

I want to start off by saying that in no way am i directly targeting someone with this post, or people who have some sort of differing opinion on her, you are allowed to dislike Chiaki, i just feel that the fandom is really downplaying her character.

Anyway, let's start with my initial reactions to Chiaki in both DR2 and DR3. My very first impressions of her was very... Eh. On the very surface to me she looked like a "waifubait" type character, really just made to make specific anime fans happy. I was wrong. I was SO wrong. Those feelings began to change around 2-4, when she became a lot more active and made her presence a lot more well known. The moment where i was like "Please don't die" was during the moment Chiaki convinced Hajime NOT to go in the final dead room.

It was also during those chapters where i started with her FTE's (although i was kinda late, and i never had the time to finish it). 2-5 was THE moment i shed my first tear in the series, the way they built it up, how the survivors reacted to it, Usami's last words, Sonia's Rebuttal Showdown. it became the most memorable moment in the series for me. And after finishing it a day later, 2-6 extended that.

So, great right? That alone gave me a pretty damn good reason to make her my favorite character just for memorability alone. a few days later i started watching DR3. I was already semi-spoiled by her fate thanks to youtube, but i never watched the full execution to keep that a surprise for me still, good lord, somehow DR3 EXPANDED everything i love about Chiaki and more. Her sense of acting more "human". her friendship with Hajime, and Chisa, just. All of it. And I KNEW the writers knew, which is why they gave her such a cruel fate.

So, those where my initial reactions of Chiaki, and after finishing V3 i was finally unshackled from the horror called spoilers. It was also around this time i started becoming an actual fan of the entire series in general. I made my DR oriented Twitter account, i joined r/danganronpa, and began reading fics (Extra Life is one of the best DR related fan projects i've ever read, seriously.)

But, something was off. It seems to me that a lot of people didn't share a lot of the same things i felt. Now of course, i'm fine with that you know? People have differing opinions so i don't expect everyone to feel the same as me, but some where like, outright hostile or completely slandering the character, like "Chiaki was meant for fans to masturbate over" or "DR3 Chiaki is a character that shouldn't even exist in concept", and even in appreciation posts she gets shit on in the comments. Which is like, so weird to me, a lot of attention was put into making Chiaki such a subtle character, from the way she was written in both DR2 and DR3.

I felt completely and utterly alone in this for a while, and it made me feel really sad. It was not too long after where i met some people on tumblr chat, i prefer to keep their names anonymous, but they as well felt very similar to the things i was feeling, and we started to talk more. I learned they had their own server to vent about stuff like this, and we've been talking a lot more since. One of them told me that around 2017, they outright ditched the entire fandom altogether, and really only talk DR with the people they know. The other has pretty much ditched reddit and moved on to other social media websites, deemed a lot safer to communicate Danganronpa with. I've talked with some artists as well, who weren't even aware this was "still" happening.

So, that begs the question. I've seen a LOT of people straight up hating her, even outside reddit. Why does she keep being so popular? If i'm right, r/ultimategamer has THE most members out of ANY DR Character, she was placed #2 at the official character poll, and probably even more that i forgot to mention.

Am i wrong about this? Do people really praise her for the character she is? It can't just be because of her looks right? There has to be more than that, right?

I left that subreddit yesterday. I decided that it does not offer any value to me other than the fact that Danganronpa Kirigiri got fully translated. And really, it feels like constant negativity and "unpopular opinions/tierlist" posts.

...That's all i wanted to say. I also want to make it clear that aside from SOME characters, I really like almost every single one lf them, flaws and all. I've become a lot more cynical on the franchise lately, like the negatives of DR3 overpowering the positives, and becoming a lot more hostile and negative as well. I hope that stepping away for a bit will improve it. I hope that anyone reading this felt some sort of relatability in regards to this, it would make me pretty happy to know I'm not alone in this.

#Chiaki Nanami #dr3 chiaki nanami #dr2 chiaki nanami #danganronpa 2 spoilers #danganronpa 3 spoilers #don't mind me too much #vent post

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fairys-dream · 1 year ago

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“Logan continues to use his senses instead of immediately jumping to conclusions, and ends up noticing some things about Creeds responses that he doesn’t quite believe he’s really picking up.”

chapter 2 is OUT!!!!!! its kinda short i knowww but its a segway into chapter 3 where (hopefully) gears will start actually moving ^^;

read it under the cut too if u want (im gonna start doing this w my fics from here on out)⤵️⤵️⤵️

For the rest of the mission, Logan found himself interpreting Creeds words and expressions in a new light.

Actually, it stopped him from getting sore with him more often than he normally would.

He’d feel the usual anger bubble instinctively inside him, but settle down after he took the time to assess the other feral’s true intent.

It was freaky.

And weird.

And a bit unsettling.

Hard for Logan’s mind to fully process.

Come on, it’s SABRETOOTH for cryin’ out loud! He’s still the same mean guy he’s always been.

But maybe he’s been a little hard on him-

No. He deserves it. He’s a damn full-blown psychopath. He’d kill me if given the opportunity, and I’d do just the same for him.

….did they really used to trust eachother?

Logan’s brain fought back and forth as he zoned out the chopper ride back to base after Wraith finally came to pick them up.

His mind went to one of the things North said while they were rescuing Cassidy, about Creed managing not to kill anyone. Normally he wouldn’t have ever thought to notice this, but as he went through his chaotic memories of the last few days, it seemed that under Logan’s order Creed hadn’t left as many people dead this time around.

And he suspected Mystique had also been secretly spared.

When they arrived back at base, Logan probed him about it.

“It ain’t like ya to leave a liability still breathin’.”

“Wasn’t a regular liability…”

The blonde looked away, a nervous expression on his face.

“…She’s ain't all bad.”

Logan could tell that Creed felt something for the shape-shifter. He wasn’t sure exactly what, but it was definitely something. It was hard to believe that the guy could harbor feelings like that for anything outside killing.

He let out a sigh.

“Alright, but if she comes messin’ around again, you're in charge of her.”

Creeds smile returned, looking relieved, and gave him a salute.

The salute seemed sarcastic, but to Logan’s surprise, was contained hints of seriousness.

But was definitely still mostly sarcastic.

That felt more like the Creed he knew.

————————————————

It had only been half an hour since returning, and they were already on their back and forth routine again, 2am post-mission meal forgotten in the midst of their bickering.

Smile still stuck to his stupid face, Creed taunted Logan with a snide remark.

And Logan, smirking, had said a particularly nasty threat in response.

Which caused Creeds smile to turn upwards into a wicked grin.

Except now, it lacked any malicious intent, so it wasn’t actually all that wicked.

Almost giddy?

Maybe even a little cute- nope, still Sabretooth.

Logan had to stop himself from hitting his head, having the urge to attack whatever part of his brain allowed for a thought like that to happen.

“Alright bub, I gotta clarify here ‘cause I think I’m goin’ a bit crazy- that look on yer face don’t mean you wanna slash my guts out?”

“Nah, not right now. Maybe later, though.”

Of course the thought of that would excite Creed. Logan already knew for a fact he enjoyed their brawls, that the other took some sick pleasure in seeing Logan’s animal side let loose. Like he felt pride or something for being the instigator of pushing him that far.

But he always wondered though…

“Do ya just like hurtin’ me? Or do ya also get off on the pain too?”

Somehow, Creeds smile got even wider.

“Take a guess.”

Judging by his state, probably yes to both.

“Perv.”

“Only fer you, runt. Nobody comes near as good as you do. Pain’s usually kinda annoying from anyone else, actually. ‘sides-“

Logan grunted as his already wild hair got messed up further by the taller man.

“I know you enjoy it too. That’s what makes it fun.”

He’d never admit it out loud, but the other feral had him pegged.

He hated how easily Creed could sense the things he tried so hard to keep hidden. Hated how he acted like he knew him.

And really hated how often he was right.

Logan grabbed the other’s wrist as it left his hair, quickly biting deep into his hand, enough to taste the metallic taste of blood on his tongue as he released him.

“OW- fuckin’ runt…”

Logan looked smugly up at him, licking the blood off his teeth as he grinned at him.

“What? Thought you liked it.”

Victor stared at him for a moment.

Then rubbed his bloody hand roughly over Logan’s face, smearing the blood onto him and chuckling.

Creed clearly wanted Logan to start the fight, and boy, he was gonna get it.

But soon after the first few pots and plates hit the kitchen floor, North appeared in the doorway.

“Creed, lay off it! It’s 2 in the fucking morning!”

“What?! The fuck ya’ yellin’ at me for?!”

Logan snikted his claw out from Creeds ribs, Creed grunting from the harsh removal.

“Yeah, real mature, Creed. People’ll are tryin’ to get their beauty sleep ‘round here, yknow.”

Creed glared down at Logan.

Before Logan could get a good read on that expression, it changed back to a grin, accompanied by a low husky chuckle.

“You better get some too, ‘cause we’re getting right back into this as soon as you wake up-“

Creed poked a finger against his chest-

“-runt.”

Logan couldn’t stop the slight blush from creeping up his face due to what his senses were picking up.

…. No, Creed felt like that about all acts of violence. Definitely got some perverse satisfaction outta it.

Yeah, thats all that was.

Creed grabbed his meal off the counter and turned to leave as North spoke up again, exhaustion clear in his tone.

“Can you schedule that till at least after 10? I’d really appreciate not having to deal with both your shit early on a Special Pass.”

“Sure, whatever, North.”

Right.

He totally forgot about the Pass.

Well, at least his other teammates would still be around.

God forbid he’d ever have to spend one of those with only Creed.

#sabrevine #sabretooth #wolverine #victor creed #logan howlett #team x #my writing #fanfic

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ofmermaidstories · 8 months ago

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Hii Mermie hii! 🥺 happy belated birthday 🎂🪅 im so sad I missed it! 😭 hope you had an amazing day, eat los of cake and had so many flowers! 🌸🌼🌺🌻⚘ im so behind everything, havent read your latest story but by the looks of it im gonna cry! AND I spent a lot of time trying to gather my thoughts from SJLT to send to you, and the time passed, but let me tell you, I didn't expect the route you went for at all! like if I had a feeling what would you do, I was wrong in a very interesting, adventurous way... I cry almost the entire chapter, reader was so fearless, helping in what she could, Deku trying to save, and save her and Bakugou (😭😭😭) and the quirk! and how reader and Dwku were apart for almost 2 YEARS!!!! how could you! (in a good way), the damn fish, Mineta! Deku got to recover from his arm surrounded by experts and readers life had to go on, and I loved how she had that time to healed, learn, do what she wanted for herself, go on vacation, be with family 😭😭😭😭😭 it was really very bittersweet, but im so happy they earn they're happiness, and that at last they got to found each other again ❤ can't wait for the conclusion with Todoroki, I know that we'll get more info of the story in there, thank you for your words, your talent in them and how you make me feel o lot of things.

Pd: feel like this is not even close to everything that I felt while reading it but ugh I had to send you this anyway ! 💖💖💖

(a note: it’s not my birthday, i’m just answering this incredibly late :’))

psi. 💕 were you very surprised by the heel turn?? i have to admit, being in my own head like i was while plotting, it didn’t occur to me while writing it that our little detour during the ending would be—unexpected!! the trilogy has always been about the long game, so i’d definitely been looking at it from an over-arching angle. 🥹 shouto’s fic ends around the same time as deku’s! they go hand in hand, so while deku and scribbles have to deal with being on opposite sides of the planet (standing on opposite sides of a river of stars), shouto and his reader will be in the thick of things. 🥹 but i think deku and scribbles needed the time they had to heal. 🥺 they both went through so much.

psi!!!! thank-you so much for being apart of the fic while it was updating, and being there for the end. 🥹 your sweet messages have always meant to so much to me, as has your patience. i know you’ve found new stories to fall in love with, by now, and new adventures for the anime boyfriends you love to go on, but i want you to know that i’m always—then, now and still—so glad that you found these ones. 🥹 thank-you so much psi, always and always. 🌷🌾🎐💕

#ofmermaidstories-asks #i hope you’re having a good day when you see this psi 💕#i’m kicking myself because somehow i thought i had answered it already 💀#mer-spoils-everything

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catwings-writes-things · 1 year ago

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For the ao3 wrapped: 3, 6, 16, 29

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Surprising no one, I'm gonna have to say A World of His Own. Before this year I'd never written anything (I do mean anything--no fanfic, original fiction, essays, nothing) longer than around 15,000 words. Now I have an in-progress fic with a single coherent storyline that's over 100,000 words long and nowhere near done. Some of the chapters are longer than 15,000 words. And not only that, but I'm really proud of the writing and the characterization. The Jailbreak Squad have taken over my brain and I have no objections whatsoever.

6. Favorite title you used?

De Humani Corporis Fabrica--Latin for "On the Fabric of the Human Body"--is the title of the best-known anatomy text by Andreas Vesalius, a Rennaissance anatomist and pioneer of human dissection, which at the time was considered taboo. As such, most anatomical knowledge came from dissections of animals, inspection of traumatic injuries, and conventional wisdom from earlier anatomists who had largely been working under the same restrictions. Vesalius was both sufficiently dedicated to his pursuit of accurate anatomical knowledge and sufficiently unbothered by other people's opinions as to cut bodies down from the gallows after public executions (sometimes having to fight stray dogs for them) and take them home to study, even allowing them to decompose in his living space to get at the bones once he'd learned all he could from the soft tissue. (He was also my first historical friend-crush, which probably tells you quite a bit about me, although perhaps not much to which my fic wouldn't tip you off.) De Humani Corporis Fabrica is his masterwork, illustrating what he'd learned with intricate drawings of bodies in various lifelike poses and states of dissection.

Needless to say, Andreas Vesalius was a Flesh avatar if ever there was one, not to mention probably autistic AF, and De Humani Corporis Fabrica seems as good a candidate as any for a Leitner. So when I set out to write a fic featuring late human-era Mike Crew nearly working himself to death in an extended burst of autistic hyperfocus and Angela the Flesh avatar trying to both help him deal with the immediate fallout and convince him that bodies have limits and he needs to treat his with more respect if it's going to last long enough to get him wherever he's going, using "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" as the title seemed pretty damn perfect.

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Families of Choice, which is the canonical tag on AO3 for the concept I've mostly heard referred to as "found family." It's specifically tagged on three of the seven fics I've posted this year (that number is misleading, due to my aforementioned longfic), but it could or should have been tagged on six of them. ("Fix-It," "Temporary Character Death," "Complicated Relationships," and "Twisted and Fluffy Feelings" appear on two fics apiece, which probably also gives some relevant information. Especially that last one.)

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Honestly, I can't decide. I've been proud of so many things I've written this year that I really can't narrow it down--which is a good problem to have! If it helps, after I post chapter ten, I think I'm going to make a "pick your favorite bit of out-of-context A World of His Own dialog" poll--each option a line spoken by a different character.

Okay, never mind. I found a favorite. From Chapter 2 of A World of His Own:

“I can't... sit and watch television with you,” Helen finally said, almost a snap. “It won’t work.” She gestured at herself, head to feet. “This isn't even a real body. It's more of a... concept.” “Well,” said Harriet mildly. “Sit the concept of your butt down and let us introduce you to The Twilight Zone.”

Thank you so much for the ask, anonymous friend! I hope you have a great day!

#asks and answers #anonymous #the jailbreak squad #fic: a world of his own #ao3 wrapped writers edition

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ashrillvenheim · 2 years ago

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Awakening Past

Chapter 8 (part II)(divided in 2 because it was too long for Tumblr XD)

Quick note: The songs I use on this chapter and will use in future ones might not be set chronologically with the Fic's story date, but don't mind it, please

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR or feel uncomfortable with any of these genres or ships, please DON'T keep reading, thank you.

Archive of our own / WORK LIST / Awakening Past Masterlist

prev/next

The warm breeze ruffled Ashley's blonde hair. She looked up with saucer-like eyes at the agent, who slid the keys into the bike. The woman looked at the machine, a Yamaha, a model that within the modern possessed classic features.

Ashley gave him a puzzled look.

“ But when…”

Leon held out his helmet and swung his leg over the seat. He sat down gently and the way the bike slowly gave way under his weight almost seemed...sensual.

" Ashley Graham focus for God's sake."

“ I already had it purchased, but after moving here I couldn't go pick it up and asked for it to be brought to a nearby dealership.”

“ That was your errand the other day?”

The smile widened on her full lips.

“ Yep.”

Ashley stood with the helmet in her hands, still staring in disbelief, staring at the powerful machine and its driver, hopelessly.

“ Hey” Ashley raised her eyes, snapping out of her thoughts, but unable to help but notice how the T-shirt tightened around Leon's chest. “ Are you going to get on, or are you going to stare at me all night?”

Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

“ I wasn't looking at you.”

The way Leon cocked his head to one side with that seductive smile was something her heart wasn't prepared for and a violent shiver ran through her entire body.

" Damn you Kennedy, you and your fucking smile." she thought, looking away and focusing on unbuckling the helmet.

“ One of these days your ego is going to eat you up.” Ashley mumbled tucking her hair behind her ears. Leon snorted a chuckle, still with that mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“ Well, that's what I have you for, isn't it?” the mocking tone in his words made her raise her amber eyes at him.

“ To tell you that you're a jerk?”

“ To hit me if I go too far.”

This time it was Ashley who gave him the same mocking gesture on her lips.

“ You'd enjoy it too much if I did.”

They both laughed and Ashley put on her helmet and then pulled the footrests out of the back. Leon adjusted his and held the handlebars. He felt her hand on his shoulder and how she subtly leaned in so she could climb on. His grip tightened for a second as he felt her body against his, being embraced by her legs and the warmth of her torso.

It's a good thing he was wearing a helmet because he was sure his ears were red.

“ Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?" the agent asked, warming up the engine and removing the leg that held it.

“ Yes, but I don't see where I can gra-”

The bike jerked and Ashley screamed, clinging tightly to the body between her legs.

“ LEON!!!” she heard the muffled laughter of the agent and slapped him on the chest in protest. She settled into the seat before they pulled out onto the general road and then clung to him tightly. She slipped her arms around his waist and her heart raced slightly. She had a sense of déjà vu.

“ No water this time if you fall, so hold on tight.” She heard Leon's head cocked toward her. Ashley was silent for a few seconds, remembering that path in the middle of the sea when she thought she wouldn't make it out of there.

“ Ash, are you all right? “ Leon's concerned tone reached her, aware that she hadn't responded.

“ As long as you're not driving like an animal, that's good enough for me.”

“ And I thought you liked strong emotions.”

The soft chuckle reached Leon like a caress.

“ What I like is to stay in one piece.”

“ No promises.” he laughed, turning the corner.

For a good while they said nothing, just enjoyed the night breeze, but deep down neither of them was able to focus.

Leon sighed as he felt Ashley's hands shift at his waist, sometimes running her fingers up his torso to get his jacket just right.

He could feel her chest against his back, warm and... soft. A part of him was fighting against all this closeness that he shouldn't have, but he wanted to stop caring so much. He was at ease after all and it all made him feel calm, that was enough for him.

The rest of the feelings...

“ It's that exit.” Ashley's sudden voice made his blue eyes focus on the road sign. He slowed down and took the turnoff. Ashley squeezed her legs together and followed Leon's body as he leaned the bike into a sharp turn.

Ashley's head was still at home the moment Leon lifted his eyes from her dogs to look at her. She saw his lips part subtly in surprise as his eyelids fluttered open wider. The way he looked her up and down,...how he had slid his pupils up her legs, analyzing her bare belly and lingering a few seconds on her top. The black fabric that made her chest transparent formed a V below her sternum, softly drawing the shadow of her breasts.

And she knew that Leon had looked at them because she saw his irises pass from right to left slowly as if he had tried to memorize the curves of her body.

It had been the first time he had ever looked at her like that.

She reconsidered for a few seconds.

No, it wasn't the first time.

She had seen that expression in his eyes before, years ago, when they had escaped from the first Garrador... when they had locked themselves in that tiny room. Would Leon remember it too? Had he decided to keep the memories of their times together to appease his nightmares just as she did?

Ashley may not have known, but the answer was yes, and those memories for Leon had only been magnified since his accident a year and a half ago in Spain. When he'd been found delirious from fever and dehydration. Leon remembered dreaming of her, in her voice softly humming a song, as she had done in quarantine. He dreamed that she encouraged him not to give up, that it wasn't his time, that he still had a promise to keep.

He was sure those dreams helped keep him from flagging so soon.

They took a route with less traffic and pulled out onto an empty road. Leon wiggled his fingers on the handlebars and gave a throttle. Ashley exclaimed, holding on tight and watching the trees speed past. The wind was hitting her body and she felt a tingle run through her entire body. She couldn't help it and a giggle started to come out of her. She lifted her head over Leon's shoulder and laughed.

Leon did the same with her as he returned to a moderate speed.

“ We could have more bike rides!” she exclaimed into the wind.

“ Anytime you want and as many as you want princess!” he replied with his heart racing with adrenaline.

How he had missed that feeling, the thrill of life.

Speeding down an empty road, screaming into the wind, throwing himself into the water from a height, running in the rain...feeling alive.

The laughter behind him made him feel all that and for a moment, an instant, he wished it would never end, that time would stop and they would both get lost on the road.

He wanted to enjoy that night as Leon, not as Agent Kennedy.

“ By the way.” the soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and he braked at a red light. “Only Emily knows about what really happened in Spain. She's working her way into Human Resources at the DSO as a psychologist.”

“ Following in her mother's footsteps, huh?” Leon let go of the handlebars to stand up straight and stretch his back. Ashley pulled away so he could do so and they both felt cold all at once.

“ She was the one who helped me in Boston.” Ashley added, looking around.

There wasn't a soul around and it was starting to get dark. Her body tensed unconsciously and she subtly lifted the helmet screen to smell her surroundings. She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her thigh.

“ Are you all right?” she could see that Leon was also looking at his surroundings, and had unconsciously brought his palm to her leg. She smiled and rested her fingers on the back of his gloved hand.

“ Yes, I guess some habits just won't go away, won't they?"

Leon smiled and couldn't help but give her leg a squeeze before pulling away again. Who knows, maybe they could talk about more today.

Emily had to look underground to have found that place. Ashley had to call Casey and follow her directions in order to find the club. They entered through several alleys heading towards the river until they came to an interior courtyard.

The facade was wooden, typical of an English pub, but with the addition of a cafe. The two approached the entrance, listening to the soft music inside. Ashley turned to Leon with a worried look and he smiled at her.

“ I'll be fine, besides, I could ask you the same thing, all the smells come together here.”

Ashley gently pushed the agent's shoulder.

“ I'm tougher than you think.”

Leon made that characteristic grimace of his and opened the door chivalrously.

“ I won't keep Her Majesty waiting then.”

She rolled her eyes unable to contain a giggle and entered.

The small hall led to the main bar with a few small tables near the entrance glass, then extended to the back, to a room with more reserved spaces and a small stage to one side. It seemed that they held karaoke sessions or competitions in which they encouraged customers to take part. Leon watched the whole place as he walked past Ashley. She smiled seeing his "agent mode" activated and let him lead her to the back room, where voices called out to them.

Emily, Sergio, John and Casey were sitting in a corner with their circular couch.

Leon relaxed and let Ashley pass. The four of them moved a little to the side, but Casey stopped the blonde before she sat down.

“ Well, well, that's not bad.” She motioned for her to take off her jacket and do a turn around on herself. Ashley sighed and did as she asked.

Leon tried to look away, but his eyes escaped to that bare waist for an instant.

“ You look amazing.” Sergio then said.

Leon turned around surprised to hear him speak in Spanish.

“ Thank you very much, I didn't know if it would still fit.” Ashley replied.

The agent laughed helplessly, drawing Graham's attention.

“ And you know Spanish too?”

Ashley smiled and sat down.

“ I had studied it in high school, but I didn't have anyone to speak it with and when I came back from Europe I met Sergio, who is from Spain. I really like languages.”

The news surprised Leon anyway. He looked back one last time before taking off his jacket under the watchful eye of caramel eyes.

Emily watched the agent and the blonde, whom she saw glancingly sniffing at blue eyes.

Leon's muscles tensed as he pulled the jacket aside and made sure the small gun remained hidden in the holster on the inside of his garment.

He slid in beside Ashley and rested his strong forearms on the table, being followed by folded hands in front of him.

“ So you are Leon Kennedy.” the man looked at the young woman.

“ And you will be the famous Emily, Catherine Connors' daughter.”

Emily arched an eyebrow.

“ Do you know my mother?”

Leon denied.

“ I've only heard her name at the office.”

“ Do you work at the same place?” Casey looked curious.

"Only Emily knows about DSO and Spain" she recalled Ashley's words.

“ No, but she has provided services to my company.”

Casey leaned across the table.

“ And what is your line of work?”

“ Security.”

“ Do you work for the president?”

Ashley looked at Leon but the man's calm face let her know that he had done this at least a million times.

“ I'm hired for security for people who have contact with the president, in this case as a bodyguard.”

“ I see.” Casey nodded, satisfied with the answer.

“ What kind of trouble has she gotten you into already?” Sergio smiled at Leon, referring to Ashley. The man let out a soft chuckle.

“ I think I'm giving her more trouble than I'm giving her solutions.” He turned to look at Ashley, who sighed.

“ He's got half the university licking the ground he walks on. Even Carla made him one of her "offers".”

Leon watched as the four of them grunted at the name.

“ Really Ashi, I don't know how you haven't punched her already. “ Casey mumbled, looking at the bar's drink list.

Graham pinched the bridge of her nose.

“ I almost did, but all I need is for her father to accuse mine of having a violent daughter in one of his speeches.”

“ I can always be the one to make her disappear.” Leon joked, grabbing another menu. “ I have to admit that you and your father have enormous patience.”

“ Are you usually with William?” Jonh spoke up for the first time in the entire conversation.

“ My colleagues and I usually attend some meetings so that there are no altercations.”

“ Have there ever been?” Casey asked.

Leon denied.

“ As I said, he has infinite patience and sometimes I've had to restrain myself from hitting some idiot who insulted him.”

“ My mother has mentioned to me on an occasion that he seems too nice.” Emily said, earning a laugh from Ashley.

“ I still remember what Catherine said to me in one of our first sessions, quote, William and Ashley Graham, you say you are different, but you are two sides of the same coin.”

“ Until you see that Mr. Graham's pulling people's legs is worse.”

Ashley turned to Leon and Emily laughed.

“ Has he played any of his bad jokes on you?”

Leon sighed, running his fingers through his silky hair.

“ One day he woke up wanting to pull that one of the glass of water over the door on Patrick and me.”

Ashley looked at him, unable to believe her father had done that to her.

“ What happened?” the blonde whispered curiously. He smiled at her.

“ Clearly Patrick fell for it, you have to do better than that to get me.”

The four of them laughed as they saw Ashley's face turn red with embarrassment and sink into her hands. Leon watched them all subtly.

They seemed like good people, they treated Ashley normally even though she was the president's daughter. He glanced sideways at his protégé, who seemed to enjoy their company.

If Ashley trusted them, so could he.

“ Let me see.” fingers touched the edge of his menu and a delicious cherry and lemon fragrance came to him. Leon moved his arm out of the way between them, so Ashley could keep an eye on the menu.

“ I wonder if they'll make burnt meatballs?” she whispered just for Leon, accompanied by a tiny playful giggle. He gave her a puzzled look.

“ How much longer are you going to keep that up?”

“ Until you make some decent ones, third time's the charm, right? I know you've burned them again.”

The man's blue eyes looked at her in astonishment, then sighed in exasperation.

This time the urge to challenge her took control of his reasoning. He leaned back slightly on the couch, stretching his arm behind Ashley's seat. He cocked his head to one side with one of those smiles, one of the most devilish ones he'd sketched so far and Ashley's alarms went off. She leaned in softly and leaned closer to hear what he was saying.

“ Well, if we have those, next time you watch a movie that's a little too spicy, remember to turn the volume down.”

It took Ashley a while to process what she had just heard, but when she did her muscles tensed and her face began to burn. Her heart picked up its pace and pounded against her chest causing a nervous exhale to escape from between her lips. Suddenly she stopped hearing the music with the rumbling of her heartbeat.

Every time she had seen a movie with sexual scenes he had heard it? Why hadn't he told her about it before, she thought, she turned the volume down just enough so she wouldn't disturb him and she could hear the dialogue. She turned to him silently and when she saw that devilish smile still on his lips she simply could not. Those sapphire eyes twinkled mischievously, darkened by the atmosphere.

They looked more dangerous.

Once. Only once she had seen that expression.

Two and a half years ago, when they'd been locked in a cellar and he'd wiped the blood from her face.

When he put his fingers on her lips.

When he looked at her like a hungry wolf.

She averted his eyes and violently pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

“ What are you having for dinner? I'll take care of the ordering.”

The four of them turned to look at her and began to write down. Ashley stared at the screen as if her life depended on it. She tried to calm her heartbeat, but it was impossible.

She didn't want to raise her head, not if she wanted to avoid meeting his eyes. Why was that happening to her? Why did he manage to break her composure so easily? Her nerves made her feel his cologne and his warmth even more intensely next to her.

" Calm down Ashley, it was just a joke, calm down."

She took a deep breath in a new attempt to calm down.

“ For me the classic, this one right here.” the deep voice of the agent sounded next to her pointing to a number on the menu and shocking the woman. Ashley focused as best she could jotting down the last orders and got up. Leon stepped out from around the corner to let her pass, but didn't join her, he watched her reach the edge of the bar where she began talking to the bartender.

“ Well, well.” An amused tone of voice caught his attention, turning to his interlocutor's caramel eyes. “ So, Ashley's bodyguard.”

Leon leaned back on the couch with a little more seriousness.

“ Are you worried?” he asked with a faint smile.

“ It depends, should I?” her eyes bored into his oceans. “ You seem very familiar with her.

“ We've met before, of course I'm familiar.” he glanced over to the bar again, where Ashley was still talking to the bartender.

Emily rested her chin on the back of her hand and Leon felt a strange sensation as if analyzing him.

“ A lot she has to trust you to give you her bracelet, then.”

Leon didn't blink. He felt the weight of the metal on his wrist more accentuated, but he didn't hesitate.

“ Can I assume you don't trust me? - he asked calmly. Emily didn't flinch.”

“ Let's just say that as a friend I care, as a psychologist I like to know what kind of influence you bring to her.”

Casey hissed.

“ Be careful," she warned the agent. “ She's gone into hunting mode.”

Leon looked at the copper blonde for a second and then straightened up to rest his forearms on the table, staring at the woman in front of him.

“ Sounds reasonable to me, do you want to interrogate me?” he smiled.

“ Only if you are willing to answer me.”

Leon locked his gaze and Emily held it without hesitation. He could see the fierceness in those irises, and the fact that none of the others had said anything meant they were okay with this. He took a calming breath. He sensed no hostility from them, only concern, the same concern he felt when they entered Ashley's house.

“ Okay, shoot.”

“ Age and birthday.”

Leon blinked in puzzlement and looked at them incredulously.

“ Is that relevant?”

“ Details, nothing more.” grinned Emily teasingly, eliciting a chuckle from the agent.

“ 29, December 20th.”

Emily emitted an "hmn" in affirmation and continued.

“ When did you meet her?”

Leon reminisced, trying to be as accurate as possible.

“ A little over two and a half years ago, in December 2004.” He saw in the brunette's expression that she wanted a more detailed description. “ I was hired to accompany her to Europe for her treatment and I was with her for two months, until she returned to Boston to continue her studies.”

“ Two months and she gives you the bracelet her mother gave her?”

“ Believe me when I tell you that even I couldn't understand it, but I couldn't say no to her.

John let out a low chuckle.

“ No one can beat her for stubbornness.” He paused to look at Emily and again at Leon. “Look Mr. Kennedy.”

“ Please” Leon's raised hand stopped him “ call me Leon, I only have a few years on you.”

“ Leon," he corrected, “ Casey, Sergio and I know that Ashley hasn't told us the whole truth about Europe.” Emily turned to him perplexed. “ Come on Ems, you are the daughter of Ashley's psychologist and you started hanging out with her to keep an eye on her, we know she told you what really happened or you have an idea. That scar on her back is a tear and not an operation scar, we know she has a lot of monsters, but she tries not to show them.” He turned again to Leon. “ We don't want you to tell us what happened, we just want to know if we can put our trust in you, just like Ashley in us.”

The agent looked at John's sky irises, so sincere and honest. So far he had proven to be a rather quiet person and for him to say those words had surprised both Leon, and Emily.

Kennedy sighed and interlaced her fingers, now ungloved, for dinner.

“ It's true that we weren't together very long, but in that period we became close. I know it's not the most appropriate relationship between a guard and it's client, but what happened in Europe meant that I had to become friends with her.” He lowered his sapphire gaze to the bracelet. “ I stood by her side when no one else could and not just because it was my job, but because I went through something similar and I didn't want her to feel alone. I guess I tend to empathize too much, but I'm glad when I see them make it through.” He looked back toward the bar, where Ashley was finishing up. “ I'm glad to see how much she's improved and all I can do is give her my full support.”

The five of them were silent and Emily looked at the agent who turned back to them.

“ Do I look sincere enough to you?”

Ashley returned to the table and found Emily and Leon staring at each other. She arched her eyebrows.

“ Did I miss something?”

Emily took a moment, then smiled at her friend.

“ We were proposing options to Leon to get rid of Carla, but he has much more imagination than we do.”

Ashley looked at them but didn't ask. She knew it wasn't true, but she didn't want to probe, it was Emily and she had been expected to ask Leon things.

She just hoped she hadn't put him in a compromising situation.

“ Okay, I don't want to know what he told you guys.”

Leon leaned back in the seat with a smile.

“ Are you sure? I have some pretty juicy ideas.”

Ashley rolled her eyes.

“ No thanks, come on, move your ass.” She motioned to him and Leon responded without complaint, letting her pass. The chat was pleasant, everyone laughed and Ashley felt the nerves she had been building up slowly fade away.

It had been a long time since she had been out with people, so she was getting used to being around people and Leon wasn't helping.

She felt his warmth, his smell washed over her like a wave and every time he stretched across the table to reach for something and their bodies brushed, butterflies fluttered through her stomach. Maybe it was the beer, she hadn't had a drink in a while, though she'd only had two. Leon refrained after his one drink, as he had to drive, and focused on his plate.

But even he was distracted.

The music was subtle, they didn't have to raise their voices to have a conversation. He may have had to focus a little, but he could hear the heartbeat of the woman next to him. Until he reached a point where he was no longer listening to her heart, but to her voice.

The soft sighs, the small shy giggles that only he perceived, the tiny exhalations when he brought his body closer to her...

Everything was sharpened and he was finding it hard to focus on anything else.

You know when the brain decides to produce fleeting and inopportune thoughts...sometimes they could be images, witticisms or questions and his head, for some reason, decided to propel one at him, wondering what her panting would sound like in the room?

He coughed loudly as he choked on the water drawing the attention of the diners. Ashley was quick to pat him on the back.

“ Are you all right?” she asked pushing away the glass he'd left on the edge of the table.

He raised his blue eyes at her, only to avert them with reddened ears.

“ Yeah relax, your sense of humor is too much for a mortal like me.” he joked slyly. Ashley tapped him indignantly on the shoulder, only to refill his glass again.

He had only had one glass of wine, why was he acting like he was drunk?

The door bell rang and his blue eyes traveled over each of the newcomers, analyzing them up and down. He saw nothing, simple college students on a Saturday night.

His muscles calmed and he relaxed in the seat, but Ashley sensed the gesture and turned to look at him with a smile.

“ Are you all right?” her amber orbs stared at him, but when they met his azure ones, neither of them could maintain eye contact.

“ That's my line princess, are you really okay with so many people?”

She smiled.

“ Yes, I'm used to it.” She took the last sip of her drink under the agent's watchful eye.

“ Aren't you drinking too much? I remind you that we came on a motorcycle.”

She denied, still smiling.

“ I'm fine, this is the last one, I'm not going to drink anymore.”

A sharp beep startled them and they both stood on guard like predators, something that did not go unnoticed in Emily's eyes.

“ Good evening everyone, are you ready for karaoke?” a man on the small stage caught the attention of several enthusiasts at the tables.

“ Who's going to be the first to start the night?”

A few hands went up in the background and two guys came out on the small stage, being applauded by the rest of the tables.

The atmosphere was pleasant, the music enveloped the place softly and laughter brightened the atmosphere. The duet laughed as they tried to coordinate the choruses. They weren't singing badly, but Ashley was sure they had a few too many drinks. She wiped her lips and pushed her plate away to sigh, feeling the tension in her shoulders soften. She laughed out loud at a joke from Sergio and heard Leon ask his friend.

“ Hey and how did you guys meet in Boston?”

Sergio set out to give a brief summary.

“ Emily and Ashley met because of the situation with her mother Catherine. John and I were already friends and we met Ashley when she started coming to college. Casey was an acquaintance from our class, so we all started hanging out and so far.”

“ That was the blandest summary I've ever heard.” Casey sighed making Leon look at her. “Sergio jumped on Ashley when he heard her sing once and asked her to be the voice on some songs he and John wrote. Ashley at first refused so I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

“ Casey, you locked us in the audiovisual room.” Ashley growled.

“ And how well did that go?”

The blonde rolled her eyes.

“ I almost had an anxiety attack, is that good?”

“ Well, a little hiccup, but look at you now, you have a blog with some beautiful songs.” She paused, and then her eyes fell on the presenter as he took the microphone again. “ It's been a while since I've heard you sing and rave.”

Ashley picked up on Casey's playful tone and frowned subtly.

“ Who wants to go next?”

The copper blonde's smile turned mischievous and Ashley's eyes widened.

“ Don't even thi-”

“ Here!!!” she pointed at Graham a little too enthusiastically, drawing attention to the stage. Ashley produced an inward squeal as her face reddened and she heard Leon's snicker.

“ We have another candidate!

Ashley waved her hands, but Casey jumped out of her seat to drag her away.

“ Oh! come on Ashy! For karaoke nights!”

The blonde turned to Leon.

“ Please save me.”

Aaaaaaaand that lopsided smile reappeared on his seductive lips.

“ I remember you told me that one day you would sing live for me.”

The woman's eyes couldn't open any wider, when had she...?

Oh, during the quarantine. So when he wanted to, he did remember things.

“ Are you going to make me sing too?” she murmured so that only he could hear her. Leon knew Ashley would say no if she really didn't want to, he could see it in her eyes, but that didn't stop him from being a little cheeky with her.

“ Would you do it for me?”

Her cheeks reddened more.

“ Promise not to laugh?” she whispered even lower.

“ You know I would never do that princess.”

And it was true. She knew that if she really didn't want to, he wouldn't make her, maybe she just needed a little push.

" Okay," she sighed. Casey hopped on the spot, letting go and pulling out her cell phone. “What are you looking for?”

“ I want this song. “ she showed him the screen, reading "Dead Man's arms" by Bishop Briggs.”

“ But you've already heard me sing it.”

Casey shook her head.

“ You sang it with me in the car, not on stage.” she gave her a warm smile. “Eat up the audience.”

Ashley let out a surrendered chuckle and walked toward the small wooden stage. The bartender held out the mic and searched for the song. Ashley gripped the metal handle tightly, took a deep breath, and raised her amber eyes.

The tables in front of the stage were full of curious stares and a tingle ran through her stomach.

Fear?

No... excitement.

Her heart was running the marathon as the music began to play in the background. She raised her eyes to her friends and the man's smile made her shiver.

It looked like it was her turn to show off.

Leon felt a shiver run down his spine when the first notes came out of Ashley's mouth. A strong, determined voice, something that contrasted with her nervous body.

The bass resonated and the rumble of the refrain soon began to echo to anyone who looked at her.

As the song became more intense, the woman's body let loose to the sound of the deep synthesizers, letting a wilder aura take possession of her body. Those closer to the stage began to feel the groove Ashley radiated.

A pair of blue eyes could only follow the movement of her body, the way the muscles in her neck tensed as she sang and her blonde hair tousled with the movement. The light enhanced her sensual black-clad figure and made the aquamarine stone on her arm sparkle.

Everything about her shimmered and then the song broke, causing the last chorus to enter everyone.

Leon's whole body vibrated and resonated wildly like a hurricane. When she broke the melody with a raspy voice, he felt his hair stand on end and his heart racing, pounding in his chest. His pupils subtly dilated and he had to part his lips to let out an exhalation.

He watched as she let her body sway to the bass, moving her hands and shoulders to a more hip-hop beat. He sketched a smile inwardly at the sight of the president's daughter moving and singing in that memorable way.

Everything about her stuck with him. Every gasp and exhale released.

The audience pounded the tables with the rumble and raised and lowered their heads with synchronized applause. Even he found himself tapping his foot softly on the floor and subtly cocking his head to the rhythm of the refrain.

Ashley tossed his hair back raising the notes and exclaiming into the air amidst whistles and shouts.

A tiger on stage roaring free.

Her golden eyes glistened in the spotlight, surrounded by gorgeous cheeks flushed with excitement and perhaps from the third beer she had drunk just before. Leon noticed himself moving his lips in the chorus, following her just as they did in the car on the way back from visiting Victor.

His shivers stopped as the song was ending and Ashley was calming down, relaxing her body and dragging out the last few notes, to a murmur in the air, followed by a brief silence.

Whistles broke and screams echoed throughout the bar. Ashley bounced for a moment, tensing up, then smiled dazzlingly and curtsied. She handed the bartender the mic and hurriedly walked to her table, receiving the occasional compliment from others.

“ Happy?” her voice was breathy and Leon could sense her hands trembling slightly. Casey nodded euphorically and went to give him a hug when she gave her a look, causing her to rethink her action.

“ I'm going out for a bit.” she announced grabbing her glass. Leon got up shortly after and calmly followed her.

Ashley stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the river, where the soft spring breeze ruffled her hair as she rested her forearms on the stone wall. The cool surface made her sigh for a second and she caught a pleasant scent. The aroma was accentuated next to her and a strong figure leaned his waist against the stone.

He said nothing, just let her know he was there. Ashley watched the rippling shape of the water, deep in thought, as her lips moved unconsciously.

“ There are times when I get a little overwhelmed.” the man beside her listened attentively. “It's not at all as distressing as before, but feeling so many eyes on me, the shouting... I like to sing for people, but it's not something I usually do. Sometimes I need to be left alone on a couch, just…”

“ Listening to your own heartbeat and taking deep breaths.” the deep voice made her turn to him. It was a low tone, much more like when one was freshly awake.

Leon turned and propped his arms up like Ashley, holding his non-alcoholic drink. Their eyes met and this time they felt no shame or need to look away. Ashley lost herself in his azure irises just as he lost himself in her gold ones and wanted to return some of his teasings.

The woman smiled and took a sip of water.

“ You know," she began in a soft, innocent voice. “ There is a person who often says these things to me.” The agent looked at her in confusion. “ His name is Leon, he's my bodyguard, but don't tell anyone, it's a secret.”

Was she drunk? Leon stared at her.

She might be, but she was moving normally, her voice wasn't wavering... no indication of someone intoxicated, but that look... those flushed cheeks...

Maybe she wasn't, maybe she was just playing.

But he liked to play too and fell under the spell of those full lips that whispered his name.

“ Maybe I know him.” he grinned mischievously. “ What's he like?”

Ashley gave a mischievous smile and looked straight ahead.

“ He's very handsome, he looks like a Michelangelo sculpture. He's got half the university drooling.” Leon felt heat in his cheeks at such flattery. “ He has hair that makes me envious and a devilish smile. Sometimes I feel like slapping him in the face, he has a terrible ego and feeds on making fun of me. Sometimes he is a jerk, don't let those incredible blue eyes fool you, they are the weapons the devil gave him so I can't say NO when he looks at me with puppy eyes. At other times he is very serious and at others, he seems to have the mentality of a teenager. Many times I have felt like tying him up with a gag. That's my bodyguard.”

Leon looked at her in bewilderment, unable to believe everything she had told him while he was present, and without remedy, he let out a chuckle.

“ He looks more like a walking pain in the ass, don't you get tired of him?”

That smile left him speechless, the way her lips curved in that subtle gesture that he found so dazzling.

“ Even if he's unbearable at times, that's part of what makes him so... him. He put up with me when no one else would give a shit about me. He didn't shut me out or give me a single bad word, so I feel like all that raging is a small compensation for everything he did for me. Also, without his stupid humor, he wouldn't be Leon Kennedy, because everything I've told you is what defines him and that's why he's so loved.”

He felt his pulse violently, sensing his heart pumping blood with a force that almost hurt. Those words touched every cell of his being, feeling the appreciation in every letter she had spoken.

He was a person who didn't usually talk about himself, even with people he knew, sometimes it was hard for him, but... in those moments, those instants when someone's words reached him so sincerely, that was when he felt most vulnerable.

And he couldn't help but look at the river with a smile, as his lips uttered words that perhaps he shouldn't have.

“ Well, I know a woman. We met for the first time over two and a half years ago and I thought I'd run out of my name. She couldn't fight, had trouble running for long periods of time, was blocked in the face of fear, and cried my name when I disappeared for too long.” He looked sideways at the blonde, who seemed to be embarrassed by those statements. “ but today I saw her up on stage, singing.” he let the words come out without thinking. “ Did you see her? Because I saw a new woman. I could never have imagined that she could change so much. She's become a beautiful girl, she's not running from fear anymore and she's not going to let them walk all over her and you don't know how proud I am. Just seeing her in there has let me know that all the hardships we went through were worth it. That what I do is worth it.”

He turned his blue eyes towards her and saw her face flush up to her ears. Ashley felt shivers run down her spine again and every word sent shivers down her spine.

He never spoke that way, only in his most delicate moments and so she felt his words like caresses.

She took a nervous breath and sketched a teasing smile, trying to camouflage her uneasiness.

“ I didn't know you had such a romantic way with words.” she joked, pausing, running her fingertips along the rim of her glass. “ Do you really think so?”

“ You know I wouldn't tell you something if I didn't mean it.” He looked down at his hands, scarred by countless battles. “ No matter how many scars you have, princess, you're gorgeous and any asshole who says otherwise can go to hell.”

The sweet chuckle he heard made him tingle.

“ You're exaggerating.”

The smirk returned to the agent's lips.

“ Says the one who compared me to a Michelangelo sculpture.”

They both laughed and then looked at the water in silence. The sound of a guitar reverberated inside, a ballad. They both listened wordlessly, still internalizing what they had said to each other.

Their hearts were beating wildly, but they felt happy and comforted by each other's company. It was unconscious, but they both subtly moved toward the center, until their shoulders met. Ashley gently nudged him with her arm moving closer, just as he did.

“ Thank you.” she said in a whisper, raising her golden orbs with the purest sincerity she could muster. “ For everything you did for me. Thank you for helping me become what I am.”

He felt weak when he was next to her, but she embraced that most vulnerable part.

He smiled back at her, brushing his knuckles over the back of her hand.

“ Thank you for trusting me and making me feel like a person again and not a tool.” He raised his drink and they toasted to them.

Leon swallowed and his orbs gazed at a distant point, thoughtfully for a few moments, then turned back to her, still with their bodies brushing against each other.

“ Hey, let's try and fulfill the promises we couldn't.”

Ashley looked at him puzzled for a moment, then laughed.

“ Well, the steak I promised you is done, now the singing too..." she thought about what else was left on the list.

“ There's still the spa and the restaurant I mentioned.”

She opened her eyes suddenly remembering.

“ I had almost forgotten about the restaurant, but wasn't it in Washington?”

“ I recently found out there are two more places in Boston and New York we can go to when you finish your exams.”

Ashley took another drink.

“ I'm going to have to train twice as hard with all the food I'm going to eat, although I'll have to pass first before I can celebrate, don't you think?”

“ Right.” the agent swirled his glass. “ What do you want to do when you're done?”

Ashley's finger stopped on the spot and drummed on the glass, her muscles betraying a sudden tension.

“ I…”

Why didn't she have a ready answer for that situation?

Just as Dr. Petrov had told her, Leon was no fool and knew when people were lying to him, more so now if he could hear the pulse racing. It took a few seconds for her brain to form a coherent and halfway believable sentence.

“ I told you I was going to focus more on research, but after traveling with Narsson I have discovered many things I would like to learn about. I want to go on expeditions and find new things.”

Leon watched her. If he didn't know her he would say she was answering him sincerely and absolutely.

But he did know her, better than she thought he did, and one thing she usually did when she wasn't telling him the whole truth was that she drummed her fingers.

And at that very moment, she was doing exactly that.

“ Ashley” his voice was deep, more serious than the teasing tone he had adopted so far. “ Is there something you haven't told me?”

She stood static and cursed as her heart raced.

There, Leon had heard her heartbeat perfectly, because he turned his body slightly towards her.

Should she tell him? Maybe it was for the best, but after the way he'd gotten when he'd seen the footage of the accident...maybe it wasn't the time.

She tapped her finger on her glass, feeling the man's gaze growing more and more intense.

Ashley sighed defeatedly and raised her amber eyes to him, who was watching her with a questioning gesture.

“ Would you be angry if I told you that there were other personal reasons why I decided to study what I studied?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“ It depends, we promised we would not hide anything from each other.”

A sad smile formed on her lips.

“ Many things we promised to each other.” She paused and stood up to turn to the agent, who mimicked her, but he didn't expect to feel her warm hand on his chest. It took him by surprise and he felt his composure falter.

“ Princess, is something troubling you?”

She denied.

“ No, it's just...I still have loose ends to tie up. I know I told you I wouldn't lie to you” she raised her eyes towards him and Leon felt his heart speed up under her caress “ but could I ask you to wait a little? I want to tell you, but I'd like to do it when I have the results of the exams so I can finish tying up those pending things.”

Leon felt the impulse to take her hand on his chest, but he restrained himself and just rested his palm on her arm.

“ Don't you trust me?” his voice sounded more hurt than he would have liked, or Ashley sensed it more intensely in his eyes because without realizing it she placed both hands against his chest.

“ No! No, I would never mistrust you, Leon.” She averted her gaze to confused, alcohol-reddened cheeks and guilt-stained eyes. And this time Leon couldn't help but raise his hand to the woman's chin to look at him. The touch of his skin made her startle for an instant, but she let him handle her, making her raise her head and lock her eyes on him. Those deep sapphires sank into her, making her flinch.

She really was in trouble when he looked at her that way.

And she almost gave in when that broad hand rested a lock behind her ear with the softness of a feather.

“ Then why don't you tell me?” his voice was barely a whisper, no longer firm or authoritative, just concerned and compassionate.

Ashley took a deep breath and fixed her eyes on him. She placed her hand over Leon's, wrapping it around the back of his.

“ Because it's something important to me. It's what has driven me since I decided to go down this path. I'll tell you about it, but I can't right now, can you respect my decision? Can you wait until I get the results to graduate?”

He looked at her unblinkingly, his hand held by hers resolutely and her orbs absorbing him.

And it was him who finally gave in.

“ Okay.”

Ashley smiled and gave him a squeeze to turn his attention back to her.

“ Promise?”

This time he let out a hoarse chuckle, smirking.

“ At this rate we're going to have too many promises, don't you think?”

She laughed softly.

“ If we fulfill them, they don't have to pile up.”

They both laughed softly and he stroked her cheekbone with his thumb before pulling his hand away.

“ All right, as long as you keep your promise to tell me about it when you graduate.”

She nodded.

“ Deal.”

They both stared at each other and Leon lowered his eyes to her lips as she parted them to speak.

“ There are many things I want to talk with you about.” Her face was still flushed, whether from alcohol or nerves, he didn't know. “ I've wanted to tell you all this for a long time, but I didn't know if I'd ever see you again.”

Leon stretched his arms in the air.

“ Here I am.” He smiled and then looked at her softly. “ I... would also like to talk about when I went to Spain for the second time. I have to tell you about Chris, the captain of the BSAA unit that went there.”

Ashley arched an eyebrow, controlling her heartbeat.

“ Is he Claire's brother, the one who was at Racoon with you?”

Leon nodded.

“ If we ever meet again I'd like to introduce you to him. Meeting Claire is more difficult, she's in Eastern Europe so I don't know when she'll be back for a visit.”

Ashley laughed.

“ Who knows, maybe I'll get to take part in some expedition over there.”

They both smiled and looked at each other for a few more seconds.

“ Hey you two, are you finished?”

They both startled at the sudden voice and turned back to where they came from. Casey was looking at them with a mischievous smile on her lips.

“ You can eat each other's mouths after desserts.”

Their hearts skipped a violent beat and they looked at each other for a second in bewilderment, only to have Ashley turn even redder than she already was.

“ Casey!” she exclaimed, embarrassed to the core. The copper blonde laughed out loud and went back inside to enjoy the desserts. Ashley wanted to die of embarrassment.

“ Don't listen to her.” she told the man, trying to hide her uneasiness, but now that they were outside and the music was quieter, Leon could hear her heart thudding more clearly and couldn't help but laugh, catching the blonde's attention.

“ Are you embarrassed to be told that and not accused of sleeping with me?”

Ashley's pupils stretched and shrunk for a moment, then looked away.

“ It's a different context, in college, some people think I sleep with people to ask for favors.”

Leon watched her and his blue eyes darkened faintly, at the same time his voice was compounded with a mischievous smile.

“ You've asked me for a lot of favors with nothing in return.”

" Great Leon Scott Kennedy, how much of an asshole can you b-"

He heard a slap and suddenly he was looking the other way.

He blinked for a moment and turned to Ashley who was looking at him with no air and her hand outstretched.

She had just slapped him, he was beginning to feel the stinging and tingling in his cheek.

He looked at her.

That expression was... new.

Her breathing was intermittent, as if she was trying to hold her breath, but couldn't because of nerves. Her golden eyes were like saucers, pupils dilated with surprise, perplexed. Her lower lip trembled and her face could not have been more scarlet. Leon was speechless. He heard her pulse erratic and racing restlessly, watching the veins in her neck pumping blood. Her big eyes looked at him not knowing what to do, where to escape to.

It had only been a slap, not even a very hard one, but seeing her so...confused...like this...was sending tingles throughout his body.

For some reason, his mind could only imagine, fleetingly, if she would make the same expression to him by cornering her against the wall.

Then he heard a gasp.

His blue eyes looked at those full lips, which had been unable to hold their breath.

“ Ash-”

And she left.

She averted her deer eyes and walked back into the bar.

Leon stood there, unable to move or articulate a word. He realized, then, that he too had been holding his breath and gasped. He swallowed, feeling his throat dry, and blinked several times trying to wake up.

He wanted to tear his head off.

He gritted his teeth and tangled his hands in his hair, holding back a roar of fury.

Was he crazy?! Why had he said that to her?!

Too softly she had hit him, she should have punched him.

He was an idiot.

A fool.

The biggest asshole of all time.

He had just made a sexual insinuation to the president's daughter, the same one who was unfairly accused of sleeping with the professors in order to graduate. What person in their right mind would utter such a barbarity?

No one but Leon Stupid Kennedy.

Why was it that when he was with her he was anything but reasonable? It was so easy for him to talk to her, to tease her, to laugh and...just be.

"You're her fucking bodyguard, behave like one." a growl sounded in his mind trying to knock some sense into him.

"Get your fucking shit together." he took a deep breath and slid his fingers through his hair.

He exhaled heavily and walked back inside.

“ Here comes the missing man, where had you been?” Casey caught his eye.

“ I was looking around, it's late.” he replied simply, approaching the table. Ashley subtly shifted in her seat and Leon settled in next to her.

Neither of them looked at the other.

They ate their desserts in almost total silence, responding to the occasional joke from time to time.

They were unable to look at each other, they wanted to die.

Ashley swallowed hard and finished her dessert with a smile.

“ You've definitely got this place right, Ems.” she said, glancing at the rest of the tables fleetingly.

“ We could do your birthday again, we didn't get to celebrate it this year.”

“ When is it, anyway?” Leon's voice sounded next to her, causing her to tingle again.

“ January 3rd.” Emily replied.

The agent stood still and the group continued their conversation as they asked for the receipt.

January 3rd? That was the time when they were...

“ Are you sure you'll be allright?” Ashley's voice sounded worried, but Casey and Sergio looked at her cheerfully.

“ Don't worry, we're staying at a nearby hostel and we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”

They all approached Ashley and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheeks intensely. She laughed feeling all the love they were transmitting and responding to their gesture. When they pulled apart Casey turned to Leon and pointed at him.

“ Don't let her get into any fights.”

Leon gave a smirk.

“ I'll try.”

Ashley rolled her eyes and Casey laughed waving goodbye to the two of them.

Kennedy and Graham watched them until they turned the corner, silently walking back to the parking lot.

Now, without the others beside them, they felt the awkwardness return to them.

Leon glanced sideways at her for a moment, then parted his lips.

“ I didn't know your birthday was around that time. You didn't tell me anything in the quarantine.”

He heard a subtle chuckle.

“ What about you? December 20th, what a birthday present to be sent for me.”

“ Did Emily tell you?”

She nodded.

“ Even I forgot Leon. Surviving was gift enough.”

"And for me to find you alive in that church," thought the agent.

They were silent again and soon arrived at the parking lot.

Leon took his keys out of his pocket and unbuckled his helmet, Ashley mimicked him with her eyes on the ground.

He watched her and saw her climb into the seat with her hands resting on her own thighs. Leon opened and closed his fingers nervously. He went to grab the handlebars to get on but stopped himself.

He felt like he was going to explode and the embarrassed look Ashley gave him every time their eyes met was going to drive him crazy.

“ Hey Ash.” his voice was a sigh, unable to contain the familiarity. “ Forgive me.” he noticed her subtly twitching her fingers with her eyes still glued to the seat and continued “ what I said was outrageous and I understand that you're angry, I expect nothing less. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't think before I opened my fucking mouth, it won't happen again.” He put on his helmet and mounted up to start.

Ashley didn't know what to reply, she could only hold onto Leon's sides still embarrassed and he felt it. He sensed that she didn't wrap her arms around his torso as she had on the way there, as if she was uncomfortable with his closeness.

Leon sighed heavily into his helmet and unfortunately, the ride was long and silent.

Neither of them said anything, they just felt the breeze against their bodies and their hearts racing.

She was... confused. Maybe the alcohol had upset her and was making her feel even more weirded out by the situation.

She finally raised her head and looked at Leon's neck. She knew he was a joker and that it was his way of expressing himself, although that didn't take away from the fact that he had gone a little over the top, but he had apologized to her.

He had swallowed his pride and apologized.

She swallowed saliva and leaned a little closer to him, wrapping her arms around his torso. She felt his muscles tense for an instant, then relax under her touch.

She wouldn't make too much of it, it had only been a harmless joke…

They loosened their helmets and Leon lowered the bike's kickstand to park next to Ashley's car in the garage.

They walked up the stairs, their boots echoing against the brick walls, softly. It was two in the morning, they weren't going to stop by for the dogs, they would go tomorrow.

They reached their apartments and pulled out their respective keys.

“ Good night.” Leon whispered, turning the knob.

“ Wait,” he grabbed the man's jacket. He raised his sapphire eyes to hers, still unable to stare at her.

“ Ashley, I-”

“ I'm not mad at you Leon.” she cut him off violently. He was perplexed and listened to her. “It's not the first time someone has said that to me, I know it's a joke, I just didn't expect you to say it to me.”

“ Still, it was totally out of line.”

“ Yeah, maybe” she paused for a moment, her cheeks still flushed. She raised her eyes and Leon tensed, “After what you told me about my scars and about me, well... let's just say it caught me off guard.”

Leon didn't know what to reply, but then he saw Ashley's expression change completely. She smirked and patted him on the chest.

“ You caught me off guard this time, I admit, next time I won't make it so easy for you. Be careful I don't learn from your tricks.”

The agent looked at her in bewilderment. The sudden change had managed to calm the tension between them in an amazing way, but he didn't know if she was saying it so he wouldn't feel bad or if it was really like that. Whatever it was, he couldn't help but smile playfully and ruffle Ashley's hair.

“ You're going to have to do it really well to catch me off guard.”

She laughed.

“ I'll get it, don't worry.” She watched him for a few seconds and then added. “ Good night.”

“ Ashley.” Leon's soft voice made her turn in the doorway. “ Still, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

She looked at him in confusion, but then looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully, and then smiled at him.

“ Lasagna.”

Leon blinked.

“ Excuse me?”

“ I want you to make me homemade lasagna.”

“ Need I remind you that I've burned a few simple meatballs twice?”

Ashley arched her eyebrows.

“ What were you doing while they were frying?”

“ Noth-” he suddenly shut up at the memory.

Both times he'd done them while doing the reports.

The devilish grin the woman gave him was enough to make his blood boil and his ears redden.

“ You told me you didn't have any more reports for now, so I want you to focus on making food for the two of us, okay?”

Leon grunted and took off his jacket as he opened the door.

“ Okay.”

The chuckle of happiness he heard was enough to make him give in completely.

“ Good night Leon.” smiled the woman.

He chuckled under his breath.

“ Good night princess.”

He may have felt weakness when Ashley asked him for things, but he could no longer deny that she indulged him. She accepted a lot of his jokes and just let them slide.

She was too nice to him and he liked it.

prev/next

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jayphoenic · 3 years ago

Note

Hi! I just wanted to ask if you had any maribat angst fics you could recommend?

Maribat Angst Recommendations

My first request! How exciting! Now the angst in these aren't much (except the third one), might make a part 2 when I dig through all the posts I've liked. For now, this is what I've gathered.

Siblings don’t shake hands, siblings gotta hug! by @timinette-is-best

Family Doesn’t Run Away, Family Cuddles

Friends Don’t Move On, They Stay Together

Tim hesitated a little but nodded silently and gripped his hands together. Marinette wanted to scream, because of course he had abandonment issues. She was going to kill whoever hurt her —she didn’t know who was older, she’d have to ask— brother in such a way.

“Tim, I promise that I will be back, and I’m not trying to get away from you. I want to get to know you, I just need to take care of this, okay?”

Tim could feel tears stinging at the back of his eyes at her words. How long had he been waiting for someone to say that to him? That they weren’t going to run from him, that they would stay, that they actually would come back?

“Okay.”

Useful by @soulmate-game

Part 2

She had brought him to an abandoned area far from any activity, where a body would take ages to find. She had then disarmed herself of her only weapon, her magic suit, and had gotten on the ground in total submission.

She had purposely given him the perfect setting to kill her, where there would be no witnesses and plenty of time before her body would be found for him to escape. That realization hit Damian square the chest, leaving him breathless for a moment.

“I am not here to kill anybody,” he reiterated, his voice noticeably much gentler than before.

Day and Night by @unmaskedagain

“I think I’m doing both,” Marinette answered honestly. Her throat dry, and tears burning in her eyes. “Running away from everything, and still doing the right thing by leaving a bad situation.”

Tim nodded. He was in the same boat. “Where you coming from?” Though he figured France from her accent.

“Paris. And you?”

“Gotham.”

“No one waiting for you?” Marinette asked. He shook his head. “Me either. Aren’t we a pair?”

A Moment Too Late by @justcourttee

Part 2

The next time she would contact him would be her last. She tried to reach out, ask him if he was okay, but the sentiment only fueled his rage.

“Don’t you get it? I never wanted this bond! I begged you mercilessly to leave it alone. I begged you to shut up, but you just couldn’t could you? I lost everything because of you, you hear me Marinette? If you just would’ve shut your damn mouth, I would still be able to see my mother. I hope you never use this bond again, I never want to hear from you again.”

There was no response, but it didn’t bother him. This was what he wanted for so many years, for her to never utter a sound to him again. It was a blessed day, one filled with silence as he entered Wayne Manor for the very first time.

Remember some chapters are longer than others (个_个)

Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche @white-flutterby @acount-is-secret-but-needed @dagnysdawn @storylover04 @xxwisegirlxx @lostinday @gingerdaile @solangelo252 @jintana-critical @leftguard66 @stormiclown @chaoticmistake @jeminiikrystal @secretlawyercolorscissors @miraculous-ninja @soloist7 @d-starfairy @literaryhiraeth @mlbfanficwriteranddumper @patton-ly-absurd @anime-rae @doll246 @rowanyx @naturegreenr @naturegreenr-2 @maribatcrossoveronly @musicalspirits @caffeinetheory @demonicbusiness @seraphichana @vixen-uchiha @nugget-consumer-9000 @ghostdragonfang @smartlanceisreal @heckofhell @just-a-bottle-of-chaos @iamablinkmarvelarmy @madhatter-crazyasahatter-blog @pleasentlysurprised @chocolatecatstheron

#maribat fanfic #fanfiction recommendation #fanfiction recommendations #marinette deserves better #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #platonic timari #maribat tim drake #maribat marinette dupain cheng #platonic daminette #maribat angst #tim drake deserves better #maribat daminette #maribat damian wayne #maribat damian al ghul #damian x marinette

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0097linersb · 4 years ago

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Pink Lemonade

CHAPTER 1

Pairings: Jaemin x Renjun x Haechan x Jeno x Mark x Reader

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Humor (I guess), Slow burn af

Summary: The dreamies decide to spend some weeks at an Inn in the middle of the nature to relax and enjoy some outdoor adventures, far away from their crazy idol life. What they didn’t expect was the nice girl running said Inn.

Word count: 3k

You should read the intro first so this story makes sense <3

☼ previous / next ☼

A/N: Honestly guys this fic will probably be long and detaild af ‘cause I’m using it as a distraction from real life lol guess who just finished their engagement. If u would like it to be more straightforward and go right to the fun parts let me know, I’d really like some opinions! Also, it’s like 2 AM so I’ll proofread it tomorrow

As you woke up the next day, you were not shocked to find that the boys were not up yet. Last night you were surprised to come downstairs to an already fully cleaned kitchen and as much as it made you embarrassed, it also made you immensely grateful. You thanked them and told them to stop being so nice and doing your job for you, to which Mark only responded that seven guys could be really messy sometimes.

You had given them the folders that informed all the activities the Inn (well, you) offered and the ones they could book in the city a few minutes away, it made you smile at how excited they got reading the paper and planning their days. Haechan was already asking if they could go stargazing that same night but the rest of them groaned saying they were way too tired to move after the long trip (and you felt bad once again for having them clean the kitchen).

Everyone eventually agreed on a time for breakfast and you were just sure they wouldn’t wake up that early by the dark circles under their eyes and, turns out you were right. They did go to sleep pretty early the other night, showering after the meal you had and just going straight to bed.

You lazily stretched as you left your room with Koda and Kenai tracing after you, to find a very much awake Jaemin sitting on the living room’s couch holding a cup.

“Good morning, did you make coffee?” You yawned at the boy, scolding Koda so he would get off the couch.

“Good morning. Yeah, sorry for taking the liberty, I really needed to wake up,” He smiled at you, petting your disobedient dog with his free hand so he could get distracted from the way your shirt had ridden up. Damn morning horniness.

“It’s ok, smells good. Are the rest of the boys awake?”

“Nop, and probably won’t be for a while. I know we agreed on going to the lake at 8 but everyone’s dead, I can wake them up if-“

“No, it’s ok,” You laughed. “I imagined this would happen, not a fan of waking up early myself.”

“Oh, you can go back to sleep if you want, I can knock when everyone starts waking up.”

“Don’t worry. You just really made me want some coffee.”

“I left it downstairs, I can go get you a cup.”

“Jaemin, we’re playing opposites here, don’t make me feel useless,” You joked, already making your way to the stairs, missing how the man stared at your legs in your little pajama shorts. “Plus, I need to take the boys on a walk before they become too fidgety.”

“Can I come with?”

“Of course.”

Jaemin was quick to stand up and follow you downstairs, where you quickly poured yourself a cup of coffee and opened the door, the dogs running past you excitedly. You silently lead the way out of your property and into the unpaved road, warming your hands with the coffee mug – The days were hot but the nights and early mornings could be quite chilly, especially with all the trees surrounding you and blocking the sunshine from reaching you.

“Do they sleep with you?” Jaemin asked, pointing at the dogs who were sniffing around the bushes on the side of the road, like they didn’t do this same route every day.

“Sometimes, they often prefer to stay outside, lots of animals to chase when I’m not there to scream at them.”

“They don’t wear leashes?”

“No need to, there’s barely people here and they are really well-behaved. I trained them well, Koda just gets a little bold when we have new guests over,” You smiled, remembering not even 5 minutes ago said dog was trying to get on Jaemin’s lap on the couch. “Do you like tangerines?”

The boy looked at you confused but nodded.

“Wait a second,” You asked before leaving him, walking off the road and into the trees. After a minute or so, you were back, throwing one of the orange fruits at Jaemin. “I steal them from the neighbors sometimes.”

“Will we get in trouble?” He asked but was already peeling the tangerine with his hands.

“Nah, they are never here. These would just rot.”

“Seems only fair then.”

You walked for another few minutes in silence, eating happily as you appreciated the sound of your feet crushing the small rocks on the floor.

“Ok, tangerines do not go well with coffee,” You make a face after eating half of your fruit, only now stopping to pay attention to the actual taste in your mouth.

Jaemin laughs at you before putting his last slice into his mouth, “Cute.”

“There’s nothing cute about this flavor.”

“Didn’t bother me,” He shrugged, smiling down at you.

Damn that boy was too attractive for his own good. You meant, all of them were.

It was just unfair, really.

The two of you talked a bit more until you hit the end of the road and then made your way back, it was a light-hearted comfortable conversation and you liked the way it made you feel warm inside. You learnt that Jaemin likes to photograph stuff and you asked him to take lots of pictures during their stay so you could use them on the Inn’s social media, telling him you shared that hobby with him. You then started a discussion about digital vs. film photography, in which you two clearly didn’t agree on, but it kept you entertained for a long time.

“Listen, technology evolved to this point to make life comfortable and easier for a reason!” Jaemin whined as you two were entering your property once again. “Is there something worse than developing your pictures only to find out your film was ruined?”

“That’s the thrill of it!” You exasperated.

“I call that heartbreak.”

“It’s a raw form of art for the strong hearted,” You sigh dramatically, opening the door for the man.

After your half an hour walk, as you got back home, only Renjun was up, pouring himself some coffee and looking super sleepy.

“Good morning, slept well?” You asked as Jaemin made his way to sit down on the table after getting Renjun to pour him some more coffee.

“Yeah, this is the first time I dreamt in months,” He smiled at you but his eyes were still half closed. Like you, Renjun was still in his pajamas, light sweatpants and a wrinkled white t-shirt.

“Do you guys want to eat something before breakfast?” You asked, not knowing how long they would have to wait for the others.

“It’s ok,” Jaemin answered.

“If you change your mind just let me know,” You smiled, wondering on what to do now, since you had already prepared the food for today last night and didn’t have any other chores until everyone was up so you could make their beds.

You figured the boys would drink their coffees and go talk or lay down in the hammocks, maybe even try to nap a bit but you were proven wrong when Renjun pointed at the end of the table suddenly excited, “Are those cards?”

“Yeah.”

“Can we play?”

“Of course.”

The man was quick to pick up the little box and sit down across the table from Jaemin, who tapped the place next to him before you had the chance to leave. You happily took on the offer, content with finally spending some fun time with people your age. No, scratch that: Attractive men your age.

“Let’s play Rummy!” Renjun suggested, the sleepiness leaving his body at the simple thought.

“I have no idea how to play that,” You informed.

“It’s ok, I’ll teach you. Come closer,” Jaemin smiled at you and you obeyed, heart beating fast at your thighs suddenly touching. What were you? 12?

The game was way too complicated for your morning brain to understand so you basically just watched the boys play, giving your input here and there.

“Jaemin, here!” You excitedly pointed at one of the cards he was holding.

“Oh, I had missed that, smart girl,” He smiled at you, patting your thigh as a thank you or maybe a praise, making your heart almost leave your body through your mouth.

Freaking pet names dude.

After an hour or so playing, Jeno and Haechan appeared already fully clothed and awake. The second boy gave you and Jaemin a weird look, noticing how the boy’s right hand was just casually resting on your thigh. At some point it just happened and it felt comfortable (if you ignored your blood pumping through your body twice the normal speed, of course), it had been months since you had flirted with someone and you were enjoying the touch fully, thoughts of being professional nowhere to be found.

You greeted the boys and they sat down too, informing Mark and Chenle would be down in a second and Jisung would just skip breakfast to sleep. You decided then to get up and leave them to chat as you went into the pantry to organize the food you had prepared yesterday, into the baskets.

“Dude,” Haechan whispered to Jaemin.

Just by looking at the boy, Jaemin already knew what he wanted to comment on so he just, “Don’t.”

“Game on, bro.”

“What? This is not a game, we were just-“

“I said game on, bro.”

Jaemin sighed and gave up, knowing Haechan was just joking and being annoying as usual.

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

After all the men (minus Jisung) were downstairs and ready to go, you guided them down to the lake, setting up one of those cliché plaid towels for everyone to sit on. As you and Mark organized the foods around, you smiled at the others running around the grass and taking pictures, impressed at the view. The lake really was pretty and your property had a privileged clearing to sit down and enjoy it.

“I would love to say they are normally not this energetic,” Mark smiled at you, placing the bowl with the grapes and strawberries down. “But I’d be lying.”

“It’s refreshing, I rarely deal with people my age around here. We didn’t add bingo to the activities’ folder for no reason.”

“There are no clubs or bars around here?”

“The biggest city around has barely 2.000 habitants so I’ll say no to that. Although this region is becoming really famous for the ecotourism these days, they opened a nice pub for the tourists like last month but there’s only ever people during the weekends.”

“Well, if you ever go to Seoul, let me take you out,” Mark offered before realizing what he had said and stiffening, cheeks going red like the watermelon juice in your hands. “I mean, like, to show you the places and-“

“That sounds fun,” You smiled at him, deciding to end his misery right from the start. He was cute. “Boys, the food is ready.”

Jeno excitedly dropped Haechan down (who he was holding for a picture) and ran over, leaving a very whiny boy on the floor. Jaemin took a picture of that and soon enough, everyone was sitting down on the picnic clot.

“Wow, it looks like we’re in a movie,” Renjun awed, looking around.

It really did, that’s why you liked bringing the guests to this spot on their first day. After everything was set, the scenery resembled a Renaissance painting and you loved it. It was a bit hotter than normally since it was a few hours later then the time the guests usually have breakfast, but the gentle breeze of the wind was enough to not make it unbearable.

The meal was fun, the boys made you feel so comfortable that it felt like you have known each other for a longer time than the actual truth. You all chatted, joked around and posed for pictures with the food. You had brought your analog camera just to tease Jaemin, asking him to take a picture with it for you.

“How do you want it?” The boy groaned, pretending to be annoyed.

“Here, I have an idea,” Haechan shared, excitedly, holding up one of the strawberries from the bowl in front of your face. “Bite it on the side.”

You accepted the advice confused, not understanding where he was trying to go with it but excited, you loved a good old-fashioned improvised picture. Jaemin pointed the camera at you and counted to three, and you smiled around the strawberry when on the count of one, Haechan bit on the other side of the strawberry and looked at you cross-eyed. After you saw the flash of the camera going off, you decided to take a big bite of the strawberry to play around with Haechan but apparently the boy had the same idea and your lips ended up touching, slightly. Since when has your life become a cliché teenage movie?

You quickly took the stem of the fruit from between your mouths, pulling away from the boy to tease him, “Damn. Didn’t even buy me dinner first.”

The others joined in on teasing Haechan but the man simply winked at you, “Would be my pleasure.”

You didn’t even have time to giggle before the other men pretended to puke and Renjun legit slapped Haechan.

_____________________________________________

The boys decided to not do any activities that day because Jisung would simply not wake up and after a while waiting, Chenle decided to join him on the hibernation. It made you feel sad for them, that their days were so busy and tiring that at the first sight of some time off, they would sleep for hours and hours to make up for it.

The rest of you decided to play some volleyball in the parking lot (which was not the best idea considering it was noon). As expected by the almost 40 degrees climate, one by one, every single boy started taking off their shirts, body dripping and glistening with sweat and you just felt in heaven. This could just not be real, you even looked around for cameras, scenes like that just didn’t happen in real life. One hot shirtless guy was the acceptable quota for normality.

But also, you didn’t miss the way they looked at you in your little shorts and top (equal rights after all). It made you feel powerful even though you knew it was just their hormones talking, yours were screaming too after all. If it was already like that on their second day here, you couldn’t imagine how you would survive for the next few weeks, you just wanted to cry every time Jeno (who was on your team) approached you to celebrate when either of you scored, high-fiving you with his huge arms (you would die a happy woman if you were choked by them).

After the game was over, the boys decided to go swim on the lake to cool off and you figured it would be a good time to shower and organize their beds, which you quickly did before starting to make some lunch for everyone. The youngest ones of the group didn’t even wake up to eat so you decided to leave them some food in the microwave in case they got hungry in the afternoon.

Unfortunately the Wi-Fi was being annoying as usual and refused to work, so you couldn’t even google about the boys yet, the curiosity was almost killing you. Maybe it was better like that, right now you were just seeing them as 7 young men living their normal lives and you liked it, it kept you from being nervous at the fact they were probably some big stars that had the world at their feet – They all just seemed so chill sprawled around the living room floor playing the bingo you had joked about earlier, it was hard to believe they probably had hoards of screaming girls around them daily.

They thanked you for cleaning their rooms and told you that you didn’t have to, which technically you did, considering it was literally your job and the whole reason you were there.

You could be wrong, considering you have known them for barely 2 days, but you quickly noticed some little things about them: Like how Jaemin liked to touch you, even if it was just a light brush of his hand on your arm (in his defense, he was touchy with everyone, but when he touched you, it just lingered for a bit longer), or how Haechan liked to playfully flirt with you, that boy just had no shame and you admired him for that. You saw how Renjun often stared at you but when you looked at him, he looked away (which could mean either he was shy or he just didn’t like you very much), but at least he was more subtle about it, as opposite to Mark, who became a blushing mess every time you caught his eyes (and you just wanted to squeeze him). You realized Jeno was a manlier guy, you hadn’t gotten what his deal was yet but you loved the way his eyes disappeared when he smiled and that was enough for you.

It was funny, really, how everyone decided to ignore the tension in the air and go on with the day normally – You did only meet the day before after all.

After getting bored with bingo, the boys told you they planned on going water skiing tomorrow and you agreed happily, telling them you could have a little barbecue party in the camping next to the docks where your parents kept the Inn’s water sports gears, which got them even more excited.

“Can we go camping too?” Jeno asked, receiving a groan from Haechan. Classic city boy.

“Like at night?” You asked and Jeno nodded. “Yeah, actually the stars here are crazy pretty since there’s no light pollution.”

“See?” The boy told Haechan excitedly, who only sighed, accepting his fate.

Barbecue, bonfire, alcohol and a beautiful sky: You were a city girl too but you were also a sucker for a good camping night.

taglist: @eggbutnotyolk @lauraneuuh @geeisaclown @jenotation @riemm @junguwuuu @prettychaeng @satanssugaraddiction @luvlyjaemin @sweetjaemss @oofimdumb @junglekooks @unknown5tar @rosedchae@

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blue-pastel-cat · 4 years ago

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Xiaobedo Fanfic Recommendation

Welcome to my personal “if you are new to xiaobedo peeps please read these” list. As said before this is my personal list so please feel free to reblog/comment/hit me for not including any gem here. I might miss a lot of them because I am drunk or blind. (mostly have them on my to read and then forgot as I am being assault by real life shit).

I would like to say first that so far there are 150+ Xiaobedo fics on Ao3. I can’t review all of them but I can say that I have read a majority of them. Most of them are just pure love and I would like nothing more than a thousands thank you for all the fic writers who spent their free time writting these gems for us to read for free. But these...these takes the cake as it finds a special landing spot in my heart that I would just thrust them into someone’s hand if they say “I am new to this ship can you recommend me?”

1. Orange dust by bobamilkteas (Wes)

In which Xiao learns to open himself up to the world a little more after the collapse of Rex lapis's contracts but it was not always easy for a soul doomed to eternal damnation. Meanwhile, Albedo liked to tempt fate where the extraordinary are concerned.

If only the traveler's comrades are made of saner bunch.

Comment: Long ago when I like both Albedo and Xiao as a character, I was wondering hmmm....will anyone actually even write about them lmao they never met each other. I am surprise to see this one as the 3rd fic in the whole 3 Xiaobedo fic on Ao3 (yeah back when there’s literally only 3 fic for this couple). I was like I’ll read it for the curiosity, I’ll probably won’t ship them. And that people is how I put my clown make up on my face upon finishing reading it. This ONE fic alone convert me into a devotee of Xiaobedo. Please consider joining me in this circus if you want to know what is Xiaobedo. I would put this as the first of my “Big 3″

Orange Dust also come with its compliation of short stories over the course of the game and a big sequel to it. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.

2. Solar Wind by birdpriestess (Sparrow)

For the yaksha, his duty was his life, and his life was his duty. No human could ever hope to understand the eternal war he fought out of sight and in silence.

So why, then, did he feel that Albedo would understand?

---

Finding himself at death's door once more, Xiao is saved by a surprising person, setting off the unlikeliest of adventures.

Comment: Do you like crying? Do you like the feeling of getting your heart ripped into pieces as the author destroy your emotions over the end of each chapter as the story picked up the climax? Yeah, this one is for you masochists. The action, the characterisation, the drama THE EMOTIONS OH WOW. I kid you not that it was so good I read this while workinng when I am not suppose to me. Also, this fic has my favourite characterisation of Gold ever. I love that dramatic queen Mad Alchemist. AND DAIN. I LOVE DAIN IN THIS FIC. Our dearest Sparrow manage to toy with our feelings like how I bully ruin guard for big numbers lmao. This is the secound of “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list.

Again, just like Orange Dust, Solar Wind comes with its own compliation of short stories of what came after that. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.

3. Castle of Glass by AlchemicalStardust (Morgie)

A black shadow rises over Huaguang Stone Forest. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Albedo flees the shaking ground and the crash of boulders tumbling form the sky. As the dust settles, Albedo finds a young man – an Adeptus – amidst the carnage. Despite the karmic agony ripping his body from the inside, Xiao’s only question is “How?” How did a human survive after witnessing his battle?

Comment: The last of the “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list. And it is still on going! Castle of Glass? More like I AM IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONS! Have you read a fic about 2 people yearning, longing, reaching out for each other so damn well that you just want to throw your phone in the air as they both had their impending doom coming down upon them? Yeah this is one of them. You will like want to be stuck in the moment they express how much they just yearn for each other’s love and care that you want to shake the author for what comes next. Like...everytime Morgie update I am expressing my gratitude at the end of the chapter by writing on Xiaobedo discord “MORGIE COME HERE AND LET ME BONK YOU WHY ARE YOU ENDING IT THERE”

trust me when you read you will def feel the same. With just Big 3 and their compliation alone that would give you like a LONG list of reading already LMAOOOOOOO

4. Find a place to call it home by yamajiroo

Our room, he said. Xiao’s brow twitches. Zhongli never said anything about this. But then again, perhaps he should anticipate this from the beginning...

Xiao looks over at Albedo, who is now tilting his head, his look as innocent as ever.

“Are you not okay with sharing a room?”

Comment: College AU for Xiaobedo! One thing that I love this is the slow burn and what made me LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic more is how cute Klee is in this fic. Their relationship in this one is very simple, but that simplicity highlight why their chemistry work. Xiao is someone who was just very gentle, who was largely misunderstood by his lonesome nature. Albedo was someone who like peace and quite in his introvert bubble. And how they respect that bubble that each other has actually made their relationship work. I love it when fic highlight this and this one captures it.

5. I Can't See Your Face From the Other Side of the Classroom by MissWeaver

When Albedo and Xiao unexpectedly start eating lunch together, they begin to find that they have more in common than anyone would have realized. They both struggle in their own ways with blossoming feelings, too many assignments, and annoying classmates as they navigate a relationship for the first time.

Comment: I’ll be honest, I usually hate high school au just because its so cliche. I don’t even watch and drama/anime surrounds high school student anymore LMAOOO (unless it’s very good). So if there’s an high school AU that I actually keep come back and read after a couple of chapters, it means that the cliche that I hate wasn’t there or barely was there at all. The pinning in this fic makes me want to bang their head together sometimes LMAOOO The tag wasn’t kidding when they said both Xiao and Albedo are bad at feelings. Also that’s a lot of heart broken caused by these two idiots XD

6. new world, same me, same bullshit by bobamilkteas (Wes)

At the belly of Dragonspine, Albedo lost control to the festering corruption that permeated his senses and watched, from the recesses of his mind, as his devoured body turned his allies into enemies. Before his rampage reached its climax, he is sealed in a crystalized confinement by the last hand of Reindottir, where he then reawakens centuries after, in a rebooted Teyvat.

Comment: Yeah I know it was list in Orange Dust but here me out. This sets out in an entirely different universe. And if you like Polyamory, this one has Zhongli joining the duo and I love it because I also love ZhongXiao with my life. Time Travel is my biggest kink. Especially when I am the person who love it when people explore Archon War era/ Alatus!Xiao. So this one hits double of my kink. Of course it is still on going and I will bully Wes whenever I can to see that new chapter. Albedo is a total fucking badass in this story and I completely agree from using him in Abyss so often. Everyone should write badass Albedo.

7. misplaced heart of mine by inkburn

“If you are ill, then you should be resting at home. In Mondstadt.” He emphasized Mondstadt with a pointed look in his direction.

“I assure you I won’t be troublesome, Adeptus Xiao,” Albedo said, “You’ll find I’m a rather low-maintenance traveler.”

“Travel,” Xiao scoffed, “without airstep?”

Albedo looked him up and down. “Are your legs just for decoration?”

(albedo is sent to liyue on mandatory vacation. xiao is his unfortunate bodyguard.)

Comment: Most of the time you will see Albedo and Xiao starting their relationship with one of them taking interest in another. But this one took another approach, they starting off by make them hating each other’s guts LMAOOOO and I live for every second of it. There’s only 1 chapter so far but wow it was SOOO GOOD. I am really really excited for next chapter and is waiting patiently ;w;

8. Blossom of Grace by birdpriestess

One day in Liyue Harbor, Albedo watches a street performance by an enigmatic dancer named Xiao. And he becomes completely obsessed.

Comment: Have you ever look at Xiao fight and thinking that he’s one of the most beautiful deadly thing ever? How it was like he was dancing around the battlefield? How about actual dancer Xiao being so absolutely beautiful and perfect and that slow burn of Albedo falling in love with that beauty with a touch of Modern AU and cute Ganyu as the Wing woman. Yes, Sparrow delivers yet again another beautiful slow burn and while it’s still ongoing it is worth the read.

9. i think we could make this work (could get used to this) by outspaced

“Xiao? What are you doing out here?”

“I—”

“It’s raining,” Albedo says, as if it isn’t obvious. “You could get struck by lightning.”

“What are you doing out here then?” Xiao does the only thing he knows how to do, he challenges Albedo. “It’s raining.”

Albedo just hums. “If I get struck by lightning, it’s for science.”

Comment: A short one-shot where I read the summary and went “This is it... this is their relationship.” I am sold immediately. Oh god Albedo why are you like this.

10. Ephemeral by criedprinz

“It’s not for your investigation, is it?” Aether asked mildly.

Albedo traced a finger around the sketchbook, considering the question. “No,” he admitted finally. “I... I just want to see them again.”

He opened the sketchbook to reveal the drawing he’d just finished. Aether nodded, clearly recognizing the sharp golden eyes.

“Xiao,” he said. “You were rescued by an adeptus.”

When a visit to Dragonspine goes horribly wrong, Albedo is rescued by an unknown stranger, wielding powers he's never heard of. Led on a search to find out who it is, he finds himself in the middle of an unforgettable encounter..

Comment: A really really well written one-shot that I love. The yearning oh godddd the yearning from Albedo side is just so so much that I have to put it here. (I think you can see the trend here lmao. I am a sucker for yearning). And the moment they get to meet each other again is just chef kiss. MWHAA

11. Idle Yaksha, Brilliant Yaksha by Pit0fTheEarth

Alatus didn’t have a lot of responsibilities to keep. He spent most of his days dancing across the sky and eating away all nightmares that plagued a person’s sleep.

But one fortunate encounter led to too many unfortunate ones, taking his carefree existence and plunging it in darkness. His wings, stripped from him. His gentle touch, replaced by an unforgiving grip of destruction.

There was a lot of blood on his hands. With each passing moment, it became harder for Alatus to recall the last time someone gently held him.

Comment: This is one of the ongoing fic where I am very very much excited on the take of Naberius. And the way the author portray Xiao when he’s still the innocent Alatus is just *clench fist*. Baby ;w; Baby why do you have to lose all that innocence. Also the fic has long LONG flashback to Xiao past and his relationship with Naberius. We are unwielding more what happened to both of them and why perhaps does this have to do with Albedo.

That’s it for now, might add more later! Thank you <3

#xiaobedo #tetsu likes to ramble #genshin impact

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artemiseamoon · 4 years ago

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Bandits in the Wind

Chapter 1: My Name is Ezra

Outlaw! Ezra x Dakota Snakeeye (ofc)

Words:1,507 | Credit: moodboard me, gif to uuushiny

My contribution for @autumnleaves1991-blog #writerwednesday

Warnings: I don’t think there are any, but just in case, it's a story about cowboys and outlaws, so corresponding subject matter will be discussed. In this chapter: dehydration, someone passes out and wakes up tied to a chair

An: imagine him with longer hair & a fuller beard. For now, this is a one shot since I have a full plate. But I plan to make this a short fic with mini chapters! Chapter 2 is in progress but not ready, so today I’m just posting the first one. Stay tuned for more.

To some this life was a lonesome road to travel, not for Dakota Snake- eye. Life was easier this way. Less obligations, less to live up to and prove.

Inviting it was not, this waterless land; wild, sandy, sweltering. Still, Dakota made it home. The sandstone canyons, desert blooms, and cacti felt familiar in a way, more familiar than any setting she’d ever known.

Even with it’s extremes, this hard land was beautiful and perfect for those keen on solitude. It was the ideal place for nomads, travelers, and bandits.

As the cloudless cobalt sky shifts to a midnight blue, Dakota’s ranch looms in the distance. She can feel her muscles relax as comfort draws near. Dakota was ready to rest her bones after a long day of traveling.

…

“Easy Pearl, easy -” she calms Pearl as they near the entrance.

It seems the uneasy feeling that suddenly took hold of her was shared by Pearl. Horses were intuitive, intelligent animals. And Pearl, she was damn near psychic. If Dakaota ever doubted her own gut, she always listened to Pearls.

It doesn't take long to see what Pearl is upset about. At her gates, an unfamiliar horse anxiously waits. She can see a few items scattered on the ground in the moonlight.

Once her feet hit the ground, Dakota takes hold of her pistol and scans the grounds. She cautiously approaches the horse.

“Easy darling, easy -” she holds one hand out, “and where did you come from?”

The beautiful yet unsettled horse turns its head, Pearl walks in the same direction.

“Stay here sweetheart.” Dakota gently caresses her before following Pearl's lead, just left of the property.

Seconds later, she comes upon a heap on the ground, soon discovering it’s a man. Dakota circles him cautiously, he doesn’t move. She gathers a stick and pokes at him, nothing still.

“Hmm, we might have a dead one Pearl,” she nudges him with her foot.

Dakota rolls him over and kneels down. After a quick check, she detects a faint pulse. From the state of his breathing and the tint of his skin, he was likely dehydrated, gravely so.

Dakota checks his pockets and coats, whoever he was, he was very well armed. Taking each weapon away, she goes inside to retrieve some rope. It doesn't take long to tie him up and drag him into the shed.

Once inside her home, Dakota cares for the horses and eats a small meal before checking on the state of the stranger.

When she returns, he’s barely coming to.

Dakota holds his jaw, pressing the canteen to his dry lips, “Drink.”

The man mumbles something, his eyes still shut.

When the water hits his lips he starts to wake slowly. It doesn't take him long to realize he’s bound, as he tries to reach for the water source with no luck.

“Slow down there, before you choke or spit it all up.” Dakota pulls away. The man follows with his mouth and nearly tumbles over in the chair.

Dakota takes a step backward and puts the water down, freeing up her hands for the pistol once more. In a stern, steady tone, she speaks,

“What the hell are you doing on my land?”

The man drops his head, like it’s too heavy to hold as he groans. His dark brown hair is long, the mass of curls covered with dirt and sand. She notices a strange anomaly, a patch of rouge blonde hair.

He struggles to say something. All she hears is a series of dry moans and some sort of accent.

Dakota moves closer and nudges him with the pistol. “Speak.”

Groggy, the man lifts his head, tired brown eyes land on hers. His beard suffered the same state as his hair.

“Perhaps -” he coughs, “ a little more Adams Ale could revive me, if you please?” His voice is barely working, he pleads with his eyes.

Dakota crooks a brow, “when was the last time you had something to drink?”

More dry coughing, this time with his whole body, she takes a step back without realizing it. He notices,

“Don’t worry your pretty little head. I'm not afflicted with any kind of illness or contageon. I’m simply dry as a dessert and in need of water. I can’t recall the last time I had…” he trails off, a far away look in his eyes.

The room goes quiet.

After a moment, Dakota retrieves the canteen and stands in front of him. She angles the open bottle to his mouth. He gulps down the rest of the water.

It trickles down his lips, beard, and down to his neck. The man smacks his lips together and makes a satisfied sound,

“An angel you are! One more day without and I may have met my maker. Not too sure they’d be keen to see me though.” He grins, seeming amused with himself.

Dakota doesn’t respond, she only stares at him. The stranger feels a slight sense of ease when she sets the pistol back in her thigh holster.

“Bluebell, is she safe?” He asks.

Dakota pulls a large bucket over and flips it. Once it's on the ground she sits ontop of it, keeping her eyes trained on Ezra. “Your horse?”

He nods softly. “Yes ma’am.”

Dakota winches, she never liked being called Ma’am. Shoving that aside, she settles her focus on him once more, “She’s fine. With Pearl.”

His grin turns into a smile, “Pearl and Bluebell..sounds like the makings of a tune-”

An impatient huff escapes Dakota’s lips, she leans forward, her elbows on her knees, “What are you doing on my property?”

He doesn’t reply right away.

His gaze eventually settled on her eyes, searching them with greater intensity. It’s only when her brow wrinkles he replies.

“Your urgency for my answer is understandable. Here you are, returning home after a long day to find a strange man nearly dead at your door.”

Dakota crosses her arms as she sits up. “Well, why don’t you get to the point then?”

“All business! From what I understood, this is no man's land. It seemed the best way for a ghost to remain a ghost. Little did I know, a fine piece of land rested here, on the edge of nowhere with an even finer host.”

Dakota narrows her eyes at him, a stern warning on her tongue, “if I were you I wouldn't get any ideas.”

He sits back, “it was merely a compliment. A woman like you living on all this land alone? I'm sure you are more terrifying than most men. Have to be, to stay safe.”

Dakota rolls her eyes and shifts in her seat. He continues speaking, not wanting to try her patience any further.

“Last thing I remember, I thought I heard a stream, Bluebell and I were chasing said stream when everything went black. Next thing I knew, I'm bound, quite expertly I may add, to an old chair in a barn, staring down the barrel of an impressive pistol”

He can’t read her expression but there’s a seriousness in her eyes. After a few seconds, she leans in closer, studying his face.

“Why do you look familiar to me?” Dakota asks.

He chuckles and turns his head, looking off in the distance, “and here I hoped to remain a ghost. I suppose, a ghost is never really a ghost? Someone sees them eventually.” He relaxes further in the chair. “I’m just a traveller, blowing through. I’m no treat to you, unless you force me to be.”

Dakota raises her chin, eyes steady on him.

“Seeing as you stripped my pockets bare, I’m sure you know more about me than you let on.”

“I know no one walks around with that much gold or that many weapons unless their in trouble, or looking for it.”

He grins, “you found my gold. I had that very well hidden.”

“I don’t know you, so of course I searched you, thoroughly.” Dakota stands infront of him again, this time grabbing his chin, “now that I think about it. It wasn’t too long ago I travelled through a small little town, maybe you heard of it, called Monroe and I swear, I saw your likeness on one of those posters. And if my memory serves me correctly, there’s a pretty price on your head.”

A tense silence passes as they stare at eachother. A bemused grin forms on his lips, he makes no effort to break free of her grip.

“Seems I’ve been had,” a shine appears in his eyes, “ In that case, my name is Ezra.”

...

Chapter 2 is 30% done and in the works! We find out more about Dakota and outlaw Ezra.

Permanent @readsalot73 @phoenixhalliwell @douhaveabountyhunterspecial@roxypeanut @laketaj24 @lovinglokiforever @nerdypinupcrystal @tephi101 @wigwitch @gallowsjoker @autumnleaves1991-blog @ladylothlorien @lilangeldevil006 @rosiefridayrogersunday @idreamofboobear @lv7867

Pedro Pascal: @agirllovespancakes @cinewhore @promiscuoussatan @thegreenkid @absurdthirst @marydjarin @ladytrashbird @mandilflorian @seasonschange-butpeopledont @hayley-the-comet @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @fandomfic-galore @a-dork-in-black @sarahjkl82-blog @pascalisthepunkest @agentwhiskeypussyindulgence @lilangeldevil006 @wondergal2001

Ezra @rzrcrst @agirllovespancakes @oldstuffnewstuff @opheliaelysian @voteforpedropascal @engineeredfiction @buckstaposition @holographic-carmen @readsalot73 @cinewhore @charming-merlin @over300books

This: @valkyrie-of-the-light @insomniamamma @kesskirata

New Ezra list:

New Pedro pascal list:

Tag yourself

#Ezra #Ezra prospect #outlaw!ezra #fic: bandits in the wind #black ofc #cowgirl ofc #writer wednesday #western! Ezra #western au #prospect

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novantinuum · 3 years ago

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Interview with a Fic Writer

Tagged by @fordanoia, thank you so much! ;w;;

How many works do you have on AO3?

I have a total of 67 works posted on AO3. (Even more on my ancient FF.net account.)

Of these, 38 are for Steven Universe, 17 are for Gravity Falls, 8 are for Doctor Who, and 5 are for Trollhunters. (One of the Trollhunters fics and one of the Gravity Falls fics are the same story, though- it’s a crossover, ahah!)

Out of the bulk of them, most are one-shots.

What’s your total word count on AO3

271,227 words.

...damn, that’s pretty decent. Hot shit, Jen.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Oh hey, the answer I already gave above! Yeah, I’ve only written for 4 fandoms in my entire life. I’ve actually written tons more Doctor Who than I’ve posted on AO3, but it’s older fic I wrote when I was 12-18, so... not exactly up to my current standards of writing. There’s a reason I haven’t cross-posted many of those.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1) Hollowed Moon (AKA the abandoned Spinel and Stevonnie one) with 2,709 kudos

2) Crack the Paragon, my long fic, with 1,398 kudos

3) Shattering Atlas with 627 kudos

4) Contact with 476 kudos

5) Bi the Way... with 279 kudos

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try my best to! I’ve made some friends before by responding back and forth in fic comments, so I always think it’s fun to engage with my readers in that way.

Fun fact: if you theorize or muse about lore in the comments of any of my fics, I will also muse about lore with you! I love discussing deep character/plot stuff, and sometimes even go in a bit deeper about my thought process while writing certain bits when people ask me about stuff.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Probably either Shattering Atlas (mentioned above) or The Price of Freedom, since they’re blatantly Hurt, No Comfort. Even the angstiest of most of my fics tend to suggest a light at the end of the tunnel, but those flat out END in a depressing manner, ahah. Fun to write, but... damn. You were sure goin’ through it then, huh Jen? Pat pat. XD

Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever written?

I have posted a single crossover- the start of a Gravity Falls/Trollhunters fusion sort of thing where teen Stanley ends up becoming the trollhunter, and meets Blinky and Arrrgghh. I got 4 chapters and about 15K in before I got sucked into Steven Universe hell, so I never continued it. Wrote a pretty bomb ass fight scene for it, though.

(I co-wrote one other crossover when I was a teen with some friends at a sleepover- it was the most Wild Dumb Bullshit ever, pretty much throwing Spiderman and Sherlock and Bilbo Baggins and the Doctor into a room together and locking the door. @yourstylishmom I know you know what I’m talking about, uhsndghjdj w h e e z e)

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not that I can recall. The only strange comments I’ve gotten have been like... people debating about Spinel in the comments thread of Hollowed Moon...? That was bizarre. More amusing than anything, though.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I mean, I HAVE written smut before. Your typical kinky bullshit. Have I posted it, though? No. Will I ever? No. It’s for my eyes, and my eyes only.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did do a lot of Fiddauthor RP with @the-ill-doctor back in my Gravity Falls era! Those were some lovely times. ;w; <3 A portion of those RPs have been shared in a fic format, too--> The Time We Lost, the Time We Mended

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I don’t exactly have ONE all-time favorite, but the only ones I’ve ever sat down and created genuine content for are the Doctor/Clara Oswald, Ford/Fiddleford, and Steven/Connie.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Hmmm. Second Skin. There’s only two more short chapters I need to write, but I kinda started writing that as a vent fic, and... I’m (thankfully) not in that mindset anymore.

What are your writing strengths?

I like to think that I write pretty decent character dialogue, and have a knack for capturing the voices of at least a few of ‘em. Some are definitely easier than others, though! Steven, Amethyst, and Greg tend to be the easiest for me when writing SU fic. And back in my Gravity Falls days, I found it easiest to write Ford and Stan.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I don’t know how to write fluff. I don’t understand romance. I technically understand the CONCEPT of it, but I have never myself experienced what I would consider true romantic attraction, so I have no clue what that experience feels like. I tried writing romance once in Ticklish, a teen Steven/Connie fic, but I to this day have no idea if this is what it’s actually LIKE. XD

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don’t really have any opinion on this, truth be told. I’ve never really run into this in the fic I read- but I’m guessing it shows up in plenty of anime fandoms.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Doctor Who! That was the first fandom I read a fic for, too. If we’re counting unpublished fic that we wrote before we understood the concept of fanfiction, though... then the game Blinx the Time Sweeper *wheeze*

What’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

1) Crack the Paragon. It’s certainly the longest, most recent fic I’ve worked on- and I like to think the character work I’ve dug into with that is pretty neat.

2) Contact. This is the first true finished multichapter SU fic I have, and I think it’s cool to finally look back on this project as a cohesive short story, and be proud of myself for seeing it to the end.

Tagging (if you’re super bored and would like a fun thing to do) fellow writers:

@mimik-u, @fanfoolishness, @infriga, @abel-quartz, @endae

#jen rambles #tag meme

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black-rose-writings · 3 years ago

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I read Ruin and Rising because I’m bored

And I also hate myself

Like with the last book, I have a vague idea of the plot and stuff from tumblr and fanfics. I will also be refering to Darkling as Sasha for most of this.

I am still Darklina trash and don’t particularly like Mal.

On a different note, I’ve finally moved for college, but the internet here is trash, so I’ll probably have a lot more reading time now, since most games I play are online and will crash without internet.

Before

Cool story. Let’s hope Alina stays a badass.

Who am I joking, I know how this ends.

Chapter 1

So far so good. I hate the Apparat, per usual. Alina’s there basically dying and that bitch can’t wait to see her do so.

Cult leader to the core this one. He probably hates that his figurehead is alive and also not brainwashed.

Cult leader doesn’t like swearing. How surprising.

My boy David is completely right. What kind of irresponsible dingus keeps centuries old books in a fucking wet-ass cave? (Or a tree for that matter *cough cough* The Last Jedi *cough, cough*).

Genya is fun to be around.

Oh, shit, let’s go.

Chapter 2

Jesus Christ, Alina, Zoya isn’t that bad.

This is one hell of a shitshow.

I live for this version of Alina. Badass. Scary. I want more of this Alina.

Chapter 3

Out of all the random little details from crappy smut fics, I did not expect Oncat to be from the books, lol.

Mal actually has a supernatural tracking ability. Like, literally, they put a bug into the pouch with gunpowder so he could make the shot. I guess this was kinda said before, but never this directly, right?

Alina’s merzost-skyping Sasha now, yay.

Alina is horny for Sasha boy. Yay.

Alina canonically has a praise kink. Nice.

I hate LB with all of my heart at this very moment. How dare she bait us Darklina people like this? How DARE she? (Shipbaiting is the worst, seriously.)

Yes, yes, yes. These two lines. That’s what their relationship is all about. They’re each others foils, the yin to the other’s yang and... ugh. I am Darklina trash to the core and this hurts.

Darklina: You have a terrible taste in men.

Alina: I liked you once.

My boy Sasha walked into that one.

Chapter 4

Alina is a Queen. And we love her.

David, my beloved, my spirit animal.

It’s surprising they can read it at all, given it’s been centuries. Have you ever tried reading medieval manuscripts?

Honestly, with a father that crazy, it’s no wonder Baghra’s a bitch. And I’ve seen it said somewhere that the books imply Ilya’s experiments are what caused Baghra to be a shadow summoner and you know what? I can see how you’d make that connection.

Why is there so few Tidemakers in the books? Waterbenders are useful. I want more waterbenders.

Alina picking up some habits from Baghra I see.

Ah, yes, we love an educated giant.

I’m starting to think Harshaw is a bit nuts.

Shut up, Hershey. Or at least share the weed with the class. I’m not here for this “He’s mean to you because he likes you”. I might believe that in like, elementary school, but yall are (more or less) adults. Jesus.

Well, that was a bombshell of a twist.

Chapter 5

Oh boy, we’ve got some trauma bonding for out merry band of misfits. Yay.

Adrik has a crush on Zoya. And she hates it, lol. Cut the kid some slack, he’s like 15 or something.

That reminds me, I have a four-leaf clover pressed in books from close to year and a half ago. Time flies.

They’re really diving into the Mal has supernatural powers, huh?

Ghosts, let’s go.

Alina “I’m so happy to be outside I start to shine like a fucking fairy” Starkov and Mal is entranced. He’s definitelly nicer now. I’m not forgiving him for all the shit he’s pulled before and for using the silent treatment way too much, but hey, at least he’s improving.

I am not a Zoyalina person, but like... gay? Please? Rivals to grudging allies to friends to lovers, 300k slowburn? Sounds more fun than whatever Mala dn Alina have going on, lol.

(I’m starting to realize I’m not as much a Darklina person as I am anti-Malina person, lol. Like, literally everyone has a more interesting dynamic with Alina than tracker boy over there. Malina is at best boring AF and at worst toxic, codependent and emotionally abusive, while also being boring AF at the same time. It has literally nothing going for it except God herself liking it).

I can see why Nadia is gay in the show. The book version of her definitelly has a crush on Tamar. Homegirl likes a woman, who can murder her with the flick of her wrist and honestly? Same.

Alina has some big “coming out of lockdown after a year” energy atm.

The cat is one of the most realistic characters in this thing, lol.

And since Tamar is also heavily queercoded, our lovely ladies make off into the night, flirting. Or maybe not. Let me dream, though.

At least Blade Boy is aware that his tattoo is stupid. To quote someone ranting about him on tumblr: He’s embracing his identity as a tool.

Oh, boy, this will be fun.

Evil soldier is horny for Mal. Saints, is there a woman in this book who isn’t horny for Blade Boy?

And here comes Niki to save the day.

Chapter 6

Niki saved the day.

Fiberglass? And David being David. Genya being in love with her nerd of a boyfriend.

Jesus Christ, this one crazy kid has moved the technology in this universe a whole century on his own. So, when is David going to propose to him?

Baghra hasn’t changed much I see.

Baghra’s about to drop some truthbombs, but no, we have to be rudely interupted because Genya’s rapist is throwing a fit.

Chapter 7

How does Mal sound? Is she gonna say the Blade boy sounds like her dad? I mean, I know voices are partially genetic, but it has been tens of generations between them, probably.

So, we’re finally taking Genya’s trauma seriously after all this time? Good. Better late than never, I guess.

I wish that regicide was already finished and I’m pretty sure that Genya does, too. Stop defending the fucking king, narrative.

David’s a nerd in all things I see.

Someone please just kill the king already. And the queen, too, for good measure.

Now that’s a romance.

Infodumping and listening to said infodumps is a legitimate love language, Alina. Let them nerd out over poisons.

Wait, has Alina never directly killed anyone before? I thought she did... hmmm.

And just like that, it should have been over. Ugh.

Somehow, Baghra is a better teacher now than she was before. She half feels like a completely different character.

Nevermind, she’s back at it.

Chapter 8

Holy shit, Nadia and Tamar are canon. They have canon gays here.

So, which one of them is gonna die?

Chapter 9

We arrive at that scene. The one, where they should have fucked.

Jeez, girl, get a hold of yourself. Life is short, fuck a villain.

In other news, Genya and David definitelly fucked.

Chapter 10

Poor David. He just wanted to know.

Damn... I never realized just how young Baghra was, when she killed her sister.

I’ve already made a post about this, but it really does strike me like Baghra has already decided to end her life at this point in the book.

Why is that whole “but what if we’re related” thing even in there?

Chapter 11

We love a suprise attack.

When did Sasha boy learn that trick?

Baghra really just did that. Oh boy.

Chapter 12

No, don’t kill the kid... ugh.

Emotiona support cat. She should be friends with Milo.

Porrige for brains. Oof.

So Nadia was the one, who got bees set on her in the book. Cool.

That’s a good question. Why was it never brought up to Alina, that other Grisha get blocks, too?

David already thinking of steampunk prosthetic for Adrik is honestly kinda sweet.

Chapter 13

Back home... kinda.

Is that really... you really care about Mal bonking the Grisha school mean girl over a year ago? Okay.

Chapter 14

Angst! Yay!

And more angst.

Chapter 15

Sasha really went “My mom killed herself to save you? Well, I’ll kill the closest thing to parents you have.”

Chapter 16

Nikolai’s alive. Kinda.

And these two have such a sibling energy, I can’t.

And then they fuck. Ew.

Chapter 17

Wait, wait wait... so Alina isn’t even the one to destroy the Fold?

Okay. That’s... weird.

Holy shit. That was...

So, Aleksander is dead. Mal isn’t. Someone else destroyed the Fold for Alina and now she has no powers.

Okay.

That’s a weird-ass ending.

Chapter 18

The gays survived, so that’s nice.

Genya made good on her promise of making Alina a ginger, lol.

After

What emotion is this supposed to give me? Cause all I feel is kinda sad.

#shadow and bone #grishaverse #ruin and rising #book review #alina starkov #darkling #darklina

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thisisgonnafuxkinkillme · 4 years ago

Text

Save Me, Please!

A Yandere! All Might x F! Reader Fic~

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ...

𝔚𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰:

Stalking, gaslighting, phycological manipulation, anything that has to do with the yandere trope.

Weeks later, you completely forgot about the incident. Your life had returned to its normal, average, exceedingly mundane routine.

One night, you were curled up in your apartment when you heard a stray cat pathetically crying out for help. You’re an animal lover, and hearing that pitiful cry sent you into immediate action.

You rushed outside, still in your house clothes, looking for the animal. You didn’t think to bring your phone, a jacket, or anything else, but you just had to help this creature.

The cat cried on, leading you towards it. You found yourself walking into a darkened, dingy alleyway.

The meowing stopped abruptly.

“What d’ya think you’re doing here?” a gruff, disgusting voice whispered out. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“I-I’m...the cat...” you mumbled. You instinctively covered yourself, not being naked but also not being entirely decent. You were hoping to be in and out, just grabbing the kitten and bringing it to safety.

“Oh. Don’t you know better than to be wandering around outside at night, lil lady?” the man smirked, revealing yellowed, worn teeth. At that moment, the light hit him just right to reveal who he was. He was one of the local creeps, the kind you’d see begging for cash and coins on the corner, wondering why everyone passes him by until you see him up close and smell the strong scent of alcohol and cigarettes coming from him.

You said nothing, still wondering where that cat went.

“...especially out here all by yerself...” the man continued as he picked at his gums with his grime filled fingernails.

You made eye contact with him.

“It’d be such a shame if something were to happen to ya, little lady...” he drabbled on. Your hand looked for your phone in your pocket as you backed up and away from the alley.

“Now, where are ya going? I wasn’t gonna hurt ya none!” he teased, grabbing your wrist. You screamed, trying to yank away your hand.

“Ah, now ya can’t be doin’ none of that,” he grinned. Suddenly, he pointed his index and thumb at you, making a gun like motion. You froze, confused yet somehow understanding.

This was the fucker’s quirk.

His fingers around your arm became barbed wire, digging and cutting and slicing into your flesh. When you looked up from your bloodied arm, you saw that his hand had morphed into an actual pistol, and it was now pointed directly at your skull.

Tears silently streamed down your face as you looked down, now unable to fight back.

“Yes, I will be coming in tomorrow ... you won’t need to cancel the class. No, thank you.” you overheard someone on the phone. It was a male’s voice, and you prayed with all your heart that it was a hero out on patrol.

He passed the alley, not even taking a millisecond to glance in your direction. Your heart plummeted.

“...What...what do you want with me?” your voice shuddered. The man said nothing. You looked up at him.

He was staring intently at something outside of the alley, but you were so fear stricken that you couldn’t bring yourself to look at what it could be.

Without warning, you were thrown to the ground, and the man was running away. You sat up, clutching your injured arm, trying to get answers, but everything happened in a flash before your eyes.

All you saw was blood. Lots of it. Too much.

You couldn’t worry about that now, though. You had to get away.

You got up, scraping your soft, white palms, rushing out and away from that damned alley. At this point, you didn’t give a shit what happened. All you know is that you’re alive.

You scrambled up your stairs, slamming and locking your door. You pushed a chair in front of it, switched all your lights on, and slept with your biggest kitchen knife under your pillow.

The very next day, the news reporter plainly read off of her script, letting everyone know that a local homeless man was brutally murdered last night.

“We don’t have many details surrounding the motive, but we have reason to believe that this was a spontaneous spur of the moment killing,” she stated.

“Now, back to the weather today with Susan Straham!” a male voice boomed, panning over to a perky weather lady. You shut off the tv and rubbed your arm. The door was still locked and bolted shut, the chair still propped up. You shuddered at the memory.

Despite your discomfort, the day still had to go on. You left for work, listening to music as you walked.

Up ahead, you spotted a familiar figure. All Might.

He didn’t notice you at first, but when he did, he basically picked you up, hugging you.

“I told you I’d see you again!” he beamed. People stopped to stare.

You put your hands out in front of you to signal him to tone it down a notch or two. Or a hundred.

He didn’t get what you were hinting at, though, and gleefully continued to absolutely shower you in attention.

Suddenly, he stopped speaking. You tugged down on your shirt sleeve, realizing he probably noticed your battle wounds from last night.

His tone completely changed as he monotonly asked if you heard about last night’s murder.

He eyed you, now walking with you to work.

You didn’t mention what happened. It’s not like it could have been connected or anything, right? ...Right?

Finally, you arrived at work.

“I hate to say goodbye again,” he frowned. You shrugged.

“Well, it’s not like this is the last time you’ll ever see me, ya know,” you mumbled.

“What makes you so sure of that?” he asked. Your blood ran cold for a split second.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you never know what can happen. Stay safe, okay? I...don’t know what I’ll do if I never see you again,” he frowned. You were blown away by his sudden change of tone and his seriousness and said nothing.

You just waved, entering your workplace and taking the elevator up. All Might lingered there at the entrance for a few moments, watching you go higher and higher, until he left, too.

A couple days went by with nothing interesting happening. Your arm was healing up nicely, and you were starting to feel okay in your apartment again.

Today, you went to your usual coffee shop, and the barista informed you that someone had already paid for your drink in advance.

“How could they have? I’m the only one in here,” you asked. The barista shrugged, just repeating that you didn’t owe them anything.

Maybe the barista was just trying to flirt. That’d make sense.

Definitely. That has to be it.

It wasn’t until that weekend when you realized that you had been seeing All Might patrolling in your area a lot more than usual. No matter how many times he’d see you, though, he’d always have the same over-the-top reaction. It was definitely endearing, in a way, but the attention you got from others was embarrassing enough for you to shrug away from it.

You had to admit, though, feeling another human’s touch was something refreshing. For years, you’ve been locked up in your tiny one bedroom apartment by yourself, just wishing that you could find someone.

You joined a dating app not too long ago, which has been pretty hit or miss.

Maybe you would meet someone soon. Hopefully, at least.

#yandere! all might #yandere! yagi toshinori x reader #yandere! mha #yandere!#yandere! small might #all might x reader #yagi toshinori x reader #yandere #yancore #yandere fic #yandere! all might x reader #f!reader #yandere!all might

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the-silentium · 4 years ago

Text

Bloodhound

Masterlist - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

Fors is an Original planet. I do not give permission to people to use it for their own fics, the planet, the animals, the Nightmares, the lore or anything related to Fors. Thank you.

Pairing: Bad Batch x Reader

Words: 5172 words

Warnings: Blood, gore, curse, monsters, ANGST.

A/N: Yessss two chaps in two days!! Thanks to every single one of you who left comments and kuddos on the previous chap. You're all awesome 💜

**Also! Words in bold are words said in French, which means the clones can't understand it. I stopped writing the French in actual French for you guys, it'll be more useful in the future.**

Taglist: @haloangel391 / @lightning-wolffe / @cherrydemon5 / @and-claudia / @clone-rambles / @mandaloriandin / @lackofhonor / @gaymasonjar

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

//25 minutes earlier//

"That's not him! Guys!" You yelled in the comlink you fished in your pocket in a haste, almost making yourself trip when you pulled on the fabric of your pants at the same time.

The gap separating you from them was increasing more and more with each step they took. Damn their long legs and commando training, you weren't made to chase this kind of prey!

"I know his voice Y/N! That's him!" Wrecker was too damn sure of himself, his confidence affecting his brothers' judgment as well.

It didn't take long for rule number one to be thrown overboard and surprisingly it wasn't by the one you expected, no offense Techie.

"Stay under the trees!"

This couldn't be happening. They were all running headfirst to their deaths. According to the lore, Venustes didn't affect more than one person at a time. You couldn't know for sure if the lore was reliable or if the other three were following out of concern for the fake 99, but they had to snap out of their own mind trap soon or else they would all be dragged down.

"H-" A clawed hand appeared inches from your face, cutting short your attempt to call out for your sergeant.

Instinctively, you threw your body to the ground to avoid getting grabbed by the head and ultimately being crushed like a berry in its grasp and crawled to continue running. Alas, the Algax wasn't as dumb as you thought, his other hand swiftly reached forward to stab your right thigh with one of its fingers, preventing you from escaping.

Your screams of pain were muffled by the hand pinning your face to the dirt, waiting before your lungs were empty of any air to lace its long sharp digits around your torso. The feeling barely registered through the thick fog of pain coming from your thigh.

Your first instinct was to yell at the top of your lungs for help, maybe your distress would get them out of their haze, saving their lives as well as yours, but you quickly found out that your lungs were empty and unable to expand to receive more oxygen.

The lack of air in your system mixed with the agonizing pain from the retreating talon in your thigh almost knocked you unconscious. You could feel your blood escaping your wound to drip down your legs and nourish the ground under your suspended form.

It leaned closer, a low crackling sound escaped the slits on its temples. With considerable efforts, your good leg moved up to push against its torso to keep its horrifying face away from yours, the up-close view causing more tears to gather in your eyes.

Fear and the lack of oxygen quickly took over your body in the form of violent shivers shooking your whole frame. The building pressure encompassing you once more was excruciating, your bow laid on the ground out of reach while your arms were pinned down along your sides, keeping you from stabbing your way out of the situation.

All you could do was scream in your head out of pain and fear, waiting until your bones gave up under the tightening grasp to pierce your organs and kill you slowly. The boys seemed way too entranced to come to your aid, leaving you to feel as miserable as when you were hunting for the village, without back up and entirely alone. If you were lucky, you'd die alone without another beast feasting on your still alive-but-unable-to-move self. This would be a nice death, as horrible as it sounded.

You hoped the boys would survive though. Even if they apparently totally forgot that you were there. Not that this came to you as a surprise. People who gravitate around you for some time always tend to go away on their own, leaving you behind just like the clones. But you couldn't hate them for it, your heart already knew it was coming and had prepared itself for this right moment.

After all, they had to lie to their chain of command and train a primitive idiot how to fly a ship, they were trapped on this infernal planet once again because you nearly died and they hadn't seen the Shinehorn sneaking its way into their ship, being too busy fussing over your comatose self. Oh and let's not forget that you ended an innocent's life right in front of them without warning. It was only a matter of time before they left.

Plus, if they were so desperate to meet this 99, it surely meant that he was highly special to them whereas you were the newbie, so no you weren't mad. You merely wished you had someone who could make you forget everything around like this 99. It seemed nice to have someone that important.

And finally, if you died maybe you would find a way to come back to haunt them. This could be fun, you could mess with Crosshair's rifle, disturb Tech while he was tweaking with his prototypes, pushing Wrecker around to your liking because he couldn't possibly defend himself against you anymore and most important of all, you could mess with Hunter by constantly untying his goddamn bandana. It would drive them all mad, you knew it.

After some thoughts, you knew they would make it off this planet alive. Together they had a good chance. Hunter's acute senses along with their brains and elite commando training gave them an advantage the natives never had. Hopefully, they would stay in these parts of the jungle until daylight, where they knew how to deal with the monsters living around.

Yeah... Good luck guys.

Eyes closed, you waited for the inevitable snaps of your bones. It resonated between the trees, sickening and disgusting you to the core, but you weren't flooded under any more pain than the one radiating from your thigh. Instead, you felt nauseous for a whole second when you were once again thrown away, landing on the ground harshly.

Your body rolled on the dirt, bouncing a couple of times under the force of impact. For as far as you remembered there wasn't a single time in your life when you've been thrown around as much as tonight. This was getting tiring and it’s been dark for only a bit more than two hours. Lucky you.

Still laying on your back, you breathed erratically to provide the much-needed oxygen to your organs, watching upside down the Algax receiving a second arrow to the head, effectively scaring it away.

A hunter. You were saved. You were fine.

Huffing, your body went limp at the lack of imminent danger and talons menacing your life. Maybe you could rest-

"Shit. She's really alive?" A hunter you recognized as Farlan walked out of the shadows to slowly approach your form like you were a trapped animal.

"So it's true then. It's your fault they're back." Another Hunter spat, literally, missing your face by an inch. Kerth never liked you, obviously.

You would have liked to say that those were the hunters you desperately wanted to come and rescue you, but then it would be a lie. None of them appreciated your presence even slightly so they all meant the same thing. This will be a drag.

"Now, who's back? And why is it always my fault?" You pushed on your forearm to sit straight, grunting at the pain in your right leg.

Shit. The hole left by the talon wasn't big, approximately two inches wide, but it was bleeding profusely. It was sickening to be able to see the ground through your flesh so you opted to keep pressure on the wound with your hands, camouflaging the hole like it wasn't even there. If only the pain could disappear as easily...

"The nightmares. They're back because you're still alive." Kerth pulled a piece of gauze from a pocket on his belt, the sight of the medical supply pulled a relieved sigh out of you.

Wait what?

"So the council wants a word." He said with so much venom that your heart skipped a beat. This wasn't good. At. All.

Before you could react, the gauze found its way in your mouth, quickly followed by an irritating rope that despite your weak thrashing around got attached behind your head.

You were brutally pushed onto your belly, hands pulled behind your back to be attached tightly with skillful fingers. A muffled scream escaped your mouth when a knee pressed onto your wounded thigh, tears joining your blood on the dirt.

"Because of you, I've lost friends tonight. I'll make sure to pay you a visit once the council is done with your stupid ass." He growled in your ear.

Oh, you were so dead. Your bet was on the council, but if by some miracle they weren't the one to put an end to your life, then Kerth was the next bet. Maybe you shouldn't have sabotaged his weapons the day of the hunt competition. Or put some poison ivy in his hunting clothes. Or laugh whole-heartedly when he got shit on by a Furant during his ceremonial speech in front of the whole village. Or… one of the numerous pranks you pulled on him for payback of his daily shitty attitude towards you.

Farlan was the one to pull you up and push you forward, leaving the job to spot the monsters to Kerth. The thought of running or fighting was completely futile. You wouldn't run very far with your untreated leg, there was the possibility that they would shoot you down out of spite too. They seemed very fed up at you for some reason. How could you be the cause of the nightmares reappearing? Also, they were gone? Since when?!

This was getting weirder and weirder.

_________________

//Present - 10:48 pm//

"I got her position. She's close” The corners of Wrecker’s lips lifted slightly. They could track you, everything would be fine from here. You weren’t lost. “and unmoving." The whispered last words rang loud and clear in all the clones' ears.

Wrecker's breath wasn't the only one to abruptly stop.

The smile quickly left his face, as well as a majority of his blood. You couldn’t be dead. This couldn’t be happening.

“Where?” Hunter’s hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly around his blaster,

“700 meters that way.” He pointed deeper into the jungle, where they all came from.

A weight fell on his stomach and he had to force a deep breath in. You hadn’t made it out of the jungle with them. They had outrun you and left you behind on your own.

Without a word Hunter took the lead, Tech following right behind with Crosshair on his heels. Wrecker took a single second to gulp down his guilt and shake his arms lightly to regain feeling in his body and not worsen his wounds. He followed silently behind the group, squinting attentively to discern the shadows with his half working equipment.

“300 meters.”

You were resourceful. You knew your planet like the back of your hand. There was no way you were dead.

“100.”

Please 99. Don’t let her be dead.

Crosshair stumbled on Tech as the brown-haired clone abruptly stopped, looking around like he was searching for something. With a step forward, Tech crouched to grab a small object on the ground to show it to the rest of them.

“Kriff!” Hunter punched a nearby tree, exhausted by this succession of ill-fated events. There in Tech’s hand was your comlink, their only way of locating you on this living prison that was this planet.

Wrecker held onto the last hope he had. There wasn’t any blood, you could still be fine. Maybe you’d dropped your comlink while running away.

“Hunter.” Crosshair’s voice was unsettling. His usual dry snarky self was replaced by a more small and scared tone that the soldier hadn’t heard in a while. “That’s a lot of blood.”

And it was. The puddle was big enough and it looked like you'd struggled quite a bit in it too.

The world was spinning. He knew battalions lost men every time they went out on missions. It was a common occurrence for soldiers to die and the remaining ones had to suck it up ad continue the fight. But Wrecker wasn’t used to this. From the very beginning, they were the four of them, surviving each mission thrown their way to fight another day. He never got attached to anyone out of his Batch but you and losing his first comrade in the field hit him hard.

Sure, the death of 99 left him in crumbles but with you it was different. He was supposed to have your back just like you had his. You saved his life and he didn’t save yours.

As his eyes fell to the ground in shame, he noticed a small object at the tip of his boot.

“Tech.” He called, as he raised back up with your earbud in hand.

“So we can’t contact her, she can’t contact us, she’s unarmed and wounded.” Crosshair resumed the situation, your bloody bow, and quiver in hand. "If she's not dead, she'll be soon."

"There's no way she'd run deeper into the jungle wounded and without her bow. It's suicide." Hunter tore his gaze from the large puddle at his feet to follow sparse dark spots staining the grass to their right. "It could be a new critter that doesn't kill right away or she found someone or something else to protect her."

So there was a possibility that you weren't dead. Wrecker felt relieved that his brother came to that conclusion, his own mind was working in slow motion, too distressed at his feelings to allow him to concentrate and think.

"Whatever it is, we'll find her."

Even if the words weren't meant to reassure him, Wrecker felt more at ease knowing that they had a way to track you and that you were possibly safe with someone or something. All he hoped now was that you were alive long enough for them to find you and that ultimately, you'd forgive him.

Wrecker rushed behind his brothers who followed the trail, jogging at a steady rhythm, slow enough to be able to detect the monsters that might target them but fast enough that they would catch up to you at some point.

It didn't take long for the first Algax to cut their road, the shy creature poking its terrifying head from behind a large trunk as soon as it heard them approach.

Wrecker tensed, already gripping the handle of his blaster with his left hand despite the knowledge that his weapon was useless against them. Having his blaster in hand, even if it wasn't the right one, gave him a sense of security.

The dark blue creature didn't have time to lift its hand to reach for them that an arrow flew right into the trunk next to its head. The beast hissed, its long fingers hitting the arrow in anger before moving out of its hiding spot to engage the group.

"Damn thing." Crosshair growled, at the bow in his hand or at the beast, Wrecker didn't know. All he knew was that he almost cheered when his brother managed to scare the beast away with two arrows piercing its chest.

"Nice work." Tech approved, light sticks in hand instead of his blasters.

"You were right. It is primitive." Crosshair growled, following Hunter who resumed the tracking of your blood on the ground.

"I'm always right." He chirped, eyes scanning the shadows.

"Debatable." His brother scoffed back.

"Wrecker." Hunter called from the front, eyes quickly darting forward when he caught his brother's eyes. "Let your blaster. Take your blade."

"Okay." Against his best instinct, the clone let go of his DC-17, letting it fall on the jungle floor to grab his vibroblade in a firm grip. The blade felt weird in his left hand but it would do. Knives worked on those things, he was still safe.

The surroundings were calm for a while, and the more time they spent no crossing path with any monster, the more the tension built between them. Apprehension kept them on their toes, eating away at their nerves slowly.

The next Algax they encountered stood tall in their way like he was challenging them to jump at it. Maybe they were used to being at the top of the food chain, just like the clones were used to being at the top of their game. Regrettably, the clones were in way over their head on this planet but they would make sure that they weren't the only ones.

Instead of slowing down, Hunter charged at the Algax, stopping only when the sharp metal of his vibroblade was deeply set into the monster's chest.

Wrecker waited for a screech, for the creature to start thrashing around or flee like the one that fell down a tree with you. Seconds passed and the Algax lifted its arms like nothing happened, like there wasn't a long knife jabbed in its thorax and made a move to grab the sergeant who swiftly jumped away, blade still in hand.

"What?!" Hunter exclaimed, facing the creature once again.

An arrow in the head managed to get the desired effect, the tall beast running away in its signature hiss.

"Why didn't it work? Her knife worked on them!" Hunter was getting more and more on edge.

"Maybe it could be because our technology is too advanced or because our equipment is not native." Tech remarked. "It is logical in a sense. This planet created its own rules to protect itself from invaders, so it may have created a sort of protection against anything exterior to its own resources."

"It is possible?" Wrecker found it quite hard to believe. A planet controlling what could kill or not? Blasters could kill anything!

"The planet changes beliefs in the real thing. Yeah I think it's possible." He deadpanned with an eye roll.

Suddenly, the vibroblade in Wrecker's hand didn't provide the same sense of security as before. All their hope resided in Crosshair and Tech's hands. 7 arrows and 3 light sticks. Talk about limited resources. If only he had his backpack containing all his explosives, he could get something done.

Too deep in thought, Wrecker didn't notice the wall of dirt right in front of them until he almost rammed into it. They were back to their landmark.

"We missed each other." Hunter growled in frustration at the sight of the blood splatters leaving the safety of the trees to disappear under the waterfall.

Wrecker understood immediately, his own frustration building in his chest. They entered the jungle and you got out of it. Maker knew Wrecker was used to bad timing but this was a new low. Fate was laughing right in their faces.

Cautiously, they left the dense vegetation to venture into the open area where Wrecker almost became bird food. His eyes were fixed in the open sky, some stars were visible through the small clouds. The bright moon wasn't at its highest yet, Wrecker estimated that there was another hour before the satellite reached its peak.

The provided light allowed him to relax the muscles around his eyes. He hasn't been squinting for long that the beginning of a headache started to form in his skull.

As they neared the wet dirt, three sets of footprints were easily distinguishable in the wet dirt. The spacing told them that none of you were running. If nothing was chasing you, then why weren't you patched up?

"We have to find her quick." Crosshair spat what every brother thought quietly.

If you were with people that didn't patch you up and had plenty of time to do so then they weren't on your side. Even without medical supplies, they should have been able to stop the bleeding one way or the other.

"Stay close." Hunter called, venturing closer to the waterfall where your blood disappeared.

With each step forward, the sound of the waterfall hitting the river below became more and more deafening. The sound was assaulting his ears to a point where he almost ripped his helmet off to cover his ears. He managed to hold on, focussing instead on his leader who clearly had more problems than him.

Hunter had removed his own helmet to pass it on to Tech in hope of covering some of the uproars with his hands. The relief must not have been enough for his arms began to shake, his hands pushing firmly against the sides of his head.

If only he could reach for his brother and take some of his pain, Wrecker would do it in a heartbeat.

"Let's make this quick." Crosshair took the front, his steps taking him behind the waterfall where a tin border of rocks formed a path to the other side.

Tech nodded his head towards Hunter, his hands already full with the sticks and the extra helmet.

"Got him." Wrecker confirmed. His left hand reached for his brother's pauldron right after sheathing his blade.

With practiced movements, Wrecker bent to carefully set his pain down, now wasn't the time to listen to his body.

With slow steps the tank walked on the wet trail of rocks behind the roaring wall of water, his arm tightening slightly around the body on his shoulder. If Hunter reacted Wrecker couldn't hear it.

The rocks were flat enough that he didn't slip once. The problem appeared on the other side, where the blood trail ended abruptly a couple of feet away from the bank.

"Where to now?" Wrecker asked, still supporting his limp brother.

"No fucking idea." Crosshair grumbled, visor moving from right to left where the jungle extended as far as his eyes could see in both directions.

Hunter's feet returned to the ground when soft pats disturbed the tall clone carrying him, his hands were at his sides, fingers clenched into fists as he grounded himself through deep breaths.

"Are you okay?" Wrecker dared to ask, his worry for his family finally escaping him.

Hunter usually took more time to recover from an overwhelming episode like this one and it was apparent that he still needed time, but he opened his eyes nonetheless, ignoring Wrecker's question to grip onto Tech for support and deeply breathe in, brows furrowed in concentration.

His head turned in a different direction as the three remaining clones scrutinized the line of trees for signs of a threat.

"It's faint." Hunter whispered, still deep within himself. "Blood. That way." He pointed at their right before reaching for his helmet in the engineer's hands.

"You're good to walk?" Tech questioned, watching his C.O. warily. His hands lifted slightly in apprehension that Hunter may faint under the pressure he was forcing on his body.

"Yes." It was weak but firm, leaving no place for discussion, not that either of them would have said anything. They knew what you meant to the sergeant so it was better for their sakes to not put themselves between you and him.

Back in position, clone force 99 advanced through the trees, their pace building at each passing second. They were almost running when finally they stopped, their boots almost slipping under them in a sticky substance.

"Karkin' fuck." Hunter cursed, his hands tightening around his vibroblade, eyes glued to the corpse lying at their feet.

"That was you smelled?" Crosshair pushed the eviscerated loth wolf with the tip of his foot.

"Ye-"

Screams resonated in the distance, cutting Hunter off. Wrecker's heartbeat loudly in his ears, almost covering the yells of pain under its incessant percussion against his ribcage.

Every single one of the soldiers breathed out in relief at the lack of a female scream. However, they tensed in apprehension as the screams faded and howls filled the air in their place. A new beast was around and they didn't have any idea of how to react to it. Run? Hide? Would the knife work this time? Or the bow?

"There were two distinct voices. Males." Tech stopped his recon of the surroundings to catch his batch's eyes. "Maybe it's them."

"Worth a shot." Hunter nodded, already moving in the direction of the screams, although this time he kept a slower pace, fully conscious that they were in unknown territory, charging at unknown beasts.

The screams weren't too far, but they obviously came from the opposite direction Hunter initially pointed them to. Hopefully, they would find you there, wounded but alive, and he wouldn't beat himself too much for his mistake.

Despite knowing that they were useless, Wrecker retrieved his vibroblade from its sheath. The need for a weapon in his hand was too great to ignore, every cell of his being felt the danger ahead and wanted to be prepared although he could never really be prepared for anything this planet threw at him.

He cringed every time a twig broke under his boots, the soft sound resonating in his own ears like the grenades he liked to throw on the battlefield, resonating into the silent jungle to scream their position at anything that dared to listen. Maybe it was paranoïa slowly creeping its way into his brain, using the aftereffect of the corrupted hallucinations he suffered to play around with his senses.

Just like right now, the more he concentrated to decipher the shadows with his half working helmet, the more strange the forms became. At first, it was spots from his constant squinting, then he saw small blue lights on the horizon, dancing haphazardly around. After a couple of blinks, the pale lights disappeared as fast as they arrived, leading the bald clone to shrug them off as his eyes playing tricks on him. The constant stress was definitely getting a toll on him, and let’s not talk about the two dives into a strong current. Once this night was over and they get back at the Marauder, he’ll sleep for two weeks straight.

Softs whines could be heard over unnerving growls and occasional barks, quickly catching the group’s attention.

“Blood.” Hunter informed them over comm, his whisper almost blending with the rustles of leaves in front of them.

The group halted in their tracks as Hunter raised his fist, Crosshair already had the bow cranked, ready to shoot at whatever alerted their leader. Carefully peeking over Tech’s shoulder, Wrecker craned his neck to the side to see what was happening around the boulder they used as cover.

He could see the posterior of a large animal, jerking successively like it was pulling at something. Disturbing yelps filled the air and the animal fell backward with its prize tightly encased between its teeth. It rolled near their position but was too preoccupied with the bloody arm in its possession to detect the clones observing it.

Wrecker knew Tech was recording, there was no way he wasn’t. Not when the monster before them had no skin whatsoever to cover its bones. The canine-like monstrosity easily reached Tech’s waist, had no external skin, leaving its bones to shine under the green tint of their night vision, muscles were observable between the ribs and along the joints, but that was it. No skin.

"If only we could capture one." He muttered to which Hunter answered with a glare under his helmet.

As it ate, Tech’s appreciative whispers filled the comm, muttering about the extra smaller ribs that circled the abdomen of the monster, keeping its intestines from falling all over the ground and marveling about the movement of each muscle, totally bare for his curious eyes to see and analyze at will.

"Fine fine. We won't be getting one of those perfect study specimens." He grumbled, reporting his gaze to the organism that crunched the humerus with only moderate difficulty. "Fascinating."

"No, it's not." Crosshair elbowed Hunter who redirected his gaze to a hollow tree where a figure was shivering, hidden in the darkness.

"That's her." He confirmed, the sniper's impeccable sight was not to be doubted.

"Why aren't they attacking her?" Wrecker questioned, puzzled.

Two other beasts were walking only steps away from your poor hiding spot, ignoring you totally despite acknowledging your presence with occasional glances towards you.

"I have some theories but they are all shots in the dark." Tech answered when he realized that they were all waiting for his highlights.

"That's just perfect." Crosshair growled.

The tall clone counted 4 of them, walking between two bodies to tear at the flesh and stain their white skulls with fresh blood.

He wondered if his brute strength would be enough to smash their bones if needed when he noticed you slowly standing up, hands behind your body to steady yourself against the trunk.

"Maybe she could come here instead of us going there." Wrecker pointed out. If only he could catch your attention without catching theirs. "Tech. Do you still have your laser?"

The toy they kept around to annoy Crosshair whenever he was too relaxed on leave could be more useful than its original purpose.

Wrecker was amazed at how unafraid of the canines you were, standing next to one of them to pull at the bow on one of the beheaded corpses with your foot.

"Good idea." Tech walked to the other side of the rock where he could have a clear view of your limping form, slowly making your way toward one of the dead bodies.

"She's tied up." Remarked Hunter, his voice merely above a whisper but frightening nonetheless. Your aggressors should be glad that the dogs got them first.

Crosshair had the creature in his aim, an arrow already pointed at its head if it dared to make a move in your direction.

At one point the bow got stuck, the snapping mouth of the monster next to you was deeply buried into the open chest of what once was a man, blocking your progression toward the shoulders.

Wrecker's breath blocked in his throat and Crosshair cursed under his breath as they saw you tentatively poke the skull of the monster with a very shaky foot before almost falling on your ass with a muffled yelp at how quickly you moved it back when the big bony dog jerked its head up to look at you.

Your wide eyes stared back at it until it lost interest and moved further down the body to nib at some abdominal organs. Quickly you pulled out the bow with your foot, head tilted down to your chest to look at your work.

Tech used this moment to point the red laser at your chest, immediately catching your attention by moving it from side to side. Wrecker grinned as your head lifted in their direction, eyes wide in surprise. You spotted them in seconds, maybe because Wrecker was waving.

Words were muffled by the rope around your mouth, but the wild shaking of your head was clear. Even with only a half functioning helmet, Wrecker could read the fear in your gaze.

Tech couldn't close the light fast enough. One skull turned at the source of the small brightness. As soon as it spotted them, earsplitting yaps covered the snarls of the feasting animals, catching the pack’s attention simultaneously. Soon 4 pairs of predatory red eyes stared at them, their maws chattering in anticipation.

#bad batch x reader #wrecker x reader #tech x reader #crosshair x reader #hunter x reader #sergeant hunter #clone force 99 #star wars #clone wars

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