#fic i might write one day

[pendragonsclotpole]

this is probably me just hitting peak insanity after scrolling on this website for too long but like

whoever had the brilliant idea of making the well-known old merlin character into a young man (younger than arthur, mind you, and upending the stereotypical mentorship role characteristic of the legend!) and basing the entire story on the bond (romantic! i will die on this hill) between merlin and arthur and THEN MAKING IT WORK was a genius

like imagine if 500 years from now when an ip like harry potter is public domain and ubiquitously known as a tale of magic, someone just straight up decides to rewrite the story by de-aging dumbledore and making him the same age as Harry and then writing an entire story based on their bond.

we’d all freaking look at them like they were crazy

[itsthislake]

Ha! Look at you, so young and happy... where did they years go?

[izzystizzys]

“ - but have you ever considered, I don’t know, not sucking all the time? Just a thought.”

It takes the combined grips of Nuisance and Hound to keep the wriggling, snarling body beneath Fox from throwing him off its back. With three years’ practice of having to fix his own rickety desk chair over and over again, the movement merely ruffles the proverbial fringe on his helmet.

“And I don’t mean that as an insult, necessarily. Well, I do a little bit. But also I have some amount of empathy for the no doubt immense amounts of trauma that had to go into the creation of something so dysfunctional as you, on a very personal level, so have you considered going to the root of that in a way that’s like… useful? Instead of wasting it all on kriffing Kenobi, I mean. Look at the guy. All he does all day is drink tea and commit warcrimes. I bet he knits for fun. Bit of an embarrassing nemesis, don’t you think?”

“I”, says Kenobi, then pauses. The space between his eyebrows is creased with uncertainty, and he looks deeply torn between continuing rocking the shaking Duchess of Mandalore against his chest from his corner of the throne room and re-activating his lightsaber to continue losing his fight against the Darksider Fox is currently sitting on. “I feel like I should object to some part of that, but I’m not entirely clear on what. Or how this happened, again. Isn’t Mandalore a few star systems from your purview, Commander?”

“Probably the warcrimes”, mutters Nuisance underneath his strained breath.

“About as far from my supposed assignment as yours, General”, says Fox a little louder.

Kenobi twitches. Fox cannot claim to know which of them does it. Both, maybe. Probably.

“I will - taste - your - flesh!”, heaves out Darth Maul, snarling and hissing.

“Oooh, kinky!”, calls Grids, from the corner where she’s got her stun-setting aimed at the other Zabrak, currently passed out cold. Fox sighs deeply. He knew he shouldn’t have taken those three - any combination of Grids, Hound and Nuisance in a room together usually spelled chaos.

Unfortunately, it also spelled competence. The Basic alphabet can be funny that way.

The point being: as of some months into the war, one of Fox’s assigned tasks is the surveillance of all GAR-wide communication. All command-class staff theoretically got that memo, but no one seems to have read the fine print where that includes both professional and personal communication, as well as any and all comm devices registered or suspected to be registered to that person. Especially not one Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.

The point further being, if that sounds both immensely impractical and sort of terrifying in a democratic supposedly non-surveillance state, you’d be bang on the credits, and to Fox’ eternal chagrin the singular person in this whole useless army who’s spent the second of thinking necessary for that conclusion.

The final point being, when one frantic General’s mad dash across the Galaxy to rescue his teenage sweetheart from the spectre of his supposedly dead nemesis crosses his desk on its way to the Chancellor’s inbox, it doesn’t take much time for him to block any and all trace of it across the digital space of the GAR commboard and take matters into his own hands.

“ - which is why I told Thorn to suck it up and be in charge for a few days, and also why you’re still alive, your Highness, very welcome, was no trouble at all”, he concludes, drily. The Duchess stares the wide-eyed look of someone attempting to reconcile clones with ‘sentience’ or perhaps ‘personality’ in her head, but won’t say it outright.

Or the look of someone who’s just been violently overthrown and nearly murdered, perhaps, Fox allows.

“Um -“, Kenobi hedges, blinking rapidly.

“And the reason you’re still alive, probably. You’re welcome for that too, by the way”, Grids calls from the back of the throne room, cheekily.

“Alright”, says Kenobi, loudly. There’s color back in his deathly-pale cheeks, Fox notes, even if that color is a lot of red. It doesn’t fade very gracefully into his beard. “Opinions on whether or not I had everything under control notwithstanding -“

“You really didn’t”, Hound supplies helpfully.

“ - opinions notwithstanding, I am admittedly still lost on why you’re now sitting on Darth Maul and attempting to, to - jeer at him, Marshall Commander!”

“We’re not jeering, we’re trying to create a safe space and lay the groundwork for more open communication”, Fox says, primly.

Maul screams into the ground, attempting for the umpteenth time to rear up and visit great violence upon Fox, which admittedly has him rattling in his crosslegged seat atop his back.

Kenobi raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Safe space?”

“He’s restrained and not stabbing anyone, I personally feel much safer than before”, Grids muses. “Watch the teeth though, Hound. Little biter.”

Indeed. Fox’s right greave will have to be replaced posthaste.

“And anyways, the point isn’t to jeer at him, it’s to make clear that he’s focusing his energy in the wrong places and could be doing much better things with his admittedly not-great life”, Fox adds, shifting to cast a pointed look down at Maul. The Sith is panting open-mouthed into the durasteel floor, sharp teeth gnashing wildly as his piercing yellow eyes shine with barely restrained rage. “I’m just saying - aim higher. You aren’t seeing the forest for the Kenobis, Maul. Can I call you Maul?”

“I will feed you your own entrails”, yowls Maul.

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Right now, I’m an easy target to focus all that built-up rage on, but is killing me really going to help you achieve any of your goals? No! Think about it - when it all comes down to it, who sent you on that mission to Naboo in the first place? Who made sure the Jedi and, by extension, Kenobi would be there to kill you? Who used you as a dejarik piece and then cast you aside the second you outlived your usefulness?”

Beneath him, Maul slowly stills in his struggle, still panting heavily. Hound and Nuisance don’t let it deter them in their vigilance, because they’re damn good vod’e and possess an ounce of common sense.

“And, look, I get it. I could spend the rest of my life punching every civilian who spits on me in the streets and it would even be satisfying. I could hit back the Senators who think of clones as easy targets. Or - I can aim my sights at who’s on top. And I think you know who I mean, because you know as well as I do the same damn man has ruined both our lives.”

Kenobi makes an alarmed noise, and Maul an interested one - not that Fox is going to let him walk out of this place awake. Still, he tilts his head in a way he hopes conveys his helmeted grin successfully to non-vod, as well as the bloodlust behind it. “You’re also welcome for the fact that the Chancellor won’t have heard of your spontaneous resurrection yet, by the way. You’ll retain your element of surprise instead of gambling it away on petty revenge on Kenobi.”

“He cut me in half!”

“He killed my master!”

Fox waves their protests away.

“Also, that’s treason!”, Kenobi adds, sputtering. Fox grins. Kenobi purses his lips, and continues. petulantly, “…do you have any proof?”

“So. Much. Proof”, says Nuisance, dreamily. “Like, do you want it alphabetically or by date?”

Which is when the Duchess, of all people, bursts out into barking, crazed laughter.

“You - you’ve certainly given yourself an edge in that fight, Marshall Commander”, she wheezes, brushing tears from her eyes. Fox raises his eyebrows at her, which she somehow seems to be able to tell, because she gestures at the clunky handle dangling from his belt.

“What, this old thing?” He unclasps the black rectangle from its hook, holding it up in the air. Maul stills strangely beneath him, and Kenobi goes ghostly pale again. Fox is starting to get a bad feeling.

“I took it off Viszla and beat him over the head with it. I figured he’d taken it off a Jedi cadet or something. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

[shalomniscient]

every day, once a year, yelan takes a day off.

this is written directly into her contract with the tianquan. there are no exceptions, no special arrangements. on this singular day, yelan does not belong to the qixing; on this singular day, her leash and collar are abandoned, and she has free reign to do as she pleases.

what does she do? well, prepare for your anniversary, of course.

she hops out of bed, cleans up, tugs her jacket on and then slips out the door with the clink of her jade bracelet. it’s a clear day, and yelan tilts her head to the sky briefly, letting the golden sunrays warm her face almost like an embrace. you were never really a morning person, but the sun on your skin always suited you. she’d have to drag you out of bed to see it, but it was always well worth your grumbling in the end when you finally cave and offer her a smile which she would then steal with a kiss.

“ugh, yelan—“ you giggled, your hands on her chest gently pushing her back. your bracelet was cool against her skin, and the matching one on her own wrist hummed. she nosed along your jaw, pressing more and more kisses until she reached your neck. playfulness turned into something a little more heated, and her blood sang at the sigh she pulled from your lips. emerald eyes flicked up to you, teasing, challenging, and you managed a wry huff before tangling your fingers in her hair and tugging her back to properly kiss her again. it stung, beautifully, but yelan grinned all the way."

she shakes herself out of the memory, and steps into the busy street. liyue’s morning scene has always been crowded, and she blends into the throng with practiced ease. she follows the flow of the crowd down the wharf until she reaches the shop she’s looking for—a florist, tucked snugly between two other stores on the higher levels of the shopping district.

the owner, a midde-aged woman, looks up from tending to her orchids to smile at her. her eyes crease with familiarity at the sight of yelan as the spy steps into her store, fingers brushing the petals of a few flowers. the woman rounds the counter, and rummages in the storage for a few moments.

“the usual, i take it?” she asks, and yelan nods, leaning against the counter and tapping her fingers over the grainy wood. the shop hasn’t changed much, if at all, since she last came here with you.

you leaned down by a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, lips curving upward into a smile as you breathed in the soft, floral scent. yelan looked curiously over your shoulder, a hand casually resting on your hip. she asked if it was your favorite flower—you nodded, your other hand rising to just as casually cup her face from over your shoulder. “they’re quite pretty, aren’t they?” you hummed, and yelan took a moment to ponder the question. in the end, she said they were nowhere near as pretty as you, and took the light smack you delivered to her shoulder with an easy laugh.

the florist clears her throat, coaxing her out of the memory. yelan recieves the bouquet—white chrysanthemums—with a smile, settling it in the crook of her arm. the woman’s expression is measured, but there’s a slight waver to her tone when she speaks. if yelan really had to name it, it sounds close to… pity.

“yelan—“ she begins, but she only flashes the woman a signature grin, before slipping out the door as quickly as she came. she has other things to get, after all, and the clock is always ticking.

(or maybe her clock stopped ticking a long time ago and all this is just extra. maybe it cracked when the rocks fell and the earth buried—)

she dissolves back into the crowd as she heads to her next destination: wanmin restaurant. she can smell the chili in the air as she makes her way down the street again, a sharpness only wanmin seems to be able to make. when she gets there, xiangling is boisterously calling out orders while her father toils away in the kitchen, with guoba tirelessly maintaining the roaring fire for his wok. when she sees her, xiangling’s grin only widens, and she waves her over enthusiastically.

“miss yelan! welcome, welcome,” the young chef says cheerily. “here for another batch of dried chillies?”

yelan chuckles, shaking her head. “no, not this time. i’m here for a few rice buns. with a sweet filling, preferably.”

“ooh,” xiangling coos, nodding. “are you planning to go on an expedition? rice buns are both portable and satiating.”

“you could say that,” yelan says vaguely. the little chef is right, in a way, since she’ll have to hike a little to get to your spot—but really, it’s because rice buns have always been a comfort food of sorts for you.

“how can you not like them?” you asked defensively as you trudged along with her behind the group. there was a slight smear of filling on the corner of your lip, and your expression scrunched up a little more as she wiped it off. her jade bracelet was cool against your heated cheeks. yelan only shook her head, teasingly remarking that spice was a much greater wake-up call than sweets. you huffed at that, taking another bite of your rice bun. “not all of us are masochists, lan’er,” you grumbled, and yelan laughed softly. her nimble fingers encircled your wrist, tugging you closer so she could take a quick bite of your bun. it was sweet, sweeter than she’d like, but maybe that was because you were there. and somehow, that made it good.

yelan pulls herself out of yet another memory when xiangling deposits the bag of warm rice buns into her hands. they’re freshly steamed, and the scent of warm buns fill her senses. she thanks the chef, and disappears much the same way she came before the young lady can get even so much as a word in. in the back of her mind, she can almost hear you chastise her for it.

(she always hears you in the back of her mind. if not, where else—)

there’s only one thing left on her list, and it’s incense. it’s late in the morning now, so the crowds have thinned out—and without her cover, yelan takes to back alleys and rooftops instead. she sighs, relieved almost, as she slips into the shimmering, reflective cover of hydro, darting like a minnow between buildings like rocks, barely a blur in the eyes of anyone nearby. the secrecy isn’t strictly necessary for what she’s doing now, but she’s been so used to being unseen that being in the open feels… unsafe.

it doesn’t take her that long to reach wangsheng funeral parlor. the young lady running the parlor isn’t in today—instead, it’s her ‘assistant’, the elegant man shrouded in such thick mystery that neither her nor ningguang has been able to pierce. he greets her with a solemn expression, no doubt because director hu has told him the reason for her visit. “incense?” he asks again anyway to confirm, his voice low and soft. yelan nods absently, her nose stinging slightly from the intense scent permeating the parlor.

she watches as the man disappears into the back of the parlor for a moment, before he reappears with a delicately wrapped packet of incense sticks. she slides a pouch of mora his way, which he takes wordlessly. she tucks the packet into her little pocket dimension, then turns on her heel to leave. just as she exits the door, he calls out to her.

“safe travels.”

she doesn’t deign him with a response.

her feet take her out and away from the city, down the familiar path to the bleeding wound in the earth—the chasm. the land goes from valleys to large, curling momuments of rock, carved by the force of a falling star. she feels that familiar tug in her chest, the voice that calls to her, that tells her to forsake the surface as her ancestor once did. she listened to it, once. and—

“go,” you whispered, pushing her away. half of you was buried under rock, and she could only see one of your eyes; the other was forced shut by the blood that trickled down your face. yelan nearly screamed herself hoarse, but you grabbed her face and kissed her. it tasted like salt, and her heart lurched at the wrongness. your kisses had always been sweet. you slipped your bracelet onto her wrist, then pushed her again, and then the earth heaved and groaned, and it was the last she ever saw of you—

she turns her head and rips herself out of the memory and the temptation; she has other, more important places to be today. she has other days to chase down her demons. she skirts the side of the chasm, slowly ascending to the top. she passes by the memorial to the millelith, and leaves a rice bun and a few sticks of incense as an offering. they too, deserve to be remembered after all.

(she wonders if anyone else comes out here to remember them. she wonders who will come when she’s gone for—)

it takes her a while, but eventually, she reaches the highest point in the chasm. the sun has traveled across the sky by this point, the afternoon heat mellowing out into a slightly cooler evening warmth. the sky is alive with shades of gold when she finally stops, drawing to a halt right before a smooth stone, standing upright from the earth like a silent vigil. she kneels before it, producing three sticks on incense and inserting them into the censer before the stone and lighting them. she sets a rice bun on the plate by the stone, and saves one for herself. the bouquet of white chrysanthemums, she lays on top of the stone.

yelan takes a bite of her rice bun, letting the sweetness settle on her tongue, as the floral scent mixes with the incense, filling her lungs and settling on her shoulders. she tilts her head to the sun, and the warmth feels almost like an embrace. and when she closes her eyes, the wind in her hair feels almost like a caress. when she opens them again, she lets them rest on the stone—the headstone, and she offers it a smile.

sitting on the edge of the cliff, your legs swinging, you smiled at her, nearly blindingly bright like the golden hour. your pinkies were twined together, your shoulders flush with hers. there was a bouquet of white chrysanthemums on your lap, and just a few crumbs on the corner of your lips. your voice carried in the wind when you spoke.

“happy anniversary, yelan.”

“happy anniversary, sweetheart,” she whispers. the wind carries her voice as well, and she hopes you hear it, wherever you are now. one day, she’ll join you, but for now she takes another bite of her rice bun and breathes in the scent of incense and chrysanthemums.

[zoldsick]

- Something Lost, Something Gained -

collab w @nanpecan

⚔︎ summary | zoro x f!reader - After two years of training and hardship, you and the rest of the strawhats reunite at Sabaody. What should have been a happy reunion between friends turns sour between you and Zoro after some unresolved tension threatens the dynamic of your friendship. How can you get things back to how they were before?

⚔︎ tags | smut, masturbation, pining, jealousy, nobody knocks before entering, nsfw, MDNI

⚔︎ wordcount | ~7.2k

⚔︎ Read on AO3

⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎

Two years had changed everything. 

Zoro was the first to arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago. Perona had eyed Zoro as he anxiously sharpened his swords the whole trek there. She smiled to herself, she knew he was becoming more excited the closer he got to the meeting point in Sabaody. The closer to his goal he got, the more antsy he became.

Zoro knew Luffy’s decision had been for the best, and because of it he was able to hone his skills well beyond what they had been two years prior. His fingers itched for an opportunity to show off his new skills, to show the crew how much he had been training. He couldn't help but wonder how you had fared during your two years. There was no doubt in his mind you had gotten stronger as well.

When you’d first joined the Strawhats, you and Zoro immediately clicked. The two of you worked seamlessly together as you advanced through the Grand Line towards Luffy’s dream. You drank, you sparred, and you laughed together as if you were two sides of the same coin. But the way the two of you fought alongside each other was what truly connected you. Zoro’s swordsmanship was harsh and powerful, he cut down enemy after enemy with his offensive techniques. You, on the other hand, specialized in defense and used your opponent’s own strength against them. Your styles complemented each other perfectly and anytime you fought together it was a deadly pairing, a true sight to behold. 

However, what was supposed to be a joyous reunion quickly turned into a game of cat and mouse as the crew narrowly made it off Seabody. 

You’d admit that you were disappointed to learn that Zoro had been first only to wander off out of boredom. Typical, you thought. If he had just waited a little longer he would have seen you arrive second and the two of you might have had some time to talk. You were so excited to tell him all about your two years of training. Your mind often wandered to the rest of the crew. You wondered where they were and how they were growing. 

You took a moment to reflect on your dismay for not being able to speak with Zoro. Why did it bother you so much? Was it because you wanted to tell him that he had often occupied your thoughts over the last couple years? That when you were at your lowest, the only thing that had gotten you through was the thought of making him proud to fight alongside you? You shook the thoughts from your head. What did you even hope to gain from confessing this to him? 

For as long as you’d known him,  Zoro only had one goal, one ambition, and it was to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. His loyalty to Luffy knew no bounds as he had no doubt that their captain would lead them to their dreams. So, you pushed back your selfish desires. You both trained hard for the better of the crew, so expecting anything more would be foolish. 

There was no denying that the two of you had gotten exponentially stronger. With a small slash of his sword Zoro could now take out dozens of enemies, and your deflection and offensive fighting had become second nature, easily beating opponents ten times your size. 

Unfortunately, there was no time to celebrate your new strengths before a glaring issue arose during your first fight together on Fishman Island. The two of you had never been so out of sync. 

How did two years change both of you so drastically? 

You both cursed out loud, frustrated as you ebbed and flowed to completely different rhythms. You would reach out to strike an enemy, only to almost be impaled by Zoro’s blade. Zoro would prepare to strike, only to be thrown off balance by an enemy body that you flung in his direction. Luffy laughed as he watched the two of you struggle, which only added to your irritation. 

By the time the battle was over you were disheartened to say the least. Zoro couldn’t even look at you, and you couldn’t find the words to say to him either. Should you apologize? You didn’t think you had done anything wrong, he had been in your way too. The more you thought about it the more annoyed you became. Your mind raced in circles about the ridiculous situation. You came back to reality as you heard a voice calling out to you - Sanji. 

You relaxed your furrowed brows and the unconscious frown on your face faded away. The curly-browed chef sauntered towards you with a glass delicately balanced on a tray. “Oh Y/N-love, please enjoy this dessert I’ve made for you. I’ve poured all my love into it. Only the best for my fighting beauty.” 

You looked up to see a colorful, intricately decorated cup of chocolate mousse. You instantly lit up. Sanji knew it was one of your favorite desserts. You quickly scooped a spoonful into your mouth and closed your eyes as you savored the rich flavor. “Sanji, you don’t know how much I missed your cooking.” You took another bite and smiled widely, looking up at him. “If I wasn’t in such bliss I would get up and kiss you, I really would.”

Sanji turned to you with hearts in his eyes and shot backward as streams of blood rocketed out of his nose. You heard Chopper yell out, “He’s relapsed again! Y/N you can’t do that, he’s in recovery!” 

You laughed as you watched Chopper fret over the lovestruck man. You always got a kick out of teasing him. Your eyes flickered up to the kitchen door and you watched Zoro push it open, exiting with a dramatic thunk. 

… 

Zoro walked out in a worse mood than before. He knew he had messed up during that battle, both of you had made mistakes. He had almost hurt you on numerous occasions and that had completely thrown him off his game. He went over to the ship railing and stared out. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. 

He had been avoiding you, he didn’t know what else to do. Ever since he saw you again he knew he needed to keep his distance.

 You had come back different. Your hair was different, your clothes were different, your body was different, and you were shitload stronger. But your voice? It was exactly the same. God…he hadn’t realized how much he had missed the sound of your voice. And your eyes? He had to look away every time you turned in his direction, he couldn’t stand it. Beautiful. He had always known this. He knew he didn’t know a lot about beauty and pretty things, but there was no denying it anymore. You were beautiful to him.  

He gripped the railing in frustration. What was he thinking? You’d looked so angry sitting there at the kitchen table. Your eyebrows pressed together and the corners of your mouth pointing down in a scowl. You had been thinking about how useless he had been, he was sure of it. He needed to clear his head, he needed to work out. 

…

Robin was out on the deck of the Thousand Sunny enjoying a new book about ancient tribal societies. She sipped peacefully from a cup of tea and looked out into the horizon. She didn’t think she would ever get tired of the sunsets on the Sunny. Her eyes wandered slightly over to where a green head of hair had been huffing and puffing and aggressively lifting weights for the past two hours. She sighed. 

She had been watching you and Zoro these last couple of weeks and figured out the source of the tension immediately. It really wouldn’t be good for the crew to have some of their best fighters distracted and clumsy, she told herself. They were in the New World now and all members needed to be at their best. She stared back at her book as a plan formed in her mind. It was for the good of the crew, it really was. 

…

Zoro got up from his spot near the mast and stomped past Robin at her table. “How long do you intend to pout over Y/N?” she asked, not looking up from her book. 

Zoro stopped and stared at her, “What are you saying?” 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed. I’ve got eyes everywhere after all.” She looked up at Zoro as he tried to keep a straight face. “Just go talk to her. She’s in the women’s bunks right now, she just finished showering. It's a good time to have a private conversation. Just go clear the air. Trust me.” 

Zoro just grunted in reply and kept walking past her. Suddenly a hand popped up as he reached the top of the stairs, pointing a slender finger towards the left. “It's that way dear,”  Robin said. He grumbled. 

Zoro turned to his left and slowly walked towards the door of the women’s bunks before halting in the middle of the hallway. What was he going to say? You had seemed so aggravated before, how was he supposed to fix this? As he hesitated, he thought of how the two of you used to be. He was so desperate to get back to that. These feelings needed to stop here, you were in a pirate crew and you both need to remember that. He snapped his head up and marched toward your door.

Zoro was full of determination now. He was going to clear the air like Robin said. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he was sure he would figure it out. Anything was better than where he was now. He wanted to make it work. He wanted to make it up to you. 

Zoro gripped the door handle and burst into the room without thinking or knocking, thunderously declaring, “Y/N! LET’S GO BACK TO THE WAY WE USED TO--!” 

You were naked.

 His eye dropped down to look at the red pair of panties you had on. 

Okay, not completely naked. 

You stared at him in shock as his eye wandered up your body, finally meeting yours. 

“GET OUT!!!” you shrieked, breaking the silence. You grabbed the towel out of your hair in an attempt to cover yourself up. “OUT! NOW! ZORO! OUT!!!”

He turned on his heels and moved forward at lightning speed, running straight into the door frame with a crash you thought might have shaken the whole ship. He readjusted and flew out of the room, back out to the deck where he saw Robin, still sitting there with a book in hand. 

She looked up from her book lazily and her eyes went straight to the red welt across his face. “How did it go?” she asked with an amused smile. 

“Yes,” Zoro said, hands on his knees while he panted, still stunned about everything that had just happened. So much for getting back to normal.

Robin stared at the poor man as he walked off towards his room. 

…

You stood in the room, frozen. The initial shock of Zoro walking in on you had passed, but you still couldn't process it. You stared at the open door, unmoving, and struggling to breath. You felt your whole body get warm as you thought about Zoro’s eye moving up your body. You shook your head to free yourself from the memory and hurried to dress yourself.

If Zoro had been avoidant before, he was like a ghost now. For the rest of the day you swore you could feel Zoro’s intense gaze on you, but the second you looked up he was nowhere to be found. It was maddening. 

You tried to ignore the green menace and go about your day as normal. You sat in the kitchen and helped Nami grind some ink and helped Chopper organize some herbs, but your mind was elsewhere. You sat with the others who plugged away as you half-heartedly joined in.  

You kept replaying the scene over and over in your head. He had looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. But there was something else. You contemplated the gleam you saw in his eye. It was familiar to you, he looked like that when he was in battle, when he faced a real challenge. When he placed his precious Wado Ichimonji in his mouth and finally challenged a worthy adversary. 

It was hunger.

You felt the blood rise to your face and reached for the sweet drink Sanji and left you. As you chugged down your drink an image danced at the corner of your mind. Zoro, mad with hunger, but instead of his sword, your underwear was in between his teeth.

You choked. Coughing loudly, you sprayed your drink across the table. You winced as you tried to catch your breath and rid yourself of the tantalizing image you conjured up. You felt Chopper’s tiny hoove smack your back rapidly as he tried to help you. 

“Y/N! Be careful!” Nami exclaimed, snatching away her notes as you coughed near them. 

You put your hand up to signal you were okay. Robin smiled from her seat at other corner of the kitchen. 

“Sanji! Get her some water!” Chopper exclaimed as he continued to beat your back. 

“It’s alright, I’m okay,” you said, clearing your throat. 

“But you’re still bright red!” he cried. “Breathe! Breathe through your nose!” you laughed and gladly accepted the water Sanji offered you. 

“Are you alright, Y/N-love?” Sanji asked. 

“Yes,” you tried to collect yourself and play it off. “I’m afraid the flavors of the tea you’ve brewed for me were a shock to my system!” You joked to help get the attention off of you. “The depth of the flavor! The notes of bergamot!” you exclaimed, your voice still gruff. 

You watched Sanji spin around in circles around the room, “All for you my beautiful Y/N-love!”

“Do you have to egg him on, Y/N?” Nami asked with a bored expression as she watched the cook rejoice. 

“I can’t help it, I missed him. I really did.” You smiled at her. “You have to admit he’s good at what he does every once and a while. I’m just making up for lost time.” 

Nami shook her head with a smile. You heard the kitchen door open with a loud thud and a flash of green hair exit. Had Zoro been in the kitchen the whole time? You had been too engrossed in your thoughts to notice. You looked down at your now empty glass and grimaced. Why was this so complicated? You backed out of your chair and excused yourself to get some air. 

…

The night breeze gently blew through your hair as you leaned over the banister to look out onto the Sunny. 

Despite all your attempts, you found yourself thinking back to Zoro and the look on his face. Were you right about what you saw? Was it hunger? Or somehow worse, desire? Your stomach felt warm and your throat felt tight. You put your head in your hands. There was no way. He didn’t think like that, all he thought about was his swords. You were reading too much into it. 

Let’s go back to the way we used to. His words replayed in your head. So, he had noticed something had changed between the two of you. You wondered just how much he had noticed. 

You sighed, growing increasingly frustrated you ran a hand through your hair. Why were you so caught up on this? You were being childish. A pirate ship was no place for romance. You needed to clear this whole thing up. 

The kitchen door opened again as Robin walked out. You quickly straightened up and turned towards her, throwing on a half-hearted smile. 

She stared at you for a beat before smiling back. “Penny for your thoughts?” 

You looked at Robin and hung your head in defeat. “I really am easy to read, huh.” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said in her usual sly tone. You were quiet as she leaned over the banister next to you. “I heard some commotion from our bunks earlier in the day, did Zoro get lost again?” 

“It was nothing,” you answered too quickly, “I just chewed him out for not knocking.” 

“Oh really?” you knew your face was red so you didn’t look at her. “I did see him shortly before that. He seemed very determined to do something. I wonder what it was.” Robin eyed you curiously. 

“He always looks like that. When he’s not sleeping, that is.” 

“True,” she said. You both went silent for a bit. You looked down below as movement caught your eye and you saw Franky messing with the helm of the ship. “Two years really makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve missed you all.” You turned to look at her. Her eyes were locked in on Franky. You followed her gaze to him and saw a hand sprout from the nearby beam. It reached out to gently caress his cheek. 

Franky leaned into the touch and once Robin’s hand disappeared he turned back to look at the both of you and laughed. Then, he dramatically struck a heart pose with his massive arms and yelled out, “MY SUUUUPPPERRR LOVELY GAL!” 

Your mouth fell open and you looked back at Robin in shock, “Since when?” 

Robin kept her gaze on the blue haired man, smiling fondly. “Back at Water 7,” Your jaw dropped. “It’s rare to meet people that make you feel like your most authentic self. Meeting Luffy and the rest of the crew, I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged until now. But, I’ve also never felt as seen by anyone else until I met him.” Her eyes never left the goofy cyborg. “We may be pirates, but we’re owed our own pleasures here and there, are we not?” 

Franky continued his barrage of various poses for Robin as she looked on with amusement. You watched the two in awe. You had no idea they had such affection for one another, but somehow it made perfect sense. As you observed the pair, Robin’s words echoed in your head. So, a relationship like this is possible, huh? You cursed yourself and swiftly dismissed the thought. There was no point in getting your hopes up. 

“Y/N-love! Robin-chwan! Dinner’s ready!” Sanji announced as he burst through the kitchen door. “Franky! Get your ass in here you greasy oaf!” He went back inside. 

“You should go tell Zoro dinner is ready,” Robin said, stepping back from the bannister. You unfortunately couldn’t see her devilish grin as she headed into the kitchen. 

You took a couple seconds to collect your thoughts. Finally, after taking a deep exaggerated breath, you turned on your heels and headed for the men’s bunks. 

… 

Zoro grumbled to himself as he stomped back to the men’s bunks. He had been hiding in the back corner of the kitchen as he sulked and nursed a bottle of liquor. Overhearing you praise that dumbass cook sent him storming out of the kitchen. He knew he acted like an impulsive child, but seeing the way your face softened as you complimented Sanji had been the last straw. You had never said a word about Zoro’s skills. You never spoke about how much you missed him. He knew he had been fucking up with you ever since you reunited. He fucked up in fights and now he had fucked up the chance to talk to you. He was losing his edge. 

Discarding his shirt, he threw himself onto his small bed and covered his face with his arms. He willed himself to calm down and get a grip. He needed to sleep. He was no good on this ship if he kept behaving like this. However, rest did not come. 

Despite his conviction, his mind wandered back to you. Back to the moment he had walked in on you. He played it over and over again in his mind. You had been so shocked, so embarrassed, but he couldn’t help himself. You had looked so…soft. 

He closed his eyes as he tried to recall every detail. He thought of the red underwear that hugged your hips. He thought of the shape of your lip as your mouth fell open in shock. He thought of the deep blush that crawled across your scarred skin down to your shoulders. He thought of the shape of your breasts and the color of your perky nipples, cold and wet from your shower. He thought of the smooth curves of your body and your calloused hands desperately trying to cover yourself. He thought of the smell of your shampoo that filled the room with your aroma and made him feel drunk. He still felt drunk. 

An all too familiar sensation settled in his core. He opened his eyes and frowned as he looked down at his pants. Damn it. 

Zoro ignored the guilt he felt as he pulled back the hem of his pants and reached down to touch himself to the image of you. 

… 

You approached the men’s barracks and stood in front of the door. You reached for the handle and put your hand on the twisting the knob, preparing to burst through. When suddenly, you heard something. It was faint, a sort of mumbling. You pressed your ear against the door. 

“Fuck-” You froze. “Fuck, just like that. Please…” 

You were too shocked to move. Zoro’s voice rang out again as you stood by. “S-Stupid Cook, fuck- Stupid curly-brow.” Your mouth fell open, dumbfounded. Was he talking about Sanji? “Thinks h’s so great. Good at what‘e does?” His words were slurred as he grunted. “I’m good too, I’m so good. I’ll show you-Y/N-fuck.” he moaned “I’ll show you just how good I am.”  

Your whole body pressed against the door. Did he say my name?

… 

Zoro was hot. 

His breath hitched as he spat into his palm and regripped to thrust himself into his fist. You were everywhere. His mind was filled with you. You were the cause of all his frustrations. This was all your fault. 

He struggled with the blankets around him and threw them to the ground in exasperation. Zoro crawled to the edge of the bed, never stopping his hand from moving up and down his cock. This wasn’t enough. He scuffled to his feet, still pumping himself with one hand. He used his other hand to grip the side of his bed to keep himself steady. This position wasn’t helping either. He was even more restless. He still wanted more. He wanted you. 

“Y/N.” Zoro moaned out your name, unable to keep his words to himself. His hips were twitching and his hand that gripped the post begged to be holding something else. 

… 

Carefully, you clicked open the door and slipped inside the dark room. Zoro’s back was facing you and he was too much in his own world to notice your presence. You watched as the muscles across his bare back flexed and spasmed as he vigorously stroked himself.

“God, please. Please, Y/N.” Zoro spoke in a whimper. His voice was even more clear than it had been before. You forced your breathing to stay steady as you watched Pirate Hunter Zoro beg for you. Your cheeks burned at the sight before you. Your fingertips twitched and deep inside your core felt tingly and ticklish. 

It seemed that you both were nearing the last of your patience. Zoro’s breathing quickened and his pace became more erratic. You could tell he was getting close. 

We can’t have that now, can we? 

You slammed the door closed behind you and watched with excitement as Zoro’s back straightened and he snapped to face you, and what a sight it was. Zoro looked at you with a mixture of confusion and lust, his face was flush and he struggled to hide his obvious erection with a blanket from the intruder. “What the hell! Don’t you assholes ever knock?!” he spat out. But when his eyes finally adjusted to the dark and Zoro recognized who was standing in front of him, his expression turned to shock and embarrassment. 

You smiled. Everything made sense now. 

Zoro began to move to cover himself more adequately, but you stopped him, raising a hand, “No, please,” you stared as your other hand reached behind you to secure the latch on the door. “Don’t let me distract you, Zoro.” 

The way you whispered his name sent chills down Zoro’s spine. “Y-Y/N- I - this isn’t - I didn’t mean-” 

“Keep going.” Zoro looked at you in shock. You continued, “You were calling my name, weren’t you? I’m here now, so keep going.” 

There was a slight hesitation in Zoro, his eyes searched yours for some kind of explanation. But with the very subject of his indecent thoughts standing in front of him, egging him on, he knew he couldn’t stop here. 

Zoro leaned back against his bunk and without breaking eye contact, moved his blanket to expose himself to you. His thick and lengthy cock twitched with excitement and ached to be touched. You walked forward and let your eyes trail along his body, you wanted him.. But you had to be patient for this. You took a seat on the adjacent bunk facing Zoro. The pressure between you was crushing and both of you were losing grip on your long held restraint. 

“Go on,” You instructed the man in front of you. 

As if he was released from a spell, his hand moved automatically, gripping his stiff cock in his hand. Closing his eye, he teased his tip slightly before shoving himself into his palm with a satisfying thrust. Zoro couldn’t stop the guttural moan that escaped his mouth. He opened his eye to see your reaction and nearly moaned a second time. 

Your face was completely flushed with desire as you gawked at Zoro, taking in every inch of his toned body and throbbing cock. Your mouth was watering at the sight. You weren’t sure you had ever wanted someone this much. Your whole body was tingling and becoming sensitive. 

You wanted to feel good too. You began tracing your fingers along your neck, shuddering at the sensation. You grazed the hem of your shirt and in one quick motion you yanked it over your head, exposing yourself and your bra. 

Zoro, high with his own arousal, immediately took a step forward upon seeing you uncovered before him. But before he got any closer, a hard shove from you sent him flying back to his original spot. He looked at you with annoyance and confusion. 

“I don’t remember saying you could stop, swordsman,” you said with a sly smile. He stared daggers at you. “Keep going, and watch closely.” 

You slid your fingers in your mouth, tasting the lingering salty flavor from Zoro's sweaty body after you had shoved him. You ran your tongue along your fingertips, never breaking eye contact with him. Zoro’s breathing hitched as he gaped at you, his pace quickened and he began using his other hand to tease his balls. You smirked at his reaction, slipping your other hand underneath your bra and gripping your breast. You were getting lost in your own self pleasure. 

Satisfied with your prep, you removed your hand from your mouth, slick with your own saliva, and pulled back your skirt to reveal your red underwear. The same pair from before. Zoro caught a glimpse of the wet stain at the center of your panties and bit his lip. You looked back up at Zoro to see his yearning eyes drilling a hole through you. You circled your fingertips around the fabric at your center, effectively teasing both you and Zoro. 

“Zoro,” your voice caught him by surprise, he looked up to meet your lustful gaze, “do you touch yourself while thinking of me often?” 

Zoro clenched his jaw, then he smirked. You were such a tease, but two could play this game, “Do you think you’re that special?”

“Hmm,” you hummed, playfully turning the ends of your lips downward. His eyebrows furrowed as he was brought back to that moment in the kitchen and how upset you had appeared. He grunted as he pumped himself rougher, his frustration rising. 

“Did that make you upset?” he said, his voice dripping with irritation. “I’m not that pervy cook, it takes more than a little teasing to win me over.” 

You smiled, amused by his evasive responses, “Well then, should I give you some inspiration?”  

Zoro’s cocky smile faded as you pulled the fabric of your panties to the side, exposing your wet cunt. You looked back up at him one last time before finally giving yourself some relief. You closed your eyes and began caressing your clit, gasping from the contact. You were feeling more sensitive than usual as Zoro’s unwavering eye watched your every move. You moved your fingers lower, and circled around your entrance, lathering your fingers with your own juices. Finally, you inserted two fingers, and your body relaxed from the pleasure. As you worked yourself, you widened your legs and reached your other hand down to massage your swollen bud. You bit your lip, but failed to hold back your aroused voice. 

Zoro was mesmerized as you fingered yourself in front of him. He couldn’t believe this was real. It took every fiber of his being to control himself and not launch himself at you. His chest felt tight. He wasn’t used to feeling tied down or powerless. In all honesty, it was a turn on seeing you take charge. However, his composure was wearing thinner and thinner as he watched your fingers pump in and out of our glistening pussy. 

“You look like you’re having a good time over there too, huh?” Zoro was testing his luck, he knew he was just about over the edge himself, “How often do you think about my cock when you fuck yourself like that?” 

You were too far gone to keep playing this game. Your pace quickened on your swollen clit with one hand, and the other continued to curl inside yourself. You huffed out in exasperation, “Zoro - I want you to come. Come for me.” 

“You witch - ugh!” The pressure inside Zoro burst. His face turned up towards the ceiling while his hand maintained his rhythm as his body spasmed with pleasure and his warm cum spewed out. He fucked himself against his hand through his orgasm, spreading his fluids across his still stiff member. Zoro was left breathing heavily, still drunk on his orgasm, unable to properly comprehend what exactly happened. 

Zoro’s head rolled down as he caught his breath, and his eyes finally came back up to you. Your eyes were closed tight as you also struggled to regain composure. It took Zoro a moment to realize - while he was riding off his own high - you had also reached your climax. 

You came. And he didn’t see it.

Unaware of Zoro’s disappointment, you chuckled as your world still spun around you, “Who knew you’d be the type to listen well?” You pulled your panties back over your leaking cunt, wiping your fingers on your skirt, “We’ll talk more about…” You hesitated, “whatever this was, later. Sanji says it’s time for dinner, so we’d better-”

Zoro stood, grabbed your wrist and forced you to stand. In one swift movement Zoro flipped you around, pulled your skirt to the floor, and pressed his chest hard against your back, pinning you tightly against the wall. With his knee he spread your legs apart. Your head spun from his touch. Before you had a chance to react, you could feel the sensation of something foreign slide its way between your legs. Your eyes peered down and you could make out the tip of Zoro’s cock, bright red and still covered in his own cum, rubbing against your wet underwear. 

“We’re not done here. I think it’s your turn to listen,” Zoro slurred in your ear, “and show me how well you can take it.”

His arms wrapped around your chest and stomach, effectively trapping your back against his chest. You had always been impressed by Zoro’s intimidating size and strength, but even more so since your reunion. As the muscles he had trained for two years pressed hard against your back, you couldn’t help but moan. His mouth was level with your ears and you could hear his uneven panting. Your clit was begging for attention, so you attempted to roll your hips around Zoro’s dick to create even the smallest bit of friction, but Zoro held you back. 

“You’re acting pretty needy.”

“D-Don’t be an asshole.”

“I think I’m being pretty fair,” he smirked, enjoying watching you squirm against him. 

Zoro took a step back, creating some space and your heart ached at the loss of his touch. Thankfully, the lack of touch was short lived and you gasped as Zoro pulled your panties to the side. He then handled his own dick to brush roughly against your clit before stopping right at your entrance. Zoro grabbed your hands and slammed them flat against the wall above your head 

“Now, fuck me,” Zoro growled, “Show me how you like it.”

Your heart skipped several beats before you made a move. With your own slick combined with Zoro’s cum covered cock, there was enough lubrication to easily slip the tip inside yourself. Your hips shook as you pushed your ass backwards, forcing his cock to sink further inside you. You caught your breath as you were filled with his overwhelming length, sensations of pleasure and pain mixing with each other. You knew you weren’t taking all of him, but it was all you could manage. You hesitantly fucked yourself on his cock, moving slowly as you felt yourself being torn apart. Slower than Zoro had the patience for. 

“What happened to your confidence? There’s still a long way to go.” Zoro mocked you in a strained voice. 

“Give me a break,” you squirmed under him, unwilling to stop the rhythm you had achieved, you were feeling good, “Seems to me you- ah- have it easy right now.” 

Zoro frowned at your words. Easy? He was using every ounce of his self control not to immediately come inside you. Watching your flushed back shiver underneath him as you bounced shyly in front of him was enough to make him pass out. Zoro was brought back to reality when he saw your legs begin to shake and your pace become more desperate. Right before you could reach your second climax, Zoro stepped back. 

You whined as your legs nearly gave out from the loss of his supporting hands on yours. “What was that for! I- I was so close!” You cried out in frustration. 

Zoro turned you around to face him, bringing  himself down to your eye level and slurred, “I wan’a see yer face.” His pupils were wide from arousal, and his words sent goosebumps down your spine. He looked like a wild animal. 

Zoro grabbed you by the back of your neck and crashed his lips onto yours. As much as you wanted to savor your first kiss together, it was definitely not a romantic one. The kiss was forceful and messy, his tongue found its way inside your mouth overpowering you from the inside. He moaned and hummed as he kissed you and the vibrations tickled your lips. His hands trailed everywhere along your body, tracing your neck all the way down your back, harshly gripping your ass. You struggled to appease his assertive nature, but eventually allowed yourself to be swayed by his pace. Your hands gripped his shoulders and you stood high on your toes for better access to his lips. Finally, Zoro bit down on your bottom lip, lightly tugging on it as he pulled away. 

His eyes trailed down your body, stopping at your bra. With one quick movement, your bra was torn from your body and laying in pieces on the ground. You hardly had time to be angry about your ruined clothes before Zoro shoved you down onto his cramped bunk. 

Zoro was on top of you in an instant, trailing kisses and nibbles down your neck and to your freshly exposed chest. He shoved his hand down your panties as he sloppily sucked and bit your hard nipples. You flinched back from the electric current that ran down your spine as his fingers slid against your folds. Zoro struggled underneath the fabric and finally hissed out in frustration, gripping the hem and beginning to rip away at the seams.

“Hey, wait-wait-wait! Don’t rip those, they’re my favorite pair.” You pouted. 

He looked at you, jaw clenched, “Fine,” he relented. He seized your legs and propelled your hips upward with one arm and pried your underwear down with the other. 

With your clothes out of the way he leaned back and spat on his hand and immediately plunged his fingers inside you. His face bent down again to your chest and stomach and he began leaving marks across your body. Simultaneously, Zoro pumped and curled his fingers at an excruciating pace, his fingers were far thicker than your own and it stretched your walls out in the best way. It felt incredible, but you wanted more. Wanted all of him. You wanted him to fuck you. 

“Enough- Zoro it’s enough. Please, just fuck me already.” You begged him. 

Zoro raised his head to examine your flushed face. You were sweating and stared back at him with lustful eyes.

Zoro wanted to be patient. He wanted to make you writhe beneath him as he continued to take charge as revenge from before. He wanted to do all those things, but with one look at you he lost his motivation. Zoro hastily shimmied himself out of his pants and cast them aside. Then he sat up between your legs and aligned his throbbing cock with your entrance. 

You clutched the sheets behind you and squirmed as Zoro gripped your hips tight, forcing himself deeper inside your soaking tight pussy. Zoro’s patience was long gone, and in one fell swoop he bottomed out, shoving his entire length into you. 

It was to be expected, but it quickly became clear to you that Zoro was not a gentle lover. But whatever lack of tenderness he showed through his brutish movements, was made up for in his gaze. Desperate and burning, he wanted all of you. 

You placed a hand on his chest and you could barely register what was going on around you. His size was overwhelming, rubbing and stretching every fiber of your being from your deepest core. Zoro only gave you a few seconds to adjust to his size before he pulled himself out and slammed back inside you. He watched as your face contorted with agony and lust as he continued to pound into you ruthlessly. Zoro grabbed your hand away from his chest and entangled his fingers with your own. He lifted your hand up to his mouth and ran his tongue down the back of your hand and to the tips of your fingers. 

You were getting dizzy. “Slow- ugh- down. You’re- ah! Too fast!”

“You’re shameless,” Zoro smirked. “You have’ta take responsibility for your teasing” he said showing off his teeth before leaning down and shutting you up with a sloppy kiss. He ran his tongue along your jaw, and left hickies across your neck. You moved your own hands and legs to capture him and bring him impossibly close. You needed to feel every inch of the man before you. 

Zoro felt intoxicated. Your soft body underneath his fingertips, your saliva mixing in with his own, the sweet smell of your sweat, and the way you clenched him tightly. He couldn't get enough. You were better than any liquor. 

Zoro untangled himself from your limbs and brazenly lifted one of your legs onto his shoulder. You watched greedily as he straddled your other leg and reinserted himself. The new angle reached a spot inside you that sent a shock throughout your body. Your back arched and your hands clawed at his thick thighs. Zoro reveled in the sting of your nails and reached one hand to knead your clit and with the other he held your leg tight against his chest. He let his tongue run a trail along your calf, finally stopping to sink his teeth into your muscle. You cried out, and Zoro's eyes lit up in arousal at the noise.

 You were getting close. Every touch, grind, and thrust was working its way through your body building tension in your core. Zoro watched you closely as you pinched your own nipples and your hips bucked upward to meet him halfway. He saw your eyebrows pinch together tightly as you whimpered, “Pleasepleaseplease-” the coil burned hotter and hotter.

“That’s it, let me see you come. I want to see you come for me.”

With a final gasp you reached your climax. The world around you shattered and your whole body shook as the immense pleasure overtook you. 

Zoro took in every second, every twitch and shake as he fucked you through your orgasm. As the overstimulation racked your body Zoro also reached his peak. With a few final rough thrusts, he moaned as he released inside you at the deepest point. His cock twitched as it spilled his warm cum, filling you completely. You clutched at his body pulling him onto you as you both rode out your highs. He wrapped his arms around your waist and you entangled your fingers in his hair as your thighs gripped him.  

You both lay there in each other's embrace, sweaty and panting. 

As you both calmed down and the reality of what you had just done, dozens of your conflicting emotions began swirling in your heads. Relief. Desire. Exhilaration. Panic. 

You both knew that everything had changed. But as you lay next to one another, feeling each other’s heartbeat and breath, you couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious that the two of you would not be returning to normal, but somehow, you were both ok with that. 

…

The Strawhat crew was in a great mood as they ate their dinner around the table. Luffy and Brook sang cheerfully in-between bites of Sanji’s incredible dish. The rest of the crew chowed down on their meal smiling at their captain's antics. 

Suddenly, Nami looked around perplexed. “Where's Y/N and Zoro? Luffy’s gonna eat their portions if they don't hurry.”

Robin hummed as she chewed her last bite, and shared a knowing look with Franky, who stifled a laugh. “Y/N and Zoro were sparring in the crows nest. They were finally getting back in sync so it's better we don't bother them. I'll be sure to save their portions.” Robin smiled innocently. 

⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎

⚔︎ authors note | everyone follow @nanpecan, this wouldn't have been written without her, she slayed the first half, frobin insert, and final edit. and thank her for bullying me to actually finish writing my parts. all i want is to write silly little situations of my fav troupes so we shoved a couple in here lol. hope y'all have fun

[sallow-gaunt]

Headcanon

Sebastian is a good student. He’s bright, he’s charming, and it’s no wonder his teachers think he’s capable because his parents were both professors so it would make sense that he’s grown up well-read and educated.

But then Anne gets cursed before the end of their fourth year and stops attending Hogwarts - as his fourth year draws to a close, his grades begin to slip because he’s not paying attention in class, he starts breaking curfew because he’s staying up after hours to research cures, all he can think about is how to help his sister and it negatively impacts his studies. He puts on a facade in class, but his smiles are fake, and when he thinks no one is looking, he turns sullen. The only friend he spends much time with anymore is Ominis, and while their friendship is admirable, it’s a far cry from the boy who used to banter with everyone, the boy who always had something to say. The professors try to be understanding given his circumstances, but they’re all undeniably worried about him.

At the beginning of fifth year, this behaviour continues - but there’s something different, if only slightly. Hecat notices it first in the first DADA lesson of the year when he duels the new fifth year; despite the fact he loses this duel, she notices the way he grins at the new student, his boyish face bright in a way it hasn’t been since his sister was cursed. It’s nice to see him smile again, she thinks.

The next to notice it is Professor Weasley, when she comes to fetch him from detention with a “special task”; he looks surprised but relieved to be out of detention, and listens as she explains that she wants him to take the new fifth year to Hogsmeade for supplies. She doesn’t miss the way he beams ear to ear upon hearing that the fifth year asked for him specifically when encouraged to go with a friend, and as he goes to meet them in the entrance hall, there’s a sudden bounce to his step. It makes her smile to herself, pleased that he seems genuinely happy.

It doesn’t take long for all of the faculty to notice it, and it becomes a hot topic of conversation among them. Garlick insists that she keeps seeing him and the new fifth year laughing together on their way to Herbology, even on days they don’t work together; Sharp notes that while Sebastian still works with Ominis, he’s often seen at the potion station of the new student, the two of them talking in low teasing tones that suggest a friendly banter. Ronen disclosed that while the new student often chooses to sit with Natty or Poppy for Charms, he’s caught them and Sebastian looking at each other from across the classroom; everyone has a good chuckle when even Fig remarks that he’s often seen Sebastian waiting outside of his classroom when the new student leaves, as if the Slytherin boy has been waiting to see them. Many of the other teachers also recall seeing the two in each other’s presence around the school constantly, sharing sweets and talking.

They all agree that the presence of the new fifth year student is the cause of Sebastian’s uplifted mood, there’s no other explanation quite frankly. He’s not completely the same as he was before - he is still breaking curfew, still not focusing completely on his work, still seems sullen on most days - but when he’s around the new student, he’s definitely happier and more like his old self.

[kirishwima]

I've been thinking a lot about scarily possessive Satoru.

Not in a creepy, stalkerish way. More like...Satoru who thinks love's meant to be painful, because that's all he's ever known.

Satoru, and his thoughts of consuming the one he loves because he knows no other surefire way to keep them beside him.

He's so uneasy the moment they step away, he knows they could never be as strong as he is, could not be protected as well as they could beside him, if their body melded into his, and so he bites and nips and laps up the bloodied marks.

You think its his kink or something, but it runs so much deeper. It's his need to keep you as safe as possible yearning to keep you comfortable in his mouth because his fangs are sharper than anyone else's-and so long as you're trapped between his canines, no one will ever even think of stealing you from him.

He'll be careful, he promises-but he's clumsy with love, never knows just how hard to bite down to keep you safe, keep you near, and how much will make you bleed and pull away.

One day you try to teach him love's not about biting at all, it has no use for teeth-what it needs is gentle lips to kiss, hands to interlace, but he just laughs. He's always learnt to hold the things he loves with sharp talons and never let go. All good things leave him if his grip's not tight enough, and you? You're the one, sole thing, he'll never let go. Even if it hurts. Even if it bleeds. Since that's the only way he'll know for sure you're his.

[teecupangel]

[Desmond Miles has successfully saved a Levantine village during the Third Crusaders after waking up in the past.]

Grateful civilian: Thank you, stranger! You have saved our village from the cruelty of war. May we ask who you are so we may know the name of our savior?

[Desmond Miles believes he cannot say ‘Desmond Miles’ because that might accidentally create a ripple effect in the future.]

[Desmond Miles believes he cannot use any of the names of the ancestors who haven’t been born yet especially the Kenways because of how important they are to his history.]

[Desmond Miles has not yet processed the shock of dying a painful death and waking up in the past and his brain is blanking.]

Desmond: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

[The people Desmond Miles have saved now believed their savior’s name is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.]

[Desmond Miles has committed identity fraud.]

[… and he will continue to commit identity fraud.]

[iandarling]

Domestic gallavich headcanons

Mickey makes their eggs in the morning while Ian brews the coffee and sets the “table”. They eat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. It’s quiet and comfortable. Ian squeezes Mickeys thigh as he sits down next to him, smiling into his coffee cup. He swallows his meds before he digs into the scrambled eggs and sausage Mickey prepared. They exist in their own silence and comfort for a few moments before their day fully starts.

For their first valentine’s day together Ian buys Mickey a card which he says he hates, but Ian has seen him staring at it fondly with tears in his eyes. Ian finds it more romantic that Mickey takes advantage of the sale after valentine’s day to buy him a fuckton of roses and chocolates that were on sale.

They get a costco membership. Or rather, Ian gets a costco membership, but Mickey doesn’t mind it once he learns about the free samples. They buy a bunch of rotisserie chicken for the whole family, stock up on juice boxes for Franny and Freddie, buy water bottles and gatorade in bulk. They also have cheap tequila which Mickey loves so it’s a win win.

After work they like to sit on their balcony with a cold beer and dinner. Ian usually cooks while Mickey watches and talks. Ian loves listening to Mickey talk about anything and everything.

There is a new Club who wants them to deliver edibles twice a week. Mickey negotiations a good deal so Lip and Iggy can work part-time for them while still earning a good deal

One day while out grocery shopping shopping Mickey spots those flavoured straws that he used to see in all the adverts growing up. Plastic straws filled with chocolate, strawberry, or banana flavoured powder that would change the normal milk to whatever flavour you wanted. He never got those as a kid — Terry saying it was a waste of money, and he was too young at the time to steal them himself. As a teen he forgot about them, too preoccupied with everything else, but now as a 26 year old he could afford them. Mickey slips two packs of them into the cart before Ian sees them — he will lie and say there for Franny if he asks, but really he’s just always wanted to try them. That night Ian sees him staring at the stupid pack of multicoloured and flavoured straws. Ian doesn’t laugh at him, and they try each flavour together. The strawberry one is the best.

[cloudcountry]

the ultimate neige smackdown

SUMMARY: So it follows the storyline of book four, only when the reader sees Neige's commercial for the first time, they say the first thing that comes to mind about him...and it's that Vil is obviously the best of the two.

CHARACTER: Vil Schoenheit.

WARNINGS: None!!

COMMENTS: this request is so funny because neige weirded me out when i first played. its like what jamil & azul said, nobody is THAT NICE??? HES SO CONFUSING but anyway mon pote means my close friend I looked it up on Google (I was too lazy to ask my friend who studies French about pet names again.) This is just you inflating Vil's ego (WHICH HE DESERVES!! TELL HIM HES BEAUTIFUL.)

~~~~~

“Do you see that radiance, mon pote?”

Vil stopped outside the door as your uninterested hum sounded from inside the room. The mandrakes in his hand wouldn’t have waited for Rook, but knowing you were inside that room made him want to enter.

Before he could, you spoke again.

“I mean, he’s okay I guess.”

“What do you mean?! He is picturesque! The perfect example of delicate beauty!” Rook cried out, causing you to sigh.

“Vil is more beautiful in my opinion. This Neige guy kinda creeps me out. I mean, doesn’t his beauty seem…fake? I know he’s a celebrity so a part of him is going to be artificial, but Vil is so blunt and truthful with his admirers. Neige is just…too sweet. It’s weird.”

Vil felt a light fluttering in his chest at your admission. Right, of course it wasn’t just him that thought Neige was…creepy, as you put it. But still.

You thought he was more beautiful than Neige.

“Oh, mon pote…” Rook sighed, and Vil could tell he was shaking his head dramatically, “I suppose we all have our own ideas of beauty.”

“Rook, you cannot sit here and tell me Vil isn’t more beautiful than Neige. I will fight you on this.” you huffed, “I mean, come on! Vil is so confident, and he expects the best out of everyone, and he pushes himself and the people around him to do better and better! Neige is just a pretty face as far as I’m concerned. Vil holds himself with sophistication that sends chills down my spine. That’s beautiful.”

“Oui, I do not disagree, but you must admit that Rui de Neige has his own charms as well!”

“Mmm…I don’t see the appeal. Sorry.”

Vil chuckled. You didn’t sound sorry at all.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear.” he deadpanned, finally opening the door and stepping into the room. 

Rook had the gall to smile shamelessly up at him, rattling off some speech about his entrance. However, all Vil could focus on was the slightly embarrassed expression you had on your face, and the fact that his beauty was enough for you.

Deep down, he knew the jealousy he felt towards Neige was only temporarily satisfied, but he had to be content with that for now.

“Vil.” you blurted, as if forcing yourself to speak, “Uh, hey.”

He laughed airly, tucking two fingers under your chin and tilting it up.

“Hello yourself.” he smirked.

[littleplantfreak]

'When', not 'if'

("I'm not a romantic" I cry and scream before dropping the most sickening thing i've written to date. Blame @stunie because i did tell her i would write the most ume thing ever and maybe this is it. The title in my docs for it is 'Fucking disgusting' but i figured i better not title it that here because I'd be seeing it in my notifs lmaoo)

SFW/no cw unless you hate fluff

When you wake up from your nap, one of your slippers is gone, and there's a blanket on you that wasn't there prior. Looking at the clock, it's been about an hour since everyone had left your apartment once your birthday party ended. The day as a whole had been chaotic, your boyfriend shoving you out the door with a note to go see Kotoha.

The note took you farther than that, though, as it seemed Umemiya created a whole scavenger hunt for your birthday that had you running into all of your friends, having dessert at your favorite cafe, and eventually ending up at your shared apartment to find that all that time spent around town was a distraction so that he could set up the space for your party. After it had ended, you were banished to the couch because princesses aren't allowed to help clean up their own birthday parties, which had you huffing and falling face down into the chicken shaped pillow affectionately called Mr.Clucky.

It was a product of your boyfriend's endless cycle of hobbies when he took up sewing. A little lopsided and overfilled with stuffing, you complained to and into Mr.Clucky with your face pressed into him. Apparently, he was soft enough to fall asleep on because before you knew it, you had been drooling on him the entire hour. Prying yourself off the couch took more effort than was almost worth it before your eyes fell on the reason you were so tired to begin with.

Hajime smiles and hums looking at your bleary eyes. "Good morning sunshine, I was just about to take you to bed," he says, folding a dish towel over a chair. You toss off the blanket and grab on the slipper that fell under the living room table before padding up to him. Dipping your hands under both of his arms to lock them together behind him, now your face is in his chest instead of the chicken, which is entirely preferred.

"Don't wanna go to bed just yet," you muffle, sinking even deeper into him when both of his arms wrap around you in support. He smells like dish soap and birthday cake, and you turn your head to hear the heartbeat in his chest.

"What do you wanna do lovey? You know I'd give you the world if you asked," you can hear the rumble of his voice in his chest with your pressed ear. He's cheesy, but half asleep, you feel just as much, if not cheesier.

"I have the world if I have you, they're one in the same. So just you is more than fine." Your eyes are closed, but you feel him shiver a little. "I wanna dance with you, though," you say, voice still soft and kinda raspy from sleep.

"Dunno if I can top what you just said even when I propose," he chokes out a laugh, or at least you think it's one. He shifts his hold a bit and starts leading you both in a lazy sway that starts near the toaster and ends next to the potted plant at the back door before starting over.

"When? Not if?" You tease him, a hand going to scratch the nape of his neck lightly.

"I'll never meet another you, so I'm pretty set on When."

"I'll say yes." Because you will. You can't imagine a life where you wouldn't.

"And I'll still cry when you do." You can tell he's crying now because it comes out shaky and his hold tightens a bit, before you lean back, stopping your impromptu waltz. Both of your hands come up to cup his face and look at his teary grey eyes before cooing at him.

"You big baby! Save those tears for When please. You'll be congested and sniffley all night if you don't stop." You start cleaning off his face with your sleeve, but he stops one of your hands and starts peppering your palm and wrist with small kisses. "I think I'm ready for bed now. Princess's orders," you say, dragging him towards your bedroom. You'll have to figure out tomorrow just how soon When is going to be, but for now you can hear the slow thumps of Hajime's steps as he follows behind you, squeezing your connected hand. It's not pressing in the least, you think, because it feels like there will be plenty of tomorrows too.

-----

When you wake up in the morning, it takes you an hour to realize Hajime had put the ring on your finger while you were asleep.

It takes you five minutes to run through town in your pajamas, barefoot to find and full on tackle him in front of the place he was about to get your breakfast in.

And it takes about two minutes of unintelligible blubbering on both your parts before anyone understands what is going on.

No one timed it, but if they did, it would've taken less than ten minutes for the whole town to find out via texts, calls, and yells down the streets and through windows that you're engaged.

[tent-house-and-bees]

Another doodle that people like in the discord server :D I hope to see more wings in season 3!

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober Day 27 - Voiceless, “I have no mouth and I must scream”

I feel like I’ve been mean to Wind a lot heh, I feel bad for the little guy. It’s better than the three arrows I put in his chest in that other fic! ...Maybe, anyway.

Warnings: redeads

Ao3 link

————————————————————

Wind was not happy.

He struggled and kicked, tried to squirm out of the bruising hold on his arms, went limp and tried to just give the two soldiers dragging him along some underground passageway as worse of a time as possible. They’d already taken his weapons and only held him tighter as he struggled, but Wind kept it up anyway.

One of the Yiga grumbled in annoyance as Wind kicked at his legs, and he felt a glint of satisfaction.

“Rotten kid, that attitude will die plenty quick where you’re going,” the other Yiga snapped, ignoring Wind’s attempts to bite him. “This cell was for the hero, but what better way to lure him there than to dump his little brother in it first?”

“You built a cell underneath the outskirts of a village? Wow, that’s normal well-adjusted behavior,” Wind huffed, and one Yiga sneered.

“We merely adapted it for our purposes. And you’re the perfect person to test it out.”

Wind finally managed to clamp his jaws down on one of the soldier’s hands, and he yelled, gloves not thick enough to really protect him. The other one snatched at Wind and put a dagger to his throat before he could press his attack, and Wind reluctantly released the hand, getting the message.

“Link’ll never fall for your stupid trap anyway,” Wind said with a glare, and the Yiga both chuckled.

“Oh yes he will. Have fun, kid.”

A door was opened, and Wind was tossed through without any sort of fanfare, stumbling as he landed. He whirled back around to the door, but it was already closed and firmly locked.

Wind scowled at it, then turned to look around his prison, mind already turning towards thoughts of escape. Who did these Yiga guys think they were, kidnapping him off the street? He was the Hero of Winds! How had they even gotten the drop on him?

Wind scowled again and kicked at the floor of the cell. At least he’d been walking around with Four and Wild. Surely one of them would notice he was missing soon. And if not, well, Wind was pretty good at getting out of tight spots if he did say so himself.

No problem.

Wind put his hands on his hips, looking around the dark cell. There was a single tiny torch hung up on the wall, too high for Wind to reach that lit up the skinny space. A stone wall stood at the far end of the cell, but the two sides were open bars, darkness yawning beyond them.

It... kinda made his skin crawl.

Wind crossed his arms, feeling cold all of a sudden, but he shrugged it off with a huff. He needed to figure out how to get out of here, creepy darkness or not. The deep shadows beyond the bars suggested a bigger area, so if he could just find a loose one, he’d be set. Maybe he could even climb up and grab the torch.

Wind walked over to a side, starting at one end and giving each bar a solid shake. They seemed pretty firmly in the ground, but Wind worked his way across anyway, hoping for a loose one. He got all the way through without a single loose bar, and sighed, crossing to the other side to try there instead.

He’d gotten about halfway when he heard something, creaky and quiet.

Wind froze, listening, and the hair on the back of his neck went up as he heard it again. That noise was familiar. He couldn’t place it, but he knew it was familiar.

And that it was bad news.

A low moan came from somewhere in the darkness, and Wind slowly began to back away, nerves all alight. If he could just see he wouldn’t be nearly as nervous. Maybe the darkness was just freaking him out, and he was imagining noises because of that?

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and Wind’s eyes went huge as a familiar sensation wracked through him, deathly cold and terrifying.

Oh no, he thought in a panic, his feet frozen to the floor, body unable to turn away from the shambling footsteps he could hear. Oh no oh no oh—

A face appeared in the flickering light of the torch, decaying and horrible, eyes glowing. A rotten hand stretched forward and wrapped around the bars, and Wind stared at the Redead, trapped in its unnatural terror.

It didn’t look like his version of them, taller, with a few ragged clothes on its lanky body, but the feeling it left him with was the same, sheer, unnatural terror.

I’ve got to get away, maybe by the door I’ll be far enough it won’t be able to—

A different scream rang out, sending another jolt through Wind’s chest, and he watched in horror as another redead grasped at the bars, reaching out to him, trying to pull him close. Beady eyes stared at him, glowing and malicious with hunger, and Wind might have whimpered if he could move his mouth.

He fought the paralysis as much as he could, but the moment it started to wear off, one of them screamed again, leaving Wind with no escape. More screams joined the first two, and Wind choked on his breath as a whole group of redeads shambled out of the darkness. Screams came near constantly from their lips as they grabbed at the bars and reached through, trying to get at him.

They can’t get through, they can’t get through they can’t hurt you, it’s just to scare you, Wind thought frantically, heart drumming in his chest. They don’t want you to escape that’s why they put them there you’re okay you’re okay you’re okay.

The screams just kept coming, endless and piercing and shooting Wind’s heart through with inescapable terror. He couldn’t even move to cover his ears, and he felt a terrified scream build in his own throat.

But it wouldn’t come out. Wind could only keep standing there, immobilized, tears trailing silently down his cheeks.

It felt like his heart was being encased in ice, frost shooting through his veins with every scream and grazing touch. More screams joined the agonizing chorus from behind him, and the terror felt like it would crush him, repeatedly crashing over him like a freezing wave.

Hands grabbed at him, nails grazing his skin. Wind couldn’t move, the torrential screams hammering at him, cracking him, filling him up with so much terror his mind couldn’t focus on anything else.

His world narrowed down to screams and beady eyes, Wind drowning in terror, eyes darting around wildly, mind screaming every time a hand grazed him.

If he could move he’d be curled up on the ground, but all he could do was stand here and sob in his mind as a deathly cold hand finally closed around his wrist.

Then a different noise rang out over the screams.

It was garbled in Wind’s ears, some sort of talking he couldn’t make out over the redeads’ shrieks. But suddenly music poured into the cell, cheery and bright, and the screaming stopped.

All of it.

Wind’s ears still rang with them, and the terror still pressed over him like a wet blanket, but there was finally silence, and the hand trying to drag Wind closer to the bars had stopped in its efforts, the redead’s mouth stuck open with its teeth bared.

Wind would’ve sobbed if he could move, and he heard footsteps and talking, his ears still ringing too much to make out. Strong arms pulled the hand off his wrist and cradled him to a chest, shouted something at the other sets of footsteps. The song trilled again, bright and warm, and though Wind still couldn’t do much as twitch his pinky, some of his panic eased as he felt a steady heartbeat against where his ear rested.

The others were here.

There must have been a trip out, but Wind missed most of it, still trapped in the lingering screams he could hear in his mind. Tears trickled steadily down his cheeks, and past the unnaturally sharp fear was a flicker of annoyance at crying so much.

But the terror mostly blotted it out.

Sunshine finally fell onto his face, warm and soft, and whoever was holding Wind lowered themselves to a knee. A face looked down at him, and Wind saw Twilight, eyes fearful.

“Hey Wind, you alright?” he asked, and Wind could only stare at him, heart pounding, terror still clenching like a talon around him. “Wind?”

“Is he okay?” someone else asked, and Twilight leaned back, Time and Wild’s faces both coming into view next.

“He’s not responding,” Twilight replied, and Time leaned in, studying Wind’s face with a worried look.

“Wind, can you hear me?” Time asked, setting a hand on his chest.

I can hear you fine, I just can’t move! Wind wanted to scream, but his mouth was still frozen shut. The only thing that he was still able to do was cry, apparently.

Time gently wiped his tears away, and if Wind wasn’t still so terrified, he was sure he’d be embarrassed. “Do we know how long he was down there?”

“An hour, hour and a half? No more than two based on when we started looking,” a voice Wind placed as Wild added anxiously. Oh good, he avoided the trap. “Is that bad?”

“It’s a long time to be around an attacking redead, no less dozens of them like he was,” Time replied, gently tilting Wind’s head around as he looked at it. “Usually the song fixes things, I have no idea why he’s still frozen like this.”

“Prolonged exposure I’d guess,” Four’s voice added, and Twilight’s hand combed gently through his hair. “It might just take him longer to break out of it. He’s so cold...”

“I still can’t believe we lost sight of him like that,” Wild said quietly, and a different hand touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Wind.”

Oh Wild, it’s not your fault, Wind thought, trying to look the champion in the eye and convey the sentiment. I’d tell you so if I could.

Some more footsteps pounded against the grass suddenly, and the amount of voices around Wind doubled, more faces leaning over to look at him, worried questions floating over his head. The other Links had obviously joined the group, and Wind struggled even harder against the paralysis making him nothing but deadweight. But he remained as frozen as ever, a scream still stuck in his throat, ice around his heart.

“Give him space, I’m pretty sure he’s aware of what’s going on and you all are crowding him,” Warriors’ voice chided, and the majority of heads pulled back from his view. The captain’s face appeared in his line of sight, full of worry. “Wind? Can you move anything? Even just something small?”

Wind started at his feet and worked his way upward this time, trying to move anything he could. Fear still thrummed through him, his body on high alert, tears tracking down his cheeks, but he finally managed to twitch his eyelids a little.

“Hey, there we go,” Warriors said with relief in his eyes. “Can you do it again?”

Wind focused, managing another twitch, and almost did a full blink when he tried again. Warriors’ face was still worried, but he looked encouraged by even the tiny movement.

“Here, let me see if this helps some more,” Time said then, and Twilight shifted Wind around in his arms so his head was a little more upright.

Time pulled out his ocarina, purplish blue in the sunshine, and he played the trilling song again, the one Wind finally recognized as the song of passing. Time played it through a couple times, magic falling over Wind like a beam of sunlight. He was surprised the time of day itself didn’t change, but maybe Time was stopping it from doing that somehow.

Suddenly the magic loosened something inside him, the icy terror cracking, thawing a little. Some feeling swept back into his body, and the scream that had been stuck in Wind’s throat this whole time suddenly burst out, loud and terrified.

Time immediately stopped playing, and Wind began to tremble as feeling slowly spread to the rest of him, his scream ending in a hiccup. It felt amazing to finally give voice to the horrible coldness in him, and Wind barely noticed when a thumb brushed along his cheek.

“Wind?” Time asked quietly, and Wind breathed in a shaking breath, firmly blinking tears out of his eyes.

“Th-thank, tha-ank y-you,” he managed get out in a miserable-sounding whimper.

Sighs of relief went up around him, and Time gave Wind a smile, even with the way Wind was shaking and still unable to stop the tears from escaping his eyes.

“You’re welcome Sailor,” Time replied, and brushed a few more of his tears away.

Wind managed a shaky smile back, then relaxed into Twilight’s arms, more and more of the ice in his chest melting away into bright sunshine.

[sequinsandfins]

Max leaves Red Bull in 2026. This is how it happens.

After Singapore Max doesn’t want to contain his anger against Red Bull anymore. They were supposed to be teammates again.

Daniel heads home to Perth and disappears from sight. Max reads all the tributes from the other drivers from the other teams. He’s angry at the response from his own team. How they could seem to care so little about someone that they once claimed to love so much Max loves Daniel.

Daniel is still answering to Max‘s texts but his responses are brief

Max flies to Australia to spend his birthday with Daniel. Kelly is upset but Max doesn’t care what Kelly thinks.

On Max’s birthday Max and Daniel almost kiss. They don’t talk about it, but it causes something in Max to change.

Max feels like he’s just going through the motions for the rest of 2024. He wins the Drivers Championship but RBR loses the Constructors. Max breaks up with Kelly and the next year he puts his plan into place.

Liam doesn’t even get any points in the 2024 season, Checo barely holds onto P8.

After the season, Max calls his dad and says let’s do it. Let’s leave Red Bull

Max and Daniel start talking again, every day. Daniel feels like he’s ready to step back into the world of F1. He doesn’t want anything to do with Red Bull anymore but Daniel has mentioned the other teams have reached out to him to become an ambassador.

Lance finally decides to stop playing Formula One and that 2025 will be his last year.

Lawrence Stroll makes a compelling case to Daniel to become an ambassador for AM. Lance only stopped because he wanted to and Lawrence treats Aston Martin like a true family. It helps that Adrian is also there.

So when it’s announced that Daniel is to become an ambassador for Aston Martin, the news only highlights Red Bull’s decline.

Scotty is ecstatic because although he’s still tied to Red Bull, Aston Martin is his family too and now he has Daniel back in his family.

Daniel becoming part of the Aston Martin family makes the decision easy for Max although he doesn’t let Laurence have him for free.

#maxiel is a constant top trending tag in 2026.

In 2026 Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso win the WCC and Max wins his 5th WDC.

Max is seen kissing Daniel over the winter break.

#maxielconfirmed 

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

looking back on the fic I've written in the last few years and my own sexuality journey has made me realize that there is an argument that poly folk and ace/aro folk process love in a lot of the same ways, like the idea that you can have significant, life-defining relationships with different people and you get something important and sometimes even a similar flavor from each relationship but each one is still fundamentally different and significant in its own way and sometimes you don't want sex but you do want hugs and your partner may be having sex with their other partner but that does not make your relationship any less important because they come back to hug you and having more hearts bound up in your own is never a bad thing, because being loved no matter the form is never a bad thing, you are lovable and you can love so many people and having a heart overflowing with love for other people and things and the universe just means that you're healing and finding the people who fit you in whatever way that comes and there will always be someone cooking in the kitchen filling your heart and stomach no matter what and in this essay i will-

[incorrectskywalkers]

Fallen Order AU where Cere is killed and Cal is taken by Darth Vader with the intention of making him an Inquisitor. But when Cal’s psychometric abilities are revealed, Vader has a different plan in mind, one that causes certain truths and revelations to come to light. Cal didn’t know what he was getting into when he showed Vader what he saw through those echoes, but he really didn’t sign up to accompany said Sith Lord while he went through a midlife crisis.

Essentially, Vader finds out the truth about how Palpatine lied to him and how Padmé really died and also the fact that he has twins out there somewhere and decides “fuck palpatine” and drags a bewildered Cal - who becomes his unofficial apprentice of sorts - with him as he plots a way to take the emperor down and also, find his kids.

Also a Darth Vader redemption of sorts. He’s still a pretty shitty guy at the start and his whole reason for wanting to kill the Emperor is solely to avenge Padmé. He also has some murderous intent towards Obi-Wan for hiding his children from him and also, leaving him to burn. He’s in the mindset of believing that he wasn’t at fault and blames others for everything that happened, including his actions. But gets a hard wakeup call from Cal when he shows him just how shitty things are and what the Empire, what he has done and finally thinks “oh, I’m the problem” and from then on his slow redemption starts as he sets out on attempting to repair the damage done as he starts back on the rocky path towards the light. He also trains Cal, who at first goes “fuck that and fuck you” but eventually the two become a duo. Like Vader and Starkiller if Vader was going through a crisis, stumbling through a path of redemption and Starkiller was his tired, annoyed, unofficial apprentice who was unwillingly dragged along for the ride.