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eggtargaryenii · 3 days ago

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EAST OF THE SUN | PART IV

“Aemond has always been very jealous over you," Jace said doubtfully. "And protective.” “Not because he wants to bed me,” you dismissed, sipping on your wine. “I was his only friend for a long time, so naturally he likes to hoard my company. And he likely is only so protective of me because he thinks of me as a kind of elder sister to him.” “Ah—so you mean he wants to bed you and wed you.” You choked on your drink, giving Jacaerys a scandalised look.

7k words, aemond x fem!reader x jacaerys. childhood friends to lovers (except it's cousins), political drama. chapter warnings for targaryen incest and themes of xenophobia/racism and misogyny. dividers from @/cafekitsune.

SERIES SUMMARY & MASTERLIST.

XII. FIVE OF SWORDS

You did not really know what to think of Rhaenyra Targaryen.

On a political level, you did not think highly of her. Once you were old enough to understand your role in court—that is, a womb to be eventually traded in return for gold or swords or support—you became confused with Rhaenyra’s behaviour. She married Ser Laenor Velaryon and then immediately began to fornicate with another man, which was fine. But it was strange that she chose a man with fair skin and dark hair for her paramour, rather than someone who looked more like Ser Laenor, and it jeopardised her standing in court. It felt silly to you, and was one of the reasons why, at the tender age of ten, you vowed to marry a handsome lord who was inclined to desire women: if you were too busy being happily bedded by your husband, then you would not have the time or wherewithal to lay with another man and give birth to any bastards. (Certainly, you would not be interested in having any affairs if Cregan Stark was your lawful husband.)

On a personal level, you misliked Rhaenyra. You had never forgiven her for Aemond’s eye. As a child you had been furious at turns with Jace, Luke, and Aemond for the debacle, but as an adult you could not fault three children for an accident. What you did fault was Rhaenyra’s actions following it: treating Aemond’s eye like it was an afterthought to the bastardy talk, as if her son had not just irreversibly rendered him half-blind. As if Aemond did not lay feverish in bed for weeks after, as if he did not need to spend months retraining his body to his altered vision, as if he were not twice as vulnerable to attacks from bullies and swords and morningstars. As if he did not need to live with the knowledge that his very body was a disposable thing to his father, something that could be overlooked so long as Rhaenyra’s claim could be protected.

No—you did not like Rhaenyra.

You were certain that Rhaenyra did not feel so poorly about you, however. She never concerned herself with you when you were a child, and you did not fault her for it: you were not close in age, and she was heir apparent to the throne. She mostly knew you as someone whom Jace had befriended, and she liked you for it. Occasionally she would invite you to dinner with them in the Small Hall, or let you break your fast with her family. Sometimes she would talk with you then, and humour your questions about the Small Council (Do they know where my father is? Will they banish me from the Red Keep? Is the Hand really going to betrothe me to an old man?), and sometimes she would look at you with something close to pity.

Rhaenyra probably did think well of you. Still, it felt like an obvious lie when she called you into her chambers the day after your father’s funeral and said, “You know I have always been very fond of you.”

“Thank you, Princess,” you said graciously, immediately. “I have always been so grateful for your kindness, and especially for allowing me to spend time with Jacaerys.”

She smiled at you. You returned it, careful not to let the wariness show in your eyes.

“It was the least I could do. I owed it to your father—he was very kind to me. He would sail back from Lys and bring me trinkets, and I loved them so. I do not think Prince Daemon liked the attention he gave me, however.”

You shuddered to think of the suggestion of romantic jealousy between Daemon, your father, and Rhaenyra. You truly would walk into the sea if she disclosed a sordid relationship between herself and your father right now.

Outwardly, however, you only gave her a sentimental look. “I had never known that. Were the two of you close?”

“He was often away from King’s Landing, so I knew him not well—but I knew him well enough. And my husband, of course, was fond of him.” She smiled. “Now that your father is gone, Daemon and I feel that it is only right that we care for you.”

You did not comment on the fact that your father had been gone for nearly ten years already. “Oh,” you said, your eyes growing hot as you remembered to cry. The tears were easy to summon and mostly from frustration at knowing that your father’s death was being used in these petty games of court, but Rhaenyra need not know that. “That's—that’s very kind of you.”

“I know Jacaerys is very fond of you too,” she continued. “If you need to continue leaning on him, know that I will be happy to see it.”

“Of course.” You wiped your eyes. “I am ever so thankful for his help during my petition. And your husband’s too. It is a kindness I cannot repay.”

“As I said, it is only right.” Rhaenyra gave you a long look, then seemed to make a decision. She reached for something on the table beside her, then placed a velvet box in front of you. “Please—take this.”

Your look of surprise was genuine when you opened it. Inside was a pair of earrings—from the rippling sheen of the reflected light, Valyrian steel, so dark that it was nearly black. Rubies glimmered among the delicate metalwork, a bold red. You knew only of one person who had ever worn jewellery like this: “My mother’s?”

“Not quite, but close. Your father brought it back from one of his trips to Lys and gifted these to me, but I have not had much chance to wear them as of late—they are a young person’s jewels.” She gave you a look that was distinctly motherly, which made you feel distinctly uncomfortable. “I feel that it is only right that these go to you, rather than being wasted on my vanity.”

“Oh,” you breathed. “Thank you, Princess.”

You had a feeling where she would be going with this.

“It would be a great honour to me,” she said, “if you were to wear these at the upcoming feast.”

It was with great effort that you did not sigh.

“Of course, Princess.”

XIII. TWO OF SWORDS

There was nothing less you wanted to do than to attend the banquet meant to precede the next day’s tourney. This reluctance had less to do with the loss of your parents (though that was undeniably a factor; you were still looking forward to the day you could crawl into the dragon pit and wail in solitude) and more to do with the dread of navigating the court. Within the Red Keep, wearing the wrong colour dress to sup alone could earn you the ire of half the castle; choosing the wrong one for this banquet could quite literally kill you.

Alicent expected you to wear green, as would the Tyrells. Rhaenyra expected you to wear her earrings, which were obviously meant to be paired with black and red. It would insult one faction or the other if you did not respect their wishes, but at this point, you also had no desire to align yourself with either. Rhaenyra had not convinced you of her cause, and if you played too nicely with the Hightowers now then they would take that as a sign that they could further abuse you as they pleased in the future.

On the other hand, you did not want to offend anyone too much. Cultivating a relationship with the blacks might be useful in the future, though your greatest concern was the Hightowers—neither your coin in Braavos nor the power of your dragon could save you if the Hand decided to poison you. That could be a very real risk as you currently had no heir. Should you be killed, the money in the Iron Bank would fall to your next of kin: King Viserys on paper; Alicent Hightower in practice.

No, you could not openly antagonise the Hightowers. However, appalling them? Probably fine. Alicent already found you appalling on a daily basis, and the Hand made it no secret that he was happy to write you off as the daughter of a foreign bed slave whenever it was convenient. You were sick of it. If they were going to accuse you of being a whore, then let them suffer the shame of having raised one.

When you walked through the heavy oak doors into the Great Hall, a hush fell over all the lords and ladies present. A few noblewomen covered their open mouths with their hands, emphasising their shock and disapproval. It was already difficult not to laugh at them, but you almost barked when you saw Jace’s reaction to what you were wearing: he very clearly choked on his wine and nearly spat it out. The sudden flush on cheeks probably was not from the Arbor gold, either. You winked at him, hoping Alicent would notice.

Rhaenyra, sitting next to him, seemed amused at the Queen’s own scandalised expression. Of all the King’s party present, you greeted her first, curtsying as best as you could in your delicate, green silks. Lysene clothing was really not made for Westerosi customs, you thought; there was not a lot of material around your waist to lift, as most of it was cut to reveal your thighs, and the view it gave of your décolletage as you bowed the was… well, it did not leave much to the imagination. Nor did any other part of the dress. The silk was so sheer that it revealed far too much when the light struck it a certain way.

“What an interesting choice of dress,” Rhaenyra remarked, the corner of her mouth lifting. Her gaze caught on the rubies dangling from your ears; you smiled.

“I chose to wear Lysene silks today to match the earrings you gifted me, Princess,” you said. “The dress was from my mother’s old wardrobe. The colour clashes a bit with the red, but it was all I had on hand, I'm afraid.”

“I’m sure.” She seemed neither convinced or upset. “Well, both the earrings and the dress look beautiful on you, my dear. Wouldn't you say so, Jacaerys?”

Jacaerys composed himself quickly enough, but you noticed that he was careful to look only at your face as he spoke. Still, he composure had returned when he replied, “You look very lovely tonight, my lady. I shall need to ask you for a dance later.”

“I look forward to it. Come find me when it pleases you, my prince.” You curtsied again, turned away, and tried not to cackle at the expression that Jace made when he realised just how much leg your dress showed. You were fairly certain that Rhaenyra was herself trying not to laugh at her son's expense, smiling into her goblet as she watched his reaction.

Alicent, on the other hand, did not seem nearly so amused.

“You… Lyseni,” she said, managing to make a very neutral word sound incredibly pejorative, “have very unusual styles of dress.”

“I would not know. Having been born in King’s Landing, I am unfamiliar with Lysene styles as a whole, my Queen,” you replied calmly. “This dress is from my mother’s old wardrobe. It was the only green dress I owned—you know I do not wear the colour much.”

“I would have been happy to have had a dress made for you,” she said, voice tight. “You are our kin, after all. We are happy to ensure that members of the royal family dress as royals should.”

“I did not want to burden the Crown’s coffers, as I know they are limited,” you parried, and Alicent’s expression nearly put you in stitches. “Is my betrothed here tonight, my Queen? I should like to finally meet him, if he is.”

Part of you had hoped that this outfit would disgrace you too much for an introduction to the great house of the Reach. You were even hopeful for it when Alicent advised her father that you were not dressed suitably for a formal introduction, but the Hand insisted on it. In the end, Alicent had you meet Lady Tyrell at the behest of her father.

Lady Tyrell seemed an interesting woman. She served as the regent of Hightower given her son Lord Lyonel’s young age. Apparently significantly less pious than the Queen, Lady Tyrell took your appearance in stride.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady,” she said after a curtsy. “I saw your petition in the throne room a sennight ago, and I could not help but ask for an introduction after that… you are a very eloquent speaker. I am sorry to hear about your father, by the way. I recall it was said he was a diplomat in Lys and that your mother was a woman of the Lysene court—is this dress something of hers?”

Woman of the Lysene court. You liked the way Lady Tyrell talked, as well as her values: apparently irreligious. You wondered what she and her house wanted from you. If she saw you during the petition, it was most likely all the gold you were arguing over. Highgarden was not short of wealth, but they always wanted more for it.

“It was indeed left behind by my mother before she returned to Lys,” you replied. “And I thank you for your kind words. Everything I know, I have learned from the Queen—she took my education into her own hands after my father passed, you see…”

The two of you exchanged pleasantries with one another. You painted an image of Alicent that had her in the golden light of the Seven and wearing a halo; the Queen’s posture relaxed visibly as she listened from nearby. When it came time for you to meet Arthur Tyrell, though, you noticed her stiffen again.

Ser Criston next to her also bristled. His eyes were heavy on Ser Arthur. He was startlingly handsome with his Tyrell features (though not as handsome as any Stark men, you noted), with a full head of mahogany curls and honey brown eyes that nearly shone gold at times in the chandelier light. He had a charming, playful smile that you did not see very much in your circles. Jace was too serious to make that sort of expression, Aemond too frightening, and Aegon too slovenly.

Most importantly, though, Arthur seemed not to mind your dress, taking you without hesitation to the dance floor.

“I was not told my betrothed would be so beautiful,” he said.

“And I was not told mine would be so handsome,” you replied swiftly, deciding to humour him. Then you added, wanting to know why Ser Criston seemed so disdainful of him, “Though I have heard tales of his bravery in the Marches.”

“Exaggerations, I'm sure,” he replied.

“Then I would like to hear the truth of it from the man himself.”

Arthur was humble, yet glib of tongue. He replied to all your questions respectfully, but not without a little flirtation or humour, and always with charisma. You found yourself frustrated: you could not tell how such a charming and well-accomplished man had earned the ire of Ser Criston. His only damning trait seemed to be that he was a bastard, which you could not care less about.

It seemed that you could only get the truth from the white cloak himself. When you were nearly about to signal for Ser Criston to ask you for a dance—the two of you had such a protocol, for times when you were made to dance with some lecher and Aemond was not around to extract you—when the one-eyed prince himself instead came to your aid.

“Pardon the interruption, Ser Arthur,” a familiar voice said behind you, “but I would like to trouble my cousin for a dance.”

“Of course, my Prince,” the knight replied, and he handed you off to Aemond gracefully. Once you were in Aemond’s arms, he nodded at Ser Arthur, his mouth curling into a kind of smile. You could not decide if his expression was handsome or unsettling. Certainly, it was not friendly.

“You do not like him,” you said in Valyrian, as Aemond led your feet across the marble floor.

He brought you close to him before he replied, in the same language, “I do not like him being around you. I spoke with Ser Criston and found his background… troubling.” Aemond had you twirling, the sheer silks around your waist swaying with your movements. “The knowledge makes me worry about the way he was looking at you.”

Your brow arched. “He looks at me the way that most men have looked at me my entire life.”

“I do not like it when most men look at you.”

A laugh. “So many japes from you lately!” The two of you circled one another as a lute sung delicately. “Well, why do you dislike the gaze of this man? Tell me about the crimes of my betrothed—I shall soon die from suspense if you do not.”

Aemond brought you close. Your hand on his chest, his lips against your ear, he said, “The man raped and pillaged towns in the Dornish Marches. Some of the worst crimes Ser Criston has ever seen in battle—an offence to the Seven, he said.”

Your expression fell. Aemond led you along in the dance, not allowing you to stop—likely remembering the watching crowd. He kept his face so near to yours; it took a moment to realise he was hiding the shock in your eyes from the gazes of others.

After a long moment, you remembered yourself, and you began to think of all the implications. It now made sense that Lady Tyrell did not care about your choice of dress: it was fine that you were a harlot, as she meant to marry you to a raper. What confused you, though, was that Queen Alicent had so readily agreed to the match as well: she may have disapproved of whores, but she openly despised rapers and felt they should all be gelded, just as the Seven-Pointed Star commanded.

“Does your grandsire know?” you asked, moving deftly around your partner. “Your mother?”

“I cannot say for certain,” Aemond said, “but I suspect they do.”

You nodded, tried not to look too grave as you said, “I will find a way out of this marriage.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the Tyrells watching the two of you. You pressed yourself against Aemond, likely more intimately than any dance would warrant, so that you could whisper into his ear. “Were you serious about finding a means to avoid my betrothal?”

“Not only serious—I have already planned it.” Aemond smiled in his unsettling, handsome way once more. “Play along in the morrow. Remember: Any consequences will not befall you.”

What consequences? you meant to ask—but then you were interrupted.

“Pardon me,” a new voice said in the Common Tongue, and the both of you broke apart to see Jacaerys. “I wanted to make good on my promise to dance with my cousin.”

It was a command, not a request. Aemond studied him for a moment, and you wondered for a moment if they would begin to posture with each other, but he then acquiesced.

“Of course, nephew,” Aemond replied. He then switched to Valyrian: “Take care not to pass her off to any untoward characters. I'd rather her stay even in your hands than certain others. Bring her to me once you are done.”

Your cousin gave you a long look, his single eye glinting strangely. He brought your fingers up, and you did not realise what he was doing until his lips were pressed chastely against your knuckle. You stared blankly at the foreign sensation, at the soft touch of his mouth against your skin, unable to comprehend what was happening. But the realisation came only a moment later, suddenly and violently:

Aemond Targaryen was kissing your hand.

You nearly jerked back. What are you doing? you wanted to ask, but Aemond did not give you much time before turning to leave, smiling as he retreated to the high table.

You gave him a bewildered look as he disappeared into the crowd. Jacaerys, himself, seemed equally surprised. As he took your hand into his, he began questioning you: “Did I misunderstand,” he asked quietly in the Common Tongue, “or did my uncle just entrust you to me?”

Your speech remained in Valyrian: “You understood correctly, though you may have missed the backhanded insult. I believe he doesn't want me back in the arms of my betrothed. Aemond and Ser Criston mislike the man.”

“Do they?”

“Yes. Or, well—it is more like they abhor him.” You were uncertain if Jace knew the words for ‘rape’ or ‘pillage’ in Valyrian, so you adopted the Common Tongue once more, smiling brightly: “Nevermind all of that. We can talk later, when we are somewhere more… private.”

Multiple eyes glanced away, eavesdroppers averting you now that they'd been caught. You figured that those around you thought you were speaking of the kiss, and not of the reputation of Ser Arthur. Certainly, Queen Alicent must have, for her jaw was so tight and angry that she could have only been thinking of her son’s open favour toward you, or perhaps the betrothal that he just put into jeopardy. You supposed it was also a particularly sordid sight for her given the new whispers surrounding you: Jacaerys was said to have carried you back to your room in the early hours of the morning a few days ago. To anyone who believed the rumour, it must have looked to some like you were seducing both princes, their hearts in your cruel thrall even though you were now betrothed to a Tyrell. Luckily for you, however, the whisper had come from a kitchen maid who was a reputed liar: even though it was true, most were sceptical of the tale.

Alicent likely believed them, though, for she had given you a long lecture about preserving your innocence for your betrothed during your last meeting, followed up by an implication that there were ways in which one could feign virginity on a marriage bed should they have fallen into sin before their wedding night. She alluded to the old trick of staining one’s sheets with chicken’s blood while their groom was distracted. Though you were not offended at her belief that you had ruined yourself, you were offended at her belief that you would be stupid enough to jeopardise a marriage in this way. Using chicken’s blood was good enough for commoners, but it hardly worked for noblewomen. Septas and maesters would not be fooled by such a lazy deception, and you were both well-aware of it.

Thinking of the conversation made your head pound, so you turned to your only solace at a time like this: “Would you like to sit and have some wine, Jace? I have not yet tried the Arbor gold.”

“Of course.” Jace took your hand in his, led you to the high table at the front of the hall. A maid promptly approached with goblets and wine, which you were glad to drink, hoping for the sweet oblivion of complete inebriation. Jace’s brow lifted as he watched you.

“I did not know that you had grown into such a drinker.”

“Only during banquets,” you said dryly. “I find that I cannot otherwise endure them.”

“How ironic,” Jace remarked. “This is my first in the Red Keep, and I find myself envying you for having attended so many.”

You were startled as you realised that the Crown Prince, of all people, had neither attended a tourney nor a banquet in King’s Landing solely because of the petty infighting in his family. “Sorry,” you said immediately. “I’d forgotten this was your first feast here. I’ll try to be better company.”

“You are always good company,” Jace reassured you, “though I would enjoy a proper dance with you later. We’ve never danced together before, you know—I meant it when I said I would want one.” He smiled, and you felt your stomach flutter in a dangerous way.

Crown prince, crown prince, crown prince, you repeated silently, trying to remind yourself that you could absolutely not become besotted with the heir to the throne. If Jacaerys were to be the object of your longing (a futile one, for it was an impossibility that you could ever marry him), then you would never find a lord for yourself whom you could be happily bedded by. There was not a single noble man in the Realm who had a face that could compete with his—not even Cregan Stark!

“I'm not a very good dancer,” you remembered to reply. “I may step on your feet.”

“You seemed fine with my uncle.”

“Only because he's strong at leading. It isn’t unlike swordplay, which he excels at.” You sighed. “It is a wonder that I did not embarrass myself in front of Ser Arthur.”

Jace gave the Tyrell a sidelong glance, contemplative. “I have heard from the Queen that he is now your betrothed,” your cousin said, “which I imagine must make my uncle unhappy, as he clearly wants to bed you.”

You gave Jace a tired look. “Many people believe that I am Aemond’s lover, but I can assure you that the assertion is false.”

“That kiss did lead me to believe that he would prefer it to be true.”

“I would not pay it any mind. A kiss on the hand is a simple enough courtesy, not necessarily a sign of courtship. And even if it was unusual for him, he is likely only plotting something.” Something that the Queen will hate as much as the Tyrells, you supposed.

“Plotting something, or acting on a lifelong desire?” He studied you carefully. “Aemond has always been very jealous over you. And protective.”

“Not because he wants to bed me,” you dismissed, sipping on your wine. “I was his only friend for a long time, so naturally he likes to hoard my company. And he likely is only so protective of me because he thinks of me as a kind of elder sister to him; it was the role I played to him when we were children.”

“Ah—so you mean he wants to bed you and wed you.” You choked on your drink, giving Jacaerys a scandalised look. “What? Sibling marriage is the custom of our family.”

“I meant that he thinks of me as a sister in the Andal way.”

“Yet none of us are Andals—including yourself, dear cousin. You are a Targaryen.”

Your mood soured as he reminded you of the fact. You could not help but think of how eager you were to run away from that Small Council room a fortnight ago, so aggrieved were you by your kin.

“Can you ask your lady mother to disown me from the family?” you begged, and Jace snorted.

“Only you would reject the life of a trueborn Targaryen,” he said, shaking his head. He likely meant it as a jape, but the words had a bitter timbre to them, and you felt torn between guilt and resentment. Trueborn or not, Jacaerys had a number of people protecting his place in this family—yourself included. The same could not be said of you.

“My trueborn family rejected my mother. I may as well be a bastard.”

“Every bastard still wants for a family.”

“A family, sure, but I imagine not always their family by blood. Most of them do well enough. I feel I would.”

“You wouldn't really want to leave it all behind,” he accused.

“No,” you admitted. “I thought briefly of running away, after I was told of my father's death. But now there are people here I care for too much. Like Aemond, or Wildfyre.”

“And?” Jace prompted.

“I suppose I like Luke well enough.”

“How cold.”

You smiled at the prickly look he feigned. “I would miss you terribly, Jace. But I tire easily of all the politicking in these walls.” You sighed heavily. “If she cannot disown me, could you ask Princess Rhaenyra to marry me off to someplace far from King’s Landing? And not to any Targaryen men, please.”

“I have little say in such matters, but if you'll take a Velaryon, I could get you as far as Dragonstone.”

Aemond was nearby, clearly listening, and you realised now that Jace must have noticed. You smiled at your dark-haired cousin, amused.

“A tempting offer,” you replied playfully, “but you’d become a Targaryen once you ascend the throne, and I'd also be back here once more when that happens. I'm afraid I'll need to decline.”

Jacaerys played at disappointment, clicking his tongue. “Ah, well, it was worth a try.” He picked up his own goblet from the table, took a draught. “There’s always the King Beyond the Wall. Is that far enough for you?”

“I would rather face the Others than Otto Hightower,” you said dryly. “Certainly, I would fear them less.”

You expected Jace to laugh, but he only studied you, as if curious. After a moment of consideration, he leaned in and asked, “Would you care to step outside with me, my lady? For some fresh air.”

Fresh air was clearly not what he wanted. Nevertheless, you agreed and allowed Jace to help you out of your seat. As you rose, you glanced at Aemond, worried for his reaction, but his attention was not on you. He was speaking with Ser Arthur, you realised, who did not seem pleased by whatever Aemond was saying. Your brow furrowed, and you wondered if you should intervene, but Aemond glanced at you then, the corner of his mouth hooked slyly, his gaze as unsettling as it was reassuring.

Play along in the morrow, Aemond had told you, so you decided whatever he was planning was not your business tonight. You turned on your heel and took Jace by the arm, hurrying away.

IX. SEVEN OF CUPS

The night was cool and quiet, but you knew that it was not empty. You were certain that there would be many curious about why the Crown Prince would want to step outside and close the doors to the Great Hall behind him, obviously seeking privacy. Guards were posted in the courtyard below despite being within the inner castle walls; the balcony above you was silent when there should have been chatter and music from the banquet drifting from its threshold. Someone had stepped outside and closed the doors to escape the noise—meaning they could now listen to you rather than the noise of the feast.

You had long ago noticed that some of the sordid rumours about you involved your moments when you believed you were utterly alone with another person, or when you moved through supposedly empty halls and corners of the castle. From this, you suspected that there were eyes and ears placed all throughout the Red Keep. When you brought this up to Aemond (talking quietly in the dragon pit, where Wildfyre and the many other dragons ensured that you were both alone), he outright confirmed it. Larys Strong is quite adept at collecting whispers, he had commented. The Queen often consults him on them. King Viserys, though, has never paid him any mind—he does not see the value in knowing the whispers of King’s Landing.

When you asked Aemond how he had collected such whispers, he merely smiled.

After this conversation, you quickly surmised that all adept players at court had eyes and ears to aid them. You had not realised how much you had taken this knowledge for granted until Jacaerys disclosed that he had wanted to step onto the balcony to get some privacy.

“Privacy?” You made a face. Dragonstone had evidently spoiled the man. “This is not a private place. I do hope you aren't planning on saying or doing anything that may be seen as untoward. The Queen already believes that you have taken me abed and thoroughly ruined my innocence.”

Jacaerys cleared his throat. Moonlight tended to wash out the colour from anything illuminated by it, but you suspected he had gone red. “I will say nothing that will fuel those rumours. I only wanted privacy from my uncle, lest he be offended by my suggestion.” He glanced around, then lowered his voice. “Is someone truly listening?”

“You’re within the walls of the Red Keep. Someone is always listening, except for in a scarce few places. I can show you some other time where I like to go for real privacy.” You tilted your head. “But let's hear your suggestion. I am curious to know what would offend Aemond so.”

“The Hightowers,” Jace started, “have mistreated you these past few days. You japed about it just now, but the Hand and the Queen have sche—”

You placed a finger to his lips, and his eyes widened, startled. He swallowed thickly, only relaxing when you moved your hand away. You then smiled and finished for him: “Yes, the Hand and the Queen upset me during my petition. But it is well-known that they always have the best interests of the Realm at heart—it is clear they were only acting for the benefit of the Seven Kingdoms when they contested my inheritance.” Giving Jace a meaningful look, you asked, “What of it?”

Jacaerys caught on quickly, thank the Seven. “It is understandable that they have the best interests of the Realm at heart, but I keep the best interests of yours in mine. I was not entirely jesting in the Great Hall: I would take you away from the Red Keep, if you so wished.”

You stared. “Take me away?”

“To Dragonstone,” he offered plainly. “Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon would happily host you for as long as you desired. I would be there to keep you company during your stay, as would Luke.”

“Ah. Do they want to take me as their ward?” It was unsurprising, you thought. They likely wanted your inheritance. But you played the fool: “Or do they need a dragonrider? I know Lord Velaryon has trouble with pirates every now and then. It would be sensible for Prince Daemon to solicit my help as they are allies, I suppose.”

“They aren't inviting you. I am.” You blinked at him, obviously uncomprehending, and the corner of his mouth lifted. “You could see the castle,” he began slowly. “Visit the beaches. Fly to Braavos to oversee your wealth, and I would accompany you if you liked. Vermax would be happy for it—I do believe he misses you.”

It was hard to believe in the generosity of the offer, though you knew generosity was in Jace’s nature when it came to you. Still, you needed to confirm it: “You want me to come to Dragonstone… for leisure?”

“If leisure is what you want, then yes. If for some reason you wish to labour, though, I am sure there is plenty to be done.” He smiled. “You could teach me Valyrian, to start.”

There was really nothing in the world that sounded more appealing than living in a darkly beautiful castle by the sea and tutoring a gorgeous prince who wished to take you to Braavos. Certainly, it would be the fantasy of any other maiden.

Still, you hesitated. “I am unsure if this is wise…”

Jacaerys leaned in then. “You've always wanted to get away from the Hightowers,” he said quietly, “even when we were children. Now is your chance.”

You raised a brow, wondering how you let that slip to anyone other than Aemond. “Did I tell you that?”

“You quite literally told me to rescue you from them.”

“Did I?” you asked, perplexed. But you recalled it a moment after: when Princess Rhaenyra was sent to Dragonstone and Jacaerys was downtrodden about parting from you. He had just lost Ser Harwin, so you’d felt poorly for him—had Aemond not been so feverishly ill from the loss of his eye, you might have actually asked Rhaenyra to host you so that you could stay with Jace a while. It made your heart ache that you couldn't be with him, especially since you knew what it felt like to see your father leave your home and then never return. So of course, you promised Jace that you would someday be reunited, and that you would stay by his side then.

You hadn't thought about those words in years.

“Oh,” you murmured, oddly touched, “yes, I suppose I did say that, didn’t I? I thought you would have forgotten about it by now.”

He gave you an expression that you couldn't quite decipher. “Of course I remembered,” he said earnestly. “You asked me to take you away—so let me.”

You stayed quiet for a long moment as you considered the offer. You heard the scrape of soles against brick on the balcony above you, the clink of knights’ armour below. All the eyes and ears of the Red Keep pressed upon you, and it made your heart pound.

“I can't,” you spoke carefully. You leaned forward—close enough to murmur into his ear. “The Queen has already arranged for the Tyrells to take me as a ward. If your mother were to take me on instead, then it would put both her and the Queen in an uncomfortable position. The Tyrells would be offended by them both. I do not think Princess Rhaenyra would want to malign a great house.” And I do not wish to know what Otto Hightower would do to me if I put Queen Alicent in such a sensitive position, you left unsaid.

You could see, in Jace’s eyes, his understanding, acceptance, and eventual disappointment in the reality of your situation.

“It would be wiser for you to stay,” he finally agreed, “but do know that if either Highgarden or the Red Keep become unbearable, there will always be a place on Dragonstone for you.”

You peered beyond the balcony, into the dark night where you imagined many eyes watching you. From the way Lady Tyrell had talked to you, you could tell that Highgarden would likely not be too different from the Red Keep—full of silver-tongued flatterers, keen whisperers, and elaborate schemes. It was exactly the kind of politicking that made you so eager to get away from King’s Landing—the kind of politicking that you would find anywhere there were those who thirsted for power.

And few people in the Realm desired power more than Rhaenyra.

“It is generous of the blacks to offer this,” you said finally. “If I could follow you to Dragonstone, then I would.”

“It is not the blacks who offer it,” Jacaerys replied. “I meant it when I said that I was inviting you. I only wish to offer you a place in which you are safe. If you ever find yourself wanting a home without flattery and falsehoods, then come join me on Dragonstone. I shall never turn you away.”

You gave him a wistful smile.

“You are very kind, Jace,” you replied gently, “and I love you dearly for it. But no such home could ever exist for a Targaryen.”

END PART IV

bonus: I posted a super horny excerpt of a fic where Jace is thinking about ******* you in that dress. enjoy! (yes he was losing his mind fr during that scene. aemond too but he was better at hiding it)

#jacaerys velaryon x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #hotd x reader #house of the dragon x reader #jacaerys x reader #aemond x reader #let's pretend this hasn't been up on ao3 for a week already #jace is so lovesick over u i feel so bad for him needing to compete with his hot and freaky uncle

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mc-lukanette · 3 days ago

Text

Marinette had been to amusement parks before, but it'd been so many years since her last one. It was something her parents thought to do every now and then when she was young, and she'd only had so many chances as a teen that weren't tainted with memories of akuma battles. Once she became a full-fledged adult, it was too hard to excuse going to one by herself for fun.

She didn't have an excuse anymore for two reasons, one being her daughter and the other being the tickets that Jagged Stone had practically forced upon her. The man still had just as much energy as he did when they met and appointed himself as her baby-at-the-time's "Great Uncle J," a name that both sounded young and apparently gave him every right to spoil her rotten.

That, naturally, included the tickets, though he'd added at the time that they were a reward for all of Marinette's help throughout the years, whether that be as Marinette or Ladybug.

So there they were, her and the bundle of energy clinging to her hand like they'd be separated the instant she let go, eyes enthusiastically searching the rides and stalls. Marinette was only thankful that she wasn't the kind of child to run off on her own unless it was actually something important and not a whim.

"So? Any rides look good?" she asked, sensing that her little girl was in being so overloaded in her head that she couldn't speak unless prompted to mode. It was just too obvious with how fast she was turning her head, her black hair constantly getting in her face and swishing over her shoulders.

Kalette looked up at her, then grabbed the hand she'd already been holding with her other hand. "The teacups! I gotta know what it's like to be tea in a teacup!"

"Sound logic," she complimented, trying not to giggle. Was it egotistical to think about how cute her child was when said child looked so much like her? "Do you want to eat first?"

"No! Teacups!" Kalette insisted.

"No teacups? You sure changed your mind fast," Marinette joked.

She got a pout in return. "I'm not hungry, really!"

Shaking her head in amusement, Marinette turned around and started guiding Kalette to the teacups ride. There weren't huge crowds or lines since Jagged had made sure to pick a quiet day to buy tickets for, so she was already piecing together what they might do for the rest of the current hour.

If she spins too hard, she might get tired. Maybe we could go on something gentler afterwards where she can just sit and enjoy the ride?

She started searching the area for any nearby gentle rides, but then felt a tug on her hand. She stopped walking and looked down, seeing that Kalette had stilled, staring off into the distance where Marinette was certain the teacup ride wasn't.

"Kalette?" She crouched down, squeezing her hand with a little concern. "What's wrong?"

When Kalette met her gaze, her eyes looked as if she'd been starstruck, her mouth open in awe. She tugged on Marinette's hand - intentionally this time - and pointed, exclaiming, "Mama, that man's got dyed hair just like yours, but blue!"

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat at the familiar mental image that conjured, but she shook the thought away. There was no way that man was there, and she shouldn't be getting distracted by the mental image of someone she hadn't seen in so long.

But then she looked up, following Kalette's point to a man in the crowd that had a little boy with him. The man was decently tall, dressed up a little punk but not excessively so, and had black hair dyed blue at the tips.

She felt her heart clench, recognizing him despite his back facing her. Even the tiny strand at the top of his head hadn't changed, and she involuntarily uttered a tiny, "Luka...?"

She felt sure that there was no way he could've heard her with how quiet her voice had been, yet he suddenly stopped. Her brain fumbled with thoughts about how he must've gotten distracted by something, or was taking in the sounds, or anything else, all of which were put into question when he glanced over his shoulder.

Their eyes met. She couldn't believe it, wondering if she'd tripped and been knocked unconscious as her head hit the pavement, thus making all of this some crazy dream she was having. The screams of people on rollercoasters, the smell of citrus from a nearby drink stall, and the tiny hand squeezing hers were all so vivid, but the sight of Luka Couffaine standing there was surreal.

And then Luka's eyes widened. He turned fully, the boy at his side going with him as he approached, pathing straight towards her.

"Marinette?" He sounded breathless, like he'd ran there. She was still crouched down, leaving the sky as the backdrop behind Luka's face casting a beautiful backlight onto him.

Forcing herself back to attention, she stood up, dusting off her perfectly clean pants. "Luka! Hi! It's—wow, it's..."

"It's been so long," he finished.

"Yeah!" she agreed. Feeling her daughter's dangerously curious gaze burning a hole in the side of her head, Marinette gently pulled her in front, gesturing to her with a free hand. "Oh, this is my daughter, Kalette. Kalette, this is Luka Couffaine, my..."

Friend? Ex? Guy-That-She-Never-Quite-Got-Over-But-Didn't-Realize-It-For-a-Long-Time?

"...He's Great Uncle J's son," she decided, figuring that going with association would be best. Even if she'd stuck with "friend," that was so vague as to be completely meaningless, but Kalette knew Jagged extremely well.

Luka gave Kalette a crooked smile. "Hey, Kalette. Nice to meet you." He gestured to the boy at his side, eyes flicking to both Marinette and Kalette as he introduced, "This is Nika, my son."

Son. Marinette's eyes were unconsciously drawn to his hand, noticing that he wasn't wearing anything on his ring finger. Her free hand falling back to her side, her thumb rubbed at her own ring(less) finger. She reminded herself then that it didn't mean he was single and also that it was none of her business.

"Hi, Nika," she greeted, pretending not to be going through a crisis.

"We were just going to get something to eat," Luka added, confirmed with a small nod from Nika. "What about you two?"

She opened her mouth, but a squeeze tight enough to hurt turned her attention down to Kalette. "What is it?"

"Mama, I'm hungry," she replied, completely straight-faced.

What.

—————

They ended up at a food stall, Kalette making a show of letting "everyone else" choose first out of politeness, as if she cared one bit about what they were having. Marinette didn't doubt that the little traitor intended to pawn most of the food off on her, Luka, or Nika if she ended up full after a few bites, but she couldn't call her out at the moment and left the task for later.

Having walked all the way alongside Luka, things were at least starting to feel more real, especially when their hands accidentally brushed at one point. He had a calm aura that everyone who knew him naturally gravitated towards, and it hadn't faded with time. She started to feel its effects despite the obvious trap her own daughter had put her in.

"Nika, what do you want?" Luka asked, crouching down to his son's level. "I'll order it for you."

"Um..." Nika gave a side glance at all the food items on the sign, but answered noncommittally, "Anything?"

Judging by the disappointment in Luka's expression, Marinette got the feeling that this happened a lot. She was concerned, simultaneously feeling like she shouldn't be involved, but then Luka stood up and lowered his voice to talk to her, like he felt some obligation to explain.

"Nika has a hard time asking for what he wants," he told her. "I don't know where he gets it from."

She muffled a snort behind her hand. At his perplexed look, she couldn't help whispering back, "Oh, I can't imagine where he gets it, especially not with a dad who's always looking out for everyone else and never asks for anything."

He had the decency to look embarrassed by the accusation.

Now that she was officially involved, Marinette stepped past Luka, putting herself to Nika's other side. She sat down on the ground to be more level with him, bending a leg and resting an arm on its knee to give off a more casual impression.

"Nika," she began gently, "do you think he could help me? Keep a little secret?"

The boy stared, confused by her presence but nodding along.

She leaned in, raising a hand to the side of her mouth to tell him, "I'm so bad at picking things; the worst. You know in cartoons where a character waits so long that they grow a beard? That's me, any time I have to make a decision."

Though he tried to hide his giggling, she could see the smile behind his hand.

"It's the same here. Everything sounds so good, I can't decide!" She put her hand to her chest, trying to look extra pitiful. "Can you give me a recommendation? What would you get?"

His once hesitant eyes gleamed with purpose, and he started to look at the list differently. There was a layer of seriousness there as opposed to the reluctance of someone afraid to get invested in something they weren't going to ask for anyway.

"The, ah..." He tilted his head at her. "The soft pretzel?"

"The soft pretzel!" She gasped and hit her own forehead with the palm of her hand. "Of course!"

She took his hands, bowing her head in a dramatic show of thanks, then let him go and stood back up. Leaning confidently on the counter, she held up two fingers and requested, "Two soft pretzels, please! One for me and another for the soft not-pretzel boy here."

She turned to Luka, still grinning, but it faltered at the look on his face: the brows just barely visible between his bangs, the intensity in his eyes, and the lips parted without actually saying anything.

Marinette blushed and looked away, having forgotten how utterly deadly he could be.

—————

After finding a nice set of table and chairs to sit down on, Marinette and Kalette sat on one end while Luka and Nika sat on the other. They all had soft pretzels, Kalette because it was the easiest for someone who - again - was a traitor who didn't care, and Luka for reasons she could only guess at. Perhaps it was really what he wanted, or he'd just been getting food for insurance in case Nika was still hungry, or he simply wanted to match his son.

He was so handsome. She broke off a piece of her soft pretzel and nibbled on it as she observed all the ways he'd grown up over the years. Her young teenage brain, just barely able to grasp the concept of love, did think he was handsome upon first sight, but now she could truly appreciate it. His eyes especially still had so much warmth after years and years, just as she remembered them. She couldn't say for sure if they'd changed at all actually, but at the very least, she felt even more drawn to them now.

Said eyes flicked up from his soft pretzel to meet hers. She pushed the rest of the bite in her mouth, swallowing and trying to come up with a topic of conversation, not wanting to be considered "weird" for staring without reason.

"I didn't know you had a kid," she admitted. "Jagged never told me."

Which was partially her own fault if she was honest. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in Luka's life - far from it - but she tended to change the subject whenever it came up. It felt wrong to hear about the life of someone she knew she hadn't seen in so long. She imagined that Jagged had Luka work with him on occasions like he did with her, but it'd never been at the same time.

Though, worrying that the topic of his kid might be a sensitive subject, she tried to add, "Um, you don't have to share if you don't want to."

He shrugged. "It wasn't anything serious. He was a happy accident, she didn't want a baby but didn't want to abort, and here we are."

She struggled with the idea that something so life-changing was summarized down to one sentence. She couldn't see Luka as having relations with someone unseriously, but she considered that there might've been more to it that wasn't appropriate to say in front of two kids, or to someone he'd only just met again.

"That was sweet of you," she said. "I bet you're a good dad. Being a good big brother probably carries over, right?"

He chuckled, a little shy from the praise. "I'm doing my best, but you saw that I'm not perfect."

"Now you know how it feels to be mortal like the rest of us," she teased.

The comment reminded her of a fun kid's movie she'd watched with Kalette last week. She turned to her daughter to bring it up as a new, lighter topic, but found that said daughter was no longer there. Puzzled, Marinette turned to her other side to see if Kalette had switched just as a little joke, but she wasn't there either.

Her daughter's voice then spoke from across the table, "Mister Great Uncle J's son, what do you do for your job?"

Dread washed over Marinette as she looked to where Luka was, Kalette sitting on his side opposite of Nika.

Luka, oblivious to what she was up to, smiled and answered, "I make instruments."

"Busy-ly?"

She didn't pronounce busily quite right - she might not have even known that it was a word - but he understood. "Sometimes, but Nika comes first if he needs me."

Nika averted his gaze, bashful but not unhappy to be spoken of in such a way.

Kalette nodded vigorously. "Mhm, mhm." Her eyes flicked down to his sleeve, then she grabbed onto it with both hands. "Can I see your arms?"

"Kalette!" Marinette called in a panic, face flushed and utterly mortified.

Luka, unbothered by the request, put his soft pretzel down, then pulled his sleeves back to reveal his upper arms. Marinette's next words got caught in her throat, staring even more intently than Kalette was.

She could acknowledge a pair of nice arms when she saw them. He wasn't some hyper-buff body builder, but there was noticeable muscle. It made sense for the Luka of the past, who was always decently strong from carrying around heavy musical equipment, to still have it in him.

She was so taken for that moment that she neglected to scold her daughter blatantly poking and feeling his arm. She was a little jealous, and the salt from the piece of soft pretzel she'd just finished was making her feel thirsty.

Then, Kalette declared with a beaming smile, "Mama, I want this one!" with a finger still pressing into Luka's skin.

"Hm?" Luka blinked in confusion.

Marinette snapped back to attention, her hands hitting the table. "K-Kalette!"

"He can be my daddy! He's perfect!" Kalette raised five fingers and counted off her reasoning. "He's not famous, he already has daddy training, he has strong arms to pick me up, your hair matches, and he makes stuff like you do!"

Marinette didn't think she'd ever seen Luka's face turn such a bright shade of red before. Had she not been trying to wrangle in her angel-turned-devil of a daughter, she would've found it cute.

Ah, who was she kidding? She found it cute anyway, which was part of the problem.

"Luka, I am so sorry," she said, unable to physically reach and pull her daughter back like a cat owner picking up their kitten by the scruff. "She... she does this sometimes—all the time. She gives me her opinion on the men I meet and their 'qualifications' to be my husband and her dad."

She didn't add that Luka had been the first person Kalette had ever approved of. Was that worse or better than the alternative, considering the circumstances and how unknown Luka's current feelings were to her? Nika wasn't even saying anything, totally unreadable.

Kalette pouted, protesting, "But you told me to always tell the truth!"

"Not like this!" Marinette countered, wondering how such obvious advice for a child - 'be honest' - had backfired on her.

She bit her lip, watching Luka's facial movements carefully. He was staring in her direction, but not at her face, his mouth open but not forming words.

Did Kalette break him? Was that covered by health insurance?

"I..." His mouth shut as he swallowed, running a hand through his fluffy black-and-blue hair. "I... had no idea."

She sighed in relief. He lived.

She tore another piece of soft pretzel off, trying to bring things back to somewhere casual. "This is the first time you met. Of course you had no idea—"

"—that you were single," he clarified, and it became clear then that he'd been staring at her hand before, looking for a ring just like she had to him. "I thought you were still with Adrien."

The name made her brow twitch. The embarrassment she'd felt a second ago washed away into a sea of something else entirely, her grip on her piece of soft pretzel tightening.

"Nooo!" Kalette ducked back under the table and reappeared at her original spot. She whined, trying to pry the poor thing from Marinette's hands, "You're gonna smoosh it!"

While she tried to stretch and squish the pretzel back to its original shape, Marinette let out a tired breath. Shooting Luka a sarcastic look not directed at him, she proclaimed, "Oh, yes, because why would I ever divorce Paris's golden boy, the angel among men? We were Ladybug and Chat Noir, brought together by destiny and the will of people who never left me alone."

The last part was said with extra spite, and she didn't elaborate on if she meant her friends or Paris shipping two teenagers together like they had nothing better to do with their lives. She forced herself to take a breath, having not planned to get riled up on a simple trip to the amusement park.

"Sorry—" she began to say.

"No, I... I'm sorry," Luka stammered. "I know I didn't know, but I should've."

Yet he didn't, which was crazy to her. How out of the loop was he that he missed such big news? Was it intentional on his part? Had he stayed away from news about her the same way she did for news about him?

Her next words spilled out without her meaning to; he'd always been easy to talk to. "It was years ago. The puppy love that got me through a few years of shallow dating where everything revolved around being together couldn't last when we started actually living together. That's around the time you're expected to communicate—" She intentionally said the word as if it'd been foreign to her. "—and we couldn't do that. He'd say he was fine and then blow up later, and I treated life like I was still Ladybug, where everything was on me to fix."

She placed a hand on her stomach, allowing herself a moment to think back, and her other hand went to the top of Kalette's head.

"Then I got pregnant, and I was happy." She paused for effect. "But I realized that I was already taking care of a child and one was more than enough at that age."

Luka's hand flew to his mouth to hide a chuckle that threatened to burst out. He was better at hiding it than Nika, but she still caught it.

Smiling to herself, she stroked her daughter's hair and continued, "So, I got out. Penny even planned out a nice little vacation for me so I could get away from Paris and rethink my life. I needed it; there were so many things I didn't think about until then."

His eyes narrowed in concern, wanting to ask but not sure if it was alright.

She gave a one-armed shrug, not minding. "Trauma, honestly. Turns out that being in a city you've seen destroyed in alternate timelines, were always on edge in since an akuma could attack at any time, and where you always had eyes and publicity on you no matter what form you're in isn't good for your mental health. I only ever go back so my parents and grandparents can see Kalette."

She wished she'd had a drink to sip casually from, but she made due, hoping she conveyed that she didn't need him to feel bad for her.

"It's all in the past," she insisted, and she meant it. "I'm still working out exactly what I want, but I've got a good job, a nice house, and—"

"—and me!" Kalette jumped in, setting the only semi-malformed piece of soft pretzel down on her plate so she could put both hands on the one stroking her hair.

Marinette laughed, pulling her giggly, squirmy daughter onto her lap. "I was getting there! I had to save the best for last."

Her eyes flicked back up to Luka and Nika across the table. Luka had a sad, sympathetic smile on his face, which she'd expected from him, while Nika had a fist in front of his mouth as he looked at both her and Kalette.

"I'm happy for you," Luka said, an emotion somewhere deep in his tone that she couldn't place. "I just wish I could've been there when you needed it."

He really hadn't changed at all, which made her feel even more than in the infrequent random dreams she'd had where they met again. She tried not to let it all show on her face, though her voice shook when she replied, "When you were there, it made all the difference. I know how much you cared about me."

"Care," he corrected without missing a beat. "I never stopped caring about you."

There went the whole "try not to let everything show" thing. She blushed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears and breaking eye contact with him. "I never stopped caring about you either. Where do you think the dye came from?"

He gaped, leaning forward in his seat. "Really?"

Kalette looked up at her, as best as she could from her place on her lap. "Really?!"

She giggled, shy at the interest but not to where she was going to lie about it. "A few years after Kalette grew up, I finally felt like I carved out a life for myself away from Paris." She still couldn't bring herself to look at him, but turned her gaze enough that she could see his face out of the corner of her eyes. "You know how some people cut their hair as a new start?"

He nodded.

"Well, I dyed mine." She ran her fingers through the pink tips of her bangs. "Kalette liked practicing doing my hair anyway, so I couldn't cut it, but... it felt right to dye it. You always looked so confident with yours, and—"

"It's amazing." Luka sounded like he'd blurted it out, which surprised her, as he'd always seemed to think through everything he said otherwise. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," she squeaked, twisting a strand of her dyed hair. "You too."

He beamed at her, reminiscent of a Luka from the past wearing her silly Kitty Section costume and confessing to her while an assortment of colored stage lights shone bright in the background. It was almost too much for her heart to take.

Nika, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up. "Kalette?"

He'd never said the name before and it sounded odd on his tongue. Luka in particular was shocked that he'd spoken up at all.

It was also the first time the two kids had addressed each other, but Kalette replied affably, "Mhm~?"

He glanced at Luka, then Marinette, then back at Kalette. "Can we share?"

Luka and Marinette flushed all over again. Kalette, meanwhile, brightened like the sun and hit the table with her tiny fists, exclaiming, "Yeah we can!"

"Kalette!"

—————

After everyone had finished their soft pretzels (or passed them off to someone else when they were full), it was mutually agreed that they'd continue enjoying the amusement park together, and not just because Kalette and Nika wanted to. It was a chance to reconnect, and it was reigniting positive feelings that Marinette hadn't thought she'd be able to have again.

Luka put the plates in a little stack, then went along with the rest of the group to the nearest trash bin to discard them. Nika had already been holding his hand out, so Luka took it and turned to walk with him, instructing gently, "Let's go."

"Ah—wait—!"

Before Marinette had even realized it, her hand shot out and grabbed Luka's other hand. He looked back at her, immediately worried that something had gone wrong, but she hadn't tripped and there was no emergency that required hand holding of all things.

"Uh..." She trailed off, fumbling for reasoning. "I... don't want to get separated?"

It was a laughable excuse out of context - the place wasn't even crowded - but she hadn't been referring to the amusement park. Seeing him turn away from her and make any distance brought a fear that'd laid dormant for so long.

She let out a small noise as he pulled her closer. Their eyes met, his own half-lidded as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Me neither."

She couldn't bring herself to ask him if he meant it the way she'd meant it or the way it had sounded, but the knot in her stomach that had been there ever since their break-up as teens was slowly coming undone. It told her something, even if she couldn't address it at the moment.

Kalette was at her other side, bouncing excitedly and holding her other hand. She was really there, a single mom with her daughter, and now she was with Luka, a single dad with his son. To any onlookers, it really would've appeared like they were two parents taking their kids to the amusement park.

Her grip on Luka's hand tightened, determined not to let go again, and she felt him squeeze back.

#queuekanette #lukaneventte: No Context November #Flower Arrangement Shipping #Pro LukaMari #Lukanette #type: salt #((For like two sentences.))

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goldenstring6123 · 4 months ago

Note

hello ! wanted to say i really love your writing style and your stories for the characters ! I wanted to know if you’d write one for Love and deep space Sylus? A scenario where you’re both sleeping but you sneak away quietly to get something from the kitchen or for whatever reason but he stops you with his powers (the handcuffs etc) to bring you back to bed. I’m not sure if i’m making sense but something along those lines! please and thank you!

Sylus: Kitchen Sneaker

Warning: No warning. Fem!reader, domestic fluff (?)

Author's note: This is a fun domestic-ish prompt to write! I hope you like it my dear pookies <3

masterlist | Buy me a thread? |

Sylus was fast asleep beside you.

The man was a light sleeper for the sake of his own safety. According to him, even if the building was as secure as it could be, there were some instances where he woke up with a knife to his throat. However, ever since you began sharing the same bed, he had been sleeping like a log, which was good for him and the twins because they no longer had to deal with his hot head so early in the evening.

But it was bad for you. Simply because Sylus likes to hold you in his sleep. Sometimes his hand would be over your chest, groping your breast or squeezing in between your boobs, but most times, he would be holding your wrist, checking your pulse. How was this bad for you? Well, living alone for most of your adult life, you liked to indulge yourself in a midnight snack or two. With him holding you captive to the bed, his iron grip holding on to you, it was like you had a ball and chain around your body.

You've indulged Sylus for over a week now, but the intense midnight craving is overwhelming.

Tonight, it's food over Sylus. The man can wait. Food cannot.

You scooted his hand very, very, very gently away from your body. This man's hand is heavy and large. Sylus didn't move and continued to sleep peacefully, his exposed chest rising and falling calmly. The room was very cold, and you could even hear the blowing of the AC; it was at that moment that you realized how such small sounds seemed to be so loud at night.

With every step you take, you are holding your breath even more. Even against the carpet, the rustling of your feet seemed like it could stir Sylus awake at any second. Thankfully, you managed to traverse across the room like a spy. You even had to carefully close the door shut.

You used the stairs to get down to the kitchen, and while you were walking in the hallway, the chef was just about to leave, his satchel bag on his shoulder.

He and you made eye contact. You gestured to him to 'shush,' and he laughed.

"There's some leftover dessert and pasta in the fridge—feel free to eat it," he whispered, and you grinned, giving him a thumbs up. Greg is the best chef ever. You tiptoed to the kitchen, waving him goodbye. Your eyes landed on that double-door fridge that was whirring loudly.

Finally! You could taste that delicious panna cotta and aglio olio in your mouth. Your hands wrapped around the handle of the fridge, and as you tugged, the bright blue light of the fridge lit up your face.

You took the plate and settled it on the stainless steel counter. The next one was the small glass filled with chocolate and cream. You marveled at its delicate, savory look. You took a spoon from the nearby utensil holder and dug it into the soft texture, eager to get a taste.

Before it could land between your lips—

A cold whirlwind of black, scentless smoke wrapped around the fork. It flung out of your grasp, and before you could let out a peep, you, too, were flung away from the kitchen counter.

The man let out a grunt, his eyes low-lidded and foggy, clearly just woken up from his slumber.

"Pray tell," he gruffed, his voice an octave lower. "What are you doing in the kitchen? You're supposed to be in bed." Sylus let out a sigh while he brought you closer to him. He glanced behind you and saw the unopened plate of pasta and panna cotta.

"Never mind. You don't need to speak."

"I'm hungry! Don't you know you shouldn't get between a woman and her food?" you exclaimed while tugging at the thing around your exposed waist. You thrashed and thrashed, the straps of your nightshirt sliding down your shoulders. "Put me down and go back to bed! I'll be with you in five—no, fifteen minutes!"

His head was aching from all the noise you were making, and combined with the fact that you were out of bed by the time he woke up—to Sylus, it seemed like you were testing his patience. "Did you not eat enough during dinner time? You know you could've asked for second servings."

"I get midnight cravings on occasion, but when I'm sleeping over, you tend to weigh me down in bed," you explained, flailing your legs, which were a few feet off the ground.

"So, you're blaming me now?" Sylus raised an eyebrow.

You shrugged. Of course, you were. It wasn't your fault you couldn't get out of bed, and it wasn't your fault that the chef made great food and desserts. He didn't like the look on your face but, regardless, put you down to the floor, his hand tugging your strap over your shoulders. His red eyes glazed over your bare chest, but he turned away, walking to that lonely plate of pasta.

"We're going back to sleep after you have your fill." Sylus unwrapped the plate and took a fork, twirling it and taking a bite. The oily, mild tinge of spiciness and Parmesan helped push him awake. He won't deny that the chef was good at his job—it was even enough for you to sneak out of his bed.

You mounted yourself onto the kitchen island, the cold marble surface cooling the bottom of your thigh. You took the panna cotta, and finally, the creamy and sweet flavor of chocolate and cream exploded in your mouth. Unconsciously, you nodded in approval of the taste.

Quietly, you ate in each other's company, occasionally making small talk. Sylus left the dish in the sink along with the fork, but when he turned to you, your nose was inside the refrigerator again. "Cake roll slice…" you uttered. The strawberry cake roll looked delicious inside the glass container.

Before you could even reach out to it, the smoke appeared at the very same spot, dragging you away from the fridge. Sylus closed the double-door refrigerator and crossed his arms right in front of you. A clear 'no' was plastered all over his face.

You let out a groan as he dragged you away with the smoky black and red rope around your waist.

When you got back to the bedroom, you expected Sylus to go right back to sleep. But instead, the man pulled a handcuff from underneath his pillow. How and why it was, there was a question you didn't want to ask him. Without another word coming out of his mouth, he chained it to himself and took hold of your wrist.

"No. You're not going to—"

He latched the real handcuff around your wrists and laid down on the bed, dragging you with him.

"Sleep."

The lights dimmed and flickered off at his word, and you just lay there, staring up at the canopy.

"I guess this is our bedtime routine now," you sighed.

"Sleep," he reiterated.

You seriously have no idea how you put up with this man.

Author footnotes: I also like to sneak out to the kitchen and eat but instead of sylus, It's my mom who sees me and then i get the clothes hanger beat up for staying up late at night lol.

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