#gather ye power oc

[actualjenna]

when im bored i like to draw my magus oc

[goddessofvalyria]

BODYGUARD | Modern!Aemond Targaryen x fem!oc

Summary: Aemond Targaryen is the bodyguard of Miranda, the daughter of an important politician.

TW: 18+, MINORS DNI, She/Her pronouns, the fem!oc is named Miranda with long dark brown hair and eyes, kissing, sexual themes, dirty talking, oral (f receiving), fingering, masturbation (m and f) tits sucking/play, SMUT, sexual tension, sex, violence, guns, alcohol. Age gap (Aemond is in his early 30s, she in her early 20s) This is a modern Aemond in modern AU. Yes, Aemond's role is inspired by Rhys Larsen from "Twisted Games" book.

English is not my first language, be kind and enjoy it <3

Words: 8348

This is my Masterlist and you can read more about Aemond and all the Ewan's characters.

Read the one-shot under the cut!

Aemond Targaryen is a formidable presence, a man shaped by the trials of his past. Standing tall with a defined, muscular build, his long silver straight hair flows down his back, contrasting sharply with the dark patch covering his left eye—a constant reminder of the battle that took it. Once a member of the King's Land Army and a Navy Seal, Aemond’s bravery and strength are legendary. His remaining purple eye, intense and vigilant, surveys his surroundings with unwavering focus, always on guard.

Aemond now serves as the bodyguard to Miranda, the daughter of a prominent politician. She is a striking young woman in her early 20s, with curly dark brown hair that frames her face and dark, intelligent eyes that miss nothing. Studying law with aspirations of becoming an advocate, Miranda combines beauty with brains, knowing how to navigate the complexities of her world with both charm and cunning. She carries herself with a provocative confidence, aware of the power she holds and not afraid to use it to her advantage.

The grand hall is buzz with anticipation as the evening's political convention is underway. It is one of the most significant events of the year, a gathering of influential figures, powerful politicians, and their families. Miranda, dressed in an elegant black Versace gown, stand at the front of the room, listening intently as her father give an impassioned speech about the future of their nation. Her dark brown curls cascaded over her shoulders and her jewelry sparkles in the light.

Behind her, Aemond Targaryen stand like a shadow, his tall, imposing figure alert and unwavering. He is never far from her side, always vigilant, always ready. Despite his often grumpy demeanor, Aemond is a man of duty, and he take his role as her protector very seriously. But as he watch her, there is something more in his gaze—a quiet admiration that he kept locked away, hidden beneath the stern exterior of a bodyguard. His eye follow the line of her neck, the curve of her shoulders, the way she hold herself with grace and confidence. It is a dangerous line he walks, for he know he could never act on the feelings that simmer beneath his stern facade. 

Miranda, on the other hand, is aware of Aemond's presence but often found him overbearing. She don't appreciate the way he loom over her, always close, always watching. His gruff personality and harsh tone often grate on her nerves, and she make no secret of her irritation. But she can't deny that he is exceptionally good at his job.

As her father continue to speak, Miranda shift her weight slightly, feeling the tension in the room. It os then that Aemond's keen instincts kick in. Something is off. His eye dart around the room, scanning faces, movements—anything out of the ordinary. And then he see it: a group of men, too focus, too deliberate in their movements, pushing through the crowd, their eyes locks on her father.

"Miranda," Aemond's voice is a low growl as he step closer to her. "We need to move. Now."

She turn to look at him, irritation flashing in her eyes. "What are you talking about? I'm listening to my dad—"

"Now" he repeat, more forcefully this time, his hand already reaching for her arm. There is no time to explain. No time to argue.

Before she can protest further, chaos erupt. Shouts fills the air, follow by the unmistakable sound of gunfire. The men drown weapons, aiming directly at her father on the stage. Aemond react instantly, pulling Miranda close and shielding her with his body as he begin to move them through the panicking crowd.

"Stay down!" he barks, his voice cutting through the screams as he push her toward the exit. Miranda's heart race, her breath coming in short gasps as the realization of what is happening hit her. Her father's life is in danger, and so is hers.

Aemond's grip on her is firm but not painful as he guide her through the chaos, his eye constantly scanning for threats. They reach the car outside, and with a forceful shove, he push her into the back seat, slamming the door behind her. 

He jumps into the driver’s seat and start the engine in one smooth motion, the car roaring to life as he sped away from the convention center. Miranda glance back through the window, fear and worry etched on her face. She want to go back, to see if her father is safe, but Aemond's stern voice broke through her thoughts.

"He's got security. They’ll take care of him," Aemond says, his tone leaving no room for argument. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly as he maneuver through the streets, driving fast but controlled. His focus is entirely on getting her to safety.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Miranda blurts out, her fear quickly turning to anger as adrenaline surges through her. “If you knew something was wrong, why didn’t you—”

"Because I don't have time to explain every damn thing to you," Aemond says, his voice harsh. "My job is to keep you alive, not to chat about it."

Miranda glares him, but the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. She looks down at her trembling hands, the gravity of the situation crashing over her. 

After a few tense moments, she speaks again, softer this time. "Thank you... for saving me."

Aemond’s gaze softens slightly as he watches her in the rearview mirror. He gives a small nod, his voice hoarse but less harsh. “It’s my job.”

But as he returns his focus to the road, his thoughts betrayed him. It isn’t just duty that had drive him to act so fiercely. It is something deeper, something he can't allow himself to acknowledge.

Not now. Not ever.

Miranda leans back in the seat, closing her eyes and trying to steady her breathing. She don’t like him—didn’t like his attitude, his arrogance. But in that moment, she realize just how much she dependes on him, whether she want to or not. And that realization is almost as unsettling as the attack itself.

The car pull up to the large country house that Miranda and her family call home, the grand estate nestle away from the bustling city, surround by tall trees and high walls. As soon as they arrive, Aemond is out of the car, his sharp gaze scanning the perimeter before he opens the door for Miranda. She steps out, her heels clicking on the stone driveway as she walks briskly toward the entrance. Aemond is close behind, his presence like a shadow that refused to leave her side.

Inside, the country house is quiet, the usual staff absent at this late hour. Aemond quickly moves to activate the security systems, locking down the property. The tension in the air is palpable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. As soon as the last panel is secured, Miranda spans around to face him, her eyes blazing.

"Do you always have to be so damn controlling?" she snaps, her voice echoing through the spacious foyer. "I get that you have a job to do, but you treat me like I'm some kind of prisoner!"

Aemond’s jaw tightens, his frustration boiling over. "I'm doing what I have to do to keep you safe, Miranda. If you can't see that, then you're more naive than I thought."

"Naive?" she hisses, stepping closer, her finger jabbing at his chest. "You're the one who thinks he can just bark orders and expect everyone to fall in line! You don't get to control every aspect of my life!"

"I'm not trying to control your life, I'm trying to save it!" Aemond's voice is sharp, his patience wearing thin. "You think this is easy for me? Watching you waltz into dangerous situations, acting like nothing can touch you? You could’ve been killed tonight, Miranda! Do you even understand that?"

Miranda’s eyes flares with defiance, but beneath it, there is a flicker of fear. She hate feeling vulnerable, hate that Aemond had see that side of her. "You don’t get to talk to me like that. You work for my father, not for me. And I don’t need you treating me like a child who doesn’t know any better!"

Aemond steps closer, his tall frame towering over her, but he keep his voice on control, though the intensity in his eye is undeniable. "Maybe you do need someone to remind you what’s at stake. I’m not here to be your friend, Miranda. I’m here to keep you alive. If that means being harsh, then so be it."

Miranda clenches her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she glared up at him. "You’re impossible," she mutt, her voice lace with frustration. "You think you know everything, but you don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to live under this constant pressure, to always have someone watching your every move."

Aemond’s expression softens for a brief moment, a flash of something almost vulnerable passing through his eye. "You’re right," he says quietly, his voice losing some of its edge. "I don’t know what that’s like. But I do know what it’s like to care about someone and not be able to protect them. I’m not going to let that happen again."

Miranda opens her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat. She see the pain flicker in his eye, and for a moment, she is caught off guard. But the anger and frustration are still too raw, too overwhelming.

"Maybe if you weren’t so busy trying to control everything, you’d realize that I don’t need saving," she says back, her voice cold. "I can take care of myself."

Aemond’s face hardens again, the vulnerability gone as quickly as it appears. "Fine" he said, his tone clips. "But until your father tells me otherwise, I’m not going anywhere."

Miranda turns on her heel, her heart pounding with a mix of anger and confusion. She doesn’t know why this discussion bothers her so much, but she needs space. Without another word, she storms up the grand staircase, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

Aemond watches her go, his fists clenched at his sides. The discussion is having an impact on him, too, stirring up emotions he’s tried so hard to keep buried. But as much as he wants to follow her, to say something, anything, to make things right, he knows he can’t. Not now. Maybe never.

Miranda reach her room and slam the door behind her, leaning against it as she try to steady her breathing. Her mind is racing, the events of the evening replaying over and over. The attack, the fear, the way Aemond had protected her so fiercely. And then the argument, which had somehow seemed even more intense than the chaos of the convention.

She pushes off the door and walks into her bathroom, needing to do something—anything—to calm herself down. Turning on the shower, she strips off her dress and steps under the hot water, letting it wash away the tension that built up in her body. But even as the water cascade over her, she can’t stop thinking about Aemond.

Why did he have to be so infuriating? And why did she feels so…conflicted? She hate the way he treat her, hate his controlling nature. But there is something else there too—something she can’t quite put into words. The way he looks at her, the way he thrown himself into danger without hesitation, all to keep her safe.

Miranda closes her eyes, leaning her forehead against the cool tile. She can’t afford to think about Aemond like that. Not when everything is so complicated, not when her father’s world is so dangerous. And certainly not when Aemond is just doing his job, no matter how much she wishes it was more than that.

Aemond sits on the edge of the couch downstairs, restless. His mind races despite the quiet of the country house, the events of the evening still fresh. He can’t shake the nagging feeling that something could go wrong, that danger might still be lurking. He exhales sharply and stands, deciding to check on the situation outside through the security system.

His eye scans the camera feeds, revealing the guard dogs patrolling the perimeter and a police patrol car stationed outside the gates. Everything appears secure. But his concern for Miranda persists. The argument had left him unsettled, the tension between them simmering beneath the surface. He knows she’s safe in her room, but something compels him to stay closer, just in case.

Aemond ascends the stairs, moving quietly toward Miranda's room. The light from the bathroom spills into the hallway, and he hears the steady flow of water from the shower. For a moment, he hesitates, listening, confirming to himself that she's okay. The anxiety that had been gnawing at him begins to ease, and he decides to head to the room that’s been set aside for him.

Inside, Aemond strips off his work clothes, feeling the weight of the evening settle into his bones. He pulls on a black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, his movements automatic, the routine familiar. But his mind is still on Miranda, replaying the look in her eyes during their argument, the fire and frustration that had blazed between them. He places his gun on the nightstand within easy reach, a habit born of years of training, before lying down on the bed. The country house is quiet, secure, and he convinces himself that she’ll go to sleep soon, and he should try to do the same.

Aemond is on the verge of sleep when he hears something. A faint noise, coming from downstairs. His body tenses instantly, and he’s out of bed in a heartbeat, grabbing his gun. The country house is supposed to be secure, but his instincts are honed from years in the field, and he knows better than to dismiss even the smallest sound.

“Miranda?” he calls out, his voice low but urgent as he steps into the hallway. There’s no answer. He repeats her name, louder this time, but the silence that follows only heightens his concern. His grip on the gun tightens as he moves down the stairs, the noise growing clearer as he approaches the kitchen.

When he rounds the corner, Aemond spots her. Miranda is standing by the fridge, her back to him, completely unaware of his presence. His relief is fleeting as his adrenaline-fueled mind still races with the possibilities. 

“Miranda!” he barks, his voice sharp, laced with the tension he’s feeling.

She jumps, spinning around, and her eyes go wide when she sees the gun in his hands. “What the fuck, Aemond?” she yells, anger and shock mixing in her voice. “Are you seriously pointing a gun at me in my own house?”

Aemond lowers the gun immediately, the intensity in his eye still burning as he tries to rein in his panic. “I heard something. You didn’t answer when I called,” he snaps back, frustration and relief colliding. “I thought—”

“You thought what? That I can’t even get a glass of water without you storming in here like it’s a war zone?” she interrupts, her voice rising with each word. “This is my house, Aemond! I shouldn’t have to explain every little thing I do to you!”

“You don’t understand the risks!” Aemond retorts, his voice as sharp as hers. “I’m here to protect you, and that means I take everything seriously. If you’re moving around, I need to know!”

Miranda glares at him, her hands clenched at her sides. “You think you’re protecting me, but all you’re doing is suffocating me! I can’t even breathe without you looming over me, telling me what to do!”

“I’m trying to keep you alive!” Aemond fires back, stepping closer, the space between them charged with the intensity of their argument. “You think I like having to be this way? You think I don’t know how it looks? But I’d rather you hate me than see you get hurt because I wasn’t careful enough!”

Miranda’s eyes flash with a mixture of anger and something else, something that makes Aemond’s heart pound in his chest. “You don’t get to make that choice for me, Aemond. I’m not a child, and I’m not your possession. You might be my bodyguard, but you don’t own me.”

The words hang between them, heavy and charged. Aemond’s breath comes faster, his mind a whirl of conflicting emotions. He knows she’s right, knows he’s crossed a line, but the fear of losing her, of failing in his duty—of failing her—makes it impossible to back down.

And then, in the heat of the moment, something snaps. Aemond steps forward, closing the distance between them, and before he can think better of it, he grabs her by the arm and pulls her toward him, pressing his lips to hers in a fierce, desperate kiss.

Miranda stiffens, shocked, her hands pushing against his chest. But then, for just a heartbeat, she hesitates, caught off guard by the intensity of the kiss, by the raw emotion behind it. 

But reality crashes back in, and she shoves him away, her breath coming in sharp, angry bursts.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Aemond pulls back as if burned, the realization of what he’s done slamming into him like a freight train. He stares at her, his expression torn between regret and something deeper, something he’s fought to keep buried for so long. “I—” He starts to speak, but the words die in his throat. He knows there’s nothing he can say to justify what just happened.

Without another word, Aemond turns and walks away, the gun still in his hand as he heads back up the stairs, leaving Miranda standing alone in the kitchen, her lips tingling from the kiss, her mind reeling.

Back in his room, Aemond closes the door behind him and leans against it, his heart pounding in his chest. He’s crossed a line, a line he never should have even approached. But the taste of her still lingers, and he knows that no matter how hard he tries, he can’t forget it.

He places the gun back on the nightstand and collapses onto the bed, burying his face in his hands. He’s made a mistake—a mistake that could cost him everything. And as much as he wants to convince himself it was just a moment of weakness, deep down, he knows it was more than that.

Miranda stands in the middle of her room, her mind racing as she tries to process what just happened. The kitchen is quiet again, but her thoughts are anything but. She can still feel the pressure of Aemond’s lips against hers, the raw intensity of the kiss that had taken her completely by surprise. Her hand unconsciously drifts to her lips, tracing the spot where his mouth had been, still tingling from the contact.

She paces back and forth, trying to shake off the confusion and the strange mix of anger and longing swirling inside her. Aemond had no right to kiss her like that, she tells herself. But the truth is, she can’t deny the way her heart had raced, the way she had almost—almost—given in. She stops by the window, looking out at the darkened estate, her reflection faintly visible in the glass. Miranda bites her lip, trying to push the memory of his kiss out of her mind, but it lingers, stubborn and insistent.

Miranda slips under the covers, she still thinks about that kiss, those lips, those hands. She closes her eyes and takes off her shirt, remaining with her breasts bare, she slowly begins to touch herself with the thought of Aemond's lips on hers in her mind, pretending that it is he who is touching her.

She lowers her hands, teases her already hard nipples, leans against the pillows and arches her back, raises her hips and slips off her soaking thong. She slides two fingers inside her, she is hot, soaking wet, she begins to move her fingers, she moans, licking her lip. With the other hand she squeezes one of her breasts, she moans Aemond's name while she rides her own fingers, with her thumb she gives herself pleasure on her clit. It is not the first time she has done it, she is terribly ashamed of wanting it.

"Aemond" moans as she feels her pussy tighten around his wet fingers, she fingers herself and repeats his name over and over until she comes. God, how she wants to have him between her legs, how she wants to see his body on top of hers, see him subduing her and fucking her, opening her up on his hard cock. She is so excited that she finds herself fingering herself again, this time moaning louder, almost as if in defiance. She fingers fuck herself, her thumb ravages her clit and she comes a second time.

Exhausted, she falls asleep naked and frustrated, god she wants to fuck her bodyguard so much.

Aemond lies on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts a tangled mess. He’s furious with himself, ashamed of the way he lost control. The kiss was a mistake, he knows that, but it doesn’t stop him from reliving the moment over and over again. The softness of her lips, the brief but undeniable connection, the heat of the moment that had obliterated all rational thought.

Aemond finds himself in the same situation as Miranda.

He slides a hand into his boxers, then pulls them down, takes hold of his long erection and begins to slide the hand he spat on up and down. He wishes she were kneeling in front of him, he wishes he had her hands around his cock, he wishes he had her mouth. He closes his eyes, imagines her face, her lips, imagines her naked body: her full breasts, her narrow waist, her tight, hot, wet pussy. He wants to fuck her so bad, God.

"Miranda" Aemond moans her name, he feels close and comes into her hand, Miranda's name dying on his lips.

He runs a hand through his silver hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. He should have kept his distance, should have maintained his professionalism. But something about Miranda—the fire in her eyes, the way she challenged him—had gotten under his skin in a way he hadn’t expected. And now, all he can think about is how badly he wants to taste her again, how he’d give anything to feel her pressed against him, to lose himself in another kiss. But he knows it’s wrong, that he can’t let it happen again.

The following morning, Miranda and Aemond move around the country house as if on autopilot, careful to avoid each other. Breakfast is a tense, silent affair.

"My dad is safe, he texted me today in early morning. His bodyguard kept him safe, he is still at police central to talks about his aggression" are the only words she say before remain in silence again.

During the day they both focus on their own thoughts, neither willing to acknowledge what had happened the night before. Aemond busies himself with his duties, checking the security systems, communicating with the guards, all while keeping a deliberate distance from Miranda. She, in turn, throws herself into her work, studying for her law exams, trying to ignore the lingering tension between them.

But despite their best efforts, the memory of the kiss hangs between them like a shadow, coloring every interaction with an unspoken tension that neither of them can shake.

By the time night falls, the tension between them reaches again a boiling point. It starts with something small—Aemond insisting that Miranda stay in for the night, and Miranda pushing back, refusing to be told what to do in her own home.

“You’re not my warden, Aemond” she snaps, her voice laced with irritation as they stand in the hallway outside her room. “Stop trying to control everything I do.”

“I’m not trying to control you,” Aemond growls, his frustration spilling over. “I’m trying to keep you safe, but you’re too stubborn to see that!”

“Maybe if you weren’t so damn overbearing, I wouldn’t feel like a prisoner in my own home!” she retorts, stepping closer, her eyes blazing with anger.

Aemond clenches his fists, struggling to keep his temper in check. But her defiance, her refusal to listen—it’s driving him crazy. “You think I like this? You think I want to be here, arguing with you every night? You make everything harder than it has to be!”

"Your father is too loose with you!" she screams. "A girl like you should be treated a certain way and certainly not like a spoiled princess, damn it!"

Miranda scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Oh, so now it’s my fault? Now I am a fucking spoiled princess?! You’re unbelievable, Aemond. You are—”

But before she can finish, Aemond closes the distance between them in two quick strides, his hands grabbing her by the shoulders as he pulls her into a kiss that is anything but gentle. It’s rough, intense, a clash of tongues and teeth, all their pent-up frustration and desire spilling over in one explosive moment. Miranda resists for a heartbeat, her hands pushing against his chest, but then something inside her snaps, and she’s kissing him back just as fiercely, her fingers curling into his hair, pulling him closer.

The kiss is messy, desperate, filled with all the things they’ve been trying to deny. Aemond’s hands roam her back, pulling her flush against him as his mouth devours hers, the taste of her like a drug he can’t get enough of. Miranda gasps into the kiss, her body arching against his, her own desire igniting in a way she hadn’t expected. It’s a battle for dominance, neither willing to give an inch, both needing to prove something to the other, to themselves.

Miranda moans into the kiss, gripping his shirt and feeling his hard erection press against her hips. When they finally break apart, they are both breathing hard, their foreheads pressed together, their bodies still tangled. Miranda’s lips are puffed out, her chest heaving as she stares at him, her dark eyes filled with a mix of anger, confusion, and something dangerously close to desire.

Aemond’s grip on her tightens, his mind a whirl of conflicting emotions. He wants her—God, he wants her more than he’s ever wanted anything. But he knows he’s crossing a line, a line that could cost him everything. “Miranda, I—” he starts, but the words fail him, the reality of what they’ve just done crashing down on him.

Miranda’s expression hardens, and she pushes him away, taking a step back. “Don’t” she says, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and something else, something she’s not ready to confront. “Just… don’t.”

Without another word, she turns and storms into her room, slamming the door behind her. Aemond stands there for a long moment, staring at the closed door, his mind a jumble of regret, frustration, and an undeniable need that he can’t seem to shake. He knows this can’t continue, that he needs to find a way to regain control—of himself, of the situation.

With a heavy sigh, he finally retreats to his own room, the taste of her still lingering on his lips, his thoughts consumed by the memory of her kiss. He lies down on the bed, but sleep is elusive, his mind replaying the night’s events over and over. He knows things have changed between them, and he has no idea how to fix it—or if he even wants to.

Miranda lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind too restless to let her sleep. The memory of Aemond’s kiss is like a wildfire in her thoughts, impossible to extinguish no matter how hard she tries. The anger, the frustration, and the undeniable heat between them replay in her mind, over and over again. Her body still hums with the energy of their earlier encounter, and the unresolved tension makes it impossible to settle down.

She throws off the covers, her body too warm, too wired to stay still. Wearing only a tight tank top and a black thong, she gets out of bed, her bare feet silent on the cool wooden floor. Without thinking, she finds herself walking down the hallway, the country house quiet around her, the only sound the soft rustle of her clothes as she moves. Her heart pounds in her chest, her thoughts drawn to Aemond, to the way he had kissed her—rough, desperate, like he couldn’t help himself.

Before she can second-guess herself, she’s standing in front of his door. The house is still, her breath loud in her ears as she raises her hand to knock. The sound echoes in the quiet hallway, and she holds her breath, waiting. It takes a moment, but then she hears movement on the other side, and the door swings open.

Aemond stands there, his expression a mix of surprise and something darker, more intense, as he takes in the sight of her. His eye roams over her body, lingering on the way the tight top clings to her curves, the strip of fabric at her hips leaving little to the imagination. He’s shirtless, wearing only a pair of sweatpants that hang low on his hips, and the tension between them crackles in the air like electricity.

Miranda’s eyes meet his, her breath catching in her throat. She’s not sure what she’s doing, what she’s expecting, but the words tumble out before she can stop them, her voice low and almost challenging.

“Tell me how a girl like me should be treated.”

For a moment, Aemond just stares at her, his eye darkening with a mix of desire and restraint. His jaw clenches as he wrestles with his emotions, the question she’s asked pulling at something deep inside him. He’s silent, his breath coming in controlled, steady breaths, trying to maintain a grip on his resolve. But her presence, the challenge in her eyes, the way she’s looking at him—it’s unraveling him.

He steps back, his hand on the door, as if he’s about to close it, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he motions for her to come in, his voice low and rough.

“Miranda… you don’t know what you’re asking.”

She steps inside, the door closing softly behind her as she faces him, her eyes locked on his. “I know exactly what I’m asking,” she says, her voice firmer now, a mix of defiance and need. “Show me.”

Aemond’s control snaps. In one fluid motion, he steps forward, his hand sliding around the back of her neck as he pulls her close, his lips crashing into hers. The kiss is intense, fierce, even more so than before. It’s as if all the emotions they’ve been holding back—anger, desire, frustration—pour into this moment. His other hand finds her waist, fingers pressing into her skin, pulling her against him as if he can’t get her close enough.

Miranda responds with equal fervor, her hands fisting in his hair, pulling him down to her level as she meets his kiss with a hunger that surprises even her. His lips move against hers, demanding, tasting, devouring, and she gives in to the fire that’s been burning between them for far too long.

Aemond’s hand slides from her waist to her hip, fingers brushing against the bare skin just above the waistband of her thong. He pulls back just enough to look into her eyes, his breathing ragged, his voice a rough whisper. “A girl like you deserves more than this… but damn it, I can’t stop.”

“Then don’t” Miranda breathes out, her lips brushing against his as she speaks. She knows she’s pushing him, pushing them both to the edge of something they might not come back from, but she doesn’t care. All she knows is that she needs this, needs him.

He groans low in his throat, a sound of surrender, before he captures her lips again in another bruising kiss. His hands roam over her body, feeling the softness of her curves, the warmth of her skin. He’s rough, his touches possessive, but she responds to it, her own need mirroring his.

The kiss deepens, becomes messier, more desperate, tongues tangling, breaths mingling. Aemond lifts her, her legs wrapping around his waist as he presses her back against the door. The cold wood contrasts with the heat of their bodies, a reminder of how out of control this is, but neither of them care.

Their movements become frantic, hands exploring, pulling, teasing. Aemond’s lips move to her neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses down to her collarbone as Miranda gasps, her nails digging into his shoulders. The tension between them is like a live wire, snapping and sparking with every touch, every kiss, until it feels like they might both combust.

But then, as quickly as it started, Aemond pulls back, his breathing heavy, his eye dark with desire but also conflicted. “Miranda…” he murmurs, his forehead resting against hers as he struggles to regain control. “This isn’t… we shouldn’t…”

She looks up at him, her eyes wide, her lips swollen from the kiss, her body still thrumming with need. “I don’t care” she whispers, her hands still clutching at him, afraid that if she lets go, he’ll slip away. “I want this… I want you.”

The tension that had been simmering between them for so long finally erupts, consuming them both in a whirlwind of passion and need. There’s no hesitation now, no holding back—just the raw, unfiltered desire that has been building up for far too long.

Aemond takes her in his arms, holds her to the door, grazing her lips with two fingers. Miranda opens her lips and shamelessly sucks his fingers. He looks at her, slowly lowers his hand, moves her panties to the side and enters her with his fingers. She is so hot, tight, soaking wet. "You are so wet, princess" he whispers, kissing her while with his fingers he makes one of those little fingerings that make her melt on his own fingers. "You're so needy."

Miranda moans, clings to him with her strength and clings to his body. "I don't want to come, I don't want to yet" she whispers soaked in pleasure. "This is just the beginning, princess" he whispers.

Aemond grabs her in his arms and carries her to the bed. He makes her lie down on top, Miranda takes off her top and Aemond takes off her thong. Naked, trembling and aroused in front of him. She is reduced to a mess. She grabs him by the waistband of her pants, Aemond is on top of her.

"I heard you last night" he whispers kissing her under the ear. "You were touching yourself thinking about me, huh?" Aemond opens her legs, swelling between them. "Yes" she moans feeling his fingers teasing her clit again. "I was touching myself and thinking about you" she whispers feeling Aemond's thumb encircling her pearl.

"I imagined you were between my legs" her hand slides over Aemond's. "I wanted you to be there licking me, touching me" she slowly runs her fingers over her wet opening and enters herself. "Aemond" she whispers arching her back. "So, I kept going like this until I came on my fingers" she moans, Aemond feels hard and sore, in one move he takes off his tracksuit pants and boxers.

His erection is long, veiny, calm, its pink tip is beaded with pre-cum. "Let me show you how to treat a girl like you."

Aemond takes hold of himself, his cock slides over her opening, Miranda moans, he teases her clit and then turns her on more and more. His cock slides over and over between her wet folds. "Aemond..." she moans, shaking, until he brutally thrusts inside her. It's heavenly. Forbidden. Her pussy is tight, hot and wet, made for him.

"You're so tight" Aemond whispers, grabbing her in his arms. "You're so... wet, so... fuck" he begins to thrust into her, his thrusts are strong, hard, they take her breath away. Miranda moans, pushing her hips towards him. She's dreamed of this for so long, she just wants it to never end.

"My good girl" Aemond whispers fucking her. "What would your father say if he saw you like this" a devilish smile forms on his face. "His little princess getting opened by his bodyguard's cock" he gives her a hard push, she moans holding on to his shoulders. She buries her face in his neck, inhales his scent. Her bodyguard's cock inside her is so hard, long, she can feel it almost all the way to her stomach.

"I touched myself to thinking of you" he whispers twisting her nipples. "Aemond, fuck, Aemond, Aemond, Aemond" she whispers, her scent invades his senses. He feels her tighten, her legs tremble. Aemond brings his fingers to her pussy, surrounds her clit with his fingers and moves them in circular movements. "Cum for me all over my cock" he whispers.

"Cum for your bodyguard, princess" he touches her, she is excited, his cock pushes into her and she is held tight to him, panting. Aemond continues to fuck her while she comes, he feels her orgasm approaching and while she comes he pulls out coming between her thighs. Their skin is sweaty, Aemond kisses her breasts, collapses in her arms.

Later, as they lie together in the aftermath, the room is quiet, the only sound the soft, steady rhythm of their breathing. Miranda rests her head on Aemond’s chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns across his skin. The warmth of his body against hers is comforting, and for a moment, everything feels perfect—like nothing else in the world matters except for this moment.

As her fingers glide over his chest, she feels the raised, uneven texture of a scar. Her touch stills, and she lifts her head slightly to look at him, her gaze questioning but gentle. “What happened here?” she asks softly, her fingers tracing the line of the scar.

Aemond’s body tenses beneath her, his eye darkening with the weight of the memories that come flooding back. For a moment, he’s silent, the only sound his breathing as he grapples with whether or not to open up to her. But something about the way she’s looking at him—concerned, caring, vulnerable—makes him want to share the truth.

“When I was in the King’s Land Navy Seals,” he begins, his voice low, almost a whisper, “We were on a mission… deep in enemy territory. It was supposed to be a routine operation, but everything went wrong. We were ambushed. The enemy… they knew we were coming. My best friend—he was right there beside me. We’d been through everything together, always had each other’s backs. But that day…” His voice falters, and he takes a deep breath, the pain of the memory evident in his tone. “I failed him, Miranda. I couldn’t protect him. I tried, but… he didn’t make it.”

Miranda feels her heart ache at the pain in his voice, at the weight he’s been carrying alone for so long. She shifts slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his chest, right over the scar, as if her touch could somehow soothe the hurt he’s been holding onto. “Aemond…” she murmurs, her voice soft and full of understanding. “I’m so sorry.”

He closes his eye, trying to push down the guilt that has haunted him for years. “That’s why I’m so… overprotective with you” he admits. “I can’t let anything happen to you. I can’t fail again.”

Miranda lifts her head to look at him, her eyes searching his. She can see the torment in his expression, the way he’s been carrying this burden alone, and it breaks her heart. “You won’t” she assures him, her voice firm but tender. “You haven’t failed me, Aemond. You’ve done everything you can to keep me safe. But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re in this together.”

Aemond opens his eye to meet hers, the vulnerability in her gaze cutting through the walls he’s built around himself. For a moment, they just look at each other, the silence between them filled with unspoken understanding. Then, Miranda leans up and presses her lips to his, a soft, lingering kiss that’s more about comfort than passion. It’s her way of telling him that she’s here, that she sees him, scars and all, and that she’s not going anywhere.

When she pulls back, there’s a moment of quiet between them, the weight of their shared confessions settling into the space. Then Miranda speaks again, her voice a soft whisper. “No one must know about this—especially not my father.”

Aemond hesitates, his sense of duty warring with the desire to protect her secret, to keep this moment between them. He knows the risks, knows that if anyone found out, it could mean the end of everything—for both of them. But when he looks into her eyes, sees the trust she’s placing in him, he can’t bring himself to say no.

“Alright” he finally agrees, his voice steady but laced with a hint of reluctance. “I won’t tell anyone. This stays between us.”

Miranda nods, relief flooding her expression. She leans in to kiss him again, this time slower, more deliberate, as if sealing their pact with the touch of her lips. When they part, she settles back against his chest, her body molding to his as they find comfort in each other’s presence.

For a long time, they lie there in silence, wrapped up in the warmth of their shared connection. There’s still so much left unsaid, so many things they’ll need to face, but for now, in the quiet of the night, they find solace in each other’s arms, knowing that, no matter what happens next, they’ll face it together.

Miranda lies against Aemond’s chest, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw as she looks up at him. The intimacy of the moment has dissolved some of the barriers between them, and her gaze softens as she meets his eye.

“Take off your eyepatch” she whispers, her voice gentle but insistent.

Aemond tenses for a moment, the request catching him off guard. His instinct is to refuse, to keep that part of himself hidden. But when he looks into her eyes, sees the genuine curiosity and care there, something in him shifts. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he reaches up and pulls the patch away, revealing the scarred, empty socket beneath. Inside there is a blue sapphire.

Miranda doesn’t flinch or look away. Instead, she reaches up to touch the scar, her fingers light and tender against his skin. “You don’t have to hide from me” she says softly, her voice filled with understanding. "The scar on your handsome face is... kinda hot, sexy to me."

Aemond swallows hard, the vulnerability of the moment washing over him. For so long, he’s kept this part of himself hidden, afraid of what it represents, afraid of how others would react. But with Miranda, there’s no fear, no judgment—only acceptance.

The tenderness in her gaze pulls him in, and before he knows it, their lips meet again. This time, the kiss is slow, deep, filled with a sense of connection that goes beyond physical desire. It’s as if, in that moment, they’re baring their souls to each other, revealing the parts of themselves they’ve kept hidden from the world.

As their kisses grow more heated, the desire between them reignites, but now it’s mixed with something deeper—a need to be close, to hold on to each other in this shared vulnerability. They move together with a newfound sense of trust and passion, their bodies entwining as they lose themselves in each other once more.

"I need you inside me again, please" Miranda whispers, Aemond begins to kiss her with soft, tender, wet kisses. Slowly he traces the profile of her body, reaches her pussy and opens her legs, positioning himself between them.

"I want you, princess. You're so breathtaking"

His naked body is pure art: a toned and lean body, veiny arms as well as her hands and her v-line closes to his long, thick and erect dick for her. Her long silver hair is loose and he, as well as she, smells of sex.

Aemond touches her, she is still so sensitive, but slowly he pushes his fingers inside her, so tight and wet. Miranda moans and soon he buries his head between her thighs and devours her as if it were his last meal of her moans, her hands in Aemond's long silver hair. "Aemond...Aemond, Oh my fucking god!" she moans, arching her back, Aemond licks her clit, fills her with two fingers and then when he is about to come he gets up, lifts himself on the bed, kneeling in front of her, takes his manhood stroking himself a couple of times, bends over her, who feels his erection pressing between her thighs.

Aemond rubs himself against her, shortly after he opens her again on his cock and she, invaded again, moans, bringing a leg to his side. "I need..." she whispers. "Of you, of all this... God Aemond, don't stop" Aemond holds her in his arms, buries himself inside her again. "It's dangerous" he whispers on her lips. "But fuck, how much I want you" he caresses her lower lip, bites it, kisses it.

He brings his hands to her waist, continues to push into her until he feels her break in his hands. Aemond kisses her breast, takes a sensitive nipple between his lips, licks it and Miranda, feels close to orgasm again. "Cum for me princess" Aemond orders her. "Cum inside me, I want to feel you" she replies.

Aemond looks at her, Miranda is lost in the most dissolute pleasure. He continues to fuck her until he feels her come around his shaft and he lets himself go inside her, filling her. "Princess, my little princess treated like she deserve" he moans, he lets himself fall on her body again, Miranda hugs him breathing in his scent.

"God, what a man you are Aemond Targaryen."

Miranda clings to Aemond, hugs him and places small, sweet kisses on the scar on his face. "When…" she whispers, moving her hand to his silver hair. "When did you start looking at me differently?" she asks.

Aemond sighs, looks at their reflection in the mirror in front of the bed. They are a tangle, skin against skin, the sheets at their feet. Their naked bodies touching, God, she is so beautiful.

"A year ago" Aemond admits. Miranda bites her lower lip. "When I carried you away from that event, where the crowd had started to become oppressive and they broke through the security barriers when they saw you. I took you in my arms, you were so scared. I carried you away and in the car, when you were crying and you held me… something in me snapped" her voice is calm, gentle and different from his usual arrogance.

"It started a year ago for me too" she whispers. "Soon after that, I… I don't know, but the way you made me feel protected… it made me want more" she rises a little, brushes their lips and settles on his chest, on top of him, their legs entwined.

Miranda rests her face on Aemond's chest, listens to the beat of his heart. "I tried to provoke you, Aemond Targaryen" she admits with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Splashing in the pool, teasing you, wearing shorts and circling you, little jokes… but nothing has managed to dent you until… today" she smiles, gives him a kiss on the chest.

"I don't want to give you up" Aemond admits. "But I know my place" her sense of duty is infinite. "We'll keep it a secret and… when the time comes I'll tell my father. I'm his only daughter and since my mother passed away he just wants to see me happy. How could he not accept our relationship? You're the person who protects me and loves me the most in the world after him, Aemond."

Miranda's words are sincere, she knows her father well and knows how to trick him in her favor. "Please, trust me" Miranda takes his face in her hands and kisses him with a burning intensity.

"Aemond" she whisper. "I'm horny again" she kisses his skin, he shivers at the touch of her lips

"And now let's make love" she sits on him, her naked body is simply wonderful. Aemond moves her on his hips, Miranda closes her eyes and lets himself be penetrated by his cock, hard again. She moans, Aemond sits on the bed with her in his arms, riding him. "You're mine" Miranda whispers. "You're mine Aemond Targaryen" he holds her, Miranda kisses his neck.

The world outside fades away as they make love again, this time with an intimacy that’s as much about their hearts as it is about their bodies. Every touch, every kiss, is charged with emotion, a silent promise that they’re in this together, scars and all. 

When they finally come back to themselves, they’re both breathless, spent, but there’s a new sense of peace between them.

Miranda rests her head on Aemond’s chest again, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her. He holds her close, his hand gently stroking her hair, and for the first time in a long while, they both feel a sense of completeness, as if they’ve finally found what they’ve been searching for in each other.

She was his and he was hers, her bodyguard.

[llolianarchives]

The Prefect and The Draconia

A short overview of the Ramshackle prefect and their strange (but kind) horned fellow friend: as seen through the eyes of outsiders.

(A/N: #Malleyuu notes with an OC but feel free to project. We're all delulu here ╮⁠(⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)⁠╭ )

His Henchman is crazy.

Or at least, that's what Grim thinks when he's woken up at sunrise to Yue's bizarre ramblings. Something about the time being 1 AM, then fireflies at night, and a tall, horned figure – is what he takes from their babble amidst his own groans and pleas to return to sleep. He'd think them delirious from slumber, mumbling about another dream, if it weren't for the way Yue's eyes sparkled with genuine interest. Grim yields, in the end, for one of the many things he's learned about his reliable servant is that they can be awfully enthusiastic when it comes to this world's curiosities.

“He told me to call him whatever I want,” Yue continues, ruffling Grim's fur dry with a clean rag. Before he could insert magnificent ideas of his own, they beat him to it with a soft smile on their lips.

“I'm thinking of naming him Nyx: the personification of the night. What do you think?”

“What? Because he only shows up at night?” Like some wacky cryptid.

“Yup.”

He hears his henchman forgo the brush, letting it clatter loudly against the table.

“Hm... Nyx, huh...” Grim falls into thought, testing the name on his tongue like premium quality tuna. He doesn't even notice how Yue ties the striped ribbon around his neck. Triumphant, he turns to them with a grin.

“That's not half-bad, Henchman! It's cool and mysterious. Not as cool and mysterious as me, of course, but I'd say it's a close second!”

“Naturally. I wouldn't dare bestow a name mightier than the Great Grim's.”

Despite the stream of praise his henchman delivers (which he pleasantly basks in), Yue eventually derails, returning to speak of the horned man yet again. What Grim's superior brain gathers is this: One, this Nyx guy is super weird. Two, Yue's interest has been piqued like no other before.

He'll demand some omurice as payment for his counsel later on.

. . .

Malleus has made a friend.

The news was dropped onto Lilia's lap rather unceremoniously when one night, the Young Lord—having just returned from another evening excursion, went to sit with him in the Diasomnia lounge. This time, however, the quaintest of smiles adorned his face... It was an unusual sight but certainly not unwelcome. And much like any doting parent, his curiosity led him to ask.

Malleus had replied with a question of his own.

"Lilia, do you know of the Prefect that resides in Ramshackle Dorm?"

"Yue? Why yes, of course. I've spoken to them once or twice. They made quite a show during the Ceremony."

Yue— Lilia soon comes to learn— is completely unaware of Malleus's identity as a prince and a figure of authority, of power. As such, they bear no fear for him, even going so far as to bestow him a pet name, of all things.

(“Nyx? As in the night spirit? How fitting.")

Thus began the pattern of Lilia covering for Malleus's nighttime absence, not daring to ask nor scold when the prince would return in strange and stranger states.

When he would return to the dormitory partially caked with dirt and mud (a consequence of helping the prefect with their little garden of life.) Or when he would return with a box of homemade cake, a pretty stone from their walks, a drawing of him supposedly made by the prefect's beast, and with inquiries of the complexities of human nature.

Sometimes, Lilia can't help but feel a bit guilty, constantly boring witness to Silver and Sebek's searches into the night.

Yet that sliver of guilt fades, in the end, when Malleus smiles more often than before, when he approaches Lilia in the winter with the request of delivering a Holiday Card.

As he watches the magicless human rush into their abode, card in hand, ghosts and Grim awaiting their entrance...

he has never felt prouder and more grateful for fate.

. . .

From a distance, Vil watches.

He watches as the feared Briar Prince lets a small, feeble human talk his ear off, calm and unresisting, a hand on his chin as he ponders along Yue's barrage of words. He gives the prefect full reign of the conversation. He lets himself be taken away by their stories and details. He lets them speak, which they do.

Just after the horrors, highs, lows, and thrills of the VDC, the two chat as if nothing even happened. The onslaught of it all feels like a fever dream to Vil. First, the mental toll of overblotting, then their loss to RSA's nursery rhyme performance, and now the shocking reveal of Yue (innocent, bold, mundane little Yue) and Malleus Draconia's relationship.

He isn't even sure what to make of it. They're clearly friends, yet Vil can't bring himself to chalk it up to just that. His years and years of showbiz cinema has taught him the ins and outs of body language. He watches. He sees:

There's the smiles on both their faces; cheeks raised taut, dimples carved with genuine laughter. There's that glimmer in Yue's eyes and the odd tenderness of Malleus's own, both gazes locked onto one another with an undisturbed focus. There's the fact that Yue had given him an invitation to the VDC, or that Malleus had fixed the stage partially to show off to the magicless human, or that their hands are currently mere centimeters away from each other.

In the end, Vil averts his gaze, weariness crashing into him all at once and he feels a pair of hands grasp onto his shoulders, keeping him standing. Rook smiles, gentle, knowing, annoying. Vil resigns to his whims and lets his Huntsman guide him back to the Pomefiore Dorm, the chatter of Yue and Malleus and everyone else fading away.

[aurorawritestoescape]

SURVEILLANCE

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader (in established relationships with m!oc/not named)

Summary: Javier's been surveilling your boyfriend and has to listen to everything you two are saying. And doing. So one day he does something really unprofessional.

Tw: 🔞mdni smut voyeurism, m!masturbation, Javi is a little obsessed with you, dirty talk, lots of horny daydreaming, piv, threesome, dp, breeding kink, swearing, lmk if I missed something

Word count: 1,8k

A/n: gif by @azertyrobaz Thank you @milla-frenchy for helping me find the perfect gif and your undying support🫂😘

Javier is sitting at his desk in the office, fiddling with the headset cord and staring at the photo of you peeking out of a folder. He sees just the top of your head and your eyes. Your gorgeous eyes looking up and to the side at someone next to you. They’re full of love, affection and something animalistic, instinct induced. He wishes you were looking at him like that.

The DEA has been surveilling you for almost a month. Well not you but your dickhead of a boyfriend. He was one of Escobar’s people, just a middle man, but they believed that they could gather some useful information by closely monitoring him and his associates. The DEA began direct surveillance - tailing him and you, taking pictures and documenting everything. They also bugged your boyfriend’s place and could hear everything that was said and done there.

Usually surveillance was a tiring and boring process, like searching for a gold nugget in a huge pile of dirt. But not this time. Not with you involved.

When they began the operation Javier tried to stay impartial to you as well as everything and everyone connected to the target. For some fucking reason he couldn’t do that. When he heard your voice, the way you talked and carried yourself something woke up inside him. Something that was dormant and pushed out of his life, again and again. He heard your voice and remembered himself younger, longing to touch and be touched, yearning for connection, as well as passion and lust. His desires were satiated by meaningless hookups, fleeting affairs suffocated by the amount of stressful work. Javier liked it this way, as he didn’t see himself settling down for a quiet family life.

And then he heard your voice. Soft and quiet, yet powerful in its seductive beauty.

They all took shifts to listen in on your boyfriend and you every morning, day and night. Javier couldn’t miss anything as every minor detail could lead to a breakthrough. The first time you two had sex he had to listen.

To Javi’s surprise you loved talking during sex. The dirtiest phrases were flying into his ears and straight to his cock. “Si, papi! Like that, grab my tits. Oh yes, fuck me harder.” He had to adjust himself several times and couldn’t wait to leave work to visit one of his prostitutes.

The second time he realized where it was going by the kissing noises so he took off the headset and waited for you to finish. He felt dirty and creepy listening and getting turned on.

Instead he took more direct surveillance shifts following you two and that’s where another trap was waiting for him. On top of your filthy little mouth and banging body you turned out to be nice. Lovely even. You would help your elderly neighbours, look after your little sister whenever your parents asked and glow with genuine happiness playing with her in the park. He saw you talking to the other kids there, giving your warmth generously to them and his lips would involuntarily curl up in a smile. For a second or longer Javier imagined you pregnant with his child, carrying his love inside you. Your belly round under that summer dress, breasts spilling out of the neckline, ripe and ready to feed his child. He saw the moment he’d put his seed into you - your legs on his shoulders, him folding you in half by his weight, thrusting his cock deep and hard. He’d pump you full of his hot cum and leave his cock inside you for a night so it would stick. He’d have a family with you. He’d have you.

Javier wasn’t delusional, he knew you weren’t his. And you seemed to really love your boyfriend. Yet the son of a bitch surely didn’t deserve the way you looked at him.

When Javi was the one to tail you two he easily could spot the desire on your pretty face, your cheeks flushed, eyes blown out, chest heaving. You seemed insatiable, always hungry for a touch, a kiss. You’d hold your boyfriend’s hand walking down the street, rest your head on his shoulder standing in a queue, grind against his body dancing in a bar. You were gorgeous.

The nights out were the worst. You always wore a skimpy dress showing off your soft curves, or a pair of tight jeans hugging your butt perfectly. The way you danced drove Javier insane - your hips swaying with the beat, hands snaking up and down your body, touching yourself in all the places Javi wanted to kiss and lick you. He imagined being there with you, pressing his broad chest to your back, holding your waist close to him and kissing your neck, you two moving rhythmically with the music. He’d take your chin in his hand to make you look at him and kiss you, squeezing your breast and pushing his hard-on in between your asscheeks. He’d take you home and rip the clothes off you like a wolf impatient to devour a bunny. He’d suck, bite and then kiss better every inch of your sweaty body until you begged him to fuck you. He’d smirk and place his hands on your inner thighs pushing them open and lowering his face to your pussy, “Papi’ll make you come a few times first, how about that?”

Javi rubs his face as the slapping sounds in his ears get louder. He leans back in his chair and lifts the hips to ease the pressure on his aching cock. He already feels the dampness on his skin. He must have been leaking precum for some time now. You’ve been making out probably on your bed, your soft whimpers slowly hardening his cock. Javier drops his head back with a deep sigh and closes his eyes. You’re full on moaning in his headphones now and he adjusts them to hear you better. His mind tells him that he needs to stop, get out of here, have a smoke. But then the image of you appears behind his eyelids, so clear and vivid that his breathing hitches for a moment. His imagination feeds on the way you sing right into his ears and Javier sees you caged in by his own body, squirming and pleading, “Fuck me, Javi. Te necesito.”

The sounds you’re making being used by another man’s cock shoot straight to his member. He’s throbbing for you, he can already feel the pulsations against his skin.

Javier can’t take it anymore. The desire seems so powerful it burns like fire behind his eyelids. He opens his eyes and looks down at his huge bulge. His hand slides down to his crotch and he palms himself through the jeans.

“Your cock’s so big, papi! My little pussy can barely take it.”

Filthy girl! A moan escapes his lips joining the one you’re making in his headphones.

He quickly bites his lip to shut himself up. Fortunately everyone’s left for the day, but he’s still at work. Javier undoes the zipper and his cock springs out of its confines and bobs dripping on Javi’s shirt. He curses seeing a few wet spots staining the fabric. He hastily takes a hold of his weeping member keeping it head up and spreads the liquid left over the tip with his thumb.

“Rub my clit, papi, yes, like this, wanna come on your big dick,” you whine with need in your voice and Javier groans as another drop of precum beads and then slides down on his hand. His arousal mixes with anger. Why is it affecting him that much? He’s not a fucking teenager getting a boner every time he sees a pretty girl. Why did his dick take over his mind and senses? “Pendejo!” Javier lets go of his cock and gives it a slap on its side with an open palm. His stiff cock is swaying from side to side and Javi snarls watching it grow even bigger. The pain adds to the pleasure and the need becomes unbearable. He gives in.

Javier spits into his hand and starts off slow, jerking his length with short strokes feeling its hot soft skin under his calloused hand.

“Can I suck on your thumb, papi, while you’re fucking me? I miss your cock in my mouth.”

You cry out the fucker’s name after a hard thrust and then your sounds are muffled apparently by the finger in your mouth. First Javi drives away the thoughts of the other man. He shuts his eyes seeing you again in his mind but with his cock buried deep inside your glistening pussy, his balls hitting your ass as your breasts are bouncing after every slam of his hips. Javi’s mind is on fire and his hand starts moving faster. Up and down, up and down. He twists his wrist from time to time and he hears that you’re close too. He wants to jump into the abyss together with you, and listens carefully, concentrates on your breathing, trying not to miss that sweet sound, a tell of your climax hitting you. He’s heard it many times by now and imagined it even more, alone in his bed, in the shower, even with another woman. That sound pushes him over every time, makes his cock erupt on his hand or in another pussy. He's pumping his cock vigourously, roughly without pity. He hears the other man’s groans as the fucker must be close as well. At the back of his mind Javi registers how hot this forbidden threesome is. He can’t help but see the three of you in a bed together. Your body splayed over your boyfriend’s, front up and Javi’s between your gorgeous legs. Two cocks sliding into your little pussy at the same time making you whine and grip the sheets. He’d bend over to take your nipple into his mouth and after finding a steady rhythm, they’d fuck you together until you are spasming around the two cocks.

“Si, si, like that, papi,” you squeal and Javi feels his balls tighten. You make THAT sound and when you hold your breath he knows you’re coming, your muscles tight, eyes shut, hands gripping your knees to keep your legs open so he could see your pussy contracting around his cock, clit twitching, your juices soaking his dick. All he hears now is squelching noises of your pussy being stuffed full of another man’s cum and Javi snarls and comes hard, shooting his hot seed all over his jeans, hand and the cord. Globs of cum spill from his cock and slide down his length. He doesn’t care about the mess and milks it to the last drop. Javi’s panting hard, you two echoing him in the headphones. He lets go of his softening cock and stares at your folder on his desk. His mind is finally clear. He must have you.

—————

Pendejo-dumbass

Papi- daddy

Te necesito- I need you

Thank you for reading!

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!💖

Tag list: @ghoulettesinspace @iamasaddie @starkovli @missannwinchester @lucyisdoingfine @marysucks-blog

[helvegen-s]

Rage, rage | six

index

Pairing: Azriel x Hybern!Princess!OC

Summary: Nimue was a gift for the King of Hybern. His shining jewel, the perfect heir. However, she is clear about who the villain of the story is. When she saves her father's enemies from a tragic end, she realizes that now it's the Cauldron who has a gift for her: a mate.

Warnings: fighting, mentions of ptsd, just some fluff, enemies becoming friends and becoming lovers

Days and weeks passed, and Nimue found different ways to entertain herself and pass the time.

She had learned to appreciate Nesta's company, Feyre's older sister, with whom she spent long hours in silence, reading, sitting side by side in the library. She was a rough and direct person, but there was something that made them understand and fit together, like two sides of the same coin. Perhaps it was the fact that both had been inside the Cauldron that made Nimue understand her attitude, even though the others didn't.

She also spent long hours sitting with Rhysand. Sometimes Feyre, Morrigan, Amren, Cassian were present. Never Azriel.

They asked questions, and she answered the best she could: where the bulk of Hybern's forces were located, how many troops it had, who supported the King among Prythian's courts, what he was going to do with the Cauldron...

For many, she didn't have the answer, and she couldn't ignore that feeling of uselessness when she shrugged at their questions. She should have known all that. Her father didn't trust her in the slightest, not even to entrust her with the most absurd of information.

She had also started spending time with Amren, with whom she could spend hours and hours talking about the world, about magic, about how everything was related. They shared their own perspectives on the world, as Nimue found in the small female an equal: two ancient and powerful minds trapped in bodies that were too small for them.

However, the knowledge that Amren transmitted to her about Prythian's history was incredibly vast. Yes, Nimue had knowledge of the things the Cauldron had transmitted to her, but she still had so much to learn that she couldn't help but tremble with excitement.

On the other hand, Nimue also felt drawn to the fragile Elain. Like with Nesta, she felt a connection with the female, due to her relationship with the Cauldron. The Cauldron itself had said it, it had given her two sisters, and Nimue felt her chest swell just thinking about it.

According to Nesta, the Elain she saw now was a mere shadow of what she had always been in reality: a sweet and bright girl, warm like the spring sun, but extinguished by the traumatic experience of the Cauldron.

However, on rare occasions, when she and Nesta sat in silence reading in the company of the quiet and lost Elain, Nimue would look up from the book to find the middle sister smiling at her, a smile that the princess gladly returned.

On the other hand, she had begun to forge a sweet and slow friendship with Feyre: they sat together to have tea (Cassian had taught her, what a wonderful beverage), and the brunette told her story, from the harsh poverty and through Tamlin and the Spring Court, to Rhysand and the Inner Circle.

Nimue couldn't help but marvel at seeing Azriel through Feyre's eyes, as she told her what she had experienced with them.

She was gaining everyone's trust little by little, building it day by day with small demonstrations. However, Azriel kept slipping away.

Sometimes she felt a flash of something on the other end of the bond: joy, anger, disappointment, surprise. She supposed it was moments when Azriel let his guard down and his emotions escaped through the invisible thread that connected them.

When she crossed paths with him in the hallways, he simply looked away and walked past. When everyone in the house gathered for dinner and they coincided next to each other, Azriel didn't open his mouth all night or engaged in conversation with whoever was on his other side.

Nimue wanted to get closer to him. She wanted to know him, to see him with the eyes with which Feyre saw him: a loyal and good male to the core, willing to sacrifice everything for his people and with incredible insight. A trained warrior with a dark past that Feyre didn't tell her much about.

So she began to get up before the Sun shone in the sky. She dressed appropriately and cheerfully made her way to the training field that Cassian had shown her. There, every morning without fail, she found the two Illyrian males training: with swords, with spears, with daggers, with fists...

Every time Cassian saw her cross the training yard's gate, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. On the other hand, Azriel rolled his eyes and was already in a bad mood for everything he had left to do that morning.

But he couldn't help but think how funny the situation was, seeing Nimue arrive there morning after morning, sit and watch them train with a sweet smile on her face, sometimes with her gaze lost following some birds flying around her.

Azriel wanted to be angry. He wanted not to trust her, he wanted to see her as an enemy, he wanted to convince himself that she wasn't clean.

But it was so, so difficult for him.

It was so difficult for him to convince himself that she was a spy for her father. Especially when he caught her alone in the hallways of the house, asking out loud for any kind of sweet or cake and eating it as if it were the first in her life. Especially when he saw her reading silently in the library, next to Nesta and with a smile on her face for whatever she was reading.

Especially, when at dinners he caught her staring at him, with furrowed brows. Azriel pretended not to notice. But he always saw her on the other side of the table, oblivious to all the conversations around her, gripping the knife and fork and staring at him, with that expression of incomprehension that reminded him so much of a sulky child.

He wanted to maintain that facade and not give in. But it was so difficult for him to ignore that feeling, that pressure in his chest every time he saw her, every time he perceived her scent of sea salt and belladonna poison in the house's rooms.

Especially at night when he got into bed, he found it hard to ignore the emotions that slipped through the bond: half asleep and with his guard down, Nimue let out such waves of loneliness and melancholy from her end of the bond that sometimes Azriel felt like he was going to cry himself.

So, one morning, amidst the thick morning fog and the singing of the newly awakened birds, he headed towards Nimue on the training field, under Cassian's surprised gaze.

"Why don't you show us how you fight in Hybern?" he said. Nimue stood up like a spring, her face tinged with excitement. Azriel had to take several deep breaths to assimilate the amount of joy that went straight to his chest. He cleared his throat, "Just to know what to expect in case of a battle."

"Of course."

Nimue walked up to Cassian, who volunteered to fight against the princess first.

"No magic, just hand-to-hand combat. I must also add that I don't usually fight against women, but it doesn't mean I'm going to–"

Cassian hadn't finished speaking when Nimue gave him a series of blows so fast that not even Azriel could register: first stomach, then knees, neck, and finally a finishing blow that left the Illyrian lying face down on the ground and groaning.

Azriel let out a laugh almost without thinking, and when he felt Nimue's gaze on him, he did everything to hide it.

"For the Mother," Cassian coughed, getting up as best he could from the ground. "Warn before."

"If I warned you, it would lose all the fun," she said, smiling. She turned to the Shadowsinger and pointed at him with her finger, "Now you, pretty face."

Azriel felt a chill run from his heels to his crown, and swallowed to prevent his thoughts from wandering further.

Around his shoulders and wings, his shadows fluttered as they laughed softly.

How funny she is.

Yes, very funny.

And pretty.

Yes, we want to touch her and smell her. She smells really good.

Azriel clicked his tongue and shook his head, heading towards the princess. He positioned himself at a safe distance to avoid a surprise attack like the one she had used with Cassian, and in a defensive stance, he couldn't help but give her a wicked smile.

"You'll see what this pretty face is capable of."

At a speed only a fully trained soldier could move, Nimue traced a parabola towards Azriel, approaching from his left side and crouching to avoid any counterattack. He prepared to receive the blow, contracting the muscles of his abdomen.

But the blow never came.

Nimue fell to her knees, fists raised just an inch from Azriel's body.

"I can't," she whispered. She dropped her arms to her sides and stood up, face to face with Azriel. "I'm physically unable to harm you. I can't."

Azriel frowned, internalizing every feature of the female: the arch of her eyebrows, the angle of her eyes, the light of the first rays of the sun reflected in her iris, that slight tremor on the left side of her lip that he had noticed occurred when she was tense...

He never had the pleasure to be this close to her, the only times such a thing happened he was so blinded by rage that he couldn't appreciate such a raw beauty.

He snapped out of his reverie and entered back into that mental state of combat.

Taking advantage of Nimue's distraction, he prepared to aim a direct punch at her jaw.

But just an inch away, his body stopped completely, as dictated by a greater force.

Stop.

His hand immediately unclenched, and under his own gaze, he saw how his body acted alone and by instinct: as if drawn by a magnet, his own hand rested on Nimue's cheek, who buried her face further in that sudden contact.

They held each other's gaze, unable to act upon that pure and raw instinct. Azriel's hand on Nimue's face, his thumb tempting fate on the corner of the princess's lip.

Even through the leather glove, he could feel the warmth emanating from Nimue, like that of a bonfire on a cold winter night.

The princess raised her right hand, gripping the Shadowsinger's forearm and ensuring he didn't stop touching her.

She didn't want him to ever stop.

No one had ever touched her like that, with pure warmth. She felt like she was burning wherever the male touched her.

She didn't want Azriel to ever stop touching her.

But Azriel snapped out of his reverie, again, and as fast as lightning, he moved away from the female, breaking all physical contact.

At his side, the hand that had felt the sweet touch of her skin kept clenching, as if asking for more.

Such soft skin.

Let's touch it again.

He had gone too far, letting himself be carried away by the raw instinct that bond imposed on him.

Yes, it had to be that.

He definitely didn't want to get lost again in the gray eyes of that female, clear as the light of the brightest star in the sky.

Definitely not.

Feeling the heat rise to his face, he hurried to leave the training field before his own shadows came up with the Mother knows what, leaving behind a confused Nimue.

What had just happened?

What had all that been about, why had it felt so natural, so good?

Cassian had watched the whole scene, apart, with his mouth shut and thinking about who he would run to tell first: Feyre or Morrigan.

Maybe both at the same time.

Taglist:

@lilah-asteria @agentsofsheilds @leptitlu @just-here-reading @glitterypirateduck @saltedcoffeescotch @krowiathemythologynerd @donttellthecats @annblvd @annamariereads16 @crazylokonugget @smoooothoperator

[softspeirs]

Reprieve (BoB/MoTA x OC)

Summary: What if Bucky and Buck managed to escape the forced march that night in Germany? What if in a really roundabout way, they got some help from some locals and found their way to the 101st? What if! Loosely follows the events of this AU. Author's Note: No romantic pairings (a bit of Speirs/OC mentioned). Features my BoB OC, Kat Gray. This is very much a "magic of fanfiction" story - doesn't fit with canon and certainly would not have happened in real life. It's fine - we're all insane here anyway. Enjoy! Warnings: mentions of PTSD, and descriptions of war-related injuries. Words: 8k+ (I am so sorry)

“Welcome back to the land of the living Major. You look like you’ve seen better days.” The woman’s American accented-voice is clear as a bell and yet Bucky still thinks he’s hallucinating. “Can you open your eyes for me?”

Bucky tries to sit up.

"Not so fast," she says, leaning over him so he can see her.

“Where am I?” He croaks.

"You’re in an aid station with the Airborne. You've been out for two days. Take it easy." She sounds familiar.

"Have we met?” he asks, ignoring her request to sit still. His ribs ache, and his throat feels so dry he feels like he’s swallowed sand.

"Once upon a pub in England, Major Egan." The woman busies herself around him, gathering bandages and other supplies, and when he can finally force his eyes to focus his gaze, he sees her, and he can't help but let out a breathy, disbelieving chuckle as he recognizes her.

"Of all the gin joints..."

She turns around and grins. "Something like that." She holds out her hand. "Corporal Kat Gray, sir. It's good to see you."

He takes her hand gratefully, squeezing. "I'd say the same, but--" he winces as he reaches up to touch his eye. He can't see out of his left eye at all. It's eerily similar to how he arrived at Stalag Luft III, and he wants to vomit at the thought. "How--"

"You and Major Cleven have had a rough few days." She says, her tone taking on a more somber tone. "He's just fine." She adds, reading the panic on his face. "He’s being debriefed by our CO.” She leans in. “I’m going to try to clean this a bit better,” she says gently. “I’m going to adjust you for a minute, but if you can look up for me, I won’t need to touch you much.”

He feels a strange mix of shame and relief at the way she’s talking to him - telling him what she’s going to do and giving him the power to say yes or no… it’s certainly an adjustment compared to what some visits to the infirmary in Germany were like.

He looks up at her, and she nods reassuringly, reaching to adjust him so she can see him better in the dim light. “How on Earth did you end up here?”

The last few days all feel like a blur, and Bucky bites back the rising panic at the thought of what his and Buck’s escape might mean for their friends. “Buck and I have been in a POW camp since ‘43.”

Kat is quiet, meeting his gaze with large, dark eyes. “I’m very sorry to hear that. Obviously you escaped. Nearly ran right into our outpost.”

He sighs, scratches at his jaw. "They evacuated the camp. We’d been having conversations with our guys for a week or so when we knew the Germans were going to march us. We agreed that a few of us should try to get back. I remember finally finding a window to make a run for it, and--" he stops as he flashes back to a dark night, moments of complete panic, and finally, watching Buck escape over that wall. "-- got the butt of a rifle for my troubles."

"That explains the bruising." She leans in, her fingers cool against his fevered forehead. "Did you have a previous injury here?" Her gaze is narrowed in on a spot somewhere near his cheekbone.

He really doesn't want to talk about it. It was hard enough trying to tell his guys what happened to him, and he's just not sure he has the words to try to describe it to someone else. He'll have to eventually. If they ever make it back... but that's about the only time he thinks he can manage to get the words out. "Yes." He says finally. "When I went down…. They walked us through a city that had been recently bombed, and between the civilians and the guards..." He trails off, jaw tight.

Her eyes are understanding. She doesn't press him, and he's grateful. Instead, she leans back against the wall at her back, folding her arms across her chest. "So I've got good news and bad news. The good news is I don’t think you’ll have any lasting damage, even in that eye. I don't think your orbital bone is broken, but you'll be sore for a while. The bad news is that you need to speak with our S-2, on account of how you might be a spy and everything."

Bucky blinks at her.

Kat smiles. "It’s just a joke. But… procedure. You know it goes. Technically I probably shouldn’t have asked you anything about how you got here.” She shrugs, waves a hand dismissively. She stands up straight, takes a few steps back from him. "Think you can walk?"

“Would it matter if I can’t?” He grumbles, pushing himself into a sitting position.

“Of course,” she frowns. He has to remind himself where he is and who he’s with. He’s gotten so used to hiding any major or minor injury, any sign of illness, and being forced to stay on his feet for what felt like hours on end, sometimes in the middle of the night.

Kat continues, “Though, sir, if you were to… as a Major, of course… give me permission to order Captain Nixon to come to you instead, I would really really enjoy that.”

.

Outside, he shields his eyes from the bright light with his right hand. His head throbs, but he keeps walking. He glances down at the woman beside him.

Helmet in her hand, he gets a better look at her now that they're not in a room lit with barely a single bulb.

"Where are we?" Bucky asks, voice low.

"Somewhere between Belgium and Bavaria." She says. "We’ve been here for a week, pulled off the line not too long ago.”

Her voice is scratchy, whether from overuse or from illness, he can't tell. She has a fading bruise on her left cheek, a mirror of the one on his face. She looks older than the last time he saw her.

He remembers her, fresh-faced and in a clean uniform on a pub night where he and Buck and Benny were all together and intact. Not a scratch on them or dust on their uniforms. He remembers her easy smile and the way her men closed ranks around her at the first sign of his flirting.

They walk a few more feet to a requisitioned building that's practically falling apart. It's warm though, and that's really all he cares about. That, and seeing for himself that Buck is here and alive.

He hears his low voice before he sees him. Buck is standing bent over a table covered in maps. Across from him are two captains - one he vaguely remembers and one he hasn't met yet. All three straighten at his approach.

"Major Egan, this is Captain Winters and Captain Nixon."

After two hasty salutes that Bucky feels uncomfortable receiving, Nixon's hand is the first outstretched for a shake. "Egan. Good to see you on your feet."

"Thanks." He replies distractedly as he looks at his friend. "Buck? Entertaining guests already?" He asks, gesturing at the room they're in - it clearly used to be a kitchen.

Buck smirks. "Should have remembered to get down the good silverware."

"What, uh…" He wants to ask what happened after the woods, after-- he remembers finding Buck in the woods, hands trembling and alone. He had waited for him, said he knew he'd catch up eventually, and said George was gone.

They walked the entire night and next day, sticking to the woods as much as possible until they got close enough to the front to hear American voices. It's a bit hazy after that. Between the certain head trauma and the exhaustion, he doesn't remember much.

Buck shakes his head, almost imperceptible if Bucky hadn’t been searching his expression. Later, it seems to say.

Nixon gets Bucky’s attention by clearing his throat. “If you can come with me for a minute, Major.” he says, gesturing to another room off to one side.

“Nix, I really don’t think–” Kat tries to interject.

“Kat, we can’t make exceptions.” Nixon says warningly, though his tone is nowhere near harsh. He turns back to Bucky. “Look, Major, I remember you, and I know you’ve already been through this with your far less kind hosts, but I’ve got to ask you a few questions before we do anything else.”

With a look at Buck, who nods reassuringly, Bucky goes.

They go through the whole thing - name, rank, serial number, what’s the national anthem, who is the President and when was he elected… the whole thing. All things considered, Bucky actually thinks Captain Nixon goes pretty easy on him.

They join the others after a few more minutes, Bucky absently rubbing his temples which are already starting to ache.

The taller man -- Winters -- seems to want to get down to business. He turns to Kat. "Corporal Gray. Hang around for a minute?"

"Yes sir." She says, finding a place to perch on a counter behind Buck. As she hoists herself up, Bucky catches the glimpse of a dirtied bandage that takes up nearly her entire arm as her sleeve rides up.

Trying to focus on the task at hand, he and Buck go over every second of their escape until Bucky can't remember much else. His jaw clenches as Gale recounts how he half carried, half dragged Bucky to the other side of a ditch so they could get to the American side of the line.

"Gotta say, you're a couple of lucky bastards," Nixon says. "A few hours later and that town would have been either empty or back in German hands." He meets Bucky's eyes.

They go over a map for a few more minutes."We were marching in this direction,” Buck says, pointing at the map, “But it’s hard to know for sure, and there's no way to know how long they were going to make us go."

"Well, they'll meet up with the Army at some point." Nixon says firmly. "Nothing classified about it - we're making gains in all directions. It won't be long."

Bucky nods, trusting him and his intuition. At least he could sleep at night knowing he didn't resign his friends to too many more months of hell.

"Any chance you'll be the one to break them out of there?" Bucky asks.

"It's hard to say." Winters says eventually. "We're assuming our next move is into Germany, possibly farther into the Reich than Berlin. We won't know until we get our orders." He looks apologetic, and both Bucky and Buck know that despite their rank, despite the fact that they’re all officers in the Army, Winters can’t tell them much more. He probably shouldn’t have told them any of this at all.

Winters switches gears, turning to Kat. "What's the diagnosis, Kat?"

"Concussion watch for Major Egan," she meets his eyes briefly, "Two broken ribs and obviously the damage to his left eye." Her tone is pretty clinical, but Bucky doesn't take it personally. "I'd like to get some food in both of them, and Major Cleven's got a cough I don't like the sound of."

"Well, he’ll fit right in then.” Nixon says.

Kat rolls her eyes and kicks the Captain lightly with one dangling foot. "I think the interrogation will have to continue another day. I'd like Roe to check them out too." She continues quietly. At their nod, she takes charge, a hand on Buck's shoulder to guide him out the door, and a glance over her shoulder at Bucky signaling that he should follow.

Outside, he finally asks. "Why is it you don't have one of those lapel pins yet, Gray?"

She snorts. "I should think it's obvious, Major."

"Really, the rank thing is all bullshit anyway." He says.

"John..." Buck grumbles as they walk.

"It's okay--" Kat says, stopping only when they hear a loud whistle overhead. Bucky's entire body tenses. They’d been hearing artillery in the distance at the stalag for weeks, but it’s different when it’s happening right over their heads. "Over here." Kat’s voice is firm, urgently directing them into a doorway.

"Is that--" Buck stops short of asking, the earth rumbling under their feet for a moment.

"Enemy artillery. They're not that accurate. We're too close- they're just on the other side of the river."

"And yet...." He looks down at the way she’s setting her helmet firmly down on her head and raises his eyebrows at the urgency in her voice.

She sighs. "Let me find you both a place to sleep and some food, and then I'll tell you what the last few months have been like."

Kat leads them upstairs where they're given a small kit with some essentials, and a few k-rations to split between the two of them. They've even got a chocolate bar to split, and Bucky swears he's never tasted anything so good in his life.

"Don't go bragging about that," the soldier who handed it to him says. "I'll never hear the end of it."

Kat chuckles from her spot on a beat-up sofa in the center of the room. It’s some sort of supply depot - different members of the company trail in and out, hauling boxes with ammo, rations, and even mail at one point. It’s clear many of them are bunking in here too.

She tells them about the last few months in Bastogne - her eyes go a little hazy and her face clouds over in grief as she skips some of the nastier parts. “Once you hear the whistle of artillery like that, you don’t forget what comes after. That’s why I’m a little jumpy. Even though they’re missing us with mortars all day, it's just…” She shrugs. “It’s never a sure thing.”

"Tell me about that arm, Kat." Bucky says, curiosity getting the better of him. "Let me guess, I should see the other guy?" He asks.

"Not exactly." She says, smile dimming. “Like I said, German artillery went off pretty much every day, at all hours. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

"Got knocked on her ass." Another man sitting opposite her says. His eyes have been narrowed on Buck and Bucky since they arrived.

"Oh, shut up, Lieb." Kat bites back, but there's no heat in her words.

Buck and Bucky share a look, the barest hint of a smile on Gale's face. The friendly banter makes Bucky ache for a simpler time, when they’d be doing nothing but giving each other shit and playing cards all night. It feels like a thousand years ago.

“I was wounded from shrapnel here,” she gestures at her arm. “Lost quite a bit of blood. Lucky for me, I was unconscious for the aftermath.”

More whistling suddenly sounds overhead. It sounds louder, closer than before. It's strange - Bucky knows how to anticipate enemy fighters, but this is uncharted territory for him.

"Everyone up." Kat orders, the few other men in the room standing hastily and gesturing that the Majors should follow them. "Wait--" She stops, pausing to listen. The urgency in her expression feels different than it did before, outside on the street.

"We gotta go, Kat." Liebgott says harshly, eyes a little wild.

Another whistle. The entire building shakes.

"Christ," Buck bites out through grit teeth.

On instinct, Kat reaches out to steady Bucky, one hand falling tight on his wrist. They keep each other upright, and he sees Liebgott doing the same thing on Kat's other side. His hand is clasped tight around her elbow, and then the next whistle comes screeching in.

"Go!" Buck says, always the leader, even when he's out of his element.

The four of them go racing down the steps, pausing only when the building shakes so violently, Bucky is sure it's going to come down with them still inside.

"Move!" Kat urges, pushing at his back when he falters. "I didn't nurse you back to life just to watch you die here, Major Egan." They all trip over each other halfway down the stairs when another blast hits, and Bucky coughs as dust and crumbled plaster rain down on them from above.

They've all stopped on the ground floor, crouched low as if that would stop an entire building from coming down on them. Buck's arm is over Kat's shoulders, Liebgott pressed tight to her other side.

"Medic!" The shout is nearby, and frantic. Kat squirms under Gale's arm.

"Major Cleven, I need you to let me up." She says, calm.

Buck blanches like he hadn't even realized he was doing it. "Sorry."

"No time for apologies, and none needed." She says. "Lieb, take them to the CP? They’re bunking there for the night."

With a quick smile, she's gone as if she had never been there in the first place, and they're left a little dazed, watching her go.

Out on the street, they hear raised voices, but Liebgott ushers them on, his steps quick. He keeps giving Bucky a look, so finally he decides to just tackle it head on.

"You don't have to keep looking at me like I'm going to steal your girl."

To his amazement, Liebgott's eyes go wide for a fraction of a second before he laughs, loudly. A cackle, really. "Major, she's not my girl. Though if you want a shiner to match the one you’ve already got, you keep on making the moves on her. In fact, I'd pay money to see what happens when--"

"Alright, alright." Bucky says. "I get the picture. Jesus."

"You haven't met Captain Speirs yet." Liebgott says, an amused smirk still on his face, stopping in front of yet another half crumbling building. "Third floor. Good luck. Doc Roe is up there too - Kat wanted you to see him."

Buck levels Bucky with an exasperated look as soon as they get inside. "Been awake for less than two hours and already causing trouble."

"Trouble finds me, Buck."

They head upstairs and walk right into an argument. A man is in the center of the room, hands on his hips. Another medic is in front of him, looking for all the world like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Uh-- sorry to interrupt." Gale, ever the peacemaker, speaks up.

The man turns, giving them a view of the captain's bars glinting on his garrison cap. He says nothing, turns back to the medic in front of him. "Roe, listen. I already told her she's better off in bed but just do me a favor and give her a shift tomorrow morning. She's out there doing god knows what no matter what we say anyway. Might as well do it where you can keep an eye on her."

He exhales, turns back to the two newcomers. "Majors Cleven and Egan? I’m Captain Speirs. You'll be bunking here until we can figure out what to do with you."

Bucky bites the inside of his cheek so he doesn’t smirk. This is the infamous Captain Speirs that Kat may or may not be involved with.

"We hope we'll be out of your hair soon." Buck says.

"That'll be up to Doc Roe’s evaluation, I'm afraid." He gestures at the other medic, informally introducing them. "You've seen Kat already?"

Bucky nods. "Just got debriefed and almost shelled to death. She's somewhere dealing with a casualty."

Speirs' expression doesn't change too much, but it's enough that Bucky notices the way his jaw clenches and he shifts his weight.

"Man of few words." Bucky mutters under his breath.

"Better go see what's going on. No patrol tonight, so take your time, Roe, and for God's sake, make sure Lipton actually gets some sleep?"

"Yes, sir."

As Speirs leaves, the medic turns to them with a tired smile. "Sorry for all the commotion. We don't usually have visitors."

Bucky snorts. "You don't say." He settles himself on a chair while Roe has Buck move into a better light so he can see.

"I know Kat already did a preliminary check but I'll just do my own, if you don't mind." He frowns. "Those scars are awfully symmetrical, Major."

Bucky goes tense. Doesn't like the way Roe is sizing up his friend. Doesn't want Buck to have to relive any of it if he doesn't have to.

"Any of your jumps involve you going feet first through a German farmhouse window, Doc?" Buck rasps, eyebrow arching.

Roe hums, already moving to clean up a scrape from Buck's temple. "We had some nice fellas clear out a spot for us to land on our last jump."

"You also jump out of your planes on purpose."

Roe grins. "This is true." He wipes at a small spot of crusted blood near Buck's hairline. "This healed well enough. No infection. Seems like you might be stuck with them, though they might fade eventually."

Buck doesn't say anything. No more probing questions from the Doc either, for which Bucky is grateful.

“You and Kat both have that same cough…” He says, almost to himself. “We’ve got pneumonia going around, but your breathing sounds okay. Keep that scarf on,” he says, gesturing to the olive drab scarf tucked around Gale’s neck. “Try to stay warm. If we get another supply drop I might have something else for you, but it’ll probably have to wait until you get back home.”

Home. Thorpe Abbotts… it all seems so impossible.

"You're up, Major Egan." Roe says, waiting until he's seated in front of him to dab lightly at the bruising around his eye. "You're lucky you didn't lose this eye." He says mildly. "Looks like Kat cleaned it well; I'm not going to risk irritating it further." He stands back, crossing his arms. "About those ribs..."

Bucky bites back a wince and a noise of pain as Roe applies pressure to his midsection. “It’s not the first time. No time to let them heal up and they probably didn’t heal right the first time, either.

Roe meets his eyes. “Are you short of breath? Any stabbing pain?”

Bucky shrugs. "I've had worse."

Roe must read the expression on his face, because he doesn't push. Whether he can read in between the lines or not, he gets the message, and Bucky is grateful, because he can't talk about that night again. Not the night he was captured, and not the night he and Buck finally got out. He's just-- he wants to forget it ever happened.

"You'll bunk here with the other officers tonight." Roe says. "I'd get some rest before chow time, if I were you."

Buck and Bucky have no problem taking orders, and they're both almost asleep on their cots before their heads even hit the pillow. Bucky still feels anxious about how they're going to get back to England, but he hears the laughter of men outside, and is just grateful to be alive. To be back amongst allies, even if it's only temporary.

.

Bucky wakes early. He sits up slowly, groaning. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone move. “Jesus Christ, Kat.”

She cackles. “I’m so sorry. I was checking to see if you were still asleep.” She says, tone full of mirth.

He huffs as she laughs for a few more seconds before taking a step closer.

“How’s your head?”

He shrugs. “Sore.”

“Ribs?”

“Feel like I was kicked by a horse.”

“Do you think you can eat?”

He nods and Kat gestures that he should follow her. In the large living area, a few of the officers he met the day before are sitting around a long table, metal bowls with what looks like the world’s worst oatmeal in hand.

“Morning.” Captain Winters greets them both. He looks down at his wrist and checks his watch. “You should still be asleep.” He says pointedly to Kat, who has been doing her best to hide a cough in her elbow, but everyone can see the shadows under her eyes.

“Sorry sir. Wanted to check on the majors.”

“Where’s Buck?” Bucky asks suddenly, feeling guilty he hadn’t even checked.

“Took a walk.” Kat says. “Roe is with him.” She gestures for Bucky to sit, leans in to speak quietly to him. “He had a rough time sleeping.”

Bucky hadn’t heard a thing. He was so out of it, the exhaustion of the last week catching up to him.

Winters is watching him carefully. Clearing his throat, he asks, “So. Explain these nicknames to me.”

It’s so unexpected that Bucky can’t help but laugh. Bucky accepts the change in subject gratefully. He tells the whole story. Leaves out some of the more colorful details Gale would have added.

“You enlisted before Pearl Harbor?” Kat asks.

“So you beat us to the war in more ways than one,” Another officer at the other end of the table says, grinning. Bucky was introduced to Harry Welsh the night before, but he was so exhausted he doesn’t think he did more than exchange pleasantries. He likes him right away - he’s got a glint in his eye that showcases his good humor.

“Say, Gray, did you know if anyone in the Air Corps gets kicked off two crews, they get sent to the infantry?” Bucky leans back in his chair, accepts a bowl of what appears to be oatmeal from Kat as she passes it along.

“That explains a lot,” Welsh says with a wry smile.

Bucky grins. “Smartest guys in your division probably came from us first.”

Kat looks between the two men, shaking her head but smiling as she gives Bucky a faux stern look. “You’re confused, Major. We’re not just infantry. We’re the Airborne.”

The other Lieutenant down at the end of the table grins. “Could have used a few more of you bomber boys to clear the way for us on D-Day.”

“Kind of a shame I missed it, but I was otherwise occupied.” Bucky says. He looks away, not wanting to think too hard on what was going on in his head when they heard the invasion had started. It hadn’t been a good stretch of days for him.

“Morning,” Buck’s voice announces himself, and he comes in looking better than Bucky has seen him for weeks. The shadows under his eyes are still there, those scars on his cheeks prominent against his pale skin, but he looks more like himself.

“Major Cleven,” Kat says with a smile. “Got a bowl with your name on it.” Her tone is pleasant, but doesn’t leave any room for refusal. “Have a seat.”

A gentle smile tilts Buck’s mouth as he takes the bowl from her hands. “Yes ma’am.”

Buck and Bucky tuck in to their food, letting the chatter of Easy Company fill in the silence. Bucky feels…. Envious. It’s a strange feeling. He watches the way the officers and Kat and the various men who drift in and out of the building interact, and besides the guys in the Stalag, the boys in The 100th haven’t always been lucky enough to get to know their comrades like this.

It’s clear to him that Easy is a group that have been together a long time.

“What’s on your mind?” Buck asks, voice low.

He shakes his head. “Nothing. Just– wish the other guys were here. That’s all.”

Buck watches him closely. “Yeah.”

Kat is called away to the aid station before long, and they’re left with Captain Winters. He’s quiet, but asks them both where they’re from and how long they’ve been in the service. It’s an easy conversation, Lieutenant Welsh chiming in here and there before they both excuse themselves for a meeting.

“Something’s going down tonight.” Bucky says.

Buck nods, tucking another spoon of oatmeal into his mouth.

Kat comes back a little while later, lips in a tight line. The Majors watch her carefully, trying to figure out if they should go back to their rooms and give her some space.

“If you need something to do you can help me over here for a minute,” she says quietly. Her voice is flat.

“Everything okay?” Buck asks, tone gentle but inquiring. He’s good at this part - trying to get someone to open up without pushing. God knows Bucky has been on the receiving end of it more than enough times.

“Fine, I– I don’t know how much I can say.” She gestures for them to join her, and she hands Buck a handful of bandages to roll. “I’m just tired of losing people.” She says quietly, almost to herself.

Buck and Bucky don’t say anything – what is there to say? They know too how people - friends - are there one minute and gone the next. They busy themselves helping her, all three of them falling into a contemplative silence.

“You know,” Bucky says, “you’re keeping these guys alive, Kat. Even an idiot with only one eye can see that.”

That gets a smile, even a small one, and Bucky starts to feel for the first time like everything is going to be okay, eventually.

.

The door downstairs flies open with a bang in the middle of the night, and Bucky is on his feet before he even realizes what he’s doing. He has a flash of a memory - a clanging cell and screaming German voices - before he remembers where he is.

Hearing Kat’s loud voice doesn’t do anything to slow his heart rate. Across the hall, Buck is also up and moving, heading down the stairs with just one look at Bucky. Raised voices fill the space and for a minute Bucky can’t tell what’s happening.

“Here. Put him here!” Kat’s voice is high pitched and urgent, and he can hear the frustration in her voice clear as a bell.

“Majors, welcome to the patrol,” another gruff voice snaps, and a man with sergeant stripes turns to them. His face is exhausted. “Make yourselves useful and help Kat.”

“I need a light!” She calls out, looking around for anyone who can help. “Now!”

“Here–” The same sergeant is shoving past Bucky, holding out a lighter.

Buck and Bucky are moving, helping to hold down the soldier on the table so Kat can see.

“You’re all right, just keep still,” her voice lowers, hand pressed to the man’s forehead. “Major, there’s a syrette in my left pocket.”

It’s unclear which one of them she’s talking to, but Gale moves first, extracting the syrette quickly. “Better if you do it, Kat.” He says.

She takes it with nimble fingers, sticking it in the man’s shoulder. “I need Captain Speirs–” She breaks off, seeing someone over Bucky’s shoulder. She snaps her fingers. “Lip, I need the captain, we need a jeep.”

“Everyone else clear out, give her some space.”

“Not you–” Kat says, hand clasping Gale’s forearm. “Need help for one more minute. Need you to hold him here,” she says, gesturing towards the wounded man’s other shoulder.

With a deep breath, Buck does as instructed, bracing the man as Kat does something to his wound that has Bucky turning the other direction, suddenly woozy as the soldier lets out a harsh cry, writhing slightly under both Kat and Buck’s bracing hold.

Bucky moves closer despite his rolling stomach, wanting to help, but Kat lifts her head, shaking it at his approach.

“I don’t think so, Bucky. Not with those ribs.” She turns her attention to Sergeant Martin, still there with the lighter. “Sarge, I need that light closer.”

“Kat.” Buck’s voice is a little strangled, and Kat looks over quickly, eyes flicking down to the man on the table who has stopped writhing, eerily still.

She pushes him aside quickly, pressing two fingers to the man’s pulse. She sighs. “He’s okay, he’s just unconscious. Probably from the pain. It’ll be harder to move him that way.” She looks back at Martin, “Sarge, we need at least one other person.”

Just then, Lipton comes back in with Speirs hot on his heels, face tight with tension.

“Kat.” Speirs says, voice firm and full of relief all at once. “What happened?”

“Sniper to the shoulder. He’s stable but he needs a surgeon.” She responds without looking up, missing the look on the captain’s face when he sees her whole and intact.

“Martin.” Speirs barks.

The man doesn’t flinch, barely even takes his eyes off the younger private on the table. “We took fire almost immediately when we crossed the river but we got three prisoners. Liebgott and Web are trying to get some info out of them with Nixon.”

“And Patterson?” He gestures to the young private.

“Sniper, as soon as we turned a corner. No one saw him until he fired. We turned tail right after that.”

Speirs runs a hand down his face. Everyone in this room looks exhausted. Bucky wonders if he’s misreading the tension - they look how he’s felt for the last six months. “Get him in a jeep.”

Kat, Lipton, and Martin work quickly, leaving Buck and Bucky momentarily to stand there, trying to comprehend what just happened.

“Buck.”

His friend looks up, eyes refocusing, but he seems a million miles away.

“All right?”

“Fine. Just— he couldn’t have been eighteen.”

“He just turned nineteen two days ago.” Kat says roughly, reentering the room and shoving past them. “We had a party.” Her voice is a bitter, angry thing. “We keep doing these prisoner snatches, and we lost a man during the first one. It just feels so… pointless.” She looks up at them, schooling her expression. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be–”

The doors open again and Kat is back to being all business. Martin and Lipton come back inside a minute later, and the night stills, like nothing happened in the first place. Martin and Lipton lean against the now-empty table, arms crossed over their chests, and Kat all but collapses in a chair, hands trembling slightly.

“Appreciate your help, Majors.” Lipton says with an exhausted smile.

“Any time.” Bucky says. “Though I wasn’t much help.” He’s got that tone again, he knows he does, where he’s feeling like he’s not doing enough, that he’s not enough, and it earns him a sharp look from Buck.

“You two should go back to bed,” Kat says quietly. “We’re going to try to get you out of here tomorrow and it’ll be a long journey back to England.”

There’s a weird feeling brewing in Bucky’s gut where he almost doesn’t want to leave. It’s the venture into the unknown - every time they’ve been in a situation where it was going back home, back to England, or having something bad happen as the alternative, things have gone wrong.

Despite being on the front, this feels like the safest they’ve been in months, and he’s reluctant to give up this camaraderie.

Kat must read something on his face, because her shoulders straighten. “Major Egan, you’re going to go home. That’s– the rest of us don’t have that choice.”

Properly chagrined, Bucky nods. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

Her expression is gentle, so he knows there was no bite behind her words, he just yet again is coming to terms with the fact that she’s been through hell and isn’t the same person he met all those years ago at the pub.

“Respectfully, sirs, off to bed with you both. Right now.”

Buck puts his hands up in surrender and heads up the stairs. Bucky trails behind him, Kat on his heels. Martin and Lipton bring up the rear, both looking like they could fall asleep standing up if need be.

After a whispered conversation in the hallway, Kat taps on Bucky’s door before entering. “I didn’t mean to be harsh, before.”

“You weren’t. You’re right.”

“Still, I know it’s not easy to feel… grateful, or relieved about your situation. Especially not after what you’ve been through.”

“It doesn’t need to be the ‘who has it worse’ Olympics, Gray.” He shrugs. “Two weeks ago it was probably me, but today and tonight it’s you.” He smiles at her. “Look, you’re going through this shit day in and day out and still putting on a brave face for everyone else.” He turns to face her fully. “Ever considered a transfer to the Air Corps?” He winks to let her know he’s kidding.

“Not in a million years, Major.” She nudges him with her elbow. “Get some rest, Bucky, and we’ll reexamine those ribs in the morning.”

“Thanks, Kat.”

.

The morning comes too soon for Bucky’s liking, and when he heads downstairs, there are only the remnants of the night’s watch group milling around. No sign of Kat anywhere, which makes Bucky a little anxious, but he heads inside the other room anyway, conversation dying as soon as he enters.

A lieutenant whose uniform looks so clean, it almost hurts to look at him snaps to attention.

“No, no, no.” Bucky says, tone wary. “Uh, at ease. No need for that.”

“Sir.” He says anyway, and there are a few snickers from the other men.

“Any chance for a coffee?” Bucky asks, sending a relieved smile at a man he hasn’t met yet who hands him a cup.

“It’s not hot yet but give me a minute.”

“Thanks, uh–” He squints at the stripes, “Sergeant–”

“Malarkey.”

A few more bodies filter into the room, and finally Kat appears, spending a second frowning and fussing over Bucky. She prods gently at the bruising around his eye and he winces, trying to cover up his reaction. She sees it anyway, lines between her brows getting deeper.

“Hurts worse than yesterday?”

“Not really. The same.” He replies. He’s extremely aware of all the eyes in the room being on him and Kat, and it makes him shift his weight, suddenly uncomfortable. “Why don’t you get a cup of coffee before it’s gone, huh?” He says. “Friends are waiting for you.”

Kat looks over her shoulder. “Yeah. Okay. But don’t think you’re getting away with pretending you’re fine, Bucky.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Kat gives him one last stern look before making a beeline for Liebgott in the corner who is holding an extra cup. He hands it over when she gets close, and Bucky watches the way the man eyes her carefully, like he’s trying to make sure she’s not going to fall apart any second.

It makes Bucky wonder about his guys, about the rest of the 100th and how they’re faring. He wonders how long the guilt will eat at him – probably until he sees for himself that they’re alive and well.

The mood in the room is tense, and Bucky wonders what happened before he came down, and notices one man’s bleary eyes on him. Bucky knows that look. The man’s attention quickly diverts to another fresh-faced private who enters the room quietly.

“Whatcha lookin’ at, Webster?”

The room falls quiet.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, college boy.”

Bucky frowns and makes quick eye contact with Kat from across the room. Her expression is concerned.

“Are you drunk, trooper?” The lieutenant who had saluted Bucky asks, voice sharp.

“Leave me alone.”

Bucky has seen this before. Hell he’s been this before, though at least he had enough sense to not directly mouth off to Colonels Huglin or Harding… not in earshot anyway.

“Answer the question.”

“Yes, sir, I am drunk, sir. Drunk. Sick and tired of fucking patrols… taking orders.”

Sergeant Martin shifts on his seat. “Hey, Cobb. Shut up. It’s boring, okay?”

“Taking his side, Johnny?”

“Both of you–” Kat tries to interrupt.

“Shut up, Kat.”

A pin could drop three floors above them and everyone would hear it. Bucky’s jaw clenches tight, and he registers Buck entering the room behind him, footsteps quiet, clearly having overheard the entire thing.

Kat doesn’t look angry. She looks… sad? It makes Bucky wonder what happened to Cobb before he got to this point. Bucky knows the toll watching your friends die and feeling hopeless can take. He knows it doesn’t take much to reach a point you can’t come back from.

“Watch your mouth.” Liebgott fires back, taking half a step forward before Kat puts a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Sarge, they’re on their way in.” A voice from the doorway says, and Buck and Bucky move out of the way as Captain Winters and Speirs enter the room. They step out, not wanting to intrude more than they already have, but not before Malarkey hands them the promised cups of coffee that have been percolating for the last few minutes.

Bucky nods his thanks, and settles in a ripped up armchair across from Buck.

“Was hoping to get an update, but sounds like they might be in for another bad night.” Bucky says, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It’s not real coffee, but it’s warm, and he feels better almost instantly.

“What was all that about?”

Bucky shakes his head. “They’re– everyone’s tired.”

“He went after Kat.” Gale quirks a brow. “Doesn’t seem like that happens too often.”

“She held her own just fine.” Bucky says, smirking. “Besides, how many times have you had to stop me mouthing off like that? After all this shit… surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”

They both stop for a second, savoring their coffee and trying to pretend they’re not eavesdropping.

“... I want you all to get a full night’s sleep tonight.” Captain Winters says, and the following silence is loud. Bucky’s eyebrows raise. “In the morning, you will report to me that you made it across the river into German lines, but were unable to secure any live prisoners. Understand?”

“I’ll be damned.” Buck whispers.

Everyone streams out, fresh smiles on their faces. It’s contagious, and Bucky stands when Winters greets him, leans in to shake his hand.

“Not a word, Major.”

“Of course.”

Speirs stops in front of them, and even he has upturned lips on his normally stoic face. Kat trails a few steps behind. Bucky can see it now, the way it seems like they’re extremely aware of the other one’s presence, like two magnets being drawn together, but trying to keep it quiet.

“Majors.” He says quietly. “Got an ETA on the transport to get you out of here. Tomorrow morning we’ll get you on a jeep to the hospital, and a ticket back to Thorpe Abbotts.”

Tomorrow.

It feels impossible. Buck’s hands are on his hips as he looks at the ground, a small smile growing on his face. Bucky imagines he looks the same way.

“Christ.” Bucky grins, throwing his arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Home.”

“Then we do whatever we can to bring our boys home with us.” Buck says firmly, eyes on his friend.

“They won’t let us fly–”

“I’m getting back behind that stick, John.”

Bucky nods. There’s no talking Gale out of something once he makes up his mind. And the scariest part is that Bucky knows he’ll be right there in the seat next to him if it comes down to it.

“Major Cleven,” Kat says, and she looks hesitant to interrupt. “I appreciate your ambition, but please take the time you need to fully recover.” She looks between them. “Both of you. Please.”

“Only if you do the same,” Buck says with a raised eyebrow, though his smile is assuring. “Heard you coughing all night.”

Bucky has forgotten that Speirs is still there leaning against a table in the corner, but sees him straighten out of the corner of his eye. He bites back a smile.

“Who is the medic here?” Kat asks archly.

Gale holds up his hands in surrender. “Just making sure you take your own advice.”

“You’re not the only one,” Speirs says quietly, but he too has an easy smile on his face, and with the way Kat double takes, it seems she’s just as surprised as the rest of them. “It should be a quiet night. We’ll get some chow and then get you both ready to go. Kat?”

“With you in a second,” she says, and watches as he leaves. She turns back to Buck and Bucky. “You heard Captain Winters, boys. A full night’s sleep is in order.” She crosses her arms over her chest, sending them a wry smile. “Is it weird that I’ll miss you both a little bit?”

“Don’t let tall, dark, and brooding over there hear you say that.” Bucky says quietly, an amused grin quirking the corners of his mouth.

Kat’s eyes widen. “Bucky! You can’t—”

“Jesus Christ.” Buck whispers, but he laughs too.

“I’m just teasing you. But seriously, Kat– you might not notice the way he looks at you, but I’ve only been here for two days and I can see it. Hell, every guy in there cares about you.” He gestures towards the nearly-empty room behind them. “You should hang on to that.” His voice is suddenly serious, and it makes Kat frown.

There’s so much she doesn’t know about what he’s been through in the last few months. There’s so much he doesn’t know about her. But they both know the toll war can take. They both know how easy it is to lose themselves in the horror of it.

“Can we do anything today to help?” Buck asks, trying to break the suddenly pensive mood, and Kat nods.

“If you’re up for it. We can find something.”

Hours later, they come back from helping Kat at the aid station feeling… dare Bucky say, fulfilled? He talked to so many guys, helped the ones who weren’t able write letters home to their parents and girls, and it gave him that bit of himself back, the piece he’s been trying to rediscover since he went down.

Mealtime is more subdued, but in a contented way that he hasn’t experienced in months. He’s still getting used to having halfway decent food to eat. Buck seems to be soaking it all in too - his quiet conversation with Welsh producing a few laughs and the sight of a smile on his best friend’s face gives him a little bit of hope that maybe they’re both going to be okay at the end of all of this.

.

The next morning they’re awoken by the sound of artillery in the distance. It’s not close enough to be alarmed, but Bucky was hoping for a quiet morning so they could make their getaway in peace.

He’s not really worried about anything else happening at this point, but they’re so close to enemy lines. That nagging thought in the back of his brain won’t fully go away, and probably won’t until he’s back on British soil again.

A knock on the door brings him out of his thoughts, and he straightens fully, finishing buttoning his shirt.

“Morning.” Kat says, looking tired, but happy. “We’re moving out soon. Time to go.”

Bucky nods. “Be down in a minute.”

They have nothing with them, he or Buck, so it doesn’t take them long to get ready. Downstairs in the CP, they’re greeted by the full cadre of officers.

“Good morning, majors.” Captain Winters says, saluting them as they enter. “We’ve got a transport for you back to the field hospital. You’ll link up there with the Red Cross, and then it’s an evacuation flight back to England.”

They say their goodbyes, and Bucky feels the melancholy mood settling in, even though he’s relieved to be on his way. He and Buck head outside with Kat and Doc Roe meets them at the truck.

“They’ll probably want to evaluate you again when you get to the hospital, but it should be quick.” He shakes both their hands, and then excuses himself, leaving them alone with Kat.

“I guess this is it,” Kat says, and Bucky and Buck share a look. She has no idea she’s echoing a conversation they had with each other years ago, but it makes them both smile, memories of an easier time when they had no idea what was coming next washing over them.

“Thank you, Kat.” Buck says, voice quiet and contemplative.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Kat says quietly. “I’m just happy you’re both okay and going home.”

Bucky shuffles his feet, unsure how to properly put into words what these few days with Easy Company have done for him and Buck both. Obviously the alternative could have been the end for both of them, but the universe putting them back in Kat Gray’s orbit still seems too good to be true.

“You take care of yourself.” Bucky says roughly, pointing at her.

“That’s my line.” Kat says, before closing the distance to reach for his hand, squeezing tight.

He returns the contact, unexpectedly feeling his throat getting thick. “You’ve got a good thing going here, Gray. Don’t do anything stupid, understand?”

“The same goes for you, Bucky.” She frowns. “I don’t like the idea of either of you flying again.”

Bucky shakes his head. “It’s a rule - downed pilots don’t get back in the seat. Buck just does best when he can lead. He’ll be itching to do something.”

“And you?”

Bucky smiles ruefully. “I really don’t know what the hell I want, Kat.” For this damned war to be over, he thinks.

“Kat, time to go.” A voice off to the side calls, and both she and Bucky turn to make eye contact with Captain Nixon.

“Coming.”

“Go on,” Bucky says. “Be safe.”

“You too, sir.”

Kat salutes him, which he still finds incredibly uncomfortable, but he returns it dutifully, smiling softly at her. He watches her walk over to Nixon, who hands her a pack that’s been sitting by his feet, and he can see the moment her posture changes and she prepares herself for whatever’s coming next.

“Train’s leaving the station, John.” Buck drawls.

Bucky turns to his friend and takes his offered hand as Buck hauls him into the back of the transport truck. The engine starts, and Bucky takes a minute to say a quiet prayer for Easy Company as they grow smaller in the distance, hoping that better things on the horizon are coming for all of them.

[flaetsbnortoriginals]

I've just had a dream that was so steeped in Magic: The Gathering lore that I need to post it to tumblr on the off-chance that people who know enough to understand it will be able to read it, because if I tell it to the people I usually tell my dreams to they won't understand a dang thing. Sorry @one-time-i-dreamt

So. The dream was in Ravnica, and was about this planeswalker lady. She was white, with long straight blonde hair, and a fancy blue dress. I have the feeling that I was dreaming I was her before my dream remembered I'm a boring cis man without any amazing powers so as far as I can recall I'm just following her, like the main character of a story. I'm not sure I should call her my OC since she was created without any prompting of my conscious mind but none of the characters in the dream have names so I'll call her that.

OC was walking down a boulevard in Ravnica with this dude. They were pretending to be a couple, but the dude was actually a Dimir spy she had bested and was kind of her prisoner. Dimir guy wasn't very happy about it but wasn't too angry either, he saw his "custodianship" as a work thing and kind of respected OC, so they were chill.

OC saw a woman who she realized wasn't from this plane, although she was pretending to be a local. She challenged Dimir guy to point out what made them realize this. Now I expected this to go like a Sherlock sequence, with each one pointing out a detail in the woman's outfit or some very precise behaviour. Instead, OC starts by pointing out that this woman is wearing

A FRIGGING BRIGHT BLUE SOCCER JERSEY

and not only are soccer jerseys not usual clothes in Ravnica, (at least not until Hooligans at Rakdos Stadium is released), but it also has a giant number on it (77 if you're curious), except that Ravnica uses a different writing system, so any planeswalker would immediately clock her as an outsider. (I think that it's only sort of implied that each plane uses a different writing system, but in the dream that was settled truth.)

OC is so apalled at how poorly this woman - who needs a name, so I'll call her BadKellan for reasons that will soon become apparent - is at hiding herself, she decides to have a word with her. BadKellan realizes she's being followed and hoofs it - but OC and Dimir guy immediately use their Dimir crap to become invisible. BadKellan thinks he's shaken them off, but she's quite rattled, so she goes to her safehouse, which happens to be just around the corner. OC and Dimir sneak in behind her, then make themselves visible.

Now I should tell you that Dimir Guy does nothing else in this story. I was going to say that he's just Ken, he's just there, but it's actually worse - his presence makes the story make no sense, since OC is about to reveal some secrets to some random lady. But the dream didn't forget him: I vividly recall that he was still around all throughout this part of the dream, even though he does nothing else.

So. OC reveals herself and tells BadKellan that what she's doing is very dangerous. She tells her about the Dimir (the guild, not the random guy) and says that if they see her poorly sneaking around and think she's going to be trouble, or even can't figure out what her deal is, they're just going to kill her. Which means it's incredibly dangerous for her to go around like that.

BadKellan reveals a few things about herself. She's from Earth - yes, our real world. She's not a planeswalker. She was brought to Ravnica against her will and told to blend in and pretend to be a local. She doesn't feel comfortable revealing who told her to do that.

OC decides to give BadKellan a few pointers on how to lay low on Ravnica. She explains that she would dress mostly in gray, since colours are strongly associated with the guilds and she should stay away from them to stop making waves. She asks her to change her outift and she'll say if it draws attention.

BadKellan changes clothes. She's now dressed entirely in gray, which is good, except that her shirt

HAS A LARGE, GLITTERING PRINT ACROSS THE FRONT READING

girl

IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING AS BEFORE. IT'S A LARGE PRINT USING OFF-PLANE SCRIPT. It's not as large as the jersey number, sure, but I'd like to remind you that it's glittering!

OC is apparently as taken aback by this as I am, because she turns her into a squirrel.

In fact, she specifically turns her into the squirrel from Bloomburrow key art.

OC's logic is that BadKellan is so bad at blending in that this is the only way she can be safe. OC intends to release "squirrel girl" in a park while she tries to look into exactly whose plans she just ruined and how bad of an idea it was.

There was more to this dream, but my memories are fuzzy and it's (even more) uninteresting. I think it involves the Boros having a special currency that they gain when they help people but the Dimir also use it in a kind of ironic way? I don't remember.

[commander-rahrah]

Talking to the Moon

Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader Word Count: ~5000 (haha.. whoops) Warnings: slightly suggestive for a tiny moment but SFW, swearing, PTSD, trauma, past/implied abuse, fluff, angst, emotional hurt/comfort

archiveofourown: here

masterlist: here

Summary: Set in early Act II. Reader/Tav's origin of their powers is revealed to the party and there is a negative reaction to it. Astarion attempts to comfort reader with his usual routine and provide a "distraction" but gets rejected. He begins to question their own reasoning and feelings, and realizing that he might be feeling something… different.

Note: This is still a GN!Reader/Tav in second perspective with no names or y/n. However, there is some backstory (noble background and a deity) and appearance descriptors (only freckles and hair colour) assigned to the reader/Tav. I really enjoy the dynamic of the moon/stars that I have with my own Tav named Olympia and Astarion and for this particular idea I wrote I felt the backstory was too important to leave out!

I am an avid D&D player and I loooove making OCs (its a problem I have like 30) but this particular backstory and character that this is based off of is very dear to me, so I really hope your enjoy!

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You were all gathered on the grounds just outside of the Last Light Inn, heading back inside the main doors with Jaheira and Isobel. The safe haven protected from the forces of the Absolute — thanks to you and your companions quick action. The remaining Tieflings and the other inhabitants of the inn still shaken from the sudden attack, but resting safely inside. “I’m thankful you were all here to stop the attack.” The cleric of Selûne said softly. 

Isobel then looked over her shoulder at you, stopping for a moment as she looked you over from head to toe. “And you... I recognize my goddess’s powers within you — but they are so different from mine. Your magic is not born out of devotion for her.”

“What is she talking about?” Shadowheart asked from your side, whipping her head to you so fast her black braid flung out behind her.

You swallowed. You had been dreading this conversation. Fearing the moment it came out. “Yes, I, uh—,” You stumbled over your words, your tongue suddenly heavy in your mouth. “I was blessed by Selûne as a babe.”

Isobel raised her eyebrows, her lips stretching into a slight smile. “A blessing indeed. A drop of Selûne's own powers lives within you. You use it well.”

You bowed your head, your cheeks flushing a bright shade. Embarrassment and chagrin flooding you as every single member of your party turned to face you — varying reactions on all of them.

You eyes were still on your boots as both Isobel and Jaheira bid you a goodnight, telling you of your own rooms upstairs before disappearing amongst the many doors of the inn. The rest of your party quiet — not even Astarion had opened his mouth to fill the silence with a comment or joke.

The voice who broke it was the one you had dreaded the most. Shadowheart’s voice was a harsh whisper, but it still cut you deeply. “I cannot believe you. You’ve been lying to me this whole time!”

You winced, your teeth biting into your cheek, “I wasn’t lying. I just… didn’t tell you.”

“You just didn’t tell me that you are blessed with divine magic from my goddess’ enemy.” The dark-haired cleric scoffed, her nose crinkling so much that the scar across her face shrank considerably.

You thought of all the nights around the campfire sharing soft laughs, the early mornings that you helped braid her hair. This was why you had been avoiding it. You didn't want to lose that. Shadowheart had become a friend, an ally. “I didn’t want to ruin anything, we’ve grown so close and… it’s not like I worship her. I don’t say my prayers to her every night, I was just a babe—“

“Well I do!” She raised her voice, a few passing Harper’s stirring in shock at the outburst before shuffling away. “In Shar’s name. This is unbelievable — I’ve been mere feet away from you this whole time.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But you kept your devotion to Shar a secret and when it did come out all of us have been nothing but accepting.” Your eyebrows were furrowed together in worry. This was going exactly as you had dreaded. You’d hope your friendship would be something she would consider however…

“Alsoooo,” Astarion drawled, “The last time you had a disagreement with one of us, we woke up to you holding a knife to Lae'zel’s neck. Can you really blame them for not bringing it up?” He wagged his fingers at her, a single white brow raised.

Her nostrils flared as she flashed a look to the vampire, before turning back to you. “This is no disagreement. This is wrong, this is against everything my lady stands for."

“Shadowheart, please. You are my friend—“ You began to beg, but the cleric cut you off.

“No. Not anymore. We will continue to travel together to reach Moonrise Towers. We will get rid of these tadpoles and then we are done.” She spat.

“I—,” You choked, unable to think of what else to say. How else to defend yourself. You realized that Shadowheart’s mind was made up, no matter what you said right now.

“Shadowheart,” Astarion cut in again, stepping in front of you almost protectively. “Enough.” His voice a low growl.

Gale and Wyll stepped forward too, concern etched on their face. Karlach’s own features were torn — her eyes flitting between you and Shadowheart with immense worry. Lae'zel remained in the back, her muscular arms crossed over her chest as she observed silently.

The dark haired cleric shook her head, a loud breath escaping her before she stormed off up the stairs. Her armor and weapons clanking loudly as she stormed away.

“Princess, come on!” Karlach shouted after her, starting up the stairs. But she paused for a moment, stretching out to grab your elbow gently. “It’ll be alright giggles, ok? Don’t worry about it.”

You could only nod as you watched the Tiefling chase after her, both of them disappearing upstairs.

“Well, that was hard to watch.“ Wyll murmered, offering you a pained smile.

You waited for the sound of a door slamming above, before turning to head up the stairs yourself. You felt your throat tighten as you fought to keep your tears at bay. "Today was a lot. I think I’m just going to find my room now.” You barely waved goodbye as you took the worn steps two at a time, disappearing from your group without a backwards glance as a few tears broke free.

“Wait, do you need—“ Gale began to trail behind you, his brows knitted together and face pained. 

“Let them be, Gale.” Astarion waved a hand to stop him pursing you up the stairs. “Let them drop the mask for a while. If you go barging in there right away, they will paint a smile on their face and act like everything is fine.”

A look of surprise crossed his face before the wizard let his shoulders slump, “You’re right.”

A sound of delight escaped the vampire, before he cupped his pale fingers around his pointed ear, “I beg your pardon, could you say that again? I didn’t hear you.”

Gale let out a large huff, before he admitted “I said you’re right. I’ll let them be.”

“Oooh, Gale. If you’re trying to woo me, at least buy me dinner first.” Astarion pretended to twirl his hair, before flashing him a wicked grin.

Gale pushed his face into a palm, letting out another exasperated sound. “Gods, save me.”

• • •

You were sat on the bed, your back pressed into the back of the headboard with your knees pressed to your chest. It had been a few hours before the tears had finally stopped, leaving you feeling even more exhausted and drained. You weren’t sure when the news of what lived inside you would come out — but it went exactly as you feared it had. The betrayal and anger on Shadowheart’s face was repeating over and over in your mind. The rest of your party had seemed accepting… but it was hard to tell what exactly they were thinking.

A sudden knock at your door had you scrambling to right yourself, wiping at your damp cheeks and eyes with the back of your hands. You fixed your shirt, and stretched out your legs to look as if you were just relaxing on the bed before letting out, “Come in.”

Your voice sounded much more meek than intended.

Astarion poked his head through the door, a strange combination of both hesitation and curiosity painted across his pale face. “Hello pet,” He purred, lingering in the door way for a moment.

“Astarion, hi.” You sat up a little straighter, surprised to see him. “Come in.”

He shut the door softly behind him, “Feeling any better? Or did Shadowheart come find you for an encore?”

You shook your head, “No, she’s stayed in her room — thank the gods. I don’t think I could handle another moment like that tonight.”

His eyes betrayed him for a moment, glancing to the floor, “Yes, well usually I would say it’s entertaining watching someone else’s drama unfold… but I didn’t enjoy that.”

He swayed over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Not close enough to touch, but you couldn’t help the small fluttering that erupted in your belly as he sat next to you. How casual it seemed, how easy it had become.

You shoved the thought away, instead scrunching your mouth up as you spoke, “I was avoiding it for a reason. I feel terrible... I shouldn't have hidden it for so long.”

“Well, if you were looking for a distraction…” He stretched his hand over to you and drew lazy circles on your knee before dragging it up to your thigh. “I can be of some assistance.” A seductive smile curved his lips, his eyes darkening. 

Your expression crumbled as the crack you had just soothed in your chest starting to form again. “That’s all you see me as, isn’t it?”

“What?” He asked, his hand freezing on your leg.

“Sex. That’s the only way you see me.”

“I—“ His eyes widened with bewilderment, before he blinked at you. “I don’t— I mean.” He continued to stammer, his fanged mouth hanging open in genuine shock.

You let out a sad sigh, your eyebrows furrowing like you were in pain. You were. The ache in your chest was growing tenfold, the familiar feeling of your heart crawling up your throat returning. “I’m not in the mood Astarion. If you want to feed, do it and go.”

He instantly pulled his hand away at your rejection, clutching it to his chest with the other one. He didn’t give an apology, nor did he seem interested in your offer to feed. His red eyes were blinking animatedly, as if confused. Before he bowed his head and got off the bed quickly. Then the sound of the door clicking softly behind him an instant later.

You couldn’t hear his steps in the hall even if you wanted to — so instead you rolled over onto your side, curling your limbs into yourself as you screwed your face up once more and cried.

• • •

Astarion didn’t know what to think. What to do.

No one had ever rejected him before. This is what he did, this is what he was built for. To manipulate. To seduce. 

To play the dazzling, charming distraction. He used to target the lonely, the distressed and upset… it made the hunt so much easier. And Cazador used to praise him for it — he said the miserable and desperate tasted so much better. 

But you weren’t like those easy targets. You weren’t simple, and he should have known better. You were complex and contradictory — not something he appreciated in a target. But something he could appreciate in a fellow person. Things were becoming to muddled, too confusing.

Gods dammit, he had been so foolish. His entire plan could be falling apart now — you sitting up in your room alone mulling everything over. 

But what really bothered him wasn’t the idea of his plan falling apart. That his protection from his old master could be gone by morning, leaving him behind to suffer the consequences.

No, what really bothered him, what he was really afraid of was how upset you’d been. That he was the cause of that.

Astarion's skin felt hot and crawling as he realized he had treated you as others had treated him all these years. Trying to use your desire as a way to override any other feeling. To seduce you into acquiescence, to fool you into thinking you needed only him. It disgusted him, what he’d done. Shame coursed through him and his fingers clenched onto his leather clad knee. 

He was grateful for the little dark attic he had found above the barn — grateful to be away from the prying eyes of the rest of the party. He couldn't explain this to them, he wouldn't. 

A splash of wet splashed onto the back of his hand and he realized he was crying. He'd forgotten he could do that. He'd stopped so many years ago, numbing and willing himself so that none would come. So that despite the pain or hurt he was feeling, his tears would not be there to give Cazador anymore satisfaction. His master didn't need anymore physical evidence of his anguish — his screams and blood and broken body was enough. He had stopped crying years ago. Until tonight. 

Wiping his face, he took a steadying breath he knew he didn't need. And then again for good measure. He wasn't really sure what he was doing, but he stood up with a slightly trembling body.  He needed to fix this. For you. For himself. 

Before he knew it he was back outside of your door, his fist hovering just above the painted wood. His other hand was picking at the seam of the side of his leather pants nervously. His red eyes stared at the little tray of food he'd brought up for you — resting on the hallway table as he waited to see if you would even let him in. A peace offering he'd thought. A way to get his foot in the door before he could… explain. Apologize. 

Chewing his lip, he finally let his knuckles rap on the door. He lingered for a moment, before opening it slightly. The small crack in the door angled enough to reveal you still laid in the bed, your back to the door as you were curled up on the mattress. Guilt flooded through him all over again. 

“Gale, I told you I’m fine—"

He pushed the door open a little more, just enough so that is creaked to get your attention. He only poked his head through, enough for you to see his pale face as you strained your neck to look over your shoulder. 

“Oh. It’s you.”

Astarion swallowed at the sound of your disappointment. It was not something he ever wished to hear again if he could. His lashes fluttered against his cheeks as he looked down, unable to look you in the eye, “Will you let me try again?”

“What?”

He finally looked up, his red eyes round and soft, “Let me try again.”

You gave him a hard to read look, before nodding curtly. 

Astarion grabbed the door, not closing it fully but just enough that the lock bounced softly back. His pale knuckles knocked again gently, before he heard you let out an exasperated breath. “Come in.”

A sheepish, tight lipped smile spread across his face as he stepped fully into the room and looked at you. You were sitting up in the bed now, your arms crossed over yourself with an unimpressed look on your face. He used his foot to close the door quietly as he held his peace offering behind him. 

“I won’t bother you, if you don’t want company. But I noticed you hadn’t eaten. I brought you dinner.” He pulled the tray out from behind his back, showing it to you. 

“Oh.”

“And a glass of wine.” He placed everything carefully onto the nightstand, before backing away towards the door. “It’s disgusting.”

A soft laugh escaped you, “Thank you." You took a small sip of the wine, before twisting your face. “Ugh — you are right, that is disgusting.”

“I’m almost certain I saw those Tiefling children your so fond of mixing it themselves. Pray this is a part time gig and they don’t become bartenders in the future.”

The two of you let snickers out through your noses, before the room turned quiet again. “Thank you for bringing this up. I mean it.”

“You’re very welcome.” He shuffled his feet, unsure if that was a dismissal or not. But he also found himself not wanting to leave. His hands were behind his back, his own fingers intertwining and squeezing tightly. “I’m… I’m sorry for how you were treated today. It wasn’t fair.”

Your eyes flashed down, your brow crinkling. “It’s okay—“

Astarion shook his head profusely, “No, it’s not. You didn’t deserve that. You don’t owe any of us anything — not your story, or … or anything else. What you decide to tell us, what you trust us with... that is your choice.” 

“Thank you. It’s not that I don’t trust you all, I do… I just.”

He cut you off gently, “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

“I know.” Your finger was playing with the rim of the wine glass in mesmerizing circles, over and over. “I do, trust you though.”

His red eyes lifted from your hands, to give you a quizzical look, “Now, why in the heavens would you do that?”

Your laugh was music to his ears. Full and bright. You shrugged, putting the glass back onto the nightstand — abandoning it and the dinner for another moment. “I just do.”

The vampire couldn't stop the purr that escaped his lips, “Hmmm, other members of our merry party would disapprove.”

“Probably. I think they disapprove of most of my interactions with you.” You said quietly, picking at the blanket you were sat upon. 

The room filled with silence for a moment as you thought. “I was just a baby… when it happened. I was born ill — so weak and tired, it was almost like I was a dead. My parents threw all of their power and wealth at every scholar and healer they knew to try and cure me.”

Astarion’s eyebrows shot up as you spoke, joining you carefully on the bed. Much further then his previous visit. His hands settled onto his own lap as he listened. 

“Nothing would work. And with every failed attempt, father become more and more distant. And mother became more and more desperate, hoping for any miracle she could find. She began to pray to any God that would listen, traveling to their shrines and statues. One night, my mother had fallen asleep crying while kneeling next to me. She said she awoke to a breeze and silver light — and the most beautiful woman she had ever seen was standing over us. Her hair was set in long silver waves, a flowing dress cascading over her curves, and a small smile on her lips as she watched the scene of mother and child. 'Selûne?' My mother asked, and the ethereal woman merely smiled again. 'I heard your prayers and felt your tears as if they were mine own. No mother should know the loss of their child.' As I slept, she touched my hair lightly, telling my mother I was pure and good-hearted. Selûne told her that she would help me, but that I would have a calling that would lead me away from my normal life of nobility and comfort. After my mother agreed, a white light shone through the Goddess’ hand, spreading into my hair, into my body and creating an aura around me. My hair turned silvery white, and star-like freckles began to shine all over my skin.” Your fingertips danced across your face, touching the skin that showed the blessing. 

Astarion was gobsmacked, his eyes lingering over your silver hair and the freckles that dusted your nose and cheeks. His mind struggling to keep up with the information. “So, what Isobel said is true… a drop of Selûne's power lives in you?”

You nodded your head weakly, avoiding his stare. 

“Gods… Why tell me this?”

You only offered a soft smile, “I wanted you to know.”

A thousand thoughts were running through his mind — most of them selfish. He'd prayed to the Gods every night for years, asking, begging, willing them to save him. To give him a swift death. Anything. And never received an answer back. But Selûne had for you.

But now that he knew you, he could think of no one else who would deserve it. He couldn't bare to think what the world would have been like if you had been taken away so early. Where he would be now if he hadn't met you on the cliffside after that damn ship. “Well, it seems that you truly are walking poetry, darling. Our little moon shining a light on all of us.”

He swore he saw you bottom lip tremble at the name. 

"Let me tell the others, when I'm ready?" You asked quietly. 

"Of course." 

The room fell into silence again, but it was more comfortable then before. Astarion found himself lost in his thoughts — a confusing melody of haunting memories, and wishful thoughts. 

“You never answered my question before.”

“Hmm?” Your voice had him blinking back to reality, turning his body to look over at you. 

“About… how you see me.” Your eyes were big and vulnerable. They tugged at his heart, at the knot in his stomach that formed with the thought of you.

“Oh," Was all he could get out. 

“I—I just,” Your voice was feint and nervous, your eyes studying the features of his face intently. 

“Don’t ask now.” He blurted, his fingers clenching into a tight fist on his lap. 

“What?”

“Give me time. Please.” He begged gently. 

Your eyes softened, before you nodded in silent understanding. “I can do that.”

Relief flooded him, his fingers relaxing and shoulders drooping. 

You seemed content on letting it drop, instead grabbing the plate of food next to you and balancing it on your knee. “Where is my roommate for the evening?” You asked, before taking a bite. 

“Lae'zel? Oh she deemed the lodgings unacceptable and that she would rather die than join us soft-skinned weaklings in a room. She set up a tent out front in the dirt.”

You finished chewing, before grinning. “That… checks out.”

“So you get a luxurious evening alone. At least one of us does." He feigned a frown, before waving his hands dramatically, "I get to spend the night listening to Gale and Wyll snore.” He rolled his eyes before speaking again. "I will say charming Wyll did volunteer to sleep on the floor so I could have half the bed, bless him.”

“You could stay here if you want. To sleep, I mean.” You offered easily, pushing the food around your plate with the fork as you waited for him to reply. 

He blinked again, caught off guard by your proposal. “Oh, that’s not necessary—“

“Astarion, really? You’ll share with Gale, but not with me?” You teased, a single eyebrow arching. 

He stared at you for a moment, dumbfounded before nodding, “Alright. Eat your dinner. I’ll get my things.” 

• • •

Slinking into his room, Astarion left out a sigh of relief as he realized it was empty. He needed a moment to ground himself and stop his spinning head. He had no idea what today would bring, but this whirlwind of a night was not at all what he had expected. He started grabbing his night clothes he had laid out on the bed in his shared room with Wyll and Gale, stuffing them into his rucksack. 

But he bristled as he heard steps approaching, looking over his shoulder to see  his two fellow male companions enter the room. 

“Ahhh, they you are Astarion. We wondered where you scurried off too.” The wizard spoke, tucking the book he had in his hands into the crook of his arm instead. 

“Oh, I found better company than the likes of you.” He shot back sarcastically — earning an eye roll from Gale. 

“Did you now?” The warlock asked with eyebrows raised, before bending down to his own pack to untie his bedroll from it. 

“Don’t bother with the bed roll tonight, Wyll. You’ll have to keep Gale warm tonight.”

"Where are you off too?" Gale asked, his brows furrowed. 

Wyll studied him carefully, before offering a little smirk to the vampire. “Off to sleep under the stars?”

“Amongst them actually.” Astarion replied, keeping his face perfectly neutral. As if to not give anything away.  

Wyll gave him a knowing look. “You be a gentleman, yeah?”

“Aren’t I always?” He said with a little bow before grabbing his bag and slinking out of the room. 

• • •

Your room was very quiet when he emerged back in it. Your empty dinner plate was sat on the edge of the nightstand, the glass of wine mostly untouched expect for that first single sip. The candles were starting to flicker with their last remaining life, the glow now a deep set orange instead of a bright yellow light. 

You had stepped behind the privacy screen as you changed, only the outline of your figure  could be seen through the sheer material stretched across the wood. He’d seen your naked body before, as you’d seen his — several times by now, actually. But he respected the privacy  — appreciated it actually. There was something quite raw about getting undressed in front of someone like this. Something vulnerable.

Something he wasn’t quite ready for.

Realizing he had been staring at that screen and your outline, he sat his bag down on the dresser and began sorting through his things. He heard the soft pads of your feet across the worn floorboards, before the creak of the bed as you laid in it. He turned around with a fake cough, his own night clothes in his pale hands. “May I?” He jerked his head towards the screen.

You simply nodded, turning on your side away from the screen to face the ajar window instead. 

He changed efficiently, tugging on the delicate breezy nightclothes before padding bare feet to place his folded clothes on top of his rucksack. He swallowed thickly as he turned to survey the room, to the large space you left in the double bed — intended for him. 

"I don't bite." You muttered with your eyes still closed. Like you could sense him hesitating. 

He barked a laugh, before moving to his side. "Cheeky pup." He slid into the bed, savoring the feeling of the soft sheets on his skin, the way the mattress hugged his tired and sore body. He hadn't slept in a real bed in ages, in well — he couldn't remember how long. He thought he had gotten used to the small comfort of his bed roll and tent these past weeks, especially when he compared it to the stone floor of Cazador's dungeon and kennels. But remembering the simple luxury of this room and bed would put his tent to shame once he returned to it. His pale fingertips rubbed the soft fabric covering his body, committing to memory. 

You adjusted yourself next to him, moving your pillow in a way that wafted your scent throughout the room. It made his movements stop, frozen as his senses were overwhelmed by you. You smelled sweet and warm — inviting. And it had nothing to do with the scent of your bouquet that usually clouded his mind. Licking his lips, he forced himself to look away from you — instead looking up at the dark ceiling, as the last flickers of the surviving candle in the room began to fade away. 

"Good night, Astarion." You mumbled into your pillow, your voice already sounding heavy with sleep. 

"Sweet dreams darling." He whispered back. 

You had fallen asleep next to each other before, of course — laid out in that forest or on the sands of a beach after wondering off away from the others to have your way with each other. 

This... this was different. 

He couldn’t will himself to fall into a trance. No matter how hard he tried. Instead he was still staring up at the grays and blacks of the dark ceiling, becoming more and more increasingly aware of your breaths and the thrum of your heartbeat. 

Only once he had heard them slow down, only once he knew you were in a deep sleep, did he chance looking over to you.

Your face was peaceful, serene as you slept. He wasn’t sure if it was actual moonlight trickling in, or just the cleric Isobel’s protective aura that had cast the blueish white light into the room. But either way it was resulted in Selûne’s power, and even in your sleep you were basking in it. The freckles that marked your checks and nose were almost glittering in the light. The silvery white of your hair shimmering. Your soft lips slightly parted as you dreamed.

Gods, you were beautiful.

Astarion closed his eyes as he was suddenly reminded of his times stuck in those wretched dungeons in the palace. Not what torture or pain he had to endure there. No. For once, that was buried away.

No, instead he recalled what he stared at to get him through those never ending sessions of abuse and torment. 

The night sky through those barred windows. 

The stars, somehow still blinking and winking from him through the city smoke and light. 

And the moon. That beacon of light in the black sky — constantly changing its shape and colour. But it was always there when he needed it to be. When he needed to look up, to be somewhere else, to think of something else — the moon was always there.

Shining. Listening. Understanding.

His eyes opened again, staring again at your tranquil face, your slumbering form curled into the soft bed and sheets.

You were so much more than he had bargained for. A companion blessed with a drop of an actual god’s power. He should have been thrilled — that his plans for protection and well-deserved justice on Cazador was even easier to achieve than he first thought. 

No. Instead he realized he was feeling something else. Something… new.

That even though he had missed the sun, longed for it for two hundred years, delighted in the colours it cast the world in it. That even though he could finally enjoy the sun's beam, and bask in the it's warmth and golden glow. Despite all that, he knew that the sun would never understand him like the moon did.

Oh shit.

He had royally fucked up his plan.

Part II: here

[ghost9whore]

Lighting’s Reign and Thunder’s Roar VII

House of the dragon x male oc

@jamieclearwater2314

“They’re only two Targaryens worth mentioning; Aegon the Conqueror and Caserys the Haunting”

“If Caserys was so pretty why would they call him the Haunting”

“It means that his face was one no one could forget, He drove people mad with desire.”

(Caserys’ P.O.V)

“Why do you train Rhaeraxes like this?” asked Rhaenyra

“Like what?” I responded

“The way you treat Rhaeraxes, it's different than any other dragon's training. He won't stay in the dragon pit, won’t eat any food given to him, and no one ever sees him” Rhaenyra began

“Hmmm" I begin to ponder a suitable answer or then just I don't want to. "I do not like the way the dragon master would train the dragons so I decided a different way”

“Yet it’s not only been that instance of difference between you and the rest of us. Everything about you is different. Your hair is more black than white and the rumors of your dragon breathing lightning instead of fire. What sets you apart from the rest of us?” Rhaenyra finally asked

“Hmm I’ve never thought about it” I lied

Of course, I’ve thought about it. Why was the storm on my birth connected to my birth? How was I able to bring Rhaeraxes back from his cold egg and why is he growing so quickly? Why is my hair darker?

I have more questions than answers. However, my family seems to have their own opinions.

My father says the storm was due to my “Velayron blood” being able to enrage the seas with my life

My mother says my hair comes from her Baratheon family members

And my siblings say it was the Faith of the Seven

Allowing myself to forget I was with someone Rhaenyra pulled me back into the land of the living. "Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm sorry, cousin, if you'll excuse me I have to get ready to leave King's Landing" I responded back to Rhaenyra

(Daemon’s P.O.V)

Humiliation

That’s what this is. I am humiliated. I have been denounced as my brother’s heir and been replaced by Rhaenyra. My brother doesn’t understand how to be a King and now he doesn’t understand how he doomed the realm.

I need more power and more men

Caserys, I could use him, his father’s men, and his family’s dragons but I would never be able to gather his father's support.

I need to wait, biding my time until I am ready to strike

That’s the key to win

(Caserys’ P.O.V)

Driftmark seems so cold now. I have been away for quite some time. My room is very clean but hasn’t been lived in. The rock near my room where Rhaeraxes would perch has old burn marks yet no new ones.

King’s Landing has been comfortable but too crowded for Rhaeraxes meaning I hadn't seen him. He had been staying away from the dragon pit and the people in King's Landing in general. That meant he stayed away from me for most parts of the day. I could only recognize his roar from a distance or notice his shadow in the sky when I was alone.

Now I can se—

“Cassy!” I feel hands grab my shoulders turning me forward

As I turn at my new nickname to see my sister Laena. She’s smiling perhaps happy to see me or my reaction to her new name for me.

“Why Cassy? It doesn’t sound like a man’s name at all” I ask

“Hmm I suppose it does not however I believe that's why it suits you even more” she responds

“Oh? What is that supposed to mean?” I question her again

“Nothing important, Father wants to speak to you.” She replied

Cutting my conversation with Laena I begin to look for my father to find him in the Maesters room.

Third Person View

Caserys walked into the room to find his father sitting down looking towards the ocean with the Maester whispering into his ear.

Once he had noticed Caserys he had called him to move forward.

“Hello my son” Corlys started

“Hello father” Caserys replied

“My son, tell me what you know of Daemon Targaryen”

“Why father?”

“He has notified me that he will aid our battle for the stepstones to reclaim our land” Corlys smiled back somewhat twistedly

“I’m sure you can guess he wants the crown he believes was taken from him. I suppose if helping you would rally your support in his cause I imagine he would.”

“I gathered that, but what of his interest in you. The crown wouldn’t justify his sudden interest in your life”

“I haven’t the slightest clue perhaps you should speak to him yourself”

“Watch your tone Caserys, I merely mean what of his plans require your help?”

"Forgive me, Father, for I do not know"

"Very well, understand that with our battle of the stepstones, your help on dragon back will be most crucial. Laena hasn't bonded to a dragon and Rhaeraxes outweighs Seasmoke"

"I understand, I will be ready"

"Go"

(Caserys' P.O.V)

After exiting my father's chambers I make my way outside the castle to find my dragon. To finally be able to see my dragon in the flesh. Rhaeraxes' large body exits the sea caves from underneath the castle, finding a new hiding spot from his rock.

As he approaches me, I notice the large horns on each side of his face, resembling Meleys. Rhaeraxes' three black horns on both sides dawing six horns.

He leans down his face right next to my body. As I place my hands I feel the texture of his rough scales underneath my skin.

"We're going to have to fight soon, We just can not lose control again..."

Rhaeraxes curls his head close to me finding comfort in my presence. Yet feeling a different presence, Rhaeraxes finishes his huddle into my body and then travels back into the sea caves just as Caraxes flies over Driftmark Castle.

"Daemon's war for the crown is going to kill us..."

A/N Back from dead... Feeling pretty good. I'm trying to speed these chapters along for season 2. This chapter is loosely based on Episode 2 but the next chapter will be more coherent and better attached to the timeline. For reference, Rhaeraxes is around Drogon's size perhaps a little smaller so maybe more around Rhaegal. I also changed the spelling of Rayraxs' name to Rhaeraxes (again pronounced Ray-rax-sis). Seeing y'all soon loving you guys my ghost whores.

[sweet-evie]

Coming Home

Content: Ch #221 SPOILERS, Established Relationship, gojo x afab!oc, gojo x fem!reader, nameless OC, she/her pronouns, lovesick!gojo... Added some extra flare to the unsealing, because Gojo deserves it.

A/N: Actually wrote this back in April 19, 2023… when Ch #221 leaks came out. Posting it now, because I miss him so bad, and was cleaning out my drafts.

✨ masterlist ✨

She’d heard it countless times especially after what happened in Shibuya — Satoru Gojo’s existence was vital in their world. The balance of the jujutsu world shifted upon his birth, and upon his removal, it was plunged into chaos. The fact that his presence alone was a deterrent for powerful curse users that had the intention of harming others testified to how truly influential and powerful he really was.

A walking god among men.

That truth was never more stark until now.

She grew up with him, in a sense — built a life with him for close to a decade and counting, before that ancient sorcerer outwitted them all and took her Love out of the picture. She knew Satoru Gojo as a man. Insanely powerful, yes… Yet he was still just human.

But now… 

Now as the earth finally settled after a long minute of feeling like it was being shaken down to its foundations, she beheld a horizon doused in blue and blinding white, the difference between the Satoru she knew and adored, and the Gojo that the world revered was as clear and divided as night and day.

The heavens roared its greeting as the earth trembled — a minute-long tremor that rocked the ground beneath her feet and caused her to stumble.

Whether they succeeded at opening the back of the Prison Realm or if Satoru himself found a way out, she cared not. It suddenly felt like the world inhaled one deep cleansing breath, releasing it all in a collective sigh of relief that revealed how much their world really needed the one person who stood a chance against the King of Curses and his malevolent reign.

The blinding strobe of light that shot to the sky, past the clouds, slowly faded away.

She had been in the middle of fighting Uro and Ryu when Sukuna cast his threatening presence over the world. That same presence that had Uro cowering and Ryu hesitating. And now… A far greater presence had re-entered the stage.

The elders were so quick to exile him, to strip him of rank and political power. But how foolish were they? Their opinions and their rulings did not matter in the face of Satoru Gojo’s incoming wrath. And what did their destruction and dissolve matter to her when everything she had ever wished for had now come true?

He was back.

Satoru was back… Her partner, her Love, Limitless Power Incarnate, the Honored One in the Heavens and the Earth.

=OoOoO=

What was she supposed to say? Were words even necessary? What was there to say?

She had so many things to say to him and they had so much to do. There were powers to consolidate, forces to account, politics to handle, and a myriad of societal problems to solve. The true work had barely begun. But when they were finally face-to-face, all semblance or thought of everything else except for them disappeared.

To her, there was only Satoru with that same blindfold hanging from his neck, jacket torn but with that same all-black ensemble he wore as a uniform every time he taught at Jujutsu High, staring at her with eyes reminiscent of blue skies dotted with clouds.

He was…weary and noticeably upset, but the relief that completely overcame his expression upon seeing her lightened the heavy emotions that swamped her just before this encounter.

She didn’t hear herself when a sob tore through her throat, and didn’t register the tears that gathered in the corners of her vision as her entire body trembled and she immediately reached for him.

They had a meager audience in the form of Yuji and the others. But did she care?

No…

So when his arms enveloped her and when she could finally feel his heart beating against her own, there was only relief and joy and overwhelming love at their reunion. It felt like coming home.

For the first time in a very long time, she wasn’t alone anymore.

=OoOoO=

There were no words to describe the slough of emotions that bombarded him after making his escape. He almost felt bad after hastily thanking his former students — his adhoc rescuers, Angel with Jacob’s Ladder. But he didn’t really care when all he could think about was her. He needed to know she was safe — that she was all right, that she could still accept him after his failure to uphold his end of the promise. 

He needed to know that she still loved him.

Time passed immeasurably fast — akin to a blink, when he suddenly found himself before her.

He’d been gone for a month, he knew, but it felt like all of these changes had happened in between the snap of measly fingers and eternity. It had been so long and yet it felt too soon.

She stood before him with the most peculiar expression on her pretty face, clad head-to-toe in dark shades of blue and dirty gray, exhausted, trembling, and so emotional. Those gorgeous eyes clouded with unshed tears, unbound hair swaying in the breeze, hands clenched into fists, lips quivering under the weight of suppressed sadness. Her voice as she mewled his name and sobbed, broke his heart.

He always hated seeing her upset — abhorred the thought of her drowning in despair. He never wanted to see her cry.

He wanted her smile, her happiness.

She barrelled straight into him after dismissing her naginata into the ether.

She buried herself in his arms just as he gladly welcomed her in them. Gods, he’d missed her. He refused to count the unnameable hours and minutes he’d spent wishing he could come back to her, return to the home they’d made, and the love they shared between them. She embraced him tightly and he wrapped himself around her, face buried in her hair, inhaling her deeply, treasuring every beat of her beloved heart. She cried in his arms and he couldn’t deny how wet his eyes were too.

Overflowing with relief and happiness, he pulled back just barely to cradle her face in his hands. She leaned into his touch and sighed in relief, with his name on her lips uttered as a reverent prayer. He’d never heard something so sweet and so endearing in his life. One of his thumbs grazed her parted lips — lips that begged to be kissed.

Indulging in his desires and her own, they fell into a sweet, lingering kiss.

Her fingers in his hair, his hands on her, their lips locked desperately to convey the sleepless nights, the loneliness, the despair, the overwhelming need to have the other close. It was completion and happiness and peace all wrapped up in one.

He was hers… And she was his.

They parted but just barely, still sharing breaths, with less than an inch between them.

“I missed you.” She murmured, tracing the curves of his lips with her fingertips.

He wanted to reciprocate with a joke, but really… he couldn’t. It was just… He swallowed thickly as he caught her hand and kissed each fingertip, her knuckles — pressed his lips reverently on the glittering solitaire diamond ring he’d given her for what felt like forever ago. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Satoru.”

“You’re still marrying me, right?”

She laughed, and it was such a heavenly sound to his ears. Her answer was even sweeter in spite of the carnage and desolation around them.

He could ask her a thousand times over, and she was certain her answer to that question was, and always would be, the same in every lifetime, in every situation.

“Yes… Always.”

Riding high from her reassurance, he squeezed her a little tighter, buried his nose into her hair and inhaled the scent of vanilla. He was home — a litany he'd chanted in his head over and over. He had come home; home was her loving arms, her smiles, even her tears. Home was the sound of her voice when she whispered his name.

He saw it in the way her eyes had searched his, tasted it in her lips with each touch, felt it in the way her heart beat against his own.

He was home... Finally home.

==========================================

[Dumped in AO3]

[faustianfascination]

predator incarnate

Kinktober 15. Predator/Prey | Degradation

Words: 4904 Pairing: Comte Saint Germain x OC (ikemen vampire) & Comte Saint Germain x Leonardo da Vinci

Tags: NSFW! MDNI! predator/prey, slight dom/sub, creampie, anal sex, biting, oral sex, afab character, comte and leo have the dynamic of the golden girls, leo is so over his shit

Notes: this has been brewing for a while, it's inspired by the story 'The Company of Wolves' by Angela Carter from her short story collection 'The Bloody Chamber'. Dedicating this to fellow mustard man appreciator @valkyyriia. No mustard was harmed in the making of this fic.

The argument in the parlour had continued for longer than Comte had expected; an animated show of wits and expertise that was deeply fascinating and illuminating in equal measure. Since she had requested to remain under his roof, Persephone, or Effy as she had allowed them to call her, had begun to open up like a sensuous bloom allowing them all more glimpses of her surprisingly mercurial character. They also began to witness her intelligence and literary knowledge in full, holding her own against the likes of Arthur and Dazai when she felt like it. Comte knew there was a story as to why she concealed her light, and so desperately he wanted her to share it but she was cautions to let anyone too close too quickly. Tonight however had been something of a turning point.

The evening had begun in the parlour, as she, Arthur, Theo and Dazai had been playing cards. However they got onto the topic was unknown, as it was only when the debate was in full swing he’d let his attention drift from Leonardo. Eroticism was the source of the conflict, from what Comte gathered Arthur had claimed Lady Chatterly’s Lover was one of the most erotic books he’d read, possibly the most erotic book in existence. Effy took exception to this and this led to an exciting exchange over what eroticism in literature was. To make her point, she retrieved her favourite book from her room, yet to be written, by the name of the Bloody Chamber by an author called Angela Carter. It was a collection of fairy tales, her favourite she explained was a particular story called ‘The Company of Wolves’ and to make her point she and Arthur decided to read passages from their respective texts to prove their point. Arthur, not only a good writer could also recite a story with skill, no matter how dirty. Now though, Effy reclined upon the chaise reading this tale to a room of predators; yes the story was erotic, but what gave her an edge over Arthur was her whiskey husked voice wrapping around the words, her body subtly shifting as her breath created a beautifully arousing rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest as her voice filled the room. As the story spoke of a maiden encircled by a choir of wolves, the Count couldn’t help but see the parallel of his maiden of his mansion, encircled by another form of predator incarnate; a beautiful moment of fiction blending into reality.

Every eye in the parlour was on her, enraptured at her tale, every eye caressing her body and Comte felt his immature jealously flare. More so when he could see the desire evident in Arthur’s gaze. The fact they’d had a tryst already bristled him more than he cared to admit, making his more possessive vampiric nature surface, little cracks in his gentlemanly facade. He could give her true pleasure that would make her forget all about him, if only she would look his way. Part of him wanted to drop the niceties, ignore the boundary between them as host and guest, unleash the full power of his seductive prowess so he could finally mark her as his territory, lick every inch of her body clean of the mystery writer’s influence. His mature sided reminded him that she was his treasured guest, now resident, not his property so he did his best to push those feelings down in whatever way he could.

The moans bordered on growls, Comte's bed shaking, sometimes creaking under the force of his thrusts into Leonardo's arse. The fucked as only two pureblood vampires could, all fangs and power as Comte took out his frustrations on Leonardo's now well battered hole. The sheets were balled so much in Leonardo's hands that he'd ripped them to ribbons, he felt a bit bad for Sebastian because Comte's bed would be a mess tomorrow between the torn sheets and the bitten to pieces pillows. Comte plunged his fangs into Leonardo's neck, reaching around to give his cock a jerk to push him over the edge. Comte's release followed soon after, collapsing on Leonardo's back leaving the two a panting heap. This had been going on for days, the Italian knowing he was in for a rough time after Comte pulled him into his room after the night in the parlour and pounced on him. At least tonight they'd made it as far as the bed.

"Feeling better now you bastardo bisognoso" he panted as they began to untangle themselves, he slowly sat rubbing his stiff back. He could tell that this had no way satisfied his old friend due to the melancholic look still in his eyes. Leonardo couldn't decided if he should punch him, fuck him or just go drag Effy to the room and throw her at him at this rate. The things he puts up with for this fool.

Comte rose from the bed and rifled through Leonardo's coat for his pack of cigarillos then wandered out to the balcony for a smoke, swiftly followed by his long suffering bedmate.

"First you interrupt my sleep and now you steal my smokes" Leonardo huffed as he took a cigarillo too. Comte had lit his and at least had the courtesy to light him up too.

"Mon cher ami, who exactly pays for your smokes? Who let's you live in their home and pays your bills?" Comte shot back.

"And don't you like to remind me" said Leonardo reaching over and giving Comte's chin a squeeze and nipping his cheek before he withdrew. Comte just blew smoke in his face with a mischievous grin. "Sebas said you told him to tidy up the old hunting cabin. Going to actually do some hunting so it can live up to it's name or are you just going to make that poor soul trek tea out to you?"

"Well, I spotted her there a few days ago looking for it and thought it might make a nice space for her when she needs a break from fête des saucisses she lives with. Apparently she's also been exploring the empty parts of the mansion when she can't sleep too. Perhaps I should build her a dance studio" Comte said with a tender smile, letting his eyes drift skyward.

The Frenchman enjoyed the fragrant smoke filling his lungs as he gazed to the evening sky. It helped restore his energy after his impromptu liaison, thinking back on what caused it. Seeing her giggling and flirting with Dazai had made his jealousy flare again. This was becoming a problem, not least because his bed was going to be firewood if he didn't deal with this frustration soon.

"That is very sweet but stop thinking and just make a move you fool. Also if you're going to build her anything it's another closet with all the dresses you buy her" Leonardo said after a few minutes of Comte staring at the sky like a sad puppy.

"You make it sound like I giver her an excessive amount of dresses, a young lady needs options for all situations. Also, it's not that simple. She was stranded here because of me, she is a someone who I opened my home to and promised to protect as long as she remains here. She herself said I was like the father of the mansion, how could I make a move without ruining that" he sighed sadly

"I think you're more like daddy than father to her Comte. Have you not noticed how she looks at you? I doubt your advances would be unwelcome and cara is more than capable of looking after herself, she has an entire mansion and castle's worth of vampires wrapped around her pretty little finger" said Leonardo practically rolling his "plus I'm worried if you don't make a move soon Arthur or one of your other little flowers will end up the Seine"

"Fine even if that is the case, how on do I go about approaching her? She is a treasure, one who deserves careful handling" said Comte who was progressively looking more pitiful, making Leonardo only more amused by the situation.

"Pffft, bastardo bugiardo you know exactly how to seduce her, she literally told you how the other day in the parlour." Leonardo was getting to the point of slapping him now, his hands emphasising this acutely "Also I doubt the puttana di Versailles is really so clueless in such carnal matters" Leonardo jibed as he drew in another lungful of cigarillo smoke.

"Puttana di Versailles!? excusez-moi, I was not that incorrigible" said the master of the mansion with a look somewhere between offended and scandalised despite Leonardo being correct. Seeing his old friend's reaction Leonardo couldn't help but tease Comte more.

"That's rich coming from the man who was at one point frequenting the bed of both the Queen and the King. Your cock was the main thing holding that marriage together"

Realising that Leonardo's knowledge of his philandering past was the winning hand, Comte sighed and continued smoking with a pout on his face. He eventually fell back into his dilemma, voicing the conflict that was haunting him constantly around his most treasured resident to his old friend in the smoke tinged evening air. He was talking for a while before he realised Leonardo had stopped responding and there was now a snoring sound echoing into the night much to his annoyance. Comte considered leaving the ingrate on the balcony to freeze overnight but it wasn't worth the moaning that would come so he unceremoniously lifted him into the room and dumped him on the bed with more force than was necessary. It earned him a bite in the derrière.

Persephone crept out of her room, the cool glow of the full moon lighting her way to the vacant wing of the mansion. It was hardly falling to rack and ruin, but the half decorated rooms, discarded books, trinkets and remnants were fun to investigate. She padded lightly down the hall, her black boots contrasting with the white silken slip she slept in. It was one of the many gifts of clothing from Comte, and although it was technically underwear, she rather liked sweeping about the empty part of the mansion in it and as well as sleeping in it. It felt the part of a gothic heroine, which was fitting for the only woman in the nest of vampires. The thought bought a silly grin to her face, enjoying the levity of the moment she gracefully twirled down the hall, dancing through the moonlight. There was no real reason for her nightly endeavours, just that she enjoyed the peace the small hours bought and tonight she was too restless to sleep so she decided to explore some more.

Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't alone. Comte watched, bewitched at her beautiful figure sweeping through the hall. Like an angel come to his home. He followed, careful to mind his steps; he wanted to observe her but more so a dark idea was taking root in his mind. Leonardo had already said she'd told him what she liked through that story, so tonight he intended to let his inner beast out to hunt the one who had so inflamed his desires.

Persephone came to a stop near the double doors that led to the wooded part of the property. She'd not explored that much of that part yet, spending most of her time around the manicured gardens but the bright moon painting the trees tempted her to try the doors to see it they'd open. It wasn't a cold night, but there was a bit of a chill, raising gooseflesh on her skin, making the hair on the back of her neck stand. Her increased sensitivity making her feel strange, as if she was being watched. She looked around only to still find herself alone in the hall, brushing the feeling off as the atmosphere of the night. The doors were stiff, but with a little pushing, they soon opened out to the woody landscape. She remembered Sebas saying something about there being an old hunting shack out in the woodland in this direction and she’d been searching for days. The curiosity led her eyes to peer between the trees, as if trying to make out a building amongst the tangle of wood.

As she was about to step out, a velvet voice filled the silence "Careful where you wander ma chérie. You never know what beasts lurk in the dark waiting to sink their teeth into such nubile flesh"

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her. She turned with a start only to find Comte behind her, she let out a small chuckle at his appearance, the fear receding as she relaxed in her master's presence.

"I'm not scared about such things" she said with a light tone "I am no ones meat. Plus what harm could I come to among you and your companions" she added a flirtatious intonation at his warning, winking at the vampire. Although tonight even she noticed something different about Comte. He'd always been devastatingly attractive, but something about him in the moonlight with his top button open, he seemed overwhelmingly sensual. It was radiating off him to the point she felt herself flush just by his presence, the prickle of gooseflesh growing over her body. His eyes even seemed to glow molten gold, a little voice in her mind wandering if it was possible to drown in someone's gaze. Unconsciously, she moved closer to him, as if hypnotised. Comte's smile took on an edge, vampires were not just creatures of blood but sex too. They were sensitive to the arousal of their pray, long using beguilement to lure and disarm so they could devour their prey in every way possible. It had been a while since he'd let his vampiric self out to play and already he was rewarded with the scent of lust, the pretty young maiden coming to him willingly, body illuminated by the moon, waves of dark hair webbed over pearlescent skin, her pert nipples caressed by the silk he'd bought and dressed her in. What a beautiful sight indeed. However, how beautiful she'd look with a flush of fear upon her skin, her blood pumping even faster?

The vampire advanced on his prey, driving Persephone slowly against the wall until she was caged by him. The master of the mansion finally showing his fangs.

It was in that moment, she realised, the beast began to show his true nature. Still dressed in the costume of his gentlemanly role, but the sway of his movements, the power radiating from his body and the blazing gold in his eyes gave away the true nature of this predator incarnate. Inhuman and otherworldly, utterly beguiling. He could subdue her with his strength alone, but his mesmerising aura was enough to cause her to still under his gaze as his arms caged her against the wall

“Ma petite chérie, ma belle proie” his breath against her ear making every nerve in her body buzz with a electrifying mix of fear and lust “you dance around me in such a skimpy little outfit, barely concealing that enticing body of yours like you’re safe and sound but chérie, you seem to forget that my true nature is neither gentle nor a man” his voice dropped an octave and the smoothness of his tone was now edged with a predatory growl

“Oh but cher Maître, you seem very much like a hot blooded man right now…” She teased despite the tension coiling through her stomach, aware of quite how thin the fabric of her nightgown was, how the silk seemed to accentuate her form rather than conceal it. The comment earned her a deep chuckle, that felt like it was reverberating through her bones, setting her nerves on fire and making heat pool between her legs.

“Oh ma chérie, ma jolie petite listen very carefully now” his lips came even closer to her ear, his body pressed her further into the wall “sois intelligent et cours, run as fast as those lovely legs can carry you because if I catch you I intended to devour every last part of you” his forehead was now pressed against hers, eye to eye with something even more dangerous dancing in them now. He was showing her a courtesy, however they both knew that this would end in the predator capturing his prey like a tiger playing with a rabbit.

Comte moved his lips to her neck, giving a light kiss before he gently pulled his fangs over the skin making her shudder in anticipation, never breaking it but reminding her of his ferocity. The feeling of her breath hitching, her body tensing made his lust start spiralling. Pausing over her pulse, pressing the tips a little into her skin, he could feel her blood flowing and wanted to sink his fangs and drink her blood while she sung blissfully under him but alas that was out of the question. The scent of her desire drifting to him made him stiff, but he wanted to prolong the foreplay before he devoured her fully; the harder the chase the more satisfying the meal after all. He drew his fangs back and licked a stripe back up her neck, halting at her ear after giving the lobe a playful nibble. His lips stilled over it so she would hear his warning

"Run" he breathed in her ear, letting out a fearful snarling growl to make his prey flee. She was smart enough to bolt at that point. Comte watched her run down through the doors that lead to the forest, seeing her merge with the darkness. He dropped his coat and waistcoat to the floor, rolled up his shirtsleeves and licked his lips as he began to track her trail.

"Let the hunt begin chérie"

Dodging between the trees, the moonlight warping them into a maze she she weaved through as fast as she could. The chilled air stung her lungs and sensitised her skin, the silk of the slip caressing and pulling over her body in a way that made her more aroused. She was being hunted, but she had no real desire to evade capture. Perhaps Comte had listened too well to her favourite story but she had no complaints as he stalked her through the woods. She lent up against a tree, taking a moment to gather her bearings and slow her breathing

"You'll need to do better than that ma jolie petite" Comte's voice rung between trucks, seeming to bounce off every surface, shooting straight between her legs making her shudder in pleasure. Persephone didn't need to be warned twice and set off on again, she would make that vampire work for his meal.

She had no idea how long they had been playing their erotic hide and seek, how deep in the woods they had wandered. In the distance, a light orange glow caught her eye, it's warmth standing out in the cool light of the moon. Moth like she ventured towards it, as the glow got larger, she came to realise that it was coming from a small cabin. Perhaps the same building that had initially piqued her interest.

The worn wood felt smooth to the touch, soft almost in it's curves and textures. The door opened smoothly, a wall of warmth and smell of a fire embracing her. As she walked in, she looked around at the cosy space. It was simple but luxurious, as expected of her tasteful master. Leather arm chairs by the fire, a small parlour table between. The space stretched on to what looked like a pile of furs adorning a bed near the window. This place was certainly not abandoned, the incongruity of a lit fire in the middle of a night not dawning on her until she heard the door click shut, the turning of a lock signalling there was no escape.

She turned to see his glowing eyes, his shirt even more undone and tie long gone. The firelight dancing on his exposed muscle, emphasising how strong, how utterly virile he looked. The arms that she usually saw handling tea cups and letters now transformed into the strong, unyielding arms of a predator.

His smile was steeped in lust, licking his lips at the sight of her. He took a seat in one of the chairs, turning it so he was looking directly at her, his position lesuirely as one leg crossed over the knee of the other making the bulge in his trousers all the more obvious. The silence was heavy with their unspoken but obvious desires, until Comte's commanding voice said

"Boots, off" she complied, slowly slipping her feet out of the boots onto the warm plush rug.

"And the slip" his eyes felt like they were setting her on fire, she did as he bade and let the straps off her shoulders. The silk fluttering to the floor around her feet. Not a shred of fabric hiding her from him now. He savoured the sight, enjoying every inch of the flesh he intended to enjoy.

"Into the fire with it" he said, moments like this it dawned how much the aristocrat he was, commanding her with such practiced ease. She bent and lifted the silk slowly, keeping her eyes locked on his through the whole movement exaggerating her form as she bent ensuring he enjoyed every moment of the show. The slip evaporated in the flames like moth wings. Once it was gone he got up and finally began his meal. Her lips tasted of salty sweat and the rose oil he gave her, his hands touching every inch of naked flesh, soft and warm yet muscular and strong. He could feel the years of training that had sculpted her, the thought at her stamina and the night of sex ahead making his erection strain at his trousers. Their tongues wrapped around each other like serpents, he pushed her body towards the bed pressing his pelvis into hers until they fell together upon the soft furs. The tickle against her naked flesh making her gasp as he broke the kiss so he could strip himself. She was certain she heard the ripping of fabric as he shed the layers of fine garments until he stood over her naked and painfully handsome, every muscle defined, his cock erect and leaking. The sight alone made her clench, her arousal dripping between her legs longing to feel that impressive organ rearrange hers.

"Legs open" he commanded, the authority in his voice making it clear there would be no arguments. She opened her legs, as wide as she could allowing him full view of her, going so far as to hold them open for his enjoyment. Comte licked his lips at the sight, her cunt flushed dark and painted in firelight, dripping with want. He lifted her leg, bringing the arch of her foot to his face and placed a chaste kiss upon it, making her gasp and try and pull away only for his inescapable grip to tighten. Next his lips kissed her ankle and begun the journey towards her thighs, kissing, nibbling, licking every bit of skin as he ascended. Soon he'd joined her on the bed, between her legs and kissing, marking, sucking the inside of her thighs until he was near her cunt, her body already trembling at his ministrations. He slid his long finger inside, her drenched hole. He withdrew the digit and commanded her again

"Look at me" her eyes locking with his again as he slowly licked her arousal off it. Making a sound of delight as if he's just tasted a fine wine

"Ma chérie, how lovely you taste. So sweet and delicious, you coat my finger so well I can only imagine how fine you'll be on my tongue" he smirked as he bought his lips to her pussy. He kissed up and down, then took to licking every inch of it, tasting every part of her intimate flesh. She moaned as he worked, not even sinking into the best part yet. He spread her open, enjoying every detail of her pretty cunt and sunk his tongue into her quivering little hole. This earned him her voice wrapping around his name and the feeling of her fingers in his hair, pulling, scratching and driving him further in. The enthusiasm making him chuckle into her. He slipped in two fingers, curling them deep into her to stimulate her g spot, sucking on her clit hard to make her come on his face as soon as possible. He wanted to feel her pouring all over his lips. It didn't take long for his wish to come true as she ground against him and shamelessly chased her orgasm.

Persephone throat already felt dry from yelling Comte's name over as he ate her, but now the real show began. He stood up, wiping the liquid from his face, licking it from his fingers. It only made her wetter.

"On all fours" came another of his commands, making her stomach flip. As she settled on all fours, she made a show of gently wiggling her bottom to him, looking over her shoulder with a pretty look of mischief. He gripped her hip, then bought his hand down in a light smack

"What was that for?!" she asked in faux indignation

"Because I can" he said, his smirk widening to revealing his fangs. The sight made her giggle, enjoying seeing the usually so put together man so very feral.

His grip on her hips tightened as he bought his cock to her entrance, rubbing the tip to lubricate it, then he lined up and sunk in with a strong movement, nearly knocking her forward. She let her arms down a bit only to spanked again letting her know she was to stay on her hands. He started pounding her, thrusting in while using his grip on her hips to to slide her up and down his cock as he thrusted in, the sensations making both of them curse. Persephone gripped the furs as he mounted her like she was a bitch in heat. It felt good to be his, to be claimed like this and she called his name each time he sank in. Overwhelmed sometimes by how deep he got.

Just as another climax was building, he pulled out and rolled her over onto her back. He lifted one leg to his shoulder, pressed the other one wide and sunk into her again, enjoying the view of her reaching into the furs, her fingers gripping them tight, her hair spread everywhere and her body gleaming in the dim light pulled tight and arching like a bow. He pressed their bodies close, enjoying the sensual possibilities of her flexibility that he would explore for the rest of the night. The position was closer, more intimate, when his hips came flush with hers they reached new depths making her scream into him. The sensation made Comte growl, a string of curses falling from him in an array of languages. Seeing the vampire fall apart for her, it was dizzyingly good. He moved smoothly, rolling his hips with each thrust, pressing along every part of her silken walls. He kissed her again, capturing her lips and taking the breath from her, kissing down her neck and chest landing at her nipples. Taking one in his mouth, he sucked as he fucked deep into her, the sensations making her come on his cock. The tightness and fluttering sent him into oblivion too, his hips stopping and pressing deep as he filled her with him. Their bodies stay connected while they both rode out their highs. He slowly raised himself and pulled out of her, savouring the sight of his seed mixed with her. Partly tempted to lick it up, he held off to enjoy her relaxed form recovering from his embrace. The delight of finally having her made the coil of frustration that had been building for days finally faded and he couldn't keep the satisfied smile off his face. He rolled one the bed, pulling her close and running kisses down her neck.

"So chérie, how does it feel to tame a beast with your body" he whispered into her ear, the room quiet save for the crackle of burning wood. She squirmed in his arms. The feeling of her pulling away from him caused a slight concern of pushing her too far to bubble up. However, before it could take hold though, she climbed atop him brushing her cunt on his half hard cock. The feeling made him swell again instantly, the feeling of her suddenly sinking down on him making his hips buck and his voice howl. She let out a breathy chuckle, looking down at him

"I don't know Comte, you'll have to tell me when you've managed to tame this beast" she said as she caressed her own body then bringing her hands to his chest. Her tone was affectionate, leaning down to kiss the tip of his nose before she began riding him with fevour.

The howls from the hunting cabin continuing long past the break of dawn.

[argyre169]

Ray's Birthday !

To mark Ray's birthday, I'm excited to share a batch of drawings and little situation I've created just for the occasion ! I hope you'll enjoy them. As I get back into digital drawing, I'm still working on perfecting proportions, but I'm giving it my best shot. Keep an eye out for the big reveal

TW : their is SFW and NSFW drawing, both post will be cut out in two, the SFW which will be posted here and the NSFW one who will not be published on Tumblr for community rules purposes but if you are willing to see it i will gladly take recommandations of where i can post it . Be aware that Binary Star VN is an adult onely game. I am responsible for what I create but not for what you watch so if you'r not ready to see such things please skip this post

Thanks again for this beautiful game @concreteparasite

and Thanks to @shoyastars for their implication in the BSH community, you actually motivated me to do thoses post ;)

Thanks again for all of your likes on the previous post your support means a lot!

PS: The name of my OC is Roxanne. If you'd like more information or want to see more posts like this, don't hesitate to leave a comment ;)

Roxanne : age: 22 height : 1m75/5.8

Ray saving Roxanne from Double : ( SFW version so no potential Triggers you can see the other versions on the second post )

" As Ray held Roxanne in his arms, her delicate form nestled against his chest, a storm raged within him. The scent of her fear mingled with the metallic tang of blood as a reminder of the violence he had unleashed to rescue her from the clutches of Double. His jaw clenched with a suppressed rage as he surveyed the aftermath of his wrath. The lifeless bodies of Double's sidekicks strewn across the ground like discarded puppets. He knew he had acted out of necessity, but the weight of his actions pressed heavily upon him, a burden he bore in silence as always. Yet amidst the chaos and destruction, one thought consumed his mind : Roxanne's safety. She was his to protect, his to cherish, his to love. No one, not even a wretched fiend like Double, would dare lay a finger on her ever again. He could not allow anyone to threaten what was his, to encroach upon his territory. His grip tightened ever so slightly around Roxanne, a silent vow to shield her from harm at any cost. But beneath the facade of stoic resolve, a flicker of exhaustion danced in his eyes. The weight of his responsibilities bore down upon him, the never-ending battle against vilains and aliens taking its toll on his weary soul. Yet, in the midst of his fatigue, a spark of determination burned bright within him. For he was not just a mere man, but the most powerful superhero in the universe. He would stop at nothing to ensure Roxanne's safety, to protect her from the darkness that lurked in the shadows. With a silent nod to his inner demons, Ray gathered Roxanne into his arms and vanished into the night. For she was not just his love, but his everything. And he would do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if it meant sacrificing his own soul in the process."

She said yes ! In this timeline, she is now 25, and he proposed to her 2 days ago. She is overjoyed about it.

In the wake of Ray's proposal just two days prior, Roxanne found herself enveloped in a euphoric haze of happiness and excitement using every excuses to show her engagement ring . The weight of the ring on her finger served as a constant reminder of their shared future, a future filled with endless possibilities and boundless love. Every glance at the sparkling gold sent a flutter of joy through her heart, a tangible symbol of their commitment to each other. She couldn't help but steal glances at her hand throughout the day, marveling at the way the light danced off the delicate band. As she went about her daily routine, her thoughts invariably drifted back to Ray and the tender moment when he had asked her to be his forever. The memory filled her with warmth and affection a sense of belonging that she had never known before. With each passing moment, she found herself falling deeper in love with Ray, grateful for the unwavering support and devotion he had shown her even if the begining of their relation was tumultuous. She knew that their love was a rare and precious gift, one that she would cherish for eternity. And as she gazed into the future with him by her side, she couldn't help but feel a sense of profound gratitude for the man who had captured her heart so completely. For in his arms, she had found her home, her refuge, her everything. And she knew that together, they could conquer any obstacle that lay in their path, guided by the unbreakable bond of their love.

" loved, and being loved. Being loved, and loved. "

[otaku553]

Hi!! I'm super interested in the outfits you have your kirby ocs in. If it's not too much trouble (and only if you want to) could you go through the different garments they're all wearing when you have time?

I don’t have much time so I’ll do just one character this time but I’ll definitely post more outfit breakdowns for my other Kirby ocs! But yes I am super excited about outfit design and making sure that garments make functional sense so thank you so much for asking!! Feel free to ask again to give me an excuse to draw more of these

Here’s the one character I’ll cover this time! The dark matter hero of yore oc!

Thoughts are in the read more!

The main idea that I wanted to have for them was that they’re calm, collected, and kind of uptight due to imposed restrictions rather than it being their own character trait. Essentially my idea for this character is that they’re in a rather precarious place in terms of public perception due to the general belief that dark matter is has a negative moral connotation, but remain a “hero” just because the powers that be deemed that they needed to have four. Why? Who knows, perhaps they wanted to make sure that they had a scapegoat. They’re not a very powerful astral when they’re selected but they are made so through the gradual injection of dark matter into them, something which grows stronger from their sadness and hopelessness over their situation and begins to take over their subconscious until it is able to usurp their identity fully.

So the first layer is a full body covering in black, a turtleneck, black toeless knee socks, and a pair of sweatpants. The sweatpants are there to give the impression of looseness and relaxation, but gathered to show the bit of uptightness along with the tight turtleneck.

The second layer, a cool teal-ish gray tunic, is a nod to who they were before the injection of dark matter turned their hair white. Their original color was a greenish teal, a color that is not quite on the opposite side from red (which is associated strongly with dark matter) but still quite far from it. There’s some padding in the shoulders to give them a more solid shape with the other layers, and for comfort when the armor is put on. The side slits help with mobility. This tunic layer is made of very sturdy material that functions essentially as chain mail. It doesn’t give protection to the heart, the essential organ, but there is also a question of whether they want that to be protected or not, and whether it would even kill them or not to be stabbed through the heart.

The third layer is a cool off-white overcoat, and overwhelms the design with white because white is more associated with virtue than black is, and shows, beyond surface level light=good association, a feeling of emptiness. It is both a way that they try to distance themselves from the idea of “dark” matter and a sign of how they are forced to devoid themself of any personality or strong individuality to maintain good graces with the public.

The belt is mostly just a way for me to give more shape to the silhouette by gathering the waist, but the eye shaped brooch was a kind of last minute decision to add a bit extra detail! The leather strap of the belt wraps around the back and towards the front tapers off to a chain of metal beads, which have a hooked clasp at the front concealed by the eye brooch.

Finally, a long scarf/sash is wrapped off the shoulders and tucked in through the belt. There are two overlapping layers at the front, and the back layer is shorter than the front. This is a very constricting configuration that makes it difficult for them to raise their arms very high without displacing it. To keep it nicely on the shoulder, each side is help up with an eye-shaped pin, securing it to the white overcoat layer a bit under the shoulders. The red teardrop jewels hanging from those are just an extra pop of the red accent color. The underside of the scarf is red, but difficult to see if they keep their arms lowered.

In their more battle-ready outfit, they raise the dropped shoulder scarf up to wrap around the shoulders and neck, and fold the inside down to make it a red collar. This is symbolic of how they depend on the power of dark matter injected into them to fight. The collar is secured with the pins. Then, pauldrons are added, with the harness for them being secured with straps across the chest underneath the scarf and under their arms. I forgot to draw it but they also wear shin guards underneath the pants, over their socks.

[lilac-witch]

If My Wish Came True, It Would've Been You - Azriel x OC

CHAPTER ONE: ALL YOU HAVE IS YOUR FIRE AND THE PLACE YOU NEED TO REACH

word count: 1.1k

synopsis: Koschei's forces are growing stronger by the day, and the fae of Prythian need an answer to their prayers. Thankfully, the Most Handsome High Lord is full of entertaining ideas.

warnings: strong language.

a/n: the above media work is not mine and I have no idea who to credit 😢 if you are the owner/know the owner, please let me know so I can credit their work or replace it should you/they not wish to have it displayed. also, the plot of this series may not align with the writings of SJM completely, and that is because I am taking creative liberties to lead the story in the direction I want it to go 😁

main masterlist | series masterlist

Formal meetings had never been Azriel’s strong suit. Too many fae and no shadows to hide in and watch from—forced to sit in an uncomfortable chair not made to accommodate his wings—subjected to the flamboyant disagreements of those who held power.

“If you sit any straighter your spine may stay fixed in that position.”

Azriel’s head swayed slightly to the right, meeting the amused violet-blue eyes of his High Lord. “It’s not my fault that these fucking chairs make it feel like someone is busy shoving a stick up your arse.”

Azriel’s keen eyes caught the slight uplift of Rhysand’s mouth despite his cool, composed posture.

“Such vulgar language, Az! I think you’ve been spending too much time with Cassian and Nesta.”

Azriel resisted the urge to give Rhys the finger, so as to avoid an uncomfortable conversation with the company they presently shared.

For the last several hours, Azriel had found himself sharing a space with not only one, but seven High Lords. The bi-annual High Lord’s meeting—the only time of the year when one could expect to find all of the great powers of Prythian in one room together.

“Are you going to bring it up?”

Rhys’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, face souring ever so slightly.

“Yes, in a few moments. We can’t delay the inevitable, I suppose.”

Azriel watched his High Lord for a moment before responding. “You’re not to blame. You know that right?”

Rhys's head bobbed—in agreeance or thanks, Azriel wasn’t completely sure.

Rhys cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the bickering High Lords scattered around the table. “As much as I enjoy watching the lot of you nip at each other's tails, there is a much more… pressing matter to discuss.”

“And what would that be Rhysand?” the red-headed lord mused. “Here to tell us you are the mother’s gift to us all? That we ought to bow before your feet? Name you King?”

Azriel snarled in warning, only to be waved off by Rhys. Beron, High Lord of the Autumn Court—and the greatest waste of space Azriel had come across in over 500 years of existence.

“That’s right. Call your dog off,” Beron said, lips parting to reveal that smug smile of victory. Cauldron, it made him want to knock the arrogant redheads’ teeth out.

“As I was saying…” Rhys drawled. “There are signs of Koschei’s troops gathering in great numbers. We assume they are planning to attack. The question begs as to when.”

“And you learnt this from the shadows that whisper in your dog’s ear, I presume?” Beron questioned, the remark causing Azriel’s fists to clench.

“He’s a prick. Don’t let him get to you.”

Azriel took a deep breath as Rhys’s voice infiltrated his mind. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly, his hands relaxed, settling palms down on his leather-bound knees.

“Elain has been having visions,” Rhys revealed as Azriel monitored shocked expressions litter the faces of those who sat around the table.

“Well…that is most concerning,” Thesan breathed, slouching back in his chair—chin finding the cup of his palm.

“You’re certain it’s Koschei she’s seeing?” Helion asked, leaning forward to rest his weight on his onyx forearms. Azriel couldn’t recall a time when he had seen the High Lord of Day look so serious.

Rhys nodded. “We’re almost completely confident that Elain is seeing the death god–”

“And what would you have us do, Rhysand? Our troops are a little thin after the last war you led us into.”

Azriel resisted releasing the primal growl that rose up through his chest—threatening to rattle his ribcage like one of the musical shakers he’d seen being played in the street of Velaris.  “You seem to be misinformed about your own cavalry, High Lord. From what my sources tell me, your troops were barely dented by the war, unlike the rest of the courts.”

Beron snarled at him, eyes ablaze with that raging fire that ran through his Autumn Court veins. A compulsive liar—just like his eldest son.

“So, another war is upon us, and we are low on means of muscle and protection,” Kallias stated, rubbing at the skin between his stark white eyebrows. “What do you suggest as a solution? Will the mortal queens aid us?”

“Vassa might, but Mother knows Koschei will do everything he can to tighten his noose around her.” Rhys leaned back in his chair, and Azriel noted his attempt to appear nonchalant despite his growing agitation. “There is another option…”

Azriel knew that pondering look on his brother’s face too well. That was a look of scheming—of plans that may or may not get them killed…again.

Rhys took a breath before continuing. “A few months ago, the Night Court received a visitor from a distant land. A very distant land.”

Azriel’s breath caught in his throat. No… Rhys would have to be out of his god's damned mind to be suggesting this.

“Her name was Bryce Quinlan. Fae, although not completely like us, but not entirely different either. She possessed the power of a star. And she fell through worlds…”

“Are you meaning to tell us that you had a fae from another world land on your doorstep?” Helion blanched, his deep-coloured skin seeming to glow with excitement. “Why in the name of all things good are you only telling us this now!”

It was Azriel who spoke next. “We didn’t know who she was, what she was, and what she was capable of. We didn’t want to take the chance of word getting out, and the issue becoming larger than what it was.”

Rhys looked to Thesan, whose intelligent eyes were combing through this newfound information. “She’s back on her home planet, where she belongs. Her stay was brief, but her impact… tremendous.”

“You wish to seek out her help.”

“Yes,” Rhys confirmed. “She mentioned great powers that protected her world from harm. Warriors of unparalleled strength. She called them Valkyrie.”

“That’s not possible,” Helion countered. “The Valkyrie died out centuries ago.”

Rhys simply nodded. “They did. In our world.”

The silence that followed was almost painful. No one dared to utter a word—as if fearing that everything would shatter like glass.

Surprisingly, it was the Lord of Spring who broke the spell. “Let’s say your idea holds value. How do you plan on contacting this… Bryce Quinlan, when she is worlds away?”

Rhys’s lips turned up in that arrogant smirk that had earned him his nickname—prick. It was then that Azriel realized. Rhys had been thinking about this for a while—a long while. And he had formulated a plan that he was seemingly confident about.

“My second in command has some incredibly useful qualities,” Rhys hummed, threading his fingers together. “Why don’t you leave the details to me.”

Eeek!!!

I'm so happy to finally be uploading this! I've been mulling over this idea for ages and it feels so good to finally put pen to paper... kind of. I hope you guys love it, and I can't wait for the chapters to come!

Tag List: @mybestfriendmademe @lilah-asteria @talesofadragon

[katyaromanoffpetrova]

Our goddess and savior: Natasha Romanoff

Katya is good at ending up in bad situations. Natasha is good at getting her out of them.

• Natasha Romanoff x Fem!OC • Wordcount: 1.7k • Warnings: descriptions of gore and an execution This is part of my series where I post small scenes I've written over the years that have never seen the light of day because they didn't fit into the story the way I wanted them to Masterlist

Do not repost my work as your own or translate my work!!

A/N: this one is for you @milfs69420

2010

Katya's wrists ached where the rope cut into them, a wooden pole digging into the valley between her shoulder blades. She tried to feel for the small knife hidden in the sleeve of her mission suit, but they'd successfully managed to strip her of all her weapons. There was nowhere to go, and her muscles were aching as she used the pole to keep herself up.

Fuck this mission. And fuck herself for messing it up once more. 

Maybe Natasha was right and she really was the worst best spy ever. Somehow, she always walked out with the correct information or the right person's heart pierced by her knife. But it was always after almost dying or getting hurt.

Right now, Katya found herself on the other side of a firing squad. About ten men patiently awaited orders to empty the magazines of their automatic weapons into her body. Behind them, a hundred more from their shitty organization gathered to watch the whole thing happen, like pathetic little sheep.

They were using her for propaganda and a demonstration of power. How nice. 

''Look,'' Katya sighed exasperatedly, using her last bit of energy to cover up her dread. If she was going out, she was going out with sass. ''I know I'm pretty, my girlfriend says so, but is the display really necessary?'' 

God, she could really use Natasha right about now, mere moments away from a possibly very shitty death. Imagine getting delivered back to SHIELD with hundreds of bullet holes in her body. 

A wave of guilt nearly brought her to her knees. That would leave her gorgeous girlfriend traumatized for sure.

''Yes.'' A short man in front of her answered. He barked orders at the firing squad earlier. Now he was slowly pacing back and forth, waiting for something. Katya wasn't sure what. His French accent annoyed her. ''You're an example.''

''Of beauty?'' She feigned an exaggerated smile. ''Thanks.''

''No. Of idiocy.'' He scoffed, stepping up to her. His creepy little eyes traveled up and down her body in disdain, as if he was bitter he didn't get to shoot her himself. ''Thought you were one of the best. The Ghost.'' 

Katya wasn't backing off—not that she could. She squinted at him when she spat out her code name. ''Yeah, well, I have a reputation of messing up.''

''Clearly.'' He smirked when he heard someone coming up to him, stretching out his arm to receive something. ''So, this is you paying the price for it.''

Dread swirled in Katya's gut as she watched him fiddle with the mysterious thing in his hand. He'd turned around and walked back to his men, so it wasn't clear what it was, but she had a bad, bad feeling about it. Worse than her upcoming death. ''What's that?''

Smugly, the man turned around, lifting and pointing the object at her. It was a video camera. ''I am going to film this, if that's alright with you? Give your friends something to remember you by.''

All the blood drained from Katya's face at once. Gone was her attitude.

She could handle dying. And she was pretty sure Fury would shield Natasha from ever seeing her destroyed body. But if this shitty little man got her death on video, he would dangle the footage over Natasha's head and use it to absolutely destroy her soul. 

Katya could handle dying, but she would not drag her girlfriend along with her.

''No. Don't,'' she said firmly, her whole body on edge. She wanted to snatch that recorder from his hand and throw it so hard against a wall that it shattered in a million pieces. But she was helpless, tied to this godforsaken wooden pole like a witch in the seventeenth century.

The man's smirk widened. ''Oh, someone's getting queasy.''

Katya's fingers curled into fists to keep her fearless composure. ''You can kill me all you want, but don't put it on tape. That's really not necessary.''

''Too bad.'' Slowly, he backed up, until he stood between the row of shooters. He was enjoying it, this asshole. He knew he had her on the edge of desperation. ''Any last words?'' When the red light on his recorder started to flicker, Katya knew it was too late.

''None meant for you.'' 

Defeated, accepting of her upcoming fate, she closed her teary eyes, leaning her head back against the pole. 

Death was fine by her. That wasn't the part she feared. But all Katya could think about was the people she'd leave behind. People who would actually care if she was gone now. 

Well, just one person, actually. Natasha. How heartbroken she'd be. She would never let another person get close again, give up on love forever. Maybe she'd run from the pain, give up on everything good she was achieving with SHIELD. All that growth, everything that made her into a human being again, gone. 

In this moment, though, there was nothing else to do but accept the situation. Dozens of soldiers, tightly tied to a pole, defenseless; Katya was stuck and utterly hopeless. 

''Guns ready!''

Nat, I love you. It's the only thing she could think of. I love you, I love you, and I'm so sorry I'm leaving you again. Please, forgive me. 

''And—''

His voice got cut off by a choking sound.

Katya's eyes flew open, disoriented and confused. Her heart raced in her chest as she followed the noise of the video recorder shattering on the floor to the man from before. 

A knife sat deeply lodged in his throat. Blood sprayed out of his artery, his mouth wide open as he fruitlessly clawed at his neck. But there was absolutely no fixing this. His knees instantly gave out, and in a mere five seconds, he was as dead as they could be.

Frantically, Katya looked around for the thrower, her savior. Although from the precision with which that knife was thrown, it could only be one person. The only one almost as good as her. 

The realization made her laugh, and she dropped her head back against the pole once more. This time with a wide smile on her lips. 

''Always the dramatic entrance, darling!''

Like she was in the walls, Natasha's chuckle echoed all around. The dozens of aimless men in front of Katya were spinning hopelessly in their spot, raising their guns, trying to find her, but Natasha was nowhere to be found. The shadows loved her as much as the setting sun loved her orange hair. 

A horrifying humming filled the space, a slow tune which made neckhairs rise and skin crawl. Something straight out of a horror movie. ''You look so pretty tied up, baby.''

Despite the situation, Katya felt her smile morph into a sly smirk. She shifted restlessly, eager to get out of these ties now that rescue was near. ''Then why don't you come down here and help yourself?''

''I am here, baby.''

She jumped six figurative feet in the air, her wrists painfully sliding across the rough wood from the pole. Natasha's voice sounded from right behind her, where she had never expected it. ''Jesus!''

''Close your eyes,'' Natasha muttered, her mouth close to Katya's ear.

''Why—'' A loud shriek left her lips. The sound of a million gunshots bounced off the walls of the warehouse, amplified by the bare concrete and metal support beams holding the place up. It was deafening. If it weren't for the hands covering her ears, Katya feared she may have had a ringing in her ears for a week. 

Her eyes closed all on their own as—what must be—SHIELD STRIKE teams laid down fire upon everyone in the room. Natasha must have brought them with her when she realized what the situation was like. Katya recognized an execution when she heard one. She couldn't say she hated this one. Something about karma. 

The noise abruptly died out. Safe for some rattling of empty bullet shells, the warehouse was completely silent after Natasha took her hands away. The dozen, quick-moving, heavy footsteps that moved in on the very dead crowd were mere whispers compared to the thunderstorm from before.

Natasha sighed, stepping in front of Katya with a disappointed yet amused shake of her head. It was probably the near-death experience, but Katya had never seen anything more beautiful than this. Was this what religious people saw when Jesus came to them in a dream? ''You really did it this time. A firing squad.''

Katya grinned, trying not to focus on all the dead bodies behind her girlfriend. The relief she felt was indescribable. Natasha saved her life once again. ''Impeccable timing, honey.''

''I let you sweat a bit. Was here, like, fifteen minutes ago.'' Natasha shrugged, pulling another knife from her thigh to cut the rope with. 

She pretended not to see the murderous glare Katya sent her as she disappeared behind her again, because that was such a dick move, to try and teach her a lesson by almost letting her get murdered. It wouldn't even work, because Katya just kept ending up in these situations, even if she tried to be more careful. Especially then.

''Hey, what were you thinking about right before I treated that guy to my knife?'' Natasha knowingly asked as she cut away at the rope around Katya's wrists. ''You had that frown on your face.''

They both knew she did that dramatic mental goodbye, but Katya refused to give in to the teasing. Relieved, she brought her hands to her chest when they were freed, rubbing her raw wrists. ''Thinking about the chicken I had for dinner. It was very good.''

''Mhm,'' the redhead hummed skeptically. She returned to Katya's front to cut away the rope around her ankles, tossing her hair over her shoulder before she crouched down.

''And about how sexy you look in your mission suit.'' Katya's eyes lit up, risking everything by staring at Natasha's cleavage while the woman had a very sharp knife very close to her Achilles heel. This top view just did wonders for her chest. ''By the way, that knife and the psycho tint after? Incredibly hot.''

Natasha smirked, her gaze flickering up to Katya's. ''I thought you'd like it.''

Like? Katya had nearly crumbled on the spot. ''Baby, I think once you cut me loose, my knees might give in on me.'' She chuckled humorlessly.

Somehow, Natasha looked excited by that fact. ''I'll have to carry you then.''

[whispering-radiance]

She’s here!! Meet Eiko — my rc9gn OC !! There’s quite a lot that I didn’t include in the short intro card — So if anyone wants to read more about her and this whole AU — I invite you to the “Read More” section :D

|The lore|

Eiko and Nomi were born into first ninja’s family before the sorcerer was sealed away— The whole clan moved around the land, fighting the sorcerer’s monsters and horrors along the way. While they both studied the blade, Eiko turned out to be more sensitive to spirits and magic than Nomi — Later in life, she decided to pursue the title of the greatest exorcist in the land.

She ventured across the land while Nomi stayed with their father. Both became masters in their own fields.

Days after First passed— Nomi was tasked to find another, who would become the next ninja— Not only was he tasked, he was also warned — That he shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be the next one to wear the mask.

Nomi was a good son. He always listened to his father’s request— but this one — He was sure that he would bring his father honor if he took his place.

After he put the mask on — It took control over him and forced him to go on a rampage

The reason why it happened lies in the material from which the suit was crafted with. Tengu gave his feathers to the First, yes, but it was simply to give him a chance of defeating the common enemy, not to give his clan the unlimited power. He warned him that this power cannot be kept in the family—

Eiko was called to town to get rid of the rampaging beast— She didn’t know who she was fighting— Until she struck the final blow— She gazed in horror at the body of her dear brother— Wishing to save him, she sealed his soul in the book he wrote— The ninja Nomicon — This was the day that tome became magical

She saved the village and it’s people but the act of killing her own brother angered the gods she worked so closely with — They cursed her to suffer the eternal life until the Nomicon was destroyed or until the Heavenly forgave her sin.

It was the worst version of immortality. Eiko still felt pain — She still bled, her bones could crack, she could fall sick. She also still could get tired, physically and mentally— In every aspect she was still a human, just one that couldn’t die and was forcefully kept alive.

She took a role of the one who chooses the ninja — She did it on her own for many centuries but after a while, she decided to gather some trusted people to help her with this task — Although, Ninja choosing is still pretty much up to fate

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Besides the ninja business— Eiko has her own job to do — As an exorcist, she fights evil spirits and helps kinder one recover — She also chooses one person to fight sorcerer’s forces alongside ninja

Eiko and ghost of her brother, aka the Ninja Nomicon

More about Eiko

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Some other things about this AU

- There is no limit to how long a person could be a ninja — They end their career after they become unable to fight; want to end their time as a ninja by their own choice; Or when they violate Ninja code

- The world is much more filled with spirits, demons, youkai etc.

- Nomi and Eiko don’t have a mother (I didn’t really think about her character/ and I also think she might have died by sorcerer’s hand— that’s why First would be so determined to get rid of him)

- I loosely took inspiration from the cowboy hat weirdo while making Eiko — but he’s still present in my au — he just joined the Nomicon delivery service later in the story

- Eiko and Nomi are adults— Do not ship them with any of the young characters— They are mentors and teachers, that’s all

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I’ll be writing more about this AU one day — Until then, stayed tuned for more!!