#get ready for Slow Burn [Ultimate] y'all

[blindingspark]

Shelter

A downpour over Thanalan's region urges the warrior of light and their companion to hunker down for the evening; personal revelations are wont to come to light in the ember glow of a warm hearth. Rating: Mature-ish [Brief mentionings of their love lives... or lack thereof] Pairing: Zenos/WoL Notes: A VERY lengthy revision of an older fic in the 'nebulous adventurer au', packed with emotional constipation, soul searching and most definitely rolling w/ my headcanon of Ace!Zenos [more specifically Demi but choo choo on the ace train] I hope you enjoy this labour of love!

A rare downpour had begun to cover the arid landscape of Thanalan, aided by the steady rumbling of thunder in the distance and putting a pause to the travels of two adventurers.

Tucked away in some forgotten little settlement, an au ra quietly padded around their chosen home to wait out the storm, using a spare rag to dry their rain-soaked hair, mind turning as they periodically looked to the front door. As if waiting for someone…

It had been a half a year since they began their travelling partnership, the contrast between the Warrior of Light and their towering ward had more than their fair share of trials and victories in such a short span of time; yet in spite of knowing his prowess fully, the mage still found themselves fretting over him-

The sound of the heavy door opening caused Auri to jump, magenta eyes wide as they looked to the entry- shoulders then relaxing as their partner ducked slightly to enter, pulling the hood back after closing the door and locking it,

"Not a soul for malms, save for a few starving beasts." The drawl of the garlean's voice seemed disinterested as always, reaching up to undo the clasp on his cloak and shrugging it off his shoulders to hang it beside Auri's smaller one,

"You were away for some time, I was beginning to worry you had wandered off somewhere." The mage teased lightly, turning to watch the former crown prince as he went about the process of disarming himself, noting the faint smirk on his lips,

"Alas, tempting though it may be, we are simply passing through this land," he glanced over, idly undoing the buckles and shedding the bulkier pieces of armor as he did so, "Our arrangement notwithstanding."

Auri nodded, watching him for a few moments more and letting the quiet within the house settle in before they spoke once more,

"I'm glad you're safe, regardless."

Zenos paused, only for a moment, and set the last of his armor aside. It was a strange and delicate dance between them even months into their partnership; Auri had lost count of the lingering looks exchanged, the small gestures from nestling into the garleans side during a long carriage ride to feeling his hand resting on the small of their back during their rare visits to resupply. The moments of battle when he practically surrounded them like a fortress, the tandem back and forth utilizing their respective skills of magics and pure might to a seamless point… all of it had served to deepen the rather strange bond they shared.

It was during the moments like these, however, in the late hours of quiet and safety that seemed to unearth the untouched aspect between them.

It was no surprise to Auri that his was an upbringing and life of distance, apathetic coldness and violence; such traits had made him a force of reckoning upon the battlefield- their past duels also serving as a testament as such. 

Their travels, as the mage would come to discover, had served to slowly begin chipping away at an otherwise impenetrable front the garlean had lived with; much remained the same, from his eagerness for a challenge and the thrill of a 'hunt' to his restlessness when they negotiated terms and haggled for goods, yet the changes that could be noticed seldom slipped the au ra's eye. Lingering on tomes and art rich with tales of eld, salvaging a piece of treasure that glistened that he would offer to them- oft under the pretense of 'not needing such a trinket himself'- and a certain air of domesticity when they would settle for a time in their travels…

Auri's attention was drawn back upon hearing their name called, blinking owlishly and craning their neck as he stood no more than a few ilms away, hands on his hips and with a look that they could daresay bordered on curious,

"Wh… yes?" They muttered, watching his head cant to the side slightly,

"Ah, you didn't hear me after all," he sighed, "How long has it been since your last meal?"

"My last…" their brows furrowed, "Back in that encampment, why?"

"You were staring as though you were faint."

"I-" they then huffed, mirroring his stance while their tail flicked with faux offense, "I learned from your last grousing, sir!"

A sly smile then appeared on his lips, reaching up and brushing a few stray damp hairs from their face,

"Good. I'd rather you not collapse during our travels a second time." Zenos said simply, knowing full well his gesture was leaving the mage flustered, "What then, pray tell, had you lingering so, hmh?"

Auri's mouth opened to respond, then shut, pressing to a firm line as they thought and settled on a small shrug, 

"Planning ahead, since it seems we're safe for a time we can take a breather, no?"

The garlean hummed, glancing at the nearest window at the low, crackling thunder outside their temporary home before turning his attention back down to his companion,

"For the night, at least."

"Always in a rush," Auri tutted, reaching up to ruffle their hair and sighing, meeting his gaze and offering a smile, "I suppose I'll go rest up in that case, and I trust you'll do the same, hm?"

Zenos looked them over, taking their word as rhetorical and making his way over to the nearby chair situated by the fireplace within the main living space and settling down- a silent addition to their arrangement was the garlean ensuring they slept on the bed wherever they settled, while he fully contented himself to sleeping in a chair. Lingering as they watched him begin unbuckling his greaves, Auri's attention quietly shifted to the fitted under armor which- much to their own surprise the first time- left little to the imagination, the slight flex and relaxation of muscle in his arms and shoulders briefly made them wonder what it would feel like to run their hands along the expanse without the bulk of armor in the way- 

"Did you have something to ask of me," he inquired, never turning his attention away from his task as he moved to the other armored boot,"Or am I to escort you to bed as well?"

"I- of course not, worry about yourself for a moment!" Auri squawked, wringing their hands and muttering a softer 'Good night' to him as they sought out the house's bedroom.

Closing the door behind them the mage reached up and rubbed their face, letting a low groan leave them before trying to ready themselves for the night, shedding their gear and changing into a more comfortable tunic to sleep in- a momentary pause as they slipped it over their head, remembering the previous owner of the spacious shirt, the previous owner who was currently in the other room… slowly pulling it on and feeling a warm fluttering in their chest as they recalled him handing the shirt to use as an easy sleep tunic, though the 'why' was lost to them.

Only within the last month or so had they noticed their attention lingering on him in such a fashion; during their moments of closeness, exploring the other with their hands, the tentative exchanges as if to test the boundaries of their bond and arrangement; wondering what it could be like if they crossed those lines, though a hesitation remained ever present if there was more they simply had yet to experience with the other.

Auri clambered into bed with a sense of self-contained frustration, letting out a huff as their attempts to focus could have burned holes into the nearest wall,

Gather yourself, Auritel, he was assigned to be your ward as the condition for the Alliance sparing his execution for a time, what would they possibly think if they knew the depths of your bond with him? You feel safe around him, but the fact remains it simply cannot be-

Squeezing their eyes shut, the au ra shifted onto their side and attempted to clear their mind, idly chewing on their lip at a passing thought and hugging the pillow to them, a faint scent that lingered in the fabric of their sleeve drawing their minds eye: metal and leather, a hint of fragrant, floral oil that was subtle unless at a close distance, a familiar combination… the mage subconsciously buried their nose in the cloth and held the pillow to their face, quietly indulging in the ingrained scent. The intention of not letting their mind wander failing as they imagined the warmth, the solidity, the near-overwhelming presence of the man who had become an unexpected comfort during their travels surrounding them- nearly swallowing them whole like a vast sea.

Their eyes opened to slits as the lingering, uncertain feelings stewed within them while they stared at the rumpled sheets, listening to the pitter-patter of rain and soft rumbling thunder outside… and finding themselves no closer to sleep.

Slowly pushing themselves up from the bed, Auri's gaze settled on the door- listening for any signs of restlessness from their companion. Their brows knit together, noting instead the strange level of… quiet there actually was.

With their attention on the entry the au ra's legs swung over the edge, allowing them to stand and quietly pad over to the door, doing their utmost to open it with at least some modicum of delicacy.

The door creaked slightly as it was pulled open, granting the mage a glimpse into the living space and settling on the garlean by the fireplace. Illuminated by the fire within the otherwise low-lit room, Zenos seemed to have his gaze fixated on the flames, cheek resting atop his knuckles while his elbow was perched on the arm of the chair, one leg crossed over the other and appearing almost statuesque-

"Is rest eluding you as well?" The inquiry caused Auri to wince, startled out of their little dip into voyeurism as Zenos turned his head slightly to address them.

"I… suppose it is," they murmured, opening the door further to slowly cross the room, gingerly sitting in the seat opposite of his and suddenly feeling quite bare.

Of course they would notice the way his gaze dragged over them in this state, wearing only their smallclothes and the shirt he had given to them, the look feeling faintly akin to a scorching caress before his attention returned to meeting their gaze,

"I take it a strange dream has haunted you, or perhaps it is simple restlessness?" asked the garlean, his tone giving no indication as to what belied the look he had given, watching the mage shift in their seat with their hands loosely clasped atop their lap,

"Restlessness, for certain," Auri said, giving a faint grin, "I ah, I never did get to say… thank you."

His brow perked, though he remained silent,

"When I fainted, I mean. You reminded me that I never thanked you when I came to…" their hands began fidgeting with the hem of the shirt, "You could have easily abandoned me to the elements for such a lacking foresight-"

"I am your ward, abandoning you would simply bring down the executioner's blade that much faster. Though I care naught, I would at least wish to see to the end of our hunt before such a time."

"Ward or no…" they sighed, "You carried me to safety in spite of it, so I feel it's only necessary to thank you for doing as such." 

A brief silence settled between them, with Auri's shoulders relaxing at the small nod he gave them. Apologies and gratitude were foreign to someone like him, that much had become plain in their travels, though the moments where he could accept and return such things were treasured, rare as they were,

"I'm certain your Alliance would clutch their pearls if they heard you say such things," Zenos said, the faintest signs of a musing lilt to his voice; Auri blinked with slightly wider eyes, "Just as they would upon seeing you in such garb, or lack thereof."

Bare feeling, and suddenly very warm.

The au ra stiffened, pausing in their fidgeting with the edge of the shirt,

"I… perhaps," they shifted in their seat, finding it hard to look him in the eye as his attention remained unwavering upon them, "Though it is not the Alliance's place to pass judgment on my choice of sleepwear or where I rest."

"But of course," he replied, "I only say as such given how you have chosen the tunic I had given you more than once… Surely you would wear any other if given the chance?"

Auri's tail flicked as they swore a switch had occurred while they weren't looking, now faced with a seemingly returned deeper attraction beyond what they had already explored. The small voice in the back of their mind reminding them of how poorly this could all end should the Alliance find out, having already tested their limits with their shared affections, 

"I could. Yours simply gives me…" they chewed on their lip, "Comfort. A feeling of safety, even."

At their admission Auri waved a hand dismissively, as if swatting away the flushed feeling creeping up the back of their neck, "But, ah, if my wearing this bothers you in any way, I can surely find something... something else."

"Truly?" He smirked, "You flatter me."

Cool blue eyes lingered on them, almost observant in place of the distinct heat from before, as though he had yet to witness his companion in such a state of dress. Even after growing as close as they had with him during their secret meetings within Gyr Abania and now in their travels, Auri could readily admit they still found themselves startled at times at the sheer intensity of his gaze, even in a relaxed setting such as this; the au ra shifted again and curled their tail into their lap,

"You seem especially focused," quietly teased the mage, moreso to alleviate the lingering air of awkwardness they had felt manifest, "I know your mind turns in fascinating ways, perhaps you could… share your thoughts?" 

A small hum, and his attention moved at last from their being to meeting their gaze in return, the faint scrunch of his brow indicating something had begun to gnaw at him,

"Have you ever been intimate with another?" Zenos's tone remained steady, watching as his companion gawked at the question,

"I…" Auri paused, briefly chewing on their lip as they considered their answer, "I have… only twice, however, with the same partner."

They then gestured to the lounging garlean, "And you? I'm certain there were many in the Empire who find you attractive and would have loved to share your bed…" the words dipped into a moment of nerves as they wondered if they were treading too far-

"Hmh… no." He said simply, earning an owlish look from the mage, a silence settling between them briefly before he continued, "There were many who vied to share my bedchambers in the palace when I came of age, some for their own gain, others who claimed similarities to find common ground and leaving much to be desired when pressed; I had sent away nobility and consorts alike… though I hardly remember just how many faces came and went in all that time."

Auri's expression softened as they listened, carefully fidgeting in contemplation, "I'm sure the pressure was its own annoyance… most royalty and noble folk I've heard tales of would take any to bed who caught their eye simply because they could."

A small huff of acknowledgement came from the  former prince, "I could scarce understand this apparent need that so many claimed to harbor. I had been taught at a young age the purpose of intimacy for royalty: 'Twas simply for ensuring heirs, any additional pleasure was coincidental. I did not wish to sire and I felt no stir regardless of who was put before me, much to the apparent disappointment of many." He replied, turning his head to look at them more directly, noting their solemn expression, "Does that answer displease you?"

Auri winced, attention snapping up from their wandering thoughts and shaking their head, "N-no! It's not… that, per se, I've no reason to doubt or be disappointed by your word, I suppose it's simply… not what I had expected." They said quietly, sighing and examining him, "Between your striking appearance and place in the Empire's hierarchy, I had imagined a few would have caught your eye, but after an answer such as that… I must admit my heart aches."

"Aches…?" Zenos repeated, "For what reason?"

A moment of hesitation was soon followed by the mage letting their hands go slack and pressing them to the cushion on either side of them as if to steady themselves upon the seat, "Having to deal with such things… the expectations set upon one to uphold even if they care naught for it," their head tilted faintly as they looked at their companion, "Though… albeit with less severity, I'm sure, I suppose such things are another similarity between us."

The garlean was silent, though the faint scrunch upon his brow remained; wordlessly pressing them to continue. Auri exhaled through their nose, attention lowering to trace the swirls of the woodgrain in the floorboards, "When I was first deemed the Warrior of Light all manner of folk wished for my hand, especially as time went on and my travels took me far and beyond my simple beginnings with thaumaturgy."

Their expression hardened the longer they stared, "I discovered the fine line early on between who wished to bed me for their own gain and who seemed to have an earnest attraction, the latter being less… frequent." 

"It would seem that snakes make their nests in any place that provides." He said, a slight distance present in his tone, "They would think themselves proud hunters when they are no more than shallow opportunists."

They snickered half-heartedly, "Aye, that they are… my already limited trust was further strained regardless. I've gained a stronger resolve for myself since then, which has been a pleasant boon in its own way."

A flash of lightning brightened the room, pulling their attention to the windows and listening as the rain endured, thinking of the time and wondering how long idle chatter had occupied the two of them; a passing thought drew them back to the former prince, a request… if they could give voice to it.

"...Zenos? If I may," His level gaze remained on them, silently accepting their unknown query, "It's rather late, and…"

The caster chewed on their lip upon choosing their next words, slowly standing and making their way over to stand before the garlean with fidgeting hands. Hands which then reached out to him, "Would you… accompany me to bed? It would be more comfortable than that chair, at the very least."

A faint knitting of his brows was the only response he deigned to give at first, eventually looking to their hands and rising from his own seat- feeling them tentatively grasp his hand and holding it between their own smaller ones.

The travelers studied one another in the firelight and occasional lightning flash, with Auri offering a sheepish smile to him,

"I assure you there is no deception in my offer, and I'm glad you are accepting it…" they said, stepping back and tugging his hand to lead him back to the bedroom they had otherwise claimed for themselves.

Zenos looked to the bed upon entering, a rather skeptical scan of such an aged piece of furniture yet obliging his friend all the same; crawling onto the plush surface which groaned beneath him as he settled on his side and looked to the warrior of light, noting the way they hesitated briefly before slowly moving to lay on their side opposite of him. Another bout of rolling thunder sounded outside and coaxed the au ra to speak,

"It's far from the most comfortable of beds, but 'tis enough to serve its purpose for tonight…"

"I have certainly slept on worse."

The feeling of him reaching to brush some of their hair from their face startled Auri from their spiraling thoughts, meeting his gaze with widened eyes, "I… my apologies, I was…"

Auri chuckled at his blunt reply, giving a conceding nod and adjusting to make themselves more comfortable before the two resumed observing the other in the limited lighting, the thoughts from earlier slowly creeping to the forefront of Auri's mind again at such close proximity. They had entertained the idea more than once even before they were granted permission to venture out into the wider expanses of Eorzea, yet the uncertainty of how he would respond to further affections gave them cause to hesitate.

Would it be too much?

Would all they had cultivated together crumble when stepping past the boundaries of the other?

They had spoken on such things here and there on their journeys, their bond as companions absolute, and yet…

"Drawn to the musings of your mind again," he muttered, "Perhaps you would share which pulls you away at such a time?"

Their cheeks bloomed with warmth, chewing on their lip out of nervous habit until they slowly reached in return, resting their hand upon his cheek and feeling him still,

"I have been… thinking. What… is this? What do we have between us?" Auri asked at last, watching as he studied their face yet retaining his own unreadable expression,

"I suppose such an inquiry would be best answered by you," Zenos replied, "What would you call this?"

A long pause settled between them, "I… suppose," the au ra sighed, "Companionship on the surface… something more deeply intertwined beneath a simple partnership? Driven by a bond we had formed from being tools of those who would use our skills, culminating in what transpired in the gardens in Ala Mhigo…" 

Their hesitation returned, "I have… grown to understand how I feel, about this- about you, and yet… I am afraid we see the other the same but through different lenses."

This time the garleans brows knit together faintly, "You're afraid I would reject further affections…"

They winced, "...Aye."

He uttered a faint hum at that, taking his hand away and hearing the sharp inhale from his companion before he came to rest an arm around them and pulled the mage close, tense as though bracing themselves for whatever came next,

“I know naught if there is a means to answer your query, yet I know that ours is a bond forged from the inferno upon the battlefield, and I intend to maintain it beyond even the grasping claws of death.”

"I have viewed courtship and similar rituals to be trite, an attempt to rattle the tedium of life with worthless embellishments… pursuing that which was ultimately meaningless if it were not for one's own gain," he said, "I saw no reason to indulge in something so fleeting when I looked to those around me."

Auri found themselves grasping at the material of his shirt, eyes down as they listened and felt the tense coiling in their gut remain steadfast while the tip of their tail flicked with their thoughts,

Their eyes widened at his words, looking up at him and finding their voice caught in their throat, “I…”

The mage’s lips pressed to a firm line, taking a deep breath and reaching to draw his attention and meeting his gaze briefly as they pulled him closer, unsure of what drove them as they tentatively pressed their lips to his briefly; as they realized their impulse decision the au ra pulled away with a string of hushed apologies, scarce noticing the look upon his face as he stared before he pulled them back in.

His inexperience with such a gesture revealed itself in his haste, hungrily chasing after another kiss and then another, only steadied upon Auri’s fingers tangling in the length of blond- his particular talent for swift learning soon revealing itself again as he eased and slowed in their exchange as a result.

When they next came up for air the garlean pulled away slowly, face mere ilms from Auri’s own with widened eyes and the faint dustings of flushed skin upon his cheeks and chest. A flustered chuckle bubbled up in the mage when the butterflies settled at last, noting how their companion had shifted and now loomed over them in their excitement,

“That… I…” Auri swallowed hard, loosening their grasp on his hair to run their fingers through it again, settling on cupping his cheeks, “I believe that answers my question.”

The riled look upon his face softened to a familiar and smug smile, lowering to steal another kiss as he settled on his side again,

“Good… I would rather there be no uncertainty with what we have.” he uttered after a moment, pulling his companion close again, a certain satisfaction manifesting within him as the tension had since released from their shoulders to hold him in turn.

The storm continued beyond the walls yet had eased in its intensity, allowing the moon’s glow to shine through more easily and illuminating the room, a softened hum leaning Auri as they nestled against their companion… their lover,

“Perhaps this storm was a boon to us after all.” they muttered with a smile, his radiating warmth and steadying heartbeat had granted newfound ease which pulled the weary adventurer down to a restful lull.

The worries of the world could wait until the storm passed.

[kaliforniahigh]

Hey! I'm the anon that asked for a story for each version of Noah lol. I just wanted to say thank you! and each story has been amazing!! 🥵💯 Thank you again! 🫶🏻

Hii, anon! I'm glad you liked it! Since you're back, I'm gonna use this ask to post the third and final story. This is type 3 Noah, so expect a lot of fluffiness. Just to remind y'all, I'm referring to this post.

Warnings: smut, really soft though ;')

Not proofread!

You've been snuggled under the covers for a couple of hours now, watching some reruns of your favorite series, drifting in and out of sleep with the feeling of Noah's hands on your hair.

You liked times like these. The house was quiet, the room was dark and you had a relaxing candle burning on the bedside table and your boyfriend snuggling you. You couldn't ask for anything else.

As you laid back on his chest, you noticed he was incredibly distracted by your left hand, fingers grazing over your knuckles softly. You let a few seconds pass by before you ask him "what's on your mind?"

He directed his attention back to you. "Oh, nothing, just..." he trailed off, a little unsure of his next words "just thinking about how pretty your hand would look with a gold band right here", he pointed to your ring finger.

Talking about marriage wasn't a foreign concept for the both of you, but he was never so direct before, and it left you a little speechless, before you recovered yourself. "I think a gold band would look incredible in contrast with the tattoos you have on your fingers"

He sofly grabbed the side of your face, prompting you to turn around and face him. "You think so?", he had the most beautiful bashful smile across his face. As if the idea of you wanting to marry him was a surprise. There is never day that goes by that you don't think about spending forever with him.

"I know so", you said, with the most certainty in your voice. He pulled you in for a soft kiss, cradling your face in earnest. "Well then, Mrs Davis, I would like to show you how much I love you on this wonderful night", he said in a whisper, as he moved to your neck and collarbone.

"Of course, Mr. Davis. You can do as you please"

So he traveled lower, eventually getting himself covered by the comforter that was over the two of you. You could feel his breath on your thighs, as you decided to skip on the pants for the ultimate comfort.

He placed some light kisses there, squeezing the outside of your thighs with his strong hands, but every movement felt as soft as the feel of his lips on you. He eventually pushed your panties to the side, placing his mouth where you wanted him the most.

His ministrations were slow and precise, showing you that he wanted to take his time with you tonight. He alternated between using his mouth and fingers to trace lazy circles, as you let out soft pants.

Soon you could feel the tight knot wanting to unravel, as he noticed this, he pulled the covers off, stoping for a minute to take your hands in his and intertwine your fingers, placing your connected palms on your stomach.

"I can't wait to do this with you on our first night officially married", he said a little out of breath. And his words were all you needed to finally let go, squeezing his hand that was on yours, as his other one ran up and down your leg.

When he noticed you were ready to come down from your high, he kissed his way up, back to place his lips on yours, as he pushed a few strands of hair that got in your face.

"I still have to buy you a ring and think of the perfect way to propose to you. But you don't know how happy it makes me that you wanna be on this journey with me", you could hear the adoration and devotion in his words.

Taking his face in your hands, you reassured him "there was nowhere else I would rather be, but on this journey with you"

Dividers: @cafekitsune

[celtigxr]

THE PINK DREAD - CH. 29 (Masterlist)

Chapter Summary: There is no summary for this. Y'all are going in blind. Word Count: 7913 CHAPTER WARNINGS: Angst, Fluff, Self-Loathing, Depression Sluttiness. Oh, we're still talking about menstrual blood.

Series tags: Aemond x Plus size!OfC, Aegon x Plus size!OfC, Celtigar!ofc, Plot with Smut, mdni 18+, Aemond End Game, Angst, Comedy, The Dragons Don't Dance, slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers.

Credits: Lace Banner by Aquazero, pearl divider by Pommecita

Notes: Yes, this chapter be a big girl. Also trying to pretend that ch. 28 not getting as much comments (given what happens in it) does not bother me. I'm totally okay. Really. (morgan freeman: Celt was in fact, totally not okay)

“Princess Helaena!” Ursula said in wonder when Ser Steffon introduced the princess’ arrival. “What a pleasant surprise! We were about to have supper, but you are welcome to join us?”

Helaena smiled politely, her arms woven behind her, “That is a kind offer, Lady Ursula, but I was wishing for Lady Valeana’s company tonight. May you spare her this eve?” 

Valeana had been idly biting the nail of her thumb, an excuse to keep her fingers on her lips, trying to reenact what happened on the balcony a couple of hours ago. Aemond had left her shortly after their kiss when they heard her mother and Floris arguing when they stepped foot inside the apartment. He gave her one last searing kiss and told her that she would see him again that night, though did not specify how that would happen. Then he scaled down the side of the castle, to the gardens below, like some majestic silver-haired mountain goat. 

Ursula turned to Bartimos who looked just as surprised. The Celtigars were nearly a full unit that evening, save for Clement who had chosen to remain in the pavilions. Floris, who sat as far away from Valeana as possible, had muttered under her breath about how Helaena would be doing them a favour, that there will be finally food for everyone. Comments like these weren’t uncommon, even back on the Isle, Floris would make passive aggressive remarks at how much food Valeana had on her plate during meals. However, Floris was no longer a simple annoyance Val had to endure, she was worse, and Valeana wasn’t just going to ignore her jabs any longer.

Valeana swept herself up from her chair and answered before her father could for her, “I would love to keep you company, my Princess. I was just starting to get a headache– there’s an awful perfumy smell around that reminds me of a desperate old maid.”  

Arthor snorted into his drink, and Shyla sniffed the air naively, not aware that it was meant to be an insult. Floris shot her a dangerous look, but ultimately her lips buttoned and the jab went unnoticed by their parents. 

Weaving her arm into Helaena’s, she turned to Bartimos, “Is that alright, father?”

Bartimos hesitated, but he knew he could never deny the princess’s request. “Of course, of course. Will you need Steffon to collect you later?”

Helaena answered this time, “That won’t be necessary, Lord Bartimos. I have made accommodations for my friend to spend the night in my bedchambers.” 

Valeana raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t argue. Her father seemed conflicted, but with one sharp look from Ursula, he relented. As a woman who loved networking amongst her sex, she was not going to let her husband hinder a friendship between their daughter and the only daughter of Queen Alicent. 

With a nod, Bartimos conceded, “That is agreeable. Though, make sure to return her early on the morrow. I want her ready before Princess Rhaenyra arrives.” 

Making that promise, the two girls bid their goodbyes and promptly left. Ser Arryk was waiting for them outside, and dutifully followed them when they left. Valeana sent him a tentative wave and a sheepish smile.

The knight smirked, “Haven’t stolen any more cooking ale recently, have you, Lady Valeana?”

“The night is still young. I may need your assistance again, Ser Arryk.” 

He silently laughed, but made no more comments. 

After a moment, Valeana leaned into Helaena’s shoulder, her voice a whisper, “...Are you bringing me to…?”

The princess’s smile was small, but knowing, “I am.” 

Val ran a hand over her middle, suddenly feeling very nervous. The butterflies had not left her stomach; they flapped wildly at the memory of her first kiss. Her lips still tingled with the memory, desperate to feel the same euphoria again.

She had no intention of kissing Aemond so quickly, so soon. There was a weak moment the night of the Ball, when they were near the act. Had Daemon not interrupted, she wasn’t entirely sure where that night would have led to. However, when her mind was more sober, Valeana decided that she would take things slow with Aemond, since after all, her heart was still pained with his scorn; the monster that Aemond made himself out to be was firmly present in her mind. Even though her anger for him has become a softer presence, it was still there, stirring her paranoia over his true intentions. 

But when she looked into his eye, when she saw his smile, when she felt the warmth of his touch, it was so easy to ignore her anxiety. What was left, however, was her guilt, which she did not entirely understand. Aemond was not her husband, they had only reconciled nearly two days ago, so why did she feel like she committed adultery? Mayhaps it was because she had always believed her first everything would be with him. Her first kiss, which she grew up believing was the ultimate act of intimacy, always had to be with Aemond. There was that moment when they picnicked underneath the mulberry tree when she thought he was going to kiss her, but it ultimately never happened. She blamed it on her frazzled and sweaty appearance that had scared him off. 

The decision to kiss Aemond was incredibly impulsive. She was driven by the need to give him something that she had never given anyone else. Valeana’s first kiss will always belong to Aemond. 

But her first sexual encounter was with Aegon, a fact that she somehow knew would break Aemond. Actually, thinking back on it, Valeana remembered the comments about Aegon he had spat in her direction. Comments that implied that Aemond already believed that something was going on between her and his elder brother. 

“If you want pity, Celtigar, go run back into the arms and pillows of my brother. You shall not find it with me.” “Though mayhaps that is what you desire. To be felt up like a common tart.”

And yet he came to her on hands and knees. Did he still believe those assumptions? They were false then, but now, they were not, even if it had only happened once, and it was more one sided, messy and foolishly impulsive. Maybe she should stop drinking, because so far the times she has drunk herself silly, a Targaryen Prince’s mouth ends up on her tit somehow. 

… On second thought.

When they began walking up the stairs and entered the iron gates that separated the Royal Wing, Valeana craned her neck around in confusion. This is where the King and Queen resided, not where Helaena and her brothers’ apartments were. 

“Where are we going?”

The princess gave her a secretive smile, “To where the sun and moon meet.” 

Valeana peered at Helaena, expression full of confusion, “... Helaena, you are dear to me, but can you please speak plainly.” 

Her grin widened, but she stopped walking when they got to a door, ornate with polished oak and shiny brass fixtures. Valeana had only been in this part of the castle possibly twice in her lifetime, and one of those times was the other day. When they stopped at this large arched doorway, there wasn’t a single thing about it that she recognized, but it still felt…familiar, somehow. 

“We’re here,” Helaena announces with her hands clasped in front of her. She looked between the door and Valeana, and Valeana looked between her, the door, and Ser Arryk. 

“Where is ‘here’?” Val raised her eyebrows. 

“Queen Aemma’s private quarters,” the princess looked up at the door before running a hand over the brass bars, “It hasn’t been used since she died. Except by my father… and your mother, once upon a time.” 

Valeana’s eyebrows dropped, “My…My mother spent time here?”

Helaena nodded, and then moved over to the kingsguard’s side, “It was her favourite place to be… You should head on in. He’s waiting for you.”

Ser Arryk did not meet Val’s eye when she looked at him, almost like he was trying to pretend that he hadn’t heard Helaena. Trying to conserve as much deniability as possible, should anyone come asking questions. What an honourable man, Ser Arryk was, always escorting her and dropping her off in Aemond’s arms. 

Valeana bowed her head, “Thank you, Princess.”

With a kind smile and a tilt of her head, she wished her friend a good eve, and then left her alone at the door. Valeana casted an eye up to it, and then down to the handle, only giving a moment’s hesitation before she pulled and turned the loop to yank it open. She entered the vestibule, with tall arched vaulted ceilings and blue tapestries hanging on either side. It was dimly lit with only wall sconces lighting her way, but she could make out the white sheets that covered the furniture in the solar. Her feet softly padded along the carpeted floor, eyes roaming east where she saw a set of stairs leading up to another grand door, likely to Aemma’s bedchamber. Then she looked west, where a small antechamber led way to even larger arched oak doors. They were slightly ajar, with a warm light emitting from beyond. 

“Aemond?” Valeana tilted her head as she followed the light. The butterflies were still actively fluttering about in her stomach, even more so now that she approached the threshold. Beyond the doors was a marvellous library, not near as big as the Royal Library, but its decorated and intimate splendor was unparalleled. Curved shelves reached the ceiling, domed with a fresco of a night blue sky and constellations. On the west end of the room was a large arched window, looking out towards the cliff sides of the Keep, where she could clearly see beaches free of commoners. A telescope sat before it, along with a writing desk hidden under a white sheet. 

“Queen Aemma loved mapping out the stars,” the sudden appearance of Aemond’s voice startled her. Her body jolted, and when she spun to face him, he was trying to contain his mirth at her reaction. He was seated at a table full of food, a half eaten peach in his hand. “At least, that is what my father told me.”

“Just as much as you love to startle me?” Valeana’s hand was on her chest to control her startled heart, but that was a fruitless attempt. It was beating erratically regardless at the mere sight of him. The light of the hearth beside him lit up his every contour in an amber glow. His jerkin was discarded, as well as his belt and sword that sat next to the fireplace. The buttons of his black tunic undone down to the valley of his pectorals, the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was loose and untethered, one side brushed over his ear where the strap of his eyepatch went over. 

Val suddenly felt very wobbly on her knees. Her mouth watered, and it was not because she didn’t eat supper yet. Perhaps the butterflies in her stomach were actually moths, because they desperately fluttered around inside her, trying to reach Aemond’s flame. 

Fucking hells, she thought, openly staring at the way his long legs stretched out before him, taking up as much space as possible. What a terrible week to be bleeding.

“Probably less,” he smirked, as if he knew exactly the effect he was having on her. “Are you hungry?”

She sucked in her bottom lip and nodded, “Ravish–I mean, famished.” 

When she made no move to reach for a seat, he raised an eyebrow at her, then pulled out the chair next to him. Blushing heavily, Valeana scrambled to sit down, immediately facing the food. She hadn’t a single thought in that empty little head of hers. Not anything profound, really. 

“Are you alright, Valeana?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, confirming her suspicion that he knew exactly what he was doing. 

She slowly turned her head in his direction while he made her plate – soft shell crab, deviled eggs, peeled shrimp drenched in herbed butter. Oysters. There were figs, mulberries, peaches, and pomegranates on the table. 

Somehow, by the power of sass, she found her voice, “Are you trying to seduce me, Prince Aemond?”

He chuckled lowly, moving onto his plate, “Woo you, more like. Is it working?”

Tentatively, she picked up her fork and stabbed into a shrimp, “You bring me into a secluded secret library of a late Queen, have almost all my favourite food accounted for, and you–” she briefly gave him a once over, “Shedded layers. It may be working, yes.” 

The Prince’s smile widened, enough for her to see his teeth, and she noticed that he had that same lopsided smile she always loved so dearly. Then, Aemond reached for an oyster (already shucked) and tilted the shell back into his mouth, slurping up the contents. The shrimp she was chewing was slowly being forgotten until she was forced to swallow. 

“No pearl?” She picked up her goblet to bring to her lips. 

He hummed, looking at the empty shell, and then back at her. His eye traveled southward, “Not in this one.” 

Swallowing her wine felt like she was swallowing gristle, “Seven, Aemond. When did you get so amorous?”

“I am a man, Valeana.” 

She eyed him up and down, humming, “And here I thought you were a cat.” 

He pursed his lips in amusement, dropping  the shell onto his plate with a clank. Then suddenly, Valeana felt herself being jerked towards him. He had grabbed the chair legs and yanked her closer until her side was cradled between his knees. She stared at him wide eyed and smooth brained. 

He took her left hand, the pads of his calloused fingers running along her knuckles, “Would you like to check for yourself?” Val’s mouth popped open at the question, but before she could vocalize a word – or produce a thought, really – he moved her hand into the opening of his tunic, splaying her fingers over the bare skin of his pec, right above his heart. 

Smooth, firm, warm. Definitely not a cat. 

“Hol–ee, hmmm…” She cleared her throat, eyes glued to the exposed pale skin of his chest. Even if he removed his hand from hers, Valeana was fairly certain at this point her palm was sweaty enough to create a suction. “Def-definitely a man.” 

“Are you sure you’re not wholly convinced?” He leaned in until his nose nudged against her cheek. “There’s more to explore.” 

Valeana’s eyes fluttered closed, fingers curling over the firm expanse of his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, just as frantic as her own. Suddenly she had no appetite, at least not for food. Her core ached, so much so she rubbed her thighs together, and clenched around the cotton plug. A painful reminder that she could not seek out her pleasure, not in the ways she wanted to. Though, perhaps that was for the best. When her mind found clarity, she would be reminded that Aemond was not entirely forgiven. Though, he was quickly climbing up to that finish line. 

“You do not need to make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

No, he was making it so, so fucking easy, and it shouldn’t be. After all he’s done, after all he’s said. No, perhaps the Mother knew what she was doing when she chose this week for her bleed. Aemond needed more time. 

“Aemond,” Valeana spoke with a stronger tone. When she tried to pull her hand away from his chest, she found she simply could not. Not because he had anchored her to him, but because the feel of his heart beneath her fingers was the only thing that reminded her that this was real. And it stuttered when she pulled her face away, “It’s… it’s not the right moment.” 

She felt her heart shatter at the way he was looking at her. That one lilac eye struggled to keep composure, but she could see the letdown, the sadness, the defeat. He offered her a small understanding smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“I understand. We can finish our meal, and I’ll have a kingsguard bring you back,” his words were monotonous, carefully controlled to conceal his crippling disappointment. 

Valeana immediately shook her head, fingers grasping at his heart, “No, no, I don’t want that– I want to remain here with you, Aemond. I just–I’m not ready to go that far. It’s too early.” 

Aemond’s face visibly softened, the smile appearing more genuine. His fingers curled around her hand at his chest before he moved his other to glide along the roundness of her cheek, “Hm, I see now. I will behave myself, I promise. Your virtue is in safe hands.”

She smiled back at him, leaning against his touch, “You may covet my lips, though.”

The ends of his coiled smile deepened. With a hum, he leaned in closer, this time his nose bumping against hers, “Good. They were all I hungered for these last few hours.”

Without another word, his mouth was upon hers. The taste of the sea upon his lips, the nectar of peach on his tongue. It was a bizarre combination, but Aemond’s lips were the gates of the heavens, and his tongue might as well have been the fruit of the gods. With grasping hands and greedy fingers, Aemond had maneuvered Valeana onto his knee without breaking their heated kiss. 

Her hand was still atop his breast, addicted to the rhythm of his heart and the firmness of his muscle. Her other draped around his shoulder, fingers tangled in the perfect strands of his moonlight tresses. When Valeana felt his hands upon her waist, where his thumbs gently grazed the curve of her breasts, she let out a little whimper. A whimper that forced him to pull away from her, if only a fraction. 

“If you make noises like that, I will not be able to keep my promise.” 

She softly laughed through her nose, then finally released her hand from his chest, just to move it up the length of his neck and over his cheek. “Then mayhaps we should save the kisses for dessert.”

Aemond made a grunt of disapproval, but ultimately caved, “Hmmm, Fine.”

With a smile she lifted her chin so she could plant a kiss upon his brow, his eye closing for the moment in contentment. They resumed their dinner, though she remained where she was on his knee, and they picked at each other’s plate in idle conversation.

“You used to abhor seafood,” she remarked as he slurped down yet another oyster. “Now look at you. Eat any more oysters, and you really won’t be able to hold onto your promise.” 

With a smirk, he tossed another shell onto the pile he had created. No pearls in this batch. Aemond turned to her, still perched on his leg, now licking her butter-coated fingers, the sight of which was absolute torture. His top teeth sunk into his bottom lip, eye glued onto her mouth. 

“I never believed they were an aphrodisiac,” he turned away, trying to distract himself with a sip of wine. “At least not for me. Mayhaps I simply have a refiner pallet. Many things that fuel a man’s lust do not have the same effect on me.” 

Valeana eyed him skeptically, as she had a sudden growing urge to prove him wrong. Aemond still felt he was better than any man, that his will was mightier in all ways. And yet the yellowed remnants of his love marks still lingered on her breasts, a visual proof that wasn’t the case.

“And what does fuel your lust, my darling friend?” 

When Aemond turned to her, he leaned back against the chair to assess her carefully. His hand was on her waist still, securing her back as she stayed perched on him. Long fingers traced along the velvet fabric of her dress, reaching up to the laces on her back. 

“You want the truth of it?” 

Valeana nodded. 

Aemond sucked on his bottom lip as if contemplating if he should give her the truth of it. After a beat of him battling his thoughts, he moved his second hand to her waist, weaving his fingers together so she was caged in his arms. 

He dipped his head next to her ear and said softly, “The hardest I have ever been was when I heard you speak Valyrian. I sat there, next to you, a quiet fool, itching to stroke myself.”

A shudder ran down her spine, and she involuntarily clenched her thighs. Valeana raised her hooded gaze to meet his eye, and despite the overwhelming sense of shyness she felt over the confession, she felt bold enough to speak. 

“Iksis bona sīr, ñuha raqiros?” (Is that so, my friend?)

Aemond’s eye closed as he grumbled low in his throat. His hands gripped at her dress as he pulled her closer, until her side was fully flushed against his chest, “Gaomagon ao jorarghugon naejot amīvindigon nyke, Valeana?” (Do you seek to torture me, Valeana?)

His voice was a low base in his chest, making the back of her neck tingle, and her face heat up. “You deserve nothing less.” 

Aemond’s touch softened at that, but still kept her close. Instead his head dipped so he was in the cradle between her neck and shoulder, resting his forehead there while his fingers gently massaged the curve of her hip. 

“You are right,” he sighs. “Mayhaps that is how we should spend the rest of the evening. Torture me with your silver tongue, and make me beg for a taste of it.” 

Her breath hitched in her throat. Between the timber of his voice, the words he spoke with it, and the intimate way she was seated on him, Valeana was having a very hard time keeping her convictions. There was just something about him being so pathetic and needy that sent a whirlpool of arousal in her stomach. She could feel herself cave, with every caress of his hands, how they firmly yet softly roamed over the hills of her sides, her back, the tops of her thighs. Aemond’s fingers ghosted just under her breast, never quite touching, but never that far away from them either.

It was getting too much, too over stimulating, that she had to pull away. Valeana pulled herself from his lap with a flushed face, and actively avoided his penetrating stare, which was likely offended that she had removed herself from his orbit.

“It is getting late,” She announced, mind racing, heart pounding, trying to find a way to calm the evening before she did something stupid. She glided around his chair, and started to walk the length of the library, to the east side where she noticed a reading nook nestled amongst the bookshelves, an arched window tucked inside. It was more of a bed than a sofa, with a plush mattress, a collection of pillows and a wool blanket folded up in the corner. 

Aemond stood up almost as soon as she did, moving around his chair to reach her. “Do you wish to leave?” There was a slight urgency in his tone, one which she quickly settled by turning around and smiling. 

“No. I told you I don’t… But it is late, and the morrow brings us a long day,” she turned around, moving over to the reading nook. “Do you remember how we used to sneak into the library and you would read to me until we fell asleep?”

The sharp edges of his face softened, his eye watching her with such a deep fondness, that had she looked up at him she would have been rendered speechless at the sight. Instead she walked along the bookshelves that surrounded the plush nook, hands moving along the spines, noting how they were all Valyrian. 

“Of course I do,” Aemond moved closer until he was at her back. His hands draped over her shoulders, then moved down until they were lacing her fingers and his chin was resting on her shoulder. He folded their arms across her chest, pulling her flushed against him. “How could I forget that snoring?”

Valeana huffed in annoyance, and when he chuckled lowly at the reaction, she spoke a smidge bitterly: “Well, in that case, I can go sleep in Helaena’s room–”

“No, no,” he nuzzled her neck, planting greedy little kisses along it, giving her a field of goosebumps. “You’re staying here, with me. But tonight… It’ll be you who reads.”

Valeana leaned her head back, which only encouraged him more to leave a trail of fire along the exposed flesh in the junction between her shoulder and neck. “You’re a masochist now, Aemond?”

“Mērī lēda ao, ñuha gevie.” (Only with you, my beautiful)

Reluctantly he pulled away from her, unraveling his hands before he could pull her rear against his pelvis to show her just how tortured he actually was. “Queen Aemma has quite the collection. You will have quite a selection to choose from.”

Valeana sighed, her shoulders caving in the absence of his body. She could feel the damp spots he left along the ridge of her neck and shoulder, burning and yearning for more. Wasn’t it she that was supposed to be torturing him?

She couldn’t concentrate as she perused the books, but she tried. Tilting her head, she forced herself to read the titles, quickly translating them in her mind. There were a lot of histories, a lot about astronomy, one book was even about the mating rituals of dragons. Val’s finger lingered on that one, simply because of the absurdity of it. 

“Do you have a preference?” She decided to ask, moving closer to the nook, where the books got smaller, more frayed. More personal. 

“I would have you read me every single book in this library, if we had the time,” He answered from the other side of the nook, where he also browsed the titles. 

“I feel like that would kill you,” she joked, glancing over and taking in his regal profile and the outlines of his chest through the thin material of his tunic. 

“What a lovely way to die,” he smiled, tilting his head back at her. “Mayhaps that is when I’ll finally be forgiven. It would be well worth it.” 

Valeana’s features grew soft at that. She had no words for him, because she had no words for herself. It was like she was on a battlefield, and the soldiers were versions of her. Those who fought for peace, those that fought for vengeance, all in pursuit of claiming and protecting her heart. Whenever she felt she was close to giving in and forgiving Aemond, and succumbing to her weakness for him, intrusive reminders of what he had said to her would invade the plains of her consciousness. 

“If you want pity, Celtigar, go run back into the arms and pillows of my brother. You shall not find it with me.” “I do not give a shit about her. I never have, and the Seven knows I never will.”  “What makes you think I’d ever marry you?!”  “Get away from me, you pig!”

“But I will spend the rest of my life in dedication to the pursuit of being worthy of your forgiveness. Worthy of your touch. Worthy of your lips. Worthy of the air you breathe. I need you to know that I am yours, should you still want me. If you ever did.”

Valeana blinked rapidly when she felt her eyes start to sting, then directed her attention back to the books. However, she couldn’t even focus on the titles, so instead she reached out and snatched the first one within her grasp. A small, frayed blue book, with an embossed rose on the leather cover, and two simple words gilded underneath, “Prūmia Udrir.” Heart Language.

“I found a book of poems,” she softly declared, gently opening up the cover and seeing the stained, dog-eared parchment. Val smiled fondly at it, “It looks well loved.” 

Aemond returned to his side, bringing his scent and heat with him, instantly flooding her mind with longing. Her morose musings were completely forgotten, now that she was in his orbit. Leaning over her shoulder to read the title of the book, his breath tickled her cheeks as he hummed his approval, “Appropriate.” 

“Time to get settled in, then,” clutching the book in her hand, Valeana walked over to the nook and sat on the edge to toe off her shoes. Glancing up,she saw that Aemond was doing the same, while also unbuttoning his tunic.

She immediately froze, “Wh-what are you doing?”

He smirked, “Getting comfortable. Generally I sleep in the nude, but… I am supposed to be behaving tonight.”

Valeana’s face turned into a tomato as his hands unfastened the last button of his tunic before he pulled the rest off his head, “R-right…” Words continue to fail her this evening. 

Her mouth fell open at the sight of him: remarkably pale skin, chiseled out of marble, every curve and sharp edge of his body was utter perfection. There wasn’t a part on his torso she wasn’t drinking in; Valeana was desperate to memorize every centimeter of skin, right down to the V at his hips, which is where her eyes found rest. 

“Hells…”

Aemond slowly padded towards the mattress where she sat, then hooked his finger under her chin to force her to look at him. “My face is up here, sweetheart.” 

Valeana swallowed, “I thought I was the one doing the torturing tonight?”

He chuckled, then leaned in to capture her lips in a sweet kiss, “You are already doing a marvelous job without trying. Though, as much as I love to see that hunger-panged look you have, if my body makes you uncomfortable, I can redress–”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

He grinned broadly, “As my lady wishes.” Aemond then took a moment to assess her state, before tilting his head, “Don’t you wish to undress?”

Valeana flushed vividly, “What?” 

“I only meant– wouldn’t you like to be more comfortable? Isn’t that dress incredibly tight?”

It was, like most of her gowns. Even if it was more modest and had less layers, it was still designed to conceal as much of her stomach as she possibly could. Sleeping in it would be uncomfortable. She did have a shift underneath though, and it was burgundy, like the dress, so it would not be sheer. Still, the thought of having such a thin piece of clothing separating her from Aemond was… nerve wracking. 

And exciting. 

Clearing her throat, Valeana shifted so her back was slightly turned, “Can you loosen these?” 

Aemond sat down on the mattress behind her, then gently moved her braid over her shoulder. His fingers grazed along the expanse of her shoulder blades, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Reaching the laces, he untied the knot and began to pull the corset loose, all the while keeping his pointer finger under the hem so he could trail it along her spine. Valeana shut her eyes and sighed, at both being freed from the confines of her bodice, and from the intimate touch. 

“Why do you wear so many layers?” His question came softly and curiously. 

“To hide my body,” her answer came just as softly. 

His movements paused, “Why would you do that?”

Valeana turned her head, her throat bobbing as she swallowed, “Aemond–”

“You have a gorgeous body,” he resumed, finishing off the laces before having his hands crawl around her middle and folding over her belly. Then he tugged her onto his lap, leant in and kissed the back of her neck and along the length of her right shoulder. “You always have.” 

Valeana sighed, her head falling back against him. With his hands on her belly, she felt far more self conscious than she did the day his hands and mouth were on her breasts, all exposed and sweaty. But his touch sent tingles of desire and warmth in its wake, and as much as her nature wishes to recoil, she didn’t. 

“Aemond–” She pleads his name a second time, whether it is for him to stop or continue, she isn’t entirely sure. 

“If you don’t believe me, let me show you,” he reaches down and bunches up the burgundy skirt in his fist, pulling it over her thighs. 

“Aemond,” She pleaded a third time, this time with a little more force. She was aroused beyond sense, but the reminder of her moon’s blood was enough to shake her back to reality. Valeana pulled herself off his lap, but didn’t step away from him, just stayed a few inches away as she stood up. “I told you it’s not the right moment.” 

Aemond sighed through his nose, his frustration evident, but he swallowed it down. “Apologies,” He ran his hand through his hair. “I promised I would behave, and I am failing.” 

“Trust me, Aemond, if it were any other week, I would not want you to,” if she were in any other state of mind, she would have more sense to say no without needing an excuse. But Valeana wanted him, convictions be damned. 

He peered at her curiously, “What do you–”

“I’m bleeding,” she smiled awkwardly with a roll of her eye. “An incredible inconvenience, I assure you.”

Aemond blinked at her before his features softened to a slightly amused one, “Ah.” He looked down at the burgundy gown, and realized it all made sense now. With a soft chuckle, he moved his body further into the nook, and beckoned her, “Then we shall be inconvenienced together.” 

Valeana rolled her eyes again, shaking her head with an embarrassed grin. “Seven help me… One moment.” 

Aemond watched with complete enraptured silence as she pulled off the dress over her head, and then shimmied out of the petticoat underneath. All that was left was the shift she wore, too dark to see through the fabric, but thin enough that he could see the curve of her rear. Especially prominent when she sat down on the edge of the mattress. 

Clearing her throat, she bunched up her chemise on her left side, “This will only take a minute.” 

Aemond felt a wave of gooseflesh ripple throughout his body at the sight of her wooden prosthetic. It was almost too easy to forget its existence, with how she carries herself as if it were her actual flesh appendage. Though its appearance simply reminded him of his life’s mistakes, and that instantly humbled him. Suddenly he felt so incredibly foolish, trying to seduce her and being greedy for her body, when he already robbed a part of her. 

With practiced ease, the type that comes from doing such an act multiple times a day, every day for a decade, Valeana unbuckled her prosthetic from her thigh and slowly slotted it off. She could feel his eye on her, which made her all the more self conscious about it, but sleeping with her wooden leg always made her thighs sore from chaffing, her knee stiff, and her stump itchy from sweat. With a contented sigh, she laid it against the bookcase that framed their alcove, and then slowly unbound the linens around her severed appendage. 

Valeana could feel Aemond’s breath on her shoulder, and when she turned to look, he was hovering over her, looking at her leg with an almost unreadable expression. Perhaps it was sorrow and guilt, but there was an underlying anger as well, likely at himself. 

Saving him from his self loathing, Valeana pushed the curtain of her shift back over her knee, “Are we settled?” 

He shifted behind her, “Not quite.” 

Twisting around, she watched as he hooked the strap of the leather patch with a finger and pulled it off his head. His hair fell like a curtain of moonlight around his slender face, shadowing the deep blue sapphire gem embedded in his scared eye. Valeana felt her nose tingle at the sight, as she felt remnants of mourning of the young boy he used to be, his face complete, unshattered, and untouched by violence. After he reached over to place the piece of leather on the bookshelf, Valeana captured the sides of his face with her hands and brought his lips onto hers. Aemond made no movement of protest or hesitation; he fell into the dance of lips, tongue, and teeth with equal longing and need. 

Valeana let out a sigh as her back settled in the pillows, lips still locked with Aemond’s. He hovered over her, hands holding himself up on either side of her head. In the end, it was he who ended their kiss, as much as he loathed it. If they continued in this position, he would have his hips rutting in between hers, bleeding be damned. 

Valeana gave a little sound of disappointment, which earned her a little smile from the man who hovered over her body. Her hands moved from his face, over his shoulders and clavicle, until they found a home along his chest and abs. That smile broadened. 

“Still inspecting?”

“Not entirely convinced you’re not a cat,” she replied, lips pulled into a sheepish pout. 

Biting his lip to contain his chuckle, Aemond quickly grabbed the book and placed it in her hand, “Now you’re the one who must behave.” He moved off of her, settling in the space between her and the window, arm reaching out to snag the wool blanket and pulled it over their bodies.

Meanwhile, Valeana moved back so she was in more of a sitting position, and as she was about to open the book, Aemond slotted to her side. His chin rested on her shoulder, and his arm draped over her middle to keep her close. She took a moment to breathe in the moment, allowing a familiar warmth and comfort to fill her bones and relax her shoulders. This felt right. This felt perfect. This felt like something she could do for the rest of her life.

She rested her cheek upon his head and opened the cover, then flipped a few pages before she found the words and began to read. Aemond sighed deeply under her, his eye falling shut at the sound of her timbre reverberating through him, releasing all the tension in his bones and muscles. 

And so they remained like that, for a little while, as Valeana read every delicate page she could. Each line more beautiful than the next, made for a tongue such as hers. When she felt the full weight of Aemond’s head on her shoulder, and heard his heavy breathing, she slowly stopped reading. Gently placing the book to her side, she lifted her head and peered to check if he had actually fallen asleep. The loose grip he had on her waist and his closed eye confirmed it. Valeana couldn’t help but smile fondly down at him, looking so peaceful in the dim light. The hearth had dwindled down to red embers, the sconces had lost oil, and the candles were being darkened by their self-snuffers. It was time for her to call it a night as well.

Valeana ran her free hand over the crown of his head, threading her fingers through the silky strands, and ghosting her fingers over the shape of his jaw. He was so unbelievably handsome, it felt like a sin to look at him in this peaceful state. Even his sapphire eye, always open, glaring at her like the midnight sky. Sapphires had always been her favourite, and she wondered if he chose it specifically for that reason, subconsciously or with intention. 

Careful not to disturb his slumber, she slid down to a lying position, softly moving his head from her shoulder and onto the pillows behind them. She then positioned her body so it was facing his, making sure to keep his arm draped around her middle, keeping him as close as possible. The book was wedged between them, so she plucked it by the back cover and went to move it to the floor, but the sight of a handwritten note on the back made her pause. 

Squinting in the dark, Valeana tried to read the crude attempt at Valyrian script. 

“Se vēzos naejot ñuha hūra Nyke jehikagon kesrio syt hen aōha ōños Dōrī isse mēre jēdar Kessa mirre sagon isse sȳndor Ēva īlon ékleipsis arlī”

“The sun to my moon

I shine because of your light

Never in one sky

Will ever be in shadow

Until we eclipse again. - L.” 

“Engagement?! What makes you think I’d ever marry you?!” 

“Aemond, I– my father—” 

“Get away from me, you pig!” 

With peridot eyes rolling into the back of her head, Valeana slipped into the void with a cry for help, a cry for him. Then a loud snap, like a clap of thunder overhead, followed by an ear-bleeding scream that would forever echo in Aemond’s skull. 

He woke up with a violent jerk, muscles tense, chest heaving. He thought he saw blood on his hands, but he was just fisting the fabric of Valeana’s burgundy chemise. Valeana. She was here, she was with him. They were in Queen Aemma’s library still. She had her back turned to him and he was still holding onto her from behind, moulding his sharp corners with her soft round ones. Something had fallen, he had suspected, which forced him to wake up in a startle. Glancing at the window, he could see rain softly hitting the glass that served as a background for their little nook, but there was no thunder to be heard. 

Blinking rapidly, Aemond tried to rid his eyes of sleep so he could peer into the darkness. Tentatively, he sat up on his elbow to cast a look around the library, but found no one. He waited, trying to listen for any sounds that may betray the presence of a hidden figure, but he heard nothing. He shifted further, peering over Valeana’s body so he could crane his neck to see their flanked sides, and that is when he spotted her prosthetic lying on the floor. That is what fell. 

The sight of it was agony.

A sharp snap, and a scream. A bone peaking out through torn white flesh, blood on the floor, blood on his hands.

Aemond pulled his eye away from the offending piece of wood, then rested it on her form next to him: curled up on her side, hand tucked beneath the pillow, and softly snoring. Then he trailed his gaze down the length of her body, along the knolls of her curves, down the slope of her hip and thigh. Her legs disappeared underneath the woolen blanket, where he stared the longest. 

Aemond was a masochist… But only for her. 

He reached out and gently moved the blanket, and then slowly lifted her shift until he could see the rounded end of her calf. A few inches below the knee, soft muscle smoothed around what was left of her calf bone. To drive the knife in, her left leg tangled with her perfect right one. A single foot, a single calf. 

Aemond’s fingers trembled when he reached out to touch her knee. He caressed it, as if it were a newborn’s head, fearful that he might damage it further. The tips of his fingers moved lower, trembling more now that he reached the end point of her leg. It was calloused at the stump, likely due to the prosthetic, likely due to years of having to relearn how to walk in ways very few humans would understand. 

Was it still painful? Could she feel sharp pain in her knee whenever she walked, but hid it behind a sarcastic smile? His empty eye used to get sharp pains every once in a while, as if a knife had pierced through it again, though that had subsided with age, now it was only a dull sting. More often it was the headaches, like icepicks to his temples, mainly behind his right eye now that it had to compensate for the missing left. 

Did she experience the same with her right leg? 

 “Save your breath, Valeana. You’re almost out of it.”

He made her run alongside his horse. 

At the intruding reminder his chest constricted, and he squeezed his eye tightly shut, grimacing at the memory. The sting of his greatest regrets and sins burned behind his lid, tingled his nose, and shook his bones like an earthquake. Aemond grit his teeth so tightly, he could feel it at his temples throbbing as he tried to literally bite back his tears. He was holding his breath, a fact he hadn’t realized until his lungs couldn’t take it anymore, forcing him to inhale sharply and effectively breaking the dam. The trembling that started from his hands now reached every corner of his body, making him shake as if he was caught nude beyond the protection of the Wall.

Aemond gasped as his grief overtook his body. The tears clouded his only eye, spilling down the creases of his cheeks, and dripped down to the point of his chin. He then bowed his head onto her hip, shaking hands grabbing onto her sides to remind himself that she was here, and she was alive. Though perhaps he did not deserve what remained of her. Perhaps he should let her go, into the arms of Aegon, or Jacaerys, or whomever that would make her happy. 

His body curled into her side, arms latching around her left leg as he violently sobbed into her hip. The words “I’m sorry” tumbled out of his quivering lips over and over again, a broken prayer, a shuddered plea. 

“I’m so sorry, my friend. My beautiful Valeana… What have I done… What have I done…” 

Aemond’s unworthy lips kissed her knee and what remained of her lower leg. His tears stained her chemise, head still bowed upon her, a sinner at the feet of the Maiden.

In the sanctuary of the darkness, Aemond freed the beast that he had been afraid of all these years. With green eyes and claws of vengeance, her name was grief, her name was guilt, her name was shame. He could do nothing but present his neck to her, offering up his life and hope it will be enough. 

Valeana stirred in her sleep. Her legs moved as she gave a gentle stretch, along with a contented moan. Aemond was forced to pull away as she adjusted herself on the small bed, moving from her right side, onto her left, now facing him. 

“Mm, Aemond,” his name tumbled from her pouty lips, while her hand blindly reached out for him. 

Mutely, he moved back to her. Lifting her arm so it was draped over his waist, and then placed his own on hers. Aemond then wove his leg around hers, bringing her closer until she was tucked under her chin and secured to his chest. 

“Ñuha vēzos,” he whispered into the crown of her head. “Iksan indignus hen aōha ōños.”

(My sun. I am unworthy of your light.)

CHAPTER THIRTY SNEAK PEAK

“Did we not already have this conversation?” He peered at her in confusion. “You told me to stop pursuing her, threatened to chain me to my rooms, and I completely ignored you?” “Aegon,” her tone was a force in its steadiness. Alicent strode over to him, and despite being shorter, it still felt like he was under her. Like he was still a child. “Tell me the truth, for once in your bloody life. What. Are. Your. Intentions?”  Aegon’s mouth fell into a pout, his red rimmed eyes stared back at her like a reprimanded puppy. Alicent never swore, he would remember if she did. His mother had a knack of making polite words sound as lethal as a Valyrian steel blade.  “To cour–” She did not allow him to finish. Alicent’s hand grabbed his face firmly under his jaw. 

Notes: What a couple of sad, sad horny yougens. Anyway, I loved this chapter, and I hope you guys did too. It's a meaty one, with a lot of conflicting feelings, which I hope gives the vibe I wanted to, which is emotional confusion. Also, I just love when strong men get super pathetic. Oh, and one more thing: The Valyrian Moan found in the book is a haiku written by me. It's the only poem thingy that I did not have AI help me write. Haikus are the only thing I can do. It also 👀hints a little bit at the prequel mini series.

Tag: @queen-of-elves, @keylin1730, @anakilusmos, @weepingfashionwritingplaid, @sugutoad, @desireangel, @t0biasparabatai

( if you wish to be tagged for this story, just give me a reply! )

Please do not re post, redistribute or plagiarize my work. The only other place this story is posted on is ao3 under the same username.

[knarledcrookedtree]

So basically, I've become hyperfixated on The Legends of Vox Machina series and I have way too much headspace so these live rent feee in my head! Percy and Vax headcannons!

Vax

You and Vax take walks in the forest and he tells you about all the poisonous mushrooms you find. In return, you tell him the language of flowers. He slowly starts getting you flowers that mean "Love" when he feels ready to tell you how he feels and can't actually say the word out of nervousness.

Vax has a soft spot for cats while Vex like dogs more.

His favorite dessert is raspberry cake with lemon cream cheese icing, you make it for him on his and Vex's birthday because it reminds them of their mom's baking.

If you ever needed stimulation or something to do, Vax will let you braid his hair.

Vax is a pretty light sleeper, so its no surprise that if you have a nightmare, he'll be awake to try and help you out of it.

He has a pretty good singing voice but only shows it to you and Vex

Percy

Its not uncommon that Percy gets nightmares from being under Orthax's posession and from the Briarwoods. Sometimes it's so vivid he can't tell what's real and what's not. When you first slept together, (I see y'all assuming, no, hanky panky happened... yet 😉) he woke you and himself up by tossing and turning and unfortunately making you both fall on the floor. He started to call out the names of his family in his semi-conscious state, and judging by the tears and the quick breaths, he was very close to having a panic attack. So you did the only thing you could think of at the time and ran your fingers through his hair and started humming the lullaby your mother hummed to you when you were a child and couldn't sleep. He calmed down after a while, and slowly went back to sleep with no dreams plaguing him. He woke up a few hours later, hecka uncomfortable from sleeping on the floor with a weight on his chest, wait, that's you, "Why're we on the floor? Did we have- wait why are you laughing at me? What? Did Scanlan draw a dick on my forehead?" (He did, the little shit)

Percy prefers a strong coffee (with a bit of sugar but no one is supposed to know 🤭) as opposed to tea

He loves to sketch still life portraits in his spare time

He loves apples with goats cheese and a dash of honey. Its his ultimate comfort snack

He has become better about taking care of himself now that he has you to remind him that he still has to eat and hydrate and sleep.

He was slow to realize that the burning sensation in his chest was romantic feelings rather than a medical condition. Honestly, it was kind of the same for you. You thought you were sick every time you went near him before you realized it was a huge crush.

[thepaintedlady00]

Hopefully I’m still in time for a request week, something with Morpheus and narcoleptic reader but instead of a meeting in the dreaming, he helps her stay awake for work or school or whatever because I think he can do that?? XD 

I think he can do that 👀 If not we are all just going to pretend he can! 😂 It's a bit short, but I hope y'all enjoy!!! 🥰

You were pacing, checking the time every ten seconds and causing your own stress to grow. At this rate you would be late, but you had to stay. Dream promised he would be here and you knew he would be, he had kept his promise thus far and you'd done nothing to change that. Unless... You stopped walking, reliving the absolutely mortifying memory of what had happened the last time you saw Dream.

Everything had gone as it usually did when the two of you met. He came and did whatever his weird god-not god power thing was to help you stay awake and present during the day. You'd both gone about your days and then he came back to make sure you were able to get to sleep. He ended up staying the night, not uncommon and nothing out of the ordinary, but when you'd gotten ready to leave and he sprinkled his sand over your head you rose up on the tips of your toes and kissed him with a cheery. "Have a good day, Dream."

It took you five minutes to realize what you'd done. And when you got home you went straight to bed, hoping to avoid an awkward run in with the Endless being. That had been days ago and you were starting to slid back into your drowsy days, so you'd sent out the message Dream had told you to and waited. Now you were almost positive he wasn't going to come, all because you'd been an idiot and kissed him!

Not that you regretted kissing him... But that wasn't the point.

"Forgive my tardiness," his voice suddenly came from behind you, causing you to jump.

"God damn it!" You whirled around and glared at him as your heartbeat began to slow. "Don't sneak up on me."

He narrowed his eyes. "You were expecting me were you not?"

You waved your hands. "I wasn't paying attention, but that's not the point. I'm going to be late."

Dream wordlessly fished his pouch out of his coat and drizzled the sand over your head. "You should feel the affects shortly."

"Thank you," you said quietly, contemplating on whether or not you should bring it up or just wait until he did. Ultimately you turned to the door with a shy smile.

His hand wrapped gently around your wrist. "You're forgetting something."

"What?"

You turned back to look at him just as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. "Have a good day."

Your cheeks burned red as Dream smiled down at you before you scurried out the door and toward your destination. The butterflies in your stomach didn't cease all day, and the cool gentle echo of his lips left your whole face tingling. So, the kiss was not an overstep... and it seemed that Dream wanted to make it a regular occurrence, which was something you were quite open to.

[purple-cat-demon]

Forever Starts Under the Ginkgo Tree: Part 1

Pairing: Gavin x Hazel

Word Count: 1732

Genre: domestic fluff

Warnings: none

A/N: I've finally got this one in motion after a somewhat gnarly writer's block. I hope y'all enjoy~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, 12pm, Loveland Police Station

Gavin tapped his pen in a frustrated manner while looking over a report in front of him. It was his fourth one and before proceeding any further, he decided to take a break and rest his mind. In doing so, his mind wandered to various places to potentially propose to his girlfriend, Hazel. Another officer happened to pass by his office and noticed an out-of-place blank stare on his face.

“You okay, sir,” the female officer inquired, breaking Gavin’s trance.

“Oh, hey V.T. Yeah, I’m okay,” he answered while rubbing his eyes, “just trying to figure out something.”

“Is it the proposal again?”

“Y-yeah, I just don’t know where would be a good place…”

“Hmm, and of course you don’t want to be obvious about it either.”

“Yeah.”

A buzz came from Gavin’s phone at that moment, it was none other than his girlfriend.

‘Geez, were her ears burning,’ the officer mused.

She had sent a text message with an attachment. Upon perusing the link, he was taken to a page talking about a giant, ancient ginkgo tree at a temple. His phone buzzed again, it was Hazel continuing her message.

~{What do you think? Would you be interested in checking this out sometime soon?}~

A little dumbfounded at the timing of this message, he showed the site to V.T. The junior officer gave an excited gasp as her eyes lit up.

“Do you know about this place?” Gavin asked.

“Oh yes! My girlfriend and I went there last year,” she replied as she hastily took out her phone and thumbed through her photo gallery, stopping at the one picture she was looking for. She then showed Gavin a selfie of her and her girlfriend in front of the ginormous ginkgo tree in all its golden-hued glory.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous in person!”

Gavin contemplated for a bit then sent a text back to Hazel.

~{How’s your project going? If you’re done by this weekend, do you want to go see that ginkgo tree?}~

“Oh, I better get back to my desk. Let me know how it goes, yeah?” V.T gave her senior officer a wave and left.

“I will,” Gavin called back as she hurried down the hall. A few minutes later, Hazel replied,

~{Almost done with the project. Should be completely finished by Friday. But do you have any missions scheduled?}~

~{So far, no. I can make it to where I won’t have any missions, if you’d like}~

~{??? You can?! How?}~

~{Just leave it to me}~

~{Sure thing, my love, see you later}~

Gavin closed out the text message and went back to the reports in front of him. He had the start of a proposal plan in the works, and that gave him the needed energy to go through the reports.

Meanwhile, at AEC, Hazel was beaming over the text conversation she and Gavin just had. Anna noticed the goofy grin on her boss’s face.

“What’s got you in a good mood? Talking to your boyfriend?”

“Mhm! Now I really need to get this project done,” she cracked her knuckles and resumed typing her reports. The possibility of spending a weekend with her boyfriend gave her the needed incentive to work hard (more so than what she already did).

A few hours later, an email containing Victor’s approval signaled the end of the workday for everyone.

‘Well, that’s one day down,’ she mentally mused as she closed her laptop, ‘just four more days to go.’

Hazel came bursting through the door of their apartment causing Gavin to shut his laptop abruptly. He got up from his spot at the dining table and met with Hazel approaching the kitchen.

“You seem to be in a great mood, a good day at work?”

Hazel beamed at her boyfriend.

“Yes! Got LFG’s approval and we’re all set to continue the project as scheduled! I just hope everything goes well these next few days,” she fretted a bit. Gavin gently caressed her cheek.

“You have the incredible tendency to overcome any obstacle that gets in your way. You got this, my love.”

She leaned into his hand with a content look, then kissed it. She was about to bring him in closer for a kiss when her stomach loudly voiced its displeasure in being hungry.

“Let’s have some dinner,” Gavin chuckled as he went to open the fridge, only to be greeted with the bare minimum of ingredients.

“Yeah, we haven’t done any shopping yet…” Hazel sighed, “let’s go to the convenience store for tonight.”

“Okay,” he replied, shutting the fridge door, “but, you just got home; do you want to order in?”

“Hmm, nah, I want to take a walk with the man I hardly see anymore~”

Gavin blushed faintly, “okay, let’s go”

They headed to the nearby convenience store, hand in hand, passing by businesses closed for the day. One particular business caused Hazel to slow her pace, then stop, making Gavin stop abruptly and turn around. His gaze went from his girlfriend to what was in the window that caught her attention. There on display was a beautiful, white wedding dress; mermaid style with a lacy bodice, and a veil nearly as long as the dress itself.

“You wanna wear that?”

The sudden whisper in her ear caused her to jump slightly, she flashed an embarrassed grin to her boyfriend.

“Y-yeah, someday~”

‘Someday might be sooner than you think,’ Gavin mused as he returned his hand to hers, continuing their jaunt to the store.

Gavin grabbed a basket as they entered the store, going one way while Hazel went towards the hot food display. She took a quick glance, noting the potato croquettes still available, then headed to the prepackaged dinners. She finally settled on a pork cutlet curry plate, foregoing the potato croquettes. As she picked it up, Gavin walked up beside her,

“That looks good, could you grab one for me too?”

“Sure~”

“What kind of drink do you want?”

“Milk tea, please.”

“Are you sure? It won’t keep you up?”

She pouted a bit, “do they have the small cans?”

Gavin glanced back towards the cold drinks wall; “yes,” he replied, then proceeded to go grab one. He returned to a brightly smiling Hazel holding up a small cake, just enough for the two of them.

“You want that, too?”

She nodded eagerly as he chuckled lightly, “okay, we have dinner and dessert.”

They bought their food and headed back home. After dinner, Gavin opened his laptop to show Hazel the itinerary in the making for that weekend. He had the train tickets purchased and the hotel booked already. They were now checking out the restaurants and eateries that were near both the hotel and the temple. There were so many to choose from that they ultimately decided to check them out when they get there.

“I’m excited for this weekend,” Hazel chirped as she cleared off the dining table. Gavin smiled as he closed the laptop and went to make some tea for the both of them.

“It’s something we both need. Our work schedules have been packed lately,” he added, setting the kettle on the stove range.

She came up behind him and gave him a hug while nuzzling into his back. He lightly caressed her left hand in response, subtly paying more attention to her middle finger. Thankfully that small gesture went unnoticed by his girlfriend. They stayed like that until the kettle started whistling. Hazel let go of her boyfriend and grabbed two cups from the nearby cupboard. Teas in hand, they headed to the living room and sat down on the couch. After a few minutes of debating on what to watch, the two decided to continue a series they had started last week. The nightly entertainment was short-lived as Hazel fell asleep against Gavin’s shoulder. A faint smile graced his face as he carefully got up from his spot, laying Hazel down in the process. He then gently picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. Just as he set her down on the bed, she woke up with a small start.

“Oh! I fell asleep, I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be sorry, you were tired,” her boyfriend reassured.

Hazel pouted.

“But I want to spend more time with you and I can’t do that if I’m tired all the time.”

Gavin lightly sighed at her grumbling, “well, we do have this weekend to ourselves, there’s that at least,” he tried to offer solace to his disgruntled girlfriend.

“Yeah, I just need to figure out how not to be tired all the time…”

“Well, you can start by going to bed at a decent time and not staying up late. I will try and do the same so we can keep each other in check.”

Hazel grimaced at the idea for she knew a lot of her projects required some gnarly all-nighters, much to Gavin’s dismay.

Hazel then got up and headed to the bathroom to do her nightly routine while Gavin changed into his pajama bottoms. He walked over to the bathroom doorway, patiently waiting for his turn as he admired his girlfriend; a smile adorned his face. Hazel noticed the expression and as soon as she spat out the toothpaste, she inquired about it.

“What are you smiling about?”

‘Busted,’ Gavin quickly regained his composure, “Oh, nothing, just admiring the most beautiful woman on the planet.”

She rolled her eyes as she spat one more time; rinsing off her toothbrush, she then reached for her facial cleanser.

��I don’t know about all that,” she said as she wet her face and dispensed the cleanser in her hand. Gavin rolled his eyes in response.

“Listen, I know beauty when I see it, okay?”

She patted her face dry and relinquished the bathroom to him; as he got ready, she changed into her pajamas and got comfy under the covers. No sooner than when she got settled in, Gavin came out of the bathroom; Hazel whistled at her handsome boyfriend. He flushed slightly at her admiration causing her to giggle.

“Why are you embarrassed? I know handsome when I see it,” she commented.

“Using my words against me, huh,” he said as got into bed next to her.

“Yup, goodnight my love,” she responded as she kissed him on the lips.

“Goodnight, my everything.”

[doomedandstoned]

10,000 Years Take Us Into The "Gargantuan Forest"

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Review by Billy Goate

Album Art by Francesco Bauso

Leaving the world For salvation yonder Quest for eternity To suns beyond

Gazing upon our past Out into forever To a future obscured What glory awaits?

To begin another week of awesome original content at Doomed & Stoned, we're getting you better acquainted with the Swedish juggernaut 10,000 YEARS.

Last summer, the band dropped their eponymous debut to welcome ears and in just a few short weeks 10,000 Years come roaring back with a follow-up. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good concept album. The eight-track full-length record 'II' (2021) picks up the trail of the Albatross research vessel, which has been galavanting 'cross the nether reaches of the galaxy on a potent rocket fuel made of sludgy stoner rock and doom metal.

If that sounds epic, wait'll you get a load of what's next for our interstellar crew. It helps if you picture the following text as a Star Wars-style screen crawl, slowly working its way up the page against the backdrop of a starry night.

After narrowly escaping the confines of the strange planet and its surrounding dimension, the Albatross and its crew finally return home to Earth. The re-entry is rough and the ship crashlands in a forest. The earth that greets them is vastly different from the one that they left.

When the ship travelled back to earth through the wormhole, it created a rift in the space-time continuum which propelled them far into the future, as well as allowing the Green King and other ancient gods from the other dimension to cross over to our dimension. They have since taken control of not only the earth, but the entire solar system.

After various harrowing experiences and encounters, the truth finally dawns on the surviving members of the crew. They are indeed back on earth, but ten thousand years in the future from when they started their journey. And to make matters worse, they find evidence that the Green King has been known and worshipped by secret cults and societies on earth for millenia, since before humankind even existed.

The surviving members of the crew come to the conclusion that the only way to set things right again is to repair the Albatross and take it back through the rift again in order to close it.

Now that's a saga I'm ready to get invested in. George Lucas, eat your heart out!

The record revs to a start with "Descent," a track that can best be described as terrific panic. It had me thinking of KOOK's "Escape Velocity" from their recent second album, though that's an eight-and-a-half minute slow burn and this is a quick twenty-six second fall from the sky. I wish this little notion had a chance to develop into something longer, but regardless what a thrilling way to open an album!

With rapt attention, I'm waiting to hear what comes next. The ship seems to have crash landed deep inside a "Gargantuan Forest." As an aside, it would be a blast to smoke a bowl o' something (anything, really) with Erik Palm (guitar), Alex Risberg (bass, vox), and Espen Karlsen (drums) just to gab it up a bit about sci-fi lit and horror flicks. I mean, check out the trove of B-movie greats referenced in their preface to the new single (which Doomed & Stoned is debuting today):

In this ABSURD (1981) video, 10,000 Years enter a FOREST OF FEAR (1980) as they access THE BEYOND (1981) and enter a BLOODBATH (1971) with THE BOOGEY MAN (1980), otherwise known as the Espbeast. The Espbeast stalks and haunts the bodies and minds of the characters in this C-grade homage to the horror movies of yesteryear.

The characters FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (1976) through insane NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN (1981). If they survive the AXE (1974) they may still end up in an INFERNO (1980) and risk being EATEN ALIVE (1976). All the same risks face the viewer, so don’t watch with the lights out, don’t watch by yourself and DON’T GO IN THE WOODS ALONE (1981). Because after all, isn’t there an Espbeast in all of us?

10,000 Years have picked the ideal setting for the music video. The forests of Sweden stand tall and dark, the ground packed with snow. Screw you, Blair Witch Project -- this is where I want the next found footage flick filmed!

The song opens with a mysterious theme on solitary electric strings, surrounded by hazy reverberation. Drums and bass accent the motif as it's repeated several times over. Dazed by their graceless fall to earth, the crew wander about, checking one another for injuries, seeing if the faithful Albatross has even hope of another journey. As the shock begins to wear off, their hopeless plight reveals itself.

Screaming from the sky Blasting through the atmosphere

Come to rest On the forest floor Still alive What fresh new hell is this?

Surrounded by swamps A strange bleeding from the earth

Giant trees A dense horror taking root Same old sun Unfamiliar rays shine down

Is there something lurking about in the Gargantuan Forest? I'm sure no one wants to wait until nightfall to find out! The so-called "Espbeast" (which the band may actually have been first to name) is more than likely some strange amalgamation of guitar and creature, ripping through foes like a berserker of sound with scraps of High on Fire's "10,000 Years" echoing perversely through the treetops as it stalks and ultimately slays you. Nobody wants to be around when the Espbeast is on the prowl.

Now see, I'm letting my imagination get carried away! Then again, maybe that's what the band had planned all along -- for listeners to join in the fantastic adventures of these cosmonauts, to see through their eyes and feel through their body as they touch foot to strange soil. What will our adventurers find next?

The answer comes all too soon: "Spinosaurus!" This gruff beast charges angrily through the woods knocking things about, displacing rocks, snapping branches, royally pissed and ready to make somebody pay for the noise that snatched him away from a damned good nap. The repeated note riff, with its odd strumming pattern, does a nifty job of representing the crude movements of the Spinosaurus as it lumbers about the forest. Eric is a virtuosic mess of frantic tremeloes and wiry noodling against Espen's stampeding drums, as Alex narrates the scene with a terrifying shout:

Is this our earth? No time to dwell Dorsal sail cutting air Cretaceous ghost made flesh

Staring into Dead end eyes No place to hide Theropodic annihilation

Teeth into flesh!

What the crew is experiencing on their homeworld thus far seems foreign, almost ancient. Through some curse of Einstenian logic have we zipped through a wormhole only to return to the distant past? "The Mooseriders" are about to challenge our assumptions about what's possible on this Rock.

Thundering hooves crack the sky Dark robed wizards appear in the light Travellers in ether descending Protectors of the realm

These are the oath-bound eternals -- interdimensional templars, if you will -- who have arrived at this precise moment in time to take on the Green King. Complex rhythmic drumming with precisely stricken odd beats, is accompanied by a hyperactive bass and progressive metal riffmaking. Together, the band conjures the trot and hustle of the approaching entourage. A wilding guitar heralds a message from the great protectors:

The hour draws near The endgame is nigh Divine prophecy Even death may die

The mood now turns stately. A brave theme is introduced and developed with dashing prowess. This track would fit perfectly into a playlist with Mastodon, Ape Cave, and Zirakzigil. I found Alex's vocal approach especially appropriate for the frantic depiction of "antlers clashing with steel" in this battle to the finish. "Even death...may...DIE!"

"Angel Eyes" greet us on the B-side, and it's not a cover of the Jerry Cantrell song (though that would have been unexpectedly awesome). No, the hard-charging mood and raspy vocals are pointing to something far more apocalyptic.

Hooves of burning coal Let loose upon the world

Return of the warlord Eternal fire scorches the earth

Heavenly gaze Order through chaos

At times Alex seems exasperated, practically out of breath, as he gives these dire words his all. It's a style the 10,000 Years frontman owns as well as his counterpart, Simon Ohlsson of Vokonis, who has a comparable vocal attack. A bass-fortified guitar establishes a second theme that adds a Wagnarian touch of high drama, and this ushers in the song's curtain fall.

If 10,000 Years is to be compared with High On Fire at all, the rumbling riffstorm "March Of The Ancient Queen" surely merits it (to say nothing of their mutual love of alternative histories).

Her royal blood Once ruled these lands Generations Buried by time Dynasty of dust Rise from the sands Rise from the dead The Green King's servant

March!

March Of The Ancient Queen - Single by 10,000 Years

That last lyric is uttered with the most blood-curdling all-caps conviction that I was immediately drawn into its sentiment, miming "Maaaaarrrrrch!" with my ugliest war face on every time it came up in the song. The NWOBHM-style finish is so deftly executed that it comes across as orchestral. 10,000 Years paint with big, bold strokes here.

"Prehuman Walls" is a welcome shift down, with its chugging "Bury Me In Smoke" tempo. You sludge fiends will find moments of Zen here, with riffs that bend and twist and saw 'neath the summer sun. The crew have chanced upon a temple of sorts, though not one made with human hands. Nothing seems to make sense here at all. It's like Area X from the film Annihilation (2017), where everything is a contortion of reality. Then the "truth settles in." This alien monstrosity, we find, bears the mark of the sinister Green King. We thought we'd escaped him, only to find that he both followed us and was here millenia before.

Unholy worship Feed the Green King Eyes pried open Sanity stripped away

At last, we reach the final track in our journey: "Dark Side Of The Earth". So many revelations have been made in this second chapter, so many loose ends that need to be tied off. Naturally, a third chapter must be written. "We must go back, set it right," deliberates an exasperated Albatross crew. "We must go back, whence we came."

Dimension walls broken down The fabric ripped and torn apart Thread the needle once again A journey of ten thousand years

We must go back, set it right We must go back, through the tears

Insanity the only way The dark side of the earth

Following these words, the song develops instrumentally and the mood gets quite emotional. I found myself drawing parallels between this "bastard version of earth" and our own, wondering if we ever can go back and make it right. For us, perhaps it should be about moving forward, for there is no golden age or better time to which we can return. We make this world a heaven or hell tomorrow by the choices made today.

The album was recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at Studio Sunlight. Totally diggin the awesomely swamp landscape that Francesco Bauso of Negative Crypt Artwork created. It reminds the five-year old me of Luke's sopping wet landing on Dagobah, though guitarist Alex Risberg says the band's more inspired by Planet of the Apes than by Star Wars.

The album will be released on June 25th as a special vinyl "Green King Edition" by Interstellar Smoke Records pre-order here), a cassette tape "Forest Edition" from Ogo Rekords (pre-order here) and "Swamp Edition" from Olde Magick Records pre-order here), with the digital and compact disc formats handled by Death Valley Records (pre-order here).

10,0000 Years have in II their most accomplished album to date, with powerful moments that will stay with you long after the record's stopped spinning. Fans of High On Fire, Black Tusk, and The Sword listen up! You might just discover your next favorite band.

Give ear...

10,000 Years - Gargantuan Forest (Music Video)

Some Buzz

Having previously played together in the original lineup of Swedish underground heavyweights Pike, Erik Palm (Guitars) and Alex Risberg (Bass/vocals) found their way back to each other, musically, in early 2020. The creative fire reignited and stoked to a burning inferno and through a mutual love of heavy riffs and thundering stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal, 10,000 Years was born. Finding a drummer would prove to be an easy task and with Espen Karlsen the final piece lay firmly in place. The groove they fell into during the first rehearsal hasn’t stopped rumbling since.

After spending the first-half of 2020 writing and rehearsing, 10,000 Years recorded their self-titled debut EP during one weekend in June in the legendary Studio Sunlight with equally legendary producer Tomas Skogsberg. The self-titled EP was released on July 10th and immediately struck a chord with the heavy underground worldwide, and 10,000 Years garnered rave reviews and accolades.

10,000 Years by 10,000 Years

10,000 Years' musical and lyrical world revolves around the tale of the terran class III exploration vessel Albatross and its mission to explore the Milky Way and nearby galaxies in search for a possible new home for humanity. The EP tells the tale of its first foray into space and what happens when the crew accidentally travel through a wormhole and end up in an adjacent dimension populated by ancient gods and giant beings, ruled by the Green King. The EP ends with “From Suns Beyond,” where the crew make it off from the strange planet, back out into space in search of a way back home. The new album picks up the story as the Albatross blasts through the atmosphere of a seemingly unknown planet and crashlands headfirst into strange new adventures.

II by 10,000 Years

Now, less than a year after their first release, 10,000 Years are back with their first full-length effort, aptly titled 'II' (2021). Picking up right where the EP left off, II continues the story of the ill-fated Albatross mission and its exploration of time and space through a skull-crushing mixture of stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal. The album will no doubt continue to build on 10,000 Years' already golden reputation and prove to be an even bigger hit with the heavy masses.

Follow The Band

Get The Music

[pinksausageduo]

kang daniel | prince au! part 2

member: kang daniel  genre: fluffy summary: prince au! after your night of cuddling and daniel’s realisation that he’s madly in love with you something is bound to happen requested: yes part 1 | part 2 | part 3 (final)

daniel wakes up and has a very slow realisation

“shit

y/n

is

cuddling

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

he has like a mini freakout but he tries not to wake you up at the same time

he ends up just lying back down and just admires how cute you look

your hair all messy, your eyes closed with disheveled clothes

he also notices

and how you pout your lips out when you sleep

making him want to kiss you really bad but he won’t

just because he wants you to both enjoy your first kiss

he smirks a little at the thought

he can’t help but grin at the sight of you

after a bit of time telling himself it isn’t a dream and just admiring you

he slowly and cautiously gets up not wanting to wake you and make you breakfast

because he could tell you weren’t sleeping or eating as much as you needed and you weren’t taking care of yourself

because of how much you constantly had to do 

the problem is

he can’t cook for shit

but he wanted to try for you anyways

so he went to his own private kitchen

spoilt prince hehe

he starts cooking bacon luckily he doesn’t completely burn it up

haha i’m so funny i’m rly not just cringing at myself 

but the sunny side up eggs is a whole entire different story

he completely burns one

messes up the yolk in one of them

and then one he ends up cracking and half of it gets on his shirt

luckily the last one he finally gets right

he is actually sweating buckets trying to cook the egg

staring at it constantly

he toasts some bread and prepares some fruit and yogurt

as he admires the work he finally realises and groans

“ugh fuck i didn’t make enough for the two of us”

just as he realises that you wake up yawning super loudly

his face completely lights up at the sight of you

in a baggy t shirt your hair sticking up everywhere

and you uglily yawning then slumping your back cause you were so tired

“good morning, y/n, did you sleep well?” he asks sweetly

your eyes widen and you look like a deer in headlights cause you totally forgot you were slept in daniel’s room

“oh shit, i’m so sorry daniel, i didn’t realise i fell asleep, thank you for letting me stay especially in your bed, wait why am i in your bed oh whatever” you say quickly then continue

“and i slept well the super expensive bed is probably the reason why” you end cheekily

“or maybe the fact you slept near me” daniel said jokingly in return

you blush at the thought of cuddling with him and going back to sleep after kissing him on the nose

“but i prepared breakfast!” daniel exclaims proudly

“really? didn’t you say you couldn’t cook for your life??” you said suspiciously

“ahhh well i tried really hard to cook everything well because i knew you haven’t been eating because of how much you had to stay at the palace” he said shyly

your heart warmed at the thought he cooked for you to make sure you ate sufficiently and you were healthy

you grin brightly back at him and head towards the small table where daniel set up breakfast

you looked down confused at the small portions

“uhhh daniel are you sure this is going to be enough??”

“well umm i kinda messed up 3 of the eggs and yeah...”

you giggle and say “well i’ll see what i can make”

“bu-but i was supposed to cook for you” he says disappointedly with a small frown

you can’t help but think how he looks so cute pouting you say sweetly

“daniel i’m gonna eat your food but you gotta eat mine how does that sound??” you say brightly

he brigtens up and exclaims “ohhhhh like a couple breakfast?!!”

“y-yeah i guess” you shyly saying trying to stop yourself for being so affected by him saying couple

you end up cooking pancakes and of course daniel insisted on flipping them

you have a blast cooking and eating and you have a mini freakout when daniel basically drowned his pancakes in maple syrup

“DANIEL!!!! THAT’S SO MUCH MAPLE SYRUP!!”

“well i love maple syrup which is why i’m using so much duh”

“you’re impossible”

he then grins at you like a 5 year old boy just as you groan

he is literally 5 i can’t

daniel then puts like tablespoons of nutella and you look at him like he’s an alien

“daniel you’re eating way too much sugar you are actually going to get diabetes”

“nahhhh i’ll be fine don’t worry”

you then proceed to take the nutella away from him

which he then ends up chasing you all around his room for

he ends up whisking you up from the back with both of you laughing and smiling

he then puts you down

you smear a bit of nutella on his cheek

and he looks at you in fake shock and you grin cheekily

he then gets some nutella and smears it on your lips/chin

and before you could wipe it off

he grabs your hand sharply and sets it back down softly

and wipes the little bit of nutella off with his thumb

but staring intently at your lips

making your heart flutter so much

you look at each other and your heart is racing so fast

he slowly leans in and so do you

your lips meet and you literally feel like fireworks are going off

he deepends the kiss

it was passionate and sweet

and he smiles as he’s kissing you and you couldn’t help but deepen the kiss as he does

you part after the best kiss either of you ever had and he gives you the biggest and happiest smile ever which you obviously return back

he then says to you in huskiest shyest sweetest voice ever

“if you haven’t realised, i am so completely madly in love with you and i can’t believe i didn’t realise this till yesterday” *cue adorable chuckle* “and i’m a complete idiot for not asking sooner, y/n will you be my girlfriend?”

you laugh in just pure happiness, telling yourself it isn’t a dream, you tell him “wow you just realised your feelings gosh i’m really gonna have to wear the pants in this relationship” you giggle and he smiles brightly 

you continue “but if you didn’t realise daniel or just didn’t listen to seongwoo, i am totally and completely madly in love with you too”

he laughs and whisks you up which you squeal at and then he whispers softly

“i love you” making your heart melt you reply while snuggling into the crook of his neck

“i love you too, daniel”

making him feel like the luckiest guy in the world

just as you finish your sentence

seongwoo bursts in the room and shouts disappointedly while smirking

“FUCK, YOU GUYS AREN’T HAVING SEX, tut tut i’m disappointed daniel i thought you had more moves than that”

with a murderous glint in your eyes you whisper dangerously low

“ong seongwoo you are going to die”

he says pretending to be innocent “whoopsie daisies i just ruined the moment huh?”

and takes one look at you and sprints out of the room with you hot on his tail

and daniel just laughing his heart out at you two

after you hit seongwoo enough times and he begs for your forgiveness

he turns super serious all of sudden 

and quickly hugs you making you genuinely surprised not used to seeing this side of seongwoo

he says gently pleads to you 

“y/n you know we’re technically engaged and i know we’re both in love with different people, your parents would be fine if daniel proposed to you instead of me. who wouldn’t prefer the crown prince over the half brother” he says slightly bitter

you can’t help but hug him back knowing daniel had the choice of bride while he didn’t making him slightly bitter against his parents but of course not daniel

he sighs deeply and continues “you know i love daniel and i want him to be happy and i genuinely don’t think he’ll be happier with any other girl other than you so my ultimate question is would you be ready for an engagement with daniel? if so i can quickly and publicly propose to y/b/f/n which means my parents can’t do anything about it. so would you say yes?”

you’re shocked not even registering you really did have to get married soon but as you thought about it more

you’d happily marry daniel

any day

you’ve never felt this way about anyone else and you knew even in these few months of knowing him you would love to spend the rest of your life with him

especially since you knew your parents would never allow you to marry someone that you actually love

except daniel since he’s the crown prince

and you knew you were truly in love with him

and if seongwoo and y/b/f/n can get their happy ending as well

you knew you would 100% say yes to daniel if he proposed

you tell seongwoo who looks super hopeful

“seongwoo, i would say yes if daniel proposed and if you an y/b/f/n can get married too i’ll be so so so happy” you say brightly with a smile

seongwoo bursts into the biggest grin and says

“thank you so much y/n i genuinely would have no idea what i would do if you said no”

y'all they’re so cute they have such a brother/sister relationship

you end up saying goodbye to daniel and seongwoo and going home

of course daniel ends up stealing a kiss from you making you blush bright red as seongwoo oooooed at you two with daniel shyly grinning at you

but you and daniel text quite a lot until you get to see each other again

your parents thought you were at sleepover with y/b/f/n so they didn’t care as you entered your house 

at the palace daniel and seongwoo discusses the engagements and how and when to propose and end up with an elaborate plan

they also secretly end up picking rings

and they’re suits

they’re like excited school boys

and just grinning cheekily and laughing a lot 

you on the other hand

tell your best friend the good news and she’s over the moon

she and seongwoo had seriously thought about having a baby to prevent the engagement

you were so shocked at that cause that’s a big deal

but you’re also super happy that she gets to marry him

she’s also has a royal status of a lady which means she’s the daughter of a duke

this isn’t accurate whatever deal with it

so she is eligible to marry seongwoo thankfully

since the ball was that weekend you guys end up going ball gown shopping

that would be sm fun

after hours of shopping you decided on a gorgeous strapless red ball gown which would be a show stopper

also signifying the kingdom’s colour which was red

you had to wear hells so you decided some black strappy heels

and picked out jewellery with pearls which would complement the dress

your best friend picked out a royal purple fitted at the top with gorgeous detailing and a long flowy bottom

she chose the colour not only cause she looked amazing it but it was the royal’s family colour

trying to appeal to the king and queen 

she also chose the same black heels as you 

but mostly silver jewellery

you both looked like princesses 

which you would be in just a few more nights 

you and daniel couldn’t help but think about each other

how your wedding would be like, your kids and just your future in general

you fall asleep smiling thinking of being engaged to daniel

but daniel

falls asleep with the thought of your first born

he decided he would be a boy 

he’d have your gorgeous eyes and his smile 

he’d be perfect 

just like you 

and the amazing future ahead of you two

lol so funny story i kinda wrote pt2 and thought it was around 4k guess what IT WAS 8K+ so i’ve decided to split it in two even tho i said i’d only do 2 chapters lmao BUT AT LEAST I’VE WRITTEN THE NEXT CHAPTER and yeah no ball yet  :(( BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE OUT TOMORROW and that has the engagement and stuff, this is just boring build up lol BUT I TRIED TO MAKE IT FLUFFY cause like no big plot points. ANYWAYS HOPE Y’ALL ENJOYED i love all of you who sticked around for this part

also considering making either a prelude or an epilogue i’ll tell you my ideas the next chapter hehe 

LEAVE ME ANONS AND MESSAGE ME!!! LOVEE YOU ALL!!!

[overkidd]

return and pride : part one

[ part one : here ] [ part two : incomplete ]

Hanzo's mouth had went dry the very moment warping metal had let out an echoing groan from beneath his feet and around his head, watched as cold eyes widened then quickly narrowed in thoughtfulness before him and thin lips drew tight as string as the spider calculated it's next move; sight flickering about in such minute movements that an untrained gaze would not have caught it and then her arms raise up and she's moving. He catches the sound of concrete being rended behind him- comes to realize that the splinter sound was in fact Widowmaker's hook digging into the neighboring building later -and then there's a jagged pressure forcing the air out of his lungs as dagger heels dig their way into his solar plexus. What little breath that remains ultimately disappears as his back makes contact with the window behind him, shattering wood and glass into his skin with an overwhelming crash, then the wall of the opposing structure. He scrabbles for purchase, something to slow his descent, despite the screaming pain that ricochets about the cavity of his chest and finds nothing; he feels his prosthetic fold in upon themselves when he finally makes contact with the ground, false nerves setting themselves alight with devastating hurt, senses blood rush into his mouth as he bites down on his tongue in an attempt to keep from letting out the shrill noise he feels build up in the back of his throat- he was a prideful man, despite all his regrets and shortcomings, and he would not let himself sound weak before the enemy. She lands with the kind of precision he could not, it makes his face twist into a snarl as a red hot burning sensation flares in his core, he does not take kindly to being on his knees before this creature and finds himself letting out a wet growl as her lips twitch up behind the scope of her gun; she looks close to laughing, delight dancing behind her eyes, it's almost as if she's alive- like the mauve of her face will suddenly wash away with a long since forgotten warmth, and it's then that he realizes he will not be leaving this place in anything other than a body bag. He gives his life with a irked sigh and a tilted chin, not willing to die such a purposeless death with his head bowed- he desired to retain some semblance of honor before his end -and sucks in a low breath at the cold press of a barrel upon his throat after doing so, his ears begin to ring. Her lips part and Hanzo's met with a wicked set of teeth, watches her mouth move around the knifes but in the end hears nothing besides the shrieking within his ears and his pulse starting to slow, body shutting down as if that'll somehow save him from the bullet about to tear its way through his trachea to leave him choking on his own blood. He doesn't expect the familiar sound of someone fanning the hammer of their revolver to pierce through the veil that had been casted over him, yet it does, startling both him and the sniper whom swears in her native tongue; she moves quick enough that he can barely process the butt of her rifle facing him or the sneer upon her face as she hisses- "Jusqu'a la prochaine fois, dragon bleu." -and brings down unforgiving metal upon his temple. He wakes to the taste of battery acid, the sound of eerie silence, and the feeling of drying blood bonding his clothing to the ground beneath him; each dull thrum of his pulse brings him to a new state of awareness, until his chest is seizing with short aborted breaths, and he can feel each portion of his body with intimate detail- the glass embedded in his back, squirming within his flesh, tearing skin and muscle a like as he curls inwards- the clutching of his throat, stomach seizing, as he watches from what feels like outside of himself as he spills ichor past his lips on to the pavement- the dark burgundy that paints his stomach so heavily that he can't distinguish whether or not it's a nasty contusion or blood swelling inside of him from a ruptured organ. He has to force himself to look around in spite of the pounding sensation plaguing his head, he's cradled between fallen rubble and the wall of the building he was forced against, faint light peering in from crevices in the debris; he finds himself quickly growing bitter, being crushed or shot would've been leaps and bounds more desirably than dying miserably slow within a tomb of crumbling foundation with nothing but his thoughts to keep himself company in his final moments. He feels butterflies creeping up his throat as another coughing fit tries to rear its head, he lets a few slip even though it burns hot enough to make his eyes water, speckling the front of his kyudo-gi crimson with blood as he tries to drag himself to an up right position will sputtering so that he may rest his shoulders- which are by far the least damaged part of him by now -against the surface behind him. He wonders, idly, that maybe if he shoved himself back hard enough he'd be able to end this a touch quicker and it sickens him that the only reason he doesn't is due to a twisted sense of honor that he cannot seem to shake no matter how hard he tries. It takes him a fair share of moments to hone is hearing to a point in which he can discern the noise of distant voices, heavily distorted, streaming from a crumpled piece of plastic he can only assumed used to be his communicator; he goes to toe the object closer but fire shoots through his thighs and blind panic flows through his veins as he sees his legs utterly torn a part- again, again, again. He loathes the way water collects in his eyes enough that it's threatening to spill over, burning sensations littering his body that he can't escape and then he's hiccuping, reaching out, hesitating and brushing across tarnished metal. The words echo around his skull, 'You need to be made an example of--', and all he can think is not again, please, not again. He recoils as if the metal is searing, lets a litany of curses tear out from his lips, and urges his gaze upwards with gritted teeth- tries to level his breathing as he pointedly averts his gaze from the absolute carnage of his prosthetics before starting to grope blindly for the disfigured earpiece, a low groan ripping out from within him as he's forced to stretch forward in an attempt to grab at it. The pad of his finger eventually catches against the ridge that, at one point, fit snugly around the curve of his ear and he's dragging it carefully closer- doing his best not to damage to device further -brings it to his ear only to have dread closing his airways almost immediately. "Get on the damn shuttle, McCree, right now, that's an order." The words are being barked out like a true commander, not quite shouting but irrevocably stern all the same, by none other than Soldier:76- otherwise known, as of recently, by Jack Morrison -and he feels his heart sink; not out of fear, or bitterness, of being left behind- he's not stupid, it's the tactically smart thing to do, foregoing one's needs for the sake of many others -but what he most certainly know is about to come next. "Eat shit, old man, I ain't leavin' without him." Stupid, stupid, stupid- idiot cowboy-. "Get your head out of your ass, boy-"  He hears Jesse's breathing hitch. "-we can't stay here any longer or else-." He feels as if he's going to be sick again. "Then fucking go, Jackie, y'know what-- all of y'all just-- just go." He's going to be sick again. He hears the soldier murmur something close to, if not actually, 'ungrateful' and can practically feel Jesse seethe- he hears the cowboy scoff, loud and unyielding, most likely throwing his arms forth in a gesture of anger- taking up as much room as possible, like always, dumb cowboy. "I'm ungrateful? You're the fucking ingrate, Jack, he's saved all our asses who knows how many times and you're ready to leave 'im here to fuckin' die!" Hanzo senses his face tightening up into a wince, pain thrumming in surges throughout his head at the shouting, jaw setting as if that'll somehow ease the ache. He fiddles with what he can only hope is the button on his com among the twisted pieces of it, prays he'll be heard when he speaks, that the moron will listen to him when he says that he is not worth it. "Do not do this." He begins with a snarl, feels heat gathering in his face, voice much more gravel-like than before. "You must leave." He hates the way his voices hikes into vaguely pleading or how his heart sinks when he's given no reply. Anger quickly replaces his desperation, he wants to swear again- maybe even throw something akin to a tantrum -chuck the broken thing across the small concave in a fit of rage but it drains almost as fast as it had arrived; he settles with merely letting his hand drop to the ground and his fingers unfurl. Their argument lasts less than a minute longer- what is said, Hanzo does not know, focusing on their words would only serve to rile him up once more -and then there's silence. He wants to believe that perhaps McCree had come to his senses against his better nature, truly, but isn't surprised in the slightest when his wants go unmet- the familiar drawl echoing out from the device at his fingertips, mocking him, rending him. "Heya, Shimada." Anger flourishes for a few moments, he wonders if perhaps he had merely been ignored rather than unheard, but it dissipates quickly as the cowboy continues. "Can't hear me right now, can ya? Probably broke your flimsy ol' thing a while a go, haha, 'ssumin' that's why you've been so silent." There's a pause. "Or dropped it." Another trying to ignore the most obvious answer- even if, in the moment, it is not true. "Imma keep talking though, after all, I sure do love the sound of my own voice." There's a tired laugh that follows that, low and aching, then the sound of earth crunching beneath spurred boots- he's left his line open, presumably in hopes that maybe- just maybe -it's actually getting through to the archer, that he might get a word or two back. There's a pregnant lull in the one-sided conversation despite Jesse's claim, Hanzo nearly let's the urge to rest consume him to the idle noises of the sharpshooter stomping about, when the gadget crackles back to life. "Awh, darlin', 'm really sorry." He shifts, runs his fingers through his own cooling blood, notes that he's getting fretfully pale. "For all my boastin' it seems I have some shit sight when it comes to you, kept an awful eye on ya, haven't the slightest where you are." The thought that he most certainly is going to die comes back to him, the pain has slipped away- from shock or blood loss he assumes -disconnected from his body, though if he moves he still feels the urge to writhe. "Lena said she saw you take off with Widowmaker- what I would do to have seen you two dukin' it out like that -sure you gave her a run for her money, Han." The cowboy speaks with reverence and adoration, Hanzo thinks that perhaps if his blood wasn't slowly draining out of him that it might have rushed to his face at such blatant veneration, he thumbs the plastic in his hands. "You'll have to tell me 'bout it after we get back to base." "You will be disappointed." He finds himself replying softly, knowing his words are falling upon deaf ears, ignoring the way his voice is merely a hoarse murmur despite the effort it takes him. He doesn't like the thought of failing the other, it causes a churning in his stomach he can't put a name too, and briefly finds himself thinking that then it's perhaps a good thing the man's chances of finding him are close to nil. He let's his eyes close- maybe for the final time - before huffing a dry laugh to himself, how childish, he'd literally rather die than upset the cowboy. He falls asleep to the sound of Jesse's breathing.

Open indefinitely for McHanzo Prompts! Send them in.