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queers-gambit · 1 year

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Mother Knows No Bounds

prompt: you are Rhaenyra's daughter, married to Prince Aemond, and the subject of Alicent's hatred. one day, she takes it too far.

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x female!reader technically Velaryon!wife!reader, but you can pick and choose

fandom masterlist: House of the Dragon

word count: 5.7k+

note: 10,000 points to your Hogwarts House if you can find the Lord of the Rings quote

warnings: cursing, vilified!Alicent, Aemond needs his big brother. descriptions of potentially triggering content: miscarriages, natural abortions, toxic family being toxic; um is this technically neglect? abuse? potentially triggering description of medical phenomenons, i guess OC Aemond ?

please note again and do not proceed if you are triggered by any of the following content: descriptions of potentially triggering content: miscarriages, natural abortions, involuntary termination, depiction of medical procedure.

you are not missing anything by skipping this, please value your comfort!

The city had come to a screeching halt the moment extreme temperatures skyrocketed, citizens unable to bear the scorching sun during waking, working hours. It was only the brave, stupid, poor, or accommodated persons that dared venture about their lives when the heat index had tripled; silent, since the heat was so sweltering, nobody wanted to add to it by talking. Even the animals were quiet and scarce around the streets, most seeking shelter under any shade they could find.

Women skinny dipped. Children ran around without their clothes. Men forewent any and all armor, most even going shirtless.

The guards were on short patrols and constantly rotated to try and save them from heatstroke. The fishermen all left port to spend time on the water since it was cooler than being on land. Whores wore less than ever before. Vendors constructed makeshift fans for their own air current.

The temperature spike was truly murderous. At dusk, gravediggers traveled the city with a bell and horse-toted cart, announcing if anyone wanted their dead disposed of, now was the time. The heat caused any elderly to dehydrate, their hearts simply stopping; and for young children to overheat and catch too-high fevers.

It was a dreadful time to be alive in King's Landing because the city had next to no coverage, so, the sun beat down on citizens in a suffocating, unbearable, offensive manner. None stood a chance: the young, old, rich, poor, everyone was a target.

For some reason, the fat Lords of the Realm had demanded the King hold court to voice their complaints; temperatures making many operate on short fuses. However, due to his sickly, deteriorating state and wicked weather, King Viserys was unable to sit the Throne; the responsibility falling onto the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. And because she was Queen, his daughter, Alicent was always in attendance.

Yet for some reason, she had sent guards and servants to retrieve her children - including you.

You'd been married to Aemond about 21 months, and while a seemingly short time, certain single days felt more like three when loved by a man you considered your best friend. You had known the One Eyed Prince back when he had no need for an eyepatch, sapphire, or silly nickname, and for years, you were decent friends before growing to attach at the hip. He was kind, sweet, intelligent, and best of all, he was a wildly good listener. Even as a child, he didn't talk too much, but still more than he did now; and all his life, he was simply a listener. It made for a peaceful and trustworthy marriage.

21 months of marriage, and now, (almost) 7 months pregnant.

Aemond was over the moon with pride, joy, and excitement when you told him the news. He was eager to meet the babe, and the moment he learned, Aemond started gathering whatever material and furniture he could. He commissioned 11 Septas to knit a series of baby blankets; most with Targaryen colors and / or design. Otto was happy to see his grandson looking forward to married life, and Helaena was elated for you both. She's always liked you like a sister, always thought you were kind, just, and fair, with a healthy balance of being stubborn - all topped off with heaping loyalty. To everyone's surprise, even Aegon sincerely offered congratulations to you both when you broke the joyful news, telling you and Aemond he was excited to meet his newest niece or nephew.

However, amongst the fanfare and triumph, two women remained permanently dismayed by the entire marriage that the prospect of a child genuinely angered them.

The first woman was your mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, but she was annoyed simply because she knew the Targaryen Curse was real and thought this was not something you should endure. You were her firstborn, her brightest star, her dearest love; she worried herself to the brim about you, and while she respected your marriage, she's never offered approval.

The second woman was Aemond's mother, Queen Alicent Hightower, who chose to silently seeth to herself (for a time) instead of voicing any opinion or emotion. Years ago, she and your mother were the closest of friends, and after she married Viserys, Alicent lost her friend and the tension has only festered from there. However, now that Rhaenyra was living on Dragonstone, you were the only person close enough to take the brunt end of Alicent's anger and she found new ways to project that. Simply put, she despised you - but she would've hated whoever "took" her (unofficial) favorite child "from" her; who became the leading lady in his life. Alicent's anger was justified, but only towards Rhaenyra - not you.

Yet communication and emotional intelligence was rare in this day.

Alicent knew you were innocent of everything. Yet somedays, she could not restrain her anger and would lash out like a dog chained-up; but you had thick skin. You always endured her quick jabs, sharp tongue, and snarling insults because you loved and respected Aemond too much to bite back at his mother. However, while most days, Alicent was amicable, some days, she was a downright bitch, and other days, she was absolutely diabolical.

Alicent's anger took over and when this happened, she was powerless towards impulse; resulting in usually terribly stressful events that honestly have no business being so fucking stressful - or even further, by becoming catastrophic. For example, years ago, when Luke cut Aemond's eye from his socket, she took the King's dagger from his person and tried to attack Rhaenyra. She ended up slicing the Crowned Princess' forearm, but far more damage was already done, and nothing would ever be the same.

Alicent's anger often blinded her and drove her to impulsive decisions or reactions, and this today, in this heatwave, she went too far.

You were sat in your bedchambers, Aemond at your side as you both listened to a sweating Grand Maester; both your hand and your husband's resting on the curve of your pregnant belly.

"Now, remember, Princess, in these conditions, it's important to lay low for the sake of your health and the baby's. Don't be on your feet in the heat too long, don't exert yourself, drink more water than you usually would, and rest as much as possible." He handed you a tea bag, explaining, "For the nerves before bed."

"Thank you," you agreed, taking what he offered. Aemond saw the Grand Maester out of your chambers as you sighed, using a handheld fan to wave cooler air over your face.

"It's criminal, this heat. Gotta get someone in here with a fan," Aemond mumbled to himself, leading you to a lounge chair to rest on. "Can I get you anything, sweet love?"

"Water, if you'd please," you smiled.

He agreed and stood, but just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Aemond permitted, moving to the table in the room to pour you a goblet of water. The guard who entered wasn't known to you by name, but Aemond greeted him casually, "Ser Mythos. What do we own this pleasure?"

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"Do you know why?" Aemond grit.

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"I've asked you why."

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"Fuck's sake," you snapped, "we heard you! Yeah? Gods," you cursed, head tilted back in annoyance; eyes squeezing shut as your child kicked your bladder.

"The Queen has requested you both in the Throne Room, my Lady and my Prince."

Aemond glanced at you, sighed shortly through his nose, then turned to Ser Mythos to snap, "I will be along shortly, but my wife was told to rest in this heat for our baby's health. We'll need palms brought in for fanning."

"And the Queen has requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince, both of you. Both, my Prince, both."

Your eyes rolled, telling Aemond, "I think the Queen wants us both, my love." Then shifted your glare towards the messenger, sounding as tired as you looked, "All right, fine, fine, fine, fucking fine, give us a moment to dress and we will be there presently."

"My Lady," the guard accepted, turned, and left the room.

"What could Mother want with us both?" Aemond snipped at you when the door shut with an echoing-clang.

"Does it matter? She's called for us," you frowned.

"They can at least call you by your proper title - we are married now. You are a Princess of the City, they should address you as such."

You waved him off, "Who cares about that? C'mere. Help me up, my love, please. Your kid's sitting heavy."

You and Aemond dressed for court in thin clothing before fixing your hair so it didn't cling to either of your necks. It was already far too warm to even think properly, and surely, nobody would judge if you attended court with your hair pulled up, nor judge Aemond for the fashionably bun you convinced him to wear. No make-up was used, no heels; no corset, nor any pinch of leather. Aemond didn't like the last bit, but you were stern in your worry, telling him that leather would retain his body heat and today was already stifling enough.

When ready, you vacated your chambers and walked to the Throne Room, seeing it filled with a sizable crowd that surely would do nothing to help the sticky heat hanging in the air. Aemond held your hand tightly with his head held high to lead you towards his mother, who stood at the base of the Iron Throne. When close enough, Aemond asked, "You called for us, Your Grace?"

"I did," she eyed you both. "This is a good learning opportunity for you both, I thought it best we were all here."

"Mother, it's too hot for - "

"We are all suffering the same heat," she cut Aemond off.

"Yes, but my wife is pregnant, Mother. The Maester told her to rest, not stand in court with a hundred bloody people."

"You mean to tell me she has a higher priority than - "

"Yes. That is what I am saying, Mother. My wife certainly has priority over everything else as far as I am concerned."

Alicent shook her head, "For as long as we hold places in court, we will attend court. All of us, as a united family. Now, pay attention, you both will hold places here after King Viserys, best you know this all now."

So, you stood there like an obedient dog as slowly, one person after another approached the Throne to tell Ser Otto Hightower their grievances. They yapped up all the advice and court rulings; Aemond standing at your side, and while he was listening to what was being said, he also kept an eye on you out of sheer worry. There was no air to blow, no window to open; mediocre fans and palms brought in to manually wave by a few sets of servants. Yet it wasn't enough.

Sweat bulleted on brows. Pale cheeks flushed with heat. Legs started to shake from stress. Clothes dampened and clung to skin.

You were all of the above and then some!

The heat felt criminally offensive, and you knew you wore your displeasure on your face. Discomfort while pregnant isn't easy to hide, your hand smoothing over your belly as you exhaled a slow, calming breath that did literally nothing to aid your tangible anger. The common folk still reported to Otto, but you knew this was far from over, trying to blink back your discomfort as your stomach churned; twisted; started to cramp with increasingly stabbing pain. The heat festered a headache and soon, the nausea set in.

Taking another deep, long breath, you focused on the man complaining about his neighbor stealing his crops, his silver, and how the other man was fucking his wife - in his very own barn! The man asked for permission to sentence the neighbor to trial by combat, and for the life of you, you could not understand why you needed to be present for this.

Another farmer came up, saying there were too many maggots in his fields and needed the King's coin to bring in specialized mulch for himself and all the farmers in all of the Riverlands - who were plagued by this contagious maggot infestation.

Some Lord of Some Lineage From Some Castle of Some Place came up and asked for an increased patrol of "the King's Men", sell swords sent to "keep the King's peace." A group with radically different tactics than Daemon's Gold Cloaks.

This "Some Lord of Some Lineage From Some Castle of Some Place" even presented his daughter, saying she was fit to marry the Prince Aemond. Eyes turned to you and for whatever reason, you felt embarrassed by the sudden attention. So, you shied away from it, shifting slightly closer to Aemond as Otto spoke with a bored expression, "Prince Aemond is wedded already. As is his brother, Prince Aegon."

"What 'bout the li'l one?"

"Pardon?" Otto blinked.

"The Queen's last son?"

"With respect, my Lord, our son is still a child learning the ways of the world and is no way fit to marry quite yet," Alicent cut in, your feet going numb and making you sway slightly. "The Crown has learned from other marriage pacts to examine all offers carefully," but Alicent's sharp words flew over your head as something in your stomach pinched sharply like a severe period cramp. Your breathing came out in shudders; holding onto Aemond securely as he looked down at you with worry.

Your entire face, neck, and chest glistened with sweat. It clung to your hair, raced down your chest, and when he got a closer look, he didn't like the discoloration to your skin. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong...

"Then it shall be a long engagement so you might consider my daughter well!" The Lord barked, laughing gruffly. "She is not a disappointment, my Lord Hand."

"The Crown will consider your offer, Lord Peregrin, but the Crown must weigh other presented offers before marrying young Prince Daeron to anyone," Otto spoke diplomatically.

"Aye, I'll offer her dowry. Twenty thousand good men for your army, and I can spare about 500 Gold Dragons."

"Our army? Are we at war?" Otto faked a chuckle, your vision starting to blur but you refused to cause a scene. Your mouth had cotton in it; tongue sticking to your roof and your cramps were getting worse. You sweat so much, it was running down your neck, forehead, shoulders, lips, thighs, chest.

"Well, no, perhaps not in this moment, Lord Hand - Your Grace - but we know the rumors about the King's lineage," the Lord spoke boldly, making your blood boil, but the pain was over-powering your ability to speak. Tears actually coated your eyes. "Prince Aegon should be named the rightful heir to the Throne, so, if the time comes that he needs an army, my daughter's marriage to Prince Daeron would guarantee those men and swords."

Otto sighed as you gulped harshly, wincing in pain, a single tear rolling down your cheek. The cramping intensified, the bolts of pain setting your muscles on fire and radiating into your organs - or so it felt like. The Throne Room was too hot for you to withstand much longer; there was no water, and you'd been standing there going on three hours. Not to mention, you had been throwing up terribly violent in the night and mornings, meaning, you were probably (very likely) very dehydrated and that wasn't good for you nor the baby.

The longer you stood there, the sicker you felt. The longer you stood there, the more Aemond worried. The longer you stood there, the more time you had to develop a strong resentment towards Alicent. Your hand went to your belly, trying to regulate your breathing, but even your dress gave you away - sweat darkening the hemlines. Since finding out you were pregnant, you and Aemond agreed you would no longer wear corsets, and for a whole weekend, he took you to Highgarden to visit the tailors. They created a whole new "maternity wardrobe" that was loose but still womanly by being formfitting. They were made of breathable material, since Highgarden was tropical and often warm; and Aemond adored the sight of your bump.

"Aemond," you whispered, your husband looking down at you but so did Alicent. "I'm not feeling well, my love. I-I need to sit, I need water."

"We're almost done - "

"This is not the time to distract everyone," Alicent snapped quietly at you. "Focus, and let Aemond focus, too, he's the Prince. You don't need him for your every whim."

You only nodded and closed your mouth, clearing your throat of emotion, knowing something didn't wasn't right. It was more than a gut feeling now, you just inherently knew something was wrong. Disconnected. Short circuiting.

The hall was too hot.

Stifling hot. Suffocatingly hot. Stuffy sort of hot.

Overwhelmingly hot.

Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, so fucking hot!

Your nausea got worse to the point you were going to hurl at any moment. You know that feeling? C'mon, yes you do! You start to feel a little shaky, then your mouth starts "sweating" (or watering) and you even get a little clammy; maybe you even start to look gaunt? Maybe your skin changes color? That feeling? Yeah, that's exactly what was happening!

So, to keep calm, you just start taking long, deep breaths. The last thing you wanted to do was panic when surrounded by so many members of court... Then something that felt like urine raced down your inner thighs, yet you barely noticed it, too distracted with keeping upright. Blood puddled beneath your skirts on the stone but nobody noticed yet. More Lords came and went, some Ladies, more and more farmers with trivial disputes. Fathers, sons, uncles, neighbors, you name it!

However, to your earnest shock, when a particularly amusing man came to speak to the King('s Hand), Aegon had glanced at his brother with an amused smirk, but caught sight of you, requiring a double-take. "Brother," Aegon turned from his 'front row seat', showing a rare moment of emotion by looking concerned at your being. "Oh, Gods, fuck," he worried, looking ready to extend his arms to you.

"Fuck," Aemond breathed, turning you to face him. "Can you hear me, sweet love? Hey, hey," he spoke your name, "can you hear me?"

But it was as if you were in a trance. Waves crushed over your ears, sweat rolling down your skin, appearing clammy and as if not in your own body. Aegon jolted forward when your eyes rolled back in your head, knees buckling, forcing your husband to catch you before you began your descent to the ground. When he caught you, it revealed the blood from under your skirts, and when Aemond got you on the ground, he realized your legs were coated in slick, mucus, and both dried and fresh blood; indicating you had been bleeding for hours.

"Call the Maester!" Aemond barked. "Get the bloody Maester!"

"She's bleeding," Aegon pointed out.

"I have eyes to see, brother, I know she is bleeding!" Aemond snapped, his panic tangible. "Love! My sweet love, please, open your eyes, please. Fuck's sake, please, open your eyes - let me see them. Sweetheart, please, c'mon - FUCK! Brother! Brother, help, please, there's blood! There's too much blood! Aegon! What do I do!? Aegon, please! What do I do!?"

"Let her breathe, brother, the Maester's are coming, it's gonna be all right, I-I've heard this can happen. Okay? Just gotta wait for the Maesters, Aemond," Aegon nodded, reaching a hand to his younger brother's shoulder in comfort. Otto descended the Throne to get a closer look as guards surrounded your unconscious body and Aemond's panicked, kneeling form.

"What happened?" Otto demanded.

"She passed out," Helaena frowned in worry, looking as if tears would soon fall. "And there's blood - she's been swaying, I-I think she was ill."

"It's the heat," Aemond snapped, tears down his cheeks. "We were told she needed rest in this temperature, but no." His glare turned to his mother, "We were both expected here."

"You saw the Grand Maester?"

"We did."

"He told her to lie down?" Otto asked, looking and sounding confused.

"To rest," Aemond nodded, supporting your limp head and neck.

When the Grand Maester arrived, he wasted no time in demanding your limp form be brought to his chambers for monitoring and examination. Aemond picked you up and carried you, leaving everyone else behind - or so he thought. The Maester spent a grand total of 43 minutes conducting diagnostic tests, and when the last exam was brought up, he asked Aemond to step out of the room as the examination would turn more intimate.

When Aemond stepped out, he was surprised to see Aegon and Helaena standing there. Aegon instantly pushed off the wall, asking, "Well? How is she? What's happening?"

"One last test," Aemond answered in a low mutter. "What're you doing here?"

"We wanted to make sure you were both all right," Helaena, his sweet sister, answered.

"Mother didn't demand you stay?"

"No, Mother actually called an end to court," Helaena told Aemond. "Grandfather was very angry."

"He was?"

"Never seen him like that," Aegon agreed, telling Aemond of the words Otto raged at Alicent.

When the chamber doors opened, Aemond was invited back inside. He took to your side instantly, but there was a knowing look in your eyes. You never looked at the Maester, only at your husband, as it was explained that due to the heat, you had become dehydrated over time and then spending the day in court, it was just too long a time being on your feet without water or fresh air. You had toppled over the side of heat stroke, the lack of hydration causing you to involuntarily miscarry.

The child would not grow and for your safety and health, the Maester would have to preform essentially what is an abortion to eliminate exposure to rot. Aemond blinked in astonishment, feeling confused about the turn of events, but when he realized you weren't able to respond, he looked at you.

He made the decision, seeing tears streaking your cheeks and the dead look in your eyes.

You were prepped for the procedure and while the Master tried to escort Aemond out, nobody was able to move him from his place at your side. It took the better part of an hour, but when it was over, not only were you given an additional dose of Milk of the Poppy, but Aemond was also given several vials for you in the coming days. He was also given a plethora of herbs, spices, remedies, salves, therapies, and treatments; being given explicit instruction and detail about all he was given, being told when to use what to best help you.

Aemond stooped to pick you up, again, refusing to let anyone else touch you, and the Grand Maester held the door for him. Aegon, Helaena, Alicent, and Otto were all revealed, but Aemond didn't even so much as blink at them; whatever life might've been left lurking behind his eye being completely snuffed out. He made a direct beeline for your chambers with the intention to let you rest in a soft, familiar bed for however long you needed, but he was followed by his family and knew this would be anything but a peaceful time.

"L-Love?" You whimpered when your husband laid you on your marital bed. "Aemond? Aemond?" You asked a little more frantically, being soothed swiftly.

"I'm here, I'm right here, sweetheart," he hushed, ignoring the audience; one hand holding yours as the other pet your hair back. "Hey, just breathe for me, darling, I'm right here. I've got you."

"I-I might be sick," you complained in a whisper, eyes unable to open as sweat bulleted on your skin.

"'S all right," he assured, grabbing a basin to leave on the bed beside you so he could sit at your side. "'M right here, you're not alone."

Aemond watched the way you harshly gulped, a hand dragging up to press to your belly. "W-What happened?" You mumbled, making his heart clench. "I just... There was a lot of heat and then pain." Your eyes finally opened to meet his, "I remember pain, Aemond."

With a glance up at his family, Aemond told you stiffly, "You remember correctly, love. The, uh... The heat was too much for you to handle, sweet girl, and that wasn't your fault." He took a long breath, clutching one of your hands in both of his, "But it was just too much. We couldn't save them... We couldn't save her."

"I-It was a girl?"

"It was," Aemond confirmed, reaching for your other hand to hold tightly. "And you didn't do this. Hmm? You hear me? This is not your doing."

"But my body - "

"No," he refused with a harsh tone. Realizing you were not the one to take his anger out on, he cleared his throat, "Sorry, love, I just," he took a breath. "Listen to me, okay? No, my sweet love, we were told to rest - you and I were told this heat was too much for the babe and that you would need rest. We meant to, we had every intention to follow the Maester's orders, but..." Another pause as he fought off the emotion clawing through his chest. "But for some reason, royal obligation was more important than our family, and Mother refused to let us miss today's court appearance."

"Huh...?" You breathed, still relatively drowsy from the day. But the emotion was real, your husband saw your pain. "What're you talking about, love? Aemond? What's - What the hell happened to our baby? Where's our baby?"

Aemond's jaw steeled and a tear streaked down his cheek as he forced himself to explain, "The Queen demanded our attendance in court today. And standing in the heat for hours cost us our daughter's life. I am so sorry, my sweet love, but we do not have our daughter because she is... She isn't in your womb anymore," his hand laid over your belly, your own automatically following. "She can't ever join us, our family," he spoke slowly, then tearing his glare away from your tired figure to his mother, sneering, "because my mother can't let go of a decades-old feud with a woman no longer living in this very city."

"Aemond," you whispered, heart shattered in your chest but still managing, "do not take this out on her."

"No?" He snapped, still glaring at his mother but clutching your belly, "If not for her, our daughter would still be safe in her mother's womb and we'd still have the chance to one day hold her. But no," he spoke as slowly as he stood to his feet, pulling his hands away from you, "no, we were unjustly denied that chance."

When her (favorite) child faced her with such hatred, dread, distraught, soul-sucking eyes, Alicent frowned with tears in her own eyes. She had so much to say, but only managed, "I did not intend for this."

"This hatred you feel for Rhaenyra is literally costing lives! For the love of all the Gods, my wife is nothing like her mother! They are not one in-the-same, this does not make her your new target to unleash Hell upon - she has done no wrong and yet suffers these heinous consequences!"

"I did not intend for this! You must know that!" She repeated in desperation. "I only wanted you both to partake in your duties - soon, you will be the ones conducting business at court and you must be readied for what may come!"

"That does not give you the right to forfeit her health!"

"How was I to know - "

"The bloody Maester told us - but evidently, the word of the trained professional is not good enough for you!" Aemond raged, something in his heart snapping. "We are denied the right to meet our daughter because, what? What is it? You cannot reach Rhaenyra right now so you will take the closest thing - being my fucking wife!?"

"Aemond," Otto tried to step in, "perhaps this is getting out of hand."

"It was already out of hand," Aegon defended with a sharp snap, "the moment the Maester was ignored."

"You refuse to respect us," Aemond snapped at his mother, everyone silencing themselves when another tear fell down his cheek. "You refuse to respect us, to listen, and all for why? You think you know better than the Maesters? Or because she is daughter of Rhaenyra?"

"Aemond," Alicent warbled through her tears.

"You've gone too far," his head shook, devastation taking hold, "and I do hope you find deliverance from the Gods, because from me? I do not see how I can find a shred of ability to forgive such a sin."

It was quiet. Helaena's head was bowed, Aegon glared at his mother like Aemond; Otto frowned as he avoided all eye contact.

Imagine everyone's surprise when bare feet padded over the stone ground, two shaking hands raising to press into Aemond's stomach from behind. "My love," you mumbled softly, "please, do not speak so hatefully in this prolonged grief. We will do all we can do now and pray on this, but if we want to heal, we will need to learn to forgive. This was not a malicious, thought-out plan executed in partner with the co-conspiring weather; it was a terrible circumstance that the Gods have chosen us to endure. Your mother can pray for forgiveness, she's owed that right; and we will say our own, but I know that one day, we will be blessed and bring a child into this world. Because it's you and I, Aemond, and our child would be the full embodiment of the purest, truest love - and for something that perfect, we'll need time." You took a breath, looking sickly, gaunt; eyes full of tears as you ended, "But it is not this day."

Aemond turned to wrap his arms around you, insisting, "You should be resting." When he got you to turn to move for the bed again, he snarled at his mother, "She's the one who just lost a child and yet still defends you."

"Perhaps it's best we leave them alone," Aegon recommended. "We'll have meals sent for you both," he told his brother with a meaningful nod. "You both just take your time."

"Thank you," Aemond sighed, easing you back to the mattress; laying a single, thin sheet over your body. When Aegon had ushered everyone out, Aemond just stared down at you for a long moment, sighing sadly and whispering, "I'm so sorry, sweet love."

"Just lay with me," you requested.

He moved to strip himself of his linens, the heat still sweltering, and laid beside you; instantly cuddling you into his bare chest. Aemond knew you didn't want to talk, but this needed said, and he whimpered, "This is my fault."

"What?" You gaped, looking up at him in shock. You quickly pulled his leather eye patch off to force his full attention, holding his cheek and demanding, "What did you just say?"

"If you and I did not marry, if I had not pursued you - courted you," he shook his head, brows crinkled from restrained sobs, "we would not be in this position, you would not know this pain. We knew the tension in our family, we knew the hatred between our mothers, and still I wanted you. This is my fault, I shouldn't've done this - you should not have to endure this."

Your hand reached up to caress the side of his face; foreheads pressed together to breathe the same air, warm the same space, sweat onto one another, but never wanting to be apart. It was a sticky embrace but you both needed it, and you hushed, "I regret nothing about us. Nothing, Aemond. If I knew how this would play out, I'd do it all again because I know I love you beyond words. Beyond," you giggled lightly, "rational thought, even. Aemond, everything you are, I adore, and all we are together is... It's the greatest pleasure of my life. My greatest honor."

"I do not deserve a woman like you."

"Perhaps not," you teased, "but you have me anyway. And what do we do with rare women, my Prince?"

His lips found yours in a sweeping kiss that stole the breath from your lungs. When he pulled back, he whispered, "We love them well."

A week later, King's Landing would find relief from the unwavering, record-breaking heatwave - only to be blasted by a wave of dragon fire. It was only then the Prince Aemond was seen with his wife for the first time since "The Throne Room Incident", and both were dressed in the traditional color of funerals: black.

You were bestowed an incredibly small bundle of black cloth, and with the rest of the Royal Family following, ventured to a distant hill where a funeral was to take place. Because your daughter was still so very tiny, she was laid in a fiery basin with only you and Aemond to preside over; offering prayer in High Valyrian. He held you close, the wind from the coast whipping all clothing around, and just behind everyone, Vhagar landed with a distinct thundering thud.

You didn't move, staring into the flames.

Aemond looked back, and when Vhagar saw the tears in her master's eye, noting the way he turned back to comfort you and grieve over your daughter, the dragon roared. A roar so loud, it was heard from the Riverlands. A roar so powerful, it shook the ground they all stood on. A roar so terrible, it made a few throats swell in emotion. A roar so sad, ballads would be written about it.

King's Landing might've been relieved from the weather's temperature, but as Vhagar felt her master mourning his daughter, she released an angry flame into the air that the citizens all felt.

For years, on the contrary, the entire city would feel Prince Aemond's cold shoulder to his mother, Queen Alicent, but for now, the heat of grief demanded to be felt.

requesting rules and masterlist

HOTD masterlist

#aemond targaryen #aemond #aemond one eye #prince aemond targaryen #prince aemond #aemond x reader #aemond fanfiction #hotd aemond #aemond the kinslayer #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x female reader #aemond targaryen x fem!reader #aemond targaryen x f!reader #hotd #hotd imagine #house of the dragon #hotd x reader #aemond targaryen imagine #aemond targaryen angst

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underscorewriting · 1 year

Text

stupid bracelet.

König x reader

Warnings: fluff, maybe a little angst

Hope you enjoy! :)

It was amusing to him how such little pieces of thread could calm him down. But they did. And here he was, his fingers mindlessly fidgeting with the thread of a bracelet. A red bracelet to be specific. One he would’ve called „stupid“ not too long ago. But now, could he even call it stupid if it had become a part of him in such a short time?

In the military many men and women had something that reminded them of home, of who they’re here for, who they’re fighting for or want to return home to. Some had photos. Yes, König did also have them, he had his pockets filled with small things that reminded him of her. Others had small stuffed animals laying in their rooms back at the base. And again, König, of course, had them too.

He loved having small things to remind himself of her, to keep himself grounded. His friends also knew better than to touch his stuff, especially the one teddy bear wearing small traditional leather pants holding a gingerbread-heart with a writing on it saying „Ich liebe dich.“, like it was tradition in Austria.

When it came to small reminders of his love at home, he was the one that had everything. Of course his friends thought he was crazy, but he needed those small little things desperately to get him through the day. The one little bracelet that had him fidgeting with whenever he was feeling slightly on the edge, as he was now, was one he got gifted early on in their relationship. He hasn’t taken it off ever since.

This little piece of thread, knotted together with some beads, was the most precious thing he owned.

A small smile tugged at his lips underneath his masks as his mind wandered back to how he even got it.

It was a late tuesday evening when she walked in with a bright grin playing on her lips. „Oh no, what’s going on in your head again, Schatz?“ He couldn’t help but chuckle. „We, my lovely boyfriend, will make some bracelets!“ The excitement in her voice was unmatched by anything he ever heard, he couldn’t say no, but he was tired.

König had just returned from one of the first missions he had ever since they got together and all he wanted was to snuggle down with her, have her in his arms reminding him that he’s not all he is out there in the field. He’s not s psychotic insane killer, not like his opposites think. Yes, he might be a war hero, but so we’re thousands of others. Yes, he was good at his job, but he was only as good as the next one.

He knew that whenever he comes home, that that’s where he’s most important and most needed. „Schatz…“ His voice was draggy, hesitant to tell her that he just wants to sleep.

Sleep all the pain and worry off.

Sleep all the nightmares snd blood off.

Sleep off ever needing to be away from her.

A soft smile replaced the overbearing grin on the girls face. „You’re tired, aren’t you?“ Guilt. It was the first thing he noticed in her voice, the quick change from barely manageable excitement to this unsure sound of guilt in her voice, made his stomach turn. He didn’t want to lie to her though, he also didn’t want to pressure himself into staying awake and possibly snapping at her if everything got too much.

He had the tendencies to do so if he was overly exhausted.

With a simple nod and an apologetic smile he opened his arms slightly, making room for her to lean against his chest. „How about that, ja? You can lean against my chest, make your little bracelets, while I hold you, watch you, maybe get a small nap in…“ His smile turning into a soft grin as the girl climbed into his lap.

She didn’t ask questions, she never did. She knew he wouldn’t ask if he wasn’t really exhausted. That’s who he was, he would do anything for her, even put his own needs aside just to make her happy.

Settling down onto his lap the girl took the thread and beads and placed them next to her, before getting to work. König couldn’t help but admire her more than the show she was watching. Small giggles escaped the girl as she bit her lips in concentration, her mind going god knows where.

She was adorable.

She was perfect.

She just fit right in his arms.

Soon his chin found her shoulder as he rested it against her. „Red bracelet, hm?“ His voice was soft, interested in what she was doing and what her beautiful mind had though of as an outcome.

Nodding she leaned towards him slightly, her nose brushing against his as both of them grinned like giddy lovesick teenagers. „It’s gonna look great and you know it.“ Going back to work he couldn’t help but chuckle softly at her enthusiasm.

Her enthusiasm and optimistic being was what he loved the most about her. It was what he admired the most and needed the most.

An hour passed, the loving couple was still all snuggled up. König was resting his eyes a little, he still held her tightly against himself. With a huff the girl threw the bracelet onto the couch after she was done, her movement waking König up.

A frown was settled on her face and he couldn’t help but reach out to caresses her cheek. „Whats wrong, mein Schatz..?“ He was worried, he hated seeing her upset. Anger and disappointment flashed up in her eyes and she shook her head, her hair falling into her face, making her seem even less at ease than before.

„It looks stupid… I made a mistake and now it’s all weird!“ König caressed her hip softly as he leaned over to pick up the bracelet. She threaded all the red beads onto the bracelet. „Where did you mess up?“ With a huff the girl pointed to a place where she knotted the thread wrong, it was barely visible under the beads.

A soft chuckle escaped König as he pulled her closer. „I think it looks great, Liebling… you can barely see the Knoten there.“ He turned her chin softly so she was looking at it and pointed to the at the barely visible know that was hidden underneath the beads.

“I see it, and I don’t like it…”

A moment of understanding silence fell between them. He understood her need to be perfect and to make everything the way she wants them to be.

“I see it and I love it, Liebling.”

His voice held a soothing tone, knowing it would help her calm her nervous mind.

“You do?”

“I do…”

With a soft smile and an encouraging nod he underlined his opinion. He loved it. A lot.

“Can I have it?”

A small smile formed on the girls face, excitement returning. Königs heart swelled up at the sight of her bright eyes searching for his. A disbelieving look on the girls face.

“Really?”

A soft chuckle left König as he kissed the spot between her shoulder and her neck while nodding softly. He knew she could get insecure about things she likes doing and the image she has of things and how they should look in her head, so it’s his job, and always will be, to make sure she sees that its perfect even if it doesn’t turn out how she wants it to be.

“Of course, would you please tie it around my wrist?”

With quick movements the girl tied the bracelet around his wrist, making sure it’s secure and wouldn’t fall off the next time he moved his hand. The bracelet was extremely visible on him,, making her unsure if he’ll actually wear it for a longer time.

A soft kiss on her cheek made her squirm but also cleared her mind from the doubt she was feeling.

He’ll wear it. She’s sure of it.

“Who knows, Liebling. Maybe Ghost or Soap will want one too if they see it, ja?”

A soft and quiet giggle made König smile proudly. The image of him threatening the two men just for them to call his girlfriend and ask her about the bracelet she made, was already imprinted into his mind.

Yes, he would even threaten them with his gun up to their head just to hear the excitement in her voice again, because whenever he heard it he felt like he could breath again.

With every small giggle that left her, he felt like his heart beat again.

With every smile or simple look she gave him, he felt like he was alive again.

On days when he felt depressed, couldn’t leave the bed because of all the things he had been through. She was there.

He’d be damned if he wouldn’t try to do everything to make her even the slightest bit happier.

In their quiet and precious moment, the girl turned towards König, straddling his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face between it and his shoulder.

“Don’t lose it, okay…?”

It was a simple question, but the meaning behind it was something so deep that hurt his soul. This was one thing, one worry, he couldn’t take away from her. He hated himself for it.

“I won’t.” His hand caressed hee back softly making sure she knows he’s here.

Making sure she knows he’s going to come back home, like he always has.

“Colonel!”

The voice of one of the recruits snapped him out of his thoughts as he heard their voices all mix together. With a small smile under his mask and a last look down to the bracelet, his eyes softening at the thought of coming home.

“Like I always do…”

#könig cod #könig x reader #könig #könig mw2 #könig call of duty #konig #konig mw2 #konig x reader #konig cod #könig fluff #könig angst #konig fluff #könig cod fluff #könig smut #fluff #angst #love #writing

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circeyoru · 7 months

Text

The Boy & The Witch _ Part 2

[Human!Alastor x Witch!Reader]

Part 1 — Part 2 (here)

The boy, now named Alastor, came often to your little home in the forest. His attitude could be described as excited, eager, and twisted. You’d say that it was near your level and perhaps over as time goes by. You weren’t wrong

Alastor was more adapt in learning darker arts. While you can heal, Alastor shows no talent in such. Though as if to make up for it, he was extremely talented in shadows. A form of magic you have trouble with due to your abilities in the purer magic. Soon, his shadow came to life with glowing eyes and a crescent moon as its smile

You told him that he needs to control his shadow as it started doing it own thing when it came to life. It was harmless to you, but if anyone were to find out, there’d be hell to pay. It took a while but Alastor and his shadow got used to each other. When dealing with sentile beings, it takes time, you told him while he mediated, if he wants more control, he must be of sound mind and body first

Once, you were in town again, gathering on some supplies to stock up and saw Alastor. You were going to greet him, but you saw a women step into the frame. You figured it was his mother, but you were conflicted, his smile was genuine, familiar to how happy you saw him when he was learning and mastering the darker arts of voodoo magic

Thinking back, he never mentioned his mother to you, only his father that he loathed and seeked revenge on. The conclusion you came to was that he was doing it for his mother too, the mistreatment included her

You left, reminding yourself to talk with Alastor the next time he visited

“You know you can’t go to Heaven now that you meddle in voodoo magic, right?” You leaned against the door frame of your little experiment room, your arms crossed over your chest while you looked at the back of Alastor’s form. You noticed his shadow’s smile turned to a frown and shivered, but Alastor reminded focus on his task “What brought this along?” Alastor questioned as he grind down some animal bones accounting to one of your many books “The other day, I saw you with your mother I presume. She’s a nice lady that will go to Heaven and you’re damned for Hell.” You continued “You’ll be there with me, right?” “Well, of course, I’m the one that brought you into this, so naturally. I think my family and relatives made some sort of clan down there. They living the life ther.” You chuckled, “And Hell is supposed to be a punishment too.” “If you’ll be in Hell as well, I can live without my mother there, she belongs in Heaven. I’ll treasure my time here now while I’m alive.” Alastor spoke softly Your eyes narrowed, a small frown on your face, you turned to leave but not before saying, “Then you shouldn’t be there with me. Go back home, boy.”

Like Alastor was listening to you, he didn’t come back the next day, or the day after. For a while, your home was void of the apprentice you took in and given the name of Alastor to. You’ll admit that you felt lonely and thought if you were being too cruel to him

You waited for a week longer to see if there was any change in Alastor’s visit to the forest. Oddly enough, there was no sighting of him. Why you say that because when he was younger, he’d play disappearance for a few days to catch your attention. You found him hiding within the tree branches when you went to look for him

But now it was a teenager, nearly adult. Some can say you two grow up together, you’re not shy to admit that he has grown to be quite the lady’s killer. He has gonna popular in school and town. Getting a nice internship at the radio station to prepare him for his future career

You knew that under his perfect front, how painful and cruel his life behind closed doors was. Not to mention his cruelty and heinous thoughts he habour to those that do him wrong. So you left your home when the sun was about to set to where Alastor’s home was. You peeked inside from one of the uncovered windows. It was all quiet. Too quiet

Securing your cloak and the deep hood over head, you went to the back door. Using your own shorted staff, you tapped the lock and unlocked the door as it opened on its own and closed when you entered into the house

You wandered around, coming to a stop when you passed the living room with a body laid on the carpet and another on the couch. You cautiously stepped forward, checking the mother to see if she was breathing, when she was, despite the blood from her head. You turned to the man, father of Alastor’s due to the resemblance, and checked his breathing. He was sleeping

Kneeling down, you hovered your hand over the mother’s injured head and healed her a bit. Then you turned your attention to the staircase and slowly made your way up. When you made it up, you scanned the doors that were all opened, except one. You stood before it, trying the handle first, locked. You did the same thing to the back door and unlocked it with ease

The door creeked with a whine, you eyes pierced into the room, bathed in the light from the setting sun. You noticed the motionless body on the bed and made your way over. You sat on the edge of the head, facing away from Alastor. “You know, your mother’s in a dying state. But I healed her enough to get through the night.”

Alastor merely flinched, enough of a sign to show you he was awake and listening

“I wonder though, still you let this father, this man, to rule over your life any longer. You’re not the only one suffering.” You spoke

You sat there playing with your shortened staff when you left Alastor get up and left the room. You waited for a while before you followed suit and went down. You weren’t surprised to see Alastor standing over the now dead body of his father and the blood staff in his hands

With a snap of your fingers, the living room was in a worst wreck. You walked over to Alastor, pausing to let him lean over you. “Don’t worry, this would be like your family was attacked by armed robbers. You’re going to sleep for a while and your neighbours will find out then alert the police. I honoured your revenge, now let me handle the aftermath.”

As if your words were what he needed, his eyes closed shut and his full weight crashed into yours. You carefully kneeled down to set him on the floor. Making sure he was just sleeping. You eyed his shadow and pushed the staff to it so that it was hidden when the neighbours and officers come

You stood on the branch of a nearby tree, its leaves hiding you while you watched concerned and nosy individuals crowd around Alastor’s house. The police set up the perimeter and medical officers brought Alastor and his mother’s unconscious bodies to the hospital

“Glad it wasn’t the young boy or the mother that’s killed.” “Yeah, would have been unjust.” “Now they can live peacefully.” “That’s good.”

So the father wasn’t well-liked already. You thought to yourself, your staff elongated to its original form. You tapped the end of it to the tree branch. All the better. You stared down as the deceased body was brought out. Makes for an easier target. I have to ask my family to catch his soul.

Note: Long overdue part 2. Since things have slowed down, I'm working on the requests meant for longer writing. The ones where I can rant or is just a short answers will be posted quicker~

Circe Y.

Other Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@aconfusedwonderland

@crowleysthings

@donustellaron@mistpurpl3

#alastor imagine #alastor x reader #alastor x y/n #alastor x you #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor headcanons #hazbin hotel fanfiction #alastor #hazbin hotel oneshots #Circe's Nighty Writings #Circe's requested writings #human alastor #The Boy & The Witch

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sunandsstars · 2 years

Text

HIS FORTRESS

Jake x Neytiri x Na’vi!Reader

Summary: When finding out the expansion of his family Jake became ecstatic, his favourite girls were bearing his children. But Neytiri found his excitement annoying, pregnant woman right? Warnings: Pregnancy, Mentions of hunting/dead animals Word count: 2.3k

Happiness is simple.

Jake followed the same routine every day since the war, it was always wake up, give his mates kisses on the cheeks then getting ready to start the day as clan leader. He always started with learning from Mo’at about being Olo’eyktan and the spirit of Eywa, even though he has been Omaticaya for a few months there is still much to learn. Then he goes hunting with the other warriors in the forest, after catching prey it was eat then spend time with his girls.

While it wasn’t unheard of for a tri-relationship in Na’vi culture, it was extremely rare. Mo’at says they must be blessed by their great mother to continue with the ritual, and bless them Eywa did.

Neytiri was the first one to find and welcome him to the clan, she taught him the ways of the people and bonded with him under the tree of voices. Jake thought that one mate was it, they are bonded for life and needed no other. But along came ___, she was the same age as Neytiri at the time and a good friend to her.

They both went to Grace Augustine’s school when they were children, they played together and was raised together as friends. But Neytiri always stated she felt something different when around her, something she always felt around Jake. Never with Tsu’tey and never with any other men or women in the clan.

___ was sweet, she was a skilled hunter and a warrior, already passing her Uniltaron when she was of age to. Jake saw why Neytiri liked her, and decided to get to know her himself. As time did pass by over the weeks he fell more and more in love, with both woman. Neytiri, Jake and ___ bonded under the tree of souls. A union that could not be forgotten.

“Ma Jake?” a tired voice broke out from the hammock, “what are you doing up so early?” ___ sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning and glancing at how the sun just started revealing itself over the planet they orbited.

“I was just thinking, yawnetu” he reached over and grabbed the back of her head, pulling her flush to his chest and kissing her hair. “Besides, our wife wants us up to hunt. Remember? she has been craving a lot of strange things lately…” he glanced to where Neytiri usually slept beside her and found the space already empty, assuming the woman was down in the forest already.

“You can go without me. I am too tired” ___ snuggled deeper into her mates side, breathing in his scent. Jake however, looked at her with raised brows, she never passed the opportunity to hunt with her partners. ‘Maybe she really is just tired’ he didn’t want to worry himself with anything too deep and slowly moved her arm to get out of bed. His mate scooted to where he slept and snuggled into the warm spot, tail curling around her body.

Jake chuckled and put on his cumberband, grabbing his knives and making sure they’re sharp enough he strolled out their hut, climbing down the tree branches and landing to the ground. He sniffed and looked around, saying good morning to the already awake Na’vi and humans. Walking towards a part of the forest he saw a footprint and went to track it.

Jumping above roots and ducking under others the Olo’eyktan moved around skilfully. Dreads swinging from side to side, ‘man i should have put it up’ he groaned in annoyance. Usually Neytiri had a band on her and would put it up for him and he was thinking of asking her, but he’d have to find her first.

He stopped in a clearing where the footprints disappeared and found no dented grass or snapped twigs. His trail was lost. He stomped his foot like a child, Neytiri must’ve gone up but he couldn’t track her like that. A hand slapped the back of his head and he screeched in shock. Whipping around he came face to face his his other mate.

“Like a baby” she tsked in English, having seen him throw his mini tantrum. Jake’s cheeks flushed, he was a leader, a warrior and yet sometimes he acted like a child, he was silly and his head sometimes became airy, easily forgetting customs and rules he was taught. Norm called him a himbo, whatever that meant. “Come” snapping out of his thoughts he was dragged away from their spot and towards the river that was nearby, seeing two dead yerik with an arrow lodged in each neck “I need help with bringing these back to the clan”

‘Jeez how long has she been up’ he scratched his head and tilted it to the side, staring at the hexapedes in thought. He walked up to one and his mate the other, grabbing the animal and hauling it over his shoulder. Grunting at the weight of it he watched Neytiri tie up its legs and do the same, the two slowly walking back home. Jake pouting the whole way, he didn’t even get to shoot anything…

___ was up and about, the sun high in the sky and shining down on the Na’vi that resided by Hellsgate. She was helping with simple chores, deciding to take rest and not do any extraneous activities. Mo’at has let her know of joyous news and told her to take it slow today as the elder can see the exhaustion on her daughter in laws face.

Hearing yipping she turned to the sound, seeing her mates back from their hunt with two large yeriks on their backs. She dropped her basket of fruits and rushed towards them, some hunters already grabbing the animals and prepared them to skin. “‘Tiri” she hugged her mate, excited to finally have seen her this morning. Waking up without her was upsetting, she usually liked basking in the warmth of both of her mates and not just one.

“Yawntutsyìp” Neytiri responded back, wrapping her arms around her mate and kissing her unbraided hair. She would have to redo it for her. Jake watched in great love, and a little bit of jealousy. So he intervened and grabbed ___, wrapping his own arms around her. Neytiri glared at him.

“Hey now, where’s my greeting hmm?” he nuzzled his face against her hair and breathed in, the scent of Pandoran flowers hitting his nose. ___ giggled at the look Neytiri was giving him, she always found their little rivalry funny.

“My beloved, we greeted each other this morning. ‘Tiri and I have not until now” the woman in his arms gently pushed him away and went back to their wife’s arms.

The Tsakarem smirked at their husband and he only stuck his tongue out in retaliation, “nì’eveng” she rolled her eyes.

“Why have you gone out so early?” ___ interrupted and moved away to glance up at the other woman, raising her eyes and giving her a knowing look. She knew the condition Neytiri was in, it was the same as her but a few days further along. But her wife did not know that she was the same, having been a recent discovery. Jake did not know at all about either of them. Men.

“I was craving yerik and decided to catch two for us and share with the clan” to be honest she just wanted the yerik for herself, selfishly. But her wife and clan came first, even if she knew the rest of the hunting party were out now gathering more meats. ___ thanked her and held her hand, turning to their husband who was still pouting at them.

“I want some too…”

“No”

___ laughed and dragged Neytiri away before she could evoke more chaos, leaving Jake who was called by his human friends. “I have some news my love” she started when they where further away, bringing Neytiri’s hand to her belly she grinned.

The Na’vi could only blink, staring at her hand in silence. Then she grinned and giggled “I cannot believe it”

“Believe it”

“We are both..at the same time..the great mother has truly blessed us” She pulled her wife closer and put their foreheads together and breathed in, closing her eyes “oel ngati kameie”

Jake could only watch from across the camp in confusion, ‘was their separation really that much of a big deal? Women’ his tail hit Norm behind him who was out of his avatar, deciding to go human for the morning. “Hey!” he complained and swatted the appendage that was still hitting him “what’s gotten you so worked up?”

“You see my mates over there? Why are they acting so lovey dovey”

Norm and Max turned to one another and deadpanned “Buddy..they’re mates. It’s normal”

“But i’m their mate and i’m not getting any attention” he pouted. Norm could only roll his eyes and slapped the aliens leg, Jake turned to look down at him in question.

“Lemme get into my avatar, then we can go have bro time. Max, link me up”

Jake and Norm strolled through the foliage, after breakfast the clan separated to do some more chores like cleaning, making clothes or patrolling the area. They’re not in hometree anymore, being out in the open could be dangerous for them.

“So, any idea of why my wives are basically disowning me?” Jake started, thinking back to breakfast when the two woman where basically all over each other, whispering loving words and piling food onto one another’s leaves.

“Women are complicated, maybe something major happened for them to act this way” Norm thought back through his Pandoran knowledge, trying to remember anything about Na’vi females and their biology.

“Maybe.. I mean Neytiri said she was craving yerik and woke up at fuck knows what time in the morning to catch them. And ___ was too tired to do anything physical at all” Jake huffed and sat down on a large rock, picking a fruit that was nearby and tearing into it, throwing one at Norm who barely caught it.

The avatar then realised the fuss, the cravings, the fatigue. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, but then again Jake has a below average IQ…

“I think you should talk to them” Norm finally concluded, he won’t tell his companion directly, it wasn’t his place to say, he bit into the fruit and watched Jake. The Olo’eyktan nodded and stood up, patting Norm on the shoulder and leading them back.

“I just hope they’re ok”

“By the sounds of it i’m sure they’re more than ok”

The two woman devised a plan together, they would tell Jake then announce it to the rest of the clan tonight. They could not wait any longer.

They were sat waiting in their pod, chatting and updating their song beads, one more to signify their new journey into motherhood. Jake rounded the corner and barged in, his feet slapping onto the ground heavily. “So you two gonna tell me what’s going on?” ‘smooth Jake smooth’ he mentally scolded himself, coming across as too harsh.

Neytiri just threw a piece of twine at him “mawey ma Jake”. ___ stood up abruptly and padded towards her husband ears wiggling and head spinning, she was nervous. Telling Neytiri was one thing, but telling Jake was another.

“Ma Jake..we have something to share with you” the man in question raised an eyebrow, finally he was gonna get some answers to their weird behaviour. ___ grabbed his hand and rested it upon her still flat tummy, pressing it into her a little so he could feel the tiniest bump in her skin.

Jake blinked.

He blinked again.

Then he grinned “No way” he pressed again into his mates stomach and laughed out in glee when he felt it more. ___ nodded and beckoned their other mate towards them, grabbing his other hand and holding it to his other wife’s tummy. If Jake’s grin could get any wider it had “No way” he voiced again in disbelief.

“Srane skxawng” Neytiri hit his head lightly, chuckling at his expression. He felt tears well up in his eyes, he had two kids on the way. His wives were both pregnant, at the same time. It was a miracle.

“Jake?” ___ saw the tears in his eyes and cupped his cheeks, her face contorting into worry “nga tam?”

“yawne, oe nì’ul to tam” He grabbed his girls and nuzzled them, kissing both of their heads, cheeks and lips. Crying out of happiness, he gives his thanks to their deity “irayo si Eywa”

Their clan held a great feast that night, their leader was starting his own family, two children on the way was a blessing and their Tsahìk made sure to say great prayers over the fire.

Jake was in bliss, his hands never left Neytiri’s or ___’s tummies. Not even to eat, the latter having to pop food into his mouth every so often to make sure he doesn’t starve. Neytiri could only slap her tail against his back at his silliness, but she cannot deny the happiness she felt in that moment for her mates.

“Oe tsìlpey fi’u ‘evenge” the love struck man tapped Neytiri’s belly with his hand, she merely spared him a glance and waved him off, disagreeing entirely.

“It will be boy. I can feel it”

___ finished her food and rested her head against her mate, the glow of the fire making her look ethereal “yes, he will be strong warrior. Like his father” Jake just sniffed in reply, feeling more tears come up. The woman on his other side hit him on the shoulder and called him a weakling.

But he couldn’t ask for anything more, this was his family. His fortress. He wasn’t gonna let anyone else take it away from him.

Norm sat on the opposite side of the fire, giving his bro a solid nod in approval. He knew it all along, never doubt the mind of a scientist.

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txemptress · 1 year

Text

─────── DON'T BLAME ME. . . OR SHOULD I SAY US?

━━━━ izek van omerta and rudbeckia de borgia. manhwa. how to get my husband on my side.

‣ yandere. suggestive especially the ending. ୨:୧

‣ masterlist . recent works . how to get my husband on my side. ━━━━

You had encountered the husband and wife during a ball and you have to say, you fell in love at the first glance. Though the fantasy of being a close friend or more with them seemed impossible you couldn't help but dream and hope.

Little did you know what the future holds for you was unlike anything you could've possibly imagined.

The duchess, whom you found out to be called Ruby, had come to you one day with the intention of befriending you. The talk between you two was something you cherished because well... You do like her.

The frequency of your talks started getting more and more when Ruby started inviting you to join her in the many events her friends hold for her. Though you soon realize that these so-called friends were a bunch of fake, toxic men and women that just wanted to humiliate the duchess. Specifically, Lady Freya who you learned to despise.

But what you didn't expect was Rudbeckia begging Izek to let you in to their relationship as well.

Izek wasn't so happy at that. Because Ruby's was his. But he could not say no to his wife.

At first you and Izek could not get along like how you and Ruby do. But before long he starts getting attached to you like how Ruby does.

Now came to the point that they refused to let you go anywhere or do anything without them with you like supervisors so to speak.

Tired of their nonsense, you run away in the middle of the night. Trying to ignore the frantic beating of your heart that beats so loudly in your ears as you prop yourself to slide from the window.

There's an overhang but you bounce smoothly onto the soft patch of grass. You rush along through the trees, listening closely for the many guards that roamed these gardens.

You just about made it to the gates when a shout is heard behind you. The sound of Ruby's voice calling for Izek and his men.

It doesn't take long before running feet and rustling of leaves take to the night air.

You rush out, running as fast as you possibly could. But you knew it was a risky choice.

A hand grabbed your wrist firmly as the person pulled you to him. Your heart is pounding in your ears as you see the crimson gaze of the duke.

He takes you onto the horse with him, turning the animal around as you two head back to the castle where Ruby stands, worried for you. As soon as she sees you, a certain beam of light comes on her face as she tugs you off the horse.

Izek gets off too and you three head for the bedroom. You knew what would happen next.

"My darling, why did you try and run away from us?" Ruby hugs you, her cheek against your own as she pulls you close.

"It is for your own good, Name." Izek speaks suddenly as he steps closer. His hand moving to unbutton his shirt.

"Perhaps we can give you a reason to stay, don't we Ruby?" "Yes, of course!" A happy banter between the two is displayed and you could feel your stomach churning with nervousness of what they could possibly have planned.

"Prepare yourself, beloved." Izek whispers as he moves behind you, causing you to shudder at the feeling of his hot breath. "Because by the time we are done with you, you won't be able to walk for weeks on end."

─────── NOTE?!

Suggestive shit. Woohoo. Anyway this is for a request.

request in question — here.

─────── INVITATIONS?!

@yevene , @nyrwve , @primordixl , @lvmxlee

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dracowars · 2 months

Text

superhero(es) | steve rogers

pairing: steve x reader

word count: 3,9k

summary: where steve and y/n spend a morning with their little family

a/n: this goes to all my fellow women: you are so strong and powerful, beautiful and kind ❤️ (first steve rogers os, hope you enjoy!!)

warnings: none

universe: marvel

You can't tell if it is your maternal instinct or just your body playing tricks on you again, but as soon as you catch a glimpse of a dull, radial light through your closed eyelids, your dream ends abruptly and your exhausted body falls back into reality. A reality where your little three-year-old daughter opens the door to your bedroom, her bare feet padding over the paquet floor as she stops right in front of you, tightly clutching her favorite stuffed animal in her arms. Definitely your maternal instinct because the quivering of her lower lip can hardly be ignored and she does not even need to touch you with her tiny hands that you already open your eyes.

The moment your eyes adjust to the light coming in from the hallway and you see your daughter standing in front of your side of the bed, your heart breaks a little. Your inner alarm bells go off immediately and you lift your upper body up, propping yourself up with your elbow on your pillow. The heavy weight lazily swung across your waist does not move a single bit when you do so.

"Hey, hey, Grace-y, darling. What's up sweetie?", you ask her worried and reach your hand out to her, your eyes heavy despite the sudden rush of adrenaline due to seeing your babygirl wide awake in the middle of the night.

Her bottom lip trembles even more now that she tries to answer, trying to hold back her tears like the strong girl she is.

"Shh, don't cry. Come here, sweetheart", you prompt, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer in order to pick her up and sit her on the mattress next to you. Smoothing back her hair, you fondly smile at her. God, when did she grow up so fast?

"Grace, do you want to tell Mommy what's wrong?", you ask her again, your voice in a whisper and your heart aching at seeing your precious daughter this distraught.

"H-Had a bad dream", she responds quietly, adjusting her tone to yours as she quickly noticed that her father is peacefully sleeping next to you, unaware of what is going on.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry about that. But everything is fine now, okay? You don't have to be scared of anything anymore, we are here to protect you", you reassure her with a smile, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear while she is still clutching her stuffed animal to her chest. A single tear rolls down her puffy cheek as she nods and you quickly pull her into a hug, running your hand over her back soothingly.

"You can sleep here tonight, is that alright?", you whisper in her ear and, again, get a nod in response. "Okay, but try to not wake up Daddy."

In fact, it is proving quite difficult not to wake Steve up since his muscular arm is still splayed across your middle. Steve just returned from a mission yesterday and you can't even describe how much you have missed him. Even if it was not for long, you keep realizing that you can't live without him anymore. And his children missed him even more.

Every time he returns home, whether it is after a normal day's work or after a longer mission, he is so exhausted that you feel sorry when James and Grace immediately jump onto him. But he tells you that it makes him happy and, obviously, you believe him. Still, you do not want to disturb his well-deserved sleep which is why you try to move as little as possible.

Carefully, you set Grace down in the middle and lift Steve's arm so that your daughter can quickly squeeze in-between. Sniffling, she looks at you with her big eyes as you adjust the covers over her and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Before you can settle back into your previous sleeping position, however, Steve stirs in his sleep, seemingly noticing that something changed as he wants to pull you closer to him. In doing so, he is not only pulling you closer to him now but also your daughter, who can't help but giggle at her father unintentionally cuddling her. While you barely move, hoping your husband will stay asleep, he takes one deep breath. After that, silence spreads throughout your bedroom.

"Do we have a visitor tonight?", Steve's deep, sleep-drunk voice suddenly asks into the dark and you startle a little.

"She had a nightmare, but don't worry. You can go back to sleep", you say, feeling his arm retract from you as he hugs Grace tightly instead, placing kisses all over her which makes her giggle even more.

"These bad dreams can't harm you, sweetheart. You know Mommy and Daddy will always be there to protect you", he whispers to your daughter, who is now cuddling into him, his chin on top of her head. Your heart beats faster upon seeing their interaction and you once again realize how lucky you are to have him. And you are so incredibly grateful that he gave you such wonderful children like James and Grace.

"Try to sleep again, alright? Daddy won't let the bad dreams disturb you any longer", Steve explains softly, running his hand over her hair to soothe her into dreamland. Gently, he kisses her cheek and motions for you to come closer in order to give you a kiss as well while not having to leave his position with your daughter in his arms. Smiling, you peck his lips and fall back into your pillow, the exhaustion hitting you at once. But when Steve's fingers graze your upper arm, you manage to still intertwine your hands before falling asleep again.

════════════

Scattered rays of sunshine tickling your nose, you move and slowly wake up. You do not even have to open your eyes and you know that you clearly have not had enough sleep to be fully rested. But you have to get two children ready for school and daycare and simultaneously make yourself presentable for work as well.

A quick glance at your alarm clock shows you that you woke up before the alarm, which is only supposed to go off in half an hour.

Sighing, you let your hand dangle over the edge of the bed before lifting yourself up completely, unable to get any more sleep anyway. Yawning, you sit on the edge and a smile creeps onto your lips as you turn around and are met with the cutest sight the world has ever seen.

Steve's entire bulky body is spread out like a starfish across his side as well as yours, his huge frame taking up most of the space. Meanwhile, Grace is sprawled across his torso, her stuffed animal in one of her hands, and they both snore away peacefully. You genuinely wonder how you survived a night with this little space.

As carefully and slowly as possible, you stand up and reluctantly tear yourself away from the sight which is going to make your heart fill with a lot of joy for a few more days. You tiptoe to the chair next to your closet, throw the clothes you have already laid out yesterday evening over your arm and disappear into the adjoining bathroom, but not without turning off the alarm clock first.

The built-in clock on the mirror reminds you once again how early in the morning it is, but you choose to ignore it and splash cold water on your face to wake up. After that, you take a quick shower and put on some make-up, styling your hair while enjoying the quiet that early mornings usually bring.

With two children, a family dog - a German Shepard named Sarge -, and a husband who saves the world almost every day, there is often not much time for rest. And you often lose sight of the fact that you also have a job and a life outside of your role as a mother and wife.

But you love this role, even if it drives you crazy at times.

Slipping into your clothes - today more formal than usual as you have an important meeting - you take one last look at yourself, and the clock, and then exit the bathroom. Grace and Steve have hardly moved in the meantime and it is not easy for you to destroy this moment. At least the shrill sound of the alarm does not do it.

Gently, you crawl back onto the bed and kiss your daughter's forehead several times, softly urging her to wake up. Steve receives the same treatment and while Grace wakes up pretty quickly, he remains fast asleep.

"Go wake up your brother, okay? I will be right there", you say to Grace, who looks at you sleepily but rested and she sets off immediately, the thought of waking up her brother exciting her.

"Babe, it's time to get up", you whisper, kissing his cheek, but he still has not moved. His hair is tousled and his beard is more than three days old. If you told anyone how difficult it is to get Captain America out of bed in the morning, they would probably never believe you.

But here you are, trying to shake the big man in front of you awake.

"Why, already?", he finally murmurs, waking up but clearly not wanting to as he reaches for you, pulling you on top of him. "I didn't even get a proper chance to hold you last night. I'm cuddle deprived."

At this, you let out a laugh and try to free yourself from his grip, but he does not let go of you and his strength exceeds yours by far. Super Soldier Serum and such.

Still, you do not even think about giving up and pull on his arm again, which is wrapped tightly around your waist.

"Steve, please. I need to help Grace brush her teeth and get dressed", you mention, but your husband clearly does not seem to care, as you can see from his expression.

"She's grown up. Besides, wasn't she supposed to wake James? He can help her", he winks at you and you let out a humourless chuckle, not believing his words.

"So you were awake, you-"

"I just can't get enough of your kisses, you know? And I gladly admit it, after all you are my wife and I do not have to hide anything from you", he smiles proudly, kissing you on the lips. "Otherwise, what was the point of marrying you if I can't kiss you whenever and wherever I want?"

"Oh my god, Steve. What's gotten into you?", you giggle, pushing him away from you as much as he lets you. Meeting his eyes, you feel a blush creep onto your cheeks because he looks at you like you hung the moon.

"Is that a blush? Did I actually make my wife blush right now?", he grins from ear to ear and you just roll your eyes as an answer, biting back another giggle.

"Shut up. You are an idiot, but you can be glad that I missed you so much", you smile and kiss him again, using his unwariness in that moment to finally free yourself from his grip, which is only accompanied by Steve's grumble. "Now get America's ass up or our whole house will be flooded if I let your children alone in the bathroom for one second longer."

"Yes, ma'am", he salutes you, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he tries to suppress a laugh. Rolling your eyes with a giggle, you set off to stop Grace from turning the bathroom into her own little water park.

It does not take long for you to get everything back under control and escort your children, and Sarge, who was woken up by all the turmoil, downstairs, into the open kitchen and living area, where they both sit on the huge sofa and watch their favourite kids show. This distraction allows you to prepare their lunch boxes while simultaneously getting some breakfast ready for Steve and you. Of course you also take care of Sarge by filling up his food and water bowls.

Laughter fills the air whenever the cartoon character says something funny on screen, and your heart fills with love at the sight of your two little bundles of joy. Leaning against the counter behind you, you wait for your coffee to be ready, tracking what is currently happening on screen.

All of your children's concentration is on the screen. That is until footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs and they both rush to stand up, jumping into Steve's arms before he even gets the chance to properly enter the room.

"Woah! Careful you two", Steve warns them immediately, but in such a playful tone that they do not even take him seriously. He lifts them both up with ease and bids them good morning with a kiss to the forehead. Sarge is also standing directly at his feet now, his tail wagging in glee.

"Daddy, Daddy! I didn't have any more nightmares", Grace declares proudly while, at the same time, James shares his super-cool, action-packed dream of being the superhero who saved the world.

Steve listens to both of them intently, as best as he can when they are talking to him at the same time, and sits them down on the stools by the kitchen island. The two only stop talking when they drink their orange juice, which you have put there beforehand. Drinking their juice, James starts explaining his dream to his little sister, babbling away.

"Good morning to you too, my beautiful wife", Steve greets you as he slowly approaches you and you can't help but check him out. Today, for your pleasure, he decided to put on a compression shirt, which emphasizes his muscular upper body and especially his upper arms, and combined it with a simple pair of cargo pants. His hair is perfectly styled the way you love it and he has kept his stubble.

He looks so incredibly handsome right now that you just can't keep your hands to yourself and touch his chest the moment he softly kisses you.

"I saw that", he whispers against your lips, flexing the muscles under your hand before leaving a little more space between your bodies. "How did you sleep?"

Since your senses are currently fully consumed by him - his fresh just-left-the-shower scent, his raspy voice, his body in front of you, his entire aura -, you have to swallow before being able to answer. Steve watches all of this with a slight grin on his lips that he is trying to hide, perfectly knowing what he does to you right now.

"Good. Fine. I mean for the sleep I got it was fine", you shrug, being used to not ever feeling completely rested. "I will survive."

"I never doubted that", Steve replies, placing both hands on the counter next to your hips, catching you between them. "But next time you can wake me up when the kids come over at night."

"I know, it's just- You were so exhausted last night and I just couldn't bring myself to steal your well-deserved sleep", you sigh with a sad smile, and, lost in thought, run your hand along his chest and over his shoulder, avoiding eye contact.

"That's why I love you. But", he starts, suddenly holding a cup in front of you. "What was this invented for, then?"

In disbelief, you quickly take a glance next to you, to where the coffee machine is, to where your coffee was just made.

"You are a thief", you say, offended when he actually takes a sip from it with a grin on his perfectly sculpted face.

"It doesn't even work for you", you remind him with your eyebrow raised.

"Hm, the thought counts", he winks at you playfully before placing the cup in your hands, pecking your cheek before filling himself a glass of orange juice as well. "By the way, you look beautiful."

"I tried my best", you snicker, sipping your coffee as you try to hide what is turning out to be yet another blush. "You don't look too bad yourself either, Mr. Rogers."

"Daddy, do you like my pigtails today?", Grace interrupts your conversation all of a sudden, apparently having enough of her brother's talk about superheroes.

"Of course! I love them!", Steve answers, leaning on the kitchen island to be able to reach out to her on the other side, twirling one of her pigtails around his finger. "It looks stunning. And would you take a look at these butterfly hairclips! Amazing!"

The big smile that then appears on her face mirrors that of her father and you can't help but smile too. It is moments like these that really make you realize how lucky you are.

Finishing up their lunch boxes, you ask your children to get their backpacks so you can put them in. The colorful boxes disappear into their bags and a glance at the clock tells you that you will have to get ready to leave soon.

"Do you think I can be a superhero one day, Daddy?", James asks, apparently still caught up in his dream. Steve smiles at him with so much adoration in his eyes as he takes his backpack and smoothes down his hair that you feel your heart beating faster.

"Of course you will, what a question!", Steve answers enthusiastically and takes Grace's backpack as well after checking the time.

"Because my friends don't believe me when I tell them that you are a superhero and that I will one day also be one", James continues, looking at his feet as he tells you this. Steve seems to be at a loss for words for a second and you also do not know what to say. It is not about what he said but about the way your son said it. With so much defeat in his voice.

Quickly, Steve and you exchange a sympathetic gace before he bends down to be on one level with James.

"Don't listen to them, buddy. We all know that you will be a superhero one day and that is what counts", Steve encourages him, rubbing over his shoulder in an attempt to lighten him up. "Am I right, Grace?"

"YES!"

Grace answers with so much enthusiasm in her voice that it makes you giggle. Grace has always been her older brother's biggest fan and when she goes over and hugs him now, telling him that he will be great, but that he definitely needs to get her a cool superhero costume as well, your heart skips a beat and you feel warm inside.

This is your family and they are the best thing that has ever happened to you.

Steve pulls both of them to his chest, hugging them as well before picking them up, one on each side. Apparently they wrap their hands around his neck a bit too tightly, because he is fighting to get some air. "Alright, alright, I may be a superhero but I still need to breathe. Who is ready to leave?", he announces and your kids giggle, loosening their grip on their dad. Sarge barks softly as a response, apparently also ready to go out.

Steve maneuvers both of them to the entryway, putting them down and helping Grace to tie her shoes. James, on the other hand, puts on his jacket and shoes in record time, visibly proud. You join them in the hallway, stuffing your lunchbox into your handbag and handing Steve his own.

"Thank you, my love", he kisses your cheek, patting down on his body to see if he's got his keys and wallet. "Let me bring them today."

"W-What? I was supposed to-"

"I know. But I want to. It's not long until my next mission and I just want to spend as much time with them as possible", Steve interrupts you, smiling while opening the door so the kids can already go outside. "I also need to proof to James' friends that his father is, in fact, Captain America. And you drive them every day, after waking up earlier, after helping them get ready, after making breakfast. Don't think that I haven't noticed that you are barely getting any sleep. I can practically see how exhausted you are, honey."

His words are spot on. Recently, when he was gone on more and longer missions, you indeed found it increasingly difficult to take care of two - three if you count Sarge - children on your own. Even with the help of your parents, and Bucky and Sam from time to time, you were still quite overwhelmed with everything. It actually makes you feel better, even if you do not want to admit it, that Steve is now taking this task off your shoulders. On the other hand, you love your children and can't bare to be seperated from them for too long.

Steve notices that you fall silent at his words and he steps closer, grabbing your hands tightly.

"You're the best mother on this planet and we can consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have you", Steve whispers, softly cupping your face before kissing your forehead. "You are the true superhero here."

"I sometimes really don't feel like it", you answer with a bit of despair in your voice, your two babys laughing in the background as they are already getting into the car on their own. Using the last few minutes you have before running late, you pull him into a tight hug, your arms wrapping around his waist while his are around your neck.

"I love you so much", he whispers into your hair, planting a few kisses there. "You're doing amazing. You've got this. Sometimes you just need to let the sidekick take over."

"Thank yo-"

"Mommy! Daddy!", James' voice interrupts your cute little moment, but before the two of you seperate, Steve steals a quick kiss from you.

"Alright, you need to get going or otherwise you'll be late", you giggle, following Steve out of the house after turning off all the lights and grabbing your bag, Sarge following your every step. You step to the back of the car and check if James and Grace are securely buckled in and then give both of them a kiss to the cheek.

"Have fun today and remember who's going to pick you up after?", you say, smiling as you watch both of them realize which day it is today.

"Uncle Bucky! Uncle Bucky!", both of them yell in unison, giggling. Waving goodbye, you close the door of the car and turn to Steve, who is ready to jump into the car.

"Take care and good luck for your meeting", Steve smiles at you, softly sneaking his hands around your waist to pull you closer and to give you a kiss one last time. However, he doesn't seem to want to stop anymore so you have to gently push him back.

"Mr. Rogers, I fear you're going to be late if you continue like this", you chuckle, caressing his cheek. "See you later. Take care. Love you."

"Love you, too. My superheroine", Steve winks, finally getting into the car and starting the engine. You watch as the car leaves and disappears around the next corner. Sighing, you do not even realize that you are not moving until Sarge begs for your attention. Smiling, you bend down and pat him.

"Oh Sarge, what would I do without all of you?"

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justagalwhowrites · 10 months

Text

Yearling - Ch. 22: Storm

A spring snowstorm hits Jackson. A continuation of Yearling ch. 1-21 found on Tumblr here.

PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE CONTENT WARNINGS, THIS IS A ROUGH CHAPTER!!!

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Past sexual assault vaguely described; animal death; PTSD response; sexual assault of a minor mentioned in a vulgar way (not seen); possible child death. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ Only

Length: 8.6k

AO3 | Chapter One | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Early May, 2013

You were outside when the woman rode up.

Your home was well hidden and you’d only seen five people since Mark had left almost a year earlier, each of them making their way into your land and telling you that he’d sent them your way. They were all kind, they were all vulnerable and they were all loaded down with things you would need. Flashlight batteries and bulbs, sugar and salt, rubbing alcohol and petroleum jelly. Thread, fabric, pain killers, antibiotics, guitar strings. One woman had been sent with a snack sized bag of Lays that were still sealed and a bottle of whiskey. That had made you smile, the clearest sign that Mark hadn’t forgotten about you.

All of the others had arrived on foot, seemingly with a good idea of where to go, mostly alone but two women has traveled together. The timing wasn’t predictable but you at least knew what you could expect when someone Mark sent your way came into your territory.

This woman was different.

You heard her before you saw her, the thundering footfalls and heavy breathing of her horse loud against the quiet of the forest. You didn’t have time to fortify your position, didn’t even have time to go get more ammo. So you stood your ground and raised your rifle, heart pounding, when she burst through the tree line and into the clearing that you called home.

“Back the fuck up!” You yelled, gun raised. The horse all but skidded to a stop, the woman on its back clutching a bundle of blankets to her chest with one hand, yanking back on the reins with the other.

“Easy!” She said dropping the reins and putting her hand up. She still clung to the bundle. You recognized the horse. It was Perseus, it was Mark’s horse. “Are you Texas?”

“Who’s askin’?” Your accent was thick, fear a knot in your stomach as you looked Perseus over. You didn’t see any signs of injury.

She kept her hand up.

“You knew Mark?” She asked. She had an accent, too. Georgia southern, like Mark. “Brown hair, criminally long eyelashes?”

You narrowed your eyes at her and tightened your grip on your weapon.

“He knew you,” she kept going. “He… he told me all about you. Doubt he ever mentioned me but… he talked about you all the time. He loved you and I think you loved him, too.”

You swallowed past the growing lump in your throat and tightness in your chest. She kept using past tense.

“What about him?” You asked, keeping your gun raised but your grip loosened.

“He sent me to find you. We need your help,” she said, reaching and tugging her pant leg up just enough to reveal a festering bite mark on her ankle. “And I don’t have much time.”

***

Early April, 2027

“I can’t believe you’ve been calling her a fucking baby deer this whole goddamn time!”

Ellie was perched on Shimmer’s stall door, watching as you and Joel set out blankets for the horses. It has been snowing all day and winds were picking up. You were worried a blizzard was moving in and you wanted help getting the horses set to ride out the storm if you couldn’t get to them for a day or two.

Joel was happy to assist, especially since he had come back from patrol a week earlier with a copy of Bambi on VHS. Ellie hadn’t been able to calm down about it since and it reminded him of the giddiness she had when she started in on the puns the first time, almost four years ago now. He’d have done anything to get that back and, it turned out, all it took was an old Disney movie and a funny nickname.

“Thank you,” you laughed, almost smug. “Don’t talk for a few minutes and get saddled with the name of a cartoon deer for life…”

“Hey, needed somethin’ to call you and you try coming up with anything else after lookin’ at you with those big eyes,” Joel said, defensive but smiling. “Not my fault it stuck.”

“Yeah well Bambi here was gonna kick your ass the first time we met,” she replied. “Big bad contractor was gonna get beat up by a fucking cartoon deer from a kid’s movie…”

Joel tried to keep from laughing and raised his eyebrows at you.

“OK that’s an exaggeration,” you said. “All I was going to do…”

“I asked if you were going to try to kick his ass,” Ellie cut you off. “And you said ‘no try about it, I was gonna kick his ass.’”

“And what did I do to deserve that?” Joel asked, teasing.

“Well, Ellie tried to warn me about you…” You began, but Ellie cut you off.

“Should have listened….”

You glared at her.

“But she wasn’t very clear,” you said. “And if some grown man was messing around with a girl, I was going to kick his ass. Turns out I didn’t have a reason to.”

Joel laughed.

“Glad you spared me.”

You laughed before planting your hands on your hips, looking around the stable for a moment, taking stock.

“Think things are just about as good as they’re gonna get,” you sighed. “But I think they should be good for a day until we can dig out and get back over here. Just wait for them to finish dinner, put more feed in after…”

“Think there’s any chance of the patrols making it back tonight?” Ellie asked, her eyebrows drawn together.

“Probably not,” Joel said. “They got places to ride out shit like storms if they get stuck, they’ll be alright.”

“Still,” you said. “Had a group that was due back tonight, Jackson was probably the closest point to ride it out. Think I’ll hang out for a bit yet…”

“I’ll go get us something to eat,” Joel said. “We’ll wait with you, head home after, settle in to ride out the storm.”

“Can we stay at Bambi’s?” Ellie asked. “She’s got a way better stereo.”

You smiled.

“Sure, kid,” you said. “On you to get Joel to dance party, though.”

“Dance party?” He frowned.

“You wouldn’t get it, Old Man,” she replied, the hint of a smirk on her face.

“Don’t get a lot of things about you, Baby Girl,” he said before stretching his back a bit. “Alright, back in a few. Try not to find too much trouble while I’m gone.”

You and Ellie both rolled your eyes and he couldn’t help but smile as he made his way through the few inches of snow that had already fallen, heading for the mess hall.

One of Joel’s favorite parts of being back on good terms with Ellie was getting to see your relationship with her. Even before she was mad at him, he wanted her to have someone like you in her life. Another woman she could talk to, look up to, guide her in ways he didn’t fully understand. She needed that and he hadn’t been able to see it happening from the distance she was holding him at before.

He knew the two of you were close, he just hadn’t realized how close until the last few months. The two of you felt more like family than Sarah’s mother ever had and he treasured it, treasured that you seemed to love his daughter almost as much as he did.

The mess hall was getting ready for a storm, too, putting together baskets of food to send home with Jackson residents so people wouldn’t be struggling through the storm for their meals over the next few days. He gathered enough to last the three of you for a bit plus some sandwiches for tonight before he started back toward the stables, the wind more forceful and biting than when he’d left just half an hour earlier.

As he got closer, he noticed tracks in the snow, hoof prints leading to the stables. A patrol had made it back and, for half a moment, he was a little disappointed. If the storm wasn’t as bad as they were expecting and the patrol was able to make it back to Jackson without losing much time, he might not get to spend the day with you and Ellie tomorrow. Ever since the storm started moving in that afternoon he’d been excited for the chance to have some unexpected time just the three of you - almost like playing hooky but with permission.

But he knew he should just be happy the patrol made it home through the weather, hopefully with all the people intact. Which, he was. But damn if he didn’t love an excuse to spend time with you.

He opened the door to the stable and quickly moved shut it behind him, expecting to find you taking saddles off horses. Instead, you damn near slammed into him, your eyes wide, not saying a word as you shoved the door open and took off into the snow.

“Bambi?” He called after you. You didn’t even slow down. He jogged over to Ellie’s perch and set the food down, a tightness starting to grip his chest.

“No idea,” Ellie said, not waiting for him to ask. “Patrol came back, said something about some people they found outside… She just said ‘savvy’ and took the fuck off.”

Joel looked around for a second. Julie was standing next to her horse, a confused look on her face.

“You found people outside?” Joel asked.

“Yeah,” she said, still staring at where you’d run out. “Yeah, a group of five. We brought them back…”

“Where are they?” He asked, fighting to keep his voice calm.

“The clinic…”

“Ellie,” he said quickly. “Stay put here, alright? I’m gone more than half an hour, head on home. Mine or hers, don’t want you in that little place for this storm, OK Baby Girl?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, not giving him shit. She looked concerned, too. “Yeah, OK.”

He gave her a stiff nod and went out into the building storm, following your footprints to the clinic.

Joel heard you there before he saw you, your voice pleading and desperate as he shut the wind and snow outside.

“Anything,” you were begging. “Anything at all, a name, an age, hair color, anything, please…”

“I’m sorry,” a man whose voice Joel didn’t recognize said. “She did say much before she died, just that there was a girl…”

Joel found you then, in the same room he’d been in when he’d come in from patrol with a bullet in his leg.

“Where?” You asked. “Where’d you find her? Did she say where she escaped from, how far she’d come?”

“We picked them up about 15 miles north east of here,” Fred, one of the men on patrol, said. “Just south of Kelly.”

“Think she came from a camp ground near there,” the other man said. He was skinny, a patch of frostbite on his nose. “Said something about cabins…”

“Right,” you nodded. “Right, thank you.”

You turned and ran smack into Joel’s chest. You barely seemed to register it, hardly even glancing at him before ducking around him and running out the door again.

“She was asking about a girl,” Fred said quickly. “These folks here, had a woman with them before we found them. Said she escaped raiders, that the raiders had a teenaged girl…”

“Fuck,” Joel muttered under his breath before looking at the other man. “Thanks, Fred.”

He didn’t wait for a response, just ducking back into the snow, the wind starting to howl now, running to catch up with you.

You were on your porch by the time he reached you. You didn’t even seem to be aware that he was following you, you were too focused on something else entirely. You didn’t even bother to take your boots off when you got in the house, just ripping the coat closet inside your door open and pulling out your patrol materials as Joel let himself in.

“Bambi,” he said gently. You looked up at him for a moment, like you were surprised to find him there before you focused back on your pack, shoving in blankets and flashlights. “Come on, honey…”

“They’ve got her, Joel,” you said, barely glancing at him before you grabbed your bag and half walked, half ran to your kitchen. “Can’t just leave her out there with them, I…”

“There’s a snowstorm, Sweetheart,” he said gently, trying to keep his voice calm. “It’s not safe…”

“Doesn’t matter,” you started stuffing food in your bag, no rhyme or reason to it that Joel could see.

“Yes, it does,” he said, trying to take the pack from you. You yanked it back, a vicious look in your eyes before you ducked around him. “Baby.”

“I’m not leaving her to those… those…” your voice cracked. “Those fucking monsters, I’m not, I can’t just leave her, I can’t just abandon her, I…”

“You getting yourself killed won’t help anybody.” It was getting harder and harder to keep the panic from his voice. He’d never seen you quite like this. Close to it when out on patrol and there were signs that raiders were near, signs of their violence, but he’d always been able to pull you back from the edge. He wasn’t sure he could this time. “Bambi, you can’t…”

“Yes, I can.”

You moved around him and he followed.

“I know you want to help people,” he said. “But you can’t help anyone if you get yourself killed. I know you want to save everyone from going through what you went through…”

“That’s not what this is,” you said, turning in circles like you were looking for something but you couldn’t place it.

“Then what is it?” He caught you by the shoulders and looked at you, your eyes wide and panicky. “Tell me, help me understand. When the weather clears, I can go with you and…”

“It’ll be too late then,” you shook your head, tears starting to swell. “As soon as the snow stops they’re going to leave and it’ll be too late, I’ll never catch them and they’ll still have her and I can’t lose her again, Joel, I can’t, I can’t take it, I can’t do this again, please, don’t ask me to do this again I…”

“Do what?” He asked, pleading, his grip on you firm. “Let me help you, Baby, please, tell me what’s going on. Who…”

“My daughter!” You said quickly. Joel froze, his heart pounding against his ribs. “I have a daughter, I have a daughter and if it’s her I… I can’t lose her again, I can’t. I have to go get her…”

“You…” he breathed.

“My daughter,” you said, eyes wide. “Please, Joel. I think they have my daughter.”

***

Early May, 2013

You lowered your rifle enough that it was no longer an immediate threat and she relaxed a little, letting the pant leg fall over her ankle again. There was a small cry from the bundle in her arms and you frowned, looking between her and it. She carefully lowered it from her chest, looking down to it.

“Hey, you’re OK sweet girl,” she said gently. “It’s alright…”

The bundle fussed but didn’t cry again and she looked back to you.

“Can I get down?” She asked. “Got a lot to talk about and not a lot of time to do it. Figure I’ve got an hour left. Two, tops.”

“Yeah,” you nodded quickly. “Yeah, OK. Let’s talk.”

You didn’t invite her in, not wanting to deal with the potential hazard of her turning into one of those inhuman things in your house. She didn’t seem to mind.

Her name, she said, was Laurel. She was about your age, you guessed, with her dark hair in two thick braids, deep brown eyes and rich umber skin.

“This is Savannah,” she said, tilting the bundle so you could see inside. “She’s nine months old…”

You looked at her, awed for a moment. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d seen a baby and you resisted the urge to reach out and run your finger over her chubby, impossibly soft looking cheek. She blinked at you, her brown eyes oddly keen and exacting for a baby, her lashes almost obscenely long. You frowned, leaning in to look closer at her. You knew those impossibly soft, brown eyes set in her lovely russet-hued face.

“She’s Mark’s,” you said softly, looking up at Laurel. “She’s Mark’s, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, she is.”

“I…” your voice broke. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know he had someone, I wouldn’t have…”

“It wasn’t like that,” she cut you off. “My husband died about three years ago. He got hurt, it got infected… Not even the fucking apocalypse kind, just the kind that you can clear up with penicillin if you can find the damn stuff. Mark… we were both lonely, looking for something to make it better for a while. It just kind of happened. She just kind of happened.”

The baby cooed, stretching and reaching for you.

“Where is he?” You asked, looking back at Laurel. “What happened to him?”

“Our settlement got overrun,” she said, her voice suddenly thick. “They came out of nowhere and just… He tried. He tried so, so hard, you should know that he tried. But he got bit, on the neck, trying to protect us and… He told me where to find you. That’s what he did with the last few minutes of his life, he told me where to find you, he told me that you’d take care of us, make sure we survived. He told me to tell you that he loved you and that he wanted to come back to you…”

You found yourself nodding, tears on your cheeks as you looked into the eyes of the man you loved in his child’s face.

“He died before I got bit,” she said. “He died thinking we had a shot. I kept her safe, though. She was safe…”

“You did good,” you said, throat tight. “You really did…”

“I need your help,” she said before taking a deep breath.

“Course,” you nodded, tearing your eyes away from Mark’s daughter to look at her. “What…”

“I need you to take Savannah.”

You just blinked at her for a moment. “I…” you broke off, shaking your head. “What? I… no, no, I’m not who you want, I don’t…”

“I don’t have a lot of options,” she said. “I don’t have time to find another person let alone someone I know I can trust. And I know I can trust you with her. Mark loved you and you loved him, you won’t let anything happen to his child.”

“But I…” you looked back at the baby in her arms. “I don’t know anything about kids, I wouldn’t even know where to start, I don’t…”

“Please,” she said, her voice breaking. “He wanted you to take care of her. I think… I think part of him knew it would just be her. That’s why he sent me here, to you. He wanted it to be you. He trusted you and he loved you, he wanted her to be with you. Please, I’ll beg if I have to, just please take care of her. Please.”

You looked at the baby in her arms, at Mark’s eyes with the impossibly long lashes.

“OK.”

Laurel held her daughter while she told you everything. You paused her to take some notes when you thought of it, things like a recipe for formula when she refused solids and what to do when she started crying but wouldn’t stop. She told you how much her daughter loved to gnaw on bits of apple and loved to bounce in time to her father’s humming and her birthday - July 20.

She started twitching more in what felt like no time at all, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. She pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead.

“You’ll be OK sweet girl,” she whispered to her. “You’ll be OK. Mama loves you, OK? Try to remember that for me, OK?” She looked up at you. “Will… will you tell her about me? About Mark?”

You nodded, the pinch of tears tight in your throat.

“Of course,” you said. “I’ll make sure she knows everything you did for her. She’ll know about you.”

She nodded, passing you her child. Your child.

“I’d like to do it myself,” she said, nodding to the gun at your hip. “If that’s OK.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, adjusting Savannah in your arms and handing Laurel the gun. She took it and walked backwards away from you, her eyes on her daughter. Your daughter.

“I’ll close my eyes just before,” she said once she was about 20 feet away, still looking at her baby. “Can you cover hers for me? I want to look at her as long as I can but I don’t want her to see…”

“Yeah,” you nodded again. “I can do that.”

“Thank you,” she smiled tightly, actually looking at you this time. “I… I know this isn’t what you planned but… It’s easier, knowing she has someone.”

“I’ll take care of her,” you said. “I’ll love her. I’ll take care of her.”

Laurel just nodded and looked back at her child, watching her for a moment, the gun in her shaky hand.

“Mama loves you,” she said softly, raising the gun to her temple and closing her eyes. You quickly pressed Savannah’s face into your chest and held her close.

Everything was eerily silent for a moment, the longest second of your life, before there was the crack of the gun and the sharp cry of the baby who was all you had left in the world.

August 2018

“You have learn this, Savvy.”

“I don’t want to shoot them, Mama,” your daughter looked over at you from her spot on the downed tree, looking at the infected more than 100 feet away through a scope.

“These are the easiest things you’ll ever have to shoot,” you said gently. “It’s nice to shoot them, you’re making it so they’re not hurting anymore…”

“But they’re people.”

Her eyes - her father’s eyes - were so wide. The springs of her curls were bundled back away from her face, a sprinkle of freckles across her nose.

“I know they look like people,” you ran your hand over the crown of her small head. “But they’re not, not anymore. They’re things that are hurting and the only way to help them is to shoot them. And shooting them keeps you and me safe. Now, you can do this. Do it just like you do at home with the targets.”

She looked at you, her big eyes watery, before obeying and turning back toward the gun. You watched as she lined up her shot and took a deep breath, exhaling before firing.

Her shot went a little wide, catching the infected on the arm. It whipped its head around and shrieked before running for you.

“Mama!”

“It’s alright,” you said, looking down your own rifle for a moment before firing and hitting it in the head. It dropped like a stone. “See? All OK. This is why we learn.”

“I’m sorry,” her voice was thick and trembling and you looked over at her, tears streaming down her face. “I tried hard, I promise…” she hiccuped and gulped in air and you set your rifle down and sat up before pulling her against you.

“You did so good,” you kissed the top of her head. “Don’t be sorry, Honey, you did so good, I’m so proud of you.”

“But I didn’t kill them,” she pulled her face from your chest, her lower lip quivering. “I did it wrong and…”

“You’ll get better,” you said gently. “No one is perfect when they’re learning. This is just to make sure that you’re safe. I’ll always protect you but it’s good for you to know how to protect yourself, too. This is just in case, OK?”

She nodded against you and you held her until she stopped crying. When she calmed, you ran your thumbs over her cheeks and kissed her small forehead, wishing you didn’t have to teach her these things. If you could just shelter her away from the world - from infected, from the people who has found power because of the infected - then it would all be OK. She wouldn’t need to know how to kill. It could be just you and her, growing things and raising horses and reading by the fire, until the end of time.

But the world, you knew, was not so kind.

“Want to go pick out some books?” You asked gently. She nodded and the two of you got up and you took her hand, leading her to the library.

In the more than five years you’d had Savvy, she had become your entire world. Everything you did, you did for her. To keep her safe, to make her happy, to teach her. You’d known nothing about children when Laurel brought her to you. The first night, you’d held her close while you both cried and you prayed to a god you’d never been sure existed that you would do right by her.

Loving her came easy. Living for her was harder.

But you fell into it eventually, guiding her through the world as it was now as best you could. If you found a family near your territory, you’d watch them from afar and, once you knew it was safe, bring Savvy to introduce her, give her a chance to know someone besides yourself. You taught her how to read, how to count, how to skin a rabbit. You had no idea if it was the right thing but you hoped it would be enough that, when she was older, she would survive if something happened to you. That’s all that mattered, that she would be OK.

“Mama?” She asked, setting her picture book on her legs as you browsed the shelves for more books on home schooling and small scale farming.

“Yes baby?”

“What else would I need to shoot?”

You frowned and looked down at her, your hand on the spine of a book.

“What?”

“Well, you said that the not people are the easiest things I would have to shoot,” she said, face serious. “So… what else would I have to shoot?”

“I don’t think you’ll like shooting animals much,” you said and she crinkled her nose. “But you’ll probably have to at some point.”

“But I like animals,” she pouted.

You smiled.

“I know you do.”

“What else?” She asked, still peering up at you.

You sighed.

“Sometimes…” you turned your attention back to the books. “Sometimes you’ll have to shoot a person.”

Her wide eyes somehow grew wider, a look of horror on her face.

“But…” her little voice broke. “But I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“I know,” you said quietly. “But sometimes we have to.”

“Why?”

“Because,” you looked down to her. “There are things in this world that want to hurt you and you need to know how to hurt them first.”

“But you’re here,” she said. She was so young, so small. You knelt, getting down on her level.

“You still need to know how,” you said. “I will do everything I can to protect you but I might fail. You need to know how to destroy them before they destroy you because they will. They will destroy every part of you they can touch if they have the chance. Don’t give them the chance.”

She considered that for a moment, her face very serious.

“Does it hurt?” She asked, looking up at you.

You reached down at cupped her cheek.

“Yes,” you said quietly. “Yes, it does.”

Her eyes were wide and soft and deep and you wanted, more than anything, to keep her safe.

“But I’ll take care of you,” you said, stroking her soft skin with your thumb. “For as long as I’m alive, I’ll take care of you.”

September 15, 2023

“Mom?”

You looked up from where you were working at skinning a rabbit. There was a glow in your front window, a hold over from when Savvy was even younger and you had to leave to go check on the horses before bed. She got scared one night when she woke up and found that you weren’t in the dark cabin. Ever since, you always left the electric lantern on when you left in the evenings, even though she said she didn’t need it anymore. It was just enough to work by as the sun got lower outside.

“Yeah?”

“What…” she paused, an odd look on her face. “What’s in Gattling’s mouth?”

The dog was hovering behind Savvy’s legs and you leaned around from your position on a tree stump, trying to get a look at her. You frowned, not able to make it out in the low light, and set the rabbit and your knife down, wiping your hands on a rag tucked into your belt.

Gattling’s tail wagged as you approached, her head low and you squatted down to be on her level, angling her head toward the house so her muzzle wasn’t in shadow. Her snout was red with blood, something dangling from her jaws. You held your palm out flat.

“Gattling, release.”

She obediently dropped it in your hand with a sickening splat. It took you a moment to realize that it was a pinky finger.

“Mom?” Savvy’s voice was shaky. You dropped the finger where you stood and heard the crack of a gunshot in the distance.

“We have to move.”

You grabbed her arm and pulled her in the house, Gattling trotting close behind.

“What’s happening?” She asked, looking back over her shoulder. “Mom, what’s…”

“Get packed,” you said, grabbing a pack and thrusting at her before running to the dresser in the corner. You shrugged out of the shirt you were wearing and traded it for the one you’d worn when you fled the ranch 20 years earlier, not willing to leave Justin’s shirt behind. “Some clothes, first aid, batteries, flashlights, all three kinds of ammo, sleeping bag.”

You went to the kitchen and started grabbing things you’d already preserved. Jerky, dried fruit, some seeds. Most of the canteens in the house were full and you grabbed a few. You grabbed the pistol, the shot gun and the rifles. You set it all out on the table and looked over to your daughter who was obediently filling her pack.

“Leave room for this,” you said, taking your rifle from the pile. “Meet me by the horses as quick as you can. Turn out the lantern on your way.”

She just nodded. You sprinted for the cabin you’d turned into a stable. Nike was huffed at your arrival and you grabbed her tack and saddled her up as quickly as you could, making sure there was room to add basic supplies. Savvy ran into the pen just as you led Nike and Perseus into the middle of it.

“Long guns,” you held your hand out as you tightened down straps of the saddle. She handed you the shotgun first and you tucked it into a strap on the saddle. The rifle came next. You stepped back and looked at it for a moment.

“OK,” you said turning back to your daughter, looking her over. She’d gotten so tall, she was only a few inches shorter than you now, you didn’t even need to stoop to press a kiss to her forehead. “Want you to head north, understand?”

“What are you talking about?” She asked as you took her arm and guided her alongside the horse. “Mom, you’re coming with me, I’ll just follow you, I’ll just…”

“I’ll get to you when I can,” you said. She shook her head, her eyes wide.

“No,” she grabbed your arms. “No, you can’t, you can’t just leave me, you can’t…”

“I’m not leaving you,” you held her face in your hands, looked into her eyes. She had her father’s eyes. “I’m not, OK? I will find you. I will always find you, sweet girl, I will always protect you. That’s what I’m going to do, OK? I’m going to buy you time. Cut north, stick to the woods, off the trails. You know things here. Go out of the way, work your way around the long way to the library. Meet me there in three days, it should be safe…”

“Three days?” She gaped at you. “No, I can’t…”

“Yes you can,” you said, firm enough that you believed it, too. “Yes you can. I’ve taught you everything I know, you can make it. It’s just three days, you’ll be OK. You’re so strong and you’re so smart, you’re going to be OK. I will always find you. I will always protect you, I will always keep you safe. I promise.”

You pulled her tight to you and kissed her temple.

“I love you,” you breathed, pulling back to look at her face. “More than anything, I love you. I’ll see you soon, OK? Ride through the night, switch horses at dawn and keep riding until tomorrow night. You can do this.”

“I can do this,” she repeated. “I can do this.”

You looked to the dog at your feet, her tail wagging and her muzzle bloody.

“Gattling,” you said. Her ears perked up. “Savvy.”

She immediately went to your daughter’s side, ready to protect her.

You boosted Savvy onto the horse, taking a final look at her.

“Just three days, right Mom?”

You swallowed, hard, before nodding.

“Just three days. Be safe. Be smart. I’ll see you soon.”

You didn’t have the luxury of watching her ride away. The second her, Nike and Perseus were clear of the paddock, you ran to saddle up Hercules.

You needed to buy her time.

October 13, 2023

You were still paying for your escape.

It was hard to keep track of time. You were with Mitchum and his crew about two weeks the first time. That’s what it felt like, anyway. You were pretty sure it had been about half as long since they got you back. It was hard to tell. You were so panicked, in so much pain that time stretched and expanded and every hour that passed was an hour that you were separated from your daughter and you needed to get to her, you had to. She was just 11 years old and the world was not kind to girls. You’d taught her everything you knew but you had to get back to her, you didn’t want her to have to hurt and kill.

When you’d escaped, you’d done nothing but search for her. You went to the library, tried to track where you thought she’d have come from but it had been weeks. There was no trail left to follow. You were about to return to your cabin to check there when Mitchum’s men found you again. You still had no idea where Savvy was.

You’d promised to take care of her. You’d promised her, you’d promised the woman who had given her to you a decade earlier. You’d promised.

You had to get back to her.

They’d chained you to a wall this time but you thought you might be able to pull the bolt out of the wood if you worked at it diligently enough. You pried at it until your nails were bloody and you kept going. You were covered in blood already, anyway. It was sticky on your skin where it had flowed from the cut on your head where your face had been slammed into the floor as one of Mitchum’s men had taken you from behind while you were on your knees. It had been a steady drip from inside of you since the first time Mitchum forced himself on you when you were brought back, whatever injury there was not given time to heal. The raiders seemed to like it when you bled on them. It even coated part of your arm where one man had cut you when trying to control you, not happy with your lack of compliance as he hurt you. A little more as you tried to pry yourself free wasn’t going to draw attention.

The door slammed into the wall without warning and you jumped, shocking back from the wall. The man standing there smirked, stalking over to you.

“Getting ideas are we?” He sneered. He didn’t wait for a response. “Thought you’d have learned your fuckin’ lesson last time…”

He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the cuff that held you before pulling you roughly to your feet. He didn’t give you any clothes, he just pulled you, naked, out to the circle of men around a campfire. Your heart sped up, tried to count them. You weren’t sure you could survive being at the mercy of the more than two dozen who were here, not at one time. He threw you into the dirt and you caught yourself on your hands and knees.

“Here’s my favorite little bitch,” Mitchum stalked forward. You sat back on your heels and crossed your arms over your chest, trying to protect what you could. “How have you liked being back home? We keepin’ you entertained?”

A few of the men laughed. You swallowed and peered around, hoping for something you could take advantage of, just one open space, one unguarded moment and you could escape. For good this time. You could do that, you could escape and figure out where you were and then find Savvy.

“Figured out what you were hidin’ back in that homestead of yours,” Mitchum said, a smirk on his voice. You looked at him, eyes wide. Your stomach dropped and he laughed. “Didn’t think you’d like that. Can see why you were workin’ so hard now, she sure was a pretty little thing.”

“Fuck you,” you spat.

He laughed.

“That can be arranged,” he said. “Fucked that girl of yours, too. Broke her in real good…”

You were on your feet before you fully realized what you were doing, running for him. You grabbed at his face, snarling and grasping as you sank your bloody nails into his skin. You dug deep and he punched you in the stomach as one of his men pulled you back, forcing you to the ground.

“I’ll kill you!” You shrieked. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

He stalked forward and punched you across the face before grabbing a fistful of your hair, forcing you to look at him. You felt blood on your teeth and you wished it was his. You wanted to rip his throat out like an animal, wanted to claw and bite at him until he succumbed.

“I wanted to keep the both of you,” he said, holding your hair tight in his fist, fingers against your scalp. “Figured you’d be a lot more fun with her life on the line. Too bad she couldn’t take it.”

The world tilted on its axis. You hadn’t eaten in days but you still felt like you were going to be sick, like everything inside of you, the blood and the viscera that made you a living being, was going to come up.

“Oh yeah,” he smirked. “Should’ve probably been more careful with her but it was just so much fun to hear her beg for her mama…”

“You’re a liar,” you hissed through clenched teeth. “A fucking liar!”

He kept his eyes on you and he whistled before forcing you to look at the fire. Two men stepped forward, each carrying burlap sacks. One was much larger than the other.

“Show ‘er.”

The first man, the one with the large bag, turned it over. A horse head fell out of the sack, landing on the dirt with a wet thud. It took you a second to recognize her, separate from her body, but it was Nike. You screamed, the sound clawing its way up from your chest and you instinctively reached for her only to have Mitchum rip you back by your hair.

“Wanna see what’s in the other bag?” He pressed his mouth against your ear as you sobbed. “Decided to keep her head, thought I should pass it around, see if it’s as good cold…”

You strained in his hold, trying to shake your head. You couldn’t get yourself to form words. There was the distinct feeling that someone was cracking you open, prying apart your chest and pulling your organs out one by one. They didn’t belong to you anymore. You weren’t sure they ever really had, they were hers and she was gone.

You couldn’t see her like that, see just her head, like she had only ever been parts and pieces to begin with.

“Please,” you managed through the gasping, racking sobs. “Please, please, no, I’ll do whatever you want, whatever…”

Mitchum smiled.

“Good.”

The pain of the brand barely registered in your mind, even as your body jerked with it. Everything seemed dulled and numbed. Time slowed and stretched and, for a while, the only thing that your body seemed to have space for was the agonizing pain of losing something you were never built to lose.

It was a year before there was room for anything else.

Early April, 2027

“Bambi…”

“Move, Joel.”

You shoved past him. You’d need a sleeping bag, two sleeping bags, actually. An extra pair of boots, she probably didn’t have those. She’d have out grown the last ones she had, she would be 14 now, she’d be even taller, have bigger feet, longer legs. They didn’t give you clothes when you were with them, you doubted it was different for her.

First aid, that you’d need.

“You can’t do this, Baby,” he was following close behind you.

“Yes, I can.”

“You’re gonna get yourself fucking killed,” there was a strain in his voice. “Who knows what you’ll be walking into out there, how many there’ll be, how armed they’ll fuckin’ be, what they’ll do to you if they get your hands on you…”

“I have to try.”

You didn’t have a gun here. You’d have to get one, you were pretty sure Maria would give you one if you told her why you needed it.

“Just…” Joel sounded desperate. “Just wait, until after the storm, just wait, I’ll go with you, we’ll look, we’ll…”

“It’ll be too late,” you shook your head. “Someone got out, as soon as the weather clears they’re gonna move and we’ll lose them, it has to be now.”

“Have you seen how shit’s pickin’ up out there?” He came around in front of you, taking you by the shoulders. “Baby, the wind is gonna knock you off your damn horse, you can’t help her if you’re dead, please, I’m begging you, please…”

“What would you do?” You asked. “If it was Sarah, if it was Ellie. Would you sit here and wait? Or would you go get her?”

He froze, looking at you.

Your knife. You’d need your knife. You went to get it but Joel stopped you, his hand on your elbow.

“Bambi,” he said quietly. “You can’t know that it’s her.”

“It could be,” you said. “Joel…”

“It’s been years,” he whispered. “Baby, it’s been years, there’s… I’m so sorry but she’s… They wouldn’t have let her live this long, she couldn’t have survived this long, she’s gone, I’m so sorry…”

You shook your head. You had that feeling again, like the one you had that day around the fire when Mitchum had told you he’d killed her, the feeling that your whole self was being ripped apart.

But you’d never seen that she was gone. You never held her body, never saw the life leave her eyes. You didn’t know that she was gone. She could be alive. She could.

“You don’t know that,” you said, your voice thick. “You don’t…”

“You barley survived,” he said softly. “You, the strongest fucking person I know and you damn near died. A teenager couldn’t have survived that, Baby, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry and…”

“No,” you snapped, swallowing back your tears. “You don’t know, you don’t know them like I do…”

“I do,” he cut you off. “Sweetheart, I am begging you, stay here. Please. Don’t get yourself killed, if it’s her we will find her as soon as it’s safe…”

“You don’t know!” You pushed him back. He was costing you time, time you didn’t have. Savvy was out there, she was out there alone and afraid and you were going to find her. “Let me go, Joel. I know them, you don’t understand them, you can’t understand them…”

“I understand them because I used to be one of them!”

You froze. He was watching you, his eyes wide and desperate as he panted for breath. Your heart was pounding, there was a high pitched whine in your ears, something like a siren or when you first came to Jackson and could hear the electricity in the walls.

“What?” You whispered, suddenly keenly aware of how close he was to you, of his hand on you. You could feel the outline of his fingers, each individual callus distinct against your skin.

“I used to be one,” he said softly. “A… a raider, I used to be one. It was a long time ago but I know how they think, I know how they operate and… I’m sorry but if they’ve had her for three and a half years? She’s gone, Sweetheart. There’s nothing left for you to save…”

You thought Joel was still talking but you couldn’t hear him. It was like you’d just jumped into deep water, the cold of it shocking and painful and the rush of it drowning out everything you knew. You couldn’t hear, couldn’t breathe, could barely see.

Joel. Your Joel, the person you trusted more than any other, was a raider. He was like them, like the men who had torn you away from your daughter, who had raped you, who had tortured you, who now might be doing the same to your child right now and Joel knew them because he was like them because he had done those things, too.

“Don’t touch me.”

You were suddenly in your body again, out of that deep dark water and back in your house. Joel’s hands were on you and it was like they were on fire, you could feel it through your skin into your muscle, your bone, down into the marrow of you it hurt where his hands were on you.

“Baby,” he said gently and you forced yourself to look at his face. You couldn’t breathe. You’d kissed him, told him things you’d never told anyone, all but begged him to touch you and he was just like them.

“Don’t touch me!” You screamed it and he ripped his hands away like you’d burned him. You could breathe again and gulped in air, reaching for the back of your couch. You needed something to keep you standing, you felt like you were going to collapse or throw up. Joel’s hands were up, like he was waiting to catch you if you fell. “Don’t touch me, don’t you fucking touch me!”

“You’re OK,” he said, keeping his hands off of you but stepping closer. “I’ve got you, you’re OK…”

“Get away from me!” You backed away from him, looking for the best way out of here. You had to get away from him, he wasn’t safe, he was just like them and you had to get away from him, you couldn’t be anywhere near him. “Get away!”

You said it again and again and again and you kept backing away from him until you were pressed against the wall. Joel stayed where he was and, when you were able to look at him again, it looked like he was in pain.

“I’m away,” he said softly, his hands up. “Not gonna touch you, Sweetheart…”

“Don’t call me that,” you were sobbing and you weren’t sure when you’d started.

“What?” He whispered.

“Don’t fucking call me that!” You bit out, staying back against the wall. He was so big, he could overpower you, he could hurt you, it would be easy for him. “Don’t call me that, not when you’re like them, you’re just like them, I trusted you and you’re just like them…”

“No,” he shook his head, voice thick. He closed the gap between you quickly and you shocked back from him but he didn’t seem to notice, taking you in his arms and clutching onto you. But his touch made your skin crawl, everywhere his body was against your own screaming in panic. “No, not like that, I never… I never did what they did to you, Sweetheart, please, you have to believe me, I never did that, never. I just…”

“I trusted you!” You sobbed, your legs collapsing from beneath you. Joel clung to you, keeping you from falling to the floor, but you hated his hands on you, suddenly feeling like hands you’d hated so much. You twisted and fought to get away but he just held onto you. “I trusted you, you made me love you, I let you inside of me and you’re like them, you’re just like them…”

“I’m sorry, Baby,” his voice was thick and wet. “I’m so sorry, I wish I could take it back, wish I could change it…”

You managed to firmly plant your feet on the ground and you shoved against his broad, firm chest, desperate for distance from him.

“Don’t fucking touch me!”

He let you go and you scrambled back from him, fighting to breathe. He was looking at you, tears in his eyes.

“Baby, please,” he whispered. “Please just… let me take care of you, I understand what…”

“I don’t want anything to do with you,” your voice shook.

“Bambi…”

“Get out,” you managed.

He said your name. Your real name.

“Get out!” You screamed, so loud and harsh you felt it ripping out of you. “Get out of here, get away from me, get out!”

“I’ll go!” He kept his hands up. “Just gotta promise me…”

“I don’t gotta do shit for you,” you shook your head.

“Promise me you won’t do anything that will get you hurt,” he said softly, He was crying, too. “Please, I’m begging you, I’ll do whatever you want just promise….”

“I won’t, now get out!” You yelled. “Get out, get away from me!”

“I’m going,” he said quickly. “Please… Please, be safe, please.”

You watched as he made his way to your door but he stopped and looked back at you.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For… for all of it, I’m so sorry.”

He closed the door behind him and you collapsed to the ground and sobbed, clutching onto yourself like it was going to keep your body intact but it still felt like you were going to shatter into a million pieces and there would be no one to help put you together again.

You weren’t sure how long you were there on the floor but, eventually, you were able to make yourself move again.

You thought of Savvy, of your daughter, of where she might be, of how you’d promised to keep her safe. You got up off the floor, body numb, and grabbed your pack before going out into the snow.

Next Chapter

A/N: Alright, yell at me. I'm ready for it.

There's a lot in this chapter, I know. It's long, it's rough, it's been coming for a while. We first got a hint of Savvy in chapter 4 when Bambi thought about Joel's possible relationship to Ellie and she's been hinted at regularly since. She's why Bambi knew to use ginger to help William's teething, she's why Bambi was specifically grateful to have another adult around when Marisa showed up, she's why Bambi keeps searching every time there's even a hint of raider activity.

And after everything she's been through, she can't just blindly accept Joel's past, that's way WAY too much for anyone who's survived what she has to bear.

I hope this didn't come completely out of the blue and I hope you're still up for reading more of this story. I hope it'll be worth it in the end. I think it will be.

Thank you for being here. This is a story that I feel like deserves to be told, even the dark parts of it, and I'm so thankful you're along for the ride. Love you ❤️

Taglist: @ashleymsnodgrass@planet-marz1@kalea-bane @juneswonderlust@ilovepedro @h-annahayy @starstruckmusiciansartghost@beccerjune@mumma-moonchild@netonetoneto@mellymbee@purplelye@n7cje@flugazi@evyiione@randomhoex@aliengirl99@orcasoul@reds-ramblings@pedropascalsbbg @fupoola @tinypotatothing @knopes-waffles @lilmizmoz @ayamenimthiriel@jenispunk@panda-pascal@sarap-77@flugazi@your-slutty-gf@daniegraceg@partyofone3413@cumberpegg@noisynightmarepoetry.@fifia-writes@grumpygrumperton @srmacaroni @txlady37 @bigboiseason123

#fanfic #joel miller x female reader #yearling #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x oc

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lokischocolatefountain · 1 year

Note

well if you are taking requests, itd be great to see more touch starved joel, joel who is so afraid of hurting you in bed but bruises you anyways, joel who flinches when you yocuh him after nightmares but then comes closer when you pull away.

I love this request 🥺🥺 You are very right and Joel Miller is a touch starved man and deserves to be fed. So, here you go

Our Normal

Fandom: The Last of Us (HBO)

Pairing: Joel Miller x Reader

Rating: Mature (Mention of violence, sexual situations)

A/N: I loved writing this and I hope the anon who requested it has fun reading it 💜 Also, I have a Javi request that was sent before this but the man was being so uncooperative so I had to ditch him for Joel for a while.

Joel was never a physically affectionate man. His love is shown through acts of service for the people he loves, through protecting them from everything in the universe. That changes when he becomes a father in his early twenties. Sarah is just so little and so fragile and he needs to hold his baby girl because if he doesn’t, he might just explode. He gives her hugs and kisses and cuddles. She always gets kisses on the forehead and cheeks when he tucks her in.

When he loses Sarah, his world is effectively over and touch is no longer about affection. People don’t yet know how the infection spreads, so they keep from touching each other. Someone approaching you might be infected. If they touch you, it might be over. Touch is no longer a hug from his daughter or a pat on the back from his brother. It is deceiving a young man with a fake injury and begging him for supplies before putting his hands around his neck and strangling him to steal his car. It is a punch to his face, a kick to his stomach and an arm putting him in a chokehold.

With Tess, it is different. It is a squeeze to his shoulder when he wakes up from yet another nightmare of his child, still a toddler, asking him why he let her die. It is a quick fuck on the ground in the woods to relieve some tension. It is her slipping into bed with him and holding him because they have both agreed they need this without any words being exchanged. It is more than anything he has ever had with other women in his life. But it is never spoken of, it never means anything more, it just is.

He is in Jackson and life has become normal yet he cannot adjust to it. After two decades of leading a life that is anything but normal, the comfort of three meals a day, a roof over his head and certainty that he’ll wake up the next morning is frightening. He knows he will never adjust. Everyone else seems happy living this normal life, but it is something he will never accept. People hug and kiss and marry. Tommy holds his newborn in his arms and kisses his wife’s hand like it’s normal, like the last twenty years didn’t happen. He wants it too. It shames him to want, but oh how he wants to touch you, to hold your hand and cup your cheek and graze your finger when you hand him something. But he cannot give in. If he allows himself to slip into such comforts, he will not survive when it is taken away from him again. If he accepts it as normal, it will mean that he will have moved on from the loss. The loss of Sarah, of his…Tess.

He touches you once. It is a necessity. It is during patrol and you were about to step on a trap someone left to catch animals. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you back, but he keeps his hands on you for longer than necessary. You thank him a little dramatically for “saving my life” and he smiles. For the first time in a long time, it isn’t because of something Ellie said. He lets you go, grunts and walks along on the patrol route. His hand is twitching nervously by his side because holy shit he just touched you. When he lies awake that night, he recalls the roughness of your skin, thinks about whether it used to be soft before all this. Whether he would’ve liked your skin soft just as much he likes your now rough skin.

Someone in town in teaching pottery to pass on important skills so that nothing dies when one person dies. Ellie forces him to go with her even when he tells her he doesn’t give a shit about making goddamn pots. He stops complaining when he sees you’re also there to learn, even though you are more advanced than he is. Pottery doesn’t come to him naturally and Ellie laughs at him for spinning his wheel too fast and touching the clay too hard, making the thing collapse on itself. You laugh too, but then you help him. You place your hands on his and show him how to mold the clay. You show him how to trim the edges with the fancy tools. You place your creating next to his and Ellie’s in the kiln and shake his hand to congratulate him on his shitty bowl that would’ve been shittier if you hadn’t helped. He wonders what it would be like to slot his fingers in the space between your fingers.

It goes from joint patrols to joint pottery classes to joint drinks at the Tipsy Bison. You touch his arm, you place your hand on his, you brush your shoulder against his and it takes him a longass time while to realize you are flirting. He hadn’t been the subject of it ever since he became a single father wearing T-shirts covered in snot, baby food, mysterious sticky substances from Sarah using his shirt as tissues, Sarah’s blood— He panics, he flinches when you touch him. He apologizes, mumbles something about Ellie needing dinner and storms out of the place. He forgets to pay for his fucking drink and learns you decided to pay for him with more coffee than you’d planned on exchanging with the bartender.

He apologizes the next day, offers his private stash of old whiskey he found somewhere to make up for the coffee you’d lost because of him. But you surprise him, offering not just reassurance that it was alright but offering your understanding, telling him you were sorry for whatever you did to unintentionally trigger him and that if he told you what it was, you would never do it again.

You have your fair share of terrible days. You find him after patrol and ask to exchange your music cassette for some of his liquor. He gives it to you for free and you down half the bottle. You tell him you are afraid of being alone that night and he doesn’t have to ask questions to know that it’s something serious. He lets you stay. He holds you in him arms even though having contact without another person kills him. He realizes it kills him because he likes it and knows he doesn’t deserve things he likes. Not when his baby has become nothing in an unmarked grave he should’ve joined her in.

He never intends to have sex with you. It is no longer as much of a need as it used to be. He is older and his body has been through too much. Sex isn’t the need. You are. Holding your hand in his trembling hand isn’t enough. Touching your cheek when he kisses you isn’t enough. His hand on your lower back. Your hand in his hair, your head on his chest as you hugged— it wasn’t enough. No matter how much you gave, he wanted more. More and more and more.

You invite him to your bed and he goes. He knows he shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve whatever you’ve given him so far and definitely doesn’t deserve what you were going to give him next. He is afraid but he wants it so bad, wants you so bad. You are sweet, gentle, like you know he has a strange relationship with touch. You take your time when you get on your knees and nuzzle into his thighs and wrap your pretty lips around his cock. He tries to keep his hands away. He knows he should because if he got to touch you when you had his cock in your mouth, he would wrap your hair in his fist and fuck into your mouth, use you for gratification.

He digs into your thighs with his nails when he has them spread apart and his head between them, his lips devouring you like you were his favorite taste before the luxury of tasty things ceased to exist, like he was getting to experience his favorite taste after two decades of deprivation. He holds you in a death grip, leaves behind bruises and apologizes for them when he realizes what he has done. He tends to you, apologizes repeatedly, is gentler the next time.

He doesn’t sleep next to you. If he manages to fall asleep, he wakes up wishing he didn’t. Sleep without nightmares is a rarity. He could jolt up from bed or lie looking peaceful while his brain tortured itself with memories, both real and false. He doesn’t want you to see him in his most vulnerable moments. He doesn’t want to burden anyone with his anguish. He doesn’t want to look weak. He is supposed to be strong, be the protector, be the capable man you can rely on.

He wakes up after yet another nightmare and lies in bed, unprepared to face you as the weaker man he believes himself to be. You make him coffee and bring it to bed. You drink it with him. You hold his hand. He flinches, the effects of his nightmare persisting. So you pull away, allowing him his space when he pulls you back in. He doesn’t know what he wants, doesn’t know if it is right to want you like this— being there for him, comforting him, giving him a shoulder to lean on. He shouldn’t, but he leans anyway. You don’t ask him to talk about it and he appreciates it. You don’t need to know the gory details to know he’s hurting. You don’t need to hear the turmoil in his head to hold him to your chest and let him cry.

Maybe not talking wouldn’t be enough in the normal world. But that is a world they will never have again even if the cordyceps ceased to exist at once. So he adapts in love like he adapted to holding a gun in hands that held hammers and nails with nails painted by his little girl.

He grows used to it, but he still flinches sometimes. You flinch sometimes too. You learn each other’s boundaries, apologize when they’re crossed. Sleep still eludes him and he remains starved of touch, but he satiates himself as little as he could without overwhelming himself. His hands sometimes tremble when he touches you. He could never fall asleep in the same bed as you. It isn’t normal, but it is the normal he has with you and you are both content in it.

My Masterlist

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punkshort · 1 year

Text

Chapter warnings: language, mild reference to self harm and SA, alcohol

Chapter Eighteen - extra scene

"Thought you weren't drinkin' tonight?" he said to you.

“I changed my mind,” you said and gave him a wink before following Maria and finding two empty stools up against the bar.

Joel ticked his jaw to the side as he watched you leave, finding it difficult to tear his eyes from you. He told himself he was being protective, but he knew deep down there was another reason. A more selfish reason. He watched as you lifted a glass filled with clear liquid to your lips and the wince that followed. It wasn't even sexual, but his body was reacting anyway. He swallowed roughly, trying to control his thoughts while his brother was sitting less than a foot away. Must be the whiskey.

“You got it bad, huh?” Tommy said. Joel expected his tone to be teasing but it was more sympathetic and understanding. He finally pulled his gaze from you to look at his brother, trying to decide how much to confide in him.

“Shit,” Joel said, taking a swig of whiskey. “She’s got me wrapped around her finger.”

Tommy laughed and clapped Joel on the back.

“Yeah, well, it’s about time. Told ya a year ago. I could see it all over your face, even back then.”

Joel winced as he remembered the fight you had, swirling the liquid around in his glass with his wrist.

“I almost fucked it up, Tommy. Thought I did fuck it up, actually,” he took another sip as Tommy leaned back in his chair. “I ran into her the night before my birthday. At a bar. We had both been drinkin’ and I guess it all just boiled over. Had me makin’ out with her outside the bar like I was a goddamn teenager.” Joel laughed softly at the memory, then looked back at you marveling at the string lights hanging above the bar.

“So, what happened?” Tommy pressed, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Joel sighed.

“Asked her to come home with me, she said no, said she had been drinkin’ too much, which was a good call, and I knew it. But the next day I had this grand plan to get her alone and ask her out properly. Dinner, drinks, whatever she wanted to do,” Joel sighed again and rubbed his face in his hands.

“Right before she was comin’ up to my office, I saw her with some guy in the copy room. Looked like she was flirtin’ with him. Found out later the guy was gay and they were just messin’ around but I fuckin’ yelled at her. I had no right, and I made her cry. Called her a whore,” Joel downed the rest of his whiskey at the memory and Tommy signaled to Seth to bring over two more.

“Jesus, Joel. A whore? That’s harsh,” Tommy said in disbelief.

“I fuckin’ know that,” Joel seethed and his fist clenched. “It was just… the fuckin’ copy room.”

Tommy’s eyes widened in realization, then nodded.

“Right. Shit.”

“Anyway,” Joel continued, nodding his thanks to Seth for the drink and wrapping his hand around the glass. “That’s why she quit. That’s why I was runnin’ down the street after her when shit hit the fan. It was tense for a while, we never talked about it, til we did. Cleared the air and all that.” He took a sip and smiled against the glass as he remembered that night in the house when you finally hashed it all out and admitted your feelings for each other. “Ended up workin’ out, somehow. Don’t know what she sees in me but I ain’t complainin’.”

“Well, brother, you hold onto her for as long as she lets you. I could tell right away. Never saw you this happy in my life, even with Amy.”

Joel cringed at the name, and Tommy laughed.

“Oh, c'mon, it’s been years and I can’t even say her name?”

“There’s more,” Joel groaned, and took a healthy sip from his glass. “Turns out, Amy is alive and well in Kansas City. Found that out the very fuckin’ hard way while back.” Tommy’s jaw dropped.

“You’re fuckin’ kidding me,” he said.

“She’s runnin’ some fucked up community out there, whorin’ out the women to all the men like ration cards. Fuckin’… animals.” Joel squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his chest, breathing deep to keep the panic at bay.

Tommy grew silent as he started to connect the dots.

“And you brought her there.” Tommy said it as more of a statement rather than a question, and Joel gave him a tight nod.

“I didn’t know,” he choked out, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to hide the emotion in his face. “This one fucker, he cornered her in a closet, and- and I wasn’t there, I wasn’t there to protect her,” he jabbed his finger aggressively on the table as he stared at Tommy. “I fucked up again, Tommy. I thought she was gonna –“ Joel stopped himself from finishing his sentence, leaning back in the chair and raking his hand through his hair. “I thought I was gonna lose her.”

Tommy exhaled harshly and shook his head, absorbing the heaviness of the conversation and trying to find the right words to soothe his brother.

“But she didn’t, Joel. She’s here, and look at her,” Tommy pointed over to you and Maria at the bar and Joel looked up. Maria must have seen Tommy’s gesture because she caught his eye and you turned around. You looked at him with warmth and a small smile before turning back to Maria.

“She’s fine, Joel. She lived, and she’s happy, isn’t she?” Joel scoffed at the word fine.

“Yeah, took a long time, but she’s comin’ around. I can see the spark in her eyes again, she’s laughin’ and smilin’ all the time, especially since she got here. And Tommy,” Joel reached out a hand to place on his shoulder, blaming the alcohol for making him so uncharacteristically emotional in front of his brother. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for giving her this place.”

Tommy smiled and waved Joel’s hand off his shoulder.

“I didn’t make this place, she did,” he nodded in Maria’s direction, who was engrossed in conversation with you at the bar.

“Yeah, I suppose that's true,” Joel leaned back and took a sip of his drink, deciding it was time to pay Tommy back for all his teasing. “Seems as though you might be wrapped around her finger as well?” Joel raised an eyebrow at Tommy and he smirked.

“We kissed a few times, usually when we were drinkin’ but nothin’ more,” Tommy admitted, focusing on the liquid in his glass.

“Where’s the heartbreaker that used to tear through our office, chasin’ every skirt he saw?” Joel grinned as Tommy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Joel froze briefly when he saw out of the corner of his eye Maria gently lay her hand on top of yours, and he tensed, waiting for you to panic, but he was amazed to see you interlock your fingers with her own.

“I think those days are behind me, brother. She’s the only one I’ve got eyes for. Been that way for too long now,” Tommy admitted, a bit of sadness to his voice that brought Joel’s focus back to his brother.

“What’s the problem, then?” Joel pushed, nudging his knee against Tommy’s under the table.

“Ah, you know. I get a million excuses. Too busy, wants to keep it casual, all that. But for the first time, I don’t want somethin’ casual. I want somethin’ more, you know?”

Joel wanted to tease his brother some more, but he felt for him at that moment, relating all too well to his dilemma.

“Give it some time, she’ll come around. Hell, we got nothin’ but time now,” Joel chuckled, then tried to change the subject. “So anyway, tell me how the hell you ended up in Wyoming when you were supposed to be in California.”

Tommy began to regale Joel with his story about ending up in a QZ and meeting Seth and Maria when he saw you both heading towards his table, your arm slung through hers.

"I'm gonna head back," you told him, your arm still linked with Maria's. "I'm tired."

"Alright, I'll come with you," he said, flattening his palms against the table to stand, but you held your hand out.

"Why don't you stay with Tommy and catch up? Maria can walk me home," you turned to her with a smile that she returned.

He gave you a knowing look and cleared his throat.

"You sure?" he asked, clearly uneasy about you leaving his sight. You nodded.

"One hundred percent. Stay," you told him firmly, and he sat back down in his chair. "Spend time with your brother." Tommy shot you a grateful smile, but you missed it, trying to assure Joel through your gaze. "It's okay," you added softly, and he slowly nodded.

"I won't be long," he promised, and you waved him off.

"Take as much time as you want, I'm just going to fall asleep the minute I get back."

"Alright, then," Joel said, and you tossed him a wave as Maria pulled you towards the door and down the street.

Tommy chuckled as he downed the rest of his whiskey.

“Fall asleep the minute she gets back… doesn’t sound like you’re getting lucky tonight, brother.”

Tommy grabbed the empty glasses to bring to the bar, waving Seth down for another round as Joel groaned, rubbing his face in the palms of his hands.

Chapter Nineteen

Tag list: @chiogarza @sparklejumpropequeen-777 @shotgun-shelby @partyofone3413 @nana90azevedo

#joel miller fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller smut #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller fic #joel the last of us #tlou hbo #the last of us hbo #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller series #joel x reader #joel x reader smut #joel miller angst #joel miller fluff #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us game #the way we were joel miller fic

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anonymousbardd · 7 months

Text

🌸 | Sakura Blossoms

Samuel Seo x FemReader

┆➽───────────❥

"It's that time of the year again, huh?" Samuel sighed as he kept on recieving countless of messages from his lover, (F/n).

She's been constantly reminding him the lasy few weeks about the sakura trees blooming once again.

It's been her dream to experience it.

"Either you answer your phone or I break ot for you," Gun said, getting irritated by the notifications.

"Alright! I'll answer it, jeez."

Once Samuel opened his phone, he was greeted by hundreds of hundreds of reminders from (F/n), all telling him to pick-up different things for a picnic.

All while sending him fun stuff they could do underneath the cherry blossom trees.

Samuel sighed at his partner's dedication for this.

It warms his heart to see her so excited and happy to this type of thing.

"If you may excuse me, I'll have to go and run some errands."

Samuel then left the building and went to his car to head to the mall, he went grocery shopping and went to pick out a few gifts for (F/n).

Once he got home, he was greeted by a happy lover who's wearing one of his hoodies.

"Sammy! Welcome back!" She greeted, her arms wrapped around Samuel's neck and her face nuzzled into his chest.

Samuel let out an amused chuckle and held his lover in his arms, "How was your day, princess?" Samuel asked, "My day's alright, I went out for a walk with Dexter and Diesel!"

Dexter and Diesel, a Husky and a Doberman, both bought by Samuel as a gift for (F/n) they were her dream dogs.

They were rescued pups from bad owners and ever since they were little, (F/n) had been taking care of the two pups.

"Where are they right now?" Samuel asked, "They're eating their dinner out the balcony."

(F/n) smiled and pecked Samuel and the cheek, she kept on kissing him over and over again while giggling, "What was that for?"

"Nothing, I just missed you!"

Samuel smirked and kissed (F/n)'s lips, he kept on kissing with passion and lust, he didn't want to stop, he couldn't.

(F/n)'s scent, touch, skin, lips, her everything drove him crazy.

He couldn't get enough of her.

Samuel isn't typically a lover boy, he isn't too interested in women, but women found him captivating, charming, handsome, he didn't care what women thought of him, they were all toys to him.

But that changed when he first met (F/n), an intelligent girl who was willing to sacrifice herself in order to achieve a goal, a goal that's not even hers.

Maybe that's why Samuel fell for her, the way she cared and put others before herself.

The first night (F/n) laid eyes on a bruised and bloodied Samuel, was the night he finally admitted to himself.

Her touch was so gentle and delicate, afraid to hurt the young man.

People like Gun saw Samuel as a beast, a killing machine, a bomb that's bound to explode at any moment.

(F/n) on the other hand, saw Samuel as a mistreated animal, an animal who was casted away, therefore it had to do everything it can to survive.

(F/n) saw Samuel as human, someone who grew up to fend for himself in order to keep living in the cruel and unfair world.

"Sammy~," (F/n) spoke, Samuel blinked a couple of times and shook his head, "You spaced out again."

Samuel chuckled and looked away, "Yeah... There's been a lof of things going on," he said.

(F/n) huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "Is it because of the workers? If they're making things tough for you, tell me!" She said.

Samuel smiled and patted her head, "It's fine princess, I'll be alright."

(F/n) hummed and puffed her cheeks, "Fine! But if I catch them mistreating you, I won't hesitate to end them."

Samuel let out an amuse laugh and kissed (F/n)'s forehead, "It's alright princess, you don't have to do anything."

(F/n) smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Let's eat dinner, I'm hungry."

"Sammy! Quick, come on!!" (F/n) tugged her boyfriend's arm, eager to head to a good spot in the park.

Samuel sighed and went along with his hyper lover, eventually, they found a quiet place far away from the crowd.

Samuel gently laid down a picnic blanket and (F/n) took out some sandwiches and neatly placed them on cute paper plates.

After nearly organising everything, (F/n)'s eyes wondered on the trees and how beautiful it all looked, her eyes shone as she watched mesmerized by the beauty of nature.

Samuel took a snap of this and made his new wallpaper.

The two lovers talked about the past, the present, and the future together.

They both ate their sandwiches and held each other in their arms, "(F/n)..." Samuel stuttered, his lips felt dry at that moment.

The young woman pulled away from him and turned to face him, "Yeah? What's up Sammy?" She asked, her smile sent butterflies in Samuel's stomach.

"I know it took a while for me to admit my feelings when we first met... But in the end, I was able to confess to you how I truly felt, regrettably it's because of a life and death situation..."

(F/n) tilted her head, her heart raced as she had a thought to where this was going.

"Right now... I want to tell you how I feel, without waiting, or making things long."

Samuel pulled out a box with a gold trim, his face was tinted with red, and the atmosphere felt tense.

Samuel opened the box to show the beautiful custom made ring.

┆➽─────────────❥

The young girl's eyes teared up as Samuel looked at her, "Miss (F/n) (L/n)... You've treated me like I'm the most powerful and respected king, you make me feel things that I don't understand."

He paused and smiled, "Will you make me the happiest man ever, and be my queen?"

(F/n) covered her mouth and sniffled, "Yes! Yes I will!" She nodded.

She then threw herself in Samuel's arms, her arms snaked around his neck, Samuel laughed and held (F/n) by the waist.

He then held her right hand and slipped in the ring, it was the perfect size, "Oh, Samuel..." (F/n) sobbed, she cried tears of joy as she smothered Samuel with kisses.

"I... I-I love you... (F/n)."

I Love You My Bbg Sam

#lookism #lookismoneshot #samuel seo #samuel seo x reader #x reader #oneshot #fanfic #reader insert

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skullwillow155 · 8 months

Text

Two years is a long time...

Other chapters: should be the right link:

Chapter 3

Hi. Here is another chapter. The next one might have some fluff and more relationship stuff. Hope it's OK. I might reedit at some point as I feel I might need to add a few things.

Just for reference Shika = Jeshika it's Just easy to write

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Sanji was grateful to finally see Shika; not just because it was her, but because he was also grateful to see an actual woman. The last few years had made him miss women; but most of all, he missed the touch and sight of women; more specifically, this one woman. His woman. Always his. As he remembered being on that godforsaken island, he clung to the smell and surroundings that he was currently. He couldn’t tell you how grateful he was to see all 3 ladies again, but the island did do one thing. It made him realise how much Shika meant to him. He knew they were something before they separated, but they were new and hadn’t put much thought into what they were. Over time, he came to realise he wanted; no needed more.

His thoughts kept coming back to that over the last few days, which prompted him to never leave her side, always within touching distance; almost always touching. Shika noticed the increased touching but didn’t say anything. She just enjoyed it for what it was almost afraid if she said anything it would stop. Sanji fawned over her, constantly making sure that she had everything she needed, even before she knew she needed it. Food parcels, clothes washed; anything. This made him happy, and it made her happy to be the centre of his attention. That’s all he needed for now.

Zoro was in a similar position; trying to sleep and drink and push away the feelings gnawing in his stomach; the more he felt the stirrings, the more he over drunk his Sake and slept. It was the only way to not think of her. Though sleep didn’t always stop that. He couldn’t say he hated it, but being as emotionally stunted as he was, he couldn’t place why. He just thought he hated seeing her with that stupid blonde haired moron but in reality, it was different. He couldn’t help but scowl every time Sanji touched Shika, and every time he saw he laugh at something. The feeling in his gut would not go away. It got to a point where Shika had noticed that she felt the swordsman’s eyes on her more than once. Even Nami had felt the tension in the air, which made her curious.

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During the next few days, none of them had moved off the ship; only to restock a few supplies here and there. That was until Luffy started getting bored. Once the festivities and reunions had worn off, Luffy was itching for adventure. One morning, they had been woken up to Luffy shouting and throwing himself off the ship in glee. There had been rumblings of marines in the area, and that there was something going down in Sabaody, and of course, Luffy was the first to throw himself into it.

Shika was woken with Luffy shouting and the whole crew running to see what their captain was shouting about. But they didn’t have much time to discuss. She had walked out hair a mess and her sleeping clothes hanging half off her body. Both the men stared at her. Sanji’s heart beating out of his chest, hearts already in his eyes. Of course, he had been up for hours, but to see her like this made him want to take her in his arms. Instead, he pressed a kiss to her hand and handed her a bite to eat. Zoro’s eye’s narrowing at the sight, and a sudden urge fluttered in his heart. He had never seen her so beautiful… he immediately pushed that thought out of his head and was pulled out of any further thoughts by his Captain’s shouting. He guessed their quiet was over for now… though a part of him was happy to be distracted for a while.

Luffy was already off the ship, no one really having a clue what he was shouting about bit knew something was going down. They all quickly ran to get dressed and get things ready before splitting up. One group was trying to find Luffy. The other heading into town to find out what the marines were doing back in Sabaody.

Of course, Zoro got put with the idiot cook, Chopper, and Shika. Whilst Nami, Franky, Robin and Brook went off to follow there captain. He let out an almost audible frustrated growl and being stuck with the love sick fool but he felt a small happiness at being with the other two, though he put that down to being with Chopper and not being alone with the chef.

Once they were all ready, they took a stroll onto the island. Sanji grabbed Shika’s hand while Chopper sat a top of Zoro’s head. Zoro narrowed his eyes at the sight but quickly looked away. His hand tightened over his katana.

The next few hours were pretty uneventful, they had found out that Sentomaru was around but they had yet to find out where he was and currently they wanted to stay low and find out what was going on. Obviously, Luffy was doing his own thing, but the rest had finally agreed to find out more information; much to Zoro’s annoyance. He wanted to beat the crap out of Sentomaru, but he was out voted and out voiced by everyone else he had no choice but to agree.

Though Zoro couldn’t quite be that annoyed now, they were in the bar. A sake in his hand, and Shika sat up close to him in the booth, which felt like a dream. He could feel his heart increase, and his body grew warm. He shouldn’t be feeling like this; he thought to himself, trying to ignore Shika and the blond idiot; instead focusing on chopper; who was currently sitting on Shika’s lap. Chopper was animated and drinking his milk, making an adorable picture. As time went on, they started to discuss what to do in regard to the marines and especially Sentomaru. But Zoro’s thoughts kept being distracted by the heat radiating from Shika.

As Sanji went to grab some more drinks for them all Shika shuffled a little to look at Zoro, slight concern showing on her face. Zoro was quieter than usual, and that didn’t sit right with her. Not one bit. She didn’t want to make a fuss in the presence of chopper, but she found his hand and squeezed it, raising her eyebrow to see if he was alright. What she didn’t realise was that touch made Zoro tense; though he tried not to show it… all his thoughts zeroing in on her hand in his and the heat coming from it. He cleared his throat and took his hand away, going to pick up his sake, but he could still feel the heat like it was seared into his palm. “Am fine…” he spoke in monotone, trying so hard to stay stoic and calm. Just as he was about to say something else, Sanji came back over with the drinks, while placing them down his gaze, looking to Shika, not noticing the tension.

“You never guess what…” his voice cutting through the silence. “When I was at the bar… I heard someone say something about us… well, not us… someone pretending to be us. They said the Strawhat’s had already been in here, causing trouble. Luckily, they didn’t recognise us, but i do think we should maybe leave and find out who these imposters are.” All three listened to Sanji’s words. Zoro still slightly zoned out, focusing on his hand; that was until he felt himself being pulled out of the booth.

As they were about to leave, 3 people walked into the bar.

“Hey old man, get us a drink and maybe some food too.” A loud voice boomed through the bar and whispers picked up. “Is that… yes that must be… the Strawhat crew…” whispers picked up and the 3 men walked into view.

Fake Luffy, Zoro, Sanji.

Luckily, the other 4 were still hiding near the booth. Once they heard the whispers, they turned around to see who was the subject of those whispers, and Shika couldn’t help but let out a snort, half expecting Luffy to walk in, but no. These 3? These 3 looked terrible.

Zoro let out a laugh as the slightly blonde one called himself Sanji. Sanji just had a scowl on his face. “How in the world would anyone think that’s me.” He said with disbelief. Zoro laughed harder. He couldn’t help it. “I don’t know. I can see the resemblance cook. ” he felt Sanji glare at him but quickly turned his gaze to the imposter, sorrow plastered on his face as he felt disrespected. “Shut it, mosshead, yours ain’t much better,” he smirked back. Zoro was going to retort when he heard another gunshot.

Zoro stared at Sanji, not uttering a word. Instead, Sanji nodded and grabbed Shika’s and pulled her to get out of the bar; hoping Zoro would keep his cool this once. Luckily for him, he did. They knew they had to keep their heads down if the marines were looking for them, and a small part of them thought this could be a good distraction. Zoro grabbed Chopper, and they slinked out the bar as they heard a gunshot and someone fell to the floor. “I am captain Luffy,” the voice shouts… “I get what i want. ”… and with the commotion picking up, they managed to sneak out. Zoro’s free hand resting on the hilt of his sword just in case. However, they were soon to realise that this would not be the distraction they needed. In fact, these groups of idiots would create more problems than they would solve.

The guy that looked a lot like Fake Luffy decided to shoot another innocent bystander. As her friend protests, he is shot as well. There were whispers circulating and panic settling in. The Fake looking Luffy orders his crew to do something. The words are being lost in the commotion, but they are suddenly knocked down by the figure. Shika and Sanji didn’t realise that Zoro had moved. Already in front of the other man. His eyes glaring at the figures in front.

The guy who looks like fake Luffy starts getting in Zoro’s face and trying to threaten Zoro. Zoro just stares at them unbothered. The rest of Fake Luffy’s crew join in to try and intimidate Zoro, but Zoro continues to stare; his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. The only thought in Zoro’s head was him hoping Sanji had got Shika out of there, which, luckily for him, Sanji was also leading her out of the bar quietly. Sneaking through the commotion with every intention of going back in when Shika was out of the way.

The crowd in the bar were terrified, hoping they would go along with their wishes and threats. However, Zoro simply walks up to them and gets right in his face. Fake Usopp goes to shoot him, but Zoro manages to dodge the bullet and pushes his katana to Fake Luffy’s neck. Not before using his Haki on the Fake Straw Hats, causing them to faint, which astonishes the crowd. Once satisfied, he downed his drink and left to meet up with Shika, Sanji, and Chopper. He took one look behind him with a satisfied smirk and left.

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“Too late stupid cook…” he smirked as he saw Sanji start to walk back. His thoughts were going to Chopper and Shika, hoping they were out of the way. Sanji scowled, but deep down, he was glad that the problem was over; for now.

“I think we should head back before we encounter more trouble…” Chopper said as he walked out of the alley that they had been put in. As they walked back, all was quiet until they heard a loud bang, and a flash of light came from the sky. Before they knew it, they were flung back and separated over the field. Chopper landing in the forest behind them.

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When Shika finally opened her eyes, she could feel a presence and a tension in the air. She tried to sit up; seeing all three of them spread out on the field. It took a few minutes to realise something was wrong. Until her eyes landed on what appeared to be Bartholomew Kuma and another guy in the background.

Her gaze was shifted to Zoro’s shouts of what the hell was that. Both Zoro and Sanji got to their feet slowly; Chopper was still out cold.

The air crackled with tension as Zoro and Sanji stood up and looked around, both realising the situation they were all in. Sentomaru and the Pacifista; or was it Kuma. They weren’t entirely sure, and they didn’t really care. Both of them took a quick look around to check where Shika and Chopper were. They couldn’t see Chopper, but they both relaxed a little when Shika moved a little. The relaxed state was quickly pushed away as “Kuma” started walking towards them.

The two Straw Hat crew members stood back to back, their eyes locked on their opponents. “Get out of her Shika Chan,” Sanji shouted in all seriousness, “Go find Chopper,” Zoro also shouted. They couldn’t keep the worry out of their voices, but they both had no time for that.

Shika did what she was told. Her head throbbed a little as she felt blood running down the side of her face, but she slowly got up and crawled towards the forest, hoping that the other two were distracted enough.

Sanji and Zoro made quick work of the Pacifista, showing how much they had learnt in the 2 years away. They both kicked and sliced as though it was paper. Sentomaru was a little taken back at the difference from last time, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, choosing to glare at the two pirates in front of him with a steely gaze. Zoro and Sanji exchanged a quick glance, communicating silently with each other. When they weren’t bickering, they made a good team; not that either would admit to that, but they knew.

They turned to look at Sentomaru and knew that this would be a tougher fight, especially without the rest of the crew, but they were determined to give it their all. After all, they had Shika to protect; and Chopper. They weren’t going to be separated again. Not when they had just reunited. Zoro gripped his swords tightly while Sanji cracked his knuckles in anticipation and readying his foot for the upcoming fight.

As the battle began, the two Straw Hats launched themselves at Sentomaru with unparalleled skill and determination. Unfortunately for them. The group that had turned up earlier were also on their way towards the commotion, not one to forget.

Zoro took out his sword and put it in his mouth, readying to attack the men in front. He threw himself towards the group. Three swords sliced through the air with deadly precision, just barely missing the guy in front, while Sanji’s powerful kicks didn’t go unnoticed. The fake Strawhat’s fighting back with some intensity, but they were no match for Zoro and Sanji. The group was disposed of quickly as the clash of metal and the sound of grunts filled the air. Zoro and Sanji took care of the imposters and were not daring to stop and refused to back down until all of them were down. Both of their main thoughts were to protect Shika.

Unknowingly to them, Sentomaru had disappeared towards the forest in the commotion, looking for the other Strawhat’s. In that moment, there was a piercing scream which echoed through the forest.

In a flurry of confusion as Shika was still a little out of it. She hadn’t noticed she had company. She finally found where Chopper was and was gently picking him up. As she did so, she felt someone grab her arm. She tried to struggle but only had one arm and was feeling a little woozy. Sentomaru quickly grabbed Shika and dragged her away. This was one sure fire way to get Monkey D Luffy Sentomaru thought to himself.

Shika was already weak as the hit to her head was affecting her, unable to put up much of a fight. She did try to push him away, but her attempts were futile. She shouted for Sanji and Zoro. Her piercing screams fell in the air as Sentomaru hit her with such force she began to black out.

The last thing she saw was Sanji running towards her at full speed, Zoro not far behind, but they were stopped by another of Sentomaru’s Pacifistas, who stood in their way as she was whisked off, barely clinging to life. Of course, they both made quick work of the Pacifista, but by the time they were done, Sentomaru had taken Shika with them. Chopper falls from the sky as she lets go of her grip in unconsciousness. Zoro caught Chopper but felt at a loss at what to do. Both Sanji and Zoro’s hearts slowed. Not again, they thought as she was whisked away. Blood and sweat pooled on and around their heads as they stood there seeing Sentomaru disappear with her. Zoro snapped at Sanji, Sanji was a wreck, but they knew they had to pull it together. To see her again. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. They had to get back to the Sunny. As much as Sanji wanted to run after you, he had to be the semi rational one. Sentomaru was no joke, and they both had to get help from the crew.

Zoro wanted to rush head first and chase after him, but deep down, he knew Sanji was right. Even if that did make him want to throw up at admitting that. Anything to keep her safe, he thought to herself. His heart beating at the thought of not seeing her again. They weren’t at 100%, and they couldn’t risk messing this up. They both took deep breaths, getting lost in their own thought’s.

Sanji picked up Chopper, trying to squash his thoughts. He had only just got her back. He didn’t know how he could cope with her gone so soon. He had tears down his cheeks, but he forced himself to drag his ass back to Luffy.

Both of them were in some agreement. If Sentomaru even touched a hair on Shika’s head, they would be the ones to kill him; no matter what; not Luffy… them.

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When Shika barely gained consciousness, she felt her hands heavy and cuffed. The room she was in was dark and damp. She tried to take in any information she could but felt herself slip back into unconsciousness. All she thought of was Zoro and Sanji, as she closed her eyes again and heard Sentomaru laugh in the distance.

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