#he’s been very timid so far hiding a lot and walking close to the floor

[oysters-aint-for-me]

prince gizmo is learning to love

[finelinevogue]

could you write something about the readers parents not liking her and harry comforts her please

ok this is going to be quite sad and angsty so hold on tight!

Y/N was crying in her room. Again.

This was turning out to be a daily occurrence now. Wake up. Get shouted at. Go to school. Learn how to dissect a frog and master how to write the perfect essay. Come home. Get shouted at. Sleep. The weekends, she didn’t get all the good in-between stuff, it was just waking up to be shouted at.

For what? Well not even Y/N could answer that.

Her parents had despised her since the day she was born, or at least Y/N presumed. She was never allowed to go out without permission from her parents. She was not allowed to eat certain foods, because “she didn’t need to be any fatter”. She wasn’t supposed to wear anything inappropriate. She wasn’t allowed relationships. Although that last one, she cheated on.

Harry had been Y/Ns best friend all through high-school, until they reached college and Harry couldn’t wait any longer to make her officially his. He wanted her so badly. She was his best friend but he craved for more. It took Y/N a lot of persuading, but it was the best thing she’d ever done for herself. Harry was kind to her. He treated her with respect and love - something she’d never had from her parents.

Having a relationship whilst being instructed you weren’t allowed one, made things very difficult. Harry could only see Y/N when she allowed him to. After finishing chores she would tell her parents she was going to grab food or cleaning supplies from the grocery store, only to go and spend a few hours with Harry in his treehouse. She would always come back with a bag full of shopping and made sure she covered the hickeys on her neck well. It would be hard to explain their origin of those marks to her parents.

“Y/N!”

Her mum had never provided her with a nickname, only ever calling her by her proper name. Harry gave her nicknames and pet names galore; baby, honey, sweetheart, lovie, darling and petal to name but a few.

You had learnt that shouting back was “never okay” so you left your bedroom and walked down the stairs to find your mum, who’d just shouted for you.

“Yes mum?” You timidly asked, standing at the door with your fingers fiddling with each other.

Your mum turned and scoffed at the sight of you. “Oh Jesus Y/N! You look horrible. That dress is disgusting.” It just so happened to be your favourite dress - a simple, long - as necessary - white dress with pretty flowers embroidered in baby pink and blue across the skirt. It made you feel like a weightless princess. “Don’t you agree?” Your mum asked your dad.

“Oh yes. Too much fat showing.” Your dad lovingly commented back.

You looked down at yourself, thinking that maybe it was showing a bit too much skin and therefore showing off your fat. Harry always told you that you were completely beautiful - an angel - but it was hard to believe on days like this. You crossed your arms over your chest in discomfort. Speaking back would only make things worse, so you took the verbal abuse as it came.

“Now,” your mum sat up a bit more, “i’m finding it really hard to look at you right now, Y/N, because i’m hurt by you.” Tears, fake of course, were forming in her eyes.

“W-why?”

“Mrs Tucker said she saw you and a young boy kissing outside the grocery store the other night - the same night you said you were going to pick up cleaning supplies.” Your heart dropped to your feet, because it was true. You had been with Harry. You’d never thought about anyone catching you, mainly because you thought no one cared about you enough. Mrs Tucker does like a good gossip though, dammit.

“A boy Y/N!” Your dad shouted in reiteration, making you flinch to the noise.

“Now I told Mrs Tucker that was being silly. That lady will do anything for a natter.” You stilled, thinking you were off the hook, but you should ‘t have been so quick to let your guard down. “Until your dad and I followed you to the grocery store the next night, although we never reached the store did we Y/N? No we were outside a house instead.”

Oh no. You are so dead.

“A boys house, Y/N? You weren’t raised to be a whore.” Your dad spat at you, turning away from you as if the sight of you was disgusting.

“God knows who he is or what you’re doing with him, but it stops. Right now, today.” Your mum gritted through her teeth, obviously trying to keep her calm.

“But—”

“No!” You mum screamed. “I will not be seen as the mother of a daughter who sleeps with random boys, instead of studying and working hard for her family!”

This was so 1800s. This was your life.

You had actual tears forming in your eyes now, unlike those your mum bared. It was so silly that this was making you cry but you were so upset that they thought they could control your life this way. It was devastating.

“I-I.. I love him though.” You choked out between tiny sobs, “I love him.” You whispered - that having been the first time you’d told someone else other than Harry. It actually felt good. Relieving. To declare your love for Harry made the world feel possible.

“Love? You no nothing about love.” You dad rolled his eyes and you couldn’t help but laugh at his words.

“The only reason I don’t know about love is because I never got it from either of you.” You started to fight back. This was a battle you were determined to win. No more hiding behind a timid figure. You were willing to stand up for yourself - no one else was going to.

“Because there’s nothing to love about you!”

You didn’t recall who this came from, all you remember is your heart dropping below the floor and fleeing from the room. Fleeing from the house. Fleeing from a family who didn’t see you as anything but a human being. You weren’t a daughter to them. You were nothing. Your heart called elsewhere. It yearned for the person closest to you.

It wasn’t until you were met with Harry’s front door that you realised where you were and what had happened.

“Oh Y/N! Hi lov—” Anne greeted you, until she saw that you were crying heavily and your chest was rising rapidly. “Harry!” She shouted into the house, leaving you a brief moment to collapse onto the floor in front of you. You didn’t care for the pain that ran through your knees from the impact - only the pain in your heart from the break it had just suffered.

“Woah angel, hey, hey.” Harry was by your side within seconds, completely incasing his body around you. Your head laid buried against his warm chest and his arms hugged you close to him like never before. His smell was one of home. He encompassed you and made you feel safe and loved. You weren’t alone.

“I-i’m unloveable.”

“But I love you.” Harry whispered against your hair, warm air softly kissing your skin.

“Yes, but—”

“No, “but”. I love you, Y/N L/N, I really fucking do. You’re my other half, baby.” He kissed your forehead a few times, knowing that’s your second favourite place to be kissed. “Your parents don’t deserve you, they really don’t. They’re cruel and cold-hearted, but that doesn’t mean I am. I think you’re beautiful, clever and kind. I think you’re everything i could ever want. And I know that you can’t be unloveable, because i’m, so deeply, in love with you.”

Harry continued to rock you, as your cried into his chest. You’d never believed in yourself before meeting him and you never thought that he could be so genuine towards you. He couldn’t care less what your parents think, as long as he helped remind you that you’re none of what they think of you. You’re so much better than mindless words. You make you you, not your parents. Harry’s helped you discover who you are and who you want to be. Even though your miles from becoming who you want to be, and you have your setbacks, you’re proud of how far you’ve come.

You cried against his chest, until the pain softened and your could regain your breath again. You unburied yourself from his hold and looked up to him with love in your eyes.

“There’s my beautiful girl, looking like a princess in you pretty dress.” He smiled down at you, even though you knew you had puffy eyes, red cheeks and a snotty nose. He loved you and all your perfect imperfections.

“Thank you, H.” You said with a wobble to your lips, really meaning your words.

“I know, baby.”

“I really do love you too.” You made sure he knew. His heart fluttered a little faster over your words. He leaned down to kiss you gently, minding all the salty water and grimy snot that laid on your face. His kiss sent butterflies swarming through your stomach and a new type of red appeared on your cheeks.

“Waffles anyone?” Anne asked as she stood at the door, the smells of sweet honey and cream only hitting you now. It was that moment that you realised your heart had never belonged with your parents, your heart belonged here, with Harry. Forever and always.

[actuallysaiyan]

Light My Fire(Neji Hyuga x Fem!Reader)

Word count: 1,917

Pairings: Neji Hyuga x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Smut, swearing, jealousy, pining, loss of virginity, unprotected sex

Summary: Reader and Lee have been going out for a while, and Neji absolutely hates it. He’s loved reader for a long time, and he’s jealous. When he learns that Lee and Reader aren’t together anymore, he takes his chance.

A/N: This is for @beneathstarryskies ❤

Neji hated seeing you with his teammate. It drove him crazy that Lee had you, and that he couldn’t have you in his arms. He hated being jealous like this, but he knew that he couldn’t get between you and Lee. It wasn’t right and he wasn’t going to fight for you, even though he so desperately wanted to. Neji would watch you and Lee have so much fun, while he had to hide his emotions.

If you’d talk to him, he had to sometimes bite back on the things he wishes he could tell you. He has to act cold and distant with you, which makes his heart ache and his head spin. He just wants to be able to come out and say how he truly feels, but he’s unsure if that would even be a good idea. Neji doesn’t think you like him at all, and with the way he treats you, it’s obvious that he’s not helping his situation.

One day, you’re walking in the village and just enjoying the day. You and Lee decided to split up, amicably and remaining friends. You both realized you were more friends than lovers, so it was time to break up. Besides, you could no longer keep your feelings for a certain someone contained. You were madly in love with Neji, although he despised you.

Lee and Guy told you to go for it, and as usual, you wanted to take their very passionate and youthful advice, but it was tough. Neji never seemed to like you at all. You were very confused about your feelings, so you had decided to take a walk to clear your head.

It was almost nighttime, the last remnants of the sun just peeking from the horizon. You were in awe at the beautiful sky, barely watching where you were going. Somehow, you managed to walk down some alleyway, and you decided to just continue walking from there. Suddenly, you felt someone push you into the wall.

You were surprised to be looking into the very lavender eyes of Neji Hyuga. He was smirking at you, his hands pinning your wrists above your head. He was standing so close, you could feel your heart start to beat quicker. What was happening?

“Neji?” You asked, finding the courage to finally speak.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch you and my teammate date while I stood in the corner watching and waiting for you?” he asked in a dark voice, and you were stunned.

“What are you talking about, Neji? You’ve hated me since day one.” You tried to counter his confession, but you couldn’t deny that it made you excited.

“Don’t play dumb with me, y/n. You know I don’t hate you, not even a little bit...in fact, it’s quite the opposite.” Neji says, leaning in closer to you.

Your eyes flicker from his own to his lips, and you want to kiss him so badly. This has been your fantasy for a little while now, but you weren’t sure if it could even come true. Now you were pinned up against a wall in a dark alleyway and Neji was leaning closer to you, staring into your eyes deeply. You could see so much emotion on his face.

“Neji…” you breathe out before he pushes his lips roughly against yours. It takes you completely by surprise, but you are loving everything about this.

His hands let go of your wrists and you can’t help but tangle your fingers in his luscious hair. It’s so soft and you’ve been dreaming about touching it and playing with it for so long, you can’t deny yourself this chance.

His lips are soft and he tastes a little like ramen, which is so inviting somehow. It feels good to have him pressed up against you. You both pull away for air and Neji presses his forehead to yours. His eyes are boring into your own, and you swear your heartbeat has skipped three times already.

“I’m in love with you, y/n. I have been for so long, but I never wanted to get between you and Lee. Once Lee told me you guys broke up, I knew I had to find you.” Neji’s voice is a lot calmer and softer now, and you can feel your heart melt a little.

Then he grabs you by the waist and he hoists you into his arms, and he’s jumping on rooftops just to get back to your place. He’s been there a few times to hang out with the rest of Team Guy, so he knows the way there. Finally, you’re in front of your door with Neji holding you tight. 

He’s kissing your neck and biting it, making you squeal in delight. You feel almost breathless as he continues his ministrations, and your head is spinning. You struggle to unlock the door to your apartment, in which you live alone.

Finally, you’re both inside the apartment, and Neji is quick to start undressing you. His kisses are frantic and wet. They leave you reeling and relishing in every single touch. His hands slide under your shirt, and he’s undressing you with not only his eyes this time. Once your shirt hits the floor, Neji buries his face in your chest. His lips and teeth attack your tits, still in the black bra you chose to put on this morning. He’s groaning and grunting, telling you how beautiful you are. You can feel your mouth hang open in surprise at the sudden attack of kisses and bites, and you try your best not to buck up against him. His fingers pry open your bra, revealing your tits to him. He’s in awe.

“Fuck, you are gorgeous.” He can’t help but swear a little at the sight of your partially nude body.

Neji coaxes you into the bedroom with kisses and groans. He’s sufficiently turned on and he definitely has waited way too long to be able to do this to you. He needs you now and he will not wait any longer. 

On the bed, Neji starts to pull off your pants. You’re blushing a little now, as this is your first time...with anyone. Neji notices how timid you are at the moment, but he doesn’t stop. Instead, he comes up for a sweet kiss on the lips.

“Are you a virgin, y/n?” he asks you, kissing you softly and slowly. You’re enjoying the way his tongue feels in your mouth between questions.

“Yes,” you confess. He smiles down at you, his hair coming around the both of you like a curtain. It’s adding to the intimacy of this.

“I am too,” he confides in you. You smile at him, then wrap your legs around his hips. He involuntarily thrusts into you, causing you both to moan out and pant a little.

For a virgin, Neji knows exactly how to touch you and undress you properly. You are so turned on by the point that he has you completely naked, that his fingers slide deep within you with ease.  You cry out as he hooks his fingers deep within you, finding that special spot.

You can’t help but thrust into his hand with every movement he makes. He’s proud of himself for making you this wet. His cock is incredibly hard in his pants, and it’s starting to strain a little. It’s crazy how badly he’s wanted this for so long, and now it’s finally happening.

Neji leans down to your wet slick, licking a stripe from your entrance to your clit. You shudder at the contact. You can feel your heart race as Neji sucks on your clit, making you whimper and grind against his face as he continues to finger you. You are definitely soaked, and you know that losing your virginity will not hurt now that Neji has sufficiently prepared you for it.

He pulls away, coming back up to kiss you on the lips. You can taste your own juices on his lips and tongue, which makes you even more aroused. Neji starts to strip in front of you, and you look down to see his cock. It’s a lot bigger than you were anticipating, and now you were a little worried about how it’s going to fit inside of you.

Neji smirks a little when he notices your looking at his hardened member. He’s proud of his size, but he most definitely does not want to hurt you. He leans in once again to kiss you on the lips, this time he takes his time to enjoy making out with you. Between the two of you, Neji takes his cock in his hands and rubs it up and down your wet lips. It feels so good, you can’t help but whimper and moan against his lips as he continues to kiss you.

“Are you ready, y/n?” he asks, kissing you once again.

You nod yes, and then you feel the tip of his cock slowly start to penetrate you. You feel amazingly full as he continues to enter you, making sure not to hurt you by thrusting too fast or too hard. Finally, he’s bottoming out and groaning and cursing under his breath.

“You feel so fucking good,” he sighs. “So fucking tight…” he hisses a little as he starts up a slow pace, and you can feel your pussy twitch with every movement.

The fullness never disappears but you definitely find yourself starting to move against Neji. He’s picking up his pace and holding onto your hips as you wrap your legs around him. It’s deeper and closer this way, which makes him shudder a little. 

“I love you, y/n,” Neji confesses as he ruts against you, making you squeak and squeal with every movement. Having Neji balls deep inside you feels so fucking good, you’re also cursing under your breath as he continues to fuck you.

“Love you too,” you mutter as he grabs your legs and spreads them far apart. This new angle makes you gush all over him, and you’re shaking and shuddering as your orgasm takes you by surprise. 

Neji smirks as he realizes that you’ve just squirted all over him, and he’s definitely going to be bragging about this later to Lee. He laughs a little as you shake underneath him, but he’s quick to come back down to kiss you. This time, your ankles are on his shoulders and he’s drilling into you deeply and quickly. Neji is starting to chase his own high, so his kisses are sloppy and he’s calling you his girl.

“Such a good girl you are. You gonna be my girl now?” he asks between gritted teeth, his orgasm only seconds away. 

“Fuck yes, Neji!” You cry out as he continues to fuck you nice and hard. Finally, with one final thrust, he spills his seed deep within you. You’re both shuddering and grinding against each other, trying to prolong that high.

Once you’re both spent, Neji pulls out and lies next to you. You smile shyly at him, a little embarrassed about all of this. He brushes some hair from your face, giving you another sweet kiss.

“I’m so glad you’re mine. I’ve loved you for so long, y/n.” He whispers as he pulls you close. You can feel his heartbeat while you lie on his chest.

“I’ve loved you for so long too, Neji…”

[anonquack]

| Red Reunion |

Alex Quackity x Reader, Oneshot!

Word Count: 7157

Warnings: This contains DSMP LORE spoilers (egg lore) and character death is described (no MCD). Angst to fluff. Read at your own risk. Also; curse words (:

Summary: After some time off the DSMP, you make your return, only to find out everything has changed. The person you care most about is not himself anymore, and you're going to do everything in your power to put a smile back on his face. Bring Quackity back to you, and make up all the time lost.

A lot had changed since you were last here. Some parts had been destroyed due to conflicts, others just did not give off the same approachable feeling they used to. Things around the Dream SMP were very different.

As you walked around, in search for something or someone you recognized, your eyes fell upon Bad. He seemed to be rather busy, chatting up a storm with what looked to be Ant. Finally, some familiar faces!

The feeling of relief that rushed over you after seeing Bad made you act on impulse. Before you knew it, you were standing a few steps away from Ant and Bad.

"Bad!?" You called out. The relief slowly dissipated as you got closer. Bad did not look like himself, and neither did Ant. There was something slightly off about them. But it was too late now, their attention was on you.

"Y/N-?" Bad responded, milky eyes widening slightly, at the sight he hadn't seen in what felt like decades. This was Bad. No doubt. You nodded in response and quickly wrapped him into a hug, not caring to think that the time you two spent apart had also put some space between you two. Ignorant to the idea that things had changed.

You felt the tension running through his body as your arms wrapped around him, and decided to pull away after a few seconds. "Hi." You let out, waving at Ant, who seemed just as surprised to see you here.

"Hi-!" Bad and Ant responded. "What are you doing here?" Ant added, confusion clear in his face. Although it stung slightly, it made sense. It had been too long since you last stepped foot on the SMP. Nobody knew when you'd be back, but now you were finally here.

"I'm..back. I missed you all, but it seems stuff has changed." You said, gently scratching the back of your neck in anticipation of their response. They looked at each other before Bad gave you a grin, gently resting his hand onto your shoulder.

"Nonsense. It's nice to see you again, Y/N. I'm actually glad we bumped into you, so we can formally invite you to the Red Banquet! Ant, Ponk, and I will be hosting it, and we'd love to see you there! Think of it as a welcome back party. I'm sure everyone attending would love to see you again. It really has been so long.."

It was a load of information, and it took a bit to fully process everything, but you slowly nodded your head as he spoke to let him know you were listening.

"Red Banquet?" You said once all information he'd thrown at you had been digested. "What's that all about?" Perhaps it was connected to the red vines you'd seen around certain parts of the SMP a few days ago.

Bad simply shook his head. "Just a party we're having in order to attempt to unite everyone again. I'd really love to see you there! But for now, Ant and I have to go. Promise you'll show up?"

He seemed to be in a rush, but you found it very sweet that he wanted to unite everyone again. Classic BadBoyHalo. That'd probably be nice, especially after hearing the rumors that war took place on these lands during your absence.

"Yes, I'll be there." You nodded, a small smile on your lips. He smiled at that as well, nodding and waving his hand a bit as him and Ant walked away.

"Oh-! And wear Red please!!" He called out before slowly disappearing out of your sights. You nodded even though he couldn't see you, and smiled to yourself once you were all alone.

Maybe things weren't so different. Maybe this Red Banquet would help you reconnect with all your friends, all the people you'd accidentally left behind. It was the perfect time for apologies and reconciliation. The Red Banquet would do just that for you.

-

It was finally the day of the Red Banquet. Although on short notice, you'd managed to find an outfit that fit the dress code, even if just a little. You looked yourself over once more before heading off to the location Bad and Ant had given you.

As you got closer, you started to notice more people, and some familiar faces. It made you happy to see they were okay, but you were also dreading the confrontation.

Would they be angry at you for leaving? Would they even want to see you? Did they even remember you? So many questions were floating around in your head until you spotted a certain person.

Puffy.

She was curiously looking around at everyone too, admiring the wonderful outfits everybody had picked out for today.

Although a bit hesitant at first, you finally made your way over to her. As you got closer, her gaze went towards you.

Her eyebrows raised slightly, perhaps in confusion, followed by her eyes widening when she realized who she was looking at.

"Hi Puffy." You said with a small wave, voice timid and unsure. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight of you, unable to believe it really was you standing in front of her.

"Y/N-?" She responded, stepping towards you. You nodded and gave another wave. You were cautious since you didn't know if she hated your guts or was just surprised to see you back.

"Oh wow- hi!! It's been so long!" She exclaimed, finally taking all the information in. "I couldn't believe it was really you-!"

You took a few steps towards her and eventually you both enveloped each other into a hug. It felt so nice to see old friends again, and it felt even better knowing there was no resentment towards you.

After pulling away from the hug, you both smiled at each other before she grabbed your arm and began taking you around to greet everybody else.

Everyone was welcoming, more shocked than anything else at the fact you were back. It made the uneasiness in your stomach go away.

But not quite. You hadn't bumped into the person you wanted to see the most. He was nowhere in sight. Knowing that he could be anywhere, that you could bump into him at any second, kept you on edge.

"Uh, Puffy?" You called out to the woman beside you, calmly waiting for the banquet to start. She turned her attention towards you, eyebrows raised slightly to notify you that she was listening. "Do you know if Quackity is going to show up?" You asked, trying your best to hide your anxiousness and replace it with a casual tone.

She seemed to be thinking about it for a bit before shrugging. "I'm not sure. Maybe Bad invited him? I don't see why he wouldn't!" Her response was brief, but it made sense. Bad had said he wanted to make peace with everyone, unite them once and for all. He had to show up. He had to.

-

The Red Banquet was going well. You were currently seated at the table, everyone happily listening to the toasts that were being made, waiting for the moment where they could finally enjoy the soup placed in front of them.

So far, the day had consisted of drinks, music, dancing, and laughs. Everyone seemed to be getting along quite well, and it seemed that Bad's plan of uniting everyone was working.

As pleasant as the night seemed, one thing was still bothering you. He was still nowhere in sight, and you were losing hope of finding him here.

The fear of him not showing up tonight, or perhaps that you two would never cross paths again was threatening to cloud your senses, but today was the day everyone let bygones be bygones. Those fears would have to wait until after you left the Banquet.

For now, you watched in adoration as individuals stood from their seats and began their speeches regarding the bright futures they saw in store for all present. The idea that all conflict, which you hadn't even learned half of, would be forgotten and replaced with nothing but friendship. Their speeches were wonderful and left you in a happy daze.

But the happy daze did not last.

You were staring at your bowl of soup absent-mindedly when a loud scraping of a chair against the floor caught your attention. Your head snapped up, trying to see what was wrong, and immediately you noticed that everyone was up, shocked and reproaching Bad.

You looked around in confusion before noticing the walls of lava closing in on you all. Your eyes scanned the room before finding Bad, Ant, Ponk, and even Hannah in full gear. You couldn't even process what was happening as everybody was shouting at each other.

What in the hell had happened?

The only words registered by you were "sacrifice" and "egg", none of which made sense. Why was Bad doing this? This was not Bad. He was not like this. He was willing to sacrifice the lives of his friends for.. for whatever the Egg was. Was it the vines circling around the SMP? The Red vines circling the very place where the Red Banquet was taking place? What the hell happened while you were gone?

There was nothing you could even do, no one had weapons besides Bad and his group, and suddenly Bad's request for no one to come armed made sense. To the innocent minds, it would appear he just wanted a peaceful banquet. But now it was obvious he wanted no one to have the ability of fighting back against his plans.

It seemed like your time here had come to an end. Bad was going to sacrifice his friends right here and now. No failed attempts to harm the egg were gonna stop them. Nothing was.

Nothing was stopping Bad or Ant from killing in front of everyone. The speeches meant nothing. Foolish meant nothing to them besides a sacrifice to the Egg. You'd never heard Puffy let out such cries and screams. The blood that was dripping onto the stone floor from where Foolish was sacrificed would be something you saw in your nightmares from now on.

It seemed helpless. Everyone was practically lined up, waiting for death to arrive for them.

Until he barged in.

There was no mistaking that voice. There was no mistaking the way his presence took over the room, called for everyone's attention and demanded it stay there. It was him. He was here. He was going to save everyone.

Your eyes were glued to him as he cautiously walked closer to Bad, calling out to him and trying to get the older to come to his senses, get him to stop whatever nonsense he was trying to do tonight.

Part of you felt bad about completely forgetting the betrayal that had taken place tonight, and instead feeling ecstatic that Quackity was here, in the flesh.

The guilt began seeping in as you heard the people around you yelling out their thoughts, heard how pained and tired they sounded in regards to what Bad was doing, and probably because of all they've been through as well.

You escaped your own thoughts once Puffy charged at Ant, and a whole fight broke out between everyone. It was all too much to take in, it was all happening too fast. Ant was dead because of Puffy, Bad and the rest of his group had gotten away, and the rest of the guests were visibly shaken up.

And then there was him, curses leaving his lips, and a harsh scowl on display. It was clear with his facial expressions that he was beating himself up for letting Bad escape. You watched as he gave orders for Purpled to try and follow after Bad, try to get a sense of where he'd gone off to. And then his attention was returned to the guests.

His eyes flitted through the crowd, and you could feel yourself attempting to shrink. The idea of talking to him was nerve-racking, but necessary. He soon began to lead everybody out of the hole Bad had dragged them into. As soon as the bright light of day was visible again, the guests began to break out into cheers. Some crying over the fact that they were scared they'd never get to see this sight again.

As he checked to make sure everyone was okay, you decided it was the perfect time to approach. His back was facing you as you made your way towards him, too busy ensuring everyone made it out to notice the faint footsteps approaching him.

"Quackity?" You called out, feeling your mouth turn dry so quickly, scared of what to say next. You could see his shoulders stiffen, tension rising in the air before he turned around slowly. The look of disbelief and bewilderment in his eyes was something you'd never forget.

Now that he was so close, you took a moment to examine his facial features. This was not the Quackity you remembered. The Quackity you knew had bright, cheerful eyes. He had a cheeky smile on his face, always getting himself into trouble.

No, this Quackity was nothing like that. The bright, cheerful eyes were gone, now replaced by rather dull looking ones, and a scar across one of his eyes. The smile was also gone, lips slightly parted now, words dying on the tip of his tongue at the sight of you. Even his clothes were different. The blue sweater was gone, now replaced by rather formal wear.

A look of pain flashed across his face before quickly disappearing and getting replaced by the same stoic expression from earlier. "Y/N." He stated. Hearing him say your name ignited something within you, but it was nothing like before. A frown quickly took over your features as you struggled to find what to say in return.

"How have you been?" It was so dumb. There were so many better things that could've been said but that's what came out of your mouth at that moment. You watched as he stared before lightly rolling his eyes. "Now's not the time to catch up. I've got shit to do." He stated bluntly. He only maintained eye contact for a few more seconds before he walked away, approaching Technoblade to discuss what you could only assume was related to Bad.

You could hear your heart breaking inside your chest. He definitely hated you, and you couldn't really blame him. You'd left and returned to a broken Quackity. He clearly had gone through some shit, if his scars weren't telling. He was a changed man, and for you to try and waltz back into his life was fucked up. You knew that. But fuck. It hurt way more than you thought it would.

You'd considered what it'd be like, an alternate reality where Quackity hated your guts, and it seemed bad. But it was nothing quite compared to the real thing. This was your reality now.

You watched as he walked off, a dumbfounded yet hurt look on your face. You felt the sting in the back of your eyes as you tried holding it in until later. You were biting down on the inside of your cheek, eyes glued to his back before you turned, deciding to head back to what you deemed your home for now.

This Red Banquet had gone quite the opposite of what you expected, and had ended with your heart aching because the only person you truly cared about now despised you. You couldn't wait to get home and crawl into bed.

—

It'd been a week or two since the incident. Tension was still high, but everyone was making an effort to try and let things go back to normal.

You were too. You couldn't stay in bed forever, as pleasant as that seemed, so that meant going out and about.

This didn't necessarily mean productivity. You needed time to let your heart and mind heal, so a stroll around the SMP would do for now.

You took your time, quietly admiring the bright and colorful flowers that decorated certain areas, the beautiful builds that were built in your absence, and how the SMP was still bustling even after such incidents.

Your gaze followed your feet, and the way the grass crunched and bent under your shoes. Your gaze jumped from flower to flower, different colors catching your attention. Different.. people. A person.

Quackity.

Shame and fear took over your body as you looked at him from afar. After your last exchange, you were hyper aware on the fact he did not wish to speak to you anymore. And yet your paths had somehow crossed again.

You felt yourself let out a breath you didn't even know you'd been holding in. Approaching him again would be a grave mistake. But it could be a mistake you dwell on after. Your mind was going so fast as you considered the pros and cons of approaching him at this very moment.

It was the fear of 'What If' that made you do it. You let out another shaky breath, trying to calm yourself before approaching.

"Quackity!" You called out as you made your way over to him. He was currently slumped over, eyes fixated on the ground, face hidden from your view.

He looked torn, as if life had taken every single bit of happiness from him. As you got closer, you came to a halt, not wanting to alert him.

"Quackity?" You called out again, the nerves slowly reappearing and engulfing you with concern.

Once he looked up, his brown eyes met yours, and you were stunned at the beauty of them. The sunlight shone so beautifully and accentuated the light and dark browns that made up his irises.

Your gaze moved from his eyes to the scar that now rested on said eyes. Your gaze softened, a small frown on your lips at the realization that he'd probably been through so much these last few months.

"What happened?" You asked, hands acting on instinct, reaching out for his face. At that moment, you witnessed him put space between you two, a bewildered look in his eyes. You felt your heart break into smithereens.

"Y/N-?" He said, the shock clear in his tone. The reaction seemed to be instinctual, not because it was you. You nodded your head fervently, before responding softly, "Yes, it's me. Hi." You saw his expression soften, but his walls quickly came back up.

"Hey." He stated coldly, eyes averting in order to avoid eye contact. You looked around for a bit, unsure of what to do before sitting down a few feet away from him in order to ensure he didn't feel uncomfortable with your presence.

When he saw that you weren't leaving, his eyes narrowed and looked over at you. When you made eye contact again, you gave him a small smile before speaking again. "Are you alright..? What... what happened-? With everything and everyone."

He rolled his eyes at the question, deciding to give short and dry answers. "A lot has happened." Your shoulders slumped slightly, not really knowing what else you expected. Certainly not a hug and a sermon explaining all events, but not this.

"I'm‐" you paused, eyes looking down at the grass and carefully ripping some of it off as you wondered how to phrase it. "I'm really sorry for leaving, Quackity. I.. I didn't think so much would happen in my absence. Especially to you." You looked up, eyes instinctively going to stare at the scar that now rested on his face.

His brown eyes met yours, examining you and taking in the apology. There was silence for a moment before he let out a shaky sigh. "You don't know half the shit I went through. Without you here." A pang of guilt struck your chest as he averted his eyes from you.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry for leaving you, Quackity. I wouldn't have if I knew they'd.. that.. that this would happen." You stumbled on your words, anxiousness and guilt eating at you as you saw his expressions morph between pain, anger, and sadness.

He remained silent for a bit before shaking his head, "Well, can't really change the past, can we? What's done is done." His voice sounded stoic, face now void of any expression. You opened your mouth to respond but quickly closed it as you watched him begin to stand up.

A slight panic ran through you as you stumbled onto your feet as well. Too slow, though, Quackity was already on his way to who knows where. You were left to stare at his back once again.

There was a warmth spreading through your chest that you hadn't acknowledged until now. He had spoken to you, he'd taken the time to listen to what you had to say rather than shutting you out completely like before. Was this progress?

Didn't matter, because that's exactly what you were gonna call it. And this certainly wasn't the last he'd be seeing of you.

–

"Where has he been staying?" You asked as you took a sip of the drink offered to you by Puffy.

"None of us are really sure. He kind of dropped off the face of the SMP after Karl and the rest of 'em left." She was once again speaking of this as if it was the most casual of topics. Known to everybody but you. That was probably true.

Karl and the rest of them. Was that referring to Sapnap and George? That meant he didn't tag along with them, which told that he'd been off on his own. Had he really been alone this whole time?

You'd left, thinking he'd be okay with his friends. Only for him to be left with battle scars, and those very friends being the ones to leave him as well. A small frown etched itself onto your face as you thought of how difficult it must've been. Just imagining him out there on his own was enough to make your skin crawl and your heart shatter. It wasn't right at all.

"So you don't know where he's staying? He just made an appearance at Bad's banquet by chance?"

She took a moment to think before responding, "Not sure exactly where he lives, but I know the general area of where he hangs out. Seen him there multiple times." She paused and looked you up and down before giving a pitiful look. "Do you plan on continuing to seek him out?"

You nodded your head without hesitation. "Yes. I missed him terribly and just hearing what's happened, and seeing how it left him.. I want to fix things with him." There was a determined look on your face, huge contrast to the worried look Puffy was now giving you.

It went unnoticed by you though, too focused on getting Quackity to smile again. To hand him the happiness he deserves.

–

The third time your paths crossed was near the area you'd last found him. He was sharpening his sword, too preoccupied to notice you approaching again. This time, you alerted him of your presence at a safe distance, not wanting to accidentally get stabbed.

His eyes met yours, full of surprise before going stoic again. You smiled and waved lightly as you approached. You took a seat near him once again, basking in the silence, no other greeting given by either of you.

To you, this was progress. He wasn't necessarily welcoming you with open arms, but he wasn't telling you to fuck off either. You busied yourself with the grass beneath you, gently ripping out some grass blades, and occasionally glancing towards him.

The glances were mutual, you'd catch him glancing towards you every once in a while, eyes quickly averting after getting caught. A small smile appeared on your lips as you continued looking around.

It wasn't long before you realized it was getting dark. His attention was still on the sword, glances still happening here and there, as if the words would die on his tongue if he dared to break the silence. This gave you the confidence to speak again.

"It's getting dark. How much longer will you be out here?" You tilted your head slightly, eyes focused on him. His eyes met yours for a split second, probably startled by your voice.

He looked down at his sword before looking out at the sky. "Not sure. Almost done with this, so.. maybe until then." His voice sounded heavenly to your ears. This entire afternoon had been spent in peaceful silence, so it was a welcome change.

"Then.. I'll stick around until you're done." You declared, a small smile on your lips as you watched him. He raised a brow before rolling his eyes.

"You don't have to. I don't know why you stuck around this long in the first place." He murmered, eyes focusing back on the sword that rested on his lap.

"Because I wanted to spend time with you." You admitted, voice small.

It was physically difficult to actually voice your thoughts and intentions, especially after realizing it might upset him, no matter how true your words were.

You were unfortunately right.

He looked up, attention no longer on his sword, instead on you. There was a look of disbelief on his face. "Stop." He stated, a tone that told you it was a warning, that he wasn't messing around. But you had to push, take your chances. A gamble, perhaps.

"I mean it." You responded, not missing a beat. The tension slowly rose between you two, eyes not parting from each other. You watched as the peaceful look left his eyes, replaced with pure frustration.

"Just because you're here now doesn't mean it makes up for the shit you did. Being here won't win me back, it won't make me forgive you, so stop wasting your fucking time."

He was pushing you away again. Maybe silence would've lead to a happier end to the day. Maybe you both could've silently parted ways once it got darker, but instead you were sat across from each other, tension rising and hearts beating fast against chests.

"I just‐" you paused, gently biting the inside of your cheek, looking for a way to phrase it, but coming back empty-handed. "I miss you." It was out, he knew now, and your heart was left exposed, bare and fragile. He could break it any second now.

He scoffed, before standing up and carefully putting away his sword. He didn't dare respond, gaze leaving yours and instead focusing on the path to wherever he seemed to call home.

You watched him leave, an activity that you seemed to be doing often recently, before falling onto your back and letting out a groan of frustration. Your hands came to cover your eyes, gently rubbing at them, mentally telling yourself not to cry. It would be okay.

His current attitude would not scare you away. You'd continue trying, show him that you really did care, and weren't planning on leaving again. Maybe he'd see your efforts and consider giving you a second chance, perhaps he wouldn't. You were hoping the first choice was the outcome.

–

Quackity fell onto his bed with a loud thud, hands going to cover his face in frustration. He wasn't sure what to do, but he did feel a bit bad about lashing out on you everytime you'd interacted with him. The first time he'd seen you again, he felt a warmth spread across his chest. He was happy to see you again, but the harsh truth of your absence when he needed you most made the moment bittersweet.

To him, it seemed dumb that you were trying to reconnect with him. Why, after disappearing for so long, and leaving him behind just like how everybody else he cared about had done.

What if he let you back in, and you left again? He didn't think he could handle that pain again. Hearing you say you missed him had been his breaking point. His immediate response was to push as hard as he could, get you to leave before he could get attached again. If he was alone, he wouldn't have to worry about anybody leaving him.

But as he lay in bed, hands shielding him from the bright lights that illuminated the room, he took in the tone of your voice. How small it had sounded when you admitted you missed him. He thought about how you'd approached him three times now, even if he pushed you away. Would you still come back? Even after he basically told you to stop wasting your time with him? He didn't know.

It was far too much thinking for him. At least for tonight. He quietly admired the sharpness of his sword before turning off the lights and deciding to finally get some rest.

–

His questions were answered the next time he was out and about. He'd been on his way to a shop when he caught sight of you sitting at a table with a small bag settled on top. He averted his eyes and continued walking before he heard the sound of your voice, calling out to him.

He was surprised, to say the least. He looked over at you, saw you waving him over, pointing at the bag with a small smile. He hesitated, unsure if he could even face you after what had happened last time, but slowly made his way over anyway.

"Hi." You greeted, soft smile still on your lips as he came closer. "Sit." You gestured to the seat across from your own. You'd been out shopping and had stopped for some snacks along the way. You were resting at the table but luckily caught sight of him and figured this was a chance to talk to him again.

He looked down at the seat before hesitantly sitting down. "Hi." He said back, not nearly as confident as yours had sounded. You signaled at the bag, opening it and showing him the freshly baked pastries you'd picked up not too long ago. "Want one?" You offered.

Simply opening the bag gave out a pleasant smell, and it made it difficult to resist a pastry, even if it meant having to sit with you for a moment. He reached into the bag, taking one before slightly bowing his head. "Thank you." He simply stated, before taking a bite of the pastry.

The sight warmed your heart. It reminded you of the times you'd both share a meal, it could be anywhere, but any food either of you had would be shared with laughs and jokes interrupting each bite. It reminded you of when he didn't have any resentment towards you.

"Is it good?" You asked, and he only gave a small nod, hand covering his mouth in an attempt to chew politely. You smiled at that before letting a small sigh escape your lips. "I'm sorry about last time. It was probably fucked up on my part to suddenly push that on you."

He paused, eyes not leaving his hands as he processed what you'd just said. Were you really apologizing? After he'd been an asshole to you at every encounter. He looked up at you before reaching into the bag again for another pastry, out of habit and familiarity with moments like these back then.

"I'm sorry too." He started, avoiding eye contact. "I was a bit mean, and maybe you didn't really deserve it." His eyes went towards yours, wanting to see a reaction after receiving nothing but silence.

He was met with the sight of a warm smile on your face, he could feel the warmth you were radiating from where he was seated.

"You don't have to apologize to me, Quackity. I understand why you reacted that way. I do wish you'd see I mean the things I say though. Really." He took another bite out of the pastry before slowly nodding, notifying you that he was listening to what you were saying.

This could definitely be counted as progress, right? You were sharing a snack with him, and he'd apologized even if he didn't need to. The thought alone returned the smile to your face as you leaned onto your hand and stared at him quietly.

"What?" He said after a moment, staring back at you. You shrugged, "Just happy to see you again."

His cheeks flushed slightly, perhaps out of embarrassment, not used to your sappy self after months of its absence. His state made you let out a chuckle as you reached over to grab a pastry as well.

You two shared the pastries and a few other snacks you'd bought for some time until he stated he had to go get what he wanted in the first place, before you'd called him over and asked him to sit with you. You nodded and waved him goodbye, telling him it was nice seeing him again, to which he reacted to by averting his eyes and walking away. You smiled to yourself as you watched him leave. Progress.

–

After the reconciliation through pastries, you'd crossed paths with Quackity a few more times, each being less tense than the last.

Days passed where you'd cross paths with each other, and it gave you the opportunity to make conversation, maybe pester him for an hour or two, subtly letting him know that you were here to stay. To which he responded by pushing.

Quackity pushed you away as much as he could at first, but with each passing day it became more and more evident that he was softening up. It was progress. He was getting accustomed to your company again, and he wasn't really pushing you away either.

It had taken a while to get to where you currently were, but you'd do it a million times over just to spend time with him again. To be this close to him, like you used to be.

You were giving him your undivided attention as he spilled what had happened during your absence, and it was taking everything in your power to not immediately wrap your arms around him. Hearing everything he'd been through, how others had treated him, how he got his scars, and how he was left behind.. it was all so, so infuriating. It made you mad at yourself, most of all.

You couldn't help but wonder if things would've been different if you hadn't left. Perhaps you could've fought alongside him, stopped any harm from coming his way. Perhaps you could've provided him with company when he felt so alone, like the world would swallow him whole.

It definitely would've been different if you hadn't left.

But there was no point in dwelling over the past, is what you told yourself. What mattered now was that you were here, sitting across from him as he opened up to you for the first time in so long. He looked so vulnerable, eyes never meeting yours as he spoke of his experiences. You couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult this must be.

When he finished, he finally looked up at you, bottom lip caught between his teeth out of anxiousness and sadness. You scoot closer, noticing him visibly tense and relax, all within a few seconds. Your movements were slow, as to not scare him away.

You lifted your hand towards his face, as you had during one of your first encounters, and slowly moved it closer. "Can I?" You said, voice timid. He gave a small nod, and you gently cupped his face, thumb rubbing gentle circles onto his cheek before softly tracing over the scar. It felt oddly intimate, being this close to him, being able to touch him after so many months of yearning his presence.

You could feel his body tense, not used to anyone doing this in quite some time. But after a bit, his eyes closed and he melted into your hand, letting you gently caress his cheek and his scar. You came closer, body close to his. You could feel the body heat coming off of him, oh how you'd missed the feeling.

The sensation alone threatened to bring tears to your eyes. He was really here, the Quackity you missed and loved. He'd let you back in.

"I'm so sorry, Quackity. So sorry you went through this. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere, no matter how hard you try to get rid of me. I'm right here." You reassured, continuing to draw small circles on his cheek with your thumb. His eyes looked up to meet yours, and you could feel your heart stop at the sight of his pretty eyes. He was tearing up too.

You gave him a small smile before wrapping your arms around him. All composure had left you, too preoccupied with comforting the man who'd experienced too much pain and suffering.

Your breath hitched as you felt his arms wrap around you as well, tight. The fear of being abandoned clear with the way his arms held onto you for dear life. Your shoulder felt wet, but you didn't care one bit. This was everything you'd hoped for since you first laid eyes on him again. His company, and his forgiveness. For him to know you'd be here, and wouldn't leave anymore.

After what felt like decades, you finally pulled away, eyeing him over to ensure he was alright before gently cupping his face again. This time with both hands, you wiped away any remaining tears, giving him a small smile to tell him it'd be okay from now on.

He seemed ashamed, perhaps he felt too vulnerable. You lightly directed his gaze back on you before leaning in and placing a small kiss on his cheek where the tear stains had been. You watched as his eyes fluttered shut, an invitation for you to continue. And so you did, placing small kisses all over his face, lips gently ghosting over his scar, giving him the affection he'd yearned for.

This continued for a bit before he let out a shaky sigh. You gave him a worried look, to which he simply shook his head. "It's nothing, just.. taking all of this in." You visibly relaxed at the sight of a small smile on his lips. "I can't believe you're actually here. That you came back and dealt with my shitty attitude just to get back to how we used to be."

"You had your reasons to react that way, please don't blame yourself." You responded calmly, thumb continuing to rub soothing circles onto his cheek. "Plus.. you know I'm not giving up on you, right? No matter how much you try and push me away." You grinned at him, to which he rolled his eyes.

"You're very persistent, I'll give you that." He said, relaxing further into your touch. "I'm.. I'm glad you didn't give up on me."

The grin softened into a small smile. "I could never. How about we head back to your place. You hungry?" To which he only gave a small nod as an answer. You stood, extending your hand for him to grab in order for him to get up.

Once he was up, he didn't let go, and neither did you, which made you beam at him before letting him lead the way back to what he now called home. You both walked hand in hand, no further talking needed. Once you both got there, a small dinner was made, followed by the softest and comfiest cuddles either of you had gotten in a long, long time.

—

Every single moment leading up to this was worth it. You sat in a flower field in the SMP, currently undisturbed by any of the other residents, with Quackity's head resting on your lap. You gently ran your fingers through his hair, fixing any strands that managed to poke out of his beanie after he put it on, and simply enjoying the view.

And that isn't in reference to the flower field. He looked stunning, basking in the sun with the cutest smile on his face, trying to take a nap as you made small conversation here and there, telling him about something meaningless Puffy had told you during one of her visits.

Prior to this very moment, both of you had been enjoying a picnic at this very field you were currently at. And now, you were just enjoying each other's presence. As he rested his head on your lap, you took a moment to look at all the flowers around you two.

There was a poppy nearby, the red on the petals stood out to you. Carefully picking it off its place on the soil, you made sure it was clean before gently tucking it behind his ear. The red stood out wonderfully against his skin and dark black hair.

His eyes soon opened, a confused look etched onto his face as he wondered what you'd just done. His hand reached up to gently pat the spot before stopping completely at the feeling of the flower. A small smile appeared on his lips, before he playfully rolled his eyes. You smiled back at him as he carefully sat up, not wanting the flower to fall off.

"It looks cute on you." You murmered, focused on the way the red looked in his hair. He hummed, bringing your attention back towards him. He was picking a poppy off the ground as well, lazily handing it over to you. Even with his tired smile on his face, he still looked so cute.

You smiled, taking it from his grasp. "Thank you." You quirked up, leaning in and placing a delicate kiss onto his lips, his lips moving perfectly against yours. You pulled away with a content smile before falling back onto the blanket you'd both been sitting on.

He mirrored your actions, falling back as well. You both stared up at the sky for a few moments before his gaze fell back on you. At the feeling of a gaze on you, you turned to look at him as well.

"What?"

"Thank you."

Warmth was radiating within you at that very moment. The person who meant the absolute most to you, the one who'd been through so much, was finally able to smile again. He was able to breathe freely, he was free of all his worries.

Quackity deserved the world, he deserved to feel safe and needed, wanted. And you were more than willing to risk and give everything you could in order to provide that. But for now, cuddles, kisses, and a nap under a bright blue sky would suffice for the both of you.

[aotxfan]

Snakes in the Garden (Porco)

Summary: Unnamed female character is a spy sent to Marley by the Scouts. Her mission is to extract information from the Jaw Titan. Rated: M (Suggestive themes but nothing explicit)

Long Post under cut.

Nestled away in a quiet business district with the lights turned low and the music a soft hum in the night, she almost believed she had entered the wrong place before she had a chance to look around. The bar was not the kind of establishment she was used to back in Paradis. Unlike the bars back in her island with their loud music and slurring strangers, the Eldian bar in Marley was quiet.

A low song was playing from a live band and the people inside were each speaking quietly to their neighbor. A lifetime of secrecy in a country that despised the blood in their veins had taught each Eldian to be as meek as a dormouse. The Eldians at the bar were painfully aware of the guards stationed nearby and desperately sought to fly under the radar to escape notice.

Her frame lingered by the bar a second longer as her eyes scanned every which way.

This late in the evening, with the moon peeking behind the clouds, there were very few souls around. Most Eldians had retreated inside their homes by now leaving the bar mostly empty. Asides from a few stragglers still trying to squeeze out some last few moments from the night, the place was quiet.

Sliding into a stool at the bar, she bit the inside of her cheek.

Zeke had told her he would be here. According to the Eldian defector, Porco Galliard frequented the place more often than not. Zeke was convinced she would find him here nursing a pint of something at the bar with his head down and his walls firmly up.

Thus far, she couldn’t find him anywhere. She had memorized his photograph before leaving Paradis, had studied him and the other Warriors fervently before making the long voyage, but had, had little luck finding any of them.

The Mid-East War had just ended and most soldiers had returned. Zeke had told her Galliard had returned along with the other Warriors, but she had, had no luck finding him. He hadn’t dropped by his family home yet and his favorite haunts were devoid of his presence.

This bar was the last place she could think of scoping out before giving up. Hopefully he’d show up here and end her one way game of cat and mouse.

Motioning for a bartender, she drummed her nails against the wooden countertop. Being this exposed in Marley made her nervous. The hairs at the back of her neck were almost standing up as she bristled with every stare.

Since she had come to Marley on a spying mission from Paradis, she had been utterly careful on who she talked to and where she went. She never lingered in one area of Liberio for too long and was always sure to keep her head down whenever the Marleyan soldiers walked past.

Being at a bar in plain view and not tucked away in some alleyway was a change she wasn’t sure she liked.

Still, she was growing desperate.

Her orders back in Paradis had been very clear. She was to find the Warriors and approach them. The intel they offered could be valuable and a chance to learn more about their abilities could easily sway things in Paradis’ favor.

The bartender startled her out of her reverie when he appeared and asked for her order. She had no idea what names they used for alcohol here and hesitated as she tried to think of something.

Thankfully, she was spared a chance to answer.

A lone figure slid into the stool next to her and asked for a cocktail she had never heard of in a bored tone. The bartender accepted his order, and she asked for the same in response.

As he left to prepare their drinks, she eyed the stranger next to her.

The young man was tall with blonde hair and an aloof expression on his face. He slumped against his chair as if tired and yawned into his hand. When he moved his arm, she caught sight of a red armband against his black jacket.

Her breath hitched just slightly and she was glad he was facing away from her and paid her little mind.

She had studied each Warrior’s photograph and knew exactly who he was. Porco Galliard. Her target.

Well, I’ll be damned.

She quietly took stock of him as he waited for his drink. He had yet to notice her presence and was preoccupied with picking a piece of lint off his pants. He seemed to have no weapons on him and made no indication of being with a partner or friend for the night. That was good. If he was alone, she would only have to worry about chatting him up and not an acquaintance.

When the bartender returned with their drinks, she saw her opening.

Reaching for hers, she let her hand move just slightly. ‘Accidentally’ knocking into his glass, she jerked her hand to the side and sent it tumbling off the bar counter. His drink splashed all over his pants and sent ice cubes rolling down onto the floor.

He jerked up with a curse, and she jumped up too with napkins in hand.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” She offered him a napkin and widened her eyes just slightly to seem nervous.

“-uck, that’s cold!” He tore the napkins out of her grip and scrubbed them against the front of his pants. Whatever drink had been in the glass had stained the white fabric, and the napkin only made things worse.

Irritated, he jerked his head towards her and she was met with his cold gaze.

“Nice going!” He growled out the words and bit back whatever other insult was forming on his mouth when he saw her shrink back.

She bowed her head and made sure to let him see how her hands shook when she extended another napkin his way.

“I’m so, so sorry sir! I didn’t mean to,” she offered another apology.

Sending a pointed look at his red armband, she made herself shrink in. Stepping into the role of her character, she led the charade fall into place all around her.

In this moment, she was a quiet Eldian girl who was terrified of being reprimanded. Having just spilled her drink on the lap of an Honorary Marleyan, she could only imagine the fall out. Her eyes were wide with fright and her hands shook as more apologies spilled out of her lips.

When his eyes softened at the display, she hid her smirk. It seemed the acting classes she had taken as a child in Paradis had served a purpose after all.

He accepted her apology and waved her away when she offered to give him her drink.

“Ok, I get it. It was an accident,” he sat back down and threw the used napkins away in a nearby bin, “Did you get any on you?”

His voice was still rough when he spoke to her, but her earlier display had gotten through to him. His eyes were no longer cold and she could tell she was chipping away at his walls. If she played her cards right, she could knock them right down the way the Colossal had knocked down Wall Maria in her childhood.

“I’m fine,” she offered him her drink again, “Here. An amend. I really didn’t mean to.”

Setting the glass in front of him, she didn’t give him a chance to reject her again.

Galliard opened his mouth to disagree then shrugged and accepted the piece offering.

“I haven’t seen you before,” he eyed, “Is this your first time here?”

She bit her lip the way she had seen other girls do when they were timid.

“It is, I usually don’t drink.”

He drained his glass in one gulp and motioned for the bartender to give him a refill. Without asking, he also purchased a new glass for her. She accepted him with a thank you.

“What made you come here of all places? This isn’t exactly a place where I would expect someone like you,” Porco asked. He motioned towards the bar to highlight his point.

By now, the live band had stopped playing and started packing their instruments. The last few stragglers were older men with white armbands on their coats looking for some last few moments of peace before returning home to their families.

Zeke had mentioned this bar was mainly for soldiers and men who needed a quiet place to wind down after a long deployment. It really wasn’t the kind of place a young girl like her would frequent.

“I wanted to try this place out. My dad spent a lot of time here before he-”

She cut herself off then and bit her lip again. The silence grew as she hesitated and he seemed to understand the hidden meaning. Her fingers tightened on her glass.

“The Mid-East War?” He eyed her out of the corner of his eye.

She nodded. “Yeah, we got the letter last month.”

His jaw tightened and he set his second empty glass down on the counter top. “Shit. Sorry.”

A gruff sympathy but still a sympathy. She looked away to hide the satisfaction burning in her eyes.

In preparation for the voyage, Zeke and Yelena had offered plenty about Marley and the Warriors. They had each taken the time to teach her about how to act and what to say to cruise under the radar.

It was Zeke who had stressed how to behave with the Warriors to her. He had spoken about each person at length and given her firm instructions as to how to proceed. She could almost hear his voice inside her head now repeating one of his many lessons.

“Galliard is a tough one, but he’s not impossible. He’s prickly like a cactus-huh, guess you don’t know what that is but whatever-it just means he has a harsh exterior. He’s going to be closed off when you meet and will probably not let you in easily if you just approach him. He’s naturally selective with who he surrounds himself with and suspicion comes to him second nature. If you flirt with him or try to get too close right off the bat, he’ll back off from you and assume you’re just another Eldian desperate to marry into Marleyan citizenship. Instead, you have to use his weaknesses against him. He’s still mourning the loss of Marcel. The wound is fresh, and he’ll be more likely to sympathize with someone who he thinks lost family to war too...”

So far, it seemed he had been right.

She let her shoulders droop and thought about her own father. Her real father was buried somewhere under the rubble of Shinganshina. He had died years ago when the Colossal had knocked down the wall and led all the Titans in. She had seen him and her mother get swallowed before running away.

Sorrow filled her and she clenched her teeth together. Beneath the pain there was anger. She let the rage steel her in her mission and reminded herself of why she was doing this.

Marley had destroyed her home and killed her family. She promised she would do the same to it. If Porco was her way to fight back, then she would play him like a song and wield him like a knife.

“Did you return from your deployment?”

She allowed herself to ask him a question. He had been swirling the last few drops of his liquor around in his glass and the ice made a melody as it thumped against the sides.

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Came back some time ago. I was stationed in Fort Slava.”

She let some surprise register on her face although she had known that already. She knew a lot of things about him.

“Then you helped in the victory. I should be the one buying you drinks,” she offered him a soft smile.

Under the dim light, she thought she saw the faintest hint of color on his cheeks.

Unsure if it was her or the alcohol, she slid her second untouched glass his way. When he raised an eyebrow, she offered him a light smile.

“I’m not one for alcohol. Take it.”

He accepted the glass and took a long sip. She hoped the alcohol would make him buzzed. Maybe some liquid courage would help her loosen his lips.

The Jaw Titan had to have some intel she could gather. Compared to the others, his rank was lower since he was still brand new in inheriting his abilities, but he could be useful. Maybe she could use him as an in. Growing close to him might just let her have access to the Cart Titan and the others.

“You’re not going to ask?” His eyes met hers over the rim of his glass.

“Ask?” She tilted her head to the side inquisitively. Yelena had told her the action made her seem more innocent and less deceitful.

It worked. Some of the remaining tension in his shoulders receded and he wiped at his mouth with his sleeve.

“About the battle. All everyone wants to ask about is how the battle played out and what happened. I’m like a personal history book to these people.”

His tone was dry and he glared at the far wall. She stared at her hands.

”Galliard is bitter about Marley and the war efforts. He’s not obedient like other soldiers and will complain and bad mouth the efforts when he thinks no one will hear him. Don’t let that shock you. Just let him vent and make yourself a sympathetic ear, but don’t add anything to the fire. He’s likely to grow even more suspicious if he finds an ally in you so quickly.”

Zeke’s counsel replayed in her mind and she let the silence linger just a second longer than necessary. Feigning a wince, she tapped her knuckles nervously against the counter.

“To be honest, I’m sick of hearing about the war. All of the soldiers that fought with my dad keep writing about the battles he fought in and how brave he was. I could do with a different topic.”

He glanced at her and some of the ire melted away out of his gaze. He grunted under his breath something that sounded like a “good” and shook his head.

“I just realized I never got your name,” he eyed her.

The fake name Yelena had come up for her spilled past her lips easily. It was a common Eldian name that wasn’t likely to raise any suspicions. He accepted it without much thought.

“Porco,” he mumbled in turn.

The last few customers at the bar made their way out the door. She glanced out the window and realized it was almost pitch black. One glance at the bartender, and she realized he was just waiting on them to close up.

“I should probably get going, I start my job tomorrow.”

Porco stood up too and threw some Marleyan bills at the counter. She noticed he had paid for her too.

“You don’t have to-”

“I drank them, you didn’t touch them,” he shoved his hands into his pockets and waited.

She realized he was waiting for her to lead the way, and she finished buttoning up her coat.

“I’ll walk you home, yeah? Liberio isn’t exactly safe for a girl all alone at night,” He didn’t wait for her this time and left out the door in front of her.

She was glad his back was turned. It meant he missed the small smirk that played on her lips.

- - -

Despite the alcohol he had consumed, his steps were measured and easy. She apologized to him for being such a bother and making him walk so far.

He shrugged his shoulders and cut her off.

“I’m headed this way anyway,” he looked away.

He was definitely not headed that way. His family home was a good fifteen minute walk from where they were, but she didn’t say anything. Perhaps it was the liquor on his breath, but the tips of his ears had reddened just slightly.

Some confidence filled her and she ‘accidentally’ bumped their hands together. Withdrawing them with an apology, she caught the way his breath hitched.

Yelena had told her she was beautiful, and that she could use that to suit her mission. Galliard was a man same like any other. He had his weaknesses and a pretty face would help her.

The streets were dark which made her next move easy.

Pretending to trip on an uneven piece of the sidewalk, she let herself collide with his back. He managed to catch her before she could fall face first and his arm wrapped around her waist in surprise. She felt more than saw the way his face burned at the realization that she was now in his grasp.

Feigning embarrassment, she pressed her hand to her mouth and widened her eyes. “I’m so sorry! First I spill my drink and then I almost knock you over!”

She looked away and made her eyes water on command the way she had been taught in acting classes all those years ago. It was her experience that men tended to melt when they saw a woman prepared to cry. Some tears and a quiet sniffle got them to lower their guard down every time.

Porco was no different.

He shook his head and looked away. “It’s okay, you’re fine. Did you hurt your ankle?”

He seemed concerned as he traced his hand down her leg. It was an excuse to touch her, and she was grateful he hadn’t seen the way her eyes lit up in success.

She had him. Hook, line, and sinker.

Still, she couldn’t rush her hand. Zeke had warned her about seeming too eager to get close to the Warriors. They were a close, private bunch and wouldn’t let an outsider in too easily. She had to play her cards close to the chest.

She thanked him for his concern and placed her hand over his. His skin was hot to the touch and his arm tensed in surprise at the contact. He wasn’t used to being touched, yet he didn’t move his arm.

“My house is over there,” she pointed to a random neighborhood, “You can just leave me here. I don’t want you to have to walk all this way.”

He seemed like he didn’t want to leave, and she was smug. She really did have him in her web. Just a little more and he would fall in head first.

“Are you sure?”

He seemed like he wanted her to ask him to stay. Perhaps he was hoping to score her for the night. Maybe he had some pent up stress and figured a pretty girl was a nice way to relax.

But that wasn’t her mission. Her mission was much deeper than just a quick night.

She released his hand and moved away from him letting some formality fall between them. Her smile was polite as she shook her head and waved him off.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” she turned away.

She feigned taking a step away from him before stopping. Moving fast, she leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. It was a coy move she had learned worked well on men. It was innocent enough to be dismissed as a platitude, but the way her lips lingered on his skin just slightly could be easily interpreted as interest.

He made a sound at the back of his throat and burned bright red. She moved her head away and offered him a quiet thank you for walking all this way.

As she turned away from him, he called her name.

“Wait. Can I see you again?”

He sounded awestruck and she was glad she had managed to trick him into drinking all that alcohol. His walls had lowered enough for her to sneak her way in like a Trojan Horse.

Lowering her head in a meek and shy way, she gave a polite smile. “Maybe.”

Then, purposefully leaving him wanting, she walked away.

- - -

After that first introduction, it was easy to continue playing him. Working her magic, she played him like an instrument.

The next day after that she arrived at the hospital to check on the returning soldiers. Zeke had forged some paperwork and gotten her a job as a civilian nurse. She assumed it was easy for him to do so since his grandfather had once been a doctor.

She had arrived to her first shift the next day-

Coincidentally when the Warriors were due for their checkup. Porco had frozen in shock at the door when he had walked in and seen her. He had hesitated and asked her what she was doing before she had feigned her own surprise and told her she was a nurse.

The entire time she worked alongside the doctor performing his physical, she had been aware of the looks he threw her. It seemed her little kiss last night was still on his mind. His cheeks were almost a permanent red, and the doctor had to ask him if he had a fever which only made them further redden.

After the check up, he had followed her out into the hallway and asked her to wait for him. He had struck up a conversation and a persona had slipped into place. Now he seemed much more confident than before, and he boldly asked her to get a coffee with him.

She turned him down.

The look on his face was priceless when she expressed her regret that it was unprofessional. After all, she was a nurse and he was a patient. She could get in trouble and lose the job she had just started.

Her rejection was a clever ploy. Just as Yelena had said, some men liked the challenge. He was one of them.

After her rejection, he further fell in to her trap. He continued to seek her out and ask her again and again. He always found some excuse to go to the hospital. He would walk in for the smallest of accidents, a cut he sustained during training or an ankle he swore was swollen despite being able to walk just fine. The doctors and other nurses seemed exasperated when they reminded him that he was a Titan and could heal on his own, but she always made sure to show up for every one of his visits rewarding his efforts.

Finally, when she was confident she had made him wait enough, she accepted his offer.

“One coffee, just one, and you don’t tell my boss, yeah?” She tried to hide her embarrassed smile behind her medical charts.

Triumphant he grinned. “Sure, just one.”

- - -

It wasn’t just one. They both knew it although each of them had their own reasons for thinking there would be more than one date.

One coffee turned into two which then gave way to three until they made it a regular habit to meet at the coffee shop after her shift. She was a pleasant person on their dates and they clicked well. Pretty soon, he was falling fast and she could tell.

It was like magic the way they clicked. They had the same tastes, the same hobbies, the same feeling about the war and Marley. They fit together like a puzzle and clicked so well that she could tell he was falling hard with every date.

Of course, none of it was luck. She knew him like the back of her hand. Zeke had made sure that she knew everything there was to know about him before she had left Paradis. She had studied him as if he were material for a major exam and had memorized everything.

She was his dream girl thanks to repeated efforts to mold herself to his tastes.

Finally, after maybe a month of dates, he bit the bullet. Blushing and showing up to one date with a bouquet of flowers she was certain Pieck had chosen for him, he asked her to be his girlfriend.

Making her eyes water on command, she had thrown her arms around his neck in reply and that was that.

- - -

Once she had managed to reel him in, she scored big.

Having a Warrior at her side was just the thing she needed to collect intel on Marley. Porco trusted her implicitly and thought nothing about telling her about his job. He made offhanded comments about some of the things he did for the military and thought nothing of the questions she asked. In his mind, she was just his loving girlfriend eager to learn more about his day.

She catalogued everything he said and kept a journal of information tucked underneath her bed. When he would leave after a long day together, she’d scribble down new secrets gained and walk towards the rendezvous location.

There, she would bump into a mysterious man on accident and slip the piece of paper from the notebook into his jacket as she apologized. The man, Jean, would pretend not to recognize her as he accepted the intel and would move aside.

Then, she would go about her day as if nothing had happened and be back at her home when Porco had returned from a long day of military training.

Exhausted, he would spill more secrets into her ear and ignore the way she always seemed a little too eager for him to share. Confident in his trust of her, his guard was down and he never put two and two together.

It was a shame really, his trust would only prove his undoing.

- - -

She hit the major jackpot when he forgot his lunch for the day. He had spent the night over and had woken up late. Forgetting to grab something to take with him, he had dashed out the door and left for his military training before she could remind him.

She had waited for him to return for something yet was relieved when she realized he hadn’t remembered. That gave her the perfect opening.

Preparing his favorite dish, the one Yelena had made Niccolo teach her over and over again back in Paradis to make sure she got the flavor just right, she had made her way to the military headquarters.

As a nurse, none of the stationed soldiers gave her a second glance as she walked inside the compound. When she asked to enter the wing where the Warriors trained, the men seemed more hesitant however. Still, a soft smile and some batted eyelashes worked their charm.

It is the weakness of men to consider women weak. They underestimated her ability and let her in easily. Her charm had managed to lower their guards.

They pointed her towards the area where the Warriors trained and let her freely walk there.

Zeke met her at the door. Sweat covered his brow as he panted from the workout he had just finished. He walked right past her as if he didn’t knew her and she pretended not to know him too.

To an outsider, it would have looked just like two complete strangers walking past each other to different destinations. A coincidental meet with nothing out of the ordinary.

However, the outsider would have missed the way Zeke’s hand had pointed to the left behind his back. Without glancing back, he had indicated where she could find Porco to help her in her quest.

She followed his directions down a corridor to the left and was rewarded with Porco.

His back to her, he was talking to some kids with yellow armbands. Warrior candidates.

She recognized them from the files she had memorized in Paradis.

Colt and Falco Grice.

At the sight of her, the eldest, Colt, frowned. “Nurse?”

He tilted his head wondering who had gotten injured and Porco turned. Surprise registered in his gaze for half a second before he extended a hand towards her. Affection replaced the shock and he nodded at her.

“What are you doing here?” He took the offered lunch from her hands, and she saw that he looked like he had been sweating. His face was flushed and he was wearing what looked like a combat uniform. It seemed like they had just wrapped up practice because the two candidates behind him were just as tired.

“You forgot your lunch, so I figured I’d bring you one,” she looked past Porco to the two boys still staring dumbfounded, “There’s plenty for you too, guys. I know how hard you all are working.”

The eldest one stumbled out a thank you as his cheeks flush. His younger brother thanked her with a charming smile.

Porco opened the bag and saw his favorite. His eyes lit up, but he cleared the emotion from his expression when he realized he was still in public. He handed the two boys their share of what was in a clear container then motioned for her to follow him alone down another corridor.

The room he led her to seemed like a break room. There were water bottles set up for the candidates and some tables. He plopped down and motioned for her to join him.

“How’d you know this was my favorite?” He popped a piece of the food in his mouth.

She smiled.

“Lucky guess.”

She was grateful Yelena had made her repeat the recipe until she could do it with her eyes closed. It seemed she had nailed the taste and Porco’s guard had fallen. He’d been letting her in more and more. If she had to guess, he’d become putty in her hands.

“You look tired,” she brushed some of his hair that had gotten stuck to his forehead, “No rest for the wicked? I thought they’d let you all take a break after the war.”

He hummed irritated.

“Nope. The candidates are back to competing. Colt, the oldest kid back there, has his spot set for the Beast Titan, but the other Titans are up in the air. I think Gabi Braun might become the Armored if she keeps it up.”

Gabi Braun.

She let the name flit around her head until she attached information to it. Zeke had mentioned that Reiner might be passing on his titan to his cousin.

Her lips pressed together. She was never close with Reiner back when he and the others were in Paradis. She was friends with Jean and Sasha, but the rest of their friends never truly became hers. That’s why Zeke had selected her for the mission. She was someone the others trusted, but not someone that would be recognized by Reiner the moment he laid eyes on her.

Still, none of this is the information she needed. She tried to think of another way to ask Porco for more intel. There had to be something he knew that Zeke didn’t. Something that can give some insight into what Marley had planned-

The door opened behind them. For a moment, she stilled panicked that it’s Reiner. Her hair color has been changed and cut and her eyes are a different color through the help of contact lenses, but she wasn’t sure the disguise would hold up. He might just recognize her at a glance-

“Pieck?” Porco raised an eyebrow at the new person.

A young woman supporting herself on a crutch hobbled inside the room. She offered Porco a smile of greeting then her eyes settled on her.

Pieck Finger, she realized. She knew a lot about her too. Zeke’s words replayed in her mind.

“Pieck Finger. She’s the current holder of the Cart Titan. Be careful with her. She seems friendly and polite when you meet her, but she’s clever and quick on her feet. She’ll smile at you in greeting all while suspecting you. Don’t be too over excited to be her friend. Just let her naturally come to trust you.”

Pieck’s eyes lit up and the smile that graced her face is rehearsed. Even as the girl grinned and joined them, she could sense that she was being picked apart. Clever as she was, Pieck had already started suspecting her.

“Is this the girl you’ve been going on about?” Pieck called her name and extended her hand.

She introduced herself and gave Pieck a polite smile. She hoped she seemed shy and awestruck. After all, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a regular Eldian to be nervous when meeting a Warrior.

Porco ate the last of the food and introduced the two of them. He explained a little bit about how they met and Pieck paid rapt attention. A little too much attention.

She tried not to appear nervous as she felt her gaze. Hopefully she would be able to throw Pieck off her trail. Zeke had offered to help out if she gave the word.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she offered Pieck a warm smile.

Pieck returned it and leaned against her crutch. She seemed exhausted, more so than the others, and she recalled what Zeke and Yelena had informed her. Pieck’s titan moved on four feet. Because she was so used to spending months on end in titan form, returning to walking on two feet was always taxing.

Remembering that her cover was a nurse, she stood. “Are you in pain? I can get some ice.”

Pieck waved her away and eased herself into a chair. Her leg stretched out and she rubbed at her knee. “Getting used to walking on two legs, that’s all. If I had it my way, I’d just crawl everywhere.”

“She would,” Porco scoffed, “She scared the shit out of me the other day. I caught her crawling across the floor. For a second I thought she was an overgrown bug.”

“Ha, ha.”

Pieck turned away from Porco with a roll of her eyes and trained her gaze on her. The little spark of suspicion was there again. Zeke wasn’t kidding when he had said she was clever.

“I didn’t know you were a nurse. You look a little young to have completed the training already.”

The question was innocent and her voice casual. Still, she noted the inquiring tone there.

Porco isn’t someone who let others in easily. If he had suddenly brought in a girl into his life and let her in to the military headquarters, it’d be bound to raise some eyebrows. Pieck seemed suspicious although she wasn’t sure if it was because the girl was naturally slow to trust or if maybe her cover had already been found out.

“My mother was a nurse,” she answered finally, “She taught me some things. I managed to pass my certification with her help a year ago.”

“Was?” Pieck tilted her head and her gaze was now sympathetic.

She’d read Pieck’s file. Pieck had a sick father who she was supporting through the Warrior program. She was partial to those who knew what that was like to lose a parent.

She lowered her gaze to the table and feigned some sadness. “Was. She passed last year. An illness. The doctors refused to treat an Eldian.”

Quiet.

Porco bit his lip and anger burned in his gaze. Pieck had been reminded of her own father and the suspicion that had previously lurked disappeared replaced by empathy.

“I’m so sorry. I know what that feels like,” she closed her eyes, “My dad is ill too. I became a Warrior to help him.”

She nodded her head and pretended to brush away a tear. There came more quiet where no one knew what to say.

Suddenly, from outside, they heard two voices. The first she recognized as Zeke. The next made her tense.

That voice. It had been years, but she could recognize it anywhere. Reiner.

Nervousness clawed at the pit of her stomach. Her disguise was good, but it woud not have held up on closer examination. Reiner may not have been all that close with her all those years ago, but he would have been able to recognize her.

Porco glanced at the clock and groaned. “Looks like we have to get back to training. Do you want me to walk you back to the hospital?”

She shook her head just as Pieck stood up. “No, it’s fine.”

The voices grew closer. She could imagine Zeke trying to lead Reiner away, surely Colt and Falco had told them that the three of them were in there. However, she wasn’t sure she’d be out in time.

An idea sparked in her and she turned to Pieck.

“Sorry, Pieck, is there a bathroom nearby?”

Pieck glanced at her. “Sure, I’ll take you.”

She waved goodbye to Porco and followed Pieck as she limped down the hallway. They passed by a smaller set of rooms where she could see the back of Reiner’s head.

A sigh of relief left her when she realized she hadn’t been spotted by them. Pieck nodded to a door at the end of the corridor and offered her a friendly smile.

“There you go.”

She waved her hand and went back to where the other Warriors were. That time, her movements had been genuine. Whatever suspicion she had, had earlier had been erased. It seemed the little lie about her mother had earned her enough sympathy points to overcome whatever alarm bells had been ringing in her mind.

For some reason, a prickle of guilt had filled her as she bypassed the bathroom and left out a side door.

- - -

Some few days later, Porco had been in bed next to her. His hand had run through his hair and he’d tried to fight off sleep. He had been exhausted, they both were, and he slumped against her frame.

“Staying here again?” She lifted the blanket higher on his torso.

He glanced out the window and saw the dark outside. “Too dark to walk. That’s okay, right?”

She gave him a kiss in response and he smirked into it. He almost looked like he could go for another round, but ultimately his exhaustion won out. Reaching over, he flicked the lamp off and darkness filled the room.

“Goodnight,” she told him. She heard him whisper it back although his voice was muffled through the blanket.

The good thing about exhausting Porco was that he went out like a light afterwords. He fell asleep easily once he’d been tired out and became dead to the world.

She only had to wait a few minutes until his soft snores had filled the room.

She counted to 100 in her mind then stood up. While the information he had relayed to her had still been fresh in her mind, she scribbled it down on her journal. Then, she glanced back to verify that he was still asleep before slipping out into the night.

- - -

Jean waited for her at the usual place. His form overlooked the pier, and he accepted the journal page from her. He he slipped it into his pocket as she leaned over the rail.

“You’re doing okay, right? No one has suspected a thing?” He examined her out of the corner of his eye.

She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and hoped the love bites Porco left on her neck weren’t too obvious. A part of her always filled with guilt whenever she saw them in the morning although she was never sure why.

If he could tell what she had been up to, he did her the favor of not mentioning it.

“He’s not giving me anything really. He knows what Zeke knows and that’s it. Marley isn’t dividing up intel between the Warriors. They’re all briefed on the same thing,” she sighed.

Jean huffed and shoved his hands in his pocket. “You’re telling me. I’m not getting anywhere either. I can’t find the little suicidal maniac anywhere, and I’m sick of following random soldiers around. Maybe there isn’t much intel to be gained here.”

They grew quiet, and she bit her lip. Frustration gnawed at her coupled with something else. It pricked her and filled her with a sense of exhaustion.

It had been weeks and she’d gotten nowhere. Porco had completely fallen for her, he spent every waking moment with her, and Pieck teased him about how much he mentioned her in conversation. However, she hadn’t getting anything out of it. He hadn’t known anything more than what Paradis already knew, and she hadn’t been close enough to Pieck to question her.

It almost felt like all the scheming and lying was for nothing. The thought made her stomach turn.

There’s been a change in her, she knew. She’d been more hesitant to lie. When Porco asked about her mother, wanting to know about how a sick nurse could have been rejected by a doctor, she had felt the lie weigh on her. A mad thought had filled her, and she had almost broken down crying. For some reason, using him just didn’t feel like some exciting secret anymore.

Luckily, he thought her tears were a result of grief for her fictional mother and dropped the matter. Still, that had been close. For a second she had worried she would break character.

“I’m tired, Jean,” she closed her eyes, “Should I just go back to Paradis? It doesn’t feel like it’s worth it.”

Jean examined her and his jaw clenched. “What’s not worth it?”

Being away from home, having to watch every word she said in case she accidentally blew her cover, lying to Porco.

“I just want to go home. Don’t you get homesick?”

Jean sighed and closed his eyes. “I get what you mean. Hang in there, though. You’re doing great so far. You may not have a lot of top secrets to report, but Hange says your information has been really beneficial. They know how many fleets are in the military and where they’re kept. Galliard may not have Zeke’s top secret clearance, but he knows enough. Hopefully he’ll unlock Marcel’s memories soon and give us more.”

She bit her cheek. Porco had only unlocked Ymir’s memories so far, and those hadn’t been useful. He learned some things about Paradis and it’s military, but it wasn’t anything that put them at a disadvantage.

Thankfully, she had never been close to Ymir, so Porco never recognized her from the memories. Her identity remained a secret.

She glanced at the skyline. The stars had been bright and she realized she’d been out too long.

“Gotta go,” she shoved her hands in her pockets, “Before Pock wakes up.”

Jean froze and turns to look at her. “Pock?”

She stopped too. The nickname had just fallen out of her mouth. She could only imagine it was Pieck rubbing off on her.

“Must’ve slipped,” she rubbed her lip.

“Don’t,” Jean’s gaze was a warning in itself, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

She knew the answer. It was written plainly on his face. His arms crossed and his jaw tightened. She felt like she was being scolded.

“Don’t get too close. You’re a spy not a lover. Don’t forget your place. Once this whole place gets attacked, he’ll try to kill you. If you get too close, you just might hesitate on defending yourself.”

- - -

She realized too late that she should have listened to Jean. After that night, her cover became harder and harder to keep. It seemed like every time she had to lie, the words got caught in her throat. Maintaining her cover became more difficult.

A few days after that conversation, she made her first mistake.

Or, as Zeke would call it, strike one.

It had been nighttime and sleep wouldn’t grace her. She’d stared up at the ceiling running over every interaction between her and the others. Her teeth had clamped on her bottom lip as she realized that she’d let them get too close.

By then, she’d befriended some of the Warrior Candidates. The kids were adorable when they teased Porco about his girlfriend, and she had found herself wanting to make them some sweets as she had watched them train. The idea hadn’t come out of a desire to get intel. It had just sprung up suddenly without cause or motivation.

The thought that maybe she was in too deep filled her with fear. Jean was right to scold her. She felt herself getting too close to the abyss.

Now she wasn’t quite sure if Porco had fallen into her web, or if she’d been caught in his.

Still, she had no time to dwell on it. Suddenly, Porco had jerked up next to her. A harsh gasp left his throat and he clutched at it. Panic rolled off him in waves and he swung himself out of bed.

A nightmare. He’d get those a lot. He often woke up screaming and bathed in sweat.

He bent over the bed as he caught his breath. She flicked the lamp on and called his name.

Wearily, he recovered. His breathing was harsh and some sweat ran down his forehead, but he ambled back into bed. He’d left a water glass for himself on the nightstand and downed it in one gulp.

“A nightmare?”

She ran her hand down his back without thinking about it. The movement had been performed as an instinct. It wasn’t a part of some grand scheme to manipulate him or keep her cover.

The thought worried her, but she shoved it aside.

Porco ran a hand through his face. She knew he hated being seen like this, but he’d learned to trust her. He eased into her touch and groaned.

“My brother. I saw that girl’s memories again. She ate him. I can’t get it out of my head,” he clutched at his temples.

Ymir. He was referring to Ymir’s memories. Ymir had been the Titan to consume Marcel all those years ago. It must have been torture for him to have to relive it over and over again.

“Want to talk about it?”

She knew the answer was no. He would much rather pretend it never happened and curl back into bed. Still, she asked him automatically.

As she predicted, he shook his head.

“Nah, sorry to wake you,” he raised the blanket back over himself and closed his eyes.

“Try to think of the good memories with Marcel instead, yeah?”

She didn’t realize she’d said anything wrong until she felt Porco tense next to her. She blinked for a moment before the color drained from her face.

Marcel

Porco had never once told her his name before. He always referred to him as his brother, but had never given a name.

She supposed maybe she could get him to believe that the names of the Warriors were well known to everyone, but she had already lied before that she didn’t know the other Warriors. She had feigned not knowing who Reiner and Zeke were before in a conversation earlier, so she doubted he would believe she now knew the names of the Warriors from town gossip.

“How did you know he was named Marcel?”

Porco’s eyes scanned her. For a second, there’d been a spark of something suspicious. It looked like he’d been tensing up, and she imagined his natural inclination to be weary of people was rising.

She feigned being nonchalant as she lifted the blanket to her chin. Faking sleepiness, she yawned.

“You call his name in your sleep a lot. Whenever you have nightmares, you scream it.”

She was glad her voice sounded normal because her heart was pounding in her chest. If he didn’t buy that, her cover might be blown.

She could feel him staring at her. The gears were working in his head, and she could imagine the internal battle. He didn’t sleep talk, years of sleeping in the barracks would have given it away if he did, but he wanted to believe her.

Guilt gnawed at her as she realized that he really did want to believe her. He trusted her, cared for her, and told himself that she was credible.

The suspicion faded from his eyes as the love in him won out against the warning signs. He eased back into bed and curled an arm around her waist. Nuzzling into her, he closed his eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t know I talk in my sleep. I hope I don’t wake you.”

She didn’t relax until after his breathing against her neck had evened out. Once he’d slipped into the realm of sleep, she squeezed her eyes shut.

She’d messed up, and the thought filled her with dread. She would have never made a mistake like that before, so why now? Why was it suddenly growing harder to keep the charade going?

She slumped against his form and squeezed her hands into a fist. She needed to be more careful from now on.

- - -

Strike two happened some days later. She and Porco had gone to the pier to watch the kids train. Pieck had been waiting for them when they arrived.

Gabi was competing with Falco for the lead while Udo and Zofia hung back. Pieck laughed quietly to herself as Porco leaned against the rail.

“Think she’ll win?” Pieck asked.

“Doesn’t she always?” Porco responded.

He yawned into his hand. Lately, his nightmares had been troubling him more and more. Between Ymir’s memories and the stress of having lived through the Mid-East War, there was always some vision that tormented him.

“I’m way too tired. I should go get some coffee,” he groaned.

“Get me one too?” Pieck blinked up at him.

“I didn’t offer to buy you one-”

“Buy us some, Pock? Please?” She helped Pieck beg.

Stuck between the two of them, Porco groaned. He fished around for his wallet, made sure he had enough, and scoffed.

“Fine. I’ll buy YOU one, but Pieck has to pay me back later for hers.”

Pieck laughed quietly and called him mean. He offered her a rude gesture as he walked away in search for a coffee place.

Once he was gone, Pieck was quiet once more. The kids had finished and Gabi had pulled through again. Falco dropped down and panted as Zofia and Udo joined him.

“She’s good. I think she’ll inherit her cousin’s titan eventually. The Brauns are really proud,” she leaned against the rail.

“I can’t imagine it’s easy though. Knowing that your daughter or niece is going to take over her cousin. It must be hard,” she rested her chin on her hand.

Pieck sighed quietly. “It is, but being an Honorary Marleyan is worth it. I’m surprised you never joined the Warrior Program. I’ve seen you run and carry heavy boxes. You’re strong and could have made it far.”

She ground her teeth and hoped that Pieck hadn’t caught on to the fact that she had military training. She wasn’t a war nurse, so she wouldn’t be able to excuse why she was strong. Maybe she’d have to let Porco carry a few heavy things in the future. She should let herself appear weaker.

“My parents didn’t want me to.”

Pieck raised an eyebrow. “Your parents missed out on a chance to get citizenship? Why’s that?”

Without thinking, she sighed. “My mother would have hated the idea of me joining the military. She only ever wanted me to be safe. She was squeamish about blood and would have hated imagining me covered in it had she been alive to see it.”

She thought back to her real mother. The woman that died in Shinganshina would have hated that her daughter became a soldier for the Corps. All she ever wanted was for her to daughter to live a peaceful life as a seamstress just like she had been. If she could see her daughter now, she’d be appalled.

Pieck was quiet for a second and a frown crossed her features. She realized too late her mistake and stilled her movements.

“Blood made her squeamish? I thought she was a nurse?” She turned to her and the suspicion that had previously been erased sparked back to life. “And you talked about her in the past tense when you would have been offered to be a Warrior as a kid. I thought she died last year?”

“I-”

Her brain stopped working and she tried to come up with some excuse. She needed lie that would make the suspicion die down. Her thoughts were in disarray and she panicked.

In the end, she never got a chance. Porco returned with three coffees and grumbled about how he was sure the barista over charged him. He passed them out to the two of them and eyed them.

Pieck was still looking at her with weariness, and she’d tried not to let her fear show.

“Did something happen?” Porco gazed at her with concern.

It was Pieck who recovered first. She raised her coffee to her lips and looked away towards where the kids had started running again. She dropped the matter although she was sure she hadn’t forgotten her little slip up.

“Nothing, but I should head back. Don’t forget we have a meeting.”

She waved goodbye and left.

She watched her go and felt dread pool at her stomach. Zeke had warned her to be careful near Pieck. She was clever and would pick up on stuff if she wasn’t careful.

Strike two.

- - -

Strike three came two weeks later. Porto dropped something and searched underneath her bed for it. His hands groped blindly for the item when he suddenly stopped.

Her heart froze in her chest when he pulls out her journal.

He raised an eyebrow and got cocky grin. “What is this? Your diary or something?”

Before she could stop him, he cracked it open.

She dove for it, but he snatched it up and raised it over his head. He was taller than her and he laughed as she jumped. She tried to get to it, but he would only bring it up higher the more she struggled.

“Are you that embarrassed to let me read it? What, is it full of your fantasies?” He laughed.

Panic filled her and she turned on him.

“Give it back!”

Her voice came out harsher than she intended. The fear in her stomach had turned to lead, and her tone sounded cold.

Porco stopped and realized that she was serious. He lowered his hand and handed her the journal back. “Woah, I was kidding. I wouldn’t really invade your privacy like that. You okay?”

She huffed and shoved the journal back under the bed. Her ears burned and she felt like crying from the residual panic.

She had been so close to getting her cover blown. She hadn’t had time to rendezvous with Jean yet, so the previous few notes she’d collected were still tucked inside. If he had read them-

She shivered and turned to him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” she let a tear slip down and was grateful when she saw him soften at the sight, “It’s just that I’ve had my journals read before and it’s a violation of privacy.”

She sniffed again and he wiped the tear away. He wasn’t one to openly show affection, but she knew that her tears were a good way to get him to soften. It felt awful to manipulate him in that way, but everything about the mission had felt awful for a while.

“I wouldn’t have actually read it,” he looked away, “I was just messing around.”

She nodded and decided to let the matter drop. Turning away, she offered to make them both dinner.

He accepted the change in conversation and went back to his search for his missing item.

As she left the room, she missed when he calls her name. One of the loose sheets of paper had fallen out of the journal in the kerfuffle. He picked it up to hand it back to her, but she was already gone.

Sighing, he intended to shove it under the bed with the journal when he spotted his name on it. Confused, he unrolled it and glanced at its contents. Inside was a collection of notes regarding troop placements.

Confusion and something cold filled him and he shoved it into his pocket intending to look at it more closely later.

From the kitchen, she missed the way his eyes seemed to darken.

Strike three. You’re out.

- - -

She met with Jean that day and decided to give him the entire journal. The fear of almost being found out had left a bad taste in her mouth. To make matters worse, Porco had been acting off all afternoon. Rather than spending the night like he usually did, he had left mumbling something about a late night meeting with the other Warriors. She hadn’t been sure if he had forgiven her for yelling yet.

Jean took the journal with a raised eyebrow.

“All of it? You don’t want to keep writing notes?” He slipped it into the inside of his coat.

She rubbed at her arms and shook her head. “He almost read it, Jean. I managed to take it in time, but what if he had read it? Our cover would have been blown. I’ve never been that scared before.”

Jean hissed under his breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose and his voice grew cold.

“Be more fucking careful next time! If he had read it, all of this would have been over. You have any idea what they’ll do to you if they find out? What he’ll do to you?”

“He wouldn’t hurt me,” she spilled it out without thinking.

Jean openly gaped at her and she paled.

“I mean-”

“Fuck, listen to yourself. Are you sure you’re not the one wrapped around his finger?” Jean kicked at the pier in frustration, “This is getting too bad. You almost got caught and now you’re in over your head. The last thing we need is you turning coats because you caught feelings.”

“I didn’t!” She hissed it at him and hit him in the arm hard.

She wasn’t sure why she lashed out, but the pent up anger and fear from before suddenly rushed out. She hit him again and hissed into his ear. “Stop doubting me. I’m a soldier same as you. Don’t underestimate me.”

He shoved her arms to the side and pinned them down. His arms held her steady and she was suddenly pinned into his embrace. His gaze burned with rage and a warning.

“Yeah, well act like a soldier. Stop letting him get too close and stop forgetting what you’re here for. Get the intel and that’s it. No more dates or fantasizing. Don’t forget why we’re here and be more fucking careful next time.”

He let her go and she rubbed at her arms in anxiety. “I’m sorry for hitting you.”

“Whatever,” he shrugged off her apology, “Just don’t lose your head. Your life is on the line. Paradis is on the line. Don’t forget that. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgement.”

She stared after him as he left. Her eyes burned and she felt some tears run down her face. He was right and she knew it.

She was on a mission. This wasn’t a game. Her life was on the line, and her home would pay the price if she failed. This wasn’t some romance novel. If her cover was blown, she was sure Porco wouldn’t hesitate to turn her in.

Her hands covered her eyes and she leaned against the railing of the pier. The wind blew her hair back. She stayed there thinking about everything and how it was all going wrong-

And she never noticed the girl staring from yards away with pursed lips.

- - -

A hand suddenly yanked her into a room, and she almost screamed. The only thing that kept her from shrieking was the hand that clamped her mouth shut.

Someone made a ‘shushing’ sound. Their finger pressed to their lips and she blinked.

Zeke.

She shoved him off shocked. “The hell are you doing? What if someone saw?”

They were in the military headquarters. She came to meet Porco for lunch when suddenly she was abducted.

Zeke had yanked her into some sort office. He shook his head and locked the door. His face was tense.

“We had a meeting earlier in my office. I left afterwords to deliver some paperwork and heard talking when I got back. It was Pieck and Porco. Something happened.”

Dread filled her.

“What?” She breathed out the word and knew what he was going to say before he said it.

“Pieck saw you last night with a man. She told Porco he had you in an embrace. She’s concerned you haven’t been honest with them,” he plopped down on a chair, “Something about your mother too?”

Grinding her teeth, she felt a sense of dread.

Jean. Pieck had seen her with Jean. She felt lightheaded as she realized that. Did she overhear their conversation too or just spot them from a distance? Either way, this was really bad.

“And what did Porco say?”

“He told her she was wrong. Sounded like he was trying to convince himself though. I couldn’t hear more than that because Colt called my name and gave my presence away. Once they heard I was back, they stopped talking. I don’t know what else they know, but I think you’re cover is breaking.”

He seemed irritated as he pushed his glasses up.

“I thought you were more careful? We trained you for months. What happened?”

She ran a hand through her hair. She knew exactly what had been happening and it frightened her. Jean had been right this entire time. This mission had been messing with her head in ways she never imagined. She needed to get out of Marley as soon as possible.

Ignoring Zeke, she opened the door to the office. Taking a step forward, she spotted Porco stalking angrily through the halls. His face was flushed in irritation and he clenched his fists in his pockets.

“Pock?” She called out to him and closed the door behind her. Hopefully, Zeke would get the message and know to stay inside. They shouldn’t be seen together considering they hadn’t formally met before.

Porco stopped at her voice and spun around. Something passed through his eyes, something cold, and she tensed. A fight or flight instinct rose in her. If he’d caught on to things already, this was really bad.

But the moment passed quickly, and his arm draped around her shoulder.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Came to invite you to lunch,” she replied.

She tried to steer him away from the room. He glanced behind the door in thought.

A ball of fear sank in her stomach. She’d had no idea that he was outside the hall when she stepped out. Hopefully he hadn’t seen what room she emerged from.

She found herself talking in order to fill the silence. “There’s a restaurant you like around the corner right? We should eat there?”

He blinked slowly. “Yeah, how’d you know? Have I ever taken you there?”

“Pieck told me,” she lied. She didn’t wait for him, she took his hand and tugged him behind her. Her thoughts were buzzing in her head, and she clamped her teeth down on her tongue.

Zeke had been right. She was trained for this mission, so why did she keep making stupid mistakes? At what point did she stop being the confident spy?

As they left, she heard the door open behind them. Zeke emerged fixing the collar of his shirt.

Behind her, she saw Porco turn around. When his eyes landed on Zeke’s retreating figure, he tensed. She and Zeke hadn’t been introduced yet. There was no reason for the two of them to have been in the same room together.

She waited for him to ask, to question, but he never did. Instead, he turned back around and moved in front of her. He let her lead him away to that favorite restaurant of his that she had no way of knowing about. His gaze the entire time was full of distrust, but he never voiced it out.

Still, she felt the widening distance between them and held back her wince. Jean and Zeke were right. Her cover was cracking.

- - -

She waited for Porco to initiate a conversation. The entire day she’d felt the gap between them widening. He felt tense and kept glancing at her almost as if he wanted to gear himself up to ask her something.

But the confrontation never came. Instead, he let her ramble about her day and responded with small snippets of conversation. In the end, they returned to her home and he let her lead him to her room.

When they made love, something felt off. His thoughts were a million miles away from her, and he seemed distracted. His movements felt robotic, and she couldn’t help but notice the walls he’d slowly brought up.

The conversation with Pieck had done a number on him. She knew he was desperate to ask about the mysterious man she had embraced. He also probably wondered about a million other things that didn’t fit, mistakes she’d made that would give anyone pause, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak them out loud. Perhaps he thought that, if he said something, it would make everything more real.

She almost wished he would say something. Even if it meant that her cover was exposed and she had to flee, she figured anything was better than this uncomfortable chasm that had widened between them.

Still, he never said anything. He slept with her the way he had in the past and only ever said her name in the heights of pleasure. Even though he couldn’t bring himself to look at her in the eyes, he kept his mouth shut.

The only time that night that he spoke was when he reached his limit. Groaning as he finished, he presses a harsh kiss to her lips. Then he sounded out something that made her blood freeze.

“I love you.”

Three little words and her world fell apart. He’d never said it before. She never imagined he’d be the type to say it.

As he started to drift off exhausted, she ran a hand through her hair. Her heart was racing, and there was an awful pain somewhere in her chest. She felt like crying but fought it off.

After he’d fallen asleep, she put her head in her hands.

“I love you too, Pock.”

With growing horror, she realized she was telling the truth.

- - -

He didn’t bring it back up again. She wondered if he even remembered saying it. Maybe it had slipped out in a moment of pleasure, and he didn’t really mean it.

She wasn’t sure which alternative she preferred. The one where Porco loved her or the one where he had just said it on instinct in the middle of sex. Both made her feel sick.

The festival came faster than it should. The kids laughed and had fun as they raced from stall to stall.

The Warriors had separated into groups. She and Porco had joined Pieck to walk along the displays while Reiner had gone with the kids. She was glad that Porco in his possessiveness had not wanted them to meet. She wasn’t sure whether Reiner would recognize her or not, and she couldn’t risk it with Pieck around.

Pieck had grown distant. Gone was the friendly girl who smiled and laughed. After seeing her with Jean that night she had been openly suspicious.

The thought made her nervous. Best case scenario, Pieck just thought she was unfaithful. Worse case scenario, however, she knew she was lying about who she was. Still, both options were awful.

“Wanna try those foods over there?” Porco nodded at the booth selling something that smelt spicy and exotic. The name of it was in some language she didn’t know.

“Sure, we can eat them by the music area,” Pieck hummed.

Porco offered to go buy them some of it and left. Left alone with Pieck, she shifted uncomfortably.

Pieck eyed another stand nearby selling some dessert. It was covered in chocolate and strawberries. It looked good and was within their price range.

“We should get some of that too. It isn’t every day Liberio has a festival,” Pieck motioned for her to join.

“Anything catch your eye?” She asked Pieck. The booth had individually wrapped each sweet and had a flavor tag in front displaying the various kinds. There were berries and nuts and a bunch of other little toppings that they could choose from.

“What do you think Pock would like? Does he have any allergies?” Pieck glanced at her.

She thought back to the file that she read in Paradis.

“Nuts, I think.”

Pieck hummed and grabbed the one with nuts anyway. When she gave her a questioning glance, she realized Pieck’s eyes had turned cold. She’d failed some type of test, and she realized it too late.

“Really? Because I saw him eat some walnuts the other day. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure he outgrew that allergy years ago. I don’t know why he would mention it to you now.”

She froze.

The file Zeke gave her must not have been up to date. Some kids outgrew allergies as they grew older. The stupid Marleyan record keepers must not have known to update Porco‘s file once he was an adult.

“Really? I thought he mentioned it earlier,” she tried to sound nonchalant.

It did nothing to help her. This time, Pieck had completely turned cold. Her eyes were harsh and she took a step forward.

“How did your mother really die? Your file at the hospital doesn’t make sense. The name listed under her doesn’t exist-”

“You looked through my file?” Her voice sounded faraway.

Pieck glanced to the side. Porco was returning with the food. Her cold gaze disappeared replaced by something that looked friendly yet false.

“We should join Pock before he eats our share too,” she replied. She slipped a hand around her shoulder and led her away.

She didn’t miss the quiet little whisper Pieck offered her way as they walked. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

“Don’t be mad at me for looking through your file. After all, you looked through mine.”

- - -

She found Jean at the rendezvous location that night. She grabbed onto his arm in panic. He startled and his eyes widened.

“What happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“My cover’s blown. The Cart Titan is smarter than we thought. She’s guessed I’m lying. I need to leave Marley before she tells the military.”

Jean swore.

“Ok, ok, I can send a letter to the Scouts. We can send you back in a few days from now. Just wait until Tybur’s speech. Eren sent a letter and told us he plans to attack Liberio then. Just wait for the zeppelin to pass by. I’ll get someone to send you some ODM gear and you can use it to shoot yourself up. Just play everything normal.”

She pressed her hands to her face.

“Pieck found out. I fucked up. She was already starting to trust me, but then I opened my mouth. I bet she’s already told the others.”

Jean glanced around them. The pier looked empty, but they shouldn’t hang around too often.

“Just relax, alright? As long as the Marleyan soldiers don’t pound down your door, you’ll be fine. Just a few more days. In the meantime, just avoid her.”

He shoved his hands in his pocket and turned to leave.

She watched him go and felt like vomiting. Her mission had fallen apart, and she was terrified of what was coming. Either she would be dragged out by soldiers in the morning, or she would have to wait for an attack that would kill many civilians.

Frightened, she realized Porco would fight in that attack too. As a Warrior, he would be there when his people were killed. Would he realize then that Pieck was right? Realize that she had been a spy this whole time? Would it hurt him the way it was hurting her?

Once upon a time, she wanted to break him and the other Eldians just like they had broken through Wall Maria. She wanted them to hurt as much as she had hurt when her family had been killed in Shinganshina.

But now, with the rage fading to a dull roar and a searing pain in her chest taking its place, she couldn’t help but feel like the only thing she had managed to break was her own heart.

- - -

He was awake when she returned to her home. The lamp light was turned on as she entered the room. He blinked sleepily at her and cleared his throat to rid his vocal chords of sleep.

“Where were you? I woke up from a nightmare and you were gone. You didn’t answer when I called your name,” he eyed her.

She kicked off her shoes under the bed.

“I was getting some water downstairs. Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” she replied.

He didn’t believe her. She knew it when she looked at him. Her hair was disheveled from the wind, her shoes had sand from the pier, and her skin smelt like saltwater. He didn’t believe her-

But he wanted to.

She saw how he closed his eyes and let himself believe her. Every instinct of his warned him that she was lying, surely Pieck had warned him a thousand times too, but his heart triumphed over his brain. He accepted the lie from her and let it cloud his judgement.

Easing himself back into bed, he let out a soft sigh that sounded defeated and pained. Her heart gave a lurch.

“Yeah, yeah, maybe I was wrong.”

As he fell back asleep, she knew he didn’t just mean about her whereabouts.

- - -

Tybur’s speech came before she realized it. Jean had warned her not to stay for it. A day earlier, Yelena had stopped by dressed as a Marleyan soldier and provided her a black uniform and ODM gear. Everything was in place for her escape and Liberio’s attack.

The Warriors had been invited to the speech. It was a grand affair with many dignitaries from foreign nations joining. Porco grumbled as he put on his uniform claiming that he felt like Willy Tybur’s little circus monkey. It was obvious he meant to parade the big and terrifying Eldian Warriors for all the world to see.

She wasn’t allowed to sit with him at the speech which was a relief. The Warriors had their own section separate with the military. As a civilian nurse, her row of seats was far away from his.

They arrived to the locale as more people had started to sit down. There was chatter and buzz as people arrived.

Porco stopped halfway to the Warrior section and ran a hand through his hair. She glimpsed past him and saw the other Warriors already there. Zeke lounged in his seat looking bored while Pieck played with Zofia and the other candidates.

“I’ll see you after the speech, right?”

His voice was quiet, unusual for him, and she wondered if maybe he had a feeling things weren’t what they seemed.

Pieck had pulled him aside yesterday too. Zeke had warned her that they were whispering to each other again. Her cover had been blown wide open. Pieck was sure she was a spy, but hadn’t made a move.

She’s waited for days for the Marley soldiers to come and drag her out kicking and screaming, but no one had shown up. Jean theorized that Pieck was being held at bay by Porco. Maybe he wanted to handle things first before they called in the cavalry.

Still, Porco never confronted her. He just blindly accepted her lies although it looked like his eyes grew more and more suspicious. The way he quietly observed her spoke volumes as to how his trust in her had dwindled.

That hurt more than she would like to admit, and she scolded herself for being such an awful spy.

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” she responded.

She turned to leave, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I mean it,” his face was serious, “We have to talk. I need to speak to you. It’s really important.”

She swallowed. Those four little words were never good for any relationship. She supposed a fake one wasn’t any different.

“Yeah, okay.”

Suddenly the black uniform she wore under her large overcoat felt like it was suffocating her. With any luck, she’d be gone before he had a chance to realize she was a spy. She didn’t think she could stomach the look of betrayal that would be on his face when he realized it.

“See you then,” he kept searching her eyes for something but let her go.

“Goodbye,” she responded, “I love you, Pock.”

She meant it as she said it, and her own heart broke into a million pieces. He paused as he walked away and she saw his entire body tense. A look of agony flickered in his eyes for half a second before it was cleared away.

He knew now this was the last time they’d ever see each other. She saw him realize it. All of a sudden, his eyes were opened to the truth. Every warning Pieck had given him had just now hit home.

“I love you too,” he closed his eyes and wished it wasn’t true when he said it, “Goodbye.”

- - -

Yelena’s plan failed. She was supposed to lock Pieck and Porco in a trapdoor to keep them from the battle. However, despite all of her warnings about Pieck being clever, she underestimated her.

Pieck caught on to her and suspected her from the beginning. She warned the Panzer squad right before being led into a trap. Her team was able to rescue them both, and they joined the fight.

Still, it was not her problem anymore. She discarded her overcoat somewhere else and her uniform was exposed. The wings of freedom proudly winked in the night light.

She was a scout, a citizen of Paradis, and she had bigger things to worry about. She buried her emotions down somewhere deep inside and readied her ODM gear.

The zeppelin arrived just as Jean had predicted. She took one final look as Liberio burned and steeled herself.

Her hooks shot up and landed on the blimp. She rose into the air.

As she made her ascent, she caught sight of two Titans at the far end of the area. One was a Titan on four legs with tanks on its back. The other was a Titan with streaming hair and a wide jaw.

They both rose their heads as the Scouts zipped along the sky firing thunder spears in their wake. They saw her lifting herself up on the blimp.

Sasha appeared at the entrance and offered her hand. She took it and let herself get pulled up. As she stood, she turned back down to see the two Titans below.

The Cart Titan was glaring openly, her suspicions confirmed. The Jaw Titan was frozen as his world fell apart around him.

She apologized to him in her head and gave him her back. The rest of the Scouts surged to her and asked her if she was okay. She wasn’t, and tears ran down her face much to their shock.

Behind her, she could hear the Jaw Titan’s agonized roar.

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 2

The Girls Are Fighting!!!

We return to Aguefort Adventuring Academy where the man himself has just told the Seven Maidens that their party is being split up which they are NOT having even though it doesn’t seem to be a malicious plot so much as the fact that Danielle, Ostentatia, and Zelda are Juniors while the other four are graduating Seniors. Antiope casts Hunter’s Mark on Aguefort, Penny pleads, Katja threatens (well, “threatens”; she walks up menacingly and then says that he can’t do this because it’s the only group of friends she’s ever had and it’s heartbreaking like all of her non-hilarious dialogue is).

Aguefort understands that it sucks and has no respect for rules but says it’s out of his hands. Sam clocks that he’s hiding something (along with the fact that he seems to know about something going on with Antiope and Penny which we know is their respective internship/apprenticeship offers) and calls him out, hitting him with a Lightning Lure to drag his ass back when he tries to turn into a bat and escape out the window. She’s unhinged and I love it. 

So does Aguefort who decides to let them in on some school secrets, leaving a decoy while he leads them all to the super secret part of the forbidden library which is bondage themed because sure. Also, Ostentatia is topless for this also because sure. He does a lot of pomp and circumstance to summon a book which Yelle flatly says better not just be the syllabus and it isn’t but she’s close. It’s the bylaws of the school district which he has summoned for the guidelines on the special, magical thing the girls can get so they can graduate together…

Their GEDS!!!!! Trés mystical. 

Basically what they need to do is complete a level A, B, or C quest together (which Antiope knows are like the top 3 highest difficulty quests--they go from A-F) and get signoff from the superintendent. But the superintendent has been missing for 12 years and there can’t be a new one until she’s dead (which she isn’t or else they’d be able to appoint a new one). Her name is Tectonya Karkovnya (who I will be calling TK) and Aguefort calls her, “chaotic and impossible to predict,” which coming from him is como se dice, troubling. 

Sam pulls out her mirror to do a little snooping on TK’s past and sees that she’s a coppery, earth genasi woman. She also sees her talking to Aguefort and saying that the magic of consciousness is far superior to his beloved chronomancy. Then the scene shifts to show her getting more and more worried as she got deeper into her studies and then going to a dwarven holy site in the Mountains of Chaos with some kind of shadow figure following her. 

Penny gets photos of the super cursed bylaws and Arthur leaves since he very much is the principal of the school and has to do his job (ostensibly). With Aguefort gone, the girls discuss the proposition after conscripting a very reluctant Antiope to be their leader (Aabria hilariously improvises that a shaft of sunlight somehow comes down to illuminate her and she has to step out of the spotlight). 

They discuss whether they want to do this GED quest or not and Zelda says she wants to but she wants to give anyone who has other stuff going on an out so they don’t feel beholden. Ostentatia immediately shoots back that Zelda is just saying that because she has plans with Gorgug. That brings down the mood and Sam, despite being a water genasi, fans the flames by saying that Gorgug has lots going on that doesn’t involve her so she shouldn’t be running back to him all the time. 

Yelle tries to calm things down and says they should sleep on it but Sam and Ostentatia are taking this super personally and are offended that they’re even having this conversation. Penny accidentally lets slip that she has some kind of apprenticeship (she’s trying to keep it on the DL because it’s supposed to be a secret) and oh man it becomes a Whole Thing. They fight in the way that you do when everyone in the fight actually wants the same thing and cares deeply about each other but are in completely different headspaces which are making them lash out.

Penny, not wanting to be around the conflict, goes invisible. Zelda is suppressing going into a rage and says that maybe she should go be with Gorgug. At least he won’t yell at her. Yelle once again tries to cool things down and suggests they have a text thread where they can say if they’re in or out by the end of the night instead of hashing it out in the open. She’s accused of not being in and, in response, texts that she’s in. Ostentatia and Sam also immediately text that they’re in, which basically makes her “solution” entirely moot. 

Zelda is finally fully fed up and leaves (Penny following invisibly). Katja also follows. 

Antiope can tell that Sam is upset about something that’s not this but Sam brushes her off rudely and storms off (quite literally, causing storm clouds outside in her wake). Yelle goes after her. Ostentatia is left with Antiope.

Time for a string of very emotional mini scenes which I highly encourage you to watch because they are peak improv.  

Zelda, Katja, (Invisible) Penny

Katja runs to find Zelda who is under a tree crying and asks if she’s OK. Zelda says that Sam and Ostentatia are so beautiful and confident and eloquent and she gets so tongue tied and useless when they disagree with her because she’s so timid. Zelda wants this so bad but she doesn’t want to feel like she’s forcing her friends to stay with her. 

Katja, as we know, has major abandonment issues because of her constantly away dad (and prob her mom too) and she doesn’t want to be left behind again but she also doesn’t want her friends to factor her in so she tries to be stoic and says that the people you love have to want to stay. But with a 3, Zelda immediately clocks the emotion behind the words. Instead of calling her out, Zelda offers to listen to music with her. 

Penny takes this opportunity to make herself known (which has got to be terrifying--unless you’re used to it and then it’s like same shit as usual from Ms. Luckstone) and Zelda goat jumps to grab her out of the tree she was crying in above them and tells her that she doesn’t have to go invisible every time there’s conflict. They all agree that they hate confrontation and Rehka gets the funniest lowkey line of the episodes: that she wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t agree on that. We then cut to…

Ostentatia and Antiope

Where Izzy gets the high key funniest moment of the episode by transitioning in with a big, “You know I LOVE confrontation,” which breaks everyone at the table. But she says it as a preface to admitting that she may have been a bit of a bitch to Zelda. She plays coy for like a half second before she breaks down sobbing with Antiope catching her before she sinks fully to the floor. Antiope comforts her and admits that while she wants to stay with the party, she hates having options taken away from her as they have been her whole life effectively. She was honestly kind of relieved when she was trapped in the crystal because it meant all that pressure was gone for a bit. They affirm that they love each other then Ostentatia goes to apologize to Zelda. 

Danielle and Sam

Yelle goes to talk to Sam (who she adorably calls “merbae”) and while Sam doesn’t wanna talk about it, Yelle says they don’t have to. She just wants to be there for her in whatever capacity she needs. She knows Sam loves her friends and would never hurt them on purpose so something must be wrong with her-- “History of abandonment?” Sam finishes, almost glibly. She’s tired of losing people. She doesn’t want to lose more. She doesn’t want things to change. Nature is change, Yelle says. Nature sucks, Sam says. Yelle is gonna pretend like she didn't hear that. 

Sam feels bad that she snapped at Zelda and Yelle says that they’re all a family. Things will be alright. The storm clouds that Sam reflexively summoned peter out into a cool, refreshing mist. 

Ostentatia and Zelda

Ostentatia goes to where Zelda and the girls are and full ass runs at her like they weren’t just fighting. After assuring her that she’s not there to fight she apologizes, saying she was a cow. Zelda says she honestly agrees with Ostentatia that she wants the group to stay together and wishes she could be bolder in non-rage settings. Ostentatia says that maybe if the Seniors leave they can still have a party and Penny vetos that even though, as Ostentatia says, it’s a pretty reasonable compromise. Anyway, they basically all go in a circle saying they love each other and it’s very sweet. 

I’m serious, I can’t do these heart to hearts justice in this format, just go watch them for that emotional girl group goodness.

Anyway, outside of the main group, Antiope goes to talk to her sister Corsica who is currently teaching a class. Antiope does not give AF. She orders the students out and they scatter. Wouldn’t you?

Antiope wants advice. Should she stay with her party after flaming out of her last one? Should she take the internship and stay on the path her parents want her on? Corsica really feels for her. Antiope has had to struggle in a way that she and their brothers never did. She finally answers that she and her brothers are awesome and successful fighters but none of them have been able to do the scariest thing possible: disappoint their parents. They’re soldiers. They like it that way. They fall in line. But maybe Antiope isn’t a soldier. Maybe she’s a leader. She ordered those kids out of the room without thinking after all and they obeyed. It’s an extremely good speech and Antiope basically has chills, as do I.  

I assume while this is happening or perhaps right before everyone goes home, Penny goes to see Jawbone (who has some spiffy new art--as did Gilear who cameoed early in the episode when Aguefort atomic wedgied him invisibly because sure) and talk about this uber difficult decision she had to make. Jawbone gets to the heart of the matter pretty quick. Penny is a high achiever who’s lived a life without choice. But now that she’s about to be off the rails for the time she’s freaking out. Penny sees the truth in the statement (after hilariously trying to solve his metaphor about an amusement park) and thanks him for the perspective. She then, in a very Fig move, tries to kiss him and Jawbone basically stiff arms her and breezes right past like it didn’t happen, showing her out. What a trooper that Jawbone.   

Moving on to Katja. When she gets home she tries to call her dad who is unreachable on his hell mission. She leaves him a message saying that he should call her back when he can and she knows what she wants for her graduation present now. She wants her party to not break up. This breaks Brennan and me. 

She then snoops arounds for info on TK. She sees letters of her dad trying to get her into Hudol. And she sees some stuff from the Ministry of Adventure, asking if he knew where TK was. But she doesn’t get anything else. At least, she doesn’t get anything else that’s helpful. She does however find a picture of her mom which makes her bolt to go talk to Cinnamon who prances for her to make her feel better. She joins in dancing, badly.

EDIT: I initially wrote that Katja’s mom was dead because that’s what I thought she said but @ennn said that in the Adventuring Party, Rekha said that her mom didn’t die, she left. Which is less dramatic in some ways but SO MUCH WORSE for abandonment issues so, yikes girl!

Yelle meanwhile goes home to talk to her unofficial third mom, Holly, who is the awakened tree under which her house is. Picture a Grandmother Willow situation from Pocahantas basically. Yelle talks about the conflict a bit and, as usual, ends up on a tangent about how the world is unfair and she has to speak for the voiceless. Holly is concerned for her (as are her other moms which I may have neglected to mention in the last recap). She asks Yelle if she can tell her something that might be painful. Yelle agrees. Holly says that Yelle is great and wonderful and kind but she spends so much time speaking for other people that she never speaks for herself. Her moms worry that there will come a day when she needs help and will have to ask for it without couching it in terms of the greater good and she won’t be able to. 

Yelle really hopes she’s high when the time comes. 

At her home, Ostentatia casts Commune With The City to see if TK has been around and she’s not there now but she can tell she has been (though there’s no indication on if that’s recently or not). On a 17 religion check she knows that there is a dwarven holy site in the mountains that matches Sam’s description from the mirror. She’s still avoiding her dad but when she prays for her spells, she asks for her dad to feel like himself again too. 

Hey, what time is it? Let me check my watch. 

Ah yes, it’s time for Sam to make some rash decisions. 

She feels like she should text Zelda but doesn’t. Instead, she goes into Penelope’s room. And she takes out her mirror. And even though she’s expended the charge for today, she tries to make it show her Penelope. 

OK, says Brennan. Sure. Hey, can you roll me a quick little Wisdom Save?

5. 

Haha, Sam’s in danger. 

The mirror heats up as it’s pushed beyond its limits and Sam sees an image of a young Penelope with braces grabbing her hands and grinning and saying that they’ll be best friends. Then, the image shifts and she sees the Penelope of the present in her tattered prom queen dress and glass shard crown. Her eyeless, haunting, demon prom queen form, teeth razor sharp as her words. 

“A call without a text,” she says. “Are you out of your mind?”

“You look better than you ever did alive,” Sam spits back. 

It is a battle of the bitches right out of the gate. The girls are fighting part two if you will. They snipe at each other for a bit and Brennan has Sam roll insight into herself. On a 19, Sephie says that’s not enough for Sam to get a read on herself (yikes girl) so she doesn’t understand that this fight can only ruin her because while Penelope enjoys causing people pain, Sam doesn’t. 

They both get in some very choice barbs but when Penelope tries to entice her into making a devilish pact and disparages her new party, Sam does the mic drop of the century by telling her that her parents are divorcing and hanging up. The entire table LOSES THEIR MIND. It is like a real life representation of one of those Draw The Squad memes. Everyone brandishes their fans in a salute to that truly epic conversation ender. 

As the night draws to a close, Brennan asks the girls who haven’t responded to the text chain yet if they respond. Katja texts that she’s in. Zelda texts Antiope and Penny that she’s not going to text whether she’s in or out until they respond because she doesn’t want it to feel like a 5 on 2 dogpile.

Antiope and Penny call then text, then call, then text, then call each other to discuss what they should do and also hype each other up because with all the drama, they didn’t really get to celebrate their opportunities. Penny tries to downplay her thing and insinuates that it wouldn’t be a big loss if she wasn’t in the group anymore and Antiope shuts that down immediately. You’re the last thing so many people see before they die Penny! That’s so cool! 

They both decide to text that they’re abstaining from voting for now and go to bed.

The next day, Antiope gets up and sees that her party’s schedule has been cleared for the next two weeks by the school for quest reasons. She tells her dad she wants to talk to Charity Blythe (the woman at the Ministry of Adventure she needs to talk do) and he sets up a no pressure (but actually tons of pressure) meeting with her before turning her 5 mile run into a 12 mile run because she is a Jones and 5 mile runs are for Amateurs. 

Ant texts the rest of the Maidens that this meeting is happening so they can maybe get some quest info from Charity and Ostentatia has in the meantime texted (after the 2 abstains) that she will be going for the GED regardless and anyone who wants to join can. Of course, there was never any reason to NOT go for it (besides the danger which they obv don’t care about) and getting it doesn’t mean any doors are closed to them. It’s just that emotions are running so high they can’t fully seem to see that (or at least some members can’t). 

Ant doesn’t have the clearance to meet at Charity’s office so they meet at the Museum of Adventuring instead. In it happens to be the skeleton of Kalvaxus who they killed (if you don’t remember, the Bad Kids killed him first and then he was resurrected so the Maidens could also kill him for catharsis reasons). Tensions are still super high as evidenced by Sam’s snide abstention comment to Penny and Ant and then by her TRYING TO LIGHTNING BOLT THE DRAGON SKELETON TO DESTROY IT.

GIRL.

That doesn't happen though because she’s Counterspelled by Charity Blythe who walks in, surprised to see that Antiope brought her whole party. Antiope says they were just leaving but Charity can sense shenanigans when she sees them and says if they’re gonna spy on the conversation they might as well stay for it which they of course do.

She gives Antiope a rundown of the internship: 1 year commitment with a possibility to expand to 2-3 years. Stipend. She’d have to live in Bastion City.

Katja remembers that her dad was talking to the Ministry of Adventure in the letters she found and asks Charity about it. Charity says they were asking him about TK’s whereabouts because he was friends with her. On that, Yelle casts Detect Thoughts with a Stealth roll of 17 (we see on a secret Box of Doom roll that Charity got a 26 to see her cast it). Anyway, she sees that TK took some object with her when she disappeared (which she later sees is a crystal screen with a map seemingly marking quest locations from A-F) and of course the fact that Charity knows this. Yelle shares this info with everyone as Antiope walks off with Charity to talk further. Katja suggests to the group that maybe Ant should take the internship to get more info for their quest. While she’s talking to Charity, Ant feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

See looks up and sees a figure with blood red lips look at her and disappear.

Yikes! Combat time baybee!

Superlatives 

Danielle: Most Likely to Talk Her Way Out of a Hostage Situation 

While, like her mothers, I am slightly concerned that Danielle is the type to set fire to herself to make sure others are warm, I also very much love her chill, warm, encouraging vibes. For those of you coming off of MisMag, she is like vibing at the same wavelength as Whitney Jammer but with the intensity turned all the way down. Danielle encouraging Sam honestly gave me like second hand calm. Excellent vibes. 

Random Thoughts

If you’re wondering how long it took for it to come up that Aguefort banged a phoenix, the answer is 12 minutes.

The concept of phoenix chlamydia is the definition of thanks, I hate it. 

Aguefort saying that TK is a crazy person could literally mean anything tbh. It could mean she is the most batshit person on the planet or it could mean she’s totally normal and just kinda bugs him. Literally no way to tell. 

Someone (I think Rekha?) mentioned that the cursed bylaws book is copper and so is TK. Idk if that’s relevant but thought I’d flag it anyway. 

We learn in this episode that the friendship bracelets Penny made them last week let them track each other and see each other even if one of the in knocked out (which is what gives it utility outside of what their crystals can already do).

We learn in this episode that Skullcleaver Elementary School is actually named after Katja’s family. 

Nothing like the fear you feel when a DM gives you what you wanted even on a failure. And on that note...

Sam, I wish you a very happy Please Go To Therapy. Please girl. 

This episode was such an emotional roller coaster. I deeply empathize with the horrible feeling that your friends have stuff going on and you don’t and you’re going to be left behind. It’s so rough to see everyone hurting and lashing out (or in the case of Yelle for instance, trying and failing to diffuse the situation). But it’s so nice to see everyone trying to be there for each other and apologizing and affirming that they love each other (from Antiope saying that she would kill and die for any of them to Danielle defusing the ticking timebomb that is Sam). The players really get the cadence of how teenage girl friendship works and it’s such a treat to watch. 

“Did we ruin your life?”

Do you think ep 7 of The Seven is gonna be when everything pops off? As a DM I wouldn’t be able to resist that.

Penny’s response to being told that she can’t take every path is, “You can with chronomancy” which isn’t a bad point. 

Rekha is the Zac of The Seven which is to say low key the funniest person on the planet. Her saying she was so scared that she wasn’t gonna be told “I love you” during that scene was so funny. Her comic timing is impeccable. 

Katja fainting at the end of the “I love you” session after Penny says she loves her and Cinnamon. 

I love the table ambient whisper of, “LCAB” under Antiope’s scene with Corsica. 

I really felt for Zelda in this episode. Like, I felt for everyone but especially her, being the quiet one with all this yelling happening. When she was talking about how much she hates to have to fight with Sam/O my heart really broke for her. I’m so glad she got all her hugs in after that. 

In this episode Katja, Ostentatia, and Sam roll nat 1s. No nat 20s.

[fanficshiddles]

Descent Into Madness, Chapter 1

Summary: Violet is new to the high rise, but mainly keeps herself to herself. Laing has noticed her a couple of times in passing, harmlessly flirting with her. But she turns down his advances. When the high rise descends into madness, he finds her being hauled around by some other guys, screaming and pleading at them to let her go. Laing rescues her and she thinks she’s safe with him. But he decides to have her all to himself instead, claiming protection for her.

Going to be a five parter! 

Warnings: Highly Dub-con, rape/non-con, loss of virginity, manipulation, forced orgasms, forced drug and alcohol use.

-

When Violet first arrived at the high rise, it was exciting yet quite daunting at the same time.

Violet liked to keep herself to herself, which was fine until she learned that everyone in the high rise enjoyed partying a lot of the time. But that was mainly on the floors above and below her, so she was able to keep out of it for the most part.

There was a really handsome man that had caught her attention once or twice. Doctor Robert Laing. He lived on the floor above her, he was very charming and always set her off guard slightly.

The first time she met him, was when he held the lift for her when she had some shopping from the grocery floor. The doors were about to shut but a long-fingered hand shot out and stopped it from closing, just in the nick of time.

‘Thank you!’ She said as she slipped inside, then was stunned momentarily at the beautiful man smiling down at her.

‘You’re very welcome, darling.’ Robert smiled pleasantly. ‘What floor?’

‘24th, please.’ She said as she snapped out of her daze and moved into the corner, giving herself a little more space between him as she placed her bags down.

‘Ah, you’re just below me.’ He grinned, pressing the two floors. Then he put his hand out towards her. ‘I’m Robert, Robert Laing.’

‘Nice to meet you, Robert. I’m Violet Simpson.’ She smiled and took his hand, he had a gentle hold but it felt firm at the same time. His hand practically engulfed hers.

‘How long have you lived here for?’ She asked when he released her hand.

‘Two months or so. I heard on the grapevine you just moved in a week ago. Are you liking your stay so far?’ He asked as he leaned back against the mirror.

She tried to ignore how good looking he was. The way his white shirt clung to his chest didn’t help and neither did the way his forearms were on show, his sleeves rolled up.

‘Uhm, good so far. I mainly moved here because it’s so handy having everything I need within the building. I’m not much of a people person, so not having to go out and about aside from work is ideal.’ She said sheepishly, looking down.

‘Ah, yes. And it is good not having to brave the harsh elements when you just need a pint of milk.’ Robert chuckled.

‘Sure is.’ She smiled, nodding in agreement.

She felt a little relieved when the lift stopped on her floor. While he seemed nice enough, there was something intimidating about Robert. But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

‘Thanks again. It was nice meeting you, Robert.’ She gave him a sweet smile before exiting the lift.

‘The pleasure was all mine, darling.’ He smiled widely at her and waved just as the doors closed.

Violet had bumped into him a couple more times after the first meeting. One time she was just coming home from work and so was he. He held the door open for her and they rode up in the lift together again. That’s when she found out that he was a doctor.

-

It had been around a month since Violet had moved into the high rise, she knew tensions were rising slightly between the floors. Mainly between the upper and lower floors. She was somewhat in the middle, which she hoped was a good thing.

But she went for her weekly swim in the communal pool one Tuesday afternoon. It was usually at its quietest then, for some reason. So she always took advantage of that.

She had the pool to herself for a short while, making the most of it by getting in a good few lengths. But when she heard the door of the changing rooms opening, she felt her stomach drop. She had hoped to have it to herself for a while longer.

As she started swimming down towards the deep end, away from the changing rooms, she heard a familiar velvety voice come from the side.

‘Why hello, darling. Is there room for another?’ He teased, grinning from ear to ear.

Violet stopped at the deep end and glanced over, her heart skipped a beat slightly when she saw Robert. His black trunks left very little to the imagination. And he’d had a quick shower before coming through to the pool, his hair was wet and messy, he had droplets of water running down his chiselled chest…

She ran her hand down her face to stop herself from oogling him too much.

‘I won’t be much longer, so you’ll have the pool to yourself.’ She smiled sweetly at him and started swimming down towards the shallow end.

Robert smiled and slipped into the pool at the side. ‘No need, darling. I’d much rather enjoy your company.’ He purred and swam into rhythm next to her.

She blushed and tried to focus ahead of her. She wasn’t sure if he was naturally flirty with every woman or if he was genuinely flirting with her. Either way, it was getting difficult to ignore.

After doing a few lengths with Robert and making small, polite chat, she went to the steps and climbed out.

‘Leaving me so soon?’ Robert asked, sounding slightly hurt, but he had a smile on his face as he swam to the side and folded his arms over the edge, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

‘Yeah, I need to get dinner sorted.’ She said with a blush, trying to turn away to hide herself. Even though she was wearing a swimming suit, she still felt very self-conscious now she was out of the water.

‘Speaking of dinner.’ Robert said as he slowly swam down the pool, while Violet walked along the side towards the changing rooms, he kept in line with her. ‘Are you free on Friday night? I wanted to ask you out on a dinner date.’

Violet almost tripped over her own feet when he asked her. She looked down at him, mouth open in slight surprise. But then she got her brain to work again, eventually.

‘I… I’m flattered, Robert. Thank you. But I… I’m not really looking to date right now.’ She said quietly, nervously. ‘I’m still getting settled in here and finding my feet. I uhm, I really enjoyed your company while swimming though, thank you.’ She smiled and then headed through to the changing rooms.

Laing let out a groan as he floated onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.

That girl was driving him insane. She was so shy and timid, always stealing small glances at him and by the look in her eyes and the flush that crept on her cheeks, she clearly fancied him. But why she turned down his advances, he had no idea.

But she was such a pretty little thing. Looked so innocent, he would love nothing more than to see her kneeling on front of him with her lovely lips wrapped around his cock. Then to have her whimpering and moaning underneath him as he thrust into her and made her body yield to him…

Robert cursed as he was hard just thinking about her. He quickly swam over to the edge of the pool and rested his head against the side as he slipped a hand down his boxers, squeezing himself.

He felt a bit perverse as he pushed his boxers down enough so he could stroke himself properly in a pool, but he couldn’t help himself. After seeing Violet in her swimming costume, he couldn’t think about anything else.

‘Oh fuck!’ He closed his eyes and grunted as he stroked himself faster, the water was making his movements more languid but it still felt good. He squeezed himself a bit harder, while wondering how tight she might be.

His stomach muscles tensed as he thrust into his hand, it didn’t take long for him to cum while thinking about his pretty little neighbour on the floor below. But his sperm was wasted as it was taken away in the water.

He wasn’t overly fussed in the end as he tucked himself away, knowing he wasn’t the first person to masturbate in the pool, and he certainly wouldn’t be the last.

After swimming under the water for a bit, he pulled himself out of the pool and headed for the changing rooms, needing a cool shower.

But he knew one thing for certain. He had to have that innocent little doe, one way or another.

[cacoetheswriting]

champagne problems, ch.6

Spencer is in love with you, but you’re engaged to someone else.

Chapter Six: Do I Wanna Know?: Late nights at the office. A/N: chapter is titled after this song if you want to listen while reading.   Word Count: 2.1k Warnings: cursing, heartbreak, unrequited / unreciprocated love, very angsty, mentions of cheating / cheating, this series is a real slow burn babyyy

series masterlist

A/N: i actually i can't get over all of your support and just the nicest feedback omg !! i hope you like chapter six as much as you liked the others.. ENJOY!

-

“Look dad, I can’t really talk right now.” You muttered into the phone. “Don’t tell me you’re working pumpkin.” Your dad responded, a slight hint of fatherly disappointment in his voice. “It’s Friday night. You should be out with Ethan, enjoying your youth!” He exclaimed.

“We just got back from a case so I have a mountain of paperwork.”

“And what does your fiancé have to say about this?”

“He’s working too.”

Anthony sighed on the other line. “At least tell me you’re not in that office all alone.”

“Don’t worry dad, uhm, Spencer is here.” You glanced in the direction of the brunette doctor. He looked up at the sound of his name escaping your lips and a timid smile appeared on his face. Nervously, you smiled back before quickly averting your gaze.

Ever since your slip up on the case, you didn't know how to act around him. You felt incredibly guilty for allowing your emotions get the best of you, and almost ruining the friendship both of you cherish so hard.

Spencer on the other hand, being his usual kindhearted self, didn't let the tense situation change anything. Partially because he felt guilty too, although mainly because he knew that he’d lose you forever if he allowed for one moment of weakness to get between you.

He did everything in his power to make sure things weren't super awkward. He initiated conversation at every opportunity. He brought you coffee in the mornings, and walked you to your hotel room at night. He showed no sign of anger or disdain, yet you remained distant.

“Ah good, good.” Your dad retorted. “Say hello to the brilliant doctor for me, won't you pumpkin.” “I will. Bye dad, love you.” “Love you too.” You hung up the call and placed your phone on the desk. Sighing softly, you ran your fingers through your hair before once again glancing in Spencer’s direction.

The hazel-eyed man was already looking at you. This time, as your eyes locked, your heart skipped a beat.

“My dad,-” You cleared your throat. “My dad says hi.” You repeated the short message making the small smile on Spencer’s face spread a little wider. “Next time you’re talking to him, say hello from me too.” You nodded at his request and with one last shy smile, you turned your attention back to the files spread across your desk.

As you tried your best to focus on the task at hand, Spencer found himself unable to avert his gaze.

It hurt to see you act this way. It hurt to see you hurting.

“Are you hungry?” Spencer asked, making conversation. You shook your head ‘no’ without even looking at him.

The brunette doctor could tell that there was something on your mind. He could also tell it was something bigger than the almost kiss.

He got to his feet and ambled towards you, stopping at the edge of your desk. His sudden closeness, more so the smell of his cologne, caused you to avert your gaze upwards.

“We should talk.” He stated calmly.

“What about?” You played oblivious, blinking up at him.

“About what happened the other day.”

Shit. “I have a lot of work to do Spencer.” You replied quietly, so quiet in fact you weren't even sure he heard you.

“I think this is more important Y/N.” He uttered while pulling up a chair next to you. “You’ve been walking on eggshells around me for days now, and it needs to stop.”

You swallowed your breath. “That’s easier said than done. We almost crossed a line, and I can't help but feel terrible about that. Fuck Spencer, I’m getting married.”

“I know. Which is why almost is the key word there Y/N.” He said. “Plus, don’t forget that you’re not the only person complicit in what happened. I was there too and unlike you, I didn't stop us.”

He was of course correct. Spencer was the voice of reason even back when you were dating. He always did the right thing, and knew exactly how to bring you back to earth - especially when you didn't want to.

You nodded your head slowly. “I-I guess you’re right.”

Spencer smiled at your response. “Of course I am. Now, are we good?” “I guess we’re good.” You repeated. Although your gut was telling you something different.

Spencer sprung to his feet and extended his hand. You furrowed your brows slightly confused. Spencer immediately noticed the perplexed expression and your face and chuckled lightly. “You can’t work on an empty stomach.”

“Sure I can.” You tried to stand your ground but the brunette doctor wasn’t having it. Usually, this is where he’d grace you with a fact or statistic about using your brain while your stomach was empty. But not this time. Without uttering another word, he reached for one of your hands and pulled you up effortlessly.

“Let’s go. Come on.”

Over the next week while everyone cleared out for the evening, Spencer and you remained. To anyone that asked the excuse was of course work. The truth was a lot more complicated.

Although neither of you admitted it, those late nights at the office were the best part of your days. You laughed, ate cheap take out dinners, reminisced, played chess. Spencer taught you card tricks, while you played him newly discovered music. Bliss.

Of course, you could have done all of this either of your homes. Ethan was away at a conference meaning you had the free space, but you couldn't bring yourself to suggest it. Since with every day that passed your feelings for Spencer shifted into something all too familiar. The office was safer. 

“We better get some work done.” You laughed as Spencer threw his arms up to celebrate yet another chess game victory.

“You're just saying that because you lost.” He grinned causing you to roll your eyes. “Have you ever heard of the term ‘sore winner’ doctor? Because that’s what you are.” You said making him laugh.

“Still a winner.” Spencer replied shrugging his shoulders. He opened the drawer of his desk to retrieve a black notebook and grabbed a pen. He flicked briskly through the pages to find the correct one and scribbled down the scores. “This marks my tenth win against you this week.”

“Don’t get cocky genius. I’m not that far behind.” You affirmed.

Spencer’s grin grew a little wider. “Have you ever heard of the term ‘sore loser’ Y/N? Because that’s what you are.” He teased. Laughing, you reached for one of the chess pieces and threw it at the brunette doctor. He caught it with ease and gloatingly stuck his tongue out at you.

“How very mature doctor.” You joked while standing up. You straightened out your skirt and fixed the hem of your shirt before glancing back up at the hazel-eyed man who was watching you intensively. The second your gaze landed on him however, he looked away clearing his throat.

“I should eh, get those boxes back to the file room.” Spencer said while pointing at the stacked cardboard pile.

“I’ll give you a hand.”

“No, no. I can manage.” He replied while getting to his feet. Rolling your eyes, you walked over to the boxes. “Don’t be silly doctor. It would take you at least four trips, and together maybe we’ll manage in two.” You said looking back at him.

The brunette doctor swallowed. Spending this much time with you alone was a dream come true, and he knew he should consider himself lucky. However, with every second that passed he could sense something lingered in the air. The kiss that didn't happen.

It wasn’t a huge issue. As long as the two of you were preoccupied, Spencer’s mind stirred away from wondering about things it shouldn't be. The almost kiss. Yet now he found himself feeling lightly awry of going to the file room with you.

Eventually he nodded and moved toward you, reaching for one of the boxes still on the ground. His heart hammering inside his chest as you looked at him with the prettiest smile gracing your already perfect features.

“This way we’ll be done in no time, and maybe have time for another game of chess.” You stated as you walked ahead to the elevator.

“Another chance for me to beat you.” Spencer replied, trying his best to hide his sudden nervousness.

“Someone’s feeling confident.” You noted while stepping inside the machine. The brunette doctor followed close behind. He pressed the floor button with his elbow and soon the elevator began to move.

Spencer chuckled. “Taking into consideration our past games, the odds are in my favour.”

His eyes locked with yours again. Of course he caught himself staring at times over the last week- how could he not? He knew that you noticed it too, but it didn't seem to bother you. Quite the opposite actually. It ever so slightly made you blush.

“Why didn’t you stop us?” The question escaped you unintentionally. Once you realised you said it, it was too late. Shit.

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked, although he knew exactly what was on your mind and your lack of response only proved he was right.

Before he could say anything, deflect perhaps, the elevator stopped on the desired floor. The doors flung open, and you didn't waste any time to hurry out of there - away from the conversation.

“Y/N, wait!” Spencer called after you.

“I shouldn't have said anything.” You replied without looking back at him.

Spencer huffed. He hurried ahead and towered over you, causing you to halt in your spot.

“We were doing good, we had a great week. Can we just forget I even asked that stupid question? It just slipped out and...” You trailed off; hesitantly glancing up to meet his gaze.

“I can tell this is bothering you. I can tell this is obviously still on your mind just like it is on mine, therefore this time we should talk it out.” Spencer retorted.

“Please Spencer, just drop it.” You muttered back. With your mouth pursed into a tight smile, you began to walk around the brunette doctor.

What happened next was a blur.

Faint thud. Clatter. The cardboard container previously in Spencer’s hands was now on the floor, papers spilling out.

He pulled you back. His grip around your arm strong yet not too tight. In the space of a single heartbeat, before you got a chance to react, his lips were on yours.

The kiss was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be.

As Spencer’s hands moved graciously to your face, your grasp on the box loosened and fell to your feet completely betraying your better judgement. Once there was nothing left between you, Spencer pushed himself in closer so that you were now standing chest to chest. Completely melting into one another.

Your instincts were to push him away and tell him to stop. Tell him if what didn't happen last week was wrong then this definitely was too. Instead your fingers tangled in his perfectly messy hair, tugging slightly at the roots. The butterflies in your stomach fluttered harder with each passing second.

Spencer bit your bottom lip causing your mouth to part. His tongue slid inside within an exchange of breaths and attached itself to yours. His hands still holding your face, thumbs gently caressing your flushed pink cheeks.

Without warning, past memories of the two of you in this very position flooded your mind. Spencer and you kissing for the first time outside your old apartment door. Sharing soft comforting moments after particularly tough cases. Leaning across the dinner table at a restaurant, the flickering light reflecting in Spencer’s eyes. In the middle of the street, under the street lamps, as if you were the only people left in the world.

The overpowering euphoria you felt just seconds ago passed and was immediately replaced by guilt.

Both of you pulled away breathless.

“This- I- we- I can’t. I’m sorry.” You blurted out, freeing yourself from his embrace.

The words were painful to say and even more agonising for Spencer to hear. His nose twitched, and his eyes glossed over with tears. However, he didn't protest. He nodded his head in understanding and swallowed his breath.

“Treat it as a goodbye kiss.” Spencer rationalised. “Now, there is nothing holding you back from your happy ever after.”

His lips formed into a thin half-smile before he began to clean up the files currently scattered over the floor.

You opened your mouth to say something but no words came out. What could you have said? That now there was something holding you back?

You chewed on your lip and wiped the single tear from the corner of your eye before joining him in complete silence.

It was better to leave it alone. Yet another memory - right?

(Baby, we both know) That the nights were mainly made For sayin' things that you can't say tomorrow day

-

A/N: hello friends! i hope you liked this chapter (not a fan of cheating so this was a little hard for me to write but THEY FINALLY KISSED AH !! i’d love to hear your feedback and as always if you would like to be added to a taglist, please let me know. thank you for your continuous support. with love, mal. x

story taglist: @girloncorneliastreet, @haylaansmi, @rexorangecouny, @l0ve-0f-my-life, @obsssedwithjustaboutanything, @aperrywilliams, @sassy-hades, @rainsong01, @reverdevivre, @dracomikaelson, @softieekayy, @lunaofcrows, @andrewhoezierbyrne​, @blameitonthenight21, @lyl-26, @do-yr-research, @nazifa94

spencer reid taglist: @no-honey-no​, @calm-and-doctor​, @idroppedmygourd​​

masterlist | series masterlist | series playlist

[shotosprincess]

Altruistic. — oikawa tooru ♡︎

ALTRUISTIC: showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish.

⤷ pairing: oikawa tooru ♥︎ fem! reader

⤷ summary: you accidentally get hit by the ball during one of oikawa,, your childhood best friend’s ,, practice games ,, and he immediately leaves to take care of you 🥺🤌

⤷ genre(s): super short one shot w lots of fluff ,, fluff ,, FLUFF!!

⤷ length: 1.7k

⤷ a/n: PLS i stayed up till 6am last night writing this purely bc i absolutely could not sleep without writing a soft moment w oikawa into existence (⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃

“ Oi! Oikawa! Pass it here! “ The holler echoed through the gym, roaring solidly over the squeak of worn out sneakers twisting against glossy floors.

“ Iwa-chan! “ Oikawa’s smile scintillates with an undeniable anticipation as he pushes against the ball, hands flicking outwards as his toss to the teammate in question proved to be, in fact, successful. He spikes it down, the tremendous force exerted from both parties sending the dull sphere of ivory driving into the ground, leaving their opponents in the blatant, dirty dust.

It smacks right in front of their libero, who was far too stunned to even do so much as react in time. The shrill of a whistle ripples through the air. Seijoh’s side cheers, little praises and compliments slipping out from one teammate to another as back pats and playful head slaps were shared within their brief moment of celebration. The boys prepare themselves for another point to be won, bending their knees in a ‘ ready ‘ stance. Your heart melted. Oikawa’s earthy eyes glinted with a familiar sense of hunger, of true passion. You loved seeing him like this; buzzing and thrumming with such a raw, precise determination. You adored it.

Your hand reaches into the shallow depths of your sweater’s pocket, findling with its contents before finally pulling out your phone to check the time. The serve is hit, and just as your finger sides across the side of the case to actually turn your phone on—

A blinding pain stuns you, striking sharply at the side of your head. You see white, passing out due to the sudden unpleasant sensation. Your body falls limp, lolling to the side of your chair upon impact.

Oikawa’s head snaps in your direction, and his heart stops. He waves a hand dismissively, aggressively, in fact, through the air, signalling some sort of time out for obvious reasons. His stare burned right through the spiker responsible for your unprecedented injury. A dark aura seemed to even envelope him as he did. And in a low, threatening tone:

“ You’ll pay for this. “

Rushedly sprinting to your side, he kneels beside you, cupping your neck with one hand for support and wrapping his other arm beneath your legs. He lifts you up gently, gaze frantically darting from side to side, only to realize that no paramedics of any sort were currently present. A scoff leaves him, sending one last protective glare towards the hazel-haired player.

“ Continue the game without me. I’m taking her home. “

There is a prolonged beat of silence until he leaves, and the gym slowly begins to erupt with laughter and boisterous comments once again. He carefully places you in his car, tucking your bag of belongings in the empty space beneath your feet. The jangling key turns and clicks, the engine booms to life.

And he’s off.

“ Are you...Are you ok? “

Your eyes flutter open, lids still heavy, to the blurred sight of a very pretty boy with a very pretty smile. Chestnut swoops of hair frame his face in a fluffy frame. There is a certain kindness in his eyes. That’s when everything comes rushing back to you, and you realize the pretty boy before you is none other than the man who has put up with you ever since the first grade, Oikawa Tooru. And judging by your surroundings, you were in...his room?

“ O-Oikawa? “

“ Hey, you’re awake. Just in time too. I need to clean your wound. “

The skin near his eyes creases ever so slightly as his lips form one of the warmest smiles you had ever seen. He seemed...relieved. By an almost-unnatural amount.

His fingers move to tuck a straying tendril of hair behind your ears, letting the back of his hand delicately brush against the side of your face.

“ What...what happened exactly? “

Your memory is hazy, all you remembered was a sudden searing sting, which only evolved into a copiously throbbing ache. And then nothing.

“ Yahaba was being an idiot and accidentally hit you in the head with his serve. “

He pushes the heel of his palm against his head, groaning into it in annoyance and frustration. You say nothing, simply making a little “ oh “ face. His eyes close, a deep inhale clearing his thoughts.

For some reason, your eyes were immediately drawn to the abundant rise of his chest. You did not know why.

He puts his hand down, flashing you a half smile.

“ Well. It can’t be helped. You were passed out on the ride back. You’re in my house right now, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, ok? No flying objects can hurt you here. “

The lighthearted laugh which follows is accompanied by an odd longing to keep looking into his eyes. He pulls out a small medical kit from the drawer behind him, presenting a ball of slightly frayed cotton. It clumps together as he saturates it with the contents of an alcohol agent, the blue liquid quickly bleeding into the white.

You instinctively wince as his tweezers take the ball between its thin metal prongs, gently pressing it against your head. A harsh sting pricks through your skin. Your eyes tightly squeeze shut, and your head drops down to hide your face, embarrassed. The pressure immediately ceases.

“ Sorry. I forgot to warn you when I was going to put it. “

“ No, no that’s alright! It just...took me by surprise, that’s all. “

You will yourself to muster up a reassuring smile, though the subtle quivering at the ends of your lips didn’t exactly make it very convincing.

Despite noticing this, his lips pursed together in an emphasized tightness and he nods, continuing the process. But this time around he’s more gentle with his movements, soft and cautious, so as to make it as painless as possible. His brows furrowed together in deep concentration, one almost comparable to the kind which he lost himself so many times in, whilst analyzing videos of volleyball games with that unmatched meticulous which you had always admired so.

Oikawa Tooru had rarely ever been one to be gentle, tender. Yet alas here he was, being as gentle with you as was humanly possible for him. It was confusing and addicting all the same. And if you thought about it enough, one could probably say that it was nothing short of a miracle, that very miracle being the cheesy, yet insatiable concept of love.

Once he finally lifts the cotton from your face, he disposes of the remains, chucking them casually into a nearby dustbin as it teeters back and forth a little with the force. He then takes out a small bandage, unfolding it with care. The precision he had acquired through volleyball was blatantly evident as he carefully spreads the sticky fabric atop your wound, effectively patching it up. A cool, almost healing, feeling hits said wound, and you couldn’t quite tell if it was purely because of the bandaid, or if it was because of the hands which placed it. His hands. Swept up completely in the dazed state he had you in, you decided on the latter.

Those same hands, which were whirling through the dreaminess of your thoughts, then cupped your face, turning your gaze towards him. A comforting, rather than cauterizing, warmth floods to your cheeks, flushing them with a vivid rose as your heart flutters vigorously with the sparks of a forming hearth. His eyes, brown as chestnuts stored away in hollowed trees, bore deeply into yours, with a sentiment you had never known. Without another thought, his lips silently press against your forehead. The top of his head rests against yours, careful not to touch the wound, neither one willing to let go of this moment.

Admittedly, you hadn’t ever quite expected Oikawa to be someone capable of such sentiment, nor had you ever thought that he would be the type of person to give up his game, and especially not for you. Sure, you were close, best friends even. But you knew better than anyone just how much he put into volleyball. He loved that game more than anything and anyone. That included you. Or at least that was what you had thought before now. It was almost shameful for you, in a way. You had always attached such a perception onto him, and sometimes it even made you envy him and his love for the sport.

Sometimes...sometimes you wished he loved you even half as much as he did volleyball.

But now...you didn’t know what changed, if something even had. Either way, you were seeing this completely different side to him which you had never even thought existed until now—a caring, altruistic Oikawa. Not the “ great king “, nor Seijoh’s number one. Just Oikawa. And though he most definitely was both of those things, he was also, apparently, selfless. Or at least as selfless as Oikawa could get. You knew how much gravity his games hold to him, so the fact that he gave it all up today just to take care of you...it truly was a shock.

His skin against yours was a salve within itself, yet it was the intrinsic tenderness in which he held you that really struck you as odd. Well, not necessarily odd, per say, but rather, different. And not in a bad way either. The absolute and utter timidness of the very gesture held something so...intimate between the two of you. It fanned the embers awakening in your heart, urging the orange specks to roar with breath. You’d only ever seen his rough, callous-littered hands hit roughly against the volleyball. It was always hit, hit, hit. When you were just little kids in elementary, you vividly remember walking by his nearby house everyday as you came home from school, only to hear the thumping of volleyballs against a wall as he practiced tirelessly to fulfill the dreams which he yearned so longingly for. Sometimes it would even stretch out into the late hours of the night. It astonished you, how one could commit so fervently to a sport.

And now here those same hands were, encasing your face within the unanticipated serenity of their touch, holding you with a rare tenderness. Tears of relief, of hope and of some other strong unknown feeling, gloss thickly over your eyes. He moves his thumb to wipe them away.

You liked this Oikawa. Sure, you loved the Oikawa who played rough and strategized with his team in such a laudable manner, but you also liked this side to him. The new, gentle side. This was an Oikawa you had never met before, and yet you already felt yourself falling in love, never to return.

And why would you?

[jawabear]

He’ll be back at Christmas time (Maxwell Lord X Reader)

Not My GIF

A/N: this was kind of inspired by another great Christmas song called 2000 miles. I just like the one line that I used for the title. I hope you enjoy this happier Christmas fic, and thank you @ahopelessromanticwritersworld for the name of Max’s dog, I think it’s perfect. Also the other dog I used is actually entirely based on my doggy whom I love more than anything so...yeah. I hope you enjoy. Sorry for any mistakes. Stay safe.

Genre: fluff

Warnings: fem!reader, dogs (I don’t think that counts but oh well), Max doesn’t come into it till nearer the end, dogs being dogs, a hint of angst, suggestiveness as the end but nothing explicit, Max playing with dogs, Pedro Pascal comes with his own warning

Summary: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and she sits alone, all she can wonder, is when will he be home..

The fire place crackled gently and the snow fell outside as she sat on the plush sofa reading her book. It was one she had read a thousand times but she never got bored of it. She was dressed in her warmed pyjamas, fluffy socks on her feet, a mug of hot chocolate (fixed with cream and mini marshmallows of course) was set on the coffee table in front of her, and the large Christmas tree shimmer and sparkles in the corner of the room. And beside that, two dog beds. One for her dog, a black Labrador called Rosie and Max’s dog, a small Pomeranian called Marlene.

The cozy scene she had made her self however was not enough to warm her completely. Part of her would be cold until Max returned home. But she didn’t know when he would. He said he’d be gone for two weeks on an “important business trip”. That was three weeks ago.

She became sad at the thought of him. He had been away so many times, she of course had always missed him but not as much as she was this time. Perhaps it was mainly down to the fact she adored the Christmas season and she wanted to spend the whole this with her lovely Max. It wasn’t their first Christmas together but still, she wanted him there. She is the dogs there with her too, but they were fast asleep in their comfy beds. A fat lot of good that did her the help. But it was very cute to see. Especially as Marlene had decided to curl up with Rosie and sleep.

The book suddenly became uninteresting the more she thought about Max. She bookmarked her page and placed it on the coffee table and swapped it for her hot chocolate hoping that her favourite drink would cheer her up. She took a sip of it and tried to focus on just that but a memory from a few years ago popped into her head.

They sat opposite the fire place, it was Christmas Eve and she could barely contain her excitement for the big day. She had convinced him to swap his usual coffee for a mug of hot chocolate instead. He was reluctant to agree because he couldn’t say no to her. She had made one with the works. Cream and marshmallows and flakes of chocolate to top it off. She sat on the floor in front of him eagerly watching him lift the mug to his lips to take a sip. He seemed impressed by the face and the noise he made.

“It’s good” he nodded “it I do prefer my coffee”

She laughed softly as she got of the floor and straddled his legs, his hands immediately resting on her hips “your nose says otherwise” she giggled.

“What do you mean?” He asked with the tilt of his head. She ran her finger over the tip of his nose collecting the cream that was there and show it to him before she slipped the finger into mouth to clean it.

“You’re cute Max” she smiled and she leaned down to press a kiss to his lips.

She smiled at the memory but it didn’t make her feel any better. If anything it made her feel worse. The fact that it was Christmas Eve now and he wasn’t there to recreate that memory really hurt her. She felt so lonely.

She stood from the sofa and made her way over to the phone in the corner of the living room. The dogs shot up when she moved, making her question if they were asleep at all, and followed her to the phone. She knew the number to Max’s office off by heart. She dialled it quickly and stood patiently waiting for an answer. She didn’t expect Max to answer but she hoped that the one who did answer would have an answer as to where he was.

The phone rang with the full tone until it stopped “Maxwell Lord’s office, how can I help?” She knew that voice. It was the voice of his personal assistant Ella. She had worked there when (Y/N) was Max’s personal assistant. She was a very sweet but timid girl, not quite what Max liked but now he had (Y/N), he didn’t care about any one else.

“It’s (Y/N)” (Y/N) said trying to hide her sadness.

“Miss (L/N), Hello. What can I help you with?” Ella said politely, knowing that if she didn’t speak politely, Maxwell would know and she would loose her job in seconds.

“Do you know where Max is?” (Y/N) asked “he was meant to be gone for two weeks but he’s still not home”

“As far as I’m aware he is still on his trip. He hasn’t been in the office since he left and there hasn’t been any news of him coming back home”

“I see...” (Y/N) looked to the two dogs who sat at her feet. She reached out and began stroking Rosie, Marlene was too far down for her to reach.

“I can tell that’s not the news you wanted to hear” Ella said with a sympathetic laugh.

“No, not really” (Y/N) sighed “but thank you anyway. It’s getting late, you should be heading home. Why are you still working anyway?”

“I just got a few more papers to do and then I’ll leave”

“Good. Make sure you let me know if Max is making you work to hard. I know how difficult he can be”

“Oh no! It’s fine! I really don’t mind the work”

“That doesn’t matter. Don’t forget that I was in your position once”

“Really it’s fine. I enjoy it” (Y/N) could hear the smile in her voice.

“Yes, well, you let me know if he does get too much for you”

“I will” Ella said. “And don’t worry, I’m sure Mr Lord will be home for tomorrow”

“I hope so...” (Y/N) said sadly “you have a good Christmas Ella”

“You too”

(Y/N) put the phone down feeling more disheartened then she did before. She really hoped Max would be home for Christmas Day. She looked sadly at Rosie who seemed to notice the sadness so she rested her head on (Y/N)’s lap. “He’ll be back soon...” she whispered, more to her self than the dog, but she needed the reassurance that he would be back home.

Marlene started to bark and jump about, clearly either being jealous of lack of attention or she was hungry. Now she thought about it, (Y/N) was pretty hungry too. (Y/N) chuckled and lifted the tiny dog into her arms and carried her out to the kitchen, Rosie following close behind.

After the dogs, and herself, had been fed, she made her way back into the living room, back to the sofa where she was joined by both dogs. Marlene on her lap and Rosie at her feet. Max didn’t really like having Rosie on the sofa, only because she was a larger dog, where as Marlene was much small and could fit on your lap, Rosie couldn’t but she certainly tried too. At first, (Y/N) just thought Max hated her dog because he was slightly scared of it when they first met, but recently he had been the one calling her up to sit with him. But even before that, if he wasn’t there, she would call Rosie up to sit with her.

She sat and watched the hours go by, that hands on the clock getting closer and closer to midnight. And with each tick she became more and more anxious and sad. With each tick she believed more and more that he wouldn’t be home for Christmas.

She could’ve cried. She didn’t really know why she was getting so upset. She knew that this was bound to happen at some point in their relationship, especially since his company was getting bigger and bigger, but it just didn’t feel right to celebrate such a holiday without him.

11:32pm and he still wasn’t home. The fire had died our and her hot chocolate had been forgotten and was now stone cold, that made things worse. She let out a sigh as she lifted Marlene of her lap and set her on the sofa beside Rosie and took her cold hot chocolate out to the kitchen to throw it away. She rinsed out the cup and put it in the dishwasher.

Barking was heard from both dogs as well as the pattering of feet as they both ran to the front door. (Y/N) was confused as to what got them barking, she was also a little hesitant that it was someone bad, they didn’t usually bark if it was someone they knew. She took cautious steps out of the kitchen heading into the foyer to see what was going on.

Her heart leapt out of her chest at the sight.

It was Max.

He laughed and shook the snow out of his hair, talking to the dogs as they leapt up at him, their tails going crazy and they desperately tried to her his attention in their excitement to see him again.

“Yes yes, I’m happy to see you too” he chuckled as he bent down to pick up Marlene who began licking his face whilst he pet Rosie on the head. Max loved his dog, (Y/N) often wondered whether he loved Marlene more than he did her, his face was always brightest when he was with the dog. But he always assured (Y/N) that he loved her the most. “Silly girl” he said softly as he kissed the dog on the head. He put Marlene down and turned his attention to Rosie he began sniffing his face.

Max hadn’t noticed (Y/N) yet but she didn’t want him to stop with the dogs just yet, it made her happy to see him with them, being his true self. “And you,” he said as he began stroking both sides of her face down to the neck repeatedly “pretty girl” Marlene was still jumping at him. “Yes you are. You are such a beautiful girl, just like your mother” he smiled letting Rosie lick his cheek. He stood back up and then his eyes landed on (Y/N) who was smiling fondly at him.

He walked quickly over to her and took her face between his hands “hello, my love” he said quietly.

“I thought you weren’t coming home” she whispered, trying not to sound sad, but it was hard not to when she was on the verge of tears.

Seeing they were going to get no further attention, the two dogs wandered off back into the living room. Neither (Y/N) nor Max cared if they ended up on the sofa or in their beds.

“I’m so sorry (Y/N)” he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear before caressing her cheek with the back of his hand “some idiot,” he hissed “got the schedule wrong. We would’ve been back the 29th. And it being Christmas, it was nearly impossible to get back. I’m so sorry”

“It’s okay” she said “your here now. That’s all that matters” he didn’t hesitate a moment more before smashing his lips to hers “I’m so glad your back” she hummed wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers coming to entangle in his soft blonde hair.

“I’m so glad to be back” he mumbled, his hands dropping from her cheeks to her hips where he gently pushed her back onto the doorframe which she was stood in. “I love you” he said between kisses as he tilted his head to get a better angle, his tongue making an appearance.

“Love you too” she managed to get out before his tongue slipped into her mouth. She moaned and tugged at his hair. He groaned at this and pulled his mouth off hers and moved it to her neck when he began to make love to the skin there. “Oh Max” she sighed happily.

“I missed you” He muttered “missed you so fucking much. Every day was torture with out you”

“Never leave me for that long again” she told him.

“I won’t” He told her back as she pulled away from her next to look into her eyes “and if I have to be gone for that long again, you’re coming with me” She smiled and pecked his lips softly. “Now, let’s go upstairs so I can give you an early Christmas present”

She smirked and held a finger up to him to stop him from doing anything. She slowly unbuttoned her pyjama shirt revealing a red lacy number that she had bought especially for him, especially for Christmas.

He practically drooled at the sight, his knees becoming weak as he let out a strangled moan before lifting her into his arms, making her squeak excitedly, and carried her upstairs.

21/12/20

[danddymaro]

Shy Guy |  ((Black butler))  Snake x Reader

Pairing : ((Black butler)) Snake x Reader

Thoughts are italics in quotations = ‘Example’

Flashbacks are in italics = Example

Word Count :   1889

Shy Guy 

Strange, cold chills ran down her spine as little goosebumps married the skin beneath her long-sleeved uniform. With worried eyes she glanced around, certain she'd find someone creeping about, but finding nothing out of place.

No bard. 

No Finny.

No squabbling Mey-Rin walking around either.

Heck, not even Sebastian himself was there to chide her for standing around instead of doing her work.

Logically, she knew there was nothing to be afraid of or be paranoid about for that matter. Despite that, there was a feeling of being watched and stalked, and it made her skin crawl.

A feeling of being preyed upon made her want to bolt out of the manor, or at the very least find a good space to hide in for the time being, all until everyone else came back home to make her feel safe yet again.

“Paranoid...just paranoid.” She muttered with an uneasy tone. “I'm just paranoid and everything is fine,” She said softly, trying to comfort herself.

She tried to put logic behind her fears, attempting to justify the unease she felt with harmless little facts.

For one, The manor was huge and relatively new to her and that was enough to make her feel uneasy, or, anyone for that matter. 

'So, of course, I'd feel uneasy,' She told herself smiling crookedly.

There was also the fact that everyone was gone, which again, would make anyone feel uneasy.

Everyone else had gone out for a very small picnic, something quite sensible for someone as wealthy as their earl, but it had been per request of the young lady Middlefield. And of course, (f/n) had been invited, just as the other workers had been, but she had graciously declined.

She offered instead to take care of the manor, going on with regular chores than to attend the little event.

It wasn't that she didn't like lady Middlfold, because she was considered a very sweet and kind, little gem in the (h/c) haired young woman's eyes. However, when (f/n) thought of all the involuntary dress up games she had been forced to partake in, the young maid decided she could go without a break.

She then brushed off  her paranoia with a shaky smile, attempting to focus more on her work instead, all while a pair of golden eyes peered at her from the doorway, staring wide and unblinking at her movements.

She took a heavy breath before letting a light hum leave her, echoing in the near-empty kitchen as she looked down at the dirty dishes, washing the undoubtedly expensive dishes with as much care as she could.

One by one she began to put them up and finally came to the last piece, 

“A plate alone would be more than my own life,” she chuckled. “Besides Mr. Michaelis doesn't seem like one to let something like a few broken plates go by unnoticed. The man is almost like a demon...” she muttered to herself.

‘ A demon,’ She mused, ‘ What am I thinking,’ She added , actually giggling and  feeling lighthearted due to her silly, little idea.

Far away, the former Noah's ark member bit his lip, attempting to calm the rather uncomfortable feeling rising from the pit of his stomach. Silently,  Snake continued to spy on her from behind the wall, peeking at her through the open door space. 

He stared at her with all of his focus, entranced by the slow rock of her body as her hips lightly swayed left and right. 

They moved in slow, intriguing movements, making his tongue go dry, a small shutter racking up his entire body as he glowed pink.

The sound of her voice bounced off the walls in a soft melodic tune as she hummed her gentle tune, making his stomach bubble, fizzing up.

Tightly clutching the edge of the doorway, he swallowed a large lump stuck in his throat, mustering up every bit of courage he could wring out before he approached her with little, timid steps.

He practically shook with every step he took, silently moving across the room, reaching her within the span of a short minute. 

He'd never been so close, always shying from her whenever she so much as looked at him, something he desperately tried to overcome, because he really, really liked her. 

Everything about the woman was making him feel lightheaded, especially her scent. 

She smelled wonderful, sweet and alluring like a little patch of pretty wildflowers. 

Swallowing hard, he balled up his fists and placed a shaky hand onto her shoulder, mindlessly giving it a short squeeze to try and pull through the action, 

'All or nothing,' He told himself, taking in the advice of the chirpy, little blonde male who'd easily caught on to his dilemma and was rooting for him.

 “Aah-” before he could say anything more than a sound she swung a large pan at him, effectively shutting him down and making him see nothing but a world of black and silence.

The loud sound rang, the power of her swing full of determination to lay the intruder down. 

"- Wait," She breathed, the tight hold of the pan's handle loosening before it fell completely, realizing what she'd done. 

"Snake!" she exclaimed as she cried out in horror, running to where he had landed, the poor man nearly splattered onto the wall.

“Oh no ... I'm so sorry !” she cried out in worry. “I'm so so so so so sorry!” She frantically repeated over and over as she pressed her clasped hands to her heaved chest.

Falling to her knees, she gingerly picked up his upper body, almost cradling him like a newborn in her hold.

His head rolled back, and limply his body hung from her hold like a cooked noodle, causing her (e/c) colored eyes to moisten,

“I really didn't mean it,” she said whispering to him, feeling truly sorry for having hurt the poor guy.

The poor thing didn't even get a single word in before she swung at him, and it made her feel worse knowing that he would have never approached her unless he needed something.

'He finally comes up to me willingly... and I attack him,' She thought with dismay.

Gently, her fingers ran over the right side of his face where she had hit him with the bottom flat portion of the pan, noticing it was already bruising, his paper-white toned skin so sensitive it was already purple.

“Poor baby…” she said sighing.

"I should move you somewhere more comfortable," She delicately spoke, struggling to carry him, grunting at the exerting force before she realized it was a task she wouldn't be able to do alone.

"You're a little too heavy," she said to his unconscious body, deciding to lay him down instead, having no choice.

Biting her lip she then fluffed down her long skirt before placing his head on the cushion of her thighs, deciding that it was better than just leaving him laid sprawled on the floor.

Just then, a little snake peeked out from behind his ear, causing her to lightly jump before she stiffened, afraid of the scaly beast.

It's little, black eyes then landed on her, his tiny tongue peeking out to present it to her as he released a little, harmless hiss, something she found to be oddly intriguing, and overall cute.

Shakingly, she inched her index close to it, her finger's pad gently trailing over its tiny head, 

'Oh ... wow,' She thought to herself, the stiffness in her muscles dispersed, "You're kind of cute," she mused, watching as the little creature coiled around her finger, no sign of malice detected from her part as she watched him explore her, soon finding his way into her empty apron's pocket.

"I'm glad I didn't hurt you," She said to the serpent, chuckling softly, finding a strange little fondness for the beast. “Can’t say the same for your friend,” she added before sighing with upset.

 It was a couple of minutes before the man that lay on her lap even moved, the young maid eyeing him with expectancy as he came to.

Upon waking, the sweet smell of daisies was the first welcome he had to the world, smelling it instantly before he had peeled his eyes wide open, recognizing the smell. 

His head ached as he woke up, blinking several times to get used to the lighting above him, slowly adjusting,

“Hey,” she said smiling gently, still worried to death she had practically scrambled his brains with such a hard swing. “I wish I could have carried you off somewhere more comfortable,” she said looking down at him with pity.

"But you're a lot heavier than you look," She told him, featherlight amusement present.

His golden eyes were completely wide, almost popping out of his sockets as she peered down at him, the woman being so close to him he thought his heart would burst. 

Her face was just inches from him, looking down at him with a soft, sweet look, completely concerned about his well being. silently, her hair fell forward, soft (h/c) colored ends brushing his face with little tickles, making him feel fuzzy.

Her hand so tenderly caressed his cheek, making shivers run over his body, and it only got worse when she lightly grazed the patches of scaly skin, her soft hands running over the flesh with the same affection, not showing disgust.

She seemed unbothered by the interaction between her soft fingers and his rough skin and that was greatly due to the fact that she was far more focused on the ugly mark formed on his bruised cheek.

“I’m really sorry,” she apologized wholeheartedly, her (e/c) eyes softened, seeming blue as she gazed down at him with sincerity. “I really didn't mean to hurt you, “ she added, receiving nothing but silence from him.

She managed to blink away the little tears  that attempted to flood her eyes before she offered him a gentle, sweet smile, 

“Snake ?” she asked him with concern, her head slightly tilting to her left side.

 He shook his head rapidly, a squeak leaving him as  he fumbled out of her reach, scrambling out of the room to make space between them.

As he ran out, red-faced and heated, she giggled into her hand, finding his actions to be adorable. 

He was so cute, and obviously a shy guy, something she'd caught onto rather quickly, but hadn't realized it was to such a degree.

She only hoped he had enough in him to come back around, knowing that eventually, he'd have to face her again. 

she opened up her pocket to see the little serpent still comfortable within the warm, dark space, 

"He'll come looking for you," she said to the little thing, knowing just how much he cared for his scaled companions.

"I'll make sure to keep my eye out for him," she added with a light grimace because she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she ever struck him again.

Going towards the door he'd fled out of, she cupped her hands together, yelling into them with a wide grin, 

"come back again anytime!" She said to him, " I promise I won't hurt you!” she said out loud.

 "We'll be waiting!" (f/n) added, smiling largely, hoping he'd heard her and find his way back.

[ffangirlingsince2001]

The Witcher and the Princess: Fire and Ice

Geralt of Rivia is not a babysitter, he is not a bodyguard, and he has no interest in transporting princesses across the continent. Until gold is offered and for the next 90 days he’s saddled with a chirpy, bubbly, princess, who is betrothed to the prince of Narok and has a desire to see everything before she’s trapped behind another set of walls.

Geralt x Reader

Warnings: angry witcher, angst, hypothermia reader, skin on skin but not smut, language

She was gone when he awoke.

The bed was made, her clothes were gone as was her pack, and she was nowhere to be found.

“Fuck,” he growled scrambling around for a set of clothing, the drunkenness of last night still weighing heavily on his mind.

And he couldn’t find a damn pair of pants. Because of course when he needed them the most he couldn’t find them. He swore he had left them on the ground when he had climbed into bed last night, but that’s where he thought he had left his shirt too, and it was nowhere to be found either. He was stranded, princessless and without any clothes. “Fuck,” he yelled again, throwing his fist into the bedframe, the wood splintering ever so slightly, “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Gold wasn’t worth it. She could find her own damn way to her godforsaken prince. If he loved her that much, he should have sent a carriage instead of relying on him to bring her. He was going to kill her if he ever saw her again, selfish spoiled brat. If he had anything to say about it he was going to teach her a lesson in some goddamn respect He was going to teach her what fear meant. He was going to-

“Can you unlock the door? I forgot my key.” The familiar voice froze him in his rage, still panting with anger the words he had for her threatened to bubble over. When he didn’t move the call came again, accompanied by a soft tapping that he assumed she considered to be knocking.

He marched towards the door and flung it open to reveal a very innocent looking princess.

“Oh!” she gasped, averting her eyes as quickly as she could, cheeks washing pink. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I-,”

“Where the fuck have you been?” he growled pulling her in by her arm as forcefully as could without pulling her arm from her shoulder.

“You’re hurting me,” she gasped, the parcels in her hands falling to the ground as she struggled to get out of his grip, his fingers leaving tight purple bruises in their stead.

“I asked you a damn question, I expect an answer, Princess,” he spat, eyes blazing with fire, hands shaking with anger.

No. He wasn’t shaking.

She was.

Eyes wide with fear, lower lip quivering as she tried to maintain eye contact. She wasn’t sure if the fury in his eyes or his nakedness were more intimidating, but his eyes were far less foreign.

“Shopping,” she squeaked, glancing at the parcels that littered the floor.

“Shopping?” he snarled, and she flinched away, pulling at his heavy grasp once more, but he pulled her closer, not stopping until her arm was pressed against his chest and his breath was rustling her hair. “Your father might be paying me to take you to your dearly beloved, but he is not paying me to flounce after your every whim. And where are my clothes?”

“Drying in the bathroom.” She was near tears now, but her voice didn’t even shake.

“Why are they drying?”

“I washed them this morning, you said.. you said you wanted to leave early so I thought if washed them we could leave earlier.” He studied her closely, searching for a lie, and when he found none he released her, stalking off towards the bathroom to check for himself.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered he found his clothes hanging from a makeshift clothesline. The stains and the smell were both a thing of the past. As he put them on he couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably, not quite use to the feeling of fresh cotton and linen against his skin. It was strange to be anything but dredged in dirt, yet now he stood cleaner than he had in months.

When he left the washroom, he found her huddled on her bed, knees to her chest and watching him tensely.

“Don’t run off again.” She nodded silently. Maybe he should have yelled at her sooner. “What did you buy anyway, we can’t afford to carry clothing, it’ll slow us down.”

“Oh, I didn’t buy clothes, I guess I traded the old one for a new one, but that’s all food,” she rambled bashfully, picking up the parcels she had dropped in his bout of anger. “Venison mostly, but some stuff for Roach, too.” As she stood and stared at him he noticed the dress she had mentioned. Green velvet had been traded for cream colored cotton and golden embroidery swapped for a leather corset that cinched her waist in ways that were far more tempting than the loose style dresses princesses often wore. It was hard to think of her as princess in the way she stood before him, doe eyed and expectant. Standing merely feet away in his bedroom no less. Had she been anyone else he was sure his fingers would be hoisting her skirt while she squirmed beneath him, but she was not anyone else. He shook the thought from his head, nothing good could come from lusting after princesses, especially those were already set to married.

“Why the dress?” he grunted, noting the way she had begun to draw circles in the carpet with her shoe as he studied her, just like she had the night before.

“I thought the princess thing would make us a target for bandits,” she explained and he grunted in agreement.

“Won’t your prince mind your dressed like a commoner?”

“I can always buy a different one.” Of course she could.

He grunted and threw his pack over his shoulder, marching out the door. It took a few moments for the soft patter of her shoes to follow and when they came so did her chattering. “I’m sorry for making you worry.” When he didn’t even offer her a hum of acknowledgement she continued, “It’s just I didn’t want to make you wait any longer than you had to, and I thought I would be back before you woke, and I know don’t really want to do this so I thought I would make it easier for-,”

“Do you always talk this much?” he interrupted as he saddled both Roach and the white horse her father had provided her.

“I’m trying to apologize,” she snapped, her tone a little too privileged for his taste.

“Listen Princess-,”

“My name’s Y/N.”

“Alright, Y/N, listen, out here is my kingdom. I’m the king, it’s my rules, and if you don’t like it you can find a new babysitter.”

“And then you won’t get your gold.”

“Your father’s not the only one with gold.”

“Why did you take it then?” To that he didn’t respond, merely mounted Roach and began to ride out of town. “So, that’s your argument then? Just walking away?”

“I don’t argue with naïve children,” he called back urging Roach forward, not even bothering to wait for her. She would catch up, and if she didn’t no skin off of his nose.

 She caught up of course and the silence that he so desperately craved the day prior accompanied her. Though, it had a lot more tension than he would have preferred. It was harsh and cold, hurt feelings driving it, but the coldness had nothing on the store brewing in the clouds above them.

The snow had started falling a couple hours in and by the time the sun was beginning to set it had turned into a full blizzard.

Wind pierced the travelers hard and fast, pellets of ice digging into their skin as they trekked forwards. It was lucky he had had the sense to tie her horse to his when the storm had first started to pick up because he was sure she would have been left behind long ago. He could feel her horse bumping into his, her cloak brushing against his arm but the sheet of white between them prevented him from seeing any of it. He knew he should have stopped the moment it began. He should have tied up a shelter and them huddle beneath. He should have kept her safe, but pride had prevented it. Pride and annoyance from the morning demanded they keep going. And to make him feel worse she hadn’t complained once.

As requested she had stayed silent throughout the ride, it was only when she could no longer hold it in that the chattering of her teeth began. He should have stopped right then, but he kept moving, insisting mostly to himself that wasn’t that long to the next town.

He knew now they had long since passed the nearest town, and any further hope of warmth. He would have to hope that the horses would keep them warm until he was able to find a spot to hide them in.

“Geralt,” came the first timid whisper of the day, and it sounded terrified.

“We’re almost there,” he lied and silence followed. He knew she knew he was lying so the silence worried him, and the worry only grew when her leg knocked against him as she tumbled off her horse and into the snow. He yanked against the reigns and threw himself off before Roach had even come to a complete stop. Wind whipped through his hair as he blindly felt for the princess, praying that the snow had failed in covering her up. When he found her the shaking was so violent it was a struggle to hold her.

“Y/N you need to get up. C���mon Princess, we need to keep moving, we’re almost there,” he yelled over the snow, but she didn’t budge, there wasn’t even an attempt. “Fuck.” He pulled her into his arms and wrapped the cloak around her before climbing back onto Roach. They continued to ride, her shivering never slowing, even as the wind backed down. Trees began to come into view, and much to his elation so did a crawl space within the knot of a trunk. Wasting no time, he maneuvered his horse towards the salvation and carried her inside.

It barely fit the two of them, but it didn’t allow for any wind or snow either. Though it was notably warmer, she continued to shake, her lips a nasty shade of blue.

“Wake up, Princess,” he pleaded, rubbing his hands against her arms. “I know we should have stopped, just wake up.” When she didn’t stir he began to panic and instincts fought propriety. Everyone who lived in the wild knew, skin against skin, but she wasn’t from the wild, and from the way her gaze had searched for anything other than him her innocence was still very obvious; however, at this moment, her imminent death was just as obvious.

Whispering foreign apologies, he removed his shirt and tugged her dress as high as he dared. The leather corset he had imagined removing taunting him as he struggled to remove it as quickly as possible. As he pulled her against him, he allowed the dress to drape across as much of her as he could manage.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the shaking slow and she shifted against him. Her skin grew warmer and her flesh swelled against him with each breath. This was what he had worried about, how his body would react to her warmth. And react it did. With every movement a wave a relief and terror washed over him. He thanked whoever would listen that she was alive, but it grew harder to control the animalistic urges that normally accompanied soft flesh and pretty faces. The torture lasted for hours, their cave growing hotter with every passing moment, until he was gasping for a breath of fresh air. It seemed to go on forever, until finally she called out to him softly.

“Geralt, are we there yet?”

***

Taglist: @mallorydoesstuff​ @facelessfiction​ @aphadriel-fanfic​

[the-most-slytherin-hufflepuff]

Open your eyes (Chapter 4)

I managed to finish this chapter finally. I hope you guys enjoy it... cause shit is about to go down. Anyway here you go. Characters belong to @lumosinlove

Masterlist

The return to Slytherin wasn’t loud. 

It wasn’t full of praise for Sirius and his friends, or pity and happiness for Regulus. It was dark, in the cloak of the early night when no one would see them come or go. Sirius wanted time for Reg to adjust before being thrown into the center of attention. Remus could understand that, it was sound logic. They didn’t really know how long it had been since the spell wore off, how long Regulus had been out of Lestrange’s claws. So they rode their horses in silence, trying to keep to the shadows, hoods pulled over their heads to obscure their features.

They arrived at the Dumais home quickly after entering the Citadel. Remus had never met Celeste Dumais, for all the time he spent with Pascal and Logan in the last three years Celeste was still just a name in passing to him. Until now. The woman that received them at the steps of the house had dark gentle eyes. She wore a green dress, not the royal color of Slytherin’s banner, more like the blue-green color of still ponds when night started falling. Calm, steady. 

She hugged Regulus tightly, wrapping around him and holding him close. Not unlike how Hope held Remus after a particularly bad nightmare. She waved them inside with a gentle smile, stopping Remus to whisper something to him. “Your brother arrived last night.” Remus nodded. He had asked Pascal if maybe Julian could stay with them to try and help Regulus cope with everything, the man had agreed immediately and Remus hadn’t wasted any time to send his brother the letter. 

When he crossed into the small living room he found his little brother, wearing a pair of brown pants and a white shirt with no shoes, sprawled on the ground along two of the Dumais children. A girl, who Remus suspected was Katie and Marc. Remus and Marc had met only once around two years ago, but the boy had rarely changed in appearance. Calliope laid curled up between them, giving a content huff when Katie scratched behind her ears. 

“You have a dragon?” Logan stared at the three with a stunned look that made Julian snicker. 

Remus walked forward, picking Calliope from the floor gently and letting her rest around his shoulders. He got closer to Logan, Calliope eyed him for a moment and then leaped down from Remus’s shoulders to Logan’s head, nuzzling her snout in his hair and coiling herself on his shoulder. Leo cooed at her, patting her side gently while Finn just looked on with a fond look. 

“Alright”, Celeste said, pulling everyone’s attention to her, “dinner will be served shortly and after that sleeping arrangements will be figured out. Kids go wash up.” 

Julian, Katie, and Marc got up, running to the washroom in a mess of light shoves and giggles. Celeste stared after them fondly and then turned on her heel, walking to another room and leaving the group alone. Regulus sat down heavily, letting himself flop to the side on the couch in a very unprincely manner. He groaned, smothering his face in one of the pillows and letting his hands drop to the sides. “M’so tired”, he muttered, words muffled by the ornate cushion, “can I just go to bed?” 

Sirius grabbed the cushion from his brother’s face with an amused smile. “You heard Celeste. Sleeping arrangements after dinner.” 

“But I already know whe—” 

Celeste came into the living room, interrupting what Regulus was about to say. “Come on, dinner is ready.”

~*~*~*~*~*

Regulus flopped down on the bed, pressing his forearm over his eyes. Celeste had given him his usual room, the same one he used to share with Sirius when they told their father they would go on a hunt, but were really visiting the Dumais family. He smiled a little at the memory. 

Dinner had gone alright, if not a little awkward for Regulus. Everyone else seemed to know each other well and it made him feel a bit out of place. That was of course until the dragon decided to jump down from Logan and jump onto Regulus’s lap and stay there for the rest of dinner, after that it had been a little easier for him. He had never expected to feel so at home surrounded by so many magic users, with a baby dragon napping on him, especially not after the last few months, but they made it easy. 

He heard a soft, almost timid knock, on his door. “Come in.”

The door opened, the hinges creaking softly, and in stepped Julian Lupin with Calliope perched on his shoulders. “Hey”, he said, waving shyly at Regulus. “I thought you could use some company.” He grabbed the small black dragon from his back and let her fall gracefully to the floor. She walked to the foot of his bed and leapt onto the mattress, snuggling up to Regulus’s leg. “She likes you a lot”, Julian commented, sitting down on the chair besides the bed. 

Regulus looked down at her, running his fingers down her spine gently. “I always thought dragons would be bigger… and mean.” 

Julian laughed under his breath. “They are pretty big. She’s just a baby still.” 

Regulus looked at him, hesitant. “If she’s just a baby then why would you trust me to be near her”, his voice had dropped at the end, Julian still heard it. 

“I don’t really have much say on who she chooses to spend time with”, he shrugged, “she’s her own being, intelligent. She trusts you for a reason and I’m not going to question it.” Julian smiled at him, it reminded Regulus of Sirius a little. “She’s a good judge of character.” 

“You’re a good kid”, Regulus said, voice a little breathless, he wasn’t used to people being nice. Much less being nice to him, not even his father. 

Julian beamed at him. “I would like to think so.” He grabbed Calliope and settled her on Regulus’s shoulders. “Come on, Katie and Marc missed you. Pretty sure Adele and Loui are two seconds away from barging in here and hugging you to death. You can’t hide in here all night.” 

“M’not hiding.” 

Julian just raised an eyebrow at him, just like Remus did when Regulus grumbled about the medicine for his nightmares. He turned around and headed for the door, Regulus following behind him. “Oh, before I forget”, he looked back over his shoulder, “call me Jules.” 

~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning Sirius couldn’t find Regulus anywhere. He would have panicked if he hadn’t known his brother was still inside the house. He walked over to Katie’s room, knocking on the wooden door gently. There was some rustling from inside, a small giggle and then the door was heaved open by Marc and Adele. “Is Regulus here?” 

Adele nodded, looking over her shoulder at something that made her smile, another giggle spilling from her lips. Sirius looked inside the room. Regulus was lying asleep on the big white carpet that Katie kept besides her bed. Julian was sprawled by his side, head resting on Regulus’s chest. Katie had curled up besides him, her arm thrown lazily over him, her hand was resting on Julian’s forehead. Sirius was taken back to when he and Regulus were younger and would wake up in similar positions with a much smaller Katie draped over both of them like a human blanket. 

Sirius didn’t want to wake him up. Quite frankly he didn’t want his brother back in the palace or anywhere near their father. Regulus had magic, there was no question about that, and Sirius didn’t want him to be around their father’s all encompassing hatred for anything magical. Reg had gone through enough during his time in the Lestrange estate. Sirius didn’t miss the far away looks and the flinching every time there was a sudden noise. He entered the room quietly, noticing that Calliope was also a part of the tangle of limbs where she had curled up between Reg and Julian. 

When Sirius reached their side he crouched down near Regulus’s leg, far away from everyone’s arm reach, and tapped his knee gently. His brother stirred and then settled again. “Reg”, Sirius whispered, tapping his knee again, “wake up.” 

Regulus grumbled in annoyance, peeking one eye open and groaning under his breath when he saw Sirius. “Leave me alone.” 

“We have to go.” Sirius poked at his rib with the toe of his boot. “Get up.” 

“Can’t”, he said, motioning lazily to the two teenagers and the dragon that had decided to tangle themselves around Regulus. 

“I’m giving you the time it takes us to get the horses ready to get up. If you’re not ready by then I’m dragging you out of here.” 

“You wouldn’t dare”, Regulus challenged.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t. Luckily for me Lily and Remus would dare”, Sirius had to bite down a smirk when Reg’s triumphant look disappeared. “So you better not be sleeping still when I get back.” 

“Threatening me with magic is treason, Sirius.” 

“So is harboring sorcerers, idiot”, Sirius replied in a teasing tone, “and I’m already hiding the magic of three potentially four. We’re past the point of treason.” 

“Fine”, Regulus grumbled, “I’ll get up.” 

“Good. You really don’t want to get dragged out of sleep by magic.” 

Regulus smirked. “Speaking from personal experience there, eh?”

”Perhaps”, was all Sirius said before walking out of the room. 

~*~*~*~*~*

Regulus held his breath for a few seconds, then nodded at Sirius. He looked back at the people behind him with a weary look. He was nervous to be back at the palace after months of being around Bellatrix. 

Now that he knew he had magic the palace didn’t seem welcoming, not that it had been very warm or pleasant anyway. But at least before it didn’t feel like he was walking to his own death sentence. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. He let it fall to the rains of his horse and rode forward, leading the group into palace grounds and to where he could see Orion waiting. 

The king’s expression when he saw them didn’t change, his eyes remained as cold and sharp as ever, but Sirius noticed his shoulder slump ever so slightly in relief. Their friends hung back while Sirius and Regulus went to their father’s side, dismounting the horses and bowing their heads in respect.

 The king hugged Regulus close, not caring about the people around them. He placed a hand on his son’s back and guided him inside the palace, nodding at Sirius with a thankful expression. There was a proud gleam in his eyes. Sirius almost believed it was real. He nodded back, dipping his head in another bow before his father left, taking Regulus with him. 

No one missed the way Regulus tensed under his father’s touch. 

~*~*~*~*~*

Sirius took a deep breath, looking around the room. There was a bad feeling simmering just under his skin. After his father had announced the feast in honor of Reg’s return things had started moving too fast. The servants ran up and down corridors preparing the Hall and decorating the palace. The kitchens had been busy with food preparations and every Lord and Lady in the kingdom had confirmed their attendance to the feast. The feast he was sitting in now. It was a perfect storm for something to go incredibly wrong incredibly fast. People were happy and joyful. 

There’s more to lose when things are going great. 

Sirius saw Lily’s eyes flash dangerously in the direction of the high table, only for a moment but Sirius still caught it. Like always there was fire behind her gaze, and being in Orion’s presence had made the flames grow aggressively. The king didn’t seem to notice, too enraptured in the almost happiness of having his son back after so long. Sirius looked at Regulus from the corner of his eyes, sitting on their father’s left side while Sirius sat at his right. 

His eyes shifted to look down at the hall before him, painted in silver and green from the decorations and orange from the torches and lanterns. The feast had started less than an hour ago and Sirius already wanted to leave, take his friends and brother with him to anywhere else but this hall. Filled with lords and ladies that kept sneaking glances at the high table, at Sirius and Regulus. They looked at Sirius with something akin to awe and at Regulus with almost pity. No one missed the sunken cheeks, dark eyes, and tired posture the boy had. No one knew what he had gone through, not even Sirius, he just had an idea. And the idea was horrifying enough. 

King Orion stood up from his seat, silver goblet in hand and an almost real smile on his lips. “Friends, we are here tonight to celebrate the return of my son.” He turned ever so slightly and looked down at Regulus. Sirius watched his brother’s shoulders straighten a little, and an almost convincing smile pulled at Regulu’s lips. “For months his brother has looked for him and now he is here, back home where he belongs.” Orion lifted his goblet in, voice thundering across the hall. “To Sirius, for doing an excellent job in his quest.” The guest yelled his name, Sirius almost believed his father’s praise. “And to Regulus. Welcome home.” 

Before anyone could respond the doors of the hall slammed open. Silence fell, too loud in Sirius’s ears, and then footsteps. Light, graceful, the slightest thud of leather against stone. A woman’s voice spoke and a shiver ran down Sirius’s spine, dread pooling in his gut. “Dear uncle”, Bellatrix said, voice almost melodic, “why was I not informed of this… wonderful feast. The return of your son. I thought family would have a place at your table.” 

~*~*~*~*~*

Remus heard Leo give a low curse, shoulders tensing. The feast had been relatively peaceful so Leo’s change in demeanor made him feel uneasy. His blue eyes scanned the room frantically looking for something. What that was, Remus had absolutely no idea. He heard the king speak, heard the deafening response of the gathered crowd and then the king spoke again but it was all distant to him. A whisper of nothing, because Leo had trained his eyes on the door and his hands had twitched and before Remus could ask anything he felt it. Strong, poisonous, electric, and dark. Bellatrix was in the palace. 

He leaned to the side to whisper to Lily. He didn’t get to say anything, the doors opened, slamming against the stone wall, the sound shaking the room into a deafening silence. The toxic yellow color of her magic bleeding out of her dark silver irises. The room held its breath while she talked, looking at the king, the joy he had on his face at the beginning of the evening disappearing like it had never existed. His eyes were back to the cold, sharp silver blades that had plagued the nightmares of so many for decades. “Witch”, he hissed at Bellatrix. 

The words made her laugh, though it sounded more like a cackle. Remus had to tune her out, her voice made shivers run down his spine and pins prickle at his skin, leaving his brain useless. He needed to think, come up with something to get the woman out of the Hall. Because Reg had started shaking in his seat and Sirius was staring at Remus with an almost terrified expression. He touched the tip of his fingers to Lily’s arm, let his foot knock against Leo’s, the two turned to stare at him, Lily’s eyes lingering on Bellatrix for a moment. 

Her hands balled into fists, golden flames starting to lick into the green of her eyes, magic bubbling to the surface. Remus pressed his fingers under hers, making her hands relax enough for him to hold them as tightly as he could to try and keep her grounded. The message was clear, no magic, not where they can see. 

Remus tuned back to hear the last of  Bellatrix’s words. “You sit there all high and mighty, wearing a crown that does not belong to you.” Her cheerful tone from earlier had devolved into something like a hiss, as toxic and poisonous as her. 

Remus saw the moment her eyes shifted, not the acid color of her magic, this was something different, evil. She began chanting, a string of unintelligible words spewing from her mouth in what Remus recognized as an ancient spell. Black magic taking over her eyes like bleeding ink on a page. A piercing scream tore through the hall, it came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, leaving Remus disoriented and dazed. What happened next went by too fast for him to process. Orion fell to the ground, head banging against the table and then the stone floor making Remus wince. That was a nasty concussion that would need a lot of time to heal if the king survived. Regulus and Sirius’s eyes rolled back in their sockets and they slumped against their chairs, looking lifeless except for the weak rise and fall of their chests. 

Someone screamed and then all hell broke loose. 

The first to stand were the knights, splitting up into two groups. One half attempting to guide the distressed guest away, who were running around in a panic and the other half facing down the woman that stood at the center of the chaos, yellow eyes gleaming. Logan faced her while the other knights formed a tight circle around her. 

Finn watched as Logan faced down the woman, his green eyes sharp and measuring. A heavy feeling set in Finn’s stomach, Bellatrix’s yellow eyes sending chills down his spine. He grabbed onto Leo’s hand tightly, letting his eyes stray from Logan for a second to look at his fiancé. “Can you do something”, he didn’t bother keeping his voice down, the only people left in the hall apart from them were the knights, the royal family and his friends. 

Leo shook his head, blue eyes swimming with flecks of deep gold. Ready to sacrifice everything for Logan. “No”, he choked out, “not with so many people in the room.” 

The air around the room became agitated, swirling around Bellatrix and kicking up dirt and dust. “Slytherin’s throne will soon be mine, little knight”, she cooed, a mad glint in her gaze. “You’d be a fool to try and stop me.” A cackle spilled from her lips, making Finn shiver. “These halls will soon be painted with your blood, little knight.” She smirked, and then she was gone in nothing but a flash of dust and lightning.  

~*~*~*~*~*

Remus was the first to move, standing and walking up the stone dais and behind the high table. He spared a glance at the princes, eyes lingering on Sirius’s slumped body, before kneeling beside the king and carefully checking his head for any major wounds. Two knights stood behind him, waiting for him to finish his examination, he nodded at them and stood up, stepping away to check on Regulus, letting the knights handle taking the king to Minerva’s chambers.

Regulus seemed to be alright, other than the magic induced sleep he was in, there was nothing that pointed to a bigger problem, but Remus wasn’t a healer and magic tended to go deep below the surface where no eye could see. He looked around the hall until his eyes met Leo’s and motioned for him to come over. The hall had been emptied after the king got carried out, the only people left were his friends and Pascal, who looked at Logan with worried eyes. 

Leo walked up to Remus. “Want me to check them over?” Remus nodded, shooting him a thankful look. Leo smiled back, gold starting to bleed into his blue irises and got to work. 

Finn held Logan close to his chest, the shorter man shaking and gripping onto Finn’s red shirt like a lifeline. Bellatrix’s words seemed to echo around the room, Slytherin’s throne will soon be mine, little knight. She was planning something, an invasion most likely, and she was definitely getting help from the spirit. Logan took a deep breath and untangled himself from Finn’s arms. “Let’s take Reg and Sirius to Sirius’s chambers.” Away from prying ears and eyes went unsaid. What Leo had been doing was fairly innocent, if you didn’t see the gold of his eyes you’d never know he was using magic, but Logan wasn’t taking his chances. 

Leo nodded for them to help him carry Regulus. Remus went to get Sirius with Lily’s help. The group carried the princes to Sirius’s chambers in silence, a heavy feeling settling over them like a bunch of stones. The moment they entered the room the air seemed to lighten, if only a little. They wouldn’t have to hide here, they could talk and plan like they usually did. They laid the brothers down on the bed gently, letting Leo continue with whatever it was he had been doing in the hall. 

“We need to get these protection charms as soon as possible”, Remus said, breaking the silence that had settled over them back in the hall. 

Remus let his eyes stray to Sirius’s face. He looked asleep, but not peaceful. He also noticed how pale Regulus had gotten. “What’s wrong?” Leo didn’t seem to hear him, he watched Regulus’s face calmly, looking for something. Remus looked at the younger boy, pale face, gaunt cheeks, dark under eyes, pinched face, clammy skin. A nightmare. Regulus was having a nightmare, a vision maybe, and Leo was just watching him. “Leo what are you doing?” 

“Waiting.”

“For what?” 

“For the vision to be over”, Leo answered. Remus saw something like worry flickered across his blue eyes, he didn’t want to keep Reg in that nightmare, he just didn’t have a choice. 

Regulus’s eyes flew open, a harsh gasp falling from his lips. He sat up, looking around the room frantically, breathing heavy. Leo put a hand on his arm gently. “You’re safe.” Blue eyes studied Regulus’s carefully, watched his shoulders tense, and then relax the moment the words registered in his head. “Do you want to talk about it?” Regulus shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. “Ok”, Leo let go of his arm, moving to stand besides Sirius who was still asleep, “you don’t have to talk.” 

Leo placed his hand on Sirius’s forehead, eyes glowing gold. Sirius gave a low groan, silver eyes fluttering open. Remus was at his side in an instant, placing a hand on his shoulder. He itched to gather Sirius up in his arms, but he couldn’t, not until his boyfriend was more aware of his surroundings. The man tensed under his palm for the second it took him to realize who it was. Sirius turned to look at Remus, grey eyes tired. “What happened?” 

“Bellatrix knocked you out and then threatened the entire kingdom. So you know, the usual.” 

“Great”, he said with a tired sigh. “What now.” 

“Well I’m going to talk to June about the charms. We need them as soon as possible”, he spared a glance at Logan who was now talking with his partners. “We’re going to need help with this battle, the knights of Slytherin know nothing about fighting magic users.” 

“I can go back to Ravenclaw to look for James”, Lily said, “maybe Thomas is with him.” 

Remus nodded, giving her a small grateful smile. “Finn”, he looked at the redhead, “do you think Alex can come?” 

“Sure”, Finn shrugged, “he’s always looking for an excuse to get into a fight.” 

Leo whispered something to Logan, a question apparently since the shorter man nodded in response. Remus decided he would ask later, when they had a more solid plan of action. Remus felt Sirius’s arm wrap around his waist, his head settling against Remus’s hip. “How long do you think we have, before she comes back I mean.” 

“As far as we know she’s working alone at the moment”, Lily answered, “Spirits can only do so much, fighting a whole army on her own would be stupid on her part.” 

“So we would have some time to form a plan and get backup?” Sirius frowned slightly, this felt a little too easy. He thought back to earlier that week, when they had rescued his brother. Getting into the house hadn’t been exactly simple, but getting out had. Bellatrix hadn’t been lying on the ground when they left the estate, that had left Sirius feeling uneasy. “Does anyone else feel like this is too simple?” 

“Definitely”, Logan answered, “she’s planning something else. Slytherin’s throne will soon be mine”, he said, repeating Lestrange’s words, “she doesn’t just want the throne. She wants the royal family dead.” 

“What about the other thing she said?” 

Leo answered Lily’s question, a somber look on his face. “These halls will soon be painted with your blood.” 

Lily thought about it. It had sounded like a threat to Logan, but maybe—. “What she said, it was a promise.” 

“Of what?” 

Lily looked at Logan. “She’s going to destroy Slytherin, everything that Orion built. This kingdom was built on blood and war, she’s going to take it all down. Starting by erasing Orion and his bloodline.” 

“She wants to build a safe haven for all magic kind”, Remus added, “but she’s doing it wrong.” 

Leo hugged Logan from behind when he noticed the other man tense at Remus’s words. Leo had almost forgotten that just a few weeks prior Logan had been a part of the problem, it seems Logan hadn’t. The thought made Leo’s chest ache. “As much as we want Slytherin to be safe for us, this isn’t the way to do it”. Leo heard Logan exhale shakily at his words. “You can’t fix something by doing the same thing that ruined it in the first place.” 

“Leo’s right”, Remus said, running his finger soothingly through Sirius’s dark hair, “she can’t just take over and expect all of the people in this kingdom to accept it. Being violent is just adding wood to the fire, and killing Orion is a mistake.” 

“I never thought I’d agree with those words”, Lily said with a little humor. “I can assure you, she will kill anyone that opposes her.” 

“We can’t let that happen”, Sirius said, a determined gleam in his eyes, “we need to get everyone out. Especially the people in the lower town, she will go for them first.” 

Logan leaned back into Leo’s chest, a crease of worry in his face. “We can take them to Salazar’s fortress. It’s close to the river Godric, which solves the water problem.” 

“I can stay with them”, Regulus piped up, “I’ll be more useful there anyway.” 

Lily nodded. She walked to the door, pulling it open. “I’m going to go rest. I leave for Ravenclaw in the morning, it’s a long trip but I’ll try to be back as soon as possible.” She shot them a tired smile and left, the door closing with a loud thud behind her. 

“We should all go to sleep”, Regulus said, getting up. He stumbled slightly, regaining his balance quickly and walking to the door. “We have a long week ahead of us.” 

Everyone else followed after Regulus until the room was empty except for Sirius and Remus. Sirius scooted a little to the side to give his boyfriend space to lie down on. Remus did, wrapping his arms around Sirius when he laid his head on Remus’s chest. He gave a tired sigh, snuggling closer to his boyfriend. “I’m worried about Reg. He still won’t talk about his nightmares.” 

Remus tangled his fingers in Sirius’s hair. “Give him time, love . He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

Sirius made a noncommittal sound. Remus could see a small crease of worry between his brows. Remus let his fingers tangle even more in Sirius’s dark curls, scratching against his scalp gently in soothing patterns. Sirius made a small tired humm, nuzzling his face into Remus’s chest. His breath evened out when he fell asleep, his shoulders relaxing, letting all the stress from the last few months bleed out of his body. Remus held him a little closer, trying to not think about Lestrange’s words or the possibility that he could lose Sirius. It didn’t work. An image appeared at the forefront of his mind, just behind his eyelids. Sirius falling to the ground, eyes unseeing, Bellatrix’s cackle resonating in his ears like a sickening melody. 

[winter-fox-queen]

Final Bets

Summary:  Alejandro enacts his daring plan to get You and your daughter free and clear.  But will things end the way he thought they would, when he foist came when you called?

Warnings:  Some violence, cursing, and the attendant and You are both female.

Final one.  THANK YOU for reading this.  And special thanks to @hnt-escape for being amazing, talented, and putting up with me.  (Also for creating the collages.). Her awesome poem is here:

This time, he knew who was on the other side of the door when someone knocked on it.  He opened it up, resolved, serious, a little nervousness building, coiling inside his stomach.  

The front desk clerk.  Looking equally resolved.  He nods, tosses the key on the bed, and shuts the door.

“You remember what I told you?”  He pulls over in an alley, dropping her off in a blind spot so there’s no record of them together.  Casablanca rises like a debauched king over them, not too far a walk.  He hands her an envelope.  She nods, shoves it away.  He takes her chin gently.  “If it looks dangerous, if there’s even the tiniest bit of danger…run.  Nothing’s worth your life.”

She nods again, smiles.  “You can depend on me.”

“Take your cut before her daughter gets there, leave the bag, and split.”

“You don’t trust her?”

“I didn’t raise her.”  He says, looking at the rearview mirror, watching now, always.  “I could have been…not biologically, I was out of the picture, then.  But if she needed help, I would have come.  I always made sure she had a way to reach me.”  He shrugged.  “So, her kid doesn’t know me…why would she trust me?  And that means I…we…can’t trust her.”

“But you trust me?”

He smiles at her, and nods.  A bit like he’s surprised to admit it.

“Alright.”  She gets out of the car and he reverses down the alley, finds a cruddy lot where the cameras are probably broken and parks.  Pays the guy at the kiosk cash.  Reviews what your daughter told him about security protocols.  Hope you were right, that the whole staff had grown soft, because people were too afraid to try and steal from the Casablanca so the guards were really more show than tell.

Every step, he has two things going on in his mind.  Mentally he’s estimating where the attendant is, sees her enter the casino just ahead of him, so he slows down, resets the timer in his head.  The other thing, of course, is looking for you.

He told her daughter, on the phone earlier, not to let you know.   So when you look at him, at first just a security guard in a trim suit looking for danger, then realization as to who he is warms your eyes and there’s a softness to your face for a moment before the mask slips back into place.

He’s wearing a white shirt and black pants, and the red jacket again.  He know he smells of chlorine and bad decisions.

But still, he makes his way over.  Watches a craps game but does not wager. Cashes the 5,000 chip out.  Thinks. She left the gift shop by now.  She must be at the elevator.  Now she’s on the third floor.  Now it’s the restroom.  Let’s give it a moment, in case someone is in that stall…

He buys one 100.00 chip.  The teller didn’t want to give him something so low, but he just stood there and smiled, with his biggest, sharpest smile, tacky sunglasses hiding his eyes, changing the shape of his face.

He plays the roulette, the ultimate wheel of fortune.  Wins, which is annoying because he knows he doesn’t have time to cash it in, so he dumps in on the tray of a nearby waitress and finishes his approach.

“I’m sorry.”  He says, when he gets close enough.

You frown.  “For what?”

He sticks his hands in his pockets.  Casablanca was one of the casinos that still armed their guards.  The gun was casino property, logged in and out.  

“Everything.  I wish.  I should have gone with you.  I should never even have left you for any reason at all.”

You’re scanning the room, trying to stay composed, but he can see it, a flicker here and there of emotion.

In his head, the elevator dinged.  She’d be leaving, making her way to the doors.  The loot in a brand new bag.  

“I could stand here all day and apologize.  But it won’t matter.”

“Why not?”  Did he hear a little desperation, a little longing?  Or was he hoping to hear it?

“Because of this.”  He grabbed her wrist, slung her roughly around, his right hand yanking her gun out of its holster.  Left arm around her, pressing her to him, right hand shooting in what he hoped was a civilian safe direction before pressing it to her temple.

“I am so sorry sweetheart.”  He whispers in your ear.  

“What do you want?”  you scream.  “Let me go!”

He doesn’t want the guards to think heist.  He doesn’t want them to think money, or danger to the casino.  He wants the other guards to think there is just one problem, and it is right here.  He wants confusion.  

“We’re going outside and you can tell the moon and the stars to stop talking to me!”  He screams.  “I am so fucking sick of them talking to me!”

He starts pulling you back, ranting and raving, into the men’s room.  No cameras, and one of those that was positioned with two sets of doors.  

“Run on through, and start screaming.”  He says, shedding his skin, shoving the red jacket into a bin.  “Your daughter will text you the meeting place.”

The guard ran in only a second later.  They look at the messy haired man, hands up, thick rimmed glasses, blue tee shirt.  

“He took her that way…through the other door.”  His voice is completely different, thick Spanish accent, soft and timid and very afraid and completely non threatening.  

The guard kept going. Alejandro adjusts his glasses, takes one more look at himself in the mirror, and leaves the restroom, flowing through the crowds.  Worried over you.  Hoping you were shedding your skin, too, coming out the other side safe.

There you were.  Hair down.  Suit coat off.  You were wearing a white shell, arms bare.  You winked at him, and then the crowd took you away, just as they started, finally, locking down the casino.  He made it out, barely, and kept walking.

He pulled out of the parking lot, and she was there.  The attendant.  He stopped, smiling up at her, and she took something out of her bag.  A smaller purse.  Tiger stripped gold leather.  She hands it to him.  “To go with your shirt.”  He opens it.  500,00 dollars, probably, give or take.

“Is this?”

“Your share.  I don’t trust her either.”

He tucks it under the seat, behind his legs.  “You know,” he says, contemplatively.  “If we go left, we could go off, become private eyes.  I think you could probably buy your way in to a very new practice.”

She leans on the door.  “And right?”

He grins up at her.  “How do you feel about moral ambiguity?  

“I don’t know.”  She’s smiling a little now.

“Or…I could drop you off at the bus station.  Then you’d really be free.”

She came around to the passenger side and got in.  He started driving away, not wanting to draw any more attention by stalling.

“No to the bus station,” she says after a bit.  “Can I think about the other two?”

“Absolutely.  You have time…I need to drive us somewhere first.  Make sure of something.”  He clears his throat.  “If you don’t mind?”

She shakes her head.  “Does it have to do with the note you asked me to give her daughter?’

“Yeah.  Go ahead and sleep.”  He says.  “It’s a long drive.”

**

He’s sitting on the edge of the pool, tee shirt and shorts, clean shaven.  He looks like no one he’s ever been before.  His legs are in the water, and rose petals swirl around.  The one place you’d be able to find easily.  If you wanted to.

“How long should I wait?”  He asks her.  She’s lounging on a lounge chair, reading a book on basic private investigation.  She hasn’t told him, right or left, yet.  He doesn’t mind waiting.  He can live a long time on half a million dollars.  

“How long did you give her?”

“Twenty four hours.”

“Give her at least 48.  Maybe even 72.  She might have gotten caught up.”

He shakes his head.  “She got clear.  Her kid texted me.”

“Alright.  If we don’t hear anything, we’ll check out the day after tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”  He captures some of the rose petals in his hand.

“Will you…will you be miserable, if she doesn’t come?”

He grins over his shoulder at her.  “No.  I won’t be miserable at all.”

She returns his smile, holds up the book.  “Left, then.”

Thanks to @sharkbait77 and everyone who commented and showed support.

[toraashi]

princess au ft. chuuya nakahara prt 2

Title: Untitled Princess AU prt 2

Pairing: Chuuya Nakahara x Fem!Reader

Warnings/Genre: fluff, swearing, horribly written ending and lots of cringe, nothing bad though. Um also aristocratic standards of beauty are mentioned rip

Word Count: 2,221

Author’s Note: I must’ve gotten hella tired when I originally wrote this because the ending is literally garbage but I don’t want to edit it right now, so here it is for you. Love you all thank you for joining Chuuya princess AU brainrot hours

 She stumbled out of the carriage awkwardly, desperately grabbing her escort for balance. 

“Oi!” Of course, the unsuspecting ginger was caught off guard as she tumbled to the ground. 

“My lady!” The driver exclaimed, but was shot down by the bodyguard’s sharp glare. With a huff, she stood back up, brushing off her dress.

“I’m definitely not suited to this life. Chuuya, why do I have to go to every single damn ball my father is invited to?” The man chuckled.

“Something tells me you’ve been around the staff too much.” He held out his hand, eliciting a soft blush. 

“Look, Chuu-Chuu, I can walk by myself.” 

“Clearly not, and make sure you don’t call me that in front of anybody.”

“Why? Does it embarrass you? Chuu-Chuu! Chuu-Chuu-” With a low growl, he scooped the shorter being up, tossing her over his shoulder and twirling around.

“Shut up! You sound like a goddamn train!” The girl squeaked, giggling as he tickled her sides. The entire scene was entirely unprofessional and illegal, but adorable nonetheless. The duo couldn’t help themselves, for each time they approached each other, explosions equivalent to bombs exploded in their hearts. 

How unsightly.

The king’s right hand flitting around with his liege's daughter.

Upon setting her down, she rested her hand on his elbow, allowing him to walk her inside. 

“Erg. These pins hurt my head.” Before she could reach up to yank them out, her loyal bodyguard caught her gloved hand. 

“The boss won’t be too happy if your hair’s all wild and out, you know.” Pouting, she whined,

“I know, Chuuya, but I hate it!”

“Yeah, well, you’ve got to do it. No prince is gonna want a princess who is all messy.”

“But what if I don’t want a prince?” Her murmured words were enough to cause his breath to catch in his throat. They both knew what she was implying, but it was all for naught.

“[Name]-” 

“Don’t even start with me. I already know.” With a reluctant sigh, he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Are you walking me in?” the redhead huffed, an endearing pink stain coating his cheeks.

“No! That’d be inappropriate!” She fell silent before murmuring,

“I don’t feel comfortable walking in alone. Besides, you’re my bodyguard. It’s no secret that my father is very protective of me. How is it inappropriate?” 

“Because a suitor is supposed to walk in with you!” his hissed words were strained as if he was struggling to form them.

“Introduce yourself as an executive then! I’ve never had to announce myself like this before, Chuuya. Please?” The male hesitated, falling prey to her vulnerable tone and visage. He gave in before he realized it, adjusting her precariously placed tiara and holding out his arm. 

“The things I do for you…” Gingerly, the princess placed her gloved fingers on his arm. 

“Like this?” With a softened gaze, he nodded, walking her up the vibrant crimson carpet. Each movement felt like he was trekking through an endless swamp of cement. Chuuya had no idea how this was going to reflect on his flawless track record, but in his heart, he knew he'd do it a thousand times over if it provided her with some semblance of comfort.

They approached the inner door, a pair of servants swinging them open at the sight of their invitation cards. The ballroom below them was exceedingly elegant, chandeliers glittering of the vast, domed ceilings, gold lining every rampart and ledge. Intricate paintings and murals were displayed above them, and the pair was awestruck at the magnificence. They tentatively walked forward, revealing the majority of the guests, who were all gazing up at the balcony expectantly. The shorter being beside him stiffened with anxiety, her delicately placed hand shaking on his arm. He strode confidently up to the announcer, speaking each word for his charge.

“Princess [Name] of Yokohama.” The weasel-faced man cast him a strange look, but turned, clearing his throat and bellowing the words.

“Her royal highness, Princess [Name] of Yokohama.” the room applauded, but Chuuya could sense the gossip formulating at the oddity before them: King Mori’s heiress attending with her simpleton bodyguard. Chuuya tensed, resisting the urge to protectively leap in front of the lovely lady. 

The walk down the grand spiral staircase was worse than the walk up. All eyes were tracing every movement they made, and it was clear that the attention was searing [Name]’s nerves. After years of constantly being around her, he had learned to recognize what each finger twitch she made represented. 

“Ah! My lady!” A tall blond man approached them immediately after her crystal slippers made contact with the marble floor.  “You look absolutely ravishing in that gown, has anybody ever told you that?” [Name] gave a tight, polite smile.

“Lord Steinbeck. I’m sorry to say that you’re not the first. A very handsome man told me moments before we arrived.” Chuuya felt a smirk touch his lips and desperately tried to hide his oncoming smug expression. 

“Really? Another suitor, perhaps? Surely you rejected him in that feather-soft tone of yours.” 

“Surely.” The male drew closer, dangerously close.

“My lady, what would you do if I proposed you send your “escort” away while I take you around the palace?” Any stray eavesdroppers would surely not think much of Steinbeck’s proposition, but Chuuya knew exactly what kind of man he was and what “touring the palace” really implied, and it made his temper snap.

“Oi-”

“Well, I’d probably reject you in my fancy feather-soft tone.” Steinbeck looked sincerely shocked.

“Hm? You’d rather be constantly hounded by your father’s lackeys all night long?”

“U-uh… of course not! You know that very well, Steinbeck.” His icy blue eyes were blown with pride and mischief.

“I knew you’d relent, princess.” Chuuya felt a growl rumble in his throat, his eyes burning with rage when he lugged her away from him.

“Oi! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You don’t get to do that.”

“Oh? And what say do you have in the matter?”

“Last I checked, it’s my duty to protect the princess, and you don’t seem to have any good intentions in mind.”

“I sense that there’s a bit more to the story,” he smirked deviously, “Isn’t there, Chuuya Nakahara? Escorting a dignified lady, not to mention a princess is a far more intimate action than a bodyguard and executive should partake in.” The man’s fingers trailed a sensuous path down her smooth skin, but she pulled away.

“I did not ask for your affection, My Lord. The affairs of my kingdom are most certainly none of your concern. Perhaps you do things differently in your department, but my staff is eternally devoted to my father and me, so this ordeal is hardly out of the ordinary. I strongly suggest you educate yourself before you make such a bold and faulty accusation.” With a fiery glare, she turned and marched off, her skirts rustling behind her. As was in her nature, she tripped over the indigo hem of them.

“Damn these skirts!” Chuuya quickly recovered from his burst of fury, rushing to her aid.

“It’s unseemly to curse in public, My Lady.” He murmured, balancing her.

“It’s also unseemly to insult my father’s prime business partner’s cousin, Chuuya.” A scoff burned his throat. 

“As if I’d let him taint you like that.” 

“Only him?” Her voice suddenly got timid as she swept herself into a nearby love-seat, running her delicate fingers over the gold embroidery.

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” She flushed, “Eventually it’s bound to happen, you are aware, right?”

“Maybe so, but like hell I’m gonna let it be with some nauseating bastard like Steinbeck.” A small smile colored her cheeks.

“It’s unseemly to swear in public, Chuu-Chuu.” 

It’s unseemly to make me fall for you this hard. He thought, turning his face to hide his minuscule flush.

Throughout the course of the ball, many a man asked for a dance, but she deftly refused all of them, lounging in silence with her red-headed companion. 

“[Name], you need to accept someone.”

“You know how dreadful I am at dancing!”

“So?” She let out an exasperated groan.

“I’m not suited for these sorts of things. I’m not elegant like those duchesses and queens. Not to mention I only seem to feel comfortable around you.” Chuuya felt his heartstrings tug. “Chuuya?” 

“Yeah?”

“Have you seen my father anywhere?”

“No, surprisingly. He’s likely treating Elise.”

“Then I have a proposition.” Training his eyes on her, he examined her determined expression. “Let’s go somewhere else.” 

“[Name]...”

“Just somewhere quieter… please, Chuuya?” His name on her tongue was like a choir of angels to his ears, and with a relenting sigh, he caved.

They finally stopped in the vast library, books lining each wall, a cozy fireplace surrounded by expensive sofas. Normally she’d run her hands over the spines of the novels, gushing about her favorite ones with endless delight, but instead, she tugged him into an obscure corner, looping her arms around his body.

“Chuuya…”

“I knew there was more to this escapade.” 

“Please. Just let me hold you. I know this is taboo, but we’ve known each other for our entire lives. I can’t ignore the feelings I’ve developed for you. I know you feel it too, so please, indulge me just this once. I love you. I love you.” Her grip around his waist tightened in sheer desperation, and the urge to kiss her was more powerful than ever. Her sweet vanilla scent pervaded his nose; her warm body was the perfect size for his arms to wind around. 

“This is impossible.” 

“I know, Chuuya!” Warm wet splotches seeped through his shirt, and the male lifted her tear-stained face, gazing intently into her honey-sweet optics with his fluorescent sapphire ones. 

“Chuuya?” He felt frustration, despair, and endless longing contort his soul. She was so close, yet so far.

“Princess.”

“I want you to kiss me.”

“I can’t.”

“Please, Chuuya.” Her soft words seared his mind with white-hot streaks of temptation. “I don’t care about propriety anymore, please, Chuuya.” Her face grew dangerously close and he could feel her minty fresh breath waft over his face. 

“[Name]...” Finally collapsing, he let his mouth capture hers, but he quickly got caught up in her and her taste. His hand flew to her waist, the texture of the gown silky beneath his fingertips. Leaning closer, she placed her hands on his firm shoulders. Suddenly, she bit down on his bottom lip, fingers sliding up his neck and into his ginger locks. Chuuya involuntarily groaned, backing her up against the wall, his kisses gradually growing rougher. Stringing through his hair, the girl in his arms knocked his hat off, letting out breathy moans. As if against his will, his mouth moved down, smooching a trail of fire down to her jaw.

“God, I love you…”

“Chuuya…” As he showered her in affection, he let his endearment for the princess pour out in waves. As wrong as he knew it was, the sensation of being kissed by someone you loved was euphoric to him. The way she whispered his name was honey to his ears. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”  They split instantly, but Chuuya still rested his hand on her shoulder protectively. 

“Steinbeck.”

“I suppose I was right in thinking something more than a platonic relationship was blossoming between you two. A princess and her father’s right hand, how scandalous.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” The man gave a sardonic smile.

“Wouldn’t I?” Chuuya growled, stepping forward with less than proper intentions.

“Wait!” Both men glanced at her questioningly. “Don’t endanger him, please. I’ll get my father to accept your marriage proposal.”

“No. I won’t let you wed this scoundrel.” With a melancholy smile, she whispered,

“You’re not my father, Chuuya.”

“But it’s my job to watch over your stupid ass, and I’ll kill him before I let him even touch you.”

“Chuuya-”

“All right, I accept, but any tricks and your secret romance will be mercilessly exposed.” The ginger shoved the girl behind him, fury burning in his veins.

“Over my dead body.”

“Is that so?” Chuuya seethed at his words. “If you even touch me, you’ll create an enemy out of a business partner.”

“It’s not worth it, Chuu.” 

“You are worth it.”  Her breath caught.

“You’d lose everything.”

“You’re everything.” A chuckle escaped her smooth lips.

“Exactly.” With an unsatisfied and murderous glare glazing his crystalline eyes, he reluctantly backed down.

“Then it’s a deal? I guess that means we’ll be seeing each other tomorrow, correct? Without your brainless bodyguard, of course.” In an impulsive burst of adrenaline, Chuuya glowed red, sending a bookshelf tumbling on top of the blond. 

“Chuuya!”

“What? He valiantly saved you from the falling bookcase. Why’re you crying to me?” She was stunned, her [e/c] eyes wide and her hair falling out from its precarious updo. Her shining tiara was lopsided and she smiled. It was such a lovely smile and Chuuya could hardly believe that he was lucky enough to see it every day. 

“Chuuya, I know this isn’t safe, but I want to make this work with you, will you at least try?” And with that one sentence, their lips were pressed together once more.

MASTERLIST

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[gwaciechang]

I Don't Want To Go Home (2/15?)

We're kicking off into the actual plot now! The dialogue still comes from the pdas in the outpost base, but rewritten to fit the characters and the new story. Again, no need to have played Subnautica Below Zero to understand this fic, although it does help.

No warnings for this chapter, but please be aware that the reader character discusses an intergalactic pandemic and lockdown, written before the current one. It's not ongoing as far as the plot of the fic is concerned.

As soon as it hits the end of your shift, you put your samples on top of your workstation and practically run all the way back to the habitat to get there before anyone else.

“Oh, hey,” Mundy greets you, “you’re here early,” he attempts to wink seductively and succeeds in looking like he’s having a stroke.

“I know, I ran here to make sure I got here first,” you hang up your coat. “I need to borrow your pyro-what are you doing?” you ask when you realize Mundy’s holding something behind his back

“I’m just slacking off,” Mundy’s voice is shrill in the way it gets when he panics. “Don’t tell the boss lady!” he gives you a terrible, fake chuckle as he tries to hide his drawings behind his back.

You feint to the left, before grabbing the sheets with your right hand. “Ha!” you cheer as you examine his art of some strange green thing that makes you smile to remember. “It’s beautiful! Why would you try to hide these? Also, what are they?” You’ve definitely seen them around the island.

Mundy scratches the back of his neck, and his voice is at least an octave higher than normal. “I'm doing a series inspired by bacteria. Mutant beauty, life, death, risk. You know, that kind of thing?”

Ah, bacteria, now you know what he means. “What do you mean, bacteria?” you hold one up that you really hope isn’t what you think it is. “It looks like Kharaa, but,” you look more closely at it even though you already know why. “Gordon, is this a mutation?”

Mundy’s nervous again. “It’s just a personal art project,” he insists. Somehow, his voice is still rising in pitch.

You don’t dare look down at your skin for fear of seeing glowing green pustules. “You know you’re doing that thing with your voice,” you say as calmly as you can, “like when you're trying to bluff in Alien Intruder?”

Mundy sighs, before confessing, “Alright fine, I’m bad at lying.” He gives you a weakly hopeful smile.

You can hardly believe what you’re hearing. “Are you mutating Kharaa bacteria, from the frozen Leviathan, here, in this lab? If this bacteria gets out, then-”

“Why would it get out? We have professional containment, we’re protected from contact at every step of the process, and we know how to neutralize it in an emergency.”

You feel ice settle in your stomach. “Not when it’s mutated, we don’t. And you responded way too fast.”

“It was my area of research before Jensen made you take over!”

“Hey, uh, am I interrupting something?” Monk asks from the doorway.

“Uh, no,” you say hastily, walking toward the fireplace to start one with more force than is really necessary, or helpful. “You want some roast Chinese potato?” you ask, pulling a few out of the growbed as you wait for the flames to reach a decent height.

“I could take one, I took the salt deposits out of the water filter,” Monk says carefully. “Mundy, you want to shred some marblemelons?”

Mundy starts, like he only just realized Monk was there. “Uh, yeah,” he reaches out to grab the melon from your hand, and his face falls when you don’t let your fingers touch.

There’s a timid knock at the door, followed by an even more timid, “Hello? It’s Ernst.” Suddenly, your heart soars, and you wipe your tears as you open the door.

“Hey, Schmidt.”

He stares at you before asking, “Are you alright?”

Jesus, you must look really miserable, if even Schmidt is concerned about you. “I’m fine, go help Monk and Mundy shred the marblemelons.”

Schmidt puts down a bottle of, holy shit, “Is that lantern fruit wine?”

Schmidt blushes. “I discovered that lantern fruit has a chemical composition similar to-”

“Yeah, no one cares,” Mundy says, pouring at least half the bottle into his glass, making Schmidt wince, before handing it to Monk.

“I don’t drink,” Monk refuses it, so Mundy puts it down. Schmidt picks it up again and hands it to you.

“You’re not drinking?” you ask.

“I can always make some for myself later,” Schmidt demures, but you leave a quarter of the bottle out for him. He looks up at you, just for a second, before looking back down at his feet. “So, how do we play alien intruder?” Schmidt asks in a voice so quiet, it’s almost nonexistent. With his head bowed, it’s even harder to hear him.

“Well, we guess who the alien intruder is,” Mundy stares at Schmidt like he’s an imbecile, something you doubt the robotics technician has any experience with.

He shrinks ever further into himself at the accusation. He doesn’t get any better when the game starts, constantly looking at you before doing anything, which gets him accused of being the alien, more out of Mundy’s jealousy than anything else. You know this, so you keep shooting down Mundy’s accusations.

Monk innocently kicks off the argument. “If you ask me, Schmidt’s been blinking a lot,” he says casually. “I think it's a tell.”

“He does have a point there!” Mundy looks at you.

“It's allergies!” Schmidt says stiffly.

“Allergies?! Oh no!” Mundy says mockingly. “Is something in bloom in our little frozen habitat?”

“There are thermal lilies,” Schmidt scowls at him. “And if you gang up on me, I swear, you're all fired.”

“You're not our real boss,” Monk reminds him.

“Let's just take this to a vote,” Mundy downs his glass and slams it on the floor. All those who think Schmidt’s allergies are a bad case of alienitis, say, ‘Intruder.’ Intruder!”

“Intruder,” Monk cheers.

The two turn to you, but you stay nothing except, “I’m going to use my pass.”

“There’s no such thing as a pass!” Mundy argues.

Schmidt slides himself between you and Mundy. “Are you two cheating?” he asks with smoothness he hadn’t displayed all night. “You two are suddenly very aligned.”

“You know what, I’m starting to wish I had cheated,” Mundy looks directly at you, leaving no way for you to miss his meaning.

Neither did Schmidt, because he’s on his feet, screaming for Mundy to apologize. Mundy jumps up to his feet as well, and your heart thumps in your chest. You press your hand against Schmidt at the same time Monk does the same for Mundy, but Monk actually manages to force Mundy to sit down again. All you can do is stand between the two of them and hope.

“No, wait, don’t,” you press a hand ineffectually on Schmidt’s chest at the same time Monk does the same for Mundy. But Monk manages to force Mundy to sit down. All you can do is stand between Schmidt and Mundy, and hope neither of them speak again.

Schmidt searches your face, and whatever he finds has him take a step back. “I made a mistake, coming here,” he says, his voice stiff and formal. “Thank you for inviting me, and I’m sorry I caused so much tension. I’ll go now,” and he turns and exits the room.

“It wasn’t your fault!” you won’t let him take all the blame, and you follow him out of the room. The moment the door closes behind you, he turns around and takes your hands in his. You hadn’t realized how cold your hands had become until you felt his soft, warm skin around yours.

“I’m the new person, the outlier. Monk and Mundy will be more than happy to blame any existing tension from today on me,” his voice is oddly desperate. “Go back in, let them construct their narrative, and have fun like you normally would.”

You shake your head. “The tension between me and Mundy isn’t going to go away until I resolve this-” you freeze. Schmidt is in the cave with the leviathan all day, so there’s no way he has no idea what Mundy’s been doing.

Schmidt lets go of you and holds his hands up. “What do you need help with?”

Well, you can’t trust Mundy, so you might as well see how deep this conspiracy goes. “The Kharaa samples from the frozen leviathan-”

“Is nothing to worry about in and of itself,” his tone is reassuring, almost. The way the light reflects off his glasses obscures his eyes.

“I have it on good authority that mutation experiments are being performed on this bacterium. I don’t need to tell you that the bacteria, as it was, killed billions, and we’ve only just discovered a cure. If it mutates-”

“Are you feeling unsafe?” Schmidt interrupts.

“Yes!”

He takes his glasses off to look at you eye to eye. “If I escalate the issue for you, will you feel comfortable enough to concentrate again? I have deadlines for the Snowfox and the mining bots coming up. I really need you not to fight with our coworkers.”

“Oh,” you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, “yeah.” A giggle bubbles out of your chest. “That’s a relief, actually.”

Schmidt puts his glasses back on, but his gaze is no less severe, or sincere. “Nothing is more important than your safety, and the safety of all of my crew. I will take care of it, do you trust me?”

You nod enthusiastically. “Thank you, I won’t let you down, sir,” you add a cheeky wink to the end.

The corners of his mouth twitch. “No, thank you, and thank you for inviting me. Go back in and,” he hesitates as the corners of his lips droop, “go have fun with Monk and your boyfriend.”