#i am not separating those tags i will be eaten alive but actually why

[jacepi-time]

Why is it always the shows that promote the value of friendship and healthy close bonds between friends and have barely any romance that are the ones that have the most vile shipping wars

[radioromantic-moved]

“house call”

a chapter in a longer fic i’ve been working on, which i won’t post because it’s something like 25 pages already and i’m only halfway done with it. but you get this one because i’ve finally gotten to the part with actual romance (yay)

tw for some mentions of death, but nothing graphic or specific

tagging the people who wanted it: @mxmcduck @ship-trek @loverboypercy @tsundere-selfship 

word count: 1200

A few days before Jon wakes up (although nobody knew that at the time), Nyx takes a walk through the tunnels and decides to do something stupid.

They think they have a plan, although as per usual, they’re only about halfway sure of the security of it. Also as per usual, if their plan goes wrong, they will most likely die. The little voice in the back of their head that sounds like Jon tells them that they are definitely going to die, and Nyx decides to not-die even harder to spite it. 

They know where the door is. Or at least they think they do, and then it turns out they’re right. So far, the plan is going great. They push it open and step inside, and don’t close it behind them (they don’t know if that makes a difference, and if the plan goes right it won’t, but they do it anyway because they are contrary and difficult by nature). 

Helen is there. They’re pretty sure there wouldn’t be a way for her to not be there, but it’s nice that that’s also gone how they expected it to. 

If she’s surprised, she does an excellent job of not showing it. “What are you doing here?” she asks. Her voice has something in it that’s one part amusement and one part some other unknown thing.

Nyx shrugs. “Visiting.”

She looks them up and down. Looking into her eyes for too long makes them feel a little dizzy. “You’re lucky I’ve just eaten, you know,” she says at last. 

“I sure am!” Nyx says cheerfully.

“Really, though. Why are you here? There are much easier ways to run from your problems.”

“I know. I’m not trying to run from my problems. This is honestly more like running into my problems, if ya think about it. Okay, um, I like you, which is stupid of me, but I’m really good at being smart about stupid things. And I’m also really good at getting myself into super dangerous trouble, so I combined those two things and figured there was, like, an eighty percent chance that you weren’t gonna kill me. And as for the other twenty percent…that’s where the super dangerous trouble comes in, I guess.”

Helen tilts her head to the side, slightly. A little bit of the rest of her tilts to the side with it. “What makes you so confident I won’t kill you?” she asks.

Oh, they’re getting to the good part now. “It would be boring. You like me because of that stuff I mentioned earlier. I’m smart at being stupid and I like getting into trouble, which makes me unpredictable, and you like when stuff is unpredictable. If I was a threat to you, you might want to get rid of me, but we’re friends right now and I’m funny and not super high up on your list of priorities to get rid of at the moment. Plus, you just ate.”

Helen looks thoughtful. “For an unaligned human, you’re sincerely one of the strangest people I’ve met,” she says. “But you are clever. I’ll give you that.”

“So does this mean you’re not gonna kill me?”

“Not right now.”

Even though they were pretty sure they were on the right track to begin with, they do feel a quick rush of relief. If Jon heard that they’d died by basically walking into the mouth of the beast, he’d resurrect them so he could kill them again.

“In that case, can I tell you about this book I read the other day? You’d like it. It’s so bad it’s hilarious. Kind of makes you feel like you’re losing your mind.”

Helen smiles, and by now Nyx is used to the teeth that are a little too sharp. “Why not?”

They talk for a while--Nyx isn’t sure how long. There aren’t any windows in the Distortion, and they find that they’ve stopped feeling hungry, or thirsty, or tired. Which they could kind of get used to. They could also get used to the hallways that keep stretching as they pace down them until they decide to turn around, at which point they begin again to stretch the other way. 

Helen is a good listener. She acknowledges them at all the right places, but mostly she lets them talk about the nonsensical romance plot between a half mermaid and her tortured vampire-centaur boyfriend. When they finally stop, she sits down next to them on a couch that wasn’t there a second ago.

“The door is open. You can leave,” she says.

“In a sec.”

Looking at her for a prolonged period has moved from “migraine-inducing optical illusion” to “looking at a computer in the dark.” A little weird, and your eyes hurt, but possible.

“I know you’re not exactly the same as Helen when I met her. Or you. You know what I mean. But I like you, a lot, the same way I liked her, and I don’t think it really matters if you’re her or someone else or just you. Which is terrible news for me! I know. But in the interest of full disclosure, and all, there you go. I like you very much, you spirit of terror. Do with that what you will.”

“You know,” Helen says, “you’re the first one to tell me it doesn’t matter whether I’m still Helen or not.” She laughs a little, shakes her head. “Figures.”

She turns to Nyx now, to look at them head on, and oh, whoa, there are those eyes again. “You are aware,” she says, “that I am a monster. I am stronger than you in nearly every way, and you and I both know that your life is hanging by a few very thin lines. I’m just making sure--and this is very kind of me--I’m making sure that you’re aware of all this. Are you still sure you want to keep going where this is going?”

“If you’re okay with that,” they say. “Don’t worry. This is all according to plan.”

“And what,” Helen asks, “is the next step in your plan?”

“This,” they say, and they kiss her.

They know all about the idea of a kiss so good it’s indescribable and all that. This is a kiss that is genuinely indescribable. It feels like static and glitter and velvet and just a little bit like fear, and Nyx sees fractals open behind their eyes. They wonder for a second if this is what it feels like to die, and decide it’s alright, all things considered.

They don’t die, though. 

They separate, and because their mouth is constantly moving faster than their brain, the first thing Nyx says is, “Ha, now it’s going to be especially hard for you to kill me.”

“Be quiet,” says Helen, “and leave before I really do trap you in here for thinking too highly of yourself.”

They salute, because they are a dork, and walk out the door.

They walk out the door, and they are alive. They wonder how they’re going to explain this to Jon. Or Melanie. Or Basira. They also wonder, while they’re at it, how they keep getting away with these things.

[kates-sweet-escape]

For the longest time  [ HW | F ]

pairing: Hyungwon X Reader (Gender neutral)

genre: Fluff

word count: 3.8k

summary: You and Hyungwon have been friends for the longest time. But a night out in Seoul might change that forever. 

cover: Made by me. Picture credit to Naver Dispatch.

song: “Jealousy” by Monsta X

lyrics:  “There is nothing between us. So what is this? Why do you keep getting on my nerves?”

“You’re aware of the fact that you’re being extremely petty right now?” You almost had to scream at the top of your lungs to make your voice heard over the loud music that was blasting from the huge high-end speakers. You were in one of Seoul’s hottest nightclubs to party. Because you had something to celebrate. Your best friend’s first gig as a DJ. But instead of dancing the night away to the songs that Hyungwon was mixing so perfectly, you’d somehow gotten yourself caught up in this mess.  

You looked at Minhyuk who was standing right in front of you being way too close for comfort. You’d been friends with Minhyuk for a while now, but this… You could clearly see the barely visible pink highlights in his grey contact lenses. Even in the dimmed lights that were illuminating the bar right next to the dance floor. That’s how close he was. And if you hadn’t been that used to Minhyuk completely ignoring your personal space, you might have really felt uncomfortable.

He looked at you with a stern expression on his face before he nodded. “Yes. 100%.”

So he was serious. Great. “Then why do you-”

“Because that’s the only way Jihye will realize that she has done something wrong.” Minhyuk looked over his shoulder and towards the VIP booth across from the dancefloor where you had been seated upon entering the club with Hyungwon. Jihye was sitting at the table surrounded by Hoseok, Hyunwoo and Kihyun. Usually she loved all the attention. But today she didn’t seem too happy about it. Her big brown eyes were transfixed on Minhyuk, not minding Kihyun at all who seemed to be talking to her. Her expression had hardened, making her look almost angry as she was watching Minhyuk very closely. You shouldn’t take part in any of it. You weren’t on good terms with Jihye to begin with. You should just pull out of this whole show that Minhyuk was putting on for her to see. And not only because this was childish and stupid. But also because you knew what it felt like to be eaten alive by jealousy.

Minhyuk smiled a little before he leaned in a little further towards you, making you able to clearly smell the cologne he was wearing. “She’s looking this way. Laugh. Like I said something funny.”

You scoffed as you saw Jihye clenching her jaw. This was just ridiculous. “I don’t think you’re very funny.”

“Well, that’s because you have a rotten sense of humor.” Minhyuk pouted a little, fully aware of the fact that you were weak to him playing cute. “Come on Y/N. Please!”

“Minhyuk, this is insane.” Yet you still faked a laugh, even placing your hand on his shoulder just to really help him with his little charade. You were definitely way too smitten with that guy. “You're both grown-ups. Just talk it out for Christ’s sake.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried that already?” Minhyuk, who was known for being a tease, took your hand from his shoulder and held it for a lot longer than he should have. “I did. Countless times. But this is the only way she’ll even notice that I am angry about something. You know how she is.”

Yeah, you knew. That’s why you shouldn’t get involved in this. Because that woman was borderline crazy. You sneaked a peak towards the booth. Jihye looked really angry, her plush lips pressed together into a small line. You let go of Minhyuk's hand and took a small step back. That should do the trick.

Jihye and Minhyuk where the kind of couple that you’d seen in countless movies. They were always fighting. And if they weren’t fighting, they were in the process of making up. At first, you’d thought that it was kind of funny. But after two years with front row seats to all their drama, you were just tired of it all.

“Gosh. How are the two of you even still together?”

Minhyuk smirked a little, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Dedication. Loyalty. And lots of-”

“If you want me to play along, you better not finish that sentence.”

“Love.” He giggled a little. “And lots of love, Y/N.”

You clicked your tongue in annoyance. You knew what he’d really meant to say. You’d been friends with him for long enough to know what was going on in that funny little brain of his. “You’re the worst.”

You were looking for the bartender who’d taken your order a while ago, but since this place was packed, it seemed like you’d still have to wait for a little longer to get your drinks. You’d wanted to go alone, but Minhyuk had tagged along. And now you knew exactly why. Gosh, you wished that Jooheon hadn’t been busy tonight. Then you wouldn’t have to play the decoy. Those two were usually flirting with each other anyway. But since he was caught up at work, you’d just have to play Minhyuk’s flirt of choice.

Great. Just great.

Minhyuk let out a deep and drawn out sigh. “Don’t you think I feel pathetic for doing this? Because trust me, I do. And I know that you don’t like her an-”

“What are you two talking about?”

You were glad that the loud music completely swallowed up the loud yelp of surprise you’d let out. “Changkyun!” You pressed your hand against your heart that was beating rapidly inside your chest as you looked towards the youngest of the group. He was rocking a pair of round glasses, black nail polish and a man bun. “Hell, don’t ever do that again!”

“Do what again?” You were met with Changkyun’s usual expression of faked innocence that just gave away the fact that he’d done this on purpose just to annoy you.

“Creeping up on me like that!” You hated being surprised. Which was exactly why Changkyun had done it in the first place. That little bastard. Why were you friends with him again? Oh yeah, right. Because you adored all of Hyungwon’s friends. “Make a noise if you move, would you? You’re not a friggin’ cat.”

“I make plenty of noise. You just can’t hear it because of the loud music.” Changkyun smiled at you smugly before pointing towards the DJ booth where Hyungwon was playing one amazing set after the other. “By the way, is it just me, or is Hyungwon on fire tonight?”

“You bet your ass he is.” Minhyuk let out an impressed whistle and you couldn’t help to feel an immense amount of pride as you watched the crowd cry out in approval upon the smooth song transition that you knew Hyungwon pulled off effortlessly. “Those beat drops and song transitions? The crowd is going nuts over them.”

You looked at Hyungwon who was staring down towards his DJ gear. He seemed to be lost in his own little world again, with those giant headphones dangling from his neck. He was wearing a black T-Shirt and his hair had this surreal silver color you’d helped him apply in the bathroom only a few hours ago. He looked up at the crowd again before he initiated another beat drop, jumping up and down with them as it kicked in.

Seeing him like this, at the DJ booth, working diligently while the crowd went wild over what he did, was still foreign to you.

It was like he wasn’t Hyungwon anymore. It was like he’d completely transformed into H.One. And even though you hated to admit it, you kind of liked it. Because you knew how much he loved this. How much his music meant to him. You’d talked about it with him countless times whenever he came over to your apartment to show you a new song. You would both lie on the floor, right next to one another, and just listen to it in the silence of your apartment.

And those moments were some of your most treasured memories.

You smiled as Hyungwon suddenly looked up and your eyes met for a few seconds over the large crowd that was separating you from him.

He was looking right into your eyes. You still needed to get used to this new look with the blue eyes and the silver hair. But no matter which colored lenses he wore or what hairstyle he was having you’d always be able to recognize him straight away. Because he would always be your best friend Hyungwon. And nothing would ever change that.

You really shouldn’t stare at him for this long. People would misunderstand. So you nodded at Hyungwon one final time before you refocused on your conversation with Minhyuk and Changkyun. “I told you guys that he’s that good.”

“How were we supposed to know?” Minhyuk sounded a little offended. “He never talks about his music.”

Changkyun cocked up his eyebrow before looking at you intensely, which you chose to ignore. “Well with us he doesn’t”

“And we are his roommates.” Minhyuk narrowed his eyes but his lips were still showing a hint of that proud smile he’d had on his lips ever since Hyungwon had told them about this gig. “That little traitor.”

Okay, that was enough. You turned towards Minhyuk. “First of all, he’s taller than you, Minhyuk. So you shouldn’t call him little.”

“But-”

“And second of all, are you really surprised that he doesn’t want to talk about his music with any of you?” Because you sure as hell weren’t. You loved these idiots to bits, but they could be a real pain in the ass. “You always tease him for being a DJ.”

“No, we don’t.”

“You do.” You’d seen it for yourself on multiple occasions. And you were so over it by now. Hyungwon wasn’t like all those countless college kids that thought of themselves as the next David Guetta just because they had seen some DJ Youtube tutorial once. No, Hyungwon had actual skill. “And I swear to God if I ever hear any of you call him H. Aoki ever again, I’m gonna start throwing punches.”

“You know, Y/N” Changkyun was looking towards the DJ booth before suddenly leaning into you, his lips brushing over your earlobe as he started speaking again. “You’re kinda hot when you get angry about something.”

You rolled your eyes, completely unfazed by any of it. Changkyun was as much of a tease as Minhyuk was, flirting left and right wherever he went. You’d seen him have countless flings in the past. With men and women. So you knew he was only playing around to annoy you. Because if Changkyun had really wanted to flirt with you, he’d be a lot smoother about it.

You shoved him and Changkyun let out a dry laugh as he stumbled backwards, only missing some poor fella by a mere inch.

“Shut up, Kyun. Seriously.” You felt a light tap on your shoulder and turned around towards the bartender who’d finally gotten your order ready. You reached for your money, but Minhyuk was a lot faster, handing the guy a 50.000 Won bill before picking up Jihye’s martini and Hoseok's coke and his own vodka-energy and heading towards your booth.

In the corner of your eye you could already see how Changkyun tried to escape, but you grabbed him by the ear and dragged him towards the bar. “You aren’t going anywhere.” You nodded in Hyungwon’s direction before handing Changkyun the water you’d ordered for him. “Bring him his water.”

Changkyun let out a deep sigh, but he took the glass of water off the counter before grabbing his beer. “You know that I’m not your slave, right?”

“You're the youngest,” you said with a smirk on your face as you picked up the rest of the drinks, including your own. “That’s basically the same as being a slave.”

“Can’t you give him his water?” Changkyun glanced nervously towards the DJ booth. “I don’t wanna get close to him right now.”

“What?” Something was seriously wrong with this kid.

Changkyun bit down on his lower lip, looking a lot less tough even though the tattoos on the side of his neck usually made him seem like a total badass. But when it came to his hyungs he was really just a nervous mess sometimes. “He might kill me.”

“Why?” You laughed a little. It was always fun to watch the guys putting Changkyun in his place. God knew that cocky kid desperately needed it. “Did you tease him again?”

Changkyun looked at you in utter disbelief before he started giggling like a preschooler. “Wow. You’re so dense.”

“What?!”

Changkyun took a huge step forward. “See you later, Y/N!”

“No! Hey, Kyun! What are you talking about?” You stretched out your hand to grab him by the collar, but Changkyun was already out of reach, sticking out his tongue as he disappeared within the crowd.

“The show tonight was really great. The crowd loved you.”

“Mh.” Hyungwon seemed to be completely lost in thought as he was walking right beside you. He’d been oddly quiet ever since you’d said goodbye to the others at the club. They’d stayed behind because they’d still wanted to keep on partying but you’d been tired. Work had been tough lately. So you’d been grateful when Hyungwon had suddenly shown up at the booth, telling you that he wanted to leave because his gig had just ended. And since it had kind of become a tradition that he’d walk you home after a night out, usually taking you on a little stroll around town to sober up a bit while talking to you, you’d left with him immediately without thinking twice.

But now you were kind of second-guessing that decision. Maybe you should have gotten a cab instead. It would have been a lot less frustrating. And a lot less awkward.

“What did the manager say?” You tried your best to keep the conversation going. If you could even call it that. Because it was mainly just you babbling on and on while Hyungwon kept his mouth shut. “Will you be able to have a gig there again?”

“Mh.”

Slowly you were starting to get angry. At least you’d be home in a matter of minutes. “I bet he’s gonna make you a regular in no time. He’d be a bloody idiot if he didn’t.”

“Mhm.”

Your apartment door finally came in sight and you let out an annoyed sigh. You’ve been friends with Hyungwon for over 6 years now, meeting him in your first year of college and becoming best friends in a matter of months. And in all those years, you’d never felt uncomfortable around him. Until tonight.

There had never been that much awkward silence between the two of you. And you hated it. But there was nothing you could do about it. Because apparently, Hyungwon had just chosen to act like an utter idiot tonight. Maybe his first big gig had already gotten to his head. Or maybe he just didn’t feel like talking to you. But whatever was going on with him tonight, you sure as hell weren’t having any of it.

“You know if you don’t feel like talking just say so, instead of acting like a complete prick.” You came to a halt in front of your apartment, eyeing Hyungwon who finally seemed to actually look at you for the first time ever since you’d left the club. “Newsflash: I don’t need you to walk me home. I’m a grown up and more than capable of protecting myself.” You could see him clenching his jaw in anger, but you didn’t care. You were just as angry as him. Maybe even a little angrier. You’d looked forward to him taking you home. You liked those little late night strolls you shared because that was the only time you actually had him all to yourself. Where you could openly and freely talk to him. But he’d taken that away from you by acting this way. Which made you furious. “So next time you don’t have to force yourself to come along.”

“Oh give me a break.” Hyungwon narrowed his large eyes, the cold and angry stare sending shivers down your spine. But you weren’t backing down. Not this time. “I didn’t force myself to come along and you know it.”

“Do I? Because you’ve given me the silent treatment for the past thirty minutes and I don’t even know why.” You crossed your arms in front of your chest. “Care to explain now?”

Hyungwon opened his mouth, almost as if he wanted to start talking, but after a few seconds, he shut it again, staying as silent as he had been for the past thirty minutes.

You’ve seriously had enough of this. “Goodnight, Hyungwon.”

You turned his back on him, punching in the code to your apartment with so much force that you feared you might break the number pad. But you just couldn’t get yourself to care. You were still way too angry to focus on anything else.

You opened your door as soon as it was unlocked but just as you wanted to step inside your dark little hallway, you were shoved forwards, struggling to stay on your feet as you stumbled inside.

“What the hell?” You looked back at Hyungwon who was coming in right behind you before he closed the door with a loud thud. “I don’t remember inviting you in.”

He didn’t seem to care much for your words because he didn’t make any move to leave. He even had the nerve to take off his leather jacket. “This isn’t over.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” You pointed towards the door while taking off your shoes. Right now you really didn’t want to see his face any longer than absolutely necessary. “I have nothing more to say to you.”

Hyungwon grabbed a hold of your wrist as you tried to get away from him. “But I do.”

“Well, you could have said it on the way here.” You scoffed. “It’s four in the morning. Just-”

“Why the f*ck was he standing so close to you?”

Hyungwon’s sudden outburst of anger left you speechless. You’d never heard him raise his voice. At least not towards you. But now he was looking at you, with a fire in his eyes that you feared could be used for mass destruction. He was obviously really angry. And you had no idea why.

“What? Hyungwon, you aren’t making any sense right now.”

“Minhyuk.” Hyungwon suddenly took a huge step towards you, his chest almost touching yours as he looked down at you, his eyes not leaving yours. “He was this close to you, wasn’t he?”

Suddenly you had trouble breathing. Since when was it that hot in your apartment? Was the AC broken?

“I…” You stopped, unable to focus on anything but the distinctive smell of his cologne and the warmth of his body. “Could you take a step back?”

“Why? You seemed to be pretty comfortable with the other guys coming that close to you. Changkyun too.” Hyungwon snarled. You’d never seen him like this before. “He was even closer to you, right?” He took another step towards you, his hand grabbing you by the waist as you tried to take a step back. “Like this.” He leaned in even further, making your head spin with the feeling of his lips touching your ear. You could feel his breath on your skin. “I could see his lips touching your ear.”

“Hyungwon, stop.” You placed your hands on his chest, pushing him back a little. You had a hard time forming coherent sentences. You’d had a crush on him since day one, but since you’d become friends you’d always suppressed it. But having him this close to you wasn’t really helping. Quite the contrary. It was dragging all your pent-up feeling right back to the surface. Which was very, very dangerous to say the least. “What’s gotten into you? They were just messing around and you know it.”

Hyungwon shook his head, his fingers digging into your clothes even harder. “No, I don’t. And you shouldn’t just assume that either.”

“Minhyuk is in a relationship.”

“But Changkyun isn’t. So you shouldn’t let him this close to you.” You couldn't believe your ears. Did he really just say that? “That kid might misunderstand.”

Your brain didn’t seem to be able to focus on anything Hyungwon said, so you just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “That kid is only two years younger than you.”

By the way Hyungwon’s expression hardened, you knew that you’d said something terribly wrong.

Hyungwon’s voice sounded more like an angry growl than anything else. “You really shouldn’t take his side right now.”

“Seriously, what has gotten into you?” You tried to push him away but he just wouldn’t budge. He used to be a paper doll! What the hell was going on right now? “You’re acting really weird right now. If I didn’t knew any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

Your words were followed by a heavy silence. You couldn’t possibly be right about this. That would be just ridiculous. Hyungwon wasn’t-

Hyungwon suddenly started speaking again. “What if I were?”

You could feel your heart sink in your chest. Was this some sick joke? Some prank that he pulled on you? “This isn’t funny.”

“Do you see me laughing?” He sounded dead serious. And just by your heart rate suddenly increasing, you knew you were in serious trouble.

Okay. Time to reason with him. And with that stupid heart of yours. “Hyungwon, we’re friends.”

“What if I don’t want to be just friends anymore? What if I want to be more than that?” Hyungwon suddenly lowered his voice. Now he was almost whispering. “What if I want to be able to be this close to you whenever I damn well please?” He came closer again, his nose brushing against yours as he was staring straight into your eyes, not even budging an inch. “What if I want to have the right to tell those two idiots off, when they’re too close to you again?”

Your brain had a hard time processing his words. “Why would you want that?”

“Because I like you, Y/N.” Hyungwon didn’t even flinch as he said those words that you’d secretly wanted to hear since the first day you’d met him. “And I have liked you for a very long time.” His lips brushed over your cheek ever so slightly, making your head spin and your stomach clench with anticipation. His next words shattered your friendship into a million little pieces while at the same time they opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities you’d always thought of as being tightly shut.

“So what do you say? Should we stop this little game now? Because I’ve been waiting for you to be mine for the longest time.”

[hopeduckling13]

A Wish Come True: Chapter 16

Summary:  How quickly can your mood change from pure happiness to pure horror? In a millisecond.The day Killian and Emma found out they were true love, they were ecstatic. That is until, they were forced to say goodbye to each other. For forever. Or so they thought.Can they still manage to find their true love for each other after five years of seperation or is it too late?

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Ship: Captain Swan

Rating: M

Setting: 5 years after 5x20 Firebird

Also on AO3, FF.net and Wattpad

Catch up on Tumblr: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15]

Reblog to be tagged in future chapters: @mcakers

~~~ EMMA’S POV ~~~

 My head is resting on Killian’s bare chest. I run my hand softly through his chest hair, which I never thought I’d find attractive, but Killian can really pull that off. His hand plays with my hair.

We’re both at total peace, coming down from our high. I wish it would never end.

I lean up on my elbow and kiss Killian softly. “You think we could get away with just staying here like this for all eternity? Like freeze this moment and live in it forever?”

He smiles brightly and puts his hand on my cheek, caressing it softly. “Probably not, Swan. Not in this town.”

I sigh, even though I was already aware of the answer.

“It’s actually been more peaceful, though,” I say. “Maybe we’ll be able to have a relatively normal life from now on.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that, love.” He puts his hand on mine, which is still resting on his chest. He softly caresses it with his thumb.

“I love you,” I say. “So much. And I’m never letting you go again.”

In the past, I never would’ve thought, that I’d ever be able to just tell someone that I love them without hesitation. Even five years ago, when I was definitely feeling it, I only ever told Killian about my feelings, when we were facing certain death. Or whenever we were on the cusp of getting separated for an unknown amount of time. I was scared, then. But I’m not now.

Seeing him die and missing him for five long years sort of put things into perspective.

Now, I know that saying those three little words won’t change a thing – not for the worse anyway. However, it does make both me and Killian happy. Very.

Love is indeed a part of all happiness and now, I’m open to that. My love for Killian is more intense than ever and I’m definitely not scared of it. Not in the least.

“I love you, too.” He intertwines our fingers and leans in to kiss me, but then my stomach growls loudly. I totally forgot that I haven’t eaten anything today.

I sigh and sit up. Killian does, too.

“I’ll go make us some breakfast at…” I glance at the clock on the wall. “Noon.”

Now that would be Henry’s preferred time for breakfast. I chuckle.

I get up from the bed and pick up Killian’s shirt and my panties from the floor. I put both of them on.

I turn to Killian and walk back to the bed. I climb into it and straddle Killian’s lap. I give him a quick peck. He pouts at me and rolls on top of me, tickling my waist. I laugh and try to push him away. He won’t budge, so I pull his head down to mine and kiss him.

That does the trick. It distracts him enough, so I slip out of bed. I continue to walk away.

“I must say, you look great in my clothes. They actually look much better on you than they’d ever look on me, love. But what am I supposed to wear now?” He raises his eyebrow.

“I have some of your old shirts in my closet. Just pick one of those.” I say. I’ll be wearing the one that smells just like him.

“Sure, love. I’ll take a quick shower and then join you downstairs. I really missed the running water in the Underworld.” He gets up and walks over to me. He pecks my lips and smiles at me.

I walk away then, making sure to put some extra sway to my hips to tease him. His gaze is definitely following my every move. I can feel it.

I have a smirk on my face the whole way towards the door. That will probably be a nice, cold shower.

If I wouldn’t be in need of some real food, I’d definitely join him in the shower.

  Downstairs I get some pancake mix out of the kitchen cabinet. I also get myself a frying pan and other stuff I need.

I start to make the pancakes until I hear the door open. I take the pan from the stove and walk closer to the door. It’s my parents.

“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?” I ask curiously.

They walk inside my kitchen and set a big basket and a bag from Granny’s on the desk. I smell grilled cheese and onion rings. Great! Do we have a twin thing now, where they just instinctively knew I was hungry?

In the basket is a bottle of red wine, roses, and quite a few chocolates in all kinds of flavors.

What the hell is going on? Is this supposed to be a care package? What happened?

Oh, wait! Shit! Mom probably ran into Carter and now she’s here to convince me to take him back. Well, that isn’t happening. I’m happy with my true love. I don’t need Carter in my life. I never did, no matter what my mom might think.

Both my parents pull me into an embrace.

My mother begins to speak first. “Oh, Emma. We heard about what happened with Carter. We’re so sorry, sweetie.”

They pull away again and mom looks at me with pity. Dad weirdly looks pretty much okay. He’s probably celebrating our break up in his head as we speak. He never liked Carter and I really appreciate that. He just seems to get me unlike mom. We understand each other.

Or it’s just the fact, that he’s so damn overprotective.

But I doubt that’s the case.

He also didn’t like Killian at first, but all that changed the longer we were together. But even after years, my dad isn’t okay with Carter.

I doubt that’s a coincidence.

“We brought you some things to make you feel better,” Dad says and motions towards the basket and the grilled cheese.

We have a lot to talk about, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some onion rings first, right?

I grab the bag and inhale the scent of my favorite food. So good. I have to stop myself from moaning at the smell. It’s just so amazing!

I take an onion ring out of the bag and bite into it. Then I continue the conversation.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to worry about me.” I bite into a grilled cheese this time. Maybe it’ll distract my parents and make them leave.

I try to get out of this conversation, after all. It probably won’t work. Not with Carter’s biggest fan being in this house.

Will telling them about Killian being back shut her up? I’m not even sure if she would be okay then. She seems to like Carter more, I think, which might be because they’re co-workers.

I just don’t get it? How can you support a relationship, that obviously makes your daughter unhappy?

“Emma, please, don’t shut us out again. You can talk to us.” Mom takes my hands in hers. “You’re obviously not fine. Your hair is a mess. Your skin is all flushed because you’ve been crying all morning. You seem exhausted. You’re eating pancakes in the middle of the day, wearing Carter’s shirt.”

Carter’s shirt? Is she blind? Carter’s style isn’t even half as sexy as Killian’s. He would never wear a shirt as amazing as this. He doesn’t have good taste, which is why he was always a safe choice for being my ‘fake’ boyfriend. There was never any danger of me falling for him because he’s just that boring.

“This isn’t Carter’s shirt, it’s Killian’s,”  I say matter-of-factly.

My mom sighs. I could swear she’s about to facepalm herself. This whole thing infuriates her, but I don’t care. I’m not giving Carter another chance. We’re over.

“Emma, honey, I understand you’re still hurt, but don’t let the whole Hook situation ruin a good thing for you. Carter is great and he loves you so much. He’s the best thing that ever happened to you. You must give him another chance. Don’t give up on the two of you just because it seems hard right now. Don’t get scared off.” She gives me a smile, which is probably supposed to encourage me.

But it doesn’t. I’m not scared of anything after all. Not anymore.

I don’t need hope speeches because Killian came back to me and that’s all the hope that I need. He’s all I need.

“I’m not scared, mom. I just don’t love Carter.” I almost yell.

Mom gasps and looks at me as if I killed her favorite puppy.

“Emma, you and I both know that isn’t true. You do love him. You’re just too scared to see it because you lost so much before. But Carter isn’t going anywhere, I promise. He’s going to fight for you no matter what. He won’t just abandon you like everyone else. He’s the perfect man for you.” Mom is angry now. I can tell even though her voice is still pretty calm.

Dad obviously sees it, too. He puts his hand on her back.

“He’s not perfect for me. We aren’t a good match. Not at all.”

“Of course, you are. You two are perfect for one another. And you make each other happy. What happened overnight, Emma? You were going to get married. And now, you tell me you suddenly don’t love him anymore?” She snaps.

Then I see movement. Killian.

He enters the room, coming to my rescue. My hero.

His face looks sad. I hope he didn’t have to listen to all of this. He doesn’t deserve that.

I smile brightly at him. At the sight of that, his gaze softens, and he gives me a smile in return. But he still looks pretty sad. He might be able to hide that from my parents, but he can’t lie to me.

I know him too well.

I hate my mom right now for making him sad. Now he’s probably doubting himself again and I’ll have to fix that. I won’t give up on us. No matter what.

I reach my hand out to him.

That’s when my parents notice, that I’m not looking at them anymore. They turn around and their faces look ashen in an instant. Their jaws hit the floor. That’s probably what I looked like this morning when I first saw Killian alive.

Killian approaches me and I put an arm around his neck. I kiss his cheek. I fish an onion ring out of the bag and feed it to him. Then, I put the bag aside for now, so that I can hug him properly. I wrap my arms tightly around his torso and I rest my head on his chest.

My dad is the first one to speak. “Hook? We thought you were dead!”

“Aye, I was, mate. But now I’m back.” Killian answers.

My dad steps forward and envelops both of us in a tight embrace. When he pulls away, he has the brightest smile on his face. “I’m glad you’re back, mate.”

My mom seems to have gotten over her initial shock now, too. She awkwardly pats Killian on the back and says quietly. “Welcome back.”

[553butterfly553]

Another Girl From The Well-Sesshomarux OC 7

Kirai explained everything. She told Safaia how she and Sesshomaru got separated from Rin and the others, but most importantly, she told Safaia about her regained memories. “So, you're telling me that you are my sister that I lost all those years ago?” Safaia questioned as she began to cry. “Yes, I am.” “Thank god! I thought it was you, but you didn't remember anything, so I wasn't sure at all!” Safaia threw her arms around Kirai and the two girls hugged. “I'm so sorry I forgot everything. I swear it won't happen again.” “It better not!” Safaia laughed through her tears, causing Kirai to laugh as well. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was just sitting there sipping his tea uncomfortably. “So, do you have any idea who could be after me? They took Rin and the others, so we need to hunt them down.” “Actually, I do have an idea. There was this male witch, a warlock, named Hakai. He and his brother were madly in love with us. However, we fought to defeat the older brother who was after me. It was soon after that, that you disappeared. Hakai must have thrown you down the well, or something when you rejected him and helped me kill his older brother, Shoku.” “Why did we kill his older brother? Were they bad or something?” “They started out as good, but after we rejected them, they were consumed with hatred and grief that they turned evil. They became obsessed with us and tried to kill us multiple times.” “Why did we reject them?” “You were in a relationship... with a certain demon at the time, and I just wasn't interested. I am waiting for “the one” and he just wasn't it.” “I see... Tell me, who was this demon?” “Uh... If you don't already know, then I can't tell you. It'll come back on its own though, I'm sure. You loved this demon quite a lot.” “Well alright then...” “Where is that warlock located?” Sesshomaru's question broke the silence that had fallen. “I'm not sure, but I can locate him. I think.” Safaia was unsure but was clearly willing to try anything. “Well do so.” “Of course, Lord Sesshomaru, but I have to be within a certain amount of distance to be able to sense him. Currently, I can only sense the direction he is in.” “Then you will come with us to find him.” “Sure. I don't plan on leaving my sister anyway. Ever again.” “Hmm.” “Well, let's get going!” Kirai stood up with a smile. She looked at her two companions and gave them a look that meant 'let's go already'. “I have to go collect a few things and then put a barrier around my home,” Safaia muttered before leaving the room. “Don't bring too many stones!” Kirai called out as the other girl disappeared. “Are you sure you're okay with her tagging along with us? I mean, I know you don't like humans very much.” “Both of you have lived far too long to be considered humans.” Sesshomaru simply responded as he drank some more of his tea. “How long have we been alive?” “At least 100 years. That is as long as I've known you.” “Huh? Really?” Kirai smiled at the demon but was suddenly hit with a wave of pain. Now that she was standing, she was forced to collapse to the ground. Instantly Safaia came back into the room and made her way to Kirai. “What just happened?” “She collapsed.” Sesshomaru was, for the most part, calm, but it was clear he was slightly concerned. While Kirai was holding her head in pain, memories began to rush back in. Specifically of Sesshomaru. She saw the two of them walking around together in a beautiful field, the two of them with Safaia having tea as they'd just been doing and more personal times, with just Sesshomaru and Kirai close together. Many more memories appeared before the girl, all leading to one conclusion; Sesshomaru and Kirai were in a romantic relationship. Other than those memories of Sesshomaru, Kirai remembered everything else with it. All of her memories have returned now. The overload of memories caused Kirai to blackout. ~ Kirai woke up confused and dazed. She sat up in bed and then looked around because she didn't know who's bed she was in. As she looked around, she saw Sesshomaru in a chair staring right at her. “Um... Are we still in Safaia's home?” “We are.” “How long was I unconscious?” “A day.” “Oh... My bad.” “Did you remember anything?” “I remembered everything. Most importantly, you and I were together.” “I see...” “I'm sorry for forgetting you. I never meant to, but Hakai throwing me down the well caused a lot of issues with my memory.” “Hmm.” “It's weird... suddenly I feel like crying...” Kirai did indeed start to cry, much to Sesshomaru's discomfort. He made no move to comfort the poor girl, just stared at her instead. “I'm sorry Sesshomaru. I know you hate it when I cry. It's just, I suddenly felt like I've arrived at home or something. Like I finally found something that was missing.” “I see...” To Kirai's surprise, Sesshomaru was now standing next to her and put his hand on her head. She assumed it was to comfort her, but it didn't do too much help. Even so, she stopped crying and looked up at the tall demon with a smile on her face. “I've missed you.” Kirai couldn't help but say that with tears in her eyes. “I... missed you as well, Kirai.” The girl couldn't help but begin to cry yet again. “I honestly didn't think you were going to say that to me. I thought you would just go Hmm or something.” Kirai was crying again but was laughing with it this time. “Hmm.” Sesshomaru's response caused even more laughter from the girl. “Sorry to interrupt this touching moment, but we really need to head out now if we want to get to Rin and the others. We don't know what's happening with them.” “You're right. Let's get going.” Kirai climbed out of bed and headed to her sister. “I'm also sorry I forgot you.” “It's alright, sis, just so long as you never forget me again. Got it?” Safaia chuckled as she spoke causing Kirai to laugh as well. “What direction do you sense Hakai in?” Sesshomaru simply questioned as he moved out of the room. He followed the two girls as they got ready to head out. They all met up in the kitchen to begin their plans for their journey. “South,” Safaia responded after a moment of thinking. “Then let's get going.” With that, Sesshomaru left the little house and waited for the two girls outside. Safaia had two bags with her that she carried on her back. They were full of witchy witch stuff and other personal belongings she needed to bring with her. Once all three of them were outside, Safaia put up a barrier around her home. It was so no one could get in and mess with any of her stuff. She wanted to make sure that no humans, witches or demons could ruin all she'd collected over the years. She had a lot of stones and other things that she loved dearly in there. “Are you sure you want to leave your home?” Kirai questioned hesitantly as she watched Safaia look at her home with sadness in her eyes. “Yes, I'm sure. I have to do this. We need to take Hakai down.” “Let's go,” Sesshomaru spoke as he turned around and began to walk away from the two girls. They then had to run to catch up with him, due to him walking faster than they could. Eventually, though, they caught up to him and he decided to slow his pace for them to keep up. Kirai and Safaia both noticed him do so, but neither girl spoke a word to him about it. “How far south do you think we're going to have to go?” Kirai suddenly questioned, breaking the air of silence around them. “I'm not sure yet.” “I see.” Kirai frowned to herself now. She wanted to keep talking, but she wasn't sure what else to say. So that left the group in silence once more. That was until Sesshomaru spoke up. “You haven't eaten in a day. Find food now.” “Huh? Oh, now that I think about it, I am hungry.” “We should have eaten at my house, but we didn't think about it then.” “Oops, our bad. Let's go find food.” With that, Kirai and Safaia ran off into the woods to collect some non-poisonous food to eat. They hoped that Sesshomaru would still be there waiting for them when they came back, and thankfully they were correct. The demon remained where he originally stood, he just seemed to be annoyed by how long it took for them to get food, which wasn't long at all. “Do you want a berry, Sesshomaru?” Kirai offered a berry to him, just for him to full-on glare at her in return. “Wow, that face...” Safaia couldn't help but chuckle to that. “Come now, don't glare at me like that. I know you like berries from time to time.” “I don't want any.” “Alright then.” Kirai began to eat the berries herself as she returned to her sister's side. She wasn't sure why Sesshomaru was so testy currently, but she was now determined to find out.

[gondalsqueen]

AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT ALREADY READ THIS ON A03.

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom:Star Wars: Rebels Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla Characters: Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, C1-10P | Chopper, Ryder Azadi, Mart Mattin Additional Tags: Fix-It, Jedi Night, Nobody Dies, Team as Family, Pregnancy, i have now spoiled the whole thing in tags, non-graphic description of past torture, you know--canon compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, non-consensual drugging, you wanted to see kanan take care of hera post-torture right?, come on we all did, more hurt/comfort, very little other than hurt/comfort, allusions to oc death, Discussion of Abortion, but you can probably figure out what they decide on that one

Summary:

He was holding back the explosion. He turned to face her, hand outstretched—he STOPPED her, she hated the feeling of that formless grip on her body—damn him, he lifted her right into the air, DAMN him, he was going to get himself killed, he’d been PLANNING it.

But then what happened?

A fix-it fic for "Jedi Night." NOTES: Final chapter.  ... Hera woke with the afternoon glare shining into the cave, her mouth dry and her stomach growling to the point of sickness. At first she thought she was alone. Then she spied Kanan in the shadows, sitting against the stone wall with his head back and his mouth slightly open, asleep. He must have gotten up and come back while she slept. How long HAD she slept? They’d arrived at the new base just after dawn. Hey, pay attention, her stomach demanded. You haven’t eaten in days. A pile of gear lay in the corner. Hera tore through it until she found a canteen of water and a ration bar. She dug in without wasting any time on details such as who the canteen belonged to.

When she turned back around, chewing a too-big mouthful, Kanan was awake and facing her direction—his version of looking at her. 

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” she mumbled. 

“It’s all right; I slept plenty. You seem better.” 

She considered, flexing her shoulders—achy with the stiffness of sore muscles and minor bruises. Her chest was probably still burned, but the bacta had begun to do its work and it didn’t smart at all when she moved. “Much better.”

“Good,” he said, and she finally caught the tightness that had been in his voice this whole time. “Then we can talk.” 

Uh oh. She took another bite and chewed with laborious slowness. 

“Don’t give me that look,” Kanan told her. “You know what we’re talking about.” 

“You don’t know what look I’m giving you,” she responded around her mouthful of ration bar. 

“Yes, I do. Time to come clean, Hera.” 

She took a deep breath, pushing back the dread in her chest. Now she would have to make a decision. 

“Why didn’t you just tell me? Were you ever going to tell me?” 

“Yes! Of course! There just...wasn’t a good time.” 

“That’s not true.” 

She sighed and tried to hit closer to the mark. “It’s hard, Kanan. Okay? And you kept pushing me to give more to YOU, back off from the fight, and that put me on the defensive. I couldn’t talk to you until I’d figured out what I thought, myself.” 

“And now you’ve figured it out?” 

“Not exactly.” 

“I just...wish you’d trust me,” he said wistfully. 

Hera winced. 

“You kept not telling me. And I thought maybe you were going to take care of things without EVER telling me. And that hurt, Hera.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“And then you didn’t do anything about it one way or the other, for weeks, and...I didn’t know what was going on in your head.” 

“I thought you wouldn’t have to worry if you didn’t know anything.” It was a sorry justification. “Last time we went through this, you said you couldn’t tell.” 

“Last time it was just a scare; there was nothing TO tell.” 

“And...now there is?” she asked. “You can feel it?” 

He frowned, considering. “Not at first. I kept having these...pieces of visions that didn’t make sense. Dreams, really. I thought I was crazy. And then…” he laughed, a tired sound. “You stopped drinking caf, and I knew for sure.” 

“Oh.” She hadn’t thought about that. 

“But then later—after we got to Lothal—if I concentrated hard, really searched for it, I could feel it.” 

“Can you feel it now?” she asked, fear of she didn’t know what in the pit of her stomach. 

“You want to know if we lost the baby?” 

“Yeah,” she said quietly. 

He sighed. “Come sit down next to me.” 

She did, nestling into his side, and he wrapped his arm around her and let his hand rest low on  her abdomen. What are you hoping for? she asked herself.  

Kanan closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Still there,” he said after a moment. “Definitely still there.”  

Relief AND terror. Great, that wasn’t confusing at all. “What does it feel like?” 

“Like…” He searched for words. “...Not a person. A glow. Something asleep and waiting. Getting stronger every day.” A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and she thought absurdly: This thing is my body, and I can’t even tell yet. He can feel it already. 

Yet. Already. Well, those were telling words. 

“You okay?” he asked gently. She nodded against his arm. 

“You told everyone.” 

She nodded again. She hadn’t thought that one through very well. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to keep it.” 

“If you knew better,” she said shakily, automatically, going for the easy joke, “We wouldn’t be in this situation.” 

But he didn’t take the bait, just reiterated, “WE are in this situation. Not you.” 

When she said nothing, he sighed and drew her closer to him, kissing the top of her head and letting his face rest there for a moment. The old Kanan brooding demeanor settled over him. Then he pulled himself together and asked: “So. Baby. Are we really going to do this, then?” 

Everything Hera had built up inside to keep herself going crumbled into a body-shaking sob. 

“Hey. Hey,” Kanan rubbed her arms. “It’s okay. It’s not that bad. We’re both alive. Nobody’s hurt. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing.” 

“Torture I can handle without missing a beat.” Hera laughed through the tears. “Pregnant? Kanan, I’m scared out of my mind.” 

“Talk me through it,” he said. “I’ll sit here and be scared with you, too.”

“I can’t see...us...with a baby. I keep trying to picture it a year out, and I can’t figure out how it works, Kanan. Because it doesn’t work.” 

He nodded sagely. “Doing the impossible.” 

“The irresponsible.” 

He rubbed her arm again and waited, his earlier anger gone, or at least put aside for the moment. He’d gotten a lot more patient in the past year. 

“But then I think—if he’s made it through the past few weeks, who am I to put an end to that?” 

“He,” Kanan said softly.

“Yes.” 

He drew in a deep breath and sighed, exhaling the weight of the galaxy. “Well...what do you want?” 

“I don’t know!” She’d been so sure that they’d decided already years ago, so sure that she was prepared for this, so wrong. “I think the right thing is to terminate. We’re already down to the wire in this war, we don’t have time, and we don’t have resources. And if we don’t take that Defender factory out, we’re done right here.” 

“Okay,” he said, clearly restraining that urge to argue. 

“If I’m...pregnant—” she said the word again to test it out— “the people around me are going to be...off. Overcautious. You practically sacrificed yourself yesterday, and it wasn’t even necessary. And I’LL be incapacitated at some point. I haven’t hung back yet, but that’s going to change soon.” 

“You think you are going to throw people off their game,” he reiterated, skeptical. “Zeb. Sabine. Chopper?” He gave her that significant look, then relented: “Okay, Ezra, maybe.” 

Hera stuck to her guns. “Yes. I do. Do you know what happened today?  They all panicked because I SAT DOWN.”  

But Kanan cut her off before she’d even finished her sentence: “They panicked because we nearly lost you and everybody figured out there was no possible way we could face life without you.”

How was she supposed to respond to that? She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

“Hera,” he said too softly. 

“What?” she managed to avoid snapping. She wasn’t mad at him. She was just scared and in uncharted territory. 

“Your body doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of aiding the Rebellion.” 

“I KNOW that. But I dedicated myself to this fight. I took a command position. I promised.” 

“Wait,” he said. “It doesn’t exist for having babies, either. You…are really good about owning yourself in a lot of ways. You’re stupidly independent most of the time.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he wasn’t done yet. “But then you get these ideas of self-sacrifice. ...I haven’t heard a single word about what you want in all of this. Only what would be good for the Rebellion, or bad for any future children. What do YOU want?” 

“I don’t know. To fight against the Empire. Give people their lives back.” 

“Uh uh. That’s not what we’re talking about. What’s the point of having a life if you’re not going to use it?” 

“Well, what do YOU want?” 

“Mostly to live my life next to you,” he said. “And it’s not my body. But, if you’re asking me…” 

“I am.” 

“You already know the answer.” 

“You want to keep it.” 

He inclined his head just a little, a tacit acknowledgment. “But you’re still dodging my question. What does Hera Syndulla actually want out of her life?” 

She sighed, a ragged sound that he probably thought was her huffing. “Give me a minute.” 

“All right.” 

But she couldn’t really think it through with Kanan that near, so she retreated to the other side of the cave and paced. She liked the way things were now. Sabine and Ezra and Zeb and Chopper and Kanan—her family, all of them brilliant and competent. But things wouldn’t stay the same forever. Sabine and Ezra would grow up and go their separate ways. Even the idea that Zeb would live out the rest of his life aboard the Ghost was laughable. If they added a small, needy person to that mix, things would change, get more difficult, and maybe she didn’t want them to change. But that was stupid. Nobody could stop change. 

She still couldn’t see them with a baby, but they’d done okay by Ezra and Sabine, hadn’t they? What about when this one was older? She could picture Kanan patiently instructing him with a stick sword. She would teach him to fly. They would be careful and caring, and he’d grow up to be a good person in a galaxy that desperately needed good people. Sure, they wouldn’t stop fighting, but their support network was vast. He wouldn’t have to feel alone or abandoned when his parents went off to battle. And she could avoid the mistakes of her own childhood—a girl with no mother and a father she couldn’t possibly please, lost in a war that was much too hard for her.

And a little boy whose mother did everything in the galaxy to save him and broke when he died, anyway. You weren’t the only child in that family, Hera, she reminded herself. And now it was time to face some ugly truths, because she could, in fact, see herself and Kanan with a baby. Chubby legs, sweet little mouth, and that clean baby scent—it could be so nice. But she also knew what happened to babies in wartime, and that scared her to death. 

What do you want, Hera? Kanan had asked. And she didn’t know the answer because she was terrified, running scared from the fate she’d already seen. 

No, not fate. That was the past, her brother a different baby. Not fate, just chance. They still had a chance. And she was Hera d’nercathi Syndulla; was she going to organize her life around a fear of what might happen? Lose before she’d begun because she was so afraid of losing later? 

Remember who you are, she told herself. Remember who he is. Trust.  

“Okay.” She turned to Kanan, still waiting patiently across the room. “Let’s have a baby, then.” 

[chainsawbettyloo]

Title: Marriage is What Brings Us Together Today 

Pairing: SidLink

Tags: Marriage, Fluff, Sweetness, Kissing

Summary: The day has finally come! Prince Sidon and Link are about to be married. However, before the wedding can take place, there is a little tradition that must be held beforehand. Those involved in the marriage must meet before the vows are exchanged and reveal any information that might have otherwise be withheld. 

A/N: Thank you for the request, too-tsun!! I’m sorry this took so long! I ultimately chose marriage and hope you like it! 

This is also posted over on AO3 so if you’d like to read it there! Reblogs, comments and kudos are very much appreciated! 

-

He was 50% certain that there was a 100% chance of him projectile vomiting.

Lying flat on his back, Link stared up at the ceiling and tried very hard to quell the insane whirling of nausea revolving in his stomach. The light, modest breakfast he had eaten just an hour past was turning on him, maliciously attacking his insides in a desperate attempt to be free of the confines of his stomach. Zelda had, thankfully, brought along some kind of sweet tasting medicine that was supposed to help out with ailments such as the one he was currently suffering from but it hadn’t kicked in quite yet.

He was starting to get nervous that the medicine would be late in coming to his rescue. Unlike the novels he read as a youth, it seemed as though there wasn’t going to be a miraculous, last second arrival of the hero to save the day. Turning his head slowly, he glanced over at the large, magnificent silver clock hanging on the wall and noted that it was half past eight in the morning.

His wedding was at nine. There was perhaps 10-15 minutes left for him to get his ruly stomach under control, then less than 5 to get dressed up in the ceremonial ornaments that were absolutely necessary to wear and finally, a short breath of time to make it down to the King’s Chambers where he and Sidon would be officially wed, united in holy matrimony by King Dorephan himself, in front of what would most likely be a large crowd, since it was the Zora Prince and the Champion of Hyrule being married after all. Not exactly a spectacle that many would want to miss, though, thankfully, the guest list had been limited to only local Zora and those personally invited by Link or Sidon, though that still left a fairly large sum of people standing witness.

Obviously, this was no time for his stomach to be throwing a hissy fit. Pulling in a slow, deep breath, Link turned his attention back to the ceiling. A cool breeze blew in through the open windows, causing the sheer white curtains to flutter and bringing with it the faint scents of ocean water, woodsmoke and some kind of sweet smelling food being cooked. He was certain that preparations for the celebration of their wedding were coming to a close and the final, finishing touches were being made as time tick tocked ever closer to the moment when both he and Sidon would say ‘yes’.

The very last thing he wanted was to hurl his guts up on the probably newly polished floor, in front of Sidon and the King and a multitude of watching eyes. There were a lot of memories he wanted to make during his wedding; vomiting profusely was not one of them. Letting his eyes fall closed, he sternly commanded his stomach to calm itself but to no avail. It whirled and twirled and mocked him in a way that made him want to reach into his own body and give it a hearty smack. This was a day he had been waiting so long for, how dare it turn on him in such an inopportune moment!

And, even worse, he didn’t even understand why. He wasn’t nervous about being wed, far from it! There weren’t any words that existed that could express how utterly ecstatic he was to be Sidon’s husband. He longed for time to pass even more quickly so that the announcement that they had been wed would finally be heard by his own ears, Sidon would take him into his arms and they would share a kiss before celebrating their hearts out. After that, there was a special little place further into Zora’s Domain that was reserved especially for them, where they were going to spend their honeymoon together, completely separate from the rest of the world, able to just enjoy one another without anyone interrupting.

There wasn’t a single part of him, not a smallest fiber of his being, that was nervous about this evolution, this step forward towards something entirely new, entirely different. Instead, what every single part of him, down to the smallest fiber, felt was intense, breathtaking love for his soon to be husband and tingling excitement for what was to come. He didn’t know why his stomach was being the odd one out but he was determined to overcome it!

“What are you doing, Link?” A familiar voice asked from somewhere above him.

Jolting slightly with surprise, Link’s eyes flew open to find that, at some point, Sidon had quietly entered the room and was standing over him, peering down with a concerned, albeit confused expression on his handsome face. Around his neck and chest were already strung the ceremonial ornaments - a collection of silver and gold lengths of tightly woven beads, adorned with blue and white gems. The ones he would be wearing were similar, though the gemstones for his were blue and purple. He wasn’t entirely sure what the ornaments signified - he had tried asking but was only met with vague, unhelpful responses, which wasn’t uncommon - but he imagined that it had to be something important, just given the dazzle of the ornaments themselves and the absoluteness of having to wear them.  

Smiling slightly, he said, “We’re not supposed to see each other until the wedding starts.”

“Is that so?” Sidon replied lightly, gracefully sitting down on the floor next to Link, “Well, perhaps that’s a tradition in Hyrule but here, it’s considered bad luck for the marrying couple to not speak before the vows are given.”

“Is that so?” Link parroted, “What are we supposed to talk about?”

“Well, the thought is that if there is anything that needs to be said before the vows are exchanged, now is the time to say it. If there are secrets or information that has been withheld or something like that, they’re, supposedly, meant to be spoken now.”

“Huh.” He replied, reaching up to take one of Sidon’s large hands into his own. Long, slender fingers immediately wrapped snuggly around his hand before it was brought up to Sidon’s lips and a sweet, gentle kiss was pressed against his wrist, “Do you have anything to tell me?”

Sidon lovingly stroked the back of Link’s hand with his thumb, tilted his head inquisitively, his expression one of light pondering and said, “First time I saw you, when we met at the bridge outside of Zora’s Domain, there was a small voice of doubt in the back of my head that believed you would be unable to defeat the Divine Beast.”

Link snorted, “That’s not a secret or confession. If I saw a runt of a guy running around with dirty clothes and an old sword, I would have thought the same.” Turning, he smiled warmly up at Sidon and continued, “Thank you for, at least, pretending to believe in me, though. All the encouragement you gave me did truly help.”

Sidon returned the smile with one just as warm, “I’m glad to hear it. Just so you know, the doubt of your abilities were quickly dashed. The moment you started moving towards Zora’s Domain, I truly began to see just how capable and magnificent you were. Within no time at all, those praises were genuine.”

“Happy to know I didn't disappoint.” Link teased gently. Stretching out his legs, wincing a little as his stomach sent out yet another wave of nausea, he asked, “So, do you actually have a confession about something? Or have we been open books for the entirety of our relationship?”

Once again, Sidon paused, thought for a little while before speaking up, his voice soft and steady, “I came very close to not confessing my feelings to you. The guilt over pursuing someone my sister had loved so dearly was nearly enough to make me hold my tongue. I truly and deeply loved you but I didn’t want to betray my sister’s memory.”

“What changed your mind?” Link asked.

“I had a dream.” Sidon replied after a short pause. “In that dream, both you and Mipha appeared. Without a word, just a gentle smile, she brought our hands together. It was then I understood. My sister would only wish for the happiness of you and I. Fate led her to be taken from us, but we’re still alive and she would want us to act without regret.” Placing a hand over his chest, Sidon bowed his head and closed his eyes, “I could feel that so strongly in my heart that I knew to not act would be the real betrayal. In the morning, I called for you and when you stood before me, I told you my true feelings without hesitation. Part of me was so scared that you would say no but I,” He opened his eyes and smiled lovingly down at Link, reaching down to lightly brush the backs of his fingers along the curve of his cheek, “wanted to act, wanted to speak. No matter what the response would be, I didn’t want to hide or remain silent anymore.”

Warmth bloomed inside of his chest. A wide, vibrant smile spread across his face, his cheeks aching from just how big his grin was. Reaching up, he took hold of Sidon’s hand, turned his head and placed a light kiss against his knuckles, “I’m so glad you decided to.”

“As am I.” Leaning down, he pressed a warm, soft kiss against Link’s lips. “I’m so happy, Link.”

Lifting his head up slightly so he could return the kiss with one of his own, Link whispered back, “Me too. I never thought I’d ever be able to feel like this.”

Chuckling softly, Sidon leaned back, his golden eyes glowing with love and warmth, a soft, easy smile on his face, “Now, it’s your turn. Do you have anything you want to confess to me?”

Distractedly scratching his cheek, Link remained silent for a moment, running through a lists of things he could possibly tell Sidon that either were worth mentioning or weren’t things he hadn’t already told him. In all honesty, he had tried to be as open and forthcoming with Sidon as possible. Talking hadn’t always been easy for me, especially during his years fighting against Calamity Ganon but they had found their own way to communicate until he had felt comfortable with his words.

There was really only one thing he had never told him, mostly out of sheer embarrassment. But he wasn’t too sure if this was the right time and place for it. After all, Sidon had just confessed a deeply intimate truth about himself (one that Link had somewhat already been aware of but still, it was the thought and the emotions behind the confession that counted) so it didn’t exactly feel appropriate to be bring it up.  

Shifting slightly, he hesitantly said, “I do but it’s nowhere near as profound as your’s...”

“That’s fine. It’s not like it has to be earth shattering. What is it?”

He paused for a moment more before turning away slightly, the tips of his ears going hot, still not entirely sure if he should be bringing it up and murmured, “The night after I met you, I dreamt about us having sex.”

There was a split second of silence, during which he was very certain he had said the wrong thing, Sidon was going to take offense to him not taking this moment seriously when suddenly, the Zora Prince burst out laughing. Loud, joyful guffaws filled the room, echoing off the walls as the he doubled over, one hand pressed over his chest, his shoulders bouncing hard with the force of his laughter. Smiling himself, soft, neatly restrained chuckles tumbling from his lips, utterly relieved that Sidon obviously wasn’t upset but his cheeks hot with embarrassment, Link reached up to cover his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“I was not expecting that!” Sidon gasped out between laughs. “Did you truly?”

Link nodded, immediately regretting his decision to speak, though happy he was able to make Sidon laugh so heartily, “Truly.”

“Was I any good, in your dream, that is?” Sidon asked playfully.

“All I’ll say is that I had to wash my underwear out in the morning.”

Sidon snorted, “What about compared to when we actually did have sex?”

“Dream did not even come close.” Link admitted, his cheeks hot enough to cook raw meat, “Didn’t hold a candle to the real thing.”  

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, at least. But truly? Right after we had met? My first intimate dream about you wasn’t until a month after.”

Rubbing his fingers against his eyebrows, he murmured, “I fell for you at first sight.”

He heard Sidon inhale a sharp, startled breath. Strong, warm hands suddenly grasped his wrists, gently pulling his hands away to reveal his very red face. Leaning over so that he was hovering over Link, a small, teasing grin on his handsome face, Sidon said, his tone soft, “Say again? I couldn’t hear you.”

There was no doubt about it. He had definitely made a mistake by speaking up but there was no going back from it now. Turning his head away slightly, he repeated, his voice louder and firmer this time, “I fell for you at first sight.”

“Did you fall hard for me, Link?”

“Head over heels after just one smile.”

Sidon’s smile widened, revealing his sharp, white teeth. At the sight of them, Link’s heart fluttered in his chest. Frowning slightly up at his soon to be husband, he tried to convey through his gaze that he knew Sidon was taking advantage of one of his many weakness, though this just earned him an even better view of the Zora Prince’s pearly whites as his grin widened further still. A playful glimmer appeared in Sidon’s golden eyes as he leaned down and placed a warm, firm kiss against Link’s lips.

“Did you yearn for me, my beloved little Hylian?” Sidon whispered, his lips brushing tantalizingly against Link’s. “Did you spend your days thinking of me? Wanting to be near me? Wanting to be touched, to be kissed by me?”

“Of course.” He replied, trying to remain calm but unable to deny the sudden rapid rate of his heart, the heat spreading through his limbs and the excitement humming at the back of his mind, “I thought that’d be obvious.”

“It is, but it is so much more satisfying to hear you say it aloud.”

“You’re such an odd one.” Link chuckled. “I thought the purpose of this conversation was to reveal stuff we don’t know about each other.

Sidon laughed as well, pulling back slightly to smile down at Link, “That makes us a perfect match, does it not? And it is, but there really isn’t that much to say, is there? So why not have some fun with it?”

“You’re the only one who’s having fun here.” Link replied, though with no real bite to his words.

“Yes, it seems that way.” The Zora Prince breathed, brushing his lips against Link’s once more, “I’ll have to make it up to you after the celebrations have ended tonight. Just one more question.”

“Oh gods,” He groaned, dreading what embarrassing question the Zora Prince was going to ask him next but knowing there was no way out of it, “what?”

“When I confessed to you, told you everything, did you have any doubts about having a relationship with me?”

“No, none.” He replied simply, surprised at the sudden serious question but relieved it didn’t have to do with his mortifying earlier admission.

“None?” Sidon asked, his voice conveying a slight hint of disbelief.

Link shrugged, “I had made my mind up long before you confessed that if you ever presented an opportunity, even the slightest chance of something beyond friendship between us, I would take it. I knew the chances were slim, and that it could end in heartache but I was willing to take that risk.” Reaching up, he cupped Sidon’s face in his hands, his thumbs lightly brushing over his smooth, cool cheeks, “Just as you didn’t want to live in inaction, the same could be said for myself. I didn’t want anything to pass me by, to slip through my fingers. I loved you too much to lose my chance with you.”

Sidon’s eyes widened, a brilliant sparkle of happiness shining within the golden depths, his expression one of pleasant surprise. To Link’s satisfaction, a deep hue of red colored the Zora Prince’s pale cheeks. After all the blushing he had done earlier, it felt only fair that Sidon got a little red as well. A small smile tugged at his lips as he gently pulled Sidon down and pressed their mouths together in a warm, simple kiss. Breath brushed softly along his skin as Sidon exhaled slowly, pushing deeper into the kiss. Slipping one arm underneath Link’s back, he easily tugged him up until their chests met or rather, Link’s stomach met Sidon’s chest, wrapped his long, muscular arms firmly around his back, squeezed him tightly and whispered, “No doubts at all, then?”

Link slowly shook his head, his arms loosely twining around Sidon’s broad shoulders, “None. I’ve lost too much, Sidon. I wasn’t going to allow doubt or regret force me to lose anymore.”

Trailing gentle little kisses along the lines of Link’s face, Sidon murmured, “You’re incredible, Link.”

He snorted, “More like I’m too stubborn.”

“That too,” Sidon agreed with a soft smile before planting a kiss on the tip of Link’s nose, “but I love that part as you.”

“Only that part?” Link asked teasingly.

“All parts, down to the very smallest fiber of your being.”

Snuggling closer to his soon to be husband, ignoring the slight discomfort of the ceremonial ornaments digging into his skin, Link rested his cheek on Sidon’s shoulder, breathed out deeply and said, “Good.”

“Could do without your reckless disregard for your own safety, however.”

Laughing loudly, Link pulled back and grinned mischievously up at the Zora Prince, “Well, as my husband, that’s something you’re just going to have to weed out of me.”

Sidon returned the smile, “Oh, I plan on it but for now, I believe we might be out of time. What does the clock say?”

Glancing over the Zora Prince’s shoulder, Link made an exaggerated grimace, “We might be in trouble. There’s only a couple of minutes left until the wedding is supposed to start.”

“No worries,” Sidon said easily, setting Link back down and gracefully standing. Holding out a hand to Link, he pulled him up, lightly brushed off the back of his shirt before straightening, smiling, “Last I heard, the preparations were running a bit late so we should still have enough time left. Now,” the Zora Prince clapped his hands together, “let’s get you ready. It is tradition that each individual in the marriage puts on the ceremonial ornaments themselves so I can only give you verbal directions.”

“That’s fine, just let me know if I’m botching it.” Striding over to the chair which held the length of beads that were his to wear, Link carefully picked them up, turned back to Sidon, lifted them up slightly but abruptly stopped when he realized that, at some point, his stomach had finally decided to stop protesting. While he could still feel a hint of nausea, the 50% certainty of a 100% chance of him hurling had dropped significantly, almost to an inconsequential level. He could tell that he would probably need to be careful of what he ate during the celebration, just to make sure that his stomach didn’t turn on him again. Still, an immense wave of relief washed over him with that realization.

Thankfully, it looked as though his wedding was not going to be ruined by projectile, half dissolved food.

“Is something wrong?” Sidon asked, stepping towards him, one hand reaching up to lightly stroke the curve of his jaw.

Link smiled, shook his head and said, “Nope, nothing. I’m just really excited.”

“As am I. I’ve waited for this day for too long.” Sidon chuckled softly, “It sounds cliche but it feels like a dream.” Leaning down, he pressed a soft, sweet, warm kiss against Link’s lips before pulling back and whispering, “And if it is one, I sincerely hope I never wake from it.”

Snorting softly, he gently bumped their noses together, “You’re so sappy.”

“Yes, and you absolutely adore that.”

“I do,” Link laughed, stepping back and holding up the ornaments, “now, how about you instruct me how to put these on? We’re running out of time.”

“As you wish, my love.” Sidon replied with a wide smile. After giving Link another kiss, he stepped back and with the small hand mere ticks away from nine, began instructing his soon to be husband.