#i have gone on TOO LONG. i must cease ....
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xxplastic-cubexx · 2 days ago
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was thinking about your post about erik being a whimpering mess when he's about to come and first of all you're SO right also i love this dynamic of bossy bottom charles and service top erik bc i think erik (based on looks/first impressions/personality cause i think it works for both comics!cherik and movieverse!cherik) would think charles is shy/submissive and then he's baffled (in the best possible way) to know that charles is actually a freaky freak in bed, and the opposite goes to charles, he'd think erik super dominant in bed when in reality he's extremely attentive and in tune with his partner's needs, almost shy in the way he's so careful and polite (i mean have you seen canon erik that man is built like a refrigerator) and just erik "i destroy everything i touch" mindset in general, he'd be very very careful with charles. ANYWAY what i was thinking is: charles bossing erik around on the bed and being such a massive dirty talker and it turns erik on SO MUCH he starts to lose focus on what's he's doing!!!!!!!! like charles being super vocal in bed and not being able to shut the fuck up because he cant stop babbling about how erik makes him feel so good and how big he is or how good erik is for him or how he wants to have erik inside him all the time and since erik is so dedicated to charles' pleasure he wants charles to come first but but charles keeps clenching so tight around him and moaning non stop and it feels so good !!!!! he's trying so hard !!!!!! all the metal in the room is also screaming with charles and erik is not even aware of losing control of his powers until they're done and the scent of melted metal makes him jump a little
asks like these are so dangerous for me cause when i say i just sat here for like twenty minutes thinkina these two suckin and fuckin like crazy...... PEAK !!!!!
#nsft#snap chats#I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH#i like my fickle ass cause i do enjoy Moderately Cocky erik but i also enjoy him wanting to be slow at first#but charles Not At All making it easy for him to do that Dare I Say egg him on to not be so tentative#its dangerous territory tho.... does charles really want to test erik like that... CAN he handle all that...#cause NOW theres that tasty twist where charles Does get overwhelmed and now he's having trouble making coherent sentences#playful teasing and goading melting into gasps and moans .. i fear a perfect chance for erik to flip the script if he so desired#yk HIS turn to poke charles a bit- he DID say he didnt want erik to hold back no... he can barely keep his eyes open now whats all this the#ai but the best is when charles does put his money where his mouth is and guides/encourages erik all throughout while they fuck#the thing is i can just imagine charles smirkin the whole time tho.. Wretched Smirk Of His and all and it WILL drive erik mad#see this is why Ultimately dom charles rules out in my brain ..... prick he is ..... i must see erik bend to him so effortlessly#SEE i enjoy the notion that erik underestimates just how into charles can get#like he's a bit of a flirt he can definitely be forward when he wants to and when that energy is kept up#ESPECIALLYYY with someone like erik- both in character and. Size jVLKAEJKJ its like OH.... ok 😳#i have gone on TOO LONG. i must cease ....#tldr GOOD SHIT GOOD SHIT RIGHT THERE 🎉🎉🎉🎉
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seraphdreams · 8 months ago
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GOT MILK? | TOJI FUSHIGURO.
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𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 — synopsis. what happens when you invite an unexpected guest into your home? lucky for you, this one cares about your health!
𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 — cw. fem!reader / milkman!toji, smut, cliche porn trope, size kink, coercion, food play, a bit prey/predator dynamics, 1950s-esque setting, toji’s huge, unprotected “love-making”, mdni <3.
𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 — word count. 3.3k
𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 — dolled up! it’s been a while, hasn’t it? i’m so so sorry i’ve been away from writing :( but trust me, we’re so back !! this is actually my first full length toji fic n i’m so excited 4 you all to read it . . i wanted to keep it light and cliche for all of our pleasure. this took me about two months to write on n off, but !! if you like this n enjoy it, please comment / reblog ! i’ll make you all a glass of seraph’s special milk, thank u ♡ a big shoutout 2 @gh4ul for beta reading ! i love u so muchie!!
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fluorescent shimmers of the setting sun pierced through your living room window, beyond pastel curtains, and onto the curvature of your face as if the sun itself used you like its own canvas while you lounged upon the couch. soft murmurs of whichever television show you had fallen asleep watching hummed within the four thin walls of your flat, creating the perfect ambiance for a peaceful late afternoon nap.
it wasn’t as though you had done much during the day, aside from indulging in your boredom with the mundane baking of cookies, taking two batches to get right, alongside tidying your room.
although currently, you slept soundly in a way that came off as daunting to others; torso clad in a thin tank top paired with little pink shorts that could’ve been mistaken for underwear by any onlooker, with your hand rested just below your abdomen, chest rising and falling in the most harmonious synchronicity.
vulnerable, like prey unknowing of its predator.
fortunately, the neighborhood you resided in was safe. some sweet suburban city where everyone knew each other more than they knew themselves, and the thought of anything being remotely out of place sent residents into a frenzy. it was innocuous to assume that not much out of the ordinary took place. or that was the case, until —
knock, knock.
“delivery for y/n?”
stirring in your sleep, you prayed that the owner of the baritone voice that had woken you up was just some figment of your imagination, some effect of unintended lucid dreaming perhaps. yet, upon blinking open unfocused, bleary eyes, and the loud couplet of knocks on the door following soon after, you were pulled out of dreamland and into the vexing reality.
three more firm knocks paired with a gruff tone calling out flatly, “delivery,” was enough to have your body sashaying involuntarily to your front door.
whoever was outside was insinstently persistent. if they had thought to put even an ounce more strength into those compact knocks, your door would have been long gone by now.
“coming!” the dulcet tone of your voice was riddled with exhaustion and you were unsure if the sound had resonated with the stranger on the other end, your internal query being answered once the relentless abuse of your front door had ceased.
you had ignored the fabric of your meager top, not quite noticing the way the strap so slightly dropped from your shoulder, leaving such a beautiful expanse of skin exposed to, and for, anyone. swiftly, you had opened the door for your unexpected visitor.
there, stood some dark haired man, taller and bigger than any other man you’ve known in the neighborhood. he must have had to be over 6’0, with a stature so broad, chiseling muscles barely hidden underneath the thin fabric of his uniform. his white hat tilted upward, and as your eyes descended, you caught his matching suit worn just a bit too taut. it was as if the first two buttons of his shirt were hanging on for dear life to cover what massive mounds his chest was. not to mention, how his thighs were close to breaking free from their confines.
to the right of the struggling buttons, sat a little pin that read “toji.”
he didn’t put any effort into a friendly introduction, the only hint of expression you could trace was the furrowing of his brows at his forehead as he gave you an unreadable stare.
“was told to drop this off here.” toji spoke. he held out a small wired basket with two glass jars of white liquid, seeming to be milk. maybe it had been your fuzzy, half-awake mind, and what little thoughts were up there, but you couldn’t recall a time where you had placed an order for some strange fluid.
was it a thing the neighborhood would do every once in a while?
as you rubbed the sleep from your eyes and gave the handsome stranger a soft pout, you spoke airily. “what’s in the jar, sir?”
his demeanor shifted into pure displeasure, not fancying the query your hollow brain came up with. it remained undoubtedly clear that he wasn’t the most amiable of folks.
“it’s milk, darling.”
“i didn’t order any milk, sorry.” that same pout remained on your lips as you shook your head for the milkman to end a seemingly quick conversation, but just as you were about to close the door back, the pressure of his strong hand against the wood made your attempt futile.
to your surprise, a miniscule smirk was evident on his scarred features. “no?” his narrowed eyes drank you in from the bottom up as if you were lemonade on a scorching summer’s day. those same eyes skillfully darting from the spill of your breasts in your little top, up to your pretty pursed lips and doe-like orbs.
anyone could tell from a mile away what type of girl you were — the type that toji devilishly enjoys.
it wasn’t often he was presented with a doll such as yourself. sure, he could pick the mind of others increasingly well, could tell just when someone was planning to set him up (like some sort of off-duty criminal) but with you, it was as though not a thought could be lodged behind vacant eyes. everything about you was pure, untainted.
he stepped closer toward you, his foot conveniently placed between the barrier between your home and the outside. “try it for yourself. it’s fresh, and organic.” as he spoke, the glint in his deep gray eyes had overturned into a sly darkness. and when you shook your head at his advance, he only scoffed, peering in closer until he fully stepped foot into your abode.
“oh, c’mon,” vexation laced his tone. “don’t make my job harder than it already is.”
his hauntingly large frame eclipsed yours, the sun casting a backlit shadow behind his silhouette, like something out of a 50’s horror film. at that moment, you were in no position to deny his simple request.
it was just milk, perhaps he wanted an honest review.
your eyes met his, and you swallowed thickly as you hoped that courage would fill the void in the pit of your stomach. “how much for a glass?” softly, your question floated in tense air. a smirk upticks on his face as he reaches into the basket, holding up the larger jar of the two settled in the basket.
“for you, it’s free of charge.”
maybe you should’ve questioned the insubstantial value, for nothing in this economy was truly ever free.
you take the bottle from him, popping open the lid and taking a sip. the unnerving feeling of greedy eyes caused goosebumps to form over your skin. the liquid certainly had a thicker texture to it, possibly an ode to its organic nature; and as you sipped and sipped, you failed to notice the drippage that rolled amply down the side of your mouth to your chest. toji, however, caught sight of it — because, of course he did.
after you had your sample size, you took a manicured thumb to glossy lips, wiping your bottom lip to collect the remnants before taking your tongue to your thumb to lick up the remains.
in that moment, you reminded him of a kitten, some meek animal vastly trusting of the others in its environment.
his smirk grew wider and he closed the door behind him as he stepped closer, now merely a few inches away from your figure. “oh, but miss,” his voice full with anything but a genuine concern for you, he traced his finger along the trail of milk that lingered at your chest. “you missed a spot.”
his sudden touch startled you in such a way that shifted your body to jolt once you felt his cool fingertips. that same motion forced you to completely forget about the open jar in your hand, accidentally spilling an even larger amount of milk all over yourself in the process.
drenched in the liquid, your top became practically see-through with only the sight of your pert nipples showing underneath. it's candy for the eye, toji’s at least.
“you gonna keep that on, princess? you’ll catch a cold.” his voice feigns concernment towards you, as if he pitied the pathetic state he put upon you. in that moment, sheepishness clouds your empty head, and if you could cower away, you would; but instead, you took him up on his suggestion, turning your back to him and doing away with the thin barrier.
“gimme a minute to change.” you shyly said as you looked back at him with a hand barely covering your chest.
how cute you were, so willing to invite a stranger into your home and even strip for him — were you always this welcoming?
before you could scuttle to your room, you felt a firm grip on your arm. toji, now clearly having fun with you, had given you a menacing smirk along with a tsk of his tongue. “you’re still all wet,” he turned you back around to face him in one swift motion. “let me clean you off.” his hand slowly trailed up your arm and to the swell of your breasts where he cupped one in his large, calloused palm. the feeling of his rough fingertips over your bare skin caused you to break out in a shudder. “s-sir, i don’t think..”
he shushed you the moment his thumb rolled over your hard nipple, milk still dripping down your skin. with one hand, he pulled you in tight by your waist, and with the other, he aided himself in wrapping his lips around your nipple. you could only describe his touch as hungry, rough as if the opportunity to take advantage of your vulnerability would slip away into thin air. he locked steel grey eyes with you as he did so. once he got his fill of toying with your sensitive mounds, he switched his sucking motions into little bites.
his deep groans and your soft whines filled the space instantaneously. he’d rotate from one breast to the other until he felt you growing weak in his hold, the squeeze of your thighs telling him everything he needed to know about your desire. and when he felt satisfied with the level at which he teased you, he unlatched.
it felt as if all air had rushed out of your system from the raspy whines you had let out during his ministrations. you took a moment to catch your breath and regain composure as he stood up tall to his original position.
oddly enough, comfortability grew within you, possibly the adrenaline of a handsome stranger feeding your mind with illicit thoughts. “am i all clean now?” your voice comes out shaky, feeble with lust, and as your eyes scanned his formidable appearance, down to the bulge that left his sheer size to anything but the imagination, you grew greedier.
“squeaky fucking clean.” his response comes off as a growl. “how about some real milk as a reward, sweetheart?”
you tilted your head, as a confused puppy would, looking up at him with spacey eyes. “real milk? i thought i was just drinking it?” he smiled at your perplexity, finding you too cute to let go. “that milk,” he pointed at the bottle you set on the counter beside you. “isn’t as organic as it claims. you need the real thing in ya.”
toji fumbles with his belt buckle, unfastening it until he could comfortably whip his cock out. you had never seen something so large, so girthy that it instilled a blend of fear and excitement within you. “on your knees, pretty thing.” he demanded. “gotta make sure my girl grows big and strong.”
you complied, obviously. when someone as sturdy as him tells you to do something, it’s only natural that you do it.
with your weight now rested on your knees, your job was easy. you wrapped a feeble hand around the base of his cock, mouth agape in bewilderment that he could barely fit in the cusp of your hand. toji let out a hiss under his breath once your hand began to diligently slide up and down his shaft. slick dribbled into the rapture of your enclosed fist from just how turned on he was. as you continued to teasingly pump him, your tongue darted to place gentle kitten licks paired with tender kisses to his angry tip. “you’re real confident now, aren’t ya?” he goads, though not necessarily in a mirthful manner.
a soft pout forms at your lips upon hearing his words, urging you to increase your pace by a minuscule amount. once you had gotten familiar with the monster in your palm, you wrapped your lips around the head, slowly inching yourself down his shaft until your nose met the unruly hairs of his pelvis. he was heavy in your jaw, a telltale sign that you’d end up with a strong ache that’d take days to soothe; and the throb of his length only led to the gush in your panties.
as you began to bob your head, toji threw his head back, large hands gripping at your jaw to keep you nice and puckered for him. the sensation of his plush tip bullying the back of your throat causes you to moan, a sound, and a feeling, that toji doesn't miss. you pick up your rhythm, but shortly after, toji starts up his; slamming his cock into your unexpecting mouth with no remorse.
rough ministrations urged you to gag until you came to ignore the feeling and focus on his pleasure, innocent and teary eyes showing through a wall of thick lashes up at him. what a cocky bastard.
“c’mon, you can take more, can’t ya?” he goads, his vocables resonating in a choppy cadence underneath the guise of his groans. “dontcha want milk?”
the mix of saliva and his precum trailed from your mouth as his heavy balls slammed against your chin. you took notice of how his vigorous pace faltered, signally an orgasm just seconds away.
one thrust. two thrust. three.
he’d managed to hold your face to his pelvis as he fucked through his orgasm, a deep groan bellowing through the air while he painted your throat in his seed.
what a liar. he didn’t taste anything like milk.
slowly, he pulls away and spurts the last few drops of cum onto your swollen lips, where he took much needed amusement in your starry eyed gaze.
your heavy pants were like music to his ears, something he wished he could etch into his memory for years to come.
“it’s all messy.” you mewled, licking at the seed that dripped to your lips. his hands were glacial as you felt them on your face while he leaned down to be eye level with you. “oh, i know. lemme take care of that.” he swiped his tongue against your bottom lip, drinking in his own orgasm before taking you into a heated kiss.
it was a brief moment, so brief you were too lightheaded to even realize how he manhandled you into the perfect position — bent over to touch your toes.
he pulled away, roughly tugging at your little shorts until they pooled at your ankles. you felt him slide his cock over your panties just before pushing them to the side to line it up with your slit.
all toji wanted to do in that moment was slide right in, but he knew he couldn’t. you just weren’t wet enough to handle all of him. and besides, he definitely didn’t want to deal with a whining princess suggesting that it “doesn’t fit.”
instead, he slid his sensitive cock between your folds. “gotta get you nice ‘nd ready,” he spoke while reveling in the way that his tip catched at your poor, neglected clit. “feel flattered, i don’t do this for everybody.”
each slide jolted your body as the slightest tinge of pleasure coursed within you. it wasn’t enough to get you feeling close, no, but it was ample in gushing more slick from your hole.
“t-toji, sir, please..” you had let out a soft, vexed sigh at the lack of feeling, wiggling your hips to create friction in any type of way.
it reigned pointless, as most things did with toji. he was too busy focused on the sheen covering his cock from just toying with your angelcunt that whatever nonsense you were spouting was irrelevant to him. he continued his motions until the tightening of your core and fluttering of your pussy told him everything he needed to know.
satisfied with the level at which he teased you, he halted. just before you could fucking cum. you let out a frustrated whine that didn’t mean much to him, agitated by the loss of sensation.
in mere moments, he was pushing himself past your walls, stretching you out while your little cunt struggled to accommodate his size. “w-what if it doesn’t fit..?” you managed to babble out in your pathetic state.
oh, if your nosy neighbors knew that sweet little princess down the street was getting her cunt stretched out by the milkman, they would have a conniption.
toji smirked at your concern, ultimately brushing you off while continuing to urge himself even deeper. “let’s just make it fit then.”
the feeling of being stuffed full was unlike anything you’d experienced in the past. your past partners weren’t much to moan at, but toji? he had you grasping at any surface to give you leverage. as soon as he bottomed out, you could feel the tip rubbing so deliciously against the hollow of your cervix, the tinge of pain going unnoticed from how riddled with desire you were for him. with confirmation that he was fully inside, toji began to set a rough pace, strokes deep and firm enough to have you jolting forward with every thrust.
you scrambled to hold onto anything for dear life, afraid that your knees would grow weak and give out underneath your own weight. though, he kept his hands taut at your hips, only speeding up his potent thrusts to taunt you even more for your lack of stability.
fucked dumb within the first few seconds, drool dribbled past your lip, your eyes rolled into the back of your skull as you tried to take everything you were given.
with the intense way your walls were hugging around his cock, he couldn’t help but let out something of a deep, guttural groan. you had reached behind you to press a feeble hand to his abdomen, hoping it would ease his ministrations, yet your adorable action only caused the opposite.
he took your wrists in his one hand, pulling you up to hit deeper within your walls. “fuck! ‘s too d-deep!” you cried out, that familiar coil of pleasure tightening within your being, and to your dismay, he only held you closer against his chest, other hand gripping at your jaw while his cock milked your gspot for all it’s worth.
“too deep? this too deep for ya?” toji taunts. “i thought you knew how to take dick, you sure looked like it.”
his grip at your face only tighten an ounce more as he waited for whatever nonsense you could muster out.
“i-i can..! i c’n take it!”
only seconds later did your high come crashing down, sending your body into a flutter of shocks. a sensation so perfervid, it had your mind hazy while you creamed all over his cock.
following suit, in a bout of thrusts, toji was painting your insides with his warm wet seed, only pulling out once he felt you go limp in his hold.
“don’t tap out on me now, you haven’t even paid for the milk.”
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pucksandpower · 6 months ago
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Clickbait
Toto Wolff x Ferrari team principal!Reader
Summary: in which a reporter learns not to mess with the power couple of Formula 1 … the hard way
Based on this request
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The bustling newsroom of BusinessF1 magazine hums with activity as Graham Lowell, a junior reporter with more ambition than scruples, hunches over his laptop. His fingers fly across the keyboard, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he types out what he believes to be the scoop of the century.
Conflict of Interest in the Pit Lane: Ferrari and Mercedes’ Love Affair
Graham leans back, admiring his handiwork. He’s certain this article will catapult him to journalism stardom. Little does he know, he’s about to learn a harsh lesson in the dangers of sensationalism.
As the article goes live, the Formula 1 world erupts into chaos. Social media platforms light up with speculation and outrage. Within hours, the story spreads like wildfire, reaching the very subjects of its scandalous claims.
In the Ferrari motorhome, you stand before a group of wide-eyed team members, your voice steady despite the storm raging inside you. “I assure you, these allegations are completely false. Our team’s integrity is not, and will never be, compromised.”
Your phone buzzes incessantly in your pocket, but you ignore it. You know who it is, and you know you’ll need to face him soon enough.
Across the paddock, in the sleek confines of the Mercedes garage, Toto Wolff paces like a caged lion. His usually calm demeanor is nowhere to be seen as he barks orders into his phone.
“I want our legal team on this immediately,” he growls. “This is slander, pure and simple. They’ve gone too far this time.”
As the day wears on, the pressure mounts. You find yourself fielding increasingly hostile questions from reporters, their microphones thrust aggressively in your face.
“Is it true that you’ve been passing Ferrari’s secrets to Mercedes?” One shouts.
“How long have you been manipulating race results?” Another demands.
You maintain your composure, but inside, you’re seething. The blatant sexism in their questions is not lost on you. They seem all too eager to believe that a woman in your position must have achieved it through nefarious means.
As you push through the crowd, a familiar voice cuts through the chaos. “That’s enough!” Toto’s commanding tone silences the mob instantly. He strides forward, placing a protective arm around your shoulders.
“My wife and I will be making a statement shortly,” he announces, his steely gaze daring anyone to object. “Until then, I suggest you all refrain from spreading baseless rumors.”
The crowd parts reluctantly, allowing you both to escape to the relative quiet of a nearby hospitality suite. As soon as the door closes behind you, Toto’s fierce expression melts into one of concern.
“Are you alright, liebling?” He asks softly, cupping your face in his hands.
You lean into his touch, allowing yourself a moment of vulnerability. “I’m fine, Toto. Just ... frustrated. They’re so quick to believe the worst of me.”
Toto’s jaw clenches. “It’s disgraceful. But we’ll fight this, together. I promise you, they won’t get away with it.”
A knock at the door interrupts your moment. Toto’s assistant pokes her head in. “Sir, the lawyers are here.”
What follows is a whirlwind of legal jargon and strategy discussions. You listen intently as your shared legal team outlines the plan of attack.
“We’ll issue cease and desist orders to every outlet that’s republished the story,” the head lawyer explains. “And we’ll be filing a defamation lawsuit against BusinessF1 magazine and the reporter responsible.”
Toto nods approvingly. “Good. I want them to feel the full force of our response. This ends now.”
As the lawyers file out, you turn to Toto, a hint of worry in your eyes. “Do you think this will be enough? The damage to my reputation ...”
Toto takes your hands in his, his gaze intense. “We will rebuild it, stronger than ever. I won’t let them tarnish everything you’ve worked for.”
Meanwhile, back at the BusinessF1 office, Graham Lowell is beginning to realize the gravity of his mistake. His editor storms into the bullpen, face red with fury.
“Lowell!” He bellows. “My office, now!”
Graham follows meekly, his earlier bravado evaporating with each step. As he enters the office, he sees his editor isn’t alone. A grim-faced man in an expensive suit stands by the window.
“Sit down,” the editor growls. Graham complies, his legs feeling like jelly.
The man by the window turns, fixing Graham with a steely glare. “Mr. Lowell, I’m representing Mr. and Mrs. Wolff in this matter. I’m here to inform you that you and this publication are being sued for defamation.”
Graham’s mouth goes dry. “But ... but I had a source! They told me-”
“A source you failed to verify,” his editor cuts in. “Did you even attempt to get a comment from either party before publishing?”
Graham’s silence is damning. The lawyer continues, his voice cold and precise. “The damages we’re seeking are substantial. Your reckless journalism has caused significant harm to my clients’ reputations.”
As the full implications of his actions sink in, Graham slumps in his chair. His dreams of journalistic glory crumble before his eyes, replaced by the stark reality of legal consequences.
Outside, the F1 paddock buzzes with new excitement. Word of the impending lawsuit spreads quickly, and suddenly, those who were so quick to believe the scandal are backpedaling furiously.
You and Toto stand united before a sea of cameras, your hands clasped tightly together. Toto speaks first, his voice resonating with controlled anger.
“The allegations made against my wife and me are not only false but malicious,” he states. “We have always maintained the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in our respective roles.”
You step forward, your head held high. “I’ve worked tirelessly to earn my position as Team Principal at Scuderia Ferrari. To suggest that my success is due to anything other than my own merit is not only insulting to me but to every woman fighting to make her mark in this sport.”
The press conference continues, with you and Toto presenting a united front against the baseless accusations. As you field questions, you can see the tide of public opinion beginning to turn.
Later that evening, in the privacy of your hotel suite, you finally allow yourself to relax. Toto wraps you in a warm embrace, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.
“You were magnificent today,” he murmurs. “I’m so proud of you.”
You smile up at him, feeling the tension of the day start to melt away. “We make a good team, don’t we?”
Toto chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eye. “The best. Although, I must say, I’m almost disappointed we don’t actually have any juicy secrets to share. It might make things more exciting.”
You playfully swat his arm, laughing despite yourself. “I think we have enough excitement in our lives, thank you very much.”
As you settle into each other’s arms, you know that whatever challenges come your way, you’ll face them together. The storm may rage outside, but in here, in this moment, all is calm.
And somewhere across the continent, in a small, cluttered apartment, Graham Lowell stares at his laptop screen, watching his career and reputation crumble in real-time.
Social media is ablaze with backlash against him and support for you and Toto. As he scrolls through the endless comments condemning his shoddy journalism, one thought echoes in his mind.
“I am so, so screwed.”
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mydearestbeloved · 4 months ago
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#0.2 [Chapter]
CW: Implied Yandere, Angst
⚠️SPOILER ALERT to my "Trial Player"-AU (Imagine 1#).
Note:
I have too many ideas but too little time, so I'll just post them as drafts here until I have the time to edit them thoroughly.
_____
Draft I:
As you sat alone in a rare moment of peace, your thoughts wandered, weighed down by the inevitable future. You watched Jinwoo across the room, his back turned as he spoke quietly with a few of his shadows, too preoccupied to notice the turmoil churning inside you. You wondered if he could sense it—the quiet resignation you’d tried so hard to bury beneath the surface.
For a long time, you had wondered which of the tropes would define Sung Jinwoo. The question had plagued your mind ever since you were brought into this world, even before you officially met him. Back then, you had always believed he was the type to sacrifice himself for the world. After all, in the original story, he had gone back in time, facing the Monarchs alone. He shouldered the burden, unflinching, and in doing so, sealed his fate. It was the path of a man who believed no one else could bear the weight of the world.
And you? You always saw yourself as someone who would burn the world for the ones you loved. Before getting isekai’d, that had been your mindset—I’ll burn the world for you. If you had someone like Jinwoo, someone precious, you’d scorch the earth before letting them be taken.
But now, everything had changed. You weren’t just a bystander. You were a part of his story, no matter how much you had tried not to meddle. You were in too deep, and every day you spent by his side made it harder to imagine a future where you weren’t there. But you knew what was coming. Jinwoo’s path would lead him to turn back time, and when that happened—when he used the Cup of Reincarnation to stop the Monarchs—you would be erased.
The system’s melancholic silence when you’d asked it about your fate had only confirmed your worst fears. There was no need for a trial player when the world was safe from the Monarchs. You would disappear from this reality, perhaps return to your own. Or maybe you would simply cease to exist.
You had already accepted it, in a way. If Jinwoo chose the world over himself, then I would choose to sacrifice myself for him. You would give him the chance to live in the world he chose to protect. You would disappear quietly, like a glitch in the system, repaired and erased without a trace.
But he must never know.
If Jinwoo knew... if he found out what you planned to do, it could change everything. You weren’t blind to how it might affect him. He had changed from the man you once read about. This Jinwoo was not the same as the one in the original story. He was growing more possessive, more attached to you. It was subtle at first—the way he watched you avoid the spotlight, how he seemed to enjoy it when you recoiled from fame—but now, it was undeniable. He wanted you by his side, always. His actions, his words, even his touch—everything told you that he wouldn’t let you go easily.
And if he knew your fate? If he discovered that by turning back time and saving the world, he would lose you... What would he do?
Your heart clenched at the thought. He might choose you over the world. He might become the man who would burn everything to keep you by his side. And that scared you more than anything.
Jinwoo was always kind. That was a fact you couldn’t deny. Even with his immense power, even with his ruthlessness on the battlefield, there was a kindness in him that remained untouched. You didn’t want to take that from him. You didn’t want to become the reason he veered off his path, the reason he sacrificed the world for something as selfish as... a love for the you who weren't meant to be.
So, he must not know.
You would carry the weight of your secret, and when the time came, you would disappear. You would become nothing more than a fading memory, like a glitch once fixed, leaving no trace behind.
You looked at Jinwoo again, your heart heavy with the knowledge that you were running out of time. His gaze met yours, and for a moment, his expression softened, as if sensing the depth of your thoughts. He crossed the room, sitting beside you with a quiet, almost casual presence that belied the intensity of his emotions. His hand brushed yours, and you felt the familiar warmth of his touch.
“You’re thinking too much again,” he said softly, his voice low and comforting.
You forced a smile, trying to mask the storm inside you. “Maybe.”
Jinwoo didn’t press further, but his eyes lingered on your face, searching. He always knew when something was off, but for now, he seemed willing to let it slide. You leaned into his side, resting your head against his shoulder, wondering how long you had left before everything changed.
Because no matter how much you tried to keep your cards close, the end was inevitable. And when it came... you would disappear, leaving Jinwoo to walk the path alone once again.
_____
Draft II:
You stared out the window, your thoughts swirling in a labyrinth of uncertainty. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of life outside, but inside, your mind was far too loud. The weight of everything—your existence here, Jinwoo’s fate, the inevitable outcome of this world—all pressed down on you like a suffocating blanket. You thought about Jinwoo, about his burdens, his strength, and the path he was destined to walk.
He must not know.
That thought repeated itself like a mantra in your head. If Jinwoo knew what you were willing to do, if he knew you were planning to sacrifice yourself for him, everything could change. And that change could unravel the story you knew—the story you had come to love, the one you were never meant to alter.
In the original story, Jinwoo was the kind of man who would sacrifice himself for the world, or for his loved ones. You had always admired that about him—the quiet strength, the resolve to protect even if it meant carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. But now, as you sat here in his world, things had shifted. You were in too deep. And if things continued down this path, it would be you who would disappear once Jinwoo reversed time to stop the Monarchs.
You had asked the system once, in private, what would happen to you after Jinwoo used the Cup of Reincarnation. Its silence had told you everything. You would cease to exist. You wouldn’t be needed anymore because the trial—the system—would be over. You would either return to your world or vanish entirely, leaving no trace. And Jinwoo... Jinwoo would never remember you. Once the timeline reset, his memories of you would be erased, as though you were nothing more than a glitch.
Perhaps that was for the best.
You didn’t mind sacrificing yourself for him. If you disappeared, at least you would know you had done something meaningful. Jinwoo would live on, and he wouldn’t be burdened by your memory. He would believe, as always, that he had faced it all alone.
But the thought of how your disappearance might affect him—it gnawed at you. Jinwoo had already lost so much. What would he feel if he knew you were gone, even if he couldn’t remember why? How would it change him if he somehow, deep down, sensed the absence of something—someone—important?
Where you 'important' enough?
“You’re thinking too much again,” came Jinwoo’s voice, low and smooth, as if he had been reading your mind. He was suddenly beside you, his presence steady and overwhelming, as it always was.
You blinked, pulled from your thoughts, and turned to face him. He looked at you with those deep, intense eyes that seemed to see right through you, his gaze unwavering as if he could sense your inner turmoil. He stepped closer, his thumb brushed your cheek, his touch grounding you. “You’re always overthinking.”
You laughed softly, a sound tinged with both amusement and sadness. “I can’t help it. It’s in my nature.”
He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “Then let me help you. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”
The irony of his words wasn’t lost on you. He, who had always been alone, who had carried the weight of the world by himself, was now offering to share your burden. It was almost poetic.
You nodded, leaning into his touch. “I’m fine, Jinwoo.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “You’ve been distant lately.” His thumb continue to brush against your skin, sending a wave of warmth through you. “What are you thinking about?”
You. That was the truth, wasn’t it? You were always thinking about him, about the burden he carried, and what it meant for both of you. But you couldn’t tell him that. You couldn’t tell him you were planning to disappear, or that you were ready to sacrifice yourself for him. He’d never let you.
So instead, you asked, “What would you sacrifice for the world, Jinwoo? Or for someone you care about?”
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to understand where the question was coming from. He was silent for a moment, considering his answer. “I’d sacrifice myself if it meant saving the people I love,” he said finally. “I’d protect them at any cost.”
Of course he would. That was the Jinwoo you knew. The Jinwoo the world knew.
Please, never change.
But what about you? Would he ever put you in that equation, or were you just another person in the background—someone to protect from afar, someone he couldn’t afford to get too close to?
“What about me?” you asked softly, your voice barely above a whisper.
Jinwoo’s gaze darkened, and for a moment, you saw something flash in his eyes. Something possessive. Something that made your heart race. He stepped even closer, his hand now cradling your face, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw.
“I’d burn the world for you,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t you know that by now?”
Your breath hitched at the intensity in his words. There was no hesitation, no doubt in his voice. He meant it. He would destroy everything if it meant keeping you by his side. And that terrified you.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
You had always thought Jinwoo was the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for the world, and maybe he still was—but when it came to you, something had changed. His focus had shifted. You weren’t just someone he protected. You were his. And he wasn’t going to let you go.
You tried to keep your voice steady as you said, “You can’t—”
“I can,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And I will.”
Your heart pounded in your chest, a mix of fear and something else—something you didn’t want to name. “Jinwoo...”
He leaned closer, his forehead resting gently against yours. “You’re mine, (Name). And I won’t let you go. Not for the world, not for anyone. I’ll keep you by my side, no matter what.”
The weight of his words settled over you like a heavy cloak. You had always known he was possessive, but this... this was something else. It was dangerous, all-consuming. And the worst part? You weren’t sure if you wanted to resist it anymore.
But even so, you couldn’t tell him. You couldn’t tell him about the future you knew, about the Cup of Reincarnation, about your eventual disappearance. Because if you did, you knew he would do everything in his power to stop it—even if it meant burning the world to the ground.
So, instead, you leaned into him, letting his warmth envelop you, even as your heart ached with the knowledge of what was to come.
“I won’t let you face it alone,” you whispered, more to yourself than to him.
And for now, that was enough.
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End Note:
It's popular to say, get yourself a partner who'll burn the world for you.
I still love that trope the most, but I also want to try new flavors without forgetting the others I've tasted. So, I improvised, and this is how my "Sung Jinwoo/Trial Player!Reader"-fanfic Imagine came to be.
In a nutshell: Jinwoo is intense, but (Name) is also intense in her own way~
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crescent-blades · 4 months ago
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Refusing to talk to him || Kokushibō
Pairings⌇Kokushibō × Y/N, ⌞Kokushibō and Y/N are in a pre-established relationship⌝
Warnings⌇ Arguments, Heartbreak, ignoring/ghosting || Making up afterwards
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𖤐ˎˊ˗ Masterlist
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  ▪︎You two rarely argued, if at all. Both of you were understanding of each other, and Kokushibo being a man of little words along with his calm disposition really made it nearly impossible to engage in any arguments with him.
  ▪︎But for the first time, you two had argued, so intensly infact- that for the first time you witnessed a side of him that you had never seen before-- he was so angry that for the first time- he had raised his voice at you.
  ▪︎after the argument, he himself was pretty heated. Frustration had boiled up within him, and in an effort to release the pent-up energy, he just started training himself, perfecting his strikes and accuracy; as the frustration built up within him would be released in a series of slashes
  ▪︎As time passed, the intensity of his anger began to fade, and he realized that the argument was ultimately all trivial anyways..
  ▪︎Almost an entire day had passed since your heated argument. As always, Kokushibo, your husband came home, expecting you to have forgotten things like him and moved on. Only to see that you were just completely ignoring him.
 Kokushibo would be slightly taken aback at your behavior, deep down, hurt even. Did he really mess things up that bad? No.. he could not--perhaps you were still grappling with the situation.. So he just dismissed it entirely, beleiving that you'd forget it all eventually..
▪︎Until that time never actually came. What began as one day stretched into two, then three, until almost a week had gone by, and you still chose to completely disregard him. Refusing to even acknowledge his presence.
..."How childish--"
▪︎He'd think.. yet deep down, he felt concerned. Why were you behaving like this? The only person who he had managed to form a connection with.. someone who he had genuinely learnt to care about had abruptly just cut all ties with him?
▪︎ A sense of pain began to settle in his chest-- in his heart.. yet still, he attempted to dismiss his feelings, regarding the situation as insignificant as he'd ventured out to release his frustrations through training, until even that ceased to provide relief anymore..
▪︎But the the thought of you- your words, the smile that lit up your face when you saw him, those comforting embraces, and your soothing presence—had vanished. All of it, the argument he once considered trivial now kept replaying in his mind over and over--
-> Your silent treatment had deeply wounded a demon who nobody could even lay a scratch on.
▪︎He understood that now even training wasn't helping with anything. Deep down, he sought your embrace once more.. he though the only way to undo all of this would be to make amends with you.
▪︎So the next day, he decided to reach out to you. He was infact, a man with little words. Conversing with people seemed trivial to him, but as for you, not conversing with you seemed draining-
"The moon.. appears quite lovely today.. does it not?"
▪︎ He'd try talking to you, bringing up conversations, hopinig to draw you out, yet you remained unresponsive..
"Y/n, my dear... I understand I must have said things that must have.. upset you.. but please let us forget about these trivial matters.. my heart.. longs for your presence.."
▪︎he'd apologise to you, for the hurtful words he had used. Definitely, having him yell at you like that, he brought out a side you never saw in him, and it definitely had hurt you. You would share your feelings with him, and he would listen attentively, do his best to understand you..
  ▪︎But in the end, he'd never let you stay mad at him for too long. He didn't want to lose you. He valued your presence in his life, as you were someone in many centuries that actually understood him, and he learnt to genuinely love you. And letting some silly arguments jeapardize your entire relationship was something he'd never let happen..
▪︎ He'd write heartfelt poetry for you, to cheer you up.. he'd write about your beautiful smile, your delicate touch among other cherished qualities. He would craft a beautifully written love letter along, with some beautiful flowers hed give to you from time to time. Although he may not be a man of many words, he is dedicated to ensuring your happiness in every possible way.
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theoldsports · 1 year ago
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Matrimony
Coriolanus Snow x Reader | 5.7K words
SMUT 18+ ONLY. unprotected sex. possessiveness, flirting, drinking, body image/too tight dress, gaslighting.
THE WEDDING. FINALLY. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
The sheets in the large hotel bed were soft and smelled so clean. They lacked the heavy rose smell that lingered in the Snow home. It was a welcome change of pace.
Too bad [Y/N] had hardly slept a wink in them. She was too nervous. It was the day of her wedding, after all.
She didn’t hate Coriolanus. She had before, but she didn’t now, not really. Coriolanus had slept well last night, which he rarely did. He only slept a few hours a night too often. [Y/N] thought her nerves had increased due to the proximity of the wedding, Coriolanus’ had subsided as the day drew closer because it was likely that he thinking he was one day closer to fully having [Y/N] under his thumb. But whoever knew what Coriolanus was thinking?
[Y/N] was worried about saying I love you and I do. She knew Coriolanus didn’t want her to be so anxious about it and reminded her, with a kiss to her forehead each time, that she could do it. He loathed being supportive, but he was getting better at pretending. It was less exhausting for him now.
If nothing else, tonight would be a party and a party meant she would drink and eventually she would blackout, if she was lucky. And Coriolanus would get her back upstairs to their hotel room and fuck her good and hard, so he would be happy. And they would wake up still wed the next morning. And he would be still be haughty and she would still be discontented. And that would be the first day of the rest of their lives.
[Y/N] had watched Coriolanus leave quietly through the door nearly an hour before. The few moments of rest she was able to get from her night of sleep ceased when he pulled his arm off of its nightly home on her waist. He had turned over his shoulder to look at her from the door before he left. One final good, long look. It was funny. Coriolanus never took the time to look back at her. [Y/N] snapped her eyes shut when Coriolanus rocked his weight back onto his heels. [Y/N] hoped he hadn’t seen her blush or fluttering eyelashes. [Y/N] got so excited at the simplest gesture from him. If she were a less careful woman, she may have almost smiled.
He looked at me.
The brief joy was gone with Coriolanus and he was now long gone. [Y/N] finally rolled over to step out of the bed. Her new silk white nightgown alluded to her future that evening. [Y/N] sighed. Her hand crunched against something paper beside her. Coriolanus must have left something. [Y/N] glanced to her right. A white rose from the vase he had requested on the bedside table, free of thorns. [Y/N] smirked. Of course. There was also a note in his curly, slanted script.
Darling,
Big day. It’s likely the next time I see you will be at the alter. Remember, you have nothing to be nervous about. I’ve got you.
And don’t lace your corset so tight you can’t breathe. You’ve got dancing to do.
C.B.S.
He was so good at baiting her into comfort that [Y/N] almost forgot it was baiting. She took at deep breath. I’ve got you. Coriolanus still had not seen the dress, but his educated guess about the corset was spot on. He was always spot on. He paid too close attention. It was shocking that Coriolanus could oscillate from obvious manipulation and intimidation to the man that cared for [Y/N]. Unless the second part was more elaborate manipulation too.
[Y/N] went to the bathroom to piss.
Dark spots on her neck and chest greeted her. They never really faded away. Coriolanus would find new places for them, or mark over the old ones. [Y/N] liked how they looked and certainly how they felt to receive. But what a pain they were to conceal! She should have known better and acquired a high-necked gown way back when. It was a winter wedding, so it wouldn’t have looked out of place.
The beauty parlor would be able to work some of that Capitol magic on them.
[Y/N] looked in the mirror over the sink in the bathroom with the pristine black tile and giant bathtub. She smiled vapidly. That was that. By the end of the day, she would officially be a wife. Her identity would be defined by Coriolanus.
Once, she smiled because her poor decisions would reflect boldly on Coriolanus. Now, [Y/N] worried because it was the other way around. She was a permanent extension of Coriolanus and his aspirations and desires the second she had his name.
She sighed. For better or worse.
[Y/N] crept down to the hotel lobby in large green sunglasses and a hotel robe. It was turquoise. It was a terrible color. Coriolanus would have hated it. She lost her purple sunglasses after the Flickerman interview. Coriolanus did like that. He hated those sunglasses too. The green ones were better to him. A small part of [Y/N] liked knowing that Coriolanus was pleased by what she wore.
She glanced around. No sight of Coriolanus. She didn’t want to break tradition. There was no more room for things going wrong in her life. Across the lobby, [Y/N] went towards the beauty parlor and the wedding shop. She had gone through so many catalogs of dresses and hairstyles and everything must be perfect, only for her to allow to be handled by beauticians who were strangers at the last minute.
Then the hands landed on her waist. [Y/N] gasped, readying herself to scream. The hands pulled her to firm chest and the hands turned into arms, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back beside a ficus and a fern.
She looked down and saw the hands. Pale white hands with rings and a loose bracelet.
Coriolanus Snow, rigid, but never one for following the rules.
“Coriolanus!” [Y/N] squeaked. “You’re not supposed to see me yet. Let go!”
“That’s a silly old story. Saw you this morning.” He whispered with a smirk, holding [Y/N] waist tight.
“It’s… yeah, but—“
“Thought I wasn’t supposed to see the dress. But you—“
“I don’t wanna ruin today—“
“Fine! Fine! Just let me look at you one more time and I’ll let you go,” Coriolanus said. He spun [Y/N] to face him easily. His eyes slid from her eyes through glasses, down her face, her neck, her breasts, back up to her neck. That’s where his eyes greedily stopped. His finger tickled the skin on the right side of her neck where he had left a dark bruise. [Y/N] laughed a little and slotted her face into his hand.
“No thanks to you, the ladies in the parlor will have to work harder on me today.” [Y/N] said, referencing the marks.
“Don’t cover them.” Coriolanus said simply.
“What?”
Coriolanus smiled softly. “Don’t cover them. You look very beautiful.”
“Yeah, didn’t know you had such a sense of humor, Coryo. Could’ve fooled me,” [Y/N] smirked. “It’s our wedding.”
“So?”
“So…” There was no good argument. [Y/N] had done much worse before. They both knew that. She huffed.
“Fine,” he conceded. “Do whatever you want. I’m just saying, if I had to take my shirt off for some reason tonight, my back looks three times worse than your neck.”
[Y/N] blushed. “Yeah, but you eliminated your argument by saying that. Because you are wearing a suit. I’m wearing a low-cut dress.”
Coriolanus gritted his teeth. He was going to say something harsh. He refrained. “So the dress is low-cut?” He asked, raising a brow.
“Fuck!” [Y/N] exclaimed. “No. No more. I’m going,” she tried to pull away from Coriolanus. “Let me go. I’m going. I’ve ruined it,” she jabbed a finger in his chest. “You cursed us. We’re cursed. That’s bad luck.”
“If anyone cursed us,” Coriolanus let go of her waist. “It was you, Darling.” He called as she walked away. [Y/N] shuddered as crossed her arms. He hadn’t meant it, had he? God, he loved it when he made her nervous.
[Y/N] had some bridesmaids. She did not love that she had to share the stage and the big fluffy dresses with the ladies, but here she was. Lysistrata was her Maid of Honor. She wanted it to be Clemensia, but Coriolanus said no.
After that, Clemensia refused to be in the wedding party at all. Too bad.
[Y/N] thought she looked good in her white snowy gown. Lovely even. But she was too nervous to focus on much of that beauty.
Everyone would nitpick her dress, her hair, her body, why she of all people was unbreakably becoming the Capitol’s darling’s Darling, among other things. The pressure was high. [Y/N] had not been able to make herself cry either, which was unusual for her. The woman wanted to claw at her skin and tear it off from the itching, nerves and impatience.
Would Coriolanus finally love her tomorrow? Or would he ignore her now that she was belted in permanently as his plaything. [Y/N] didn’t want to be used only when Coriolanus wanted. She would have bitten her nails if they weren’t so well-manicured.
[Y/N] inhaled. Her corset was too tight and she was so nervous. The breath came out ragged. It didn’t relieve her the way that a deep breath was supposed to. She thought back to Coriolanus’ note: And don’t lace your corset so tight you can’t breathe. She hadn’t listened well enough. [Y/N] did not want him to be mad at her. She reached back with shaking hands to try and loosen it, but she couldn’t manage.
I’ve got you.
When she sat down on the bench in the hallway outside of the venue to wait for her father to walk her down the aisle, the pressure shift made the bottom half of her dress’ corset tightened more. The dress was stunning, it was a true. A ballgown, a favorite style of [Y/N]’s. It was indeed low-cut with a beaded white corset pressing her breasts higher. It didn’t make her feel whorish, but it helped her feel beautiful. Over that, she had a wintery long-sleeved translucent mesh top. It was white and was covered with speckles that looked like snow in the places where snow might catch as it sprinkled down. Her veil was less traditional and didn’t cover her face completely. [Y/N] felt freer in it, and Coriolanus wouldn’t have to wrestle with it. Under it, she wore the red heels she had worn at their engagement party. It was sentimental, but that night was one of the first actual lovely memories she had of Coriolanus. Was that memory meant to be lovely? [Y/N] was unsure. She decided she would remember it that way. If she didn’t, she would lose her mind at what she had done to herself.
I’ve got you.
Everything had to be lovely.
The wedding had to be lovely.
“[Y/N],” Her father said, approaching her in a loud colored tuxedo. Gaudy. Tacky. “Stand. Let me look at you,” He muttered, extending his arm to her. [Y/N] did as she was told like she was a child again. The man could barely look at her. They had spoken for the first time since their engagement party at the rehearsal dinner the day prior. Her father was pleased to leave the burden of his disappointment on another man. [Y/N] shifted and did a small spin for her father before taking his arm. She could hear the orchestra playing inside the venue along with the chatter. [Y/N]’s looming father reached behind her and grabbed the ties of her corset and pulled the ends tighter. Her breath hitched. “That’s better.” Her father said. Then, he proceeded to the door to finally give her away.
[Y/N]’s head swam. She had already been laced into the damn corset for what felt like too long but in reality had been a bit over an hour. She coped by taking shallow breaths from her chest and staring straight ahead, unblinking.
The doors parted. [Y/N] hadn’t even realized that had been pulled in front of the doors to the event hall itself. All white and red, like most winter weddings were meant to be, but white and red the way Coriolanus (and by extension [Y/N] now) liked. The bouquet, forgotten, was held straight and clutched tighter. [Y/N] lacquered her smile back on. Being in front of everyone she had ever known made her dizzy. Everyone she had ever known gasped and smiled in delight at her. The music changed. She walked. She wanted to puke. Eventually, she was at the alter. Her ribs ached. Her chest burned. [Y/N] smiled wider.
Coriolanus. His loose blonde curls were determinedly tamed, slicked behind his ears. His unruly hair never did what anyone commanded, so it was an impressive feat. Black tux, white bow tie, red rose; standard. His shoes were also red. Those were new. Did he think about her red shoes from that night often too? Had he snooped and seen her shoes in her tote bag last night even though she told him not to? It must have been his intuition. Best not to read into it. Coriolanus Snow liked red.
He also wore gloves. White and dapper. He looked so clean. Those gloves made sure not a trace of the cruelty he was capable of was visible. No trace left behind.
[Y/N]’s father deposited her in front of Coriolanus with an obligatory kiss to her forehead and walked away. She couldn’t recall walking to the alter. Her knees shook. Coriolanus was tall. Had he always been so tall?
Effortlessly, Coriolanus leaned forward and wrapped his hands behind her waist. [Y/N] thought he had just meant to place his hands on her too-narrow waist to greedily admire what he was capable of manipulating her body into. Instead, he loosened it.
I’ve got you.
What a beautiful scene that must have been. [Y/N] inhaled deeply through her nose as if she had risen from the dead. The world around her felt real again. Everything looked real. “Thank you.” She gasped.
Coriolanus kissed her forehead, much like her father had. Power shown as repetition and reversal of action. “I thought I told you not to cinch it so much.” He whispered softly. Coriolanus tipped her chin up with the fingers under his white leather glove. The pictures of that moment would later be so beautiful.
“I didn’t.”
“Somebody did, Darling… Silly. These are pretty, though.” Coriolanus whispered away from prying microphones. He dragged his finger across her neck, meaning some of the marks she had left uncovered on a stupid whim that was about to share a last name with her, but showcasing her pearl necklace instead.
“For you,” [Y/N] panted back sarcastically. “Can we get on with it?”
“Romantic.” Coriolanus scoffed and leaned away from [Y/N]’s ear. His shoulders unrolled to their full and staggering height, beautiful beast that he was. Coriolanus took [Y/N]’s hand that did not hold a bouquet of red roses in his. She swore she had imagined the circle Coriolanus has ghosted over the back of her hand.
The officiant of the wedding was beckoning everyone to sit. [Y/N] hadn’t realized the attendees had been standing. The officiant wore black as well. He was disgracefully old. [Y/N] looked out the massive picture window over Coriolanus’ shoulder. There was snow outside, too.
The old, frail man cleared his throat and held his arms open to the congregation. “A true lasting marriage requires effort, commitment, and unending understanding. As [Y/N] and Coriolanus declare their partnership on this day, we reflect on the meaning of partnership and its importance to a successful union. Partners, in life, think of one another as capable, but each arriving with their own special skills.” At these words, [Y/N] scoffed. She wondered if Coriolanus thought her capable. Coriolanus stared down at her. No love. No hatred either. He looked at her stoically. She wanted him to look down at her with something. Usually, he did. She wanted an iota of anything.
What happened to I’ve got you.
“Marriage is rarely equal. In marriage, you will often be required to honor commitments you cannot fully understand. The mark of a successful marriage is that you meet these commitments with patience, honesty, and love—even as you fail.
“Over time, you will realize that the burdens placed upon you by life are not loads to be carried—they are opportunities. Each day is an opportunity to be shared with your partner; the dawn of each day brings new experiences.”
[Y/N] felt like vomiting. This was burdensome. Not a burden, a weight. Would Coriolanus help her lift it? Or would he leave her to roll the boulder up the hill each morning on her own? He promised that he would; that he had her back, that he would help, that she would never be left to struggle alone again.
“Your rings and your vows, please.” The old man sputtered. Coriolanus removed his gloves to tuck into his pocket and exposed his beautiful hands. [Y/N] wondered if he had ever played piano. Likely not. He did not own a piano. His hands indicated that he would have been natural to it.
He procured two white gold rings from his breast pocket. One thicker for his own large hand, one daintier with three very small rubies to go with the massive ruby in the daintier still engagement ring. Coriolanus passed her the one meant for his finger.
Now came the part that had [Y/N] worried. Both the words themselves and the memorization of such words. Coriolanus was to begin. Naturally.
Coriolanus inhaled deeply. His chest jumped under his white tie. [Y/N] nearly guessed he was nervous. How could a creature like that get nervous? “I, Coriolanus Snow, take thee, [Y/N] [L/N], to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.” He spoke deceptively calmly. His voice boomed with an authoritarian edge. He had a completely different voice in public than he did in their bedroom. After the words were passed his lips, he smiled. Finally. Finally, he attempted to reveal a feeling. He slid the ring down her left ring finger to its final resting place.
“I, [Y/N] [L/N], take thee, Coriolanus Snow, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey,” the word that had made her so nervous. Once she said it, everything felt much lighter. The hardest part was over. [Y/N] took that last step to give herself to Coriolanus. He had everything of hers, and now he had her ring finger too. She felt she had rushed the beginning of this vow, so she took her time with the little that remained. “Till death us do part.” [Y/N] concluded as a wife. She pressed his ring onto his ring finger. Slow. Coriolanus couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
[Y/N] dragged her eyes from the hand that dried her tears and gripped her throat, to the eyes that hungered for every morsel of her. [Y/N] handed her bouquet to the woman, whichever one stood closest behind her, and clasped both of her hands against Coriolanus’, like she was supposed to. She would be the best at doing what she was supposed to. From this day forward, [Y/N] would find that she was capable at something and do it effortlessly for Coriolanus. There was no other option.
Lastly, the Capitol’s undying wedding tradition. Handfasting. The officiant spoke again with clinical and precise rhythm. “Handfasting is an old and venerable tradition that dates back more than ten thousand years. As I wrap this ribbon around your hands, I want you to think about what you think marriage means.” The traditional narrow red ribbon cinched together their palms like a corset.
Marriage was… what, a partnership? A trap, a cage… [Y/N] thought back to the beginning of the ceremony. A burden? No. An… Opportunity. Coriolanus Snow was an opportunity. He took a chance with her and her bullshit everyday. She did the same. Everyday would be an opportunity that she would take at all costs. [Y/N] would make it work.
I’ve got you.
“Marriage will deepen your commitment to one another and strengthen the respect and support you each bring to your relationship.
“Your challenge is to grow with one another, to offer each other compassion and understanding, and to take each new challenge and adventure as it comes as a team. With each wrap of the ribbon, I give my blessing as an officiant that your marriage will be so. Let this bond be strong. Let this bond be eternal. I now pronounce you, Mr. and Mrs. Coriolanus Snow.”
As the pair’s hands were cinched even nearer together, [Y/N]’s eyes caught Coriolanus’ in prolonged eye contact. They both looked light. Relieved. It was over. The hard part was over. She swore she even saw Coriolanus smile— not smirk.
“Mr. Snow, you may now kiss your bride.”
Coriolanus did not waste even a second. He tipped his bound hands up and used the force of the action to pull [Y/N] to him. Their lips met in a searing, stinging kiss. Coriolanus pressed down against her, [Y/N] neck strained from turning her head up.
Everything was a blur. There was the dance floor, the drinks Coriolanus kept bringing, the hand locked on [Y/N]’s waist. The delicious cake. [Y/N] had smashed a forkful into Coriolanus’ pristine pale face. He had looked both surprised and upset, but he didn’t say anything like the good husband he was becoming. Plus he got the opportunity to get [Y/N] back and do twice the damage. He did this swiftly. Everyday in a marriage was an opportunity. Or something.
[Y/N] had been introduced to many important people Coriolanus worked with but he kept her too drunk and dumb to do much more than nod and keep her up arm protectively glued to Coriolanus’ arm. Especially around some of the prettier woman. She hated seeing his white teeth flash at those other woman. How could they smile like that at him with his wife in her gown right there?
[Y/N] stumbled to the bar for a whisky sour. While she waited on the bartender to mix her drink, she glanced through the bright flashing lights at her husband. The fair-haired man was sitting at their table, chatting with one of his University ‘friends’ that had stopped by to wish them well. [Y/N] glanced back at the bartender.
“Congrats.” The bartender said. [Y/N] squinted at his name tag but barely registered what it said.
“Thank you.” She replied, folding her hands on the bar.
“Some wedding. Very beautiful. You look very beautiful. That’s a hell of a dress, too. Is it hard to move in?”
“No, not really.” [Y/N] smiled slightly.
“Your husband’s been back and forth the the bar a ton. He pretty drunk by now?” Bold. Why had the bartender asked that?
[Y/N] her head. “Most of those were for me. So. How about that whisky sour, hm?” She said, her smile getting tighter and tighter-lipped.
“A man like that would make me wanna drink too.”
[Y/N] had spent much of her relationship with Coriolanus feeling that way, but hearing it from someone else made her upset. She did not like hearing anyone say a damn word about him. Only she was allowed to be upset about Coriolanus. Her eyes narrowed at him. “Excuse me?”
“He’s… He’s tough, no? Cold. Hard exterior. Guys like that freak me out. You seem very different from him. I mean, fuck. Look what he did to your neck. You let him do that? He make you do that?” He shrugged too casually. The stranger was taking much too long to mix a whisky sour. It was an easy drink. How many had he already unknowingly made for her tonight?
“Different maybe,” she started. “But he doesn’t freak me out at all. He doesn’t… Make me do things I don’t want to,” Lie. Not right now, but sometimes, lie. “You don’t know him.”
“Sure, sure, I’m just trying to make conversation.”
“Odd topic choice.”
“Is it?” The man smiled. “I’ve been to enough of these weddings to know that girls like you rarely fall for men like him. Usually, there’s some crying bride at the bar because her parents said they would disown her if she didn’t marry some guy like your blondie over there. You’re keeping it together fairly well, doll.”
“Make the damn drink.” [Y/N] replied.
“Jeez, lady. Just trying to—“
“I think the lady told you to make the damn drink,” Came Coriolanus’ voice and his arm squeezing squeezing like a vice around her waist. She didn’t know how much more that waist could take. “Darling, is this man bothering you?” He asked quietly.
If she said yes, the bartender’s tongue would be cut out, or worse. The young man didn’t know; he had been trying to be nice. But it felt so good when Coriolanus came to her rescue and she had to practice positive reinforcement every now and then.
[Y/N] decided she would do her favorite thing: cry. Coriolanus couldn’t ever ignore her tears. [Y/N] knew her husband loved to fix a bird with a broken wing like herself. She sniffled and blinked a few times, staring dead at the bartender, before the tears started to fall.
“Yes. He is bothering me.” She said. The bartender looked appalled at the psychotic display. Clearly, he had misread her situation. [Y/N] knew she was capable of being nearly as rotten as Coriolanus. This man standing in front of her was about to face the consequences of assumptions. [Y/N] looked up at Coriolanus and placed a hand on his chest. He understood exactly what she wanted. Causing their first scene as a married couple. Milestone.
Coriolanus tightened his grip on her. “Look,” Coriolanus squinted at the bartender’s name tag. “Brutus. Hm. Brutus, do you know what that name means?” He condescended.
“Strong.” The bartender replied, putting his shaker down cautiously.
“Really? Well, I suppose it could contextually. Though, I was under the impression it meant dull,” Coriolanus scoffed. “What have you done, Brutus, to upset my wife so much?” He said Brutus as if he were saying dull.
“N-nothing. Just making conversation.”
Coriolanus smirked and [Y/N]’s grin echoed his, but her teeth were straighter. They both liked it when they had someone uncomfortable enough to stumble over their words. “Just making conversation? Did he touch you, dear?” Coriolanus asked. The punishment for touching her would be losing a hand or two. The fellow made a decent drink. She didn’t want him to lose that gift.
[Y/N] sniffled, tugging at Coriolanus’ heartstrings. “No,” sniffle. “He was only running his mouth. He thinks I sh-shouldn’t have married you.”
Coriolanus dragged his blue eyes between [Y/N] and Brutus. “Why shouldn’t we be married?” Coriolanus asked too easily. It was a trap. Brutus shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. “No, please, go ahead. I’m just making conversation. What was it that you said to my wife, here? I’m curious now.”
There was silence. Brutus hung his head uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Sir. [Y/N] knew Coriolanus would like that.
“Jealous? Think you could please my wife better than I could? Am I on the right track?” Coriolanus leaned down to press his lips against weeping [Y/N]’s neck from behind as he spoke to Brutus.
Drunk and dumb from the stress, the alcohol and his touch, [Y/N] reached her hand up to tangle it into Coriolanus’s curls. He didn’t protest for once. Her fingers cut through his hair product and lodged in place, giving his hair a gentle tug. “How’s this for you?” Coriolanus murmured, staring at Brutus and touching [Y/N] disgustingly.
[Y/N] wasn’t sure if it lasted minutes or hours, staring the bartender down like that. Coriolanus pulled her into the lobby and up the stairs to their hotel room. She couldn’t remember exactly if Coriolanus had made the two of them say a proper goodnight to the remaining party attendees. She still had her shoes on, so she would settle for being impressed with herself for that.
Coriolanus unlocked the door to their room and propped it open with some difficulty.
“What are you doing?” She asked tiredly.
“Well, Mrs. Snow, you went on about so many little traditions this week, so I figured I would gift you this.” Coriolanus scooped [Y/N] clumsily into his arms and carried her over the threshold of the room. [Y/N] smiled at his gesture.
Coriolanus walked with her in his grasp until he set her down on the bed with a muted thump. He turned back to the door and closed it. [Y/N] stared up at Coriolanus as he returned. The jacket of his tux and his red shoes had vanished on his walk back.
[Y/N] was quite surprised that Coriolanus had remained in what seemed to be such a decent mood for him all day. The smile or smirk or snarl still lingered on his plush mouth. “Hi.” [Y/N] said.
“Hello,” Coriolanus replied, cocking his head. “That dress really is something else,” he said. His eyes wandered grotesquely over her body. “What did your family think?”
“Barely saw my mother. She was at the bottom of a bottle of posca. Father thought my corset was too loose.” She wiped the remaining wet spots from tears off of her cheeks.
Coriolanus nodded knowingly. “Ah, so you can follow instructions. It was him that locked you in that thing…” his eyes hadn’t moved from her breasts which threatened to spill from her top from laying at this angle. “May I help you out of it?”
She blushed red. “The note you left…” [Y/N] started. “Sweet, by the way. How did you know it was corseted. Did you peek?” She slurred.
“Lucky guess,” Coriolanus said too quickly for the remark to be truthful. “Do me a favor and obey your husband. Turn over. I want it off.”
[Y/N] popped off her memorable red heels and rolled gracelessly onto her stomach so that Coriolanus could undress her how he liked. He crept onto the bed and straddled her thighs with some difficulty from the dress’ bulk. His fingers got to work with the silk cord. [Y/N]’s ability to take low, full breaths increased with each movement of his nimble fingers. “Coryo, what’ll happen to that man from the bar…” [Y/N] quietly.
“That’s none of your concern. He’ll be dealt with for the way he spoke to you, don’t worry,” Coriolanus said, undoing the buttons of her dress now. “No one’s going to get away with speaking to my wife like that. Not now, not ever,” My wife, not you. Because he loved her and they were eternally bound. Or because she was an extension of his existence— nobody talked to him like that. Coriolanus manipulated her body like a doll to get her out of her wedding dress until she was down to her snow white lingerie and garters. “Fuck.” He said at the sight with eyes as wide as saucers.
“It’s adequate?”
“More than adequate,” In an instant, Coriolanus was on her. He was unclipping her garters and pulling her dampened lacy panties down. “You’ve outdone yourself, Mrs. Snow.”
“Fuck me. Please. Really. Not just fingers, or something.”
“Hm,” Coriolanus started. “I should marry you more often.”
Coriolanus pulled off his own trousers and boxers without complaint. [Y/N] sighed happily. “Tell me you love me.” She said.
“What?”
“I don’t care if you don’t mean it. Tell me you love me.” She stressed. [Y/N] wanted the silhouette of a normal wedding night even if it wasn’t one.
Coriolanus said his I love yous while he expertly rubbed [Y/N] clit, who cares if he was sincere or not. Neither one of them knew if he was sincere or not and either would do well enough.
The sex, however, was anything but transactional.
By the look of it, Coriolanus had long been hard in his pants. [Y/N] knew exerting some sort of power over that man at the bar in her honor would have gotten him all riled up. After noticing [Y/N] was already shockingly wet, he pressed his hands into the pillows beside her head and pushed his cock into her easily. “Damn. You’re so wet,” he grunted. Coriolanus scrunched his blue eyes shut. He began to set a pace; much slower than he normally would, less brutal too. He was gentle. Almost. Completely gentle was not a setting he came equipped with.
Coriolanus had never fucked [Y/N] without protection before (that [Y/N] could remember, at least). She made no move to stop him. They didn’t have any barriers left to worry about since they were married. Both silently agreed to never go back. He felt so much better in her this way.
[Y/N] moaned when his right hand moved between them to keep stimulating her. “Good, that’s good,” She said, reaching up to grip his shoulders. Her hands crept further up to grab his hair. She loved his hair, even if he fought hard against her about it so often. “Is this good for you?” [Y/N] whispered.
Coriolanus snapped his icy eyes open and plunged his head into her cleavage in reply. The lacy bra she wore was in his way, even if he thought it did [Y/N] beautiful favors. With one hand and his teeth, he ripped the bra right down the middle. “Better now,” he smirked darkly. Coriolanus slid one of her nipples past his lips. Coriolanus could conduct her moans and pants like a symphony. He knew exactly how to get his most desire response out of her. Coriolanus fucked and rubbed faster, but resisted sliding a hand around her throat and squeezing. At least for the first round as a married couple.
She could get used to the soft way he touched her. Mr. and Mrs. Snow. This caring front felt like it could almost last forever to [Y/N]. Too bad it was a front. She let out a high breathy gasp. The sound she knew he liked best.
Coriolanus was glad they had no plans tomorrow. One more sound like that and his hand would have no choice but to squeeze around her windpipe. She was always so beautiful like that. He changed his mind from weeks before as he looked at her from sucking at her nipples.
This is how he wanted to remember his Mrs. Snow. Makeup dripping, moaning beyond control, eyes rolled back and ripped and fucked out of her dress and lingerie. Because only he could make her feel like that for the rest of her life.
“I love you.” [Y/N] breathed, but she didn’t mean it, not really.
“I love you too.”
It was almost the truth.
TAGLIST:
@badwicht @stelleduarte @cinnamongirl127 @prettyppetty @soulessien @bejeweledreverie @jjstyles @arminsarlerts @chmpgneprblem @co1dmountains @miscellaneousmoonchild @lille999 @pumkinnxsmut @taykorsyogurt @ndycrls @watermelonharry @nananarwhal @ohantonia @catlover420sstuff @justaproudslytherpuff @notarabellasstuff @scarytiger111 @zucchinimalfoy @secretsicanthideanymore @h-l-vlovesvintage @dannydevsbbg @clintsupremacy @lookclosernow @10ava01 @or-was-it-just-a-dream @lucielsstuff @fairyydvst @spencereidbasis @a-mellifluous-life @daenerysqueenofhearts @heavqn @dangelnleif @lapisthelovely @wotcherpeak @24kmar @kaealowri @weeeoosworld @dilucpegg3r @bai-wuxiangs-mask @kisstheskin
as always, apologies for the tags that did not work. love you all.
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johnbrand · 7 months ago
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Enforcing Normality
“Stop right there!”
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Luke quickly pulled out the gun tucked under his shirt, aiming it directly at the man before him. 
“Woah woah!” The man put his hands up in surrender, taking a step back.
“Don’t move,” Luke commanded, although it came off a bit shaky. This was his first time ever bolstering such a dangerous weapon.
“Alright, ok,” the other man assured his tone was calm and steady. “I promise I won’t move if you would just lower the gun.”
“There’s no…you can’t negotiate.” Luke was struggling a bit, something the other man picked up on. He began to deduce that the programming had not yet successfully overridden Luke’s mind.
“Look, you don’t have to do this,” the man started. “I’m innocent.”
Luke’s eye twitched, but his position remained firm. “...That’s not true.”
“It is, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I will shoot,” Luke tried to confirm.
“I bet you used to be just like me,” the man continued. “Before they got to you, you probably lived a happy life. A happy, homosexual life.”
“Shut up,” Luke spat. “I do live a happy life! A happy life with my wife and first kid on the way. A happy, normal life.”
The man took notice of the ring on Luke’s finger. Usually, by the breeding stage, the former inhabitant was long gone, displaced and discarded by the heterosexual algorithm that took over. But the fact that Luke had not shot on sight meant the former inhabitant was still fighting, even if Luke did not consciously realize it.
“You must have been strong, vigilant, vibrant,” the man persuaded. He cautiously took a step forward, trying to lure out whatever could still remain behind the straight male. “You can fight the enforced ‘normality’ they’ve drilled into you.”
Luke closed his eyes and violently shook his head. “Shut up shut up!” Taking it slowly, the man proceeded closer as his aggressor began to lose focus.
“There are people, a rebellion,” the man insisted. “People that can help you, save you, before it's too late.” 
Luke groaned, his head pounding as it battled against the strong values that had been transplanted into him. The man inched closer, now within distance to reach over and grab the weapon away.
“Let me help you,” the man pleaded. “Let me help you become gay again.”
A piercing explosion went off, followed by a soft thud. A single bullet had bore directly into the man’s skull, knocking him out and onto the ground. The conversion drug had absorbed into the brain on impact, not killing the man, but instead ceasing any conscious activity in order to get to work. Some effects were instantaneous, while others took a little more time. In the end however, once the conversion drug was introduced to the main system, there was nothing that could be done.
Still a little shaky, Luke’s eyes were glued to the man on the ground before him. He watched as the first changes began to take hold. The man's body twitched as his musculature expanded, pushing against the limits of his clothing. Body hair erupted soon after, followed by multiple cracks as his jaw squared out and frame became more angular. The Adam's apple began to grow more pronounced, along with the pouch between the legs, which would become the conversion drug’s production factory.
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Luke took a couple of breaths before lodging his gun back into the waistband of his jeans. A small burst of adrenaline and pride overrode him as he watched the man straighten out before his very eyes. The man that he had straightened out. Feeling a childish glee emerging from within, Luke became jittery with the joy of enforcing heteronormativity. He reached for his phone and quickly dialed up the local guard, eager to report his first success before embellishing the tale to his wife at home.
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blimbo-buddy · 8 months ago
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Changing Skies is going to end with the Moonpool being on the verge of destruction. Amongst the panicked screeching of cats around her, MoonPaw decides to dive straight into the poisoned water head first. The others scramble to try and drag her up to the surface, but she's too quick. She doesn't know how this will help, but she doesn't want to leave the Moonpool to die, this has to do something.
She held her breath for as long as she possibly could, delving deeper and deeper into the now seemingly endless depths of the Moonpool. "I never knew it went this deep" she thinks to herself. But she's losing her breath, air slowly bubbling from her mouth and nose. Until a burst of bubbles erupt from her mouth, she was drowning. It's dark, she can't see a thing, she can't see her own paws and body flailing around in a panic. She feels her lungs filling up with water, it burns so much. Ringing in her ears drowns out her thoughts, she's dying, it's slow, she's scared, she tries swimming back up but her sense of direction in the abyss is gone.
But then, she sees a comforting light far, far away. Her eyes widen at the sight, her flailing begins to cease. Past the deafening ringing in her ears, she hears a voice calling her name, "MoonPaw?" MoonPaw doesn't know how this is possible, was this real? Was this her imagination? She didn't know, she couldn't see who the voice belonged to, but she began to think it came from the glowing light.
She couldn't speak, her lungs were filled with water and she was suffocating. She could only swim. Towards the light. Panic slowly melted away from her as she approached, its glow embraced her gently, softly. Like a moth to a light, she drew closer and closer. She felt a warmness envelope her body, mind and soul. The pain was gone, and all she did was swim closer to the heavenly glow.
Her body would never be recovered. The wailing cats up on the surface swam as deep as they could, but they were only met with hard ground at the bottom. No cat ever saw MoonPaw again, they lamented how scared she must have been to slowly drown, they cried over her lost body and soul.
But what they never knew was the joy she felt, the light that embraced her. No cat other than her and the Moonpool knew that in her last moments she felt only warmth, only love.
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jomiddlemarch · 17 days ago
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Silly things do cease to be silly
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George Knightley was well aware the household staff at Hartfield had been much in favor of his engagement to Emma, even more so when they learnt the marriage would not lead to Emma’s departure from the estate but rather his stabilizing arrival, but he admitted to some surprise when he arrived in the afternoon for a visit and was positively hurried to the drawing room by the butler, a circumspect man of indeterminate age moving with the alacrity of a boy whose transgression was about to be found out by a stern nurse. 
“Godspeed, sir,” the man muttered before closing the door silently.
“My dear Emma—” he began, approaching her calmly, something of a feat given the way she was striding about the room, her curls bouncing with an unearthly energy, her hazel eyes wild. He’d never known India muslin could flap so dramatically.
“I’m being driven to distraction, Mr. Knightley, and I don’t see how I can bear it though I don’t see how it won’t be borne! I vow I’m likely to tear my hair out and scream myself hoarse and I know you shall tell me I’m not behaving with any degree of decorum, but the time for decorum is long, long gone!” she exclaimed, trembling beneath his hands when he took hold of hers in their usual greeting, shuddering when he pulled her into a gentle embrace. It was an indication of the vast affection he held for her that the sensation of her heaving bosom pressed to his chest, the hint of her slender waist he felt as he stroked her back only evoked tenderness in him, nothing libidinous. He told himself that, to keep anything remotely carnal at bay, and he also calculated the acreage he meant to plant with rye instead of barley and the projected profit if the market held.
“Don’t tear out your hair, darling Emma,” he said. “I’ve a particular fondness for those curls.”
“They’re fake. It takes Susan two hours with the irons or I’ve got to sleep in rags,” she murmured against his frock-coat. “My hair’s straight as a stick, another disappointment—”
“Nothing about you is a disappointment to me. Though I’m concerned to find you in such a state,” he said. “Is it happening too quickly? We might extend the engagement if that would set your mind at ease. I’ve waited long enough, I shouldn’t mind waiting longer if it would make you happy, dearest.”
“I should mind, most dreadfully,” she said. She looked up at him and for the thousandth time, he thought how her face looked like a flower. “And you shouldn’t wait any longer than the next fortnight. How I shall bear it, I cannot say—”
“What’s troubling you then?”
“The wedding-breakfast. And Papa,” she replied. “I have reviewed the menu with him a dozen times and he frets over something new each time. When I include all the dishes he suggests, the table groans and then he worries we’d all get sick from a surfeit of rich foods. When I make the menu very simple, very plain, barely more than an invalid’s board, he worries we’ll starve. And he won’t countenance anything made with lemon!”
George nodded. It was not a tremendous shock that Emma’s father, who was beset by anxieties most frequently related to meals and their relative risk to the health of all he held dear, would be distressed about the upcoming wedding-breakfast though George attributed Emma’s response to a bride’s nerves. What was called for then, was to remind her that she was to be a bride, his bride and then, his beloved wife.
“Why are you dismayed about the lemon?” he asked.
“Because it’s your favorite and now I’ve ruined it, for I meant to surprise you with lemon syllabub, and now you won’t have anything sweet you like,” Emma said.
It was obvious what he must do next, so he leaned down and kissed her frowning lips very softly, tasting her with more boldness than he had previously allowed himself, so that when they parted, the furrow in her brow was gone and the expression in her eyes was one of dazed wonder.
“I have everything sweet that I like already. And after the wedding-breakfast, I shan’t have to mind my manners when it comes to my appetite,” he said.
After she’d poured out the tea the housekeeper herself had brought in after ascertaining that Miss Woodhouse would like to offer Mr. Knightley some refreshment but before she’d taken a sip from her own cup, George spoke.
“I also quite enjoy honey.”
“Isn’t that rather sticky?” Emma said, her eyes nearly amber, but so marvelously innocent. “I always get some on my fingers and then I’ve got to lick it off.”
“Indeed,” George said. “I’ve often found myself in the same situation. We shall need to help each other, won’t we?”
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Written for Janeuary 2025 @janeuary-month, Day 10, prompt: wedding-breakfast
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sapphire-writes · 1 year ago
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Our Last Summer (modern!HOTD)
part 10 of 10 || series masterlist || previous part
pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Reader
summary: The day of the King's Landing annual regatta is upon us! You and the gang go camping and summer officially comes to an end. But what about you and Aemond?
word count: 5.4k
rating: Mature/Explicit/18+
warnings below the cut!
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warnings: language, explicit p in v, fingering, praise, nipple play, oral (fem receiving), spanking, kissing, angst, fluff, crying
note: and there were have it! the ending of my summer series. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you THANK YOU for all the support and love! I couldn't have done it without you all ❤️
dividers by the lovely @firefly-graphics
as always, comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated but not expected ❤️
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The week goes by, and no matter how tightly you try to hold onto them, the days slip through your fingers like sand—swimming with Baela, visiting with Sara and Cregan at work, and causing mischief with Aegon and Helaena. Helping Luke, visiting Rhaenyra and little Visenya at Dragonstone, shopping downtown with Floris, and spending hours curled up with Aemond at the end of each day.
It’s not enough. 
You’re with Aemond now in the living room of the Targaryen-Hightower home the night before the regatta watching a movie. Well, you suppose you were watching a movie a little while ago, but then Aemond put his hand on your thigh and one thing led to another. The movie is still playing but you’re straddling Aemond’s waist, arms wrapped around his neck, his hands pressed on your lower back molding you to him as he kisses the life out of you. 
You’re not sure how long you’ve been making out, you’ve just been enjoying the uninterrupted time alone. The feeling of his hands caressing you, squeezing you closer. His talented mouth molded against yours, tongue slipping into your mouth as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. 
Your phone vibrates, breaking the spell, and Aemond grabs it for you. It’s Sara calling, her picture filling the entirety of the screen. You’d taken it earlier in the week; she’s resting her cheek on her hand leaning across the bar at the Wolf Den. Leaning back you decline the call before tossing it onto the couch. 
Aemond’s hands slide down to your waist, cupping your ass as you grind against him, capturing his lips in another heated kiss. Your phone continues to buzz on the couch, but the two of you ignore it this time, too wrapped up in each other to care. One of Aemond’s hands trails up your back before resting on the back of your neck, fingers flexing slightly against the sides of your throat. 
A shiver ripples down your spine and you tighten your arms around his neck. Sara must have ceased her attempts to reach you, as your phone has gone silent. From somewhere upstairs a door opens, followed by the soft pitter-patter of footsteps.
“AHEM!” Helaena’s voice calls from the top of the stairs. You pull away from Aemond’s mouth--an incredibly hard feat. “I am coming down the stairs! If there are any body parts out that a sister shouldn’t be seen I advise them to be put away!”
You push against Aemond’s chest as he brings his lips to caress the skin of your jaw down to your neck, just below your ear. You wiggle against his grip, his hands digging into the meat of your ass trying to keep you on his lap. It’s no use, you can’t get off unless he lets you.
“Aemond-”
“No,” he growls, nipping your earlobe, “You’re staying right here.”
“Helaena will scream.”
“It’s not like my cock’s inside you,” he teases, smirking as your eyes widen, “Unless-”
“Not now,” you hiss, cheeks heating up at the thought.
“Later then?” he says cheekily. 
You don’t answer, just roll your eyes at him as Helaena’s footsteps come down the stairs. Her eyes are squeezed shut, a slight grimace on her face.
“Are you decent?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. 
“Mostly,” Aemond answers, and she opens her eyes. 
“Sara called,” she says, holding her phone out, “Mandatory gathering. End-of-summer tradition.”
“We don’t have end-of-summer traditions,” Aemond argues.
“We’re making one then,” Helaena insists. 
“What are we doing?” you ask.
Helaena moves further into the living room, plopping down on a comfy-looking leather chair. 
“Camping on the beach,” she tells you, “Cregan and Sara will be there, Egg, Luke, Jace, Bae, and Rae. It’ll be nice. Boost Luke’s morale before the regatta.”
“You’re down for this?” you ask Aemond, and he shrugs.
“I suppose.”
“You don’t seem like a roughing-it sort of guy,” you tease, fingers running through his hair. 
Aemond brings his hand down across your left asscheek, harshly spanking you. You let out a surprised squeal as he massages the tender skin through your shorts. It stings but sends a delicious wave of want directly to your center. Helaena frowns. 
“On that note, I am going to vomit,” she says, dramatically sighing as she gets up, “Be there tonight! And bring your own tent! I am not sharing with you two.”
Helaena retreats up the stairs and you shake your head at Aemond. 
“You’re impossible,” you tell him, and then he kisses you once more, and any thoughts of reprimanding him slip from your mind.
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“I know how to build a fucking fire-” Aegon grumbles, fiddling with the logs you’d collected for the firepit. 
You’d all spent the evening setting up the tents and collecting firewood. Needless to say, you were all significantly hungry and waiting anxiously for the fire to start so you could roast some hotdogs and marshmallows. A summer feast. 
“You’re doing it wrong-” Helaena tells him, for the fifth time. 
“Fucking drench the bitch!” Aegon says, grabbing the bottle of lighter fluid from Helaena, and squeezing a thick stream of liquid onto the logs.
“You’re gonna blow us up---” Helaena cautions as Aegon lights several lit matches before tossing them into the fire pit. The logs and paper burst into flames instantly, flames licking upwards sending sparks flying into the night sky. 
“Dracarys!!” Aegon yells, maniacally laughing, and ignoring Helaena’s scolding.
A wave of heat rushes over you as the fire continues to blaze. You lean back against Aemond, shielding your face from the heat before the fire calms. Baela reaches into her backpack, tossing you a package of marshmallows.
“Can’t camp without s’mores,” she says.
“Or beer,” Aegon counters, before drumming on the cooler he brought.
“Can someone open these?” Sara asks, struggling with the package of hotdogs. 
Luke helps her, though he’s been quiet all evening. Jace told you earlier when helping with your tent that he’s been really nervous the past couple of days. He sits now across the fire from you, his knee bouncing uncontrollably. 
As you begin to roast marshmallows, Rhaena speaks up. “Let’s play a game,” she says, turning her hotdog on the fire. 
“What game?” Aegon asks.
“Never have I ever?”
“Fucking ace.”
“I’ll start!” Baela says, a mischievous grin on her face, “First to five loses. Never have I ever been arrested.”
Aegon scowls at her as he assembles his s’more, putting one of his fingers down. “Never have I ever….shit this is hard.”
You all laugh and the game continues. Aegon inevitably loses first which sends all of you into fits of hysterical laughter. You all stay around the campfire just talking, and sharing stories. It’s nice and makes you feel warm with love for everyone there. You lean against Aemond, feeling his arm tighten around you. You feel like you could stay like this forever. You wish you could. 
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You don’t retire to your tent until the fire is nothing more than a pile of embers, sending tendrils of gray smoke curling toward the sky. Aegon didn’t bring a tent, insisting he wanted to sleep under the stars. But you noticed he didn’t protest when Sara offered to share hers. Cregan had raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing. 
You could hear giggling from everyone’s tents, low whispers, and rustling sleeping bags. The small noises were rather comforting, knowing everyone was around you and happy. Aemond entered your tent, zipping it shut behind him, leaving no screen exposed except the roof so you could look up at the stars. 
You still haven’t talked with him.
Aemond lays next to you on top of the sleeping bags, reaching an arm out and pulling you flush against him. Without thinking, your mouths find each other in the darkness, and suddenly you’re kissing him trying to quell the intense ache of need deep inside of you. You wonder if you’ll always feel like this for him. Just needy. It’s never enough with Aemond. You always crave more. 
Aemond rolls onto his back, pulling you on top of him. The tent is small but big enough that your head doesn’t press against the screen of the ceiling. His hands wander down your sides, before creeping up under your t-shirt, thumbs caressing the hardened peaks of your nipples. He pinches them, lightly tugging until you gasp against his mouth. 
“Shhh,” he says, kissing you, “You gotta be quiet baby, someone will hear.” As he says it, he lets one hand slip lower, under the waistband of your shorts, “Fuck you’re soaked already.”
“I can’t help it,” you whisper into his mouth, earning a soft groan from him, “What did you say about being quiet?”
Aemond chuckles at your teasing, rubbing slow circles around your clit with his thumb, fingers teasing your entrance. You grind your hips down, trying to help him get the hint. As he kisses you once more, you can feel his smirk and know he’s playing with you.
“You want me to beg?” you ask breathlessly, the stimulation on your clit making your head buzz.
“Maybe,” Aemond teases, “I like when you beg.”
“If I start, they’ll hear me all the way at Dragonstone,” you tell him, feeling your cheeks burn with the admission. 
Aemond is pleased with that response it seems, as he sinks two lengthy digits inside you, crooking them upwards against your spongy walls. You bite your lip, trying to hold in a whimper. Successfully, it comes out as a quiet whine. Aemond curls his fingers, finding the rough patch inside you that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head. 
“You….you are way too good at that…” you tell him, suppressing another moan as you shudder on top of him.
Your eyes have adjusted to the low light, and you can make out the features of his face in the starlight. A slash of a smile appears on his handsome face.
“Oh really?” he says in a low, throaty voice, “What else am I good at?”
You swirl your hips on his fingers, desperately riding them as pleasure moves a path up your spine and fire pools in your lower belly. 
“Fishing for compliments?” you tease as he lets a third finger stretch you out, “Oh fuck…”
“Shhhh…fuck you’re so tight,” Aemond murmurs, as you clench around his fingers, “Need to feel this perfect pussy wrapped around my cock baby.”
You can hear the wet sounds his fingers make sliding in and out of your soaked pussy, and feel the slickness on your inner thighs. 
“Yeah, you wanna cum baby?” he murmurs, kissing you softly, “I’ll make you cum pretty girl, that’s it, …that’s good isn’t it?”
“Fuck it feels so good,” you whimper against his mouth, “Fuck Aemond, make me cum please.”
Your release tightens in your belly as he applies just the right amount of pressure on your clit to send you tumbling over the edge. Your pussy constricts his fingers in a vice and Aemond brings his free hand to your waist, flipping you onto your back as your orgasm begins to peak. 
His fingers are still inside of you as he brings his hand to press on your lower stomach and you slam your hand over your mouth to keep from screaming. Aemond’s fingers never relent, and he grins down at your desperation to keep quiet. Your muffled cry is still audible and you desperately hope everyone else is asleep or otherwise occupied to notice. 
Slowly, Aemond removes his fingers, seating himself between your legs and dragging your shorts and underwear the rest of the way off. You wiggle your hips to help him and he tosses the pile of clothing to the opposite end of the tent. You can feel his hot breath on your center before his tongue flattens against you, dragging a slow, tortuous path up your dripping slit. 
“Is this another talent of mine?” he asks, kissing your sensitive clit before wrapping his lips around it and sucking. 
Your hips lurch, your back arching off the ground, your mouth falling open in a silent scream as his tongue caresses your bud. 
“No?” he teases, pulling away, “If you don’t like it I can stop-”
“Yes!” you whisper, “Yes it’s so good, please, please don’t stop--” His mouth is back on you in an instant, tongue lapping at your folds before pressing inside of you. God, it feels so good having his tongue inside of you. The warm, wet muscle works wonders as he hums in appreciation of your praise. 
His hands squeeze your hips, nose bumping against your clit as he eats you out. Your fingers grip his hair holding on for dear life, nails digging into his scalp. You can hear the sounds of him slurping and moaning as he devours you, his large hands moving under your thighs, pressing them backward so your knees touch your chest. 
“Fucking hell,” you whimper, as your legs begin to tremble with the approach of your second release, and Aemond presses his face into you harder. 
You worry for a moment how he can possibly breathe, though that doesn’t seem to be a present concern in his mind as he buries his face in your pussy. Aemond eats you out like it’s the only thing he wants to do for the rest of his life. He moves his face upwards, the cleft of his nose resting perfectly against your clit; it rubs incessantly at the sensitive button and a cry breaks through your lips as you’re thrown into your release. Warmth blooms through your abdomen and down your legs and Aemond squeezes the soft flesh of your thighs tightly as they shake. 
“Gods oh--fuck,” you whimper as he greedily laps at the new wave of wetness that coats your inner thighs. His tongue works its way slowly, leaving no part of you untouched by the talented muscle. 
Aemond places a kiss on your thighs as he releases his hold, and you release a shuddery breath. He chuckles, gently nibbling the tender skin of your inner thighs, before making his way back up towards your mouth. His hands brush the hem of your t-shirt, moving it so he can kiss a path up your stomach. You help him with his task, grabbing the edge and pulling it off, tossing it in the corner with the other forgotten garments. 
Completely bared before him, he sits on his haunches looking at you. Aemond brings one hand to your waist, dragging his fingers along your curves. 
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, and you reach for him, pulling him into a kiss. 
Your hands tear at his clothes, removing his shirt and pants between exchanges of greedy kisses until he’s resting on top of you, thick length splitting you open and resting deep inside of you. You brush some hair from his forehead, letting your fingers run down the length of his scar. Aemond breathes deeply, not yet moving, just staring longingly into your eyes before he turns, pressing a kiss to the tips of your fingers. 
The sweet action takes your breath away, and Aemond rolls his hips gently, dragging his cock nearly all the way out of you before pushing back in. It’s intimate, it’s lovemaking. Just smooth, slow strokes, unhurried and passionate. 
Aemond buries his face in the crook of your neck, kissing where your throat meets your shoulder. You hold him impossibly close, nails clawing at his back, legs wrapped around his slender waist. Neither of you speaks, there are no words to express the emotions between you at this moment. You know he feels it too, you can feel it in the way he’s making love to you. 
“You close?” Aemond murmurs, letting his hand snake between your bodies to rub at your clit. 
“Yes,” you breathe, and he moves to kiss you once more before he returns his attention to your neck.
“Fuck,” he breathes, trembling on top of you, “You’re so--fucking perfect.”
You can feel your third orgasm cresting, and suddenly you’re clenching around his thick cock, spurring him toward his own release. Aemond shudders as you cum, a breathy whimper leaving him as you feel his cock twitch inside of you followed by a bloom of warmth deep within you. 
He rests on top of you for a moment more, and you hug him tightly against you. As he unsheathes himself from your warmth he kisses your lips, cradling your face in his hands.
Your time is running out. Time with him is slipping through your fingers like sand. Aemond lays beside you on top of his sleeping bag. You turn on your side to face him. Well, here goes nothing.
“Hey,” you begin, and Aemond turns on his side. 
“Hey,” he echoes, bringing a hand to brush some hair out of your face.
His hand lingers, fingers tracing a path behind your ear and down your neck. He has to stop doing that, you can’t think when he’s doing that.
“I think we need to talk-”
“Yeah,” Aemond agrees, fingers continuing their journey across your shoulder and down your arm, “We do.”
The tent suddenly feels even smaller, the sexual tension between you heavy along with the conversation that needs to be had. Aemond’s hand meets yours and laces his fingers through your much smaller ones. 
“I mean….I…” you begin, struggling to find the words.
Aemond is silent, watching you. His thumb smoothes circles on the back of your hand. You meet his eye. 
Oh god.
You can’t do it. 
Not yet. 
“Aemond…”
“After the regatta,” he says softly, a knowing look in his eye, “We’ll talk. Is that okay?” 
A rush of relief rolled through you, and your anxiety calmed for one more night. One more night. Then you’ll face it. You can’t speak, your throat is tight with emotion. You nod, fighting back tears. Aemond releases your hand, bringing it to cup your cheek.
“Hey,” he says softly, wiping a tear that escaped. Dammit. 
You sniffle, the dam inside of you breaking in the safety of the dark. Warm tears roll down your cheeks and Aemond catches each one, wiping them away. He brings his hands to cup your cheeks, angling your face upwards. You feel the warmth of his lips press against your cheeks as he begins to kiss away the tears that won’t stop coming. It’s gentle, it’s sweet…… it's loving. 
“I don’t want to go,” you whisper, and Aemond pulls you into an embrace. 
Aemond is silent for a moment, you can hear the steady drumming of his heart with your ear pressed against his chest. He strokes your hair, holding you close.
“I don’t want you to go,” he murmurs, pressing his lips to the top of your head. 
You stay like that for the rest of the night, not moving from each other’s embrace. 
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You’re surprised to see the crowd that’s formed for the King’s Landing Regatta. Hundreds of people fill the stands. All of the boats are lined out in the harbor, waiting for the race to begin. You can spot Seasmoke out in the distance, Jace and Luke already on board. 
“Shit,” Rhaena says, as you’ve just found your seats. Aemond stands beside you, looking out over the crowd. Aegon waves from the distance, nudging Helaena beside him. 
“What?” you ask, watching Rhaena.
“Luke just called,” she tells you. She frowns at her phone. 
“Hey!” Baela says, joining with Sara at her side, “Cregan’s grabbing popcorn.”
“Grab me a churro will you?” Rhaena asks, and you nod as she dashes off to call Luke. 
“I’ll be right back,” you tell your friends, and Aemond nods, “You want anything?”
“I’m good,” he tells you, squeezing your hand before you take off into the crowd. 
The concession stands are easy enough to find, you bump into Floris on the way. She quickly fills you in on some recent drama between Ellyn and Eddie Karstark before heading to her seat. You grab Rhaena’s churro and begin to head back to your friends as it's announced that the race will begin soon.
You hear your name called and turn, meeting the brown eyes of Will Tyrell. He’s clad in boat shoes, an airy blue shirt, and shorts, walking toward you. A golden rose pin rests right over his heart; you’d seen others wearing them in support of him as well. 
“Hey Will,” you greet him, “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“Yeah, I am. Got a dingy ready to take me out,” he assures, “I just saw you and wanted to say something before the race.”
“Okay…”
“I’m so sorry, for Hugh and all that bullshit,” he says, an apologetic look on his face, “Seriously, that was not okay for him to do. Or say. Any of it. And I’m just sorry that whole thing happened.”
You smile slightly, “I appreciate that Will.”
“I hope you won’t leave here thinking I’m an asshole,” he says, laughing slightly. You can tell he’s actually nervous; that he truly hopes you don’t think he’s a jerk. 
“I wouldn’t think that,” you tell him earnestly. Will himself has been nothing but lovely and understanding the whole summer, “We had fun together.”
“I agree,” he says, “Maybe I’ll see you around next summer?”
“Yeah,” you begin, “I’m…I mean anything is possible.”
“You and Aemond seem really good,” he tells you, “You’re good together.”
“Thanks,” you tell him, ignoring the pain in your chest, “Are you feeling confident about today?”
“Oh yeah,” he says, nodding and pursing his lips, “We got it in the bag.”
“I don’t know,” you tease, “Luke’s been working his ass off.”
“Still betting against me?”
“Always,” you joke, “But, I mean, good luck I guess.”
“You honor me,” he says, placing a hand on his chest, “I’ve got to run. But if I don’t see you again before you leave, have a great semester. Senior year, right?”
The end of an era.
“Yup.”
“Me too,” he says sighing, “Flew by.”
“Sure did,” you agree. 
“Bigger things ahead,” he says, squeezing your shoulder, “Good to see you.”
“You too, Will,” you say, “Have a great semester.”
You watch him leave, before heading back to your seats in the stands. You spot Aemond, taller than those around him. He meets your eyes, smiling slightly. You return his smile, thinking of Will’s words. You’re good together. 
“You okay?” Aemond asks, wrapping his arm around your waist as you return.
“Yeah,” you assure him, “I’m good.”
“He’s ready,” Rhaena says, joining you in the stands. You hand her the churro which she accepts gratefully. “You’re the best. Seriously. I need to take you to school with me.”
“Um no,” Baela argues, “She’s my emotional support best friend, not yours.”
“We’re twins,” Rhaena argues, “We can share.”
“We’ve got to get you on a rotating schedule,” Helaena chimes in from the bleachers behind you.
“Exactly, that makes the most sense,” Sara agrees.
“If you visit me, you can be my DD,” Aegon tells you, “Tell everyone how I nobly defended you. And be my partner in pong. You’ve got a wicked curveball.”
“How does one have a curve ball in beer pong?” Sara asks, smirking slightly. Aegon begins to explain as you glance at Aemond.
He’s got a stoic expression on his face, as though he’s thinking about something. You can see his tongue pressing against the inside of his cheeks, and his shoulders are tense. Just then, the air horn blasts through the crowd, and everyone erupts into cheers as the race begins. 
You watch the boats begin to move, cutting through the water like knives. It’s hard to tell who’s in the lead; they’re all so close and moving like an armada toward the buoy. Everyone is screaming and cheering, you included. Your heart pounds against your chest, and blood rushes in your ears at the adrenaline of the crowd. 
He’s doing it, he’s doing good. You can see Seasmoke creeping up between two other sailboats. Luke and Jace are in the lead with a few other boats; a very strong start. If he keeps this up, he can pull through to first place. You know he can. He’s been working so hard, you’ve all worked so hard. It’s all led up to this moment. 
“161.25 kilometers,” Aemond says suddenly, as Luke veers Seasmoke around the buoy. The first lap is done, he just has to make it back and he’s done it. 
Your frown, glancing at him sideways. The crowd roars around you, Helaena’s excited screaming nearly drowning out Aemond’s voice. Rhaena is jumping up and down, her churro long forgotten. You can even see Floris out of the corner of your eye, standing next to her sisters clapping. 
“What?” you ask, “Is that how far---”
“161.25 kilometers,” Aemond says again, turning to face you, “That’s how far it is from Honeyholt to Citadel University.”
You stop clapping, looking up at him. It appears he couldn’t wait until after the regatta to talk. It’s all happening right now. 
“Yeah,” you answer, taking a deep breath, “I know it's far--”
“That’s 100.2 miles,” Aemond interrupts, “100.2 miles between you and me.”
“I know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you--”
“That’s nothing.”
Your heart skips a beat.
“Distance. It doesn’t mean anything…if you’re willing to try,” he says, nerves making his hands tremble until he clenches them into fists, “If you’re willing to try because you love someone.”
Your expression softens, a look of utter adoration appearing on your face. Love. He said love someone. Not someone.
You. 
“I understand…if you don’t want to,” Aemond says quickly, “If this is just a summer thing--”
You quickly reach up, hand finding the back of his neck, tugging him toward your lips. You kiss him sweetly, the passion behind it sending fire licking down your spine. You pull away, opening your eyes. Aemond’s seeing eye remains closed as though he doesn’t want to break the spell, his lips still puckered; begging to be kissed some more. 
An air horn blares and the crowd roars around you. Streamers and confetti fly through the air, Helaena is jumping up and down with her arms wrapped tightly around Baela. But you’re only looking at Aemond. His eye flutters open, and he gazes at you in awe.
“It’s not a summer thing,” you assure him, “It never was--” And he’s kissing you again, wrapping his arms around your waist, lifting your feet off of the ground holding you against him. 
You laugh against his mouth, as he brings one hand to rest against your face, cradling your jaw. He pulls away, just momentarily, a grin breaking out across his face. 
“I…um…there’s something I--”
“I’m falling in love with you too,” you tell him, “I am, I am falling in love with you. I am in love with you.”
Aemond just stares, looking at you in wonder as though he’s not sure you’re real. 
“I’m so in love with you,” he admits, and butterflies erupt in your stomach.
“You are?”
“I am,” he tells you, stroking your face. 
“He won! He won!” Sara screams, and Aegon grabs her by the waist, spinning her around in a hug. 
“He fucking did it!” Baela yells, “Go, Luke, go!!”
You turn back to the race, and spot Luke and Jace in the distance dancing around on Seasmoke. Your jaw drops and you turn to Aemond.
“He did it!” you tell him, “And we missed it!”
“Who cares,” Aemond says, kissing you once more.
And for once you have no snarky comeback. You couldn’t agree more. 
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2 Months Later
“So this is absolutely crunch time,” Baela tells you, her eyes wide, “This is the most important decision in our lives.”
You’re lying in bed across from her in your shared room in your on-campus apartment. It’s past midnight, and you've been trying to fall asleep for about an hour now.
“Baela--”
“I’m as serious as a heart attack,” she says, sitting up in bed, the glow of her laptop illuminating her face, “Do we start Halloweekend tomorrow or Friday?”
“Don’t you have a midterm Friday?”
“That is beside the point!”
You drop your phone on your chest, turning your head to her. 
“This is our last Halloweekend as college students. The last Halloweekend ever,” she says dramatically, “I can wing the midterm.”
“It’s your funeral,” you tell her, “Do we even have outfits?”
“We can think on our feet,” she says, closing her laptop and hopping off her bed, “I need a snack, do you want anything?”
“I want to go to sleep,” you tell her, as your phone begins to buzz.
“Yeah right,” she says with a sneer, seeing who’s calling you, “Like you’d go to sleep without your nightly bedtime ritual.”
“Shut up,” you tell her, cheeks heating up, and a silly grin appearing on your face.
“I love you, no I love you more, no I love youuuu more,” Baela mimics, leaving the room making kissing noises.
“We don’t sound like that!” you insist as you answer Aemond’s call, “Hey stranger.”
“Hey angel,” he says, in a tired voice, “Sorry it's so late, I got distracted in the library and lost track of time.”
“Hmmm nerd,” you tease, “It’s okay, Baela’s been keeping me up anyway.”
“What for?”
“Costume planning. We might end up going out tomorrow.”
“Of course,” Aemond says with a chuckle. 
“What have you been up to?”
“Studying mainly for this philosophy midterm. This class is extremely interesting but the material is dense. It’s taking a while to review,” he admits.
“You’re a very dedicated student, I’m sure you’ll do amazing,” you assure him.
“Oh I plan to,” he admits, an air of confidence in his voice, “I just like to be best at everything I do.”
“Something I am well aware of,” you tell him, chewing on your lower lip.
He pauses, not speaking for a moment and you can practically feel him smirking through the phone. Your heart quickens its pace as he chuckles.
“I miss you,” he says softly.
“You’ll see me Friday,” you tease, but you miss him as well. It’s been working out rather smoothly so far. And you’ve made plans in advance to return to King’s Landing for winter break as well. 
“Counting the hours,” Aemond says, “I’ll let you go to sleep, love, I just wanted to check in.”
“Okay,” you tell him, “Goodnight. I love you.”
“I love you,” he says, “Sleep well.”
Baela enters the room as you hang up, a bowl of popcorn in her hands. She rolls her eyes as you plug in your phone, falling back against your pillow with a satisfied sigh. 
“Can we get me a partner now?” Baela says, climbing back onto her bed, “I’d like to be mushy gushy with someone too.”
“Halloweekend goal: get Baela a boo,” you tell her and she laughs in response.
“Get Baela Boo’ed,” she says snickering as she munches on some popcorn, “I love it.”
Your phone buzzes one last time with a goodnight text from Helaena. She’s a bit of an insomniac, so this is rather early for her. You smile at the message. Helaena visited a few weekends ago. You’d missed her so much since the summer, especially since she left early for RA training. 
You lock your phone, placing it next to you as you prepare to go to sleep. So far, senior year is everything you’d hoped it would be. With everyone you hoped would be there. You reach for your phone once more, just to look at your lock screen one more time. 
It’s a picture you’d taken after Luke won the regatta. He’s in front, holding his trophy with Jace’s help, a large grin on both of their faces. Baela and Rhaena stand behind them, Rhaena smiling brightly and Baela mid-laugh. Then there’s Aegon next to Sara, their faces squished together. And Helaena of course, with an all-knowing smirk on her face, and a stoic Cregan beside her with his arms crossed over his chest.
You and Aemond are in the center of it all; his hand around your waist as you smile into the camera. Aemond’s gaze is on you, a half smile on his face. Confetti rains all around you and the sun lights the picture in a way that traps the feeling of summer on your screen. Already you feel yourself wanting to return, the grief of summer ending still fresh in your heart. 
All the people you love most, in the place you love most. 
You can’t wait to see them all again.
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note: THATS IT MY DEARS!! I'm so in awe of the continued love and support from you all, you all make sharing these stories so much fun and for that, I am so grateful ❤️ until our next adventure my loves!
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mrsnancywheeler · 1 year ago
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the lakes (11) // finnick odair x f. reader
summary: it's supposed to be over, you and Finnick are supposed to spend the rest of your lives helping each other heal. living as peacefully as possible, but the the third quarter quell throws a wrench in your domestic bliss.
previous chapter/next chapter
midnight rain
4.2k words
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warnings: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, gore/violence/death, poisonous fog, mental illness, paranoia, self-hate, terms of endearment, manipulation of someone's feelings, unedited, no use of Y/N
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
Although his hands were sweaty and the last thing you needed was extra body heat, when Finnick’s fingers played with the ends of your hair and rubbed your shoulder you refused to let out a complaint. You would have rather died of heat stroke than rid yourself of his comforting touch. Especially since he'd insisted you needed to rest and this was helping you, even if the paranoia was going to keep you on edge. Your eyes stayed glued shut in an attempt to just listen to what he said, but it was too hot, and your thoughts were too loud.
The pain in your head had pretty much ceased, but the threat of infection was extreme. What would Finnick do if you died that way? Would he let himself die to protect Katniss, the rebellion? Even if in the hypothetical you would be dead, the thought made your heart still with guilt. It has consumed you more recently, the idea that like how you couldn't live without Finnick, he couldn't live without you. Of course, it didn't make any sense to you. He was him, so much to give, to offer, so beloved that there was so much more out there for him. Yet, the way he talked increased your fright that that's not how he saw himself. When his burning hand pulled its contact away from you, it snapped your head back into reality. Eyes opened as you watched Finnick walking away and heard the ringing sound of a sponsor gift.
Your hands, equally covered in perspiration, went to wipe your face of it, all in vain. “I think it's a spile." Katniss finally said, grabbing whatever item had arrived and walking to a nearby tree. You hadn't a clue what she was talking about. Were you losing it already? What was a spile?
“A what?" Finnick asked, following her. It was good at least to know you weren't delusional. Whatever it was must not be something of use back home if you both had no idea what it was. Peeta had raised from wherever he'd been laying to follow to accompany them as Katniss tapped the item into the tree. She looked at it expectantly and you weren't sure what had happened at first when they all gasped excitedly. Then Finnick was in front of you again, “Let’s get you up, angel, there's water.” Maybe that's what all this confusion was, dehydration. Without effort he had pulled you to your feet.
It was like a miracle to see clean water pouring out of the spile and Peeta pulled away to let you have your turn. The moment it hit your tongue it was so refreshing, you'd gone so long without a drink your body had almost tricked itself into forgetting how dry your mouth had been. But the water brought instant relief, you splashed some on your face before pulling yourself away to make room for Finnick.
Unexpectedly being hydrated and having the ability to drink more whenever needed calmed you more then you'd anticipated. Regardless of how exhausted your body was when Finnick urged you to lay down and try to rest once again, you were reluctant. Even if it was unlikely, part of you asked, what if you fell asleep and it was the last time you saw him?
“Finnick, I'm fine! I'll keep lookout too, you've been taking care of everything all day, you've got to be exhausted." He sighed at your refusal.
"You're so sweet, that it's infuriating. Please, angel, you need to rest. I will be less tired knowing you're not.” His ocean eyes begged yours, hand stroking your cheek softly.
“That's not how that works." He deserved rest, to lay down. You were perfectly capable of staying there with Katniss. The darkest depths of your paranoia asked you why he wasn't comfortable letting you watch over, if didn't trust you. However, the thought was gone as soon as it made its appearance, if there was one thing you knew it was that you trusted him.
“Please." He whispered and you sighed before mumbling an agreement, there was no way you'd win this argument.
“Will you lay by me?"
He stared at you for a second like he was contemplating, “I’ll just be a few feet away, just on watch.”
You wanted to ask him why he couldn't just do that while laying with you, but you knew he wouldn't say no if there wasn't a reason. Maybe he planned on trying to gain more of Katniss’ trust by staying up with her. Regardless it's not like you would be able to fall asleep if he wasn't there anyways, you couldn't remember the last time you had. It was as if the moment he was away you lost all body heat and couldn't rest unless he was there.
The idea of even verbalizing that made you feel guilty, so you just rolled your eyes and began walking in the other direction to lay down. "Fine."
You could sense his own eye roll at your dramatics and you found yourself a spot between the roots in one of the trees. Staring at the sky through the tree branches when Finnick’s voice reached you through the still air, “Your eyes are still open." You turned your head his way to throw him a glare which he simply laughed at before turning to walk closer by Katniss. It was easy to get lost in your thoughts, the sounds of insects chirping and buzzing somewhere. It was almost peaceful, if there hadn't been the looming fear of death.
This was interrupted when a banging noise cracked through the arena, you shot up, but there didn't seem to be any actual danger. You could see Katniss and Finnick looking up at the sky which quickly ceased. With no threat at hand you cautiously laid back down. Not long had passed before you heard footsteps coming in your direction, you turned your head to the noise.
“You're supposed to be resting." Finnick remarked, laying down by you.
“I'm trying." You scoffed and he raised his eyebrows with a knowing look in his eyes, “Aren't you supposed to be keeping watch, or did you feel guilty for refusing to comfort your wife?"
“If she's going to stay up and keep watch then I might as well sleep. Shows her I trust her too.” His warm arms wrapped around you as he gazed at you. The paranoid voice was back, gnawing in your brain, asking why he wouldn't let you keep a lookout with them. “You okay?" He asked, brows furrowed.
“Yeah." You muttered, shaking away the intrusions. “Well that's good because I couldn't have slept without you anyways." Snuggling deeper into his arms as your noses touched.
“Glad I could be of service then, Mrs. Odair." Finnick pressed a kiss to your lips. Tucked into his arms you were finally able to push away most of the fears, to act like it was just you in Finnick’s arms, falling asleep under the stars. Like you were at home, just the two of you in love. Maybe if you thought about that long enough you'd find the few and far between relief of a sweet dream about the two of you. You tried to convince yourself that you were on the beach with him, that he was keeping you warm as the salt air grazed your face. That the moonlight would shine on the ethereal waters and brighten your face. Eventually you were able to drift into sleep thinking about those fantasies, or maybe they were memories, who knew your brain felt like it had been on overdrive. However, your comfortable rest was interrupted when Katniss was screaming in pain and urging you all, desperately, to run.
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“We should start staking out the Careers, find a plan of attack." This was the beginning of the end, you told yourself, once they were gone the four of you would have to do the same to each other. But Marlowe was still right, as a team you needed to get rid of the biggest threat.
"How are we supposed to find them?” Birch asked, looking around incredulously.
"The arena can't go on forever, plus they'll be confident enough to start fires and be louder.” You sat on the muddy ground, throwing your knife into random spots. The arena had begun to warm up on day 5 and the rain had become progressively warmer until day 7. Although the lack of pouring rain was a blessing, it was also a curse since it made finding water a priority once again, and there wasn't much iodine left.
Besides natural causes you'd assumed the other tributes who's faces you'd seen in the sky at night probably died at their hands. It was almost harrowing to think about how you could very soon die at their hands as well, but you had to trust that your group could overtake their’s.
“They're probably at the Cornucopia, that'd be typical." Conway’s arm was resting lazily on one of your shoulders. Marlowe nodded her head in agreement. “We should eat and then head that way."
You pulled a backpack closer to you, “I'll get the net."
“Marlowe and I will go check on the snares if you guys try and get fish." Birch and Marlowe headed off as you pulled the net out of the bag. Rising off the ground to find the nearest body of water.
You listened to the birds chirping before Conway broke the silence, “I don't know if I can do it." His admission was quiet, like he was nervous to say something.
“Do what?" You turned your face to look at him, his eyes glued to the ground.
“Kill them, the Career pack."
“You had a higher score than some of them and you're plenty strong, I'm sure you'll be fine."
Conway exhaled, he looked at you incredulously, "Not like that. I mean I don't think I can kill them, let myself kill them.”
"You killed in the Bloodbath."
"Only once and it's eating me up inside."
You stared at him in silence for what felt like an eternity, but was really just a few seconds. Before you tore your eyes away from him to look at the scenery around you, "Then don't, I’ll do it.”
"You've changed a lot, you know.” This caught you somewhat off guard, but you kept a straight face as you walked.
"I don't think I have, really.” Except in matters of paranoia and distrust which had greatly expanded, it really felt like at your core you were still you.
"With respect, princess, I don't think you would be as willing.”
"At home we weren't in these circumstances.”
"Seems there's a lot about you I don't know then.” The sound of his footsteps had stopped, so you turned to look at him. The two of your stared at each other, he seemed to be coming to terms with something and that made you nervous.
“I'm not saying I want to, just that sometimes you have to do what it takes to survive. Even if it's difficult or-”
"Untrue?” Conway finished, your stomach knotted. What was he getting at?
You sighed," Yeah, I guess.” He stared at you longer before he nodded his head and walked forwards. His aura was all off and it made you somewhat panic. “I'm sorry if that upsets you that I'm doing what it takes to go home." Your voice was more frustrated as you followed him. Finnick would have understood, the longer you went without him the more you longed to be with him, to be with someone who really got you.
He stopped walking and grabbed your arms, “It's okay, I understand. It's just hard to come to terms with when you remember that this is all designed to bring that out in us. To see the other side, not through rose colored glasses.” It was like he was having a different conversation that you weren't being let in on. An echo in your voice told you were done with your facade, that he'd figured it out, but you quiteted it. You'd done everything you could think of, why wouldn't he believe you?
Conway leaned in and kissed you, it was soft, sweet, like he'd never be able to kiss you again. He pulled away and gave a small frown as he looked at you longer, “We should go, we’ll probably find a pond of something soon." He began walking off and you stood still for a few seconds, mind trying to grasp what was going on. But you followed and he fell back into conversation about home as you netted for fish.
Eventually you'd all returned with your goods to eat before setting off towards where you'd assumed the Cornucopia must be and therefore, the Careers. It was a long, boring, pain seeking them out, observing their moves, planning your attack.
“Maybe if we wait them out they'll just turn on each other." Birch was crouched down in the long grass. “We could hit them when they're already untrusting." His thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream. Your heads all snapped to look across the opening where the noise had come from. One of the Career’s was running towards the two waiting, as she ran a cannon went off. You couldn't hear what she was saying, but she looked frazzled, like she'd been running for her life.
“Looks like our window now, then." Marlowe muttered as she began trudging through the mud. You weren't sure that would be a great plan, that any of this was, but everybody else seemed to agree. Hiding the bags in the grass as they followed her. This wasn't well thought out enough. You tried to appear as though you agreed as you walked behind.
“Come to kick us when we're down?" One of the boy’s, Otto, yelled out. You cursed everyone for not trying to be more sly, not waiting until they were more off guard.
“What happened?" Birch asked, hatchet firmly in his hand. He nodded his head to the girl from District 1, Satin, who was shaking, legs covered in mud.
“There's these horrible crocodile creatures in the swamps." Satin's voice was shaky, she was forgetting herself, that she could die, and you pitied her. You recalled seeing her volunteer, but here she was struggling to maintain composure due to some Capitol mutants, it was gut wrenching to think about the shift between the glory and terror that must have occurred. Finnick had ensured that any Capitol propaganda about the Games and their respect was uprooted from your brain the moment he could.
“They got Aulus." Arria, you believed her name was, the female tribute from 2, said. Her voice didn't even quiver, but you could see some sadness in her eyes, that would've been her last connection to home.
“I'm sorry." Conway was so sincere and everyone stared at him for a second. You didn't know what it was in, respect for his kindness, disbelief because he was just another obstacle in winning, anger because he was a threat.
“Thanks for not just attacking us though, I’ll remember to say how compassionate you all were when I'm on my Victory tour." Otto’s scalpel chain was lunging forward, and unassuming Birch who'd stepped too close by got nicked across his arm as he tried to move out of the way. Hissing as he threw the hatchet at Otto, who turned to miss the weapon. Regretfully all you could think about was how much of a coward the boy was when he made a run for it as Birch scrambled to gather his weapon back.
“Get him Birch!" Marlowe screeched out as he followed. Then Conway was groaning as Arria slashed at him with her sword. Insticinually pushing his spear forward which caused her to shriek as it planted itself into her leg. You hated how slow everything felt like it was going, usually the climax of a Game's felt more rushed to watch, maybe this wasn't the real climax though. She slipped a bit as she tried to pull the spear out and stab at him with her sword. He had the clear upperhand now, to kill her, but he wasn't taking it. Just staring at her with pity.
‘I’ll just have to do it,’ you told yourself and threw the knife into her head. Conway’s face was hit with the splatter of blood and he stared at her body with shock as the cannon went off. Looking at you as you pulled the knife out of her head. You were disgusted with yourself, but desperate time called for desperate measures and you were so close to being able to go back home, see Finnick, feel the ocean, give to your family, to let that all pass up because he didn't want to kill her.
“Somebody had to do it." You muttered out numbly and then looked away at the yells of Marlowe and Satin. A pitchfork had been used to create a nasty hole in Marlowe’s leg and there was a bleeding gash in Satin’s side. Marlowe was able to plug the machete in just deep enough before Satin had gone back to her with the pitchfork and there was that terrible canon again.
“Come on." Conway’s hand tugged at yours and before you could ask questions he was pulling you along as he ran.
“What are you doing?" You asked when you finally gained comprehension.
“We have to go, Birch is gonna kill Otto and then it's just us left." You were back in the long grass, “We'll prolong this if we go hide, here, put the knives in the bag and we'll go find a new place to camp." Conway said breathlessly.
“It would be more fair for us, too all just fight it out now, all together."
“I heard them talking, they were gonna gang up on us and they're so strong, especially together." Your heart was starting to race, maybe he was right this surely was starting to feel climactic. You couldn't help that you were looking at him with suspicion though.
He must have sensed this though because he kissed you, “Trust me." Conway whispered out, hands taking the knives from you to place them in the bag. You nodded, if he was still kissing you he must believe you, and the Conway you knew wouldn't kill someone he loved. Then another cannon went off, either Otto or Birch, “Let's go." His explanation still didn't feel right but you nodded and followed. Blindly following your childhood best friend, the man who loves you and you could love back that way, into the marshes to try and keep you both alive for just a little bit longer.
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The screams of pain were instantly enough to stop you from being any sort of tired when you awoke.
“The fog is poison!" Katniss screeched and ran forwards. You could see the cloud of it rolling down towards you all and Finnick was immediately pulling you up, urging you forward.
You were all sprinting as fast as you could, eyes desperately searching for somewhere new to aim for. The fog seemed to be everywhere, like it was getting faster and surrounding any place you could have thought to sprint. You could feel your heart pounding in your skull as you scrambled. Willing yourself not to pause when you heard Katniss cry out quickly followed by Peeta. Your blurry vision is still able to make out their figures though which helps you keep going. Suddenly Finnick had tripped on one of the many vines and was yelling.
“Finnick!" You were screaming, trying to pull him forward out of the fog threatening to completely engulf him. He stumbled forward.
"Come on, angel.” Despite the searing pain he must have been in he grabbed you and then the fog hit one of your calves. You nearly fell forward as you howled out at the harsh, burning that blistered into your skin, enough pain to make you feel like you were going to throw up. Finnick yelled your name and forced you to keep running in any direction away from the fog which seemed to be in any direction you turned.
“Peeta!" You ran towards Katniss, Peeta was on the ground. Motionless besides the twitching muscles around the areas where the boils had taken over. “I can't carry him." Her voice was broken.
Finnick nodded, “Keep up." He looked at you somewhat sternly, but it was more coughing it out. Katniss and Finnick supported Peets and began moving forward as the looming cloud of death crept up. It was hard to move forward, your legs felt like they were going to melt off into a burning sludge. You felt guilty when you arm gripped onto Finnick's free one, trying to keep balance. Then the agonizing pain took over again, unbearable and shooting across your back. You swore that you could hear your skin sizzling in the fog, it was hard to keep your eyes from falling shut, from letting yourself collapse into the ground. Until you were rolling down a hill, the feeling was so harrowing that you let yourself tumble down and then lay dejected, waiting for the fog to consume you.
Katniss’ cries didn't even make you move, the fog must have got her, and this was all for nothing. We'll all die in the arena and the Games will go on next year and every year after that without incident. “The water, it helps!” She called out and you finally pried your eyes open, wincing at the excruciating feeling when you tried to move. Eyes trying to adjust as you crawled forward, trying to silence your whimpers, the pain felt nearly unendurable.
“Finnick." You croaked out, searching for him amongst the roots. Peeta and Katniss’ exhales of relief signaled to you where the water could be, but it wouldn't have felt right to help yourself before you could find him. Your eyes adjusted enough to see a figure laying not far in front of you, “Finnick!" Fingers clawing into the dirt as you pulled forwards not even wanting to think about what it would be like to try and stand again. Hands eventually landing on his chest, trying to shake him awake, he wasn't responding, and whatever pain you'd felt physically was somehow overwhelmed by the harrowing panic settling in. “Come on, Finnick, we have to go.” You tried to drag him towards the water, gasping out in pain as you tried to pull your own scorching body across the ground with his. “I can't get him." Your voice was hoarse and Katniss and Peeta was by you.
“Go wash yourself off, it gets rid of everything and Katniss and I will grab him." Peeta tried to reassure, crouching down. You tried to shake your head, nothing felt reasonable right now, you were too panicked, gripping onto Finnick tighter.
“Finn, you have to wake up. Please, I need you, please wake up." Hands were trying to grab your arms and you weakly tried to stop them. "I can't leave him.”
"You're not, we need to get you washed off and then we'll get him too.” Peeta said, pulling you up to lead you to the water.
“Get him first." You choked out, the physical pain, the emotional pain, all of it compounded was too much.
Then Katniss was pulling you forward from where Peeta had gotten you, she cupped her hands in the water, not dragging you in. She poured some of the water onto your arm and you could have sworn you saw steam leaving your skin as you nearly yelled at the increased pain before the relief.
“Come on, this is good, you can help grab him once you're better." She reassured, helping you pull yourself the rest of the way in. You nodded now and shrieked when the water overwhelmed each blister, the wisps of the poison leaving your body.
“Thank you." You stuttered out, but she was gone and Finnick was being dragged in by her and Peeta. He was screaming when he hit the water and you grabbed his shoulders as he tried to fight against it. “It's okay, it'll feel better, it's getting rid of it." You tried to reassure as he kept fighting back. “Finnick, Finnick, you're okay, this is helping.”
“We need to get our weapons." Katniss said to Peeta who ran off as you kept holding Finnick in the water. Finally Finnick’s eyes fully opened and you signed, letting yourself smile.
“I thought you were gonna die." You stopped holding down his shoulders to wipe away all the tears that had fallen from everything and the water itself.
He stood up, laughing, “Don't be too disappointed, I am in fact, still breathing."
You laughed in disbelief before wrapping your arms around him as tightly as you could, terrified that in a moment this could all melt away into a reality where he hadn't woken up. “Good.” Finnick kissed the top of your head and didn't think you'd ever be able to tear yourself away.
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thank you so much for reading, I'm so sorry this took so long to get out I've been swamped recently. all the support has been appreciated so, so much and I love you all 💕 feedback, likes, comments, reblogs are all greatly appreciated, my ask box is opens and I'll be getting to some of them soon to branch the time between the next chapter. thank you all so much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter 💋
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ceareon · 7 months ago
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"Salvation"
Yan! Angel x Apostate! GN! Reader
You find yourself surviving the end of the world. Yet now you're stuck with the angelic creature that tore your world apart. content warning: end of the world, gore, male yandere, religious themes, obsessive behavior. ALSO NOT PROOF READ
Part 2: "Repentance"
Artwork: "Death on a Pale Horse, ver. 1" By Benjamin West
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The air was still, barely anything made noise. The soft cackles of the burning buildings in front of you slowly stifled into silence, leaving you alone with your thoughts as well as the smell of burning weed and flesh. Oh that burning smell of flesh reeked. Its been engraved in your mind since the start of all of this.
Your mother had gone missing. As well as thousands of humans on the same day without a trace. This of course brought mass destruction to the cities, humans suddenly disappearing without a trace was unheard of. Especially in broad daylight with witnesses. Despite your best efforts. In mud, you kneeled at sunset on the day of your birthday, dread filling you from the fact you couldn't find where your mother had gone to. You hadn't even been able to blow out your candle, now your dearest mother was gone, almost like she ceased to exist.
It was the day after your birthday when the first seal was broken, the white horse with its horseman grasping a bow, galloped forward in a quest to conquer. You couldn't forget that day, where the crown the horseman bared on it's head was soaked soaked in blood. In front of your eyes, your brother was taken from you.
Not long after you ran, tears pouring from your eyes as you feel your breath start to become uneven. You clutched your ears tightly, not listening when you hear your father calling out to you. Your heart was erratically beating. What the hell had just happened?
Hours go by, hiding in the small meadow near your home. Barely any people there yet you could still see the destruction being caused on the cities just far from where you sat. In your hand was your phone tightly clutched in your hand, you could see the countless posts on people lasts goodbyes, last smiles, last sorry's, last moments. Tears drip down, once you see the last post your father had posted. You were tagged in it.
"I love you @/darling"
posted on XX/XX/XXXX, a few minutes ago
You couldn't control the tears from pouring down, tears staining the screen of your phone before you threw it on the ground from sheer anger and disdain for yourself. How could you abandon your last family member? Dread started to fill you. You couldn't even breathe anymore.
You collapsed on the ground, choking blood as you barely had a will to live. Yet despite everything, you were never killed. You couldn't even take your own life despite having tried it so many times. This end of times had lasted for at least 7 days. Yet you felt as though you've been surviving for a decade.
"Human."
The air had suddenly gone cold. No longer did you feel that comfort of knowing your end was near. No. All you felt was dread. Like every little moment you had made to soothe yourself for your end was going to be ripped out of your stomach. You felt like you were about to vomit. You couldn't even bring yourself to look at the holy creature that burned it's thousands of eyes into you.
"Fear not... I'm here to bring you your salvation..."
Beside you it kneels down, gently, it wraps an arm around your waist, trying to make you sit up, yet you don't comply, causing it to huff in annoyance.
"Must you really be so stubborn?"
It forcefully grabs into your hair, pulling down to make you look up at it, yet your eyes only haze once you see the blinding light of it's halo. Fear stricken you as you see the adoring affection it shows through it's in humans face. You absolutely detest it.
"Oh... You are more enchanting than I would have thought."
Burning anger and sorrow reeks through your skin, yet you were too weak, too tired to show it. All you could do was spill the tears you've forced down for so long. It's inhuman face contorts, you could see it's makeshift eyebrows furrowing, while the thousands of eyes that were on it's skin squints, almost in a confused manner. Yet in all honesty you didn't know what emotion it was actually showing.
"Oh, human... My human. You must be so confused. I'm here to take you where you belong. To the kingdom above."
It's disgustingly human lips turn upward into an odd smile. Causing you to recoil back from uncanny disgust. No where in your pathetic life were you about to trust an Angel. Not after the calamities they've brought to the earth in the name of salvation. Just thinking about it made you heart clench as you were reminded by what you've witnessed for the past 168 hours. No amount of holy water will make you forget what these vile creatures had done to the planet you called home.
"Human."
The Angelic creature immediately apprehends you to the ground using it's four hands. You couldn't even squirm under it's grip. It wouldn't let you go. Not after having you under it's grasps now.
"I had never given you the option to say no."
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777gojosgf · 3 months ago
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reader deals with heavy depression after geto disappeared
tw: heavy heavy talk about depression
a/n: i haven’t posted on here for like 2 months and this was in my angsty drafts for awhile lol so it’s pretty shit but err whatever
another side note: reader already deals with seasonal depression but geto’s disappearance was like triggering
——
the pounding in your head never came to cease, a rhythmic movement you have grown to crave instead of avoid. the longing of letting yourself succumb to these dark thoughts because it’s the only time you feel like yourself.
as if you were born miserable.
you laid on the floor of your dorm room, the scribbled down notes splattered with tears were all across your room. you had decided to take up the advice to write your feelings down in a way to sort whatever you felt inside. however, you found yourself unable to put it into words.
it’s a feeling that someone who has never felt it is not able to imagine it. after all, what sane person craves to be sad?
however, it's possible that this is what gave you a sense of aliveness at this moment. and it's not just some kind of sadness, nor is it because you want attention. it’s a seasonal condition that resurfaces the instant you manage to get back on your feet and start living your life normally again.
it returns in moments of enjoyment, when everyone is together and making jokes. yet, you feel out of place, as if you are not present with them. your mind wanders to thoughts you shouldn't have in such a nice setting. it’s as if you attract these sombre ideas and are unable to adjust to the tranquilly that everyone else appears to have.
you were so tired of feeling like you were crazy.
you were unable to do anything once he left. it felt as if time had stopped, but life compelled you to continue. why did it appear like it did not matter to anyone? how could everyone just keep living and looking at you with pity?
it truly wears you down to be bound to someone for so long.
sometimes you wish you could crawl out of your body and see yourself from a different perspective. to check if you could still feel the anguish or if it was simply embroidered in your bones. if there was anything else to you but this sense of nothingness.
you had never felt lonelier than in a room full of your friends.
the worst part of it all was that nothing helped.
you knew that it would get better.
and it does get better.
but how much worse can things get before you glimpse the light again? how long will it be before your brief moment of enjoyment fades?
you had considered running after him. must set aside all your principles, because what morals are there to follow if you don't have the one thing in your life that keeps you going?
what’s the point in anything if not for love?
you wanted to shout that your brain simply functions in this manner and that you weren't being dramatic. knowing you are unable to stop the self-destruction your body has created. that, like everyone else, you have made a sincere effort to get up and make the most of it. you really did try. you all had a wound to heal, but you chose to leave it open.
so when gojo broke down your door and fell down beside you to see if you were still alive after not having left your dorm room for days—even though it had seemed you were getting better—you had knew that everything has gone too far.
this emptiness inside of you.
the agony.
everything went too far.
he went too far.
and you were aware that you could not have accomplished what he did in any lifetime. that you couldn't force yourself to crawl after him because you would never stoop so low.
after years of telling each other broken promises that are now coming back to haunt you, there was only one thing left to realise: you had to carry on. it was not your fault that you felt the way you did, and there is probably no way to fix it. but it was time to let yourself heal and accept that you are not okay.
that it’s okay to ask for help.
if not for yourself, than for your friends.
gojo had not been able to shake you out of your paralyzed state, and it wasn’t until the feeling of his tear dropping on your face that you finally looked at him. him shouting that you can’t let it get to you, that he can’t lose you too fell almost deaf upon your ears.
you had allowed yourself to sit up straight and fall into his arms, tears silently pouring down your cheeks in a strange sensation of relief, which only exacerbated your already severe headache. you were both sobbing as you huddled together in your dorm room. both unwilling to accept what has happened and forced to continue pretending to understand.
neither of you had mentioned that night ever again.
there was a before geto, a during geto, but you never imagined there would be an after him, and it would be so devastating.
but you were grateful gojo found you when he did; otherwise, there was no guarantee you'd be here today. teaching the next generation while the memory of geto stays with you.
he would always be a part of you, and you had learnt to accept and love it rather than allowing it to break you apart.
to heal.
66 notes · View notes
teez-the-time · 1 year ago
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Choi San, Wolf Warrior
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Pairing: Warrior! San x Chief's daughter! Fem! Reader
Genre: fantasy, action, romance, angst
Synopsis: Ten years ago, your best friend San promised his eternal love to you. Now, the danger of his oath creeps through the both of you, and he has to bear the weight of his words. No matter what his fate will be, you must remember that he is the Wolf Warrior.
Warnings: Blood, wounds, death (animals die, I'm so sorry), weapons, cursing, San is fucking RIPPED, reader doesn't do much (sorry again), way too much flashbacks and monologuing (sorry x3, but I do not know how to stop), sappy af.
Wc: 7.8k
Taglist: @darkdayelixer
A/N. Well, it's finally here. This is officially my first fanfic posted here. Do I believe this is my best work? No. Do I care? Maybe, but I appreciate any feedback that you might have (please take into account that English is not my first language, so I rely in grammar checkers and that stuff). I'm not sure if I should keep the second person format, but you tell me what you think. Again, I'm open to suggestions and kind criticism. If the story sucks, sorry not sorry.
Once again, I'm eternally gratefull for the support I've received in this platform. Whatever you need, my DMs are always open.
XOXO -May
A little treat for those who liked the story.
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Your tribe had a sacred tradition.
The first hunt is the most sacred; dedicated to whom you thank your life for.
The best hunt is the most important; dedicated to whom you’d die for.
That is why you couldn’t help but tremble while looking at San down below.
Even if he had clearly announced his decision to embark on the journey no more than a couple of months ago, nothing could have prepared your heart.
Not even kneeling alongside your father and your mother at a higher ground, far away from where he stood, could you escape the power radiating from his stance. Even his posture was perfect; perfectly still and elegant, like a wolf just like the one he had marked with ink on his chest. His eyes looked up, and you knew your Sanie was long gone.
He was Choi San, the Wolf Warrior.
The drums started beating in an ancestral rhythm; one you had heard in too many unsuccessful attempts. Men and women below hollered and twirled their bodies to the music, almost in a spiritual trance brought by the excitement of the hunt. The sound got louder and louder in your chest, so hard that it felt like a second heart. Your hands were shaking and you couldn’t help the shivers that ran several times through your spine. You just kept praying for it to be over.
And just as they had started, the drums ceased as your father rose as the chief of the village. He, too, didn’t feel like your father anymore, his hierarchical title far outweighed the one of father right now. You couldn’t decipher his expression, no longer familiar to you.
“Choi San”, his voice boomed through the whole village, “why are you here today?”
To you, San didn’t look intimidated one bit. “I’ve returned to fulfill my promise made sixty-two days ago, in this very place.”
This was all part of the ceremony, nothing more than a formality, but your heart fluttered with San’s words. But still, you knew he was wrong. No, he didn’t make that promise sixty-two days prior. He had made it way before that when you both were young kids.
He had promised to marry you ten years ago, at age twelve.
But your father didn’t find it that endearing. “An oath like that can’t be made by anyone. Are you sure you will be able to keep it?”.
San didn’t fall for the taunting. “Absolutely, sir.”
“Are you sure? Do you even know the consequences?”
Everyone knew them, even more San. “Yes, sir. I know them.”
“Are you willing to go through them then? Even if it means your death?”
With that, San let out a grin. “Especially if it means my death…sir.”
Then, the chief let go of the mocking stance he had tried and became solemn again. For the briefest second, you had hoped San stepped down, but you also knew him like the back of your hand. You knew he never backed down from a challenge.
Your father cleared his throat. “Very well, then. Seeing your determination to proceed, I’ll remind you once more of the rules.”
The few whispers and hushed voices that had been going around since the start finally came to a halt. The newfound silence made your head spin and your palms shake even more.
Gods, you prayed, don’t let harm come to my San. Please give him my strength and my will if he needs them.
“Rule number one. You have only one chance. If it’s lost, it’s lost. Gone forever.”
“Rule number two. You will not receive aid from anyone or anything. The village will only intercede if the hunt doesn’t finish with the beast’s death.”
“Rule number three. You will only carry one weapon of your choice and no armor. Any of those will deem the attempt failed, and you will lose your only chance.”
“Rule number four. The hunt only stops after one of you is dead.”
While your father talked, San seemed unfazed. Even if he already knew the rules, it made you uneasy to not know what he was thinking. You felt the urge to run to where he stood, grab his hand, and smooth out the crease on his brow that always popped up when he was thinking hard.
You yearned for nothing more than to be by his side.
“Choi San,” now your father spoke in a warning tone, “dare to break the rules, and you will face consequences bigger than what you can imagine. I will make sure of that.”
Not once had San looked intimidated, and that put your heart at ease (just a tiny bit, if you are being honest).
“I understood perfectly, sir.” San had always respected your father as a chief, so he always tried to keep his composure despite the adrenaline in his veins making him want nothing more than to begin with the hunt. But he had to remain polite, especially now that he was trying to become his successor.
“Good,” the chief stated plainly. “If there’s nothing else to say…let the hunt begin!”
The drums resumed in a frenetic rhythm, making your heart race once more. Nevertheless, below where you sat, San seemed pumped by it. He let the thick fur coat he wore fall to the ground, exposing his naked torso and ripped pants. You knew he did it to prove he wore nothing to protect him, but you couldn’t the blush that crept to your cheeks.
“Holy shit, that was hot” you murmured unintentionally. You looked to your left to see if your parents heard. Your father didn’t appear to have listened to you, concentrated on his duty as referee, but your mother let out a snort. You shot her a glare and she tried to suppress her laughter.
Trying to appear unfazed, you looked back at San. He was now holding a beautiful sword, which you knew like the back of your hand. The hilt was golden and decorated with flowers and power symbols. A short inscription written at the butt.
Choi San, the Wolf Warrior.
It was barely more than his name, but San had spent a fortune having it engraved in the shape of your handwriting. You smiled at the memory of a sixteen-year-old San running to show you his new possession.
“Y/N! Y/N!” you heard your name being shouted from behind you. When you turned, it was San running towards you at full speed, holding a piece of fabric in his hands. He finally reached you, showing his dimpled smile. “Geez, why do you have those ears if you can't even listen when one is shouting at you?”
You rolled your eyes. “Oh, shut it. Not my fault you are so out of breath that I couldn’t understand shit of what you were shouting.”
“I was not-!” He looked like he wanted to bicker, again, with you, but he cut himself short. “It doesn’t matter, look what I got!” He proceeded to remove part of the folded fabric, exposing a shiny object. The blade of a sword. You let out a gasp and he chuckled. “Beautiful, isn’t it? But there’s more.”
He uncovered the rest of the weapon, and your eyes fell on the golden inscription. The letters were masterfully carved on the metal, so much it took you a moment to realize it was written in your handwriting.
“Is this…?” You didn’t even finish your sentence, and San already knew what you were trying to say.
“Yes. Custom-made from the best welder in town. It cost me a fortune, but it’s worth it.” San was grinning like an idiot at what he thought was an accomplishment.
Nevertheless, that didn’t sit right with you (even though you couldn’t deny that your heart was racing like a horse). “Are you dumb?! Why are you spending your money on dumb things like this?”
Your heart broke a little when you saw his smile falter. “What are you saying? Of course, it’s not dumb!”
“Yes, it is!”
“No, it 's not!”
“I said, yes it is!”
He frowned and grabbed your hand. “No, it’s not. Wanna know why? Because every time I wield it and see the hilt, I’ll be reminded of what I have back home. That I have someone waiting for me to come back. My treasure.”
His words from back then still made you feel warm, and after that, you always felt proud seeing him carry that sword.
Your gaze is torn away from the weapon to San himself. He was pacing around the makeshift arena planned for these occasions, warming up his limbs. His eyes seemed to wander through the place, not focusing on anyone, until they fell on you. Despite the seriousness that had ruled his behavior up until that point, he gifted you one of his characteristic smiles, which turned his eyes into two small crescents. Even with the loud music coming from the drums, you heard some girls squeal from his gesture, and you laughed at that.
San always knew how to lighten up the mood of every situation.
He kept walking until his back was turned from you, which you took as a chance to admire his sculptured figure. While he had always made clear to whom his heart belonged, that didn’t keep people from falling in love with his god-like looks. His chiseled torso was littered with tattoos, going around his arms, neck, and ribs, in addition to the big wolf head on his chest he had gotten when he was nineteen (when he had absolutely begged you to come with him for moral support).
His body was also covered in scars, mostly from battle wounds and hunting accidents. Some looked old and faded, while others appeared more recent. You knew each of them fully, seeing that you were the only one San let tend to him during those times. When he lowered his arms, you got a glimpse of his most famous one, which he bore on his left forearm. The one that earned him the title of Wolf Warrior, back when he was just twelve.
You stood waiting, just a few meters from the edge of the forest the boys had gone into a few days prior. Many of them had already returned and were celebrating all around you. But, still, there was no sign of San’s return.
You had accompanied San’s parents to wait for San to return from his ritual first hunt. For your people, this marked the beginning of manhood; a rite of passage from boys to men. It was the first time each of the boys would go hunting on their own, and they wouldn’t be allowed to come back without a prize. This ceremony was reserved for only the closest people in the boy’s life, but San’s parents had asked you to come since you were his best friend (and practically their niece, being their best friends’ daughter).
“It’s getting late, again,” San’s father said, and he was right. The sky was turning red and purple with the last lights of the day. Another day without San. “It’s only been three days, so it might still be early for him to return.”
“But most of the boys have come back,” his mother noted. She bit her lip, looking at the forest. Then, she looked at the grass and let out a sigh. “I guess you are right, we can wait another day.”
They moved to leave but stopped when they saw you hadn’t gone with them. “Y/N, let’s go home.”
You wanted to wait just a bit more. Just to be sure San wouldn’t come back that day. “I want to wait a few more minutes. If you want, you can go ahead and I’ll go back when I’m done. There are plenty of other parents here, so don’t worry about me!”
They didn’t look convinced, but they still let you. “Fine, but come back running to us if something happens.”
You waved them goodbye, but before long had passed, you saw some bushes rustle. You squinted to make sure your vision didn’t betray you, and a large figure emerged from the last line of trees. A scream rose to your throat when you saw the thick fur, but it soon died down when you saw the person carrying the furry mass.
“It’s San! It's San!” you shouted back at the distant figures of San’s parents. Thankfully, they had heard you, and they were sprinting back to your position. You ran behind them but stayed back when you saw them embrace their son.
“My son, my son is alright!” his mother repeated while holding him in her arms. Her husband embraced both of them without saying anything, but his face showed the relief he felt.
He is supposed to have returned a man, you thought while looking at the sweet scene, but they will still treat him like their baby.
“San is back!” you heard another boy say, “San came back from the hunt! But…what did he bring back though?”
That seemed to return San and his parents to reality. The ceremony wasn’t finished, as he still hadn’t presented his prize. They untangled themselves from their son and stepped back, allowing him to regain composure. It was then that you could finally see San clearly for the first time. He was soiled in mud, part of his clothes were tattered, and he had several scratches on his face, neck, and arms, but he didn’t seem bothered by them. He looked exhausted, on the verge of collapse even.
“San, my son,” his dad called out to him, “what have you brought from the hunt?”
San looked back at the big leather bag he had dropped with his parents' hug attacked. From the opening, a lot of fur spilled out without a clear form. “My prey was difficult to catch, that’s why I’m late. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Sanie,” his mother reassured him but, to you, she looked nervous. “It doesn't matter what it is, just that you are here. Have you decided who you will offer it to?”
You smiled at your friend. Even if you had stood back all this time to let the Choi family have their moment, you were overjoyed at seeing your best friend take part in one of the most important challenges in his life, and you would have given anything to run to his arms. Nevertheless, you stood back and contented yourself with giving him your usual reassuring smile (also, you couldn’t deny that you were madly curious to see to whom he would give his hunt, although knowing him, it was probably his parents).
Somehow, when you caught San’s eye, he didn’t relax. On the contrary, he stepped back from his parents' embrace and clutched his bag, never releasing tension. “Yes. Yes, I have.”
Mr. and Mrs. Choi held hands, seeing their now-grown son make an important decision. You also squealed in delight, cheering on your friend as he threw the bag over his shoulder with effort. He walked towards his parents and…ignored them?
Your confusion grew as he walked past his parents in your direction. You looked behind yourself, just to see no one. San kept approaching you until he stood merely two feet away. At that distance, you had a better view of all his injuries, especially the gnarly cut on his left forearm.
“Oh my god, Sanie!” you let out, closing the distance to grab his injured arm. “You need to get that treated immediately. It’s going to scar!”
Tension seemed to lift from his shoulders as San heard your typical nagging. He grabbed your wrist back and unlatched your fingers from his arm. “That’s not important right now!”
“What do you mean-!”
“It’s not,” he cut you off. Stepping back a little, he put the bag back on the ground, letting it fall with a loud thud. “This is what’s important right now”.
He opened it completely, a gray furry mass spilling out partially. San kept grabbing and pulling, freeing the animal from the cramped space. Once it was completely out, you let out a scream.
An enormous wolf was looking back at you.
“San, what the hell!” you stumbled back from the shock. “You brought a whole ass wolf?! Are you allowed to give that thing to someone?”
Sanie beamed his boyish smile. He grabbed the animal by the scruff, not raising from his kneeling position, and offered it to you. “I’m not giving it to ‘someone’. I, Choi San, from the Choi family, present my most sacred achievement to you, whom I most treasure and thank for in life”.
Your memory was shattered by the piercing shriek that resonated through the arena, making you clutch your necklace (made from the wolf’s teeth) in fear. It sounded like straight out of your nightmares.
The rumble of heavy steps only confirmed your worst fears.
San was looking directly at the forest line, where the noises were coming from. He stood his ground as a couple of trees fell and many shook with violence. The shouts of other men could be heard as they came closer and closer. Finally, before the whole tribe appeared a creature that left you nauseous.
Four enormous green and scaly legs carried an even bigger body; as tall as the tallest building in your village. The scales shone under the harsh sunlight and were thick enough to compare to an iron armor. Its talons tore through the hard soil like it was mere sand. Its lack of wings didn’t make it less intimidating; on the contrary, it warned its prey of its prowess on land. But it wasn’t the size, the fangs, the talons of the scales that paralyzed your body.
It was the eyes.
For the briefest moment, your gaze connected with the dragon’s. Its eyes glowed red with a primal fury you had only seen on a cornered animal, waiting to fight back if only to cause damage to its hunter before its ultimate demise. That look raised every hair on your body.
The dragon continued to shriek and thrash against the chains that the men, whom you recognized as San’s best friends, held tightly. They were being overpowered by the creature’s brute force, but they still held on for their friend’s chance at having the best prize the village would ever see.
All for you.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” San had turned to the crowd, “let the best hunt our people have ever witnessed in our long history begin!”
The sound of chains hitting the ground was almost drowned by the roar of your people. Once the beast was free, it lounged at full speed at San, forgetting about his other captors, hissing and letting its venom drip on the floor. An involuntary scream was ripped from your throat as you stood from your kneeling position.
“San, run!” you screamed moving forward, but a heavy hand on your shoulder stopped you from going further. It was your father’s.
“No, you stay here,” he demanded.
“Father, you have to stop this,” you pleaded at him. “This is madness! San can’t fight on his own against that!”
But your father was unmoving. “No, this is the challenge he chose, and he must accept his fate.”
“You don’t believe that,” your tone was dark, “at least not with San. Do you want your best friends’ child to die a stupid death? Do you want my best friend to die a stupid death?! Because I wi-!”
While he had remained emotionless during all the ceremony, now he looked furious. “(Y/N), compose yourself for gods’ sake!”
“But-”
“Your feelings do not matter right now, only San’s. He is down there, risking his life only for you to look at him. He chose this, no one else, and what he needs the most right now is your support. Do you understand?”
You understood, and those were the words you needed to sober up. Regardless of your feelings, whether you thought he was being reckless or not, San was fighting for the acceptance of your love in the eyes of your village. He didn’t need you to doubt him, he needed you to be by his side. Not to mention that he would be upset that you doubted his strength.
Until that moment, San had managed to evade all of the dragon’s attacks, opting for taking a defensive stance. The strength and size difference between them was abysmal, so the fate of either would be reduced to who could endure the chase for the longest. A battle of attrition.
The dragon charged at full speed once more, and San stood his ground, sword in front of him. The beast had almost reached him, when San dodged at the last second, managing to slash the tendon of one of its talons, but his arm brushed against one of its scales. Blood began to gush out of the wound, but he paid no mind to it. The battle was far from over, and he was determined to be the last one standing. He owed it to himself, and you.
For what seemed hours (and probably were), you saw San run around the arena, dodging attacks and inflicting more on his opponent. He was visibly injured, having been hit numerous times by the sharp weapons of the dragon, and caked on blood and mud. Nevertheless, the dragon itself wasn’t in a much better state; San had managed to slash open the tendons of three out of the four legs, and it had trouble moving at a fast speed. The sturdy sword of San had also pierced the thick armor of the beast, leaving big wounds on its sides and belly.
Dragons were magnificent creatures. They were perfectly designed to withstand almost all types of damage, being covered in those solid scales that rivaled metal. Some had enormous wings that they used to soar the skies of their vast territories, some breathed fire and ice. Many explorers even claimed that some races could even understand human language. From those many tales, it was expected to believe these beasts were invincible. However, what not many knew was that dragons did have a weakness, a physical one even. Under the sturdy chunks of armor on the chest, just at the area where the heart would’ve been located, the scales were more fragile, soft enough to let a blade penetrate the skin and kill the creature. Not many knew of this weak spot due to the difficulty of even getting close to a dragon, let alone surviving the encounter. Not many knew of it, except for San.
He could see that the dragon was getting tired from constantly playing the offensive. The blood loss was weighing it down, making its attacks slower and weaker, and San wasn’t easy prey to catch. He had been getting closer and closer to the one spot that would lead him to victory. The plan was to make the dragon bleed as much as possible, before ending it all in one move. He wasn’t much fan of making his prey suffer, but neither he was of getting his head bit off (leaving you practically widowed).
San kneeled for a moment, taking a breather as the dragon hissed at a new wound he made near its tail. His own injuries were also slowing him down, although the adrenaline kept him moving. He knew he couldn’t keep up much longer, and it was time to put an end to the battle while he still had the strength to continue.
It was time for the last act.
You saw San muster up the strength to stand up. You had lost count of how many times he was close to finally hunting down the dragon, so now you prayed that he just kept inflicting cuts on the beast until it finally died from blood loss. However, something was different in San. He seemed more confident this time, and you knew what it meant. San was now playing the offensive.
In half a second, San had banished from where he had been standing. Your eyes found him again a few meters closer to the dragon, sprinting at full speed directly towards him. The animal had taken notice of your friend, and stood firmly on its four legs, waiting to rip his head off his body. When San was directly in front of it, the dragon raised on its hind legs, as if to gather full force to strike down on the man and end the fight. You let out a gasp.
It was a fatal mistake.
Instead of stopping as the dragon had expected, San slid underneath it, raising his sword as the creature threw itself down full force. You blinked. One moment, the dragon had been roaring in victory and, in the next one, it was shuddering as it had impaled itself directly into San’s blade. The last remnants of life escaped in convulsions from the body of the beast, and it collapsed unceremoniously into the ground, a mere carcass of the magnificent animal it had been before. The crowd went quiet for the death of a splendid being.
You couldn’t care less for the animal. You couldn’t see San, so you were beginning to be worried that he had been crushed under the weight of the dragon. Your eyes frantically searched for him, until a figure emerged from beside the dead body. San was drenched in blood and struggled to breathe. He had never let go of the sword.
It was the true sight of a legendary hero.
San raised his hand and tried to wipe away some of the blood off his face, which made you chuckle as it was also covered in blood. Realizing the futility of that, he desisted and, instead, looked down on his weapon. He smiled at the inscription and grabbed it with his two hands. In one swift movement, he stabbed the chest of the dragon once more. You frowned in confusion as he kept stabbing and cutting through the body of the beast, as it was already dead, leaving a carnage behind. Behind you, a couple of old men were discussing the useful properties of all the organs and parts of the dragon and how they would have used them, but you couldn’t care less about that. At last, San seemed to find what he was looking for and dropped the sword. He plunged his hands into the hole he had made (which made you gag a little if you were being honest) and pulled out something. Everyone around you let out a collective gasp.
San was holding a dragon’s heart. A heart made out of pure gold.
Your jaw went slack. The heart was huge, as it belonged to a huge creature, and probably weighed a considerable amount. Nevertheless, San held it with the remaining strength he had. You couldn’t start to fathom the value of such rarity, much less the fact that it was now yours. The crowd cheered as he raised the piece over his head; a sign that declared him the victor.
Having basked in glory long enough, San secured a grip on the golden heart and began the ascent towards where you still kneeled beside your father and mother. It wasn’t that long of a distance, but carrying a heavy object after hours of battle sure was harsh on his body. Despite the ache, he continued to advance.
Your mother reached out for you, smiling as she grabbed your hand affectionately. "He did it! He did it! Finally, you can marry San!"
Finally.
You glanced down at San once more. The grown man that just killed a dragon looked nothing like the kid from ten years ago.
"Marry me". San blurted out of nowhere. The sudden request startled you, making you accidentally press on his wound. "Ouch! Be careful, you idiot!"
You felt offended. "Me? An idiot? You are the dumbass that proposes to someone while they are cleaning your wound. I should let your arm rot for being an idiot and reckless on your first hunt!"
He glared at you. "You wouldn't dare…"
"Try me."
He didn't reply, and you fell into a comfortable silence. San had dragged you away from the banquet his family had prepared on account of his newly acquired "manhood", complaining how his arm hurt from not being properly treated and he needed you to do it for him. Now you sat on a small hut next to his house, illuminated by a small candle, jars of ointments and gauzes lying on the floor beside your forms.
San watched as you applied another cream to his arm. "You didn't answer".
You didn't look at him, focused on treating him. "You didn't ask anything". Before he could hit you with a reply, you added "Besides, we can't get married".
That seemed to upset him. "Why not? We know each other perfectly, and our parents as best friends. I'm sure they would accept it".
You laughed at his naïveness. "It's not about approval. Marriage is for people that love each other".
Now, San just seemed confused. "But we love each other. We say it all the time".
"We love each other," you conceded, "but we aren't in love with each other". San's expression remained confused, so you tried to explain it in another way. "You and I love each other as brother and sister, and we act as such. People that get married treat the other as…well…lovers. They spend time together, they share stuff, they hold hands, they kiss. They swear to be with each other until death. They take care of each other. Forever!"
Your explanation didn't convince San. "But, don't we already do that? Minus the kissing, of course. Wouldn't that mean we are in love?"
The mere thought of being in love with San sent your prepubescent brain into short-circuit. It repulsed you in some way, as you had only looked at him as a brother, but you couldn't deny the butterflies in your stomach.
"No, it doesn't," you exclaimed. "Also, people that get married first become girlfriend and boyfriend! You can't be my boyfriend!"
San also looked repulsed at the sound of that word. "Ew, no! I don't want a girlfriend".
"See, that's why we can't get married".
"I don't want a girlfriend," his eyes burned holes in your head, "but I still think it would be nice if we got married. We already promised to be in each other's life forever and I care for you, so I don't think it'd make much difference".
You briefly looked back at him and rolled your eyes, grabbing a roll of gauze. "Why are you even thinking about that, Sanie? Marriage is an adult thing. We are twelve-year-old kids!"
"Speak for yourself! This proves I'm a grown man", he pointed at the wound, grinning. You shot him an amused look, opting for saying nothing and continuing with your job. It didn't take much time for San to break the silence yet again. "I guess all this new 'adulthood' stuff got me thinking about this new chapter of my life and-"
"Mhm"
"-all the things I can do now. Somehow that ended up in my thinking about marriage and how would it feel to get married to someone you like, you know?"
"Yes, yes".
"Then I thought of who I would marry, and I thought of you. Since all that best friend shit is basically the same shit you described, but if you say it's different, I guess it is. Either way, we should wait a little more before that, to think matters better and decide if-"
Oh, no. San had started rambling. "Sanie! What on gods' sake are you trying to say?!"
"What age do you think is the most appropriate to get married?" He looked dead serious now.
You finished dressing the wound, and threw your tools on the ground, exasperated by San's strange behavior. "I don't know! I already said that marriage is for adults!"
"Well, then at what age did your parents get engaged?"
You loved the story of how your parents go together, so it was an easy question. “Oh, my father proposed to my mother when he was twenty-two and she wa-”
San beamed as he interrupted you once more. “Perfect! Then my proposal will be suspended until then. I will ask you again when I turn twenty-two. That way I’ll give you time to fall in love with me, or whatever it is that you need.”
All the previous conversations had proven fruitless again and again, so it was better to leave things as they were, hoping that soon San would move to other subjects.
“Fine, whatever. We’ll probably have forgotten it by then”.
Except, he did not. And neither did you. On the contrary. With time, you had grown fond of your best friend, leaving behind the innocent affections of childhood to make place for the blossoming feelings of romantic love. Where you were hesitant to express these feelings, he openly did to anyone and anything willing to listen. He wanted you and only you. It wasn’t only the grand moments of expressed admiration that made you fall for him, but the quiet moments of thoughtfulness that instilled your devotion for him.
When he carried your things without a word, even if he knew you were perfectly capable of doing it on your own. When he held your hand as you walked through more deserted parts of the village. When you would silently work on the injuries he would bring home, never asking how he got them. When you would hold each other, letting the other shed their tears, just basking in each other’s comfort.
All those moments paved the way for the unspoken transformation of your relationship. You were neither friends nor lovers. No words could describe the depth of your understanding of each other. So, for you and the rest of the world, you were simply “Y/N and San”.
And you wouldn’t have had it any other way.
As usual in any other important celebration, San had dragged you away from everybody. This time, it was his birthday and, although he loved being with his friends and family, he wanted to spend time alone with you. As you both grew, so did your responsibilities, yours as the daughter of the village chief and San’s as the strongest member, so there were periods where your time together was limited.
As soon as you were decently away from the rest of the party, San had taken you in his arms in a warm embrace. You inhaled his scent. He smelled like home. You didn’t question what was up with the sudden display of affection, you knew he would let you know in time. He was never one to keep quiet for much time.
“Marry me”.
He hadn’t forgotten. San was a man of his word.
“Today I turn twenty-two,” he told you, as if you weren’t currently celebrating that fact, “it’s the day I’m finally asking you to be mine”.
Your heart threatened to escape your ribcage from pure glee. “I’ve always been yours, Sanie. Since the day you first asked.”
You felt his smile as he pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. “Thank you, thank you. You know that I belong to you too. I’ll take care of you, so good. Every day, all day. And you won’t be able to get rid of me”.
You chuckled. “I don’t know about that. You can barely take care of yourself”.
“But it’s different since I don't care about myself, only about my treasure”.
For longer, you remained like you were. Many breaths passed before any of you said anything.
“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow,” he announced, shattering the moment, “it won’t be for too long and the guys are coming with me”.
“Leaving? To where?” you asked, confused.
“As much as I’d love to stay with my beautiful fiancée,” you loved how the title sounded coming from him, “I have to bring her a pretty hunting trophy, so she can boast to the whole town about having the strongest boyfriend to ever live”.
You stayed silent. Even if you wanted San to forgo tradition and stay with you, you knew he wasn’t in an easy position. As the chief’s daughter, you didn’t require him to only fulfill the role of the husband. By marrying you, he would automatically become the next in line for the position of chief, as you had no male relatives that could assume it. Thus, he needed to prove himself worthy of you and the whole village.
The very next day, he announced to your community his intentions of marrying you and becoming head of the village. The day after that, he was gone.
Sixty-two days had passed since you last felt his warmth, so when he stood before you, still covered in blood and grime, holding his heart (well, not his in a strict manner), you itched to extend your hand to his cheek and wipe the exhaustion away.
Once more, the ceremonial drums stopped after hours of incessant banging. It was time for your father to speak.
“Choi San,” he called out to your lover, “Ten years ago, when you were barely a man, I bestowed you the title of ‘Wolf Warrior’, which has been reserved for the strongest of our kind, in hopes that you would use it to protect and serve our people. Despite that great honor, you have used that same title and strength to recklessly endanger our home by bringing a dragon for mere spectacle. Had things gone askew, it wouldn’t have been just your life that we would have lost, but many others”.
After the little speech he gave you about trusting San, you were surprised by the harsh scolding your father was giving San in front of other people. Nevertheless, you understood his position as responsible for the village.
“However, on this day you have achieved a feat none of our ancestors could compare to. The tale of the man who single-handedly slew an adult dragon with just a sword will be told by many generations to come, under the title of ‘Choi San, the Dragon Warrior’; title I am to bestow you and will only belong to you. But I’m afraid names and merits would be meaningless if the intent behind them isn’t honored”.
Your father paused briefly before resuming. “Time and time again, you have proven your worth as a man beyond the power of his sword. Your contributions to the safekeeping of our people speak for themselves, and any reward would be in order as compensation for your service. However, I know you seek not money or fame, but something deeper than that.
“Choi San. I’ve seen you and Y/N grow into the splendid adults you are today. I’ve seen your care for each other and your understanding of each other. After today, I do no doubt that there is no better man for my daughter, and no better one to succeed me when I am no longer able. Therefore, I declare successful your attempt and bless the union between the two of you”.
Your heart soared higher than the sky above you. You could have broken your neck with how fast you whipped your head to look back at San, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.
San. San. Sanie.
He was on one knee on the ground before you. The golden heart sat on the floor in front of him, displayed as an offering to you. He held his hands open, waiting for you to take them. You did so, standing up and grabbing his fingers, not caring one bit that they were still covered in grime. San looked at you intensely, wanting you to look at him and only him. Now and for the rest of your lives.
“My treasure,” he spoke so softly as if you were going to shatter if he spoke any louder, “from my very first breath, everything I’ve done has been for you and only you. My first thoughts in the morning and my last ones before bed are of you, and even in my sleep I see you next to me. Every beat of my heart is for you, until the last of them. But, even then, there are no words to describe how deeply I love you”.
Your lips quivered, but you broke into a teary smile nonetheless. “Oh, Sanie. If you keep going, I’m afraid I will cry for real”.
“Don’t worry,” he gripped your hands tighter, “I will be here to wipe away all of them”. San planted a kiss on your knuckles before continuing. “Ever since I was a child, I knew it was you who I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, even if you disliked the idea of that. I knew it had to be me who had to be there in your moments of joy, as well as your moments of sadness. It had to be me who cared for you when you weren’t able to care for yourself and be by your side when you didn’t want anyone else. It doesn’t have to be me, but I want it to be me”.
You swore you could hear some girls sigh behind you, and you couldn’t relate more to that.
“Today I, Choi San of the Choi family, offer you the best of me. I present to you this prize as an offering of my heart, my body, and my soul, which from now on are yours to dispose of. If you wish to accept it, and therefore accept me, I’ll belong to you for the rest of eternity. If you let me be by your side, I’ll do my best to care for you, and not even water will touch your hands. These words will be true, whether you accept my offerings or not since it’s only to you I wish to lay my life for”.
With a last kiss to your hands, he brought them up and rested his forehead on them. The tips of his ears appeared slightly red and his own hands trembled. You knew your Sanie enough to recognize he was equally nervous and embarrassed (which he had nothing to feel shame for, as he had said cheesier things under the influence of liquor).
You rubbed your thumbs on the back of his hand, hoping to soothe his nerves. “Rise, my young warrior. A man like you should be kneeling for nobody”.
He didn’t stand up. “But you aren’t ‘nobody’, my love. You are my strength and my will”.
This man will be the death of me, you laughed to yourself.
“And you are the most stubborn man I’ve ever encountered,” you poked at him. You tugged firmly at your intertwined hands, signaling that you needed him to get back on his feet, “and I’m afraid that you won’t be able to hear my words properly from down there”.
That made him look up to you once more, and finally stand up from the ground. This time, you didn’t hold yourself back from letting go of his fingers to remove a piece of hair from San’s eyes. Your own ones lingered a while longer, just to find themselves cupping his cheek. San snuggled up to your palm instinctively, reminding you of a cat.
“My love,” San closed his eyes and sighed at the name, “you have fought so bravely for the both of us. Not just today, but for a very long time. It is me who should be thanking you for brightening my life with just your presence, and for never giving up on me. We’ve had our highs and lows, but there’s no time of my life that I can remember without you being present. You too have had full ownership of my heart since the very beginning, and it is not my desire for you to relinquish your rights to it”.
“I too want to be the one who cares for you when you aren’t able to fend for yourself. I too want to be who you come to when you have wounds to heal. I want to be who you wake up to every morning, and who you sleep next to every night. I want to be the source of your strength and your place of rest; to protect your heart from harm and your mind from turmoil.”
“My Sanie, for as long as you let me, I will be yours, and even further than that if you decide you love me no more. Everything I have, I will share with you. Where you go, I will go. Whom you love I will love, and whom you despise I will despise. There’s nothing that will give me greater joy than to be yours. So I, Y/N, accept this prize as a symbol of my love and the union that will bind us from now on”.
You had barely finished when you found yourself spinning in the air, San’s hands grabbing you firmly by your waist. You finally let out tears of joy and looked down to see that he was crying too. San put you back on the ground, but never let you go. On the contrary, he pulled you towards him in the biggest hug. One of his hands held you by the waist, while the other rested on the back of your head. Your forehead hid on the crook of his neck, and your hands moved restlessly across his broad back. The drums now played a happy beat and people danced for the new couple. From the corner of your eyes, you could see your parents and San’s embracing each other, finally together as a family.
“My love, my love, my love,” San whispered in your ear, unable to stop repeating those words.
“My Sanie,” you whispered back, “I’m sorry I made you wait for so long”.
“Nothing of that matters now,” he reassured you, “I could have waited longer if it meant I’d have you at the end.”
“You always know what to say,” you joked. “Always the hopelessly romantic idiot”
“You are right. But now I’m your idiot”.
“No, you are my husband”.
San stopped all movement before slightly pushing you away from him. He held your gaze for a couple of seconds before grabbing your face with a smirk adorning his lips. “Hell yeah, I am”.
He leaned down and captured your lips in a heart-stopping kiss. Your brain melted to mush and you could only think about him, surrounding every part of you.
San. San. Sanie.
The world could have ended at that very moment, and neither of you would have cared. Not when you had each other in every sense of the word, cause that is all that mattered. You and him.
Y/N and San.
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lunafreya24 · 7 months ago
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A Passion of Ice and Fire
Pairing: Jacaerys Velaryon/Cregan Stark
Chapter 1: Jace returns home after his visit to the Vale and Winterfell. He has discovered he has feelings for men, and he doesn't know how to tell is family. I'm terrible at summarizing.
(cw: talks of sex (more in later chapters), internalized homophobia, period-typical homophobia)
Notes: Luke is still alive because I love his dynamic with Jace. Aemond still attacked Luke and injured Arrax, but neither of them died. However, because of this attack and the death of Visenya, the Dance of the Dragons is still going to happen. The buildup to the war is going to be slower, and Blood and Cheese won't happen now. This story focuses mostly on Jace/Cregan.
As Prince Jacaerys flew back to Dragonstone, anxiety brewed in his chest. His visit had gone well, too well in fact. He had fallen deeply in love with the Wolf of the North, Lord Cregan Stark. That would have been horrid enough, but the most awful thing was, Cregan had fallen for him as well. They had shared their love under the stars in the Glass Garden, then once again in the young Lord’s chambers. Jace longed to tell his mother and brothers about the passion and warmth between himself and the Lord (leaving out major details when discussing it with his mother), however it wasn’t that simple. Intimacy between two men was seen as one of the highest crimes in the realm. Many whispered that his father Laenor had such affection for a multitude of men. Those rumors never ceased after his death. If anything, they had doubled in the years following and were just now starting to fizzle out almost a decade later. As he grew older, Jace realized there was a great deal of truth in such tales. And while his mother always spoke so kindly about Laenor, his mind still played tricks on him. 
What if she only spoke kindly about him because she didn’t want her children to think badly about their late father, true father or not? 
What if she only tolerated him because she needed the allegiance of the Velaryons?
Then he turned his thoughts to his own fate. 
What if she finds out what I am and hates me? 
What if she takes my title away? 
What if she kills me? 
What if….What if she doesn’t want to be my mother anymore. 
Jacaerys didn’t realize he was crying until he felt coldness on his cheeks with the cool air above the clouds. Vermax could sense the tension in his rider’s frame. Each twist and turn were more erratic than normal, and the usually levelheaded dragon became easily spooked by each bird and insect that came in close proximity to them. Jace took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down before his emotions caused Vermax to have an accident. The last thing his family needed was for him to crash because he was too busy being upset about his would-be relationship with a political ally. 
The ride became much smoother while he made the rest of his journey back to Dragonstone. As he descended into the mainland, Lucerys and Baela were there to greet him. As he jumped off his dragon, that terrible feeling came flooding back to him. How could he do this to Baela? A mere few weeks after they are betrothed, he lay in bed with Lord Stark. Had they not been betrothed, she and Lucerys would have been the first people he'd tell, now he can never tell her. He hugged Baela first then immediately turned to face his brother. Luke noticed something wasn’t right, but he continued with his usual greeting whenever his brother returned from a long flight. 
“How was it?” Luke asked
“How was what?” Jace asked, slightly flustered. 
Luke was certain now that something had happened while his brother was away. He answered back slowly. 
“Your flight.... Jace, is everything alright?” 
“He’s right cousin, you’re sweating, are you ill?” Baela asked, concerned. 
Jace flinched subtly as she touched his forehead. “I'm fine. It must be from the cloak they gave me at the Wall.” 
Baela nodded. Luke quickly grabbed his brother's arm and began to pull him inside. “Well, you must want to change your clothes before you give your report to the Queen.” 
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mengyan · 2 months ago
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i had been made into an archer, the shadows suiting me best; you were a sun-bright girl forced into immortality, eternal servitude to chosen sacrifice for the people.
i think the first thing you taught me was absurdity. no one that knew me ever dared— through these years i’d become as much of a man as the rest, and it was rare for someone to think of wanting me. not that you did— did you? did you want me, wen xiao, or did you not think so much and just trusted that i would catch you?
sleep was always restless when it came. the heartbreak in a-heng’s new-blue eyes always marked the end of my dreams, because i was too afraid back then to turn around and see the rest of him. one month was enough to grow sick of my chambers, and i retired only when i could no longer keep my eyes open.
but then: a forest, a sea. fog cleared and the ink of you kissed my palm, calling me awake.
xiao, for daybreak, but if i allowed my tongue to loosen just the slightest— xiao, for you.
was it then that i became unable to see much else? was it then when i started seeking you first in every room, your voice in every pitch, your hands, arms, fingers touching mine— and me racing to reach you before you changed your mind? was it then that my heart wavered, and i thought, perhaps, that the dark wasn’t so lonely after all?
i never intended to keep you. i knew your eyes strayed elsewhere— i always noticed you first, but so did he, and him, and everyone that has ever met you. the fate of a goddess, maybe, to be beloved by all, to spill her love as floods to the people— but i knew you had long found your home in the soul of one. bloodbound by contract, kindred through heart and mind— how often i’d find myself rushing to stand before you only for him to already be there. 
the place by your side was never meant to be filled by me. but wen xiao, i’m no less absurd than you taught me to be. i would pray to a false god if it would make you safer; i would shoot even at the heavens if they tried to take you. flesh and blood is all i can offer you— is it too much to let me shield you with it?
later the worst of winter stole away your beloved, your closest friend, but kept me. still alive, rosy-cheeked and frostbitten on my knees in front of you, but the snow might as well have buried me too. live with me, die with them— and you picked up the dagger.
what does that mean, wen xiao? what am i supposed to do about what that means? you pulled me from the abyss, but am i not worthy enough to do the same for you?
the cold began to cling to me. one by one we lost the best and bravest of us, and i could do nothing to stop it. i thought myself useless, a drag, but you took my hand and said, so earnest, so warm, so thawing— i need you. you wouldn’t lie to me, but how badly i wish it were the truth.
it had been at least four fortnights since i’d ceased being afraid, since the fears in my heart stopped festering. they never disappeared, but i could stare at them head-on now, knowing that what a mortal lacks is only the difference of a body. you said that you thought of me as irreplaceable, and so i believed that’s what i was.
a fool’s tenacity is, perhaps, the strongest of all.
i woke to everyone but three gone, your tears pouring from the skies. he left to him white streaks in his hair, horseback roaming, world seeking; he left to you an age-old vow on paper, in jade, an impermanent parting, a once-more isolation.
and you left to me not even a farewell.
how is it that the demon hunting bureau is fuller than ever yet so grave with silence? how is that what i guard is no longer home to anyone that used to live in it?
i must be going mad, sometimes, to hear bells that no longer ring, bickering that never ends, idioms i’ll never be able to correct; to smell food i’ll never taste again, wine i’ll never get to drink, sulfur from cases unsolved; to see golden eyes, the rustle of notebook pages, the swoop of a brush— and feel the lilt of you, so willing for me to stay.
and so, absurdly, ridiculously, stupidly— i’m still here, wen xiao, and this is how i’ll remain. come and see me just once, and ask me what i asked you. three hundred years in a sundial: was it hard? the rest of my life with only your memory to keep me company— i’ll answer you the same.
don’t you want to know what my big-as-him secret is? i’ll give you a hint: if you see him in the rain, i see you in stone. just as pillars hold up these roofs, this city— the cliff i hung from was too-steep, yet you held me by the soles of my feet, dug yourself into my palms, and said look up, pei-jiejie. dawn has come.
the morning will always return after night. but wen xiao, when will you?
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