#i hope ive brought someone joy today

[atlasrayz]

If u frequently like and reblog all my posts then just know I love you

[cryptic--writing]

hihi!!

ive tried posting this probably 100+ times but tumblr wont let me so ima make this intro short

THANK YOU @kay-random FOR HACKING ME TO POST THIS ILY

thanks @hetfeildsslut for this idea (black album james dating reader with child from past relationship and meeting the child)

word count:: 2,342

warning: none just fluff

NEW AND OLD ADDITIONS (1992)

I took a deep breath as I removed the key from the car's ignition, my three-year-old son, Tyler sitting in the back, babbling to himself a bit as he sat in his car seat, mindlessly looking out the window.

Today would be the day that my current boyfriend, James, would meet my son.

I was both excited and also horridly nervous. 

I knew that James would be an excellent father figure to him, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of worry. Maybe rockstar and family-man don't blend well in lifestyles.

Things didn't go well with my ex for a long time, and things only got worse after I found out I was pregnant.

I undid my seatbelt, stood up, and stepping out of the car, going to the backseat door to grab Tyler, his wiggly limbs, and smiling looking straight at me.

His joy brought me slight relief, making me calm slightly. I smiled back at him, undoing his car seat as I scooped him up,

“You ready, bud?” I asked him, holding him close to me as we began to walk into the house.

He just smiled and held onto me, “Yeah!” 

His joy always brought me joy, unlocking the front door as I walked in, and setting him down to go find somewhere to sit.

He waddled away, going towards the couch and staring at the TV, giving me some time to prepare for James’ arrival.

I didn't know what we were going to do, I hadn't necessarily planned anything other than to meet at my home. I didn't know what he was expecting us to do.

Maybe we should eat? I could cook something quickly, or call someplace and order for delivery.

I have no reason to be so... distressed, about all this. I just want to make sure everything goes well.

Food seems like too much work, what if he isn't hungry? Maybe we can just sit here and talk instead.

Before I could plan an alternative, a knock was at my door.

It had to be James.

I was so, so nervous as I walked up to the door, my thoughts a mess. He told me that he would come after his practice with the band, which made me think more.

I didn't want the only men and fathers in my son's life to be temporary and fly in and out the door constantly, I needed someone who could help parent him, show him how to be a man, comfort him, and just love him.

I knew Tyler didn't understand or probably cared he lacked a dad, as he didn't understand what a dad was, or what it was like without one.

However, I also knew it was only a matter of time until he got older and kids found out he didn't have a dad, oh how he'd get teased. I couldn't let that happen to my baby.

I trust James, and I love him, and I know he’ll be a great co-parent or dad for Tyler. I was just so worried, about rockstar life, touring and partying, practicing and recording, and having to make a slither for being a family man, to love and care for me and him.

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door, opening it to see James with a smile on his face, which relieved me slightly, at least he was excited about this, probably more than me.

“Hey, beautiful, is now a good time?” He asked, glancing in, his eyes searching for my son.

I nodded, “Yeah, we just came back from the store.” I answered with a small smile, looking up at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as I looked down, seeing a little box in his hand.

“What's that?” I asked, glancing down at the messily, yet colorfully wrapped box.

“Oh, it's a toy for the kid, I thought it'd be nice, y’know?” James informed me with a smile.

I nodded, smiling sweetly at him, “You didn't have to, that's so sweet. He’ll love it, whatever it is.”

He nodded, “Mhm, just hope he’ll love me.” He said, looking down at me. His words made my heart melt.

I stepped aside so he could walk into my home, glancing around the kitchen and living room in search of my son, which I noticed. “He's probably in his room playing, do you want me to go get him or just come to him?” I asked, standing beside him.

James shrugged, “I mean, I think it’d be easier if I just g to him, maybe less intimidating than dragging him out, y’know?” He responded, and I nodded, walking him to Tyler's bedroom, which was right down the hall.

I stopped in first, James standing in the door frame as I walked closer to Tyler, who was just driving his toy cars around on the floor.

“Hey sweetie,” I said to him as I sat down next to him, grabbing his attention.

He noticed James's figure as he walked further into the room, still standing near the door.

“Mommy, who is that?” He asked me, slightly shy about James’ presence.

“That mommy’s friend, James. Can you say ‘hi’ to James, buddy?” I asked Tyler softly, and he shied away from James a bit, moving closer towards me. Even though it was a negative response, James wasn't hurt, still smiling softly. He walked a bit closer to us, sitting down on the floor near me, putting down the box and pushing it towards him a bit.

“Hey buddy, I got you something,” James said gently with a smile, lightly tapping the box. Tyler looked up at me, basically asking if he could go grab it, especially since James was still probably considered a stranger in his mind. I nodded, and he slowly unhid himself, walking towards James and sitting in front of the box, tearing away the poorly wrapped paper and revealing a toy dinosaur.

Tyler's face instantly lit up, “Dino! Dino!” He cheered, anxiously tearing the toy out of the packaging so he could play with it, earning a light chuckle from James. It was a green T-Rex toy, which is his favorite dinosaur.

The moment made my heart melt, a smile on my face as I watched Tyler gleefully play with his new toy dino, still sitting in front of James.

“What do you say to James, sweetie?” I asked, hoping he could learn manners even at a young age.

Tyler smiled, finally looking at James. “Thank you, James!” He said with a smile, going back to play with his new toy.

“You're welcome, bud,” James said, continuing to watch him with a smile before Tyler got up and quickly scurried to his toy bin, bringing out a blue triceratops toy as well, bringing it to James.

“Play, James! Play!” He said excitedly, handing him the toy, and James nodded, joining in playing with the dinosaurs, both of them rawring at each other as they pretended to fight the dinosaurs, making Tyler giggle and smile.

I just watched, the sight bringing me the greatest joy I had experienced in a while, seeing my son so happy with a man that I hoped one day he may call ‘dad’. I never had any luck with dating, especially after people found out I wasn't just single, but a single mother. And I never expected, of all men, James Hetfield, widely known rocker, and partier, now my boyfriend and the potential father figure of my son.

They played with their dinosaurs for another 20 minutes, Tyler sometimes making his climb up James’ body, the toy stomping around on his arms and shoulder.

After a few more minutes, Tyler was starting to get a bit hungry, and I assumed James could eat something, especially after band practice and playing with a three-year-old.

We all moved out to the kitchen, I gave Tyler a bowl of carrots and some hummus, making James a quick meal as he was starving, watching the two of them eat together as Tyler rambled about random and silly things, asking him goofy questions as children do.

I didn't say anything, I was just happy to listen to them as I cleaned up the kitchen, washing the dishes as I eavesdropped on their conversation.

A few weeks later

As the weeks went on, the three of us spent more time together, almost like family playdates. Tyler would beg and ask when he'd get to see James again, which made the both of us so happy that Tyler enjoyed being around him, even if he was timid in the first moments.

We had gone to the beach, the park, restaurants, out for ice cream, to the movies, and even to James’ place, where Tyler got to admire and watch him play all of his guitars, which he loved.

“I wanna play! I wanna play!” Tyler said, reaching his hands out towards James’ guitar, which was the black Explorer he used pretty frequently on the road.

James gave a light chuckle to Tyler begging, “Sorry bud, but not this one. I’ll find you one to play on, ok?” James said, standing up and walking to grab one he had less of a sentimental value to.

Tyler grumbled, whining, “But I wanna play that one!” He complained to James, who was already looking for a different guitar for him to play on.

James had to use his patience, which he had with kids, but today was a day where his patience may have been a bit thinner, sighing, “Look, I'm sorry, but you can't use that one. What about this one, hm?” He asked, holding up a regular, run-of-the-mill strat.

Even though with a more simple appearance, Tyler had forgotten all about the explorer guitar, wanting only the one James now held.

“That one! That one!” He cheered to James with a smile, James already headed over to him, setting down the guitar and picking up Tyler before sitting in a chair and putting him in his lap as he positioned the large guitar for Tyler's small form.

It was a precious sight, watching Tyler mindlessly ignore James’ actual playing instructions, using his fingers to strum the chords, not understanding the fretboards or anything else other than moving the strings and the cool sounds that came from the amp after.

Though, as young children do, he was later bored by the guitar, wanting to do something else. I was in the living room, the two of them still in James’ music room.

I decided that James could use a break from a three-year-old, walking to the door as I heard them talking again.

“James, can I ask you a question..?” Tyler asked him shyly.

James nodded, “Of course, little man. What's up?”

Tyler shied for a moment, looking down before looking back up at him, “Are you gonna be my daddy?” He asked with a soft voice, embarrassed to ask.

James was slightly shocked, not knowing how to answer the question, though there was a small smile on his face, “Mmm, I don't know if that's a question I can really answer, buddy. But, I want to be, but ask momma, ok?” He said with a smile, kissing him gently on the head.

Neither of them knew or had noticed me, standing in the doorway as I watched the two of them interact, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I didn't wanna ruin their moment, walking away before they could see me, sitting back in the living room.

It had begun to get late, nearing 9 pm, which was past Tyler's bedtime, so I decided it would be best for the two of us to go. I walked into the music room, seeing Tyler half asleep on James as he gently held him and watched over him.

“Is he asleep?” I asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake him if he was.

James nodded, “Mhm, out like a light.” He responded with a light chuckle, standing up and walking towards me, handing him to me as we walked together to his front door. Once we reached it, he opened it for me, and I stood in the doorway.

“Thank you, for all of this, Tyler really appreciates you, and, well, I do too. It means a lot, for the both of us.” I said with a soft smile, looking at James’ grin.

“Well, I appreciate you guys too. He's a sweet kid, and you're a wonderful girl.” He said to me sweetly, which made me smile more.

“Thank you, love, that's sweet of you,” I said with a loving tone, our eyes meeting and holding contact.

“I heard you and Tyler talking, how he asked if you're gonna be his daddy,” I started, taking in a breath and looking down, making James worry slightly before I looked back up to him, “And I hope you do, if that's something you wanna be, or wanna do. He really, really loves you. He talks about you all the time, you're like, his favorite person.” I said with a soft chuckle, watching as he nodded with a smile.

“I'm glad. That is something I’d love to be, a father. Even if we aren't genetically together, he's still gonna be my kid.” He added sweetly, which made me melt.

“Good, it's kinda hot, seeing you all sweet and fathery, I really like it,” I said with a wide grin, to which he laughed softly so he wouldn't wake up Tyler, shrugging as he rolled his eyes.

“Alright, thanks. I'll keep that in mind.” He said before giving me a soft and sweet peck on my lips.

I smiled softly, “Well, guess we'll be seeing you soon. I love you.” I said before walking out with Tyler, having had a successful day, and an amazing one, at that.

[kk43mi]

alr so if you’re okay with this kind of request i’d like to request a fic in which scara is afab!! i’ve seen many people headcanoning him as transmasc and it kinda grew on me :)) i think he’d be sub and enjoy oral but at the same time also less vanilla things like being tied up, restrained, blindfolded.. idk i’ll leave the rest to you :D

please feel free to ignore my request if it makes you uncomfortable! have a nice day or night<3

this idea is so good anon ! yes i also like to think he would like being restrained...hes always demanding you to eat him out and stuff omg i have so much thought into this. you also have a good day/night! excuse if this seems so messy, ive never written a trans fic... forgive me o(*￣▽￣*)ブ

jealousy┊scaramouche

PAIRING ┊trans!scara x softdomf!reader GENRE ┊ smut. WC ┊ 1.4k+ WARNINGS ┊ (in this case this is wanderer, but i will call him scara!) , praise , pussy eating(receiving and giving.) , needy scara , tied up , lowercase intended!!! SYNOPSIS ┊ partnering up with kazuha to work with your mission, scara gets jealous, thinking you were going to leave him for kazu...or maybe have more fun around kazuha. you and kazuha are good friends, always play fighting and joking with each other, scara cant stand the thought of you enjoying someone else, so he gets jealous and demands you to eat him out. A/N ┊ written by kam , hope you guys enjoy !

the bustling paths of inazuma were alive with activity as you strolled along, your footsteps in sync with the rhythm of the city. your mission for the day was to work alongside scaramouche, but you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment when you learned he had asked kazuha to accompany you instead.

"looks like it's just you and me today," kazuha remarked with a mischievous smile, his amber eyes sparkling. "let’s make the best of it, shall we?"

you nodded eagerly, having grown fond of kazuha's company over the past few weeks. his carefree nature always brought a sense of joy to any situation. as you embarked on your mission, you and kazuha engaged in playful banter and light-hearted teasing, each teasing comment met with laughter.

little did you know, scara was watching from a distance, his eyes following your every move. He couldn't help but feel jealousy rising within him. his blunt, cold demeanor masked a deeper vulnerability, and the thought of you enjoying someone else's company didn't sit well with him.

as the day wore on, scara’s jealousy escalated. he began to repeatedly mutter under his breath, his words filled with bitterness. "why is everyone drawn to her? can’t they see i’m right here?" he grumbled, unable to hide his frustration.

meanwhile, you and kazu were completely engrossed in your mission, unaware of scara’s growing resentment. the sun painted the sky in shades of orange and pink as evening settled in, casting a warm glow on the city. the mission had been a success, but scara couldn't find any solace in that.

finally, unable to contain his envy any longer, scara confronted you as you bid farewell to kazuha with a hug. scaras features contorted with frustration, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and vulnerability. "why do you always have to seek attention from others? can’t you see i’m here too?" he snapped, annoyance evident in his tone.

taken aback by his sudden outburst, you looked at scara, his harsh words only fueling your confusion. "scara, what are you talking about? kazuha and I were just having fun. it doesn't mean I don't appreciate your presence. you paired me up with him, so why are you being like this?!"

"youre being wayy too fucking touchy with him! and exchanging jokes too like as if you dont have me." he crossed his arms, while he puffed his cheeks out, signifying he was irritated. "scara, were just friends and you know that! plus he already has lumine!" you put a hand on your hips.

"yeah but no need to hug him! if you want someone to hug, im here." his forehead popped a vein, clearly telling that he was pissed the thought of you hugging someone other than him. "ugh, im pissed off now. if you enjoy time with him more then get with him." and that made you scoff.

"scara i never said anything about enjoying more with him! look...are you just..jealous?" you came to that conclusion...why else would he be mad, he never acted this way before.

"im not jealous! it was just a violence impulse that took over for a second." he would scoff before shifting his hat to block his face. "so in other words, jealous." you couldn't help but chuckle, and in that moment, he roughly clasped your wrist.

"well im pissed and pent up now! help me." with an effortless grace, he swept you up in a bridal-style embrace, then lifted both of you, soaring towards the direction of your shared abode. "wha-" was the last word you said before he took off.

sooner or later, you both reached your abode, scara gently places you down, harshly grabbing your wrist again. "ah-scara that hurts." your wrist ached at the sides, but your complaints fell on deaf ears as he continued to pull you into the house, heading for your shared room.

you would sigh, before finally speaking. "what do you want? cuddles? kisses?" the echo of scaras firm footsteps resonated through the house as he led you to the room. he harshly pulled you into the bed with him. "eat me out." his words left your eyes open wide.

"seriously..? now?" you eyed at him, intertwining gazes. "im pissed about that kazuha dude, so help me out here!" he can already be seen taking off his garments, till the only armor left visible on him was his black under-suit. "hurry.." he would grab your head, lowering it down to his aching pussy, begging for you to lick and suck on.

"dont order me around." you push his hand off you with a sigh. "ill make it up to you alright..? even though it wasnt my intents to make you jealous.." you whispered the last part. "well then hurry up! need to cum, and we havent been able to do it for so long since you were so fucking busy with missions!" you let out a chuckle. "i know im sorry."

you would move the suit that would cover his heat, revealing his pussy, pustulating on nothing but air. "so eager to be touched already." "mmh hurrryy." he would buck his hips towards you, running out of patience. "now now, no need to hurry, lets make this more exciting for you, mkay?" you eyed at him, before heading to the nearby table stand, you deftly opened the drawer, revealing two soft, neatly folded cloths. with a quick and precise motion, you reached out and secured them in your grasp.

scara rubs his thighs together, looking so...excited. he was biting his lips as he couldnt contain his thrill, he always loved the thought of being tied up. "do you want to try th-" "yes, please." he said with no hesitation. to be honest, you didnt think he would be up for this, so, there you bind his wrists together and then secure a blindfold over his eyes. the thought of not knowing where you would touch next had aroused him so much.

before scara can even say 'hurry', you tongue was already on his clit. sucking and swirling the soft muscle on it. "mmghff~!" scara muffled out, shuddering in pleasure as he moans out. traveling both of your thumbs to his folds, spreading them as you glide your tongue sensually along it. emitting pornographic moans from scaras lips. thighs quivering from the way your tongue skillfully pleasures him.

bucking his hips towards your face more, you take this as in he wanted more...inserting your tongue inside while your thumb caressed small circles on his clit, it sent him into an intoxicating whirlwind of pleasure. eliciting moans here and there. his head thrown back as his hands tried to find something to take hold on.

scara could almost cum on the spot right now...just a bit more and..there you halt your movements. "huh..? hey, whyd you stop..." he would whine, bringing his own fingers to stimulate his clit, but you slap it away. "no touching yourself, plus, im all worked up too." you say and he can hear the sounds of clothes shuffling and falling onto the ground. "lay down." you commanded and he obliged.

and there, youre on top of him, you ass facing him, laid on top of his heat as his arms were secured around you, creating a 69 position. "do it together mk?" he nods eagerly and already starts eating you out like he hasnt eaten in years. your thighs trembles, but that didnt stop you from sucking his clit again. sucking, licking, and fingering his bud had him feeling satisfied, even forgetting why he was pent up in the first place.

moans emitting from your mouth due to the way hes sucking your clit, not even stopping to take a break. stimulating you so hard youre almost at your climax, but you hold it in, wanting to come together with scara. the smell of sex and sweat is filled in the air, tasting his sweet, sweet juices, the flavors dancing delightfully on your tongue. "nnghf! y/n...gonna cum..!" he mutters out, sending vibrations to your clit.

"together..!" were the last words you said before both of the individuals squirted on each others faces. sucking and lapping up the juices that were dripping out. moans and grunts escaping from your lips, and scara tried catching up with his breathing. he let out a sigh, his breath escaping in pants. wet patches staining the bedsheets.

getting off of him, you plop your worn out body next to his. "enjoy?" gently removing the restraints, you tenderly caress his soft cheeks "yeah, whatever." chuckling before kissing his lips. "im tired. lets sleep now." he would mutter out before snuggling himself to your neck. cuddling him to sleep. you guys were exhausted already and you could always clean up the next day. scara forgot all about kazuha, now his worries were gone.

requests open!

[takumaswife]

My Prayer ~ Hokuto Yoshino

Word Count: 1497 words

Genre: Angst

A/N: this is my first time writing since 2014.. ive never had so much anxiety writing this..

Here is a link to the song if you wanna get the feel as you read:

This overflowing feeling

My unstoppable heart beating

You’re in front of me right now

Because I’m sure this coincidence is fate

There he was, staring at you as you stood across from him. It felt like the world had stopped, and time had froze. The way you looked so beautiful. Eyes sparkling, the brightest smile he had ever seen. He knew from that moment he was in love with you.

The warmth of our hands linked together

I don’t want to let go

I don’t want to leave you

The way your hand held his, how excited you were to tell him the great news. "What has gotten you so excited today?" Hokuto asked, his smile wide as seeing yours only brought him joy. "I finally got a date! Me and Itsuki are going on a date!" You shouted, jumping slightly as you couldn't contain your excitement. His smile slowly faded. This time, the world had stopped but not in a good way. He felt his world crashing down. The skies were turning gray and cloudy. You were so excited that you didn't even notice he wasn't smiling anymore.

When the flow of time passes by

It will pass me and you heartlessly

I just want to be by your side

That is my only wish

My prayer

It had been a year of friendship with Hokuto. A year of him being in love with you, but you were too blind to see. Everyone knew, everyone could see except for you and Itsuki. Every night, he would pray that he would get the chance to take your heart and protect it. To keep it safe and never let it get hurt again. He would do anything to have you as his.

Although seeing your gaze when you look at someone else

Hurts me

Kazuma and Makoto had talked all the members into going to a small club for the night in hopes of helping Hokuto get his mind off of you and Itsuki. However, when Hokuto had seen you two on the dance floor, bodies pressed together as a slow song played, he felt his heart break. The way you looked at his best friend with the biggest smile, eyes once again sparkling like the day you told him about the date. Oh, how he wished that was him. He wished you were looking at him like that. Your arms wrapped around his neck, his on your hips as your bodies swayed to the music in the background.

But our love for each other is more when we can’t meet

So that the bond between us

Don’t break apart

During the time you and Itsuki were dating, Hokuto would try to stay away from you to lose those feelings. But he couldn't. He couldn't lose feelings for you. You were his everything. Every time he tried to stay away, the others, along with you, would beg him to join any outings or movie nights. He couldn't say no to you, especially with those big eyes you would give him.

When the flow of time passes by

It will pass me and you heartlessly

I just want to be by your side

That is my only wish

My prayer

Two years. Two years Hokuto had watched you and his best friend spend every moment together. He would just watch when you were all together sitting around and chatting; the way you would smother the male with kisses, feed him whenever they were out eating. Everyone would cringe at the puppy love between you and Itsuki, but he didn't. He wished it was him. He wanted that.

But today was different. The letter that came in the mail. "Save The Date." The words that haunted him. The words he never wanted to see unless it was with you and him. Sitting on the edge of his bed, hands gripping his hair as he could feel a tear slipping down his cheek. The one person he was truly in love with would never be with him.

I’d give anything

And I would do everything

I’d climb the highest mountain just for one wish

Here he was, standing beside Itsuki at the altar. The best man at a wedding he wished was his. How could this happen? How could he not be man enough to tell you the truth before it was too late.

As the music started playing and the doors opened, he saw you. His heart burst at how beautiful you looked. As you made your way down the aisle, he found himself tearing up. Itsuki glanced back at Hokuto, patting his shoulder as he thought Hokuto was crying because of how close you two were. Behind Hokuto was Ryu, who frowned when he saw the tears in his eyes. Ryu was someone Hokuto found himself going to when he needed to rant or cry over you. He knew how bad Hokuto was hurting during that moment. He would do anything to be in Itsuki's place.

I’d give anything

And I would do everything

I’d swim the deepest ocean just for one wish

I wish for only one thing, To you…

Sitting there in the crowd as you and Itsuki had your first dance. It reminded him of that night in the club. The way you still had that same smile, the same sparkle in your eyes. The same looks he wished you were giving him.

When the flow of time passes by

It will pass me and you heartlessly

I just want to tell you

That I love you and you only

After taking the time to greet everyone at your wedding, you finally found yourself in front of Hokuto. Your arms wrapping around your best friend immediately. He reciprocated by hugging you tighter than he ever had before. "Are you okay?" You asked as you stepped back, noticing the hug felt different from any other time. "Y/N.. I need to tell you something.." Hokuto spoke quietly, avoiding eye contact as he grabbed your hand in his. He rubbed your knuckles as he tried to find his words.

"I-" He started but immediately stopped when he looked into your eyes. Was expressing his feelings worth destroying your friendship? Was it worth ruining your big night? Was he being too selfish? He swallowed the lump in his throat and put on a fake smile. "I'm so happy for you.." He spoke, trying his best to sound sincere. However, the crack in his voice told you differently, but you decided not to push the matter.

To you…

Before it gets too late

I just want to tell you

That I love you and you only

My prayer

The cheers roared as you and Itsuki made your way down the aisle of people towards the car that was decorated with 'Just Married' on the back. Rice being thrown in the air as the crowd celebrated the newlyweds. As they got to the car, Hokuto, along with the other members of the group, were there to give the last hugs before the couple drove off on their honeymoon.

You turned to Hokuto and gave a large smile as your arms wrapped around his neck for the last time that night. Hokuto hugged you just as tight as he did earlier, another tear slipping down his cheek and onto your shoulder. You could feel something was wrong but didn't know if you should ask at this time in front of everyone.

"Ready to go?" Itsuki turned to ask you. "Yes, darling. One second." You replied as you kept hugging your best friend. "I love you, Kuto.." you whispered softly to make your friend feel better. Hokuto's body stiffened when he heard those words. He gulped, taking a deep breath before speaking. "And I will always love you.." Hokuto replied. But you knew this wasn't an 'I love you' that you normally heard from him. This one was different. From his tone, from the hug, from the tear you felt against your skin. You knew what he meant when he said those three words.

"Let's go, baby. We have to get to the airport in an hour or we will miss our flight." Itsuki spoke softly as he rubbed your lower back. You pulled away from the hug, giving Hokuto a small smile. Leaning up, you kissed his cheek before following your love to the car. The two of you leaned out the window, waving to the cheering guest as you drove off. As the car drove further from the venue, you watched Hokuto in the sideview mirror. The sad expression he had been holding in all night. You sat back against the seat, staring out the window as Itsuki's hand rested on your thigh. All you could think about was Hokuto's words and what they meant. You knew the meaning because deep down, you always had reciprocated those exact feelings for the blonde hair boy.

[rarepairnation]

I love your posts about Denethor and Faramir. I'm always glad to see someone who loves both him and Faramir and gets that Denethor being this hugely impressive tragic figure makes Faramir so much better and more interesting. The relationship between them is so complex and I love it so much. The film versions make me angry as well.

oh man thank you so much...i find it kinda crazy that you're saying this to me bc im pretty sure i have a bunch of posts from your denethor tag sitting around in my drafts so i can look back at them later. many days i feel very much like an Amateur Denethor Enjoyer but i am thrilled that me just kind of being unhinged on the dash has brought you joy. and get ready bc here i go again LOL

yeah exactly what you said...denethor's tragedy informs and is informed by faramir so so so much and it's just kind of wild to me that on the tragedy enjoyers website so many people refuse to see it. on the second-best enjoyers website...the guilt-and-despair enjoyers website...the "the unimaginable has happened and i AM going to kill people and then myself" enjoyers website...i could go on! he is literally doomed by the narrative and just goes well ok fuck you i WILL die at the end but it will NOT be in the way the narrative wants me to.

it is truly the relationship of all time. faramir does love his father and yet because of the strength of his principles he is genuinely incapable of showing it in a way that denethor can understand. and denethor loves him too but after a certain point just cannot show it anymore because duty has to take precedence. he's not allowed to give faramir any quarter even in private. and YES that includes anything that would resemble a normal emotion. ngl i wouldn't be surprised if that's the only way faramir is like. LETTING him communicate with him. like i feel like the final assault on osgiliath is not the first time faramir's taken the "if you want to get me to do something you ARE going to have to order me to do it" stance. and yet denethor tries. at the end he takes trying to an unhinged level. idk it often feels like even in the general fandom insistance on one-dimensionally dickish denethor there's somehow also a lack of understanding that it IS a toxic expression of love but that doesn't make it not love. like He's Not Winning Dad Of The Year that is not what we're saying at all. we're saying is "it was born of love. it was a terrible thing yet born of love." thats all! that's why it's so tragic because it's all about love!!! augh...

ok i don't typically put quotations from my own writing in like real posts but also ive been thinking about the faramir goes to rivendell au 24/7 and i just. HAVE to pull this line bc it kind of captures exactly how i feel about the denethor-and-faramir mutual Character Honing.

Yet he [Faramir] cannot deny that each of them sharpens himself upon the whetstone of the other, and it is a debt he loathes to owe and yet cannot hope to repay.

i mean.......like are you picking up what im putting down! like! AAA! both in-narrative and out of it they are always ALWAYS making each other better (or worse. but worse in a More Interesting Way) but AT WHAT COST!!! he loves his father he would not be the man he is today without his father both in a good and bad way he HATES that these two things are true. faramir and denethor are not foils they're parallels they build each other's characters up when you put them next to each other!! faramir is who denethor wouldve couldve been without the war!! hey hang on a second is denethor who faramir would've become if he were the lord steward during the war of the ring? (this is a little reductive i think faramir's susceptibility to despair is quite different to his father's. and i wonder how long his gentleness would've prevailed / worked side by side with his duty instead of being diametrically opposed to it. but anyway. well i'll be thinking about THAT for the rest of the night. i cannot start another au i cannot i cannot i cannot). anyway you can't get one of them without getting the other and that is all...

man i always say like oh don't get me started on movie faramir and denethor and then the don't think of an elephant effect GETS me and it gets me started. last night i genuinely said like "well i won't get into it" and then three hours later it was 2am and it was so very clear that i had Gotten Into It. i had to tell our other roommate like "tell me when ur going to bed i am talking about denethor and i will be yelling." my roommate just came home and i told her about this post and then i had to explain a detail and she SET ME A THREE MINUTE TIMER bc she was like i have to go study. and that's fair

anyway i hope you are having a good night/day/whatever time it is for you. thank you for this ask it is always fun to see you pop up in my notifs whenever im denethorposting lol

[annisthree]

Chapter XI: We stand together

previous chapter // series masterlist

Pairing: Cassian Andor x Original Female Character

Word Count: ~7k

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Explicit language, canon typical violence, hurt/comfort, alcohol use

Chapter summary: Back at the base, Marla is recovering after being held prisoner, and a new chapter in the Rebellion's history is about to begin.

A/N: This is it. I can't believe it.

If you had told me half a year ago that I would be back to writing after more than ten years, I would have never believed it. It's been such a fantastic journey, and I'm so happy to be doing this again.

Once again, thank you all for the amazing, AMAZING support. I was honestly surprised that anyone even read it, but seeing the continuous outpour of kind words was insane. I mean it.

Now, for the future: there's definitely another part coming, but I need a bit of a break to figure out the details. And maybe write a short drabble or two before I jump into something longer again. I'm guessing I should be back with the second part sometime in January, but it's hard to say.

Again: I LOVE YOU all. Writing this has brought me so much joy; it's surreal.

(Oh, and remember when I said that the last chapter was the longest one? Well, seems like I lied.)

Cross-posted on AO3 (same username).

'Captain Andor. Your presence has been urgently requested in the med bay.'

Cassian rubbed his eyes ,  looking at the medical droid that had woken him up in the middle of the night. The intensity of the last mission was still weighing on him, and he was hoping to finally get some sleep in his warm, comfortable bed on the base. 

Clearly, today was not the day.

'Why?' he practically moaned, deciding he didn't have to uphold his highest professional standards for a medical droid. To accentuate this decision, he let out a long, dramatic yawn.

'It's Lieutenant Reid. She's-'

Cassian felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water on his head.  Of course it's about Marla, idiot. Why else would you be needed in the med bay? And if they're requesting your presence, does that mean that something is-

'Is she all right?' 

'Oh,  she is  all right. Visibly regaining her strength. The problem isn't  her  well-being; it's the well-being of our medical personnel. Sir.'

Cassian was amazed at how quickly he was circulating through different emotions, 'Could you... could you elaborate?'

'You might be aware of the doctor's recommendation to have her receive IV therapy to aid the loss of electrolytes stemming from dehydration. Well, it wasn't a problem when she was under anaesthesia, but as soon as she woke up, she began... protesting . Quite emphatically. She is currently refusing to be subjected to further treatment, and her refusal is manifested in a rather forceful way. I was sent to find a mediator.'

The droid has finished the report and tilted its mechanical head to the left, awaiting further orders. Only now did Cassian realise that the droid was in somewhat worse shape than it was standard. Sure, most of their droids had some sort of issues, most were patched up with different scratch parts, but this one looked... beaten up. For starters, one of its arms was detached and held in the droid's only remaining hand. There also seemed to be a noticeable dent in its core area. 

Cassian rolled his eyes, returning to his default state of tiredness.

'Why me?'

'I have already spoken with the rest of your crew, captain, but they all said you are the only person capable of negotiating with the lieutenant. Sir.'

Somehow, he really doubted that. Still, he was her superior (a fact he should probably remember more often, he noted), so he was responsible for keeping her in check. Or at least attempting to do so.

'Great. Lead the way.'

The droid emitted a series of beeps, then whirled around in place and began energetically stomping forward, occasionally waving its detached arm in the air.

There were so many women on the base, Cassian's sleepy subconsciousness noted. So many beautiful, smart,  emotionally stable  women. 

Why did he always get himself into such a mess?

*

The corridors of the ancient Massasi temple were almost empty at that hour, apart from a couple of pilots spilling out of the hangar bay and towards the sleeping quarters at regular intervals. Overall, however, the base had gained some improvements over those couple of weeks when they were gone - the electricity had clearly been extended everywhere, which meant they finally didn't have to rely on their glowsticks not to end up flattened against a stone wall. There was also a faint hint of music somewhere far away - was it the hangar bay or the mess hall?

As they walked towards the med bay, Cassian realised the reappearance of that familiar nervous energy humming through his body. He hadn't seen Marla since they arrived on base - she was immediately snatched by a team of medics, together with the rest of the prisoners, and transported to the med bay. He went in to check on her right after the mission debrief, but he was informed that they administered more anaesthetics and declared they would keep her asleep for a couple of days to help her regenerate. It also made it easier to take care of her multiple bone fractures and all the smaller injuries that required attention.

He would never admit it, but he was relieved to have a couple of days for himself. Not that he was tired of Marla; far from it, he was, in fact, still very much affected by her imprisonment, and he would be lying if he said he didn't miss her presence. There were many moments when he walked right up the med bay door, only to turn around with resignation at the last moment.

It was just... easier this way. They still never addressed what happened that night before the attack, and then the only other interaction he had with her was right after her rescue - and talking about their feelings wasn't exactly very high on their agenda at that moment,

But sooner or later, they would have to talk about it and agree on some sort of strategy. And for the first time in his military career, Cassian had no idea what  strategy  would work best.

*

The past couple of days had been a blur. Marla remembered a bit from their journey back to the base - the memory of the rescue itself had been a bit hazy, but then she remembered waking up in her quarters on the ship. Luckily, someone had left a night light on - whether that was a deliberate attempt to make her feel safer or not, it definitely helped her immediately recognise where she was. Or, more specifically, where she wasn't. And that alone made her feel a thousand times better, even if she was still hurting in every possible manner.

Her first instinct then had been to go to the cockpit. She had to pass a number of heavily wounded people on her way and had to try very hard not to look at that one man who was having his malfunctioning cybernetic prosthetic re-amputated - but once she made it, she could finally let out a breath of relief. She was home. She knew it because she was on her ship, because she could see the stars outside of the viewport, and because Cassian was there.

She must have fallen asleep in the pilot chair because the next thing she remembered was getting out of the ship, supported by someone she didn't recognise. As soon as they landed, they got swarmed by medics, nurses, and people who had nothing to do with medicine but were recruited to help. Someone was coordinating the efforts - they must have made a list of the most injured on their way back because it was surprisingly organised. At one point, someone approached her with a stretcher, but she just let out a short laugh and began limping her way inside the base.

Cassian caught up with her in no time; of course he did. And just as sure as the sound of his footsteps and his arm reaching out to support her, she felt the familiar warmth spreading over her entire body, in a way that was both beautiful and terrifying.

But she didn't dare say anything, and neither did he, and once they got to the med bay, there were so many people bustling about, so many med droids pushing her towards an empty bed, so many sounds and people and eyes, and soon enough he slipped away and disappeared. Moments later, she felt a dull stab of a needle in her forearm, and before she could react (somehow, she wasn't thrilled about needles, not after her last encounter with them), she fell asleep on the squeaky hospital bed.

The next few days were swathed in a thick fog of blurry awakenings and immediate returns to sleep. She would only regain consciousness for long enough to open her eyes and get a very vague understanding of where she was and why, before a med droid would roll over in her direction, fiddle with something above her head, and suddenly she would be out again.

And that suited her very well, because as soon as she realised she was in a med bay, as soon as she saw the medical equipment, and the hospital beds, and the people in white scrubs that looked too much like lab coats - there was always a cold wave of irrational panic creeping in from the back of her head. The place looked nothing like the lab in that Imperial research facility - it was too busy, too colourful, and too  warm . Still, she couldn't help but check for restraints every time she woke up.

The one time she stayed awake for a bit longer, she had just begun registering her surroundings again when a med droid appeared out of nowhere and unceremoniously grabbed her forearm, clearly attempting to hook her up to some sort of an IV. Still hazy from the days spent under anaesthesia, she jumped up and unthinkingly pushed the droid away. A bit too forcefully, perhaps, seeing how the surprised helper ended up crashing into the next bed with a loud thump.

'Lieutenant Reid. Good to see you're awake. You seem to be doing much better, but we're gonna need to keep you with us for just a couple more days to help you regain all the strength.'

The person talking turned out to be a young man with a calm, almost apologetic smile and a datapad in one hand.

'I'm feeling fine. I don't need to stay here. And I definitely don't need whatever this little fella was trying to give me.'

'The med droid,' the man started, eyeing the battered droid that was still knocked down a couple of metres from Marla's bed, 'is going to administer the IV fluids. They will help you feel...'

'Like hell he is,' she protested loudly, sitting up on her bed and gathering the strength to stand up. The sudden change of position made her see stars for a moment, but she was determined not to let it show.

'Lieutenant, I'm gonna have to ask you to lay down. I promise this will help.'

Marla snorted cynically, sending the man a hateful look. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and began standing up.

'Lieutenant-' the man reached out a hand in her direction, and that was definitely his mistake. Grabbing the first thing she spotted, which happened to be a durasteel IV stand, Marla moved to a defensive position.

'I don't think so,' she seethed. It crossed her mind how ridiculous she must have looked, still in her dirty and ripped clothes, with bacta patches around her hand and ribs, swinging an IV stand with manic desperation in her eyes. Still, she was not going to let them get near her. She was fine, for fuck's sake.

The doctor looked tired as he took a step back.

'Look, if I were to fight every patient who thinks they know better, I would be doing nothing else all day. You are free to do whatever you want, but I must inform you it is my duty to report any incidents to the command.'

'Great. I'm sure they will be delighted to see my name again. Thanks for the heads up, buddy.'

She lowered the metal rod and started towards the exit, only to have her way barred at the last moment.

'Cassian. Hi.'

'Lieutenant Reid. I was asked to escort you back to your hospital bed.'

If she was happy to see him for a split second, all of that evaporated immediately at the sound of his words.

'Well, I'm sorry you have been troubled for nothing. I'm fine, and I'm leaving. Now, if you excuse me...'

She took a step forward and almost bumped into his chest. He was clearly not moving anywhere.

'Don't think for a second that I wouldn't fight you,  captain .'

She was staring him down with all the defiance and intensity her tired body could muster. They were silent for a while, each waiting for the other one to stand down.

Finally, Cassian sighed and looked over her shoulder towards the doctor.

'Doctor. What's her status?'

'I told you I'm-'

'She is recovering quickly, but she needs to keep resting for another couple of days. I have also prescribed a set of tonics to combat the side effects of dehydration.'

'Noted. Can this be administered in her quarters?'

The doctor paused for a moment, visibly undecided.

'I mean- technically. But she would need to stay in bed-'

'For fuck's sake, I'm right here.'

'Got it,' Cassian was visibly set on ignoring her input. 'I'll have her set up in her quarters. You can send over one of the droids in ten minutes. I'll see to it that she receives her treatment.'

'You will do no such-'

'Do you want to stay here?' he retorted with irritation evident in his voice, finally acknowledging her existence. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent. 'Good. Let's go.'

Cassian was visibly tired and even more visibly annoyed, but there was a hint of gentleness in his touch as he grabbed her by the arm to support her. Marla wanted to be mad, she wanted to tell him off for trying to order her around, but the mixture of exhaustion and a slight surprise at the contact with his warm hand subdued her frustration just enough to have her keep her mouth shut for the rest of the way.

'I think I liked you more when you were unconscious,' Cassian murmured gravely, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly when she looked at him. Marla realised she hadn't seen him smile in a longest time.

Fine, she would take that stupid IV.

*

Quite soon, Marla realised that she liked herself more when she was unconscious, too. It prevented her from thinking about all those things that were suddenly much scarier than all of the Empire combined.

She had been happy to see Cassian in that Imperial facility, his face being the first real thing to have emerged out of the cold and damp darkness in days. She had been happy to see him in the cockpit of their ship on the way back to the base, him and his tired, concerned face that was stained with someone's blood. And she had been happy (although she would never admit it) to see him in the med bay, where his presence once again reassured her that she was  home , and those constantly beeping monitors and needles and scalpels were there to  help  people, not to experiment on them.

She was happy to see him, she really was, but that happiness was tainted with the memory of how his skin had felt under her fingertips and the petrifying adoration in his eyes that was both the most treasured accolade and a fatal curse, or a poison, one that would slowly weaken them both over time.

But how does one turn their eyes on an exploding star, when all the colours dance their final dance, when the destruction of something so beautiful and life-affirming evokes this unstoppable fascination and yearning, yearning to become part of the luminous spectacle, even if getting closer means your ship burns and melts and joins the grim cluster of cosmic debris.

And so she gave in and told herself - yet again - she would be able to pull up at the last minute, she would avoid being trapped in the gravitational field, she would just look a little bit longer.

Cassian walked her back to her room and helped her take off the bacta patches she had around her ribs - keeping all the professional distance a captain should. It was funny to see him like this, so careful not to let his fingers linger for too long on her skin, so intent on being as mechanical and impersonal as possible. As if he hadn't already seen all of her, both physically and emotionally.

He waited patiently as she took a shower, her first one in a week. Marla knew he must have noticed how the door to her refresher had been left slightly ajar, just enough to let the steam out, but apparently not enough for him to read it as an invitation. Or maybe he did, but decided now was the time to begin acting all gentlemanly.

Or maybe he was no longer interested, now that her body was covered in fresh scars and his hands had already claimed every square centimetre of her skin. What was there left to explore, what was there to want, when he had already taken everything she could give him and more?

He was still waiting in her room when she finished the shower, and looked as casual as one could when she circled around the room in an oversized t-shirt that was drowning her in a way that couldn't possibly have been doing her body any favour.

After a while, she located a hairbrush and began combing through her dripping wet hair.

'How long exactly are you planning to act as my security guard? You must have realised by now that you can just rig the door panel if you really want to make sure I don't escape.'

'Crossed my mind,' he said flatly, watching her struggle to braid her hair with one good hand. 'May I?'

Marla had no idea what invisible force was looking over her that day, but somehow she managed not to drop the hairbrush at the last moment. And not to suffocate from forgetting how to breathe.

The way he had said it made it sound like the most natural thing in the world, so logical - she was injured, doing one's hair with one hand was challenging, he had two good hands ( and a very skilful set of fingers)  - of course, it was only natural to offer help. She was sure she would have done the same for anyone else, for Aevie, for that Mandalorian girl who supposedly helped get her out of prison, even for Salvatore, if there had been anything left on his head to braid.

And yet she was absolutely dissolving at the sound of these words, the same ones she'd heard before; only then they had been an interlude to something she would be wise not to think about at that moment.

Somehow though, he looked as casual as one could. Stupid spy with his stupid poker face.

'Yeah. Thanks. They said I'm gonna need to wear the cast for a couple more days,' she mumbled somewhat apologetically.

He crossed the room to reach her, and suddenly it felt like the cruellest déjà vu. He was carefully running his fingers through her wet hair, and she was staring right into the core of a burning sun, praying for a quick and painless death.

The closeness, the gentle touch, the barely registerable huff of his breath on her shoulder - it was so much, almost too much, but it also felt so good. She shut her eyes tightly as he continued down the length of her hair, trying to focus on anything else than the opportunity she had within her grasp. Seconds turned into minutes, and she wasn't sure anymore when was the last time she breathed.

'Hey,' he said quietly, placing one hand on her shoulder, and she realised he had finished quite a while ago, and she was still there, struggling to breathe and tense to the limits. 'You know you're safe here, right?'

How could he even... Why? Is it because she was so tense? Did he think she was afraid-

And just like that, all the repressed pain, uncertainty and fear that she tried so hard not to let in when she was in that cell by herself - all of that somehow came back in that moment, triggered by the softness and concern behind that one question. He didn't deserve to think he was anything less than the only thing that kept her sane through those long, scary nights when her only companions were the screams of tortured prisoners and a throbbing pain in her skull. He must know the only way she had survived was by detaching herself from everything that was happening, and taking her mind to the one place where they wouldn't ever find her: in her imagination, she was on her ship, sitting in the pilot seat, and staring in the stars outside of the viewport, and Cassian was always there with her, sitting right next to her, and he was telling her she would be all right over and over again until his voice in her head drowned out even the loudest of screams.

He deserved to know these things. But then, how do you tell someone all that and not make it sound like a promise? She couldn't afford to make any promises, just as he couldn't afford to accept any. They were at war, and the Rebellion always had to come first. They had no right no make any promises. Hell, they had no right to have any other feelings apart from those directed at the Empire and the Rebellion.

She wanted nothing else than to tell him how much it meant to be around him, to have him care for her, to have that one treasured memory of how his lips felt on hers.

But she also wanted to do the  right thing , and so she did the exact opposite of what her body was telling her to do and took a large step forward to build some distance between them. When she then turned around to face him, she could see the concern in his eyes, and she hated herself for the cold and casual tone she somehow managed to muster.

'Yeah. I know.'

There was no way in hell he believed that, and he was now probably more worried than ever. He seemed to think that she was afraid of him, that it was somehow his fault, and she wanted to grab her blaster and shoot her stupid useless heart for not letting her tell him how wrong he got it.

Of all the things she wanted to tell him, none sounded good enough - or safe enough. 

So instead, she gritted her teeth and sent him a fake smile.

'I should be going,' he muttered flatly after a moment. 'The med droid will be here any minute. Just stay in bed for as long as they tell you, okay?'

His voice was seemingly emotionless, but there was an undertone of defeat, and she wanted to yell at him, tell him that he was the only source of warmth in her frozen body - but the door was already closing behind him, and all she could do was do bite down on her lip and try not to scream.

*

She had planned to follow the doctor's orders; she really had. But then she spent two days without leaving her room, having only a med droid (who checked on her several times a day and sometimes delivered new tonics or bacta patches) as a thought partner, because after their last meeting Cassian had decided to make himself scarce. She didn't blame him; in fact, as painful as it was, she also knew it was necessary and needed to help them recover from that brief moment of blindness, of madness, of selfishness, or whatever the fuck that was.

Still, sitting there by herself inevitably led her to  thinking , and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

So, she did the only thing she could think of, something as pathetically  Marla  as possible - she sneaked out and went to check on that makeshift cantina they had put together with the rest of the crew before leaving for Scen.

The last time she was there, it was just their crew and a bunch of crates with alcohol they had  borrowed  from an Imperial restaurant on one of their previous runs. Entering the place again, she didn't expect to see it bustling with activity. There were at least twenty people inside, they had constructed something that resembled an actual bar counter, and someone even spray-painted the Rebel sign and the words "The Drunken Bantha" on the wall.

'Marla!' she heard a friendly voice, and soon she spotted a familiar face sending her a warm smile, 'Wait, aren't you supposed to be on bedrest?' Zafe asked, his loud and cheerful voice clearly indicating he'd already had a couple of drinks.

'Maybe,' she gave him a wide grin and sat by the table. Someone handed her a bottle of something unidentified and pungent. 'Not much of a secret hideout anymore, huh?'

'Yeah, turns out trying to keep a secret on a base filled with thieves and scoundrels isn't really that easy. Especially if that secret involves alcohol. This is nothing, though - you should have seen this place yesterday when everyone was still here...'

'Sounds like I'm missing out on some action. Whose ass are we kicking this time?'

'Not really,' Zafe made a face. 'It's some sort of a show of force. Someone's making some important speech on the holo net, and we were asked to send ships to show our support. Supposedly, we're an  Alliance   now.'

'Alliance, huh?'

'Yeah. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who managed to successfully enlist a bunch of local rebels. Everyone's been busy negotiating and agreeing on things and, well,  allying . You've met the Phoenix squadron - that's just a part of it; we will now be becoming a central hub for all Rebel activity. All sorts of important people coming to our little moon.'

'Well, that's what we wanted. If it means we can finally do some actual fighting instead of sneaking around, then I'll drink to that.'

They took a moment to clink their bottles, Zafe leaning back in his chair ( where the hell did they get chairs? ).

'Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having the numbers. It's just... I'd prefer these numbers not stationed in my formerly single quarters. You know, I've already grown used to not waking up to someone's snoring.'

'Wait. They are bunking us up again?'

'Oh, right, you wouldn't have heard. That's probably because a certain captain has fought the command to let you keep a single room until you are no longer on bedrest. But there's already a bunk waiting for you,  riiiight  above mine,' he winked, grinning widely.

Marla tried her best not to think about Cassian defending her single room in front of the command, but it was too late, and the redness had already crept onto her cheeks. Luckily, no one seemed to have been paying attention to her. Besides, she could easily justify the blushing with the alcohol.

Plus, she was sure Cassian would have done it for anyone. Nothing special.

'Why is it that I always end up bunked up with you, sergeant Caius? Have I not suffered enough?'

'Hey, you should be thanking me. You could have ended up with a bunch of strangers.'

'Maker,' she sighed dramatically, 'is there any way I can sign up to be moved back to that Imperial prison? At least they gave me a single cell...'

'Sorry, Lieutenant. Strangely enough, it kinda exploded after we had left,' he said with a proud grin, and Marla couldn't help but return the smile. She was teasing him, but in all reality, it actually wasn't that terrible of a solution. She had spent so many years sharing her quarters with other people, she could probably tolerate it a while longer.

'Okay. Who else is in our lucky bunch?'

'Aevie and Sal are on the other side of the room; there are also a couple of random folks from that group from Scen, don't really know them. But I guess we  will  get to know them, very intimately and very soon.' Zafe delivered with a smirk.

Marla groaned loudly, but then her brain registered one name missing from that list. Zafe was quick to read her. 'The command still has single rooms. Anyone with the rank of a captain and above, to be specific,' He winked at her knowingly.

'No way. No. Fucking. Way. Not fair,' In reality, she was praising the Maker. The last thing she needed was bumping into half-naked Cassian on her way to the bed. Or better yet, bumping into  someone  rolling out of Cassian's bunk in the morning.

Stars.

Yes, she could take roommates, as long as Cassian wasn't one of them.

*

Marla spent some time catching up with Zafe, but eventually, he stood up and stumbled drunkenly towards the exit, advising her to do the same. And, indeed, every muscle in her body was telling her she should do just that - she was feeling much better than days ago, but she was still weakened, and the alcohol definitely didn't help with regaining strength.

But it was so nice to finally not be confined to four naked walls, to see people, hear them chatter and laugh. And as much as her body would probably benefit from staying in bed, her soul was devouring all the stimuli around her and healing with every second of her being around others.

So she let her legs carry her forward, through the dimly lit corridors, towards the hangar bay, where the familiar smell of jet fuel tingled her nostrils.

She could indeed see more ships than when they had left for Scen, and if Zafe's account was correct, there were even more, currently cruising through hyperspace to show up in support of the new Rebel Alliance. She was rather happy no one had asked her to be part of that mission - she was never particularly good with grand speeches and theatrical gestures. But then again, she imagined the view of hundreds of ships frozen motionlessly in space must have been quite a sight. An unsung song of hope. An alliance, at last.

She took a long swig from her bottle and started towards the outer landing pad. She was painfully aware of how slowly she was walking and how unsteady her steps were, but it felt too good to give up.

As soon as she was outside and felt the warm air caressing her skin, she realised what a luxury it was not to shiver from cold, not to see your own breath and not to have your fingers freezing off within seconds of stepping outside. Even with all its humidity, Yavin IV always had a calming effect on her. It was so reassuring to see the same stars shining brightly in the sky, casting a delicate, ethereal light over the dense forest and the ancient structures scattered around the area. 

Marla took a moment to appreciate the view, leaning over a supply crate left outside. In her quiet awe, she almost didn't hear the footsteps approaching from the base.

'I wish I could say I was surprised,' Cassian's voice reached her from behind.

She wasn't ready to face him, damn it. Especially not in  these  circumstances, slightly intoxicated and looking at the stars. Way too poetic and cliche. Way too many scenarios in which this could go wrong.

She took another long sip from the bottle and decided not to turn around, instead fixing her gaze somewhere beyond the vastness of the jungle.

'Are you saying I'm boring?' she retorted, trying to hide the slight hint of panic in her voice.

'I wouldn't dare,' he said with a slight chuckle. She loved the lightness in his voice. Somehow, it transported her back to her early days with the Rebellion, when  the cause  and the Empire were her only problems. Seemed like a lifetime ago.

'The speech is about to start. They are gathering in the hangar bay.'

Oh, right, the speech. As much as Marla disliked politics, she had to admit she was rather curious; the whole base seemed to be buzzing with anticipation.

She decided to turn around towards the base - and towards Cassian. The light from Yavin's three other moons spilt over his features, casting a warm glow over his face and making his eyes look almost silver.

Somehow, she felt a bit more woozy again. Damn jet juice. She should have known better than to trust Zafe's choice of drink.

'Yeah, let's go inside,' she said, a bit more weakly than she would have wanted to.

There was that investigative look on his face again that she knew so well, and for a moment, she had the uncomfortable feeling of being dissected into small components. Worst of all, she understood he could read her like a book - she could see him raise one eyebrow and take a breath to say something, but he stopped himself at the very last second.

Marla did her best to put a brave face on, but her body wasn't still fully cooperative. She was slow and dizzy, and she saw Cassian hesitate and bite back yet another remark. He knew how much she hated being pitied, so he didn't say anything, instead accompanying her in silence, adapting his pace to her limping. 

Finally, they made it inside. In the middle of the hangar bay, there was a droid - an old R1 series. At least two dozen people of different ages and races were gathered around, chatting excitedly.

Cassian stopped somewhere at the back - at a distance that would still allow them to see everything but that placed them away from attention. That's what he did best - hiding just out of sight. Getting close, but not close enough.

She saw him stop next to a wall and turn around to wait for her. She hated how pathetically incapable she was at that moment, but he didn't seem to mind - or, at least, was doing a very good job at pretending he didn't. Meanwhile, Marla made a painful realisation that her legs were beginning to have a mind of their own, barely able to sustain her weight anymore - but she was so close, she would lean against the wall soon and rest, just a couple more steps...

Before she could register what was happening, Marla felt Cassian grab her by the arms, and she realised he had caught her at the very last moment, most likely saving her from falling flat on her face. 

Good job, Marla. If he wasn't pitying you before, he surely is now.

As she was trying to get her head to stop spinning, she felt him support her weight, help her with those last couple of steps, and then assist her with sitting down against the wall.

'All right?'

Cassian knew her well enough to know he should hide his concern, but  she knew him well enough  to see through it immediately. And her mind began reflexively defending against that concern - until she looked up and saw his face in front of hers, and suddenly the need to hide behind protective walls evaporated completely.

For the first time since she could remember, she didn't feel the need to prove how tough she was, to prove that she could handle anything bad the world threw at her. It felt strange and new, but also  freeing . Like a restrictive garment you were forced to wear that you could now tear off; like screaming after days of silence; like falling asleep in her own bed after a long battle. It was warm and natural. And she'd only ever felt that way around Cassian.

And he was right there, his warm dark eyes telling her he  knew , he recognised her and her fear, and yet he was still willing to accept all of it, all of  her .

His eyes, Maker, she could drown in them; such a perfect way to die. And they were getting closer, too, and so was the rest of his face as he slowly leaned towards her. And soon enough, she could feel his breath fanning over her face, his lips just centimetres away, hesitantly making their way towards hers, emanating heat and anticipation and-

Suddenly, a loud sound came from the centre of the hangar bay, and they both bolted up in surprise, immediately regaining safe distance and desperately avoiding eye contact. After the longest couple of seconds in her life, Marla saw Cassian move away to her side, sitting down by the wall and fixing his gaze forward, on the blue projection that was now being displayed by the droid.

Right, the speech. Suddenly, Marla couldn't care less - but there it was, anyway.

'This is Senator Mon Mothma.' 

Well, thank you, Senator Mon Mothma, for ruining a perfect moment. 

'I have been called a traitor for speaking out against a corrupt Galactic Senate. A Senate manipulated by the sinister tactics of the Emperor.'

The woman speaking was wearing official senatorial attire, but her voice had the determination and spark Marla has never heard in any other politician. And there was something in her eyes, too - she had the eyes of a leader, but there was also kindness, compassion and a hint of warmth. 

'For too long I have watched the heavy hand of the Empire strangle our liberties, stifling our freedoms in the name of ensuring our safety. No longer!'

Marla couldn't help herself and quickly glanced at Cassian. His eyes were sparking, too, but with a different kind of fire - one that could only burn inside a soul of a man who has seen and done things no high-born Senator would ever even want to imagine.

She felt a sudden need to lift off some of that weight, to offer shelter from the raging fire - but she knew her own scars and burns were running just as deep.

'Despite Imperial threats, despite the Emperor himself, I have no fear as I take new action. For I am not alone. Beginning today, we stand together as allies.'

The Senator's voice was now echoing between the walls, powerful, determined, full of purpose. 

So there it was.  A Rebel Alliance.  They really did it. 

'I hereby resign from the Senate to fight for you, not from the distant hall of politics but from the front lines. We will not rest until we bring an end to the Empire until we restore our Republic!'

A wave of excitement ran through the hangar bay. People began chattering, cheering; some were even clapping. 

'Are you with me?'

It felt like a battle cry. It felt like an explosion, a lightning bolt, a maelstrom; it felt like all the elements at their most powerful combined together. It felt like hope.

The projection ended, but the people gathered in the hangar bay remained in place. Only now, instead of quiet focus, there was an atmosphere of victory. Someone jumped on top of a crate and started singing something in a language Marla didn't recognise; elsewhere, a group of people initiated something that was a weird mixture of a very uncoordinated dance and a very sincere group hug. Everyone else was just talking; dozens of people chattering simultaneously, in different languages - but you didn't need a protocol droid to figure out the general sentiment.

It was good to have a reason to celebrate, at last. Even if just for that one evening.

Marla was a bit more cautious in her enthusiasm, but she would be lying if she said the triumphant atmosphere hadn't rubbed off on her.

Maybe there is some hope for them after all. For the Galaxy, for the Rebellion, for her.

A wave of warmth began spreading through her body, and she suddenly remembered what the speech had interrupted. But for some inexplicable reason, she no longer felt the awkwardness or shame that had been so overwhelming mere minutes ago. She didn't quite know what it was, but something about that experience, about the shared enthusiasm and about Cassian's warm body next to hers - something about all that made her believe in the impossible for just a short moment. And for that moment, she let herself forget about all of her fear.

And so, freshly stripped of everything that had been weighing down on her before, she rested her head on his shoulder. Slowly, hesitantly, but with a determination known only to those who realise how fleeting this kind of clarity can be.

As her temple made contact with Cassian's shoulder, she heard the slightest hitch in his breath, but he immediately relaxed back again. And then, he tilted his own head to rest against hers, and she could swear she felt his lips gently brush over her hair.

Neither dared to move or say anything, afraid to destroy the sacredness of that moment. They sat quietly, away from the joyous cheering and singing, entangled in a small celebration of their own.

And even if it were just an illusion created by a perfect conjunction of unrelated elements, even if tomorrow she would wake up troubled by the same doubts, and a cruel reality check set them apart again - they would always have this moment to cherish, that moment when they felt unstoppable and fearless and  whole  again.

Maker, she felt like she could take the whole Empire on by herself. What chance did a Galaxy full of darkness stand against the light she was now carrying in her chest?

'I really hope this works out,' Cassian's quiet voice rang in her ear, the air vibrating and tickling her forehead.

She didn't know if he was talking about the alliance or… something completely different. But it didn't matter. Or maybe it did, but she didn't have to think about it now.

She didn't need certainty, she needed... this. Precisely as it was at that moment. With his head leaning against hers, a gentle buzz in her head and the promise of a galaxy that could hope again.

[sunnybubblezzz]

SUCH A GOOD WEEK

okay well first of all i’ll start with just how great this weekend was. like UGHHESAHDH and then im just gonna say how grateful i am to God because woah im soo happy.

okay well first of all, DUHHH BIRTHDAY WEEK. i genuinely forgot this week was my birthday and MANNASND IM SO HAPPY. like i didnt get to do ALL the things i wanted for my birthday and i didnt get everything i wanted ofcofc but woah this week was amazing.

I GOT TO SEE THE HUNGER GAMES. THAT MOVIE WAS INCREDIBLE and i got to go with two of my close friends. i was really really sad bc i thought we wouldnt be able to go and i DOOO wish more of my friends were able to come with me.

BUT LIKE IT WAS SOOO GOOD AND I LOVE THE FRIENDS WHO CAME WITH ME.

you guys are never gonna see this but i loved that day and it brought me sm joy you have no idea. PLUS I GOT TO SEE SNOW???

my birthday day was eh BUTBUT EVERYONE SENT THEIR BIRTHDAY TEXTS TO ME AND I NO LIE GOT SOO HAPPY. i didnt expect all my friends to remember idk but they did and i was OVERJOYED.

THEN I GOT TO GO ICE SKATING FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY? it was SOOO nice and was SOO much fun plus that was an amazing time with my friends

and my friend gave me a birthday gift..

I LEGIT SHED TEARS (okay not in front of her but still) LIKE I CANNOT. it was only one person but man sometimes i forget how good it feels to get a gift from someone.

like… im always the one giving gifts but it really really touched my heart to get one from her and I LOVE HER SM AND I CANTTT IT MADE MY DAY.

i love you i really do.

then ofc i saw one of my closest(?) friends (and i lowkey felt we were drifting apart) like FOUR TIMES THIS WEEK BACK TO BACK. okay okay trust me thats a lot for us 💀.

we went to the mall together which was lowkey weird bc she never asks me to hang out like that. AND I GOT THE PERFECTT DRESS LIKE I LOVE IT SMM??

then WE WENT TO THE GENSHIN CONCERT

moment of silence for just how GRATEFUL I AMMM.

i love you SMMSMM for getting me tickets like the opportunity of a lifetime?? ngl i lowkey was kinda mad bc the friend we took wasnt as grateful as i felt she should have been… thats how grateful i was like “how can someone not thank this girlie with all her might”

it was a WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE and im only sad that one of out other friends couldnt go.

I WAS JUST

AHSDHASHDHSDHHS

IT WAS SO GOOOD

okay and now for one of my favorite moments..

okay so we were taking pics with some of the cosplayers and then this other cosplayer talks behind us… i look behind me, look at her cosplay and immediately say, “YING?” AND SHE SAYS YES???

like in the car we were looking at twitter for who’s going and was AMAZED that ying was and hoped we get to see her. I DID NOT EXPECT US TO?

LIKE I JUST RECOGNIZED HER FROM HER VOICE. the last time i listened to this girls voice was months ago but SHHH that’s unimportant.

what ISSS IMPORTANT IS THAT I SAW HER, FANGIRLED OVER HER, SHE CALLED ME PRETTY, THEN I WAS JUST OVERJOYED.

THENNN I WENT HOME, POSTED THE INTERACTION ON TWITTER, AND SHE SAID SHE REMMBERED ME.. HELLO??

LIKE WHY ARE SO MUCH GOOD STUFF HAPPENING TO ME ITS NOT ADDING UP.

i wouldnt call myself an unlucky person (luck isn’t real). but i will say that a lot of unfortunate things happen to me usually and ive just learned to go with the flow. but idk im just just so HAPPY and so GRATEFUL and and im scared that it’ll all get ruined when i wake up but man cant i live in this moment of happiness forever?

then today was just such an amazing day like such a great end to my birthday week i just. im just.

anyway to end it off, one of my friends from a while ago texted me asking if i ever drew this picture for this girl named sarah.. it took a sec, but i recognized the drawing and remembered.

I WAS IN SHOCK IT WAS A LITTLE BIRTHDAY DRAWING I DREW FOR THIS GIRL LIKE YEARSSSSSSS AGO?

she said she really loved it sm, kept it for years, and that i was super nice.

OKAY LIKE I CANT BELIEVE SHE KNOWS THAT ONE OF MY FRIENDS FIRSTLY. BUT SECONDLY WHAT?? LIKE IM JUST FROZEN WITH JOY SHE KEPT MY DRAWING FOR YEARS? not a rip in sight…

its just SO encouraging and so so idek im just so happy.

then to end it off, the artist WHO WAS MY MOST LISTENED TO ARTIST OF 2024 WITH 2,000+ MINUTES OF LISTENING??? SAID SHE WOULD POST MY SKETCHBOOK SPREAD (inspired by her music) ON HER STORY WHEN I FINISHED IT?

i

i love you God so much.

just i was feeling so down this past idek month or more because i just have such idek its just so much things happen to me and i just have to go along with it and not let it phase me. i feel so much emotions but none of them bring me down yknow? like i have to be happy and i dont FEEL happy…

but this.

this week makes me feel like God loves me and all of these things happened because of Him. I love him and I love all my friends, I really do love all of you guys.

some of you guys DOO get on my nerves, some of you guys ARE confusing, some of you guys are kinda weird, and i do feel like i love some of you more then you love me.. but in the end you guys are my friends. i love you guys.

and i love you God. I love you for everything you do and I dont know why you love me but I’m sososo happy you do. no one will ever love me like you do. thank you for always being there for me. i love you.

and so we end this. i KNOW that ill cry bc of sadness again (probably in the near future ngl) and I KNOWW that this happy feeling wont last. but for right now im gonna treasure it… please ANDDD thank you.

happy birthday to me.

[havin-a-wee]

If Only She Knew

pairing: dad!harry x cheerleader!reader

word count: 4.2k

warnings: smut (fingering + unprotected sex), cheerleading position implies readers weight, 20 year age gap

hi! ive been having some really bad writers block but i wrote this and even though its def not my best work i like it enough to post it :) also, i totally didn't mean to imply the readers weight, i only realized afterwards, so im really sorry about that. also the age gap is kinda big, so if ur uncomfy with that you shouldn't read this <3

PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU ENJOY

“Geez watch where you’re going!”

You don’t even look up at the girl, recognizing her nasally voice easily from how annoying it is. You were nose deep in a book while walking down the school hallway, and of course your worst enemy had to be walking down the same hallway, at the same time, in the opposite direction. You are both at fault for the collision, considering Ella had her eyes locked on her instagram feed. But knowing the girl, there is no way in hell that she will take any responsibility, even though you are the one who has coffee dripping down the front of your white blouse.

Since middle school, Ella Styles has always hated you. You have never known why, but she seems to have a vendetta against you, and tries her best to make your life miserable. You never let her, always refraining from giving her the explosive reaction that she was looking for. And that makes her hate you even more.

High school is over in 2 months, and although you are going to miss the freedom of being a child, you most definitely won’t miss the people from the tiny town you’ve lived in since you were young. You’ve always been the type of person to have a small friend group, only 4 people in your circle. But that’s how you like it, because crippling social anxiety makes it difficult for you to meet new people.

“I- sorry.” You still don’t look at her, instead peeling the soaking wet top off of your stomach.

“You better be sorry.” She flips her blonde hair, ensuring that the fluffy locks hit you right in the face. You are lucky this time seeing as she didn’t take it further, because sometimes she would purposely embarrass you after small incidents such as this one.

Tears well at your waterline and you run into the nearest bathroom, pushing open the blue door and locking yourself in a stall.

After all these years of torment, Ella rarely was able to get to you. But sometimes, she does something that pushes you off the edge, leaving you with red, tear-stained cheeks. The final straw this time was her ruining your brand new shirt, the one you were anxiously waiting to debut at school.

But now there was coffee dripping down your chest and staining the bright white fabric. Your only saving grace is the cheerleading uniform in your backpack. In fact, you were walking to the locker room to change for practice, and then for the game at 6 tonight.

You had been excited for the game, knowing that Friday night games always led to parties and fun afterwards. You rarely go to parties of course, but the buzzing energy never fails to rub off on you. But now that stupid Ella had to go and mess up your day, you’re dreading seeing her smug face while she asserts her dominance as cheer captain.

You untie your top and rip it off in a haste, frustrated tears running down your face periodically. You could’ve put a jacket on and gone to the locker room, but Ella would be going there soon, and the last thing you want to do is run into her with teary eyes. She can’t know that you let her get to you.

You brush your hands down your uniform, pulling down the skimpy costume and stuffing your old clothes in your backpack. Once out of the stall, you pull your hair up into a high ponytail, reapply your lip gloss and walk back into the hallway, having already done your makeup that morning. You’re happy that it’s a home game today, because the home game uniforms are two pieces and the skirts are smaller than the ones on the away game uniforms. There is a certain someone you are looking to impress, and the way your tits spill out from the top of the outfit will most certainly help you in your mission.

It’s not like you need to impress him, because he’s shown time and time again that he finds you sexy no matter what you wear. And when he doesn’t tell you, he shows you, by pressing his hard on up against your ass after you just woke up, despite your messy hair and bare face.

However, he also loves when you tease him. And that’s exactly what you’re planning to do.

You sling your heavy backpack over one shoulder and trudge down the hallway, the old fluorescent lights practically blinding you on your journey. The locker room is dingy, smelling of cheap soap and Victoria’s Secret perfume. At least it doesn’t smell like the boys locker room, which smells like sweat and more sweat.

It's already bustling with people, your teammates scrambling to get ready in time as to not get yelled at by the coach.

“Y/N!” The familiar shout of your best friend Rose is like a breath of fresh air, and you bound over to her. She’s standing in front of your lockers, the two of you obviously picking ones next to each other. “Wait, why are you already changed?”

“The bitch spilled her coffee all over me,” you grumbled, your eyes shifting over to where Ella and her little goons are giggling.

“I keep telling you, anytime you want me to beat her up I will gladly do it.”

“Not that I doubt your abilities Rose, because I know you would have her on the ground in a heartbeat, but I can’t let you do that. She can’t know that she upsets me.” You lower your voice for the second sentence, irrationally fearing that she can hear you over the loud chatter echoing through the room.

“I still think you should let me beat her up, but you do you I guess.” Rose shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her locker, bursting out into laughter with you after a beat of silence.

The rest of the getting ready process goes smoothly, Rose distracting you from the girl side-eyeing you in the corner. Soon enough, the whole squad was in formation outside, and you have your hands on the shoulders of Rose and another girl named Bethany. You are a flyer, meaning that you’re the one who the bases support while you pose and flip in the air. Its a hard job, but you are one of only three girls on the team who is advanced enough at flying to be safe doing it in routines. One of the other three girls is Ella.

Ella is the flyer for the middle group, seeing as she is the captain. You are on the right and the other group is on the left. Luckily, Rose is a base in your group, so you feel a lot better putting your safety in the hands of someone you already trust with your life.

“ELLA! YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!” Coach Habbiths voice is piercing, her angry shrieks bouncing off your ear drums. Ella audibly huffs, displaying her frustration with the critiques she has been receiving since we learned the routine weeks ago. That’s one of the biggest problems with Ella, she believes that she's always right.

Every single practice she has done a needle instead of a scale at the end of the routine. It's aggravating for everyone, and that frustration is amplified everytime she makes the same mistake over and over. “Alright, everyone down. group 1 and group 3 take five, Ella and group 2 stay on the field.

The team obliged to her instructions, and you are brought down from the air.

“Okay Ella, I want you to watch how Y/N does the last move, because she’s actually doing it correctly.” Coach is standing in front of you now, and she emphasized the word ‘correctly’. This is much to Ella’s dismay, and much to your excitement.

Nothing brings you more joy than seeing Ella’s face when you one up her, and this time is no exception.

Aside from a few eye rolls and nasty looks, Ella corrects the move without much fuss. By now there's 15 minutes until the game, and the players have been warming up on the field for about half an hour.

“Did you see her face!” Rose tugs on your arm while you walk back to the locker room, water bottles in hand.

“I know! I should’ve taken a picture!”

“We can only hope that it knocked her ego down a peg.”

“I doubt it” Rose nodded in agreement and you continued your chatter, talking about the random things that best friends talk about.

“It’s go time ladies!” You jumped in surprise when Coach Habbiths yelling booms through the locker room, the hefty amount of metal in the room enhancing the echo.

In a blur, your entire team rushed out onto the field, the crisp air cooling your warmed skin. There was a huge crowd. probably the biggest the teams ever had. But that makes sense, because this game was against your school's biggest rival. Luckily, despite the huge crowd you were able to lock eyes with those piercing green irises you have gotten to know so well over the past couple months. Everytime you see him he gets more and more attractive, and this time is no exception.

At this point, the teams routine is muscle memory and you’re done with it before you can blink. Most people would think that being thrown in the air is memorable, but your main concern is the growing wet patch on your panties that spreads each time you squeeze your thighs together. Just the thought of the man is enough to turn you on, and now that you’re sitting on the cold metal bench your imagination has time to go wild.

The only thing that snapped you out of your daze was the eruption of appaulause from the audience, and the realization that the other cheerleaders were standing up and running towards the players. You breath out a sigh of relief, recognizing the cheering as a signal that the game has ended.

“Hey, you coming?” Rose tugs on your arm, looking down at you still on the bench.

“Um, actually I don’t feel so well, I think I’m going to go home.”

“I should’ve known. You know, one day you’re going to have to go to a party.” Rose places her hands on her hips, giving you a sarcastically annoyed stare.

“And today is not that day.” You grab your backpack and sling it over your shoulder, turning back to Rose for a second. “Have fun and be safe.”

“I always do.” Rose places a chaste kiss on your cheek before turning back to the gathering crowd on the turf.

Instead of heading to the sidewalk and walking home, you duck under the bleachers and walk down the gravel path, pushing open the fence that separates the field and the school. The contents of your backpack slosh around while you sway your hips as you walk. Finally, you make it to the back wall of the school, leaning your back against it and plopping your heavy backpack down by your feet.

And now you wait.

Much to your convenience, the wait this time isn’t long, only five minutes passing before you see the familiar man following the same path you did earlier.

He has a pair of brown slacks on, pressing against his waist courtesy of his black belt. A button up white shirt hides the tattoos on his stomach, but he's rolling up his sleeves as he walks over to you. He's walking with intention, hungry eyes zeroed in on you.

When he’s only steps away, you cheekily bite your lip and use your finger to push up your skirt a little bit more.

Your actions have the intended effect, his eyes blowing wide and hands grasping at your waist.

“Y’can’t do that.”

Before you have a chance to ask what he means, his lips collide with yours, his tongue slipping in only moments after the initial kiss. But as soon as he started, he pulls away.

“Y’can’t be teasing me on the field like tha’, had me hard next t’my friends.” His hand is on the wall above your head, and his other arm is wrapped around your waist pulling you into his chest. He’s panting, and you are too.

“Sorry Mr. Styles,” you push your bottom lip out in a pout, giving him the most innocent look possible. “Just wanted to wear it cause I know how much you like it.”

“Aw, my babygirl wore this f’me? Well I guess y’can be forgiven. Now let’s get t’my house before I fuck yeh right on this wall.” He places a soft kiss to your lips picking up your backpack from the floor and turning to the direction of his car.

“But it hurts!” He turns around again, giving you a sympathetic look and caressing your cheek. The rings on his fingers are cold, but you’re used to the feeling.

“I know sweet girl, but I can’t take care of yeh here, s’too risky.” He pauses for a moment, thinking of a solution to your not so little problem. “How bout I give y’my fingers in the car? Hows that sound hm?” You nod eagerly, pulling his hand down from your cheek and holding it. He takes the signal and begins walking to his car while you follow him.

You never planned to sleep with your bullies dad. But a few months ago your parents dragged you to a family friends housewarming party, and that friend happened to be a friend of Harry’s too. There were no other teenagers there, so your focus was on the attractive older man who had been checking you out since you first locked eyes, and after ending up in the upstairs bathroom together the two of you have been fucking at least twice a week. You only learned that he’s a dad when you saw him for the first time outside the party. He didn’t look the part, and you actually thought he was in his 20s until he corrected you. He’s 38, having become a parent at only 20 years old. Your relationship is a bit taboo, but you’re a mature 18 year old and you and Harry get along well. So well that your time together has developed from casual sex to a mutually exclusive relationship. (Neither of you like labels, but you’re basically boyfriend and girlfriend).

He makes you really happy, and when you have to face off against Ella, it helps knowing that you have power over her, even though she doesn’t know it.

“Did she do anything today?” Harry is walking beside you, hands still intertwined.

“Besides spilling coffee on my shirt, nothing much.” Harry sighs in frustration and squeezes your hand as a show of affection.

“M’so sorry, I wish y’didn’t ‘ave to deal with her.”

The thing about Harry and Ella is they can barely be considered family. Ella’s mom is, for lack of a better word, a bitch. She’s snobby, conceited, and rude, and those behaviors have rubbed off on Ella. Another thing that rubbed off on her was her mom’s hatred for Harry. Being young parents put strain on their already struggling relationship, and they split before Ella’s first birthday. Harry said he tried his best to make it work for Ella’s sake, but her mom was looking for someone to pay for her life, and Harry had just started working his way up as a businessman.

Now, he’s a CEO, but luckily Ella’s mom already found a new beau with plenty of money, so she didn’t come crawling back to him. However, the success Harry achieved only a few years after their breakup made her jealous, and so she instilled that anger in their daughter. So currently Ella spends most of her time with her mother, and when she is with Harry she doesn’t treat him kindly.

“It’s not your fault Harry, you don’t have to apologize for her actions.”

“I know, I jus’ hate tha’ she treats yeh like that.” He sighs again, reaching into his pocket to grab his keys. In a few more steps you’re standing outside the sleek black suv, walking around to the passenger seat and sliding in once you hear the click of the door unlocking.

You both take a few seconds to breathe, an unspoken gesture to prepare for the night's events. Harry turns to you, a sexy smirk plastered on his face. “What d’ya think about fixin’ that ache darlin?” You nod eagerly, sliding down a bit in your seat to give your legs room to spread. “Think yeh can take off y’skirt fo’me?” Your head bobs once again as you nod, hooking your fingers under the elastic waistband and shimmying out of the skirt. While you’re doing that, Harry turns the car into the deserted street, using only one hand to steer.

You toss the tiny skirt into his lap, giving him a signal without distracting his eyes from the road. He reacts immediately, his free hand coming down to squeeze your thigh. You mewl at the contact and bite down on your lip, trying to stop your hips from bucking up in search of relief. His squeezes move up your thigh, and finally his fingers press against your weeping cunt. Swiftly, he pushes your soiled panties to the side, swiping his fingers up your folds collecting your juices. You shriek and buck your hips up into his hand, but much to your dismay he removes it from between your thighs. The car comes to a stop at a red light, and Harry takes the moment to look at you, his eyes wandering your squirming body. He’s practically drooling when he places his fingers in his mouth, tasting your sweet wetness.

“Sorry pup, jus’ needed t’taste yeh.” He chuckles again, and you whine softly in desperation. In one quick motion, he dives his hand back to your pussy, pressing his thumb on your swollen clit.

“Fuck!” The pleasure shoots up your spine, goosebumps raising across your body as he rubs circles on the puffy button. “Harry- please,”

“What d’ya want puppy? Want m’fingers?”

“Yes, yes,” you breathe out, words barely comprehensible through your panting.

“Alright, alright, I gotcha.” And with that his two fingers press into you, filling your tight hole perfectly. There is no hesitation before he begins pumping the digits in and out of you and his thumb never lets up on your bundle of nerves. “Such a needy puppy, got yeh soaking f’me from out in the stands hm?” His eyes are still on the road, but you can picture the lust filled eyes that are undoubtedly on his face.

“Get so wet jus- just thinkin’ about you,” you gasp, writhing as his fingers slam in and out of you.

“Yeah? This is my cunt, m’the only one who can make yeh this wet, isn’t tha’ right?”

“Only Harry.” At your confirmation he speeds his hand up, your vision clouding with white spots as the knot building in your stomach grows tighter and tighter.

All of a sudden, he pulls his fingers out of you, leaving you empty. “Wha-” You begin to question him but you realize that he’s pulling into his driveway. Instead of complaining, you sit up quickly and unbuckle your seatbelt, pulling your skirt back up your legs to avoid being nude on his front lawn.

As soon as you feel the little jolt your hand yanks on the handle and you hop out of the car. Your brain is fuzzy with need and all you are focused on is alleviating the aching between your thighs. You hear Harry lock the car while you're on the steps, and you turn back to ensure that he’s behind you. And sure enough, he’s hot on your trail, just as eager as you to get inside and onto his bed. Your foot is tapping on the ground anxiously, waiting for Harry to unlock the front door. After what seems like an hour, he is next to you again, fumbling with the silver keychain in his hand, eventually unlocking and pushing open the door. You both practically run inside, hands roaming each other's bodies and lips locking as you shuffle through the hall.

You disconnect breathlessly when you reach the stairs, subconsciously wrapping your hands around Harry’s neck so he can pick you up bridal style. He does so hastily, barely a second passing before he’s plopping you onto the fluffy mattress. “Finally,” he pants, hands fumbling with his belt buckle. There’s a prominent bulge in his trousers, and although you’ve seen it plenty, you are always in awe at how thick and big he is. While he’s busy removing his clothes, you are practically drooling at the sight of his bare cock, full, heavy, and dripping precome.

“Harry?”

He looks back down at you with his emerald green eyes, simultaneously dropping his recently-removed shirt on the floor. “Can I ride you?” The look he gives you is indescribable, a mixture of need, lust, cockiness, and beauty all rolled up into one.

“Whatever y’want puppy,” His hands scoop under your ass, and he lifts you up and switches your positions. Now it’s your turn to undress, and Harry makes himself busy by running his hands up and down your torso. “So gorgeous, y’know that?” You nod quickly then pull your shirt off of your head. “Most beautiful girl in the world I reckon.” You blush at the compliment, butterflies being added to the many sensations occuring in your body. You straddle his thighs, wrapping your hand around his length and tugging a few times. A loud groan rumbles through his throat, and you smile knowing you’re the one who made him feel like that. “Thought- thought yeh said y’wanted to ride me pup.”

“I do.” You keep your hand on his cock, sitting up on your knees and lining him up with your weeping cunt. All at once, your body is put at ease as his cock fills you up perfectly. He bottoms out inside of you, both of you moaning and groaning while you adjust. “So big-” Your words come out in choppy pants, the syllables being cut off by your heaves. You suck in one deep breath and move upwards, sinking back down onto him quickly. His large hands hold a tight grip on your waist, guiding you up and down his member. His lips attach to your neck, suckling on the supple skin just enough so that it doesn’t bruise.

“What a dirty little puppy you are,” he growls, eyes focusing heavily on where your bodies connect, watching himself disappear inside of you as you bounce up and down on his cock.

“Feel so full-” Tingles ricochet down every part of your body, and your legs are becoming weaker with each movement. Harry can feel your movement faltering, so his hips thrust upwards to meet yours, fucking you from underneath. “Harry!”

“I know pup, I know.” His thumb strokes your cheek and he leans in for another kiss, devouring your plump lips and swirling his tongue around yours. “So fuckin tight,” The words tumble from his mouth in a low growl, which sends the butterflies in your stomach into a frenzy. His cock twitches inside of you, encouraging you to muster all your energy and finish both of you off. Adrenaline kicks in and your strength returns, riding him faster and harder than before. “Let go f’me Y/N.” It only takes a few more thrusts for you to come undone, Harry’s orgasm following suit. The waves of pleasure roll through your body, and you throw your head back in ecstasy as you allow the feeling to overcome your body. Spurts of his hot cum cover your velvety walls and you ride out your orgasms together, resting your foreheads against one another.

You end up sleeping at his house, feeling safe knowing that Ella is staying with her mom today. It’s normal for you to sleep at his place, seeing as both of you are usually so tired that you pass out before you can leave. What isn’t normal is for you to be woken up in the morning by Harry’s phone ringing. Harry is a deep sleeper, and you laugh at the sight of him conked out while his ringtone blares on the nightstand just a few inches away. Carefully, you reach over his sleeping body and grab the phone, planning on hanging it up and going back to bed. However, when you saw that it was Ella calling, you changed your mind. Making a split second decision, you slide the icon to the right, holding it up to your ear.

“Hello?” Her whiney voice rings through your eardrum and you wince. Not the nicest thing to be woken up to.

“Hello,” you answer, your voice not reflecting the cocky grin that spread across your face.

“Who the hell is this!” she shrieks, and you make a mental note that she must not be a morning person.

“A friend of your dads.” Your response is once again calm and monotone, trying to stifle the laugh that is bubbling in your throat.

“Ugh! What’s your name?”

“Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N”

[sacredsorceress]

Milestone || Bucky Barnes

pairing: bucky barnes x avenger!reader

summary: a journey through some of the biggest milestones in yours and bucky’s relationship from the day you first met to sharing a home of your own

a/n: in this we’re gonna pretend that bucky didn’t get dusted! also reader has powers similar to those of wanda’s. reblogs and replies are super appreciated!!

word count: 3.4k

warnings: none, fluff

masterlist || request || taglist

The First Time You Met

Running down the hallway of the airport, you watched as Peter was swept off of his feet and into the air by none other than Falcon, leaving the man you recognized as the Winter Soldier in your midst. Your shoes squeaking against the floor as you stopped short, you threw your arms into the air, stopping the man from moving.

Snapping his attention towards you, he furrowed his eyebrows and you could feel him fighting against your magic. Squeezing your eyes shut you tried your hardest to keep him contained but with only so much experience, he broke through it in a minute, coming for you straight after.

“Shit.” You cursed to yourself, watching as he strode over to you.

Clasping your hands together before pulling them apart, you created a baton of sorts in just enough time to hold it in front of yourself as Bucky cornered you into a wall. Pushing him back with the beam, you grunted, trying your hardest to keep the magic from dying out.

“You’re not very good at this.” He commented, attempting to pull the magical beam from your hands.

“I’m...” You grunted. “.... new.”

Using all of your force, you shoved him back. Taking the first opportunity you saw, you began shooting blasts of magic at him while he stumbled backwards. Attempting to dodge the blasts, he moved forward, putting his hands in the air.

“Look,” He said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Watching as he stumbled backwards, closer to a ledge, you halted the blasts, tilting your head sideways.

“Lucky me.”

As soon as the words fell from your mouth, you used the rest of your force, swinging your arms backwards and then pushing forward to shove him through the railing and over the edge, his eyes wide as he fell backwards. When he fell, he took the Falcon with him. 

Glancing up above, you saw Peter, shooting a web to hold the two men to the ground. Feeling the energy in your palms, you floated down to the floor they were held to, standing above them.

“Look guys, I would love to keep this up but I’ve only got one job here today and I’ve gotta impress Mr. Stark, so I’m really sorry-” You watched as the drone took Peter’s web and pulled him through the window cutting him short, Peter screaming as it did.

Turning back to the men, you pulled the hood of your cloak over your head.

“Don’t worry about the drone thing,” You said. “I know when to see myself out.”

Turning to make your way towards the exit of the airport, you heard Bucky call from behind you.

“Hey!” He shouted. “Who are you?”

Bucky didn’t know why he was asking. He could barely even remember facts about himself, never mind keep track of every super human person he came across, but there was something nagging in his mind, begging him to learn more.

Glancing over your shoulder, looking at the Winter Soldier one last time, you smirked.

“Y/n.”

And with that you left the airport.

First Touch

The hatch to the ship opening, you stumbled down the steps, gripping Nebula’s arm to keep your balance. As Steve took hold of Tony, Pepper rushing to his side, you looked up to find the familiar face of Rhodey making his way towards you.

“I chose the wrong day to go see who Dr. Strange was.” You chuckled somberly, trying to make light of the situation.

Grabbing your arm to steady you as you slowly walked down the steps, Rhodey shook his head.

“The fight wasn't much better back here.” He said. “At least we had oxygen though. You’re not looking so good, kid.”

Too afraid to have looked at your deteriorating reflection the past three weeks, you knew he was being too kind.

It had been nearly three weeks since Thanos snapped away a half of the universe’s population, leaving you, Tony and Nebula stranded in space. You had run out of fuel weeks ago and had nearly lost hope of ever returning home as the oxygen supply began dwindling until Captain Marvel had found your ship and brought you all safely back to the Avengers Compound.

Despite being back, three weeks in space had left you exhausted, starving and dehydrated- just to name a few.

Biting back the dizziness you felt, you sighed.

“I’m- I’m fine, Rhodes.” You said, beginning to feel lightheaded. “It’s nothing-”

Missing your footing on the step, you tripped, losing your balance from Rhodey, about to hit the ground until you felt an arm wrap around your torso and the cool touch of metal grasp your hand. Looking up, you were met with the familiar face of the man you had fought two years ago at the airport in Germany, his hair cut shorter since the last time you had seen him, but recognizable nonetheless.

“Bucky Barnes?” You asked, standing up straighter with his assistance.

“Y/n.” He replied, shooting you a gentle smile.

Although you had what many would consider super-human abilities with your magic, due to being discovered after the civil war between the Avengers that had effectively split up the group- you weren't used to being recognized. Hearing your name fall from his lips felt somewhat gratifying.

“You remember my name?” You asked in disbelief

“Hard to forget the name of the woman who kicked my ass.” Bucky chuckled, helping you walk towards the doors of the Compound. “Doesn't happen often.”

For the first time in weeks you allowed yourself to smile as you gazed up at the man holding you steady, making sure you didn’t fall. When his blue eyes met yours, you adverted your gaze, turning your attention towards Natasha who wheeled a wheelchair through the doors of the Compound and towards the two of you.

Moving his flesh hand to rest on your lower back, his vibranium one still in yours, he helped you slowly ease into the chair. When you sat back in the chair, resting your feet on the footrests, you looked up at the super soldier and smiled.

“Not looking for a rematch are you?” You asked, slipping your hand out of his and resting it on your abdomen. “‘Cause I think I’m gonna need a raincheck.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he laughed shaking his head.

“No, I think I’m done with fighting.” He said.

Feeling Natasha pulling back on the wheelchair, about to spin your chair around and towards the doors, you threw him one last smile.

“That makes two of us.”

Just when Bucky was about to turn around and walk away as Nat wheeled you through the doors, the chair stopped and he watched as you glanced over your shoulder.

“And Sarge?” You called.

“Yeah?”

“I like the new arm.”

For the first time in decades, Bucky felt heat rise to his cheeks as he watched you tiredly speak to Natasha until you left his line of sight.

First Kiss

It had taken you nearly a month to recover from your time in space since returning back to Earth. Although you understood that there wasn’t much to be done since Thanos had wiped out half of the universe, you still felt guilty taking up space in the Compound when all you would do was lay in bed, attached to an IV. 

The one thing that made your time on bedrest a little more bearable was none other than Bucky Barnes.

Throughout your stay in bed he had consistently visited you. Though at first he was a bit shy, you had proven to be someone he could trust- assuring him that he could never be a bother to you and that you genuinely enjoyed having his company- maybe a bit too much, but you would never tell him that.

Bucky himself was surprised that he had put himself so out there with you after living such a solitary life for nearly the past 80 years, but there was just something about you that drew him to you time and time again. He couldn’t pinpoint it- whether it was your kindness, humor or intelligence- he found both joy and peace in your presence- something he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in.

So, despite the voice in the back of his head telling him that you didn’t want to see him, he had visited you while you got better in bed, taking care of you in the littlest of ways until he watched the dark circles under your eyes fade away and your ability to walk without his assistance return.

Finally feeling somewhat better, you had insisted to bucky that you were ready to train again and no matter how many times he tried to convince you that you weren’t, he could never say no once you squeezed his hand and pouted up at him.

He was regretting not saying no to you as he now stood across from you in the training room.

“Y/n, I really don’t think this is a good idea.” He said, watching you sway in your spot despite your feet being planted to the mat.

“C’mon Barnes,” You taunted, raising your hands. “You scared?”

Just as he was about to open his mouth again, you shot a blast of magic towards him, Bucky dodging it just as it whooshed past his head.

“I wasn’t even ready!” Bucky exclaimed.

Shrugging your shoulders you formed another beam made of magic, holding either ends of it with your hands as Bucky came towards you.

Trying to plant your feet to the ground, feeling another hit of dizziness wash over you, you pushed him back with the beam, but before you could do anything more, his leg swept under yours, making you lose your balance. 

Before you fell to the ground, however, the magic in your hands diminished as you gripped your hands into Bucky’s shirt bringing him down with you.

Flipping over before you fell, you landed on top of the super soldier, your hands planted firmly on his chest. With his hands above his head that was inches away from yours, you both stared at each other- you finally noticing just how much you liked the scruff that coated his jawline and him admiring the color of your eyes and how he swore he could lose himself in them if only he had the chance.

Opening your mouth, you felt the thumping of Bucky’s heart against your fingertips that were resting on his chest as he gazed up at you.

“Your heart is beating really fast.” You whispered, out of breath despite you barely having trained.

“Yeah, it does that when I see you.”

You could barely believe what you were hearing until you felt Bucky’s hands come up and cup your face, glancing down at your lips before back to your eyes, asking wordlessly for your approval. 

Unable to form a coherent sentence, you eagerly nodded back at him.

Before you could even process it, you felt Bucky’s lips meeting yours as he pulled you into a kiss, his hands moving from cupping your face to wrapping around your body, pulling you tight against him. All you could remember thinking was that despite his tough exterior, his lips were soft and you could lose yourself in the comfort of having his arms around you all day if he let you.

Pulling away first, a beaming smile spread across Bucky’s face as he rubbed circles against your back.

“If you wanted to kiss me so bad,” He teased. “You could’ve just asked.”

First “I Love You”

Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, your legs swinging in the air, you offered the bag of popcorn in your hand to your boyfriend who was sat beside you. Taking his eyes off of the view in front of him, he grabbed a fistful of the salty treat from the bag, popping it in his mouth.

“Did you have stuff like this back in the olden times?” You asked, laying your head on his shoulder.

“What?” He asked despite his mouth being full. “You mean fireworks? How old do you think I am?”

Laughing at how he mocked offense over your question, you sat up straight, pecking his cheek.

“One hundred doesn’t sound much better, babe.”

Rolling his eyes, knowing that you loved him anyway, he brushed off the remaining salt from his fingertips, wrapping his vibranium arm around your shoulders to pull you closer to him.

Just as he pressed a gentle kiss against your temple, he jumped in his spot as he heard the loud sound of the first firework shooting up into the air over the water before “popping” and bursting into an array of color.

“Look!” You exclaimed, pointing towards the display. “It’s starting!”

Although he took a quick glance at the firework display, his attention was purely focused on you. He couldn’t help but admire the way the colorful lights reflected on your skin or how you had a hint of an open smile on your face watching as the fireworks burst midair. No show could compare to looking at you.

He couldn't help but feel his heart race in his chest, breath caught in his throat as he admired your beauty- even when you were still in your suit from watching over the parade with him earlier that evening. He was convinced there wasn’t a single thing about you that he wasn’t completely enamored with and you only gave him more reasons to love you every single day.

Before he even realized what he was saying, admiring you in complete bliss and utter awe, the words slipped out of his mouth.

“I love you.”

He thought you wouldn’t be able to hear, the sound of another firework popping ringing in his ear, but when you turned towards him, your eyes wide and mouth agape, he knew you had.

“Did you just say that you love me?” You asked, fireworks continuing to burst behind you.

Not one to lie- especially not to you- he nodded his head.

“Yeah.”

A smile beginning to form on your face, you grabbed the strap on his jacket, pulling him closer to you.

“I love you too.”

Leaning in, you pressed your lips against his, the sound of the finale of the display ringing behind you as the fireworks burst one after another in air, every color imaginable washing over your joined figures sitting on the edge of the rooftop on that cool summer night, almost as if it were taking the feeling shared between the two of you and bringing it to life for the world to see.

First Home

“Okay!” You nodded, pointing to the corner of your living room. “That one can go over there. Thank you so much for your help, Steve.”

“I helped Buck move into his first apartment, Y/n.” Steve said wiping his hands on his pants. “I wouldn’t miss stuff like this for anything.”

Smiling at Steve’s comment, you felt Bucky’s vibranium hand land on your lower back, pulling you closer. Leaning into his touch, you wrapped your arm around him in return, staring up at your boyfriend.

“Yeah and the first time he was about a foot shorter and a hundred pounds lighter.” Bucky chuckled. “This is easy for him.”

Watching Natasha set down the last box on top of a pile of the others in the kitchen, you excused yourself from your boyfriend and his best friend, making your way into the other room.

When you had left the two of them’s earshot, Bucky watching as you left, Steve rested his hand on Bucky's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“You know,” Steve said. “I’m happy for you, Buck. I think this is gonna be good for you.”

Bucky couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s comment- despite how cheesy it was- because he knew it was true.

When Bucky’s memory had finally been cleared, a part of him had always feared that even though he had been given a new chance at life, he would never have a normal one. Although he knew “normal” was a strong term for the life you two shared together given that he was a century old super soldier and you had magical abilities- you had given him a chance at a peaceful life full of love and contentment which was all he could ever dream of asking for. 

The idea of finding love and having a family was something that he worried was left eighty years in the past, but you proved to him that life didn’t end for him when he fell from that train- if anything it brought him the beginning he had always hoped for.

“Sure you won’t miss me too bad, pal?” Bucky asked.

Taking his hand back from Bucky’s shoulder, Steve laughed shoving his hand in his pockets.

“No, I think I’m used to it by now.” Steve chuckled. “It’s just like you to be able to find a woman with shared life experience even when half the world disappears.”

Shaking his head at his friend’s joke, he shoved him playfully.

“C’mon, ya’know this is different.” Bucky said. “I think this is the last one for me.”

Without missing a beat, Steve smiled.

“I know.”

Hearing the sound of you and Natasha’s footsteps stepping back into the room, Bucky kept his mouth shut, feeling your hand run over his shoulder as you stood beside him.

“Don’t forget about me now that you have your own place, okay Y/n?” Nat said crossing her arms.

“Don’t worry.” You told her. “I’ll come visit every day.”

“Well, not every day-” Bucky interjected.

“No. I meant what I said. Every day, Nat. You’ll wish you never said anything.”

Once the laughter that had erupted in the room settled, Steve and Nat said their goodbyes to you and your boyfriend, you both waving them off as you shut the door behind them. When the door was shut and you and Bucky were left in your new apartment alone together, you rushed over to your bag by the door, pulling a neatly wrapped gift out of it.

“What’s this?” Bucky asked as you handed him the present.

“Just a little housewarming gift.” You smiled.

Gazing at your smiling face, a smile finding its way onto his, he looked down at the present in his hands, carefully tearing the paper off of the gift to reveal a framed photo of the two of you.

A framed photo of the two of you fighting in an airport three years ago on the day you first met.

“So, Tony had put a camera in Peter’s suit back before we went and fought you guys.” You explained. “And I thought it had to be gone since Peter was... you know... but it turned out that Tony still had the footage so I was able to find some from that day at the airport and in it there was this quick little shot of us fighting and I just had to have it, Buck.”

Flipping the frame around at you, he raised his eyebrows.

“A photo of us fighting?”

“Yes!” You told him. “Do you like it?”

Despite the fact that it was a photo of the two of you fighting- a fight that he had gotten his ass kicked in no less- he loved it more than anything else you could have possibly given him because it was the day he met you. It was the day his life changed and he didn’t even know it in the moment.

Although your story was far from “normal” it was your story and that’s what mattered the most to him.

“I love it, doll.” He said, pulling you into his embrace. “This is a crazy story to tell our kids though, huh?”

“All of them are.” You laughed into his chest. “But I wouldn't have it any other way, Buck. I love you.”

Pressing a kiss to the top of your head, a photograph of the day your story first began in his hand, he smiled.

“I love you too.”

[thebibliosphere]

Hello Joy! Long time follower and I really enjoy your blog. I just wanted to hope into your asks bc i've had a very frustrating day of doctors appointments and even if you don't have any advice, i was just hoping to rant to someone who'd been around the block with elusive medical illnesses (though please dont feel obligated to respond to this at all), and i apologize in advance for an almost certain lack of coherence.

I've been dealing with quite a lot of doctors appointments over the years, from treating insomnia, my adhd, and depression and anxiety, but long story short we have discovered 2 years ago that I have low b12. I have also been dealing with a chronic cough for 2.5 years. Unfortunately, oral supplements did not work for the b12 and i had to get monthly injections, which stopped when the pandemic hit and, despite doing for 4 months, didnt bring my levels up to normal anyway.

I recently restarted the injections, but my doctor will not approve my request to have more frequent injections, which i think i need, because its not fatally low (its at a 170 based on recent bloodwork). I finally saw a respirologist for my cough, and she has no idea what the cause of it is, even suggested that its psychsomatic, and put me on a different inhaler that i tried before (ive tried a million treatments for it, from post nasal drip meds to ppis for acid reflux to allergy meds, and the inhaler is the only thing that helped a little).

I've gained 20-25 pounds in the past 2 months, when ive been the same weight since i was a teenager (im 22), but my bloodwork continuously come back normal for everything but b12 and vitamin d, so my doctor also has no explanation for that (including normal tsh, and the last time i brought up testing other thyroid factors the doctor told me they dont do that and honestly made me feel silly for asking. Though, granted, my current doctor is a different one). I'm going insane because of how tired i am all the time, and the fact that I feel like a hypochondriac bc all my tests are always normal, and my doctor is only available for appointment once a month.

Sorry for the long block of text, i just feel, when looking at your blog, a sense of hope that eventually i'll have answers and you're just really great. ❤ i hope you had a really good day today ❤

Get a new doctor! Get a new doctor right now!

When you dip below 250 is when you can start to experience chronic fatigue, mood disorders and worsening cognitive function.

170 is when you're on the cusp of things getting seriously bad and depending on your homocysteine levels can start to cause pain and nerve damage. This is also when my hematologist estimates I started to sustain prolonged damage to my nervous system. This was also when I started experiencing the symptoms of early onset dementia.

140 is when my iron and folate levels tanked suddenly and I was so symptomatic my (then) new doctor was worried I had cancer and rushed me through seeing seven specialists in a week. The same day as seeing the hematologist it dipped below 110 and I started hemolyzing and went into medical crisis as my kidneys and heart started to struggle. I owe that hematologist and his team my life.

The good news is the shots you are getting right now are keeping you stable, but your doctor should NOT be waiting for your levels to hit crisis mode to resolve this issue. Please do not give up on this, you deserve better treatment.

Also, what kind of supplements are you taking?

I don't absorb Cyanocobalamin well through my gut, which is the most common type of oral supplement prescribed. What I do absorb through the gut is Methylcobalamin, so if you haven't tried that yet, it might be worth a shot to try and help you manage your levels on your own. Same with folic acid, I don't absorb it for shit, but when I switch to a methylfolate supplement, my numbers start to climb*. If you have tried this and it's been ineffective, then I'm going to emphasize that you need to push your doctor to increase your number of shots to get your levels up because what you are living with is not an acceptable quality of life, and I am so sorry :(

I hope you are able to rest and have better days in store soon. Take care, and if you want to talk about b12 or stuff, hit me up.

---

*Before anyone asks, yeah, I'm aware of the MTHFR gene mutation. I just can't test for it because the procedure is considered to be "investigational" and neither my geneticist nor my insurance wants to run it and I don't want to sell my data to a gene company lol.

[fuchiluvr]

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anime/manga : tsurune

character : takehaya seiya

reader : gender neutral

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days like these were always peaceful. the rain always brought a sense of comfort. all in all it was peaceful, just how you liked it. no loud noises, and no need to go outside. there was no reason to go outside anyways, you’d probably end up sick. so it was the perfect chance to stay indoors and enjoy a movie with snacks.

but it wouldn’t be complete without your favorite person. ever since you were young it was something you did with them. it was something you’d come to cherish. the little moments you spent with him, they just filled your heart with joy. you could try and pass it off as platonic, but you knew your heart ached for him in a different light.

romantically. but was it worth it? to risk the friendship you had spent years building, for it to possibly go down the drain? you didn’t know what to do with your feelings, they were a mess. all for him. it’s crazy what another person can make you feel.

maybe you’re just overthinking it right? it wouldn’t matter, it’s not like there’s a chance he’d ever like you romantically as well. though you couldn’t help but keep a sliver of hope.

“(f.name)? are you alright? you look worried.”

“oh! no! I’m okay seiya! don’t worry about me! I was just thinking about yo…yogurt! ah man I’m really craving yogurt…yep yogurt…”

“is that so? you want yogurt? I thought you didn’t like yogurt?”

“psh what? I totally like yogurt! it’s so good!”

“if I recall you said you hated it.”

“I did? uhh…ive had a change of heart! I take back those words, yogurt is the superior food!”

“is there a problem? I know you don’t like yogurt. don’t try and hide it.”

“uh no! no problems here! well maybe a tiny problem…”

“what’s the tiny problem?”

“what do you do if you like someone but you’re scared of rejection!”

“oh…you like someone?”

“uh…yeah…kinda.”

“who?”

“huh?! who?! uhh you know…someone.”

“the name?”

“that’s classified information!”

“it can’t be that embarrassing. plus if you don’t tell me how am I supposed to help.”

“ah…uhh…well it’s you know…you…”

oh now you’ve done it. this wasn’t how today was supposed to go. why did you do that? why?! why?! why?! stupid brain having to put yourself! now it’s all awkward and quiet! you’ve killed the mood!

“me?”

“mhmm…”

“I like you too.”

“platonically?”

“no, romantically.”

“oh…oh! yo-you like me back?!”

“yeah…”

“does this mean you’ll be my boyfriend?!”

“if you want me to be…”

“oh! if you want to! I mean id like it but I’m not forcing you or any-”

“okay I’d like that.”

“okay!…”

maybe you were just overthinking it before. but days like this sure we’re peaceful. watching a movie with your boyfriend, was a new sense of comfort. so it was safe to say that from then on rainy days were your favorite days. when you’re not blurting out you’re feeling for someone.

sorry if this seems ooc, I don’t think I have the best grasp of his character yet!

[somewhatgreatexpectations]

To Die For (Wanda Maximoff/ Reader)

Hello! It is with great joy and a little bit of sadness that I present you all with the final part of “Love Goes”. This part in particular is inspired by Sam Smith’s “To Die For”. Pieces from Endgame are used but very little. 

Summary: The aftermath of Endgame, how will Wanda navigate and what will happen to Y/n. 

“I long for you, just a touch of your hand. You don't leave my mind. Lonely days I'm feeling like a fool for dreaming… Sunshine living on a perfect day while my world's crashing down.”

Hope. That was all Wanda had left. She knew that she couldn’t let it waver for even a moment. Allowing the hope within her to waver would be the same as accepting defeat. Accepting that you weren’t coming back. That was something she would never allow herself to believe. 

Like you told her, you and her were a happy ending. It’s the only ending she could ever envision for herself. The only life she wanted. The only life she’d accept. You and her. Together. Happily.

It had only been a week since the fateful battle and you had been transferred to a S.W.O.R.D. facility since. What worried Wanda most was that you still hadn’t woken up and hadn’t shown much progression since arriving. 

She could still feel you though. 

Wanda would allow herself glimpses into your mind and could see the vibrancy that still existed within. Your heart was still beating, and your mind was still your own. Even if you weren’t awake, you were still you.

The thought brought comfort to Wanda despite the circumstances. It kept hope alive in her heart.

It was only a matter of time until you were awake and in her arms again. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. 

The situation could have been worse though and she knew that. Shortly after you were transferred to the facility she learned the full details of how exactly Thanos was defeated. How Tony and Natasha had given their lives in exchange for the outcome. As much as the news saddened her, she couldn’t help but feel a selfish sense of relief that you hadn’t been dealt the same fate. 

Her life – her heart - felt as though it was hanging in the balance. You were all she had. All she wanted. If she lost you she knew there would be no recovery for her. She’d drown. Sink to the bottom with no chance of resurfacing if you weren’t there to pull her back up. 

The warmth of your hand in her own anchored her. It always did, but not as much as being in your arms, or hearing your voice. “I’m drowning.” She whispered against your hand. “I’m drowning, Y/n. I need to hear your voice, see you open your eyes, and have you hold me and tell me everything is going to be okay. I’m drowning, and you can’t save me until you wake up.” Her lips trembled slightly against your hand as a single tear fell down her cheek.

The days and nights had blurred together for her. Both of which were spent unwaveringly at your side. The only disruptions often came in the form of varying people in the facility checking your vitals or injecting new medications into your IV that they informed her should wake you up soon. 

Besides the worry and fear she constantly felt, there was a sense of bitterness that the only one who had come to see you or her during your time in the facility was Fury. That was only when you were still at S.H.I.E.L.D’s location. It was upsetting to her that Steve had yet to visit you considering the history you two shared and how close you two had always been. Considering how you had been willing to risk your life for him on multiple occasions. 

Today was Tony’s funeral and she was reluctantly leaving your side to pay her respects for a short while. Also, to give Rogers a piece of her mind.

When the funeral concluded she wandered over to the lake to collect her thoughts and emotions. Taking in the beautiful day around her, a stark contrast to how she felt internally. The perfect day felt wrong when it still felt like her world was crashing down within her. 

As she was staring out the lake, preparing herself for what she wanted to tell Steve, Clint walked up to her. “Hey, kid.” 

Wanda kept a neutral face and merely nodded at him. “Hello.”

There was hesitation in the way Clint stopped at her side. “You have every right to not want to talk to me right now.” He began seriously, his head ducked shamefully. “I wanted to go visit Y/n… Check on you. I did. I just-… It’s been hard accepting that Nat’s gone, you know? It’s not an excuse for not being there. It’s just where my head was. I’m sorry, Wanda.” 

As much as Wanda wanted to ignore him, she knew she couldn’t. “I understand.” She replied softly, her gaze still on the lake before her. 

“I wish there was a way that I could let her know that we won. That we did it.” Clint admitted quietly to her.

Wanda shifted her gaze to him. “She knows.” There was a small pause. “They both do.” Despite not being awake, she liked to believe that you knew.

Clint wrapped a comforting arm around her and she leaned into the embrace. 

“Wanda.” A somber voice caught her attention as she turned to find Steve standing there with his hands folded behind his back. “A word?”

Clearly not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, Clint stepped back. “I think that’s my cue to go.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Wanda’s head. “I’ll do better, okay? Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be by to visit Y/n soon.” Wanda nodded slightly at his words as he walked away. 

When Clint was out of the vicinity, Steve stepped into his place. Wanda’s jaw clenched. She was more upset at him than anyone. She knew if roles were reversed you would have been uncompromisingly by his side.

“What do you want?” She asked, her tone cold.

Steve’s face remained neutral despite her tone. “How is she?”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips at his question. “How is she?” she shook her head in disbelief. “You have a lot of nerve asking that when you’ve had a whole week to go see for yourself.”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Look, Wanda, I understand you’re upset with me but I-“

Wanda rounded on him, her eyes livid. “Upset? I am far passed upset, Rogers. I’m furious. Y/n needed you and you abandon her. She would have done anything for you! She idolized you!”

Each of Wanda’s words impacted Steve, she could see that, but she didn’t stop. He took it. “She thought you were her family and you couldn’t even be bothered to go see for yourself if she’s okay! You don’t even care-“

“Enough! That’s not true!” Steve roared. The accusation that he didn’t care seemingly being the final straw. Wanda recoiled in surprise. “I feel guilty, okay? I feel like the only reason that she’s in there in the first place is because of me. I couldn’t face her. I didn’t deserve to.” His volume didn’t lower as the emotions he was holding in finally boiled over. 

“You know she wouldn’t have blamed you.” Wanda eventually replied, her tone still clipped.

Steve rubbed a hand down his face. “I know, but I do. I blame myself. She was trying to protect me, and she only felt like she had to protect me because I couldn’t stop him the first time. She got hurt because I couldn’t get to her fast enough. She’s my family too.” 

As much as she wanted to be angry with him, she found it much more difficult when she learned of the guilt that seemed to be weighing heavily on him. “You know Y/n would have done that either way.” She confessed quietly. “She would have tried to stop him regardless of who she was defending. That’s who she is.”

A weak nod was his only response. Wanda wasn’t sure if he believed her. “How has she been?” Steve repeated, hoping for a genuine answer this time.

“She still hasn’t woken up.” Wanda began unsteadily. “They keep injecting her with new serums everyday saying that each one will wake her up, but it never does.”

Steve closed his eyes at the information, his expression distressed for just a moment until he schooled his features and put on a brave face for Wanda. “She’s going to wake up. I know she will.” 

Hearing the words she had been telling herself from someone else brought Wanda a small sense of comfort. “I know she will too.” She turned to him. “I’m going to get back to her now, she needs me. Go see her.” 

“I will.” He nodded firmly, his words definitive. “I have to return the stones in an hour and try and see if I can undo something. As soon as I do that I’ll be immovably by her side. I’ll stay with you until she wakes up. You have my word. She has my word.” There was purpose in his voice. 

Wanda quirked her lips up slightly at him and nodded without a word. She knew he meant what he said. She walked off to her car to begin the drive back to S.W.O.R.D’s medical branch of the facility. ___________________ Her heart dropped when she entered your room, only to be met with an empty bed. On numb legs, she ran out and stopped the first worker she saw. “Y/n Y/ln. Where is she? She was here just an hour ago.” 

The employee looked around nervously. “She’s been moved. I believe it would be in your best interest to speak to the director.”

Wanda’s brow furrowed in confusion. “The director? Why?”

“His office is located on the second floor, third door on the left.” The employee informed her meekly before scurrying away. 

Practically running, Wanda reached the office in minutes, throwing the door open. “Ms. Maximoff.” The man who she presumed to be the director greeted her, an unnerving smile on his face.

“Where is she?” Wanda demanded, not caring about anything other than being reunited with you. “Is-is she okay?” Anxiety began to build within her and press against her chest making it harder for her to breath. Her nails dug into her palms.

The man gestured for her to sit in an empty chair, she ignored the request. “My name is Tyler Hayward. I am the director of S.W.O.R.D.”

Wanda merely stared blankly back at him, her jaw clenched tightly. “Where. Is. Y/n?” She enunciated sharply, her patience fading. 

The unnerving smile never faltered on Hayward’s face. “That is the unfortunate part, Ms. Maximoff. You see, while you were gone Ms. Y/ln suffered from some brain hemorrhaging. We were able to stop it, but it seems her brain has suffered an extensive amount of damage. We ran some tests and it appears she has lost all cognitive function. She is just a shell now. She only has another day or two at best. I’m sorry.”

Wanda’s world stopped at his words. She immediately shook her head. “That’s not true.” She said shakily as tears began streaming down her cheeks, the weight on her chest getting heavier, forcing her under. She couldn’t breathe. “That’s not true. Let me see her.” 

Hayward gestured forward to the large window in his office. “They’re running some tests on her now, but so far the data has remained conclusive. There is no longer brain function.” Numbly Wanda walked up to the large window and glanced down, feeling the life drain from her at the sight of you. Pale and on what looked like an experimentation table, surrounded by several S.W.O.R.D. scientists.  “I’m afraid it’s time to start talking about letting her go.”

Wanda spun around to face him angrily. “Let her go?” she cried, her voice cracking. “She’s all I have.”

Hayward held his hands up slightly. “It’s only a matter of days before she’s unable to breathe on her own and her heart stops being.”

Empty. That’s what she felt at his words. She wanted to scream. Her powers reacted to the emotion she was feeling before her mind did as the glass she was leaning on shattered. Without hesitation she floated down to where you were. Her heart hammering in her chest the closer she got. 

The world around her went dark and the only sight she was able to take in was the way your chest weakly rose and fell with each breath. With shaking hands, she raised them to your temple as feeble wisps of red floated from her fingertips and disappeared into your mind. 

All she saw was darkness. 

“I can’t feel you.” She whispered brokenly, the pain in her chest overcoming her. The sensation composing her entire being as everything within her collapsed. She was alone, and she knew she wouldn’t recover. Then everything went dark around her. ________________________________

“Darling, have you seen my notebook? I’m running late for my meeting with my editor and I can’t seem to find it anywhere.” You questioned hastily as you rushed into the kitchen and skidded to a halt in the entry way. Looking around the area with a frazzled expression on your face.

Wanda looked over from her place by the stove and waved her hand, the notebook floating from under your arm to directly in front of your face. “You mean this one, dear?” She asked with an amused smile. 

Sheepishly you plucked the notebook out of the air as you made your way over to her. “What would I do without you?” You leaned forward so your lips rested gently against her own.

“Mmm,” Wanda mumbled with a smile as she spoke against your lips. Her arms resting comfortably over your shoulders. “I believe your mind would fail you, sweetheart.”

Your hands fell to her waist as you pulled her closer. “That’s for certain.” You replied easily with a loving smile. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”

A small blush spread over her cheeks. “You have not but thank you. You look beautiful as well, darling. I’m beginning to get jealous that your editor gets to spend the day in your presence. Speaking of…” she trailed off and glanced pointedly at the clock.

“My meeting!” Your eyes widened as you pressed one last loving kiss to her lips. “I’ll be going now. I love you, darling. I’ll be home soon!” You shouted as you began running out. 

Wanda shook her head at you, the smile on her face never faltering. “I love you, too, dear!” She called after you, pretending to catch the kiss you blew to her as you rushed out the door. She sighed happily and leaned against the wall of the kitchen. 

The end.

 . . . . . .

“Glad you were able to make it, Rogers.” Fury said seriously as he shook Steve’s hand. “And Ms. Romanoff. Welcome back.” He shook her hand as well. 

Steve nodded easily in response. “Of course. You know that I’d be here in a heartbeat for Y/n. Wanda as well.” Both followed Fury into a large make-shift tent located in the woods. 

“What exactly are we dealing with?” Natasha asked, confusion lacing her words.

For a moment Fury seemed to ponder her question. “We’re not entirely sure.”

“Does Wanda even know that she saved Y/n? That she was never gone?” Steve questioned seriously, his arms crossed as he stared at the screen before him. 

Fury shook his head. “No. It seems Hayward convinced Wanda that Y/n was gone, no brain function. What Wanda didn’t know was he had gone rogue. Every serum they injected in Y/n kept her in her comatose state rather than attempt to wake her up like they were telling Wanda. I’ve looked at the files that my inside contacts gave me, and it seems Y/n should have been up in the first day or two to recover from minor brain swelling.”

“Why are they doing this though?” Natasha questioned as she looked over the chart. Steve’s jaw was clenched as he listened to each detail.

Taking the chart from Natasha, Fury turned the pages until he found what he was looking for and handed it back to Natasha. “Right there. It seems that Y/n carries a rare mutant gene that they could extract and essentially build an army with. They believed that if they removed Wanda from the picture they could continue the experiments and eventually wipe Y/n’s memory to use her as a weapon. Turn her into a super solider… but much worse because of her powers.” There was an edge to his tone. “They are very interested in her ability to manipulate earth and metal. They had considered Wanda briefly as well, but the perfect opportunity presented itself with Y/n. That’s why they insisted on her transfer to their facility.” 

“How do we get them back before Hayward gets to them?” Steve questioned quietly, a dangerous tone to his voice.

Instead of answering Fury gestured to the woman who had been sitting and listening to the conversation. “Wanda isn’t letting anyone with ties to your past in. Fury already tried. She won’t let you or Natasha in.” They both stared at her. “I didn’t introduce myself. Sorry, my name is Darcy Lewis. Astrophysics. Big fan.” The bespectacled woman rambled. 

Natasha smirked, an amused glint in her eye. “Okay, Darcy Lewis, what’s our next step?”

“We’ll do whatever it takes.” Steve finished powerfully as they all watched you and Wanda share a sweet kiss before the credits began to roll on the screen before them.

Well, that’s all folks! 13 parts completed! It’s been a journey writing this and it is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written. This story has become my baby and it always brings me so much joy to read your comments and seeing others enjoy it. I had a plan for this chapter since the moment I began writing this story but it was so hard when it came down to writing because of the most recent episode of Wandavision, so I tweaked it a little. Was it a sadder or happier ending? You may never know. Thank you all so much for taking this journey with me. I hope you enjoyed. 

As always, thoughts and comments always welcome. :)

p.s. I brought back Steve and Nat but I couldn’t figure out how to make Tony surviving make sense or fit the story, sorry. Still love Tony. 

[tavvattales]

Is it ok if I request hcs for Bennett with someone that gets a lot of mental breakdowns? Ive been having a lot lately and wanted to think abt my comfort character so I could get my head out of it :/

Hihi lovely! Of course you can. I hope you've been feeling better and that you smiled today <3 Know that my DMs and Ask Box are always open if you need someone to talk to or vent.

TW: Talk of mental illness

For those that suffer with anxiety, depression, or other mental illness, my page is a safe place for you to freely talk about your feelings(as long as you put a TW before the post). I know the feelings all too well and it can feel so lonely, that you have no one to lean on. But with my page, I support all of you 100%, never be afraid to reach out. Each and everyone of you are valid and your feelings DO matter. It's okay to feel all the feelings! It doesn't make you weak to let them all out <3

---------------------------------------

GENSHIN IMPACT Character x gn reader fluff stories~♡♡

Scenario: Bennett guides you and comforts you through a panic attack

Characters: Bennett

Pairings: Bennett x gn reader

Warnings: Detailed descriptions of dissociation and panic attacks, please read at your own risk.

SFW ❤

Click below if you want to keep reading and be comforted by Benny boy 🥰

BENNETT:

● You never met someone who radiated such positive energy before you met him. You always looked up to him for being able to pick himself back up so easily after a bad day. You fell in love with his strength and resilience to keep pushing on no matter what obstacles got in his way, but also his kindness.

● Bennett never met someone who was so in tune with their emotions. He was so used to people bottling up their feelings, but with you, it was different. Someone made you mad? You would let them know. You discovered something exciting? You were all for it and let everyone know with such joy and enthusiasm! He fell in love with your softness and ability to feel all these emotions.

"Y/N," The voice rang in your ears, yet it felt distant. You recognized it, but for some reason your brain wouldn't register and respond. Your vision was blurry until those dreaded words brought you back to reality, "Y/N. . .are you okay?"

No, you were the furthest from okay. It was like your world shattered into a million pieces, like pesky shards of glass that whenever you tried to pick them up, your wounds would only get deeper. Your eyes refocused, glossy, and bubbling over with tears, "I can't breath, " You manage to say between broken sobs.

The silver haired young man's emerald eyes softened with worry as he sat down next to you. He gently pushed back strands of your hair that clung to your tear soaked face, wiping your never ending tears away in the process, "Shh, shh, take deep breaths with me," He spoke softly, breathing in a deep breath and holding it for three seconds before letting it out.

You tried to follow suit, your breath shaky and raspy, your heart still pounding fast, but with each deep breath you could feel your heart beat slow, "Take it nice and slow, as much time as you need, Y/N," The young man said, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.

He continued to breath with you until you could formulate words, "B-bennett. . .thank you," you gave him a weak smile, your eyes and face flushed red and puffy. Your body was still in fight or flight and you felt light headed, but you managed to stop crying and your heart stopped racing a mile a minute. Bennett softly cups your face with his hands, pressing his forehead against yours as if he was giving you his positive energy.

You press back into him and the two of you stay like that for a while before he speaks up softly, "You are never alone when you're with me. When you're having a hard time and it feels like your world is crumbling apart, I will be here to help you pick up the pieces and bandage you back up, no matter how long it takes. I love you, Y/N, through your good days, and especially your bad days when you need my love the most, I will be here." He places a gentle kiss to your forehead before pulling away, "But also, remember to be gentle and kind to yourself. You're doing the absolute best you can each and every day. Be proud of that. I know I am. I am SO proud of you, Y/N"

With those kind words you couldn't help but tear up once more, but this time for a happier reason. You didn't feel so alone anymore.

[inmyfxith]

Link, Part. VI

Pairing: Ragnarssons x sister!reader

A/N: A lot of dialogues in this part... I hope this is not a problem for you. The time between Harald's return and the arrival of Ivar's troops has been deliberately lengthened... That's why the sequence of events may seem a bit fast.

Words: 2 256

Part. I, Part. II, Part. III, Part. IV, Part. V, Part. VII, Part. VIII.

The face hidden by a long dark veil, the luxury of the fabric with which your dress had been made left no doubt about the social rank you had reached. Dressed in black from head to toe, this very long dress covered the croup of the immaculate beast you were riding.

Advancing proudly, head held high, and following a steady rhythm, you made the army behind you even bigger than it was. You had seen this day hundreds of times. You knew the outcome, and it had, over time, become like a duty to be there. Stopping your mount parallel to the soldiers forming one side of the square delimiting the space of the talks, you had only lowered your head when, helped by one of your men, you put your foot down.

Silence reigned on the battlefield as everyone in front of you was anxious to know who could be hiding behind that long veil that covered your body down to your thighs, covering not only your face but also your arms and your entire upper body. One of the guards stepped aside to let you enter the square, head always up, you took a few steps forward, remaining only a few meters away from the guards and, facing the two rows of leaders.

"In the course of this war, someone here is going to lose everything they hold dear."

Like a prophetess from the shadows, your voice brought a dark prophecy. That voice had changed. It was no longer that of a little girl afraid to leave her family. Like your brothers, you had grown up. Letting the doubt linger for a few more minutes, your hands finally freed themselves from the cloth that covered you before grabbing it and gently pulling it up in a working motion. You could see the faces of everyone in front of you, but they couldn't see you.

With a quick movement, you let your veil fall behind you in a final flutter. Impatience gave way to surprise and, for most of them, to the joy of seeing someone they thought they would never see again. Freed from the fabric that covered you, nothing could hide the slight roundness of your belly to be seen.

Your gaze was just like your head, straight, not meeting anyone's eyes. Ubbe was the first to stand up and greet you. He hugged you as he always had. Closing your eyes as your chin rested on his shoulder, you wrapped your arms around him. In the past, tears would have rolled down your cheeks, but not today. You stayed like that for several minutes, happy to have each other back, taking the time to feel each other's heartbeats and matching your breathing to his.

After you parted, your brother looked into your eyes, probably trying to read through your gaze all the things that had driven you, a few months before, to leave Kattegat. His hand rested on your cheek, his thumb passed delicately over the small scar that split your mouth while his other hand rested on your rounded belly. It was there that you found the protective brother you had always known.

Ubbe finally returned to his seat after offering you to take his place. But it was Ivar who spoke first.

"Who's going to lose what he has?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed, without even bothering to greet you.

"I too am glad to see you again, Ivar. Thank you for being concerned about something other than yourself." You replied, smiling at him as if he had asked the question you would have liked to hear.

"You're having a baby, good for you. Answer my question." Ivar was already starting to get annoyed, he didn't like to wait.

"Trust me, brother, you'll find out soon enough. I don't want my son to grow up in a family torn apart by an unnecessary war. I don't want to have to remind him why his uncles died fighting for nothing but power. It's still not too late to give up and..."

"Are you done? I'm bored." Cutting you off, Ivar wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible because he hated having the truth spat in his face. Turning to him, you raised your eyebrows.

"Of the two of us I'm the younger one, I'm the one who should act like a child. Ivar, I'm going to repeat myself, this war is pointless. Fighting between us will not solve anything, on the contrary. In England, you have achieved things that no Viking before you has managed to do. Together we are invincible. Together we can conquer the world starting with England or the Mediterranean, be feared in the whole world, but you, my brother, only want to satisfy your ego. You claim loudly that this war is to avenge our mother, but I know that it is not." The tone you used was not aggressive, on the contrary, you put all the chances on your side to make him change his mind.

"Growing up has made you a talker." Hvitserk said in an attempt to ease some of the tension that was growing in his younger brother's mind. You smiled softly at him, before turning your attention back to Ivar.

"You want the power. Only a few years ago, we were a family. If I got hurt or someone hurt me you were all there to protect me. I was like the bond that held you together, not hating any of you and not being hated by anyone. But I can't respect someone willing to fight against his own family just to satisfy his interests. So, Ivar, if you still decide to fight Lagertha, Bjorn, and Ubbe, I'm sorry it has to come to this, but I will no longer consider you a member of my family. We will always share the same blood, I can't help that, but as far as I'm concerned Ivar the Boneless will become nothing more than a power-hungry fratricidal cripple."

You shouldn't have said that, the moment the words came out of your mouth, you regretted it. It wasn't you. Your choice was made long before the two armies were formed, long before Ivar even thought of retaking Kattegat. Raising your head, you approached Hvitserk who was looking at you with round eyes. He finally stood up and took you in his arms, being careful not to crush your belly. You placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry it has to come to this." He whispered as you parted ways and hearing him say those words broke your heart. A sorry smile on your lips, you joined Ubbe, siding with Lagertha.

Ivar's eyes were fixed on the square of grass that separated each side. His breathing was rapid, like that of an animal about to attack defenseless prey. If no one had spoken, you were sure he would have snarled and then let his anger out, as he had done with Sigurd.

Nothing could change Ivar's mind. Not even losing his entire family. He would have been ready to say, "I love you, but I won't hesitate to use you for strategic purposes. You are my family, I love you, but I will use you." His choice was made and all of you had to abide by it.

Following Torvi to Lagertha's camp, you met Guthrum. He was in Kattegat when you came back from England but you never had a chance to really talk.

"My brother thinks of you as his son so I will think of you as my nephew... older than me".

Arriving before your men, Lagertha stood behind you as did Bjorn and Ubbe.

"You have agreed to follow me. You agreed to die for me and I will be forever grateful. However, for the sake of my son's health, I will not fight in this war but I ask you to protect Queen Lagertha."

"The king has specifically asked us to protect you." One of your warriors stepped forward to address you. His accent did not lie about his origin. You smiled, relieved to see that despite your decision, these warriors were still loyal.

"Protecting Queen Lagertha means protecting me at the same time." Putting your hand on his shoulder, you then ordered them to go and prepare to fight.

Watching them disperse, you felt Ubbe's hand on your shoulder.

"So this is Queen Y/N now." You nodded, humbly.

"How can a king allow his wife to go alone while she carries his child." He added, concerned for your condition and the danger of the battlefield. Besides, your warriors were not from Norway, and therefore, to get here, you had to make a long journey.

"He doesn't know that I'm expecting a child. I found out a few weeks after I left. When this is all over, I'll have a lot to tell you."

To prevent anyone on the opposing side from hurting you, Lagertha had summoned you to Kattegat under the excuse that in her absence the city needed someone to lead it. There was no point in arguing. While she had killed your mother, Lagertha considered you, as she considered Torvi, as if you were part of her family.

The people of Kattegat welcomed you as if you had never left, with smiles, hugs, and congratulations for your future motherhood. Walking through the market, memories of you walking through it as a child suddenly came back to you. But your reunion with the city was quickly interrupted when you noticed a commotion at the beach bench where the market ended.

What a surprise to find Margrethe, half in the water, lifting a piece of wood. You approached, silently, staring at the young woman as well as everyone else around you. She seemed to be elsewhere and you realized that the state in which you had left her had worsened. As she walked away after dropping the piece of wood in front of two children, whom you recognized as Torvi's children, you watched her leave, sorry that no one had taken care of her. But you could not forget what she had done.

Being sure that your time in Kattegat was only temporary, you introduced yourself to Hali and Asa as their father's younger sister before taking them to the safety of your old home. Your story with Margrethe could wait.

Taking the little girl on your lap, you told them stories about the Gods, about Bjorn, about how you knew Torvi, and about what their future might look like as a little prince and princess of a Viking kingdom.

"One day, when I was a little younger than you Hali, the snow covered Kattegat as it did every winter, and my brothers and I went to play in the snow. One of them refused to play with us even though we offered him and that didn't stop us from making a snowman as big as the giant Ymir. When we got back to the Great Hall, he complained that we didn't play with him. And my mother had some wise words for you to remember and consider as I should have. You need to be here for each other, if one of you proposes something to the other and you refuse, don't come complaining afterward. If you don't want to play together at one time, it doesn't mean you won't want to play together later. You should support each other no matter what. We adults are not forever and one day you will need each other." Hugging Asa a little closer to you, you placed a kiss on her forehead as she fell asleep.

"Today I told my brother that he was no longer part of my family. I let him down, I wasn't there for him and I regret it. Hali, never make that mistake, never let others tell you what to do, follow your instincts and you will become as important as your father and grandfather."

Slowly cradling your niece, you waited for Torvi to return, protecting her children from Margrethe's madness. The young woman looked harmless, she was still your sister-in-law after all, and you felt nothing but pity for her. She had tried to talk to you, to tell you how you should have listened to her and killed Lagertha when you had the chance, but you reminded her that you had changed. That you were no longer the frightened girl learning to fight and that she would never again be allowed to address you the way she did before.

Leaving Torvi with her children, you joined Ubbe in the Great Hall. The expression of all the warriors you had met left you in no doubt about the outcome of the battle. Lagertha had been defeated and Ivar would soon come and take back what he had won. For a second, your mind stopped thinking that he had succeeded in fulfilling his promise but it was not so. The shieldmaiden, the queen of the Vikings, was still alive.

"We need to leave this place, as quickly as possible." Ubbe warned you when you had barely taken a step into the room. Finding some of your warriors you escorted your family to a temporary safe place. But you no longer had a say in the matter.

"Be careful on the road, take care of yourself and my future nephew." Ubbe told you, a slight smile on his lips, trying to divert your attention from his situation. You hugged him after saying goodbye to Lagertha, Torvi, Bjorn, and their children.

"This is not farewells my brother, not yet. I am sure the gods will lead us down the same path again."

One of your warriors helped you onto your horse, and as your family members became silhouettes in the distance, you feared it would be the last time.

[wizkiddx]

heyheyhey idk if u do req but love your dad tom stuff! PLZ PLZ do tom helping his kids with homework but cant do it and reader has to help and its all fluffy 😩💕

ye im down to do req and this had me going completely ott cos its v cute (and a lot less angsty than what ive written recently aha) so apologies for my ramblings:

Summary: tom has the kids for a day and maths homework throws a spanner in the works - tomhollandxreader

implied smut + v slight reference to porn but basically just fluff I promise xox

\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////

Tom had dealt with a lot of whining today. Nova and Leo were the absolute joys of his life, there was no doubt about it. Of course, he also loved you a hell of a lot too - sometimes to his detriment though, hence the position he was in now. 

You’d had a busy week at work and he had been away for the first half of it - leaving you as an almost single mother to a 5 and a 7 year old. So completely fairly, you’d asked if he wouldn’t mind watching the kids for a the day on Sunday, allowing you to go to a friends baby shower. There was no answer but to agree, Tom loved quality time with the kids and he wanted you to kick back and relax with you friends too. 

However the afternoon had not been nearly as idealistic as it were supposed to be in his head. You had left him only one real job (apart from the unavoidable essentials of keeping the kids alive with food and water, something you’d hope he need not be reminded about now). Really it shouldn’t of been that hard, it was just each kid had two pieces of homework. After convincing and cajoling the kids into sitting at the table which he’d already set up with Nova’s ‘Liverpool FC’ and Leo’s ‘captain marvels’ pencil case, the English was easy. 

In fact 5 year old Leo took great joy out of writing a poem with his Dad, which basically involved trying to rhyme any word with another - especially when he tried to convince Tom that all his completely fictitious words were real and worked together. A personal favourite had been ‘snakes’ and ‘palakes’ which Leo was convinced meant pancakes - arguing so vehemently Tom almost started to doubt himself on basic English. 

Thankfully though his eldest and most sensibly child eventually took him out his misery. If anyone had any control over the Holland boys, Leo and Tom - it was the Holland girls. You and Nova had both boys completely under you spell, often taking advantage of the fact too. It was only when Nova got bored of hearing Tom and Leo mock arguing, interspersed with the little boys giggles that Tom tried his absolute hardest to keep a straight face at, that she swooped in.

“Stop being silly Leo, mummy told you he’s not good at school!” She looked oh so innocent, eyes immediately flicking down to continue the little short story she was happily going on with. In response  Tom scowled, knowing your highly curious and intelligent daughter had asked you (for one reason or another) why he was not so academic. Yet instead of Leo bursting out laughing, instead he just nodded and accepted it too - making Tom scowl even more. Not even Leo thought it was a joke. 

So apart from his children apparently taking pity on his simple mind, it was all going smoothly. Perhaps, due to the thankful fact your children had inherited their brains from their mother - something Tom was forever thankful for, until he was shamed for his substandard intellect in the family. Then again though, he was Spiderman. So take that. 

Until Nova brought out her maths sheet. Then the afternoon quickly descended into chaos. It was fractions, something she hadn’t quite grasped from school yet - a concept that still hurt her head somewhat. Normally though it’d be fine, she’d bring the sheet to you and the two of you used ‘ girl power’ to figure it out… you prior experience as a tutor while in uni helping you know how to break through to her. 

Unfortunately Tom didn’t share this same experience. Nor did Tom share a maths qualification… something that had evaded him completely during his schooling career. Of course, it had never been a particular issue, acting didn’t require the use of maths and algebra and Tom was in a very lucky position of being able to pay someone to manage his finances from a very young age. So no, dividing 2/3 and 3/7 didn’t come the most naturally to him. Or at all to be quite honest. 

“I CANT DO IT AND GRACE IN MY CLASS COULD!” For context, Grace was one of her school friends, who forever liked to compare herself to the young Holland - especially because she was normally ahead. Nova had gone from quiet frustration, staring at the questions with her tongue sticking out slightly, to one of pure rage - yelling at her dad with tears in her eyes. Nova was normally incredibly intuitive, she always found it difficult when she couldn’t do something. Now, with a ‘teacher’ who was more useless than her - the frustrations inevitably bubbled over. 

“Hey, we can work it out, just calm-“

“YOU CANT DO IT EITHER YOUR STUPID “ She was just young and frustrated, Tom tried not to take it personally but … it wasn’t always easy. Chiefly because this was the height of offensive statement Nova knew - this was her version of adult explicit language. 

“Nova you can’t be rude.” He used his stern voice, something Tom very rarely used with his little girl. Though he never wanted to upset her, neither did he want her to think it was ever okay to be so rude to anyone like that- no matter how crappy at maths they were. It hurt him to do so but it was necessary - life lessons about the importance of being kind needed to be learnt. And it worked… if what Tom was aiming for was his beautiful baby girl’s eyes to brim with sparkling tears, her bottom lip quivering slightly. 

Instantly Tom’s eyebrows drooped, trying to fight his natural reaction to scoop her onto his knee and reassure her everything was okay. But as you had lectured him many a time before, he had to put his foot down once in a while. So instead, the father and daughter were locked in a silence and intense eye contact, until Nova hesitantly began to speak. 

“I’m sorry Daddy.” During which, Nova shoved her chair back, making it screech against the tiled floors uglily before running off up the stairs. Tom knew she was crying a lot. Knew this was going to take a bit of fixing. 

With a sigh of his daughters name, Tom popped his head into the living to check on Leo who had already finished all his stuff. Seeing him completely zombified in front of ‘paw patrol’ on TV, Tom trudged up the stairs. He knew where she was, when Nova was upset she always hid in the corner of her wardrobe and cried in the darkness. So after steadying himself with a little internal monologue of how to approach the situation Tom walked in and sat down beside the wardrobe - knocking on the door slightly. 

“Nova… can we talk please?” All he heard was sniffing echoing from the wooden chamber until she tried to shout through the door.

“Go-go… go away daddy.” It broke his heart, the way her voice wavered, making Tom pout - gently letting his head fall against the wardrobe doors. 

“I don’t want you to be upset beautiful…. And you did apologise which I appreciate. You know why Daddy got angry right?” Her sniffles heightened before she muttered a quiet ‘yes’. “And you are sorry? Because that might’ve made me really sad too.”

“I’m s-s-sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

“Then that’s good and we don’t need to cry. You want a cuddle little one?” Before Tom could even properly get up the door was being pushed open by her little hands, revealing a tear stained face and big glassy eyes looking up at her Dad. Swiftly Tom scooped her up and out of the cupboard, whispering to her while she buried her face in his chest. 

“Oh come here my little bean.”

//////////////////////

When you came home late that evening, only mildly exhausted from spending the whole day gossiping with your girls, it was weirdly quiet. All the lights were out in the front room, which made you close the door gently, thinking Tom had managed to exhaust the kids - and himself in the process. With a relieved sigh at the peace you pattered into the kitchen to get yourself a drink (it had been a little concern that Tom would’ve worked the kids into a hyperactive and delerious state that kept them up long past bedtime - which ultimately you’d have to deal with). The house was remarkably silent and though it was clear from the littered toys everywhere that it had indeed been Tom alone in charge, everything seemed pretty okay. 

It was only as you were about to head upstairs to join your hubby in bed that you realised the study light was still on, streaming through the small crack in the doorframe. Assuming Tom had just neglected to turn it off, in otherwords Tom being Tom, you nudged it open with your hand. Surprisingly though, there was your husband, hunched over the desk, looking almost angrily focused - between the computer screen and a piece of paper below him. Normally you would’ve just assumed it was another script sent over or an edit Harry had sent of another screenplay they were writing together. 

But no, the blatant red flag was the screen that you could see. A screen on YouTube, of a man pointing at a whiteboard of fractions. 

So with a soft wrist you wrapped your knuckled on the side of the door, even if you had technically already entered the room. The reaction had you stifling a laugh, it was as if you’d caught him watching something *less PG* the way he jumped out his seat, closing the browser immediately. 

“Love!! I -er … didn’t know you’d got back?”

“I just did.” You smiled gently, while walking into stand behind his chair, wrapping your arms round his neck and pressing a kiss to his jaw. “Soooo…. what’ca doingggg” The glee in your voice was evident, making Tom groan and shut his eyes. 

“I hate you, you know that right?” 

“No you don’t… but you were watching a primary school video on fractions, if I’m not so mistaken?” He sighed deeply, making a point of turning the paper with his scribbles over to obscure it. 

“Nova’s homework.. she couldn’t do it and neither could I, so then she basically screamed at me for being thick and udseless and then had a breakdown.” 

Now you felt guilty. This was a bit of a sore spot with Tom, he always for some reason felt inferior because of his academic ability. Which was stupid- mainly because he was the most clever and talented man you’d ever met. Just…. Just not at fraction. 

“Oh T… you could’ve just left it for me to do with her, I don’t mind.”

“That’s not the point Y/n.” He snapped a little, shrugging your arms off him and spinning in the chair so he could face you. “She’s my daughter and I should be able to help her! It’s not like it’s that hard, it’s just I’m unbelievable thick.”

“Tom stop. Look - you can do this I assure you, it’s just been a long old time ‘kay? Your rusty and that’s only natural.”

“I really don’t think I could ev-“

“Can I teach you? It’s just the method and then I promise you’ll get it.”

It took a bit of persuasion but eventually Tom agreed, letting you pull the corner chair forward to beside his desk so you could demonstrate it to him. To be fair, he really could do it- just a bit of familiarising on the ‘stick-change-flip’ method. The way the lightbulb moment literally caused his face to light up; scurrying to do the question for himself, tongue sticking out in the process; then presenting it to you proudly - well it had you melting in your seat. 

“See! That took all of 5 minutes and you got it.” You elbowed  his side by leaning forward in the chair, which instead of letting go, Tom reached and caught, before pulling you up and round. You landed with you bum perched on the edge of the mahogany desk, Tom now stood up- his legs in-between your parted thighs - your feet hooking round the back of knees. 

“It’s all down to my incredibly talented teacher.”

“No…. No I really don’t think it is” You mused with a soft voice, fingers instinctively going to the nape of his neck - twirling the little curls round your fingertips. 

“Well even so… I think I could teach you a thing or two too.” Never one to mull on anything, Tom’s tone had immediately switched to something a lot more… mischievous. 

“Not even going to ask about my day? Wheres the chat mr smooth?” He had to repress the grin at your smirk because as much as you infuriated the hell out of him - you also had this weird ability of making him feel so entranced and helpless. He relented with a sarcastic chime.

“Fine, how was your day love.”

“Good…. but I have a feeling you’re about to make it a whole lot better.”

That was all the signals he needed to lean forward, in doing so forcing you back until your back landed completely on the cool wood. His lips feathered yours, both hands pinned either side of your head.

“Oh darling… you have no idea.”

[fatui-gf]

hello dear! your works are my current obsession i love them all!! youre v good :)

ive been thinking about like, coming home after a long dag of working to diluc and making dinner together and taking a stroll outside the winery and just soft domestic fluff??? whag i wouldnt do for that man heheh!!

have a good rest of your day n keep up the good work!!!

Hiiii!! Thank you so much for your kind words, it really means a lot to me and helps me keep motivated!! I’ve actually already planned to write some fluff for Diluc, he’s one of my favs, haha. Anyways, I hope you like this fluffy scenario! I took an artistic liberty and made the reader and Diluc married, I think it fits the domestic, sweet vibe and I hope you won’t mind :D

Diluc x reader - Can we kiss forever? (sfw fluff, the reader is gn as per usual)

word count: 1680

It was a tough day for the adventurer’s guild today. Loads of work and not that many people to take care of everything. If you said you weren’t tired then you’d be lying.

It wasn’t completely exhausting but you still couldn’t keep your mind off Diluc, especially during the end of the commissions you were supposed to do. Your mind would crawl back to him, the memories and how much you wanted to see him again, remembering the good morning kiss he had placed on your cheek. You touched your face, caressing the spot that had kissed earlier, lost in thought.

Are you done with your work today? - a familiar voice approached as you paused in your actions.

It was the fellow adventurer from the guild. You averted your eyes, a little flustered that they had seen you daydream just now.

Yeah, I was about to head home right now - you said, giving them a friendly smile.

Alright then, see you again tomorrow! - they exclaimed happily as you turned your own way.

Phew, they didn’t question what you were so intensely thinking about. You smiled to yourself as your mind drifted to your husband again.

You headed to the general goods store to get a few ingredients for dinner. You remembered your agreement with your husband that today the both of you were going to cook together.

After the shopping was done, you headed to the Dawn Winery where Diluc was waiting for you. He had already cleaned the kitchen and prepared what he could. You’ve placed the paper bag with ingredients on the counter as you spread your arms, inviting Diluc for a welcome hug which he gladly accepted. You stayed like that for a little longer, him enjoying the closeness he always missed.

It was beautiful to finally see the man feeling appreciated. He still needed a lot of reassurance, though. After what he has been through, he can’t let anyone he loves so much leave his side anymore. You were like treasure to him, someone whom he would always protect and take care of. He was devoted. Actually, really devoted and committed to the relationship. Most people wouldn’t necessarily describe him as a romantic person and truth be told, his stoic demeanor might suggest that. However, he tried his best to make you smile and happy, usually in the most subtle ways. You could notice he never forgot to greet you with a kiss in the morning or how he would gently hold your hand when you were nearby. It was the little things for him, mostly in the comfort of our own home, away from the sight of others. He didn’t need to show everyone you were his nor did he need the approval of strangers. All that mattered to him was the truth of your feelings.

Cooking the dinner today was entirely his idea, he thought it would be a great bonding experience and quite honestly, he loved your cooking, mostly because it was made by you. The love and effort that was put into a dish mattered more than the rich flavour or a skillful technique used to make it. It was special because it was made with care and hope that he will like it.

After pulling away from the long embrace, Diluc shot you a smile. It wasn’t that rare to see him smile, it was a part of the mask he would put on for the public but seeing him smile so happily and most importantly, truthfully was the best you could see.

He grabbed your hand and led you closer to the counters. You pulled out all the necessary stuff. You were going to make a “once upon a time in Mondstadt” (Diluc’s special dish). He watched you with eyes oh so full of love as you did tasks as mundane as preparing the meat for the meal.

He approached you from behind, putting his strong hands on yours as if he was leading you with them. You could feel the warmth gleaming from his bare hands, he was comfortable enough around you to take off his gloves, besides, he loved to feel your skin on his. It was so simple, yet so intimate.

You weren’t doing anything special but you felt like a royalty, so lucky to have him and so lucky to enjoy the time together. “This… is what love is about, right?” you thought to yourself.

You spent such a great time cooking the dish together, your laughter and sounds of endless conversations filled the mansion’s walls. When the meal was done, you’ve brought it to the table which was set by Diluc earlier. The white tablecloth was dotted with red rose petals and a few candles waited to be lit. Cliche but still cute, you could tell he’s put a lot of care and thought into it. You sat down and enjoyed the meal together. Diluc would sometimes reach his hand to meet yours, feeling your touch, you being close to him, appreciating your looks. You were perfect in his eyes and he was so glad he could have a more romantic dinner with you. It’s always good to romanticize simple tasks and make them something more special. He appreciated your every move, even if it was clumsy, he still adored it.

It was so good, I think we might have to do this more often - you laughed as you were putting the dirty dishes away to the kitchen.

Everything for you - he said, putting his large hands on your cheeks and gently caressing them before he placed a small peck on your forehead.

You shot a quick glance to the window and noticed that the sun was about to get. Your eyes widened and got brighter.

Diluc! Let’s go see the sunset together!

You made your way out of the Dawn Winery, taking a short stroll nearby before you settled down to sit on the grass. It was a little damp but that didn’t matter to either of you. You kept looking at the sky with the biggest smile, your eyes looked so beautiful in this lightning, someone couldn’t take their eyes off you. Your joy was so amusing, how a person could get so excited by something that happens everyday. Diluc quietly placed his hand on top of yours which you gripped, giving him the little thumb rub to show affection. He then averted his gaze from you, directing it at the scenery before him. It really did look beautiful, how the sun basically painted the nearby trees and such with its colors.

He was so happy to share this moment with you, just the two of you. As soon as the sun set, he could feel a playful push on his shoulder and there he landed, fully on the grass. He couldn’t help but laugh at your joyful shenanigans and pulled you closer into a kiss. As you pulled away, you placed your hair behind your ear, looking at your husband laying there underneath you. He actually looked so happy, he got everything he missed. It wasn’t long before you found yourself on the grass, now the red-haired man being the one more in control. Both of you giggled as you messed around with each other, just enjoying the company. You grabbed a strand of his beautiful hair and he reached to you once again, smiling before you could feel his lips on yours.

Can we kiss forever? Can we stay like this… forever? - you could hear Diluc ask after he pulled away.

You’ve placed your arms around his neck, giving him a smirk.

I really want to spend the rest of my life by your side - you said.

Do you promise? - he asked, sticking out his pinky finger - Pinky promise?

Pinky promise!

You know you can never break these, do you?

I wouldn’t dare.

Diluc took your hand, helping you get up. While you were tidying your clothes, he asked if you would like to walk around a little more. You agreed and the both of you proceeded to take a stroll near the winery, holding hands all the time during the process.

I’m so tired - you said after entering the mansion and taking off your shoes.

I’ll make something warm for you to drink before you go to sleep, it would be a shame if you caught a cold - your husband said with care.

You sat yourself on the couch, wrapping your body in a blanket, waiting for the hot beverage to arrive along with your portable heater, aka Diluc.

He came back to you after a while, holding a cup with hot chocolate and a plate with homemade chocolate chip cookies he has made before. Who would’ve known Diluc was so good at not only cooking, but also baking? He handed you the cup and placed the plate on the table.

Would you be so kind to let me in? - he asked as you laughed at his polite tone.

You lifted up the blanket, letting the red-haired man snuggle underneath it and wrap his arms around you. The fireplace was also lit, the glimmering light and Diluc’s loving embrace made you feel instantly warmer.

You kept taking sips of the hot cocoa and tasting the cookies. This is what home tastes like. You could feel your cheeks lighting up whenever your husband would give you a peck, not sure if he was trying to get your attention or just shower you completely with love. Nevertheless, it was beautiful.

After a while, Diluc could feel you drifting away to the dream land in his embrace. He carefully lifted you up from the couch, carrying you to your shared bedroom. He made sure to carefully tuck you in without disrupting your sleep. After getting ready for bed, he lied down next to you, taking a look at your sleepy expression before gently kissing your nose. He reached out to turn off the light and pulled you close into his embrace once again.

Goodnight, love - he whispered even though you couldn’t hear it.