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myfictionaldreams · 1 year ago

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Please Rest! // Steddie x f!Reader

Summary:You always wake up from date night feeling achy and exhausted and sometimes, you don't always prioritise your rest when you need it most. However, it seems great minds think alike where Steve and Eddie are concerned.

A/N: Hello lovely readers, welcome to my new poly series that I have been absolutely obsessed with the idea of. I hope you love it just as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Of course, this doesn't mean my other series will be neglected, I'd just like to enjoy some time with my two favourite guys from Hawkins as well!

TW: discussion of reminders to eat, not with regards to ED but the conversation is repeatedly discussed.

Tags: 18+ readers only, smut, fluff, light angst, domestic bliss, dom/sub undertones, lots of pet names (no use of Y/N), fingering, teasing, begging, Sex in Eddie’s van, rough sex, multiple orgasms, subspace, creampie, overstimulation praise kink, delayed aftercare, outdoor sex, passing out, discussion of remembering to eat

Words: 10.5 k (hahah oops)

my masterlist 📚 AO3 Link

Every day typically started the same. Sneaking out of bed in an attempt to not wake your boyfriends; brushing back unmanageable bed hair on both of their heads as you whispered goodbyes in the early morning hours. Before even the sun had crept over the horizon as you rose to attend the hospital where you worked as a student nurse.

Today however was a rare day, simply because: it was your day off. And yet, due to your natural alarm clock, you were still rising at the unnatural hour of the early morning. Tossing and turning did nothing to drag you back into the sleeping realm, even trying to cuddle closer to both the overheated bodies who you were sharing a bed with, but nothing seemed to help.

So once more, you were sneaking out of bed, moving steadily and with enough stealth that it would make one of the sleeping men proud. Even with the streetlamp outside illuminating the bedroom in a comforting orange hue, you still had to fumble dramatically across the floor until your fingers grazed over soft material, lifting it to your nose and taking a sniff. Vanilla, cedar and hairspray: Steve’s jumper.

A moment later you were pulling on the discarded jumper and a pair of your underwear that had also been left in the pile of yesterday’s clothes. Now partially dressed, you were able to make a pot of coffee and sit out on the porch and watch the sunrise whilst assessing just how much you were aching from the night before.

If you had a day off from the hospital, it usually meant one thing, date night followed by a thoroughly rough fucking, just as you liked it and now, you were feeling the effects today. All your muscles were aching and tender areas were littered underneath the skin from the restraints, spanks, grabbing and fucking from both men who were still soundly asleep.

It was your favourite pastime. If you had a day off then you’d all release the pent-up emotions with a hard fuck and then rest the following day which is exactly your plans for today. Maybe watch a movie or if you’re feeling extra exuberant then catch up on the laundry that seemed to be neglected in the corner of the bedroom from the past few days.

Your coffee was long finished by the time your body was warmed by the morning sun, the birds beginning to chirp awake with the rest of Hawkins. Well… most of Hawkins as you observed the car arriving and parking to the trailer across the yard. Eddie’s Uncle Wayne exited his car after finishing his night shift at the plant, probably on his way to bed but not before he turned in the direction of your shared trailer, seeing you there, raising his hand and giving you a wave which you responded with enthusiastically with a smile. It was an easy decision for you all to decide on sharing a trailer, it was cheap which was what you needed during your studies and it wasn’t like Steve and Eddie were making lots of money with their jobs. The trailer was quiet, out of the way and you were able to make the area yours, it worked for you all.

Deciding now was the perfect time for your second cup of coffee and maybe time for breakfast, you traipsed back into your little home, listening intently into the bedroom and still hearing two sets of snores notifying you that they were both still asleep.

Searching through the refrigerator that desperately needed filling with groceries, you shrugged, “Bacon it is”, muttering under your breath as you began to prepare breakfast. As the bacon cooked and you decorated the table, the alarm clock began blaring in the bedroom, followed by two exaggerated groans, arguing then a bang as the alarm was slammed off.

“Breakfast is ready!”, you cheerfully shouted, happy they were both somewhat awake now as it meant you were able to turn on the radio, something you’d been itching to switch on since waking up, instantly swaying your hips to the music. Vaguely in the background, there was thudding as someone tiredly shuffled out of bed and into the bathroom. A couple of seconds later, much more subtle steps could be heard as you stood over the stove.

Two naked arms wrapped around your waist, enveloping you in warmth and safety as lips settled into the base of your neck, moving as Steve mumbled, “Have I ever told you how much I love having you home in the mornings”. You smiled and leaned back into the solid chest, letting him hold you and sway on the spot for a second before needing to return to cooking the bacon.

Steve didn’t remove himself from you, his arms still caged around your waist, as he waddled tiredly with you as you continued to finish the breakfast. Only when the food was prepared and plated on the table did you succumb to the man behind you, turning on the spot, arms lifting and slipping around Steve’s shoulders, kissing his neck as you hugged him back.

Steve hummed into the morning cuddle, clearly half asleep still as his eyes had yet to open and his comfort only increased as your fingers easily ran through his hair, pushing it back and away from his face. “How long have you been awake?” Steve asked, voice still muffled against your throat.

Pulling back a fraction so that you could cup his cheek, kissing the tip of his chin as you replied, “My usual time”.

“Rough”, he admitted, finally opening his eyes and smiling down as he took in your appearance. “Good morning”, his voice was still thick from just waking up but the pure look he was giving you with his warm honeyed eyes.

“Good Morning”, you responded with your smile, tilting up on your toes so that you could kiss his soft lips for a second before asking, “Could you get the coffee for me, please”.

“Sure thing, baby”.

As soon as Steve had untangled his limbs from around your body and began walking back to where you left the pot of coffee, you were lifting back onto the tips of your toes as Eddie had snuck in, shirtless and with a nest of curls swooping in to cover your face as he pulled you into his morning hug.

“You smell like coffee and sex”, he croaked whilst tasting the skin of your jaw with lazy kisses, a smile tugging at his lips as he felt the warmth blossom across your cheeks. In turn, you tried to kiss along his cheek that was covered in stubble, a look he had been experimenting with for a couple of months, and a look you very much enjoyed as you reached his lips but your face was still covered in Eddie’s hair.

Lifting your fingers from where they had settled on his toned shoulders, you tried to tame his wild morning curls, brushing them out of the way but your fingers got caught in tangles. “And you smell”, you paused for a moment, breathing him in, “surprisingly nice, is that coconut?”

Eddie eased back from the hug, a grin spread broadly across his face, his dimples deepening in his cheeks that had your heart beating faster. “New shampoo, courtesy of Nancy. Gotta keep the curls up”, he dramatically shakes his hair back, his curls bouncing with the movement.

The three of you had a blissful breakfast, sat around the circular dinner table, Steve in the middle, Eddie to his right and you on his left. “I’ll bring you both lunch today, if you want. What time do you have it again?”

“12”, Eddie answered first, pausing his glugs of overly sweetened black coffee.

“12 30”, Steve then answered, as he placed his now empty glass of orange juice onto the table and squeezed your thigh that he was idly stroking circles on with the pad of his thumb.

“Perfect!” you say, cradling one of Eddie’s mugs that Wayne had given you upon moving in, the warmth soaking into your fingers from your second cup of coffee.

“You know”, Eddie pondered, lowering his cup onto the table, “I’m pretty sure driving all across Hawkins to deliver us lunch, is not classified as resting”.

Shrugging your shoulders, you tried to hide your smile by biting it at his voice of concern. “I’m not feeling too bad today”, this was only a half lie as you were definitely aching but you also knew your limit. Risking a glance towards both men beneath your eyelashes, teasing them and no longer hiding your smile, “Maybe you both didn’t go hard enough on me last night”.

“Oh, is that how we’re going to play today?” Steve’s eyebrows raised as his thumb brushed across his lower lip as he shuffled close to you in the circular booth, intention shining brightly in his eyes.

As he inched closer, you moved away, the fear of the chase about to occur but then a thought crossed your mind as you glanced at the clock. “Maybe another time because you both have to leave in three minutes”.

In sync, both of their heads snapped towards the clock and then rushed to clamber out of the booth, a string of curses leaving their lips as they scrambled to quickly get ready for work. As they did so, you slowly gathered the dirty plates and cups to place into the sink to begin washing up whilst chuckling to yourself listening to the grunts and bangs are Eddie and Steve rushed to get ready for work.

“What do you want in your lunch?” you shouted over your shoulder, turning your face slightly as in turn, they rushed to your side now fully dressed, hands on your waist as they lean in to kiss your cheek with an audible ‘mwah’.

“Anything, love you!” Steve was the first to kiss and exit, tugging on his green vest as he ran out of the door and jumped into his car.

“Everything on mine please, love you more”, Eddie shouted, stumbling as he attempted to tug his shoes on as he followed Steve out of the door, leaning through his car door to kiss him goodbye before climbing into his van.

You couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, muttering “love you too”, under your breath as you continued washing up.

The next few hours passed by slowly and you made sure not to rush, not that you were able to with the ache remaining in your muscles. You weren’t able to relax either though, feeling as if you were on edge with how quiet it was being by yourself in the trailer, even with the radio extra loud, you still felt unsettled. Most of the time, being home alone was not an issue however after such an intense night, it was unnerving to be by yourself and without the comfort of one of them there, it was hard to keep distracted. Even with your attempts to clean the trailer, thoroughly wash the lingering scent of last night's escapades off of your skin and then decided on a pretty floral dress that put no restriction on your achy muscles.

By the time you were preparing the sandwiches, cheese for Steve and ‘everything’ for Eddie which was more whatever was left in the fridge, a simple of ham, cheese, tomato and pickle, and finally a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you, you were ready to run from the trailer to your boys.

Eddie was right, although you would never admit this to him for a lifetime of gloating that would come of it; you needed to rest and after fussing around the trailer all morning, now you were exhausted. However, whenever you stopped, that feeling of sombre loneliness crept back so you were on your feet until it was a reasonable time to get into your car.

Your first visit would be to Eddie’s work which was a guitar shop called PickPlex where he was able to play with guitars all day and on the odd occasion give kids lessons. It wasn’t too far from the trailer so it didn’t take you long to pull up to the parking lot.

The bell above the door chimed as you entered and before even stepping in, a deep voice welcomed you from the desk. “Hey there Missy, haven’t seen you in a while, how are you keeping?” Craig the shop owner greeted you, a man in his late 50s with tattoos covering his neck and arms but his real nickname was the gentle giant.

“Hey, Craig! Yeah, it’s been a while, I’ve been working and it’s finally my day off so-”, you held up the bag of Eddie and yours sandwiches, “Lunches need to be delivered”.

As you stopped talking, you were able to spot a head full of black curls perk up behind a display of guitars. Eddie’s boyish grin spread across his face, eyes lighting up as he spotted you and instantly jogged over, the chain on his belt jingling against his thigh as he approached. The closer he was, the more you had to stifle your laugh at his unkempt uniform. Clearly from his rush this morning to dress, he’d thrown on his discarded button-up black shirt that was heaped onto the floor which meant that it was creased today and you couldn’t help but feel more affection for him as you noticed he’d scribbled on his red name badge, changing his name from Edward to Eddie.

“Hey Angel”, he purred as he stepped up to you, leaning down to kiss your lips softly.

Smiling up at the man you teased, “Are you talking to me, or the guitars?”

Eddie’s head tilted as he bit the inside of his cheek, his dimples threatening to deepen in a smile that he was holding back at your sass. “The guitars are Sweetheart, you are my Angel”, even though it was a teasing and casual conversation, his words still managed to have your heart racing, especially as he dipped his face to kiss your cheek.

“It’s her day off and you’re making her bring you lunch, Munson? Thought you were better than that”, Craig joked as he leaned on the countertop.

Eddie turned on the spot to address his boss, “I’ll have you know that she insisted on it. Is the back room free?” he asked, nodding his head behind Craig who was shaking his head.

“No fraid not, Shan’s in there, kid”, referring to his wife having her lunch break already.

Shrugging his shoulders, Eddie turned back towards you, taking your spare hand and dragging you back towards the door you just entered through, “No worries, we’ll just be in my van”.

Waving your fingers at Craig, you leave with Eddie, almost skipping with glee towards where he’d parked in the van in the corner of the parking lot, under a canopy of drooping tree branches. Reaching the sliding side door of his white and plum-coloured van, Eddie opened it up and held out his tattooed hand for you to take.

Grasping his large rough hand in your own, you savoured the feeling of his cold, chunky rings as Eddie uttered, “M’lady”.

“Why, thank you sir”, the word sort of just slipped out at his chivalrous actions and you noted the way his breath hitched at the word as he helped you into the back of his van. It was exactly as it had been when you’d first met him a year and a half ago, an old mattress on the floor space, covered in blankets, sheets and pillows as this used to be his favourite place to get high but since being with you and Steve, the place had become a lot more frequently used for other such doings.

Eddie clambered into the back of the van as you sat against some pillows, making yourself comfortable, and he swiftly slide the door close behind him, giving you both some privacy and also pushing you both into dimmer lighting as his back windows had long since been blacked out by sheets.

Holding up his wrapped sandwiches you began to list what was in them, “I hope you like this version of ‘everything’, so you’ve got ham, cheese and-”, your words instantly died in your throat as Eddie crawled on his knees towards you, hand gently grazing over your jaw before he was closing the gap between your mouths.

Your grip on the sandwich bags released instantly so that you could cling to the collar of his uniform, pulling him even closer. It became heated quickly as he settled between your thighs, a movement that had them aching from being in similar positions all night but you were very much ignoring that right now.

Eddies face tilted to deepen the kiss, his tongue pressing desperately against your sealed lips and you were more than happy to allow him entrance, moaning as you could taste the lingering cigarette and cola mixture from his earlier breaktime treats.

Just as your fingers slipped beneath his collar and began to scratch your nails against his scalp, a move that had him shivering and moving closer, he seemed to falter and regrettably pull back from the kiss. Both of your lips still hovered over one another as he stated, “Angel, you should eat”. The affectionate warmth returned to your chest as he continued to try and look after you after last night.

You did appreciate it and you were hungry but right now, you were also hungry for something else as you reached for his hands, linking your fingers together and once again savouring the contrasting temperatures between his fingers and jewellery. “I can eat with Steve”, you confidently state, moving your lips just past his to caress his cheek. It wasn’t your intention to come and fuck him in his van but you’d been so touch-starved these last few hours that you’d take anything he was willing to give you right now.

Eddie once again leans back so that he can bore his rich, chocolatey brown eyes into your own, his tone soft and yet demanding as he asks, “You promise me that you’ll eat with Pretty Boy?”

“I promise to eat with Steve”.

It took him a second to seem convinced of your promise before he was diving his face lower to your neck, stubble scratching and teeth nipping the sensitive skin. “I haven’t forgotten what you said this morning by the way”, he says, words muffled by his actions on your neck.

“What?” you ask breathlessly, all thoughts disappearing from your mind as your eyes closed and head tilting back to give him more room, your hands squeezing his hands in need to hold him close.

Eddie continued to explain as he explored up towards your jawline, “About not going hard enough last night, I think you need to be more careful with your wording, Sweetheart”.

You couldn’t help but grin at your words during breakfast and with the atmosphere thickening in Eddie’s van, a noticeable dampening between your legs as your pussy hummed in arousal. You knew you shouldn’t continue to taunt, especially after how rough it was the night before but your response was already dangling in front of you, teetering on the tip of your tongue. “Oh? So now I’m Sweetheart, am I?”

Eddie’s lips paused their exploration as he once again leaned back on his knees to look at your grin. You weren’t often a bratty person and hated any repercussions that came from it, especially from Eddie as he usually liked to be the meaner dominant between him and Steve so you were currently skating on thin ice. Instead of giving you an answer in return, he moved his body away slightly, hands letting go of yours but only so that they could grip your hips so that he was able to pull your body further down so you were now lying on the mattress, giving him better access to crowd over your body.

His curly hair cascaded around his face, shadowing his handsome features in the low light as your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling his crotch flush against yours, the material of your dress pushing up to naturally bunch around your waist. This touch was enough to distract you from the domineering response that was still pending to come from Eddie as he slowly rolled his hips, his jean-covered hardened cock pushing against your soaking panties.

Because you were watching his shadowed face, you didn’t notice one of his broad hands creeping towards the edge of your panties, where your thigh and pussy met, where you were most sensitive and the second his fingertip stroked the hem and skin, you were bucking your hips.

“I’ll call you, whatever I’d like to call you”, he seductively declares before his mouth opens, copying yours as you release a desperate gasp as his fingers dipped beneath your panties so that he could feel just how wet you were. “This all for me, Sweetheart?”, he emphasises the pet name as he lifts an eyebrow.

“Eds…Eddie, please”, you beg as he expertly takes his time to move up and down your folds, spreading your juices between your hole and up to your clit.

Your boyfriend gives you a condescending head tilt as his eyes seemed to darken to near pitch black as you keen into his hand, hips jerking to try and feel more. His face drops even lower so you can feel his warm breath teasing your cheek as he asks, “Please, what?”.

“Want to feel more of you, please fuck me, need to feel you there”. You were completely ignoring just how desperate you sounded at that moment, both Steve and Eddie always had to do the absolute bare minimum and you’d be melting in their palm and become a mess. With both of your hands with nothing to grip onto, you reached for his shoulders, feeling the muscles straining beneath as you hopelessly tried to pull him even closer but he was using his strength to remain in place and be in control.

Even with his fingers teasing your pussy, he still wanted to clarify just what you could handle as he voiced his concern, “Do you think you can handle me after yesterday? We did go pretty hard on you last night”. His hard exterior was chipping away as he contemplated whether to even continue this little lunchtime fuck.

He was waiting for your response and you’d already made up your mind; reaching between your bodies, you grasped his hand that was teasing the outside of your cunt and whilst moving that and your hips at the same time, you were able to coax his middle finger into your hole. Your back arched instantly, eyes closing and moaning deep within your chest at finally feeling some relief at being touched where you were needing.

“Fuck!”, Eddie curses under his breath, taking your actions as an answer enough as he began to regain composure and control by pushing your underwear further to the side, giving him better access to add another finger. In and out, he gently stroked your walls, finally leaning back down to kiss you feverishly once more, his tongue entering your mouth and dancing with your own.

Your fingers returned to gripping at his hair as your hips moved in sync with his coaxing fingers. The pleasure was blooming and tightening throughout your core as he used his guitar-playing, skilful fingers to touch all of the right spots, including his thumb circling your throbbing clit.

You were becoming overwhelmed, not just by his fingers but by also trying to kiss him and beg at the same time, your brain was confused about where to put your energy and in the end as your legs began to tremble and your mewls increased in pitch, all you could do was tip your head back and moan.

Eddie watched your every move with his own arousal going on the back burner as he made sure to spend the time looking after you, especially as you were so good for him last night. “Good girl, you’re taking my fingers so well, don’t hold back Angel”, he praised from above.

You couldn’t contain yourself even if you tried as your whole body trembled as your orgasm pulsed through your cunt, your fingers ached with how hard they were holding onto him, your thighs burning with the attempt to keep them wrapped around him. Eddie’s tried to swallow your moans up as he rushed to kiss you, lips lazily moving across one another before resting his forehead against yours as he slowly removed his fingers.

Greedily he brought them up to his lips, releasing his groans and eyes rolling back as he licked his fingers clean, “always taste so good. Now let’s get these off of you”. His hands moved to either side of your underwear and gently eased them down your legs and dropping them just behind him.

You watched his every move just as intently as he’d been watching yours as you tried to catch your breath, the van already feeling humid so a light dusting of sweat stuck to your skin. Eddie didn’t seem phased by the rising temperatures as he swiftly unbuckled his belt, pushing his jeans and boxers down only to mid-thigh, not wanting to waste time by fully removing clothes, only the essentials as he once again moved to hover over you.

“Let me see it”, he asked gently, dropping lower so that his chest brushed yours and all you could do was look into his handsome face. You knew instantly what he was referring to as you reached into your dress, tugging on the lengthy silver necklace and removing it from between your breasts where it naturally stayed, close to your heart. Eddie smiled softly, kissing your lips and then kissing the items attached to the necklace: two rings. One was the thick ring that he used to wear that had a black stone in the centre, and the other was a slim golden band from Steve, a present that had been given to him by his grandpa and now to you. It was nothing marital or even a promise ring for the reasoning that they gave it to you, just one day you were trying on Eddie’s rings and he offhandedly mentioned that you could keep it and Steve, never to be outdone removed the ring on his thumb and gave it to you. However, both rings were too large for your fingers so therefore you kept them on your necklace and now Eddie had the habit of holding onto them tightly whenever Steve wasn’t there to join your fun.

You couldn’t see his cock as he got comfortable above you, but you suddenly felt it as his tip stroked over your clit as he rocked his hips against yours. A desperate moan echoed around the van and Eddie had to quickly put his hand over your mouth as you became too loud. “Need to be quiet for me, yeah? This van isn’t soundproof, Angel”.

His lips were by your ear crowded into you, nice and close, making you feel small and trapped which is exactly how you liked it when feeling this needy and submissive. Your trembling fingers gripped onto the back of his shirt as he once again thrust forward, but this time finding its home as he began to slip into your hole. You tried to arch your back with the pleasure sparking across your body with the position you were simply held down.

“Fuck!”, Eddie cursed as his own eyes closed in ecstasy, savouring your warmth and tightness as he delved deeper into your hole. “Always so good for me, aren’t you Sweetheart? Always take my cock so well”, he praised again, followed by more curses as you squeezed around him to show how much you enjoyed his dirty talk.

Luckily Eddie wasn’t in a slow, teasing mood anymore as he began to fuck you fast and deeply, the van even began to rock from the momentum of your bodies. Anyone else who saw in the car park would evidently know what was going on which made it counterintuitive for him to cover your mouth but neither of you seemed to actually care in that moment.

Needing to feel more of him, your hands lowered to the edge of his shirt, and as it was already creased, he didn’t mind as you pushed it up and over his hips so you could touch his bare skin. The soft, unmarked areas of him were warm, just like the rest of him. However, your fingers found the deep, angry scars from the bite marks that he suffered during the attack on Hawkins a year and a half ago, which was conveniently how you met him and Steve as you were working the night they both turned up to receive treatment, Eddie more so then Steve. However now, both men had lasting scars from whatever creature had attacked them and the scars, they were like nothing you’d ever seen before. Visually they were like anything trying to heal, the redness fading with each month but when touching them, the scars were ice cold, as in, freezing cold, like they weren’t attached to his body. Steve always brushed it off as probably from a rabid animal, as they never told you what had bitten them but it was still unnerving to feel such contrasting temperatures on his midsection.

Eddie’s moans deep into your ear snap you out of your contemplative thoughts as he nuzzled into your neck, still holding the rings on your necklace and the other hand over your mouth. The sweat was causing his fringe to stick to his forehead but he didn’t care, his cock still throbbing and fucking into your cunt.

You wish you could beg, unsure of what exactly but you could feel yourself drifting closer to that peak once more. However, you didn’t need to verbalise this anyway as Eddie could already tell how close you were by how you were fluttering around his cock and how your fingers were gripping his back tighter. Eddie Munson seemed to know just about everything about you, there was no need to use words with him anymore.

“Sweetheart, you feel so fucking good, you wanna cum? Then cum for me, that’s a good girl, just like that”. You’re shaking once more with the intensity of the orgasm and it’s enough to have Eddie following you through with his own. Hips stuttered with its thrusts as he came deep into your pussy, filling you up with thick streams.

Eddie pants for a moment whilst trying to catch his breath before he seems to remember that he’s still covering your mouth and quickly slips his hand off but then replaces it with a searing kiss, which then moved along your cheek and tickles your jaw. You let out a delicate giggle which causes his softening cock to slip out as he groans deeply and collapses next to you on the mattress.

After a couple of seconds, he decided he couldn’t cope with the temperature anymore. Tucking his cock back into his boxers and buckling his jeans once more, he then crawled over to the back of the van, opening it up and allowing the cool whisps of wind to shiver along his skin. Luckily he had parked the van in such a way that the back of it faced a thickly wooded area so no one could see in to witness your half-dressed, thoroughly fucked state.

Eddie sat at the door, breathing in the fresh hair for a moment, fingers itching to reach into his back pocket for a smoke but he refrains as he knows your distaste for it. Instead, he sits back and admires you from where you lay, legs still spread and pussy dripping with his cum. “So pretty, such a shame that I have to ruin it”, he comments as he begins to awkwardly climb back through the van and reach over the bench behind you.

Even though you couldn’t necessarily see him, you knew he was searching for his hidden box of tissues that you had insisted be kept in the cars for impromptu moments like this. Returning to your side, you let him carefully clear you up and surprisingly his touches were soft enough that you weren’t wincing at the contact on your sensitive centre. After, he also helped you back into your underwear which was another shock as he usually liked to keep it in his pocket and tucked your necklace back into your dress.

You continue to lie there, feeling fuzzing and euphoric and he grins down at you, his eyes twinkling with mischief, “You should bring me lunch more often”.

Giggling at his comment, your hand reached across the mattress to hold his hand, “I agree, I love you”, you say in a whisper.

“I love you, too”, Eddie links your fingers together once more with one hand and idly checks the time on his wristwatch with the other. “Shit!”, he swears as his eyes widen checking the time. “You need to get going if you’re going to make it in time for Stevie boy’s lunch”.

Even though in the back of your mind, you were still aware of today's plans, it continued to feel like a momentous task to be snapped out of the fun buzz of the after-sex glow as you two began swearing and sitting up, ignoring the slight gush that seeped out of your pussy from the cum that was deeper inside of you as you tried to shuffle close to the sliding door. However, Eddie didn’t immediately open it as he took a second to assess your face.

“Are you going to be ok to drive? And we… we didn’t get time to cuddle or anything and I know after last night you might be feeling a little more needy and I-”, you lifted your fingers and pressed them to his lips to stop his stumbling words.

You appreciated his concern and even though you did feel slightly more floaty than you’d like, you didn’t want him to have to worry. So you plastered a fake smile on as you reached out to grab the two sandwiches, holding out Eddie’s for him to take as you explained, “I’ll be ok Eds, we’ll just have a quiet night tonight or something as we said. I’m sure I’ll manage. Now please can you help me out”.

Eddie took the sandwiches and jumped out of the van, holding out his arms for you to grasp and unsteadily stepped back onto the pavement. Your knees were trembling from the fucking so you had to cling to Eddie more than you would have liked to as he walked you back tur own car whilst stuffing his face quickly with his lunch. There, he held open the door and helped you get in, closing the door behind you and waiting for you to roll the windows down so he could lean into the open space.

Strapping your seatbelt across your body, you then held onto the steering wheel tightly, trying to steady your pounding heart as the tremble that had been in your knees now seemed to move throughout your body.

“Remember your promise to eat with Steve”, Eddie mentioned as he leaned in to kiss your temple and then your cheek. Nodding your head, you continued to smile up at him as you turned the ignition on. “Don’t have too much fun without me”, he jokes, finally leaning away from the car and giving you some room.

“I wouldn’t dream of it”, you laughed, waving out of the window as you drove off towards Family Video.

Since the attack on Hawkins, Steve had been promoted to manager of Family Videos with Robin as assistant manager, typically running the place by themselves. As you approached closer, you briefly checked into the rearview mirror, checking that you piously look as if you’d just been fucked, even though you could still feel the sticky feeling between your legs.

Parking directly outside of Family Videos, you tried to see through the glass to determine if it was busy but you couldn’t see a single customer and Steve was looking bored out of his mind behind the desk, his head resting heavily on his fist. Taking one last steadying breath and trying to regain composure, you grabbed the remaining two sandwiches and exited your car, eng into the video store.

With only one foot in the door, you were greeted by a shout of enthusiasm from your boyfriend. “Baby! Thank god! Robin, I’m going for lunch, don’t destroy the place!” You watched as Steve hopped over the desk, being careful not to knock the displays over. It was obvious that he had been desperately waiting for you to arrive so that he had an excuse to leave the madhouse.

“Wait, is my bestie here?”, Robin shouted from behind a rack of videos but Steve didn’t give you time to say hey as he grasped your hand and tugged out of the door you’d only just entered through.

“Hey Robin!” you shouted over your shoulder before being whisked away by Steve. You had to jog slightly to keep up with his long legs as he seemed to be taking you somewhere preplanned. “Where are we going?” you asked with a giggle as Steve seemed to snap out of his determined march and slowed his pace with an apologetic glance.

“I’ve got a little surprise for you”, he admitted, leaning down to kiss your temple as you squeezed his hand, hugging his arm to your front as he took you around the back of the store, through a small gap in the trees and into a little green area.

Your steps paused with shock as you finally saw his surprise. “Steve… is that?” your words trailed off as your eyes widen.

“It’s not much, just thought we could have a little picnic, it’s not often we get to have lunch together”. You had to bite your lip to keep the tears from welling in your eyes, already feeling a little sensitive emotionally, it didn’t take much of a soft move from Steve to have your emotions brimming. “Baby, what’s wrong? If you don’t like it, we can do something else”, Steve looked worriedly down at you as you quickly shook your head, smiling genuinely up at him.

“I love it! You didn’t have to do all of this for me”. The closer the two of you approached, the faster your heart pounded in your chest. It truly wasn’t anything exaggerated, especially as this seemed to have been a spontaneous surprise but he’d found a small checkered blanket, one that you recognised from Eddie’s van that he must have stolen this morning, there was a medley of coke cola cans and chocolate bars that you also recognised but this time from the vending machine from the arcade that was next to the video store and lastly was a wireless radio that was playing the latest Madonna song. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

Steve blushed at your gushing compliments, accepting a kiss on the cheek before helping you to sit in the centre of the blanket. “How was Eddie?”, he asked casually as he sat beside you, his hair bouncing and moving in the wind, despite the copious amounts of hairspray that he’d hastily put in this morning in his rush to get ready.

You were glad to already be hiding your face behind the can of pop as you tried to hide your embarrassed expression. “Yeah, it was good!”, you tried to sound as casual as possible, not sure why you weren’t admitting to the fucking but you didn’t want to burst the little date bubble by detailing how Eddie had been pounding you in the back of his van not that long ago. “Missed you though”, you added for good measure, placing the can down and beginning to crawl over to Steve as the overwhelming need to be touched returned, just wanting to be close to him, his hands on you, even if was just to hold your own.

“Oh yeah? What did you miss about me?” he teasingly asked as he extended his legs, hands already reaching for you as you straddled his lap. Your fingers played with the softer hair at the nape of his neck, leaning close to lay butterfly kisses along his cheek whilst his hands settled over your hips, holding you as close as possible.

“I’ve missed everything; your lemon shampoo, your perfectly shaped jeans…your sass”, his hands tightened on your waist as you spoke, a smile spreading on both of your faces at you poking fun at him. But then your tone lowered as you hovered over his lips, “I’ve missed you looking at me, your hands touching my skin… among other parts”, you ground your hips down for emphasis, once again ignoring the ache in your muscles and recently used pussy.

Steve groaned as his hands moved lower and beneath your dress to gently stroke over and tickle the backs of your thighs. “Careful Princess, don’t you think we had enough fun last night, we don’t want to take things too far”. Even though he was enjoying your burst of need with the tightening of his jeans, you could see and hear the hint of concern.

“We had lots of fun last night but it just makes me crave you more”.

Maybe you should have listened to the little voice at the back of your conscious telling you to relax and rest but like any time you are with Steve and Eddie, you were consumed with lust and desire.

Your lips moved against Steve’s, softly at first, like you were both holding back from taking the plunge but as you once again rubbed your pantie-covered core against his tented cock, the reserved nature that Steve was holding onto snapped.

His moaned, deep in his throat and vibrated up his chest as he carefully led you down on the blanket, his hand cradling the back of your head as he began his exploration with his mouth, over your cheeks and to your ear, nibbling your lobe with his teeth, causing your back to arch for more stimulation.

“So beautiful”, he muttered against the shell of your ear as his hand skimmed over your chest and squeezed your breast through the material of your dress and bra. It was your turn to moan as your fingers danced over his shoulders, gripping the edges of his emerald family videos vest, unsure whether to continue taking it off as you were both relatively close to the public.

“Will.. will anyone find us here?”, the question lay thick in the air, the deciding factor as to just how far this lunchtime play could continue.

Leaning his weight on his arm next to your head, he contemplated for a moment, his handsome features twisting as he determined how safe it was from people. “How about this, clothes on and we have to keep our voices down, how does that sound?”

Instantly there were flashbacks to not that long ago with Eddie in similar circumstances and going against your better judgment, you sealed the deal with a searing kiss. Steve had his hands back on you a second later, still keeping your clothes on as he continued to squeeze your breasts and you knew he was desperate to get them out, he always had an obsession with your tits, sucking and playing with them whenever he had the opportunity.

The two of you made out for a while until breathless and your lips were swollen from the friction. He always tasted just as good as Eddie, whereas he was cola and cigarettes, Steve today tasted like chocolate from an earlier bar that he must have eaten whilst using the vending machine. His taste, his touch, his smells, everything drew you to him, almost the opposite of Eddie and yet they were so similar in others.

Needing to feel more of him, you shift your lower half down so that your hips were rolling against each other. Steve could sense your urgency to be touched as he promised against your throat, “Don’t worry baby, I’ll look after you”.

His hands gathered yours, linking both of your hands in one of his, lifting them over your head and then holding them there so you were pinned beneath him. With his spare hand, he began to undo his belt and zip, easing his throbbing cock from out of its restraints and then to your clothed centre, pulling your ruined underwear to the side.

His precum-covered tip brushed against your hole and Steve cursed, leaning up to look down at your aroused expression. “Fuck, you’re so wet Princess, really are needy aren’t you?”

Once again that was a perfect opportunity to tell him that mixed in with your juices was Eddie’s cum but all words disappeared from your thoughts as he began to fuck into your hole. Slowly as he could, he made sure to watch your reaction to assure that you were feeling comfortable which you were as you had to bite your lip to keep your moans to a reasonable volume.

“You look so good like this, all desperate and ready for my cock, Baby”, Steve observed, his brown eyes wide and trying to take in every detail. You were trying to do the same but the euphoric, floating sensation had only increased, almost like you were drunk and Steve was the only thing anchoring you to the moment.

Unlike Eddie, Steve was slow with his fucking, rocking your bodies together, tension building and tightening in your core as you could feel the ridges and veins along the shaft of his cock. It felt almost naughty to be fucking outside, where anyone could stumble upon you both and it was exhausting having to keep your voice to a quiet volume. You were tempted to ask him to cover your mouth just like Eddie had but you were distracted by his lips casually moving against yours every so often.

You weren’t even able to moan his name out, even though you toted too, in fear that you would end up screaming out in ecstasy so you held onto the hand only both of yours down and moved with his hips.

“That’s it, one more for me, you’re doing so well, feel so good, Baby”, Steve encouraged and praised after you orgasm and quivered about him. You were already oversensitive due to the last 24 hours of fucking so as he continued to fucking you through the pleasure, one orgasm turned into two. You had to bite his shoulder to keep the moans and whimpers at bay and seeing you unwind so much beneath him, Steve’s eyes finally closed as his hips stilled.

He pumped his cum into you, breathing heavily into your ear as he kissed you sweetly across your face. Steve remained close over you, noticing how much longer it took for your pussy to stop pulsing around him, as well as the tension throughout your body taking longer than normal to relax until you were melting into the blanket once more. Steve had planned to have an extended lunch break with you, so he could stay wrapped around you when you needed him most but not everything always goes to plan.

“Steve?!” Robin shouted in the distance which had both of you tensing and looking in the general direction of the voice. “I’m sorry for interrupting your… canoodling time but you said to come and get you if the delivery guy turns up and well... The delivery guy is here!”

“Shit! Shit shit shit!” Steve whispered to himself as he made sure to carefully pull out of you and then began tucking himself back in. “I’m so sorry, I’ve been waiting for this delivery all week and they were supposed to be here all morning and- shit!” Steve angrily ran his fingers through his hair, messing up the style but it still looked effortlessly good like usual.

In your blur of feeling exhausted and foggy, his panic seeped through and seemed to clear some of the blur that was in your consciousness. “It’s ok Steve, honestly don’t panic, it’s fine”, you try and say without sounding too muffled as your tongue suddenly felt too big for your mouth. Wiggling the feeling back to your fingers, you quickly moved your underwear back to normal, ignoring the significant gush that poured out of your pussy as you sat up, your underwear was thoroughly ruined now.

“It’s not fine, I don’t want to leave you like this, especially after last night-”, Steve’s words were cut off as you leaned over and placed your fingers over his lips.

“It’s fine Steve, really it is. I’ll just see you when you’re home, do you want me to help you clean up the picnic?”

Steve smiled against your fingers, kissing them before tugging them away, “No don’t worry about this, I’ll come back and clean this later. Are you sure you’ll be alright? I mean, you’ve still got to drive back home. You could always come and sit behind the desk with me. But we don’t have a chair or anything but I could make it work”. Fondness warmed through your body as you shook your head.

“Thanks for the offer but I’ll be ok, think it’ll probably be better if I go home and shower…again”. Steve nodded and cupped your cheek, kissing you softly before standing and righting his clothes before holding out his hands for you to take.

You did with a toothy smile, hoping the happiness reached your eyes as he carefully helped you stand which took a good 30 seconds for your legs to stop trembling. “All good”, you confirmed when you could take a step without the fear of falling. Steve then reached down and picked up the forgotten-about sandwiches, holding yours out to take. “Thanks, I’ll have these when I’m home and showered”.

Steve smiled before saying, “Please make sure you eat these and maybe before showering just so you have some energy”. You nodded your head at his suggestion, taking his hand once more and began walking with him back towards Family Videos.

Outside the building there was a large van, unloading boxes of what looked like the latest video releases that Steve needed to sign for.

You wouldn’t admit it but with every step that you took towards your car, you felt uncomfortable due to the wetness between your legs and you were worried for a moment that it would leak through and drip down your thighs but thankfully with Steve’s fast pace the two of you were by your car.

You released a relieved sigh once back sitting down, the exhaustion returning once more as Steve leaned through your open window, just like Eddie had as he helped you with your seatbelt. “Are you sure you’ll be ok to drive?”

“I’ll be fine Steve, I hope the delivery goes ok”, you say before puckering your lips for him to kiss.

He did just that with a low chuckle before tapping the roof of your car, “Love you, please get home safely!”

“Love you too!”, you shouted, waving out of the window as you reversed out of the parking spot and drove in the direction of home. With each mile that passed, you could feel yourself becoming more dazed and floaty, not even needing the comfort of the radio as you were mostly on autopilot with your directions.

Finally, as you parked up in front of your trailer, it all seemed to hit you as you just stared at your home. Yesterday's activities and today’s had thoroughly exhausted you, struggling now to even keep your eyes open, body trembling with the effects of all the adrenaline that had been pumping through your body. You didn’t want to move, didn’t have the energy to move as you leaned your forehead against the cool window that you’d just rolled up. Closing your eyes, a deep sleep settled throughout your body.

The sun was beginning to set over the place you called home when the plum-coloured BMW drove down the path to his home, whistling the tune blaring through the radio as he took note of the fact that Eddie wasn’t home yet. Steve had a skip in his step as he climbed out of his car, shrugging off his uniform vest and pushing on the porch door, expecting it to open as you were home but it didn’t budge. Frowning he pulled out his keys from his pocket, the jingle of them the only noise around the area as he opened up the door.

“Baby? Why’d you lock the door?”, he shouted into the trailer, about to kick off his shoes when he noticed just how silent the place was, there weren’t even any side lamps on like there usually were when you were home alone. “Princess?”, he called again, quickly searching through the rooms, confused here you were because he was next to your car, maybe you’d gone to visit Wayne he finally decided.

Stepping back out of the trailer with the intent of walking to Eddie’s uncle's trailer, it suddenly felt like ice had been poured over his entire body as he finally found you, eyes closed and leaning against the window of your car. “Babe?!” Steve shouted loud enough that the birds resting on the branches of the surrounding trees flew away.

Opening the door, he quickly caught you before you toppled out of the car, dropping to his knees he cupped your face as you began to slowly wake up. “What’s wrong? Are you ok? Talk to me, please!”

“Hmm?” you mumble, eyebrows furrowing as you stretched and opened your eyes, completely disorientated and feeling even more exhausted than before. “Steve? I’m ok, just tired”. You nuzzled into his warm hands, closing your eyes again trying to chase that link back to falling asleep.

Steve released a heavy sigh, realising what had happened, and as he stroked both of your cheeks with his thumbs, he leaned forward to kiss your temple in relief. “Have you been asleep all afternoon?” he asked, glancing at the seat beside you and seeing the uneaten lunch you had prepared as you nodded yes in answer to his question. “Come on, let's get you inside.”

Steve felt guilt sitting heavily in his stomach at seeing how much you were struggling to stay awake, still in your ruined underwear, hungry and needing a lot of care. “Do you need me to carry you inside or do you think you can walk?”

“I can walk, just need to hold onto you”, your response was still done with your eyes closed and leaning into his touch. You were slow and let out little whimpers as you move your legs, the muscles burning intensely but you still were determined to walk, knowing that Steve was feeling bad.

As the two of you walked in, his arm wrapped around your waist so that he could take a lot of your weight and help you into the home. “Let’s go to the bathroom, get you in a warm bath”. As the water heated and began to fill the tub, you used the toilet, as Steve helped you to tiredly remove your clothes, not caring that he was seeing you in such a vulnerable state and you sighed in relief as your ruined, soaked underwear was removed.

“Careful now Princess”, Steve held your arms as you stepped into the bath, groaning loudly as the water eased the muscles throughout your body as you finally led down and felt some more relief. “Do you think I can leave you for a moment to go and make something for you to eat? You won’t fall asleep will you?”

Now that you were surrounded by warmth and Steve, alertness had returned to you so you gave him a loving smile as you nodded for him to go, not feeling the overwhelming need to be asleep.

When he returned, he sat next to the bath and fed you a freshly made sandwich, stroking your temple with the other hand. “I really did a number on you”, he pondered as he still was looking at you with his sad puppy dog eyes.

“Wasn’t just you”, you responded with a mouth full of bread.

“What do you mean?”

Swallowing the food, you decided to finally tell him, “It was Eddie too but I don’t regret it, both of you made me feel good”.

Steve’s shoulders dropped slightly, “You should have told me, I wouldn’t have gone so hard-”.

“You didn’t go hard Steve, I’m just tired that’s all, I wouldn’t have changed anything that’s happened”, you turned to face him fully, leaning over the edge to give him a sweet kiss that seemed to settle his nerves slightly.

This was when the porch door opened and closed, “Hello? Where is everyone?” Eddie shouted.

“In here!” Steve hollered over his shoulder, feeding you another bite of the sandwich.

“Ah there you guys are, and having fun without me it seems, I hope he’s treating you well Sweetheart”, Eddie grins at the sight before him, kicking off his shoes before entering into the bathroom. First, he cupped Steve’s jaw, tilting his head back to give him a lingering kiss, then he rested his hands on the edge of the tub, lowering his body to kiss the tip of your nose and then your mouth, even though you were midchew. “Having fun in there?”

“Yep! I’m having a very peaceful time, thank you”.

Eddie joined Steve on the floor, undoing a few of his buttons to become comfortable before noticing the tension still in Steve’s jaw. “What’s wrong with you? Did you have to rewind too many videos today?” Steve gave Eddie a deadpan expression before sighing and ruffling his hair and glancing back at you as you quietly stared between the two men. Eddie eyed the two of you with a questioning gaze, “Seriously, what's going on? Are you ok?” he shifted closer and lay a comforting hand on Steve’s tense shoulder.

It wasn’t Steve that answered but you, “Steve’s feeling a little guilty because he found me asleep in the car after we ALSO had some fun at lunch”.

Steve sighed, rubbing circles into his temple, “I didn’t know you guys had sex at lunch otherwise I wouldn’t have done it too, we needed you to rest today. You weren’t just asleep in the car, you were passed out and you hadn’t eaten, hence the sandwich”.

Eddie now turned his disappointed gaze to you, “Sweetheart, I made you promise to eat with Steve”.

Now it was your turn to look guilty and hide away from both of their looks, “I know and I did plan to but then- I don’t know, he was so warm and smelled so nice and one thing leads to another”. You were trying to get Steve to smile but neither man seemed to be falling for the flattery or joking tones so you sighed, “I’m sorry ok? It wasn’t like I had it all planned that this would happen, and I know I needed to take it easy and rest today with last night. Safe to say I’ve learned my lesson, no more fucking the day after date night”.

“Right you are”, Eddie mumbles, kissing your hand before his eyes brightened with an idea. “Tonight you are strictly doing nothing, do you understand me? Stevie here is going to cook, and we’ll pick a movie to watch and cuddle on the couch. And absolutely under no circumstances will there be any more fucking, understood?” You and Steve nodded at his rules but Eddie was now looking at Steve, “Unless you’re up for it later big boy, we’re still not off limits”.

This finally pulled a smile to the corner of Steve’s lips as he glanced at his boyfriend, leaning over to kiss his cheek before standing, muttering that he’ll go and look at what it is for him to cook.

Eddie then stood too, leaving and returning a moment later with one of his old oversized jumpers that had a graphic of an old comic, flaking on the back of it. “Let’s get you out and warm Sweetheart”.

Having been sitting down for so long, your legs were unstable once more so you clung to Eddie who didn’t care that he was getting wet, wrapping you thoroughly in a fresh towel and helping to dry your body before dressing in his jumper. After, he made sure you were comfortable back in the living room on the couch, the blanket from the bedroom thrown over your lap.

He didn’t return for a few minutes as he dressed out of his work clothes in grey joggers, an old black sabbath shirt and his hair pulled into a loose bun at the nape of his neck. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted a warm drink or a cold one so I brought both”, he declared, standing before you with a cup of coffee in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“Thank you Eddie”, you smiled lovingly up at him, accepting the cup of coffee before huddling back against the couch, manoeuvring your body around until comfortable with Eddie half wrapped around you, your head resting on his chest.

He’d selected Star Wars, which you should have anticipated as it was usually his choice of film when it was his turn to pick a movie. Steve joined the two of you not long after, moaning under his breath at the choice of the movie as he handed the two of you a plate full of food, even though you’d just eaten, you were more than ready to eat again.

They both stuck to their word and wouldn’t even let you help them to wash up the dishes. Movie night then turned into watching the sunset out on the porch, gathered in a bundle of warm limbs and blankets as Eddie’s music played from the open window of the bedroom. You had fallen asleep before seeing the sun disappear over the edge of the trees, only briefly waking up as you were gently laid down in the centre of the bed, not bothering to open your eyes as you heard Steve and Eddie quietly talking to one another about which side they were going to sleep on. Only when both of their arms wrapped around your middle did you finally let the comfort of sleep encompass your mind, regretting nothing from the day and already looking forward to waking up with another day with your boyfriends.

#steddie smut #steddie x reader #steddie #steve harrington smut #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #stranger things #stranger things smut #mine*

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astridthevalkyrie · 10 months ago

Text

love & deepspace | watching the solar eclipse with you

a/n: l&ds boys leave me alone l&ds boys are you listening please leave me alone

You're fiddling with your watch as you stare straight ahead, squinting to see if the short young lady across the street is really watching you through her window or whether or not it's a trick of the light. It certainly wasn't a trick of the light last week. You think it might be because you changed your curtains recently, and it just draws her eyes a little more naturally. You'd be more upset if you didn't spend so much time looking at her window wondering if she was looking at your window.

The wind teases your hair as you lean over the side of the balcony. Down below, the gleam from the quickly disappearing sun shines off your motorcycle, showing off the fresh polish you'd rubbed it down with earlier this morning.

"Admiring your baby?"

"I'm always admiring my baby," you sigh happily, letting out a small excited gasp when Xavier wraps his arms around you and offers you a bag of chips. "You actually found them!"

He hums lowly while you open the bag and dive in. Bless him for being just as much of a snacker as you. Not that the solar eclipse is an event you feel the need to celebrate, not with something like a party at least, but it still feels special. And it feels especially special because you and your boyfriend both made sure to request time off to just enjoy the moment together. For him to hunt down a favorite childhood snack for you too, well...this is a lot more than just a date now. This is something important, you can feel it.

And yet, Xavier treats the entire situation like it's any other day. He burrows his face into your neck, avoiding the sun entirely. The glow on his skin is even more beautiful than the one on your motorcycle.

"Xavier," you giggle, swatting at his hands while his fingers clutch your sweater all the more tightly. "Xavier, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event!"

"So enjoy it," he utters softly, pressing a kiss to your collarbone. "My once-in-a-lifetime event is right here."

"Doctor," you tease quietly, "I think I'll just sneak a small glance—"

Immediately, a warm hand covers your eyes, and you bite back a laugh. Zayne, for how clever he is, takes absolutely no chances with you. One might find it insulting, that he thinks you seriously would simply gaze up at the sun and let it burn your retinas, but you begrudgingly admit that you've perhaps made some impulsive decisions in the past.

With a brief smile, you take his hand in yours, and slide it down to your lips, kissing his palm. Hazel eyes meet yours and soften fondly.

"You only have the one lunch break," he murmurs, "and there is only one eclipse. Surely there were better places to see it aside from my car."

Of course there were. Even the roof of the UNICORNS building would have an incredible view. But Zayne had given you the privilege of sitting in the drivers' seat for once, his AC is always set to the perfect temperature, and most importantly...

Zayne is there. And he watches you like you're the most interesting thing about the world right now—yesterday, today, and always. He took his car out of its special parking spot just to sit in the corner of the street with the best view, all because you asked once, and you couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Instead of explaining all these reasons, you merely lean over the driver's seat, tug the collar of his short close, and plant a short kiss on his lips. He responds in kind, hand immediately rising to cup your cheek and deepen the kiss.

When he pulls back after a minute, lips swollen a little, he says breathlessly, "We'll miss actually seeing the eclipse at this rate."

"Well, you were right," you whisper, fisting his collar in your hands, "I only have the one lunch break, and I can't waste it."

His gaze becomes something indescribable, and the protective eyewear he's been holding in his hands slips onto the floor of the car as he cups your cheeks.

This time, Zayne kisses you.

For once, you were the dramatic one, insisting on a full outing, which you and Rafayel went back and forth on, until the two of you compromise by going out into his backyard. Outside, you draped a lovely little picnic blanket on the grass.

Rather dramatically, he's draped himself over you, head in your lap like he's making a huge sacrifice.

"Raf, at least look once."

"No," he whines quietly, so soft you want to coo, burying his face into your stomach, "fishies like me can't stare directly into the sun."

You poke his cheek. "Newsflash, H2O-Just-Add-Water, humans can't do that either. That's what the glasses are for."

Rafayel kisses your stomach, looking perfectly content. It's a wonder he even came out with you to see the eclipse at all, considering he's clearly not planning to actually experience it. With a sigh, you curl a few fingers into his hair, absentmindedly scratching the top of his head while you sneak another glance at the little orange light peeking back at you.

He grumbles. "Be careful. I don't trust your human technology."

"Yeah, yeah." With a smile, you look back down at him. "Are you sure you don't wanna see? It's really beautiful!"

"Oh, really?" he muses, muffled against your clothes. "Alright, I'll be the judge of that."

Then, without warning, he turns his head and gazes up.

Immediately, your hand flies up to shield his eyes. Your fingers brush up against your forehead, wisps of hair tickling your thumb as you try in a mild panic to protect him. While your first thought is to scold him for risking his eyesight like that, you note just a second later that Rafayel isn't trying to look at the eclipse. His gaze is trained on you, as though he can see more than the eclipse—the entire universe—in your eyes.

Faintly, you think that the pink of his pupils is prettier than any shade the sun could ever hope to be.

"Hm," he mumbles, reaching up to tuck your hair behind your ear, "yeah, you're right. Beautiful."

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skelebellie · 2 years ago

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affections towards reader

nb!reader x meryl, vash, wolfwood, and knives

NSFW headcannons involved, minors do not interact.

(nsfw is in red, if you’d like to skip it)

this is my first time writing smut lol. if you’ve got any constructive criticism please let me know.

———————————

meryl

meryl loves physical touch. she will constantly hold your hand in public, and if your not walking then she will sit close enough to have your legs touching. if your comfortable enough then she will make the excuse of “needing to save money” in order to share a bed with you. it intentions are never sexual, just in the loving nature that she feels most safe wrapped in your arms.

she loves to offer her thighs for those short naps. she knows she isn’t the most well endowed but you knock out moments within laying down.

meryl also likes to show her love though acts of service. she might take over some of your work to lessen the burden on you. maybe she might clean your clothes after a rough day through a sandstorm, making sure to part out all the sand prior.

she’s the opposite in bed. she’s an absolute pillow princess, her back arched as her thighs pressed against your head as you eat her out for hours. your just trying to show your appreciation for her, you know?

being in bed with her is something sacred to her. its a moment of absolute intimacy and she wants to spend every part of it clawing and grasping your body, each shock of pleasure causes her to pine at you. you never leave the bed without a scatter of marks and hickies.

vash

this man is the biggest trinket collector in the entire world, and you are not safe from him. if he sees something that reminds you of him, its his. you have an endless collection of keychains gathering on your bag. “but it was so cute!! just like you!!!” its so hard to resist when hes giving you puppy dog eyes.

if he notices a hole in your gear or clothes, you’ll come back from a day of odd jobs to find something new on your bed, neatly folded and a small note laid on top of it. “i saw you needed new gear. dont pay me back :) “. if its something you have an emotional attachment too, he will wait for the perfect moment to snatch it from you. you will receive it back with an added patch, the color being practically identical. even if it means late nights and expensive prices, he will do anything to get it back to its original shape.

no one is safe from his nuzzling. if your really nervous or scared, he will rub his head against your head (or any available body part). when he pulls back his hair is messy and tussled in every direction. you think its a plant thing.

in bed vash is a man who dominates the “act of service” category. his whole goal while having sex is making you feel good, your pleasure is his and every moan you makes brings him closer and closer to orgasm. if hes having a rough day all he wants is to eat you out/suck you off for hours on end. if he had to spend the rest of life with his head between your thighs than he would willingly do so.

of course, mans is a switch. some days he craves your control, riding him as you hold his wrists together, preventing him from touching you. in times like this he doesn’t have to worry about the outside world, only how tight you are and your moans. on the flip side, he wants to pound you so hard you forget about whatever troubles may come. he wants to be the only thing you can focus on, you teary eyes unable to pull apart from his face as his hands roam your body, unable to separate himself from you for just a moment.

since hes so clingy, hes an enjoyer of cock warming. he feels amazing connected to you, and he loves to monitor you face to see how much more the both of you can take.

wolfwood

words of affirmation got this man redder than the two suns above gun smoke. and in turn, he loves to support you verbally. “you did great out there”, “we couldn’t have done it without you”, “your my everything”. on top of that, if you feel insecure or anxious about yourself be ready to hear wolfwood list off the 1000 reasons why he loves every part of you. don’t feel like your inconveniencing him, he would willingly tell the entire planet if you let him.

wolfwood loves physical touch, especially your body. his touch is much more intimate, but not necessarily sexual. he will spend car rides with you in his lap or his arm wrapped around your waist, him pulling you into his side. if you let him wander he will start kneading your love handles or the fat of your stomach. you cant go anywhere without this man giving a surprise ass grab. your his personal stress ball.

if you’ve got a muscular or skinny body, hes tracing patterns into your skin or letting his nails glide against you, sometimes causing you to giggle.

he also loves to hear you rant about things than interest you. he would spend hours listening to you rant about some new invention or fixation. it warms his heart to see you so fascinated with something. that glimmer of excitement in your eyes gets his heart pumping.

speaking of physical touch, wolfwood is a man dedicated to the act, especially in bed. he will keep edging himself over and over again because he just doesn’t want it to end. he doesn’t mind you cumming, in fact the more fucked out you look, eyes rolled in pleasure, the more he just wants to make the moment last. he will go a tantalizingly slow pace until your vocal enough to beg him for more.

wolfwood likes a bush. i said what i said.

fave position is you on your side, it gives him enough support to grab at you whenever he wants. when he cums hes got a death grip on you. your the only thinking grounding him from the amount of pleasure you give him.

knives (million knives/nai)

whether or not this emotionally constipated man realizes it, hes got a love language.

he craves quality time, whether that comes from a need to have you near him 24/7 in order to protect you, or that his mind races every time you leave, is none of his concern. he just feels more at peace with you by his side, or at most, with you in his line of sight.

he discovered he really likes bathing with you, its a moment of non-sexual intimacy he looks forward too. he take pride in cleaning every part of you to make sure you are his “perfect partner”, using only the highest quality in JuLai on your skin. the first time it happened he just kind of walked in on you, eyes affixed to your body as you missed a spot. “your not doing it right”, he muttered before stripping and getting in with you. he can always tell where to massage your body if you’ve got a particularly sore muscle.

he always wants you sitting in his meetings with conrad. even when conrad was initially against it. he wants you to see the paradise hes working for, how far hes willing to go for you to live in a perfect world molded just for you and his brotheren.

sex though? oh hes a physical man through and through. as much as he tries to be gentle with you and your human body, he cant help but fold you over in order to get a view of your pleasure ridden face. his thumb resting in your mouth so the only thing your full of is him.

its only natural for you to be under him, as much as he tries to involve you as an equal at work, he knows the perfect place for you is under him and worshipping the love he gives you. and the best time for that is sex.

hes got an obsession with cumming in you. having a part of him inside you makes you so much closer to him, much better than all the other lowly humans. he will keep cumming inside of you until you simply can’t hold anymore. it gets him hard knowing how much your filled of him, both physically and emotionally.

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onepiecepetalfanfics089 · 9 months ago

Text

Enchanted~..

Chapter 3

Yandere! Strawhats + more x witch Fem! Reader ✨

_______________________________

“Ohh? So you’re hiding something now are you? I guess you don’t want people to see, so just let me see!”

Raising an eyebrow, a smirk now sprawled across your face, the feeling of eyes followed your every movement.

Multiple of them.

But at that moment, you weren’t focused on that. At that moment you were determined. Quickly, you uttered the words of your spell and surprise, surprise. A light forest green beanstalk spring beneath your feet to just meet his hight.

His observation haki wasn’t expecting that now wasn’t it?

For some reason, he didn’t stop you. Shocked expressions were plastered on everyone’s face from just your first step of what you were going to do. Staring into his red pink eyes meeting with yours, his constant muttering and talking (which you tuned out) was the only thing you could really hear now as you then grabbed his scarf abruptly and pulled it down with all your might!

GASP

….

silence…

You stared up at the sight before and then..your eyes softened.

“..seriously..? That’s It?..you had me thinking it was a huge scar or something!”

You laughed, now giving a closed eyes smile. His face was full of utter shock in surprise.

..what?..you weren’t scared..? You thought it was..not ‘that bad..?’

A soft smile rested upon your lips, letting out a soft chuckle, you sighed.

“There’s nothing wrong with you..that kind of beauty never really scared me anyways..”

…

Beauty..?

Slowly..his eyes watered..

Tears.

That was a natural response in the body but something else was going on..something was wrong.

__________________________________________

The sea was sparkling, the air was fresh, everyone was laughing and chattering, everything just seemed utterly perfect.

It had been about a week or two since you joined the infamous ‘strawhat crew.’ You were absolutely welcomed with open arms. Delicious food was served to you at all times, though sanji had to put tissues in his nose every time he got close to serve you, you honestly didn’t know why though?

Yeah, It had been exactly two weeks since you left that island you’ve been stuck on for years. The one you constantly dreamed on, dreamed of leaving, dreamed of living finally.

But something just..didn’t feel quite right.

You didn’t know how to describe it or how to even begin to describe this feeling, yes you were having the time of your life, making memories with these people you’d never thought you’d make, but something just seemed..

Off.

When you tried to tell Nami and Robin about, they simply just brushed it off, saying you were just home sick.

You could remember sitting in front of the mirror, feeling their hands tangle and brush through your hair while you stared longingly at your reflection.

Brush

Your curls easily ran through brush, and by now it was surely untangled. Yet, they still kept brushing..

The silence in the room was loud, almost deafening. So quiet..yet so peaceful you could call it, taking a deep breath and glancing at the window where you could see the water move, you decided to start a conversation, you needed information since you were now a pirate right?..

“So Nami, what island our we heading to next?..im very curious..I’ve never been anywhere new before..”

You softly spoke, almost a little embarrassed by the truth but you weren’t afraid to admit it. Just that sentence alone had you thinking.

By thinking, you remembered.

The nostalgia..oh the nostalgia..

Would you ever see a place like your original home again? You could almost feel the soft grass on your feet when you would run out and play in the sun. Feel the petals of the soft, beautiful flowers and plants you used for your spells. Hear the birds sing as you would lay in the garden, reading books upon books to cure you curiosity.

“-N..Y/N..!”

You jumped a bit, finally snapping out of your trance and not even noticing the fact that you just spaced out..

“O-Oh? Yeah sorry! Could you repeat that?”

You said, hearing a soft chuckle escape Robins lips as you saw in the reflection of the mirror that Nami had her eyebrow raised. A smooth, tan arm then sprouted from the back of the chair you were sitting in. Slowly, Robin turned your head with her pointer finger to face her, making your eyes look into her sky blue ones. She was truly beautiful..

“We’re heading to Jaya island..we need information on the other place we need to go, Skypia.”

Your ears perked up, did you hear that right?..Skypia?

Ever since you were young, you dreamed about hosting there. So many books you read about this strange world you lived in..ones you’ll never forget..

Although you had no idea what the place looked like, you kind of knew exactly what to expect. The culture and place itself was fascinating.

“Skypia? Really? I’ve only heard about that place in books! And we’ll get to go to another island before that?”

So far, being a pirate was great! You knew they explored the seas and what not, but the fact you could go so many places just perfect for you..for your need to explore..

For your need to be curious..

But, something told you that..your curiosity wouldn’t be the best thing..in fact..it told you it could possibly be your downfall..

There was only one way to find that out right?

A slow sigh escaped your lips. Just what was bugging you? Everything here was great! Yes, the crew could be a bit..overbearing at times..

They wouldn’t leave you alone for a second but hey, maybe they’re just excited for a new crew mate right?..

And you were happy to spend time with all of them! You kind of couldn’t really keep a schedule because there was so many of them..but no matter what you did on the ship it involved them.

For example, reading with Robin was always peaceful..but eventually it would get too quiet..so you would go ask to be with Zoro. You watched him work out sometimes, even joining in if you were THAT bored..but napping with him was always a pleasure..

Playing with luffy, watching Nami do her work with naps, talk with Chopper while he was in his office and so on so forth..but you just now noticed, they never really gave you time to yourself..

Hmm..

You decided to simply tell the one you were hanging out with you were busy, what’s the worse that could happen right?

…

It was now lunch time, everyone was eating peacefully now, Sanji flirting with you, Nami and Robin..usual..Zoro taking close glances at you every five minutes..the usual?..Usopp feeling the need to get your attention every second..the usual..

The only remotely wholesome behavior was Chopper’s really, getting every chance he could get to sit on your lap or get some of your sweet, sweet attention..cutely though of course.

This was definitely normal behavior..for them. In all the books you read however, this wasn’t exactly right though..but like Robin said, “books aren’t always realistic..”

Cutting a small piece of your food, you bit it off from your fork casually, chewing before speaking.

“So, once we get to Jaya island..where exactly are we going to get the information?..”

You asked, looking around at the table for your answer. Luffy, with his cheery grin answered in an excited tone, tearing a piece of meat off the bone.

“Me, Zoro and Nami are gonna try to go around and see what information we can find!”

Chuckling at his enthusiasm, you couldn’t help but glance up at him from under your eyelashes. This boy..

This pure boy with the big grin, so excited about everything, it’s like he could do no wrong or be mad about anything!

Right?…

“Ah yeah! Nami told me about that earlier..so since it’s the first island I’ve been on besides home….”

When you mentioned the word ‘home’ you saw the crew stiffen up..even Sanjis eyes widened before he continued to pour some tea into Nami’s cup..

Strange.

“I’m gonna go solo and explore! I’m sure it’ll be exciting don’t cha’ guys think?”

You said with a light hearted laugh, sipping your cup of tea. They all went silent for a while, staring at you intently or something else. Usopp and Sanji especially looked rather..zoned out.

Blinking and setting your cup down back on the table, you looked around curiously. Why in earth were they so..quiet?..this was very odd.

Nami seemed the first one to snap out of it.

“Uhm well…although we know that’ll be fun for you..”

“It’s a stupid idea. You might get hurt.”

Zoro butted in, his tone blunt as he now locked his gaze on you. Raising an eyebrow you waited for someone else to back you up on this yet..

No one did.

Sighing softly, you had gotten rather..tired of their protectiveness in the past few months..but you would never say that out loud however. Something deep down told you not to.

“Well, that is very sweet that you guys..care so much..I’ll be fine! You know I can fight, it’s not like town is known for how dangerous it is or anything..”

Squinting his eyes, Zoro looked as if he was about to say more, but Robin soon chimed In with her smooth voice.

“She’s right you know? Plus, we could get very useful information if there were more of us in different places..”

A smile was brought to your lips, thanks Robin!

It soon faltered a bit once you saw her give everyone a look. A look you couldn’t really..describe. Like a message, a code someone could decipher.

Luffy let put a low grumble, trying to stare that ‘it want safe and, I’ll miss her!’ But of course that didn’t work.

Finally, you would get SOME peace right?

The sound of your shoes clicking on the pavement as you walked was oddly soothing. Even though you knew this place wasn’t the most beautiful thing in the world..you were fascinated.

The sounds, the smells the people. Everything you could get your eyes on interested you. Of course you had to take up from Nami and go on a shopping spree, new clothes were just too hard to resist! You knew they would freak once they saw them!

Since the day was sunny, your curly hair was out up into a ponytail to match the heat, humming calmly along with the tube you had in your head.

A yawn slowly escaped you as you felt your eyes flutter softly.

“Hmm..who knew shopping and exploring all day could get me this tired out....I wonder..”

You said, feeling your eyes wonder across the street to grassy clearing. The crew wouldn’t mind if you stayed for just a little longer right?..a girl did need a nap!

Walking into the meadow of flowers, you smiled fondly, picking one up and twirling it in between your fingers. It was daisy, an English daisy. The most common but still beautiful. You tried to find beauty in almost everything..everything or anyone.

Gently setting the bags and your flower down, you plucked a handful of the flowers and uttered the words of your spell..

Shroop~!

A giant, yet lovely flower surrounded you. Enclosing on you and your bags with a little pollen bed for you to rest on. Slowly stretching you felt yourself slowly smile..finally feeling the most peace you could feel at last..

………………………………………………………………………….

A yawn slowly escaped you..what time was it?..waving your hand in an almost dismissive manner around, the flower slowly sprouted, its petals revealing the outside world at last.

Blinking a few times to get adjusted, you finally started to realize..

It was..

EVENING?!

Sundown and you’d still hadn’t come back to the ship!

Oh good lord what were they going to say now??

Even though you’d hadn’t been on the ship that long you just knew deep down..

You were screwed.

Quickly grabbing all of your stuff, you ran out of the meadow to the ship. While you were running however, you passed a man.

Not just any man though..

His aura..his vibe, felt different..

You looked at him, eyes slightly squinted once you were able to spot him clearly.Your eyes locked.

He was tan, big lips and beard with a big bottle of sake you assumed. A red ball necklace around his neck. He smiled. Wide too, revealing his missing and crooked teeth as you caught a glance of the golden ring on his finger.

You shivered..

Something about him didn’t seem quite right..like..

You were going to see him again soon..

Or were you just talking crazy?..

Lifting up the huge bottle, he took a long sip, the liquid slowly dripping down his chin and down to his neck as he wiped it off.

Still keeping that sane grin, a loud laugh escaped him. Remembering your face clearly as watched the people on the street pass by.

“Well,nice to meet ya too missy! I feel like I’ll be seein’ ya soon too..”

…

Did you get to the ship sooner than you expected? Yes. But did you still get very much scolded? Of course.

And they seemed very serious..almost possessive..

Just brush it off Y/N..

Brush it off..

These people were good.

Just something about the way Zoro immediately pulled you into his arms, forcing your head to meet his chest so you could feel his racing heartbeat while the others continued to chatter and scold endlessly at you for taking too long no matter how hard you tried to explain..

Yeah, they definitely weren’t leaving you by yourself..

Anytime soon.

Finally, once you got to the woman’s quarters, you couldn’t stop thinking about the eventful day you had..

Surprisingly, Nami and Robin met you do your night routine by yourself..

If you didn’t know any better, you’d suspect that the whole crew were talking about something while you were gone..

Stop it Y/N! This is crazy talk!

You thought yourself, letting out a soft groan, staring at the ceiling.

But it doesn’t hurt to check..right?..

There was a spell you knew..a powerful one that showed your future or fate..yet, it did great damage to your energy sometimes..but you had to know..you had to know if..this behavior was normal.

Sitting down in a circle full of cards you summoned, turned face down. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath..

“Secrets, secrets show yourself..show my fate,show my true self..for better or for worse I’ll know my fate..I’ll not have to alternate!”

Smoke soon filled the room, all of the cards soon floated and submerged into your head out hand. Taking a deep breath, everything went back to normal. Slowly fluttering your eyes open, you felt your shaky hands slowly start to turn the card over..

Would this finally be an answer?..

“Y/N! Come down to hang with us! We’re all gonna play a drinking game!!”

Luffy called out, causing you to blink.

Why at this time!?..

Glancing over at the card in your hand..you sighed softly, closing your eyes for a split second before gently setting it down on the floor.

Maybe it was best to not read it until later..maybe it was best to try to have some fun right now..the night was young wasn’t it?..

Getting up from the floor, you yelled down a ‘coming!’ Before hurrying down to the lower deck.

Little did you know that underneath that card..was a picture of a rose..a glittering red rose being reached out by many,many hands. Possessive hands, needy hands.

Though, that couldn’t mean anything serious..

Right?..

End of chapter 3~..

———————————————————————

A/N:HIIII MY LOVES~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And yes, I did publish it late and yes it was TECHNICALLY on a Sunday 😭 but this chapter was basically getting to know Y/N, I promise other characters like all the strawhats, and more (wink, wink) will be shown more as much as their characters! I hope this is king enough honestly 😭 but I really enjoyed writing this and I must say, I’m so glad to be back! For now I will be working on my requests to try to get them back open again and since I have A LOT in waiting, then I will be getting back to this, which will be shortly so dont worry! 🌸💕

And don’t think I forgot to tag you @theg0ddesspersephone 🍀!

Until next time my pretty petals!!~

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partially-controlled-chaos · 11 months ago

Text

New Life Shall Prosper, ch. 2

Pairing: Halsin x Reader (as gender neutral as possible, given the context)

Rating: T? (not really smut but there's some heavily implied in previous chapters. pregnancy related bits, tad bit of gore)

Warnings: There's not full blown smut but it borders on the edge, mentions of illness and pregnancy, mostly just fluff

Summary: Months after the fall of the Absolute, you and Halsin have carved a happy life for yourselves within Thaniel's Realm, making a safe haven for all. A life full of hope and prosperity, only enhanced once you discover the very real possibility that you are with child.

Word Count: 11.5K

an: This ended up taking so long because it went through three rewrites and it's still massive. BUT I did finally get it posted. There will be one more chapter, possibly two with how I shifted some things, but there's at least one more coming! Thankfully, because I did rewrite and move some things around, about half of the next chapter is already written. Mostly proofread, but I was tired when I posted this so I'll update it later for any mistakes. Thank you to everyone that has enjoyed this so far!!

Follow up to this post.

Read on AO3 here if you prefer!

Find chapter 1 here! Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Masterlist

Loving, tender kisses peppering your exposed shoulder and a heavy dip in the bed roused you from your slumber. Slowly, your eyes blinked open as they adjusted to the light, your vision blurry until you could make sense of your surroundings. You recognized the lumbering shape of your beloved druid. With a content smile on his lips, Halsin loomed over you; his arms supporting his weight above your head as his knees dug into the bed by your hip, causing your body to slightly slope downward.

“Good morning, my heart,” he said softly, “how did you sleep?”

“Fine, but I would do better if you would let me sleep a bit longer, love.” You said groggily as you turned your face from the beaming sun. You heard Halsin chuckle as he littered more slow kisses to your cheek.

“As much as I would love to, dear heart, I’m only doing what you asked of me.” You groaned as you buried your face to your pillow, his comment jogging your memory from the night before as he slid from atop you. Since your discovery that you were with child, you’d noticed significant changes to your energy levels. Being one to typically rise early, you’d found yourself sleeping in later each morning and desiring a nap around mid afternoon. Not that you wouldn’t mind to sleep in every once in a while, it just wasn’t suitable to your current lifestyle. You and Halsin were both early to rise and late to bed, filling your day with growing and expanding the area you now called home. Plants needed harvesting, home needed building, children needed enrichment and growth, and all of it simply couldn’t be done if you slept half the day away.

So, to counteract your sudden inability to wake up at a decent hour, you had practically begged Halsin to wake you in the mornings if you were still asleep when he returned from his daily patrols. He reluctantly agreed, wanting you to rest in accordance to what your body wanted, citing that you should be listening to the call of nature and not the call of a city. When you had finally convinced him, you made him promise that he would make sure you would rise and not go back to sleep, something you could kick yourself for now that the moment had come.

“Come on, my love,” he said as he pulled the blankets from your body and exposed you to the cool air of the room, “there’s much to do today and I made a promise.” With a groan of false annoyance, you rubbed your eyes and finally sat up. Halsin stretched out along side you, effectively taking up as much of the bed as he could to dissuade you from crawling back in. His head rested on a closed fist, sitting up partially to still make conversation.

“And what business do we have planned for today that requires such an early start?” You asked as you draped your legs over the edge of the bed, your arms stretching high above your head with interlocked fingers as your back arched forward. When you were done, you glanced over to Halsin after not hearing a response and you found him gazing at you. His eyes slowly traced along your body, a tender smile across his face the lower his eyes traveled.

“Or did you have something else in mind?” You asked in a low voice as you reclined back as best you could, given that the bulk of his frame was in the way.

“With you? Always,” Halsin said with a smirk before offering you an affectionate kiss to the lips, “but there are some matters that require our attention.” His smile had faded by the time the final words left his mouth and his face had lost its softness. It seemed that his need to wake you stretched beyond your request for a wake up call.

“Is something wrong?” You asked as you straightened again. The change in his demeanor was enough cause for concern for your to snap out of your groggy state of mind. Since the fall of the Absolute, there had been very few times that you’d seen Halsin return to his duty driven mindset and he was teetering dangerously close to that precipice. Something was gnawing at his mind, although you weren’t sure what.

“Not quite, but there’s potential. It’s… it’s better if I just show you. Let’s take a walk when you’re dressed.” With a slight degree of hesitation, you made your way to your feet and began to dress. With a lingering yawn you tugged on your small clothes to cover yourself a bit more as you toyed with your hair, trying to your best to brush away the evidence of sleep. You smiled to yourself as you noticed Halsin watching your every step, his admiration for you never faltering even if you did the most mundane of tasks. He looked as if he was lost in a daze; his expression was no more than a lazy smile and half-lidded eyes.

“If you keep looking at me like that,” you said as you caught his gaze, “you’re going to have to do something about it.” With a hearty laugh and a quick shake of his head, the druid sat up from the bed, his eyes still glued to your body.

“Although you are the epitome of nature perfected, my heart, you’re not picking up on what I am.” You raised an eyebrow, your head cocking at the comment.

“And what would that be?” You asked softly. Without another word, he made his way to his feet, offering his hand for you to take with a knowing smile.

He guided you to the standing mirror by the water basin, turning you until your back was pressed to his chest and you both were reflected in the glass. You watched the reflection as his head leaned forward, pressing the softest of kisses to your still bare shoulder as his hands traveled the length of your body, stopping along your waist. You felt his hands lightly grip your hips, angling them forward until he had you in the perfect position. When his hand left your hip and slowly caressed the skin under your navel, you finally realized what Halsin was so transfixed on observing. There, in the reflection of your mirror, you noticed the slightest of swells to your lower belly. It wasn’t a large bump, but nevertheless it was the smallest of bumps beginning to form. After weeks of seeing no progress, you were now staring at the reflection of a pregnant belly.

“Hells, I hadn’t even noticed,” you said softly as you turned your reflection in the mirror to make sure you saw what you thought you did, “and when did you make this discovery, dear bear?” Your eyes were stuck to your reflection, wholeheartedly admiring the tiny bulge of your lower belly. Although you were still early on in your pregnancy, just seeing the evidence of your growing child filled you with an immense sense of joy and almost disbelief. Until now, the idea of being with child didn’t seem real. Other than a bit of morning sickness and being a bit more tired than normal, at times you forgot you were carrying a child. But now, with the proof of one in front of your eyes, it felt more than real.

“Last night,” he whispered in your ear, “after your bath.” You hummed softly as the memory of the previous night flickered in your mind. You had just barely stepped from your bath before you had felt Halsin’s lips and hands caressing your skin and curves, ravishing you until you both needed another washing.

“Well, then,” you said playfully, “that explains your sudden urge last night.” Halsin said nothing, but the low growl and gentle bite to your earlobe confirmed your statement.

After lingering a few moments more to admire the growing bump to your frame, Halsin’s hands left your hips and left you to finish dressing for the day. You said nothing to each other as you hoisted up a pair of trousers and clean shirt, however the silence between you was not strained. Something was on Halsin’s mind, but whatever it was, was not directed towards you. When you had finished dressing and signaled you were ready to go, you were met with the same loving gaze and tender touches. This set your mind a little more at ease even though you were still curious as to what had gotten the druid so tense. It must be something in the community, perhaps the sense of duty, or maybe an issue with one of the refugees. Either way, you were determined to help him through it and set him at east once again.

You walked through your home together, hand in hand, and walked at a pace that wasn’t quite a stroll, but also wasn’t hurried. It had been a while since you had walked the city together, usually preferring to go your own ways and meeting again at the end of the day, so you quite enjoyed the change of schedule. Halsin’s large hand engulfed your own, holding it securely and offering a sense of peace and protection. You eventually made your way to the opposite side of the town, stepping from the cobblestone streets and into the beginning of the wood line.

“Where are we going? I thought we had business in town?” You asked as you continued your stroll, making note of the slightly firmer grasp that he now had on your hand.

“Business, yes, but it’s out in the forest on the outskirts of the town.” Halsin’s vague answers made your shoulders tense. You were not opposed to surprised, but you felt that this one would most certainly be unwelcome.

“Care to enlighten me? You’re not one to keep secrets, my dear.” You nudged Halsin with your shoulder as you walked, hoping it would make him open up and no longer keep you in the dark. You were impatient, wanting only to see what he was leading you to.

“I promise, it’ll be easier if I just show you, just be patient. We’re close now though, as much as it pains me to say it.” You picked up on the slightest hint of dread in his voice, the droop on his face only confirming your observation.

Admittedly, you had been utterly confused by Halsin, not understanding his sudden hesitancy to explain anything. He was always open with you, even with the most grueling of topics, and you were thankful for that. Both because you appreciated being in the loop of knowledge, but also because you didn’t want him to share the brunt of responsibility alone. He had done that enough in the past and it was high time he was able to share his burdens. Before the fall of Ketheric Thorm, you had made a promise to Halsin to help him through any hardships and even though it had been some time since you’d defeated Ketheric, your promise still stood. It always would. It was your vow to him and you were determined to uphold it.

After some time, you both had made your way to a small clearing on the outskirts of your established community on the line where your home met untamed wilderness. With your hand still firmly in his grasp, Halsin took you to one of the first trees along the tree line, walking you to the backside. There, just above your line of sight, was a symbol meticulously carved into the bark. A skull seated partially in a triangle, the outstretched fingers of a hand adorning it like a crown. You recognized the symbol immediately and a familiar twinge of unease settled in your stomach and your breath caught in your throat. Months after the battle, you were staring at the freshly carved symbol of the Absolute.

“I noticed it yesterday when I was roaming,” Halsin’s voice broke the silence and the tension of the moment, “a defilement of nature and a perfectly good scratching post.”

“By the gods.” You whispered softly as your eyes spotted the marking on the tree. You reached out slowly, your fingertips barely grazing the carved symbol in the tree, almost afraid that it would hurt you in some way.

“You’re certain this is new? This isn’t a remnant of a few months ago?” You knew the answer, but still felt the need to ask. It was a fresh, clean mark; something that had only happened in the past day or so. But, there was one small part of you that hoped and prayed it was a relic from all those months ago.

“Oh, very.” He said as he traced his finger along the carving, “Look at the flesh of the tree. It’s still weeping sap and the cut hasn’t yet browned. It’s recent, my heart.”

Your breathing was slow and methodical, an attempt to keep your rising fears at arms length. For a brief moment the idea crossed your mind that somehow the Netherbrain had survived the final battle and was once again enchanting mind flayer tadpoles, but you were certain this wasn’t true. The Netherstones had done their job of convincing the brain to destroy itself and there was no denying that the same brain that had sunk into waters surrounding the city was anything other than dead.

You then remembered the dying man and his siblings you had met on the road very early on in your journey. The man had been infected with the parasite, but his siblings remained free from a worm of their own crawling in their brains. However, they still followed the teachings and the call of the Absolute, despite not being True Souls themselves. You quickly realized that this mark wasn’t left by someone infected with the tadpole, but by someone who still believed in the Absolute. Someone who believed in the teachings and the power it offered enough to begin a resurgence of the cult, even if there were no tadpoles. The idea wasn’t that far fetched. You knew of plenty of instances where cults or even important figures that had fanatics that carried on the legacy of the entity. The most notable one that could come to mind were the handful of people that served the Szarr palace in the hopes of serving a vampiric lord simply because they were enthralled by him.

“I don’t think it’s cause for concern just yet, although we must be vigilant.” He said as he pulled is hand from the bark, “I roamed the woods the entirety of yesterday as well as this morning. This is the only symbol I can find and I haven’t found anyone lingering. Whoever left it, left it as a warning, but is gone from the area.”

“You don’t think it could be someone in town, do you?” You asked after you’d worked your way through your thoughts.

“It’s possible, but highly unlikely. You know them better than I do, so you must know how everyone feels about the Absolute. These are children and adults who lost their homes and had their lives uprooted because of this cult, I don’t believe anyone would be a follower. Unless you think otherwise?”

“No, not at all,” you said as you continued to observe the marking, “but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. As you said, remain vigilant. Let’s see what comes of this.”

“I sent out a scouting party late in the afternoon. They plan on looking further into the forest and beyond to see if they can pick up on any trail. I would go myself, but if there is no pressing need for me to go out then I would prefer to stay here. I have many people I want to protect.” He lightly pressed his hand to your newly discovered bump, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

With another brief look to the symbol, you were ready to leave and return to the safety of your home. You understood why Halsin would always patrol the community and the surrounding area each morning, but you never thought anything would ever come of it. Maybe it was the lull of a peaceful home or perhaps you had just gone soft after the final battle, but this new discovery had caught you off guard. Any sort of resurgence of the cult could lead to disastrous consequences and it threatened the safety of your very home. There were already so many men and women that had been lost and displaced, not to mention the dozen upon dozens of orphaned children you were now in charge of, and the thought that they could face it all again made a shiver run down your spine. To top it off, you were now welcoming your own little one into the world; a world you assumed was safe.

“Thank you for telling me,” you said as you began the long walk home, “I’m not sure what to make of it, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

“Don’t let it burden your mind and unsettle your nerves, my heart,” Halsin said as he reclaimed your hand with his, “our home is safe.” You pulled Halsin’s arm around you as you walked, allowing his hand to rest on your lower back as you leaned into his frame. He was right, for the time being your home and community were safe, and you felt even safer being wrapped in his embrace.

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It had been many weeks since your discovering of the carving in the woods and thankfully everything remained quiet. Life carried on as it had been and you frequently tucked the memory into the far recesses of your mind. You sat cross-legged on your bed, the back of Halsin’s hand rested on your rounded belly as you carefully plucked splinter after splinter from his fingertips. You gently traced your fingers over his, feeling for any more pieces of wood stuck under his skin. Although he was already a skilled whittler, Halsin had recently taken up woodworking. It was a hobby you found to be surprising, but when you learned he desired to master the craft simply because he wanted to hand carve a crib for your little one, you couldn’t be happier. Since then, you always made it a point to pluck any pieces of wood from his fingers.

The partially completed crib sat against the wall of your bedroom, still needing a few finishing touches before it ready for a sleeping baby, but there was still time before it would be needed. Despite needing a bit of sanding and polishing, the crib was absolutely beautiful and incredibly detailed. It taken him a few weeks, but in that short time he had crafted the piece completely by hand and with copious amounts of love. He had even gone so far as to carve the smallest of details along the head of the crib; a parade of carved bear cubs wandering through the beauty of nature and swirls that mimicked the patterns of his tattoos adorned the wood panelling.

With a final look over his hands, you had decided that you’d pulled out any remaining fragments of wood, lifting his large hand from your belly. You held your palm against Halsin’s, taking note in the difference in size. His hands engulfed yours, two of his knuckles easily able to overshadow your fingertips if he were to bend them. Your eyes traveled from his hands and along his arms, observing just how large they actually were and how they seemingly continued to grow at they reached his broad shoulders. You laced your fingers with his as you continued to look him over, not noticing the adoring look on Halsin’s face in the process.

“Is something troubling you, my heart?” He asked as he brought your hand to his lips, softly kissing your fingers.

“Not at all,” you said as his voice snapped you out of your thoughts and you shifted to your regular spot on the bed, “just doing a bit of thinking.” You adjusted the pillows under your head until you were comfortable on your side. With a gentle pat, you motioned for Halsin to join you.

“Do tell, my heart.” He followed your invitation, reclining on his side as well, positioning his head against his hand as he gazed down at you. Gods, you would never tire of the way he looked at you. His gaze was always filled with the utmost admiration and infatuation, which had only increased in the recent months.

“You are rather large for an elf, you know.” You brought your hand to your head, mirroring Halsin’s pose as you spoke.

“Is that so?” Halsin cocked an eyebrow, a smirk spreading across his lips at your comment.

“Oh hush, love,” you said with a chuckle, “you know I mean no harm. It just has me wondering about this dear little one of ours.” You ran your hand along the side of your belly with the thought, still in disbelief that you would be having a child in a few months.

“Are you afraid our child might be taller than you one day?” He teased, placing his hand atop yours, seemingly sensing the worry gnawing at your mind.

“Not at all, but I am worried about having to somehow birth a baby the size of quasit if they end up taking after your size.” You chuckled softly, although the thought was seriously lingering in your mind. Elves and half-elves were typically small in build, but Halsin was of course no normal elf. Simply comparing the size of his hands to yours indicated just how big he truly was. So it was very well in the realm of possibility that your newborn would be well above average in size.

“I don’t think they’ll be quite that large my heart,” Halsin said as he ran his thumb along your cheekbone, “but even if they are, I’ll be there for you. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you.” You whispered. Despite facing the end of the world, the idea of childbirth terrified you. You knew the risks associated with the birthing process and it was a daunting prospect. Healing couldn’t be offered until after the actual birth, so knowing you’d have to endure the hours long process without aid unsettled you.

“Will you be there?” You asked after a moment. You knew it was a dumb question; Halsin wouldn’t dare the miss the birth of his first child or leave you to deal with the trauma of birth alone, but with your hormones fluctuating the way they did, it was nice to have the confirmation.

“Of course, my heart. It’s not even a question.” He quickly kissed your lips in reassurance, “Put your mind at ease. I will be there for the entirety and afterwards.”

Halsin pulled you towards him, nuzzling his nose against the crown of your head, kissing it softly. In turn, you rested your face across the expanse of his chest, taking in his natural warmth and scent as you felt his hand slowly run along your back, soothing your worry. You hummed as you melted against his touch, your muscles finally relaxing after a long day.

“Have you heard anything about the symbols you found?” You asked after a long yawn, the desire for sleep finally catching up to you.

“Last I heard,” Halsin said after a long period of silence, as if he was hesitant to say anything, “there was a small group of followers to the north. Goblins, mostly. And a few orcs if what the scouts have said can be relied upon. Don’t let it bother you tonight, my heart. It can be discussed in the morning.” With your eyes suddenly heavy, you didn’t argue his plea.

Given that it had been many moons since you first discovered the markings on the tree, you weren’t too concerned with the lingering cultists being an immediate threat, but it still crossed your mind frequently. Between the ministrations along your back and sound of Halsin’s steady heartbeat against your ear, you found yourself drifting off to sleep, securely nestled in the embrace of Halsin’s strong arms.

**********************************************************************************************************

“It’s a good thing I’m better a wielding a sword than I am a knitting needle,” you said as you observed your work, “otherwise we’d all be mind flayers by now.” You held up the infant sized sweater you’d spent an hour knitting, your nose scrunching in distain when you realized not only was it far too big for a newborn, but lopsided with different lengths on the sleeves and a warbled neckline.

“Well,” Halsin said with a chuckle as he looked up from his whittling, “let us give thanks that nature has blessed you with other talents.” Although he had already finished the beautifully crafted crib, his whittling hobby had picked up even more now that you were close to your due date. Small ducklings, bear cubs, tiny bunnies, and even squirrel kits were all figures he had started carving, the idea of having a child of his own clearly influencing his design choices. Lately, many quiet afternoons were spent like this, with you and your beloved elf taking much needed downtime together, happily preparing for the arrival of your little one.

“I’m sorry,” you said with feigned hurt, “but are you telling me that this isn’t the beauty of natures creation?” You saw his attempt to hide the smirk threatening to come across his face as he eyed your knitting once more, chewing on the side of his lip to keep it from rising.

“I would, but you made it, my heart, not nature.” You snorted and playfully knocked Halsin’s arm with yours before unraveling your hard work in an attempt to remake it.

The two of you were lounging in the center of town, reclined against the large oak that had miraculously been renewed with life when the shadow curse had been lifted. You leaned against one of Halsin’s large arms more than the tree, trying to find some relief for your aching back. If your calculations were correct, you still had roughly two months left before you were set to give birth, but you were heavily struggling with the physical toll it took on your body. Your back frequently ached and pain would settle in your hips, making sitting anywhere absolutely abysmal, not to mention trying to get up by yourself.

Despite this, you could never say you were too burdened with your condition. Halsin always went out of his way to make sure you were as comfortable as possible, which always filled you with a sense of adoration and love. He was always quick to offer a soothing back rub if your muscles were tense from a long day or if the pressure from your growing little one made your bones ache, making sure to massage deeply and slowly until you melted under his touch. Or if you were overtaken by a sudden craving for a particular food, he would be sure to bring you whatever you desired to your hearts content. He would frequently soothe your emotions if you were overcome with confusing hormones, being by your side until you worked through whatever was plaguing you and would stay until he could see you smile again.

In all of this, his desire for you never faltered; if anything, it was stronger than ever. It wasn’t always sexual, however. His desire to just be close to you only grew stronger the more your abdomen grew. Gentle touches across your back, arms touching when sitting together during supper, holding you snugly against his body while you slept; anything to stay close to you. The same sentiment held true even in ursine form, of course. You frequently found yourself sitting beneath a tree or in a sunny field with the head of your bear placed gently in your lap during a midday nap or felt a wet nose nuzzling against your swollen belly.

Not to say that his more intimate desires for you wavered in the slightest. It was hard enough for you to keep your hands off each other before the discovery of your pregnancy, but had only intensified since. Many nights were spent in each others embrace and were filled with soft kisses and playful bites. Each time was always gentle and seemed to feel more loving than the last. In every aspected you could imagine, Halsin was the perfect partner; not that you had imagined any less from him. The love you had for him had only intensified in the recent months and you could see the same sentiment reflected from him each time you caught him staring at you. His eyes always filled with softness and love, something that made your heart melt on a daily basis.

A shift in placement of your baby made you grunt, your side now aching with the pressure of some appendage now pressing into your ribcage. You sat up from your position against the druid, leaning forward and side to side to try and stop the pain. As much as you loved the feeling of the tiny bits of movement here and there, you couldn’t help but groan whenever the child landed in a particularly inconvenient spot. Occasionally you’d feel a kick here and there, but you mostly just felt the entire body of your child moving in your abdomen. Despite being near you constantly, Halsin had yet to feel a kick or a bit of movement from your belly. It always seemed to stop when he placed a hand on your stomach to feel for movement. You felt them, of course, but wished Halsin could do the same.

“Is everything all right?” Halsin asked as he noticed your movements. He placed his whittling knife and piece he’d been working on to the side, turning more towards you in the process. His large hand slowly worked its way up and down your back, trying to rub out any knot or muscle tension.

“Oh yes,” you said with a sharp inhale, “I just feel as if I have a foot in my ribs. Right in here.” You took his hand in yours, sliding it from your back to the side of your belly where the pain was, hoping he would finally have his change to feel the baby move. His thumb lightly caressed your stomach in an attempt to encourage the tiny little foot to move.

“Well, given the circumstance, I’d wager and say you probably do.” He said with a laugh. As the discomfort in your side finally subsided, you found yourself reclining on your hands with your legs extended in front of you. The change of position seemed to move your little one just enough to alleviate the discomfort and you finally had a moment of relaxation. Your head fell back and lightly brushed against the trunk of the tree, your eyes closing as you felt a gentle breeze across your face.

Halsin’s hand remained on your belly, gently running it along the side and around the front until it eventually settled on top. With a deep sigh you finally opened your eyes, your head rolling to the side to meet Halsin’s gaze. However, instead of meeting your eyes, his own were fixed to his hand atop your stomach, a grin spreading across his lips the more he lingered, but there was the faintest hint of something else in his eyes.

“What’s on your mind, my love?” You asked softly as you took in his expression. He was lost in thought, his mind drifting as you both sat in the coolness of the shade and you returned to your former position. Your hand rested atop his for a moment before sliding up his forearm and back down, the ministrations finally grabbing his attention from his deep concentration.

“Everything,” Halsin said after a long pause, “as always. But I have to admit that as of late I find myself worrying about you, mostly, my heart.”

“How do I worry you? Is it the baby?” You asked, surprised at his answer, “Please, tell me. Let me ease your mind. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me.”

“Well, partially it’s the child. In my many years I’ve seen countless others give birth and I’m aware of the risks. I know the dangers child bearing can bring and leave in its aftermath. So I have my concerns in relation to that, but most of my concerns lay outside of that.” His palm light trailed across the expanse of your belly; his touch soft and loving.

“Tell me, then, please.” You lightly brushed a few stray strands of hair from his face, tucking them behind a pointed ear.

“We’ve discussed this before, but I have to ask,” he paused as he spoke, that rare look of vulnerability flashing across his face as he tried to form his words, “are you happy? Truly happy? With everything that’s come after the Netherbrain, I mean. Can you say for certain that you are satisfied and content with the life we’ve built here?”

“Halsin, my love, I couldn’t have dreamed of a happier life.” The hand that had brushed through his hair came down his neck and finally rested on his chest, directly above his heart. “Why would you even need to ask such a question?”

“To ease my mind, I suppose. I pulled you from a life of praise and newfound opulence that came from saving Baldur’s Gate only to thrust you into a life of quiet, often thankless, servitude. I just want to be certain that this life is something you want and not something I’ve forced you into; especially now that you are so close to having a child. I don’t want you to have regrets.” He spoke quietly but surely.

“I don’t want or need the praise and wealth the city offered. You, though? You I need. And I can’t go without you for even a second. I chose to leave with you to build a life here because that’s what I wanted. We both did. You didn’t force me into anything. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, I had to practically beg to convince you that it’s what I wanted, did I not?”

“Oh yes,” he said with a slight smile, “I believe I recall you calling me an ass.”

“I was terrified of you turning me away!” You couldn’t help but laugh at the memory, “You can’t blame me for my words when I wanted nothing more than to follow you and be by your side. And to this day there is nothing I want more. I would choose this life we’ve built and I would choose you again and again.”

You leaned forward slightly, trailing your hand back up along his neck and chest until it rested on his cheek, gently pulling his head towards you until your foreheads met in a gentle caress. You’d come to adore your frequent forehead touches with the elf, almost enjoying them more than a kiss in a moment like this. It was a simple, intimate gesture that brought the both of you so much comfort in moments of insecurity and uncertainty.

“And I would do this all over again in every lifetime, my love. In every possible form we may find ourselves in. All without an ounce of hesitation or regret. And now that we’re having a child? My dearest love, my heart is full. We have built something truly wonderful not only in this community we call home, but something wonderful and beautiful in this tiny little child we’ve created.” You lingered against his skin for a moment more before finally pulling away, your hand still cupping his cheek as you spoke again.

“Halsin, please, don’t every worry that you’ve taken me from something. In reality, you have given me the greatest gift possible. Release those fears from your mind. They hold no weight here.” You whispered softly before pressing a gentle kiss to his tattooed cheek.

“You truly are a gift from Silvanus himself, my heart. You’ve brought back the youthful optimism and stamina of this old, pardon…older druid, my heart.” You smirked at his attempt to remember your distain for referring to himself as old, appreciating the effort.

“Trust me love, if my condition is any indication of how spry you are, I’d say you have the vigor of someone just barely over a hundred.” You said as you began to recline back again. Not satisfied with your quick contact from earlier, he gently took your chin in his grasp and pulled you to him until your lips softly connected. A string of slow, soft kisses soon followed, along with praises coming from each of you after each brush of your lips.

Shouting from across the town square broke the serenity of the moment. You and Halsin both turned in the direction of the commotion, instincts immediately springing into action at the sound. Screams of terror and anger could be heard behind you, steadily growing louder. You were still struggling to even begin to get up when Halsin told you to stay where you were; a command more than a request. Before you had time to argue, Halsin had rushed the the cause of commotion, leaving you on the ground struggling to stand.

“Gods above.” You muttered to yourself as you finally managed to get to your feet, using the tree as support in the process. As quickly but as carefully as you could as to avoid disrupting your little one, you hurried to the sound of the commotion, despite Halsin’s request fo you to stay put.

You had gotten to the town square just in time to see what the commotion was. The freshly deceased body of a war painted goblin was splayed along the ground, its throat having been quickly sliced apart by the enraged cave bear looming over the corpse. You immediately knew the bear to be Halsin, who had no doubt changed at the first sight of the attacking goblin. Two other goblins had accompanied the deceased one, but had quickly turned tail in fear at the emergence of the bear. Not to the surprise of anyone in the community, Halsin quickly chased after them, releasing a roar loud and deep enough that you could feel the reverberations in your body. He would no doubt make quick work of the intruders, giving you the chance to ensure there were no other lingering goblins or nasties before checking in on any potential injuries.

With your hand placed on the underside of your belly for support, you squatted next to the slain goblin, taking note of the silver pendant hanging around its neck. You felt a cold chill run down your spine when you saw the symbol of the Absolute within the safety of your home. Anger surged within you as well, cruising yourself for not handling this problem sooner. Thank the gods that no one was injured, other than the goblin, but the experience was enough to shake everyone. Thaniel’s Realm was meant to be a sanctuary for the lost and lonely, safe from threats of any kind and a place to live in harmony with nature. Now, however, that safety had been shattered and danger was no longer a looming threat, but a real and bloody reality.

You spent the rest of the afternoon checking in with everyone, ensuring their safety and checking for wounds. The children of the realm were shaken by the events of the day, but they were resilient. They had faced too many hardships and dangers with the threat of a mind flayer invasion and Netherbrain control for them to be running from a handful of goblins, but you wanted to be there to lend a hand to hold and a lap to sit on if needed. The nightly supper and bedtime stories for the children continued as usual once the remnants of the mutilated goblin had been cleared away, the usual nightly feel of home returning once everyone had a full belly. You walked home quietly, your mind racing with the events of the day and your emotions high strung. With a grunt of effort you sat on the few steps that led to entrance of your home. You sat in silence, absentmindedly running your hands along the expanse of your stomach as you waited for your druid to return.

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It was well past nightfall by the time Halsin finally returned home to you, bloodied and still in bear form. Even though you were certain would never harm you while in wild shape, there was no denying just how intimidating his form was. His snout was absolutely drenched in goblin blood, splatter even reaching to the top of his head, and you could feel the hot pants of his breath against your legs as he approached. There was the faintest glow still present in his eyes, making it very clear that he was still deeply angry about the situation at hand. The low growls emitting from his chest could be felt in your bones as you gently reached out to place a hand on the underside of his chin. You could feel his pulse begin to return to normal as your fingers brushed against his pulse point, despite the thick layer of fur between his skin and your fingers.

“Come along love,” you said to your bear softly, “let’s get you cleaned up.” His sharp claws were also covered in blood, bits of flesh and cloth dangling from a few of them. Given the sight of him, you didn’t want to imagine what was left of the goblins that had stormed your home, if there even remains at all. Either way, Halsin was drenched in assorted viscera and could do for a warm bath; both to clean and to soothe.

Once you pulled your hand from his chin, the bear erupted in a familiar flash of light, ending the wild shape of the bear and transfiguring Halsin back to an elf, who was just as bloody as the bear. He was still breathing heavily after the transformation, remaining silent as he rolled his neck and shoulders and shook out any remaining feelings of the bear. He closed his eyes briefly, allowing himself a calming breath before look back to you, his gaze much softer but no less expressive. Despite the intense rage you had witness earlier, he was as gentle as ever with you. With a soft touch, he helped you to your feet before quickly looking over you, checking for injuries. After reassuring Halsin that you and your child were fine, you led him inside and drew him a warm bath.

Once he had seated himself in the water of the washtub, he began to calm and relax more, the temperature of the water helping to ease any remaining tension in his muscles. After he had seemed to cool off a bit, you set to work. With a soft cloth and a gentle touch, you began washing the dark blood from his face. Starting with his forehead and working your way down, you worked quietly, not sure of what to say to ease his mind more. With each wipe of his face, you dunked the soft cloth back into the water to rinse it before returning to his skin. When you wiped away the last of the blood from his chin, he finally spoke.

“We cannot afford to sit idly anymore.” He said as you shifted your attention to the rest of his body, wiping along his chest and down his arms meticulously.

“No,” you murmured as you checked for wounds along his shoulders and arms, “we can’t. We can head out in the morning? The next day perhaps? Figure out where the group is, how strong they are, look at the defenses-” Your speech was quickly cut off before you could finish your thought.

“We? I hope you’re not suggesting that you come along as well.” His brows knitted together at your response, utterly bewildered that you would even suggest such a thing.

“Of course I am,” you said quickly, “I can’t sit at home and twiddle my thumbs and expect you to handle it all. I told you when we first came here that we share the responsibility of our home. It’s not your burden to bear alone, Halsin.”

“And you have done an absolutely beautiful job of doing so, my love, but you must stay here.” His hands lifted from the tinted water, reaching out to cup your cheeks with his palms. He looked you in the eyes, holding a stern gaze with you.

“The people here can survive without us for a few days. They’re not completely helpless. They already do most of the cooking and running of the market and the children will be fine under their watch.” You tossed the cloth into the water, standing in the process. Now was not the time for arguing; it was the time for action. Your home had just been invaded and arguing over who should go and when was irrelevant in your eyes. You were both more than capable of dispatching goblins. You pulled a towel down from a nearby shelf after hearing Halsin hastily step out of the water, patting him dry as you checked his lower body for injuries as well.

“Yes, they can. They are prospering beyond what either of us could have imagined and in such a short time. And we are prospering ourselves,” he softly placed a hand on the peak of your belly, “and we cannot risk losing this blessing.”

“I can take care of myself,” you scoffed at the remark, “it’s not the first time I’ve faced a handful of cultists, my dear.”

“You would be a target.” He said firmly, not relenting in his stance on the matter, “If the remaining followers of the Absolute are just as vicious as I remember then they would target you in an instant. Just by looking at you, it’s no secret that you’re carrying a child. I don’t even want to think of what they could do to you or the child if they managed to get a hold of you.”

You could hear the fear in his voice, despite the firmness in which he spoke. Unfortunately, he was right. Being only a handful of weeks away from going into labor, your belly extended far and would only get bigger from here. Targeting you would be the easiest way to distract a raging cave bear or sword wielding druid. And, realistically, you were in no condition to travel, let alone fight. You had a hard enough time earlier in the afternoon just to get up from the ground. Traversing the land, sleeping on the ground, and battle would not only be uncomfortable, it would be impossible. Not to mention the risks it could pose to your child. It could result in an early birth or a loss of the pregnancy altogether. Plus, the idea of toting around a newborn while trying to hack away goblins would be less than idea.

“I know,” you sighed, resigned to the truth, “I know. It’s agreed then, I’ll stay.”

“Thank you, my heart,” his hands landed on your shoulders now, “if the scouts’ information is correct, it should only be a few days walk to their encampment. Give it a ten-day and we should all be back home.”

“What about you? Are you not staying with me?” It was your turn for confusion to cross your face. You knew Halsin would want to leave with them to battle the upcoming fight, but you needed him at home with you; albeit for more selfish reasons.

“Someone has to lead them,” he said, “they are capable, but they need a leader for battle if it comes to that. And given that most of our neighbors are children, I need to be the one to lead them.” You shook your head, understanding his logic, but disagreeing fully.

“And what happens if you get hurt? Captured? Killed? What then?” The pitch of your voice increased, emotion beginning to get the better of you.

“Were you not just willing to walk into a battle with me while with child? Why has that changed all of a sudden?” He huffed at your reaction, not understanding why you both couldn’t see eye to eye on the situation.

“Because if I’m with you out there then I can see you. I can see with my own eyes that you are safe and alive. If I stay here and you go out there, I’ll be left in the dark. I won’t know if you’re alive or if your corpse is rotting on the side of the road somewhere. Maybe captured and left in a cage to starve or something even worse. I need the peace of mind of knowing with absolute certainty that you’re still breathing, my love.” You’d already saved Halsin from a cage once before, so you knew it was possible for it to happen all over again or worse. No. You needed him home so you could make sure he was safe. Safe to remain with you and safe so he could meet his child.

“If I fall in battle then that is nature’s will. And I’ll have died making sure that you, this community, and this little one are safe. It would be a sacrifice made with love; that I can assure you.” He said softly, trying to ease you into the reality of what was needed.

His words squeezed your heart, making you push from his embrace in recoil. Your lips quivered as your eyes became wet, your breath hitching in your throat. Without another word, he pulled you into him, your arms pinned between his chest and yours. Your cheek was pressed firmly to his bare chest, still slightly damp from the bath, and you felt your throat burn with the anticipation of a sob. You couldn’t think of that; of the possibility of Halsin leaving and never returning because he was killed by an off shoot of a cult you’d already defeated once. He held you tightly to his chest as best he could, given the size of your belly, and kept you there until your breathing had slowed and you could speak without your voice cracking.

“I can’t do this alone,” you said after you’d calmed a bit, “I need you here.” You voice wavered as you spoke. Your memory flittered back to the months you travelled together on the road, camping where you could and bringing the best suited to battle. It was often that when you asked one of your other members to stay behind for a spell, they would always question your judgement. They trusted you with their lives, but there was always the hesitancy of staying behind. Like you in this moment, they felt as if they would be the best choice to bring along. After all, what harm could befall your or everyone else if they came too? As much as you found the back talking to be a nuisance, you finally understood why they would do it. It wasn’t to be in control or undermine your judgements, but it was done simply out of a desire to protect.

And now, you wanted to be the one to protect Halsin from whatever dangers he may face. You had both worked too hard to reach the bliss you’d settled upon to let it be unraveled by a handful of goblins and vagabonds. However, you knew in your heart that you couldn’t go. You were a liability and a target. You needed to stay, much to your dismay. But, despite your sudden realization, you still couldn’t wrap your head around why Halsin specifically needed to go. He needed to stay; for both his sake and yours. The idea of giving birth scared you more than facing the Absolute, but more so the thought of your child losing their father before they could even meet weighed more heavily on your mind. Wherever you need me. That was always what he told you when you asked him to stay in camp. He never questioned or argued or requests then, so why is he now? Why did he have to be so stubborn at times?

“And you won’t be, my love,” he softly kissed your temple again, “but those that are going need guidance and I should be the one to answer that call. I’m not venturing forth because I want to roam or feel the rush of battle. Protecting this place we’ve built, and all those in it, are my duty now. You, my heart, and our little one are my duty. To keep you both safe. As I said, it shouldn’t be more than a ten-day. I’ll be back long before this chid of ours comes; you have my word.”

**********************************************************************************************************

Sleep would not come to you in the night. The thought of Halsin leaving you for a ten-day at minimum, potentially more, kept you wide awake with a knot in your stomach. You lay on your side, your back pressed firmly to Halsin’s chest as he slept lightly beside you. His breaths were absent of his typical snores, signaling that he was having trouble sleeping himself or a lesser quality of sleep at the very least. His arm was wrapped securely around you, cradling your heavily extended belly as his gentle breaths tickled the hair on the nape of your neck.

Moonlight trickled in through the window, painting the room in an ethereal glow that would have been idillic if it wasn’t for the foul thoughts swimming in your brain. You knew Halsin was more than capable of surviving against a small band of crazed cult worshippers, but you still had your doubts. Saving your beloved bear from a cage in a goblin camp was the first time you’d met the man, so that particular memory kept eating away at your mind as you tried to sleep. If he did end up captured, or worse, would mean that he would be stuck in whatever gods awful place the remnant cultists were holed up in until someone, more than likely you, could find him.

However, that alone would have to wait until after you birthed your little one because ultimately, Halsin was right. You couldn’t afford to go out adventuring in your current state. You had a hard enough time standing from a seated position due to the size of your ever growing abdomen, so to actively battle someone and not injure yourself or your child would be practically impossible. So, you’d have to wait until after you gave birth, but would also have to decide on how long to wait until after they were born. You couldn’t bring a newborn on the road with you and you also couldn’t bring yourself to leave them home. Suddenly, as if he could sense your unease and inability to rest, you felt Halsin stir beside you.

“Rest, my heart.” He all but growled in your ear, his grip around your tightening around you slightly as he shifted himself again, “You’re going to worry the little one into the world far too early if you don’t ease your mind.” His voice was groggy from sleep, but still firm enough to get his point across.

With a huff, both from annoyance exhaustion and discomfort from the amount of effort it took to move because of your pregnancy, you rolled to your opposite side. You couldn’t be as close to him as you would have liked, given the size of your bump, but you managed as best you could. With your nose nestled into the warmth of the crook of his neck and your arms squeezed between you, you finally found a comfortable position that may allow for the slightest amount of sleep. Halsin’s strong arm surrounded your body once again, his arm lightly tracing patterns along your back in an attempt to soothe your nerves. Eventually, and much to your gratitude, you managed to settle into a slumber. It wasn’t the most peaceful night you’d had in a long while, but you couldn’t argue that some rest was better than none. Your sleep was dreamless; just a dark voice of silence.

Come morning, the familiar embrace of Halsin’s lips to your forehead and calloused hand cupping your chin caused you to stir, your mind slightly foggy from the haze of sleep you’d finally managed to settle into. Your lover was hovered over you, planting his usual loving kisses to your skin to gently rouse you from your slumber. You hummed softly at the touch of his lips, reaching up to place your hand over his only to come into contact with his old bracers. The wood was rough under your touch; familiar yet a stranger in these past months of bliss. When your mind finally cleared of your slumber, you realized he was already dressed for the day, ready to take to the road in pursuit of the Absolute assailants.

“First light was agreed upon, my love. Otherwise I would stay here with you for every precious moment.” He said as you sat up, the resurgence of dread filling you. With a deep sigh, you quickly pulled on a loose fitting outfit with the intention of seeing Halsin off for his journey. You still disagreed with him leaving, but you also knew there would be no changing his mind or stopping him. He was leaving out of duty to protect both his home and his growing family, and he was more than willing to die for both.

“A kiss for the road?” You asked softly after you’d pulled on your quick outfit, meeting him to the main threshold of your home.

“Of course. As if you even had to ask,” Halsin said as his hands rested across your shoulders, "It is as I said before you faced the Netherbrain, this shall not be our last, my heart.”

His lips pressed firmly to yours, but there was still the softness you adored. He was always so, so gentle and loving with you. You gripped the edges of his old armor firmly, desperately trying to keep him as close to you as possible as you shared your parting kiss. He groaned against your lips, not wanting to part from you and only desired to hold you to him, but you both knew you needed to part ways so he could meet the scouting party across town. After all, the sooner he left, the sooner he would return to you and your child.

“A ten-day, I promise.” He said as you finally parted ways, meeting your gaze with soft eyes that almost threatened to form a tear.

“And not a day more.” You said it almost as a command, but you also muttered it as a prayer.

With a brush of his nose to yours, Halsin pulled from you, his eyes lingering on your features for a moment longer before his gaze drifted to your abdomen. He knelt to one knee in front of you, placing both hands on either side of your belly before pressing a lingering kiss to the area above your navel. Once his lips parted, he pressed his forehead to the same spot and you could hear him muttering a prayer to Silvanus for safety and guidance. You placed your hands along his, bowing your head to join in on his prayer. Before long, he finally stood

“Not a single day more, my loves.” He repeated when he finally lifted his hands from your body, turning to leave as he did. You shared one final look to each other before he eventually left, calling out his love for you one more time. You leaned against the doorway to your home, your eyes fixed on Halsin as he made he way across the realm.

When Halsin’s bulking frame finally faded from your line of sight, you couldn’t help but sigh as you strolled your way back inside your shared home. The exhaustion from the terrible nights sleep was still weighing heavily on your tired eyes and with Halsin’s fate in the hands of Silvanus, you decided to try and rest more. There was much to do around the area, but for now the people of Thaniel’s Realm could carry on with your absence for the morning. You plopped down on Halsin’s side of the bed, a grunt escaping your lips in the process. Just as you prepared yourself to crawl back under the covers, you felt it.

You could feel the tiny, glorious little kicks from inside your belly. You smiled at the feeling, running a hand along the patch of skin where the kicks were most prominent. It was always a strange sensation, but a most welcome one. The small amounts of movement you could feel coming from your little one always reminded you how worth the hardships of child bearing were. Every morning you woke up ill, every piece of food that made you nauseous, and each ache and pain your body endured were always worth it just to feel the small signs of life coming from within. You sometimes felt guilty when you felt the movement, a feeling a selfishness always coming to a head when you failed to make it to Halsin in time for him to have a feel for himself. Throughout the entirety of your pregnancy, he had yet to feel a kick from your beloved little child.

When the movement from your belly lasted longer than usual, you decided to make a final attempt at allowing Halsin to sense the movements for himself. Without a moment to spare, you quickly made your way to your feet and out the door to your home, your hand placed firmly along the side of your belly to keep track of the movements. With the grace of a deer crossing a meadow, you flitted your way through town, which was unusually busy and full of residents saying goodbye to those traveling with Halsin. With a string of apologies and pardons, you weaved your way through the crowd, being careful to avoid any collisions. You weren’t sure if Halsin was still even in the town, considering he’d gotten a head start to the journey to the entrance, but you were determined to try your hardest to let him experience the feel of his child.

When you made it to the town square you paused, both to scan the crowd for the druid and to rest. In general, movement had become harder for you the more your abdomen grew, causing you to tired easily and not do a much as you were accustomed to doing. You inhaled through your nose and exhaled slowly through pursed lips as you continued to look for Halsin. You took a few steps forward and were delighted to see that your quick footsteps would soon be rewarded.

“Halsin!” You called when your eyes finally spotted him, quickly ushering him over to you with a wave of your hand, the other placed along the side of your extended belly. Halsin’s head quickly snapped in your direction, seemingly hearing the urgency in your voice as his gaze settled upon you. He had been conversing with Thaniel before you interrupted, but he wasted no time in giving a quick, light pat to the boys shoulders to excuse himself before he made his way to you. His steps were quick, bordering on a jog as he approached as quickly as possible.

“I’m here, my heart.” He said as he came to you, “Is something wrong? What can I do?” You now realize that your excitement had come across as potential cause for concern and that concern had quickly consumed his mind. His face was stoic, but with a quick glance to his eyes you could see the worry building. His hands had instinctively made their to your arms, holding you close as he searched your face for answers. There was a twinge of guilt that made its way through your mind with the realization you had instilled fear in your beloved druid, but knew that concern would quickly melt away once he realized why you’d come to him to urgently.

“Nothing,” you said as gently as you could, your excitement almost taking your breath away, “Nothing’s wrong; far from it. Just…just wait. It’ll come back.” Without giving a more detailed explanation, you took his large hands from their place along your arms and moved them to your abdomen. You both stood there in silence, staring down towards your stomach as you waited for another sign of movement.

“There!” You whispered as quietly as possible, but your excitement had still gotten the better of you, “There, my love. Do you feel it?” You placed your hands atop his, pressing them lightly to your belly with the hopes he could have his first feel the feather light kicks coming from within.

The worry that was written across Halsin’s face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of what you could only call bliss. The fear in his eyes softened and his eyelids seemed to droop. His lips pulled into a smile and you could swear you caught the faintest glimpse of a tear threatening to fall to his cheeks.

“Yes, my heart, I do.” Halsin whispered as he pressed lightly against you, desperately wanting to feel another gentle bit of movement. As quietly as he could, the druid gave a gentle chuckle as if he was in disbelief in what he was feeling.

“I was afraid it would stop if I kept walking,” you explained as he shifted his hands around your front side to feel more, “I didn’t want you to miss this.”

With his hands still cradling the swell of your belly, Halsin leaned forward and pressed his forehead to yours, sighing happily as he felt another kick against his palm. Several kicks later, you felt him lean more heavily against you, almost nuzzling as his shoulders and muscles relaxed with your touch. He basked in the feeling of his little one moving against your combined touch. You hummed in contentment as you felt him rock you both back and forth slowly, as if you were entangled in a slow dance together. In that moment, despite being surrounded by dozens of people, there were only the two of you, standing together as one to bask in the warmth and joy that was the child wriggling in your belly. Nothing else mattered except the safety of the embrace you shared and the soft, tiny kicks you both could feel.

“Thank you,” he whispered against your skin, “for everything. For allowing me this moment.”

“Just be sure to be back before this child is born, love,” you said softly, “I want you to enjoy many more.” Your eyes opened only to be met with his soft gaze. You’re not sure how long he’d been looking at you, but the warmth behind his eyes made your heart flutter.

“Oak Father preserve you, my heart.” With a final lingering kiss to your forehead, Halsin reluctantly pulled his hands from your belly as he took a step back.

“You as well, my love.” You said quietly. You knew that if you spoke any louder your voice would crack and tears would spill from your eyes. You understood and respected his obligation to protecting the community he had worked so hard to build, but part of you wanted to be selfish and keep him home. You had seen him in battle many times against the Absolute so you knew his strengths, but you also couldn’t shake the memory of your first meeting in the goblin camp. There was always the very real possibility that he could find himself captured once again or even killed and that thought terrified you to your core. You didn’t want to see anything happen to him for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one being the child the two of you were getting ready to bring into the world.

After everything he had gone through and the misery he’d endured for centuries, he deserved this. He deserved to be there to welcome his child in his arms and drink in those first precious moments. You wanted to see the joy in his face in watching that child prosper in the land he held dear to his heart; to see them flourish and grow to respect the balance between nature and civilization. And, more selfishly, you wanted him there when you gave birth. You were terrified to be alone for that and only wanted his soothing presence there to help you though it all.

As you watched the last of the scouting group leave the gates of the community, you turned to head back towards the market. It would soon be time for dinner and with Halsin now gone, the duty of the community now rested on your shoulders. You offered a quick prayer to Silvanus for the safety of Halsin and the scouting party, but also that your merry band of children would enjoy your nightly bedtime stories in Halsin’s absence.

Tag List: @incrediblethirst, @reignydeys, @thoughts-of-bear, @im-eating-rn, @beardedladyqueen , @simplysaying @emorylovescats, @distelsterncat, @cryingoverpixelsetc

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #halsin #halsin x reader #reader x halsin #gender neutral reader #daddy halsin #halsin romance #halsin brainrot #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #halsin fluff #halsin fanfic

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year ago

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Request: Steve being a hidden nerd in certain ways (ei: sports, camping, outdoor stuff like camping & vegetation/botony, bugs, animals & shit) the kids losing their collective mind as Steve tells them about it. Maybe on a camping trip or something???? I especially want Hop to be impressed.

This is maybe my first request that didn't have some kind of romantic relationship Steddie. They do have a little flirty moment, but beyond that, I liked the idea of just everyone loving Steve and being so intrigued by his knowledge of all of this random nature stuff. Also, no research was done here. Like, zero. I don't know what is true and what isn't so assume none of it is. This is fiction based on fiction and we're here for a good time. I've never been to Yosemite, but it is on the list for me and Liam to go! - Mickala ❤️

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

No one expected Steve to actually want to go camping. Sure, he wanted an RV, wanted to go to National Parks and see mountains and lakes and rivers, but they assumed he’d just want to stay in the RV.

They hadn’t expected him to bring tents.

They hadn’t expected him to suggest sleeping in the tents.

“But…we have an RV,” Mike said, suddenly no longer interested in their trip to Yosemite.

“To travel in. But we won’t all comfortably sleep in it. It’s made for five people at most.”

And that was that. The only people sleeping in the RV were Hopper and Joyce and Max and El, and everyone else was sleeping in tents.

The entire drive there was filled with arguments over music, arguing over who got to sit where, and Steve’s “fun facts” about the land they would be staying on.

He had apparently done quite a bit of research, or he had been hiding a whole wealth of knowledge from everyone.

His fun facts were actually interesting, and everyone quickly tuned in when he started telling them about how the mountains could be dated because of the type and color of the rocks, and how much of the sequoias had been destroyed over the last couple of decades and what they were doing to preserve what was left.

When they arrived, everyone stared in wonder at the meadow in front of them, the mountains as the backdrop to a beautiful sunset.

It would still be light for close to two hours, so they didn’t rush to set up the tents. They went on a short walk along the road they took to the campsite, Steve pointing out different types of plants and birds as they went.

Everyone was in awe of his information, but no one was as surprised as Hopper.

“Where did you learn all this?” he asked on the way back to the campsite as the kids raced each other ahead.

“I went to camp once when I was seven and then I was obsessed with nature. My parents wouldn’t let me go back to camp, but they let me get books and movies about plants and animals. In high school, I took geology and almost had a perfect grade. I just like this stuff,” Steve shrugged.

“So you only went to camp once? Is this your way of going to camp?” Hopper asked casually.

He didn’t usually ask questions that didn’t tell him something he absolutely needed to know.

“I guess. And to spend time with everyone. I like when we can all be together without hell surrounding us, ya know?” Steve admitted.

Hopper’s hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed in silent agreement.

Putting the tents up had been relatively easy, especially when Steve managed to show them a trick he taught himself when he was young and wanted to set up a tent in his backyard but never had anyone there to help him.

No one commented on how sad it was, but Steve realized it after he said it.

As everyone got their sleeping bags and lamps set up in their tents, Steve found a large rock along the edge of the creek in the meadow and sat on it, watching as the sun finally sank behind the mountains.

“Hey,” a voice startled Steve.

He relaxed when he turned to see that it was Eddie.

“Hey.”

“Mind if I sit with you for a minute? Kids are being a bit too much right now.”

“Go ahead,” Steve gestured to the spot next to him. “Not exactly a comfy seat, but the view can’t be beat.”

“Oh, so you’re rhyming now?” Eddie teased as he nudged Steve’s shoulder.

“Not on purpose,” Steve laughed. “It’s pretty great out here, though.”

“Yeah it is. You did good, Stevie.”

Steve looked over to see Eddie already smiling fondly at him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And, for what it’s worth, I think it’s pretty fucking cool that you love nature so much. Nature isn’t really a good friend of mine, but it’s pretty nice to hear about it from you.”

“I’ll make an explorer out of you yet, Eds.”

Eddie looked at him with a look he hadn’t seen on anyone before, at least not towards him.

“Maybe you will, Stevie.”

Eddie only sat there for another minute before excusing himself to check that none of the kids touched his brand new acoustic guitar.

Steve sat there until it was completely dark around him, watching the land in front of him shift ever so slightly as the breeze picked up and the cicadas started their nightly song.

Robin sat down next to him, rested her head against his shoulder and sat with him in silence for a few minutes.

“It’s good to be out here. I don’t think Max ever expected to see mountains like this. She keeps asking when she can climb them,” Robin whispered.

“She does remember her legs aren’t at 100% yet still, right?” Steve asked.

“I think she’s willing to give it a go anyway. What’s the point of being here and surviving everything if you can’t even try?”

Steve nodded.

“Wanna come tell us more about the trail we’re taking tomorrow?”

“You guys wanna hear about it now?”

“Yeah. We like that you’re passionate about it.”

Steve felt his cheeks heat up at the words.

“Okay then. If you guys don’t mind. There’s supposed to be a specific type of rabbit who burrows along this specific trail during the summer and they can grow to be nearly two feet long.”

“That sounds terrifying. Come tell everyone about it,” Robin said as she got up and offered him a hand.

He took it and made his way back to the group.

Everyone listened to him talk about their plan for tomorrow, not interrupting when he got sidetracking talking about the type of trees they would see and what kind of flowers tended to bloom during this particular time of year.

When Steve and Eddie slipped into their tent an hour or so later, they could have stayed in their respective sleeping bags.

But Steve was still too eager to talk about things, so Eddie sidled up next to him in his sleeping bag and held his hand while he talked for another hour about the waterfall they’d be seeing and the type of fish that would most likely be in the river.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #request #ficlet #secret nerd steve harrington #the party #jim hopper

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broomsick · 1 year ago

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Self-care & connecting with nature deities during the wintertime

Is it still possible to connect with harvest and nature deities such as Freyr during the cold season?

Long answer short, yes. Obviously, absolutely. But you all saw that answer coming, right? So I’m here to give you some ideas, as the person who’s favorite season is winter and who made it their mission to help everybody like winter just a little more. And since I feel especially close to Yngvi-Freyr when it comes to the Gods, I will use him as an example throughout this post, though a lot of the following could apply to most nature deities.

Let us first examine a common misconception before we get to the bottom of this topic: the fields don’t die when the sun sets on the 31st of October. The earth still lives under thick layers of snow. The process of dormancy is absolutely crucial to the cycles of nature. And if, like me, you find Freyr to be a sort of guardian of these cycles, then you’ll know he manifests himself in so many ways, even where you might not think to look.

Have you heard about the holly and ivy tradition? It was common during the European Medieval times to decorate houses and halls using holly and ivy, because they were the two plants with leaves that stayed green, even in the dark and cold of winter. This type of practice is often referred to as "bringing the outside in", and it's something I'm quite fond of. I've no doubt it could be a great help if you're the type to feel depressed during the winter time. It's a way to remind oneself of how everpresent nature actually is. Lots of greenery remains despite the snow! And to ackowledge this fact and to work with it is such a great way to connect with nature Gods in general! It goes to show that you appreciate their blessings all year round, not just during spring and summer. While it's true that in many cases, the presence of deities such as Freyr may feel somehow "dimmed" during the winter time, I assure you, they don't disappear once the first snow falls! On the contrary, they are every bit as present and active as when spring comes! They simply manifest themselves in a different manner.

When winter comes, I love to work with evergreen spirits. I incorporate spruce, fir and cedar into my practice and in my offerings. I won't go into too much detail for this topic however, because I've written posts that pertained to it in the past (namely, this post on tree work and this one on land spirits). Since I don't have easy access to holly or ivy, I make due with evergreen! Not with any actual branches, except when I'm lucky enough to find some that were torn away by the wind. But rather, using representations of it. In the same manner, and in the spirit of "bringing the outside in", it's also possible to decorate using representations of the sun! Harvest deities such as Freyr are often associated with it due to its crucial role in the cycles of plant growth. Candles also make for great solar symbols, and to place them around the home is like lighting a handful of little suns to bring much needed light and warmth inside. What's more, lighting candles on the winter solstice night is a widespread practice among pagans today! It serves to symbolize the return of the sun, as the days start to grow longer again. Until then however, it can be soothing for one to light a candle every morning before school or work, and to call upon any harvest, nature or solar deity of their choice to ask for strength and motivation throught the day. Even when it's difficult for us to feel their presence, they always hear us.

Now, how to actually feel more connected to nature? Oftentimes, connecting with nature and connecting with Yngvi-Freyr are one and the same. And on a more personal note, a lot of the advice I received from him pertained exactly to that: I believe he's often urged me to go spend more time in nature when I am going through rough patches. I know the cold and the cloudy weather can make it depressing for a lot of people to go out. My advice on this is to take it step by step: no need to go on long, four-hour long hikes right away! After all, there is already much beauty to be seen close to home. And I can't put enough emphasis on that: dress warmly! Also, as a tool for motivation, prepare a treat for yourself to enjoy after you've gone out. Part of what makes me enjoy winter so much is the thought of the warmth and light which await inside after I’ve gone out into the cold. The home is as sacred as the outside world! So why not buy, or prepare a batch of cookies, a cup of hot chocolate or a spicy dinner! It's something I love to do as a way to motivate myself to go out more often. And I like to offer part of these to local land spirits and to the Vanir, to show my appreciation for the beauty of this season. Just as an aside, I find snow water to be a great such offering as well!

I know that I’m not revolutionizing the pagan scene with this post, as there’s only so many ways to connect with nature during winter. I think it’s important to keep in mind that the snow, rain and cold that this season brings is just as much part of nature as the greens and lively colors of spring and summer. For this reason, they are just as much a part of nature deities and what they represent. Deities have so many facets and depth, and it can be so fulfilling to explore these different aspects, and the way we perceive them. While it’s true that spiritually speaking, it often feels to us heathens as if Skaði is somehow “taking” Freyr’s place in the order of things for the time being— much like the Holly King takes the Oak King’s place in Celtic folklore. This doesn’t make it so he disappears! In my experience, he presides over the cycle of seasons as a whole, and he is every bit as present for his followers as he is during the winter. I can connect with Skaði during the summer in a similar manner. And I’m sure that the same can be said for so many other harvest deities.

#my ideas #yule #winter solstice #paganism #witchcraft #pagan #norse paganism #polytheism #rituals #heathenry #norse polytheism #deity work #norse gods #spirituality #deities

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the-moon-files · 1 year ago

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Linked Universe / GN!Reader - Random Headcanons abt the Chain! :)

Part 1 / Part 2 (ur here!) / Part 3

Sun: Reader (you/they/them)

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: Hyrule, Time, Fierce Deity, Twilight, Warriors

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: light cussing, & Trigger Warnings: none known.

☆

Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda - OG game, Zelda II: Adventures of Link):

Lost easily, obviously, you know this

What you didnt know was that its very easy to get lost with him

Bc he's so excited/curious for new sights he doesnt give any fucks abt where he is, so it devolves into that "wait, I thought YOU were leading us there?? Then where tf are we??!!" very quickly

Does feel bad he stressed u out smtimes but he somehow manages to get into such wild shit that Hyrule's kinda preoccupied being confused/amazed/finding his way out, or any combo of these situations (once again, usually with you unfortunately)

Is the luckiest when it comes to getting lost or anything to do with "natural" things

Like he heard u rlly like this one fruit? Accidentally gets lost all day and panics all the Links + You until he shows up at midnight with a shirtful of them

("I found a few fruit trees/plants in the woods while wandering! I tried to grab a few for you and before I knew it, it was dark, sorry...")

Likes learning little skills from other people, like learning how to do makeup from Legend, or how to spot collections of rupees the Minish have left somewhere from Four, or how walk on any terrain from Wind (good at walking on a ship, on land, climbing etc)

More of a "sunset" hiker than a "sunrise" one

Likes to do your hair! Whether that be braiding, putting accessories (he handmade shhh) thruout it, or helping with hair maintenance, likes how strangely intimate but domestic it feels together with you (u return the favor ofc)

(All the other heroes are looking at you both like kicked puppies jfcccc🙄)

Time (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask):

Gets anxious if he's late to things, likes being fashionably early (or ungodly, when u let him get away with it)

Has absolutely been that meme from Parks and Recreation where he's like "Alright. I'm not mad, I just wanna know. Who broke it?"

(Abt the coffee pot for the camp)

Knowing full and well-

"I broke it. It burnt my coffee for the 3rd morning in a row, so I punched it. I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with war paint on their faces and a moblin head on a stick. ...good. It was getting a little chummy around here."

MF LOVES GOSSIP (wouldn't admit this even at swordpoint)

Wars has absolutely been the person in the meme of:

Wars: "...why would you tell me this??"

Time: "Bc no one will ever believe you."

Wars: ...😦

Has a resting bitch face and knows it, actively cultivates it, scary dog privileges for you,

Type to take ur side in whatever situation ur in, even when Time has no idea whats going on, always, without question <3

The same height as First, (Twi's a close 2nd), and feels most secure when the 3 of you are at the front of the group, but First/Time are slightly in front of you

Like ur literally the person walking their 2 huge scary doobermans/mastiffs one leash in each hand basically 💀

(Once again, Link is deeply comforted by ur voice just over his shoulder/just hearing u even without seeing you)

Very subtly sarcastic, u dont even know he made a dig at you until 3-5 business days later

Likes ur sarcasm more than anyone else's in the group, or even his own lol

Fierce Deity (Majora's Mask):

Likes music, any music (amused at drunk karaoke)

Casually cradles ur arms or back whenever ur falling asleep/tripping/being clumsy near him

Very warm and smoothed calloused hands

Thinks abt what he's about to say so hard/long, that the conversation's moved on by like, 3 rounds/subject changes by the time he's actually ready to talk

Scolds ppl (in like a sentence) who neglect their needs, like sleeping/eating/hygiene

Finds peace in nature, if hes ever upset, u can bet he's already taking a walk by a stream

Likes teaching u/other Links little skills he has, its nice to feel appreciated/needed for something other than fighting or big moments

He falls in love with small moments, like the first time u made them all a dessert recipe from ur world, or repaired First's scarf (for the millioneth time) and bc everyone had gotten their clothes scratched up, everyone needed repairs so most Links were sewing smth lol

Enjoys watching ppl experience smth for the first time, or even himself exp smth for first time

Fierce smiled fully for the first time when you got into the mountain hot springs in Wild's Hyrule for the first time and were super excited

Also the type to hold ur hand while stepping in to make sure u dont fall, or just subtly boost a Link that was abt to fall from climbing smth

Like for being the tallest, he's surprisingly sneaky, the energy of the biggest cat in the house yet somehow also the quietest

Does that thing where someone takes ur hand and like massages ur fingers, palm, wrist and shakes them out kinda for you <3

Twilight (Twilight Princess):

Trips UP the stairs.

Cold start LMAO

ok ill be nice to him,, sike

Easy to bully?? U mean that kindly, he's just such a golden retriever sometimes u cant help urself (tho u make sure to reign it in and not take advantage of it so as not to genuninely hurt him)

Lol likes to "herd" his favorite people, like those dogs livestock farmers have u kno that they say end up herding their owners/their family lol

Like making subtle circles around the Chain, wrapping an arm around Hyrule and teasing him to quietly bring him back into the group before he gets lost,

Tugs on Time's armor to slow him down, mf may be in armor head to toe but he'll outpace all of u 💀

Likes to put his hand on ur lower back to guide u back into the group from whatever scenic thing u got distracted by

(so sue you, ur literally in The Legend of Zelda's Hyrule, surrounded by pretty blondes, why tf wouldnt you be distracted all the time??)

The only time he doesnt herd actively is in Ordon, just subconciously lol <3

Terrible sleep schedule, but sleeps like the dead when he does, has collapsed with a limb on top of you and u couldnt escape

Hard time waking up in the morning despite being country boy, who usually have to do chores first thing in morning on a farm

hates/envious of Wild (up at 5am even on days off?? Foul.)

Runs warm, but complains abt a slight breeze?

Would sleep with no covers if it werent for morning dew

Wishes cats liked him more (its the wolf smell)

Twi has the constant energy of a tall person carefully maneuvering around cluttered/low doorways while someone a head shorter runs by him and bounces off of him

U get onto/scold the Links and he's immediately the first to just sit on the ground, or put down whatever he's holding no matter what he's doing LMAO 😭😭

Keeps his eyes on u too the whole time lol

Warriors (Hyrule Warriors):

Cries over romance novels/dramas

A virgo in all stereotypes of the word tbh

Invented the red-string conspiracy theory board before the red-string conspiracy board existed in Hyrule

Also likes to take care of your hair! (What?? He and 'Rulie don't fight over ur hair, that'd be childish, he's not a foolish boy- Hyrule, hand over the brush.👹)

Remembers the little things abt u type of person, like ur favorite drink, ur favorite stories like tv shows/books even if theyre from ur world, ur favorite clothing pieces like shorts vs. pants, etc.

The only Link who can single handedly claim he could take your closet and dress you in something you'd actually wear.

Honestly once he got the hang of it, would get better at dressing you, than you

(Another domestic thing he adores, picking outfits for u/finding that perfect piece of clothing you've been needing lately)

Born to night-owl, forced to morning-bird 😔

Wars wakes up stiff sometimes bc soldier training is sleeping on ur back, hands to ur sides, laying straight in ur bed, so as to fit into bunks/bedrolls close together

It got better as he was promoted to Captain, so he could have his own quarters but its still a hard habit to shake

One of the few Links who works up the courage to genuinely pitfully ask if you'd mind massaging his shoulders again? He slept badly last night, please?? 🥺👉👈

(Ur so weak for pathetic hurting pretty blonde twinks lol)

The most lowkey abt taking care of Chain, but u make sure to take care of him as a gift back, and you've definitely caught him tearing up abt it 💖

☆

Debated writing smth else first but figured this was easy and short and i started it first so youll have to wait like one more post before more Masc Reader stuff guys 😔

Dw its coming, i havent abandoned u my homies out there 🫂

Let me know what u think in the comments of my slight characterizations here!

Im struggling to conceptualize their personalities so thats acc part of why i started to write smaller stuff like this first! :)

Peace out,

🌙

#lu x reader #linked universe x reader #linked universe x gender neutral reader #lu x male reader #link x reader #linked universe reader #lu imagines #lu time x reader #lu warriors x reader #lu hyrule x reader #lu fierce deity x reader #lu twilight x reader #loz link x reader #jfc is that all of them yet #save me #well not link obv mf is the one making me suffer here 💀#too many mf tags

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clarkeyhill · 2 months ago

Text

☁️picnic date | Arthur Hill

Fluff

Summary: You and Arthur planned a scenic walk on the weekend, you felt out of touch with nature due to your jobs so decided a breath of fresh air was what you needed.

"You ready?" Arthur smiles as he zips his coat up "just tying my laces" you say to him, tightening the lace in your walking boots as you jump up "ready" you say brushing your coat down. Arthur smiled at you, you looked so happy to be doing something so simple and it comforted him. He slides the backpack on containing all your little sandwiches you prepare for the picnic you had planned you lock your flat door as you head to the car, you'd picked a small country park about 40 minutes away, being able to detox in the nature air was always a blessing you never appreciated all the time, but when you did boy did it feel good.

The trip over was a serotonin boost you needed, you drive your way through London as you and Arthur made your own carpool karaoke as you sing your hearts out, releasing the inner child in you both. You arrive after a long but enjoy full drive. You grab your back pack out the boot as you offer to take it on your back for the walk up "absolutely not" Arthur swats your hand away "it's heavy" he defends his actions, you roll your eyes as you make you way up the little hill to the picnic spot, the view overlooked hills filled with daisy's as the sun glistened on the park bench. You sit down on the picnic bench as you unpack your snacks

"This was a really good idea" you say with a soft smile, admiring the view "makes you realise how lucky we are to experience all this" you add "it was, this spot is really nice, nature really is beautiful" Arthur says with a smile gazing at the view. You take a while to just be at one with Mother Nature, picking up random flowers and collecting them to take home, you take some instagram pictures for your feed. The sun starts to set as you pack up your backpack, you make your way back down to the car, hand in hand with Arthur as a wave of calm washes over you "I love doing things like this with you" you say, stopping in your tracks as Arthur turns to you "anything that includes you, will always be my favourite thing" he says smiling, planting a kiss at the top of your head "I love you" you say back to him "I love you too gorgeous" he says softly. You get in the car and set off home, happier than ever.

🫶🏻

#george clarkey #youtube #george clarke #british youtubers #arthur hill

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whimsicalpolitical · 7 months ago

Text

Garden - Ross Macdonald

18+mdni in which ross and you spend a lovely evening planting vegetables, unlocking the ‘garden daddy’ in him. the day ends with soft loving on the couch

content warning: chest riding, mild dirty talk, fluff, p in v,riding

The sun dips gently below the horizon, casting a warm, golden light over the garden. You push open the door and step out onto the cool grass, the scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut lawn enveloping you in a fragrant embrace. The potting soil and cucumber seedlings, neatly packed in their delivery box, lie at your feet.

"Ross!" you call out, your voice carrying a mix of excitement and urgency. "Help me get this in.”

From around the corner, you hear a familiar chuckle, and Ross appears, his eyes twinkling. He's wiping his hands on a rag, a casual grin spreading across his face. "Eh, what’s all this then?" he asks.

“I ordered stuff for our garden remember?” You say, nodding your head at the big packages on your door step.

“Ah-ha stuff,” he chuckles, “let’s get this in then, you need to help me though, s’not like I can carry this alone.”

“Of course, let’s do this then,” you sound very exciting and you are. Gardening is one of the hobbies you love the most.

You and Ross struggle to maneuver the heavy bags of potting soil and cucumber seedlings, huffing and puffing as you lug them into the yard. The weight of the load strains your muscles, and a bead of sweat trickles down your forehead.

“Whew,” you gasp, fanning yourself with your hand. “This is already a workout.”

Ross laughs, wiping his brow. I think we’re going to need some wine to get through this evening.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement. "Wine sounds perfect right about now."

He raises an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Alright then, let’s make a deal. I’ll grab the wine, and you start unpacking these bags. Deal?"

"Deal," you reply, still catching your breath.

As Ross heads inside to fetch the wine, you set to work unpacking the seedlings and potting soil. You glance at the small, green cucumber plants, already envisioning the lush vines and crisp cucumbers they will soon yield. By the time Ross returns, a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand, you’ve arranged everything neatly on the ground.

"Here we go," he says, pouring each of you a generous glass. "To gardening and making it through with some semblance of sanity."

You clink your glass against his, the sound ringing out like a promise of teamwork. "To gardening," you agree, taking a refreshing sip.

Ross glances at the array of gardening tools and plants spread out before you. "So, what’s next, love?" he asks, his tone light.

"Next, we get these cucumbers planted," you say with a grin. "And don’t worry, it’s easier than it looks."

He raises an eyebrow, still skeptical but clearly amused. "You do remember that I'm absolute rubbish at gardening, right?"

"Last time, I managed to ruin everything. Everything, love.”

You shake your head, a smile tugging at your lips. "Nonsense," you reply, waving off his concern. "You just need the right teacher. Besides, how hard can it be to plant a few cucumbers?"

He lets out a laugh, taking another sip of his wine. "Alright, alright. Let’s give it a go then. Just promise you won't laugh too hard when I muck it up."

You roll your eyes playfully. "No promises. But let’s get to it. These cucumbers aren’t going to plant themselves."

Ross takes your glass from your hand and sets both on the table. He puts the bottle of wine in a huge ice bucket so it won’t get hot outside.

You kneel beside the garden bed and open the bags of soil, inhaling the earthy scent that wafts up. You start scooping the rich, dark soil into the garden bed, spreading it evenly with your hands. Ross watches for a moment, then follows your lead, albeit with a bit more hesitation.

"Just like this?" he asks, mimicking your movements.

"Yep, just like that," you assure him. "See? You're a natural."

As you work, you can’t help but laugh at the way Ross tentatively handles the soil, his brow furrowed in concentration. You show him how to create small mounds for the cucumber plants, spacing them carefully to give each one room to grow.

Next, you both set to planting the seedlings. You gently tease the young plants from their trays, careful not to damage their delicate roots. Ross watches, his eyes wide with fascination as you show him how to plant each one in its own little mound of soil.

“Just like this,” you say, demonstrating how to nestle the plant gently into the earth and pat the soil around it. “Easy, right?”

He nods, a little more confident now, and carefully plants his first cucumber seedling. "Look at that," he says with a grin. "Not bad for someone who can’t keep a houseplant alive."

"See? You're doing great!" you reply, smiling at his enthusiasm.

“Hm,” he hums, “thanks to my amazingly gorgeous teacher.”

You both continue planting, working side by side, occasionally standing up to take a sip of your wine.

Taking a break from the gardening, you sink onto the cool grass, legs stretched out and hands behind you, propping yourself up. You take a moment to catch your breath, enjoying the serene atmosphere and the scent of earth and greenery that fills the air.

Ross is still at it, kneeling in the garden bed with an amused determination. You watch him as he carefully pats down the soil around a seedling, his hands moving with a mix of hesitation and newfound confidence. He glances over at you, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, his eyes twinkling with that familiar warmth.

“I see how it is,” he says, “showing me what to do until you’re budging out f’ this, no?” He laughs.

You shake your head offensively, “can’t I catch my breath for a second? Besides, looks like you’re having fun.”

Ross snorts, “just want to get this done before it’s getting dark.” He hides the fact that this is amusing. He likes to spend time with you no matter what you’re doing, appreciating the precious time after tour.

As he shifts to grab the watering can, you notice the way his T-shirt clings to his frame, a testament to the effort he’s put in today. His broad shoulders and strong arms are slightly smudged with dirt, giving him an effortlessly handsome, earthy appeal. There’s something incredibly charming about seeing him in this natural, unguarded state, fully immersed in the simple task of nurturing young plants.

As you stand up, brushing the grass from your hands, you take one last sip of wine before setting the glass aside. You stretch your arms above your head, feeling a pleasant ache from the day's work, and then stride over to join Ross, who looks up with a welcoming smile.

“Back for more?” he asks, handing you a trowel with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Of course.”

Together, you resume the task of planting. You sink your hands into the cool earth, feeling the satisfying resistance of the soil as you carve out small holes for the next set of seedlings. The rhythm of planting becomes almost meditative, each movement deliberate and unhurried. You carefully place a tender cucumber plant into its new home, covering its roots gently with soil and patting it down with a reassuring touch.

Ross works beside you, occasionally glancing over to check your progress or to share a lighthearted comment. You watch as he tends to each plant with surprising attentiveness, his earlier apprehension replaced by a quiet confidence. There's a natural grace to his movements now, a balance of strength and gentleness that mirrors his personality.

The garden is taking shape around you, each row of plants standing tall and hopeful in the fading light. You pause for a moment, your hands resting in the soil, and look at Ross. His features are softened by the golden hues of the setting sun, the dirt smudges on his face adding a rugged charm to his look. His hair, dark and slightly tousled, falls just over his brow, and his eyes, warm and kind, meet yours with a look of shared satisfaction.

“We make a pretty good team,” you say, a note of pride in your voice.

He nods, smiling broadly. “Yeah, I think we do. Who knew gardening could be this fun?” He leans in, obviously wanting to kiss you but you laugh and cover his mouth with your hand.

“Have you seen yourself.” You laugh, his whole face and yours covered in dirt and sweat.

“So? C’mere.” Ross takes a step towards you and before you can flee, he wraps his arms around your waist, trapping you against his body.

He leans his head down, to capture your lips in a kiss. You groan as he smiles into the kiss, aware of the feeling on your lips. “Ross,” you whine, backing away from him.

“What?” He laughs, throwing his hands in the air, “it’s just a bit of dirt.”

“Well yes, that’s kind of the point.”

“Alright,” he says, turning away from you. He picks up the garden hose and you think he’s just going to water the freshly planted cucumbers. Instead he directs the hose at you before he turns it on. “Now better?” He jokes, laughing like a teenage boy at your wet face, water dripping down your shirt.

“Ross!” You yell, “are you serious?!”

You run towards him to take the weapon away from him, getting himself wet in the process. His now blue shirt looks more like black and his bun is ruined.

You’re standing closely together, in a truce, the soil abandoned on the floor and your bodies pressed together. You shudder at the disgusting feeling, not liking when your shirt is wet.

“Look what you’ve done,” you look down at yourselves.

He raises an eyebrow, his hands trailing down to squeeze your ass shamelessly. “What I’ve done?” He laughs, pulling you in for another kiss.

It’s more urgent now, his tongue sliding through your lips.

You find yourself lost in the kiss, the warmth of Ross's mouth mingling with the cool evening air. His hands roam over your back, pulling you closer, and you respond with equal fervor, savoring the moment. The garden around you fades into the background, your world narrowing to the heat of his body and the taste of his lips.

But then, a stray thought of the scattered tools and dirt-covered gloves brings you back to reality. You pull away reluctantly, your breath coming in soft gasps. “Ross, we need to clean up,” you murmur, glancing around at the garden bed littered with gardening tools and half-empty wine glasses.

Ross groans, his forehead resting against yours. “Do we have to?” he asks, his voice tinged with playful exasperation.

You chuckle, giving him a gentle nudge. “Yes, we do. Come on, you know we’ll regret it if we leave everything like this.”

With a resigned sigh, Ross releases you and takes a step back. He grabs the wine glass, tipping it back and taking a long sip, his eyes still smoldering with desire. “Alright, alright. Let’s clean up, but we’re picking up where we left off later,” he says, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

You laugh, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through you at the thought. Together, you set about tidying the garden. You gather the scattered tools, placing them back in the storage box while Ross rolls up the garden hose, shaking out the excess water. The rhythmic tasks are soothing, a grounding counterpoint to the earlier heat of your embrace.

After a while, the garden is back in order. The tools are neatly stored, the plants are watered, and the wine glasses are empty but set aside for washing. You both stand back, surveying your handiwork with a shared sense of pride.

Ross wipes his hands on his jeans, smudging the dirt already there. He turns to you with a grin, his earlier frustration forgotten. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

You smile, feeling a deep sense of contentment. “No, it wasn’t. And now we have a beautiful garden to show for it.”

You smile and open the backyard door to go inside when you look down at each other.

“We need to get out of these clothes before we track dirt everywhere.” You laugh at the state of you.

Ross nods, a smirk playing on his lips as he surveys the dirt streaks on his own clothes. “Good idea. Wouldn’t want to ruin the floors.”

You start peeling off your grimy shirt, revealing a tanned, sweat-slicked body underneath. Ross follows suit, tugging his shirt over his head and exposing his broad chest, still glistening slightly from the exertion. He tosses the shirt aside with a flourish, a playful look in his eyes.

You can’t help but smile at his antics, feeling a flutter of excitement despite the dirt and exhaustion. As you reach for the button on your jeans, you catch Ross’s gaze lingering on you, his eyes darkening with that familiar heat. You slip out of your jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor, and look up to find Ross doing the same, his jeans joining the pile with a quick, careless motion.

You can’t stand the heat, that’s why you mumble a quiet ‘gonna take a shower’ before you try to head inside.

Ross is faster though, his strong arms are around you, pulling you close. You yelp in surprise as he lifts you off your feet, your heart racing as he carries you effortlessly into the living room.

“Ross, what are you—” you start to protest, but your words are cut off as he lowers you onto the couch, his grin widening. The cushions sink beneath your weight, and before you can catch your breath, Ross is on top of you, his hands finding your hips and pulling you into his lap.

You gasp as you feel the warmth of his body against yours, the dirt and sweat mingling in a way that’s oddly intimate. Ross’s fingers trace patterns on your skin, his touch both gentle and possessive. “I can’t,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. “You look ravishing like this.”

“Like this?” You chuckle, knowing that he means you looking like mud.

“Exactly like this.”

His hand on your cheek moves to the back of your neck, pulling you in for a kiss. It's soft, loving, his lips giving and taking everything at once. Your hands grip him, one in his hair, the other on his shoulder. His tongue runs over your top lip, asking for permission, you accept, holding onto his shoulder as tight as you can when his tongue begins sliding against yours.

His hands begin to roam, sliding over your naked body, fingers digging into your skin. You press more into the kiss, whimpering softly when he nips at your bottom lip. One of his hands moves down, ready to slip beneath the waistband of your underwear, you grab his wrist, breaking away from the kiss, “We can't, we’re getting the couch all dirty.

His brows furrow, one hand still holding onto your bare side, the sensation of his fingers makes you tremble.

He chuckles, shaking his wrist free from your grasp, “Too late, love, just stop worrying f’me.” His voice is low and breathy, making everything in your body tense and release.

“I-” you stutter against his neck, feeling his hands grasp your hips once more.

“Get up for a second,” he says, releasing you.

You stand up, looking at him confused. He smiles, moving back into the couch a bit, spreading his legs wider. Your eyes drift to the bulge in his pants, wondering if he wants you on your knees, but instead he moves you closer and pulls your panties down.

He pulls you onto his boxers.

He places a finger under your chin, making you look at him, using his other hand to grab your side again, god his hands are so big on your body. He pulls you into a bruising kiss, encouraging you to start moving your hips. You melt into the kiss, grinding against his bulge.

“Just like that, darling,” he groans, getting the friction.

Ross’ crotch is warm and firm between your legs, the pressure from your movements and the drag of your clit against his cock has you gasping. He kisses you wet and sloppy, moaning into it.

“Ross-“

You think when he grabs your hips and pulls you upwards he’ll grind you on his crotch again, but when he pulls you onto his belly you frown. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like, hm? C’mon, grind.”

You begin rolling your hips slowly, trying to get a feel for it. You are doing slow movements, grinding yourself up and down as you took your time.

The hairs on his stomach give you the extra friction that you didn't even know you needed, making you moan in pleasure.

Ross grabs onto your ass while he smirks at you. “Y’like that?”

"Uh huh, it feels so good," you mutter as your voice shakes from overwhelming pleasure.

You continue sliding yourself up and down on Ross’ stomach, while his hands hold onto your hips.

Ross enjoys watching your reaction, so much so, his boxers start to become hot and uncomfortable.

He lets go of your hips and grabs the waistband of his boxers. Ross wiggles a bit underneath you as he takes it off, kicking them off onto the floor.

"Ahh, that's more like it," Ross says as he sighs in relief.

"Feeling better?" you chuckle, reaching behind you, you give a quick tug on his cock.

Ross lets out a groan, followed by a small laugh. "S’much better.”

"Good," you drawl out with a smile. Leaning in, you press your lips against his, kissing him lovingly, and moaning into each other's mouths.

Pulling back from the kiss, you sit up, place your hands on his chest, and continue grinding on his stomach. After a few more minutes of you mewling in pleasure as you ride his stomach, you slide down far enough to where you feel the tip of his cock just barely entere inside you.

Ross clenches his teeth and digs his fingers into your skin as he moans, feeling the warmth and wetness from you, enveloping the head of his cock.

A small smug appears on your lips, you know he wants more. But of course, you couldn't just give it to him all now.

Deciding to mess with Ross, you don’t go down far enough and pull away.

Ross sighs out a 'fuck' followed by a groan of frustration. You continues to do this a couple more times, riding his big, hairy, doughy belly and then barely sliding the head of his dick in for just a few moments, only to be pulled out again.

You can tell Ross can’t take much more of the teasing anymore. He is whispering and moaning out pleas. His cock is uncontrollably twitching and dribbling with pre-cum.

“No teasing, missus,” he says, “wanted to do you a favor and you’re being’ unfair.”

You giggle and slide back down, right onto his dick. “Don’t want to, need you right now.”

“But-“

Ross never even thinks about his own pleasure before you didn’t finish and he rarely lets you take him without convincing.

“Feel me, I’m ready Ross, really really need you.”

Before he can object you’re already lining up your entrance with his tip.

“Christ, love, alright, you got me," Ross grunts when you lower yourself onto his shaft, your arms trembling as you use your thighs to hold yourself up with your head tucked into his shoulder.

“Take what you need.”

Ross lets you set your own pace, his hands holding your hips as his face scutches in bliss from the feeling of you.

The feeling of your heart beating so hard that he can feel it against his chest, his arm snaking around the curve of your waist to help you balance yourself out, listening to every small nose that parts from your lips.

“I love you Ross,” you whine.

As you shift your hips to slowly take all of him, coaxing the same moan from each other, Ross rests his head against your chest, pulling you in closer, practically hugging you as if his entire cock isn’t buried inside of you.

The feeling of him stretching the warmth of your walls makes you feel light-headed. Most of the time sex is like this with Ross. Sweet and slow and loving no matter who’s on top.

“I love you, darling,” he half groans pulling back to give you a sweet kiss on the lips.

Your hips stutter, raising them slowly before starting a more stable pace.

He tightens his grip around your waist, restarting himself to not snap his hips to match your pace, wanting you to have full control this time.

"Ross, fuck,” you mumble, the fan of your breath against his ear, slamming your hips and grinding against him. He feels like he is going to pass out.

"You feel so good," Ross rasps. "So fucking perfect." His words of encouragement make you feel drunk just from his words.

Your hips rocking at your own pace, it is starting to become unbearable on Ross’ side of things. His hips are trembling to the sound of your wet folds struggling to take him all the way down to the base.

The cool metal from his fingers brush against the warm skin of your thighs, his hips shifting up almost like he is struggling to restrain himself.

You look down and instantly recognized the pleading look, the look that tells you that he needed every inch of you. Your lips meet in approval as his hips bucked up into yours at his own pace.

“Keep going.”

Ross groans in agreement.

Your head drops in pleasure, resting your forehead against his shoulder, your moans echoing like a sweet tone in his ears.

He can feel the trembling in your legs, struggling to hold yourself up as he has his way with you.

“Forgive me, I’ll make it better in a second.”

The moment he pulls out of you, your insides feel weird, like a ghost of him still lingering inside of you pulling away as he picks you up by your thighs with a grunt, shifting your position so that you lie with your back against the couch.

There is a cute moment when the tip of his cock pressed against your opening, a dopey grin on his face being replaced with a moan that fell in rhythm with yours. You both feel reconnected, he slides his entire length back inside of you where you thought he belonged all along.

"S’better like this f’you, don’t have to hold yourself up," Ross explains, his voice low. "You gotta let yourself go, love. Come on, I know you want to." leaning down as you chase after his lips, kissing him deeply.

His tongue slides into your mouth, parting your lips as the rough skin of his thumb rubbed rough circles against your clit.

“Ross- I- fuck,” you moan against his mouth, too high on the edge to kiss him back. It’s just your lips against each other, messily trying to connect.

The new sensation is enough to drive you over the edge, and Ross is watching your body tense and tighten from under him. “S’good, darlin’ show me how good I make you feel.”

The feeling of you squeezing around his cock, drawing out his own orgasm, his thrusts stuttering as he continued to ride out yours.

His fist clench around the couch just beside your head as he ducks into the crook of your neck.

“jesus christ.”Grunting against your neck with every thrust, his orgasm un tumble the feeling from his eyelashes fluttering from squeezing his eyes closed as he falls limp against your chest, a breath being thrown from your lungs.

The feeling of Ross laying his entire weight against you comforts you and soothes you immediately.

He doesn’t pull out yet, kissing your shoulder up to your neck. “I can get used to planting shit ‘f it ends like this.”

You giggle and hit his lower back lightly but wrapping your legs around it at the same time, making sure he doesn’t leave. Ross is already familiar with how cuddly you are after sex and he doesn’t mind.

“I’m joking,” even though you can’t see it, you know he’s smiling against your skin in between kisses, “but we really need that shower now.”

Your gaze drops to the couch which is fully covered with dirty. Your eyes widen, “fuck,” you whisper which draws a chuckle out of ross, “how will we get this clean?”

“Don’t worry, I know how. Matty’s a proper child, I can’t tell you how many times he spilled things onto a carpet or couch.”

“Fine.” You’re not convinced but you have no other choice than to wait and see what he’s going to do.

For a few more minutes you stay like this, ross softening inside of you, giggling and keep kissing to show you just how much you love each other.

The both of you hiss when he pulls out of you but you’re close again when he lifts you into his arms again. “Let’s shower and then we’ll take a look at our masterpiece, yeah?”

“Mhm,” you hum, too tired to really say anything else. You let yourself fall against him, enjoying his presence in your home finally after he was gone so long. “S’go.”

“Think you’re a bit knackered.”

You shake your head but he’s right, he knows it and you know it.

“Alright then, let’s just stay awake for the shower okay?”

You manage until you both washed the dirt and sweat off of you, but when your back hits the bed you’re deep gone in sleep. Exhausted from all kinds of activities today.

#the 1975 #ross macdonald #ross macdonald x reader #ross macdonald smut #ross macdonald one shot #ross macdonald fluff #ross macdonald x you #ross macdonald imagine #ross macdonald blurb #matty healy #george daniel #adam hann #the 1975 fic

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echantedtoon · 8 months ago

Text

Ocean Deep Ch8 An Unexpected Chain Of Events

(Warnings: Rengoku is in REALLY BAD shape with wounds, blood/possible blood loss, and a few giant fish hooks embedded in him. Mentioning of blood. Mentioning of attempted kidnapping. Mentions of Rengokus poisonous barbs. yn has to do CPR on Rengoku.

If you need a refresher on the mer cast-

Suma: (all blue) Halfmoon Betta Fish mer

Hinatsuru: Strawberry Peacock Cichlid mer

Makio: Golden Dragon Koi mer

Kyojuro Rengoku: Lionfish mer(you can follow the link below and see what he looks like there.)

https://www.tumblr.com/yuki2sksksk/729990049783021568/lionfish-based-merman-kyojuro-and-betta-fish-based?source=share

If I don't describe CPR accurately I apologize. I looked instructions up on YouTube to get as accurate of a scene as I could.)

Tags: @shadyd3ar @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan

The day was beautiful this morning.

With the sunlight sinking into the room through the window. The birds singing outside. Beautiful fresh smelling air. Beautiful visions of nature right outside of you looked. A bright blue sky. Fluffy white clouds. Yellow sun. Flowers of every color. Green plants everywhere. Trees providing shade as the wind rolled by. An absolute picture perfect scene for what could very much be a good day. Nothing in the world to worry about. Nothing to do. Just peaceful quiet and nature.

That was what your normal morning would've been on your day off. When you woke up at a reasonable time and woke up at a normal time. However this wasn't your normal morning. Now was it?

The wind felt nice against your skin as you walked along the dirt road and towards the pathway where the river lied. It was pretty early in the morning too. Two maybe three o'clock. A yawn bubbled up the woman's throat and made it out as a hand instinctively went to cover her mouth. Usually you would fear going outside anytime during the night but desperate times called for desperate measures. You were running out of food. All these scraps would only go so far before someone got the idea to start charging you money for that too or by the ways things were going, soon there wouldn't even be any scraps left for you to be handed. Your only hope right now was to rely on old scraps and providing the food yourself. Under the covers of darkness to avoid any suspicion.

Your door had opened quietly and you stepped out of your house and into the quiet, barren streets. The moonlight shining down and kissing your form. A shiver running down your spine from a warm breeze ghosting over your form. It would be a good night to fish. The door closed softly as you started walking towards the woods outside the town, fishing line curled up within your right hand. The moon shown down upon the forests illuminating the night bright enough for you to see and watch as the trees swayed im the warm breezes and hear the peaceful rustling of their leaves and lullabies of the crickets. It was just so beautiful and lively. You always loved doing this. Not when it was dark and scary however. It was more beautiful in the daytime.

The sweet smells of flowers and grass were encouraging your lungs. Combined with the warmth of the summer air warming your muscles and urging them on. Both made you feel as light as a feather on your mere feet and the ground felt soft under you. It would've been nice if you weren't constantly looking side to side at every shadow that danced in the limited moonlight thanks to the grey clouds looming overhead. Step after step. Faster and faster. You fearfully started to speed walk through the pathways and around a corner of a house as soft dirt pathways turned into grassy floors of forests as you excitedly entered the beckoning woods. The moonlight being blocked out a bit because of the swaying trees and branches and clouds but you could still see perfectly fine. The river sso many people liked to fish at during summer wasn't too far from where you entered. It was just nearly a quarter of a mile into the woods. You loved coming out during these warm months and enjoying the view but ever since the disappearances -...You kept your distance. The way you found the river was walking through a bush and having to blink when a flurry of sparkling lights glared your eyes for a second.

Blinking your eyes adjusted to the beautiful and wonderful sight of a dark beautiful river reflecting the moon on its surface and sparkling as if the reflection had its own stars and consolations within its ripples. Completely untouched and waiting for you to touch its soft silence. Soft footsteps approached the gleaming water and a carbon copy of a woman appeared in the gleaming reflections. She stared up at the original mirroring the actions of the woman above. The woman's fiddled with her line and the small contacts she brought along with her. A hook with a big, juicy worm stabbed on the end of it dangled over the woman in the dark reflection before dropping into the water and rippling the reflection woman away back into the darkness of the waters.

Shaking hands fed the line lower and lower into the blackened waters. F/c eyes darting around the area. Every creaking branch. Every swaying bush. Every tall blade of grass. They all could hide a monster ready to carry you off to be their next meal. Next Bride. Next victim. The fast paced breathing was only matched by the beating of your heart in your chest.

This was where those three girls disappeared last year, and near where the fourth girl disappeared.

It was a stupid, STUPID idea!! ...But were you really just going to let your friends go hungry? No. No you weren't going to let that happen. The responsibility of their survival was solely on you for the moment. With a shaky inhale the woman returned to her work. Feeding the line into the wide river's darkened waters before kneeling down to sit upon the side of the water. Trembling. Nothing but the wind and cold for company.

Rippling, rippling water. Sparkling mirrorer of the stars and moon. Swaying lazily with the flowing currents and keeping in time with the bobbing line of life keeping it tethered to the above world. With a lazed fortune in mind for the woman, a pull tugged onto the line and it was enough for her to pull up a feast big enough for a small person for a day.

You frowned as you gazed at the small catfish wriggling on the end of the line. This wasn't as big as you hoped. It was enough for a small human like you to have for lunch but that's about it. It wouldn't fill up a mermaid for an entire day! But..you couldn't afford to throw it back. A fish was a fish. And you'd have to get more. The line was thrown back in once again sinking back into the only black abyss of the waters. You sat there gazing at the blackness around you with nothing but the flopping fish for company. Every sound was amplified as in the silence made them louder. You shouldn't be here in the woods. You should be at home in your comfy bed asleep and waking up to a good morning where you'd make yourself breakfast before cleaning a little bit and then relaxing on your day off. But no. Here you were in the same forest where four girls disappeared just last summer fishing in the middle of the night just to feed three mermaids that you never really asked for with your poor town suffering the consequences.

You should've headed the old tales-

The sweet sunlight kisses the world good bye as the sun set on the world. Wishing it good bye to make way for the cruel night that way ahead. Bathing the world in darkness tinted in white by his sister the moon as she dawned her best war paint and climbed higher into the darkened sky to claim her rightful place as Queen of the dark realm. That readd a sign to all her dark children that tonight would be the night for mischief and mayhem. Danger and chaos.

Death and undead.

Beware the full moon that comes to rise in the sky.

Beware the monsters who lurk and live amongst the world.

Beware of those who seek out their own entertainment.

So lock your doors up tight when the full moon appears. Barricade all your windows. Block up any chimneys. Hide away in your deepest closest. Arm yourself with your finest weapons. Speak not a word and be silent. Sleep not a wink and keep alert for they will all spirit you away.

Mischievous fae. Blood thirsty vampires. Carnivorous werewolves. Fire breathing dragons. Scheming demons. And so many more.

Those who refuse to heed the warnings are fated to die to be spirited away never to be seen again. So hide away and don't make a sound. Never answer the door no matter what. And above all else be weary.

You jumped as a thunderclap in the distance overhead echoed throughout the sky. Your head looked up instinctively and stared at the still lit up sky and the dark grey storm clouds that scattered across it like some shattered jigsaw puzzle. The sight of it worried you making a frown appear on your perfectly spooked face. The chilly wind blowing over your body once again as you shivered.

You were tired. Exhausted even as the night went on. Darkened shadows filled the skies with darkness blocking out the light as your catch slowly grew. One by one. Until you jumped as a giant crash of thunder rolled along the sky making you jump and look towards the sky of darkness. You deemed it time to go then. Quickly pulling in your line up and gathering your fish, another clash of thunder made you jump. The wind picked up hammering branches against each other. Yep. Time to go! You just threw the string of fish over your shoulder when-

DDDDRRRAAAAAAAGGG-

You froze when you heard it. A distant cry of the Water's surface breaking just a few feet away from you to the right as you turned your head. The sounds of something coming from the other sides of the bushes. You couldn't move. Couldn't speak. As fear gripped your neck tightly and your eyes stared at the cold wind blowing the bushes around. The mud squelches and splashing sounded..BIG. POWERFUL...But also-

COUGH! COUGH! DDDRRRRAAAAAGGGG!! COUGH!

T H U D- ! ! !

You jumped as SOMETHING BIG. Collapsed.

Collapsed. JUST. BEHIND. THE. BUSHES.

You still didn't move. Panicking internally. What were you supposed to do?! Get your neighbors?! You wanted to go back...but what if it was someone who did need help? Or what if it was a wild animal? WHAT IF IT WAS A CREATURE GETTING READY TO CARRY YOU AWAY NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN?!...Ok. maybe not. Calm down. It was just.. probably just a wild animal! Yeah! It was probably injured or something! In which case you better leave anyways. ...Buuuut if it WAS an injured animal like a deer then maybe you could just use it for food! You guessed it didn't hurt to just take a quick look. Right? Slowly you stopped and looked back towards the bush. Your bare feet touching the ground gently and quietly enough to not make yourself known.

Your breath hitched in your throat.

Quietly you stepped closer as and closer and CLOSER to the bush silently. Slowly stopping right in front of the bush. The wind blew swaying it's branches creepily and looked like thrashing arms. You grabbed a handful and silently and slowly pulled them back.

And you froze at what you saw-

The winds howled as the darkness crept across the skies. The darkness behind the bush shielded your form from the moonlight which cascaded down between the trees and clouds in the sky. The shadows danced and branches creaked as the wind blew them about. Like arms beckoning you closer to grab you away in their rough grip. Drag you into the shadows never to be seen again. You cracked an opening in the branches and looked out. The darkened sky looked out over the entire area. Tree branches swayed and night fell upon the ground. However you froze as your eyes met a sickening sight.

R E D.

The coldness of the air bit down hard on your skin, like painful bee stings pricking your skin. The terror far greater than seeing a thousand wolves sunk in. A hand flew to cover your mouth as a foul urge to vomit rose and a sickening copper smell filtered through the air.

RED!!

That was the color painted everywhere on the ground displayed before you. And there...lying face down slumped over was a man's body. A canvas for the color. Your eyes shrank in terror and your ears gained a ringing sound all on their own drowning out any noise.

A DEAD BODY.

Right there lying right in front of your face. How-...How did this happen?! Where did it come from?! You wretched yourself away from the bush in shock and leaned over slightly. The urge to vomit riding as you did everything you could to keep it down. The bush branches snapping back into place hiding the sight from you. Automatically you gave a few coughs and gulped down air in an attempt to calm yourself head spinning. There was a dead man on the riverbank! Oh gods! What if someone thought you were responsible for this!? You could be tried for murder-

Wait...

How did you know he was actually dead?

That one thought made you freeze in your tracks instantly. That's right...How did you know for certain that he was dead? You just merely saw him covered in blood with a gash on his back. Your head turned back to the bush. He...he could've been hurt and tried reaching your house for help. What if he was laying there suffering?! That thought perked you back up into going back to the bush and cautiously reaching out to slightly pull the branches again. The body was still there unmoving. It...sure LOOKED dead but you couldn't tell in the dark. If he was still alive..you had to help him. You couldn't just leave someone to bleed out. The unmoving form still remained unmoving even as you noisily pushed through the bush and stood right next to the head. It was then that you again stopped dead in your tracks both shocked and horrified as the clouds overhead parted enough to allow more moonlight to light up the area truly revealing who or more accurately WHAT was laid in front of you

A pale torso of blood covered skin sank down into the mud. Skin slowly melted away into fiery orange and red scales smooth and polished like that of a snake..Or fish. A giant tail full of fins sank deeply into the muddy bank before disappearing under the waves of the water that lazily hugged his body. F/c eyes widened to the size of plates.

A MERMAID?!

..No. wait-

Your eyes narrowed more in the darkness. A mer-..Man???

It was definitely a man. You could tell by how Large the body was and how muscular the exposed skin was. In the limited moonlight you were able to make out long blonde hair that mostly covered his face and he laid in a position that suggested that he'd collapsed by himself instead of being washed ashore by the river currents. But the question still remained...Was he still alive?

You hesitated again ...but slowly you reached over to the face laying on its side and touched the long strands covering his eyes. It was .. surprisingly soft and silky to the touch and you slowly pulled it away from the face to examine it. The right side of a man's face greeted you. You nearly jumped back at what you saw.

"Oh my gods."

A fish hook was just mere inches from his face. One of those thick metal ones that they used to catch tuna, small sharks, and other large fish. You immediately grabbed it pulling it safely away from him. What was this doing here?! A few more centimeters and it could've handed his face if he chose to move, splayed out on the cold unforgivable ground unmoving. His right eye exposed from pulling his hair back was closed obviously either unconscious or dead, and read streaks ran down his face in water dripping patterns from a cut on his forehead. However...that wasn't the strangest bit. Your hand instead went to almost touch his lips and flinched back feeling a weak warmth across your fingertips. You reeled back in shock, hand to your chest, and jumping. His body was still warm!!

HE WAS ALIVE!!

The hook was thrown aside along with the line of fish you caught thudding into the wet ground. Hands grabbed his right shoulder and HEAVED. Barely moving an inch, but slowly the body turned, and with a thud he was collapsed onto his back. A shocked gasp escaped from your throat upon eyes seeing his front body. Oh gods...So much blood. His body was practically DRENCHED in the red color! And you found out why. A large gash across his front from his left shoulder and ending just above his right hip was exposed to you. Definitely bigger than the gash along his back. And there was a third smaller gash along his right collar bone ending near his bicep. There was so much blood..How was he even still alive!? Wha-..What happened to him?! What caused him to get like this?! Thick broken strands of what looked like broken strands of rope was laid out all over his body, curiously you grabbed a piece and pulled it off him. What used to be a net maybe? You continued pulling it all off of him the hardest part having to walk into the river a bit and slide it down his tail in order to slip it off his tail. So much for a dry dress. The ropes were thrown aside and wet squelch sounded as you pulled up the hem of your now soaked dress to go kneel by his head.

It provided you a better look despite the limited moon light. You could get a better look at his injuries noting there was more than you expected. More BLOOD than you expected. It seemed most on his head came from either his mouth or from the cut on his forehead. There was also more cuts on his tail, but thankfully none of them looked very deep or if they were they weren't bleeding which was also good. But you also noticed something else. Something else very important about him.

He was also wearing jewelry.

A thick gold chain was around his waist like a belt almost. His ears were pierced with a few small gold earrings that you only noticed thanks to the moonlight making them shine. Some kind of golden bands were wrapped around his left forearm, and finally a few rings were on his fingers. OOOH boy. Your eyes widened when you saw them. They were studded with big diamonds and other precious jewels. Whoever this man-..merman was, it was obvious he had access to some kind of wealth. Taking a closer look..He also was very handsome under all of the dread. Briefly your panicked mind wondered if all mermaids were like this or if it was just the ones you came across.

You reached out to touch it his neck for a pulse. F/c eyes smoothed over the body still wet and warm from the turbulent journey down the river. However the water droplets dripping down the body was expected, as was the smears of crimson blood from the injuries. What was not expected was the lack of movement coming from his chest. The woman froze again upon blankly staring down at the unmoving chest as a horrible reality was finalized right then and there.

HE WASN'T BREATHING

The horrible realization struck her as hard and quick as lightning made out of bricks. Her breathing hit he'd as her knees dropped next to his chest. Hands raised shaking and panicked as she stared panicked at the bloody body..Quickly the woman's hands reached out to shakingly pat at his cheeks.

"Please wake up. Pl-Please wake up!"

Unresponsive. Eyes remained closed silently drifting away from the world as peacefully and slowly as a leaf flowing down the pond. The woman above only being a distant audience- Until she refused the reaper his claim that day.

Hands pushed themselves onto the unmoving chest. Hands interlocking. Arms stiff. And then the first of many pushes down.

"Wake up!"

Sweat beaded from your forehead as you rapidly delivered a series of pushes down until you reached to the count of thirty in your mind. Stopping abruptly and grabbing his head. Nose pinched, head tilted back slightly, and not hesitating to place your mouth on his to deliver breaths. Sweat coated your face as you continued the cycle.

Rapid pushes.

"Come on. Come on."

More breaths.

"Fight it!"

Rapid pushes.

"LIVE DAM YOU!"

Tears helped up in your eyes. A sob nearly escaping. The darkness and distant thunder overhead mocking your attempts at what seemed to be a lost cause. Gleeful in your failing. A shaking added to the woman as she went to quickly place her mouth back onto his- and then he choked.

The movement of him against you caught you so off guard that you actually tumbled backwards out of fright, the mud making a loud splat sound as you fell into it. If the dress wasn't ruined before it certainly was now. However that was the farthest thing from your mind as the body convulsed with coughs escaping the mouth- Two hands grabbed him by the shoulder as you heaved with a loud grunt to pull him onto his side.

"That's it. Good. Good." A hand gently rubbed his back as you held him there. A gasping choking sound like a drowning man finally getting to land. "You're doing great. Keep breathing."

HE WAS ALIVE. HE WAS BREATHING!! He was still not in good shape but he wasn't dead! Thank the gods! The gasping choking sounds continued for a little bit making you wince as you watched him. His mouth hung wide open exposing a few fangs you wearily eyed. The girls had fangs too but his were much more sharp and pointy. His eyes squeezed shut and his brows tightly furrowed as he gasped and every so while spat. Until eventually his head laid upon the ground exhausted. Chest rising and falling deeply.

For a moment there was nothing.

The sounds of creaking branches, wind, and heavy breathing were the only things heard besides the distant sounds of thunder in the ever darkening skies. Nothing but you staring at him in this point frozen in time as a hand encouraging rubbed at his back.

Then ever so slowly his eyes opened.

You froze when you first saw the whites of those eyes. At first they were confused blinking the blurry vision away only to be greeted by the darkness. A moment of longingly staring ensued, until the eye turned to stare up at you. You froze at the unusual eyeball staring at you. It was unlike anything you've ever seen. His pupil instead of the usual black was a pure white surrounded by a ring of red that was in turn surrounded by a secondary ring of orange. It made contact with your f/c irises and stopped there before widening in surprise. Your face stained in crimson red and mud brown. There was nothing but the tense breathing for ten seconds before the entire face slowly turned to you. The wet hair cling to his face, semi stained by the blood, and mud smeared on other parts of his body that wasn't already caked in water and/or blood. He just ..Laid there. Staring up at you. Right in the eyes. As if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His fire like eyes stared at your eyes then looked down at the lower half of your face and the crimson smear. It looked like he's seen a ghost.

"GAH!?"

You jumped back as his arm moved, pulling your hands away from his body and leaning back. Eyes wide as the limb shook enough to be mistaken for a frightened worm. You flinched. Was he going to attack you?! Drag you down into the water?! Drown you?! You were going to die and for what?! Helping him?! Your eyes clenched shut awaiting your fate!

A shaking hand reached up and-!!! Gently touched his mouth in bewilderment.

"....Did you ju-just k-k-kiss me?"

A GLASS SHATTERED IN YOUR MIND

Wait...What?!

You lowered your arms slowly. Even more slowly as the most hoarse man's voice you ever heard came from the merman. You stared at him wide eyed as he stared up at you. "....W-What?"

"Ma'am, I am hu-humb-b-bly flattered-" He was BARELY able to hold up a badly shaking hand. "-bu-but I am a h-..*cough cough* ha-happly mmmarried man."

You stared at him blankly for the longest time just staring. His voice sounded like he desperately needed a glass of water for a dry throat. ".......SAY WHAT?!"

"I u-understand that I happen to b-be a- about b-but I as-sure you that I am l-like..Super married. *Cough cough cough*" He coughed a few times covering his mouth as you still stared shocked.

"I-I didn't kiss you!!," you squealed out horrified. "I was admitted CPR!!"

"I-Is that W-What humans do to court?"

"Wha- NO!! YOU WEREN'T BREATHING!!", You shouted at him red creeping up onto your face. "IT'S A MEDICAL TECHNIQUE!!"

He slowly blinked at you.. before speaking. "Oh. Well t-that is more sense. *Cough cough*"

You ignored the red in your face. "Just..Who are you?"

"I-I could be ask-asking you the same thing. W-What is a hu-human girl *cough* d-doing here?"

"Night fishing. Are you feeling ok?" You hesitantly raised your hands towards his body but stopped shortly of touching him.

"Not at all! I'm in incredible pain!," he shouted in a raspy voice making you wince at the volume.

"SSSHHH!! Keep your voice down!," you whisper shouted at him looking around the darkness. Who knows who..or WHAT could hear him?! "Is there anyone nearby who can help you? O-Or maybe family?"

"Nope! But i-if you help pu-push me back into t-t-the river then I might be *cough* a-able to get back!"

"... Can't you not move with your injuries?"

"BARELY!"

You again just stared at his face..then at his body..then back to his face. Oh no. NO! Nonononono!! This could NOT be happening to you! Not now! Not again! You couldn't get further involved into this!

"Is there anywhere you can go for help?"

"N-Not around here."

You should walk away now. You had already did your good deed. He was alive and he could take care of himself! You shouldn't be getting anymore involved. In fact you even stood up and turned making him blink from where he laid in the mud-..Mud. You turned back around. He was weakly and pathetically staring at you from the mud like a piece of junk to be discarded. Helpless. Unable to find for himself. If a wild animal like a bear or wolf didn't get to him first then someone else could find him and..Who knew what could happen to him? And that's only considering if he didn't die from his injuries first. ..He breathed heavy and turned his head upwards as two feet stopped in front of his head. You looked back down at him. A crash of thunder illuminated each other's faces.

"Just out of curiosity, do you know what a piggy back ride is?"

The house was silent. Nothing but the thunder overhead and the wind scratching against the window and the raindrops beating against the rooftop as the sun still stayed hidden for another hour or so.

T H U D-!!

The door flew open, hitting the fair wall behind it causing a loud thud to ring out throughout the otherwise silent house.

STEP, STEP, STEP, STEP.

You pulled yourself into the house slowly step after slow step. Into your home until you collapsed onto the floor. A series of thumps and thuds rang out as bodies and objects fell. You fell exhausted onto your side breathing in and out gasping for air like a drowning man. Her body felt somewhere between numb and in pain, especially her back. Her entire body soaked to the bone because of the pouring rain and she was still covered in mud and blood. Only now she was soaked too. Only good thing about this was that no one would be outside to see her. Seriously. Why did mermaids have to be so darn HEAVIER than they look?! A large hand reached out to gently grab your shoulder. Still gasping for air, you opened your eyes to stare at the merman collapsed onto the floor next to you. Despite his condition being much worse than yours, he still looked concerned for you.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

A crack of lightning rang out allowing you to briefly see his face better in the dark. You waved him off way plopping with a wet smack sound onto your stomach and weakly rising up to your hands and knees. You had to close the door. The rain still poured outside in the dark hours of the morning as you weakly crawled to the doorway, giving a weak but worried look around, and then closed the door before collapsing onto the wooden frame. The mermaid watched you carefully with a worried but curious.look on his face.

"My apologies!"

You weakly waved him off again just catching your breath. Man. Your back was killing you. Even the other three weren't this heavy. Speaking of which ..How the hell were they going to react when they saw you bring a complete stranger back with you? You really were insane for doing all of this.

The merman gave a look around from where he awkwardly lay down. "..Your abode looks highly warm. But how are you supposed to raise guppies here?"

...Guppies?

"Y/N'S BACK!! Y/N'S BACK!!"

Suma's voice echoed throughout the home only drowned out by the storm and you tiredly lifted your head up. However you weren't the only one that froze when hearing the voice. The merman had frozen stone cold at the voice.

"Y/N?! Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!! YYYYYYY/NNNNN!!!", Suma continued calling when you didn't answer her right away.

He. FLIPPED. Literally. He flipped around landing on his stomach startling you by his sudden action. Hissing, pushing himself up onto weakened shaky arms as he stared down the way towards your bathhouse.

"S-...Suma?"

Silence rang out other than the rain and a crash of thunder shaking the windows once more.

"... Kyojuro?!," one of the girls called back however you were so shocked by what was happening you didn't register who it was.

Recognition flashes across the man's face. Shaking breath rattling his chest mouth agape in those breaths.

"MAKIO!!"

Fwap- "Gah!?"

You toppled over as the end of his burly tail slapped into your. Desperation. Hesitation. Adrenaline. All pumped through the veins. Come here. Go. His mind told him. Claw after desperate claw again perfectly clean wooden floors as he raced . Mind reeling with the knowing NEED to be closer to the warmth his heart was attracted to.

"Hey! Come back! Your wounds will get worse!," you called out to him as he desperately clawed away at a pace faster than you thought possible.

Despite your screaming muscles, you forced yourself to stand up and quickly walk after him as his form disappeared down the hallway. You turned the corner and looked down said hallway just as the man was clawing the bottom of your door with hissing desperation like a wolf frustratedly digging after a rabbit hole. Eventually he got it open pushing the door aside with a grunt and just-..Stopping. staring wide eyed into the bathroom. After about five minutes you slowly began walking down the hallway while keeping close to the wall just in case. The silence continued until the man's head raised higher. Tears starting to whelp up in them- Before without even a warning he just as quickly clawed his way into the room making you again pause.. Before quickly approaching. What was going on?! What if he hurt them?!

However when you hit to the doorway, you paused. In shock of what you saw on the other side.

"Kyo!! Kyo!!" Suma called out for him crying historically as she held out her arms to him.

It's ok! He was here! He was coming!

Desperately and desired needs to be close. The desperation was met with open arms as you watched the three desperately crying mermaids clawing desperately at him. At first you were scared that they were attacking him by the way Hinatsuru just wrapped herself around his neck and the other two grabbed his sides and PULLED. Making them all tumble back and into the water, a giant splash noise resonating throughout the room as water sloshed over the sides and droplets rained everywhere.

"Hinatsuru!"

Footsteps approached the tub as you leaned over the side. She might've been crushed under his weight..You stopped. You blinked. You stared down at the scene before your eyes. Two emotions hit you. Absolute confusion and fluster as your face went red seeing Hinatsuru and the merman in the middle of.. Passionately kissing.

The kiss was deep but passionate, like lovers who've been apart for years. He held her so close to him as she gripped his cheeks. Both had tears streaming down their faces before a long held back sob escaped the pink mermaids throat and made them break a kiss only for Makio to take her place latching onto him to kiss him over and over and over for what seemed like eternity. Suma cried loudly as she desperately cling to his back, curled up and tears smearing the mud stain on his shoulder.

"I THOUGHT YOU W-WERE *HIC* DDDDDREEEEAAADDD!! AAAHAHAAAAA!!"

"NEVER!!" He shouted. Hugging two crying warmth givers to himself. "Never, never, never again." He repeated that mantra. Their warmth satisfying a deep hole made in his chest finally being filled again. "It's been so long..I'm never letting you go again."

A shadow fell over them all as you stared bewildered. "..Just who are you?"

"... Apologies." He didn't look up. Didn't care. "I am called Kyojuro. You may back away now."

There wasn't really an answer until Suma looked at you, blinked, and then shrieked. "Y/N'S BLEEDING!!"

Uh oh.

73 notes · View notes