#i knew i would lose her someday but not like this
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medicatedmenace · 1 year ago
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i don't think it's talked about enough the genuine sorrow of being an introject and losing your source partner. knowing you'll never see them again, knowing you won't hear their voice at the beginning and end of every day, knowing that you won't be able to hold them close again and it leaving a hole in your heart where they used to be.
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virsancte · 9 months ago
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good days aren't easy to come by
#simblr#ts4 legacy#valentine gen 4#fun fact for context on why i care so much abt him finally choosing to play the piano on his own#but it's gonna get Long so strap in#basically. the guitar he used to have had been with him since he was like...... my god. probably about 15#he bought it at a yard sale for pennies from an older woman#it belonged to her late son originally and it wasn't even . supposed to be a part of the sale in the first place. she just took a liking to#devin and figured that really it's better in the hands of someone who would use it than for it to collect dust in her garage forever#and he couldn't really practice at home. his parents... are not exactly the kindest people you've ever seen#he was too afraid of them destroying or throwing it away so he'd sneak off to god knows where and learn how to play it from old#youtube videos on his busted up phone#it quickly became Everything to him. his most prized possession. and it wasn't a shitty guitar either. the son was a professional musician#that's how ellie and devin met in the first place. he was playing at the market she used to sneak out to in the evenings to#and she instantly knew . this boy is going places and really they might as well go together#enough backstory of the backstory. long story short: he was struggling to make rent eventually and was out of vinyls to pawn off#so he had no choice left. it was either that or he'd get kicked out along with his sister. who was still struggling a lot w/ addiction#so he sold it. and it broke him. he's literally just not been the same since losing it#his sister stole him a guitar from a music shop she'd go to sometimes but it just wasn't the same and he had not played an instrument since#until now anyway#still not a guitar. but maybe someday#or he can find his old one and buy it again.........#lmfao if you made it here congrats. you win nothing bc im broke but i do respect you
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kindahoping4forever · 1 year ago
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Since your tags on Lukes pics are now more hinged, I would like to say a farewell to your (seemingly) ending Luke Hemmings thirst era. I knew that Ashton will win you back at some point but that era was glorious to witness😌 It was a fight between stubborn denial and inevitable heart eyes & dirty thoughts. It gave us many amazing moments, analyses, comments and most important - two fantastic fics♥️ 1/2
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Ngl this is one of my favorite asks I've ever gotten 😂😂
And yk what's funny is I'd also noticed that I hadn't had a Luke specific meltdown in a minute? I don't know that it means my Luke thirst era (which you so perfectly summarized here btw, excellent, beautiful tribute 😌🤌🏻) is over necessarily, maybe I've just finally accepted the thirst? Maybe there's not that jarring realization, that internal struggle anymore? Or maybe it's just that he hasn't worn a vest yet this tour. 😏
So with that in mind, I say, stay tuned! We've got a fresh new wave of shows starting tonight and it's both exciting and horrifying to think of what kind of clownery may be in store. 😌😁💙💙
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sillygoosealert · 5 months ago
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Weird thought, but imagine being Sukuna's favorite person/concubine once but someday he brings someone home or replace you, so then you die(obviously, your human) so then sukuna kinda felt heartbroken.
Now let's travel back to current timeline where sukuna is in yuji's body, Gojo decided to let his students meet his fiancee only for sukuna to be shocked cause it's reader reincarnated.
Once more to see you
Not a weird thought at all, silly ❤️
Sukuna x AFAB reader (for like a paragraph or two) Satoru Gojo x reader
pregnant! Reader, stress, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of self-mutilation, body issues, big BIG warning for pregnancy and dying and so many other things just be cautious, please. Angst NO COMFORT ‼️, uhh unless you take the whole lobotomy route as comfort then yeah happy ending or wtv
Loud moans and barbaric grunts echo through the castle- originating from Sukuna’s chamber
All you can do is sit outside the door and listen as you wait to see him
The newest concubine is with him as of now
She looked similar to you- but much thinner, almost how you looked before
Her face emits a sense of pure life and hope, a rare find
Your bulging stomach is more than noticeable, as you are now 4 months pregnant
Thinking of having a baby with him is a terrifying thought- for so many reasons
Whether he will continue to keep you after you give birth
If you will live after you give birth
The baby is massive so far, much bigger than any human child
You aren't even sure if your body can continue to manage nurturing the baby much further past this point
Sitting outside the door quickly became too much and standing was out of the question
It was best to just find a better time later to talk, he doesn't prioritize you over..anything if you think about it
In fact, Sukuna wouldn’t gaze in your direction even if you were to bleed out and slowly die, so, you go to your separate bathroom to start a bath
The thought of laying face first in the water and drowning yourself crosses your mind, but it goes away as you really think about it
If it didn't work, the punishment of living would be much too severe for it to be worth anything
The thought of living also crosses your mind, would it really be worth it?
To carry his child, and then to watch as he becomes his father?
If you didn't lose the weight would he be disgusted with you?
Just as you are about to leave for your room, he comes out, interrupting your thoughts
The woman is beside him, and he guides her with a hand on the small of her back
It's not rough nor gentle, the hand that pushes you out of the way as they walk down the hall
But the mental feel of it is excruciating
Your vision is blurred as you drag your feet to your bathroom
Your body is weak and malnourished
Then you trip over the decorative rug in the middle of the too-clean room
But you make no move to get up
The floor envelopes you as something hot and wet fills your underwear
This was bound to happen
You knew it, but you also knew you could only sit and wait as there was no way you could give birth to his child
It hurts, so bad
But that reminds you how real you are, that you feel things just like others
Maybe you didn't deserve to be ignored by the man who impregnated you
Perhaps you didn't deserve this life
All the bad things that happened aren't because you're a bad person, it has nothing to do with you
This was never meant to be your life, something more pure was
And as your consciousness slips away, a better feeling welcomes you
A better life waits ahead
And this one finally ends
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Humans were like pets to Ryomen Sukuna. His servants took up such a little present of his life- but he took up almost all of theirs.
But you? You took up his everything. Late in the night after you were found lifeless in your separate bedroom- something he regrets making you have, he felt a change that night. Disappointment was a distinct feel, but there was something else. Hurt.
Possibly because this was something he now had no control over. Or maybe he was attached used to you.
None of that mattered in the end. You were no more. And as of now, so was he.
Originally split into 20 fingers- he now is trapped in the body of a high schooler.
He knows what he’s waiting for. More specifically, who- Satoru Gojo.
His body shakes with excitement as he thinks of all the ways he could kill him, threaten him, scare him into submission.
But that doesn't happen; not today at least.
Instead, he sees a much too-familiar face..but he doesn't immediately recognize who you are.
But as you come into view, arms interlocked with Satoru’s, greeting his students, he becomes filled with the need to switch.
When he heard you call out to the students, a realization washed over him.
That was his girl his concubine wrapped around Satoru Gojo
He knows it's you, it has to be. But he also knows his options are limited
He could call out your name- if it hadn't changed, or he could watch as you genuinely smile next to another man
If you had remembered him you wouldn't be with someone else, he knows that for a fact- right?
But you don't, he doesn't think you do at least
There's nothing he can do to remind you of all the nights you spent together
There's nothing he can do about it.
There's nothing he can do.
There's nothing.
.
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This was going to take such a different route LOL. You were going to be eaten by either him or curses. The thought of going into more detail on the whole malnutrition path because of the baby also crossed my mind. It was going to be a DDDNE path. But no one would want that so I didn't <|3 Js did something short and sweet because I spent too much time making it ;( sorry about that, I love you all soooooooo much ✋ 🤚 (that much) ❤️
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thatsmzbitchtoyou · 10 months ago
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My Alpha
This is kind of a long one shot (5619 words!), but I thought I'd try my hand at the ABO!/Omegaverse. Hope you like it!
Being an omega wasn’t always a bad thing.  At least that’s what she told herself repeatedly as she religiously took hormone blocking birth control pills and wore scent blockers on the daily.  Y/N hadn’t had a heat in years and wasn’t planning on letting up any time soon.  She had started working as a personal assistant for the Avengers under Tony Stark years before, going through the Sokovia Accords debacle, surviving the Blip, losing Natasha, Tony, Steve, T'Challa, and all the other strange and traumatic things that happened during her tenure.  She had denied her biology to get this job, not wanting it to affect her performance or be a target while being surrounded by literal super Alphas in this field.  And as hard as the job was, she loved it.
One of the greatest highlights was gaining Bucky Barnes as a friend.  While other Alphas she had come across were domineering, he was compassionate and kind.  He very rarely lost his composure like others did during high pressure situations in missions, and never fought over who was in charge.  He was incredibly careful to make sure everyone around him felt comfortable in his presence.  After finally shaking the Winter Soldier programming he didn’t want to ever lose control of himself again, and with the super soldier serum messing with his hormones to the extent that he was nearly feral during ruts, he would isolate himself away to keep her and others safe.  
Y/N felt like she could talk to him about anything, and he felt the same.  She was his sanctuary after rough missions, one of the few people that could break him out of a deep depressive state or the nightmares that still plagued him.  He knew she was an Omega but could barely smell her because of her blockers, which he both loved and hated.  Loved because it made it so they could be friends without the weird biological dynamics getting in the way, and hated because he was super curious about what her scent was.  They had fallen for each other long ago, but were both too afraid to do anything about it.
As they both relaxed during a rare weekend off they got on the topic of Omega versus Alpha traits.  “I get it, Alphas can be rough, but don’t you want to mate someday?  Find someone special to settle down with?  Maybe have a family?”
She sighed.  “Of course I do, Buck.”
“Then what are you afraid of?” he asked gently.
“Not having a clear choice,” she answered simply, giving him a sharp look.  “I don’t want my biology to decide my fate.  So many Omegas get stuck being mated with bad Alphas because their heats were uncontrollable and the Alpha wouldn’t take no for an answer.  I know that I’m predestined to be a nurturer.  Hell, that’s what my job is now, taking care of all of you guys!  But I should get to choose who I end up with based on love, not by body’s reactions.” Bucky nodded in understanding, looking down at his intertwined hands.  “Do you want to settle down someday?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly.  “I just don’t know how it would work out.  This job…my past.  It all points towards disaster at any given time.”
She slid over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders awkwardly as she sat next to him.  “You deserve a happy ever after, Bucky.”
“You do, too, you know,” he reminded her, resting his head on top of hers.
“Mmh, maybe someday,” she said wistfully as she undid her embrace and leaned back against the couch.
“So, anyways,” he cleared his throat.  “Is it true that Omegas have a better sense of smell than Alphas or Betas?  Like you can pick up on others’ scents and identify them really well?”
She laughed.  “Yes, it’s true.”
“Really?  Okay, what does…” he scanned the room as other Avengers milled in and out.  “Peter.  What does Spidey smell like?” He tested her, watching her expectantly.
She took a look at Peter across the room, her nose slightly flaring as she took in a whiff from his direction.  “He always smells like fresh bagels to me.  You know the smell of just-baked bread?  Kinda like that.  Mixed with a little bit of hazelnut.”
Bucky looked at her in awe.  “Yeah I kinda get that off of him.  Alphas can smell and track scents but not to that level.”
“Hm, that’s interesting,” she said as her eyebrows furrowed.  
“Now how about Sam?” he asked excitedly, hoping it would be something not so pleasant he could tease him about.
“Ha, Sam is Cajun seasoning with a sweet lemony undertone.  Like really well done seafood,” she answered quickly with a smile on her face, knowing Bucky would be disappointed in that answer.
Bucky frowned as he thought about who to ask of next.  “Okay, how about…Steve?” He knew it was a long shot.  Steve had been gone for a few years now, so she probably wouldn’t remember.  But she gave him a soft smile.
“Steve was smoky, like fireworks.  A summer night that ends with warm apple crisp and melting vanilla ice cream on top,” she said as she stared out the window, a dazed look in her eyes as she remembered him.
“Wow…” Bucky whispered.  “I always got the fireworks, and something like a picnic.  But now that you say it, yeah, apple with vanilla.”
“Yep, he was truly all American,” she winked at him.
He laughed as he turned towards her on the couch.  “How about, um…me?”
She gazed at him, her expression softening as her nose flared again and she huffed out the breath she’d taken.  “Smoky, like Steve, but different.”
“Like gunpowder?” he asked suddenly, his eyes searching hers.  He had been told that before and was hoping they were wrong.
“No, not gunpowder.  More like…” she sniffed again but frowned.  “Do you mind if I…?” she gestured her finger from herself to him.
“Yeah, go ahead,” he said, opening himself up for her to scoot closer to him.  She leaned in towards his neck, the best place to scent someone, and breathed in a slow sniff of him.  She closed her eyes.
“Campfire.  A campfire on the beach.  And the smell of the ocean after it rains,” she said resolutely, opening her eyes to look at him.  Their faces were close as he stared at her.  “But no, not gunpowder,” she reassured him.
“That’s good,” he breathed, his eyes shifting from her eyes down to her lips and back.
Her eyes suddenly widened, her brow furrowing and she pulled herself away quickly.  “I, um…I need to go…excuse me,” she said hurriedly before she jumped off the couch and power-walked down the hall towards her room.
“Wait, Y/N, are you okay?” Bucky stood from the couch as he watched her leave.
“Yeah!  I’ll talk to you later!” she yelled back without looking, her voice sounded strained.
“What the hell?” he asked himself quietly, looking around him like something had jumped out and spooked her.
Once she was out of sight she ran to her room and had Friday bolt the door.  She doubled over in pain and clutched her stomach.  “No way,” she moaned as she reached for her phone and called for help.
“Hey you, how are ya?” Bruce asked when he answered the call.
“Bruce,” her voice was pained as she held in another moan.  “I need help, something’s wrong.”
“What?  What’s going on?” he sounded worried, the rustling of papers and beeping from a screen by him going off.
“It feels…like a heat?  But that’s not possible, right?  We made sure of it,” she grunted as another cramp shot through her abdomen, and just as suddenly as it all started, it suddenly stopped, leaving her gasping.  “Wait, now it stopped?  What the hell is happening?”
“Come down to the lab, right now.  We’ll get you tested.”
She didn’t need to be told twice as she hung up and crept out of her room towards the elevator.  She was able to get in and down to the lab a few floors away without being caught by Bucky or anybody else.  She ran into the lab in a panic.  Bruce was already setting up the medical bay in the back with everything needed to do a check-up, some vials next to the other instruments.
“Hey, let’s take some blood and see what’s going on,” he called out to her when he heard the doors slide open.  She jogged to the bed and hopped up on it, taking off her cardigan so he could access the veins in her arm better.  After a quick routine check up he took a few vials of her blood then stepped out towards all the equipment he had for medical and scientific tests.  
He worked silently as she sat there deep in thought.  It can’t be, she tried to reassure herself.  I’ve been so careful.  Not missed a single pill ever.  This can’t be happening.  After about an hour Bruce came back with a screen in his hand, his eyebrows hung low over his eyes and a frown on his face.
“Y/N, it’s…it’s not working anymore,” he said softly, his eyes sad and confused as he looked at her.
“What do you mean?” she asked hesitantly, her eyes widening.
“The hormone blockers, the pills…your body isn’t responding to them anymore.  Your hormones are syncing back to normal Omega levels.  Your heats are going to come back.”
“No, no no no no no…NO Bruce!  I can’t.  Please, there’s gotta be another pill to try, a shot, an implant, something?  Anything, please?” she began to cry.  
“I’m sorry Y/N.  We already got you the best blockers that are available out there.  If your body is weaning off of them it means your biology is taking over, probably because you’re getting older and it’s fighting back to have a chance at mating.  I’m so sorry,” he showed her the hormone levels on a chart on the screen, pointing out the differences and then setting it down.  “There’s nothing I can do.  Nothing you can do but prepare yourself for it to start again.  And your first one is probably going to be brutal after avoiding them for so long.  You’ll need help–”
“NO!  No, I can’t do this.  I can’t ask some random Alpha for help.  This isn’t fair!” she cried harder, hiding her face in her hands.  Bruce patted her on the back, trying to help ease her pain by giving off a calming scent.  He was also an Omega and knew how much this meant to her.  
“It will be alright, Y/N.  You have friends here who will help you without making it awkward between you and them, or won’t immediately try mating with you during your heat.  They’re good Alphas.  They won’t hurt you or take advantage of you,” he promised.
She tried to calm the loud beating of her heart that was wringing in her ears, a panic attack trying to settle deep in her bones that she was fighting back.  “How long do I have until it comes?” she sighed as she sniffled.
“I don’t know, I’m sorry.  With it being so long since you last had one it could be next week or it could be in a couple of months,” he answered gravely.
“Ugh, great,” she laughed as she wiped her tears away.  “No choice, whatsoever.  My body ultimately got to decide for me after all.  Wonderful,” she spat as she jumped down off the bed.  “Thank you, Bruce, for testing.  I just…I need to go sleep this off, I don’t know,” she said, giving him a quick hug and then leaving the lab.  
She took the elevator back up to her floor, her eyes stinging from the hot tears still slowly falling down.  Her heat was coming back, and with a vengeance.  She would need help.  Who would she ask?  Any of the unmated superhero Alphas would probably say yes, though she knew she only wanted one.  But how could she ask this of him?  And if he did help, how could she go on with their friendship as if nothing had happened between them afterwards?
The elevator opened and she trudged into the common room.  The floor was already dark as twilight set in and everyone had split off to their rooms.  She slipped into the kitchen since she missed dinner while down in the lab to grab something to eat, although she wasn’t particularly hungry.  As she made herself a sandwich she turned to grab a knife then saw a figure in the corner at the dining table.
“Jesus!  Fuck, Bucky you scared me,” she gasped, holding a hand over her heart.
“Sorry, honey,” he grunted as he sat watching her.  “Why are you crying?”
She stiffened as she looked at him, trying to act nonchalant as she grabbed the knife and turned back to her sandwich.  “I’m not, I’m just tired,” she waved him off, quickly cutting the sandwich and putting the ingredients and dishes away to escape.
“Don’t lie to me Y/N.  What’s wrong?” he stood, walking towards her.  She reached for the refrigerator door to get a drink, which he quickly shut and stared her down.  She wouldn’t look him in the eye.
“Come on Buck, I just need a drink,” she complained as she tried to open the door again, reaching for the handle.  Bucky grabbed her wrist firmly and leaned in towards her.
“What’s wrong Y/N?  You ran away earlier and now you smell…off,” he said, searching her eyes as his nose flared at the scent she was radiating.  His frown deepened and his eyes looked worried.  “Why are you afraid?  Was it me?  Did I do something wrong?”
“No!  Oh no, Bucky, it’s not you,” she said, her eyes widening.  “It’s me, it’s just…” her eyes welled up with tears again, spilling onto her cheeks as she sucked in a sharp breath.  “It’s me,” she sobbed, leaning forward til her forehead rested against his chest.
“Oh honey,” Bucky sighed.  He put his hands under her armpits and lifted her onto the counter so she was eye level with him.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face in his shoulder, crying harder as he enveloped her, his hands rubbing up and down her back as he whispered reassuring words to her.  They sat holding each other for a while, Bucky letting her cry it out and Y/N relishing the comfort.  As her cries died down and her grip loosened around his neck he pulled back.
“Tell me what’s wrong, please?  You’re breaking an old man’s heart,” he pleaded, hating to see her hurting so much.
Y/N chuckled at him calling himself an old man as she wiped her nose with her sleeve.  Bucky held her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.  She let herself enjoy his touch before she sniffled and finally looked up at him.
“When I was talking to you earlier, I felt this weird pain,” she explained quietly.  Bucky nodded, listening intently as he held her face still.  “That’s why I ran out.  I went to Bruce’s lab to test me because it felt like…like a heat,” she sniffled again, looking down at her lap.  Bucky nodded again, his hands releasing her face and reaching for her hands to hold.  “I haven’t had one in years.”  This surprised him.  He knew there were new ways of birth control for Omegas now, giving them a lot more options than to just mate and reproduce and take care of their Alphas and pups like the old days, which he thought was great.  He just didn’t realize it could be for so long.  “And now, apparently, the hormone blockers aren’t working anymore,” she gripped his fingers tightly.  “My body is rejecting them, weaning off of them and reverting back to normal hormone levels.  My heat is coming,” she sucked in another sharp breath.  “I don’t know when, but he said it’s going to be brutal since I’ve been avoiding them for so long.  He said I’ll need help and…and I don’t know what to do.”  Her voice shook as she looked up at him again.  “I’m scared,” she whispered.
Bucky could feel her panic and gave off what he hoped was a calming scent.  It seemed to help as her eyes fluttered shut and her shoulders visibly relaxed.  The Alpha in him hummed in satisfaction as he swept his thumbs over her knuckles.  “You don’t need to be scared, Y/N.  It’s going to be okay,” he tried to placate her.  “Listen, I know earlier you said you wanted a choice, and now your body’s not giving you one.”  She nodded, a few more tears slipping out the sides of her eyes.  “I…I can help you,” he said, gulping back the lump in his throat.  Her eyes snapped up to him, a look of shock on her face.  “I know that I’m offering something kinda crazy.  But I promise you I won’t hurt you, I won’t make you court me if you don’t want to, and I won’t forcibly mate with you.”  He looked her deep in her eyes to try to get her to understand.  “But I’d be honored to help you.”
Y/N couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.  She had wanted to ask him and now he was offering himself for her to get through this first heat.  She licked her lips and contemplated it.  “I just don’t want it to ruin our friendship,” she sniffed again, her eyes searching his face for hesitation.
“It won’t,” he said earnestly.  
“...Okay,” she agreed.  
Bucky smiled as he squeezed her fingers.  “Okay.”
“Thank you, Bucky.  You’re a good Alpha,” she thanked him, lifting his hands up and kissing his knuckles.
His eyes fluttered shut and he cleared his throat.  “You should probably not call me that, at least not right now.”
Her eyes widened.  “Oh!  God, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean–”
“It’s okay, honey, it’s fine,” he chuckled.  “Whenever it hits you, just call me, and I’ll be there.”
She gave him a warm smile in appreciation.  They were playing with fire, and they both knew it deep down, but were denying it heavily.
***
Y/N could feel her hormones changing her body and mind.  Bruce had advised against wearing scent blockers as well to help her body fully adjust and hopefully not cause as much pain during her upcoming heat, and that was the first thing she noticed.  The Alphas around her, who would normally just give her a friendly greeting or a smile, now watched her hungrily through narrow eyes, giving tight smiles as their noses flared as she passed by.  It made her self-conscious enough to ask Bucky one day, “Do I smell bad?”
Bucky looked away from the book he was reading as she plopped next to him on the couch in the common room again, lifting her feet up to rest on his lap.  She was touching him a lot more lately.  “What do you mean?”
“Do I smell bad?  Omegas can’t really smell themselves very well, and since I took off the scent blockers I’ve been…watched,” she looked around the room warily.  Bucky’s eyes swept across the other Alphas in the room, noting how they were all giving off territorial scents as they tracked her.  He sat up straight, facing each one until they caught his eye and gave off a warning rumble deep in his chest, his eyes flashing dangerously.  They each quickly retreated, shamefully turning back towards their previous tasks.  The air around Y/N seemed to lift and she felt like she could breathe again.  “Thank you, Bucky.”
He sat back on the couch, grabbing his book with one hand and mindlessly rubbing her feet with the other.  “No need to thank me, honey.  And no, you don’t smell bad.  You smell like chai.”
“Chai?” Y/N scoffed.
“Yeah, chai with…” he reached a hand out and grabbed her wrist, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling deeply.  Her eyes widened comically at his brashness in scenting her so publicly.  “Pumpkin.  Chai and pumpkin.  Like Autumn,” he concluded, setting her wrist down and then rubbing her feet again.  He said it so casually that she just stared at him dumbfounded.  
It got worse as the weeks went on.  Her emotions were haywire, one minute she was calm and cool and the next she was agitated and easily crying at anything.  She was nesting anxiously, rearranging her room and her desk in her office, constantly carrying around a large fuzzy cardigan or blanket with her.  Her joints were sore, especially in her hips.  She found herself eating all the time.  Bruce had her come down to the lab each week to check her levels, each time warning her it could happen any day now.  
A month and a half later on a Friday night the team got together for a movie night.  They decided on watching the first Avatar, a movie Bucky hadn’t yet seen.  As it played Y/N kept fidgeting next to him, adjusting her sitting position, wringing her hands in her lap, taking deep breaths periodically.  A scene began of two of the characters connecting in a tree garden and Sam yelled out, “Alien tree sex!”  Everyone laughed but Y/N bolted out of the room.  Bucky watched her run down to her room and shut her door.
He quietly got up and followed her.  He could tell just by her scent changing these last few weeks and how it was getting stronger, the chai smell getting spicier, that her heat was fast approaching.  She had been very touchy with him, following him around and staying close whenever they were in the same room.  He had no claim to her, but it was evident to everyone to stay away from her, otherwise they’d get a growl from him.  He was growing more excited by the day, trying to remind himself that he was just helping out a friend, not staking any claim or bond.  
When he reached her door he pressed his ear against it, listening for her.  He heard her heart rate picking up and her breathing became labored.  He could also smell her, more potent, spicy, the scent of unmated Omega making his hormones sing and call out for her.  A deep rumble emitted from his chest as he felt his cock hardening.  He knocked on her door.
“Y/N,” he called out, just loud enough for her to hear.  A soft moan came from the other side.  His eyelids shut tight at the sound.  It was time.  “I’m coming in,” he warned before opening the door.  He stepped inside and was hit with the scent full force, making his eyes and mouth water simultaneously.  Y/N was laying in the nest she built on her bed in the fetal position, one hand on her stomach and the other in between her legs, not yet touching herself but keeping pressure against her core.  “Honey…” he groaned as he locked the door behind himself and walked towards the bed.
“Alpha,” she breathed, her brow furrowed and eyes shut tight.  A cramp wracked through her whole body and she yelped in pain.  “It’s starting.  It hurts…hurts so bad,” she cried as she could feel a small gush of slick pour from her pussy as her body recognized the Alpha in the room.
“It’s gonna be okay, honey, I’m here,” he cooed at her, reaching his hand out and running his fingers along her leg from her ankle to her thigh.  “Let’s get you out of these, huh?” he said while lifting the hem of her shorts up slightly.  She nodded and blindly started pulling at her clothes.  Bucky helped her strip out of her layers then undressed himself, giving her naked body an appreciative glance.  He lay behind her on the bed, cocooning her in his arms and leaning his head into the crook of her neck and scenting her.  He could feel himself getting drunk off of her heat.  She was sending him into an early rut as his hips rocked against her ass slowly.  Y/N keened at that, her back arching and pushing her ass into his crotch further.  He moaned at the sensation, his arms tightening around her.  “Shh, Omega.  I got you,” he said as his voice dropped further, the Alpha coming through more prominently now.
“Bucky…” she sighed, her hands gripping his arms around her.  “Please…Alpha please,” she begged, her legs shaking as another cramp hit her.
Bucky moaned at the sound of his name said that way coming from her lips.  He started to lick and suck and kiss at the scent gland on her throat, making her gasp loudly.  His scent mixed with hers, and they quickly got lost in each other.  His hands found her breasts and massaged them firmly, his fingers tweaking her nipples and making her hips buck back into him again.  He twisted her body around to face him.  She quickly molded herself back to him, hiking her leg up and over his hip, her hands scratching down his chest.  He tried to remind himself one last time that this was just a friend helping a friend.  Then she kissed him.
The kiss broke the dam of hesitancy he was holding to desperately.  He quickly responded, his mouth opening and their tongues tangling as they tasted each other.  Bucky climbed on top of her, his knees forcing hers apart.  His fingers probed her lower lips, finding her clit and giving it all his attention.  Y/N’s hips writhed as he riled her up.  She watched his fingers dip into her, making her breath stutter.  She was already dripping for him so he plunged two fingers into her, thrusting them in and out while his thumb rubbed and flicked her clit.  
“Fuck Alpha,” she groaned.  “Just like that, shit!”
Bucky smiled as she cursed, her legs shaking against his.  She reached down and took his cock in her hand, giving him lazy pumps as he got her closer to her release.  He huffed a sharp breath.  “Damn, honey, oooh that’s good,” he said lowly.  “Give it to me, love, come on, you can do it.  Be such a good Omega for me,” he encouraged her as he curled his fingers as deep as he could reach.  
The tension in her core finally snapped, her first orgasm ripping through her at lightning speed, squirting slick all over his hand and his hips.  She let out a guttural moan, the sound reverberating through the air, making the Alpha inside of him scream to claim her.  He had to physically restrain himself as he pulled his fingers out of her.  She smiled as she watched him with hooded eyes.  He put his wet fingers in his mouth and licked them clean of her slick, his eyes rolling back at the taste.
“Alpha please, I need you.  Bucky, I want your big cock inside me…please!” Y/N begged again.  Normally it would embarrass her to be acting like this, she would have never dreamed of speaking to Bucky this way.  But they were beyond the point of no return.
“Condom first, Omega,” he reminded her in his authoritative voice.  “As much as I’d love to fill you up, I don’t think that’s what you want just yet.”
Y/N pouted, but the first orgasm had helped clear her brain a little bit, and pointed to the nightstand next to the bed.  Bucky quickly reached over and pulled open the top drawer, finding the box and pulling a few of them out.  He unwrapped one and slipped it on himself before settling back between her legs, backing up a little bit.  “Present, please, Omega.”
Y/N twisted herself onto her stomach, lifting her hips high and pressing the side of her face into the bed.  Bucky almost whimpered at the sight of her sweet pussy, seeing the way he had made her drip with slick, the skin softly puckering in anticipation.  “Prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen Y/N, goddamn,” he whispered huskily.  She preened at his praise, her ass raising a little higher.  He gave her ass a quick slap, making her yelp and shiver.  “You ready?” he asked, making sure she was still wanting this.
“Yes, please Alpha, Bucky…please!”
“You’re so sexy when you beg,” he slapped her ass again, then grabbed her hips and aimed himself at her entrance.  He slowly pushed in the tip of his cock, the fat head catching just past her lower lips, making them both groan.  He kept pushing until he was fully seated inside her, letting her adjust to his size.  Y/N was keening again, a high pitched tone ringing through the air.  After a moment she wriggled her hips, silently asking him to thrust.  A deep growl emanated from Bucky’s throat and he pulled back until it was just the tip inside, then snapped his hips back into her hard. 
Y/N was making the sweetest noises he’d ever heard as he pummeled his cock into her.  She whimpered and moaned, making him hook an arm around her hips and lay his stomach across her back, quick huffs of his breath warming her shoulder.  He could feel her walls fluttering around him, making the rhythm of his hips stutter.  “Fuck, honey, you gonna cum?”  She nodded as her moans got louder.  He flipped her back over onto her back so he could watch her release, leaving barely any room between them as he hovered over her.  Her hands wound around the back of his neck, scratching his scalp with her nails.  “Goddammit, do that again,” he heard himself whimpering this time.  She scratched from the top of his head down to his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.
He reached between their bodies and started flicking her clit as he chased his own high.  “Bucky, oh my God,” she squealed against his lips as her back arched and her legs clung to his hips.  “Yes, yes, yes, shit…mark me.”
Bucky didn’t stop thrusting but tensed at her words.  “No, Y/N, you don’t want that.”
“Yes, I do, with you, Bucky,” she gasped.
“Omega,” he warned her, his eyes flashing.  “We can talk about that when I’m not balls deep inside you.”
Y/N tensed at his Alpha command, her legs loosening around him.  “I want you to be my Alpha, my mate.”
“God fucking dammit,” Bucky stopped thrusting and leaned on his elbows above her.  “Y/N, listen to me, you don’t want that.  You said you wanted a clear choice, remember?”  Y/N was silent and wide eyed as she watched him, slightly nodding her head.  “This isn’t a clear choice.  Your first heat in how many years?  It’s your hormones talking, honey.  And believe me, I’d love to mark you, claim you, bond and mate with you.  Stuff you full of me,” he thrust again, making her eyes roll back, “and breed you with my pups.  But we can talk about all that later.  Right now, I’m here to help you through this, because you’re my best friend, and…I’m ridiculously in love with you.”  He finally said it.  “I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine.  But when it’s both of us with clear heads and a clear choice.  Okay?”
Y/N’s eyes were watery as she listened to him.  “You’re in love with me?”
Bucky huffed a laugh, “Is that all you got out of that?”
She shook her head, “No, but it’s the most important thing.  I’m in love with you.”
He smiled wide and leaned down to give a quick kiss to her nose.  “Can I continue now?”
She nodded again, and he gave her another thrust to get her going again.  Her slick started to make squelching noises as he picked up the pace again, his knot starting to catch at her entrance, his hand reaching to her clit again and trailing kisses down her throat to her scent gland, licking and sucking at it again.
“One day, if you’ll have me, I’ll bite this pretty neck,” he moaned in her ear as her fingers dug into his back.  “Make you mine.”
“Yours, all yours, Bucky…Alpha,” Y/N groaned, leaning her head up and scenting him back.  Her soft lips and her tongue against his gland had his eyes rolling in his head again and his fingers gripping her hips harshly.  “That’s right.  Mine.  Mine…mine,” he thrusted harder and faster, angling her hips up to hit deeper.
Y/N screamed his name as she finally came, her hands digging into the flesh between his neck and shoulder, scratching his scent gland and making him see stars as he came with a yell, his knot fully inflating and latching him to her as she nearly squeezed the dear life out of him.  He fell on top of her, and she held him as he calmed down, both of them panting and sweaty.  
A heady scent filled the air, a smell that screamed satisfied mates.  Bucky pulled himself to his side, holding her close so it wouldn’t hurt her to move with him, and covered them with the blankets from her nest.  Y/N was delirious after this first round of her heat, her head lolling with exhaustion.  “Rest, Omega.  We’ve still got a few days, and forever after that.”
She smiled sleepily, “Hmmm, my Alpha.”
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lethalhades · 1 month ago
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The sins of one were the sins of all
(Honestly I wrote this because my girl just needs a fucking hug and IM TIRED😭🙏🏾)
Themes: jinx x fem reader, hurt and comfort, we braiding her hair twin.
Didn’t proof read this or nothing I just cooked.
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Navigating the dim, twisting pathways of the underground wasn’t how you planned to spend your day, but finding Jinx was all that mattered now. As you searched, a place suddenly came to mind. a spot she’d likely retreat to, a familiar hideaway.
Without hesitation, you picked up the pace, heading straight for the Last Drop and slipping in through the back door.
Your footsteps reverberated off the walls as you climbed the narrow staircase toward Silco’s office. In the past, just approaching this door would have made your skin crawl, the weight of his presence heavy and unsettling. But now… that feeling was gone, vanished with him the night he was killed.
All that remained was an empty silence behind the door, where his shadow used to linger.
Your fingertips lightly grazed the door before you pushed it open, the creak echoing in the empty room, confirming what you already suspected…Silco’s office was vacant.
You’d hoped to find Jinx here, but a part of you knew it was a long shot. Still, as you stepped inside, your eyes fell on the desk, where a map lay scattered with Jinx’s chaotic scribbles, a sign she’d been here recently.
Almost on instinct, you reached for the map, lifting it carefully with both hands, including the hexcore-tainted one. You usually kept it hidden beneath your cloak, the sight of it stirring a mix of frustration and shame. Someday, you knew, you’d have to accept it. but for now, it stayed mostly in shadow, a reminder of what you’d become.
“This is the first time I’ve seen your hand in years.” The voice jolted you, and before you knew it, you’d hurled a dagger in her direction, missing the blue-haired woman by barely an inch.
Catching your breath, you glared. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you, and now you decide to show up?” Annoyance laced your words. She slid smoothly off the beam, landing on the desk. That’s when you noticed her long hair was loose, spilling over her shoulders and onto the desk—no braids, just a cascade of untamed blue.
She caught you staring and raised an eyebrow. “I was trying to braid it back, but… Silco always did that for me.” Her raspy voice betrayed no hint of vulnerability; it was like a wall she always kept up around you.
You hesitated, almost tempted to ask why she kept her walls up in the first place, but you knew better than to press her boundaries.
Jinx stared at the ground, her eyes shadowed and distant, tracking your movements as you stepped behind the desk and eased into the old, creaking chair. When your fingers brushed her hair, she flinched, jerking back just slightly. You couldn’t help but wonder if, beneath that tough exterior, she was still afraid.
You’d known each other since she went by “Powder,” before the undercity had forced both of you to grow hard and cold.
You’d come to Zaun after being cast out of Piltover, your family’s sins leaving you no choice. You weren’t like them, but in Piltover, the sins of one were the sins of all. Survival in the undercity was brutal, especially for a kid, and you still remembered how close you’d come to losing your life again and again.
But then, like a spark in the dark, she had come barreling into your life. small but fierce, her blue hair a shock of color in the dim streets. Powder, a kid with more guts than anyone you’d ever known. And on that night, she’d been your savior. A little bomb in her hand, tossed without hesitation, scattering the men who meant to hurt you.
That tiny blast had done more than drive them off. it had bound you and Powder together, two lost souls in the chaos of Zaun.
Back then, she was just another lost kid who had found purpose under Silco’s wing. The pain in her eyes had been unmistakable, a pain you recognized all too well. It was the same haunted look your mother had worn the day she brought ruin upon your family.
If you were being honest with yourself, you’d only decided to toughen up that day because you couldn’t stand the idea of being outdone by someone younger, someone with less to lose. She was three years your junior, but her boldness had sparked something in you, forcing you to swallow your fear and find strength you didn’t know you had. Unlike her, though, you’d never bent the knee to some ruthless leader. You carved your own path, becoming a gun for hire, bound to nothing and no one.
Over the years, you’d killed without hesitation, Piltover elites and undercity rogues alike. Survival demanded sacrifice, and you were willing to make it.
Every now and then, your paths would cross, and you’d catch glimpses of the girl who once called herself “Powder,” now transformed into Silco’s weapon. Meanwhile, you had grown too, honing your skills and eventually joining the Firelights, giving your life a new sense of direction.
Now, with the undercity on the brink, chaos breaking loose at every turn, you looked up from your thoughts to find jinx’s back facing you, her head slightly turned seeing her violet eyes sharp and curious. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice carrying an edge of suspicion.
“Braiding your hair, if you’d just sit still,” you replied, fingers deftly weaving through her loose blue strands. Her hair, soft but tangled, For a moment, she held still. watching you work with an expression you couldn’t quite read, letting you bring order to just one small piece of her wildness. You were lucky you still had some skill in this, after all the times you’d braided the younger kids’ hair back in the Firelights’ hideout. Your hands knew how to be gentle, even if the rest of you had learned to be anything but.
As you worked, Jinx’s voice broke the silence. “Every day, he had me making something for him. Or doing that stupid eye thing of his, even though he could’ve done it himself,” she muttered, bitterness edging her words as she thought about all the things she’d done for Silco.
You could see the weight of his lies on her, the way they’d sunk deep. She’d believed him completely—why wouldn’t she?
“My mother expected perfection from me,” you said softly, finding a rare thread of common ground. “One slip, one failure, and I was nothing but a disappointment to her.” For a moment, it felt like you and Jinx were standing on the same edge, each of you marked by different scars but both shaped by people who’d held you to impossible standards.
Both of you had been praised for your minds, raised to rise above, only to lose it all. And when you needed someone most, they had all turned away.
“You were just some Piltover rat. You don’t know a damn thing about what it takes to survive down here.”
You met her gaze, the old anger simmering beneath your words. “I know more than you think,” you replied, voice steady and unyielding. “I lost everything before I even got the chance to hold it,” you added, memories of that day, of watching your family fall apart, still as raw as ever.
Jinx scoffed, crossing her arms. “Why are you telling me this? You think I care?”
“No,” you said, fingers deftly weaving the last of her braids. “But I thought you’d understand.” You secured her signature pigtails, then took a step back, crossing your arms as you faced her. “You followed him because you had nowhere else to turn, no one else to show you the way. But he’s gone now, Jinx. And yet, you’re still clinging to his ghost, acting like he’s still here.”
She bristled, eyes flashing. “I’m not mourning him! That’s the last thing I’d ever do for him.”
“Then prove it,” you challenged, voice calm but firm. “Find something real to fight for. Not for a man who only wanted control and used your loyalty to his advantage.”
Jinx took a step forward, her violet eyes sharp and angry as she glared up at you, defiance sparking between you like a fuse ready to ignite. You held her gaze, searching for the truth hidden beneath her rage. In those eyes, you saw things she would never say aloud.
confusion, anger, the scars of betrayal.
It reminded you of that night at the Last Drop, the night you’d tried to pull her away from Silco’s grip and convince her to join the Firelights. She’d laughed it off, but you’d seen the hesitation, the crack in her armor. That night, things nearly went south between you. one wrong word, and a bullet could’ve ended it all. Now, standing here again, that same tension lingered in the air, fragile and sharp, like the calm before a storm.
“Why do you keep acting like you know me?” Jinx’s voice was sharp, bitter, violet blue eyes wild with frustration as she shoved you. “Like you have any clue what I’ve been through!” She pushed you again, harder this time, her finger jabbing into your chest. “You don’t know anything!”
Her anger flared, and she kept pushing, shoving you back again and again until you finally reached out and caught her wrist.
She tried to pull away, struggling against your hold, but you pulled her closer, wrapping your arms around her, holding her tightly. Her fists came down hard on your back, each punch sharp with anger and pain. It hurt, but you didn’t let go, not even as her punches weakened, not even as her shoulders slumped against you.
The room grew quiet, save for the small, choked sobs that broke free as she stopped fighting and finally gave in. Her fingers gripped the back of your cloak, holding on like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Her cries were raw, almost hollow, filled with a pain you knew she rarely allowed herself to show.
You just held her, steady and silent, giving her the space to release what she’d been holding back. You didn’t hate her, not for her choices, not for her mistakes. Somehow, despite everything, all you’d ever wanted was to help her find her way back from the darkness.
As her breathing slowed, she didn’t say a word, but her quiet acceptance in your arms told you everything. In that fragile silence, you knew that, at least for this moment.
you were exactly where you needed to be.
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livwritessometimes · 12 days ago
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I Will Never Make You Regret This—Regret Us
: Part 18 (Lando's Version)
: All’s well that ends well to end up with you!
: Prev |
: Series Masterlist
: Main Masterlist
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The night grew colder as Y/n stared out at the city. It had been minutes—hours, maybe. Time had lost its meaning for her these days. The cold reminded her of the last time she was here.
...
"Be my girlfriend," Lando repeated this time, looking her right in the eye.
"Are you serious?" Y/n questioned. If you had told her a month ago that the noisy neighbor from the floor above her, whom she hated with a passion, would be standing in front of her asking her to be his girlfriend, she would have laughed in your face.
"As serious as I'll ever be," Lando said, his eyes glistening with sincerity.
"Yes," Y/n whispered, as she leaned in to close the gap between them.
...
The memory left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. It felt strange to think about him again. It had been a while since she thought of him as anything but hurt and betrayal.
The cold air nipped at her skin, but she didn't feel anything. It was as if she were trapped in the ghost of their past—so much so that she didn't hear the soft creak of the door or the footsteps that approached the secluded area where she stood, the one that offered the best view of the city.
"Y/n!" Called out the voice Y/n had been dreading as much as she had been longing to hear.
She whipped around to find none other than the boy she loved—the one who broke her heart, "Lando!" She said.
Time had stopped for the two, and for a moment, neither of them knew what to do. The weight of everything left unsaid was suffocating the both of them.
It was Lando who broke the silence first, his voice softer than she remembered. "I didn't think you'd be here," He said.
"Yeah, someone once told me it's a nice place to go to when you need a breather," Y/n shrugged as she turned back to look over the city.
Lando was at a lose for words. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't figure out where to begin.
"I hate myself," said Lando. He continued, "I hate myself for ever agreeing to that stupid dare. I hate myself for continuing with it, knowing that I had started to fall for you. I hate myself for thinking that calling off the dare would make things better. More than that, I hate myself for breaking your heart."
Y/n felt tears streaming down her face. She couldn't turn around and face him just yet, knowing that if she did, she would break down even more.
"I know that nothing I say or do can erase what has happened between us, and I don't deserve your forgiveness," Lando said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "But I hope, someday, I can make things right between us," He finished.
"I've been thinking about this a lot...and I have looked at a few houses," Lando said.
Y/n felt her heart beat even faster in anticipation of what he was about to say.
"I am going to move out," Lando said. "Us living in the same apartment complex makes things even more difficult, and I've hurt you enough already. I don't want to cause any further pain beyond what I've already done," he continued.
Y/n felt torn; the weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
Taking her silence as an answer, Lando turned to make his way downstairs.
'I don't hate you," Said Y/n.
Lando stopped in his tracks, afraid that if he moved, he'd realize that he had just imagined this.
"In fact, somehow I can never bring myself to hate you," Y/n continued.
Lando's heart felt like it was about to combust—he definitely wasn't imagining this. Slowly turning around, he saw a teary-eyed Y/n looking back at him.
"What you did was an awful, awful thing to do, and I hate that because of it, I had to question the authenticity of everything that happened between us," Y/n said, wiping away the fresh tears that were falling.
"That being said...I don't want our story to end like this. I believe that there's more to our story, and I—I'm willing to take the risk, but I swear to god, Lando Norris, if you make me regret this, I will never ever forgive you. Ever. You hear me—" Y/n was cut off by Lando suddenly throwing himself at her.
"I promise I will never make you regret this—regret us," Lando said pulling her in tighter.
(3 months later)
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keerysfreckles · 6 months ago
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sparks fly — LN4
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pairing: lando norris x fem!reader
summary: “drop everything now, meet me in the pouring rain. kiss me on the sidewalk, take away the pain” — or when y/n goes to lando's childhood home in england, after her night turned for the worst.
warnings: abusive relationship, cursing, not proofread
a/n: shoutout to pookie nat for finally getting me into taylor 🙏
masterlist !
⋆ ˚ 。 ⋆ ୨୧ ˚
y/n knew from the moment she watched her first rom-com, she would find a love like the movies. how to lose a guy in ten days. thirteen going on thiry. ten things i hate about you. twenty seven dresses.
the list could go on. she was more than positive she'd find someone to love her the same way these fictional men loved their partners.
y/n met her first love during her spring break of her second year of uni. she could've sworn they were meant to be. they had plenty in common. they were studying the same major, both loved hockey, both wanted to study abroad someday, in paris or germany.
she thought it was perfect. until the fairy tale castle started crumbling.
during their third year of uni, y/n noticed patrick changing. he got more focused with his school work, but became more aggressive when y/n was involved.
y/n thought at first it was just the stress from exams coming up. she justified it as everyone's on edge, getting antsy for the year to be done with.
however it only fell downhill. the words of aggression turned into loud yells heard from their shard apartment at late hours. the yelling turned into patrick throwing any item he could find, which soon turned into y/n dodging almost everything patrick threw.
he hasn't hit her yet, which was possibly the only thing keeping y/n in the relationship. she really believed he could change. but as days passed, and his anger only progressed, she wasn't sure the old patrick was still inside.
sure, the man would always try to make it up to her. a million open eneded apologies could only do so much.
on the twenty third of october, that's when shit hit the fan.
"patrick please, just let me go to bed. it's late, we're both angry and not thinking right," y/n tried reasoning with him, knowing her words don't mean a thing to him.
"no, you're going to tell me what you were doing out so late."
y/n only lets out a scoff. it was the same fight almost every time she went out with friends, or simply went to the library to study. patrick never believed her.
"for the last time, i was out with jess. all we did was go shopping," y/n explains again. her own anger starts rising. she feels the bottle inside her shaking, getting ready to explode.
she stands from the couch, walking to their shared room.
"you think you can walk away from me?" patrick quickly follows, slamming the bedroom door behind him.
"what is your problem!" y/n finally shouts, "you never believe me. what do you think i'm doing? cheating on you? how can i do that when you barely let me leave this goddamn apartment?"
y/n's breath heaved. she felt a small pressure release as she finally got the courage to yell at the man standing in front of her.
"who do you think you are?"
as patrick spoke, he stepped closer to y/n. causing her to step back, eventually becoming trapped between the him and the wall.
"who gave you the right to talk to me like that?" patrick seethed, before reaching out and grabbing y/n's wrist.
his grip only tightened when she let out pained sounds, as tears started forming in her eyes.
she tried prying his hand off her wrist with her other one, "let go," she begged.
y/n started kicking. she didn't know where her feet were ending up, but was grateful patrick had started backing away from her movements.
she managed to release her wrist from his hold, and ran towards the bedroom door. grabbing anything she could before leaving the apartment, she was able to grab her phone and her shoes.
patrick tried grabbing at her again, yelling and begging for her to come back. she was still struggoing to slip her shoes on even when she got outside.
y/n swore she still heard patrick's yelling from where she stood.
once she got at least a block away, the tears couldn't help but fall. her vision became fuzzy as she kept walking. she kept tripping over he untied shoe laces, stepping in the puddles from the rain beginning to fall from her sky.
as if the rain was matching y/n's mood.
in the ten minutes she continued to mindlessly walk, y/n couldn't believe how stupid she had been. scolding herself for staying with the man who only made her the worst version of herself.
y/n kept walking, until she seemed to find herself in an all too familiar neighborhood. she couldn't even begin to count the times she's been here.
she tries ridding her tears, knowing its no use as her eyes are probably bright red and puffy.
she begins to knock on the door of the house she knows too well. as her hand leaves the wood, her mind only begins to spiral.
what are you doing? they might not even be home. this could be too much for them to handle. they won't want to see me. they can't do anything–
the sound of locks turning brought y/n back from inside her mind.
cisca stood on the other side of the door, in the warmly lit house. her heart broke at the sight of y/n drenched from the rain, her shoes barely holding onto her feet, and her shaking hands.
"oh darling," cisca starts.
"i didn't know where else to go," y/n's voice shakes as cisca lets her inside. she's gone for a moment, before coming back with a towel for the girl.
"you know you're welcome here any time," cisca brought y/n towards the living room, not caring if the couch gets wet. she can always fix it later.
"you dry off some more, i'll be back with a cup of tea," cisca rubs y/n's arm before leaving for the kitchen. the older woman's mind wanders to all the possibilities for why y/n was at their home at the late hour.
minutes pass and cisca sets the warm cup of tea in y/n's hands, instantly receiving a thank you from her.
cisca gasps slightly at the bruise already forming around y/n's wrist. "sweetheart, what happened?"
she rubs her back as y/n explains everything to the woman. from the point patrick began getting verbally violent, to the events that happened no less then half an hour ago.
cisca couldn't believe her ears. the sweet y/n she knew would never have stayed with someone like that, but cisca hardly knows her at any more. ever since she started uni she rarely comes over to her best friends childhood home.
after pulling y/n into a much needed hug, cisca began setting up the extra bedroom. while y/n stayed on the couch, finishing the cup of tea in her hands.
"hey mom, i heard noise from my room. everything okay?" lando peeks his head into the spare bedroom, instantly confused to why his mother is setting up the bed.
"y/n is out there, and she just needs to be comforted right now, okay? she's had a rough night," cisca explains as lando nods in understanding.
lando walks through the hallway towards the living room, and just like his mother, his heart sinks at the sight of y/n. she's hunched over on the couch, finally getting warmer from being out in the rain.
"i thought i heard noise out here," lando chuckles, hoping a light hearted mood might fix the atmosphere around y/n.
once their eyes meet, he knows one slightly fun comment won't make anything better. he sees her bloodshot eyes, and worried expression.
"oh, baby," the nickname slips through his lips. one he's called her many times in the past.
he kneels in front of her to wrap his arms tightly around her waist, as hers reach for his shoulders.
he didn't know how much comforting she needed, but could only guess it was a lot after she started crying against his shoulder.
he continued to hold her, rubbing his hands up and down her back. his heart started to break once she started shaking in his arms. a mixture from the crying and her body finally letting the stress and anxiety get to her.
"i should've listened to you," y/n mumbled against his shoulder.
lando doesn't respond, knowing exactly what the girl meant.
her grip loosened slightly on his shoulders, now just resting her hands there as she looks at him.
"you were right. he wasn't a good guy. you had a feeling and i should've listened to you," y/n rambles on, knowing lando's been right about patrick since the first time the two men met.
"what did he do?" lando asks, moving his hands to hers. however, his fingers brush over y/n's brusing skin. the action makes her flinch slightly, and lando's heart breaks for the second time that night.
"i shouldn't have come here," y/n states, beginning to shake her head back and forth. "i'm sorry."
"you have nothing to be sorry for, you can stay," lando tries to reason with her.
he continues to try even when he follows her back out in the rain.
"y/n! just come inside!" he runs after her, his socks getting damp from the drying puddles outside. he looks up, the rainfall definitely slowed, but y/n's hair was beginning to get wet again.
"no lando, it's fine. i'll go back there for the night. he's probably calmed down by now."
lando reaches y/n, "you can't possibly want to go back there. he hurt you. you can barely move your wrist because of the bastard."
y/n turned to see lando looking at her, his curls falling slightly from the drizzling rain.
"you can't go back there y/n."
"i've already ruined yours and your mom's night."
lando laughs, "that's the last thing you've done. you and i both know you're more than welcome to stay the night."
after minutes of silence, lando speaks up again while stepping closer to y/n.
"i want you to come inside. i want you to be comfortable and safe."
it's as if a switch went off in y/n's head. a switch she's surprised didn't go off sooner.
seeing lando like this, standing in the rain in front of her. wanting nothing more than to make sure she's protected. something patrick would never have done, during any circumstances.
he watches her eyes flick between his own and his lips.
he lets out a shuddered breath as she simply begins walking closer to him.
"y/n, you went through way too much tonight. i don't want to add to any of your stress."
y/n shakes her head, "lando i've never been more sure of anything."
lando's hands find their way to her waist as she finally steps in front of him.
"take away my pain lando, please. you're the only person who's been here for everything. you're the only one i need. i'm so stupid for not seeing it earlier. i should've never went on that stupid date. i should've listened to you, and– and if i did i would've been here so much sooner."
y/n catches her breath. her heart hammers in her chest waiting for lando's reaction.
tears begin to blur her vision once more, her emotions getting the better of her as lando doesn't respond.
"lan, please say something. you're what i want, not h–"
y/n stumbles back slightly from the impact of lando's lips pushing against hers. her hands hold onto his face, scared that if she let's go, she might just be imagining this.
"please, let me take you back in–"
now y/n cuts off lando's words, making the man laugh into the kiss. the sound and feeling sending shivers up y/n's spine.
lando breaks the kiss, but feels y/n's breath fanning over his lips.
"now can you please come back inside?"
"one more," y/n mumbles against his lips before he has the chance to reject her offer.
702 notes · View notes
mydearlybeloathed · 7 months ago
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── 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌
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𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Long ago, you were cursed to one day sleep for an eternity—unless you’re presented with true love. You thought destiny couldn’t find you on the high seas, but when you're sorely mistaken, it's up to a certain swordsman to get his act together and rescue you from eternal sleep.
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: zoro x princess!reader
��𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 8.4k
𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: tw blood, sleeping beauty au, meddling faeries here and there, stubborn swordsmen and lovelorn princesses, no use of Y/N, light angst, major fluff
𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: falling - timothy cole
𝐎𝐏 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓
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𝔒𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔲𝔭𝔬��� 𝔞 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢,
a very many years ago, twelve Wise Women from the Isle of Perminion—faeries was a more precise term, but they felt the label struck too much fear into their mortal fellows, and in this economy, faeries need willing clientele—were invited to the presentation of a young princess from an old kingdom. Each bestowed upon her gifts coveted by all. Beauty, grace, love, and the like. 
It was the thirteenth Wise Woman who took it all back.
“You dare not invite me to this celebration of life? Fine. Forget me. But not before I give the princess my own gift. She’ll grow beautiful, wise, and loved, as my fellow Wise Women decreed—but one day she’ll lose all that to the prick of a spinning wheel and fall dead to my power!”
Your life had just begun, and had already gone to shit (forgive such undignified language, unfit for a princess, but really, you felt you deserved some leeway).
The whole of the kingdom knew the witch’s speech by heart, saying a prayer each night in the hope that their princess would be fortunate enough to never cross a spinning wheel in all her life. And from the rail of her tower’s terrace, the princess dreamed of someday joining them. Not in their prayers, but in celebration that even the worst curses are no match for the blessed princess of their kingdom. Blessed, as she once was, before the outrage of Carabose found her.
But that was only the dream of a foolish child.
Foolish dreams. You were cursed not only in the very literal sense but also by the paranoia of your parents, the king and queen of your revered nation. Not a soul outside the castle walls had seen their princess since the day of her introduction—the day you were cursed to one day cross the spindle of a spinning wheel, and die.
Well, not die. Your godmother, Rosalie—the twelfth Wise Woman and the only one that mattered in your opinion—had gifted you a chance at survival. 
“The princess will not die upon pricking the spinning wheel. She shall only sleep till… till she receives a display of true, compassionate, unbridled love.”
It was the first thing Rosalie could think of that would lessen the blow of the witch’s spell. 
And yet despite this security, your parents locked you away, terrified of what would happen to their little princess should she cross that fated hunk of wood. Honestly, it was beyond embarrassing being destined to be bested by a hunk of wood, but that’s just your luck, you supposed.
It was also just your luck that one day when you’d just barely given up all hope of living a fulfilling life, a certain crew of pirates found your kingdom, caused the uproar of the century, and managed to help you escape all in just two days. 
With the wind in your face some months later, it seemed all your dreams of grandeur were coming true; far away from your castle, you sailed the seas with real friends at your side. You never worried about your curse, for why would you ever find a spinning wheel at sea? It was silly to fear the fate set before you. 
Rosalie always told you that destiny cannot be fought, but look at you now, proving her wrong. 
(It’s like you were asking for things to go wrong).
The day was windy and bright, with sparse clouds high above and cool grass underfoot. The Going Merry rest at the docks of the little coastal city, Usopp making repairs in record time. You couldn’t help but wish to go out and explore, taking full advantage of your freedom.
You took Zoro with you, of course. You’d never leave the ship without your loyal guard at your side. 
Zoro. What to say about Zoro? In your opinion, he was probably the love of your life, if he ever got over himself and admitted he loved you too. Either way, you would never picture life without him by your side, even if he brushed off all your teasing advances with a roll of his eyes.
“Here,” you motioned him to your side, feeling warm inside with the familiar bump of his shoulder against yours. You picked up one of the ornate golden rings displayed at the market stall before you, grinning like a devil as you lifted your hand to measure it up against your skin. “What do you think? I prefer silver, but gold would match your earrings.”
Zoro, lovely and clueless Zoro, only tilted his head, aforementioned earrings chiming against one another. “I think it's nice, but why d’ya wanna match?”
By the time you slipped the ring on your fourth finger, he saw where this was going. “Hmm, no reason.” You handed the ring back to the seller and smiled up at Zoro’s perturbed, blushing face. 
“Sorry, you’re just so easy to tease.” He grunted in reply, drawing another smile out of you. Your eyes got all misty, like they always did when you looked at Zoro, and the words escaped your lips before you could stop them. “Go out with me.”
Zoro kept his gaze firmly on the sky, his shoulders far too stiff to be comfortable. “We’re… too busy for stuff like that.”
It all felt like a mildly disappointing routine at this point; you asked, he dodged around giving you an explicit no. Perhaps if he actually got the nerve to deny you, you’d have given up, but Zoro always left you with that small hope that one day his answer might change.
Still, something in you held the strong consideration to give up. Lovelorn and yet hopelessly deep, it was a tempting option. Surely, pursuing someone so adamantly disinterested was a lost cause. But what if, you dared to call back, silencing your doubts.
“C’mon,” you relented. “I need some new fabrics.”
You scooped up his hand and he let you drag him down the street to a little boutique on the corner. The door rang when you entered, and Zoro tried to ignore how your hand still clung to his even as the door clicked shut behind you.
“I wanted to make Nami a new dress,” you said as you beelined for the shelf of various fabrics. “You know, to make up for the one I ripped.”
He didn’t try to pull back, only standing at your side as you skimmed your free hand over a set of pinks. “Still don’t get how you ruined it that badly. It was practically in two pieces.”
“You were there. I was in a tree.”
“But why?”
Your silly smile rose to meet his gentle grin. “Because I wanted to? You could have joined me, but no, you stayed all alone on the ground like a loser.”
“If I was in the tree, who would catch ya’ when you fell like an idiot?”
With a scoff, you let go of his hand and picked up some pink and blue fabric, failing to see him watch you longingly. “Touche.”
Zoro was never sure what to make of you—you were like nothing he’d ever faced before. The day you waltzed into his life and started up your little flirtation game was the day Zoro found his most formidable opponent in the love you shared so willingly.
There was your habit of getting into trouble too—trouble he often dragged you out of—which didn’t help much either.
Zoro thought princesses were meant to be graceful and poised, as Vivi was, but you toppled those expectations at the very foundation. At this point, it wasn’t really a question of if he returned your feelings, but if he was able to voice it. As far as Zoro was concerned, the answer would always be a firm no.
As you started to stack the pink and blue on your arm Zoro reached to take them from you, draping the fabric over his shoulder. He returned your appreciative smile with a slight nod, heart warm at how you doted on him with your eyes alone.
Yeah, it was better this way—you waiting for something that would never happen, and him standing stoic at your side, nothing but a loyal companion.
“Miss.” Your voice, calling to the cashier, broke him from his less-than-happy thoughts. “Have you got any purple?” You swiftly turned back to Zoro with a brief, “Robin said she likes purple.”
The cashier looked up from her book, pushing her glasses up her nose. “I just finished some this morning,” she said with a grin, getting up to lift the gate in the counter and motioning for you to follow her into the back of the shop. “I’ll show you.”
Zoro’s skin prickled as you glided after the cashier, shooting him a smile as you disappeared through the door. He was left standing with the odd sense that something was wrong. 
Maybe it was the way a sudden draft hit his back despite there being no ventilation, or maybe it was the fact that you walked under a ladder earlier just to piss him off. Or, perhaps, it was the flash of green in the cashier’s eyes as she passed by a mirror.
Whatever it was, he stayed put, trusting he would be there to help you the moment you needed him. Zoro was always there when you needed him. Neither he nor you had reason to doubt this fact.
You felt completely at ease as you entered a small, dim room full of messy shelves, half-knit sweaters, and heaps of yarn. “Here,” the cashier pointed to a table at the center of the room. “Is this the shade you had in mind?”
A grin split your face as you felt the fabric, marveling at its softness. It was high-quality stuff, definitely not cheap. But you thought of Robin, who had done so much for you, and felt it was worth the possible loan from Nami.
“It’s perfect,” you replied. “How much?”
“Oh, it’s on the house.”
You startled instantly, eyes darting up to find the cashier absent from your side despite her voice being right in your ear. “Come again?”
“You can have it.” Turning slowly, you found the woman sorting through a surplus fo purple fabrics. “I have plenty.”
A gentle laugh escaped you. “Thank you so much. My friend will love it.”
The cashier swiveled on her heel and leaned against the table, head cocked to the side. Had her eyes always been so vibrant an emerald? They almost seemed to glow. “No, thank you, Your Highness.”
Chills ran up your spine at the formal address, all air expelled from your body as you choked out, “Pardon me?”
Caught up in the green of the woman’s eyes, you didn’t notice a misty tendril swirling up your body till it clouded your vision, directing your captured attention to the corner of the room. There in the shadows was a contraption you’d never seen before, yet you knew its purpose instantly. 
The purple string being woven gave it away. How had you not noticed the spinning wheel before? 
The fabric slipped from your fingers and fell to the floor in a lump. You darted for the door, yet your feet never moved an inch, cemented in place. Was that a tear on your cheek? No, it couldn’t be. You never cried. And yet, a salty streak ran from your eye to your jaw now, as if your body knew what your mind denied: your fate had caught you.
“Stop.” You weren’t sure who you spoke to. Your feet that started to creep toward the spindle? The husk of a woman, possessed by some evil spirit of a bitter sorceress? Destiny herself? Whoever you ordered refused to listen as you closed in on the wheel and raised a steady hand.
A half-lived life flashed before your eyes. A princess sat alone in a room, loneliness her only companion. A girl stood on a ship, tasting freedom for the very first time. A woman stared at a man, knowing this was what love felt like. 
A light pinch shocked your whole body, and you finally broke from the spell to find your index finger pierced into the sharpest of spindles. A cackle echoed from every corner of the room as the cashier collapsed on the spot. 
One thought broke through your slowly fading mind. Traitorous, wobbly feet took you to the door, flinging it open and leaning you against the doorframe. Your heavy eyes ached, Zoro’s voice so far away. You didn’t feel his hands on your arms as you sank to the floor.
Your labored, panicked breathing matched your flickering, terrified eyes. “Spindle.”
And you lay fast asleep in Zoro’s arms a moment later, peace written in your features. Your chest rose and fell gently. Zoro gazed down at the sleeping beauty, uttering your name over and over, practically paralyzed… Until he noticed the tiny bit of blood dripping from your fingertip, and he looked into the ajar room. A spinning wheel stood right in his line of sight, the wheel creaking as it spun slowly.
✧ ˚  ·    .
You had never told any of your friends about the curse, too embarrassed to do so. Was that a lapse in judgment? Perhaps, but you were too asleep to know.
Now Chopper stood at your side, holding his stethoscope over your heart. He set the scope around his neck a moment later, putting his hooves together nervously. Chopper felt the whole crew staring at his back like a brand. “I think—Well, I think she’s sleeping.”
Luffy had been deathly silent through the whole ordeal, not taking his eyes off you since Zoro carried you back to the ship in a hurry. “Then let’s wake her up.”
Sanji slapped a hand over his mouth before Luffy could start yelling, shoving out a sigh. “We tried that, didn’t we? Marimo shook her for five minutes before we could pry him off her.”
Everyone waited for when the swordsman would quip back his own insult, but the usual pattern was thrown off by a strange silence. Even Sanji looked around, confused to find Zoro nowhere in sight. 
Sanji blinked a few times before he placed his hands on his hips. “Now where the fuck is he?”
From the corner, seated in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, Robin spoke up for the first time all evening. Her thoughtful eyes stared into the space ahead of her. “I saw him leave a moment ago. Said he had to get something.”
Not even a second later did Zoro barge down into the galley. In one hand he held a spinning wheel of all things. In the other, he held a woman’s arm in a vice. 
Nami jumped to her feet, aghast. “Zoro, what—?”
He nearly threw the woman before them all, his brows drawn into an expression of ruthlessness. “Well? What did you do to her?!”
With her eyes wide and breaths short, the woman violently shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean!”
Sanji stepped forth intending to sock Zoro in the face for scaring the woman, when Zoro turned on him and spat, “This woman’s the reason she’s—she’s sick!”
That was all it took for Sanji, somehow still poised, to face the terrified woman now encircled by a crowd of frowning pirates. Sanji grabbed the woman’s arm, not as harshly as Zoro had, but just as firmly. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” she sputtered, gazing over at where you laid limply on the table. “I… I remember her. She wanted purple fabric.”
Zoro nearly had the mind to throttle the woman. “You led her into the back room and minutes later she stumbles out and—and sleeps!” He slammed the spinning wheel on the ground, startling everyone around. “She said spindle. What’s this? Some sort of… torture device?”
The woman did nothing but blink at him. “It’s a spinning wheel.”
“What’s it do?”
“It spins.” Suddenly the woman had the nerve of a warrior, righting herself to face Zoro’s glare. “I don’t know what you think I did, but I didn’t. All I know is I led her to the fabric and…” 
All her words fell short as she stuttered to find them, her brows screwing together. “And I don’t remember. I—I don’t remember what happened.”
Sanji seized her shoulders and leveled her with a look. “I need you to remember, madam. It means that girl’s life or death.”
The woman stood frozen, stunned as she stared into Sanji’s eyes, her cheeks turning a concerning shade of pink. Nami rolled her eyes and promptly shoved him out of the way, snapping in the woman’s face. 
“What do you mean you don’t remember?” Nami asked sharply.
“I mean I don’t remember.” Their captive grew increasingly frustrated, and maybe a bit nervous as well. “I walk that bitch into the back, I black out, and I wake up to this guy dragging me out of my home!”
Just as Zoro gasped (“Bitch, huh?”), Robin stood and slowly made her way toward the spinning wheel, running her hand over the wood and grazing a finger over the sharp needle. Inspecting the spindle close, she found a bit of dried blood there. She hummed, keeping everyone on edge, and went toward your sleeping form, grabbing your hands and turning them over. “Ah-ha…”
Zoro stepped forward, anxious. “What?”
“I think she poked herself on the spindle.” Robin made it sound so simple.
Nami tapped her finger to her nose as she pondered. “But why would that make her… sick?”
“Poison?” Chopper offered at the same time Robin answered, “Magic.”
“We don’t have time for speculation,” Sanji gritted as he fished around his pockets for his lighter, cigarette between his teeth. “Can we test for what poison it could be?”
As Chopper started to ramble about some tests he could run, Zoro stared daggers at the spinning wheel. Now, he wasn’t superstitious, but perhaps he was a little stitious, because the longer he stared at the wheel the more he remembered about what transpired in that shop.
“Why would it be magic?” Zoro asked suddenly, silencing the room. 
All eyes found Robin, who was now sitting on your bedside holding your hand. “She’s a princess, right? The princesses in the stories I’ve read dealt with a lot of bad magic.”
Nami shook her head. “This isn’t a story, Robin.”
The debate went on like that, really going nowhere at all, the cashier woman tentatively slinking away during the rabble and inevitably going forgotten. Luffy ignored them all, approaching you and lifting your hand to inspect as if he’d find some kind of sign in your pierced fingertip. 
And just maybe, he did find something. “Hey, Nami?”
She ran a hand over her face as Sanji and Zoro took jab after jab at one another, the stress of your condition getting to the both of them. “Yeah, Luffy?”
He followed a very excited thought bunny here and there, after princesses and stories until it hopped to a stop in front of a certain royal friend of theirs. You appeared next, smiling like he wished you would now. “Vivi? Yeah, I know her. We go way back.”
“Call Vivi,” he ordered, closing the discussion as he too sat at your side and started to poke at your sides, as if tickling you would be enough to break this spell.
✧ ˚  ·    .
Often, your dreams gave way to the most horrible nightmares, and always, you would find refuge in the realm of day. Until now. No matter where you ran a firm sheet of black blocked you in. Air as frigid as the Arctic enveloped you. No friend in sight, no solace from the cold. 
Finally falling still, you blinked, and you stood in the middle of your tower, back in your kingdom. The high-reaching walls created that familiar dome painted with the long-forgotten stories of your people. The marble floors chilled your bare feet. Your bed leered at you from the far wall, whispers inviting you back into its clutches that would send you spiraling further into this forever sleep.
Panic surged up your chest till you gasped for air, losing your grip quicker than you could keep up with. Laughter taunted you from every corner till you started to scream and shout and call out for anyone to help you. But the door held fast against your pulling and thick briar thorns wrapped all around the balcony. 
Still, you clawed at the spiraling thorns, prying to see through, blistering your palms on their heated stalks. Your whimpers were followed by a loud, echoed roar, a harsh gust of wind cast down from the wings of a soaring lizard you’d only ever dreamed of. 
You whirled around to catch a better view of the creature’s mass, clutching at your heart as those gargantuan claws settled down on the tower of your bedroom. Two nostrils blew smoke that encroached the balcony and the depths of your room. The dragon’s eyes held no mercy as she gazed down with malice. 
This curse played a cruel joke, trapping you within the bars of your own mind, turning your fantasies against you. Your every turn showed you more wonders turned horrors the longer you searched for them; the clouds formed words you wouldn’t dare to repeat, the grass down below burned in confusing patterns, and the voices of those you held dear echoed from somewhere nearby.
Your fretful mother. Your paranoid father. The gossiping handmaidens. The superstitious priest. All lamented your fate, screaming how they knew it was a matter of time before the curse finally found you, tearing into you for ever even dreaming of leaving. You really should have stayed. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d piped down and stayed.
Then it was Luffy, Nami, and Usopp. “Why did you ever ask her to join us?” “Not sure. I thought she was something she wasn’t.” “She’s just a liar.” “A dead weight.” “A curse.”
Robin’s voice pierced her eardrums as your knees hit the ground. Why had she ever given you the time of day? Some sheltered little princess without enough common sense to know a spinning wheel when she saw one. And Chopper, his sweet voice turned sour. How pathetic. Beaten by a piece of wood.
The worst of it all was when his voice broke through all the rest despite how she tried to ignore that rumbling tone she once learned to crave. Zoro’s words were direct and clear. She’s finally gone. God, I was this close to just silencing her stupid mouth myself.
To think he would ever actually love her? How foolish of you.
The walls of your dreams closed in swiftly, caging you in and suffocating your hopes till you were left a husk, floating amidst the torment. 
✧ ˚  ·    .
Vivi had been silent for so long Luffy wondered if she’s gotten distracted and walked off. Nami shuffled closer to the snail transponder. “Vivi?”
“Sorry,” her voice reappeared, a slight crack to it. “I just… you said she pricked a spindle?” Nami hummed in agreement, and Vivi expelled a long sigh. “She’s been asleep since? You can’t wake her?”
“That’s what we said,” Zoro snapped, shutting up at Nami’s sharp glare.
“It’s just… I mean, I’ve only heard stories. She only talked about it once, in a letter she wrote to me. That’s the only way we could talk since her parents locked her away—”
“Stories about what, Vivi?” Nami guided the tense princess back as Zoro started to pace back and forth, his hands raking at his hair.
She was silent for two whole seconds, and then, “The curse.”
The whole room fell still.
“They say a dark Wise Woman cursed her when she was baby, so that one day, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel’s spindle�� and die.” She rushed to amend herself, “But then another Wise Woman fixed it. She won’t die, but fall asleep… until someone shows her an act of true, unconditional love.”
For a long while the whole room is held captive by silence, eyes flickering to where you snoozed nearby. Zoro couldn’t look away. The way you looked so peaceful pained him in a way, knowing you were trapped in a place he couldn’t save you from. At least the tiny grin on your face gave him confidence your everlasting dreams were nice.
“How do we do that?” he heard himself asking.
“I—I don’t know. I thought it was a story to justify her isolation—”
“Well, obviously not.”
“Zoro,” Nami’s words cut sharply. “Take a walk.”
“But—”
“Walk.”
He stood with as much noise as he could, knocking his chair back and stomping out of the room. Zoro stopped just at the door to cast a look at you, highly aware of the eyes of everyone on him. His hand closed around the doorframe, his heart tightening, and he left without another word. 
Letting the others see how much he cared for you would just make everything infinitely worse. Zoro couldn’t handle that level of teasing on top of your sickness.
Zoro stepped out onto the deck, now basked in moonlight, and rushed to lean against the railing. His skin felt feverish in contrast to the cold dread coursing through his veins. Why hadn’t you said anything? Sure, he probably wouldn’t have believed you, but maybe… maybe he wouldn’t have let you leave his side so quickly.
And now this? This formidable task would supposedly save you. An act of true love? What could that even mean?
With his eyes on the sky, Zoro let out a shaken sigh. He would tear every one of those stars down if it meant you would be okay. Would that be enough for this curse? Or would he have to take down the moon as well and lay it at your feet?
No… no, certainly nothing he could do would ever be strong enough to save you. For so long he’d put off your advances, too stubborn to face the emotions building up in his heart… Zoro doubted he held the strength to perform such an act, and that notion threatened to crush him. 
He too had read the stories Robin spoke of; stories of princes who swooped in and saved the princess with a kiss. You needed one of them—those princes—and Zoro was far from royalty.
If anything, he was the knight in rusted armor who failed.
But, an idea crept out of the depths of his mind, crawling to the surface till his heart pumped at the possibility. He was no prince, no knight, and no cursebreaker—but Zoro was a hunter.
He burst back into the galley with a crazed look in his eyes. “Vivi?”
Her voice crackled out from the startled snail. “Yes?”
“Where do we find this Wise Woman?”
Not even a day later, the crew set out on the sea once more, a new destination in mind: the secluded island of the so-called wise and elusive faeries. 
Zoro stood at your bedside, too afraid to reach out and take your hand, making a solemn oath.
“I will find a way to save you if it is the last thing I do.”
If only the swordsman would have known—the strongest of magic lies in promises. If only Zoro had the eye to see the tendrils of magic curling around your sleeping body, tightening around you as the curse shivered away from his declaration. Spirits hissed from the corners fo the room and shied away from the mere passion behind his eyes. Somewhere distant a sorceress coiled her fists around nothing as her hold on the slumbering princess slipped through, little by little. Could he have fathomed it, he would have known he held more honor than the mightiest of princes. 
But he couldn’t fathom it, so he failed to notice the magic encircling his heart, seeking out any cracks in his steel-strong pride. There were none to find. The magic had nowhere to go, and until the hunter’s pride wore down, nothing would change. 
✧ ˚  ·    .
Your godmother turned out to be a real bitch, by Zoro’s standards. First off, she was waiting for them on the shore, like a creep. In her witchy get-up, Zoro could have mistaken her for the one he meant to run through with his sword. 
“What’re you supposed to be,” he sneered as she made her way up the gangway, practically making herself on home on the deck. 
She met his glare equally. “I’m your only hope, dear. Now wipe that look off your face. You’ll get stuck like that.”
Rosalie took control of the situation in her stride, heading down to the galley and acting as if she owned the place. Only Nami seemed to be put off by this, standing at Zoro’s side with her arms folded as the rest of the crew gathered around the Wise Woman.
“She was always too stubborn for her own good,” said Rosalie fondly, a tiny grin on her lips. “Luckily for you, Carabose never strays far from the island. It’s the source of our power, and the poor, scaly, greedy thing would just die if she lost her magic.”
The radiant faerie pulled her dark curls forth, scrunching up her angular nose as she thought of the witch to blame for her dear princess’s condition. She sucked in a breath and released it harshly, suddenly appearing much older than before. “I must thank you. My princess deserves so much more, and you managed to give it to her, if only for a little while.”
“You talk as if she’s dead,” Nami grumbled. The look Rosalie gave her then was far less than comforting.
“Well, unless you have a source for true love nearby, she’s as good as it.” Zoro’s hand closed around the hilt of his sword, his eyes slamming shut as that grief washed over him again. Rosalie’s eyes flickered to him, an unnoticeable shine in her eye and a tilt in her lips. 
(Wise Women see much more than the normal eye, and just now Rosalie spotted the remarkable fuchsia tendrils of a very special kind of magic, so rare many thought it mere myth… yet it was swirling around the swordsman’s heart).
She turned to face the crew in their entirety, her expression grave. “Only the caster may raise a curse unless it is broken according to certain parameters. I may be able to deal with Carabose through negotiation. We… have a history.” Rosalie ruffled slightly. “She might have mercy and relinquish the curse herself.”
Zoro scoffed, drawing the faerie’s attention. “And if she doesn’t?”
Rosalie’s eyes flashed. “Then I’ll cut her down and hope that is enough.”
Sanji shook his head, blinking like he was forcing himself to deny Rosalie’s beauty. “And what will we do?”
“You’ll be with me. If Carabose dies and she does not wake… one of you will have to make a sacrifice.” Rosalie assessed them all with cool eyes, reveling in their discomfort, till she cracked a smile and tossed her head back. “I jest, I jest! However, we will need to come up with a display of true love after the deed is done and our princess has not woken.”
Zoro continued to bristle at the faerie’s coolness, grinding his teeth as she floated about the room, mumbling to herself. He dropped his swords on the table with a clang, startling Rosalie. “I can kill the witch myself. Give me ten minutes, and it’ll be done.”
“I know you are desperate to save your friend, Swordsman,” Rosalie simpered. “But you’ll be staying here.”
His blood was boiling at this point. The plan at hand was hardly what he’d had in mind. Zoro shook his head firmly and grasped his composure tightly. “I need to do something.”
“And you will! You’ll be guarding our princess.” Rosalie dared to set a hand on Zoro’s shoulder, making him go all stiff till he caught her steely gaze. “Carabose controls many of the spirits of the island. I wouldn’t put it past her to send one of them to whisk the princess away. You perhaps have the most important job of all.”
Yeah, right. Zoro locked eyes with Nami over the faerie’s shoulder, sharing a silent agreement as he shrugged the woman off. “Nami can stay behind—”
“No.” Rosalie’s grip tightened around his shoulder as the temperature dropped instantly. “You will stay, and Nami will come along.” Her smile felt sinister. “I am Rosalie of the Wise Women, and you are just a man with a sword. I have conquered kingdoms in the name of her parents. What have you done?” 
“I’ll kill the witch,” he said weakly. “And I’ll save her.”
“Kill the witch,” she mocked him. “You mean to tell me that’s an act of true love, swordsman?” Rosalie leaned in close, her voice as soft as wind. “How can you say you love her when you let her go, Roronoa Zoro. Now stay put and don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
She swept away as swiftly as she’d closed in, leaving Zoro breathless and unsteady. Rosalie clapped her hands together and faced Luffy with a grin. “Now, Captain. You understand the plan?”
Luffy looked all around, making eye contact with each of his crewmates, till he found Zoro, who leaned against the wall having some sort of crisis. Words rose up to his tongue, ready to lash out and tear the faerie to bits when he saw it. The tendrils were growing brighter. Slowly, he turned to Rosalie, who met his gaze unblinkingly. “Yeah, I got it.”
Usopp shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, Luffy, I don’t think—”
“I trust her,” he declared, and that was that. Usopp nodded, followed by the reluctant rest. Zoro’s eyes flashed up to meet his captains, unsure about how confident Luffy was, but not willing to ever doubt his friend. 
“Splendid,” Rosalie simpered. “I’ve no doubt Carabose is waiting for us, so we’d do best to keep up our guards.”
As she rounded everyone up and led them out of the galley and off the ship, Nami brought Zoro aside, her brows furrowed. “I don’t like this,” she murmured. “But I trust Luffy.” Zoro grunted as if to agree, his eyes unfocused. Nami gave his shoulder a pat as she passed him. “Just stay with her. Who knows, maybe she’ll know you’re there.”
And Zoro found himself all alone, the ship a deathly quiet he had never witnessed before. He could hear his every breath and feel the rock of the ship. A creak came from somewhere nearby, pinching at a sensitive part of his mind. Zoro took a few weightless, shallow steps down the hall, his hand running against the wall, until he came face to face with the door of your bedroom. 
Too long he stared at the door before he shoved at it, swinging it open wide. Zoro surged inside with so much gusto his muscle memory urged him to reach for his swords, but he’d left them in the galley. Instead, his hand grasped at air whilst he vacantly stared about the room. 
You lay soundlessly atop your bed, hands crossed over your chest like a corpse. Zoro instantly moved to adjust your arms, laying them instead at your sides. There, that was better.
His brows screwed together; where a smile had earlier been gracing your lips, a firm frown now replaced it. Your face contorted, your mind plagued by an enemy Zoro couldn’t fight. Ensuring he didn’t make a sound, Zoro took a knee and drew close to your face, folding his arms on the edge of your bed and resting his head there.
Sweat beaded along your forehead, distress clear on your face. Without thinking Zoro reached to wipe it away with the back of his hand, initiating a kind of intimate contact only you had ever thrust upon him. He shocked himself, frozen with his hand on your cheek before he cleared his throat and returned to his original position.
Hours he stayed like that, eyes dutifully watching over your face, pulse spiking at every sign of distress caught in your features. Your brows pinched together, lips parting as a strangled sigh left you.
Perhaps… Zoro threw caution to the wind and reached for your hand. You didn’t budge, but—and maybe he was seeing things—it looked like your face softened up a little bit. So he stayed just like that, rubbing circles into the back of your hand.
He lifted his gaze to the window, where the sun was beginning to set once again. “Wonder if the others found that witch yet…” They could be fighting for their lives, if Rosalie’s dumb plan fell through. He should be out there. Zoro’s eyes flickered all around the blue sky, worry eating at him, till he finally rose to his feet and dropped your hand. 
“I’ll be back—” Your instant whine had Zoro practically jumping out of his skin and descending back to your side all at once. “I mean, they can probably handle it. I’m still here.”
Your face returned to a state of calm as if you’d never moved at all. He scoffed out a laugh, murmuring fondly, “You little shit.” Again, little shifts in your expression hinted at a nightmare. “What’s goin’ on in there, huh?”
(Your dreams had taken a drastic turn. Dragon fire shot past your head, close enough to singe your eyelashes. The broom you’d taken up as a weapon splintered against the scaly back of your guard. The serpent burned away at the roof of your room, circling like a vulture, taunting echoes slipping off her forked tongue. As your eyes continued to flutter, sleep beckoning like a long-lost friend, you didn’t dare to succumb to the call. Should you sleep, you felt certain you would never, ever wake up. 
Yet, you were so tired. It couldn’t hurt… if you rested your eyes… if only to escape the taunting of his voice. He’s glad you’re good as dead. He never had to deal with your pining ever again. 
Every echo of doubt had you believing that just maybe, it might be true, sending you deeper into this eternal insanity).
“Zoro.”
The swordsman didn’t breathe. He couldn’t. “I’m here.” If his words had any effect on the state of you, it didn’t show. You only rustled sharply, eyes flickering all around behind your eyelids… until you fell deadly still. “Hey now. Don’t slip away just yet.”
Again, he took up your hand, willing you to keep giving him signs that you weren’t too deep into slumber. “An act of true love. Sanji could probably pull one of those out of his ass.” That thought sent him on a tangent, pictures of your effervescent smile flashing across his mind. 
Days ago, he’d been so secure on never revealing his feelings to you. The pair of you would have lived all your lives revolving around one another until you inevitably gave up, and it would be for the best. Right then and there, though, Zoro felt certain if he never looked into your eyes again he would never forgive himself for every time he turned you away. 
“I’ve always wondered,” he whispered. “Why you don’t just go after the lovecook. It’d be a hell of a lot easier than dealing with me.” 
Zoro made himself comfortable, leaning his head on the bed. “If… when you wake up, let’s go do something, like you wanted. You like painting, right? We’ll go painting. I’ll probably offend the very act of art, but maybe you’ll laugh at me, and it’ll be okay. I’ll throw paint in your hair and you’ll punch me, and it’ll be a real good time.”
Nothing. Your chest rose and fell at a concerningly slow pace. “When we get you back… I’ll apologize. For being an idiot.” Had your lips always been so dry? “But you have to wake up to hear it.”
Your condition remained unchanged… save for the stark silence coming from your nose, and the eerie stillness of your chest. Zoro’s gut churned. You were only meant to sleep, so why weren’t you breathing?
(The sleeping beauty dared to lie down, the tower burning all around her, at ease among the encroaching flames).
His hand felt at you heart, his own stuttering at how faint yours was beating. You looked so blank. Not a flaw in your void expression. Zoro, on the verge of pleading to gods he didn’t believe in, again reached for a sword that wasn’t there as a bone-chilling chuckle echoed from every corner. 
“You can’t save her~” sang a ghostly voice, right into his ear. 
Zoro slammed his ear down on his shoulder to rid himself of the shiver running down his spine. Whipping around, he ground his jaw enough to hear the chip in his teeth. “Watch me, witch.”
Her laughter mocked him. “How? You’re no prince. No knight. What’re you going to do, warrior? Kiss her and hope your honor is enough?” Carabose appeared in a misty shadow behind him, surging through his body like a specter, sending him keeling to the floor. “The princess’ soul has long belonged to me. True love doesn’t exist. Rosalie should’ve known that.”
“You’re wrong!” Zoro bellowed, something deep in his heart constricting, building up a fire in his bones. 
“Oh,” the witch hummed darkly. “I’m sure. This isn’t a fairytale, boy. Kisses don’t wake princesses… and simple swordsmen don’t save them.”
The witch’s cackle faded even as he slashed at the air with his arm, wild eyes searching till they landed back on you, unnervingly calm. If Carabose’s intention was to have her spirits discourage Zoro, she fairly succeeded; but she also succeeded in something else—giving him something to prove.  
His shoulders sunk as he just stared, taking in the hopeless sight before him. It was much too late to confess to his sleeping beauty. Even if they did find a way to wake her, who was to say she would still want him? What if some hero swoops in and takes her away?
He would be deserving of that fate, Zoro thinks, his foolishness crashing down on him even as he falls to his knees at your side once more. 
Make a note that Roronoa Zoro doesn’t believe in magic. It’s all make-believe to help children see the good in the world. He knew that full and well, deep in his heart. But something he knew with far greater certainty is that he would do anything to have the chance to love you as you loved him. 
Magic wasn’t real. But what if? Zoro felt silly for daring to think it, but even then his hand reached to cup your cheek. Wasn’t there truth to every story? Kissing princesses didn’t make the world all right. Fairytales don’t come true. 
But the sun was setting on another day with you held down by this curse, and Zoro felt pathetic and weak and he had no other plan at hand. 
“I’m an idiot,” he confessed the obvious. “I never choose what’s easy except when it comes to you. Which made it difficult, which defeated the purpose and—Never mind.” Peaceful despite the circumstances, you never stirred an inch. “Please wake up. Please… Or I’ll look really, really stupid.”
One hand on your cheek, the other bracing himself against the bed, Zoro pressed the most delicate of kisses atop your cold lips, a horrifying shiver shooting through him at how it felt like kissing a corpse. Lingering, he drew back, breath staggered at how nothing happened. You didn’t shoot awake. Not a muscle in your body twitched. Your eyes didn’t move.
“Please,” he mumbled over your lips, his forehead colliding with yours in a desperate plea. “Wake up. Wake up so I can tell you I love you.”
Unseen magic exploded around the room, wrapping around the swordsman and the princess as pride and honor were laid down at the feet of a curse that died with the far-off scream of a thwarted witch.
(The sleeping princess blinked awake, squinting from the blinding light filtering in through the open ceiling. The dragon faded to mist and the fires blew out with a hush. Words the princess had only ever dreamed of hearing echoed down to her ears, and everything went white).
You awoke from the most horrible sleep, your bones and body aching as something like a cold fever washed over you. A shallow breath fizzled out of you right before your lungs brought in as much air as they could take. Eyes flinging open, your surroundings came into focus in an instant, and you found a figure looming over you with the funniest expression.
Zoro’s face was white as a sheet, eyes wide and brows vaulted, his lips parted. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost, and a laugh left you before you could stop it. You smiled with no abandon as Zoro’s hand traced your jaw. “What’s this about?”
And it all came rushing back like a punch to your gut as Zoro’s eyes bore into you. Your lips fell into a shocked gape. “You kissed me?”
“I… uhm…” 
You slowly sat upright, hands in your lap, head tilted as you admired the man before you in a light like never before. “You love me?”
His eyes pinched shut, and you feared he regretted his confession. Perhaps it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Maybe he didn’t mean it and you’re stupid for ever thinking he might—
“I do.” He looked as breathless as you felt. “I do love you.”
An eternity could have passed and you wouldn’t have known nor cared, all too caught up in etching his face into your memory. Hesitant, you rose to your knees, bed covers shoved aside, and your hands went to cup his face tenderly. “Tell me again.”
Warmth flooded his cheeks as your thumbs ran over his cheekbones, drawing his eyes back to yours every time they dared to flicker away. He melted into you, one hand falling to your waist and the other cupping behind your thigh. “I love you.”
Another smile burst across your face. “I love you too.” You leaned in close, nudging your nose at his cheek. “I’m gonna kiss you.”
Zoro cracked a grin, his eyes fluttering. “Okay.”
“And kiss you.” 
“Fine by me.”
“I’ll never sleep again. I’m only going to kiss you until they pry me off you, my handsome, lovely, cursebreaker swordsman—Mmph!”
His lips cut you off, surging forth to catch you unguarded. Zoro’s arms pulled you in quickly as you pushed in just as firmly, hands raking through his hair. Years you waited and years you longed. Countless nights you laid awake intending to give up come morning, only to fall back into his eyes. 
All for this. The day your soul knew would come even when your heart was doubting. 
“I love you,” you broke away to say, simply because you could.
And no witch, no curse, no destiny would ever keep you from telling him. 
Giggling at nothing at all, you leaned into him and wrapped him up in your arms, head falling to his shoulder. Your eyes drifted behind him, your whole body freezing at the sight in the corner. “What the fuck is that doing here?”
Zoro nearly broke his neck whipping it around only to choke on a laugh. The spinning wheel sat humbly to the side, purple string still running through it. “Probably was a bad idea to keep it in here.”
“You think!” You lightly flicked his nose and got a little grunt out of him. “Let’s burn it.”
A bonfire awaited the crew as they returned, their egos bruised and spirits low despite their defeat of the Wise Woman Carabose. Every last one of them nearly screamed when they saw you stoking the pillar of fire with the brightest smile on your face, Zoro’s arm round your shoulder.
You teetered this way and that, tossed around as they hugged the life out of you. Laughter came easy and the night drew long, stories of their victory recounted and certain questions about your recovery proposed.
“You needed an act of true love,” Chopper wondered, never straying far from your side as he clung to your arm. “So what happened?”
You weren’t at all subtle in your direct look at Zoro, who coughed and averted his eyes to the suddenly very interesting ground. “Someone got off their high horse and—”
“All right!” Zoro laughed awkwardly. “Cook, where’d you put the extra sake?”
Nami silently awed as she dragged you and Robin aside, begging to know exactly what happened. Somewhere through the night, Usopp looked around, lowering his glass from his lips. “What happened to Rosalie?”
You tripped over nothing at that name. “What? My godmother?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “She helped us find Cara-bitch, or whatever… When did she disappear?”
Everyone took a moment to think, blinking quickly as a single answer was formed: they didn’t know.
“That sounds like her. I just wish I could’ve said hello,” you said. 
Zoro hovered at your side, his hand ghosting over yours. “She was weird anyway.”
“Hey!”
The fire fizzled out somewhere close to dawn, though the celebration seemed far from over. Your eyes felt heavy and your body too, but every time you fell too much into drowsiness, cold terror tore through you. You weren’t joking when you declared you’d never sleep again; the prospect petrified you.
“C’mon,” Zoro muttered when your head fell to his shoulder and shot back up for the sixth time. “You need to rest.”
“I’ve slept enough—”
“That’s not what I said.” Zoro stood and offered you a hand, a gentle smile warming you from the inside out. You shoved your hand into his and started the trek below deck, departure unnoticed.
As you passed your bedroom, you stopped and stared at your bed just three seconds before you bee-lined to Zoro’s door, leading him along behind you. Dazedly, you waltzed around each other, preparing for sleep even as your heart pounded in your head. 
“What if I don’t wake up?” you wondered aloud as Zoro sunk into bed.
His eyes found yours and you swore you fell even deeper. “You will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I love you.”
That fact was one of the only real things either of you knew, and for now, it was enough. 
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𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @100520s
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callsign-dexter · 4 months ago
Text
Broken Promises, Rekindled Flames
Request: Ok, we damn love hot Kelly Severide… but would we also like something angsty ? 😊
I had an idea where she’s his girlfriend, also a paramedic at 51, but someday they get in a bad fight and he saying things he immediately regrets, so she leaves his apartment without saying any more. The next day she doesn’t show up at work, which is unusual for her and neither can get you on the phone. Just then, 51 gets called to a bad looking car accident and they have to find out that was your car being recklessly destroyed and Kelly’s heart breaks as he fears you being no longer alive and he can never make it up what he said? 
But of course they get a happy ending 😊
Pairings: Kelly Severide x Paramedic!Rhodes!Reader
Warnings: angst, fluff, cursing, asshole!Kelly, mentions of cheating done by Kelly but no actual cheating is done, secrets, car crash, inaccurate medical talk
Masterlist
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There were some things that you had told your boyfriend of 4 years, Kelly Severide, secrets that he promised not to tell or bring up in a fight. In turn he told you secrets and you promised the same thing. You never wanted to hurt each other but he took it too far that night the day before your guy’s shift at firehouse 51. Now you were semi-conscious sitting at the bottom of a bank praying and hoping someone would come. You thought about calling your older brother, Connor Rhodes, but he was busy saving lives in the hospital.
The fight didn’t come on suddenly, no, it built up for a week before it came to light, he was coming home late and being secretive. He had his reasons and very good reasons, this reason would be because he was planning the perfect surprise proposal and that had him running around ragged and made him stressed and in turn made you stressed because you didn't know what he was up to for all you knew he could be cheating on you, you wouldn't put it past him especially with his dating history. As you sit there in your car being crushed by the collapsed metal and losing blood somewhere the fight replayed in your head and that brought tears to your eyes and they slowly ran down your face. You so desperately wanted to call Kelly and tell him you were sorry but you couldn’t find your phone and you couldn’t move. “I’m sorry.” You whispered as if he could hear you and as you started to close your eyes the fight came into view so you just watched.
*********************
The blaring alarm was what woke you up on a Thursday morning. You groggily opened your eyes and reached over to turn it off. You were at home with your boyfriend Kelly both having just come off a 3 day shift and then going back in two days usually it would be longer time off but things were different due to the holiday coming up. Once the alarm was off you turned over and brought your hand to his side expecting to find a warm toned body but instead you met cold sheets and you frowned. Now you were more awake. You got up throwing on a sweatshirt, that happened to be Kelly's, and walked out of the room and into the hallway. Soft talking could be heard and at first you thought it was TV but the more you listened the more it started to sound like Kelly and a woman? You walked into the kitchen and the floor must've creaked because he was looking up “I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow.” He hurriedly said into the computer screen and hung up. Your heart sank, was he cheating on you? “Hey, Baby.” He said as he got up and hurriedly closed the computer. You let him hug you but you didn't return it.
“Who was that?” You asked as he released you and he walked into the kitchen to start coffee.
“Oh that was nobody important. She was just helping with something.” He said and there was that word ‘she’ unshed tears burned your eyes. 
“Oh.” You said as your mind started to race.
“Want a cup?” He asked holding it out to you and you shook your head.
“No, thank you. I'm going to go for a run.” You said and turned back to head back to the bedroom to get ready. He didn't get a chance to reply, he just looked at you confused, you never refused your favorite coffee. 
You got ready for your run and walked back into the kitchen and he was nowhere to be found. The computer was open and you got curious. You walked over and Skype was open so you looked at who called last. A woman's name of Contessa Wents was the last call your heart sank but it sank even more when you read the messages. 
Her face is going to priceless. I can't wait to see it! 
Contessa: It's going to be great! It just fills me with joy at imagining it.
You couldn't bear to read the rest. Those two messages confirmed your fear. You quickly grabbed your Bluetooth headphones and put them in and music started playing. You rushed out the door as tears started well in your eyes. Kelly had gone down to grab the mail and was making his way down the hallway to the apartment when you passed him. “Hey, enjoy your run.” He said but you just sped past him not being able to hear him but he didn't know you had headphones in. He frowned and grew concerned. Last night was great and he couldn't think of anything that would've put you in a foul mood. The Skype call didn't mean anything, it was to his friend's wife who was a jeweler and he was picking out a ring with the help of her.
You got outside and stretched and then you were taking off. As you ran tears started to fall now that you had time and space to think about it. When you got to the park you sat on a bench, you put your elbows on your knees and covered your face. How could you've been so stupid? You knew he had a past. You knew he had flings. You knew how he was. You thought he had changed but apparently not. You don't know how long you were sitting there crying until your tears ran out. You still had your music in so you didn't hear your lifelong best friend and brother walk up to you calling you until you felt him shake your shoulder and you were ripping an earbud out and looking up. “Con?” You asked sniffling eyes puffy and red tear tracks running down your cheeks.
“It's me. What's wrong?” Your older brother asked.
“I think Kelly is cheating on me.” You said and here comes a fresh round of tears. 
“I'm gonna kill him.” He said and you shook your head.
“No, please don't. It may not be true but all signs are there.” You said and he sat down next to you on the bench and you leaned into him. “Why are you here anyways?” You asked.
“I was out for a walk.” He said and you nodded and sniffled. You don't know how long you sat there with your brother on the bench talking, laughing and just having a bonding moment. Soon you both had to leave. He left first and then you got up and turned to the direction of home and took off to finish your run. 
When you got back into your apartment Kelly was rushing off the couch and running to you taking you in his arms and you looked at him confused. You took out your earbuds and pushed him off. “Oh thank goodness. You're home.” He said and relief was evident on his face. 
“Yea, I'm home. I ran into Connor at the park. We hung out and talked.” You said “Why do you care?” You asked.
“Why do I care? I care because I love you. You were gone for 3 hrs. You're never gone that long for a run.” He said 
“Sorry I was clearing my head.” You said moving to make your way into the bedroom to shower and change into some relaxing clothing for the day. You both had three days off since you had been three days on. He had followed you into the bedroom and you started to undress and you really didn't care because it's not the first time he's seen you naked.
“Is everything alright?” He asked and you wanted to scoff. How could he ask that when he knew he was cheating on you? It would be better if he just came out and said it instead of stringing you along. You need to keep calm and not escalate things until you know for sure but your minds have been made up. 
“Everything is fine. I just needed to clear my head of some things.” You said and left it at that and walked into the bathroom shutting the door in his face. You turned on the water and let the tears flow. You heard his footsteps leave and the bedroom door shut and then you let out a sob. How much more of this heartbreak can you take? 
When your shower was done and you had changed you felt much better. You walked into the kitchen freshly showered in jeans and your favorite shirt and hoodie. “Do you want to go out for lunch?” Kelly asked and you looked up at him. 
“Sure.” You said and he smiled and came over and kissed you. 
“If you're ready. I'm ready.” He said and you smiled and nodded. Maybe if you can just get the idea of him cheating out of your mind then everything will be ok.
“I'm ready.” You said smiling and he smiled back.
“There's my girl.” He said and then the two of you headed out the apartment. As you walked out of the apartment and to his Jeep. Everything that had happened this morning was pushed to the back of your mind. 
“So, where are we going?” You ask, curious and feeling like your old self. Feeling back to your guy's old ways.
“It's a surprise.” He said as he opened the door and helped you in even though you didn't need it. You smiled a toothy grin and he smirked looking at you. “What?” He asked.
“Is this to our favorite spot?” You asked 
“I'm not telling you.” He said “You'll find out soon.” He said and you chuckled. The Jeep ride there was smooth and easy; it wasn't filled with tension like the morning had been. You both laughed and joked with each as the music played in the background. You looked around your surroundings and they started to become familiar, well everything was familiar but this was going to your favorite deli/bakery. 
“Are we going where I think we're going?” You asked but he just smiled and that gave it all away. 
“You know it is.” He said and you shrieked as he pulled into the parking lot and parked the Jeep. He got out and shut the door and then came over and opened your door and helped you out. When you were on the ground he put his arm around your shoulders and pulled you into his side and you cuddled into him. It was a cold day, probably a record cold for Chicago so he was trying to keep you as warm as possible. 
He led you to the table and made sure you were seated before he went up and ordered. He already knew what you wanted and that made you smile and all those thoughts of him cheating melted away. He was quick to come back with drinks and sat down in front of you. The two of you leaned close to each other laughing and having a good time together like you were two lovesick teenagers. The only time you pulled apart was when the food came and the two of you ate. Once lunch was down he was grabbing your tray while you grabbed your things and followed him to the trash. Then the two of you were headed home. 
The next day you woke up to a warm arm wrapped around your middle and warm breath hitting your neck. You smiled and turned over to take in and memorize the handsome face of your boyfriend. “Staring is rude.” He said in a voice that was filled with sleep. He cracked open his eyes and you were instantly lost in the blue. 
“I'm just trying to memorize the face of my handsome boyfriend.” You said 
“You have everyday to memorize it.” He said, chuckling.
“You never know.” You said shrugging. He leaned up and kissed your forehead. You could lay there all day if you wanted but you needed to get things done before leaving again. Both of you laid there for another 30 minutes before you both were getting up and starting the day. The two of you decided to stay in for the day just wanting to be with each other. So you spent most of the day lounging on the couch watching cringey firefighter TV shows and eating. That quickly changed around 6 PM when his phone started ringing and as he pulled it out you caught the name on it. Contessa. Your stomach dropped and suddenly you felt nauseous. He answered it and he had the nerve to sit by you while he talked. He was smiling and chuckling and as all this went on you just seemed to get sicker and sicker. When the call was over he put his phone back and turned to you.
“I have to go. I'll be back soon.” He said and then he was getting up kissing you on the lips but you didn't kiss back. You watched him put on his shoes and coat and then he was walking out the apartment. You sat there in total silence. Too stunned to speak and afraid to move. You turned back to the show but not really paying attention to it. You don't know how long you were sitting there but your phone buzzed. You grabbed it out of the pocket of Kelly's hoodie and saw it was a text from Jay Halstead, your best friend and your brother's coworker's brother, it was a picture.
Jay Halstead: I think Kelly might be cheating on you. I just Kelly and some woman in a jewelry store. They're bent over looking at rings. They're pretty close to each other. (Picture attached)
You just stared at the picture. So it was true. Kelly was cheating on you and he was clearly serious about this woman because he was in a jewelry store with her. Tears sprang to your eyes and they started to fall. Another text from Jay popped up.
Jay Halstead: Are you ok?
You didn't know how to answer that. 
Idk 
Jay Halstead: Hailey and I are on our way over. 
He responded back pretty quickly and true to his word there was a knock on the door and you were getting up to answer it. Hailey instantly pulled you into a hug and the tears started to fall steadily. “Oh honey.” She said
“He's really cheating on me? He's buying her a ring.” You said as they ushered you to the couch where they sat down. Hailey on the side of you and Jay sitting on the coffee table in front of you. 
“We don't know that for sure. I said I think he is.” Jay said
“The evidence is pretty damning Jay.” You said as you looked at him with tears running down your cheeks.
“Let's not jump to conclusions. He may have been helping a friend with some shopping or it could've been the jeweler.” Hailey said, rubbing your arm.
“If it was the jeweler then she would be on the other side of the counter. They also wouldn't be that close either.” You said followed by a sniffle as you put your head in your hands. Hailey and Jay looked at each other because they knew you were right. The couple stayed with you for a few hours and let you rant and rave until you cried all your tears and then they were leaving after saying you would be alright on your own. 
10 PM rolled around and Kelly had yet to show up and more tears fell. You both promised that the two of you wouldn't cheat or keep secrets, your last relationship ended up with him keeping a secret of him being married with kids and that he was cheating on his wife with you. He had the audacity to actually propose to you. You only found out he was married because you ran into his wife and kids at the park. You broke the engagement off right then and there. The next week he was coming to you crying saying his wife was divorcing him, which she did. You and the wife actually became friends. 
6 AM rolled around when he finally showed up. You had cried yourself to sleep around 11 PM on the couch, you had to go into work at 7 AM. The shutting of the front door had woken you up and you set up. “Kels, that you?” You asked.
“Yea it's me. Sorry I'm late. I had to go and talk to Herrmann about something at the bar and got carried away.” He said shedding his coat and kicking off his shoes.
“A phone call or text would've been nice.” You said now standing up and walking over to him.
“I thought I didn't text you.” He said as he pulled his phone out but there set the text unsent. “I never pressed send. I'm sorry.” He said and looked up at you. He walked over to you and kissed you but you didn't kiss back and then the smell of perfume hit you and you grew angry. “Are you ok?” He asked. Should you say something now? Should you wait? Maybe you should wait.
“Are you cheating on me?” You asked, there it was. It was now out in the open. He looked at you with his eyebrows cocked. 
“What? No! Why would you ask that?” He asked, taking a step back. 
“I saw your Skype messages from Contessa and her name pop up when you got a phone call. Jay saw you and a woman, who I'm assuming is Contessa, in a jewelry store.” You said and you watched his face fall and grow pale. You pulled your phone out and showed him the picture. 
“Baby, it's not what you think it is. She's married.” He said and that just added fuel to the fire.
“You're cheating on me with a married woman? You're going to marry her?” You asked in disbelief.
“What? No no no no. She was helping me find a ring.” He said but everything said was going through one ear and out the other.  
“A ring for her.” You said as you pushed past him and started to pull on your shoes, coat, and grab your purse. Kelly was starting to panic.
“Where are you going?” He asked, watching you. 
“I'm going to stay with my brother. I know he won't cheat on me.” You said 
“For the 100th time I'm not cheating on you! But maybe now I'm thinking I should've.” He said and you froze.
“What?” You asked
“You're so fucking insecure it's overwhelming. You're not fucking listening to me. You're so damn clingy I can't even stay out late without spiraling out of control.” He said, throwing his hands up. You flinched and froze looking at him. The boyfriend before the one that was married used to be abusive to you and point out all the things that you seemed to do wrong. He didn’t really mean what he was saying but he was so mad that you weren’t listening and he was just caught up in the moment. Tears were falling down your face. “I mean come one Y/N you’re not listening to me right now. You never listen to me, you always care about yourself. Do you even care about me?” He asked.
You said nothing as you turned around and grabbed your keys to your Jeep and opened the door and slammed it shut. Kelly stood there and watched. He watched your face fall and you shrink into yourself and then he knew that he just fucked up. 
“I just fucked everything up. FUCK!” He screamed and grabbed the closest thing which happened to be a picture frame of you two and threw it across the room into the wall. It shattered to the ground, broken glass everywhere. You would come back and you two would talk about everything and settle everything at least he hoped but boy how wrong he was.
**
As you got into your Jeep snow was starting to come down at a fast pace and it was covering the road and everything quickly but you didn’t even care. You hopped in and started it, the engine sputtered a couple of times but it finally turned over. Maybe your Jeep was trying to tell you something or maybe you were hoping Kelly would come out but the last hope didn’t happen as your engine turned over and it started. You quickly threw into gear and sped off your Jeep swerved but it straightened up and headed off. You were speeding but you didn’t care, you just wanted to get away from him and to your brother, you knew he would comfort you and be on your side.
 You were approaching a stoplight and as you started to slow down you started to slide and your brakes were locking up and that scared the shit out of you. “No no no no. Please no.”  You said to yourself you did stop but your front end was over the line. You sighed in relief but the truck behind was just a tad bit unluckier than you. They tried to stop but they ended up rear ending you hard. So hard that your head came forward and hit the steering wheel and their truck pushed you into the middle of the intersection and since you had no traction because of rapidly falling snow you slid into oncoming traffic where a car hit you straight on glass shattered and then a truck was hitting your side of the car pushing you sideways. You just happened to look at the clock and knew that Kelly would be heading into work but you just hoped that he would get to you sooner. Your Jeep started to smoke as it came to a stop but it ended up on the very edge of the road and just a push would be sending you down to the riverbank. You just had never been lucky enough to have things go your way as the snow piled on top of your Jeep it added more weight and you could feel your Jeep tipping. “I’m sorry.” You said out loud to nobody in particular but it was meant for Kelly and you were hoping he could hear it somehow as your Jeep fell. It jostled you around and glass shattered and everything cut you everywhere a particularly large piece stabbed you in the chest close to your heart and you cried out. Once the rolling stopped you were breathing ragged and you could feel the cold hitting you from the broken windows and windshield. You could feel the blood rushing out every little cut. You tried to make a quick assessment of yourself but each time you moved sent you closer to the darkness. 
The engine of your Jeep was smoking more and you could smell the gasoline and just one spark could send the entire vehicle up in smoke. Right now you just wanted everything to end and give into the darkness. Part of you hoped that everything blew up and part of you didn’t. You were in so much pain that you didn’t know what to think or wanted. Breathing hurt and each breath sent you closer to the edge. When you tried to move is what finally did you in and everything turned black and you gave into the darkness. 
*********************
Kelly didn’t get much sleep, too worried about you and wondering where you were. He texted Connor asking if you were there but he answered that you weren’t that sent panic down him. He may have gotten maybe 30 minutes of sleep before he was getting up and getting ready for both of your guy’s shifts. He sighed sadly when he realized you weren’t beside him, he grabbed his bag and then he grabbed your bag and he started off into work. The snow was still falling and they had yet to come and scrape the road but he knew to be careful and knew that your Jeep and his Jeep was meant for this type of weather. 
When he got to the station he frowned when he didn’t see your Jeep. He knew you liked to get to work early and get some extra sleep or get breakfast in. He parked his Jeep and grabbed both bags and walked into the station. Everyone greeted him and he greeted them back and looked around for you but you were nowhere in sight. “Has Y/N come in?” He asked the closest member who happened to be your best friend, Stella Kidd.
“No, I haven't heard a word from her and haven’t seen her this morning. Tried calling her but she never picked up.” She said and he frowned and nodded and then headed to where the bunks were and put yours and his bag down on a bed. You dug through his bag and felt around until he felt the velvet box hit his fingers. He pulled it out and opened and there sat a beautiful diamond ring glistening in the light from the room. 
“Where are you, Y/N/N? I’m worried about you.” He whispered to himself as he looked down at the ring with sad eyes. He stared at it until the bells were ringing for every emergency vehicle and he was hurriedly shutting it and putting it in a pocket that zipped up knowing it would be safe there. He was quick to get out and get his gear on and then to the Rescue Squad 3 truck. “What are we heading into?” He asked, trying to get into work headspace as they pulled up to the scene.
“Looks like a multi-car collision. A car was rear ended and pushed and then hit straight on. Then hit and pushed over the bank. It’s probably covered in snow by now so it'll be a search and uncover.” Joe Cruz said. 
“Did they say what the other car was?” Tony Ferraris asked as he parked and turned the sirens off but not the lights.
“An olive green Jeep.” Joe said and Kelly’s heart dropped to his stomach because that was your Jeep. He hadn’t said a word as Wallace Boden gave out orders. Other stations were called in to help but Rescue Squad 3 was to work on your Jeep that had rolled down the bank. All of them along with Stella and Gabriela Dawson went with them. As they descended the bank smoke was seen and gasoline could be smelt. Despite the snow being on top of it, the snow was melting where the engine was. Kelly was in a panic as he took in the sight of your car. The Jeep was upside down on the roof, glass was everywhere and the frame was beyond recognizable. 
“Shit. Let’s get her out of there carefully and do not let that glass more or lodge further.” Kelly said hoping the shakiness in his voice wasn’t noticeable to the others and either they didn’t pay attention to it or they didn’t hear but they started to get to work. As the orders were given out and they started to work on getting the snow removed and when they did they could see you laying there unconscious and barely breathing.  
 First they started to get the excess snow off and then Kelly was laying down to see you. He took you in and then his eyes stopped on the glass sticking out of your chest and he saw it was right next to your heart, one move or one more centimeter over and it could be in your heart. “How is she looking?” Stella asked and he shook his head and looked up at her.
“Not good. There is a piece of glass in her chest close to her heart, one jostle and it could move and go into her heart.” He said 
“Fuck, alright let’s carefully get her out and to Med. We need to call her brother and let him know and warn him.” She said and not directing the last part to him more so at someone else that had come down. Kelly focused his attention on you and put two fingers on your neck and felt for anything and it took a minute and that scared him to find a pulse.
“She barely has a pulse.” Kelly shouted out.
“Ok, let’s get moving.” Stella said and that is what they did. They got the door off and then Kelly was awkwardly twisted to put the neck brace on you and not once did you move or give any sign of life. 
“Don’t leave me, please.” He pleaded as they carefully got you out and on a backboard. “I need something to stabilize this glass.” He shouted and then he was being handed tape and some rolls of gauze. Everything being shouted was drowned out to him, his focus was on you.
“I’ll help.” Joe said and he nodded and moved a little so he could get in and help. “She’s going to be ok.” He said.
“I hope so.” Kelly said as they finished stabilizing the glass.
“How is she?” Boden asked after he came down to see.
“Not good.” Kelly said and he was about to say something else but you started to gurgle and blood started to sputter out of your mouth and run down the corner of it and it caught everyone’s attention.
“Move her now!” He ordered and everyone nodded and they rushed you up the hill carefully but hurriedly. When they reached the top a gurney was already there and they put you on it and rushed you to the ambulance. Kelly got in the back with you as Stella got in the front and they were off, sirens blaring. 
“How close are we?” Kelly asked
“20 seconds out.” Stella said 
“Damn she was close to the hospital.” Kelly murmured to himself and he helped Gabby the best he could. They finally got you hooked up to the monitor but as soon as they did you started to flatline. She was quick to awkwardly start CPR.
“Fuck.” Gabby said as they pulled into the ER section of the hospital and as the doors opened several nurses, Will Halstead, Crockett Marcel, and your brother Connor was there. Gabby started to rattled off everything that they assessed. She still was doing CPR as they rolled you in.
“Baghdad.” Is all that Maggie Lockwood said and that is where they wheeled you to and they started to work on you. Kelly had stood outside and watched and Connor wasn’t allowed to be in there since you were family.
“What the fuck did you do?” Connor asked as he turned to Kelly.
“It was a stupid fight.” Kelly whispered
“What did you say?” He asked
“I told her some things that I shouldn’t. I degraded her and made her feel small. It was my fucking fault. I wasn’t cheating on her. I was asking for help to pick out a ring for her. I was gonna have us take a couple of days off to go up to a special place and I was going to propose to her.” Kelly said and Connor was still fuming but he didn’t say anything.
“You better hope and pray that she makes it out of here alive. For your sake.” Connor said and walked away knowing he couldn’t stay there because he couldn't help and he had patients to tend to. Kelly’s focus was back on the scene in front of him. They had gotten your heart beating again but you were still in critical condition. They were quick to move you to an OR and they told him what they were doing and now he had to painfully wait to hear if you made it or not. As he was directed to the waiting room he took out the ring and opened it and stared down at it. He was so stupid for saying those things to you and now he doesn’t know if you were going to make it and that scared him. 
It seemed like forever but it was only 6 hours before Connor and Marcel were walking towards him and he looked up. As he looked up he saw that the rest of the firehouse had come as well but he was too focused on the ring and you. “She’s alive but she is in critical condition. She had a collapsed lung and it was filled with blood. The piece of glass was secured but a piece did knick her heart which caused it to stop. She also had some major cuts from glass and we removed all the glass. She’s not totally in the clear but she’s stabilized as of right now. We sedated her and it may take some time for her to wake up. Months even.” Marcel said and everyone nodded and Kelly was silent. “Connor will take you to see her.” He added directing it towards Kelly and he nodded and started to follow Connor to your room. 
“She’s going to pull through.” Connor said as they both stopped at your room. “She’s a strong woman and she loves you too much to leave you.” He added and Kelly nodded and then he was leaving as he gave Kelly a pat on the shoulder. Kelly just stood there too scared that if he moved then you would be gone. Finally he moved into the room he walked in and sat down on one of the uncomfortable plastic blue chairs.
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of those things because I don’t even mean them or think that. Please don’t leave me. I wasn’t cheating. I was getting help to pick out a ring for you. I want to marry you and start a family with you. I want everything with you. Please, please come back to me. I love you.” He said
Seconds passed and nothing happened. Minutes passed and the same thing. Hours and nothing changed. Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. You have yet to wake up. It was a serious crash and they had to sedate you to let everything heal. Kelly didn’t want you to leave you one second but he was forced to. Each free second he had he was back with you. 
2 months passed and you finally started to show signs of waking up. Kelly had just gotten there when the machine started to go off and nurses, Marcel, and your brother ran to your room. He arrived there to see you awake and looking around confused and talking to your brother and everyone else and then you spotted him and smiled and that made his heart skip a beat. Once everything was settled and everyone was out of the way besides Connor he walked in. “Kels.” You whispered and he smiled.
“I’ll give you some time alone. I’m so glad you’re awake sis. You made us worried.” Connor said as he patted your knee and leaned up and kissed your forehead and then left. As he walked past Kelly he stopped and Kelly looked at him. “Tell her and ask her.” He said and Kelly knew what he was talking about. He walked out and now it was just you and Kelly. 
“I’m sorry.” You both began and you both chuckled but you winced and as he tried to help you waved him off.
“Can I go first?” Kelly asked and you nodded. “I’m sorry for making you think I was cheating on you. I would never in a million years cheat on you. I was getting help from a friend’s wife to pick out a ring for you. I want everything with you. I want kids with you. I want to grow old with you. I didn’t mean anything I said to you and I don’t think any of it. I would never cause harm to you. I’m so sorry. I love you. Please forgive me.” He said and you smiled and nodded. 
“I forgive you. Now it’s my turn. Hopefully I can get everything out before I run out of breath.” You said taking a breath “I'm sorry for not trusting you. It’s just when you started to say those things it just brought me back to previous relationships. I know you didn’t mean any of those things and I know you would never hurt me.” You said running out of breath and you paused and took some breaths and continued. “I want everything with you too. I love you, Kels. I love you so much. I’m sorry that I thought you were cheating on me. Can you forgive me?” You asked.
“I will always forgive you.” He said 
“You have a ring?” You asked and he smiled and pulled it out and you took it.
“This is not how I wanted to propose but I can’t go another minute without you being my soon to be wife. So Y/N Rhodes will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man on earth and marry me?” He asked and tears ran down your cheeks as you nodded and you smiled.
“A thousand times yes. I want everything with you.” You said and he took the box and took the ring out and slid it on your finger. He leaned up and kissed you and then hugged you. 
“Thank you for coming back to me.” He whispered and you smiled and hugged him back with what strength you had.
“I will always come back to you. I never want to leave you again.” You said
“I love you.” He said
“I love you too.” You replied as Connor came into the room and saw the scene and the two of you pulled away. 
“I take it you took my advice and asked her.” He said, smiling smugly. You then showed him the ring “Congratulations you two.” He said as he took your hand to look at your ring.
“Thank you.” You both said. He stayed for a few minutes and the three of you talked and laughed and then he was being called away. Now it was just you and Kelly. As the two of you sat there together talking about anything and everything you couldn’t wait to start your life with him. This is what you both wanted. You both couldn’t wait to get started on the rest of your lives together. 
Tag list:
@kmc1989
@els-marvelvsp
@atarmychick007
@nyx2021
@grandstrangerphantom
@angenu01-blog
@talesofreading
@callsign-revenge
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fandomnerd9602 · 5 months ago
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Little Doe Eyed Baby
Bambi!Wanda x Reader
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The labor was long and hard for your deer-human hybrid mate. She was sweaty and clammy by the end of the labor but yet she never looked more beautiful.
You acted as her lumbar support for the entire duration. Your doe appreciated the gentle words you whispered in her ear. The way you held her hand.
Natasha, your best friend and wolf hybrid was more than happy to be the midwife. She provided additional encouragement and love during the process.
As for the twins, Billy and Tommy, well their uncle was happy to take them out on the town for the day. It kept them occupied and filled their little heads with ideas of what they could buy for their parents.
Pietro took them to a little store. Billy and Tommy locked eyes of a simple plushie. Their mom was still a huge fan of plushies and at the moment they saw it, the boys knew it was perfect for their baby sister.
“Billy! We gotta get that for momma!” Tommy practically screamed in excitement.
“That would be awesome! We gotta buy it!” Little Billy responded.
The boys reached into their pockets and could only pull out a handful of quarters. Pietro was more than happy to cover the balance.
Meanwhile in the delivery room, Wanda continued through the pain, gently pushing as her baby slowly made its way from the womb into life itself. How desperately she wanted just to hold her baby in her arms. And yet at the same time, the doe could also feel her old fears arising within her. Her mind began flashing back. Back to before she met you. Back to when Billy and Tommy were in the exact same place that their sister now resides.
Wanda was back in that cold, unforgiving prison cell, with only the weakest of lights shining in. She held back the tears as she caressed her pregnant belly, trying not to disturb her captors.
“My detkas” she whispered thru her tears, “we won’t be here forever.” She wanted so desperately to believe those words.
“we shall have a real home someday. I-I won’t let anything happen to you”
Wanda’s mind came back to the present. She had a home now. With you. With Natasha. With her brother. With her boys.
“It’s okay, baby” you reassured her, “just a couple more pushes.”
Wanda found a new energy within herself. A drive for her family. A drive to hold her baby each and every day. She began pushing.
“Almost there,” you held her hand tight. “one more push!”
Wanda strained and then she came into the world.
There she was. Covered in a mix of blood and embryonic fluid but she was beautiful. Your little doe human hybrid baby.
“My detka” Wanda cried as she held her newborn to her chest. The baby cried and cried. No antlers yet but you could tell your daughter had a doe tail. And it was the cutest tail you had ever seen
“Baby she’s beautiful!” You cried as you held your mate.
Natasha walked up to her best friend, her wolf tail gently wagging, “she’s beautiful, Wanda. What’s her name?”
You and Wanda share a gentle smile. The name was a natural. It was one of the first things the two of you had decided on when you found out it was going to be a girl.
“There was no other, more perfect name,” Wanda giggles, “Natalie”
Natasha’s tail wagged faster as tears began forming in her eyes, “y-you named her after me?”
“You’re my best friend, Nat” Wanda smiles at the wolf hybrid. The two were bonded like sisters, it was only fitting.
And then two doctors came in. Instantly Wanda tried her best to cover her baby.
“I’m sorry we need to clean your baby up,” one of the doctors apologized profusely. Wanda began shaking her head, she didn’t want to risk losing her baby.
Natasha put a reassuring hand on your doe’s shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on little Natalie.”
Wanda relaxed and let the doctor take away your daughter. Natasha was quick to follow them out.
Your mate rested comfortably in your arms, taking in your essence, taking a few deep breaths, and from once all seemed right in the world. 
“We have our baby” Wanda says, her energy all spent in the moment.
Natasha walked back into the room a few moments later, your daughter resting comfortably in her arms.
“Little doe wants her momma and daddy” Natasha giggles as she sets the newborn back in your mate’s arms.
“My little podarok” Wanda whispers as she kisses her baby’s head. She gently whispers the same animal call she used to whisper to her twins. A way for Natalie to always recognize her.
A second or so later, the peaceful room was interrupted as Billy, Tommy and Pietro ran in. “She’s here!!” Tommy exclaimed as he and Billy ran up to the bedside of their mother.
“Shh” you gently chided the boys. “Her hearing is very sensitive right now”
The twins couldn’t help but marvel at their baby sister. Pietro came up with a plushie in hand and a smile on his face.
“She’s cute, definitely from your side of family (Y/N)” he let out a little chuckle.
Pietro set down the stuffed deer that the boys picked out, “little one needs her first plushie. I cleaned it and made sure it was disinfected.”
Natasha wraps an arm around Pietro. The boys nuzzle their momma and you wrap a protective arm around your hybrid family.
Even Wanda had no way of knowing what the future would bring. But you knew that your whole world was in that one room, your one perfect world.
Your loving wife, your two amazing boys, and her: that cute little doe-eyed baby.
The End
Tags: @ma1egamer @jacenradio7 @julieromanoff @tokufighter @iamnicodemus @family-house-of-m @lifespectator @holiday-house-of-m @supercorpdanbeau @scarletquake-n7 @pinklawyerwinnerzonk @aloneodi
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honeylations · 10 months ago
Text
NAKAMURA KAZUHA x FEM!READER
PART TWO
Prompt: Still not being over your ex boyfriend (Choi Yeonjun), you thought it was a good idea to fake a relationship with Kazuha, aka a complete stranger, to make him jealous.
Warnings/Notes: small angst, fake dating to lovers, g!p Kazuha for spice, eventual smut for you horndogs
Link to part 1
A/N: RAHHHH FINALLY DID A PART TWO BECAUSE I WAS INDECISIVE OF HOW I WANTED THE STORY TO GO😭 this is like my 5th draft of Part Two💀
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It’s been 2 weeks since you and Kazuha began the fake relationship and you were starting to feel a little too comfortable within the Japanese girl’s presence.
There were many things you were liking alot while being with her:
Seeing her smile
Her stupid jokes
Holding her hand
Having her arm around you
Walking you to your classes
The list can go on and on.
She went all out with your pretend dates and you found yourself staring at the photos you took together during your nights out. The warm feeling you had while with her was different than when you were with Yeonjun.
But it felt too good to be true.
Kazuha was only doing all this to help you. To protect you from Yeonjun. Right?
Wrong.
If you were a mess, Kazuha was an even bigger mess.
Every night she would pray that you’d open your eyes and realise that she was willing to do anything just for you to be officially her’s.
In Kazuha little mind, she believed you just needed protection from your ex. That you didn’t need Kazuha’s deep love. That this was only going to remain as a fantasy for the rest of her life.
But with the way your angelic laughed filled her ears, your soft hand perfectly fitting into her bigger ones, your beautiful smile…Kazuha was going to enjoy every moment while they lasted.
You were sitting next to each other as always at the lunch table with your friends, hearing more nonsense stories come out of Yunjin’s food filled mouth. You were leaning your head against Kazuha’s shoulder, playing with her fingers mindlessly as laughter continued to echo from your group.
It felt so right.
Like you had almost forgotten that it wasn’t real in the first place.
Then Yeonjun showed up again, seeming a little more timid than his usual approaches. Your table went silent upon his presence, clearly unhappy that he’s here yet again to possibly get your attention.
Kazuha’s arm instantly went around you, holding tight like you were going to disappear from her embrace.
“Hey calm down please everyone, I’m not here to try anything” Yeonjun quickly said when he saw all of your cold stares on him.
He continued. “I’m here to actually apologise. Especially towards you Y/n. I can see you’re really happy with Kazuha. She’s treating you in ways I wasn’t able to. I’m sorry for the mess I’ve caused recently, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me someday”
Without letting you respond, Yeonjun bowed and took his leave silently, leaving your group stunned.
“Well it was about damn time he said something. We can all live in peace now” Chaeryeong sighed dramatically, applauding everyone as if it was a team effort.
“Good job on faking the entire thing guys! Really got him fooled. Such a shame though, you two make a really good couple” Yuna hummed and tilted her head towards you and Kazuha.
“Y-Yeah…We do don’t we..” You heard Kazuha mutter while retreating her arm away from you.
Your eyes darted all over the floor out of panic. Everything was ending too soon! You didn’t want this to end. You didn’t want to lose all the warmth and happiness.
“Hey…” A voice broke you out of it, seeing that it was Sakura grabbing your hand. “Are you okay?”
You took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. I’m good”
Sakura’s lips went into a thin line as she rubbed her thumb across your hand. “Don’t think about it Y/n. Just do it before it’s too late”
You looked at your friend with more worry, knowing that Sakura could read you easily like a book.
She knew you were in love with Kazuha but was too scared to do something about it.
As all your classes ended, Kazuha was kind enough to walk you back to your dorm, talking normally about your day and what you’ll be up to for the rest of the semester.
Then you both halted when you reached your door. Kazuha tucked her hands into her pockets while she looked at her feet like they were interesting.
“So…Is this it?” She asked with sadness.
You gulped away the choking feeling in your throat. “I-I guess…Thanks for everything Kazuha. You were a great pretend girlfriend”
Kazuha gave a half smile and nodded. “You were a perfect pretend girlfriend. Whoever gets you in the future is one lucky person”
“Same goes to you, Zu. Thanks for taking me home one last time”
“Of course. Anytime…”
The Japanese girl began slowly walking away, her feet feeling heavier with each step like she didn’t want to leave. She really didn’t. The thought of not having you by her side 24/7 was picking at her heart piece by piece.
Then the thought of you being in someone else’s arms snapped something in her head. She wanted you to be all her’s. She wanted to be the arms you fall into. She wanted to be the one you kiss and cuddle all the time.
She needed you to be her’s and her’s only.
Her feet stopped, catching your attention from the keys you were about to push into the lock. She made a U turn on the spot and sped walk back to you, grabbing your hands and pulling you close to her face that your lips were close to touching.
“Z-Zuha?” You gasped at the sudden movement.
Her eyes were filled with emotions you couldn’t decipher but her touch made your heart beat faster.
“Y/n. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me”
“What?”
“Tell me you don’t love me so I can have a peace of mind. Tell me you didn’t feel a thing throughout the two weeks we’ve been together” Kazuha said with determination, her chest rising and falling rapidly from the anxiety she was feeling.
“Kazuha…”
“I love you Y/n. We were two dates in and I felt pathetic that I fell in love with you so quickly, but to me it felt like I wasn’t allowed. I felt like you only saw this as an escape from Yeonjun. But please tell me Y/n, through the times we held hands, did you not feel some sort of chemistry between us?”
You stared up at her for a couple more seconds before tears escaped your eyes. Kazuha froze, thinking her words had affected you in the wrong way but she couldn’t rip out an apology before you leaned up and captured her lips as your arms hooked around her neck.
Kazuha’s eyes fluttered shut and her arms held you closely by the hips, relishing the warm feeling of your lips moving against hers.
She could bask in the warmth forever but you slowly pulled away, gaze flickering from her plump lips to her eyes.
“Kazuha I love you too. I didn’t want to pretend anymore. There’s no one else in this world I’d rather love than you”
The taller girl leaned her forehead against yours with eyes closed, sighing deeply with relief at your words. “Can you be mine Y/n? For real this time?”
“Yes Kazuha, I’d be honoured to be yours. For real this time” you giggled in response as pecked her lips.
“No more hiding?”
You snuggled your head into her chest, squishing your cheek against it that you could hear Kazuha’s heart beat. “No more hiding”
Just when you thought the day couldn’t get any better, you had led Kazuha into your dorm and to your bedroom where you were laying flat on your bed, legs spread, the space in between being occupied by your girlfriend’s mouth.
She was eating you out like she’s been starved. Her strong arms were tightly wrapped underneath your thighs, holding you in place while she switched between diving her tongue deeply into your entrance to sucking on your puffy clit.
“O-Oh Kazuha! Yes baby, right there!”
She hummed at your taste, not minding the thought of being in between your legs forever as long as your juices kept satisfying her thirst.
It felt so painfully good that you were too weak to push her head away. All you could do was pull at her hair, pushing her deeper into your wet cunt despite orgasm after orgasm.
And as good as it felt, you needed her deeper inside you. You needed her cock.
“Z-Zuha…Zuha please, want your cock baby” you sniffled, gasping for air once the girl finally pulled away to let you breathe.
“Aw but I was enjoying myself. Just want to eat your pussy forever” she gave a fuckboy type of smile with your juices literally coating her mouth and chin.
“Please baby. Want your cock and your cum” you begged, making Zuha wipe your tears away.
She leaned over and kissed your nose and the rest of your flushed face. “Okay, Princess”
You watched with awe as Kazuha removed her boxers, finally being fully naked as you, then spreading your legs wider so she could give you a view of her entering your needy cunt.
You already felt full with just the head in, clawing your sheets that they almost ripped but the feeling of familiar big hands on yours let you relax a little. You didn’t realise your eyes were shut tight until Kazuha called your name softly.
“Princess, are you okay?”
You sniffled and blinked away more tears. “H-Hurts. S-So big…”
Kazuha nuzzled her nose into your temple. “Shhh, I know baby, I’m sorry. Just a couple more seconds okay? If it still hurts, tell me and I’ll pull out”
You shook your head and ran your hands up her biceps to her back, rubbing up and down. “N-No. I can take it. Just please g-go slow”
“Of course, Princess. Anything you want”
“How are you being romantic while almost ripping me in half?” You huffed, feeling Kazuha chuckle against your cheek before kissing it.
“I’ll move now”
You shut your eyes again when your girlfriend slowly pulled out just so the tip was inside before going back in at the same pace.
You’ve had 6 inches inside you before and that hurt like a bitch. But with Kazuha, 8 inches could quite literally kill you if she wasn’t gentle.
As she kept moving, you found yourself moaning louder, wanting more, craving more. You dug your acrylics into her back, possibly drawing blood.
Kazuha’s breath was getting heavier, feeling her pant against your neck like a desperate puppy. “Princess, I love the way you feel around my cock. So tight and perfect”
“More..” you whispered, giving Kazuha’s back some rest so you could cup her jaw and pull her into a needy kiss.
Kazuha pushed her tongue inside, licking you all up and even sucking on it, earning louder moans and whines from you.
“More hm? Does it feel that good, my Princess?” She said in Japanese, causing your pussy to clench tighter.
Thanks to your online Japanese classes, you were actually able to understand your girlfriend’s words. It was so hot. Her voice sounded deeper and husky, how could you NOT get soaked?
Your moans were enough of an answer for the taller girl. With one hand on your waist and the other on the headboard, she let her animal brain go loose, fucking you crazy like she dreamt of.
The slapping noises bounced off the walls (and possibly the entire dorm) as you chanted your girlfriend’s name like a ritual. She was biting and licking at your neck, stamping as much hickies as she could, not willing to miss a spot so the world would know who you finally belonged to.
“Fuck baby. You’re all mine to love…to fuck…to kiss…All mine” she growled deeply.
“Oh fuck, Zuha I’m cumming! Don’t stop baby please please please!”
“Me too Princess. Let me cum inside”
Feeling too fucked out, you nodded your head as your eyes rolled back to your head, letting the intense orgasm hit you like a goddam truck.
“Fuck…oh fuck—ah Y/n baby!” Kazuha grunted loudly and gasped into your shoulder as she continued pounding into you.
Her pace eventually slowed down to a stop when she emptied every drop of her cum inside your cunt, groaning profanities, then sweet nothings into your sweaty temple.
After a split second, Kazuha rolled you both over so you laid on top of her, not caring that her semi hard cock was still deep inside you. You felt your mixed cum sliding out of your pussy and down Kazuha’s balls, possibly dripping onto your bedsheets.
You felt your girlfriend rub circles along your back, letting you catch your breath. “You okay?”
“More than okay” you chuckled, still panting.
“Just realised we did that raw. I’m sorry”
You lifted your head up and planted lazy kisses across your girlfriend’s face. “Don’t be. I love it raw”
“As much as I love the thought of getting you pregnant, we have yet to graduate” Kazuha pouted, letting you kiss it away.
“I know, don’t worry. I’m on the pill anyways”
“Oh ok good” Kazuha sighed with content.
She thought she could sleep and have a cute lovey dovey moment with you but you abruptly sat up and placed your hands on her shoulders, giving her a mischievous smirk.
“After all that fake dating, you think one round is enough?”
“Eh?”
“Oh don’t worry, baby. Just lay there and I’ll do all the work. You know, as a thank you for saving me from all those times” you winked and slowly lifted yourself up before sinking back down.
Kazuha instantly got hard, holding onto your waist for dear life.
“Goddamn it Princess. I’ll make sure you pass out from how good this cock is”
“Is that a threat or a promise?” You tilted your head, moaning in between as her length reached your womb.
You were definitely going to be missing your early morning lectures tomorrow.
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stxrvel · 4 months ago
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the exile (1)
series summary. y/n knew that her whole life was outside the Palace, but it was hard to resist when the Crown Prince had been chasing her for as long as she could remember. doomed to an end where everything she loves has to be abandoned, y/n is forced to restart her life far from her mother, her village that saw her grow up and the man she loves. who would've thought that loving would come at such a high price…
pairing. prince!jungkook x f!reader
content. english is not my first lenguage! violence. royal themes. be-heading is still spoken of in this kingdom, nothing that will materialize. use of swords. someone is almost dying. a lot of anxiety.
a/n. ummm hello. i just wanted to leave this here. >:) hope you like it!! see you next time <3
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The fear you felt didn't allow you to raise your head. You could only watch the Queen's shoes, standing in front of you, her eyes carving your neck as if she wanted to break your body in two. Her cold and condescending words were echoing in your head, spinning around like an old spinning top that has no end. You knew this day might come someday, a voice in the back of your head was always reminding you that you were abusing borrowed time and that at some point the universe would put you where you deserved to be. Where you belonged.
There was no light at the end of the road. The beacon that guided you had lost its glow and you were wandering lost in the deep, cold ocean. You knew he could do nothing to help you. He hadn't even been allowed to come to the square. His punishment was going to be not being able to say goodbye, you knew this from the Queen's dry words, full of a forced rationality that spat from her mouth as the absolute truth. You didn't understand how anyone could be so cruel. How anyone could unleash tremendous fury against an act of kindness and innocence.
“Wangbi.”
A sob echoed through the crowd. The voice behind you caused you to shiver, the air rushing through your body aggravating your sensations to the point where you felt like you could freeze in the bright sunlight. You closed your eyes tightly, your hands clasped behind your back. She couldn't do that, what was she thinking?
“Wangbi,” she spoke again and your body almost moved forward out of instinct. The pressure you felt in your throat from holding back tears of helplessness was cutting off your breath, and you didn't know that the feeling of not being able to speak out of respect could be so suffocating. “Please, have mercy.”
You heard a struggle and a wail left your lips.
“Eommoni,” you raised your voice, lucky to be able to speak harshly and firmly. “Enough is enough. The Queen's will is greater than your wailing.”
Subtly, you averted your gaze from the queen's shoes and turned to observe your mother behind you. You saw first her eyes, filled with uncontainable tears unlike yours, an agonized expression adorning her face and you promptly felt that anguish, anger, guilt and reproach for not having been more careful as she told you. Then you saw the knights holding each of her arms, holding her in place as if she were a threat, as if she were capable of hurting the Queen for whatever incomprehensible reason.
“Don't make it worse,” you almost whispered, but the silence that dominated the square allowed your mother to understand and her face contracted in pain.
More sobs echoed in the square as you returned your gaze to the ground.
“No,” your mother cried, "Please have mercy on my daughter. I can't lose her- she's my only daughter!"
Many things were going through your head at the same time. The possibility that your mother would end up kneeling before the Queen like you was one of them. The mere thought caused you such a wave of panic that you could only pray that the Queen would have mercy on her. She was a mother too. Couldn't she think how that would make her feel if it were the other way around, and the crown prince was right where you were at that moment, and she was in the back screaming for her life and cornered as if she were a criminal just for wanting to save her son's life?
“I will pay for her mistakes, wangbi, take me instead. Please.”
The Queen's feet disappeared from your sight. The fear that began to run through your body made you shake your head unconsciously, fearful that your mother would be pushed to the center where you were. You looked up to see the Queen's face staring behind you, right where you knew your mother was struggling with the knights. Her face was empty, unable to hint at any thought through her expression. You knew the stories, you had heard some and witnessed others for yourself, and you knew she was not an accommodating, patient or even kind person.
The Queen was the most feared woman in the kingdom.
In that same square where you found yourself kneeling in the stinging sunlight, the same central place where the citizens' stalls were located, in the same place where they gathered every year to celebrate the Festival of Lights, the executions of more than 200 people had taken place in the last twenty years. There, where people gathered to shop, eat and celebrate, where children ran their dogs and peasants sold their potatoes, the Queen used it as an example of purgatory on earth. Every time an execution took place, it was a reminder that their lives did not belong to them, that nothing was really theirs, ours, but that the Palace held all the strength and fortitude to take whatever they wanted and whenever they wanted.
No one ever stood in this square without thinking that a stranger, a friend, a relative had been killed there. No one passed through the square without fearing that someday it might be their turn.
It was the constant reminder that we lived, not because freedom existed, but because the monarchs wished it so.
You had done so. You had passed the square enough times avoiding the right side of the left side of the square that was just in front of the palace down the mountain. That piece of the square was untouchable. All citizens avoided it like the plague. Some children told that, if you stepped beyond the invisible line, that line that was marked on the square because of the platform on which the Queen would put her guillotine or gallows, and which over time had become a floor space with a much lighter color than the rest of the floor of the square, you would be condemned and the Queen would end your life the next day. It was a cursed space.
And, at that moment, your knees were millimeters away from crossing the line between the filth of the square and the neatness of death.
The platform had not yet been set up. Knowing the Queen and understanding the background of your case, you knew she sought to give you a public humiliation. At least something that wouldn't allow her to remember you with respect, not even with compassion.
You followed her movements with your gaze until she stopped, not far from where you were. She raised her hand as a symbol of silence, and you knew your mother was making a great effort not to rant in front of her.
Your gaze was wary. You tried to catch any movement trying to decipher what the Queen was thinking as she looked at your mother. You wanted to understand what was going through her head so you could prepare yourself and know if you were going to have to offer up your already doomed life again to keep your mother from suffering the same wretched future.
“Is she your only daughter?”
“Yes,” your mother replied instantly, her voice riddled with hope only because the Queen had addressed her. It pained you to think that by that she thought she had earned it, that she had managed to save you from misfortune.
“And being your only daughter, couldn't you have educated her better to keep her filthy hands off what doesn't belong to her?” The Queen spat, her voice rising after each angrily spat word.
You watched your mother hold her breath and give you a look. You saw a flash of fury pass in front of her eyes and you shuddered at the possibility that she dared to defy you. You frowned at her, your head subtly shaking in refusal.
“I raised her as best I could, your majesty. My daughter is not a thief and not a bad person either.”
“The evidence showed otherwise,” the Queen countered with a raised head, almost daring your mother to speak further. “You yourself saw what they found inside your house, and you still have the gall to look me in the eye and beg for mercy?”
You held your breath for a few seconds. You knew the tone of voice the Queen had used, as well as all the people in the square. The only way the citizens had learned to understand, halfway, the Queen, was through her voice. Normally she doesn't say much, when she speaks it is in the calmest and most neutral tone possible. But now she was enraged. Angry. The way she raised her voice wasn't something you heard very often, but when you heard it it seemed like everyone around her ran away or hid as best they could.
That voice… It was the call of death.
“Wangbi, please,” your mother implored again. You watched her lower her head. Her legs lost the stability of her body which bent downward until the knights had to release her, and finally she knelt before the Queen. “I will pay the punishment. I will take her place.”
You turned to look at the Queen. And you could barely notice a glimmer of her expression, a gleam of satisfaction at seeing your mother beg for your life's salvation. It was disgusting. Repulsive. The shadow of a smile vanished almost instantly, and the unwavering expression of neutrality returned. Still, you could glimpse the anger on her face, and you knew she wasn't trying to hide it.
The Queen had her reasons for being angry. You knew it. Your mother knew it. The Queen was not wrong. Surely the decision was disproportionate, but acting out of insurmountable fear did not allow her to give way to more logical and just thinking.
Death was your punishment for the sin of loving.
And there could be no argument about it.
The Queen's dry laughter drew all eyes.
“I gave you a chance to stay in your home, and yet here you are, pleading for an indelible doom.”
The angry sound of your mother's voice sent chills down your spine:
“What kind of a mother would I be if I tried to let my daughter at the feet of her own death?”
The Queen embodied an eyebrow, you saw her shake her head from your place. The fingers of her hands intertwined in front of her body subtly moved the rings she wore that day, never taking her intense gaze from your mother's figure.
“It's the least he could do knowing what your daughter had done. What kind of parent would come for their child like a proud one when her actions shame their family?”
“What kind of parent would abandon his child?”
Your mother's cry was followed by silence.
The Queen took a step back, her face contracting in indignation. You closed your eyes tightly for a moment and inhaled trying to calm your heart, beating indiscriminately fast at the fear invading your mind.
It scared you even more that there was really nothing you could do. If you tried to get up, the knight to your left wasn't going to hesitate to swing his sword and slit your throat. If your mother got any closer to the Queen, there was going to be nothing left of her. You couldn't move, she couldn't move. If you kept it up, neither of you would ever leave the square.
The only thing you could do was to pray for a…
“Eommoni!”
… miracle.
You opened your eyes with a start. Your head frantically moved from side to side trying to search for the source of that voice, of his voice. Suddenly you felt that you really couldn't hold back the tears, that you couldn't be that strong, that you just didn't have the strength to make up your mind that this day must be the last day of your life. No. You couldn't. Not when he was there. Not when, surely, he had done everything he could to get there. Not when he had fought to reach you.
But…
What could you do to stop him?
“Eommoni!”
The angry exclamation filled the silence of the square again, and the people who had crowded around to watch began to murmur. That clearly did not go unnoticed by the Queen, who was looking at all the people in the square with narrowed eyes. You knew she knew they were going to start talking, asking questions.
The citizens looked at the Queen, looked at you, and then looked at the path the Crown Prince was coming down. You knew that the Queen knew it was only a matter of time before they put two and two together and came to a conclusion that would not please the monarch and the reputation of the Palace. You knew that her plan had fallen apart and was slipping through her fingers like water. She tried to hide it, but her eyes glittered uneasily.
“Juwon,” the Queen exclaimed turning to look at the knight on your left.
The man did not hesitate for a second to set off in the direction in which the Crown Prince was coming, taking after him other knights who had arrived that morning with the Queen.
And then, the Queen's gaze focused on you.
She began to take long strides towards where you stood and you felt so helpless and uneasy thinking that you could only stay kneeling looking at her, even if she planned to take your life herself with her own hands.
“Wangbi!” your mother cried out again.
The Queen barely gave her a glance, but with almost no time to reach you her path ended as she heard several swords being drawn at the same time.
She paused, looking around, and you inhaled sharply before looking back. It was as if the world had begun to go in slow motion.
Your mother had escaped from the knights guarding her and had moved closer to the Queen, much closer than she should have, and the men behind her had moved in to swing their swords and hold her in place. She wasn't hurt. She looked frightened, her eyes moving between your body and the halted figure of the Queen.
You let the air out.
“Jungkook,” the Queen hissed.
Then you saw it.
Behind the Queen, a few feet away, with more than five swords wielded in his direction, stood the Crown Prince. His own sword glinted in the sunlight raised against the knights. His face was bathed in fury, his brow furrowed and you could barely notice his tense jaw. He watched the Queen as if she were the only person in this square, and the Queen watched him back as if he were a gnat in her soup.
“Go to the Palace,” the Queen verbalized, her words empty of any emotion without taking her eyes off her son.
“Let them go first,” the Prince tried to bargain, but at this the Queen let out a wry laugh.
“What position do you think you have to try to question my decisions?”
The Prince, contrary to being intimidated at the look and tone of voice in which his mother addressed those words to him, smiled cynically at her.
“At the moment I think I have a very good position.”
His words generated more hubbub among the people who were already murmuring, and the Queen did not lose sight of that.
Nor did she fail to notice how the Prince gave you a fleeting glance before raising his sword again without really caring about the others that were pointed at him. You knew he was a bit oblivious, but at that moment he was playing with fire.
Jeon Jungkook was the eldest son and only male of the four children the Queen had had, therefore he was the heir to the throne. He usually used that as a bribe to his parents when he wanted to do something, threatening that, if they didn't let him do something, he would give up the throne to his uncle, with whom his parents were not very familiar. Most of the time he got his way, but at the time you feared that his mother would rather he resign, or they would get rid of him, than let him get away with it.
That threat did not escape the Prince's eyes and the Queen was aware of it.
“Jeon Jungkook, I command you to return to the Palace this very instant,” the Queen bellowed, her arm moving to point back the way she came.
Her words sounded more uncontrolled, anger seeping from every pore of her body.
“I will, as long as you come back that way with me,” her son shot back.
You noticed the Queen's clasped hands on either side of his body.
“This is not the time to argue about this.”
“Ah, now is not a good time? I agree with that. The time to discuss this was last night, when you locked me in the dungeon without even addressing me or giving me an explanation.”
“You have no say in this, Jungkook, you're not above me.”
The Prince's gaze drifted slightly after hearing his mother's words. You barely noticed how the hubbub of voices quieted down.
“Maybe I'm not,” he agreed serenely and you frowned at that.
“That's enough.”
Silence settled over the square.
The King was here.
“Wangbi,” he turned his gaze to his wife, who watched him with a flash of anger in her eyes. She knew what was coming and she didn't like it, “Why don't you escort your son back to the Palace? I see you have things to talk about."”
“Wang-”
“Now,” the King cut off the Queen's attempt at reasoning. “I will finish this trial.”
Stupefied, you watched her move without looking back. Her body passed right by her son, not venturing a glance at you, but her son was more focused on anything other than that.
His eyes inspected your figure, still kneeling on the ground. You felt the wails make their way down your throat, and you had to muster all your power to keep from becoming an uncontrollable mass of weeping in front of all the people watching them.
You weren't afraid when he finally had to turn around to leave, because you knew that if it wasn't safe for you he would be at your side in a couple of seconds.
Then, you were intrigued to know what the King would say.
“Inhabitants of Sapphire,” the King began, moving until he was almost in front of you, “I'm afraid there won't be any executions to watch today.”
At this, surprised exclamations were not long in coming, including yours.
“Nevertheless, knowing the Queen's reasons for calling this trial, there must be punishment for the one responsible for the crimes committed.”
Amidst the hubbub, you could hear your mother crying, but you were unable to turn to see her. Knowing that there really was a possibility other than the one that summoned you to this place, you remained static in your place for fear of spoiling everything.
“Y/N L/N,” the King spoke, your head moving to stare at him at the harshness in his voice, your body anxious with your heart on the verge of bursting. “As King of these lands, sovereign of their goods and wealth, final executioner of every crime committed against the crown, I declare today before the people and the square that saw the birth of our nation, that you will be condemned to exile with no chance of appeal.”
Your body leaned forward as you let out the air you were holding back. The mixture of the voices of the people behind you with all the thoughts that were going through your head was overwhelming you so much that you couldn't even understand what was happening.
Had… had the King forgiven you?
The look in Jungkook's eyes before he left suddenly made more sense. If what he said was true, then you couldn't really get an idea of how he was able to escape from the Palace dungeons and convince his father to save you from certain death. You moved your eyes to watch the monarch. The King was the unpredictable one of all those who made up the royal family. In this case, in your case, you had previously been certain that the execution had been a two-party decision.
Apparently, you were wrong.
“Let this decree endure in force until the day of my death.”
The King's gaze met yours. His face empty of emotion, like his wife's.
But you couldn't help the confused expression that adorned your face at his words. It was not against the law what he had ruled, the crimes of which you were accused could've different penalties depending on the harm that had been caused against the crown; however, it had been decades, almost centuries, since a King had decreed the end of a punishment with his death.
With his gaze on yours, he continued, “You have until midnight to leave the city. There will be knights at your house, in the carriage and the exit of the city watching to see that all goes neatly.”
His gaze refocused on the crowd in front of him.
“This trial is over.”
And without further ado, he turns on his heels in the direction of the palace.
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merrinla · 1 year ago
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Halsin's Sorrow from early access
The old datamine looks like an alternate universe. I find some parts of it much interesting than in the full release. The part of Isobel's death, when Halsin killed her in self defense, after she attacked him for unknown reasons. Then Ketheric unleashed the shadow curse. These events were mentioned in Halsin's diary. And it's really emotional.
---------- [This is an ancient notebook, whose ink is faded and pages are starting to crumble. It's not easy, but some words can still be made out.]
How do you describe events like these? An accident? A tragedy? The cruelty of fate?
It does not matter. Isobel is just as dead.
I can't remember what happened with any clarity. We were negotiating. She with [...] I led the druids. [...] words grew heated [...] threw the first punch. It was mayhem.
[...] stared at me, my glaive's blade buried in her stomach and shock in her eyes. I can't believe she wanted to hurt me. It was pure instinct - the heat of combat.
[...] washed the blood from my hands. My glaive was still there, coated in her blood, but something else felt different. There's a sickness in the blade. It seems cursed, but by whom? Selûne herself?
It is locked away now. I do not trust its power in the wrong hands. And I never want to see it again. ---------- In Ketheric, I see my errors made manifest. He did not fall - he was pushed. His grief was twisted by shadow, but none could deny my hand gave that grief shape. ----------
He gave the glaive the symbolic name Sorrow. And in the description it caused psychic damage to the one who used it. ---------- A heavy, cold energy clings to the glaive like the blood rusted to its blade. It fills your very being with regret
The wielder takes 1 Psychic damage whenever they deal damage using this blade. ----------
Halsin saw Ketheric not as an enemy, but as a victim of circumstances. After all, he knew what it was like to lose family (in theory). And he obviously blamed himself that his actions provoked such a chain of tragic events. Even if it wasn't intentional. But he also understood that Ketheric needed to be stopped and put an end to the curse. That was his motivation to join you.
So earlier he was more intertwined with the main plot of Act 2. And I can only imagine what emotional interactions this trio could get. How would Halsin react to seeing Isobel resurrected? What would Ketheric say to the person who took his daughter's life? And what would Halsin answer him?
In the release version if you kill Isobel, then during the audience you will have an interesting conversation with Ketheric. He will tell you the story of his family so that you understand what it cost him. Maybe this is a rewritten dialogue of the previous plot.
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Isobel also has cut content. Оriginally more scenes were planned with her. For example, in one of them she sang.
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Anyway, although this is no longer canon, I hope someday the developers will reveal new surprising details about what was left behind the scenes.
UPD: Much later I took screenshots of his journal, glaive and found a few lines about it
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hellokittyyyysblog · 6 months ago
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𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓷/ part 1
Pairing: vampire!𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛
Summary: You work as an intern at a prestigious law firm, dedicating countless afterhours to your tasks. One seemingly ordinary late night, you encounter a mysterious individual who reveals a discovery that shatters your perception of reality and everything you once believed in. This fateful meeting sets off a chain of events that will forever alter the course of your life.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
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- - -- -- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -- -- - -
It was dark outside, though you only knew by chance. You had caught a fleeting glimpse of the night through a window as you passed by a coworker's office—a brief reminder of the world beyond the law firm's walls.
Working after hours had become routine. Since starting as an intern, you'd quickly realized that your official duties were merely the tip of the iceberg; unseen responsibilities piled up off the record. The firm demanded your efforts but refused to pay for them, yet clocking out on time was a surefire way to lose your job— you'd witnessed it happen to many diligent workers.
The company expected unwavering devotion; free time was a luxury reserved for those at the top. If you wanted to keep your position, you had to play their game, allowing your superiors to exploit your fear of unemployment. They dangled potential futures before you and the other underpaid interns, but in the months you had been there, no one had been promoted who wasn't already wealthy and privileged. Still, you were determined to become that someone, enduring the unethical treatment and the all-consuming nature of your work. You believed that someday it would all be worth it; the challenge lay in enduring the suffering long enough to reach that point.
After all, it was your goal to do what made you most proud in life and felt natural: defending people. You were a natural at it, always standing up for classmates when they were unfairly called out by teachers for some unknown reason or when someone picked on your friends.
You were the one your friends turned to when they were in trouble, the one who could see through the noise to the heart of the matter. — It felt like a calling, an inner drive to protect and advocate for those who couldn't do it for themselves. You had envisioned the courtroom as your ultimate arena, where your skills and passion would converge to champion justice.
Little did you know, your world was about to take a drastic turn.
Lost in your thoughts and consumed by exhaustion, you found yourself staring out the window— the dark cityscape a blurred mosaic of lights.
Suddenly, the sharp click of heels behind you snapped you back to reality. The sound echoed through the empty halls, reminding you of where you were. You turned around to see Ava, your coworker; her short black hair moved with a graceful sway, catching the faint light from the hallway lamps. Her features, distinctly European with delicate French contours, gave her an air of sophistication.
She was more than just a coworker; Ava was your closest friend in the firm. Both of you had come to the States for college—she from France, you from Italy—making a bond over shared experiences of adapting and striving in a demanding professional world.
"What are you doing here so late?" she asked—her voice filled with genuine concern.
"I could ask you the same" you replied, managing a tired smile.
Ava blushed slightly and glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. "I had a... meeting. Or more like a hookup, actually— with Louis. You know, one of the senior partners? We've been seeing each other secretly."
You raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Louis, huh? I knew it. You can't hide anything from me. How's that going?"
She grinned, a playful glint in her eye. "It's complicated, but he's been really good to me. Just trying to keep it under wraps, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it. Just be careful; this place is a minefield."
Ava nodded, her expression turning serious. "I know. But enough about me. What about you? Why are you still here?"
"I was just going through some old case files and doing some research" you explained. "I was actually about to head to Davis's office to update him on a case we've been working on."
“He really pushes you to work too hard, and no, don’t defend him anymore” she remarked with a sympathetic expression. “AND we haven't hung out in SO long….how about cocktails on Friday?"
You smiled "That sounds perfect. I definitely need a break."
"Great! It's a date then" Ava said with a wink. "Well, I'll let you get to Davis's office. Don't stay too late."
"Thanks, Ava. See you tomorrow"
You both exchanged goodbyes, and you watched as she walked down the corridor—the sound of her heels fading into the distance as you made your way to Davis office. The cold air was making you shiver and the thin fabric of your black slacks and white blouse were not keeping you warm enough. Each step of your high heels echoed softly in the quiet hallway, the usual bustling energy of the office now replaced by a serene emptiness.
Reaching Davis's door, you knocked firmly—the sound punctuating the silence. After a moment, the door cracked open, revealing his assistant, Emily, peering out with a polite smile.
"Hello" she greeted warmly. "Can I help you?"
"I was hoping to speak to Davis" you replied—trying to hide your discomfort from the chill— "I have an update on the case we've been working on."
"Ah, he was actually looking for you. He's in Bowman's office" Emily informed you.
"Thank you, Emily" you replied gratefully, offering a brief smile before saying your goodbyes.
Great. You thought, while making your way to bowman’s office.
Interacting with one of the two CEOs after such an exhausting day wasn't something you relished. Bowman was notorious for his tough demeanor and demanding expectations, and you couldn't shake the apprehension as you headed towards his office— and you weren't exactly looking forward to interrupt his meeting either.
You knocked on the door of his office, expecting to be called in, but you were met with more silence. Emily had said, Bowman's office, you knew she had. — Yet you couldn't even hear someone approaching the door to let you into the room. So you stood there like a deer in headlights.— If your presence was needed, surely you'd be expected to arrive at some point.
You were torn between knocking again and seeming impatient or standing in the hall like a clueless know-nothing. Both impressions were unflattering.
However, you'd rather look too eager, than not eager enough. So you knocked again. This time, you heard murmuring inside. You weren't sure if someone was being instructed to open the door, or if you were being instructed to enter. After another moment of waiting with your mouth hanging open, you took a deep breath and reached for the door handle.
The door didn't open slowly, but it felt like time stood still as the moment you had eyes on the room— you saw Bowman hunched over the desk, blood trickling from his lips. Davis lied lifeless across the tabletop.
Before you could inhale a breath, Bowman was in front of you, with a hand clamped over your mouth. He swiftly pulled you inside the office and locked the door behind you. It took no time at all, but you knew it happened.
"My, my, my, who do we have here…seems like I got myself a delicious midnight snack" Bowman taunted. His chin was dripping with blood that ran down from two prominent fangs. You'd never seen those before.
You wished you had a witty retort, but you were too stilled with fear. He was going to kill you, after maybe taking advantage of your body—that was how things like this worked, or at least that was what films would have you believe. As far as you'd known, vampires weren't real, but crazy men were. Yet you weren’t certain that you were being threatened by that very monster.
"At least you’re still warm”
If you could scream, someone would know. If you could make a lot of noise, they'd catch him in the act, even if you were dead by the time they arrived. You had to make noise.
You couldn't.
But then, you didn't have to. — Bowman’s steely eyes lifted from your face. His jaw tensed and his nostrils flared.
"So they've sent the dogs after me?" He said.
Your vision was obstructed by Bowman’s frame, but someone had entered the office from the window—There hadn't been a sound, yet Bowman hadn't needed to turn around.
"Did you think they wouldn't?" The second voice was the audible equivalent of silk with a twinge of a feminine Slavic accent. "And obviously I came at the right time. How did you plan to clean this up, youngling?"
Bowman’s grip on you waned and he spun around. You hadn't realized your feet were off the ground until your soles hit the floor once more. Bowman reached for your shirt collar to keep you near. At a different angle, you were able to see the woman. She had red hair that complimented her strong features and dark green eyes; like Bowman, she too had longer canines.
You were in awe of her despite feeling the need to stay present in the room—Yet somehow, her presence had made you feel safer—She was clearly unhappy with your boss, but you had no evidence that she would let you live once she was done with bowman.
As if she knew your inner monologue, she addressed you whilst still looking at Bowman. "Human, you may leave."
“Oh no, nope she’s not going anywhere."—Bowman didn't let loose of your shirt.
The woman finally made eye contact with you, and you felt your chest tighten. It felt like the first time someone had ever made eye contact with you—someone had ever seen you. As soon as it happened, it was over just as quickly,and the woman was looking at the man beside you. Her head tilted like a cat sizing up its prey. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was planning with that look, was not good, but you felt oddly sure that you were not her focus.
It took no time at all for the woman to cross the room. You didn't even catch it with your eyes; she was a blur. But you knew she had to be faster and stronger than Bowman, as she had him in less than a second. His hand was no longer attached to you. You were free. It happened so fast that it didn't register. You were transfixed by the red-headed woman hoisting Bowman up into the air. His feet dangled despite the fact that he was nearly a foot taller than she.
"Human" the redhead said calmly, without looking at you. "Is this your boss?"
"Yes" your mouth felt dry—it was the first time you'd spoken since Bowman had dragged you into the room.
"Then I would say that considering the time, you have the rest of the night off."
Understanding why moving would take some time—but you'd regained enough of your faculties to know that it was time to leave. With a squeaked, "Thank you" you exited the office—The door closed behind you without a need for effort on your part. Whatever the woman was going to do, she didn't want an audience.
You looked disheveled, and your eyes were still wide and pleading for safety, though you were alone and, as far as you knew, you were safe. Though no one would see you and think 'Vampire attack interrupted' if someone took the time to spare you a glance, they would see a person who had clearly experienced something out of the ordinary. You were not the same as you'd been when you'd entered the boss' office—in more ways than one.
You hurried to your office, grateful for the late hour and the deserted offices that ensured no one noticed your swift departure as you gathered your belongings. Amid the quiet corridors, a solitary light emanated from the closed door of the office opposite yours, a reminder that you weren't entirely alone in the building.
Unbeknownst to you at the time, Bowman's parting grip had left a faint smear of blood on your jaw—It went unnoticed until you caught your reflection in the elevator doors.
The front desk attendant gave you an habitual: "Have a good evening."
"Thanks" you managed to say. Your voice was a bit shaky, but the attendant didn't notice. He actually looked at you, but you knew it was a part of his routine. He'd send you all off, nod in your direction, and then he'd go back to his computer. At least someone had acknowledged you, you thought—though, he was as oblivious as anyone else. The front desk was probably not the best place for a person who apparently had tunnel vision.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The chill of the night greeted you as soon as you stepped outside, accompanied by a wild wind that seemed to howl through the air. You knew the sound was just the wind—familiar yet eerie after your recent encounter with the supernatural. If vampires were real, as you were now certain they were after what you had witnessed, then the possibility of werewolves seemed just as plausible.
You took a deep breath, trying to process everything. Your supervisor was dead, and your boss—a vampire? It was all so nonsensical, yet you had seen it with your own eyes. The memory of her, pale and powerful, lingered vividly in your mind.
Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice the red-haired woman who appeared suddenly in your path until she was right in front of you. You gasped and instinctively took a step backward. The woman made no move to invade your personal space; instead, she stood calmly, confident that you wouldn't flee. Despite the flight alarms blaring in your mind, you found yourself rooted to the spot.
"Human” the woman said. It was a word you had never been addressed with before, yet tonight it had been uttered several times already in reference to your kind. Despite knowing it to be an undeniable fact, hearing yourself labeled as merely 'human' felt oddly surreal. Normally, you might have laughed it off or made a light-hearted comment or a teasing remark, but the intensity in the woman's eyes quelled any inclination for humor or banter.
"You cannot tell another about what you witnessed tonight."
She was fast. She must have “finished” Bowman while you were in the elevator—maybe even before. You envisioned the nightly cleaning staff stumbling onto a horrific crime scene. You liked the night staff, they didn't deserve to clean up such a mess—disposing of viscera was not in their job description.
"I won't" you replied. The thruth is you wanted to tell someone; holding in that kind of information was going to make you sick. But you knew, deep down, that the moment you opened your mouth, others would think you were insane. "No one would believe me."
"Unfortunately, that is a chance I cannot take." the redhead woman replied with a gentle, almost mocking smirk.
You instinctively took another step back, feeling the edge of the wall against your back. People streamed out of the building, oblivious to the tense encounter unfolding just steps away; oblivious of the fact that maybe those were your last moments on earth.
"You don't have to—" Your voice faltered, shaky with fear. The woman's threat hung heavy in the air. If she intended to kill you, there was little you could do to stop her. You had witnessed her power in action, if only briefly, and it left you unnerved. You gulped, "I won't say anything. I promise. You don't have to kill me." Maybe you should’ve said something more convincing than “I promise”when someone was about to take your life. Did promises bring any value to her kind? She would’ve never believed you.
She arched a brow, studying you with a mixture of amusement and disdain—her frown deepened, as if she disliked your assumption. It was clear she was capable of violence and you were uncertain if she had any inclination towards mercy. Her words had left little room for interpretation—she intended to eliminate any witnesses, and you stood alone as the only witness.
"I do not wish to kill you" she said. Her voice was so soothing that it made your shoulders soften. You hadn't realized how stiff you'd gone.
Her presence held power over you, and when she said she didn't want to kill you, you believed her.
"Then what do you want to do? I meant it, I won't tell anyone. I don't even know your name."
"And you won't. I will take away the memory of tonight for your safety and the safety of my people."
"Your people...you mean uh…"
She nodded and made no effort to verbally confirm your suspicions.
You were silent as you stared at the confirmed vampire in your presence. She was mysterious in a very dangerous way—but a feeling was burning in your stomach. It felt like a need, but you hadn't a clue as to what you needed and how the red-haired vampire could help you.
Apparently, her way of helping you was erasing a piece of your mind. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but she had expressed the explicit desire to tamper with your memories.
It would feel better, you sensed that much. You knew that the shock would go away, as would the fear, and unanswered questions. But, with those negative things would go the knowledge that you as a human were not alone. Knowledge was power, even if you weren't sure how to wield it yet.
"I don't want to forget" you admitted quietly.
When the woman approached you again, you didn't step back. "I want to know what happened to my friend.”
The vampire reached out and rubbed away the blood from your chin, she hadn’t asked, and you didn't need her to. You stood still and let her.
"You want to remember the way he met his end? for what purpose?”
"Someone should know; someone who knew him."
"And when your boss is missing and you know the truth, what will you say?"
You weren't sure how to answer the vampire's question. Everything had moved so fast, you didn't have time to plan what you'd say to everyone else.
"I don't know."
She considered you, and most likely what she was going to do with you. You weren't convincing, you knew, but she hadn't acted without consulting you. So maybe, just maybe, you had a way out of having your mind wiped.
"Go home, human" she said—and you thought you'd taken a kickball to the gut—you were taken aback so abruptly.
She was letting you leave, or so it seemed. "You have twenty-four hours to consider this choice. I hope you will see reason. I will find you tomorrow night."
You should have focused on the deal the vampire was making you, rather than the fact that she was promising another meeting.
Maybe she would answer some of your questions.
Maybe she would satiate your curiosity.
Or maybe she would make you forget she existed at all.
"How will you find me?" you asked— It was a wonder, but it was one of the last questions you should have asked— she'd scaled a building and entered through a window without so much as a sound. She could find you easily. You wasted your breath asking a question that didn't need to be answered.
"Don't worry about me. Keep your wits about you, and your mouth closed. Consider my offer and the alternative. Your knowledge is yours for now, but understand that should you speak of this night to anyone in the next day, my offer will be revoked." She said before turning around and disappearing behind the crowd.
The vampire woman was not suggesting that she'd lay off and leave your memories alone. She was suggesting that you and your knowledge would cease to be. She was essentially giving you a day to come to your senses and realize that you wanted to forget the ordeal.
But you were stubborn and embarrassingly naive, and she was too interesting to forget. You had to figure out a way to keep your knowledge and gain some answers in the process, if only for a chance to see her again.
- - -- -- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -- -- - -
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raayllum · 27 days ago
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It gets buried along the way because there's more going on—ensuring that Runaan won't be executed tonight rather than tomorrow morning at the top of the list—and because the Callum she came back to is definitely better at hiding his hurt than the boy she left, but he can't fool her. Not when she saw the hurt happen.
I know you're upset, but Ezran, he was my father too—
Was he? You never even called him Dad!
The way Callum's expression had cracked, crumbled, for just a moment, the glassy quality to his bright green eyes. He'd stormed off in a huff with the last word—You are not executing him, not till morning, if you care about Rayla at all—and when Ezran hadn't been able to look at her, Rayla had followed.
She finds Callum on the bridge outside, the sun beginning to set and bathing everything in a warm yellow.
"Hey." He's resting his elbows on the side of the bridge as she approaches, his shoulders haunched. She places a hand between his shoulder blades. "Are you..." Obviously not okay. None of them are.
And how could he be, when Ezran had thrown that in his face? They both know how much Callum regretted not calling Harrow what he was; they both know how much he sat in years of uncomfortable security over how much Harrow loved him, and Harrow loved him deeply.
"I'm fine," Callum says shortly. "Ezran is just... we'll have to break Runaan out tonight, somehow, and leave before sunrise."
"Callum—"
"You can use your lockpick skills to get his cuffs undone or to cut whatever rope is binding him, and—"
"Callum." She takes him by the shoulders and forces him to face her. Immediately his head droops, his eyes glassy all over again. "Ezran shouldn't have said that. Harrow knew you loved him. Knew that he was your dad. I promise."
This time Callum crumbles into her, arms tight around her waist while he lets out a few sobs against her shoulder. Rayla holds him steady and runs her fingers through his hair.
She can't imagine how unmoored he feels—his home gone, Ezran acting like the opposite of himself, his own grief about Harrow ripped open all over again. His anchor, his little brother, acting like they aren't brothers at all. Aren't family. Just a king and a high mage who's overstepped his bounds, as Ezran had so cruelly reminded him.
Afterwards, Callum takes her hand when she tries to dissuade him from helping her—you've done enough—both his palms warm in the early autumn chill as her own eyes sting, because she just got Runaan back and without Callum's help her chances of losing him all over again is much higher—I would do anything for you—and she lets him, because that's what you do for family, and she could never hate him for his choices. Not when they're so clearly done out of love, always.
Ezran will see that someday. Ezran will forgive them, and before that, Runaan will continue to live.
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