#i spent an unnecessarily long time editing that gif

[blackboard-monitor]

me when mighty nein reunion live show

[salbei-141]

Rescue Mission (Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish x Reader)

Masterlist

word count: 6.1k...i can't write a 3k essay but I can do this

warnings: 18+ mild smut, fluff, a lot of violence, self-doubt, graphic stuff etc. (forgive me if I've forgotten anything)

a/n: Wow am I entering my writing era again? I haven't written any sort of fanfic since I was like in my early teens, and I'm sure you can imagine how bad it was then, so I'd like to think this is better, but that's up to y'all to dictate. I do hope you all enjoy it, and as much as I desperately wanted to write for Ghost (which maybe I will in the future) I wanted to do something for Soap, he deserves love too, and there's not enough.

I don't know if I'll make this a part 2, if enough of you want it then I'll see what I can do - I also don't know how much more I'll write - knowing me it'll be like once in a blue moon lol

Anyway, I've spent my time writing this instead of completing uni work, which I desperately need to finish, but anything to procrastinate. I'd really appreciate any and all feedback, so please let me know if I can improve and if y'all wanna see anything specific in the future.

(I've gone over and edited it, so hopefully there's no mistakes)

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With an intruding knock on your door followed by Ghost’s command of “Smoke get your ass up, Price wants you in his office in 10.” You were left to get ready in a rush with no negotiations.

Walking into the bathroom all you can focus on is the redness around your eyes followed by some bags to bring the look together, and the faded scar under your left eye as a reminder of past fights. You find yourself rarely getting any sleep these days - between random calls for missions and the ongoing night terrors, there’s little to no time for rest. You tend to wonder how much longer your body will be able to handle before it gives into exhaustion and you hit the ground - probably with Ghost at your heels telling you to get the fuck up before he drags you up himself. It really wouldn’t be a surprise if he did that to you, you thought to yourself with a small smirk gracing your face.

With several minutes to spare you throw some water on your face, flinching at the temperature - not quite awake enough to readily process things - patting your face dry and smoking your eyes out with some black paint you're closer to being ready to leave. You find yourself thinking back on a memory where Lt argued you had stolen his look of the blacked-out eyes and anonymity, but you begged to differ, plus you teased you looked better than the big man anyway, which had made him quietly huff.

Finishing up in the bathroom you slipped the plain black balaclava over your head, weary of the healing cut that laid as a reminder of the last mission on your cheek. In some fresh undergarments and black uniform you find yourself robotically walking out the room and down the hall to Price - there’s little thought in your actions anymore, everything’s just an automatic response, and there’s no need to think.

With a deep breath, you knock on the door, “Captain.”

“Come in Smoke.” Price said with a gruffness to his tone - he's not quite a morning person himself despite how long he'd been in the military.

Walking into the room, there’s a thick layer of tension that feels suffocating - your not sure what he’s going to ask of you, but you're on edge, he looks nervous, and Price is never unnecessarily nervous.

“Please sit Smoke.” And he averted his gaze on your eyes to look back down at his desk - it was definitely nerves, he didn't quite have Ghost's staring issues, but he always stared you down when you were walking into the office.

“Yes, Captain.” Without much else to say, you took your place on the dingy chair in front of his desk.

“Did Ghost tell you anything?” He made eye contact then, not averting it like before.

“…no, he didn’t. Just said to meet you in 10.” You felt your brows furrowing slightly at his question - should Ghost have said anything? You would've liked a pre-warning from the guy seeing Price's nerves shining through.

“Well, we’ve got a mission come up for you. It’s solo.” He states staring directly into your eyes, he knew you weren't going to be okay with this arrangement, so why the fuck had he decided on this.

“And you can’t have Ghost complete it?” There was a growing edge of anger to your tone, you didn’t want this, and you were getting progressively defensive.

“He’s aiding Laswell in a separate mission. You can’t hide forever y/n - it’s been a year now, and you’ve had more than enough time only participating in group missions…I wouldn’t make you do this if I doubted you.” There was sincerity in his tone, but you didn't want to believe him, you refused to.

“You didn’t doubt me a year ago and look how that went down, almost got the whole team's data exposed and ended up near enough getting Johnny killed while his ass was dumb enough to accept a rescue mission to save me.” Your hands were starting to shake underneath the table, and you could feel your heart rate starting to beat faster at the memories of Johnny coming to save you. “Look Price I’m not the fucking one, you got enough men on this base better than me and-“

“It’s MacTavish Smoke, and no I don't", you felt your stomach drop and the thoughts started running wild through your head. "Soap lost contact with us 2 days ago and we’ve received intel that a new terrorist organisation in the Middle East have taken him hostage. I’m not going to tell you again Sergeant - your mission is to save Seargent MacTavish and you’ll do it without fail. Do you understand?” He was giving no room for you to back out of this, there was no way to. You couldn't leave Johnny, but you also didn't feel capable after screwing up your last solo mission.

The tension had snapped after his confession, but was replaced with trepidation - it was all up in the air now, but you still felt like you were suffocating. Johnny was supposed to be on an in-and-out mission, nothing too difficult - he was supposed to be done tomorrow, what the fuck had happened?

Swallowing, you asked for the necessary intel, and Price started to brief you on the mission. You were to head to Yemen, following coordinates that Price would send to you once you were in the country. From here you were alone - it was a high-risk operation and they didn't want to risk losing more soldiers than was needed - Price knew you were capable of completing this alone, even if you didn't.

~~~Time skip~~~

Now in the heli you were about an hour away from the house Soap was situated in - you had, had time on the aeroplane to figure out a basic plan and between the anxiety of what Soap was currently enduring and the desperation to succeed you knew what you were going to do.

Price's intel suggsted there were about 50 men minimum around this base at all times - but tonight there was some sort of event, and there were going to be about half that, which made things easier, but you knew it meant they'd be on higher alert; especially when they have a member of the 141. About 5 men would be at the entrance to this home give or take; another few men would be around the back of the house; give or take there would about 6 men patrolling the ground and first floors; then that left probably 3 men with Johnny and some stragglers patrolling the ground of the place, but there was no guarantee this was even close to the layout in reality. What you did know though was that there was a blind spot around the east side of the house where there was a small hatch to the basement of the place - this was your only safe way in and depending on how things went, it'd also be your safe way out.

"Seargent y/l/n, we're here, you ready?" you heard a static voice come through the headset from the pilot.

"As ready as one could be I guess.", you all but muttered into the mic.

And with a count down you were sliding down the rope and landed heavily onto the ground - it was dry land, which meant it'd be easier to cover tracks if necessary, but it also meant there were fewer ways in which you could hide yourself and Soap wouldn't be in the best of conditions for this, assuming he was alive.

Hiking to the house, you were half expecting someone to take you down on the spot with every step you took, but with each step, you got closer to where you had to be, but you still couldn't allow yourself to take a relaxed breath of air.

After about a 40-minute walk, you found yourself on the edge of the compound if you could call it that. You were in the middle of nowhere and already knew you needed to do this quietly - running away was going to be difficult with the sheer amount of open land, but there were a few valleys into the back of the compound, which you were sure you'd be able to escape and camp up in, assuming there were caves within them.

You noticed there were a group of men at the front - maybe about 11..something wasn't right, but you had no clue what was going on yet. There were 2 guys covering the back of the place and no one on the east side - at least it was a blind spot for sure. Without another thought, you went from your prone position to stalking toward the hatch, which would hopefully lead to Soap.

Putting an ear to the small hatch, you listened for what was beneath, and so far there was only silence - hopefully, it stayed that way. With that, you lifted the hatch carefully, making little noise, and peered in, seeing steps leading down - it was dark though - had they been depriving Soap of all his senses hoping he'd go mad enough to confess or something?

Without little insight into what was beneath you, you had no real way to plan how you'd go about this, but what you did know was there were more men outside than you'd planned for, which gave you a little less anxiety. Creeping down the stairs, you turned your night vision on and took a moment to look around. Where the fuck was Johhny? All you could see were damp cobble walls and dirt. Walking to the bottom of the stairs you pulled a suppressed pistol out and a knife and stalked the room looking for another door.

Suddenly a door above you opened - there was another set of stairs and light seeped through before it closed again, welcoming the darkness once again. With the night vision still active you could see one of the men walking down the stairs with what looked like an AK-47 - that made it a lot easier for you to take him out from behind, it would take too long for him to adjust and fire. Watching him reach the bottom of the stairs, you stalked closer to his figure and just before he could flip the switch on the wall, you pulled your knife and plunged it into his neck, covering his mouth and slowly lowering his writhing body to the floor - making sure to make as little noise possible.

Moving the guys body to an empty corner of the room you remained silent and listened for anything else above - no sound. You assumed he was to take watch of Soap - hoping he was behind a door you noticed was under the stairs this guy had come down. There was again no light seeping underneath; either he was elsewhere or they were indeed depriving him of his sense, but you had no idea if there were any men in there. Putting your ear to the door all you could make out were some shallow breaths - it had to Johnny.

Pushing the door forward, you cringed hearing it squeak on his hinges. If someone was in here, then they knew you were too, and with no precautionary thoughts, you walked into the room, scanning it with your gun aimed and knife up.

There he was. You felt tears prick at your eyes, his body had stiffened and his breathing had picked up - Johnny wasn't ever usually this scared, what had they done to him?

Turning to your left you flipped a switch and closed the door behind you, putting a chair underneath in case anyone tried to walk in before you could prepare.

Walking to Johnny you placed a gentle hand pulling up the cloth bag they'd placed over his head - the small flinch hadn't gone unnoticed by your gaze. Letting him adjust to the light, you placed a gentle hand on his jaw, examining the cuts littering his face - you doubt they'd scar, but you were guessing the real pain was done to his body - you could see the crimson that was dried to his clothes - he looked like a mess, you had to get the both of you out of here and straight to a medic, you couldn't bare this for much more.

Of all the years you'd known Johnny, you'd always denied how you felt about him - he was a friend, a coworker, and there was a fine line you refused to cross, you didn't want to lose him nor your team. But seeing him like this, seeing him so broken - noticing his pained stare holding onto your eyes, you knew you couldn't deny what you felt anymore. There was no way you could deny that the pain in your chest wasn't due to the man you refused to accept your feelings for.

"Smoke? That you?" Soap all but managed to mumble out - his eye was bruised up and there was some mild swelling - nothing that concerned you too much, but you could imagine he was having a hard time properly focusing on you.

"Yeah, it's me Johnny. You're alright now, yeah." you said it more to convince yourself than him, but you had to start making moves, as much as you wanted to hold him in your arms and soothe whatever was going through his head, you had to get him out of here before they sent more of them down here, you knew you were counting down mere minutes before they would come.

"Johnny I'm going to cut you out and give you a stim, then we're going - we'll find somewhere to hold up for a bit then I'll call for evac." you were rushed in your movements, still careful with him to not hurt him any more than what he was.

With his hands now free, he brought them to his sides and tried to loosen his arms up a bit from where they had been stiff behind his back. Coming to his front, you gave him a stim and he became more aware of what was happening.

Standing tall, you held his sides, noticing his lack of balance. He sucked a breath in when he felt your hands come up on his sides - you were so gentle, he'd only felt calloused hands pressing into his body over the course of the past few days, and it felt comforting to have you holding him with such care.

With one last look up into his eyes, you told him to follow behind - just to trust you. He never doubted you for a second, the moment he'd known it was you who was sent to rescue him, he knew you'd get the both of them to safety - he admired your skill on the field, even if you didn't possess the same ability to believe you could succeed this.

Moving the chair from the door you flipped the switch, feeling one of Soap's hands come up to your shoulder - he didn't want to admit it to himself, but he knew this was going to take a toll on his mental state.

Opening the door, you took a deep breath and moved forward with Soap at your heel. Crouching back in front of the guy you'd taken out, you took his gun, and gave it to Soap behind you, which he gladly took - feeling more confident now he could aid you.

Heading up the stairs to the hatch, you both suddenly went stiff hearing the door open. Without much thought to pushed Soap further up the stairs whispering for him to leave and run into a valley - you'd be right behind him. His eyes remained on yours - he looked worried, he didn't want to leave you - he'd never forgive himself if you were hurt because he ran. With another push, he lifted the hatch - he trusted you, he had too.

Aiming the pistol you hit the first guy directly in the head, knocking him cold. He fell to the floor with a thud and before you could get a solid aim on the second guy, he shouted something in Arabic and suddenly you could hear chaos starting to ensue upstairs - all you could think was how the fuck you were going to do this now. Shooting the guy in the leg, he fell to the floor with a pained scream and you rushed out the hatch hearing several men shouting at each other. You could see Soap at an edge of a valley - it wasn't a far run, you could make this you were sure.

Without a second thought, you took off for the valley edge where you could see Soap prone aiming his gun. Suddenly bullets started to litter the ground around you and Soap could only do so much to fire back before they'd eventually get him to. Pulling the infamous smoke grenades from your belt you pulled the pin in one throwing it behind you and another one you threw in Soaps direction. With bullets still firing at nothing, you pushed your legs as fast as they'd go, and just as you got to where Soap was now stood, you felt a searing pain travel up your left arm.

"Fuck! Soap I've been hit" you gritted between clenched teeth, "carry on running, we need to find somewhere to bunker down for the next few hours while tensions calm".

Nodding his head in your direction, Soap continued forth with you in tow - you could both hear the men shouting from behind - they were gaining, but you were still ahead enough to hide. Feeling a hand grip your right arm, you were pulled into Soap's side in a crack big enough for the two of you. You could feel the beating of his heart and for a minute you felt yourself relax and just as you did the adrenaline started to wear off, and your arm was throbbing in pain.

Looking over Soap, he seemed to be okay - the stim hadn't worn off yet, and you still had another one for when it did.

Leaning his head down, you felt your heart pause - you felt yourself staring at his lips, wondering how they would feel pressed against your own, thinking that it'd be enough to distract you from the current pain you felt. You felt your hands running up his torso to lay on his chest, feeling his heart beat even faster if that was possible. He was warm despite the nipping breeze. Preparing to move your hand to his neck, Soap bent closer to your ear whispering for you to follow him. You felt stupid - of course, he wasn't about to kiss you in the middle of a mission, let alone ever - you had selfishly been misinterpreting his body's response as something else - he was hurt and tensions were high - you were stupid to think it had been anything to do with you. With that you dropped your arms back to your sides, flinching as you lower your right arm, and followed Soap deeper into this crack, seeing it led into a small cave - it was still cramped, but you'd live.

As you were about to open your mouth to speak, Soap placed his hand over it - silencing you from making any sound, clenching your thighs, you found yourself keening into his touch before coming back to your sense when you heard footsteps and Arabic being shared between people. Suddenly things got very real again and you felt Soap's over arm come across your waist and pull you into him - the both of you needed some sort of comfort right now, and the both of you relished in each other's warmth.

With quiet shallow breaths, the men passed by and you relaxed against Soap's chest. You felt safe with him behind you, you had been so anxious completing this mission that you felt back in your comfort zone being with Soap.

"Think we're okay now hen?" That stupid pet name he used had you smiling underneath the mask, you secretly loved how he only said it to you, but would always pretend it bothered you, which only made him tease you more.

With a staggered breath you turned to face him - you didn't realise how close you were, your noses almost touching but you didn't make the effort to move. "I think we're okay Johnny, for now at least, we'll wait a couple hours then I call for evac".

"How're you feeling?" you asked tentatively placing a hand under his cheek where there was a cut, careful not to press too hard - you never wanted to cause him pain.

Feeling bolder than usual, Soap placed a hand over yours that held his cheek - you felt your heart rate pick up, feeling his calloused skin run over your gloved hand and onto your wrist where your skin was exposed. He could feel the fast pulse within your wrist and wanted to ignore the dull ache in his body, noticing that the stim was starting to wear off. He stared into your open eyes, looking at him so full of admiration, and all he wanted to do was press his lips to yours in a searing kiss - so selfishly he wanted to distract himself with you. He'd seen you with your mask off once and the image was burned into his mind - he spent countless nights led in bed remembering how full your lips looked; how smooth your skin was - with a faded scar beneath your left eye; the way your hair perfectly parted down the middle with bangs that perfectly framed your face, and hair stopping at your shoulders; with a jaw so perfectly carved he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the crook of your neck and place gentle kisses upon your jaw, trailing down to your neck - you were perfection to him, pure perfection and all those nights he'd relish in that memory thinking about your beauty, or fisting his hard cock - precum dripping from his tip as he imagined those full lips taking him in while he praised you from above as your doe eyes stayed locked on his.

Taking a sudden breath in as you felt the pain back in your arm, Soap was pulled from his thoughts with worry plastered over his face, "Oh yeah, I'm okay hen, the pain's starting to come back, but let's get you fixed up."

Even though he'd been through a torturous hell the last few days, your wellbeing was somehow on the forefront of his mind, it made your heart flutter unexpectantly. You couldn't allow him to sort you out first, you'd live, you'd been through much worse, but right now his wounds needed cleaning.

"No Soap, I need to clean your wounds before an infection starts to fester. Then we can attend to whatever I've got, but I'll live." He gave you a narrowed look, but the look you sent back made him remain silenced, you weren't going to let him help you.

Without much more talking you pulled your first aid kit from your back and asked him to remove his shirt. With a smirk he all but obliged and you rolled your eyes - Soap was still Soap. You noticed him struggling and helped him pull his gear over his head, placing it down next to him.

Staring at his body, all you wanted to do was admire him - despite all the marks that littered his torso, you thought he was the most beautiful man you had laid your eyes on. You saw his body stiffen and noticed the look of insecurity in his eyes, making you your face fall in sorrow - you didn't want him to feel like this, he didn't deserve to. Tracing his abs and some scars, you asked where it hurt most and he just let out a chuckle, "Everywhere hen, I couldn't tell you where to start".

Pulling the remaining stim out, you gave it to him and it again started to rapidly kick in. You took some disinfectant on a cloth and started to clean his wounds as he hissed in pain, letting small whimpers slip past his lips - you were doing everything not to clench your thighs right now, he was in pain, but the sounds coming from him were making you delirious - you'd be mad if you were to never make a move on this man - you'd dreamed of pulling those sounds from his mouth.

Feeling his hand grip your arm, you were pulled back to reality and continued cleaning him, whispering your apologies each time he'd grip your arm a bit tighter when it'd get too much for him to deal with. You wanted to press your lips to each wound and hope it'd cure his pain, you could see they had done a number on him, but luckily none of the wounds were too deep. You felt his ribs, seeing his skin was patched in a mix of purple and blue bruises - you could count 2 of them were broke, but a medic would have to confirm this. Placing gauze on his wound, you then wrapped his middle and placed your hand back on his chest - staring into his eyes.

"That any better Johnny?" you asked doe eyed, worry on your face that you hadn't done a good enough job.

"I dunno hen maybe a kiss would make me feel better." You felt yourself blush, you couldn't believe he was flirting with you out here, but maybe you actually had read the signs correctly earlier, maybe you weren't so stupid. Leaning down you pressed a lingering kiss to his head through the mask.

"Better now Johnny?" you asked, a smile forming on your face.

"A bit hen, just a bit" There was a pout on his face, you knew he wanted more, but you were on a mission and didn't want to risk your chances compromising it - you needed him to make it to the evac.

With a last stroke of his chest, you pulled back and helped him dress into his gear again. Turning away from the man you took a deep breath, you needed to get your head completely back into this misson.

"y/n?" you hummed back in response to him, "let me help you fix your arm up yeah?" You'd forgotten about the dull ache in your left arm and turned back to him with your medkit in hand.

In silence he gently took your arm into his own hands, you were only skimmed by the bullet luckily. He wet a new cloth in disinfectant and wiped over your wound, weary of your flinches, feeling guilty about the pain you were in. Wrapping your arm he ran his own hand up your arm placing it on the back of your neck, giving you reassuring strokes as you closed your eyes and leaned into his touch.

"You know I'm glad it's you that came Smoke" he admitted.

"Yeah?" you questioned back.

"Yeah." he confirmed staring sincerely into your eyes.

"You know I didn't originally want to come here Johnny. Price didn't give me much choice, to begin with, but when I found out it was you, I couldn't say no." you were building up a confession to him, hoping he'd read between the lines - you didn't want to admit to him directly how you felt, just in case you were wrong, you were full of doubt, suddenly becoming self-conscious under his gaze, "I was scared I was going to fuck it up like I fucked my last solo mission. I've been so scared I was going to get you killed this time, I still haven't forgiven myself for the rescue mission, you shouldn't have been the one to fix my failure Johnny, and this time I..." you felt yourself choking up, you didn't realise how deeply you really felt about things and found yourself pulling away, embarrassed at your confession.

Johnny could see how genuine you were being and it made his heart clench that you felt this way - he had been the first one to volunteer to go on the rescue mission - it was supposed to be Ghost's mission, but he convinced Price to let him go on it. He knows how scary of a day it was and how close to death you both were, but he'd do it again if it meant you were the last person he was with.

Pulling you back into him before you could pull yourself away too far, he brought your head to his chest carefully, making sure you weren't putting too much pressure on his torso. You were holding back your tears, you didn't want to break in front of him, but it was hard, a few escaped as his hand came up to cup the back of your head and stroke your hair gently. Without another word, Soap placed both hands on your masked cheeks and pulled you eye level to him, wiping the few tears that fell from your eyes with his thumbs. He didn't want to cross a line, and placed a tentative peck on your masked lips, watching as your eyes flutter closed. You couldn't believe it, without another thought you pulled your mask up, revealing your lips and nose, not feeling secure enough to completely remove it. Taking his chances, Soap placed his lips back onto your own, relishing in the feeling of the both of your lips moving in sync with each other. You felt in over your own head, keening into his body as the speed picked up between the both of you - small breaths getting caught between each other's lips. Soap moved his hand down to your neck, caressing the skin as he passed, and rested on your right breast, caressing it through your uniform. As his palming got needier, you let out a small moan, urging him to move from your lips to your jaw, placing gentle kisses before he nipped at your neck, being sure to leave small marks behind - he was marking you, and you had no issue with it, you'd let him mark your whole body in small love bites if he wanted to. With the both of your breaths picking up, and each other's hands getting needier for one another as a wetness started to pool between your thighs, making you clench them together - not going unnoticed by Soap who gave a deep chuckle at your desperation - a sudden dull shrill was sounded, echoing in the cave.

"Oh come on hen, do we really need evac yet?" you chuckled, pulling you mask back down and gave him a stern look.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's in both of our interests to call for evac - we both need medical attention; you more so, and we can always carry this on back at base hm" You stroked his pouting face, noticing the hardness in his jeans - you felt bad, but you knew you couldn't give into your own desires.

With one last huff from Soap, and a laugh from you, you called evac, and found they were about 40 minutes out. You'd probably been hold up in the small cave for a couple of hours and were sure it'd be safe to continue down the valley.

Pulling yourself up, and helping Soap to his feet, he gave you one last peck on your head, before you took lead, making sure it was safe to walk down the valley before pulling Soap alongside you.

In a comfortable silence, the both of you spent the next 30 minutes walking to the evac location, with no issue, apart from Soap almost tripping on a rock, which had you holding your laughter as he glared from your side.

The evac was close by - you could hear it. Soap pulled you from your thoughts staring into your eyes, "when we get back, we're not going to just forget this right?" you saw the vulnerability in his eyes and it made your heart ache.

"Johnny...no I- I would never do that to you, god no. I didn't go through all of this just to pull your leg and get back to base and ignore you like nothing had happened. I love you Johnny. I love you. I really do and I'm sorry it took me this long, I really am, I've been in denial for so long, just scared, but I'm ready and -"

"I love you too y/n, so fucking much" you could see his eyes well up at your confession, "I'm sorry it took me this long too, I think about that rescue mission a year ago all too much and find myself regretting every passing second where I didn't admit how much I cared about you, and while I was down there getting beat, all I could think about was how I potentially wasn't going to see you again."

You placed a hand on his cheek, bringing your heads together gently, "Johnny, I'd never let you die, never. I'd risk it all for you. We'll head back to base, get cleaned up, then we'll discuss things more okay? But I'm not letting you go - not now, not ever" and with that he placed a final kiss to your head just as the evac came into view.

Holding onto Soap, you helped him onto the evac as it landed - you knew he was perfectly capable, but you wanted to be close to him - it was an excuse.

~~~Time skip~~~

Back in England, you were both at the base - you having been treated by the medic quickly, and Soap having to stay for probably the next few days.

The nurse had relayed Price wanted you in his office for a debrief - you wanted to check in with Soap desperately but knew he was in safe hands, so you made your way to Price.

With a knock on the door you walked in without waiting for a response - you were so exhausted you didn't think.

"Yes, Seargent y/l/n, please come in, don't wait for me," Price said with a sarcastic tone to his voice. You laughed and gave a small apology to which Price gave a small smile to you in return.

"I told you, you'd do it" That bastard you thought, he was wearing a cocky smile on his face, and giving you a sympathetic stare at the same time. "Smoke, I put you on the mission for a reason - we've all seen the way you look at Johnny, we knew you'd get him out alive." They knew this whole time how you felt, were you really that obvious.

All you could do was respond with a quiet "oh" embarrassed at the fact the whole task force was able to read to you so clearly and had done for so long.

"Smoke. Work relations bring a lot of issues," you tried to interrupt, you didn't want to lose your only chance of happiness and contentment, but Price silenced you before you could get anything out, "hold on Smoke. While typically it can cause issues, I've pulled some strings for you and Soap, and you can both remain on the task force, while having relations if that's what you both want - you just need to keep your love lives separate from your work lives when your out on the field, okay?"

You instantly agreed, of course you and Soap could do that - neither of you would ever want to jeopardise your jobs, so you shook on the agreement to not let each other interfere with your jobs - you could be coworkers and lovers. With a goodbye, Price excused you and you were back at Soap's side who was sleeping peacefully - you knew he needed it after everything he'd been put through.

Sitting in the chair placed next to his bed, you took a hold of his hand, kissing the top of it before you too fell victim to exhaustion, closing your eyes, holding the hand of the man you loved.

[usmsgutterson]

Forever Never Would- Kaz Brekker 

Okay!! This is the second of two fics coming out and, while I wrote the first about two weeks back and I thought that it would take me forever, I finished writing this YESTERDAY, and I only got the chance to do a few edits before posting. 

This fic encompasses several different prompts from the 500 follower concert celebration, but hey! It’s my birthday fic and I love fics written in this style, so I decided I wanted to write one. 

Fic type- this is mostly fluffy, with a bit of angst and near-death thrown in there for funsies

Warnings- mentions of poison and stabbing, poor proofreading (we die like matthias helvar)

SEVENTEEN

Kaz found himself sighing as he woke, head lifting from one of the rare plans that he’d written down. Heists had been going awry lately due to a general lack of sleep, and the nap had snuck up on him. 

Well, it depended upon what one called a lack of sleep, really. Was three hours across seven days really a mere lack of sleep, or was it deprivation? 

Kaz didn’t know what he would call such thing as that, but damn it, was it good to wake up after several hours spent with his eyes closed. Even if those hours had been spent sleeping at his desk, they were ones that Kaz had to consider well spent. 

He glimpsed the window, noticing that it’d been left open and that it was displaying the last of the winter sunrise. He realized then, that he’d slept for a full nine hours. It was the most time he’d slept in much too long. 

He straightened his back, eyes going to the door as he heard it open.

“Morning,” you whispered. “I do hope you’re feeling well rested. Nina wants us at the Kooperom in an hour.” 

Kaz thanked you as you placed a to-go cup of coffee on his desk. “Let me guess, she wanted us there at eight bells, and you negotiated?” 

“I offered a box of the toffees that came in last week, and told her outright that it’s been difficult around here for a while,” you said. “She and Matthias have been in Ravka for three months and Wylan and Jesper will back me up if they ask. Inej will, too. She probably heard our conversation, actually. I noticed her sitting on the high point of a rooftop to get a good view of the Harbor during sunrise.” 

Kaz shrugged. “It’s better than her knowing that I’ve not slept much in the past while,” he said. “She’d offer me a sleep syrup that the Grisha Triumvirate are rolling out. Thank you.”

You shrugged. “You owe me a cup of tea, Brekker.”

“I’ll cover your breakfast and we’ll call it even?” 

That made you grin, and Kaz pushed aside the distinct way that his heart beat quickened and turned his gaze to his cane in an effort to ignore the slight pull he felt at the corners of his lips, the pull that he knew would’ve made him smile so widely that his face would’ve begun to hurt. 

“The deal is the deal,” you said. 

Kaz let a smirk cross his lips, solely for the fact that he couldn’t stop himself, as he met your gaze. “The deal is the deal.” 

You sighed. “All right. Drink your coffee, get dressed. Meet me down at the bar in thirty minutes, and if I’m not nursing a brandy, we’ll call it a miracle.”

“The water is working again, if you’re still in desperate need of a shower?” Kaz asked. The cold had frozen the pipes, and he’d only been able to get a reliable plumber out to the Slat the day before. “I’m guessing you used one of the many showers at the Van Eck-Fahey residence in the meantime?”

You scoffed. “Of course I did,” you said. “I could use a bit of water on my face to wake me up a bit more, though, so thank you for the tip about the pipes.” 

Kaz shrugged. “You and that electric kettle you’ve made space for in your room deserve a good bit of tea that doesn’t cost you eight kruge. Enjoy.”

“My tea and I certainly will,” you said, smirking. Kaz watched as you turned to go, some part of him not wanting you to leave. “Oh, and Kaz?”

“Yeah?”

“I put sugar in your coffee, and a dash of cream.”

Kaz scoffed. “That’s unnecessarily cruel, Y/N.” 

“As is the fact that I still have two of your shirts, but what adds to that is the knowledge you must have by now, the knowledge that you will never be getting those back.”

“Enjoy your tea.” 

“I’ll drink it plain in your honor. Luckily for you, it’s raspberry tea, so drinking it plain is no problem at all.” 

Kaz scoffed, head turning to his lap, grin spreading across his lips as he heard the door gently close behind you. 

He grabbed the coffee, drinking it anyway before he stood, headed back through his office and to his bedroom, where a fresh set of clothes and the promise of a warm shower awaited. 

-

Kaz found himself turning away from your gaze once again twelve hours later, as the two of you settled in an alcove amidst a bookstore that’d opened near Fifth Harbor. It was built by the merchant council in the hopes of drawing more of the academics from around the world, hoping that the academics would ignore the Barrel as a whole, ignore that the criminals in Ketterdam often travelled outside of the Barrel and the areas around it. 

“You and your jokes,” Kaz said as he schooled his expression back to what it normally was. “First, you make my coffee a sugary hell, then you steal two of my shirts and now, you’re cracking jokes at my expense.”

“I stole the shirts first,” you rebutted. “They’re comfortable nightshirts, Brekker. I won’t be judged.”

“I could lend you one of my sweaters?” They were patterned, looked like something that a grandfather would’ve worn. They’d been gifts from members of the Dregs, ones who’d moved on to bigger, more traitorous things in the year since they’d been gifted to Kaz as a lousy christmas gift. 

A few that had been gifted to him were just plain and black, and as a guy who’d fallen asleep in his button ups far too many times to count, he could attest to the fact that they were sometimes the opposite of comfortable. 

“You, Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, Bastard of the bloody Barrel, are currently in possession of sweaters?” 

Kaz scoffed. “Four. I own four of them, and if they don’t go to you, they will never see the light of day unless I find myself needing to sew myself a new pair of gloves.” 

“You’re not getting the shirts back.”

Kaz shrugged. “The Ice Court heist was six months ago. I’ve still got enough money left, buying two new ones is probably a good idea anyway. Take the sweaters, Y/N. I can imagine that they’ll look better on you.”

“I thank you for your kindness, then,” you said. You noticed Kaz’s pocket watch had fallen out of it, felt the cool golden painted metal against your pinky. Kaz watched as you took it, careful to avoid touching his thigh. You checked the time. 

“Getting late,” you said. “Sundown, abouts. Getting back to the Slat is probably a good idea. The Dime Lions and the Razorgulls have taken to jumping members of the Dregs over all of the feuding. They tend to do it before it gets light and after it gets dark.”  

“You’re going to stay here knowing that?” 

You nodded. “I need some time to think. I can handle getting jumped, if they’re smart enough to jump me at all.” 

“And if they have switchblades?”

“Then I get stabbed and stitch myself up after a bit of a walk in the moonlight.”

“I’m staying.”

“You’re going, Kaz,” you said. “I need to think alone for a bit. Please, just let me.”

“If you get stabbed--”

“I know. You won’t be the one to help me stitch my wounds. Go on home, Brekker. I’ll swing by your office with some whiskey by midnight if I’ve made it back safe, too.” 

Kaz huffed as he stood. “Fine.”

He didn’t turn to look at you as he walked out, only glowered at the ground as he left.

-

“You can admit it,” Nina said. “You’re allowed to care about people, Brekker. Even in the smallest capacities, you’re allowed to care.”

Kaz sighed. “You’ve noticed it, then?”

“Noticed what?” Nina asked. “The way that your heart races when they meet your gaze, the way that it always calms when you meet their gaze as we join together at whatever happens to the rendezvous point on one of your meticiously planned heists? The way that they’re able to make the one man who I never thought I would see so much as smirk in my lifetime, smile after they’ve cracked one of their jokes?” 

“Yep.” 

Nina laughed. “Of course I have,” she said. “Everyone who tells others that they’ve not noticed is telling a bloody lie.”

“I don’t care,” Kaz said. “I don’t.”

“You’ve cared about them since even before Inej joined the Dregs,” Nina rebutted. “You’ve known them since you were twelve. It’s fine to admit that you care about them, especially if it’s been half a decade.”

“I haven’t loved them that long, though,” Kaz said, like it would somehow come to matter.

“I have no doubt that you’ve been in love with them since you joined up with the Dregs and finally realized what love means,” Nina rebutted. “Seriously. Stop being an idiot or I’ll get Matthias to smack you upside the head over it.”

“He smacks me, I break his wrist.”

“You break his wrist, I stop your heart.” 

Kaz shrugged. “Fair enough.” 

Nina sighed, leaning back into the U-shaped booth the two of them had found themselves in. They were in the Crow Club, sitting on opposite sides of the booth. When the rest of the crows arrived, Kaz would stand, wait for the rest of the crows to file in, and sit on one end whilst you sat, arm looped through Ninas, on the other. 

The conversation would divert either to Nina and Matthias’ plans to go back to Fjerda in the coming months, Inejs voyages off at sea, or Jesper, how his training as a fabrikator was coming along.

Plans of eventual permanent residency in Ketterdam would be discussed amongst all the parties that frequently left it. 

Kaz would listen as you talked of going to Ravka, attending one of their colleges to further your education. Kaz would tell you to go, not mentioning that he would be awaiting your return or jumping at the first chance he got to visit. He would remind you that you had the money to go, and going, getting the education that you wanted so that you may stop having to use theft, arson, and other crimes as a means of income, was nothing if it was not even slightly worth it. 

You would give him a grin, Kaz would feel his heart skip a beat. You would crack a joke about how he would miss you too much, and he would once again reconcile with the fact that he had to deign himself to a lower level to tell you that it was the truth, that he would miss you an unfortunate amount if you were to go. 

He would reconcile that he would have to deign to a lower level to admit it solely for the fact that the people in Ketterdam, the criminals, in particular, saw love and romance as leverage. 

Criminals in Ketterdam saw the death of someones partner, their fiancé, their husband, their wife, their spouse, as a means of revenge. The cruellest of them did it just for the sake of doing it. The cruellest of them only saw it as a means to an end, the elimination of a threat as the threat drowned in both whiskey and their own grief. 

Eventually, the rest of the crows did come. It went exactly as Kaz had expected, and when you ended up sitting across from him on one end of the booth, him on the other, Kaz could only allow himself a moment of peace.

It happened exactly as he’d thought. Nina and Matthias were going to leave a week from then, an come back in spring. 

Inej was going to take six months to spend in Ketterdam, living at the Slat like she used to, getting Kaz the information he needed for a sufficient income. 

Jespers Fabrikator training was going well, and he and Wylan were in on the heist that was to be preformed the following month. 

You discussed going to Ravka. Nina encouraged it, Inej offered a ride there on her boat. Kaz talked about writing you letters in the meantime, said that he thought it was smart. If you pursued a business degree, there was a chance that you could help legitimize the business. If you ended up on the Merchant Council, you could hold a bit of influence, help the government sway things in the direction that favored the Dregs the most. 

You laughed, shook off everyones encouragement. You told Kaz that you would think about it. When asked why, you cracked the joke that Kaz expected. 

“You’ll miss me too much, Brekker,” you said. 

Kaz shook his head. “I resent how right you are about that.” Not the response he’d been expecting himself to deliver, but the one he delivered anyway. 

You scoffed. “Right. Sure,” you said, and then a layer of awkward silence settled. 

Jesper picked it up, asking about the heist that Kaz was planning, and things went back to normal. The conversation jumped from one thing to the next, both yourself and Kaz finding comfort in it, the fact that your friends could carry a conversation without either of you needing to interject with your thoughts for stretches that sometimes lasted more than ten minutes. 

Kaz met your gaze in the silence, and you met his gaze all the same.

A arrow shot him in the heart, embedding itself in his chest, and just like that, Kaz was once again the versions of himself that he’d always been when he would catch your gaze and all of it would come rushing back. 

He was once again the twelve year old who liked the way you smiled. 

The thirteen year old who knew that he would be willing to trust you with his life. The fourteen year old who did. 

The fifteen year old who stopped hating music played on violins because he liked the way that you danced. 

The sixteen year old who would go on night watches with you and catch himself liking the way the moon reflected in your eyes, catch himself looking at you instead of what he was supposed to fixate his gaze onto.

He was the seventeen year old boy who watched you almost die in the Ice Court even still, the one who passed you the bottom side of his cane, watched you grab on as he pleaded for you to just stay alive. 

Just hold on, he’d whispered. Hold on, please. I need you to hold on. I cannot do anything more with this life if you don’t. 

It was the one moment of vulnerability he’d experienced during the Ice Court, one of the only moments wherein one of his weaknesses came to light, but it’d only been the two of you in that room, the water flooding it from every direction. You’d been, quite literally, half dead. You couldn’t remember it, and so, the only people who had to face that memory were Kaz, and perhaps the personifications of whichever saints and gods watched over him. 

When the group of you slipped out, it was close to nine bells. The short walk back to the Slat was silent, unlike the hours of buzzing conversations that’d occurred beforehand. 

NINETEEN

You grinned as you walked into the Slat, finding Kaz at a table on the bottom floor, glass of brandy gently resting in his hand. 

You sat across from him and set your crossbody bag on the ground, watching him slide the brandy across the table. He watched you catch it, smirk playing on his lips.

“Welcome back,” he said.

You laughed as you brought the brandy to your lips. “Thank you very much. The Fjerdan palaces are no easy feat, but you’re you, so I have faith. I did a walk through during a series of Fjerdan festivals, but I also bribed someone on their staff to give me a copy of the blueprint. I know the layout, and provided that you have it memorized by the days of Hringkallah, you will, too. What’s the pay out?”

“Nearly a hundred million, spread across a crew of seven. Payout is 14.2 million. Triple what we made in the Ice Court with some change,” he said. “Not too fatal, I don’t imagine, but if it is, you’re welcome to blame me whilst you drown in your riches.”

You scoffed. “Do you mean to flatter me, Mr. Brekker?”

Kaz shrugged. “It comes with the description of the romantic part of this relationship, does it not?” 

You laughed, taking a sip of your brandy. “I do suppose it does, but then, so does the lack of black shirts you currently have in your posession.”

“I knew that was you,” Kaz said, shrugging like it was nothing. “I bought a few more this past weekend. My shirts tend to look better on you anyway.”

“So you do mean to flatter me, then.”

Kaz shrugged for a second time. “I suppose I do.” 

“And the boat for Fjerda leaves when?”

“Five days. I’ve given you the time off, so that you can relish your time in Ketterdam before leaving again. The voyage will take a week and a half. Nikolai sent us a few good boats. They came in last week. Engine powered, though the engines are slow. From there, getting to the palace won’t take long. It’s just a matter of timing it right and getting as much as we can.”

“You’ll tell me what we’re getting?”

“A few dresses that go for hundreds of millions on the markets. Ones that are said to belong to the queen, but any jewelry or things of significance that we grab are ours to keep or to sell,” Kaz murmured. “A tailor will tailor us enough to look like a few hringkallah guests and we’ll enjoy the rest of the night, get what we can from the venues, hope that none of the Druskelle catch us and kill us for it. The tailoring will wear off by the following morning, if the tailor is true to their word.”

“Wonderful,” you said. “Thank you, by the way. for the days off. I think I’ll sleep for most of them.”

“My bed is free if you need a spot that won’t make you feel as though you’re practically laying on a bed made of wood.”

“Thanks,” you grinned, finishing off the brandy. “I think I’ll head up now, actually. So much time spent at sea and all I can think to do is take a nap. I feel stupid.”

“You’re not,” Kaz said. “My bed or yours?”

“Yours, Brekker,” you said, laughing. “Might even steal a book from your shelves in the meantime.”

Kaz scoffed. “Next, you’ll say that you plan to drink my coffee.”

You shrugged as you got to standing, placing the crossbody bag on the table. 

“I know for a fact that you have a kettle, and you’ve been keeping my favorite tea in stock for the last six months. Might just use that.”

Kaz shrugged. “Do as you please.”

You grinned. “I will, love. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Kaz said.

With that, you walked up the stairs, heading to Kaz’s room, grabbing a book and settling on the windowsill with it. 

-

Kaz kept telling himself that he had to look at the positive. The heist in and of itself had gone off with very few hitches. It’d gone well, really. The items that were supposed to be obtained were obtained and put back onto the ship. Everything was fine.

Until, in typical fashion, a mistake was made. A guard who’d been knocked out had woken up, and it was just happenstance that you were the first face he saw, the face he recognized as the one belonging to the person who’d put him into a headlock until he fell asleep. 

The result was what had Kaz wiping a tear off his face, not having meant to cry at all. A book was in his lap, but it was one he hadn’t even tried reading. He kept looking at you, watching you breathe in and out. 

You’d been a part of his life for seven years. Almost a decade. In those seven years, you’d come close to death twice.

Both times were at the hands of a heist that Kaz had planned, heists that came with monetary offers that were simply too good to refuse. The first time had been the Ice Court. The second time had been the palace of the Fjerdan royals. 

Kaz sighed, leaned back in the chair that he’d taken up. He would have to leave the room eventually. He could wish that he wouldn’t need to all he wanted, but food would still eventually take precedent. He would need to drink water, would need to force himself to leave the room and take in air through his lungs, air that didn’t grow stale after a few mere minutes. 

He looked at you again, felt his heart as it ripped in two.

Your relationship had been a series of close calls, an endless network of chances that the two of you had to save one another, chances that you took to avoid losing the other person. Still, you had come close to death twice. Twice, in seven years, felt worse than none in the six months beforehand. 

“Hold on, Y/N,” he whispered. “Please. I cannot continue to live as I am if you don’t make it. I need you to stay alive.” 

He grimaced almost as soon as the words had left his lips. He felt pathetic, almost. To plead with a dying person, to ask them to stay alive for his own benefit? It felt more selfish than anything that Kaz had ever done.

Kaz sighed, forced himself to stand and leave the room.

He could handle being selfish. He could handle feeling pathetic. Your death, it seemed, was the thing that he couldn’t bare to deal with. 

-

You sighed as you opened your eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time over the course of a week and a half. Nearly half of all your days had been spent hooked up to an IV and a feeding tube. The IV had the sedative that Nina had talked about whilst you found yourself awake. The feeding tube contained meal replacements to supplement until you were well enough to handle actual food. 

You were back in the Slat, you noticed. You were in Kaz’s bed, wearing one of the sweaters he’d given you two years before. Your throat was dry, but Kaz had never been the type to have a water carafe or cups on his nightstand, so you let it be as it was.

You forced yourself to sit up, pressing your back against the headboard as Kaz walked back into his room.

You watched him for a moment, seeing his gaze soften for a split second before relief flooded his expression.

“What?” You asked, grimacing at how your voice had sounded. You could tell that you hadn’t spoken in a little under two weeks. Your voice was hoarse with the dryness of your throat and the general disuse. “You didn’t seriously think you’d lose me, did you?”

Kaz smirked. “No,” he said, but just by his tone, you could tell that he’d been lying. “Do you need some water? I meant to grab a carafe today, but I spent too much time working.”

“Did the buyer pay up?”

“Yeah. Fourteen million kruge and some change are already in your bank account,” Kaz responded. “Do you need some water?”

“Water would be wonderful.” 

Kaz passed you a glass of it two minutes later, and when you took a sip, it was a relief.

“Thank you for trying to keep me alive,” you whispered after a few minutes had gone by. “I don’t know if it was you or Inej or maybe Jesper, but thank you anyway.” 

“I’ll make sure Inej gets word of your gratitude,” Kaz said. “Until next week, at least, you’re on bedrest.”

“I am not,” you said. “At least let me work a few shifts at Crow Club?”

“How bad are the wounds?”

“I hurt--”

“Then no.”

You laughed. You loved Kaz Brekker, but damn it all if he wasn’t stubborn. 

“Fine,” you said. “But, Mr. Brekker, know that it is now up to you wait on my dumbass hand and foot for the next seven days.” 

Kaz smirked, shrugged one shoulder, and took your glass from where you’d placed it on his nightstand.

“Can’t wait,” he said. “Rest up. You probably need it.”

“I resent the fact that you’re right,” you said. You’d spent nearly two weeks knocked out with a sedative, and you were still exhausted. “Bring me a bit of water, please? My throat is drier than the air in summer.” 

Kaz scoffed, but still you heard the sound of water being poured into your cup. He placed it on his nightstand and moved into the office section of his floor. You drank the water he’d poured, placed the cup on the nightstand again, and fell asleep after a few minutes had passed, listening to the sound of Kaz’s pen meeting paper and the rain as it pattered against the windows. 

TWENTY-TWO

You laughed as Kaz sat down next to you, adjusting the ring that you’d placed onto a chain in the weeks before. It wasn’t an engagement ring, but rather, the promise that an engagement would eventually happen. He’d given it to you to celebrate your five year anniversary, and the one he’d bought for himself had joined the chain onto which he’d strung his pocket watch when that chain had broken. 

He looked at the ring every single time he pulled the watch out, and you never missed the barest hint of a smile that crossed his lips whenever he noticed it.

“Don’t tell me you’ve done something stupid,” Kaz said, looking at Jesper, who clutched the whiskey he’d ordered like it was a lifeline of sorts. The three of you were sitting at a table in the Crow Club, having agreed to met there because Jesper had asked. He’d let Inej, Nina and Matthias know, having written them letters to tell them what he was going to tell you.

“I like think I’ve done quite the opposite,” Jesper said. “I proposed. To Wylan.”

“I have been waiting three years to hear those words befall your lips,” you said, slight grin crossing your face. “I fully anticipated you proposing to him when we were nineteen. You’ve been head over heels in love with Wylan since the Ice Court.” 

Jesper grinned. “I bought the ring shortly after the heist in Fjerda,” he said. “I was just waiting for the right time. Did it last night. Felt like I would explode if I held onto the ring any longer.”

“Have you picked a date yet?” Kaz asked. 

“June 23rd. About six months out,” Jesper said. “We wanted to give ourselves a bit of time to plan everything out, but we’re gonna keep it small. You’re both invited, as are Inej, Nina, and Matthias. Outside of the crows, the invites will probably only extend so far out as our parents and a few of the others in the Dregs. We still haven’t decided much more than the date yet, though. I wanted to tell you guys in person, and Wylan would’ve been here if he wasn’t at lunch with Marya to tell her.”

“Well, we’re both thrilled,” you said. “Drinks are on us next time we all get together. Congratulations.”

Jesper gave a breathy laugh. “Thank you so much,” he said. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, I think. I’m--it’s like--it’s weird, almost. I always thought that I would spend my life with him, but now that that’s concrete, it’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m so excited to be married to that bastard.”

You laughed, and Kaz allowed a small smirk. “Well, if you need any assistance, just reach out.”

“I do need a best man?” Jesper asked.

“Abso-bloody-lutely,” Kaz said, nodding. “Of course. Thank you for asking to meet.”

Jesper shrugged. “Nah, no worries,” he said. The two of you watched him get to standing. “I’ve gotta get back home, but--”

“Congrats, Jesper,” you said. 

“Thank you,” Jesper gave you both a final grin before he left the Crow Club. When Kaz met your gaze, he looked almost happy.

“About bloody time, wasn’t it?”

You scoffed. “Oh, Brekker. Don’t even.” 

He laughed so low that only you could hear it, and the sound made you grin. 

“I love you, Kaz.”

“Ditto.” 

You scoffed once more, standing as you did. “I have to sign the contract on the new cafe. See you at home?”

“I’ll grab us dinner at seven bells,” Kaz said. “Any other things of note?”

“The contract for the cafe, the contract for the new pub, casing the house near the Zelver District, and signing the contract for the purchase of the apartment are all on my to-do today.”

Kaz nodded. “Eight bells, then.”

“I’ll bring you a coffee.”

“I’ll make you a tea.” 

With that, you left, grin pulling at the corners of your lips as you did. 

-

Six months later, you and Kaz found yourself in a small wedding venue that’d opened up near the Ravkan Embassy. You were stood behind Wylan with Nina and Matthias where Inej and Kaz stood behind Jesper. 

In the audience, there was Marya Hendriks, Colm Fahey, and a few of the members of the Dregs. Every single person in that room, save for Kaz, was smiling. Jesper had tears in his eyes, and Wylan looked like he was going to start crying any minute.

You felt your face begin to hurt from your grin as you watched your best friends of half a decade get married. 

Happiness in Ketterdam, happiness as a member of the Dregs, was something that was difficult to come by. You knew that you had to soak it up, that everyone else in that room was doing much the same. You would get drunk, probably, laugh, definitely, and that night would go down as one of the best nights of your life, though how couldn’t it? How could one not be happy, watching two people who clearly seemed to love each other more than they loved themselves get married? 

Jesper and Wylan said the ‘I do’s. They kissed, and the room broke out into applause as Jesper hugged his husband as tightly as he could. 

Conversations broke out amongst the attendees, and you all sat down to eat. After the meals came the dancing, and eventually, you found yourself standing idly, watching Jesper and Wylan dance, foreheads pressed together, smiles on their faces.

Your hand went up to the promise ring that was always around your neck almost absentmindedly, a grin crossing your face as you leaned back into the chair that you were sitting in.

“That’ll be you one day, I have no doubt,” Matthias said. “You look at them, and you know that those two are the happiest they’ll be until their honeymoon. You and Kaz are similar, I imagine?”

You flinched, laughing as you met his gaze. “I dunno, Helvar. I’m content where I am, I think.”

“Good,” Matthias nodded. “I anticipated this wedding way sooner than it’s happened, if I’m honest.” 

You laughed. “Everyone thought that they would be married with a kid by now. Two, maybe. Anika had her bets on that much.”

Matthias hummed. “Yeah, I think they’ll be parents by thirty,” he said. “I can see it that way, but I’m glad. They make sense together, I think.”

“They really do,” you said. “Yeah.”

“As do you and the ever so cursed demjin.”

“My partner is not a demon.”

Matthias only shrugged. “He might just be, Y/N. You never know.”

You scoffed. “You’re lucky I don’t hate you, Matthias.”

Matthias nodded. “Oh, I know. Incredibly lucky, I would say.”

“I would agree,” you said, shooting him a pointed look. 

He laughed. “Go find your lover.”

“Go find yours, Helvar.”

He stood, shooting you a knowing look as he walked away.

Eventually, Nina got you to dance with her, and from there, the rest of the night was spent drinking, laughing and just getting to experience the joy of not giving a single care in the world, not worrying about anything that was going on outside of the walls of the wedding venue. You felt great. For the first time in a long time, you felt great.

-

The following morning, Jesper and Wylan were on a boat to Ravka, where they would spend a month for their honeymoon. You made a good use of the day after you’d hugged them goodbye, having spent it casing a house that Kaz wanted to rob near the financial district. You made tea, you laughed with Matthias and Nina in the Slat, listened to Inejs stories that she’d collected in her voyages. 

You laughed, danced when someone broke out the violin. You were starting to accept it; after so long, after so many years spent in a limbo of moving from one painful thing to the next, happiness was in store. After so long, happiness was finally in store. It finally felt like something good. It felt like something achievable, like it had never been so far off as you’d thought. 

You turned, meeting Kaz’s gaze after a good thirty minutes had gone by. People were still dancing, the violinist still playing the dancing music as people sang old sailing tunes, but Kaz wasn’t amongst the crowd. He was merely standing by the stairs, slight smile pricking the corners of his lips.

“Having a nice time, Brekker?”

“Quite so,” Kaz said. “Seeing you get roped into dancing by Anika and Pim is always a real delight.”

You scoffed. “You love me and my pension to dance the minute I hear a happily toned violin song.”

Kaz nodded. “I do,” he said. “Really, I do.”

A grin picked up the corner of your lips. “Thank you,” you said.

“For what, exactly?”

“For being in my life for this long,” you said. “For falling in love with me. For being the guy who brings me tea when I’m sick. For being my best friend and my partner in literal crime for the last decade.”

Kaz shook his head. “The pleasure is mine.”

You shrugged. “I’m going to go upstairs. Make myself some tea, settle down with a good book.”

Kaz nodded. “I just have to talk to Inej for a minute. I’ll join you, make a coffee and go over some plans for the heist next month.” 

“Looking forward to it,” you said.

Kaz smirked. “As am I.”

You walked up the stairs pausing for a moment, and watched Kaz approach Inej as the violinist put their instrument away but the clapping, the singing and the dancing carried on even still.

TWENTY-FOUR

“This feels like a bloody meeting,” Jesper noted as he and Wylan slid into the booth. “What? Another heist?”

You were at the Kooperom. Breakfast had just been ordered, and it was mid morning. The seven of you had gotten into a U-shaped booth, and ordered coffees or teas to start out.

“It’s not a heist, Jesper,” you said. “It’s something different. It doesn’t actually concern criminal activity at all.” 

“What is it, then?” Inej asked, but she looked like she already knew.

“We’re engaged,” Kaz said.

“Since when?” Nina asked, grin crossing her face. 

“Last week. Bookstore.”

Inej grinned. “Took you long enough, bastard.”

“I was all too anxious, after I had Jesper design the rings.”

Nina shot Jesper a look. “You knew this was coming?”

“He gave me twenty thousand kruge for it nearly a year ago. I almost didn’t think he ever would,” Jesper said. “Congrats, though. I thought you would’ve tied the knot before we did.” 

Kaz shrugged. “I couldn’t find the right time. Eventually, I just brought it up whilst we were in that alcove in the bookstore that opened seven-odd years ago? I’d been carrying the ring around and it really was about time, anyway.”

“Damn fucking right it was,” Nina laughed. “All of us are married off now. Weird.” 

“Not married, just engaged,” you said. “Jesper, you mentioned that it was like--”

“A weight lifted off your shoulders?” Jesper asked. “Weird, but in the good way? Exciting, glorious, even?”

You laughed. “Yeah. That’s exactly how it feels.”

“Forever isn’t just an idea anymore. It’s bloody wonderful,” Kaz added. “I didn’t think I would like this as much as I do.”

Wylan scoffed. “Wait until you’re married. It gets even better.” 

Matthias nodded his agreement. “All saints. It really does, doesn’t it?” 

“We need to celebrate,” Inej said.

“We are,” Kaz noted, gesturing with a gloved hand around the table. “It’s a celebratory breakfast.”

“We’re meeting again for dinner,” Inej said. “Nina agrees with me on this.”

“She does,” Nina said. “Seriously. You two are getting breakfast, but Inej, Matthias and I will cover dinner.”

“Will we?”

“Kaz Brekker has been in a relationship for seven years. I didn’t expect it to last six months. We are, Matthias. The money from the heist in Fjerda all those years ago still hasn’t run out, anyway. We’ve barely made a dent in it since then.” 

“I expected you two to be married by nineteen, if that helps,” Inej said with a laugh. “Jesper expected you to be engaged by twenty, married by twenty-one.”

Kaz shrugged. “I like to take things slow. Seven years is slow enough, I think.”

You laughed. “Yeah. It’s felt like seventy sometimes.” 

“Damn right it has,” Kaz agreed. “Worth it, though.”

“More than,” you said. “I would do it all again if I got to be with you.”

“Oh, don’t get cheesy on us now,” Wylan laughed. “Seriously. It’s odd seeing it.”

You snorted, laughing for a minute before you took a sip of your tea. You and Kaz both let the noise of the Kooperom drown you out, let your friends fill up the silence. 

First, with discussions of wedding plans, the question as to whether or not you had a date picked out--you did. December 16th--and then whether or not you’d picked a venue, which you hadn’t done. 

The conversation tilted from one thing to the next. You listened to Inejs tales of the people she’d met on her voyages. You listened to her funny anecdotes with her crew members, laughed at the jokes she retold and asked questions about the places she’d visited. The big and small towns, the ones smack center on the maps and the ones so irrelevant that there was no place for them within any map you’d ever seen. 

Then, you listened to Nina and Matthias. You listened to them talk about Fjerda, about the Druskelle they’d converted out of Grisha hatred. You listened to Nina talk about the few spots in Fjerda where the food was decent, let Matthias drone on about a few new combat skills he’d picked up. 

You listened to Wylan and Jesper gush about how perfect things were with them, smiled when they mentioned that they’d adopted a cat who Wylan had named after a flutist he’d liked. 

You grinned when they mentioned the apartment that you’d bought two years prior, assured them that it wasn’t just collecting dust, though it had been. 

You and Kaz had agreed to sell it because of the fact that it’d gone so long without being used, and that was a pity in and of itself. 

And, after a short while, the celebratory breakfast was done. You all began to head back to the Slat, separating once you’d arrived. You and Kaz went to the floor you’d only been actively sharing for six months. Kaz got back to planning out a heist where you made yourself a cup of tea, grabbed a book, and settled on the windowsill. 

There came a point where you looked up, some part of you hoping not to meet Kaz’s gaze in the din so that you could have the chance to admire him for all that he was.

He was focused on the heist, glowering at a piece of paper as the cogs for the plan turned. You grinned softly, watching him think for a few moments.

“I don’t have something on my face, do I?”

“What?” You asked, snapping out of your reverie. “No.”

“Why were staring at me, then?”

“I’m admiring. There’s a difference.”

Kaz looked up, meeting your gaze with a smirk. “There is not.”

“There is.”

“What is it, then?”

“Staring is creepy. Admiring is loveable.” 

Kaz scoffed, pulling a gloved hand through dark brown hair that met the light of the sun and looked a bit closer to the color of dark honey. 

“You’re lucky I don’t have it in me to hate you.”

“I count myself lucky for that every single day,” you said. “I have as long as I’ve known you, Kaz.”

Kaz grinned, eyes turning back to the paper in front of him. “You flatter me.”

“I always hope to.” 

Kaz scoffed once more, and your eyes turned back to the book in your lap. Silence settled over the pair of you, though it was comfortable, as it always had been.

You grinned as you leaned slightly against the windowpane. The life that you lived, the romance that you had with Kaz, had been the way that you’d lived for seven years.

You couldn’t wait to get to live it forever.

-

In December, the two of you found yourselves in a a woody backyard of a house close to the city, though still far enough out for it be considered apart of the countryside. It was a house that you and Kaz had both agreed to purchase and spend a bit of time in every year until you were old enough that living amidst the hustle and bustle of the city was no longer quite so ideal. 

Kaz refused to turn into Per Haskell five decades on, so you both considered the purchase to be one on the smarter side. It clearly had been, though, considering that the backyard was the place wherein your wedding was to occur.

Due to Kaz’s touch aversion, though, you’d both agreed you’d do something different. Rather than a kiss, you would toast with champagne. It was a drink that was commonly found at weddings as things were, and it respected something that Kaz had been working on for the better part of a decade, though some days were certainly easier than others for him in that respect.

You’d chosen Rotty to officiate, and after the vows and the ‘I do’s had been said, after the rings had been placed onto yours and Kaz’s ring fingers, you toasted your marriage. 

After then, you filtered into the house, dinner began and you and Kaz both quietly slipped your rings from your fingers to either the chains that you kept around your neck or the ones that held the same pocket watch that had been in use for nearly a decade. 

You spent the night laughing, talking and enjoying the company of your friends. You let Jesper dance around your empty living room with you, laughed at his jokes and didn’t try to fight the urge to allow your hand to go up to the chain you’d kept around your neck for two years, the one that held your promise ring, your engagement ring, and your wedding ring. The three rings that meant the most to you. 

Eventually, you found yourself in the backyard, grinning as more people came out through the sliding door and engaged in conversations amongst themselves. 

You found Jesper next to you after maybe fifteen minutes, the both of you watching the sun as it began to set.

“I’ve been waiting ten years to see this happening,” Jesper said. “I was rooting for you from the moment I joined up. Kaz can pretend he hasn’t loved you as long as he’s known you all he wants, but none of the crows believe it. Not me, Wylan, Nina, Matthias, or Inej. Rotty says he thought you two were dating from the get-go, and Anika and Pim apparently placed bets upon the age you would be when you got married. It’s like--you two are the last pieces of a puzzle, the ones needed for the puzzles completion. You make sense.”

“I have loved him for more time than I will ever willingly admit,” you said, grinning softly. “I didn’t think that--this just feels like--I thought I would be dead by eighteen. Not married, not having lived nearly a quarter of a century. I feel grateful but also like I am indebted to the universe because of it.”

Jesper shrugged. “You’ve got good wine. Good people,” he said. “Drink, laugh, dance. You’re married, Y/N. It’s incredible. Don’t be afraid to enjoy it.” 

You gave Jesper a grin as Nina approached. 

“Forgive me,” she said. “But, as the one who nailed their wedding date to the T before they were even engaged, I think I might fancy a dance.”

Jesper shrugged. “I’m not their keeper,” he said. “I’m going to go find Wylan. See you lot in a bit?”

At that, both you and Nina nodded. 

You let Nina take your hand, let her whisk you out into the small crowd of people who’d been dancing along to the music of the violinist that you and Kaz had hired, let your heart be carried away with the wind as you moved. 

Eventually, somewhere in the midst of it all, you found Kaz. When you met his gaze, you caught a smirk dancing on his lips. 

The look in his eyes said all that he couldn’t say, and you knew that the expression on your face said all the same.

You let a hand drift up to the chain on your neck, finding your wedding ring easily.

You were going to live a life with Kaz Brekker at your side for the remainder of it. You were entirely sure that you had never felt happy as you did in that moment, your happiness feeling as warm as the blinding rays of sunlight as they shone through a window on a Saturday morning.

-

The following morning, you and Kaz woke in the same bed, a foot of space between you, as normal. The curtains had been left opened slightly, and as a result, you woke to the sun cascading in beams along Kaz’s frame, highlighting the sharpness of his jaw, the shape of his lips, the warm paleness of his skin. 

You grinned slightly, pressing the side of your head into the pillow as a grin began to fall onto your face.

“You’re staring,” Kaz said, voice raspy because he’d likely only been awake for a few seconds. 

You laughed. “I am not,” you said. “I’m admiring you.” 

Kaz scoffed. You’d had the discussion a number of times before, often switching places in such a discussion. 

“You’re staring,” Kaz insisted. “It’s creepy.”

“I’m admiring,” you said. “It’s loveable.” 

Kaz opened his eyes, and you felt your breath catch as you noticed how they caught in the light. They looked like seaglass, almost, the kind that has an astonishing color when they’ve been rinsed and polished just enough to make them all that more astonishing. 

“You’re lucky I love you,” Kaz said. 

“I know,” came your response. “I love you too, for the record. Always have, always will.”

Kaz grinned, one ungloved hand slowly reaching out, until his hand was hovering over yours. 

“I’ll be able to actually manage holding your hand someday,” he whispered. “I promise.”

You only shrugged, grinning a bit as you watched his hand move less than a millimeter closer to yours. 

“This is enough for me,” you said. “It’s more than enough, really. I love you for everything that you are, touch aversion included.”

A look of relief, and then one of gratefulness, and then one of love, moved across Kaz’s face in split second fractions of time, and eventually, you watched his eyes drift closed.

“I love you too,” Kaz whispered. “More than anything, if I’m honest.” 

You let your eyes close, too, grinning to yourself. 

In terms of husbands, you were pretty sure you’d won the fucking lottery. 

TWENTY-SEVEN

Kaz found himself relieved as he put the key into the lock of your small three bedroom apartment, one located near the East Stave. The relief only grew as he dropped his keys in the bowl to the right of the door, as he slipped out of his shoes, took off his hat and followed it by his coat before placing them both on the coatrack to the left of it. 

The relief was entirely replaced by love and admiration as he recognized the sound of your voice whilst you sang. It was an old Kerch tune, one that Kaz could remember Jordie singing as they walked the streets of Ketterdam.

He approached the kitchen, where he found you, humming the tune as you took bread out of the oven, somehow managing to do it one-handedly whilst a sleeping toddler was balanced on your hip. 

He let himself grin, not even trying to hide the fact that he was there.

“Who’s staring now, beloved?” You quipped. Kaz laughed, and as the sound met your ears, you could’ve sworn, some part of your heart had finally managed to find peace. 

“I’m admiring,” Kaz said. “There’s a very clear difference. darling.”

“You’re staring.”

“I’m admiring,” Kaz said as he walked further into the kitchen. Quietly, he took your son off of your hip and placed him in the small rolling crib that had been built in the living room, not having been moved since then. 

“You’re staring,” you said when Kaz joined you once more. “Admiring and staring are different things indeed, but I know what staring is, and you’re doing it.”

“I’m doing it lovingly,” Kaz said. “That, of course, is the distinction.”

You laughed, tilting your head back as you did, and Kaz could’ve sworn, it was the one thing to bring him solace, to help him find his peace, after a very long, very difficult day, of which both of you had plenty.

“I love you,” you said, giving Kaz a grin that managed both to set his heart ablaze and drown it in contentment. 

“I love you,” Kaz echoed. “I have loved you for a decade. I promised I would always do so three years ago. I have no intentions of breaking that promise. Not now, not ever.” 

You grinned, and yeah. Kaz was in love with you, wholeheartedly, just as he had always been.

You grinned, and yeah. Kaz knew he would love you as long as forever was meant to last, that he would love you even when it had run it’s course.

He just had to hope that forever never would. 

[thotsforvillainrights]

Hey friend! (Not gonna lie I'm jealous of that Kai plushie ;-;) I'm sorry to bother but do you remember that chibi au? I was just curious how would you do it? Maybe with Shigaraki? Could be hcs but only if you want to do it. Have a great day ^^

(I abuse that plush every single day. I punch his stupid face all the time, I love him so much. I highly recommend getting one so you can throw it against the wall too. Perfect for stress!😂 Anyway, I remember a long time ago of your Chibi works and I’d love to try my hand at it. I can only hope it would turn out even half as good as yours did. Wish me luck as I put my little spin on things!)

~Chibi! Soulmate AU: Shigaraki Edition~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

(This is from the reader’s P.O.V by the way!!!)

It happened again today and to say you were both warmed yet upset by it was an understatement. Another new couple was formed today in public. This time it was in the mall when a boy met his soulmate for the first time. Watching the two men combine as their Chibis happily disappeared was gut wrenching since you figured it would never happen to the likes of you. It was around that time of the year where Chibi soulmates were more prominent in the community than usual. Who’s to say where and when these things came about. There haven’t been much scientific studies on the creatures, and many people theorized they came about around the time that quirks did. Either way, it was that time of the year again and they were seemingly everywhere. Although they were like tiny squeaking humans, they were widely regarded as a temporary pet of sort. Some people got one in their lifetime. Some people ended up luckily with two if one of their soulmates died and by chance was reincarnated as another person. Some people unfortunately would never get a Chibi nor a soulmate in their entire life. By now in your age you had figured you’d have gotten your soulmate. Really it could happen to anyone at any age but it was more renowned that it happened around this age group of yours. You spent your days watching soulmate connection videos online, and reading about forums where people hadn’t received their Soulmates. When you got home that night you had fully prepared to read some more articles until you opened the door and saw him. You gasped while dropping your bags on the ground and you followed as well, dropping to your knees. 

The Chibi was rooting through the snacks on your shelf, struggling to get into the bag of chips before nearly falling off the counter and basically almost killing itself. “You quickly caught him and laughed while still in shock. “How did you even get up there!?” It looked at you in annoyance before squeaking once. He laughed lightly and gently placed him on the ground before standing up and grabbing the chips. He watched from the ground as you grabbed a bowl, opened the bag, and poured some chips into it. You put the bowl on the ground and watched him munching on the snack, squeaking happily with a full mouth. “To just eat this bowl would probably take you all night little guy.” It growled a bit before continuing to eat. You sat there and admired the light blue tint to his hair and the cute little dot on his chin. It was rather peculiar to see the damage to his skin along his face and his neck, but you weren’t one to judge. He was your soulmate and as far as you could tell, he was beautiful to you even by just viewing his Chibi in the moment. 

When the little guy was done snacking you placed him on your shoulder and you continued with your evening. Without needing to do any reading you actually freed up your time and took on a lot less stress about the whole Chibi situation. Now you could spend time doing things you really enjoyed like watching a movie or playing a mindless game on your phone. It would’ve been more relaxing had you not had to deal with the unnecessarily LOUD squeaking commentary from the Chibi on your shoulder. It was as if he was directing you on the game when you were sure you knew it better than him. “Well fine if you think you can beat this level then by all means feel free to try.” You said sarcastically as he climbed down your shoulder and held got good balance on your arm. To your surprise, he absolutely obliterated the level and caused you to get a new high score. He flashed you a rather smug look and you rolled your eyes. “Oh please, that was beginners luck!” 

The rest of your week would usually be more mundane if you were alone but you ended up having a bit more fun with him there by your side. Grocery shopping, work, even just sitting in the park and enjoying the sunlight was different when you weren’t alone for once. Of course don’t forget you were also ever vigilant now that he was around. You always scanned the crowd as you searched desperately in hopes to find your one true soulmate. You haven’t found him yet but you felt it would be soon. 

And you were right.

One particularly hectic morning was brought about as your phone alarm shocked you awake from being set too loudly. You slapped the desk quickly in search of the snooze button and your phone accidently fell to the ground and cracked. Your Chibi peered up at you with concerned red eyes before you reassured him with a small scratch to his head. “Oh I’m sure it’ll  be okay. I’ve dropped it plenty of times!” You were wrong. And now you found yourself standing in the worlds longest line at the phone store while you waited to get it repaired. You had finally almost made it to your turn in line when your Chibi started squeaking frantically and running around like a chicken with his head cut off. “Hey wait! WAIT!” You shouted, pushing past someone and following your Chibi out of the store. You were so worried you’d lose him that you kept your eyes on him and him only as you were chasing. Most people moved out of your way since they either knew what was happening, or they just didn’t wanna get ran over by some random crazy girl/boy/person running down the sidewalk. You ended up slamming into someone’s chest as a Chibi that looked exactly like you stopped just short of your feet and smiled at you. “Wha...?” You rubbed your head and looked up at him...your Soulmate. He was even more beautiful in person than you had ever imagined. By the look on his face, he clearly felt the same way about you. You were so taken aback with shock and happiness/relief that you hadn’t noticed your little Chibis disappearing. A part of you was saddened by the fact but how could you stay upset for much longer when the person you were always meant for was standing right in front of you. It felt like it took years to get to this point. You clearly had a lot to catch up on 💗

Instagram: @pastelbattydraws & @pastelbattystore

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNMJH7vHL7APNobUykhK4w?view_as=subscriber

[scentedflowersong]

12 Days of Swan-Mills Saga X-Mas - Day 11 *2023/4 EDITION*

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love Swan-Mills Saga gave to me…

Welcome, dear friends, to the eleventh of our twelve holiday meetings, during which we recall some of the best bits of the five Swan-Mills saga stories by the marvellous @swanqueeneverafter�� (thank you for the artworks used here).

This last two days will be spent in the company of our lovely ladies, the Queen and her Saviour, Mrs&Mrs Swan-Mills, the one and only true pairing - Swan Queen.

For the eleventh day, a collection of 11* touchy-feely, fluffy and angsty scenes has been chosen. Read below the cut ;)

!WARNING! Spoilers ahead !WARNING! 

1. Remember me

Category: heartbreaking Where can I read it? TSOU Chapter 31: Going Home Summary: with Pan’s curse rapidly approaching Emma seizes what might be her very last chance of ever kissing the loveof her life...

2. The Snow Queen crisis

Category: light angst Where can I read it? TSOU Chapter 38: The Snow Queen Summary: with the Snow Queen running wild and a new blonde with magical hands in town, the Saviour avoids her girlfriend which is not the brightest idea if said girlfriend is Regina Mills with her infamous jealous streak... (Note: ALL SQ scenes in this chapter are golden)

3. The Darkness within

Category: light angst Where can I read it? TSOU Chapter 49: Souls of the Departed Summary: Regina shares her lasting struggle with her inner darkness in hopes Emma will change her mind about sacrificing herself to rid the world of darkness...

4. Two hearts, one love

Category: fluff Where can I read it? TSOU Chapter 57: Mother’s Little Helper Summary: after Regina heals her “evil” part’s heart, the Queen is ready to be sent to the Wish Realm as attoinment with Henry’s help, fortunately, Emma stops her in time to repeat her proposal and unite the two halves of the woman she loves...

5. Stress baking

Category: fluff Where can I read it? ATS Chapter 4 Summary: with an empty nest, Regina (unnecessarily) worries her wife might get bored with her, Emma is more than happy to prove her wrong...

6. May I have this dance?

Category: fluff Where can I read it? ATS Chapter 21 Summary: Mrs&Mrs Swan-Mills’ take on Cinderella & Prince Charming’s ballroom dance

7. The most beautiful gift

Category: fluff Where can I read it? WDMC Chapter5 Summary: thanks to a dreamscape, Emma is able to share the memory of Henry’s birth with Regina...

8. Sins of the past

Category: hurt(ish)/comfort Where can I read it? WDMC Chapter 18 Summary: Regina confesses another one of her dark deeds, certain it would be the last drop for Emma, however, she couldn’t be more wrong...

9. Sleeping beauty

Category: fluff Where can I read it? SOTP Chapter 11 Summary: with true love, sometimes sleeping together is more than enough...

10. Marrifriends

Category: fluff (+ tiniest hint of budding angst but only if you squint real hard) Where can I read it? TO&FQ Chapter 6 Summary: when staying away from a younger version of her wife during her trip to the past proves to be an insurmountable obstacle for Emma, she’s forced to invent a whole new word to avoid revealing more than necessary after Regina’s surprising confession

11. You wouldn’t let any harm come to me

Category: hurt(ish)/comfort Where can I read it? TO&FQ Chapter 32 Summary: Emma comforts Regina after the issue of “Would’ve I killed you had your parents not sent you away?” arises with Xena’s question...

Bonus

The vows renewal

Category: pure fluff Where can I read it? ITSV chapter 50: Epilogue Summary: the most beloved couple of the United Realms celebrates their love (after confirming it reaches through the multiverse) in front of their family and friends with a heartwarming (and tearinducing) ceremony

Hey, Peanut

Category: fluff Where can I read it? SWTWC chapter 14 Summary: after SO long, Kara is reunited with her mothers who’s hearts (as well as ours) soar - let’s be honest, if you didn’t cry, you’re as heartless as Medea...

Bonus bonus:

The Long Way Back Summary: Having returned to the Enchanted Forest along with the people she once cursed, Regina must face a life without the ones she loves most. Her heart aching with the loss of Henry and her mind filled with memories of Emma Swan, the former Evil Queen must soon face her toughest challenge yet. Chronicling the events of 'the lost year’ through the eyes of those left behind, we embark on a journey to reunite a family torn apart. Set directly after the events of ‘Going Home’.

Yup, the whole 4-chapter, go read it and prepare some tissues... ;)

Alright, I’d like to say this list was almost impossible to make, so many amazing emotion-filled scenes, let me know if I missed some of your faves :)

One more day to go, btw, stay tuned, dearies...