#i tried to make sure the details made enough sense as they stood on their own but ive been rotating this guy in my brain for ages

[baselicoc]

sure, you can keep your employee around by pretend-drugging him. or you can keep him around by threatening something he loves. that could also work.

anway i've been mentioning a spider AU for gabe here and there but heres the full sheet as it stands now. alchemax is possibly even worse than canon 2099 in his universe, and by nature of his connection to miguel he becomes a bit of a victim to it.

[misspygmypie]

What's That Brush For?

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader Requested: Yes Summary: Lando is fascinated by your morning makeup routine :) Words: 765

Please do not repost, thank you, and leave some feedback :)

Lando stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with fascination as you meticulously applied your makeup. The morning sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow that made the whole process feel even more intimate. The Brit had been standing there for a good five minutes, observing you while you were pulling your hair into a high ponytail, without saying a single word. 

As you had moved on to doing your makeup for the day he just kept watching, mesmerized, as you skillfully blended foundation and brushed on eyeshadow with precise movements.

“Wow,” he said, leaning in closer, his voice tinged with awe. “I never realized how much goes into this. What’s that brush for?”

You watched as he picked up the little tool and looked at it wide-eyed, bopping its soft bristles with his index finger before bringing it up to his eyes and inspecting it closely.

You glanced up to your boyfriend. “This is a blending brush. It helps smooth out the eyeshadow so there are no harsh lines in between the colors.”

Lando nodded, clearly enthralled by the whole situation. “Can I try? I mean, I probably won’t get it right, but it looks like fun.”

You smiled at him, amused by his enthusiasm. “Sure, give it a go. Just be gentle and please don’t poke my eye out, I kind of still need it.”

“Shut up, you muppet, as if I was that clumsy…” he gave you a sour look and you chuckled, remembering some moments he definitely had been that clumsy.

As he carefully tried his hand at blending the different powders on your eyelid he asked, “Does it always take this long? I feel like I’m messing it up.”

“Practice makes perfect,” you reassured him, watching as his concentration intensified, his tongue now poking out of his mouth making him way more adorable than should be allowed. “It takes time to get the hang of it. And don’t worry, you’re doing fine,” you ensured him after a quick glance into the mirror.

He looked at the result and grinned, a mixture of pride and humor in his expression. “This is really cool. I had no idea it was such an art form. How did you learn all this?”

You laughed softly, appreciating his genuine interest which is something you never would have expected. But then again, this was Lando and he always was full of surprises. “A lot of trial and error, plus some tutorials online. It’s like anything else, practice and patience.”

Lando’s eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. “Maybe I should start learning more. Who knows, I might end up being a makeup artist on the side.”

You chuckled at the boy next to you. “You never know. It could be a fun skill to have. But don’t quit your day job just yet.”

He grinned, returning to his spot by the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning against the frame. “Fair enough. But if you ever need an assistant, I’m your guy,” Lando announced proudly, pointing at himself with his two thumbs.

“Thanks, Lan. I might just take you up on that offer someday. You know,” you said, applying a bit of highlighter with a deft hand, “makeup can be a lot like racing in a way. It’s all about precision, timing, and a bit of creativity.”

Lando raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Really? I never thought of it that way.”

“Yeah,” you explained, smiling as you looked at him. “Just like in racing, you need to have good technique and an eye for detail. And there’s always room to experiment and improve.”

He nodded thoughtfully, clearly processing the comparison. “I guess it makes sense. And I suppose the same principles apply, practice makes perfect.”

“Exactly,” you agreed. “And it’s all about having fun with it, too.”

Lando’s grin widened. “Well, I definitely had fun. Thanks for letting me try it out. Maybe next time we can swap skills, I'll give you a few racing tips if you show me more about makeup.”

“Deal,” you said, laughing. “Looking forward to it. But how about a cup of coffee first?”

“That can be arranged,” Lando smiled and gave you a quick kiss before he headed out into the direction of the kitchen. 

As the door clicked shut behind him, you tidied up the bathroom counter, feeling a small bit of excitement about what had just happened. It was one of those small moments that made you appreciate Lando just that much more and perhaps you soon would learn something new about his world too!

[melinoe-dearest09]

Helooo there, i would like to request a batfam x batsis fic in which she is the most recent addition to the family, and all of them are trying really hard to get her to warm up to them( having a game nights, going shopping, going to the arcade ex...) on one of these outings, they are stormed by the paparazzi, which in turn overwhelms her, and she gets a panic attack, then cue the protective big brothers who help her through it.

That's as far as I've thought on this. I hope it makes sense to you. ( You can change some of the details if you'd like) Have a nice day / night.

Of course! I didn't know how old you wanted her but I made her younger than Damian. (Damian is 14 here) Thanks for the request <3

The brothers always tried when they got a new sibling. They knew how hard it was to adjust to the Wayne style of life. But usually it didn't take very long. You were a special case.

Your bio parents were part of the nobility of Gotham. They went to all the parties and did all the rich people things. You didn't. In fact no one knew who you were until your parents died. They kept you locked up in your room and never really let you out of the house.

When your parents died (car crash) police went to the house to inform the staff. Instead they were met with a young girl who looked very malnourished and abused. The police took all normal steps after that. Taking you to the hospital and then trying to put you into foster care. Of course the news found out and plastered it everywhere. "Tragic death of the L/N result in finding of secret Daughter". Of course the news station was missing some of the important information like you wellbeing but this was enough to catch Bruce's eye. After he found out how you where treated though? The adoption papers where already signed. You were now a Wayne.

As of now you had been at the Manor for a month. The boys were trying really hard to get you to warm up to them. Dick had taken you shopping multiple times, Tim tried helping you with your school work (especially since you hadn't ever gone to school), and Jason took you to the Arcade. Even Damian was trying! He would try to get you to paint with him or go out with him and Jon. But you weren't responding to any of them. You mostly stayed in your room or stuck around Alfred. Heck you hadn't even said a word to them. They were starting to get desperate.

"Damian" Bruce called. "Can you got get Y/n from her room. Dick is taking all of you shopping for the upcoming gala."

Damian rolled his eyes at the mention of the gala but complied "Yes father."

When you were all ready you headed out. Dick thought it would be a good idea to shop for the gala then go catch lunch or see a movie.

"I'm not even gonna show up to this stupid thing anyway. So the hell do I have to be here?" Jason complained.

"We hare having sibling bonding time. And this is going to be Y/n's first gala! So we all have to make sure she looks super pretty! Like a little princess!" Dick said happily.

At the mention, Jason looked over to you nervously "You sure it's a good idea for the kid to go to a gala? She hasn't even talked to us. How's she gonna talk to other people?" He asked. He looked back over to were you stood. Tim was on one side trying to talk to you while Damian stood on the other looking at suits. You were just staring at Tim and occasionally nodding. "See. She's not even talkin to Tim and he spends the most time with her. Not to mention the brat is closer in age to her and she hasn't said a word to him either." Jason pointed out.

Dick decided to ignore this "What about this Suit."

"Too Flashy disco Dave. But seriously-"

"Jason she be fiiine." Dick says quickly. Jason didn't believe thus for one second but he was tired of arguing with Dick. So he let it rest.

Later after they had all found a suitable outfit you all went to grab lunch. "Y/n is there any place you want to go to?" Tim asks. You shrug. All the boys sigh hoping you would answer.

"Brothers. We might have a slight problem." Damian says. They look to where he is pointing and all think the same thing. 'Shit'. Paparazzi start to flood them from all sides. They all start yelling questions and taking pictures. They boys try and move around you so you aren't seen but it's to late. Suddenly you are pulled from the boys and the crowd closes in on you. The question become louder the, flashes from cameras brighter, and you stand there in the middle helpless. You've never experienced this before and very fast it becomes too much. You feel you chest become tighter and your breathing become faster but it feels like you aren't getting any air in your lungs.

They boys are frantically trying to get through the crowd but they are also getting bombarded with questions. Finally Damian breaks through to you and sees you staring at the ground clutching your chest. "Y/n..." he slowly approaches you lowering his voice. You look up at him tears filling your eyes as you gasp for air. "Hey hey hey it's okay don't worry I'm here. The others are coming...it's okay." He turns to look for the others and sees Jason break through the crowd. He takes one look at you and starts trying to clear a path. The others see this and try to help. Damian scoops you up and starts to carry you through this makeshift path. Then quickly runs for the nearest store. He sets you down then starts to calm you down.

"Hey Y/n look at me...follow my breathing okay...in....and out...in....and out" Damian says calmly. You listen to what he says and start to calm down. The other boys come in and stand around making sure no one can see you. When you start to breath normally again Jason asks "You feelin better kid?" You look up at him "Y-yeah..." They look shocked for a second then smile. "That's good little sis." Jason responds. Tim moves to your other side. "How about we go home? Alfred can make us some food? That okay?" You nod "Can he make mac n cheese?"

"Yeah sis. You can have mac n cheese."

[aemondwhoresworld]

I’M SO PROUD OF YOU, DADDY

pairing: dad!ewan mitchell x mom!reader ; husband!ewan mitchell x wife!reader

summary: a day without mommy at home, with lovely moments of ewan and elowen.

part of series: y/n, ewan and elowen mitchell

word count: 2,5k

warning: english is not my first language. fluff, sweet little elowen, ewan being a dad, etc

mae: it’s kind of long, i really want to make it as details as possible. also i’m currently obsessed with ewan being a girl dad, i just don’t know why, tbh i wanted to give him babies :)

fill THIS FORM to be add in my taglist 🌟 | you can discuss with me for this series through my ask ✨

As you finished putting on the final touches of your makeup, you heard the soft padding of tiny feet approaching the bedroom. You turned to see your daughter, Elowen, rubbing her eyes sleepily, her curls tousled from sleep. She looked up at you with a drowsy smile, still clutching her favorite stuffed dragon.

“Good morning, Mommy,” she murmured, her voice soft and endearing.

“Good morning, my love,” you replied, kneeling down to her level and pulling her into a warm hug. “Did you sleep well?”

She nodded, her sleepy expression brightening as she noticed the hint of lipstick on your lips. “Are you going somewhere today?”

You smiled and gently brushed a stray curl from her face. “Yes, sweetheart. Mommy has to go to work today, but I’ll be back home later, okay?”

Elowen’s face scrunched up slightly, a mix of understanding and reluctance. “Okay, but can I come with you?”

You chuckled softly, kissing her forehead. “Not today, darling. But maybe next time, if it’s somewhere safe. Today, Daddy’s going to be with you all day. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

As if on cue, Ewan appeared at the door, leaning against the frame with a smile. “How’s my little dragon this morning?” he asked, his voice warm and playful.

Elowen’s face lit up at the sight of her father, and she ran over to him, her earlier reluctance forgotten. “Daddy!”

Ewan scooped her up effortlessly, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I was just about to make some pancakes. Want to help me, El?”

She nodded eagerly, all traces of sleepiness gone. “Yes, please!”

Ewan looked over at you, his gaze soft and full of love. “We’ll be fine here. Don’t worry about a thing.”

You smiled at the sight of them, feeling a deep sense of contentment. “I know you will. You two are my everything.”

Ewan walked over with Elowen still in his arms, leaning in to give you one more kiss. “And you’re ours. Go knock ’em dead today.”

You nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. With one last look at your husband and daughter, you grabbed your bag and headed out the door, your heart full of love and gratitude.

As you stepped outside and into the car waiting for you, you couldn’t help but reflect on how lucky you were—to have such a loving family, to have a career that you were passionate about, and to be able to share all of it with the people who mattered most. Today was going to be a good day, and you knew you’d carry the warmth of this morning with you wherever you went.

After you left the house, Ewan and Elowen sat down to enjoy the pancakes they had made together. Elowen giggled as she drizzled extra syrup over her pancakes, while Ewan watched with a smile, happy to see his daughter so full of energy and joy.

“Daddy, these are the best pancakes ever!” Elowen exclaimed between bites, her face lighting up with happiness.

Ewan chuckled, ruffling her hair. “I’m glad you like them, El. You’re quite the little chef.”

After they finished breakfast, Ewan helped Elowen down from her chair. They both took their plates to the sink, and Ewan guided her through washing the dishes together. Elowen stood on a small step stool beside her father, her tiny hands barely big enough to hold the sponge as she tried to scrub the dishes clean. Ewan rinsed off the soap suds, making sure everything was spotless before placing the dishes on the drying rack.

Once the kitchen was tidied up, Ewan and Elowen brushed their teeth together. Elowen mimicked her father’s actions, standing on her tiptoes to reach the bathroom sink. Ewan made a game out of it, pretending they were brushing away “dragon breath,” which made Elowen giggle uncontrollably.

With their morning routine complete, Ewan decided it was the perfect time for a walk in the park. “How about we go on an adventure to the park, El?” he suggested, kneeling down to help her into her little sneakers.

Elowen’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes, Daddy! Can we see the ducks?”

“Of course,” Ewan replied, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Maybe we’ll even see some squirrels too.”

They both put on their jackets and Ewan grabbed Elowen’s favorite stuffed dragon, which she insisted on bringing along. Hand in hand, they stepped out into the crisp morning air. The park wasn’t far from their home, and the walk there was filled with the sounds of birds chirping and the rustle of leaves in the breeze.

When they arrived at the park, Elowen immediately spotted a small pond where a few ducks were swimming. She pulled Ewan over to the edge of the pond, watching the ducks paddle around with wide-eyed wonder. “Look, Daddy! There’s a baby duck!”

Ewan crouched down beside her, his arm around her shoulders as they watched the ducks together. “I see it, El. Isn’t it cute?”

Elowen nodded, completely captivated by the little duckling. After a few minutes, she decided it was time to explore more of the park. They walked along the winding paths, stopping occasionally to pick up interesting leaves or watch squirrels dart up trees. Ewan made sure to point out anything he thought might catch Elowen’s interest, making the walk educational and fun.

As they strolled through the park, Ewan felt a deep sense of contentment. This quiet morning with Elowen was exactly what he needed—a chance to slow down, enjoy the simple things, and spend quality time with his daughter. He knew that these moments were precious, and he cherished every second of them.

After a while, they reached a small playground where a few other children were playing. Elowen immediately ran toward the swings, and Ewan followed, pushing her gently as she soared back and forth, her laughter ringing through the air. The joy on her face was contagious, and Ewan found himself laughing along with her, feeling grateful for these simple yet unforgettable moments.

Eventually, after playing for a while longer, Ewan noticed that the sun was getting higher in the sky, signaling that it was nearly time to head back home. “What do you say, El? Ready to go home and tell Mommy about our adventure later?”

Elowen, slightly out of breath from all the excitement, nodded. “Yes, Daddy! I can’t wait to tell her about the ducks and the swings!”

With Elowen happily chatting away about their morning, Ewan took her hand again, and they made their way back home. The morning had been perfect, and Ewan couldn’t wait to share the details with you when you returned, knowing that these little moments were what truly made life special.

After spending a delightful morning in the park, Ewan and Elowen walked back home hand in hand, both feeling refreshed and happy from their time outdoors. Once inside, Ewan suggested they do some creative work together, which Elowen eagerly agreed to.

"How about we draw something special for Mommy?" Ewan proposed as he set up the drawing supplies on the kitchen table.

"Yes! I want to draw a dragon and a castle," Elowen declared, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Ewan smiled, pulling out some paper and colored pencils. "That sounds like a great idea. I'll draw with you, and then we can color them together."

They spent the next hour immersed in their art, Elowen focusing intently on her drawing while Ewan sketched beside her. The room was filled with the quiet sound of pencils on paper and the occasional burst of laughter as they shared ideas and admired each other's work. Elowen’s dragon had colorful scales and a big smile, while Ewan drew a castle with tall towers, complete with flags waving in the wind.

When they finished their drawings, they both colored them in, adding vibrant hues that brought their creations to life. Elowen was particularly proud of her dragon, which she had named "Sparkles."

"Mommy is going to love these," Ewan said, holding up his finished drawing and showing it to Elowen.

Elowen nodded enthusiastically. "She will! I can't wait to show her."

After their creative session, it was time for lunch. Ewan guided Elowen to the kitchen, where he began preparing a simple but delicious meal. Elowen sat nearby, watching as Ewan chopped vegetables and cooked. She occasionally helped by handing him ingredients, feeling important in her role as his little assistant.

Once lunch was ready, they sat down to eat together. Elowen happily munched on her food, chatting about their morning and what they would do later when Mommy got home.

When lunch was over, Ewan helped Elowen down from her chair, lifting her gently to the floor. As her feet touched the ground, she looked up at him with a serious expression and asked, "Daddy, can I have a hug?"

Ewan’s heart melted at her sweet request, and he immediately knelt down to her level, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Of course, you can, El. Anytime you want."

Elowen wrapped her small arms tightly around his neck, holding him close. After a moment, she pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her expression earnest. "Daddy, I’m so proud that you’re my daddy."

Ewan’s breath caught in his throat, touched beyond words by her sincerity. "Oh, Elowen, that means the world to me. I’m so proud to be your daddy, too."

Elowen smiled, her eyes shining with love. "I know Mommy is proud of you too. She always tells me how lucky we are to have you."

Ewan felt a surge of emotion at her words, his eyes misting over slightly. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his voice soft and full of love. "Thank you, sweetheart. I’m the lucky one to have you and Mommy. You two are my everything."

Elowen hugged him again, and Ewan held her close, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the family he had. In that moment, he knew that no matter where life took them, the love they shared would always be the most important thing in his life.

After a few more moments of holding her, Ewan stood up, still smiling as he looked down at his daughter. "How about we clean up the kitchen together, and then we can play some more before Mommy gets home?"

Elowen nodded eagerly, ready for whatever adventure the rest of the day would bring. Together, they tidied up the kitchen, the bond between father and daughter growing even stronger with each shared moment.

As you walked through the front door, the familiar warmth of home embraced you. Almost immediately, you heard Elowen’s excited voice from upstairs. “Mommy’s home!” she called out, her tone filled with pure joy.

Looking up, you saw both Ewan and Elowen at the top of the stairs, holding hands as they began to make their way down to greet you. The sight of them filled your heart with happiness, and you couldn’t help but smile as they reached you. Elowen let go of Ewan’s hand and ran the rest of the way to you, wrapping her little arms around your legs in a tight hug.

You leaned down to scoop her up into your arms, planting a kiss on her cheek before turning to Ewan, who was now standing beside you with a warm smile. He pulled you into a gentle embrace, his strong arms holding you close, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

“How was your day?” Ewan asked, his voice soft and filled with love as he kissed your temple.

“Better now that I’m home,” you replied with a contented sigh, leaning into him.

“Did you have fun with Daddy today?” you asked, smoothing back a strand of Elowen’s hair as she nodded sleepily.

“Yes, Mommy,” she said with a little yawn. “We went to the park and saw ducks, and then we made pancakes. And I drew a dragon for you.”

Your heart swelled with love as you kissed her forehead. “That sounds wonderful, my love. I can’t wait to see your drawing.”

Ewan gently took her from your arms, cradling her against his chest. “Let’s get you ready for your nap, little one,” he said softly, carrying her upstairs to her room.

You watched them go, feeling a deep sense of contentment. While they were upstairs, you headed to the kitchen, preparing yourself a hot cup of black coffee. Once it was ready, you made your way to the living room, sinking into the comfortable sofa with your mug in hand. The warmth of the coffee seeped through the cup, spreading a soothing heat through your hands.

A few minutes later, Ewan came back downstairs. He walked over to the sofa and sat down next to you, leaning back and letting out a soft sigh. His eyes were gentle, yet there was a hint of emotion there, something that made you reach out and place your hand on his.

“Is El giving you a hard time, my love?” you asked softly, your voice filled with affection and concern.

Ewan shook his head slowly, not replying right away. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if collecting his thoughts. “I almost cried today,” he finally said, his voice quiet but filled with emotion. “She’s just… she’s so sweet.”

You squeezed his hand gently, waiting for him to continue.

“She said she’s so proud of me,” Ewan murmured, his eyes shining with the intensity of the moment. “She just hugged me so tight and told me she’s proud that I’m her daddy. And she said she knows you’re proud of me too.”

Your heart melted at his words, and you felt your own eyes well up with tears. “Oh, Ewan,” you whispered, leaning in to rest your head on his shoulder. “Of course, we’re proud of you. Every single day, El and I are so proud to have you in our lives.”

Ewan wrapped his arm around you, pulling you even closer. “I know,” he whispered back, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s just… hearing it from her, in that little voice of hers… it just hit me so hard. I never want to take these moments for granted.”

You nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. “We’re so lucky, Ewan. To have each other, to have Elowen… it’s everything.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, holding you close. “It really is,” he agreed softly. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.”

The two of you sat there in comfortable silence, the warmth of the coffee and each other’s presence filling the room. It was one of those moments where words weren’t necessary, where the love you shared was enough to communicate everything you felt. And in that quiet, peaceful moment, you both knew that no matter what challenges came your way, you would face them together, with love, pride, and the unwavering support of your little family.

taglist: @minami97 ; @hellsingalucard18 ; @champomiel ; @fan-goddess ; @xcharlottemikaelsonx ; @emyswagger ; @k1ttybean ; @callsignwidow

[mizading]

REPLACEMENT

The poison of Akaza’s obsession penetrates you.

Yandere Akaza X Reader

Warnings: Obsessive/Yandere themes, Dark themes, Abuse, Stockholm syndrome

Summary: A failed mission to put an end to Akaza, one of the twelve Kizuki almost killed you. Instead of being rescued by your fellow hashiras, Akaza took you for his own. You slowly realize that you're merely a replacement. 

You awaken to the soft, uneasy breaths taken by the unknown presence beside you, causing you to jolt up. This was a mistake. You completely forgot about your unsuccessful battle that occurred not long ago; the pain you felt was enough for you to reconsider your position as a former demon slayer.

 "Please lie down; I can't have you getting too hurt love". 

“Love?” You said, turning to face the familiar voice that projected beside you. A cold sense of fear trickled down your body. At once realizing who the familiar voice belonged to, the demon in which you failed to get rid of. Akaza stroked your hair lightly, continuing his uneasy yet soft breathing pattern you had taken notice of before.

 "Relax; the tension in your body is starting to worry me. I couldn’t help but take you back here after you passed out.” Without thinking, you instinctively moved yourself as far away as possible. "Don’t run from me; it’s no use. I'm sure you know that by now, don’t you?". 

“What is it that you want..I don’t have anything to offer” you spoke, voice shaking slightly. Akaza crept up on you, picking your body up from the floor with ease, carrying you bridal style. "I don’t have time to deal with your childish behavior; I’m taking you to get dressed in clothes more fitting for you". Realization hit, and you realized how dangerous your situation really was. Not wanting to dig yourself further into this loop, you complied. As he was carrying you to what seemed to be a bedroom, you took time to look around what you assumed to be his home. It was more of a traditional style, with mainly wood on the inside and dimly lit candles. What caught your eye were picture frames with images of a woman on the inside. She was beautiful, definitely above average. Her expensive-looking pink polka-dot kimono stood out brightly in the photograph. As you study her, you also notice the man beside her; he looked awfully familiar. You quickly glanced at the demon carrying you and took a mental note of their similar appearance. They looked like twins, one just.. human.

You made it to the bedroom. Akaza softly placed you on a king-sized bed in the middle of the room. "Wait here for a moment while I grab your new clothes". Not wanting to find out what he would do to you if you moved, you once again complied. “Look, I don’t understand what this is about but please I just want to go home”. 

Akaza came back with what seemed to be a kimono. “I thought I explained this to you already? I couldn’t help myself, I've never seen anyone like you love”. Your eyes widen when you see the details of the kimono—pink with white polka dots. The same one seen in the photographs of the woman. 

"I’ll help you put this on, then I’ll work on your hair flower’. He then slowly started removing your clothes, taking deeper breaths as he saw more and more of your bare skin. “I didn’t ask for this, I’m asking nicely please, just let me leave”. You tried as hard as you could to suppress the fear in your voice. You still had slight hope that he would let you go.  

"You're so beautiful, I don’t think I can handle it; it’s taking everything in me to respect you and keep myself together seeing you like this". Your body slightly shook at the feeling of his cold, large hands caressing your soft, plush skin; he had a drunk, dazed look when staring down at you. It took all Akaza had to keep his intentions from becoming impure when it came to you. You're the first woman to make him feel anything since his wife Koyuki died; by this point, he’s not sure if his own former wife was able to make him feel such a way. 

The way you gaze at him, the way your pretty chest rises when you breathe, your soft touch, your beautiful smile that could put the sun to shame—all of it was too much for him to handle. He just needs you entirely.

 “You're being delusional just let me go.” Your meek sentence didn’t seem to affect him in any way. Akaza continued carefully wrapping your body into the different layers of the Kimono, despite your protests. 

The moment the two of you met, you did something to his heart. The fight that introduced you two ended shortly, Akaza knew you would be no match. With only a few hits, Akaza was able to knock you out into a short coma and bring you to his home.Throughout your week long deep sleep he took the opportunity to study you, study your body. With your presence, his once incomplete heart shattered by his former wife's death now felt whole again. For now, your only job is to replace his dead wife and stay with him, promising to never leave his side.  

Akaza finished dressing you and was now fixing your hair. You had to admit that the way his hands felt in your hair was enough to put you to sleep. He was so gentle with you despite the battle you two fought, however long ago. No matter how much you hate to admit it, his treatment towards you has been nothing but loving. He touched you as if you were fine china, one of a kind, and could break at any moment. In his presence, you got the strange feeling that nothing else could ever lay hands on you, even if attempted. You were uneasy, noticing how he was transforming you into the girl in the picture. Mustering up all your courage, you decide to ask who the woman was. Akaza hummed softly as he delicately pinned up your hair; he was in pure bliss just by being able to lay his hands on you. He hasn’t felt such love for another human since his wife, Koyuki. 

“A- Akaza..? You spoke softly.”

 "Yes, baby?" he hummed in response. 

The little name made you repulse. "Who’s the woman in the pictures around your home?" you said. He paused, resting his hands on your shoulders, massaging them slightly. You scoffed at the action, Akaza acting as if he didn’t kidnap you made your sanity drop even lower. Then he spoke. "Koyuki, a woman I once loved; she’s long gone now, so no need to worry, precious". No matter how he put it, you knew deep down that you were replacing her in a way; the way he dressed you up was enough proof.

 "Don’t worry about things like that Y/N soon you'll be replacing those pictures" said Akaza while placing a heavy, wet kiss on your neck. There was nothing you could do but accept his love and affection. You were simply no match, any type of fighting or protest beyond this point would be completely useless. It may even get you in more trouble.

You're already in too deep, and there's no escaping his "love" now. Akaza grabbed your face harshly, contrasting his previous sweet actions. He forced a hungry kiss onto your soft lips that revealed more than his words. “Stop! w-what are you doing” you frantically attempted to escape his harsh grip. Akaza still had a tight grip on your face, causing a stinging sensation in your cheeks.

 "Your mine; do you understand that? Trying to leave will have consequences". You had done nothing wrong..? Was playing into his game not enough for him? This delusion of his went on for weeks. You would dress up in Koyuki’s old clothes, and Akaza would pretend that you were his wife and always have been.

 Over time, you grew too tired to fight back. After months of Akaza being your only contact with another being, you slowly started to crave his touch, the way he coddled you, his dark but loving gaze, his love in general. You find yourself willing to do anything for a piece of his love; you desire and need it.

 “Akaza please! You pleaded, I promise to be a good girl, just don’t make me sleep alone again”.

 Earlier that night, you accidentally broke a plate during dinner, dropping it. His punishments for you were harsh, especially if your mistake disturbed the "perfect wife" role you played for him. Sleeping alone was one of the worst punishments; you needed his touch. Having nobody to come save you and no chance of escaping guaranteed your stay here.This was your new reality.  Being a replacement didn't matter to you anymore. You would do it all for him, as long as he kept his love for you. 

The poison of Akaza's obsession consumes you entirely; you need him more than ever now.

Word Count: 1493

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read! This is my first story so bear with me. Feel free to leave me any type of criticism. Requests are open and I'm always available to chat about whatever. 

[hugmekenobi]

Next Steps

A Bad Batch Post S2 Oneshot

Gif by @im-no-jedi

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Summary: Although your return to the Batch has made things better, there are still elements of your past you have to face...

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, made-up timeline and what I imagine what Echo will be doing, limited use of y/n, swearing, my views on mindsets, referenced 'dead' characters and nightmares, mentions/descriptions of torture, detailed scar descriptions, angst, light fluff, nickname 'sweetheart', some emotional hurt/comfort, body and general worship, Hunter being dominant but a consent king, hint of a praise kink, Smut (non-explicit descriptions of making out/kissing, grinding, edging, fingering, oral (f) receiving, overstimulation, handjob, unprotected p in v- not in reality please), reader described as strong and powerful, smart and beautiful, Force-communication and more of my general interpretation of how the Force feels/works

Masterlist for S1 and S2

Word Count: 12.8K

Rating: 18+

Author's note: Once again, a massive thank you to @burningfieldof-clover for helping me when I got stuck and who I am very grateful to have as a friend! Dropping this before S3 graces our screens and I hope you all enjoy!

Chibbier

Echo waited in the forest clearing as the Marauder touched down. “I got your message. It sounded urgent, is everything alright?” Echo asked as soon as the door to the Marauder opened revealing his two brothers.

“Everything is fine, Echo.” Hunter said.

“More than fine.” Wrecker emphasised.

“But we agreed we weren’t to meet until (Y/N) was back with us so unless you’ve found her…” He trailed off as he saw the smile tugging at Wrecker’s mouth and Hunter in particular seemed more at ease than he’d been in the recent months. “Wait a second, you mean-”

“Hey stranger.” You said with a grin as you came into view and stood between Hunter and Wrecker. You laughed as Echo’s expression changed from stunned to happy then to relief in quick succession. You jogged down the steps and embraced him tightly. “Long time no see.”

“I’ll say.” Echo replied with a smile as he mirrored your actions. “You had me worried.”

“Worried?” You queried. It sounded like he had a specific worry in mind rather than the general worries that had plagued the rest of you for months.

“Last news of you I’d heard had me getting ready to tell the boys to launch a rescue mission.” Echo said as he parted from you. “But lucky for us, they found you before I needed to share that.”

If you weren’t so happy to see him, you could’ve punched him. You weren’t far away enough from the other two and you knew Echo’s words wouldn’t go unheard, especially by the clone with enhanced senses. You hadn’t gotten around to sharing that part of your time alone and you weren’t sure that you wanted to either.

Hunter hadn’t forgotten that there was something about your past that you weren’t telling him. He’d noticed small shifts and changes in your behaviour since you’d been back. It was things like you made sure to keep your top layer on at all times and if you had to take it off, you would always go to the refresher regardless of it you were alone or not which was something you never used to do. You hadn’t communicated with either him or Wrecker in the silent way you were able to do where they’d hear your voice in their head which was something you did regularly in the past. You were also more emotionally and physically distant, the latter happening at night in particular and ordinarily it wouldn’t bother him, but he knew the cause was rooted in something you’d gone through. But every time he tried to broach the issue, you refused to talk about whatever it was that was causing it, and it pained him that he could do nothing but watch the negative impact it continued to have on you.

“What’s going on with, Omega? Any new leads?” You asked Echo instead, ignoring Hunter’s hand that now rested on your upper arm.

“(Y/N)-”

“Not now, Hunter. Please.”

Hunter released a quiet and resigned sigh. He wanted to help you if he could, but he also knew he had to wait until you were ready. It was just getting harder to do that.

Echo glanced between the two of you. “I said something I shouldn’t have, didn’t I?”

You shook your head. “Don’t worry about it. Just fill us in.”

Echo’s eyes darted to Hunter who only nodded. He took a breath and waited for Wrecker to join the three of you. “Nothing new. Imperial security on Hemlock is tight and any breakthrough just results in more cryptic information.”

“Yeah, we’ve had much of the same.” You agreed irritably.

Echo nodded before he faced Hunter. “I know we said that we’d come together once we had (Y/N) back with us, but I think it’s better if I stay doing what I’m doing. Rex and I are going to meet and try to pool together what we’ve gathered. We can tell you what we find and send you to follow up on other sources since we can’t cover everything ourselves and you can also keep searching on your own.”

Before Hunter could form a reply, the sound of branches snapping grabbed his attention.

The blaster bolt that immediately followed the noise, skimmed the armour on your upper arm.

You all reacted quickly and took cover behind the trees.

The onslaught of fire was being directed towards you and would only occasionally be aimed to your fellow clones as a way to keep them from advancing towards the source. Evidently you were the main target here.

“Hunter!” You shouted over the sound of blaster fire. When he pressed his back against the tree trunk and his helmet looked over to you, you called on the Force and dragged the assailant out from their spot, and a well-aimed shot from Hunter saw to it that the blaster was rendered useless. You kept that link with your ally to Force-push them into another tree, and they crumbled to the floor.

All of you lowered your blaster for the moment. You needed to find out why they were here, killing them immediately wouldn’t get you very far.

You stepped out from behind your tree and observed the bounty hunter carefully. Throughout the firefight, you’d felt yourself being pulled towards them, but you couldn’t work out why and that urge hadn’t gone away.

Stiff and unsteady movements had you readying your blaster again but as the hunter got to their feet and caught your eye, you understood why that feeling was there.

Your heart stopped and you stayed rooted to the spot as you saw the blade ignite from the hilt they were holding. The ground around them illuminated in a pale blue haze and you understood what was calling you to the hunter now. Your feet suddenly began moving of their own accord.

The other three all shared a collective bewildered look at what was unfolding in front of them.

Hunter collected his shock quickly and raised his hand to order the others to halt their fire as you fully stepped out to into the clearing.

The bounty hunter charged for you, but the attack posed little threat to you. Whoever this was had no idea how to use an elegant weapon like this and their grip was heavy and clumsy. It wouldn’t take much for you to disarm them.

You ducked under their reckless and uncoordinated swing, grabbed their wrist, and bent it back until the weapon fell from their grasp. You landed a hard kick to their chest, and they stumbled back. The hood fell loose- now exposing a feminine face- but she wasn’t a bounty hunter you recognised. You didn’t have much time to dwell on that since she grabbed a small knife from her boot and jabbed it towards your stomach. You parried away her strikes before you grew tired of dragging this altercation out. Landing a strong punch to her jaw, you used her dazed disposition to Force-pull her face down to the forest floor and waved the others forward.

Hunter and Wrecker pressed their knees into her back and brought her arms around to firmly hold them behind her.

You paid little attention to what they were doing. You hesitantly walked over to the weapon left discarded on the ground.

“Who hired you?” Hunter demanded as he held her down.

“Fuck off.” She snarled as she fought against their grip, but they were too strong, and she was in a much weaker position than she’d been in ten minutes ago.

Echo merely bent down to reach into her jacket pocket and pulled out the tracking fob and bounty puck. Your holographic image confirming what they’d all suspected.

Upon seeing that, Hunter found himself pushing his knee deeper into her spine, paying little attention to her groans of protest.

“Where did you get this?” You questioned softly, more to yourself than anything. You kept your back turned to her as you knelt down and studied the familiar design on the hilt. You couldn’t pick it up, not yet. You knew what you would feel if you did, and you weren’t sure if you were ready for that.

“What?” The bounty hunter snapped as she went for another attempt to wriggle free, but the two clones kept her tight to the forest floor.

You stiffened your posture as you turned on your heels and strode over to her. You lowered your mask, found your voice, and crouched down to her eye level. “Where did you get the lightsaber?” You pointed back to where the weapon still lay abandoned.

“I’m not telling you a thing, Jedi brat.” She spat.

At her words, Hunter twisted her arm harder, ignoring her pained cry.

You signalled to Hunter to ease up and you stood tall once more and indicated to them both to get her on her feet.

Once they did so, you pressed your blaster against her stomach and brought your lips close to her ear- your voice a quiet but lethal whisper. “You know who I am and what I’ve done to people to get what I want. Do you want to be next?” At her harsh gulp, you kept pushing. “I can’t imagine what that’ll do for your reputation in your community... then again, maybe I can… shall we find out?” You knew you’d done enough as you sensed her flicker of fear. You took a step back and looked at her with a firm glare.

“It was the client I did the job for.” She muttered begrudgingly. She wasn’t about to be maimed or die for a job that wasn’t paying all that much in the first place. She’d worked too hard to be seen as a contender, she couldn’t lose that now.

“And who was that?” Hunter asked again, his voice steely.

“Some shop owner.” She replied irritably.

“A name.” You insisted.

“I can’t remember.”

You puffed out an exasperated sigh and took a half step forward.

“Kedrin! His name was Kedrin!” She revealed fretfully.

You saw the shared look between Hunter and Wrecker. “That name mean something to you?”

Wrecker nodded. “He was the one that told us to go to Christophsis to find you.”

The name meant nothing to you upon initially hearing it but evidently you were involved somehow. You ran the information over in your head. Shop owner… Kedrin… Christophsis… it was starting to make sense in your head and that would mean… Your breath caught in your throat as it hit you. You hadn’t even known his name and you’d taken his only family away from him.

“Why set the bounty on her?” Echo asked coolly, keeping his blaster focused on her.

“Not really supposed to ask.” She grunted. “He just mentioned a dead brother.” She saw the flash of something in your eyes… it looked like regret. “Oh… you killed him.”

You glared at her. You hadn’t had time to fill Echo in yet and this was not how you wanted to go about it.

Echo’s eyes darted from her to you. “What is she talking about?”

“Echo…” You started but a cruel laugh from the bounty hunter interrupted you.

“Oh, she’s achieved quite the reputation. Can’t go far in the Outer Rim without coming across someone who had dealings with her.”

Echo angled his head to face you, but you wouldn’t meet his gaze. As hard as you were trying to hide it, you looked… ashamed?

“Back off.” Wrecker growled at the hunter as he saw your mask of composure slip for a moment.

“What’s the matter, Jedi? Suddenly the killing and torture got too much for you? If they were all as weak as you, no wonder they’re all gone.” She taunted mercilessly.

“Shut up.” Hunter snarled as he saw the way your fists clenched as you worked on keeping your distress at bay.

But you knew it was a pointless venture. Despite her current predicament, that bounty hunter arrogance was in full flow now that she’d discovered your weakness, and she wasn’t about to stop. Her stare was filled with malice, but you wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of turning away. Your shoulders heaved as you worked on keeping your breathing even and controlled.  

The bounty hunter addressed the clones now. "I didn’t get much guidance from my client aside from ‘kill her’ so ever since I picked up that bounty, I've been trying to think of the most chaotic way to take her out. She's obviously felt enough emotional turmoil that an easy death would be a mercy. Jedi don't deserve the luxury. I like to play with my food before I kill it."

“And how’s that worked out for you?” You retorted though your conviction was weak as her words found their mark and her sneer told you she was completely unbothered about her current situation now. Your only plan involved letting her overconfidence be her own undoing.

“Nice try.” She mocked. “For a moment I believed your threats but now that I’m really looking at you, I know you don’t have it in you to kill me anymore. You’ve gone soft and you’re pathetic I can see it in your eyes- you’re haunted by what you’ve done, Jedi.”

Your jaw clenched and you could feel those emotions you’d worked so hard to control start to rise to the surface.

“I’m getting outta here and I fully intend to finish what the Empire started-”

Hunter’s fatal shot to her chest silenced her and she flopped to the ground.

“Looks like you have something you need to deal with first.” Echo advised Hunter as he destroyed the puck and tracking fob for good measure before he holstered his blaster. He faced you. “I still don’t know what happened whilst you were on your own, but your past is your own, I won’t hold anything against you, we’re still okay.” He reassured you.

You barely managed a nod of acknowledgement as her words were still replaying in your mind, but you wouldn’t let it show. Instead, you took out your vibroblade and cut a section of her clothing. You stayed silent as you took the piece of fabric and wrapped the lightsaber in it. You knew it was a lame gesture- especially since you immediately felt that rush of connection as you lifted it- but it provided you with a false sense of security that you would rather have because the second you made unrestrained contact with it, you knew you wouldn’t be able to resist or turn your back on it again. You held the hilt tightly before you waved farewell to Echo and made for the ship.

Hunter nodded absentmindedly at Echo’s words whilst his gaze was fixed on you. He knew seeing that lightsaber might bring back some memories, but the intensity of your reaction told him there was more to it than simply remembering that period of your life. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and reached his hand out to Echo. “Be safe, Echo. We’ll be in touch once we’ve dealt with this.”

“You too.” Echo replied, meeting Hunter’s hand in a firm handshake before they parted, and he watched Hunter head back to the Marauder.

“See you later, Echo.” Wrecker said warmly as he lightly slapped his brother’s shoulder before he followed Hunter to the ship.

--

“What’s so special about this lightsaber?” Wrecker asked as the ship entered hyperspace.

Hunter leaned against the entrance to the cockpit, arms crossed as he studied you. Your eyes hadn’t left the weapon sitting in your lap.

“It’s mine.” You said quietly.

Hunter immediately straightened up. “It’s yours?” He repeated.

“Yup.” You cleared your throat and brought your eyes up to face the two clones. “I figured it would’ve been destroyed in Order 66. Guess not.” You said with a resigned sigh.

“Woah! Talk about lucky!” Wrecker said excitedly but you didn’t seem to match his enthusiasm. “This is good news, isn’t it?” He asked, tilting his head at you.

“I don’t know what kind of news it is, Wrecker.” You said honestly.

“What’s your hold up?” Hunter asked curiously.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty handy weapon to have and if it belongs to you, isn’t it better that it’s back with you?” Wrecker followed up.

“It’s difficult to explain.” You deflected.

“Try us.” Hunter encouraged gently.

You shot him a look, hoping he would drop it but the look in his eyes told you that he was not for dissuading. You released a short breath. “It would be like taking back a section of my life I was ready to leave behind. That I had left behind… for years.”

“And you don’t know if you’re ready to reconnect with that part of you yet?” Hunter guessed.

You shrugged in complacent agreement. “Making the choice to leave the Jedi Order was already difficult and leaving my lightsaber…. well, that was hard enough the first time and now that I have it back… I don’t know.” You ran a hand over your face. “It’s just complicated.” You got to your feet and carefully put the lightsaber on a shelf in the cockpit.

Wrecker slapped his hands against his thighs. “Well, I always think things look less complicated after a good sleep, what do ya say? We all could use some rest before we sort out this Kedrin guy.”

Sleep didn’t provide you with much respite these days, but you hummed out a quiet laugh and shared a brief smile with Hunter. “Sounds like a good idea, Wrecker.”

--

Hunter jolted awake, panic setting in as he reached for you only to find that you weren’t there, and he had a horrible feeling that he hadn’t woken up yet. But no, he could hear Wrecker’s faint snores, so he had to be awake, and he knew he was back with you, it wasn’t a trick. There would be a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why you weren’t lying next to him right now.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. You were here, you’d been here for a while now. He’d found you; you were okay. It wasn’t like before. You were probably just in the cockpit. Yes, that’s where you had to be.

When he felt himself calm down, he got to his feet and noiselessly made his way there but paused in the entryway as he saw you reading one of Tech’s old datapads, top layer still on, feet tucked up beneath you as you sat in the pilot’s seat. He thought he’d gathered them all. “Where’d you find that?” He rasped; his voice still thick with sleep.

You jumped in your chair as you heard him. You had been utterly absorbed in what you were reading, you hadn’t sensed him approach. You looked up to see Hunter standing in the doorway to the cockpit. “Tucked behind the medkit. I forgot how much Tech truly recorded.” You said in fond remembrance although there was an overall sense of sorrow in your voice. You flashed him the title of the current report you were reading. “Remember that mission on Ryloth?”

“You and Wrecker got separated from the rest of us and decided to blow up the target from the inside and escape through the garbage chute if I remember correctly?”

“Right.” You said with a soft chuckle.

“Pretty sure that was the mission that made you a fully-fledged member of our squad, Wrecker couldn’t stop raving about you after that. I was almost jealous.” Hunter managed to joke.

You gave him a small grin at that before you turned off the datapad and properly took him in. “Guess you couldn’t sleep either?” You asked in a hushed voice as Hunter stepped further into the cockpit.

Hunter merely shook his head and sat across from you.

“Nightmares?” You figured as you delicately put the datapad back and sat in your seat once more.

“I prefer calling them recaps.” Hunter muttered dully as he sat across from you.

You reached for his knee and squeezed it comfortingly. “Do you want to talk more about them?”

Hunter shook his head. “You know and lived it all too and being here with you helps anyway. What about you?”

“Just a lot weighing on my mind.” You said airily as you brought your hand back to your lap.

Hunter made a small noise of quiet understanding. He hadn’t been expecting much more by way of a response from you.

“I don’t know how he does it.” You whispered in sad envy as you jutted your chin over to where Wrecker was sleeping soundly.

Hunter followed your gaze and sighed. “It’s the only way he can switch off. Especially in the early months, he struggled with remembering everything.”

“Yeah, any form of healing from all this won’t be easy.” You said with a heavy breath.

“Wrecker might be able to sleep better than we can, but he keeps a blaster by him and has his hand on it at all times. I don’t think he ever wants to be caught off guard again.” Hunter replied solemnly. “Moving on won’t ever be simple.”

You dipped your head in agreement and leaned back in your chair.

The minutes ticked by and the two of you sat in comfortable silence for a while before Hunter cleared his throat. “I’m going to be selfish for a moment, okay?”

You tilted your head at him and adjusted your posture to give him your full attention. “Okay…”

Hunter took another breath, his throat bobbing before he spoke, “You can’t leave me to wake up alone like that.”

It hit you immediately. Fuck, you’d been an idiot, of course you couldn’t do that. If he’d done that to you, you would lose your shit. How could you have been so stupid? “Hunter-”

“I had one night too many of waking up to a cold and empty space and worrying about where you were and what was happening to you. I can’t go through it again, I won’t. Not anymore.”

You’d been so wrapped up in your own head, you hadn’t even considered what that would do to him, but you should’ve known better, especially because your reaction would be exactly like his. You quietly stood up and closed the short gap between you to straddle his lap.

He accommodated you in an instant and his eyes fluttered shut as you gently stroked your fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry.” You soothed as you placed delicate kisses to his face whilst you moved your hands to rub up and down his chest, his sleep clothes warm and soft beneath your palms.

Hunter caught your wrists and tenderly caressed the scars left there as a result of what you’d endured in Cid’s parlour. “I barely lived through it once and I won’t do it ever again. I don’t care what time it is, if you’re up and struggling with something you wake me up with you. I’d rather that than wake up without you and have that pain and panic set it again. Promise me… please.” He begged, brushing some strands of hair back behind your ear as his eyes looked deep into yours.

You nuzzled into his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his pulse point. “I promise.” Your lips traced his jaw. “And you promise too.”

“I promise.” Hunter agreed and he tucked his fingers under your chin and brought your lips to his.

You had wanted to keep it short and sweet, but you soon found yourself physically incapable. One gentle nip from him on your bottom lip and you were done for. The kiss soon turned hungry and desperate. The two of you were consumed by a passion you’d had no outlet for yet, and you were getting completely lost in the moment. Your hands threaded themselves in his hair and you pressed yourself against him as he deepened the kiss and squeezed your hips to get you to subtly grind against him which were instructions you were only too happy to follow.

It was all over though when you felt his hands start to reach the bottom of your shirt and brush against your bare skin. Instinctively, you flinched away, and you crashed back to reality. You knew what marks you were concealing, and what he would feel if he lifted your shirt, and it wasn’t something he should have to see. “I- I can’t.” You panted against his lips. Your body yearned for him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to go any further, not yet. Everything was still too fresh, and you couldn’t, no matter how much you wanted to.

Even though his body burned for you, he’d never push you into this, but he wanted to share the burden of whatever it was that was tormenting you. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened to you?” Hunter murmured breathlessly as he glanced up at you.

You swallowed thickly. “I want to but-” You released a low, shaky breath. “It’s- it’s hard to talk about.”

Hunter stroked your cheek. “Well, when you’re ready, I’ll be right there.”

You pressed your lips into his palm.

“Come on, let’s try to get some rest. We’ll arrive at Nelvaan in a few hours.” He kissed your forehead before you got to your feet and the two of you made your way back to your bunk.

--

“Y- you’re supposed- supposed to be dead!” Kedrin exclaimed fearfully as he cowered behind the main counter upon seeing you standing in the doorway of his shop, the two clones on either side of your shoulders.

“You should’ve sprung for a better bounty hunter then.” You countered as you walked towards the store owner. “I have some questions for you.”

“No, I’m not dealing with any of you ever again!” Kedrin reached underneath the counter and pulled out a blaster and pointed it at you.

You stopped your advance and raised your hands in surrender. “Kedrin, I just need to talk to you.”

“Fuck you! You don’t get to use my name and talk to me like what you did to me was nothing!”

You internally cringed at the memory of what you’d put him through.

“Did you even know he was my brother?!” He shouted in anger. “Did you even care, you heartless bitch?!”

Hunter tensed beside you.

You lightly grazed his hand with your own to tell him it was fine but at the same time shame coiled in your gut. You lowered your mask and kept your voice low and composed. “Kedrin-”

“Stop using my fucking name, you never bothered with it before!” He then turned his rage to the clone that stood closest to you. “And you! I still have the scar from you!” He yelled at the clone on your right, the blaster in his hand still quivering as he aimed it between the three of you.

Hunter stood unwavering beside you and said nothing.

You saw how unsteady his grip on his blaster was. “You’re not a killer, Kedrin. It’s why you sent the bounty hunter after me in the first place.” You said as an attempt to talk him down but the Force around him was in complete chaos, the only emotion that had any kind of control was his anger and that was dangerous. You knew the kind of pain and wrath the loss of a loved one could unleash, and it was why you’d never wanted to put anyone through it in the first place but now you were seeing the impact of your mistake firsthand.

“You killed my brother you fucking bitch!”

You sensed him getting ready to pull the trigger. “Kedrin-” You ducked as the blaster bolt came straight for your head. You channelled the Force and took the blaster from his hand whilst Hunter and Wrecker used that distraction to advance and subdue him. They shoved his head and torso down to press against the countertop.

“Do you want one to match?” Hunter threatened as he reached for his vibroblade and held the sharp point just above Kedrin’s unmarked hand as he and Wrecker held him down.

“Hunter, it’s okay.” You said, pulling him back from that line the two of you had agreed to keep each other from as you saw the way his grip strengthened and the wince of pain Kedrin couldn’t conceal.

Kedrin kept looking for a way out of their hold but was proving futile. “She murdered my brother.” He whimpered as he continued some half-hearted attempts to free himself.

“You’re right. I did.” You approached him and crouched to meet his eyeline. “And it was a mistake that I’m plagued by to this day. All I can do is say that I’m sorry. I know you’d love nothing more than to kill me too, it would probably feel great but please, please Kedrin, don’t do this. It won’t end well for you.” You begged. When his resistance finally ceased, you turned your attention to Hunter.

“Give us a minute.” You said to Hunter, resting a hand on the top of his shoulder.

“But-” Hunter got ready to argue.

“Hunter.” You interrupted firmly and fixed him with a stern stare.

Recognising that tone and look in your eyes, Hunter released a disgruntled but compliant sigh and nodded to Wrecker to let him go. He holstered his blaster and sheathed his vibroblade before leading the way out.

As you heard the door shut, you stepped back from the counter to give Kedrin some space. “You have no reason to trust me, but I promise that I’m not going to hurt you, that’s not why I’m here.”

“You’re- you’re not here to kill me for the bounty hunter?” Kedrin asked warily.  

You shook your head. “There was a time where that’s what precisely I would do and I wouldn’t even hesitate, but you’re not the person I’m supposed to be hurting and neither was your brother. I know nothing I say will bring you comfort but I am not here to kill you. I only want to talk.” You said sincerely as you put your weapons to the ground and faced him calmly.

Kedrin massaged his right shoulder- which had been on the receiving end of a particularly harsh grip from the clone you referred to as ‘Hunter’- and narrowed his eyes at you. “What is it exactly that you want to talk about?”

“This.” You placed the lightsaber on the counter and unwrapped it. “Where’d you get it?”

Kedrin wasn’t buying that that was all you wanted to know about, you had to be here for revenge. “How do I know you won’t do some magic thing like you did last time?”

You released an irritated sigh. “Because if I was going to do that, I would’ve done it already. I won’t lie, I can’t leave here with you still intent on sending hunters after me or I will have to do some things neither of us will enjoy, particularly you. I will always regret taking yours away from you, it was never part of my plan to leave someone alone, but my family is still counting on me, and I can’t have anything messing that up. Please, leave us alone and I’ll never bother you again after this.”

Kedrin angled his head and regarded you inquisitively. His body was still filled with fear of being alone with you, but it was like there was a different person standing before him- you seemed genuinely upset and sorry; and that in of itself would be punishment enough- better you feel the guilt of what you’d done than have an easy out. “You’re the most terrifying person I’ve ever met but for some reason, I believe what you’re saying. No more bounty hunters.”

You felt into the Force around him but there was no dishonesty or deceit. “The lightsaber?” You redirected his attention to the weapon on the counter.

Kedrin shrugged. “What about it?”

“Where did you get it?” You repeated impatiently.

Kedrin flinched at your tone and- not wanting to risk upsetting you any further- started wiping down some glass cases to channel his nervous energy and spoke quickly. “I’ve had it for a while, couldn’t tell you who gave it to me. Just that they were employed to be a part of the clean-up after your lot betrayed the Chancellor and found it and wanted a souvenir of the experience.”

You coughed and bit back the flurry of insults and threats that nearly escaped your mouth.

Kedrin, now so focused on his task that he was oblivious to your discomfort, carried on in a restless ramble, “Guess they ran into tough times during the transition period and wanted rid of it for some quick cash. No one really wanted to buy it though, it just sat there which was why I gave it to that bounty hunter.”

You felt your heartbeat thundering in your ears as you realised what this could mean for you. Leaving it behind had been an active choice to cut part of yourself off from the Force and now you had a chance to feel the Force flow through you as a single entity, no more jagged or disjointed connections… but you didn’t know if you were ready for that yet, it was too much to even comprehend. If it had survived everything and found its way back to you… did that mean that you could too?

“So, um are you going to pay for it?” He dared to ask but your sharp and cold glower had him gulping nervously and wringing his hands. “Uh, never mind, you can take it.” He said hastily. “Just let us be done with each other.”

You said nothing to him, you only covered it once more, picked up your other weapons and exited the shop.

--

“Everything okay?” Hunter asked as you emerged from the store.

“We were going to go get some supplies if you want to join?” Wrecker added.

“I need a moment. You guys go.” You said, giving Wrecker your concealed lightsaber and avoiding eye contact with them both as you hurried back to the Marauder.

--

Having found a moment of relief under the warm water, you got out of the shower and started to towel off and redress but as you pulled your tank top over you, you realised you’d left your long sleeve out by your bunk. You swore under your breath and only hoped the other two would take a bit longer on the supply run. You dashed out the door of the refresher and started to rummage through the bunk for it.

“Who did that to you?”

You whipped around to see Hunter stood frozen in the entryway to the Marauder. “Dammit Hunter-”

“Who did that to you?” He repeated heatedly, his concern and rage rising each second. The sight of the deep and cruel scars that disappeared from your upper back beneath your shirt to the rest of your back was engrained in his mind and any plans of waiting for you to come to him evaporated as his anger and protectiveness overcame him.

Wrecker stepped up beside his brother, put the supplies down and your weapon on a shelf. He nervously glanced between the two of you and it didn’t take an enhanced skill for him to pick up on the way Hunter was trembling with fury. “Eh, what’d I miss?”

Hunter ignored him and kept his eyes on you. “Who was it?”

You turned back around to grab your shirt and it was then that you heard Wrecker’s sharp inhale as he too now saw what it was Hunter had seen. You fiddled with the fabric, twisting it tightly in your hands. “It wasn’t like it was solely one person. Just forget about it.” You muttered aloofly.

“No, I can’t just forget about it. Who. Hurt. You?” 

You sighed heavily and half-turned to face the two clones. “It was a two for one special.”

“Don’t.” Hunter chided sternly. He couldn’t have you make light of this, not when he’d seen what you’d gone through now. He couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer anymore and, as awful as a part of him found it, he had to push you now.

There was no leeway in his voice, you weren’t going to be able to dodge and weave your way out of this conversation now. “Basically, it was both Imperial Stormtroopers and their higher command officers.” You swallowed harshly. “They- they worked together on this one.”

Hunter simply stormed away from you to the ship’s controls. “Wrecker, let’s get the ship in the air.”

“You’re going to go after every Imperial officer and stormtrooper in the galaxy?” You scrappily tugged your top layer over you and hustled after the two of them as they strode into the cockpit.

“If I have to!” Hunter growled.

“I’m with the Sarge on this one.” Wrecker agreed severely as he started to power up the ship.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought but that’s not logical nor practical!” You argued.

“Don’t talk to me about practicality when they did that to you!” Hunter shouted angrily.

“It was my fault, Hunter!” You yelled back.

That caused both of them to pause and Wrecker turned off the engine.

“I did it to myself.” You said, your voice scarcely above a whisper as you braced yourself for the time you were about to relive.

“What are you talking about?” Hunter asked, his voice as quiet as yours now as he studied your face carefully.

“Before I tell you, I need you both to stay calm. Especially you.” You said to Hunter. You knew he wasn’t mad at you; his reaction had been exactly as you’d expected. His fierce protectiveness was a quality you loved about him, but it could be his undoing if he wasn’t careful. “And you need to know and accept that nothing would’ve changed it, it wasn’t your fault, it was mine. I acted in poor and emotional judgement and there was nothing you could’ve done to prevent it. Please, trust me on this.” You insisted with a pleading stare at him before you looked to Wrecker who- albeit hesitantly- nodded. You glanced to Hunter again who was still looking like he could take on the Empire singlehandedly. “Hunter?”

Hunter felt a keen sense of dread at your words, and it was highly likely he wouldn’t be able to view it quite as simply as that, but he allowed himself a deep and calming breath. He’d do this for you. “Tell me.”

You exhaled nervously and fidgeted with your hands. Realistically, you’d known you wouldn’t be able to go through the rest of your life without being found out or talking about it but that didn’t make doing this any easier. “I’m sure I don’t really have to go into how hard it was to find each other, right? I’m sure you guys had your fair share of failed leads and things were pretty hopeless for a while, yes?”

Hunter and Wrecker both nodded.

You took another breath. “Right, well, it was the same for me. During our time apart, nothing I did was getting me any closer to you and I could feel it draining me every day. Lyra and I arrived on Christophsis and decided to settle there but it didn’t help. No matter how hard I searched, no matter how much of myself I gave up when it came to getting what I wanted, nothing was bringing results, and I was angry. I was angry, frustrated and just miserable. And it was in that poor state of mind that I made a choice that I shouldn’t have.”

Hunter knew those emotions all too well and he’d get incredibly impatient and unfocused when they got overwhelming, but he’d been fortunate to have Wrecker around to pick up the load when it got too much. Yes, you may have had Lyra, but he knew you and how you operated, and you would’ve put it all on you, regardless of how exhausting it would’ve been and that’s what made him nervous as he awaited further explanation.

You shuffled your feet. “I was being a bit of a nuisance to the Empire wherever I went, Christophsis was no exception, but I was getting nowhere on the information front so, in my slightly unstable state, I figured the best way to find out about you or even Hemlock was to um well, find it straight from the source.”

Hunter’s heart skipped a beat. “No, no you didn’t.”

Wrecker looked between the two of you in confusion but then it clicked with him too and he stared at you, horrified. “Why would you do that?”

You swallowed thickly. “I thought that by handing myself in, I would be able to get the information I was needing. I figured they would have some form of intel on you I could use.” You huffed irritably as you remembered how foolish you’d been. “Turns out they were a lot smarter than I gave them credit for and they sussed out my plan pretty quickly.”

You winced as Hunter threw his helmet and it crashed against the wall. You expected no less but you needed to reign him back in if you had any chance of recounting the whole story. “That’s not staying calm.”

Hunter got to his feet and paced; his distress evident. “We were on your trail! If I’d been faster and picked our sources more carefully, you wouldn’t have had to-” Hunter seethed. How could he have failed you so badly? You’d put yourself through hell for their sake and if he had gotten to you sooner, you wouldn’t have had to have gone through this.

“Hunter, no.” You shook your head to stop him from putting the blame on himself. “The whole reason I did it was because the trail was running cold, and I was desperate. It was all on me. and I’m not done explaining this yet and it doesn’t get better, but you can’t do this. I understand and appreciate where it comes from, but it won’t help now, okay? Just let me finish it.”

Hunter clenched his jaw but did as you asked. He sat back down and nodded at you to continue but he was helpless to stop the anxious shaking of his leg.

You gritted your teeth as you prepared yourself for what you had to do next and any levity that you’d previously been forcing into your voice vanished. “Since they knew what I was and some of the general history between all of us, it’s like I said, they were aware of what I wanted, and they definitely weren’t up for giving it to me. They finally had me under their control, and they were very good at making sure I wasn’t getting away any time soon. Honestly, they were pretty creative with their methods and I’m sure some of them found doing what they did to me quite therapeutic.” That dismissive attitude slipped back in at the end without you meaning to. Frankly, you probably wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the sharp and worried looks from Wrecker and Hunter. You mentally checked yourself before you proceeded.

“Where they showed their inexperience however was when they got frustrated at how little I gave them. I don’t think they realised how hard it would be to crack someone like me. Their fists, their whips, their electrostaffs… it all hurt but it wouldn’t get me to talk. So, they went for something different, and that was what got them quite close.” You stopped again and found yourself touching the small pinprick scar as you remembered the sharp sting and then the complete haziness that would follow that would render your completely susceptible to anything they would do and say. “Whatever concoction they’d inject into my neck when they got bored or too tired from physically hurting me was nearly impossible for me to resist and that was a terrifying experience... I was having to fight my own mind while they happily watched on. That interrogator droid would enter, and- and my body would go cold with fear every time.” You paused for a chance to gather yourself and squeezed your eyes tight to rid yourself of the memories of that dark, cramped room they would take you where you were helpless to their cruelty and the last thing you would clearly recall would be the whirring of that droid approaching you.

You took another breath before you continued to speak. “That was what came close to breaking me and they worked that out. Every day they would inject me with that serum to make me submit to their words and they would tell me you were right outside. They- they would tell me that I would see- see you all again if I only told them how much I knew about Omega and where I was hiding…. And every day I would have to remind myself that it was all a lie… that you weren’t there, and I couldn’t reveal anything since that would put Lyra in danger too.” You released a shaky breath. “Or they’d try to convince me that you were going through the same thing I was and- and it was my fault and to get- to get it to stop I would have to tell them everything.” You felt a lump form in the back of your throat, but you forced yourself to talk through it. “They could beat me all they wanted but that was the thing that actually left a mark… these scars merely came with the territory.”

A troubled silence fell upon the walls of the Marauder as you finished. You picked at some imaginary lint on your leggings as a way to bring your emotions under control.

Hunter felt sick to his stomach. He could’ve saved you or made it so putting yourself in that position would never have needed to seem like a viable option. You’d needed him and he hadn’t been there. He’d let you down.

You caught a glimpse of his expression changing from anger to defeated sadness and he didn’t need to vocalise those thoughts; you were perfectly aware of what would be going through his head. “It’s okay.” You mouthed silently to him.

You shouldn’t be the one comforting him. A broken and anguished sigh left his throat. Okay? How was any of this okay? You’d subjected yourself to torture for them and had carried the burden of it by yourself for so long.

“How’d you get away?” Wrecker asked in quiet upset as he imagined you experiencing that.

You coughed and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill from your eyes. “Truth be told, it gets a bit blurry near the end. I…” You trailed off and frowned as you worked on accurately recalling what had gone down the day you got out. You hesitantly started your explanation again. “I remember overhearing that they were going to send me off world to a high security prison and I couldn’t have that. The trooper who put the cuffs on me to take me back to my cell was a rookie, I think he figured I was unconscious, so he used the regular ones that didn’t restrict my Force-wielding abilities. Then the dizziness and blackouts set in, I remember finding the strength to take him out, but I don’t exactly know how I proceeded from there. The next thing I do remember was collapsing outside the door to where we were living and Lyra dragging me inside.”

“Hunter?” You looked to him since he hadn’t said anything yet.

Hunter’s throat had gone so dry, he couldn’t summon words immediately. All that was racking through his head was how he could’ve prevented this and how he should’ve been there to save you. You never should’ve been the one to drag yourself out of that hellhole. The protective part of him wanted to find a way for you to come up with any identifying features that could assist in hunting down those who’d inflicted that pain on you but despite all you’d relayed to them, he was calmer now and he knew that wasn’t what you wanted. He may have failed you then, but he wouldn’t now. His focus now lay in what he could do for you now but there was an element to the explanation he was missing and once he had that, everything else could fall into place. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He murmured instead.

There was no accusation in his eyes, no pointedness or blame in his tone. You knew he just wanted to understand, and it was a fair question. “I was working on compartmentalising it; it was just going badly. And-” You stopped yourself from continuing and instead just started to back away. “Nothing.”

“And what?” Hunter pressed as he got to his feet and caught your hand before you could step away any further.

You shook your head. “It’s a stupid reason, I shouldn’t care about it.”

“Nothing you’re feeling about this is stupid. I might be able to help, you only need to tell me.” Hunter prompted tenderly as he stroked the back of your hand with his thumb.

You regarded him carefully, attempting to find some deception or falseness in his tone so you didn’t have to say it but, unsurprisingly, you didn’t find any. You bit your lip before speaking, “I didn’t want you to have to see them. They’re- they’re not exactly nice to look at.” You muttered as you dipped your head to stare at the floor.

The fact that that was even cause for concern felt like a punch to the gut but at least there was something he could do about it. He may not be able to go after the Imperials like he wanted but he could help you realise that was a non-issue for him and one that hadn’t even crossed his mind. “Wrecker, take a walk. I’ll be in touch when you can come back.” Hunter ordered his brother.

Wrecker wasn’t about to question him, so he did as he said. He rested a gentle hand on your shoulder in comfort. “Thank you for telling us.” He said before he left the ship.

You went to address Hunter, but he spoke first.

“Turn around.”

Your brow furrowed but you couldn’t deny the warmth that bloomed in your stomach at his words. “What?”

“Turn around.” Hunter repeated, his tone quiet but filled with dominance.

Despite your lingering questions as to what exactly it was that he wanted, you found yourself doing as he instructed. You could feel the heat in your stomach start to radiate throughout the rest of his body. Each steady thump of armour hitting the ground had goosebumps rising on your skin in anticipation and you felt him crowd your back and rest his chin in the space between your neck and shoulder.

Hunter kissed the sensitive spot behind your ear and as he felt you relax into him; he slowly grabbed the hem of your long-sleeved layer and lifted it over your head and dropped it to the floor of the ship. He didn’t let his eyes fall to the scars yet. Instead, he caressed the trail of goosebumps on your arms and continued to pay close attention to your neck, softy nibbling the areas that he knew would make you weak at the knees.

He could play your body so well; it was like the two of you hadn’t been parted for as long as you had been. You could feel yourself growing more and more compliant to his touch and desire coursed through your body. You only snapped out of it when you felt his touch go lower and he tugged the bottom of your vest top. You went stiff and immediately grabbed his hands in a panic. “Hunter, no. You-”

“Easy.” He soothed as he pressed delicate, featherlight kisses to the back and each side of your neck. “Trust me.” He rasped against your skin, but he waited for your signal.

You released a low, unsteady breath. You couldn’t live in this state of fear and shame forever. You trusted him with everything you had and that was why you felt yourself letting go of his wrists. Your breathing grew uneven, and your body trembled as you felt his bare hands graze underneath your vest top before, they held onto the hem of it.

“Relax… it’s okay. You’re okay now. Let me see.” He encouraged gently, only lifting when he saw you nod your permission.  

His gaze finally dipped to your bare back, and he had to fight to keep his breathing calm as he felt his heart shatter once he saw the full extent of what had been done to you. Your back was a map of merciless and vicious scars, and he wanted nothing more to take away the pain they’d caused you and inflict it on his own body. But that was the only effect they had. He was not repulsed, not repelled by the sight of them. They did nothing to ruin his physical perception of you. You were every bit as beautiful to him now as you had been when he first met you on Devaron all that time ago. “You’re exquisite.”

You refused to believe that. These were different to the scars you were both used to that came with the impact of battle and you were under no illusions as to how unsightly they were. You went to turn to face him so he wouldn’t have to keep looking at them and to protest his words, but he sensed that and beat you to it.

“These do not define you. They do not define my view of you. You are strong, you are capable, and you are a force to be reckoned with and that is why I love you.” He started to lightly touch each one. “No amount of scarring is going to change that. You. Are. Beautiful. I will be there to remind you of that whenever you need it.” He pressed his mouth to the space between your shoulder blades.  

Your body trembled under his touch and his sincerity threatened to overwhelm you. “Hunter-” You managed to choke out.

“I would tear the galaxy apart for you, if you wanted me to.” He hummed against your skin as he continued to trail his lips down your back, worshipping every mark that had been left on you so as to leave a new association with them now. “But I know that’s not what you need.”

A quivering breath left your lungs at his words and ministrations, and you knew you felt the same way. But it was because the two of you were aware of that line that your relationship worked so well- you could balance the sentiment with intent. You could feel him starting to make his way back up your back.

“So, what is it that you need?” He hummed into your ear before he placed his hands on your waist and sucked a mark over the tiny scar that rested on your pulse point.

You groaned and braced your hands on the wall that formed the entryway to the cockpit as you felt your knees buckle.

“Tell me, sweetheart. Tell me and it’s yours.” He asked again as his fingers started to dip beneath the waistband of your leggings whilst he pulled your earlobe between his teeth.

You knew exactly what it was, it was all you ever really needed. “You.” You gasped and you swore you felt him smile against your skin.

“You have me… always.”

You couldn’t hold out any longer, you turned around and crushed your lips against his with a groan and pushed him to the wall of the entrance to the cockpit. If he was taken aback by your abruptness, he didn’t show it as he matched your enthusiasm immediately, one hand coming to firmly grip your exposed waist whilst the other tangled itself in your damp hair, a desperate and eager noise leaving him as he got to feel your body press against his.

As you kissed him, your hands fisted his shirt and you pulled insistently but made no moves to actually step away to remove it, you were too addicted to the feeling of having him this way again… yet you needed to feel his skin against yours which is why you were thankful that he had enough willpower to separate himself from you and take it off himself.

The two of you breathed heavily and the air was thick with tension, but you were too focused on looking at what rested just past his collarbone. You hadn’t allowed yourself to check if he had held onto it for fear of what it could mean if it was gone, and your breath hitched. You touched the black leather cord and traced the small Jedi Order symbol on the end. “You- you kept it?”

“Of course, I did.” He softly uttered, if a little out of breath. He cradled your face in his palms. “What do I have to do to make you see what I see in you?”

Any answer died on your lips, and he passionately reconnected his mouth to yours, using your surprised gasp to deepen the kiss before he stepped away from the wall and started to direct you both down the narrow hallway to your bunk, muscle memory mapping the way as neither of you were content to separate to make the walk any easier.

A trail of clothes was left in your wake as you made your way to your bunk.

Hunter gently laid you down, his lips never parting yours before he patted your hip to get you to be on your front.

You still found yourself feeling reluctant. His beautiful brown eyes were laden with lust but there was also a deep and devoted sense of care behind them which was why you complied with his request. You trusted him.

Hunter went back to what he’d done earlier as he left delicate kisses to every scar that donned your back. What you endured was something no one should ever have to but what he could do now was make sure you knew that you didn’t need to hide them for the sake of other people- especially him- any longer. “You never have to worry about these. All that matters to me is that you’re here now, you got away, and you will never end up back there. More scars don’t have the power to change how I feel about you, nothing does. I love you for all that you are.” He planted a kiss to the base of your spine before he got you on your back to face him.

Hunter wiped away the salty tears that had escaped your eyes and nudged the side of your nose with his. “I love you. Always.”

“Always.” You repeated hoarsely as you were overwhelmed by the emotions that came crashing to the surface. You stroked back the smaller bits of hair that frequently slipped past his bandanna. 

Hunter kissed your cheek before leaving a trial of kisses along your jawline whilst his hand slowly made its way down your body to rest between your thighs.

Your legs parted for him on instinct and your hips bucked into his touch and a soft moan left your throat.

His voice took on a low purr as he moved his fingers. “Here’s how this is going to work: I am going to tell you everything that I love about you which you are then going to repeat and… if you don’t…” He stopped and took his hand away as he saw that familiar expression on your face, and he couldn’t help the slight smirk that tugged the edges of his mouth as that expression turned into an affronted pout. “I stop.”

Your eyes widened at the very clear implications of what he had in store for you.

“Or this doesn’t have to go any further and we stop now.” He offered sincerely.

No, you didn’t want that. It had been too long, and you needed him like your lungs needed oxygen. You could do this. You nodded your consent.

Hunter angled his head to press his lips against yours before he started to move his fingers again, hungrily swallowing your appreciative gasp. He kissed you passionately, not in any rush to stop right now. He parted from you and took a second to appreciate the throaty sighs that left your mouth at his actions, the way you bit your lip and the slight wrinkle on your brow as you grew closer to your release. He’d missed being able to see you like this, but he was relishing the opportunity to relearn and do all the things that made your body contort in pleasure. “You’re beautiful.” He exhaled in complete awe.

You were so caught up in the pleasure radiating throughout your body that you had already forgotten his plan and you were too put out by the feeling of your climax fading away to recall where your side of the bargain came into it. “Hey-” You cut yourself off as you saw the expectant expression on his face and then you remembered what you had to do to get what you craved but that doubt was still there, and you felt awkward doing it. However, the reassurance and trust that also rested on his face saw to it that you did as he said. “I- I’m beautiful.”

 Hunter bowed his head with a supportive smile before he carried on, the sound of your groan was like music to his ears. “Despite all that’s happened… all that we still have to do… you always find a way to make me smile.”

You were in a state of total euphoria and therefore failed to fully comprehend that he’d said something else. It was only when you felt him pull his hand away and the emptiness that followed that brought you back to the current situation. With a whine, you spoke again, “I- make- make you s- smile.” You ground out as you moved your hips in tandem with his touch as you chased your high.

He let you have your first climax, pausing to let you come down from it. Once your breathing evened out, he went again and kissed you before muttering against your lips, “You’re smart.”

“I’m- fuck.” You were too distracted by seeking the next release you were longing for to remember to respond, and you cried out in irritation as he stopped just before you reached it.  

“Almost.” He crooned into your ear.

As frustrated as you were, you got your bearings and whispered, “I’m smart.”

“Good girl.” He praised, a grin on his face as your breath stuttered at his words, before he continued, curling his fingers in the way he knew would send you over the edge and sure enough, your hips lifted as your release crashed over you and a gratified moan sounded from you. However, he didn’t stop, he worked you through it and said, “You’re caring.”

The process got easier and began to feel more natural. You slowly started to understand that clinging on to that part of your past had made it impossible to fully come back. Keeping yourself hidden and refusing to acknowledge what you’d experienced had made it difficult to fathom that he could still want you this way but each affirmation from his, as silly as you’d initially felt at doing what he said, was helping cement the idea that you may not be able to change or fix what you’d gone through, but it didn’t have to control you anymore. You had a partner and family that loved you and who you adored and would do anything for. You would get through this and now you were beginning to feel like you could do it. You felt yourself believing what he was telling you. A whimper left your throat, and you could already sense that you were hurtling towards the edge again, but you repeated it. “I’m c- caring.” You said through panted breaths as you coped with the overstimulation.

“You’re doing so well.” He encouraged as he kept to his word and continued to touch you. “You’re strong.” He knew he was repeating himself, but they weren’t words he minded reiterating, and he needed you to know and believe it too.

“I’m strong.” You said breathlessly as your hands curled into the blanket beneath you as that feeling overcame you again.

He saw you through your next peak and took his hand away to give you a rest from the stimulation and simply stared at you and the blissed out look on your face. He had it committed to memory, but it never ceased to take his breath away every time.

You gathered yourself enough to smile at him. “Thank you.” You whispered as you lightly followed the shape of his tattoo. You clasped the back of his neck and attempted to pull him towards you, but he worked his way out of your grip and instead kissed the hollow of your throat before kissing his way down the rest of your body. Your head fell back as you realised his intent, but you had thought it would be time for him to take what it was he needed.

He could help the groan that left him as he finally put his mouth on you. He could get drunk off the taste of you, and it had been too fucking long since he’d had the chance to do so, and he wasn’t about to stop now.

You couldn’t help the way your hands tangled in his hair and tugged him closer to you, his appreciative growl sent shivers down your spine, but you were so sensitive, and you didn’t think you could manage another one. “Hunter, I can’t. Just-”

“One more. I know you can.” He encouraged desperately as he planted a kiss to your inner thigh, sucking a bruise into the skin, before he went back to where his attention was demanded. He needed you to fall apart on his tongue, he was addicted to it, every drop of you, every whimper that sounded from you was like his own personal drug and he would never tire of it. “You’ve been such a good girl… done everything I’ve asked for… just give me one more, sweetheart.”

That did it. Your back arched and you finished with a ruined and exhausted moan. You were completely spent but it felt so good. You barely registered him to come rest beside you, his lips pressed against your temple.

“I know that wasn’t easy, but I’m so proud of you.” Hunter murmured into your hairline as he stroked up and down your side.

You regained enough feeling in your limbs to turn on your side “What about you?” You queried, still struggling to catch your breath. You knew you would be sensitive but your overwhelming longing for him swiftly outweighed any concerns.

Hunter slowly shook his head as he brushed his lips against yours, taking them away when you went to deepen the kiss. “This was always about you.”

With each passing moment, you were gaining more clarity over your faculties, and you knew what you had to do. A seductive smile pulled at the corners of your mouth and your hand snaked down between you both.

“What-” Hunter inhaled sharply as he felt your hand wrap around him, and his jaw clenched as he fought the urge to thrust his hips into your touch. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to-”

“You said this was about me and what I need, right?” You hummed as you rested your forehead against his whilst your hand kept moving. You kept your touch teasing but just enough to drive him crazy.

“R-right.” Hunter said through a strained breath as he felt his restraint leaving him with every second you continued to touch him.

“And what I need is to feel you…” You brought your lips close to his, barely any space between you now. “Inside me.” You kissed him, tugging his lip between your teeth whilst your free hand entangled itself in his hair, the actions eliciting the depraved groan you had been looking for, and before you knew it, you were back on your back again with Hunter kissing you with a newfound fervour which you matched in kind. You wrapped your legs around him and drew him closer to you, smiling against his lips at the surprised huff that escaped him.  

Hunter kept kissing you as he started to guide himself into you. He knew you would still feel tender and was careful as he slowly moved into you, both of your breaths catching at the feeling. His head fell to rest in the crook of your neck, biting down on the skin there before he soothed the sting of it with his tongue as he started to move, heavy grunts and pants leaving his lips as he got absorbed in feeling you this way after all this time.

Your nails dug into his back, and you could feel the muscles flex beneath your fingers and a sensual sigh left your lungs as you finally felt all of him.

One thought crossed your mind amidst the fog of pleasure that was spreading over your body. You’d let go of your fear now and you wanted to look for that connection again. Before, it had marked a level of certainty of your place here and overall mindset and if you couldn’t find it after all that had happened, there was a time where you would’ve been sure that it would mean there was no true way back for you. But now you understood that wasn’t and didn’t have to be the case. If it wasn’t there, you could work to get it back.

You used the Force around you to find his unique signature again and you could’ve wept with joy as you sensed it once more and it welcomed you with open arms. It had been waiting for you. You bridged the gap between you and allowed that feeling to flow through you. I love you.

Hunter paused his movements, and he stared down at you, a shocked but delighted cry left his mouth as he saw the broad and affirming smile on your face that told him he hadn’t imagined it. He’d wanted to have that back for so long and his heart soared as he realised what this meant for you. You weren’t holding back anymore; you were officially home.

You stroked a thumb along his cheekbone before clenched around him in an attempt to get him to keep going, a smug hum of laughter leaving you at the almost pained expression on his face as he got himself back under control before he started again.

“Do it again. Please.” Hunter requested frantically as he felt himself approaching his own release.

You smiled affectionately at him and continued to kiss him as you saw him through to his climax. I love you. I love you. I love you.

He finished with a strangled groan, and he collapsed on top of you. He stayed there for a few moments before he gently pulled out of you, stroking your hair as he saw you slightly wince at the action. “I’m sorry if it was too much.”

You shook your head. “It was perfect. You were perfect.” You reassured him as he laid down beside you and held you close to him. We should clean up.

Hunter made a sound of acknowledgement as he pressed his mouth to the crown of your head. “What made you do that again?”

“I let go.” You said simply before planting a chaste kiss to his lips before taking his hands in yours and guiding him to the refresher. “Come on.”

--

“What are you thinking?” Hunter asked as he watched you pick up the wrapped lightsaber from the shelf Wrecker had put it on. You hadn’t touched it since taking it from the bounty hunter.

“I can’t hold on to or fear the past anymore. We can only look to the future now and that future has us getting Omega back. And…” You uncovered the seemingly harmless looking weapon. “I think this will make achieving that easier.” You reached for it, hesitating for just a moment before you picked it up and it was an instant reaction. You took half a step back as the sensation of feeling that connection you hadn’t encountered for years threatened to overwhelm you. Flashes of your past as a youngling and echoes of previous battles and instructions from your master sounded in your head but it wasn’t scary this time, you were merely remembering the periods where this weapon had been your life.

Hunter placed a steadying hand on your shoulder. “You alright?”

You took one long breath. “Yeah. It’ll just take come getting used to, but it’s going to be worth it. I’m not hiding what I am these days, may as well have the whole image.” You said light-heartedly.

Hunter cupped your jaw and kissed you gently, both of you sighing contentedly into the sensation before Wrecker’s hesitant voice echoed through the comms.

“Um, Hunter… I hope I’m not interrupting eh anything now but um I was wondering if I could come back? I’ve started to wander in circles and I’m getting some suspicious looks.”

The two of you chuckled.

“Poor guy.” You said with a humorous shake of your head.

“Yeah, Wrecker, head on back and we can get outta here.” Hunter replied through his comm.

“Wrecker, how’d you fancy having an excuse to shoot at me?” You said into your comm, and the intrigued but excited cheer told you your answer.

“Shoot you?” Hunter repeated, titling his head at you inquisitively.

You grinned as you clipped your lightsaber to your waist. “Yeah, how else did you think I was going to train?”

--

“That’s 15 to 11!” Wrecker whooped as you came to after his stun blast hit your back.

Fuck you. You jabbed playfully as you accepted Hunter’s outstretched hand. He tugged you to your feet.

“You’re lasting longer.” Hunter commented supportively and- knowing you would want to go immediately again- walked away to take up his position.

You wiped the dirt from your clothing and removed your mask to take some deep breaths and find your centre again. Taking on jobs, following leads, mediating and lightsaber training… that was how you balanced your time; you were feeling more like the person you had been before your world had been torn apart. You’d never be able to be her again, but you could own who you are now and allow yourself to feel the emotions you’d been struggling against without suffocating in them anymore.

“But still not long enough!” Wrecker goaded. “I’ll always be in the lead!”

You didn’t take the bait. Instead, you took off your armour, gloves, and long-sleeved top.

“Hey, wait a minute, that’s not fair.” Wrecker protested.

Hunter turned inquisitively and his breath hitched. A soft sheen of sweat graced your skin and your body rippled with strength and untapped potential… and fuck did it make his heart skip a beat and his blood run hot. He was grateful his helmet was still on because the way his eyes widened would’ve given you too much material to work with right now, but he wasn’t able to hide the way his hand slightly fumbled as he unholstered his blaster. He wasn’t embarrassed by finding you attractive in this way, the frequent teasing he’d often received for it just made it harder to focus on the task at hand.

“The training stays the same and my strategy is my own. It’s not supposed to have an effect on you anyway.” You retorted with a smug grin as Hunter’s reaction went exactly as you’d anticipated.

“You better not mess this up for us, Hunter.” Wrecker warned as he shoved his brother’s shoulder to snap him out his reverie.

You laughed to yourself as you watched them. You picked up your lightsaber and ignited it, the blue blade thrumming at your side, and you felt that rush of connection and security. Having a blaster by your side was nothing compared to this.

It was a powerful sight that Hunter never got used to and quite frankly, part of him was relieved he’d never come across you as an official Jedi General during the war because if his reaction to seeing you train and work towards unlocking whatever you had been tampering down for so many years was anything to by, he would’ve gotten himself shot a long time ago- half your earlier victories came from redirecting his own stun blasts to him.

You got into your stance and faced the two clones as they readied their blasters. “Alright, let’s go again.”

<Previous Oneshot

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @fuckoffthanos, @tpwkcalli, @graciexmarvel, @arctrooper69, @nightmonkeysstuff, @starwarsnerd111, @brujaporfavor, @flyingkangaroo, @sunkissedclones, @ladytano420, @keep-calm-and-drink-caf, @yyourmotherr, @xxeiraxx, @dragonrider9905, @skellymom, @lokigirlszendaya

[lucienarcheron]

This Time, I'm Ready [ Elucien ]

Inspired by Long Story Short by TS. I was listening to it randomly and a scene of Elain started playing out in my head. Recommend listening to it while reading :)

Shout out to @ruhnnlidias for always being my beta reader ♥️

Rating: SFW Genre: Little angst/fluff

Tagging: @helion-ism | @zenkindoflove | @crazy-ache | @danaanruhn | @eudaimonia83 | @vanserrass | @elizascarlets | @climb-the-mountian

As she stood in the woods and took in her surroundings, Elain realized she had made a tragic mistake leaving the Spring Court alone.

Darkness was setting and she had no idea where she was or how she’d even be found. 

All she knew was that she had needed out of the Night Court. She had needed to get away. Even at the risk of her own safety. 

Because she was sick of it. Sick of doing nothing. Sick of being nothing.

Sick of the coddling. Coddling she had played a huge part in allowing. 

Because comfort had always been more important than worrying. Comfort had been more important than facing everything that had been taken from her. But at what cost? 

At what cost?

Elain whirled around at the sounds of twigs snapping behind her and that familiar sense of self-loathing she had developed in the last two years threatened to explode in her chest. 

She was an idiot. An absolute imbecile for thinking she could do this on her own.

But it was too late to change courses now.

Elain’s bottom lip trembled as her eyes darted around her. The fae eyesight she’d resented for so long didn’t fail her now as she took in the details of the tall trees. Her vision — that stupid vision was what had spurred her to make this move. A vision that promised the sun and flowers blooming, coming from a manor she had once planned to call home before it was ripped away from her and her dreams became shrouded in darkness.

And Elain had been desperate for the sun for two years. 

So she had fortified her mind, blocked it the way she knew how so they wouldn’t sense her lie, and had convinced Rhys that she needed to go to the Spring Court. She had nearly begged, demanding they respect her vision and though Feyre had been hesitant, her sister knew she couldn't stop her. 

And Mor had winnowed her in, waiting patiently with her as she explored, as they avoided the beast that still roamed while she tried to piece things together. Her vision was important, they had to inspect what it meant…even if she hadn’t told them what her vision had been about.

Or rather, who.

But the person she had been looking for hadn’t been there as she had predicted. Mor had only given her a sympathetic look that had Elain clenching her jaw and said, “We’ll wait until morning to see if anything else can be found.” 

Elain didn’t want to wait until morning and Mor hadn’t noticed the satchel she had hidden beneath her cloak. Though she wasn’t too surprised. No one really noticed anything about her. People only saw what they wanted to see when it came to her. 

And maybe Elain should feel guilty about the panic she would likely cause Mor, even with the note she left behind, but she knew she needed to find him alone. Elain needed to make sure he was alright and for once, didn’t want an audience.

Because telling them what she saw meant they’d get involved. And for once, Elain needed them all to mind their business. 

Her hand tightened around the hilt of the dagger she’d stolen from the ridiculous amount stashed in her sister’s home and Elain hated the feeling of it, hated having to hold it, and hated the idea of having to potentially use it. 

Stabbing one person had been enough for her in this lifetime.

Turning her body, she tried to gauge where exactly she was. She had been careful to ask careless questions, to pretend to stare at the map of the location with as much boredom as she could muster all those times they'd bothered to include her in things. Which wasn’t often, but Elain had tried.

And now, she was trying to find… Lucien. 

A shudder went through her body at the thought of his name. The mate she had been ignoring.

The sun she was seeking, that she had blatantly pretended wasn’t there. Because he could be hurt and the thought of not hearing his heartbeat made her sick. 

She hadn’t been ready before. 

This time, she was.

Ready to run certainly, at the sound of another twig snapping. If only there weren’t predators that were ecstatic at the opportunity to chase their prey — and Elain had forgotten just how many predators were out there. How easy prey she was at the moment. 

Alone. Vulnerable. Breathing so loudly she was positive they could hear her back in Velaris. 

Elain took a deep, shaky breath and exhaled it quietly. Licking her lips, she did the one thing she hadn’t expected herself to do. She called out to her mate.

Lucien?

She called out silently, licking her lips as she tested the waters of the mating bond she’d been shackled with. A mating bond that, try as she might, was never as dormant as she let the others believe. She heard his heartbeat all the time. Felt emotions flicker from him. Saw hazy memories. 

Elain bit her lip, and slowly as she moved forward, the panic began tingling through her body. Why would he be listening? It wasn’t like she’d called out to him before. It wasn’t like she had ever been particularly kind to him. 

Elain, who was kind to everyone. She was nice. Took out all her rage at the one person who didn’t really deserve it. But gods, being nice was exhausting when she hated everything about herself. He sensed how she felt. He saw too much. Just as she saw and felt too much of him. 

In that stupid vision, she saw him coming for her. And he was whole and healthy. She had felt relieved at the sight of him. 

She only left to find that relief. 

But all she was finding was panic.

“Lucien?” she whispered and then shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She was so stupid. How would he even hear her out here? Elain had no idea where she was or if she was on the right path.

All she had ever been useful for was being beautiful and nice. Maybe her mother had been right all along; she didn’t need to know how to use her brain when she had that face. Thinking she’d be good enough to try and venture out on her own had been so foolish of her.

No wonder no one included her in anything. She wasn’t smart. She wasn’t brave. She wasn’t useful. Elain was just there, a mistake, a sad sight no one even saw or paid attention to. 

Her hand flew to her mouth to hold in the sob threatening to escape. She had been so stupid to come out here. 

Another branch cracked and she whirled again at the sound, scanning the area around her. She couldn’t have ventured too far from the Spring Court. She had to still be close, right? 

But as she took a step, Elain felt a chill run down her spine that had her freezing in place.

She swallowed and then whispered into the trees, “Lucien?”

Elain was afraid to close her eyes to seek him out, to travel without moving as she had done once before. She bit her trembling lip and looked for that thread that he had tested out with her so long ago. She looked for that thread around her ribs and tugged. 

He had to find her. 

He had to be listening. Or at least she hoped. 

Her face fell as the feeling of unease flooded her senses. Why would he be listening? He certainly wasn’t obligated to give her any of his time. Just like she hadn’t been obligated to give him anything.

Except for a conversation. Maybe they could’ve been friends. Maybe more. Maybe less. 

Taking a shaky breath, Elain shook her head. She needed to focus. She needed to find him. Closing her eyes and letting her senses take over, letting that power she kept to herself surface as she looked for him. She traveled while standing, searching, rooting for him. She looked and tugged at that bond, she searched with a desperation she’d never, in all her years felt.

He needed to find her. He needed to be okay. 

And she needed to get out of this quickly darkening forest. 

There.

She saw him, seated at a desk alongside the Mad General she had only met once long ago, and felt herself tremble at the sight of him. She watched him suddenly straighten as if sensing her.

“Lucien.” she whispered and Elain wasn’t sure if she was saying it in her mind or out in the open air but he seemed to hear her. 

For Lucien shot out of his seat and Elain watched his eyes widen, scanning the room. “Elain?” 

“I’m in the forest outside of the Spring Court. I came looking for you but you weren’t there. I’m lost and I want you to find me.” she blurted quickly, fighting back a sob. “Please find me.”

“Elain —” was all she heard from him, his voice echoing the panic that was close to seizing her and before she could say anything else, she was ripped out of her connection.

Elain stumbled forward and whirled around quickly to find a creature of nightmares snarling a few feet away from her. 

The creature stood alone, covered in dark scales with powerful arms that ended in claws she knew would slice anyone into ribbons.

Elain could only stand in horror, staring at the creature that gave her a bone-chilling smile. 

She hadn’t seen this in her vision. 

“Pretty, pretty pet.” it rasped, its claws clicking together as it stalked towards her. “You smell so divine. I’m going to eat you right up.”

“N-no, thank you,” she whispered and the creature blinked at her and then chuckled in a way that made the hair on her arms raise.

“Ah, well. That’s not what I want to hear.”

And the air between them stilled. The predator and prey as Elain stared down the creature. She had come seeking her mate and instead, found herself alone and vulnerable, about to be eaten alive.

Is this what she would amount to? She had stabbed the King of Hybern once long ago. She could not die here, without facing her demons. She had seen what her life could look like and Elain had finally decided to do something about it. Her grip tightened on her blade and she swallowed hard as the creature tilted its head mockingly at her. 

Elain let herself take a deep calming breath then without warning, broke out into a run. Birds fluttered from the trees above her as she ran back, not away to – from – from the Spring Court? She wasn’t sure and the panic she had been trying to suppress bubbled back up to the surface as the sound of the creature stalking her followed.

“Find me. Find me. Find me.” she chanted desperately, a sob slipping from her lips as she rounded a corner, following a light that had to be the earlier path she had followed. The light had to lead back to safety.

But as she ran, her cloak caught on a branch and with a yelp, she fell. Quickly rolling over, she swallowed a scream as the creature hovered over her, closer than she had expected and nearly gagged at its foul breath. Grabbing her by the ankle, it dragged Elain closer and she could only stare in horror, frozen in place.

“I’m going to pick you apart piece by pretty piece.” it hissed.

With a desperate scream, she finally kicked it with her free leg and scrambled away but it grabbed her again and Elain fell once more, the dagger slipping from her hand.

“Let - go - of - me!” she shriek-sobbed, her hand desperately seeking the hilt of that dagger.

“Pretty pet has some claws.” The creature rasped once more as it yanked Elain forward, leaning over her and Elain tried not to gag again at its foul breath, her hand still seeking the dagger. “Lost little lamb with no one here to save her. Left to be gobbled up.” 

Her hand faltered for a breath. 

No one here to save her.

Would she always be this way? Always waiting to be saved? Always the victim? Never knowing how to defend herself? 

She had no desire to be a warrior but Elain was sick of being the prey. 

Anger she hadn’t felt in a long while flared in her chest as her fingers finally wrapped around the hilt of the dagger and with a cry, she forced himself forward and shoved the dagger into the creature’s throat and held. She let out a scream of rage, fighting the urge to vomit when it’s black blood sprayed across her face. But Elain held and held tight, even as her hands shook until the gurgling sounds stopped and the creature slumped over her.

Elain let herself lay there, breathing heavily as her body started to shake. She was okay. She was fine. She had been attacked by a horrible creature and had survived. She was alive. 

She would be —

The sound of running had the breath choked out of her. She couldn’t do this again — she couldn’t take another one. 

But Elain couldn’t move. Her body wouldn’t budge and as tears started to spill, she bit back another sob, trying with all her might to move the dead weight off her. Never mind, its blood was on her hands and dress and face – never mind that she was likely to be crushed beneath its weight if she didn’t move.

Panic seized her fully as she tried to scramble up, the footsteps coming closer. She could pretend to be dead. She could —

A violent snarl echoed through the forest as the dead creature was ripped off her and Elain nearly shrieked once more until she saw who stood above her.

“Elain.”

Elain’s eyes widened as Lucien fell to his knees next to her, breathing as hard as she was. He started at her and the sheer amount of relief that washed over her made her lips start to tremble. 

“Lucien.”

She watched as a slight shudder went through him at the sound of his name from her lips and her body trembled as she stared and stared and stared. He had come.

“Elain. Thank fuck, you’re – you’re alright,” he asked and his hands hovered over her for a moment, as if forgetting that they hadn’t touched casually before – as if remembering then, it would be the first time in over two years. She watched as he swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling before slowly, Lucien held out a hand to help her sit up and Elain dropped her gaze to his open palm. “Are you hurt? Can you sit up?”

She blinked, hoping the tremors coursing through her body would stop as she stared back up at him. 

“You — you came.” was all she could think to say, staring at him as she slid her shaky hands in his and slowly sat up, her eyes never leaving him, devouring the sight of him. 

“Of course, I came,” he said quietly. “You – you called.”

Tears welled up in her eyes at the words but she blinked them back and swallowed hard, trying to find the right words to say. He had come. He had listened.

“You found me,” she whispered, squeezing his hands and Lucien’s gaze softened. 

He swallowed before carefully answering, “As long as you want me to find you...the bond will remain a thread between us.” he said quietly and squeezed her hands in return. “I’ll always find you.”

Her raging heart seemed to beat faster and Elain finally took a moment to run her gaze over his body. He was still in the tunic and trousers she had seen him in except now a sword was strapped to his back – a sword he hadn’t even bothered to use when he pulled the creature off her.

Her mate had used his bare hands to save her. And he was safe and whole, not a scratch to be found on him. 

Elain met his gaze, finding him patiently watching her, his brows furrowed in concern, and suddenly remembered how she was covered in filth and flushed deeply, pulling her hands back to her lap.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he glanced down at his now empty palms and let them fall to his sides. “You want to tell me how you got here?”

“I – I had a vision.”

“Ah.”

“It was about you,” she whispered and his expression turned curious. “Something bad happened to you.”

Lucien seemed to be fighting to keep his expression carefully clear. “And that…worried you?”

Elain’s flush deepened and she swallowed before whispering, “Yes.”

The air between them seemed to go taut but Elain refused to break his gaze as a slight color bloomed on Lucien’s face.

This energy between them wasn’t like what Feyre and Rhys had. Or even what Nesta and Cassian had. This…this felt different. 

The bond between them seemed to hold its breath until Lucien cleared his throat and finally said, so softly, in the way he always seemed to speak to her, “I’m sorry to have caused you all this trouble.” 

Elain blinked and couldn’t help the huff of a small laugh that slipped from her lips, fisting her hands in her lap. “If anything, I’m the one to apologize for causing you trouble,” she said and bit her lip. “I dragged you all the way out here.”

Lucien chuckled and Elain felt it skate across her filthy skin. “You did give me quite the heart attack,” he said and the corner of his mouth curled up at her flush. “I thought I was hallucinating for a minute.” 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered and couldn’t look away from him, trying to blink back the embarrassed tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to – I just – “

Lucien shook his head then gently and so carefully, reached for her hand. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he said and offered her a small smile. “I’m thankful you did. I’m glad you did.” 

And Elain felt her heart swell. This man – male who owed her nothing was glad she had called on him in her time of trouble.

“Even after all this time? We’ve barely spoken.”

“I know.” he only said and Elain felt her bottom lip tremble as she squeezed his hand in hers.

“Why?”

And Lucien couldn’t seem to help the tilt of his head as he gave her a look that was too knowing. “Because you never fully closed that door between us,” he said and Elain swallowed. “I know you’re well aware of how a mating bond works. You could reject it – reject me and no one would bat an eyelash.” He glanced at their hands and turned her palm over, his thumb daring to rub soothingly. “With the nature of the mating bond, a rejection would’ve been hard for me but I would’ve made peace with whatever decision was made.” Lucien met her gaze again. “I am not a male who forces himself to be where he is not wanted, especially with females. But…you kept the door open.”

“I’m not – I wasn’t —” Elain began then forced herself to swallow hard again. “I wasn’t ready.”

“I know,” he said again and gave her a small, slightly sad smile and Elain couldn’t stop herself from tightening the grip of her hand in his again. 

She met his gaze and knew he could feel every jumbled emotion she felt, every complicated thought that flickered across her face. But he waited. Patiently. Kindly.  And it was like he sensed exactly how hard it was for her to say more, to express her desires. 

The corner of his mouth curled up. “I will say…it has been very bold of you to assume I would be obsessed with you,” he added and Elain flushed. “If anything, this situation goes to show you’re the one who can’t stop thinking about me. Getting all worried and running around in the woods alone.” He ended the statement with a tsk and Elain blinked.

Before she could stop herself, a snort slipped from her at his statement and the snort turned into a raspy laugh and before Elain could stop herself, she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. 

She was sitting on the ground of an unknown forest, still covered in the blood of a creature she had killed and Elain couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this hard. 

And he sat with her as she laughed, watching her with amusement until the last giggle left her mouth, and Lucien couldn’t help but answer with a chuckle of his own. 

She had found the sun. And it was smiling right back at her. 

When she finally let out a sigh, marking the end of her slight loss of sanity a moment ago, Elain felt a sense of calm wash over her as he watched her and it took a few heartbeats of silence before Lucien broke the quiet. 

“I take it you’re ready to move now?” he asked and Elain nodded as he looked around the woods. “How did you even manage to get here?”

He stood slowly and as Lucien pulled her up, Elain didn’t let go, staring up at him as she stood flush against his chest. She’d worry about how dirty she was later. “I sneaked away.” 

Lucien’s brows lifted and the color on Elain’s cheeks deepened at his smirk. “Sneaked away, did you?”

“Oh yes,” she confirmed and Elain wondered if she’d ever realized how delicious he smelled. “Mor winnowed me in and I - um, waited until she was distracted and sneaked away.” Elain licked her lips. “But then I um, got lost.” 

“Poor Elain, getting lost in the woods all alone,” he said in a tone with a teasing edge to it and Elain found her heart beating faster, forcing herself not to think about the tenor of his voice when he said her name, flushing lightly again. 

But then color flushed on his cheeks and the silence between them seemed to soften; Elain couldn’t quite read the expression on his face but he seemed to struggle to say his next words. 

“All this to find…me.” he said so very quietly and Elain seemed to hear the question without him asking it – that of all people, she had ventured out into the unknown for him? As if in disbelief that he would be worth the effort.

Then again, she hadn’t helped much in her avoidance of him. 

“Y-yes.”

Once more, that thread at her ribcage went taut as they shared a glance and Elain wondered what it would be like if she just kissed him. Judging by the way his eyes watched her, she wouldn’t be too surprised if he could see it written all over her face, especially when he licked his lips.

“At least I’m not the only person you tried to give a heart attack to today,” he said with that teasing tone again and Elain’s lips twitched. 

“Oh, Mor is definitely going to kill me.” she joked and her heart stuttered when his grip tightened on her slightly, watching him blink back a look of rage at the idea that someone might think to hurt her. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I found you first then,” he said casually and cleared his throat. “Lest you get into any more trouble.” 

“I think I’ve had enough trouble for one day,” Elain said and her eyes finally snagged on the creature, lying in a heap across the grounds. Her hands unintentionally tightened on Lucien as she eyed the dagger still stuck in the creature’s throat and once again, she couldn’t believe she had done it. 

Lucien’s gaze followed hers and she felt his own hand tighten on her before he went back to scanning her face. “It seems a stab in the neck is to become your signature move.” he said lightly and Elain’s face heated. 

“Twice is not enough to make it a signature move.”

“For someone who doesn’t fight often, twice is more than enough to become a signature move,” he said with a snort. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“Considering you saved me today, I think you’re safe for now,” she said softly and Lucien seemed unable to help his chuckle. 

“I hardly did any saving, my lady,” he said with a small smile, his tone as soft as hers. “You did that all on your own.” 

And as Elain flushed deeply, she realized how long they’d been standing there, chest to chest just holding each other. The last time she had been held by him was that wretched day in Hybern and despite all the time and distance that had been between them, Elain seemed to feel nothing but ease to be held by him.

They stood for a few more heartbeats of silence, content to be just like this and Elain wondered if this was what the mating bond was always supposed to feel like. If she had been denying herself of this feeling she had always been craving.

She could hear the steady beat of his heart and while she was used to it being the lullaby that usually put her to sleep, Elain knew that wouldn’t be enough anymore. 

“Let’s get you out of here and get cleaned up.” Lucien finally said gently and Elain nodded, knowing she should pull away but found herself hesitating to do so. He seemed to feel the same way as his hand casually tightened. “We wouldn’t want anyone to worry about you.” 

At this moment, Elain didn’t really care who worried about her. Goodness knows how long had passed before they noticed she’d gone missing anyway. 

But he noticed her. He seemed to always notice her. 

So she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Will you…stay with me?” 

Lucien tried to mask the hope that flashed across his face by clearing his throat but Elain saw it – felt it and knew she asked the right question. “If that’s what you’d like me to do,” he said.

“It is,” she replied, her voice more sure than she’d ever been. “I would like that very much.”

His answering smile had warmth spread through her chest. “Then I am happy to oblige,” he said. “I am at your service, my lady.” 

[obwjam]

a small surprise part 2 (gravity falls g/t)

read part 1 here!

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

Stanley had tried everything he could think of. 

Which, admittedly, wasn’t much. Pulling the lever, smacking the big button, pushing and flicking and kicking every button and switch and piece of metal he could see, but it was no use. Not even a spark.

Journal in hand, he quietly made his way toward the elevator. He was relieved to see the tiny person seemingly asleep, because he couldn’t deal with that right now. He spent his night poring through the pages, slumped over on the bed in Ford’s room, occasionally rubbing his glasses like it was a genie’s lamp, hoping it would make him reappear at any moment.

He didn’t remember falling asleep that night, but dim sunlight passing over his eyes told him he must have been out for a while, because the storm had subsided, but only outside. Stanley instantly remembered every detail from the night before; most notably, the strange little person he had encountered and subsequently stranded. His stomach churned at that. That was a pretty terrible thing to do, wasn’t it? It felt nice to feel like he had power for a little bit, but 12 hours removed from his initial shock and anger, that familiar feeling of helplessness was creeping back in. If he wanted to get Ford back as quickly as possible, he needed all the help he could get. Besides, this nonsensical journal made almost no sense to Stanley. Maybe it made sense to the half-pint.

But when he dragged himself back down to the bunker, he gasped. The tiny person was lying down the same way she had been last night. She hadn’t even moved, it looked like.

“Oh, no,” Stanley mumbled, rapidly putting the journal down and scrambling on top of the table. His stomach sank as he peered inside the jar – her eyes were most definitely closed, and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing or the glass was just warped. Carefully, he lifted the jar into his hands as he hopped back down to the ground. He nearly recoiled at how cold the jar was to the touch. That couldn’t be good. He let out a huge sigh when he saw her squirm ever so slightly at the change in altitude… but she still didn’t wake up. 

“Great, just great,” Stan groaned. “Now I have to take care of this.” He was going to pretend like this wasn’t his doing in the first place.

The first thing he did was unscrew the lid; he winced at the loud squeaking noise it made. He stood still for a moment, questioning if he really wanted to do this. He could just stick the jar back up on the shelf, behind some books, and forget this ever happened… but this thing, tiny as she was, was a person, with thoughts and feelings and apparent knowledge on the very thing he was puzzling over. And sure, she may be weird, but Stan could really use some company he didn’t meet in a Colombian prison.

He carefully tilted the jar down and allowed the tiny person to slide onto his palm, thinking that would be enough to stir them from whatever deep sleep they were in. But to Stan’s horror, it was like holding an ice cube in his hand. They were freezing. No wonder they weren’t waking up. 

He groaned, keeping his hand far away from his body like he was holding something poisonous. He twisted around a few times to see if he could use anything to warm her up. Didn’t Ford keep any space heaters down here? 

“C’mon, Poindexter, you gotta have something,” Stanley muttered. He glanced down at the tiny again. He was trying not to think about the fact that they even exist, because the moment he did, he would have to accept the fact that his entire worldview was now decidedly, permanently, altered from this. Somehow, with all he had been through, this was still the weirdest thing he’s ever seen.

And she was just – a person. But really, really small. There was no discernible difference, as far as Stan could tell. Boy, that really has to suck, he thought as he pushed aside junk on every table. How can anyone live like that?

Eventually, he found what he was looking for – sort of. It was a ragged cloth, covered in grease and, as a sniff test determined, various other fluids. But as long as it meant not having to hold some half-alive miniature human, he didn’t care. He unceremoniously dumped her into the cloth, once again relieved to see her still on this earth as she squirmed a bit at the new surface.

“Ugh. Finally,” Stan grumbled. He quickly set the cloth on the table and got up to continue tweaking the portal, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He stopped after a few steps.

He couldn’t just… ugh. He turned back around, flexing his hands. I can’t just leave ‘em here. Ew. Why was he thinking that? Because they’re smaller than a damn pencil and can’t survive here on their own. Okay, so what? And how did he even know that? He had no obligation to take care of anyone but himself. But they’ll die down here. Who cares? And it’d be all your fault. No, it wouldn’t. Just like Ford.

Stanley shut his eyes and rubbed them hard. Since when did he develop a conscience? That was inconvenient. But this pipsqueak had said something that Stan found he couldn’t get out of his mind – I was around when Ford worked on it. Even if she didn’t actually do anything, she knew Ford and had some semblance of understanding about the inner workings of this thing, which was more than Stan could say. Maybe she knew where the other journals were, too. Or maybe she’d be able to stop Stan from going insane.

Ugh.

He pulled up the rickety stool he was sitting on last night and flopped down, placing his elbows on the table and leaning his chin into his hands. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on her tiny form, as if it would help her wake up. Though he didn’t do anything to jolt her awake, his concentration did pay off when he started to notice her breathing. It stunned his mind silent. He could actually see her tiny chest expanding, retracting, expanding, retracting with her breathing. Tiny strands of her hair were being pushed and pulled along with the movement. She was dirtier than she looked from afar. Can she even take a shower? Eugh. She had all sorts of scratches and bruises along her skin including a long gash over her left eye that would have looked kind of badass if it probably didn’t come from fighting a rat or something. 

It was hard to imagine Ford actually befriending something – someone like that, and regarding them as an equal. Stan wasn’t even sure he could think of them as equal. Ford had a condescending way about him; he’s been looking down on Stan since they were teenagers. Why should some four-inch-tall person get more respect than he did? It wasn’t fair. Stan was family. Family was the most important thing in the world. Right?

Stanley took one more long look at the tiny and sighed. Yeah, she probably wasn’t waking up anytime soon. Well, he was already sitting down… he might as well keep thumbing through this journal and see if he could make any sense of it.

*******

Why was everything so fuzzy?

It was like she was moving underwater. Even blinking seemed to go in slow motion. It didn’t help that she was wandering around some dark, dirty room. She couldn’t even feel her limbs moving. They just… did.

Who’s there?

That voice. It was unmistakable! She called out his name, straining her voice more each time.

Hello?

Why couldn’t he hear her? He always heard her. She screamed even louder. “IT’S ME!” she yelled. “RIGHT HERE!”

What in the world…

A form that didn’t even look like his loomed large over her. His glasses were opaque, his expression stoic. He seemed to have no regard for her as his foot slammed down next to her, causing her to fall. She tried to get up, but the sensation of him kneeling down was enough to keep her pressed into the ground. He extended his hand right at her, emotionless, unwavering, not stopping until he gets what he wants. He didn’t seem to hear her pleading, even as he snatched her up. The squeezing feeling was nearly suffocating–

Suddenly, she shot up. Her ears were ringing, and she was drenched in a cold sweat, but everything was moving at normal speeds again. She allowed herself a few heavy breaths before wiping her face with her hands. It had been ages since she’d last had a nightmare that bad. Not since…

“Sheesh, about time you woke up.”

Her blood ran ice cold as she slowly turned her head to meet the booming voice. Him. Ford’s brother. Stanley. The one who stuck her inside a jar last night and left her for dead. Maybe she was still dreaming. Or maybe this was the afterlife.

She began to inch back, planning on pressing herself to the back of the glass jar, but immediately sank downward. What the hell? She jerked her head down, discovering a grey cloth that was once probably white cushioning her. Before she could even think, stars filled her vision, and she clutched her head as her temples throbbed.

Stan raised an eyebrow at her reaction, letting out a small eugh at the way she wobbled back and forth. He guessed it had to be a bit disorienting to be stuck on a tabletop, barely even registering as a speck in this massive place.

He watched – in pity, he later realized, which made him shudder – as the tiny person whipped her head around, clearly disoriented and clearly freaked out by Stan’s proximity. When their eyes met, hers burned with a fear he wasn’t quite sure he’d ever seen before. He kept a straight face, but he knew he had to say something. This was starting to make him uncomfortable.

“Woah, woah, take it easy,” he grumbled, his voice softer than he expected it would be. “I’m not gonna do that again.” Her skeptical expression made him snicker. “I’m serious, short stuff. I was just… mad, last night. Lost my temper.”

Yeah, she thought, cold creeping up her spine. That’s the problem.

Stan couldn’t take looking her in the eye anymore, so he brought his focus back to the journal, pretending to scan through its pages. A few minutes passed, and the tiny didn’t move.

“You were freezing,” Stan started, not looking up from the book. “Inside that jar. So I found that cloth. Thought it might warm you up.”

Jay wanted to laugh, but nothing about that was funny. No wonder she felt so lethargic. She nearly froze to death. Somewhere inside her, she appreciated the gesture, but it didn’t take heightened senses to know this rag was gross. She would almost rather freeze than smell like… god, what even was that?

Stanley frowned. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised she didn’t want to talk to him, but it mildly freaked him out that she wouldn’t even look at him. She kept her eyes trained at the ground, trying not to make any sudden movements, like he would forget all about her if she stayed still long enough. Ugh. Why did he feel so bad about this? I guess it is my fault.

“Y’know, I never, uh, asked you what your name was.”

Jay blinked. No, he didn’t, and she sure as hell didn't want him to know it. It would just be another thing he could use against her if he had to. But what power did she have in this situation to stay silent? He could – no, would – just throw her back in the jar at the slightest inconvenience.

Stan shifted uncomfortably. “Look, tiny, I… I know I probably shouldn’t have put you in that jar.” Jay looked up, surprised. She wasn’t expecting an apology. Stan tried to hide his amusement at her tiny movements. “And I know you have no reason to trust me. But if we want to get Ford back, we need to work together, right? Not like you can fix the portal all by yourself.” Jay thought for a moment, brushing aside yet another size-related comment, then gave a tentative nod. She didn’t feel like facing his wrath by disagreeing. “So, whadda ya say? Truce?”

Truce was a strong word. She didn’t want to do this, but she had to. He was right about one thing – there was nothing she could do in this situation without Stan’s help. And she really, really just wanted to get Ford back as quickly as possible so she never had to see his twin again.

She flinched when a giant finger entered her view, stopping inches in front of her face – a reflex that did not go unnoticed by Stan. He was going for one of those handshakes that humans loved to do. Just like Ford had done when they first met.

Stan was grinning, but it had a smarmy edge to it that she didn’t like. He was amused by the size difference, and his smile only grew wider when Jay hesitantly reached her hands out and placed them on either side of his fingertip. He gently shook his finger, but the movement was enough to nearly pull Jay into the air from her seated position. She quickly regained her balance and shot Stan a nasty look. He just laughed.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” he said, wiping a fake tear from his eye. That was all Jay needed to get serious.

“Okay, listen, if we’re gonna be doing this, we need to lay down some ground rules.”

Stan’s eyes briefly lit up at the sound of her voice. “Oh? And what would those be?”

Jay rolled her eyes. “No touching me without asking. No, you know what, no touching me at all. I’m not your plaything. And if I say something, you actually have to listen. Don’t just brush me off. And…” she trailed off, unsure of how bold she wanted to be. 

“And? And what?” Stan was still smiling. Jay grimaced.

“And… you need to share food and water with me. It’s… what Ford did.”

The room grew quiet at the mention of Ford’s name, and even Stan could sense this wasn’t the moment for a joke. He didn’t put two seconds into thinking how she would eat or drink, but it’s not like she could just walk down the street and go to the grocery store. He didn’t feel like getting into the fact that he had no money for food or water or… anything.

Stan stole a glance at the tiny, who was clearly waiting for an acknowledgement. It didn't seem like she noticed him faltering. Stan leaned back, waving his hand dismissively. “Yeah, sure, whatever, easy enough. You should know that I’m not too good at following rules, though.”

Jay sighed. Just when she thought she had gotten through… no, it was fine. He had listened... in his own Stanley way.

“I’m serious though, kid, you gotta tell me your name. I doubt you want me calling you pipsqueak all the time.”

Jay crossed her arms. “You’ll do that anyway.”

Stan smiled. “Yeah, probably.”

Despite herself, Jay smirked. This giant definitely had Ford’s cockiness, but also his intangible charm. He was unapologetically himself. 

“My name’s Jay,” she said finally, taking a moment to meet Stan’s eyes. Her cheeks flushed red when he raised his eyebrows.

“Jay? Huh. Interesting. Is that short for somethin’?” Stan paused before bursting out into laughter. “Short for something – ha! I mean – you are, short for something – HA!”

“Okay, not funny,” she mumbled, her entire face now burning.

“No, it’s pretty funny.” Stan shook for a few more seconds. “Okay, okay, I’m done.”

“Do you actually want to know why that’s my name?”

Stan leaned down, intrigued. “Oh, there’s actually a reason? Thought it was just some weird tiny person thing.”

“Yes, there’s actually a reason,” Jay shot back, trying to hide her nerves. “All borrower names have significance.”

It took Stan a moment to remember what a borrower was, but he just nodded, prompting her to continue.

“I, um. I grew up in the forest,” she started tentatively, gauging his reaction. He just kept staring. Jay moved her gaze back to her lap. “So we relied a lot on nature. My, uh, family… they relied on birds, a lot. We helped them, they helped us, that kind of thing. So they named me Jay.” She paused, giving Stan room to say something. He didn’t. “Like the bird.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Stanley said, sounding a little breathless. He would never admit it, but that little detail had completely captivated him. She grew up in the forest? It really was like a fairy tale. Except she was no fairy, and this was no tale. After reading through the journal last night, it was clear that this town was full of wacky paranormal weirdness, because Ford didn’t have enough of an imagination to dream all of that nonsense up himself. 

But there was nothing in the journal about this tiny – Jay – that he could use as a reference. He was curious, sure, but he wasn't going to waste his time asking her details about her weird tiny life. He just wanted his brother back. She was a vehicle to make that happen. That was it. Nothing more.

Jay cleared her throat. “So if you could just call me that, instead of some degrading size-based nickname, that would be appreciated.”

“Hm? Oh, sure thing, short stuff.” Jay let out a long sigh, but Stan didn’t hear. He tapped the journal impatiently. “Can we get back to the important stuff now? Like, what does…” Stan squinted at the page, “...‘quantum entanglement’ mean? That sounds made up.”

Jay rubbed the brim of her nose. “It means–”

“Nope, don’t care,” Stan cut her off, flipping to the next page. “First lesson – don’t waste my time with a bunch of nerdy words that I won’t understand. I’m sure we can figure this out without you giving me a chemistry lesson.”

“It’s physics,” Jay mumbled, plopping down on the table. She allowed the journal to tower over her as she stared straight ahead, out into the vast room before her. She had spent a lot of nights down in this bunker, and it was hard not to feel a little wistful for the times when Ford would fall asleep with papers stuck to his face, or when Fiddleford was so hopped up on caffeine he would dance around the room and talk a million miles per hour, or the rare times when Ford would share personal anecdotes and forget all about the portal for a few hours. 

Now, in the blink of an eye, it was gone, replaced with a dark, musty room whose only occupants were a tired, run-down Jay and her best friend’s sarcastic, impatient twin brother whom she did not trust one bit. Ford was always telling her to trust no one. Maybe it’s high time she listened.

Stan silently flipped through the journal for another five minutes before letting out a loud groan and slamming his head down into the pages. Jay let out a small yelp, instinctively scooting back.

“This is stupid,” Stan said to no one in particular. “I’m getting a soda.”

Jay watched, helpless, as Stan disappeared down the hall, mumbling about Ford’s apparent stupidity. 

This was going to take a long, long time.

[normspellsman]

To the Ends of Pandora

Alternative Ending to “Secret”

part one | part two

pairing: neteyam x fem!human!reader

genre: angst (at first), fluff, reunited at last, making up, & mentions of neteyam being a lovesick fool for the reader (as he should)

word count: 1k+

warning(s): talks of self isolation, suggestion of neytiri not approving relationship, talks/mentions of self deprecation, briefest mention of the thought of sex (you’ll miss it if you blink), & neteyam crying (mentioned)

word bank: sa’nok — mother, sempul — father, tsmukan — brother, tsmuke(s) — sister(s), ikran — winged creature that the na’vi use for flying & hunting, yawntu — loved one; lover; beloved person, neteyamur — nickname / term of endearment for neteyam, oel ngati kameie — i see you, & great mother / eywa — goddess deity that the na’vi believe in

request details: “hello <3 aw, i loved your neteyam x reader angst, it was so good! i was wondering if you could write some fluff too, like maybe neteyam x human!reader getting their happy ending and grow old together or something :(”

note: this was requested by anon! i’ll make sure to link this post to their request after i publish it. thank you for requesting! i hope this what you had in mind & enjoyed :)

You had spent weeks upon weeks holed up in your room after the departure of the Sullys and the kidnapping of your dear friend, Spider.

Norm and Max had repeatedly tried to coax you out of it, offering you your favorite types of food or one of their shower times in hopes of getting you out of your room for once.

Nothing had worked. You stayed in your room for hours on end and never left the comfort of it, except to go to the bathroom but even then, it was barely a handful of steps away from your bed that you wouldn’t consider it to be leaving your room.

The argument you and Neteyam had before he left had impacted you, severely.

It was hard to look back on the memories you two made during the short amount of time you were together. Even though he hurt you and broken your trust, you still found yourself yearning for him and wanting to forgive him for what he did. Neteyam wouldn’t keep just anything away from you. He had to have a good reason.

The letter he left at the foot of your door had explained everything to you, but you hadn’t read it until weeks after the Sully family left the Omatikaya clan.

Once you gathered enough strength to pull yourself out of bed and actually read the messy handwriting on the piece of paper, you began to cry but even then, you wasted all your tears during and after your argument with Neteyam. Your tear ducts could no longer produce any of the watery substance that you desperately craved to run down your cheeks.

You felt empty after reading it. You felt as if your world stopped on its axis and everything stood still.

He tried so hard to accurately portray how he felt about you. How much he loved you. How hard it was for him to keep the secret from you. How hard it was to hide you from his loved ones. How he didn’t care that you couldn’t make tshaleyu with him or even bare him children. How all he needed was you and that would be enough for all his lifetimes.

You were the only one that he could see and you let him walk away without saying goodbye. Without touching him last one time. Without kissing his soft lips one last time.

You wished you had just sucked up your pride and hurt and opened the door when he pleaded for you to the day he left.

What would’ve changed? What would’ve happened? Would he have stayed? Would you have gone with him? Did his parents know about your relationship? What would Neytiri think of it? Of you?

So many questions ran through your head during your weeks of self isolation and even after. It hurt to know that Neteyam was out there and you had no idea how he was doing or even what he was doing.

Did he find another? Someone who was actually Na’vi and a suitable partner for him?

No. It wouldn’t have made sense if he did. His letter was proof that you were going to be the only one he’d ever love the way that he did. So deep. So unique from the other types of love he experienced within his life.

Neteyam only ever experienced familial love. That kind of love he had with his Sa’nok, Sempul, Tsmukan, Tsmukes, Grandmother, and even Spider and the other human scientists that were allowed to stay on Pandora.

But the love he experienced with you was different. He experienced it more intensely. Neteyam often found himself thinking about you in the ways only a significant other should. Of how soft your lips felt. Of how your soft, delicate hand felt in his large rough ones. Of what it felt like to have your hands run through his braids and lightly pull at them. Of how it felt to have his head in between your legs as you called out his name in pleasure. Of how it would feel to have your chapped lips on different parts of his skin. His thoughts consumed him wholly. All he wanted was you and it will only ever be you.

You experienced the same thing as Neteyam. You could feel how deep your love and affections ran for him. It consumed your whole being.

That’s why when you saw the familiar earthy colors of a certain ikran, your whole world began to turn on its axis again after being still for so long.

The whole ground seemed to shake upon the arrival of Neteyam, him quickly dismounting his soul companion before rushing up to the lab doors and repeatedly knocking on the cold metal doors.

Neteyam would’ve never thought he’d miss the sight of the humans lab. He was never too fond of it even after getting together with you, but it was your home so it was going to be his too.

Butterflies swarmed within the teen boys stomach as he, not so patiently, waited for you to open the door so he could gather you into his arms and hold you close and tight to his chest as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear and kissed whatever exposed skin he could. He couldn’t wait.

After spending months away from you and nearly dying at the hands of Quaritch’s soldiers that one fateful night, Neteyam had found a new vigor within himself to come back to you.

Shortly after his recovery, Neteyam had told both of his parents of his affections for you and how much he loved and cared for you. Jake had already had a suspicion, catching early on to his sons frequent sneaking out escapades. Neytiri was furious at first. How could he love someone of a different species? The ones that put his home and own species in so much danger and through so much grief? But, then again, Jake was human at one point and his soul always will be one. She too fell for a human at his age. Her anger towards her son, and ultimately you, faded away once she saw that look of pure love and adoration on his face when he talked about you. She couldn’t deny him of that. So, she bit her tongue and kept her thoughts to herself.

Both Neytiri and Jake had decided to allow Neteyam to leave a day earlier than the rest of the Sully family regarding their return to the Omatikaya. It wasn’t a permanent move, at least for now, so they still had the potential to go back to Awa’atlu. It was just a visit.

You would have forgotten your mask if it wasn’t for Max throwing one your way before you opened the only barrier that separated you and your lover.

Once you had secured the mask onto your face and waited a few seconds for it to begin working, you ripped open the door with as much strength you could muster, a huge smile on your face as you did so.

Neteyam didn’t hesitate to bring you into his arms and spin you around, yelling out in joy once he had you in his embrace after so long. You squealed out in delight as he gently spun the both of you around, your arms tightening around the expanse of his neck.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he exclaimed, burying his face into the crook of your neck to inhale your scent that he dearly missed, “I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you. I love you”.

He kept repeating the phrase against your skin until it finally settled into both of your brains.

He truly was sorry for hurting you the way he did. He should’ve never kept that big of a secret from you. Should’ve never kept you a secret.

“I’m so sorry for everything, yawntu,” Neteyam croaks out, fresh tears running down his face as he kneeled onto the ground with you still in his arms.

He wanted you to know that he was sorry. That he regretted what he did, but didn’t regret you or what you did together.

“I love you so much. I understand if you no longer feel the same. I know I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes. But I need you to know that I do,” he continued, rubbing the side of his face into your hair as you sat perched on his lap, raking your fingers through his braids.

You shook your head, pulling away from the blue boy.

Of course you still loved him. You wouldn’t be in his arms if you didn’t.

“Neteyamur,” you started, delicate hands resting against your lover's damp and tear stained cheeks, heart wrenching at the sight, “I love you. Oel ngati kameie. Always. I understand why you kept me a secret and why you did what you did. I still love you, even after.”.

Your words struck a chord in Neteyam’s heart strings. He for sure thought that you’d still hate him for what happened. Hearing those words come out of your mouth made Neteyam fall even deeper in love with you, if that was even possible.

“Oel ngati kameie, yawntu,” he whispered in response, forehead resting against the glass of your mask.

You smiled in return and stroked Neteyam’s soft and damp cheeks gently with your thumbs.

Everything in your world felt complete again. No matter what happened in your relationship or where it’d lead you, both of you knew that you’d follow each other to the ends of Pandora in a heartbeat. Nothing could stand in the way of your love. Not even the two of you.

After the events occurred, Neteyam had, yet again, proclaimed his love to you underneath the Tree of Souls and made you his once again, but for all to know.

Years passed and the both of you lived long, healthy lives together, only leaving each other once the Great Mother called for the both of you to return to her warm embrace. Even then, you spent every second of your shared afterlife in each other’s arms.

[cottonlemonade]

A Simpler Life [Part 2]

word count: 1621 || avg. reading time: 7 mins.

pairing: post-time skip Kita x chubby!Reader

genre: fluff, slice of life, mutual pining, slow burn

warnings: spoilers

synopsis: In pursuit of a calmer, simpler life you flee the city to move to the countryside - only to fall in love with your neighbor.

[part 1]

Kita‘s steps quickened when your house came into view, his eyes searching the veggie patch for your straw hat but nothing. His shoulders drooped but he was glad to see the tomatoes doing well.

Maybe he should just knock and ask if you could spend dinner again together but he decided against it. You were probably busy or had better things to do. A light went on in your house and through the window he saw you lean over a small table with a mirror, applying some lipstick. From the little he could make out you wore a pretty black dress that hugged your curves so beautifully, his thoughts were temporarily disconnected. He had to swallow. You were going out. Looking down at his own dirty work clothes and touching the sweaty towel around his neck he let out a deep breath. Just as well. And feeling like he was being intrusive with his stares he continued his way home. As he walked along the dusty road, he remembered a seemingly endless discussion the twins had with Suna back in school that he was close enough to overhear. They talked about leagues and how Suna clearly was not in the same one as a girl he fancied. Back then Kita didn‘t quite understand what they meant since their volleyball team was amongst the best. How much more successful was that girl‘s team that Suna shouldn‘t even talk to her? But now it started to make sense. Rounding the bend, he entered his courtyard and spotted his dog on the porch, eagerly sniffing a familiar looking bundle.

But he had dropped it off this morning, he was sure. With a frown he walked over and picked it up. A note was tucked underneath the knot. “Seems like I made too much again - oops! Could you take this off my hands, neighbor? Y/n“

The bundle smelled heavenly and feeling the disappointment subsiding ever so slightly, he carried it inside.

The next couple of days were the same. He would walk by your house, maybe catch a glimpse of you through a window, sometimes he could talk to you for a few minutes when you were in the garden but unfortunately, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to outright ask for your company and since you didn’t bring it up either he concluded that first time had just been a slip of your tongue.

But every evening without fail he came back to a new bundle of goodness, still warm, waiting for him on his porch under the watchful eyes and nose of his dog.

A new note accompanied each delivery and they already formed a small stack in his dresser drawer.

Every morning he would then drop off the cleaned box and bundle by your door, the same words as his first message written neatly on a sheet of simple, pretty paper.

“I tried a new dish with a recipe from one of the grandmothers in town. I hope you like it! - Also a quick question to a professional: I think my strawberries are dying. Their leaves are all crunchy and no matter how much I water them they seem to wilt. Thoughts? - Y/n”

He got up even earlier the next morning than usual and headed to his smaller greenhouse that kept some fruit and veggies he liked to have growing year round for his own personal use. After swiftly filling a basket with strawberries, he made his way to your home to drop them and the bundle off alongside a detailed note on what could be done about your plants before he headed to work.

“Kita-saaan!“

The young man stood up, looking around to see who called for him.

His stomach flipped when he saw your lovely figure standing on the road at the side of his field, waving. Today was another scorching hot day. You wore a light summer dress and your straw hat that he found so endearingly bewitching. He returned your wave and held his breath when he saw you pushing your bicycle along the narrow trampled dirt path between the neighboring field, obviously not bothered by dirtying your sandals a little. He waded out of the rice paddy to meet you.

“I ought to be mad at you.“, you said as a way of greeting him and he stopped short. Then you reached into the basket of your bicycle and took out a small bag.

“Those strawberries must be worth a fortune and there were so many of them, I can hardly finish those by myself.“

He relaxed and began to breathe again. You had cut some of the strawberries into bite-sized pieces while others topped freshly baked pastries. Lastly, you took out a glass bottle of milk, dyed slightly pink by the strawberry puree gathered at the bottom. “Do you think you have time for a short break?“

The pastries were, of course, delicious. He didn‘t expect anything else from whatever you prepared at this point. But as you two ate in the shade of a tree his mind was trying to figure out how to ask you about the other night. About you in that dress.

“Are you alright?“

He looked up from his cup of milk and met your eyes.

“What have ya been up to this week?“

“Hmm, nothing much.“, you said, spearing one of his strawberries on a skewer and pushing it between your lips. He could watch you enjoy his produce for hours, would happily spend the rest of his life feeding you just to see that blissful look in your eyes.

“I went to a friend’s birthday in the city. Let me tell you, even though I haven‘t been here long, I already missed the peace and quiet as soon as I got out of the taxi. It was the right decision to move. I‘m… so much happier here.“

He was pretty sure he had never been this relieved in his whole life. Looking at his cup of milk again he tried to hide a smile. “I‘m glad to hear that.“, he said.

Comfortable silence stretched between you like a cat in a sunbeam.

“I was wondering…“, you said eventually, “if you‘d like to come over for dinner again. Of course, if you‘d rather have the evening to yourself th-“

“Yes.“, he interrupted, then cleared his throat and continued, “That sounds great. I‘ll bring by the materials for that planter and set it up for ya.“

He was rewarded with another of your dazzlingly bright smiles.

The wheelbarrow gently wobbled over the many rocks and divots on the dirt road leading to your house. In it wooden planks as well as extra soil were stacked expertly and six little sugar snap pea starters were swaying back and forth on top.

When he arrived you were already waiting in your front yard, dressed for work, saluting when he halted. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts again.

“Alright, where do we start?“

“This‘ll only take 10 minutes.“, he waved you off.

“But if I help it might only take 9. Or… 30, depending on how much I slow you down.“

Kita laughed.

“Okay, but ya‘ll need gloves. The wood could splinter.“

“Oh. I don‘t have any.“

He reached into his back pocket and took out his pair, holding it out to you.

“What about you, though?“

“I‘ll be careful.“

It really didn‘t take long to connect the four pre-cut pieces with each other. Kita drove the long nails efficiently into the wood while you held the planks, trying not to get too distracted by the muscles in his shoulders and forearms. How could someone be this kind and generous? And handsome! And single!? Were the women in this town blind? But then again you did bring down the age average quite significantly…

“Y/n-san?“

His voice snapped you out of your thoughts. He held his hand out to you. For a confused moment you didn‘t know what to do and just took it. And Kita… he blushed.

“I asked for the other nail, please.“

“Oh my gosh, yes. Sorry. Uhm, here.“ You hastily pulled your hand away, your face burning bright red, and handed him the next nail.

Soon you were filling up the space with the soil he brought and planted the little starters. Using bamboo sticks and twine a makeshift trellis was quickly added and you stood up to admire your handiwork. You grinned and took off his gloves, holding up your hand for a high five.

When he raised his right you squinted and took it in yours.

“You did get a splinter!“, you scolded, “Man…! Come on.“

And you dragged him inside.

Kita thought he might explode at any second if you kept touching him. After carefully washing his hand and holding it under a steady stream of lukewarm water you pulled him over to your couch and asked him to keep his hand under the light of a small lamp on the side table. Rubbing down a pair of tweezers with some sake from your pantry you knelt in front of him, bringing his hand so close to your face he could feel your warm breath tickle his skin. It was quite maddening. Never had he felt such a strong desire for action. His whole body was tense like a taut bowstring. He held his breath while you worked, soft careful fingers rubbing and squeezing his calloused hand. He didn’t even notice the sting when you disinfected the spot after. But his skin burned when you applied a bandaid, gently smoothing out the corners.

“All done.”, you announced and got up to put the supplies away. He let out his breath, flexing his hand.

art: coloring done by @keiko-chan

[part 3]

[garbinge]

THE CASE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Mike Franks x F!Reader // Leroy Jethro Gibbs & F!Reader // Word Count: 10.3k Summary: When an unexpected, all-hands on deck, case unravels you, Mike does everything he can to try and keep you grounded. But it's not enough. As the investigation continues, so does your unravelling which ultimately starts to push you down a path neither Mike or Gibbs want to see you on. As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together and your luck seems to be running out, you're left to make a decision that you're not sure is the right one.

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Angst. Mentions of reader having a brother who has PTSD/trauma/manic episodes. Brief mentions of a side character having suicidal thoughts/struggling. Stress, anxiety, as the kids say these days 'crashing out'. Case is focused on murder, drug addiction, violence, overdosing. All canon-like things. Canon-level violence. Hurt/Comfort. Fighting. Giving up a dream. Dealing with family members with mental illness. Light fluff at the end, but not like a happy go lucky ending. Let me know if I missed anything! Know this is heavy-stuff so please do not read if any of that makes you uncomfortable. A/N: Mike Franks brain rot really took over on this one. I tried really hard to make this case make sense but if it doesn't, apologies. I have a new respect for people who write investigation stories lol. More from this universe

The sound of the pager beeps going off made both of you turn over and haphazardly search your nightstands. 

“It’s me.” Mike groaned as the security department number flashed on the tiny screen, sleep still in his eyes. 

“Mine’s going off too.” 

That made both of you sit up rather quickly in bed, if you both were being paged then something serious had to have happened.

Without thinking, you both got dressed, rushing to get out of the door as fast as possible. You threw on your NIS sweatshirt, grabbed the first pair of sweats you could find and put your slippers on. 

The jingle of keys turned your attention to the door as you stood in the dining room. Mike was standing there in his long sleeve gray henley and jeans, attaching his badge to his belt and opening his safe to pull both your weapons out. 

“I’ll drive, your car takes 10 years to warm up.” His voice still had traces of sleep behind it. 

You were at his house phone, dialing the security number to get the info of the alert. “They’re not giving me anything. Just ‘dead body on Pendleton Beach’.” You lifted your hands up, frustrated that they weren’t giving you typical details but you also knew that being woken up like this didn’t exactly put you in the best mood either. 

“S’alright. We’ll get answers when we get down there. Giddyup.” He tilted his head to the door, your gun being held out in his hand for you. 

With a nod you put the phone back on the receiver and moved toward him, grabbing your gun from him and badge.

The car ride was silent, the wind howling from the windows being down and the calm of the night being the only noise to fill the space. Normally you’d have the radio on, but it was incredibly early for either of you to be thinking straight. 

Your eyes moved over to Franks whose eyes were glued on the road, the wind doing a good job at blowing his hair back to its normal position compared to how it was when he woke up. As your eyes trailed down you realized he was wearing jeans. At 4 in the morning. 

“You put jeans on.” Your eyes jumped back up to his face. 

“And?” His gravelly voice didn’t seem to care why you were making that statement.

“It’s 4 in the morning, we’re barely functioning and you put jeans on.” You were more embarrassed by your own brain not making the decision for yourself. Mike looked put together, it wasn’t his normal work attire but it was presentable. You were in a damn mismatch sweatsuit for fucks sake. 

“Ain’t no one gonna notice, babe.” It was like he could read your mind. 

“No one would notice if it was you, Franks. I’m one of the only women leads here, people notice everything I do.” You were looking around the car, searching for something, anything to make the situation better. “I mean I don’t even have a place to put my gun, what the fuck was I thinking?” Now you were frantic, unbuckling your belt so you could pick through the back seat. 

“You left a pair of jeans back there a few weeks ago.” You didn’t need to be looking at his face to know he had the biggest smirk on it, and him lightly slapping your ass as you were bent over the middle console doubled down on that. 

But despite his teasing, he wasn’t wrong, you did leave a pair of jeans back there. Quickly grabbing it, you fell back in the passenger seat, pulling your sweats off using the backrest of the seat to hold your balance as you did. Mike couldn’t help but let his gaze trail down to your bare legs, taking in the sight of you in your underwear next to him in the car was driving him nuts. 

“Eyes on the road, Tex.” You smirked, now shimmying into the pair of jeans before letting out a deep breath when you plopped back down on the seat, buttoning them and adjusting your badge on the belt loop. 

“Have a second holster in the glove box if you need it.” Mike pointed and you were fast to grab it and clip it onto your jeans. It wasn’t as utilitarian as hooking it to a belt but it was a lot better than the sweats you were wearing just minutes ago.

“2 minutes out, hot stuff.” 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” With one more deep breath you took in the scene as you pulled up to Pendleton Beach. There were tons of cop cars, multiple caution tape perimeters, it would’ve been hard for a passerby to keep track of just how much was going on, but not for you or Franks. 

“Press is here.” Your breath hitting the window fogged it up slightly as you passed a press van that was chatting with a local officer. 

“Means every agency with an acronym is about to show up.” He went white knuckled on the steering wheel, pulling into the farthest open spot. 

He got out of the car so swiftly you double checked to make sure he put the car in park before getting out yourself. As you stood up out of the car, you looked around, past the red and blue lights, past the caution tape to the beach that was packed, but your eyes followed it down to where no one was. Where it was peaceful and calm, the horizon was a bit distorted, the heat coming up from Mike’s car engine was making it wave in and out. The sun wasn’t out yet, but on that side of the beach you could see the sky get just a bit lighter as the morning slowly crept up. 

Mike was in front of you, NIS hat in hand, a protocol for all crime scenes. He was dangerously close to you, likely why he parked so far so no one would see you two show up together. For someone who had just woken up, he was so damn sharp. 

As he stepped even closer to you, you felt his hand rest against your front, right where your jeans were buttoned, the warmth of his hand just placed there as he stared into your eyes. Just as you were about to question him, you felt his fingers touch the zipper that was sitting at the bottom seam and heard the metal starting to zip together. He started off slow but finished zipping it up fast, hard enough that the seam of the crotch in your jeans rubbed against your sensitive area and you let out a small moan. 

“Fly was down.” He whispered before taking a step back and putting on his own hat. “We’re about to walk into some shit.” He said it as he turned around, taking in the beach himself. 

There was no answer from you because from across the way you saw two people from your team pull up and you were already jogging over to them. 

You were the first person on the beach from NIS. Franks was debriefing with the local team that responded to the call. Your team was chatting with witnesses. Leaving you standing over the body. 

He was just a kid. Maybe 20? 

“Witness called in saying they saw a lifeless body on the beach around 3:25.” Mike’s voice was speaking to the rest of the team that had gathered around you. “We got a time of death, Dr. Tango?” 

“Bout an hour ago.” The medical examiner you knew as Tango was standing up from looking over the body. “Have to take a look officially but unofficially, looks like an OD.” 

“Why’s the press here?” You heard Lala’s voice now. She likely had just arrived on scene.

“Marcus Pardo.” You could tell Franks didn’t want to say the name. But it was all that needed to be said for everyone to understand why the press was here. “Deputy Director’s kid.” 

It was a Navy town, this–this would be on the local news and papers for days. 

“Dominguez, start taking photos. Randy, measurements. Gibbs, I want you canvassing the area, make sure these local uniforms didn’t cut us short in their perimeter.” Franks was calling out directions for his team while you stood there taking everything in, letting the information soak in your brain before giving your own team orders. 

You felt Mike’s eyes on you, it wasn’t the only set, the three people on your team were waiting for your word too. 

“Mac, I want you to go back to base, start researching every OD in this area in the last 6 months. I want dealers, users, drug names, what’s popular on the streets, how much, where they're getting it.” Cassidy Monroe was a computer genius, it’s why everyone called her Mac. She was the only one who knew those machines inside and out, the microfilms, computers, fax machines, how to find ways into other online databases to find information that was otherwise untouchable. If it was tech related, she was a natural at it. 

“Teo, talk with more locals, take the jacket and hat off if you need to. Charm it up, see what you can get that they normally wouldn’t tell brass.” Mateo Rivas wasn’t just a looker, but he had a way with words that made anyone and everyone comfortable with him. He could get pretty much anyone to open up by just flashing a smile. 

“Nash, work with Gibbs on the perimeter, think the local blues cut us off too short and used their tape to block off press more than the scene. Do that until you see FBI, DEA, NSA, HOMESEC–you see anyone with a fuckin’ acronym that doesn’t say NIS, I want you to pull Teo and do what you do.” Nash was a force to be reckoned with. He was confrontational, didn’t take no for an answer when it came to his job, but with that said he respected the hell out of authority. Never argued or pressed a single thing you said. Him and Gibbs were cut from the same cloth, a little reckless but loyal. He’d talk someone in circles so much he’d eventually get them on their side, and if that wasn’t working he had a very intimidating way about him. 

“We’ll debrief with Franks and team when we’re all back at HQ.” It was then that you broke off to the side. The sand didn’t stop you from picking up your pace as you broke from the crime scene’s outer edge, your hand lifting up the tape as you b-lined for the rocks by the shoreline. The tide was low and would stay that way for another 30 minutes. 

Your eyes searched the area, you weren’t sure what you were looking for, just that you were looking for something. 

“What’s that gut telling you?” Franks had followed you over. He was standing on the sand while you were 2-3 feet higher than him on the rocks. 

“When Auggie had to go to rehab— the program that was part of his settlement...” 

Your brother had been dishonorably discharged a few months ago. After the death of his long-time girlfriend, the trauma of losing someone he loved to a murderer ate at him. His time in the Navy became weathered. He dove straight into active duty, happy to take on any tour they assigned him to. The issue was, he was dealing with trauma, he’d have manic episodes all the time and one thing eventually led to another and he started getting violent, disappearing off base in the middle of foreign countries. When he punched his C.O. in the middle of an airstrike that’s when he was sent home.

“The days that Paratransit couldn’t take him, I’d drive him in, wait for him, then grab burgers and eat them on the beach.” Your eyes moved along each crevice of the rocks, looking for any sign of something abnormal. “He’d tell me that on the days he’d come here by himself, he’d sit on the rocks and hope that the tide would take him.” 

Franks was looking out to the horizon as you spoke, his hands on his hips, head falling when you mentioned the dark thoughts of your brother. He was fully aware of everything with Auggie. How it wrecked you seeing him this way, how you’d give up anything for him. He was at your place when August showed up on your doorstep having an episode, searching for his deceased girlfriend. He also was there when you found out he had been dishonorably discharged, a fact you learned about a few months after he was already home. Mike supported you in the best way he knew how. Watching out for you. He saw how much this all had broken you down, made you more erratic, your mind wasn’t 100% on the job anymore and while that was perfectly fine for a regular 9-5 office job, NIS was anything but that. NIS called for a lot more than a regular job, and Mike was doing a lot on his side to fill the gaps for you, even if he’d never admit it. 

You picked up on the energy shift from him, Mike might not have said much about it, hell, he usually kept his mouth shut whenever you’d have to deal with someone regarding Auggie, but you could tell he had opinions.

 “My point is, every time he’d come out here, he didn’t let it.” It was at that moment you saw something about 20 feet from you, right where the water was starting to come up to the rocks. 

“You’re thinking this wasn’t accidental suicide.” Franks was staring at you now, seeing how your personal life was coming to play in how you were breaking this case apart. 

“I’m thinking that Marcus Pardo was freshly back from war.” Your voice was getting louder now as you walked away, projecting out to him as you bent down and grabbed the object with a gloved hand. “The Deputy Director talked about it a lot–about the trauma his son endured and how he was finally coming home to accept his accolades. Was actually pretty vocal about it– especially for a promoting year.” 

The Deputy Director knew he had an opportunity to be moved up the chain, and it was clear he was tugging at people's heart strings to get there. ‘The next NIS Director whose son was going to be receiving stars and ribbons.’ 

“What you gettin’ at here?” Franks was stepping up on the rocks to start following you, curiosity floating around as he tried to put his own pieces of the puzzle together. You were insinuating a lot in your words and while he picked up on that, he was still racking his mind around it all. 

“I think Marcus would come here to let the tide take his thoughts instead of him.” Now you were holding the bracelet in your hand for Mike to see. It was a dainty chain with the letters M and L on them with a heart in between. “Someone was here with him.”

Franks was always impressed by your process, this time being no different, but he always challenged your thoughts because he knew not only would your boss, Wheeler, challenge it but so would the courts. They needed substantial evidence. 

“All circumstantial evidence, could be anyone's bracelet and even if he wasn’t alone, doesn’t mean he didn’t OD and the little lady left him here. Hell, she coulda been the one to call it in.” 

“You arguing with my gut, Franks?” You were walking toward him now, slowly as you maneuvered through the rocky terrain. In front of him, he pulled an evidence bag from the gear bag he had acquired on scene. Holding it open for you, his eyes didn’t leave yours. 

“Never.” It was one word that he needed to let marinate in the air for a few seconds before continuing. “We’re just gonna need this one to stick like gorilla glue. No gaps.” 

“I think Marcus Pardo was struggling.” Dropping the bracelet in the bag, you kept your eyes trained on Mike just as his were on you. “I think he was struggling and it made it hard on everyone around him.” 

Franks did everything in his power not to flinch at that statement. It was a direct projection of your own current issues with your brother. 

“I think someone turned their back on him.” Those words were haunting for you.  

It was at that moment that the tide had started to come in and the slight blanket of water washed over the rock you were standing on causing it to get slippery. You began to lose your balance but Franks so easily gripped your arm to steady you not losing an inch of his own footing as he did.

He kept his hand firm on your arm, letting you know he was with you.  “And we’ll get the sumbitch who did.” His teeth weren’t gritted tightly together, but there was a tightness to his lips as he spoke. Reading his eyes you could tell he was saying a lot in his head. 

—

“You hear me?” Mike’s voice got a little louder as he tried to break through your focus. When you looked up, he was at the furthest point of the table from you. His brows furrowed, eyes squinting as he stared at you. Your head was in another place, which might not have seemed like a big deal but everyone on the team knew keeping some part of your mind grounded when working on a case was a necessity. 

“Huh?” You looked up, trying to bring yourself back to reality. 

The TV in the conference room was on, your eyes focusing on it along with some of the other team members who had been watching it. A press conference where the Deputy Director was addressing the town about the loss of his son. 

“Said I’m gonna go pick up breakfast for everyone, wanted to know your order.” His eyes were still so focused on you. He was searching for something on your face and you were looking everywhere but his.

“Whatever breakfast sandwich is fine. Black coffee, lots of sugar.” You went back to looking at the file in front of you, searching Marcus Pardo’s squadron logs from his two tours, trying to find anything that would put you closer to finding out what happened.

“Why don’t you come with me, pick it out yourself. Let the team take a stretch without their overworking, married to the job, bosses breathing down their backs.” He let out a laugh looking around at Teo, Nash, Cassidy, Gibbs, Lala, and Randy. 

“Think we could all use some fresh air ‘nways.” He was standing up now, putting his holsters through his arms and situated on his back. He still had on the same outfit from the night before like you, none of the team having the chance to swing by home yet. 

“I’m good, the rest of you take a lap, a bathroom break, grab a coffee, I’m good.” You waved your hand as you flipped to the next folder. It wasn’t that Marcus had gotten into that many incidents, but you were reviewing every log his squad had, looking for a morsel of a clue to help your theory move forward. 

“I insist.” Mike’s face was back on yours, he was trying not to sound pissed or like he was talking to the woman he was sleeping with, he tried to keep it professional. Hopefully the others on the team would think that… he was technically senior to you. He was a supervisory agent longer than you which in theory put his rank above yours but in the chain of command on paper you both were at the same level. 

Gibbs seemed to be the only one to pick up on the tension, the other team members happily taking Mike’s words as an order and moving out of the conference room to take a breather. 

Gibbs was staring at you, his own hand going through the incident reports that you split up between you. “Hey, I’ll look through the rest of the reports, I’ll call if anything pops out.” His face was softened as he looked at you. 

Gibbs and you had sparked up a friendship about 6 months ago when you were at the office late working on an old cold case and he was stuck with probie paperwork. He wasn’t a member of your team, you’d only work together on cases in situations like this, which made your friendship easier to navigate. Neither of you ever felt like you fell in the giving and taking orders flow. Him offering to go through the papers was because he was just genuinely offering. Now, there was the added element that he was the only one on the team who knew you and Franks were a thing. He’d never spoken a word about it since the night he drove you home from the office and Franks was on your front porch, but he could tell that there was something else happening with you—something Franks was very much in the know of. 

He knew Franks well enough to know he wasn’t and wouldn’t practically demand you went with him because of relationship issues, it had to be something else. Gibbs noticed you were a little off your normal kilter. He tried to talk to you a bit when you were at Daly’s some nights but he also wasn’t the type to pry. His actions were how he’d support, like right now offering to take this off your plate for now. 

“We can stop by the forensics lab on the way back, see if Woody has anything with that bracelet.” Mike’s eyebrows were raised now, like he was getting impatient but also reaching at straws, anything to get you out of this conference room. 

“Alright, yea.” Standing up, you handed the stack of files over to Gibbs. “Got through the top 6, there’s 3 more. Only pattern I’m seeing is that he’d log at the mail tent everyday.” 

“I’ll take a look.” Gibbs smiled, which was unusual for him and that made your brows furrow, just as you were about to ask him about it, Mike cut you off. 

“C’mon, I’m hungry.” 

— 

As you walked into the deli, despite Mike holding the door open for you, you let him take the lead. It helped that the guy behind the counter called out to him. 

“How’s it goin’, Joey?” Instead of putting a cigarette to his mouth, he grabbed a toothpick from the top of the clear glass counter and popped it between his lips, letting his tongue twirl it around. His arms rested on the case, waiting for who you assumed to be Joey to approach him. 

“Let me get my usual. But triple it, gotta bring some back for my guys.” He looked over his shoulder at you. “You good with the sunrise sandwich?” It was what you’d get normally, it was half of what ‘Mike’s usual’ was. It was then that Joey looked at you, a small smirk playing at his lips before looking back down to the register. Mike always ordered two sandwiches, but you were never usually accompanying him to get them so you were a mystery who finally had a face. 

“Yea my usual.” You nodded and made yourself seem busy in the back, staring at the photos on the wall of every person of notary who had eaten here. 

“I got chipotle hollandaise today.” Joey called out looking directly at you. 

You smirked, sometimes you’d have to settle with a mayo ketchup mix, but whenever the hollandaise was available, that’s what Mike would get. It was funny how this man, Joey, who you never met before knew your sandwich preferences. 

“Put a little extra on it then.” You went back to looking at the photos, feeling less awkward than before which allowed your mind to start thinking back on the case. Reasons why someone would go check for mail everyday verse waiting for it to be handed out. The thought was mulling over in your head. Waiting for something important, too eager to wait the extra hours for it to be delivered out. Letters from family could do that. It could have been a routine thing, your brother told you he’d try and get out of his space as often as he could when he was overseas, take a walk around the camp. 

“Keep at it like that, and you’ll be runnin’ on fumes.” Mike knew better than to be overly affectionate when you were still on the clock, but since it was just you two, he got close to you, his chest against your side. 

“When you were enlisted, if you were expecting letters would you go check if things came in? Or wait for them to come to you?” You were still looking at the wall but your eyes were focused on what you were working on in your brain. 

With a sigh and a drop of his head Mike closed his eyes and brought his hand to scratch his head. “Uh,” he pushed his original thoughts aside to think about your question. “Would depend on the day, some days when I knew I was gettin’ a letter from my mama or sum I’d stop by the mail tent.” 

“He was expecting something. Something that came consistent enough that he’d check back everyday.” 

“Or he was expecting something that never came.” Mike hated to feed into the gears turning in your head right now but he’d be lying if you weren’t on to something.

“Something that never came.” It was spoken under your breath as you thought through it and then you turned to look at him. “Who interviewed the Deputy Director, did he mention Marcus having any close friends– a girlfriend?” 

“Randy and Mac did, put Teo in the room too.” Mike’s face was serious. 

“You used it as an opportunity to get the quiet ones some face time,” you let out a laugh,  “you’re twisted you know that?” You saw straight through it, in a case like this it was unspoken protocol for someone like you, Franks or even Wheeler to do the honors of interviewing someone like the Deputy Director.

“You’re the one who reminded me. It’s a promoting year.” He wasn’t wrong, it was the year they were going to appoint agents up, every second counted to earn face. 

“He mention a girlfriend?” You asked the question again that he purposefully avoided the first time. 

“No mention of a girlfriend, just a best friend that Lala went to interview last afternoon. He just landed back in town at 1PM yesterday, was in Bozeman Montana visiting family when our T.O.D occurred.” 

Dead end again. You turned to Mike as the first statement he made clicked in your head. “What did you say before?” Your face twisted up in confusion. 

“You’re runnin’ yourself ragged.” He had a coffee in his hand that he was holding out to you.

“And here I was under the impression that you thought I was pretty.” Teasing him, you took the coffee and immediately took a sip that earned a bitter look on your face while you searched for the table with sugar packets. 

 “Put damn near 5 packets of sugar in that thing.” He brought his own cup up to his mouth.

“You act like we haven’t worked all-nighters before.” You were focused on taking the lid off the coffee and pouring more sugar into the steaming cup, not wanting to discuss your coffee with him. 

“Not since your brother came back, no.” 

That made you stop what you were doing and look at Mike, reading his face was always more difficult than you cared to admit. 

“My brother came back when I started working on that cold case. I had plenty of all-nighters.” You corrected him. 

“I meant since you found out he was dishonorably discharged. Since I got his case put on my desk. Since you’ve been practically living at my house because you can’t find it in yourself to go home and share the space with him for more than an hour.” 

It was harsh, but that was something you could always count on Franks for. Not holding back. 

But despite knowing that, you couldn’t help but feel your ego get bruised a little bit. “If you don’t want me staying at your place you just had to say that, I’ll pick up my stuff when we wrap this up.” 

“Now you know that ain’t what I meant. Hell, I’ve told you just to pack up the rest of your shit and move it in. I want you there. But I also want you here.” His hand pointed to the ground and then to your head. “And with whatever you got goin’ on there, it’s taking you away from here.” 

“I’m fine.” You turned your attention back to the coffee and took a sip, it wasn’t perfect–not the way you liked it, but you didn’t want to stand there anymore. You popped the lid back on and moved away from Franks, hoping if you got closer to the counter and the people working behind it, he’d drop it. 

“You know I’m right. I know you feel yourself losing it, that part of yourself that keeps grounded. You’re putting too much energy into your gut and not the evidence. You’re doing exactly what you beat yourself up for.” He was whispering it, because he didn’t want the employees to hear, but he also wasn’t going to let this go. 

What you beat yourself up for. The case that started your fucking issues. When your brother’s girlfriend went missing, NIS was assigned to the case, when there was a second victim, you practically begged Wheeler to be assigned on it. That was when you had your first big fuck up. Following a lead that had no legs, and even though your gut told you not to, you lost valuable time. From that day forward you never doubted your gut, but now, with how things were mentally for you, maybe you were taking that so true to heart that you were making the same mistake again. 

“You don’t think my theory is right?” With that sentence, your head snapped to look at him, your lips pursed and nostrils flared. 

“If you were 100% here, you wouldn’t be asking me that.” His nostrils flared back. “I have never once questioned your gut. Still ain’t. Don’t think you're wrong either, or that this theory of yours is. But that’s the thing, it’s a theory, and you’re spending all night chasing it verse connecting something we already have to it. You’re getting lost.” 

It was then that the bags of food were being placed on the counter. “I’m havin’ my guys deliver the rest to the office for you, Franks. Bagged up both your orders, though.” He was smiling, like he had finally cracked the case of Mike Franks’ mystery woman. Another day, you might’ve been more inclined to chat with him, tease Mike together and bask in the glory of being the mystery California Sunrise sandwich girl, but not today.

“Thank you, Joey.” You offered a soft smile and grabbed the bags but it was short lived before Franks politely took them from you. It was likely a chivalrous thing, but you got annoyed, shooting him a look as you made your way to the door. 

“Hope to see you next time, hollandaise!” It was the first time you had earned that nickname, and while you wanted to laugh, it’d probably make Joey’s day if you did, you just gave a slightly bigger smile and waved before stepping out the door that Franks was holding open for you. 

“Yea, I do too Joey.” Mike called out while you walked to the car. He knew he was on thin ice with you right now. 

“Let’s get to the lab so I can start connecting my theory to real evidence, yea?” You yelled it to him as you plopped in the passenger seat. It was crazy to think it had been 24 hours since you were in this car driving to the crime scene. The time really was getting lost and you were spending most of it following your theory. The difference in your head was that you weren’t putting your team on it, you were giving them the evidence to follow, so you weren’t wasting time or following dead ends. 

Mike handed you the sandwich as he backed out of the spot, sunglasses perched on his nose, one hand on the wheel as he looked around but still just barely. He acted like he owned the road, like he knew better than it. If you weren’t running on 4 hours of sleep from the day prior, it probably would have been hot, but mixed with what he was just saying inside the deli, you felt like you were just staring at a very entitled Mike Franks in this moment. 

—

As you entered the lab, Woody was looking into a microscope. “Michael Franks.” 

“Curly.” He nodded at him as Woody stepped back from the microscope. 

“Good timing, just processed that bracelet. Was taking one last look to see if we missed any prints.” 

“What’d you find, Woody?” It wasn’t like you to rush the man, but you weren’t in the mood to fuck around right now. 

He looked at you and then his eyes moved to Franks. He was about to ask what was up with you but Franks cut him off, knowing it’d be the best for everyone involved. 

“Missed any prints? That mean you found some already.” He was stepping towards the table. 

The entire room was fluorescent white from the lights, it gave off a sterile feel but once you moved past the horizon line of the room, that feeling disappeared as the mess of the lab took over. 

“Matched one print to the deceased, but couldn’t pull anything else. We did look into manufacturing and it was done by a local jeweler, cheap metal, probably one of those pick a chain pick a charm shops.” 

You felt defeated. Like all the work you just put in was nothing, you were hoping there was at least one print from who it belonged to. 

“Let’s get back to HQ.” 

Mike’s face was in its usual resting position but you could tell there was something in his mind. 

“We know Marcus had to have been with our mystery bracelet lady and that it’s not just a random piece of jewelry. I’d like to think that’s a step in the right direction, agent.” Agent. Yea, he was reaching his limit and so were you. 

Before you could respond, your beeper was going off. 

NIS HQ

“Woody I’m using your phone!” You grabbed it off the wall and hit the numbers for HQ before taking a step out into the hall. 

“NIS, Mary Jo speaking.” 

“It’s me. Got a page.” Your voice fell into a more cheery tone, it was almost impossible to have anything but when talking with Mary Jo. 

“Hey sweetheart, yea, it was Gibbs, let me transfer you.” 

It took longer than normal to be transferred, and you knew it was because Gibbs had no clue how to answer a transferred call. 

“Hello?” His voice sounded flustered, confirming your suspicion. 

“You gotta just hit the line number that’s flashing, Gunny.” 

“Where are you?” He skimmed right by the question. 

“Forensics.” 

“Think you were on to something about the mail. The sergeant that gave us these folders put the mail log in the files so I pulled the registry, he was getting letters from a Lauren Carey.” 

“Our mystery bracelet woman.” You nodded, and started walking back to the lab. “You got an address for me, Gunny?” 

“She lives two blocks from the lab. 45 Mulberry.” 

You smiled at that, it’s why he asked where you were before starting to tell you. Smart ass fucking agent. 

“Thanks, Jethro.” 

Before you made it to the door, you stopped short. Walking in there you’d have to give a break down, you’d lose valuable time, so instead you dropped the phone and made your way there. 

“She takin’ a while to you?” Franks began his steps to the door. 

“I wouldn’t say she’s being quick.” Woody shrugged and turned his attention back to the microscope. 

“Goddammit!” Franks yelled out as he pushed out the door to see the corded phone abandoned on the ground. “This woman is going to be the death of me.” He mumbled that line as he let a hand trail down his face.

—- 

You walked up to the apartment, knocking twice before letting your eyes keep scanning the area around. Plants were mostly dead, cigarette buds were tossed in an ashtray next to a rocking chair on the porch, but you could tell they were old based on the aging of them. 

“Yea?” The door opened and the woman looked like she saw a ghost as you made eye contact. 

After giving her your name, you went to grab your badge to show when your head was being slammed into the side of the door frame. Everything went black after that. 

—- 

“Hey, you seen our girl?” Mike was walking back into HQ, stopping at Mary Jo’s desk as he mindlessly searched through the files on her desk. 

Normally, she’d swat his hand away but with the information she’d have to share, she decided not to. The endearment Mike used wasn’t what made her look at Franks that way, a knowing way, it was something he’d call you to Mary Jo because well, you were both their favorites. 

Her knowing look had a flicker of something, Mary Jo was the eyes and ears of NIS headquarters, and Mike knew better than to question the flicker. But he did question the fact she wasn’t her normal self. 

“Mary Jo?” He repeated now dropping the files. 

“She’s at base medical, got hurt when going to question the bracelet girl. Last I heard it was a concussion, maybe some stitches.” 

Franks was walking down the hallways with swiftness and purpose, the steam from his anger fueling his speed as he skipped over every other step to get to the medic upstairs. He practically took the door off its hinges as he opened it, freezing as he saw you on the table with a bandage on your forehead. 

“Jesus Christ, Franks. You’re lucky they were done stitching me up, I’d need to get stitches from my stitches.” Your hand fell to your heart and you took a deep breath. “I’m all good here, doc, thanks.” The doctor nodded and left the room past Mike who didn’t even look at him, his eyes were glued to you, staring between your head and your eyes. 

“Don’t freak out, please. I have a headache and can’t deal with another.” Your eyes closed. 

“You’re a supervisory special agent.” You weren’t sure where his statement was going. “Right?” 

“Where you goin’ with this, Franks?” Your cheeks raised as your eyes squinted. 

He stepped closer to you now, standing in between your legs, it was the closest you two had been at work ever. His left hand raised and cupped your face, his hand so large that his fingers brushed along the gash that was about half an inch on your forehead and another full inch onto your scalp. 

His face had softened as he looked at you, you flinched at the grazing over the wound, your whole head pounding from the concussion. 

“You’re a fuckin’ supervisory agent.” It was spoken through gritted teeth at a whisper, the anger growing back on his face. “And you’re acting like a damn probie.” 

You pushed his hand away then, the pounding getting worse. 

“Going to question someone alone is not only incredibly stupid but against the book.” His voice was raised now. 

“Don’t lecture me about the book, Mike. You haven’t even seen the cover of the damn book.” Now you jumped off the table and went to gather your things. 

“What about our book? Our rules.” He was stepping closer to you again. Our rules. You had a small set of them, something you put in place when you both decided to start extracurriculars together outside of work. 

“I got hurt because our number one lead slammed my head into a door frame when I went to grab my badge. I didn’t go looking for shit.” 

Rule 4: Don’t go looking for trouble without backup. 

“You did the dip. If you had a partner with you, it could’ve been clocked and you could’ve been out of there without a scratch!” Now he was fully yelling. 

“Stop fucking yelling!” As you raised your voice you immediately regretted it, the pounding in your head was felt everywhere. 

“And what about the fuckin’ forensics lead? Because there’s no prints you just hit a dead end? You’re not thinkin’ straight! Woody got the information on the store that fuckin’ made it, we could’ve found her from that but you’re so caught up in your own head you’re missing shit–important shit!” 

“We didn’t need the forensics lead, we had gotten something from the fucking letters Mike!” 

“We didn’t get shit. You did. A fucking concussion and 5 goddamn stitches because you wanted to handle shit by yourself!” His voice was getting louder with each sentence. 

“Gibbs was on scene two minutes after I got hit. He brought me to the ambulance before chasing after Lauren. Who he caught, I might add.”  

It was then that it clicked. He realized who was on the phone with you when you pulled your disappearing act. Within seconds, the doors were being slammed open and Mike was moving just as fast as before back through the halls of NIS. The only time he slowed down was when he found the doctor that was in the room with you earlier. Stopping dead in his tracks he stepped in front of him. 

“The good doctor!” He called it out to get his attention. “I want you to run every diagnostic and test you can on that young woman up there. Full work up. Alright? And if she asks why make some shit up!” He was back to moving to his bullpen before the doctor could even argue with him. 

All eyes were on Mike when he entered the room. 

“Whose team are you on?!” Mike was leaning on Gibbs’ desk, his fist slamming onto the table when he didn’t answer within half a second and everything on his desk jumped in the air and if it didn’t topple over, it lost its balance for a second. “Who do you call boss?” 

They were rhetorical questions, but Gibbs was still very much married to military life so he went to answer Franks but he shut it down pretty quickly. “You got a tip, you call me. Everything goes through me. You know who calls her?” 

Another rhetorical question that Gibbs had enough time to answer this time. “You.” 

That made Mike even more mad. He knew Gibbs knew. But it was never spoken out loud, the two just went on without any word on the matter. To Mike, Gibbs one worded answer felt like he was throwing it in his face and that didn’t sit right with Franks. 

“Teo. Nash. Mac.” His voice was dripping in frustration, correcting Gibbs on this felt so entirely personal. “That’s who the fuck calls her. Her team.” His finger was slamming into the desk now, his frown was drooping down his chin and his face was wrinkled in anger. “She’s up at the medic with a concussion and gash the size of a fuckin half dollar on her face. So the next time you want to give tips, follow the right channels.” He was pushing off the desk to go into interrogation now, planning to start questioning the girl you had attempted to bring in. “And you pull some shit like this again and you’ll be off the damn roster.” 

Gibbs didn’t realize you were back yet, he had assumed you were in the hospital but he should have known better than to assume you’d put your health first. 

He knocked on the door before peeking his head in. You were back on the exam table, this time with a folder across your lap. When you saw who was at the door, your face softened and you let your lips pull together a brief smile. 

“Hey, Gunny.” 

“Didn’t think you’d be back.” He entered the room fully now, being careful as to closing the door softly so it didn’t make too much noise. 

“I’d be in interrogation right now but the doctor came back wanting to do a full work up. Extra precaution he said. Apparently concussions are NIS legal nightmares or something.” 

“Probably for the better, Franks just went down.” 

You nodded at that, looking back at the folder. “She say anything when you brought her in?” 

“Lauren? Yea, she was going on about a set up but it was hard to understand her, Lala turned the radio up because she was still having a fit.” Gibbs explained as he went to lean on the exam table across from you. “How you feelin’?” 

“Like shit.” You answered looking through your brows with a smirk. When you looked at him, you could see through his expression, you could see him hurting. “How bad was he?” 

“I should have called him first.” There he was. The Gibbs who respected authority to a fault.

“It was a job I assigned you, you did it by the book.” You thought if you got technical with the probie, it’d make him feel better. 

“Technically I volunteered. I should have called Franks.” 

“You were being a good friend.” Maybe that angle would resonate with him better. 

“Yea, a great one.” He pointed to your head. 

“You had no idea I’d go all cowboy on this. I’ve shown no track record of being impulsive like this. This isn’t on you, Gibbs.” 

“I knew something was off, I picked up on it this morning, s'why I took the files from you.” His arms were crossed. 

“It that obvious to the team?” 

“No, just me.” 

With a sigh, you took the file off your lap and placed it next to you on the exam table and leaned your elbows on your thighs to catch your head. Massaging your figures on your scalp, you were hoping the small release would relieve the tension, spoiler alert– it didn’t. When you sat straight up again you caught Gibbs eyes with your own and shook your head. 

“I’ll argue with him all day about it but he isn’t wrong. Franks– he knows me too damn well. My head isn’t here.” 

“You’re running on empty. We got woken up in the middle of the night and haven’t slept since.” Gibbs was defending you to yourself and you had to appreciate it. 

Smiling, you nodded. “I wish it was just that, Jethro.” What you were about to say was hard and you weren’t able to look him in his eyes when saying it. “I’ve been struggling since my brother got back. I was able to disconnect from that shit after that damn murder case wrapped and we found Jessica’s killer. August was back on base, waiting for his deployment papers and I just put myself so deep into work, it was a couple years of me just not having to deal with it.” 

“When he came back, so did everything else.” Gibbs wasn’t a stranger to that, to grief flooding over you, to not dealing with it. 

“He came back so broken, I felt like shit that I was just okay.” 

“You weren’t okay.” Gibbs corrected you. “Just because you acted like it doesn’t mean you were.” 

“It just all came crashing down but I didn’t deal with it again–I couldn’t. I had to be okay because Auggie wasn’t.” Remembering back to when your brother came to your front door, thinking he couldn’t find Jessica, his memory flashing back and forth between past and present, reliving the trauma of losing her. You didn’t find out he was dishonorably discharged until Mike pulled you aside at work one day. 

–

After Mary Jo left the bullpen, the post-it note on top of a folder that she left on Mike’s desk made his heart drop. He stared at it for a bit before reading through the papers and then staring at the note Mary Jo left for him again. Everyone in the room was either in their own conversations or nose down into their paperwork. Mike getting up went unnoticed by everyone, even you, until he tapped his knuckle on your desk and tipped his head for you to meet him. 

With no words, after a few minutes you got up and walked to the bathroom, taking one last look around before entering the men's room and locking the door behind you. 

“Couldn’t wait till shift change?” You teased before you got a chance to clock his face but when your gaze moved from the lock to him against the sink with his arms crossed, one hand rubbing his face along his mustache, you knew something was up. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Look, this ain’t easy news.” He lowered his hand from his face, letting it now rest against the sink. “It's your brother.” 

“August?” His full name was saved for moments like this, tense ones. 

With a nod Frank’s lips pursed for a minute before speaking. “Few months back, when he showed up, wasn’t because his tour was over, Navy sent him back.” 

“Doesn’t shock me if they discharged him for health reasons, he was struggling–still is.” 

Mike nodded again, seeing how the desperation was starting to pool around your eyes. You knew there was more, you were just waiting for Franks to say it. 

“He was dishonorably discharged, kid was starting fights, going AWOL. Enough times to cause serious concern.” 

Those words felt like boulders dropping on your head. While you were here, laughing with the team, drinking after work, getting tangled up with Mike, your brother was crying out for help.

“How long did you know?” 

“Just found out. But I had a feeling there was more to the story.” His head dropped down, staring at the floor, it was clear he was as upset about it as you were. This was more than just someone he worked with’s family member. This was you. He had gotten to know Auggie pretty well over these last months. Shared drinks with him, a cigarette or two as well. They’d go out together to Daly’s when you were working late. Sometimes even would hit the range together, or go fishing from time to time. 

“Why are we finding out now?” 

His expression turned tight, each step of this conversation was uncomfortable for him. “Just got word that he made a threat to his old C.O. NIS has been called in to investigate.” 

The room got smaller, you felt like it was taking all the air with it too. Your mind started to jump from thought to thought. You knew you wouldn’t be on the investigating team. It was a stretch that Wheeler put you on Jessica’s murder case when the second victim was found. 

“What kind of threat?” The dread was soaked in your tone. He didn’t speak, just looked at you with knowing eyes. “Tell me it’s not serious, Mike.” 

“I don’t want to lie to you.” He didn’t break eye contact. “It was bad enough to raise some eyebrows. Mary Jo left the report on my desk. He’s on the radar now. Wheeler pulled favors and got me on the case. I'm not going to pull the team on it though, I’m going to work it with Strickland. Keep it quiet.” 

“What’s your thoughts on the final outcome?” Now you were trying to jump back into your professional brain. How was this going to play out? You needed to think logically. 

“Best-case? Community service, mandated rehab and anger management, few restraining orders towards his squad and some places on base and a huge dark mark in his file.” 

“Worst-case?” You could come up with the idea in your head of both case scenarios but since Mike had read the file he knew more in depth realities. 

“Worst-case? He puts in some time in lock up, waters still murky on if it’ll be civilian or military since the assaults and threats are spanning across active and inactive service. He already lost his benefits, salary, and housing. He won’t be allowed on any base for any reason.” 

“He’s being washed out.”  You’d seen it with a few vets since starting at NIS, luckily in those scenarios their family helped them get back on their feet. You would be that. You would do anything to help him get back on his feet.

Mike pushed off the sink and wrapped his arm around your shoulder, bringing you in for a hug and quick peck on the head before making sure the coast was clear in the hall. “C’mon. Let me drive you home.” 

—

“I would do anything to save him. I think that’s the thing with this job, we get used to it. Being able to solve things for people. I wish I could just shake him out of it. I wish I could shake me out of it.”  You looked back at Gibbs when you spoke that line and his eyes looked knowing until there was a shift in his face. 

I would do anything to save him.

Gibbs tried to bring his face back to neutral and it seemingly worked because when he went to say goodbye by squeezing your shoulder and offering his help wherever possible, you let him go without a second thought, bringing the file back onto your lap and diving right back into work. 

As soon as Gibbs was out of your view, he was fast-paced headed in the direction of interrogation. Lala was in the room where the TV was hosting the live feed of the interrogation room. 

“She’s claiming to have gotten the drugs from a new source.” Lala’s pen was attached to her mouth as she spoke, focused on the screen. “Gave us a description–guy, glasses, widow's peak. It’s not much to go on but Mac’s research shows there’s no new sources in the Pendleton area, so it’s gotta be someone on the outskirts, she’s casting a wider net on her fancy computer program.” 

 That information on top of the gut feeling your words had caused him was all he needed. He remembered the news broadcast he caught this morning in the conference room, where the Deputy Director spoke out at a press meeting about his son passing by suicide. Next to him was his assistant, who had glasses and a widow's peak. 

“The Deputy Director did it.” The words were spoken with finality, like he had no room to be swayed. 

“That’s an intense accusation.” Lala had moved the pen down from her mouth, frowning in pure confusion. 

“He’d do anything to save his son. He was trying to get rid of the girlfriend. She had been writing Marcus letters, tons of them, everyday. When he came home, Marcus leaned on Lauren versus him.” 

“Lauren got Marcus mixed up in the drugs.” Lala was slowly starting to wrap her own understanding around the accusation. 

“The Deputy Director was trying to drug Lauren. Wasn’t expecting his son to be with her that night.” 

Franks voice made both him and Lala turn around. “You better have some damn good evidence to back that up, probie.”

— 

He did. Lauren identified the man who sold her drugs as the Deputy Director’s assistant, who very quickly unraveled in interrogation. Admitted to the whole thing. Gibbs’ theory was correct. The drugs had a chemical in it that would have killed anyone who did them. It was meant for Lauren, who they knew had dabbled in her fair share of drugs, but before she took her share, Marcus took his. They even pulled the letters between Marcus and Lauren, all detailing how Marcus’ father was trying to get him into NIS and use him to buff up his own legacy, despite his very vocal disagreements with both things. The Deputy Director was losing his son and in his attempts to pull him closer, he pushed him directly into what would cause his demise. 

“Rumor has it, Elaine Peschi is being promoted up to Deputy Director.” Mike had just gotten in, you were on the couch, staring at the TV showing the press conference where both you and him were at earlier in the day together. 

“A woman Deputy Director, makes my decision a little more bearable.” You smiled, not a real smile though. One that was filled with many emotions. Sorrow. Understanding. Inevitability. 

Mike didn’t give you a verbal response, just looked at you, his eyes squinting as he tried to search your face. He knew the look you were wearing well, he’d been around you long enough to recognize it. There was a feeling he knew what you meant, and by the look on your face there wasn’t anything anyone could do to sway your choice. 

As he kicked his shoes off, he moved closer to you, his eyes only jumping from you twice. Once to look at the group of you on the TV and twice to see that your badge wasn’t on his entry table where it normally was. Now he fully realized. 

“You sure about this?” He spoke quietly. 

“No.” It was blunt but true, that was something you and Mike could count on each other for. Being honest. “But if I don’t leave now, I’m gonna get someone besides me hurt. And I can’t live with that.” 

Mike nodded, moving to sit on the corner of his coffee table, not directly in front of you, but so your right leg was in between his. With one hand resting on the inner section of your knee, he squeezed it in a comforting manner. 

“That pull to walk away before it eats you alive…it’s the hardest choice to make. Selfishly, I wanna tell you to stay, tell you that it’ll get easier.” 

“But you’d be lying.” You smiled, placing your hand on his. 

He nodded, staring directly at you with a look only a woman Mike loved could get. The team would never believe it. The softness in his features, the kindness in his eyes. 

Pushing off the coffee table he plopped down next to you, his left arm moving around your back to pull you against his chest, his right securing you in that position before he rested his chin over your head. 

“Tell me I’m making the right decision.” You spoke it at a whisper, if the TV volume had been any higher he wouldn’t have heard you. As he stared at the screen, seeing you and him stand next to Wheeler as he spoke at the podium, he mourned it a little. Not having you in the office with him anymore, not looking up from his desk to see that dimple that would form when you were in deep thought, no more driving in together, sneaking out together. 

His jaw tightened, he wanted to take a deep breath but he knew that’d give off the wrong message. So he just took a few more beats, letting this sink in before he answered you. 

“It’s gonna feel off for a bit.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “But if you need me to tell you you’re doing the right thing, I will. Because I trust you know you’re making the right choice.” 

It was such a Mike Franks answer and you couldn’t help but laugh at it while bringing a hand up to wipe a stray tear. 

“Gonna miss this.” You pointed to the screen where you two stood tall next to each other. 

His mouth mumbled against the top of your head. “We’ve always found a way,” he pursed his lips and left a kiss there, then brought it down slightly to kiss where your stitches were lightly, “this’ll be no different.” 

“We can make out at the holiday party now without worrying that anyone is going to write us up.” Sure, it might’ve been a joke to ease the tension, not think about the weight of all of this anymore, but there was definitely some truth in the joke. “If you’ll take me as your plus one.” 

Now it was Mike’s turn to laugh, the chuckle causing your head to move against his chest. “If I don’t bring you, Mary Jo or Lala would be the first to rope you in as theirs.” 

“You pawning me off already?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.” He kissed your head again and then frowned at the screen. 

“Good because now that I don’t have to act professional, those parties are about to be a lot more fun.” Squeezing into his side you tightened your own grip on him. 

He teased back with you. “I’m countin’ down the days till Christmas.” 

You both sat quietly, watching the last few minutes of the press conference, the weight of the decision sitting heavy in the room but right now, you felt safe in this little bubble on the couch with Mike. Like the weight couldn’t get to you there. He must’ve thought so too because neither one of you moved from that spot on the couch, both falling asleep there and letting tomorrow be the day that you faced this head on. 

Dividers by: realitycanbewhateveridesire ♡ 🕵️ NCIS Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @kmc1989 @ilovemark1951 @shamelessturtlebeliever @babebaber @that-one-fangirl69 (let me know if you’d like to be added!)

More from this universe

[oddballwriter]

Good Smells

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Summary: A nice little blurb involving Marc enjoying certain smells because they remind him of you.  

Warnings: There's reference to Marc's past and childhood but it's not entirely front and center. This is still hella fluffy. 

Author’s Snip: The reader's gender is never specified but they do have traditionally feminine smells like flowers.

Notes: Something for Marc, my little stress ball of a man. <3 

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

"Did you know that out of all of the senses in the human body, smell is most effective in sparking a memory?" Steven mentions as you two walk through the candle aisle of the home decor store.

You don't actually need candles, you came here to get a new desk chair after the previous one was no longer functional or comfortable. But you had a pretty good coupon for the candles here that was going to expire soon. So that's how this topic emerged in Steven's head.

"Does it now?" you reply, "Where'd you learn that." you ask. "Was watching some psychology show while waiting for what I usually watch on that channel we always have on." he answers. "I forget the exact details but apparently when it comes to smells, the neurons in the brain just connect the smell that the nose is picking up with the memory." Steven explains. You hum in response.

"Do you have any smells that make you remember something?" you ask as a means to keep conversation. Steven thinks for a moment before answering, "Whenever I smell that plain room smell, the one's you usually smell in a waiting room or something," he says, "It actually reminds me of storage back at the museum because it had that same smell." Steven correlates. You nod along.

Steven tries to think more on if there are other smells that make him think of something and you sort of wait, but he draws blanks. "I can't think of anything else. I'm sure there's more smells that work for me but right now I'm just getting Marc's." he muttered, sounding more like he was thinking out loud.

"Marc has smells that make him think of things?" you ask. "Yeah, but that's not really something for me to talk about." Steven remarks before continuing to walk along the rest of the aisle. "How about you, love? What are some that you have?" Steven asks, slightly changing the subject to go another direction.

That was a good move of Steven in Marc's opinion. He knows you meant well by asking about the smells that he has connected to memories. It's just that none of his smells are good smells.

No, not like they are things that smell bad. It's that the smells remind him of things that are bad and not so pleasant.

The damp smell of the tunnel.

The smell of the common flowers braided into a grave reef.

Marc had no good smells.

They never really caused the whole immediate remembering thing to be honest. That only happens when he actually lets his mind make the connection. So even then, he had nothing that made him think of anything.

That was until Marc, and the rest of the boys by default, started having certain smells that would just have a memory come up.

And it was all because of you.

You had this hand lotion from some store that smelt like apples. He can smell it on you whenever you cup their face. Sometimes the smell gets on him if he holds your hand long enough or you touch a part of his clothes before it fully settles into the skin of your hands, leaving a small spot with the faintest smell of it. Now whenever he smells anything apple related he just sees your image form in his mind. He literally ate a bear claw donut on a mission once because he missed you and the smell of the apples inside of the pastry made him think of you.

How about that gentle flowery smell that's in your shampoo?

No, it wasn't that artificial smell like the reef. Your shampoo actually smelt like wild and authentic flowers. Like if you stood still long enough a butterfly would mistake the smell of your hair for a patch of flowers. Which is why he buys you flowers from the farmers market. Sure, they're better looking and selling than the artificial ones, but also because he know's you'll put them in a vase somewhere in the flat and when you're away he'll have that same lovely flower smell.

If you were to ask if he had any smells that sparked any memories now, he would have an actual answer. A good answer.

Good smells.

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Quicksilver Princess Chapter 6

Series summary: A fantasy AU in which Dean is part of a long line of warriors who protect the kingdom. What happens when his rescue of the little princess with the quicksilver eyes gets him a possible future bride?

Series Warnings: Nothing major. Show typical violence. Fantasy violence. Smut. Angst. Fluff. Each chapter will have its own specific warnings. So, watch for those.

Chapter Warnings: None really. A bit of magical violence. A kiss. Some angst.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x OFC (Melissande)

Word Count: 7,907

A/N: First of all - I'm so sorry for the length of this chapter. There was a lot to get through. 😁🫣 Secondly, I'm so unbelievably happy that I FINALLY got to give this story an ending! I've loved writing it, but fantasy is tough! Lol! But I'm happy and proud of the story as a whole, so I sure hope you enjoy this final chapter. And to those of you who've read the story and encouraged me to continue, thank you so much for your patience.

I know OFC's aren't most people's favourites, but I encourage you to give the story a shot, and I hope you enjoy it. ❤️

Series Master List || Main Master List || Tag Lists

Melissande strained against the chains that held her immobile on the cold, stone table, even though she knew her struggles were pointless. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to break the iron binding her.

Layo’ita began to gather things from around the room, filling the pockets of the long black cloak she wore over her royal finery. She wore no elaborate headdress or hairstyle now, instead the wide hood of the cloak kept her face slightly in shadow. 

She gathered plants and herbs, potions, many colorful crystals, and a small silver dagger, preparing everything, and going about her evil plan while she spoke.

“You have no idea how patient I’ve had to be, how meticulous with every detail.” She looked back to where Yasa stood slumped weakly against the wall. Melissande was terrified by his increased pallor. He raised his head slightly to watch Layo’ita as she continued.

“It would have been much easier if you weren’t such a nosy, troublesome thing.” She said to Yasa, her tone annoyed. “I hadn’t planned on duplicating you until this one turned eighteen.” 

She waved dismissively towards Melissande. “But you just had to galavant off to your beloved Winchesters and try to outsmart me.”

Her smile was shadowed. “I took care of them without much trouble. But their meddling forced me to enact my plan much earlier than I’d wanted. It takes a lot of power and strength to hold on to a Duplicate, to make them seem natural and believable. I certainly wasn’t planning on having to keep it up for a dozen years!” 

She huffed out a breath, clearly feeling put upon. “The difficulty with a Duplicate is that they give a sense, after a while at least, that something isn’t quite right. The smell begins to cause doubt and there can be no contact because of their cold skin. So, on top of everything else I had to take care of, I had to work at changing your reputation, sending out whispers that your brush with assassination had made you afraid and nervous to be around people.” 

Sha laughed lightly. “No one seemed to miss the real you very much, or push to see you. Fooling people got easier as your reputation as kind of a recluse spread.”

She shook her head. “I’ve tried so often to fix the issues with the Duplicates, but I simply couldn’t manage it. It is very frustrating.” She claimed in an annoyed tone. “But it’s why I knew early on that I needed to make you to say goodbye to your visits with this brat and whore wife number four. If you’d kept visiting, they’d have known you too well and recognized the differences very quickly.”

Layo’ita pushed back her hood to reveal another ghoulish grin. “So, I convinced you that my heart was broken, made you believe I actually cared where you spent your nights or how many bastards you fathered.” 

She snickered and looked at Melissande. “It was surprisingly easy to convince him to walk away from you and Hera. Hardly more than a few tears.”

Yasa shook his head. “That’s not true.” He said weakly, looking at Melissande. “It’s not true, poppet. I was just trying to do the right thing.” His body sagged further down the wall. “I’m sorry.”

Melissande shook her head. “I know, Papa, I know. It’s alright, we’re together now; that’s all that matters.”

Layo’ita cackled. “Oh, yes, yes! Together again - but not for long.”

Yasa’s breathing was short and slightly labored, as though standing for so long had sapped him of what little strength he had. His voice was thin, but it held a note of steel as he spoke again.

“Layo, I don’t understand. Where does this hate for me come from? We were friends once, weren’t we? I always tried to afford you the respect and care you deserved. Is this simply because I couldn’t love you? The heart pays little attention to anything but its own tune, you must know that. I did everything I could to honor my duty to you and our son.”

Layo’ita scoffed as she began to chop up some of the plants, along with what looked to Melissande to be a human tongue, tossing them all into a large, gold bowl.

“I couldn’t have cared less whether you loved me or didn’t.” 

Melissande heard a flicker of something in the First Queen’s voice that told her that she did care, much more than she admitted.

“I don’t hate you." She continued. "In fact, I don’t care about you at all, except that you’re in my way. I’ve always known I was born for something great, that the old gods fashioned me for power. But instead, my whole life was simply about learning to be your wife, a mother to future kings who would rule. But never me.”

She stopped chopping and set down the knife, walking closer to Yasa. “I didn’t want you to honor me as the ‘First Queen’ and I never wanted to be your ‘True Wife’.”

Layo’ita shook her head. “My whole life I was taught to stand beside power.” Her voice dipped low. “But I knew I was born to wield it.”

She looked over to Melissande. “But it wasn’t until this bouncing baby brat came into the world that I finally realized just how to make that power mine.”

She went to the small fireplace set into the southern wall and tossed some more of the plants onto the flames. They gave off an acrid scent that made Melissande’s eyes water a little. The Queen stirred them into the low burning flames, watching the plants burn up.

“I didn’t know what she was right away, but I knew she’d be special. I’d heard the legends of course of other Coll family members and ancestors who’d had the quicksilver eyes, but she was the first one in a very long time. And I just knew something like that had to come from magic. So, I began digging into the history of the family.” She paused to look back at Yasa with a smile. “Your aunt would have been proud at how well I learned my lessons from her.”

She shrugged. “It didn’t take long for me to realize you were descended from fairies, and that’s when I knew how to rid myself of you, and take on the power of the crown all for myself.”

Yasa attempted a laugh that came out as a cough. “Come on Layo, you don’t actually believe that nonsense, do you? Do we look like fairies? It’s just an old, silly legend, made up by one of my ancestors, no doubt, to try and make the Coll family seem even more suited and destined for the throne.”

Layo’ita just shook her head with a mysterious smile. “You’re wrong, Yasa. You’ve always underestimated magic. You shouldn’t.”

Melissande heard her father’s words and the strangest feeling came over her; it was like something deep in her soul was shouting out a denial of what he was saying. It wasn’t a legend; it was real. She knew it like she knew how to breathe; it was instinctual, automatic. It was an odd feeling when just the day before she’d had almost the exact same reaction as her father when Rowena told her she was part fey. 

But there was something about being in this place, so completely submerged in magic, that made the reality of her lineage very apparent to her. Something inside was screaming at her to believe, to soak up the magic surrounding her and allow it to flow through her.

Layo’ita stabbed at the fire with a poker until the logs and plants burned together into embers, and then into ash which she scooped up into a smaller silver bowl. She brought it over to the table where Melissande lay, and from inside her pocket she withdrew the silver dagger. She chanted something and then sliced a small, but fairly deep cut in Melissande’s left arm, making her gasp at the sting.

The First Queen rested the silver bowl beneath her arm, collecting her blood as it leaked from her veins. She took the bowl away, allowing the blood to trail down Melissande’s arm and onto the table. Then using the dagger, she mixed the ash and blood together, continuing to chant as she spread the sticky paste that it made, over Melissande’s feet and across her forehead.

The chants turned into a slow, soft song, as Layo��ita began to arrange the plethora of crystals she carried, around the outline of Melissande’s body. When she was done, Melissande felt the crystals warming her up in the cold chamber, each brightly colored stone giving off ripples of heat.

Layo’ita picked up the silver dagger again and approached Yasa. “Duplicating you, keeping the kingdom from knowing the truth, has been exhausting for these last twelve years. Every day, I’ve worried that this would be the day someone figured it out. I simply can’t go on like this forever.”

She shrugged. “So, my answer is to soak up your essence to put into my Duplicate, so he looks real and right. No more traces of sulfur, no more cold skin. But still very much under my control." She smiled. "I've found my solution at last."

She sighed. “Unfortunately, the only way to collect your essence,” she raised the dagger, “is to cut it out of you.”

“No!” Melissande shouted.

Yasa’s pallid face looked defiant and proud as he stood to his full height, in spite of the way his legs shook with exhaustion. Layo’ita looked slightly amused at his pride and defiance.

“You forget yourself, Layo. Do you not recall that you gave me a son, an heir. You can strike me down, but one day he will come  to claim his crown and avenge me in the process.”

The Queen cackled again. “Oh my dear, I would be surprised if he even remembers you. I’ve been assured that he’s quite happy governing in The Lands Beyond and holding on to his own little piece of the world.”

She shrugged again. “But, if the babe I birthed tries to come and claim what I have taken, well, then he’ll meet your same fate.”

The First Queen lifted the dagger, aiming it at Yasa’s heart and Melissande saw it flash in the light of the dying fire as she screamed out her horror.

***

Four more Winchesters had joined Dean’s ranks before they set off from King’s Town, and as it turned out, sixteen experienced and well-trained Winchesters were more than capable of taking down the Guardsmen. 

At the witching hour, under the cover of night, the Winchesters blended into the darkness and silently approached the castle. They split into four groups of four, and each team was charged with securing one of the North, East, South, and West facing entrances. 

They’d agreed at the outset to do everything they could to not kill the guardsmen. Despite their extreme dislike of the order, and the grudge they held against the usurping guardsmen, they all begrudgingly agreed that the soldiers were just doing their duty in protecting the castle. So, they would do all they could to spare them.

But in the end, some of the guards fought bravely and gave the Winchesters a real challenge, but a great many of the guardsmen surrendered as soon as they saw the Winchesters fighting like the Warriors they were. 

Dean, Robert, Jody, and Ketch made up one team, going through the North-facing entrance. There were approximately thirty soldiers at that entrance, and only six of them put up a fight, battling hard. But the Warriors still won handily, with only a broken nose for Ketch and two broken fingers for Jody. 

After they’d been subdued, Dean grabbed one of the more cowardly looking guardsmen and demanded that he take him to Mellie.

“Now!” Dean shouted and the man trembled as he rushed to obey. Dean had to shake his head a little. How on earth had the kingdom stayed safe with these guardsmen as its protectors?

Jody and Ketch stayed to watch over the guards left behind, and to coordinate with the other Warriors to make sure everything was going smoothly in the other battles. Dean and Robert followed the guard down endless flights of stone steps until they came upon the dungeon in the bowels of the castle. 

They left the guard tied up at the entrance to the row of dungeon cells, and proceeded down to the last cell where the guard said Mellie was being held.

They slowed as they approached it, taking extra care with their surroundings, looking for booby traps, or something that would keep them from reaching her at the last minute. 

But nothing appeared to attack them, and they approached the cell. Dean wanted to let out a whoop of relief as he saw Mellie behind the bars, lying on the hard ground.

She’s alive. He thought with cascading relief. 

She was dirty and she shivered slightly in her sleep, but she was alive. Her brow puckered as though she was having bad dreams, but she was alive. Dean approached the bars as he sent Robert back to the guard. 

“Get the key.” He told the older man, who raced off to find it. Dean called softly through the bars.

“Mellie, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up, I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Mellie’s eyes flickered open, and confusion filled her expression for a moment as she sat up. But then she saw Dean and she gave a cry of surprise and happiness.

“Dean!” She jumped to her feet. “Oh Dean, you came! I knew you would.”

She approached the bars slowly, hesitatingly and Dean smiled at her warmly to let her know she was safe. As she drew nearer a slightly foul odor hit his nose, something like rotten eggs, and it made him want to take a step back. But he gave himself a mental shake.

Gods, man, he thought to himself, she’s been snatched up and thrown in a dungeon. What were you expecting her to smell like, roses?

He smiled at her again. “Robert’s gone to get the key, then we’ll get you out of here, somewhere safe, with a couple of Warriors to protect you and Robert and I will stay and demand to speak with your father, and try to find out what’s going on here.”

Mellie nodded. “Please be careful.”

Before he could respond, Robert was back with the key. Dean took it from him and pushed it into the rusted lock, unlocking the cell and pulling open the squeaking door. He rushed inside and ran up to Mellie, taking her upper arms in his hands, intending to pull her close. But when he touched her he was surprised.

“Mellie, you’re like ice.” He said with a frown, chafing her arms. “Robert, see if you can find a blanket somewhere.”

Robert nodded and set off. Dean took Mellie’s icy hand in his, intending to lead her out of the cell. But as her hand slipped into his, a sense of something dark slithered down his spine and suddenly his instincts were screaming at him, warning him. 

He turned to look down at the woman walking beside him, and he was somehow sure something was off. For one thing, Mellie was never this quiet. She should be asking him a thousand questions about how they got in and who was with him. She should be saying “I told you so.” because the Winchesters had listened to him as she’d said they would.

He dropped her hand and stepped back from her. She looked slightly confused and a little hurt. “Dean, what is it?”

Dean shook his head, more sure than ever. He jerked his chin towards her. “I have no idea what you are, sweetheart, but you sure as hell aren’t Mellie.”

Remembering suddenly, Dean reached into the pouch on his hip and pulled out one of Rowena’s magic-revealing bags, and it glowed bright purple. Grabbing a matchbox from the same pouch, he quickly lit a match and then set the bundle ablaze. 

In slight horror, Dean watched as “Mellie” went stone silent and unmoving before she went up in a literal puff of smoke. The air around him radiated the purple color as it thinned to a trail that led towards the back wall.

“Robert!” He called and the elder Warrior ran in, clearly confused by the still settling smoke and the purple air around them.

“It wasn’t her.” Dean said succinctly. “I don’t know what kind of illusion that was, but it was obviously meant to keep us from finding the real Mellie, and to keep us distracted until it’s too late.”

He pointed to the purple path in front of them and how it disappeared into the wall. “This is a protection bag from Rowena.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “You went to one witch to save you from another? What are the chances that she isn’t helping her?”

Dean shook his head. “No, trust me, we can trust her. On this at least. The bag glows purple in the presence of magic, and when it’s burned it reveals the magic that’s been used. This magic seems to be in the very air around us, and it seems to be leading us there.” He said, pointing.

“Into a wall.” Robert said, deadpan. 

Dean nodded. “I wonder what’s on the other side.”

Robert nodded. “Alright, how do we break through?”

It took them far longer than Dean wanted to find equipment to try to chip away at the stone. His stomach was once again in his throat as he realized the eclipse was approaching fast. 

But once they had pickaxes, they began pounding away at the stone and put a hole in the wall mercifully quickly. Once there was a small opening, the men tore at it with their bare hands, loosening rock and shoving it aside until there was a hole big enough for them to squeeze through. 

When they were on the other side they saw they were standing on a landing at the top of a very long staircase. The stairs went on for so long, and went so deep beneath the castle, that they couldn’t make out the bottom of the steps; it ended in sheer darkness. 

Though it was starting to fade, they still had the purple light in the air to follow, and it led them straight down the stairs. 

It seemed to take forever to reach the bottom, and eventually the purple light disappeared completely, forcing Dean to strike match after match in an attempt to keep them from pitching headfirst down the increasingly damp stairs. 

Finally, they reached the bottom, and followed a very pale light that was burning in the one and only cell. There was no one inside, and Dean wondered why the light still burned inside the cell.

Finally, he decided to burn the other bag, and see where the purple air would take them next. It had them continue down a very long corridor, until they finally reached a small, oval, wooden door. They were in the process of trying to find a way through, when Dean heard Mellie scream in terror and without hesitation, he smashed his body through the door.

***

It all happened so quickly; one moment the Queen was a breath away from murdering her father right in front of her, and the next moment there was a massive crash as the door splintered and Dean came charging through it. 

Instantly Melissande’s eyes were filled with tears. “Dean.” She whispered. 

Before she could do more than blink away the tears however, Dean and another man ran at Layo’ita, swords raised. With a blast of blue light from the center of her palms she threw the men back, spinning them through the air to land in a heap on the floor. 

Dean got to his hands and knees and took cover behind a shelf full of tiny vials of potion. The older man sought cover as well, but didn’t find it quick enough and Layo’ita blasted him again, sending him crashing into the wall this time and knocking him out cold.

The Queen slowly walked towards the shelf Dean was hiding behind, shaking her head. “Now, now, hunter, you failed spectacularly at the mission I sent you on. But if you’re very good, I’ll let you stay alive for the show. As the sun rises, the moon will usurp its place in the sky, and the world will go dark. Then I will make my mark upon this land, and then the next kingdom, and the next and next, until all the world is held in the palm of my hand.”

Dean’s voice was deeply sardonic as he spoke. “Wow, it seems to me, like maybe you need a new pastime. You know, something else to focus on besides the whole, world conquering insanity. Cause, I mean, let’s be honest. Who the hell are you to claim ownership of the entire living world?”

Melissande could hear the rage in the Queen’s voice as she shouted at him. “I am born of the old gods, crafted by them, my destiny set down by them, written into the turning pages of time, before the world began. I am chosen among all the-”

“Got it!” Dean interrupted her. “You’re the very bestest and the gods really, really like you. That’s great, but I suppose that means I’m gonna make those old guys pretty angry when I put my sword through your black heart.”

Melissande could see the way Layo’ita’s face contorted in fury. “How dare you? You know you don’t stand a chance against me, boy! You mock the old gods, but they’re at my back, they guide me and give me power.”

She walked to one side of the shelf, creeping slowly, hiding her approach, but as she swept around to the back, Dean charged out from the other side, swinging his sword in a downward arc, coming within a hair’s breadth of taking off the queen’s head. But she jumped back just in time, and fired a bolt of magical power at him, tossing him aside, into the wall beside her father.

He rose again quickly, but not fast enough. Chains snaked out of the wall to wrap around Dean’s chest and thighs, pinning him in place. When he was completely immobilized, the Queen waved her hand and another set of chains wrapped themselves around Robert where he lay, still unconscious.

She approached Dean, wearing a smug smile. She reached out towards him, and used magic to pry his hand open and let his sword clatter to the ground. 

Dean gave a frustrated growl through clenched teeth as the Queen reached him. She raised her hand up to run it down his cheek, and Dean turned his head, trying to jerk it away from her. But there was nowhere to move to.

Melissande watched his jaw flex tightly as Layo’ita ran her fingers from his cheek, down over his neck, and then across his broad chest.

The Queen sighed slightly. “You know, you certainly are a beautiful man. I might have to keep you. When the world is mine, I might need a pet, someone to keep me…entertained.” She moved her fingertips to his mouth and traced his bottom lip.

Dean turned cold eyes her way. “Yeah, good luck with that, sweetheart. Cause trust me, I bite.” He snapped his teeth at her fingers, and she just barely got them out of the way in time. She laughed, clearly exhilarated. 

She practically purred at him. “Yes, I must find a place for you in my bedroom.”

“Get away from him!” Melissande shouted at her. She felt sick seeing Dean chained up and at the mercy of this fiendish madwoman. She’d brought this on him.

Layo’ita turned laughing eyes her way. “Oh, little princess, does it bother you to see him with someone else? Did you imagine he was in love with you just because he married you.” 

When Melissande’s eyes grew wide, Layo’ita smirked. “Did you think I wasn’t aware of that pathetic attempt at trickery? But you won’t have to worry about that much longer. In fact,” she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, “soon you won’t have to worry about much of anything."

She looked up at the ceiling. “The sun is rising.”

There were no windows in the chamber, but somehow Melissande knew she was right; it was as if she could feel it on her skin. 

The Queen returned to Melissande’s side, pressing her hand to her forehead as though she was checking Melissande for a fever. But she chanted softly, effectively ignoring the woman beneath her hand as she continued the ritual she’d been planning for nineteen years.

When her chant ended, she seemed to be almost in a trance, and she wandered back towards Dean and Yasa. The King seemed so faint now he could barely hold his head up. Layo’ita bent to pick up the dagger she’d dropped when Dean smashed through the door, and tilted her head to look at Yasa, studying him.

But then she raised the dagger in her hand again, and again Melissande screamed out in terror. “Papa!” As her scream crescendoed, something happened that hadn’t happened the first time. 

One of the crystals on the stone table, the orange one beside her shoulder, cracked into shards and the pieces sailed across the room towards the Queen. The sharp splinters of rock sliced into her cheek and she screamed in pain and surprise. 

She whipped around to see Melissande’s shocked expression as she felt something churning inside her. Something that felt as though it rose up from the bottom of her soul and the very tips of her toes. Without conscious thought, two more crystals splintered and hurled themselves at Layo’ita, making the woman scream at Melissande in frustration.

“What do you think you’re doing you little brat? Who do you think you are?”

Words swam up into Melissande’s mind, Rowena’s words, and she spoke them outloud.

“I am the direct descendant of Queen Caryn'se, Ruler of the Fae and these ancient lands from the time the world began.” She shook her head. “You think the old gods created you to be a force of power and tyranny, but I think you’re wrong.”

With almost no effort, Melissande snapped the iron links that bound her, sitting up and grasping two more crystals in her hands. The Queen shot a bolt of power at her, but it sparked out and died like a fizzled candle before it could touch the Princess.

Melissande felt her body begin to buzz with an inexplicable energy, powerful and potent. But it didn’t scare her, it excited her, and it cradled her, protected her as she stepped down from the table and faced Layo’ita as she continued.

“I believe that when the old gods crafted me, they fashioned my veins and filled them with the blood of the fey, the blood of Caryn’se.” She held up the crystals in her palms. “They gave me the protection of the earth, the protection of Sanso’ye itself. The land of the silver-eyed people belongs to my ancestors, and we will not allow you to make our people suffer any longer!” 

Melissande’s voice was vibrating with power, and she could see the white light that surrounded her, emanating from her entire body. As the Queen tried to bombard her with more and more flashes of dark magic, Melissande looked to where her father and Dean stood chained. Their eyes were wide with disbelief, but then Dean smiled as she caught his eye. It was a warm smile, and it even looked a little proud. 

Melissande sent another crystal flying towards Dean. The gem barely touched his chains, but they quickly fell away. As soon as he was free, he immediately leapt for his sword. 

Layo'ita spun to face him, hand raised to throw more magic at him, and the chains had started reaching out for him again.

But Melissande shook her head. “No.” She said softly and four crystals broke apart and shot through the air to stab into the Queen’s skin, causing her to screech in pain.

Her scream was short-lived, however as Dean got ahold of his sword and swung it true, following through on his promise, and plunging it through her heart. 

The Queen’s face, skull-like and imobile, nevertheless wore a look of unbelievable shock as she fell backwards off of Dean’s sword and landed in a heap on the ground. Blood plumed across her chest, and as her last breath rattled out of her lungs, the Queen reached towards Melissande, as though, even in her last moments of life, she was desperately trying to grasp onto power.

After the Queen's death rattle, silence reigned for a moment, and Melissande could feel the power that had surged through her, begin to ebb, slowly melting away until she was just herself again, just a girl standing on very shaky legs.

Dean dropped his sword and ran to her, grasping her cheeks; his eyes flicked over her face quickly, taking inventory. Then without a word he claimed her lips in a stunning kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and stamping her with it. He swallowed down her surprised cry, turning his head so he could slot his mouth over hers again and again.

They might have stayed like that forever if not for the King softly clearing his throat.

They nearly leapt away from each other as they were interrupted. They looked over to where Yasa stood, still weak and leaning against the wall, but also free from the chains. Melissande’s eyes widened.

“How did you get out of the chains?” 

The king pointed to where Robert was stirring slightly, his chains were also broken and laying on the floor. Yasa shrugged. “The magic died with her, I suppose.”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I hate to pull you apart, but I do believe we should get out of this vile place.”

Dean sprang into action. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty.” He looked at the man’s spindly limbs and bit his lip. “I mean no disrespect, Your Grace, but there are many, many stairs to climb in order to get out of here. Will you allow me to carry you out?”

Yasa nodded. “Thank you Winchester.” As Dean moved to pick him up though, the King put a hand on his arm. “I owe you my life, and my kingdom and I want you to know, it wasn’t truly me who…who ordered your father’s death and your brother’s imprisonment. John and Sam were incredibly decent and loyal men, and I will make immediate moves to see to it your brother is released and your father is pardoned of all false crimes. I’m so sorry that I ever called on them for help.”

Dean’s jaw ticked and he swallowed sharply, but he shook his head. “No, Sir. You have nothing to apologize for. My father died trying to protect his King, as he’d vowed. And now that people will know that, he can rest peacefully and honorably.”

Dean swallowed tightly again. “But I’m very grateful to have my little brother back as soon as possible.”

The King nodded. “It shall be done.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Dean said before he easily picked up the stick thin man.

Melissande felt her heart constrict as she imagined the joy waiting for Dean when Sam was finally freed at last. But she shook her head at her father. “Yes, we’ll do it all, but first, I believe I promised you warm soup and warm blankets.”

***

Two months later:

In the time that followed there was much rejoicing and reuniting; the kingdom learned slowly about all that had happened at the castle, both twelve years ago and at the equinox. Astonishment was high, but as time moved forward, the astonishment turned into great joy. A huge celebration was planned and many, many people were invited. 

All the King’s children had been called back home for a time, the invitation extended to their families as well. Yasa was determined to reconnect with his children, explain what had happened, and meet his grandchildren. He was slowly gaining weight, and color had returned to his skin, so he was more than ready to receive the rest of his family.

Melissande was slightly nervous about seeing her siblings again, or in the case of her eldest brother, seeing him for the very first time. But mostly she was excited, and she was happy that her father had survived to see his children all gathered under one roof.

Queen Hera had been given a place of honor for her eternal resting place. She'd been buried within the King’s Castle graveyard where Yasa could go put flowers on her grave easily while he recuperated. Melissande had caught him talking to her a few times when she came to pay her respects. Her father had been embarrassed at first, but she shook her head.

“No, Papa, don’t be ashamed. I talk to her all the time.” Tears filled her eyes. “I miss her very much, but I think she listens to us and it makes her happy to hear from us.”

Yasa nodded and kissed the crown of his daughter’s head. “You have your mother’s gentle spirit, and kind, loving heart.” He chucked her chin and winked at her. “But I’m gonna take credit for providing you with the fierce, unimaginable power you wield like a sword on behalf of your people.”

Melissande laughed. “I think that part comes along with these.” She said, pointing to her silver eyes and giving a shrug. “So, it probably does come from your side.”

When it came to her powers, she was still a little daunted by them, but with Rowena’s help she was beginning to learn about them, and how to manage them. 

There was some pushback from the church as the Kingdom made moves towards embracing the old gods and magic once again. But the King told them simply that this had always been a realm of magic, and when you repressed it, or left only a few to practice it, you ended up with power-hungry rivals for the throne and no one to check them.

There was a lot of grumbling at first, but those on different sides of the issue were starting to come together and at least work towards peace and harmony.

One of the happiest moments for Melissande in the months after escaping from the Queen’s wrath, had been when the prisoners were freed from the mines. It wasn’t only Sam that had been wrongly imprisoned. There were many that Layo’ita had sent to the mines simply for questioning her or for stating their opinion.

When they’d returned, seeing families reunited had brought on many happy tears. Watching Dean and Sam crush each other as they embraced for the first time in over a decade, had made her sob noisily into her handkerchief.

While the kingdom was being set to rights and the Warriors were returned to their former place of honor within the kingdom (some of the guardsmen who’d defended the castle so stoutly were taking the vow as Winchesters), it was easy to stay busy and distracted.

But as the celebration approached, and preparations fell into the capable hands of their craftsmen and artisans, Melissande found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and she began to contemplate what the future was going to look like for her and Dean.

She knew he’d only married her to keep her safe. So, now that she was, what would he do? He’d been reinstated as a First Line Warrior and had returned to his duties at the Winchester Keep. He was at the castle fairly frequently, helping the King set his defenses in order and shore up security around the kingdom since it had been allowed to become incredibly lax under a Queen who didn’t care about the people.

So, Melissande saw him fairly regularly, but they never spoke about their situation. It was always just polite conversation in which he addressed her formally as “Your Highness” or “Princess Melissande”. He never called her Mellie anymore and she missed the sound of it on his lips.

She also missed his lips, and his hands, and so many other parts of him. She missed the way she always felt so safe with him nearby, missed the way he teased her, or purposely tried to bait her. She just missed him, and she was starting to think that now that his duty was done, he was no longer interested in anything to do with her. 

But she thought about him all the time. She thought a lot about the wedding night that they never really had; she dreamed about it too.

Then one day a messenger arrived with a package for her. She saw that it came from Dean and she ripped it open excitedly. But when she saw what was inside her heart stopped beating and then plummeted to her stomach.

Inside were papers that had already been drawn up by the church and signed by Dean, papers that officially annulled their marriage, and set them free of one another. Dean had included a note at the bottom that said simply:

Have your father sign these as well, and it will be official, and you’ll be rid of me at last.

Melissande heard the teasing in the written words, could easily imagine the way his green eyes would sparkle, and the way they would crinkle at the corners as he smiled.

Her heart was broken and she ran to talk to the one person she knew would listen and not judge her for loving a man who didn’t want her. She knelt at her mother’s grave, rearranging the old flowers around her new ones.

“I don’t know what to do, Mama. I just love him. He’s so brave and strong and true. I know that sounds like the words of a lovesick fool, and I suppose I am. But they’re also the truth. He’s so honorable and chivalrous and…oh, Mama he’s so handsome. I think about him all the time, about…well about him kissing me or…well I just think about him. His voice and his laugh and…”

Her tears streaked her cheeks. “But he’s dissolving the contract between us, making it as though it never was.”

She wiped her cheeks and sniffled. “I suppose it’s fair. He only married me to keep me safe and to do the noble thing. Now that I’m safe, the kind thing to do would be to let him out of his obligation.”

She took a shuddery breath. “Yes, it’s the honorable thing to do.”

***

Dean walked into the King’s private antechamber, expecting to be discussing training for the new Warriors, and how the Keeps would be updated to accommodate the new men and women. But as he entered, the King waved at a seat beside him, bidding him to sit down. 

It was highly unusual. Generally he met with the King and a few members of his new Council. So being here alone was already strange, but also, Warriors stood during meetings, and they were certainly never invited by the King to sit beside him.

But not wishing to disobey his King, he perched on the edge of the seat and nodded at the sovereign awkwardly. “So, would you like me to list the supplies we’ll need to improve and expand the Keeps?”

But Yasa was shaking his head. “No, no. This isn’t a formal visit. I had some questions to ask you.”

Dean felt his heart beat a little faster. “Alright, Your Majesty. I’d be happy to try and answer them.”

The King was quiet for a moment before he turned inquisitive eyes on Dean. “Why did you marry my daughter?” 

Dean felt his stomach twist into a knot. Why the hell was the King talking to him about this? He and Mellie had already explained how and why the wedding had taken place, and Yasa had seemed fine with it at the time, maybe even a little grateful for Dean’s help.

So, what had changed; why did he want to discuss this now? Was this because of the annulment papers? Were there things he needed clarified?

Dean cleared his throat. “Well, as we told you, Your Grace, at the time, not knowing the full plans of the First Queen, it seemed like…”

Dean trailed off as the King waved at him. “No, no. I know the official reason, I know you meant to keep her safe, and I’m very grateful for that. But I suppose I meant to ask, was that the only reason? Or…is there a way you could see yourself staying married to her now that she’s safe?”

“I’m afraid…” Dean cleared his throat again. “Sire, I’m afraid I don’t…I mean, I’m not sure what you’re asking. I…of course I never dreamed of keeping her shackled to a mere Warrior. She no longer requires the protection of my name or my sword, so as any good subject would do, I’m removing the obligation of our vows.”

Yasa nodded. “I see…so…you don’t love her?”

Dean’s heart began to beat triple time. “I’m…Your Grace…I don’t…my feelings don’t matter one way or another. I’m a Warrior, Melissande is a Princess, I have no right to feel any way towards her. I’m all too aware that I am not worthy of her hand.”

“Hmm…” The King stroked his chin and then reached over to pull some papers off the table beside him. Dean recognized the annulment papers, but on top of them was a letter in neat, slanting handwriting. The King held it up. 

“This is a letter from Hera that she sent to me on Melissande’s eighteenth birthday. Of course, having been trapped in a dungeon, I only just got around to reading it. The letter talks about what an amazing woman Melissande has become, but then she goes on to talk about you.”

Dean frowned. “Me?”

Yasa smiled. “Yes, lad, you. She explains how you saved Melissande when she was just a little girl.” A shadow passed over his features. “Somehow that information never made it to me either, and I wasn’t in a dungeon then.” He sighed. “I have a lot to make amends for.”

He shook his head and continued. “In the letter, Hera says that when you saved her, she offered you Melissande’s hand when she came of age, but you said then too, that you were not worthy. But,” he lifted the letter, “she thought you were. In fact, she knew you were. And I would have to agree.”

Dean shook his head. “Your Majesty -”

Yasa cut him off. “You’ve now saved my daughter’s life twice. You saved me, and the kingdom.”

Dean scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and stared at the floor. “With an awful lot of help from your daughter.”

The King smiled. “Yes, she was remarkable. But you fought to get to us and you stabbed that wicked witch through the heart so she could never again threaten our kingdom.” His voice became more impassioned. “Your father gave his life, and your brother gave his freedom in defense of our kingdom. Now, if that doesn’t label you as worthy, I don’t know what would.”

At a complete loss for words, Dean could only fidget on the chair and look anywhere but at his King.

Yasa’s voice was soft as he continued. “But worthy or not, I won’t let you be with her if you don't love her. She deserves all the tenderness that was denied to her and her mother because of Layo’ita…and me.”

Dean felt his mind cloud with visions of Mellie, the visions he fought against day and night - her laughter and its musicality, but also the way her eyes sparked when she was mad; her bravery and her vulnerability; the way she clung to him sometimes, and the way she bossed him around. He thought about the very real possibility the King was presenting to him - a life with Mellie at his side, maybe children in the future and a life lived with purpose and meaning.

He hardly believed it could be real. But he took a chance and spoke quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. “Yes, I love her. I love her very much.”

Dean actually jumped in his seat as the door burst open and Mellie thundered in. Her cheeks were flushed, and tears sparkled in her beautiful quicksilver eyes; her skin glowed slightly as the magic of her soul lit up her body.

“Really Winchester?” She said, swallowing harshly and trying to hide her beaming smile. “You told my father before you told me?”

Dean felt the King stand and walk towards the door, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Mellie to look. The King paused at her side and kissed the top of her head.

“Go easy on him, poppet. He really loves you.” He gave a soft smile and left, thrilled with this development and off to tell Hera all about it.

As he left the room, Mellie walked up to where Dean still sat in the chair. “So?” She said, tapping her foot against the wooden floors.

Dean felt his chest expand as it began to dawn on him that he really was married to this spitfire princess with her shifting silver eyes, and miracle of miracles, she seemed to love him back, which meant he got to stay married to her.

He smiled widely and his eyes were teasing as he reached up to grab her hand and yank her down onto his lap. She let out a small squeal as he spoke.

“And if I did speak to your father before you, wife? What of it? I am your husband after all, so you have to obey me.”

She elbowed him in the ribs and he exhaled sharply. “Oof.” 

Mellie’s eyes glowed bright silver and Dean let his heart fill with awe as she spoke. 

“Not likely, my Winchester Warrior. I am the Princess Melissande, pride of my mother Queen Hera, descendant of the fairy Queen Caryn’se, daughter of the Fae, and the honored child of King Yasa of Sanso’ye.” She flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “I obey no one.”

Dean’s smile was soft as he brushed his lips softly against hers and cupped her cheek in his palm before conceding happily and running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Alright, my Mellie, I suppose the obedience part is negotiable.”

He kissed her as she laughed, and reveled in the sound, and in the way her body felt, pressed close to him.

He caught her chin with his thumb and forefinger and stared into her eyes. “Marry me, princess?”

She chuckled. “That part’s already done.” She gave him an impish grin. “But I’ll wed you all over again, happily, if you promise that this time, we get a wedding night.”

Dean’s eyes flared with heat and he kissed her long and deep, living for the sighs and whimpers that bubbled up from inside her. He pulled back when he was dizzy for air, and he was panting as he spoke.

“You know, sweetheart, technically we are already married, and I bet Rowena would let us stay a night in that big, beautiful bedroom of hers. If I offer her a big enough trade she might even take herself and Bernard away for the night.”

Mellie’s smile was blinding. “Send a messenger.”

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[puffcap-factory]

Echoes of Silent Respite

(Yone x reader)

Part 2 of "Unspoken Whispers of the Heart"

Yone x reader; angst, some fluff, but still angst. 

There’s also Yasuo near the end but he’s more of a cameo. …or maybe not? 

(( Yasuo's part here! ))

Words: 2.3k

Notes: 

This story is the continuation of the previous one, set a few months (or years?) after the reader met Yone, being the azakana hunter. I decided to make this second part more from Yone’s side of perspective. Also, any unsaid details in the story are left for the reader’s interpretation. 

I kinda felt bad for Yone smh I decided to make this fic hehe.

I hope you enjoy! :D

•~•~•~•

No rest. No sleep. There is no time.

Yone trudged through the forest, panting, the weight of exhaustion evident in each step. The silent winds of the woodland breeze seemed to offer a gentle caress to his cheek as he walked, as if trying to soothe his weary soul. 

Many azakana had been running rampant throughout the lands since the war, feasting on any living being who harbored darkness inside their heart, consuming their soul and mind. He had slayed them one by one, yet more of them still seemed to manifest themselves deep in the shadows, multiplying themselves to no end.

He had no idea when this would come to an end - or if it would end at all. Let alone the quest on finding the name of the azakana that had attached itself to his face. He had been learning other azakana’s names, slaying them day by day, while hoping to learn about what he had become in the process. 

To free himself of this burden. Yone’s own determination to do that was enough to keep himself going.

But nevertheless, he’d have to admit, this responsibility of his did take a toll on his body and mind. Weariness and doubt – of when this would cease to an end – had crept into him from time to time. Especially like on this very night.

For what purpose am I given another chance to walk this land again, even after death? These thoughts did wander sometimes, as he tried to stay resolute to keep the azakana at bay.

He looked towards the forest clearing as he wandered aimlessly. A hint of orange glimmered on the horizon below the cliff, signaling the approaching sunrise. Taking a deep breath, he made his way towards the nearest opening. The dim light caused him to wince a bit, but amidst the woods, he spotted a small wooden shack just outside the forest’s edge. 

A wooden shack by a cliff, just right outside the forest clearings… 

The familiarity of the place tugged at his memory, though he couldn’t quite place it. He had wandered across the land so much that smaller details began to blur altogether.

In any case, he wished to admire the sunrise, just for today, quietly, he thought. 

He was about to walk towards the cliff when suddenly, he felt a presence that seemed to have occupied the place in front of him. Ready to retreat back into the shadows, a cat suddenly jumped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. It meowed and purred, circling and rubbing its body against his feet, seemingly fond of him.

Yone instantly recognized the creature at his feet. The white cat with sakura-colored patches of the fur, with green-colored eyes that shone like twin emeralds in the dim light, was indeed the one that had been in the dojo from back in the days. Though the cat had seemingly aged, its sense of familiarity toward him had not changed.

He was just about to crouch down to pet the old feline friend when another figure appeared in front of him, blocking his view of the sunrise.

The figure in front of him was about to unsheathe what seemed to be a dagger, its sheath kept on the left hip, but immediately relaxed their shoulders as that person took a better look at him. 

It was you. 

“We meet again, friendly stranger,” you said with a smile, your sudden warmth creeping into him, much like the sunrise that was starting to emerge out from the horizon.

He was not sure what to do at this moment, as he stood still, holding his ground. He was pretty sure he had decided that he did not want to interfere further in your life, but honestly… he had been restless. 

A fragile figure of yours, yet, had somehow decided on keeping a dagger on your side. The kind healer who had been supporting the dojo, and him. He wondered when you had picked up the way of the blade to defend yourself, as he knew for sure your ability allows you to heal pretty much anything but yourself. He had always thought that he would be the one to protect you, if a certain tragedy had not happened.

War had changed people too much.

He was standing still when the cat decided to leap back to you, purring as it circled around your feet.

“You know, she shows affection only to certain people,” you said with a tender smile as you crouched to the ground to pet the cat. “And… I think she certainly hasn’t forgotten a certain someone’s smell.”

Did you know? Yone did not dare to ask.

“Come,” you finally stood up and extended your hand towards him. “The view is nice during sunrise. You certainly wouldn’t want to miss it.”

Your warmth seeped into him and he felt as though he were ready to surrender himself to you, allowing himself to be enveloped by the warm light. And this time, he was indeed tired. Very tired. He had been wearing the mask for too long, that he was starting to forget the face beneath it, that had longed for a certain warmth.

After a moment of hesitation, Yone took your gentle hand, and you led him outside the forest. As soon as the sunlight bathed him, waves of nostalgic memory fragments hit him hard. This place did truly hold memories back from the past, as he could see the remains of the dojo not too far from the cliff. A place where he and the students would train. A place where he and you would train, albeit casually. It was a flood of bittersweet recollections, reminding him of who he used to be before the weight of the world's burdens settled on his shoulders.

You led him near a bench under the tree, just beside the shack. The abandoned structure, once filled with items for training, now appeared run-down, some parts reduced into broken logs and piles of dust. He sat on the bench, an action that had become very much foreign to him. You took a seat on his left – not too far, but not too close, while gently letting go of his hand. He kept his gaze down at his hands, still feeling the lingering warmth on his palm as the cat suddenly climbed onto his lap and curled itself up. He couldn’t help but pet it gently.

“I had put a camp near here when a dream brought me to this place. It was calling me here, and I was just as curious to find out what,” you said as you stared into the horizon as the sunlight started shining through the land. “I didn’t realize I was near the dojo until I climbed up here.” You paused, letting the nostalgic view seep into you. “...Then, I found Nora inside the shack, I thought she was the one who needed company!” You laughed lightly and glanced at the cat, who was now resting comfortably on his lap.

Was this the work of the dream fawn? He thought. He’d need to thank Lillia later. 

“I never expected to meet you here, out of all places,” you said again, with your sweet smile, glancing back at him. Yet, you seemed to mask a certain bittersweetness inside your eyes.

Yone looked away from your gaze, turning his attention to the landscape beyond the cliff, reminiscing the days he had during his training in the dojo. A memory that felt so far… buried deep within his very soul. Although he had adopted a new identity – committing himself on the safety of the realm, fighting in the darkness – he could not deny his longing for a mortal’s company. Your company.

You scanned his features as his eyes glanced back to yours. You observed him intently, a mix of worry and relief visible in your eyes. His left eye – which was not covered by the mask – lingered to your face, gaze softening at you. 

“You…,” you paused, trying to choose your words carefully as you kept your gaze on him. “I don’t know if I can still be much of a help, but…” you shifted to his side, sitting a little bit closer now. You lifted your right hand, bringing your palm up close to his cheeks. He could feel soothing magic radiating from your palms. “Here, maybe this could ease you for a bit,” you cooed.

He was taken aback at your sudden movement, but he kept his position unchanged. There was a moment of uncertainty before he finally decided to give himself up to your warm touch to his cheek, closing his eyes in the process. Your healing magic seeped into him, a gentle warmth spreading through his body. It was a familiar feeling, one that brought back memories of simpler, happier times.

For a while, he allowed himself to bask in the soothing embrace of your magic, letting go of the weight that had burdened him, even just for a while. The worries, the doubts, the weariness... they seemed to melt away, little by little, in your touch. 

“Thank you,” he said, putting his hand on top of yours as he opened his eyes. 

You smiled tenderly, your soft gaze focused on him. Without a word, you gently pulled his face towards yours, as you also leaned forward to press your forehead against his – a gesture of comfort and understanding, a silent promise passing between you two. 

“Every time the darkness wears you down,” you whispered softly, your words flowing like a gentle stream, “Come to me, I’ll always be there for you as long as I’m breathing.” 

Your voice, a soothing melody, wrapped around him like a warm embrace. Your words gave him comfort he hadn't realized he needed, a lifeline in the midst of the storm. The darkness felt less daunting, less suffocating, in the light of your presence. His eyes fluttered close as he felt a strong emotion stir within him. He breathed out, letting himself indulge into the intimacy of this moment.

How he’d wish the time to stop for the two of you right now.

You pulled away not long after, pausing momentarily before bringing your hand back to your lap. Although you tried to keep your gaze fixed on him, your eyes began to water, glistening under the sunlight. He kept your gaze, sorrow washed through him as he noticed what was coming.

No, please, don’t cry… He wouldn’t be able to bear seeing you crying now. Your sudden show of emotions made him feel as if an invisible hand was gripping tight at his heart. 

You blinked yourself twice to gather yourself together, letting your own breathing to calm down, then glanced towards Nora – the cat, who was still sleeping on top of his lap. You let a low chuckle, watching the creature who was seemingly unbothered by anything in the world.

“Your support means… everything to me,” he said softly. You turned your head towards him and beamed a smile in response.

The two of you were enjoying the serene warmth of the sun side-by-side for a moment, when suddenly, he felt another presence approaching. Nora jumped out of his lap at the same time, hissing towards a certain direction.

He could feel the wind that blows towards him, bringing another familiar figure with it.

The taste of salt in the wind - Yasuo.

“Hm?” You looked towards the source of the rustling sound, standing a bit to peek into the bushes. Seizing this opportunity, he disappeared into the shadows, back into the forest, to be unseen. You immediately turned your head towards where he had been sitting, only to find an empty spot on your side. A gentle breeze caressed your cheeks, carrying a few leaves back into the forest. You let out a bittersweet smile, realizing that he had left, but stood up to meet the man who was approaching towards you. 

“I think I’ve told you about not wandering off alone, especially before daylight,” Yasuo sighed, appearing from the bushy trails. “I’ve been searching where you’d left – h-huh!”

Nora, sensing his presence, decided to leap in front of him, hissing fiercely.

“Geez, even after years she hasn’t forgotten me, it seems like,” Yasuo chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed his neck. Nora then jumped back to the piled logs near the abandoned shack, still alert of Yasuo’s presence.

“Sorry, Yasuo,” you giggled a bit, crouching towards the cat to pet her, as if to bid her goodbye. “A dream led me here.”

“A dream huh…” Yasuo muttered, still seeming a bit dazed. He then glanced into the forest, as if sensing another presence from within.

“Let’s go, we’ll need to reach the plains before sunset today, right?” you asked, already walking in front of Yasuo. He kept his gaze still into the forest, checking.

“Right…” He stood there for a moment, facing the forest, but then shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts before following behind you, ready to continue the journey.

Yone watched them descend down the hills, a sense of relief washing over him. With Yasuo accompanying you, he knew you had someone to protect you during your travels, someone who would defend you in times of need. And as for himself… he would be watching over you from afar, protecting you from any kind of threats coming from the spirit realm.

As the sun continued its ascent, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, he made his way back into the forest. It was time for him to continue his own journey, to face the demons that awaited in this mortal realm. 

Yone gripped his katanas in both hands, ready to move. The path he traversed would not be a short one, but with the fleeting moment the two of you had shared held firmly in his heart, he proceeded deeper into the forest shadows.

•~•~•~•

p.s. Nora means ‘stray’, as in ‘stray cat’ or ‘stray dog’ in Japanese. I did not think much about the choice of names for the cat. oops

[finaleourconcert]

twenty four

you?

From her spot on the table beside the window of the restaurant, Sunok had witnessed the transition of the city with her very eyes, from families and couples walking down the street to younger bodies in fancy party dresses and also all kinds of costumes marching towards the bars, pubs or any other party place of their liking. The latter, the people in costumes, she had figured they were going to El señor de la noche. From what she had seen, there were all kinds of costumes, some cool and original, some others not so, which she found somehow comforting because that meant she hers was detailed enough to pass as good.

Now as she waited on the queue to enter El señor de la noche, Sunok noticed there were lots of people outside the pub as well, either taking pictures or recording videos for friends or the internet, but no one seemed to be paying attention to anyone else's dresses or whether they were going in company or alone. She scoffed, laughing to herself. Was everything in her head? The multiple eyes constantly creeping in the back of her neck, always ready to judge her every move and make fun of her mistakes no matter how small or insignificant they were?

Someone pushed her from behind, stopping her train of thought. Out of instinct, Sunok put her hands upfront and bumped into the person in front of her in the queue. She overheard a female voice apologizing behind her and she quickly smiled awkwardly before facing the man she had unintentionally pushed.

"I'm sorr-"

"Don't worr-"

"You?" Both said at unison.

Sunok tried to make sense of it all. A whole different version of the comedian/piano prodigy Jeong Jaehyun she had never seen before stood before her eyes. Jeong Jaehyun was wearing a black leather jacket on top of a black turtleneck sweater. Strains of hair hung gracefully down his forehead, making his eyes stand out more than they already did. If he was in a costume, she couldn't recognize who he was supposed to be. Damn, he was handsome.

He laughed, putting his phone away, dimples showing at full display. "If we didn't share workplace occasionally and you weren't dressed as a runaway bride in distress, I would have thought you were following me."

She scoffed. Weirdly, there was something about Jaehyun as a person that made Sunok not feel as vigilant as she usually was, maybe his body language, his manners or his overall aura. She wasn't sure and she couldn't explain it but whatever it was, she hoped it lasted. "I'm here to meet a friend's friend. Sorry to disappoint."

"Really? I'm meeting with some friends too. Well, I was supposed to do that like forty minutes ago so the price I have to pay for my tardiness is this long queue."

"You don't get the princess treatment? Famous people's privilege and all?" She tried to sound as casual as she managed.

"Uhm, kinda? But not exactly. I'm friends with the manager of the place but if we're late he takes it very personally and revokes our friends card's privileges temporarily." He stated with a funny smile.

"That explains why your segment at the open mic night was longer than other comedians'." Sunok accused, recalling her first night at the pub.

"Shit, you noticed? Was it too obvious?" He scrunched his nose.

She just shrugged, "Only if you paid enough attention, I guess."

He remained silent, collecting his thoughts. They were half way into the queue and just when she thought their conversation had hit a dead-end, he spoke, "You enjoyed the show?"

Sunok nodded, confused, "Was I supposed not to?"

"No, no, not at all," He gestured effusively, "It's just that... I'm not exactly what you would call popular in the comedy department, you know? Like if I don't do this for a living it's for a reason."

She tried to find the right words to ease the situation while keeping it funny, "Well, at least you get to do it for fun, right? Piano prodigy by day and stand-up comedian by night doesn't sound bad to me."

"Failed prodigy." He remarked.

She frowned, "I don't agree."

"What?"

"If you were considered a prodigy in the past, no matter how or why you're no longer addressed as such by the public, you will always be a prodigy, even more so to those who admire you, like you and love you. I mean, if you don't believe me just ask little Minhyuk."

He didn't say anything, he only laughed, a hint of tiredness in his tone. Try harder Sun, you're saddening him. "You should give your past self some credit."

Still nothing but deafening silence. God, how could people not feel the need to fill in the silence?

"I speak from experience. As you know I work as a gardener, but my actual major was botany. I wanted to make it big but odds weren't in my favor and i ended up managing gardens. Still, I always tell people I am a botanist because even if things didn't go as i expected, it doesn't mean I'm not. No one will take my knowledge and hard work away from me. So I guess my point is you should remove the word 'failed' from your dictionary."

He looked at her with those inquisitive eyes she hadn't been able to read the previous times they had met. Had she overstepped again? Maybe she was reading in too much, turning this into a big thing when it wasn't. "Uh, I'm so sorry, Jaehyun. I'm talking too much. I'm not usually like this except with my best friend."

Sensing her mood swing, he finally snapped. "No, no. I am sorry for freezing. You made me reflect on myself, got lost in my thoughts for a minute. I don't know, it feels like you're one of those people who always know what to say." 'I like the way your mind works' was what he wanted to say. "You have a way with words." Was what he said.

"Oh... thank you." It was all Sunok managed to say as she felt her cheeks burning. Hopefully, the make-up didn't let it show.

By the time their tickets got verified and were allowed to enter the venue, they were no longer walking one after another but side by side, at a prudent distant.

He held the door open, "Shall we?"

—♡—

previous – masterlist – next

author's note: idk what happened to my tumblr app but instead of saving the changes in the post i accidentally ended up deleting it so i guess this is me reuploading it 🥲 i'm so sorry lmao kabsj anyways as i said previously, i love writing parts for these two so buckle up guys because there are more (and many) written parts coming

tags: @nosungluv @nctjunie @yewshi @kodasity @impossiblesongshark @jakeshuneybby @apolloxxivmin —☸

[shisuisui]

The Chunin Exams and the attack on the hokage (Kakashi x Reader; past Shisui x Reader)

This scenario is kind of chronological to the anime, I just added some details. Main pairing Kakashi x fem. reader (Sarutobi reader), past Shisui x reader

wc: 5k

tw: character death, blood, etc. angsty with a bit of fluff and action

Age 21

It was time for the Chunin Exams. After watching the Uzumaki and Hyuga boys fight Y/n intently paid attention to Shikamaru´s fight. After all, he is her brother´s student. But from what Asuma had told her she knew that he would be the winner. So, it´s not surprising that she and everyone else were shocked when he gave up. That boy is something. Now it was time for Sasuke´s and Gaara´s match. The latter is Baki´s student with whom she had quite a few bad experiences before the peace treaty. She watched Sasuke concentrate the chakra to his hand and…. the Chidori. Kakashi had taught his student his technique. She still got goosebumps when hearing the chirping sound of this jutsu… and in this moment Sasuke reminded her so much of young Kakashi.

Suddenly she saw white feathers fall in front of her eyes – a genjustu. Hastily releasing herself from it she made eye contact with Gai and Kakashi who stood beside her, all of their eyes immediately going to the Hokage… who was held captive by the kazekage. Y/n watched her fellow Jonin Raido get hit by multiple kunai, and a barrier of ninjutsu formed around the two of them. So the Suna betrayed Konoha. “Gai, Kakashi you two take care of them. I need to find my father.” Both nodded and took over the sounds nin that were in their way while she went to rescue her father. Coming to a halt in front of the barrier she stood beside the Anbu who also couldn´t go in. Tensely she watches the kunai being held at her father´s throat. The both of them make eye contact. He might be an incredibly strong ninja, but he´s also way out of his prime and his health had been declining with age. The kazekage took the kunai away and reached for his face, tearing it down and revealing … Orochimaru. How did he get in? If he´s after Sasuke why is he holding the Hokage hostage? He held the kunai and pushed it into his palm. He let go of her father and turned his back to him. They seemed to be talking about something but there was no way to hear through the barrier. If there only was a way to break through it. She used her ability to visualize chakra and tried to sense an opening, just a small loophole would be enough for her to break through. The time was ticking because if her father and Orochimaru engaged in a fight, she couldn´t confidently say that her father would make it out alive. “This barrier can´t be broken unless it´s from the inside. If Lord Hokage would take out one of those four sound ninjas we could help.” The words of the Anbu next to her only added to her desperation. The whole situation seems so hopeless. She observed the barrier more closely. There has to be a way. The points closest to the enemy nin have a huge amount of chakra, and so do the edges surrounding the barrier that leaves…. The middle. Right in the middle the barrier seems to be slightly weaker. But if she would get closer it would burn her alive. She needs to find a way to break through that weak point. Especially now, that the fight between the Hokage and his former student, one of the legendary Sannin started, and both charged at each other. Her father used a mud substitution to escape Orochimaru´s attack but how long can he substitute himself? Both continued their attacks at each other, each jutsu grander than the one before. “He´s combined earth and fire. Excellent Lord Hokage!” Yes excellent, but how long can he keep this up? She watched her father throw off the Hokage robe, revealing his ninja armor. Did he expect this? Why hadn´t he told her? Yes, she was aware of the threat that Orochimaru was but if he was so sure to fight why didn´t he add her to his guard? She could´ve been in there with him and fought alongside him. The fighting continued when he suddenly looked over at her and then looked at the middle of the barrier. The weaker part. His hand glided to his pocket, and he took out a small piece of paper with a seal on it. The transportation seal she had once given him.

Ten years earlier: Age 11: Y/n went to the Hokage tower. She had experimented the whole day and Shisui had even helped her to successfully make the transportation seal. With this seal, she can immediately reach whoever possesses the seal. That person only has to infuse it with a little bit of chakra and it will immediately resonate with her and basically pull her in. She hoped her father would like it. He should be in the tower doing important stuff. Timidly knocking on the door to his office she stared at her feet. Will he like it? Will he be proud? What if he thinks it´s stupid? Asking her to come in she opened the door. “Hello, father.” “Y/n, what brings you here? I thought you had already done your mission for this week.” “I´m not here for a mission. I-I-I made something for you and I hope you like it.” She gave him the piece of paper. Lord Third looked at it skeptically. His eyes widened when he realized what he held in his hands. “How did you do it? Making a seal like this is quite difficult, especially for someone your age.” “I studied a lot. It´s for you. When you´re in trouble one day just infuse it with a bit of chakra and I will be there to help you. No matter what happens.” He showed a small smile and put the paper away in a drawer of his table. “Thank you Y/n, but now go, I have work to do.” To say she was disappointed would be an understatement. He didn´t take her seriously. He probably never will….

She watched as he held the piece of paper between two fingers and watched the blue chakra infuse the paper. Her body vibrated. She felt like a thousand ants were crawling under her skin. The seal called for her. She concentrated on the weak part of the barrier while simultaneously preparing her body for the jump. This is her only chance. Her only chance to save her father. With one last look into his eyes, she focused on the paper and jumped through the barrier, landing right by his side.

Glaring at Orochimaru she took on a fighting stance. Ready to protect her father with her life. “You kept the seal.” “I have always carried it with me for the past ten years.”

Orochimaru was smirking towards them. “I have to admit I did not expect this turn of events. But it won´t change much about the outcome Sarutobi Sensei. The only difference will be that both of you will die.”

Two wooden caskets descended from the ground and inside were… The first and the second Hokage. Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. What has Orochimaru done? She glanced at her father; he was just as exasperated. “Now, what will you do Sarutobi Sensei?”

Lord First and Lord Second stepped out. “Long time no see… Saru.” “Oh, it´s you. You´ve gotten old, Sarutobi.” There´s no way they were going to win a fight against both of them and Orochimaru. “Father, what should we do?” “I never thought I would meet the great brothers in this manner… It´s regretful. Please prepare yourselves. Lord First Hokage. At his word, the first Hokage looked at him and glanced at Y/n. “Father?” Hashirama Senju´s face contorted in a frown. Already sensing what´s going to occur between him and his brother and their former student and his daughter. Lord Second Hokage.” Tobirama glanced at his back “Edo Tensei? This youth summoned us with the forbidden jutsu.” Orochimaru controlled both Hokages and Y/n and her father had to fight them.

“Please prepare yourselves, Sarutobi Sensei, young Sarutobi.” With these words Orochimaru completed the bodies, making them look alive, and controlling them fully. “They look like how they used to look more than ever.” Y/n turned to her father who pressed his fingers against his forehead. His voice sounded shaky. She could not imagine what it must feel like to fight against the ones who taught you and who you looked up to. Orochimaru is a sick bastard.

The bodies started walking towards them… and then attacked with an incredible speed. Her father fought against Lord first while Y/n took on Lord second. Her father used his fire jutsu, only for it to be countered by Lord Second´s water style. Just the Tobirama signed his Water Shock Wave. Y/n activated her blades which are like knives but the chakra extends them to a huge scale. Right when the water was about to hit them she sliced through the jutsu, spreading the water to flow around them. There was so much water. Just the Hashirama started his attack and no matter how many fire shots her father was firing they did nothing against the first hokage. While focused on Tobirama Y/n had to watch how her father was beaten with Taijutsu by Hashirama and fell into the water. Slowly getting up. While looking out for her father she neglected Tobirama who charged at her with his sword. Blocking it with her blades she was all too aware of how hopeless the situation looked, and how their chances to make it out alive sank by the minute. Her thoughts were interrupted by tree trunks started sprouting through the roof. “Deep forest emersion” Her surroundings turned into moving trees, unstable and out to catch her. Her arms were caught by two branches twisting and chaining her to the ground. They needed reinforcements immediately.  She could hardly move and neither could her father. A look at her was enough. She knew what to do. Trying her hardest to put her hand on a surface she summoned the only hope for this fight. Alongside her father's Monkey King Enma, her own summon Monkey Prince Enki appeared. Both are similar in looks but Enki looks more youthful than his father. “Enki, get me out of here.” The summon looked at her. “Long time no see Y/n, look at me. I´m nearly as tall as my father.” One stern look from her was enough and he worked on the branches breaking them with his enormous strength. She looked over and saw Enma already eyeing Orochimaru. “Orochimaru… I knew this would happen. You´re pathetic Sarutobi… It´s because you didn´t kill him back then and it´s too late to do it now.” “Please Enma. The Adamantine Nyoi.” She watched Enma transform into a staff and break her father free. “Come on Enki you too.” Enki nodded and transformed a staff too. The Adamantine Staff is as hard as a diamond and extremely destructive. Holding Enki in her hands she turned toward Lord Second when Orochimaru took a sword out of his mouth. The Snake Sword is one of the only things that can hurt Enma and Enki. Her father attacked Orochimaru leaving her with both Hokages.  While the sword and the staff clashed, she focused on the reanimated bodies in front of her. Defending Tobirama´s sword attack with Enki. Enki managed to block the attack and send Tobirama flying towards the barrier. His back hit it and caught fire. But he seemed unfazed by it. So they also don´t feel any pain. Well makes sense since they´re dead. Turning to Hashirama she saw him turning towards her father and Orochimaru but before he could start running, she already charged at him, Enki firmly in her hands.

Her father was losing the fight against Orochimaru. She watched him getting punched by Orochimaru and staying down. “FATHER!”  “Are you okay, Sensei?” Y/n attacked Orochimaru with her staff. Orochimaru summoned a snake which curled around Y/n body twisting it. She tried to reach her blades to cut through it but the snake was faster, trapping them alongside her at her body. Orochimaru stood on her father, who was still lying on the roof. She couldn´t hold back the tears that started to escape. This helplessness.

“Orochimaru…. YOU FOOL.” Her father grabbed that bastard and kicked his legs, sending Orochimaru to the ground while Enma´s hand shot out of the staff to choke him and hold him up in the air. Using substitution Orochimaru freed himself. She tried to free herself as the two Hokages started walking towards her father but the snake only twisted her tighter. A bit more and it would break both her arms and then crush her.

Orochimaru took off his face again to reveal a much younger one. “You´re a truly frightening, inhuman monster! So this is why you want Sasuke Uchiha? To take over his body and never age?” Orochimaru or whoever body he´s in smiled viciously. “Right… Exactly… Sasuke.” Orochimaru switched his face back to his old one for the final fight. The first Hokage used his wood release to release to fill the barrier even more with his trees. Only the Adamantine cage from Enma protects him. “What´s been wrong with you? This isn´t like you!” Hiruzen only let out a sigh, looking down. “I´m sorry…” Filled with new determination Hiruzen said, “I´ll bury you and correct my old mistakes, now!” Suddenly the third Hokage used the shadow clone Justu and made two clones of himself, distributing the little chakra he had left. Y/n looked confused, why would he do that in this situation? And then it dawned upon her. “D-Don´t tell me, he…?!” The order of the signs her father was signing. She knew what he was planning. A Grim Reaper will appear behind him looking like a ghost surrounded by a blue light but only those who signed a contract with this Jutsu can see it. Her father had told Y/n about it one night as they talked to father and daughter. Hiruzen looked behind him a saw the Shinigami. Just then Tobirama used his Infinite Darkness Jutsu surrounding all of them in a black abyss. Y/n was in a tricky situation. She had to get out of the snake´s hold. She had an idea. It was reckless, stupid, and done wrong might cost her life. She had her chakra blades in her hands facing her body, not the snake. But if she would activate them and send lots of chakra through them to lengthen the blade… it would also cut through the snake. She had no other choice. Now or never. Trying to keep her screams in she activated the blades and felt it go through her sides, slicing the flesh. A burning smell came to her nose and she tried her hardest to not scream too loud. Her whole body was shaking and covered in sweat but the snake fell limply down and she was free now, although wounded. Still surrounded by darkness she heard her father getting attacked. “Orochimaru! Now I will perform an ace jutsu even if you don´t know! Behold! Sealing Jutsu! Reaper Death Seal!” The Grim Reaper was mumbling some words she didn´t understand but she heard her father cough and let out a scream. Hiruzen ran around in the darkness when he suddenly. “I got you” Appear!”. The darkness around them vanished and she was able to see again. Both clones had grabbed the reanimated Hokage and held them tight. Hashirama then said “I´m sorry… Sarutobi…” Slowly the souls of both reanimated bodies were sucked out leaving them as white shells. “Please forgive me Lord Forst Hokage, Lord Second Hokage.” “SEAL” He sealed the bodies in his own. Now it was just Orochimaru. Could they win? Was this their chance? But her father had lost so much chakra and she wasn´t in a better situation. Getting up she went to stand beside her father. The blood from her wounds dripped down her body and bloodied her clothes. But she could care less about it. The bodies of the Hokages disappeared and left two dead Oto Nin. He did this to his own subordinates. She gasped when she saw them. “Toying with even the lives of your own subordinates…! You are truly a sick bastard Orochimaru.” How was this person once a Konoha Ninja? The student of her father? Her father’s clones disappeared, and he called for Enma who was still in staff form. Y/n called for Enki to get ready to fight. Hiruzen looked at his daughter. How much she had to go through in this fight. Wounded. Tired.  “Y/n, you stay back this is between me and my former student.” “But father I can help.” He looked at her with a sad smile. “I know you can. And you helped me enough to get to make it to this point in the fight. But now you will stay back. I´m not ordering you as Hokage, I´m asking as your father. Please stay back.” Tears started to form in her eyes. She looked at him, and then slowly nodded taking small steps back.

Her father and Orochimaru went at each other when her father managed to grab onto Orochimaru. “You´re mine.” Orochimaru looked shocked and confused. He held onto him and couldn´t see the Snake Sword that Orochimaru motioned to start. “FATHER WATCH OUT” The sword flew at a rapid pace, going through her father. Y/n cried out. Her heartbreaking scream echoed in the barrier. Hiruzen coughed out some blood. Enma held onto the sword, so it didn’t go completely through Hiruzen. A shocked Orochimaru before him. “Why didn´t you dodge it?” Her father looked at Orochimaru. “The Reaper Death Seal. In this sealing jutsu, in exchange for the effectiveness of Jutsu one´s soul is handed to the Grim Reaper.” The same jutsu that sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox twelve years ago. Orochimaru tried to sign for a different Jutsu but it seemed ineffective. Orochimaru´s soul was slowly dragged out by the Grim Reaper´s hand. The Grim Reaper lifted his sword. “Knock it off” You old dotard! I won´t let you do as you like.” Orochimaru signed with his free hand and the sword started to slowly continue piercing through her father. She saw her father struggling. The sword continued to pierce through him. Hiruzen started to doubt himself. Was he not able to take Orochimaru with him? No, he had to. For Konoha.

While Y/n watched her father and Orochimaru struggle the fights in Konoha continued. She could only hope that her fellow shinobi were fighting the enemies off well.

The Anbu was still watching, unable to do anything. “It´s taking much too long. It´s impossible for a battle between Shinobi to last this long. What the heck is happening inside?”

The whole village had turned into a battlefield, Suna and Oto nin had infiltrated the village and were fighting against Konoha ninja. Bodies were everywhere. Orochimaru looked his former sensei in the eyes. “Your side… the Leaf Shinobi… will be annihilated down to every last woman and child! I will accomplish the destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village!!!”

Outside the barrier, Kakashi and Gai alongside other Jonin were fighting the last enemies that were in the arena. Kakashi looked up to the barrier. Y/n was inside with the third Hokage. He hoped she was still alive. She had to be. He couldn´t lose her too.

Y/n heard Orochimaru´s words. She was already close to passing out, with little chakra with some blood loss. She hoped Konohamaru was safe. They were probably evacuated already. Her thoughts drifted to Kakashi as she slumped down to the ground hoping that with a little rest, she could fight again. Kakashi who was by her side these past years after losing Shisui. If she died now, she would be able to see him again. But she couldn´t leave Kakashi alone in this world, and she didn´t want to. Not after all the nights they´ve shared, after the conversations in the dark, after being comfortable enough to take off his mask in front of her. She didn´t want to give this up. But maybe she had no other choice. Watching Orochimaru and her father she realised that she might not make it out of this alive.

Y/n listened to her father peaking up at his words. “To protect the village, all the Leaf Shinobi will risk their lives fighting! Real strength doesn´t lie in the mastering of all Jutsu! I believe I taught this to you too, in the past… It´s when one protects someone important that the true strength of the Shinobi will emerge!” These words. Her father had told them to her so many times.

Coughing up blood Hiruzen said “It appears that I don’t have the strength left to yank out your entire soul. However, your ambition ends here! I will take away all your Jutsu with me!” Orochimaru was screaming when he and her father were suddenly pushed away from each other “SEAL” Orochimaru´s arms started to turn purple and fell limp to his sides. “Your ambition of crushing the Hidden Leaf… dies right here!” Her father turned towards her, gave her one last look muttering an “I´m sorry Y/n” and fell.

Numb. She felt numb. Her father he-he he is laying there on the ground. With the last strength she had left, she got up screaming in pain. She had lost another person she loved. Y/n´s screams echoed in the barrier and Orochimaru turned towards her. She was making her way towards him, tears falling from her eyes. Taking out a kunai she stalked towards Orochimaru. Towards the man who was responsible for her father´s death. At the same time, Enma was crawling towards her father. “Sarutobi…” He took the sword and thought that this was a fitting end for someone like him. Dying for his people. Protecting his people. Enma vanished.

Y/n stalked towards him. “OROCHIMARU I WILL KILL YOU!” He felt like his arms were burning, turned towards his subordinates who held up the barrier. “This is where we call off our plan. Release the barrier.” She was launching towards him when one of Orochimaru´s subordinates came in front of him and stabbed his own kunai into her. She fell back and fell. Orochimaru gave her one last look. A pity really, father and daughter dying side by side.

Y/n felt like her whole body was on fire. She was coughing up blood. She wanted to go to him, so she dragged her body up towards her father leaving a bloody trail. When she was next to him, she reached out her hand and took his in her own. Turning her head to the side she saw one last tear drop from his closed eyes. She couldn´t move anymore. Kakashi… I´m sorry…. Hiruzen and Y/n lay there, side by side in a pool of blood.

The barrier was released and all the ninjas surrounding looked at it. Gai, Kakashi, and Genma watched from the middle of the arena. “The barrier is released,” Gai said. All three scowling. It was Genma who said it. “Where is Lord Hokage?”

Kakashi looked up. “Y/n should be there too.”

Orochimaru was fleeing with his subordinates when the Anbu took their chance and followed them but were stopped by a spider net that was released from one of the enemy ninjas.  

On the ground, Kabuto and Baki were retreating too. Kakashi Gai and Genma went to the roof where the barrier was only to find…. The two bodies lay there, beat up and bloodied. No, Kakashi thought, not her, she couldn´t be…. He couldn´t move. Gai and Genma checked their heartbeats. Genma shook his head when he checked the Third Hokage, but Gai perked up. “Kakashi she´s still alive.” She was alive.? She was alive! He ran towards her and scooped her up in his arms carrying her to the next medic nin he could find. He looked at her. She felt so limp in his arms. He couldn´t lose her. He didn´t want to lose her.

At the hospital, she was immediately taken care of by the doctors. She had lost so much blood. He slid down a wall in the hallway and looked at his hands. Her blood was sticking to them and starting to dry up. Kakashi didn´t know how long he was sitting there. Soon Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai came, all taking a seat next to him, waiting for any news. Kurenai held Asuma´s hand. He had just lost his father and did not know if his sister would make it. A doctor finally came out and looked at the jonin on the floor. “She made it.” He felt like crying, she was alive. “Asuma-san would you like to see her?” He nodded and got up walking towards the door, and then poked Kakashi with his feet pointing with his head towards the door of the hospital room. No words needed to be said between the two men. Asuma is not stupid. He knew of the little glances, the “accidental” touches, or how much time these two would spend together.

Both men walked through the door. There she was. Covered in bandages and hooked to a monitor. “She´s currently in a stable condition but the healing process might take a while. We´re expecting her to wake up today or tomorrow. I will leave you alone.” Asuma walked towards her. Y/n, his little sister whom he couldn´t protect. Meanwhile, Kakashi stood still by the door. He shouldn´t have let her go after her father alone. He should´ve been with her. But there were so many enemies.

That night when the hospital was silent and everyone slept soundly in their undestroyed homes or tents until they were rebuilt, Kakashi went to Y/n´s hospital room, taking a seat next to her bed. He took her hand in his and told her softly about everything that happened that day, of his students.

He summoned Pakkun, knowing that Y/n enjoyed being around him. “Yes Boss?” the gruffy voice of the pug came. He looked around at the hospital and then at Y/n. “Boss Lady?” He walked towards the face and poked her cheek with his little nose. No words needed to be said as he got comfortable and laid down next to her. Her hand still in Kakashi´s he continued talking.

It was around midnight when he felt it. A little squeeze of his hand. He looked at her and saw her eyes open slightly. Taking off his mask he gently held her head up and gave her some water. Pakkun who had woken up settled against her shoulder. Y/n looked at Kakashi her eyes filling with tears. “I couldn´t protect him.” That was all it took for her to break down. Kakashi slowly took her in his arms and settled into the hospital bed himself with her in his lap, his arms holding her tightly while she cried the whole night.

At sunrise, Asuma came to visit her. It was the day of the funeral and he wanted to see if she could come. When Y/n saw her brother the tears fell again. “I´m sor-“she couldn´t finish her sentence as he had taken her into a hug and held her tightly. He was shaking too. The siblings held onto each other and let out their tears.

It was a rainy day and Y/n and Asuma made their way towards the funeral. Everyone was wearing black. Shinobi and civilians. While walking she held onto her brother, her other hand holding a crutch to keep her up. “Was Kurenai tonight with you?” He nodded. “She refused to leave me alone. Even spend the night. I´m guessing you weren´t alone either?” He looked at his sister. Kakashi was a ninja you could count on and someone who would always have your back so he didn´t mind. She just nodded. Condolences came from everyone they met. She couldn´t remember who had talked to her.

When they arrived, they took their place in the first row, as the Hokage´s children. Konohamaru was between her and Asuma while Kurenai took a place by Asuma´s side. Kakashi simply stood next to her and held her up with an arm around her face. She couldn´t look up. She couldn´t face the picture at the front. Konohamaru was now crying and clinging to her, arms holding her clothes tightly. She hugged him as well as she could. Ignoring the pain from her wounds she let him cling to her and was grateful to Kakashi for holding her up.

It started raining. “Rain,” Kurenai said. Asuma gave the woman by his side a small look “The sky has started to weep as well…”

Her father's former teammates and village elders Homura and Koharu lead the memorial service. She could barely listen. After everyone left a white flower at the table she gave Konohamaru into the care of her brother. Kakashi was already gone. She knew where she would find him. At the memorial stone.

How was she supposed to go there? She looked over at Gai who had already guessed what she was about to do. He carried her towards the direction of the memorial stone and left her there. The last bit she could walk herself as well as she could with an umbrella.

He already felt her. Sensed her chakra. She went to his side and brought her arm around him which was difficult with an umbrella at hand. He leaned into her touch, took the umbrella from her hands to hold over them, and pulled her to his side hugging her and supporting her at the same time. She turned to him and put her head on his chest. He reacted while supporting his chin on her head and holding her tighter.

Both were reminiscing the memories of their loved ones who they´ve lost while being in the arms of each other.