#i would give nightmares a -10/10 on yelp

[caregivingchrysalises]

i’m awake angel,, buba’s awake~ bad dream darling? oh sweetheart can you take a breath for me? there we go, it’s okay if they’re shaky, just keep breathing baby i’ve got you. i know going back to sleep seems scary angel, but i’m here to see we both fly smoothly back into dreamland love. you’re being so brave baby, it was a scary dream wasn’t it dove? yeah, it’s okay baby, we’re okay now~ i’ve got you,, i’ll protect you from the scariness and shadows starlight, i promise.

awe angel, it’s okay to be scared, you’re never ever a bother dewdrop. do you want to know a secret? your buba gets scared and has bad dreams too, that’s right! i may be a prinx but i know just how scary those big feelings can be, but not to worry dove, i’ll help the scary feelings fly away angel, we’re going to be alright hun. that’s it baby keep breathing with me, you’re doing so well.

[kirihotto]

Satisfying {BangChan X Reader 18+}

→ Warnings: Alcohol

→ Rating: 18+ Minors are strictly prohibited from engaging and reading this content. It contains explicit content.

→ Genre: Late night date

→ Summary: Picking up Chan from the Airport around 10 pm. He isn't tired and insists on taking you out somewhere for a date. Grabbing some dinner from a combinie he takes you to a bar. Where you get.. Drunk and say some things that others need nothear. Chan takes what you said to heart and asks you about it. In a rather.. flirty.. way.

→ Word Count: 2 474

Disclaimer: All members are face and name claims for the story. This is entirely a work of fiction and by no means is meant to be a projection, judgment or representation of real-life people. All works are purely for entertainment purposes.

Published: 09/01/2023

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[A/N: Lets just pretend that swarming an idol at the airport isn't a thing. Ok? Ok great. But really y'all. Give them sum space after there flights T.T]

“F/N! Hey!” Chan yelped, waving a hand toward me as our eyes met. I had spotted him before he realized I was here. Catching a small yawn from him. Though once our eyes met he was full of smiles. Chan engulfed me in a huge tight hug as he released a small sigh. Grabbing my shoulders he faced me dead on. Eyes filled with concern. “You weren't waiting long were you?”

“I was waiting for you to get home of course! But if you're asking about waiting here specifically. No, It was roughly twenty minutes?” I chuckled, teasing him a little. Chan had literally just gotten back from a tour. So I was here picking him up tonight from the airport. Seeing that sweet dimple smile again was worth it all.

“Ah good. This place can sometimes be a nightmare.” Chan sighed again. Seemingly like a worry had been taken from him. He hugged me again for a moment. While I took in his scent and warmth, after a long while away from him. Chan let go and grabbed his black suitcases matching his equally black attire. “Well then! Let’s get out of here!”

“Wait up!” I yelped behind Chan as he hustled off. Waving the members off with a hand, holding my wrist in the other. Reaching the outside of the main doors he stopped. As we both stared at the slowly darkening sky.

“Where did you park exactly?” Chan turned to me with a small chuckle. Still holding onto my wrist.

“Follow me you dork.” I teased, pulling him behind me in return. Leading us both through the cramped parking lot. Our car. Well. more like Chan’s car, but I drove it here to get him. Unlocking it and going to the back for his bags. Throwing in one suitcase. Then the next he set in ever so lightly. Taking my seat back in the driver's spot. I felt like spoiling him. Knowing he worked hard. Now was his time to relax. So I was planning to drive both ways. He hopped in the car moments after. Leaning back in the seat next to me with a sigh. “Let’s go on a date.”

“Wait wait. We haven't even gone home yet.” I assured him. Trying to shut the offer down. It’s not like I didn't want to go. But he must have been tired.“You must be tired from all that, no? It’s even getting late..”

“That’s true. Things would be closing soon huh. I’m not tired. Must be jet lag.” Chan shrugged, quickly shooting me a pleading grin.“If you're not too tired I have an idea.”

“Alright~ What’s the plan?” I sighed caving in. Just as my stomach growled.

“Well then! That’s our first stop. Food.” Chan chuckled a little.

“Where are we gonna be able to get food at this hour?”

“Combinie…?”

“Fair enough.” Then off we went. Chan stared off out the window or sang along a little with the quiet radio. It was kind of peaceful. The roads were silent and Chan's sweet singing voice from beside me. The street lights flashing by us as we drove. When we pulled up to the place it was nearly empty. We wandered inside going through the isles. Holding hands the whole time we shopped. It was so nice to have him back. Sure I was starting to get tired since it was late. But it was worth spending time with him. A little sleepiness wouldn't stop me. Chan ended up getting a lot more snacks than I had planned but we would use them anyway. We both decided to get different types of kimbap for dinner. Well.. not really dinner since it was going for eleven. Satisfied with our small shopping we went up to the cash. Putting everything from our basket on the counter. While I was paying Chan bolted out the door.

“Hey what are you-? sigh..” Before I could finish he was gone.

“That’ll be 55 000 Won please.”

“Right. Here, thank you.” Handing over the money I walked out with a sigh. Three bags nearly full in my hands. “Just what is he up to…”

Walking up to the car planning to reclaim the driver's seat, there he was.

“I’ll drive. Besides, This is my car~” Chan stated with a huge grin at me. He rolled the window down. Grabbing one of the bags from my hand. “Sorry I didnt help you carry em. I would have. But I knew you wouldn't let me drive any other way.”

“Fair enough. You sneaky little...” I hopped in the car on the other side. Chan already had my small plastic platter waiting for me in his hands. After getting buckled again he set it on my lap.

“There you go~ and here's mineee.” Chan stated after pulling the other tray from the bag. We both sat in the car with our chopsticks. Both trying the first bite of ‘dinner.’ Which was surprisingly good for convenience store food. “Mm~! So good. Wanna try some of mine?”

I nodded rapidly with my mouth still a little full.

“Alright alright! Haha! Here, open.” Chan giggled. He held out one of the rolls to me with his chopsticks. I finished my piece and ate what he had offered. In return I gave him one of mine. Eating in the car he finally told me more about his tour. Just how much him and the others were loving it. The stories of struggles and good memories. It didn't take us long to finish eating since we were both starving.

“So… How about a bar?”

“At this hour? Is anywhere even open?”

“I know a place. It’s not too too far from home either. And yes they're open until three for whatever reason.” He smiled over to me. Starting up the car. Which meant I wasn't going anywhere. To be honest, I wouldn't mind a drink. “You can rest on the way over if you’d like. Just let me know and i’ll be quiet.”

“Mm.. I may nap. Keep singing or talking.. Whatever. I missed your voice..” I stated in my now half asleep state. I guess the food was also making me a little sleepy. Shutting my eyes listening to Chan’s slight humming and the sound of the car. I managed to fall asleep.

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“Hey, we're here love.” Chan whispered, his warm hand on my shoulder. Sure enough there was a bar right in front of us. The car turned off and the yellow toned street lights lit up the inside of the car. The chill of the cool air greeting me. “If your still tired and don't feel up to it, I can take you home.”

“Mnnngggg! No no. Just give me a second to freshen up.” I stretched sitting up in my seat. Pulling down the mirror from the visor I fixed my messy hair. Then I kind of realized. I felt under dressed..

“You look fine. Let's head in.” Chan smiled over at me. Just as I was about to get out there he was. Opening my door for me. Getting out I eyed down the bar. It didn't seem too busy and there weren't many cars around. I read the sign out loud. “The black cat.. Huh.”

“Yeah, it’s usually pretty laid back. But I can't guarantee. Just tell me when you wanna go home ok?” Chan looked at me with those sweet eyes. For some reason the gesture got me kind of flustered. He grabbed my hand and we walked in. Like Chan had said. It was.. Decently laid back. Much to suit the name, most of the bar was all black and dark woods. The slight plant every here and there. Though it wasn't a very big bar. Surprisingly enough the main drink counter was nearly empty. All the people were at their own tables. Chan went straight up to the counter. We took a seat at the tall black leather stools. We were greeted by a man with decently long black hair and sharp eyes. As soon as our eyes met Chan spoke. “Hey!”

“Oh, hey. It’s awfully late, what are you two up to?” The man replied.

“Ah, y’know just got home from a tour.”

CHAN ARE YOU NUTS? YOU SHOULDN'T BE TELLING RANDO’S YOUR FAMOUS!

“Hm~ Fair enough.” The man smirked.

“Oh! Sorry F/N this is Yoongi. And Yoongi, this is my partner F/N.”

“Nice to finally meet you.”

“Y-yeah.” I replied, my wind in a whirlwind of thoughts. I waved awkwardly. So. Chan knew this guy and this guy knows.. Me? This guy also knows Chan's an idol. Wow ok I guess I was kept in the dark.

“Anyway, I'll get two of the regulars.” Chan ordered the man.Yoongi nodded and grabbed a few things from behind the counter. Pouring our drink right in front of us. I don't know what his regular was but I was hoping it wasn't anything crazy high in percentage. It did smell pretty good whatever it was. Chan turned to me after his gaze was removed from the drinks being poured. “Sorry I don't mean to order for you. Get what you like. You just have to try this, it's amazing. If you don't like it, I'll drink it no worries.”

Just then he slid the drinks over to us. The ice chiming off eachother. Chan took a huge gulp and let out a satisfied ‘ah’. I followed his lead and tried a sip. It was quite strong but somehow calming. Refreshing.

“So? How is it?”

“It's good!” I admitted. Taking another mouthful. I was certainly a lot more awake now. We started chatting away properly this time. With me actually alive and replying.

“I was like ahh! We’re on in five! We couldn't find Han ANYWHERE!”

“Where was he?!”

I loved all the stories he told. Of a world I wasn't familiar with being a star and all. It didn't take long for me to finish the first drink and swiftly another was in my hand. Guess I needed a drink more than I thought. More stories from my mouth and Chan’s.

“Look at all these! Haha! Seriously, STAY is so creative.”

He showed me some meme’s STAY were making about their newest stuff. Of course the strange wolf edits of Chan were mixed in there. Then yet another drink a blueberry wine. I could feel myself losing my train of thought. Losing count of how much I had drunk. Other than the cups in front of me.

“Youuuu left me there. It was like what TeN minutes? Wooowww thanksS.” I wove a finger in Chan’s face. What I was complaining about was the last time we had sex. Or something along those lines. “ANd then. YOUuuu didnt even askk permission for that OtHEr stuff.”

“Yeah haha..” Chan chuckled awkwardly. Clearly he wasn't expecting me to get drunk this late.

“ANDDDdd Y’know it was liKE KinD of anNoyingG.” I poked at his chest a little. I was starting to draw attention. Not that I noticed but it was certainly happening. Yoongi, the bartender, was totally listening and held a small smirk aimed at Chan.

“I think they may be just a little drunk.”

“Yeah. Ok love it’s time to go home. The bill please?” Chan said sliding the little left in my last drink away from me.

“HeYYYyyy. CoMe onnn. At leaSt the AchoLolll was SatIsfyinG you meANYY.” Was it really THAT bad the last time we had sex? No. But I was drunk and dramatic.

“Pft. ahem. Here’s your bill.” Yoongi composed himself.

“Thank you. Sorry about them. I think they were a little tired as well as drunk. I’ll see you again.” Chan waved as I poorly did the same. Though I'm sure he was used to the drunks. We left the nice place, Chan basically carrying me to the car. A chill running down my spine at the cool night air. God knows how late it was. Chan put me in my seat like a baby and buckled me up with a sigh. “You really need to sleep huh?”

“Hehe~” Was the only thing I replied with. Chan got in on the other side and drove us home.

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(The ride you don't remember because you once again fell asleep. Chan was a little worried about what you were saying. He kept taking glances at you every chance he could.)

“Come here.” Chan grunted picking me up like a kid.

“Ughhhh.. My head.”

“Oh hey. You're up.”

“Yeahhh. We're back home..?”

“Yup. Here’s the bed.” Chan stated placing me down with a huff. Though he didn't leave. He hovered over me. His eyes were full of an emotion I couldn't read. As I was gawking at his beautiful eyes he leaned in and kissed me. Pulling away right after. “Was.. that ok?”

“Y-yeah?” I replied confused. Chan leaned down to my ear and whispered.

“This ok..?~”

“Yes..?” This time with a hitch in my breath. He knows full well the power his voice has over me. Again Chan moved lower. Leaving a soft peck on my neck.

“How’s that? Enough?” He asked again. Sliding his hand down my waist. I could feel his warmth as he inched closer and closer. “Is this alright..?”

It really made me realize just how much I was missing him. I caved into my feelings and burst out.

“JUST FUCK ME ALREADY!” I shouted, wrapping my arms around Chan’s neck. Bringing his lips on mine again. I could tell he was a little surprised by my straightforward demand. I let loose around the back on Chan’s neck as we faced each other again. Breath heavy. That’s when I realized. “Why do you keep asking love? You know I trust you.”

“Oh- You told me while you were drunk. The last time we-”

“GASPPP, NO! I DID NOT!! WHAT?! AT THE BAR??” Again I shouted in shock.

“Yeah.. you did and uh.. The bartender was listening..” Chan cleared his throat. Now I know why he was acting like this. The look in his eyes.

“No no. Listen. We talked about that before. It was no big deal. Sure I was a little disappointed but that's ok.” I began to explain. But Chan’s head fell low and I couldn't see his reactions.

“Just tell me. You want me to fuck you? Hard or soft? Fast or slow? Tell me I will do whatever you ask of me.” Chan stated looking me dead in the eyes. Eyes filled with lust and a cocky smile to match. My face turned a bright red. I pulled him in closer again.

“F-fuck me. I can wait.~” I replied slyly. But we both ended up laughing for a moment at the stupid remarks. Continuing to enjoy each other after a long while away.

[A/N:] Jeez gurl you demanding~  IK it's been awhile for a SKZ Fic. I've had so many ideas for other one shots for different groups so its been a while. IK this isnt suuuper great. But oh well. Bang Chan~

[insomniacsystem]

Azrael and Ashton pre and post bein held as POWs by Barkov aka when they meet again after Ash fakes his death and they both join SC.

As always at this point Bases by: @mellon-soup

It's been ages since I wrote anything but take a lil writing snippet for the second picture↓

Let's just say Azrael had been having a rough few days; his desk is chock-full of paperwork that he's slowly ending up more and more behind on as even more piles up, and his rookies keep causing damn issues left and right. And worst of all, it was November, the shittiest damn month Azrael could think of. At least when it comes To his mental health that is. And, of course, as always, he hadn't told anyone about it. And he's pretty sure only Graves, Vance and a few other higher-ups are really the only ones who'd know why as they likely would have access to what the SAS would actually give them in terms of the documents detailing his capture because, of course, their stupid secrets mattered more than his superiors being informed…

Azrael sighed, carrying his coffee down to his office, his eyes half-lidded, looking as if he'd barely slept yet again, but that was normal this time of year. They were already a day into the anniversary of his capture, the second day out of a week and a half. It's not exactly surprising he hadn't slept despite the scoldings he'd always get from everyone. But really, I mean, how was he supposed to sleep with his nightmares waking him up constantly? He'd rather just start work at 3 am like he is now than focus on the lingering sensations he feels over his skin. He shakes his head, trying to shake away the thoughts, yelping as he runs into another Shadow, his hot coffee running down his clothes as his mug shatters on the floor, a pained hiss escaping his throat at the burning sensation.

“Christ-! Do you mind being a bit more-” Azrael's heart stops in his chest the moment his eyes meet an eerily familiar shade of green still having to look up at the much taller redhead just like he used to. For a moment, Azrael is completely and utterly convinced he's losing his mind. He hadn't properly slept in 24 hours, and suddenly, he was literally running into long-dead men.

The lieutenant takes a few shakey steps back almost stumbling as he stares at Ashton the older, very different looking Ashton his stupid fucking ex-fiance who was supposed to be dead… and here he was, His hair now straightened out no longer in the firey red natural curls he remembered.. God he even has the piercings he'd constantly ranted about wanting but that he'd always too scared to get due to his mother and her controlling religious abuse… he wasn't dead… Ash. wasn't. dead.

“You- you… fuck no- god, you're kidding me. You're actually fucking with me right now! right…?” Azrael forces out trying desperately to hide the shaking of his voice behind his frustration, his breathing picking up before he can even notice it.

“Shit-! Rhys sweetheart I can explain alright- fuck you weren't supposed to be here-” Ashton stammers out practically stumbling over himself as he tries to explain and apologize immediately attempting to pull Azrael into a hug, something that probably would have worked 10 fucking years ago but, not now not anymore, hell Azrael could barely place the last time he let someone hug him by now.

Azrael pushes his gloved hand against Ashton's chest stopping the taller man in his tracks, an unrelenting cold glare in his eyes as he stares up at the man he used to love ~~the man he still loves~~. A glare Azrael knows damn well he doesn't actually mean he can't actually hate Ash not even now…

“Don't. Touch. Me… And It's Azrael nobody calls me Rhys anymore, and I don't want you to either. now get wherever the hell you're going-” Azrael has to Pause, glancing at Ash’s dog tags and finding his rank. “Get wherever the hell you're going, Sergeant, and fast…” The lieutenant forces the words out as a growl, desperately trying to hide the fact he felt like breaking down.

The smaller man pushes past Ash harshly, walking towards his office as fast as he can manage inconspicuously, his hands clenching and unclenching tightly as he walks slamming his office door shut behind him and locking it tightly. Finally, he lets himself sink to the ground with a choked sob, still fighting back his tears even now that he's alone, burying his face in his knees and just trying to breathe…

[ogdoadfates]

It was only a cough: CH# 10 Thunderwave

Here it is! The long awaited final chapter of 'It was only a cough'! Wow, this is....wow. My apocalypse au was the first au I ever really talked about and one that got a fair bit of attention too!! So this is kinda well amazing! Now 'It was only a cough' is finished but my apocalypse au is far from done~ At some point I do plan on doing a long fic for my Apocalypse au but for now we'll just be doing some prompts/drabbles. Thank you all so much for reading this fic of mine, it means so much to me! Ao3 link like usual!

Vax is soaked, he’s pretty sure he’s bleeding from somewhere and he’s not only going to have nightmares once he finally goes to sleep but be massively sore when they inevitably wake him up. It takes what feels like hours but most likely was only a few minutes to get to the van. Luckily it seems Percy had heard him cause the first thing he hears after launching him and his sister into the van is the strong thuming pur of the engine coming to life. 

As soon as the backdoors close Percy hits the gas, it jostles them all, yelps and a bark from Trinket fill the air for a second before everyone is suddenly in motion again, like a bird desperate to move for standing still means death. It’s blurs of hands on people's bodies and items being thrown about. Someone shouts that Grogs fine, no bites, which is a miracle considering how the big man was holding off a good-sized hoard. Pike has his sister’s shirt pulled up, the wound looks grotesque but as she uses a towel to clean it up it looks nowhere as bad as he’d feared. His mind swims, it rushes back and forth between the now and the past, even going further than the hospital. His head is loud but simulatiously quiet, he doesn’t return to the present till he feels shaking fingers touch his side.

All at once everything snaps back into place and god did everything hurt, his vision threatened to blur again but he still feels those shaking hands on him, now more firmly grasping him with a sweet yet panicked small voice trying to reach him. Vax forces his breathing to calm, slowly but surely all his senses coming back.

“Vax?” Keyleth’s voice is shaking and it makes his racing heart still like a rabbit caught mid-run in a snare. Finally, he turns to face her. She's scared, panicked, her face is ravished with worry and anxiety. He can feel his few wounds ache but they don’t compare to the hurt he feels for Keyleth and his own sister. One is in mental agony and one in physical pain but they are alive. All of them are, it’s this notion this fact that lets him give her a true reassuring smile, one that she can tell is not just to placate her. It doesn’t calm her completely, she keeps her hands on him, more firmly on him if anything, still a slight shake to her but he can tell at the very least her panic has lessened. It takes a moment for Vax to drag his attention away from Keyleth, his gaze goes straight to his twin. 

Pike stays close to Vex, poking and checking over the bandage they’d put on her side, it’s not bleeding too much which is a good sign. Vex has been hurt worse before and luckily this time they have more than enough medical supplies that none of them will have any lasting issues from their current wounds. Vax would much rather forget about the time they had no supplies and Grog had taken a massive hit to his back, the scar still haunts them all. To be fair just about any scar nowadays is just another horror story waiting for them to notice again so its haunting lullaby may find them again in their sleep but at least these new ones they’ll get will be small enough that they’ll most likely not notice them as often.

A loud boom of thunder drags Vax out of his thoughts and causes everyone in the van to fall in a sudden hush, only the torrent of rain against metal and the lumbering roll of its aftermath fills the space with noise. The white noise leaves them all to look at each other, taking stock of each other's conditions. Vax almost missed the wince from Pike before she carefully manoeuvered her way over to him, her gaze locked on some spot on his stomach. Looking down it suddenly makes sense why Keyleth was still shaking. Blood slowly trickles from the tares in his skin and around a few small specs of broken glass that must’ve dug their way into his skin from the ground when they’d made their grand escape from the grotesque-infested hospital.

It hurts and stings when Pike slowly and carefully extracts the small shards from his flesh, Keyleth moving her hands to take one of his, offering him the little comfort that she can provide in this moment.

~~~~

It’s times like these that Percy wished he had contacts but just like every other time and every time to come he’ll have to make do. Even if he can barely see the road through the blinding rain and his fogging glasses. He desperately wants to turn around, to see if Vex and everyone else are alright but his attention must remain forward.

It’s so strange how just months ago he and Vex had been talking about going on a road trip to his hometown, just the two of them, and how after their return they’d finally tell the others about how they’re dating, have been dating for a while and now he’s driving his car in a hell storm away from flesh-eating demonspawns while his girlfriend is possibly injured in the back. Fuck, the only reason he knows she’s not gravely injured is because Vax isn’t freaking the fuck out.

Another rumble shakes the world around them. Percy’s very bones feel like tightly wound strings of copper full of static as if the storm outside has conducted all of its electricity into him. He’s going to explode, he’s going to scream, he’s-

A gentle, familiar, hand lays onto his shoulder before he can see the owner of said hand slowly and carefully manover herself into the front passenger seat. He keeps his main focus on the pavement that he can make out from his rain-painted windshield but he notices the bandages covering Vex’s side, some slight red bleeding through but not enough to be concerning. Not enough to be concerning? Gods what's happening to us? What's happened to us that any more blood than that released from a pin prick is not concerning? That the only time we are concerned is if they are bleeding out?

The gentle hand returns to his forearm this time, taking hold of it as she gently rubs her thumb across his skin. His body still buzzes with wild tension but the internal fog clears just enough, he lets out a long sigh, a barely noticeable shakiness finds its way into it but that's just for him and Vex to know.

“The roads are going to be icy after this.” Keyleth’s voice pierces the silence that had encompassed the van, filling the stagnant air with the seeping chill of dread taking its place. She isn’t wrong, they all know it but it also reveals a different issue.

“We’ll have to be careful with the van, it’s possible we might not be able to shut it off till it’s completely dry.” His voice is void of emotion but he just can’t bring himself to put anything into it and what would he? Despair would just hurt everyone, panic would scare everyone even more, so he just avoids it. He finds himself doing that a lot these days. Avoid the things that bring him pain, avoid till they slap him in the face or threaten to sneak behind him and rip his heart out through his back with a triumphant cry as if to mock him for his incompetence and inaction. He’s still reeling from how he didn’t notice Keyleth getting sick. If he’d just been paying just a smidge more attention he might’ve noticed, might’ve prevented his friends, his family, from splitting yet again, and half of them getting hurt in the process.

Logically he knows that no matter what they would’ve had to stop for supplies at some point before they hit the next middle-of-nowhere highway but he just can’t scratch this ever-present itch that he could’ve done something.

The rain continues to pelt down but luckily from what Percy can see the roads are completely cleared so he relaxes ever so slightly and as if they can feel the mood shift from him the rest of the group starts to idly chatter. Only three voices don’t join in, Vex, Keyleth, and his own. Chancing a glance in the rearview mirror reveals to him Vax softly talking to Keyleth, who has her head buried in the side of the long-haired man's neck.

Percy returns his full attention to the road, best not to intrude on a moment when they’re already forced to have it in the open. A lack of privacy has been one of the strongest most felt losses they’ve all been scrambling to get accustomed too. It’s to the point that whenever they reach Whitestone or Zephrah one of the first things he’ll do is just find a room to himself and scream. A slight slice of privacy just for him, is it wise? No. Is it selfish? Yes, but gods he feels everyone would want to do the same.

A cough brings a cold end to the little conversations everyone just started to have. Percy dares not take a glance through the mirror, avoiding yet again. His grip tightened on the wheel.“I’m fine, it’s just from, well you know.” He hears Keyleth say just barely audible enough for everyone to hear. She’s still recovering, it’d be irrational to think she wouldn’t cough here or there but after the rush and fear they all felt and the fact she hadn’t coughed for hours at this point, it sends cold shivers up all their spines. Percy keeps his eyes glued to the road, as Vex’s hand goes from giving comfort to holding onto his arm in a firm grip. It’d better just be a cough.

[atmilliways]

Dreams In Which I'm Dying (3)

part 3 of 16 | 856 words | Teen +

Donnie Darko AU | parts 1 & 2 | parts 4 & 5 | parts 6 & 7 | part 8 | part 9 | parts 10 & 11 | parts 12 & 13 | part 14 | parts 15 & 16 (complete) | read on Ao3

Summary:

Eddie Munson is tired. On his way back to the trailer park last night some alarm on his watch had gone off—BEEEEP! . . . BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!—and scared the crap out of him. It had been hard to fall asleep after that.

3 - Tired

Eddie Munson is tired. On his way back to the trailer park last night some alarm on his watch had gone off—BEEEEP! . . . BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!—and scared the crap out of him. It had been hard to fall asleep after that.

Whatever nightmares he drags himself out of on Saturday morning are fucking awful. Maybe it's for the best that he’s forgotten them already.

By the time he emerges from his bedroom Wayne is long gone to work, and something about the empty trailer gives him the creeps. His head aches too much from lack of rest to blast music, so instead he hops in his van and just . . . drives, aimless, the radio cranked down to what most would call normal volume until he gets caught in a traffic snarl out near the old Benny’s Burgers.

Hawkins doesn’t have traffic, usually. Disconcerted, he u-turns and heads into town, snags more cigarettes at the gas station before pulling up in front of the arcade.

He doesn’t have enough pocket change left to make the arcade worth it. Maybe enough to rent a movie though, he thinks as he eyes the Family Video next door. Something to drown out the oppressive silence back at the trailer. . . . That should work. 

The bell over the door chimes as he makes his way inside, no time to take in his surroundings before—

“Munson?”

Eddie jumps about a foot in the air with a yelp, flailing around to glare at Steve fucking Harrington in a green Family Video vest. It somehow matches his eyes. (Eddie had always thought were brown, but upon inspection that he never expected to get close enough to make, they're hazel.) “Jesus H. Christ, you have got to stop doing that!”

Great. A stupid attraction was so much easier to ignore when the subject stayed in a completely different orbit. But now, thanks to Satellite Dustin sweeping in and swinging shit out of alignment, this is happening. These are his first direct words to an attractive, athletic guy with a great smile and a greater ass, who Eddie has definitely rubbed one out to before. (He hasn’t kept count, he’s not an animal.)

Steve blinks at him, having the gall to look like he has no idea what Eddie’s talking about. “Riiight, I’ll get right on that. Anyway—” he claps his hands with the abrupt subject change, rubbing them together for good measure “—can I talk to you about something, man?”

“Uh.” This is a pretty benign conversation starter for someone who always seemed more likely to trip him in the school hallways and laugh. Eddie glances around Steve, still trying to decide between Fantasy and the Science Fiction. (Horror is a no go in his current post-nightmare mood.) “If you must.”

“It’s about Sinclair.”

His attention snaps back to Steve like a snapped rubber band. “If this is about luring a child into the dastardly clutches of a fantasy game cult, Harrington, you’re better off leaving that to the PTA moms. Besides, Erica can hold her own against the assembled forces of Satan.”

The wry smirk he gets in response is not what Eddie was expecting. “Yeah, I know,” Steve says, hands falling onto his own hips—and the thing is, it sounds like he does know. “I meant Lucas, actually. Dustin filled me in on the schedule conflict last night.”

Eddie doesn’t have the patience for this. He shoulders past Steve to head into the shelves. “Let me guess. Something something, championship game that was only announced the night before is more important than a final campaign session scheduled weeks in advance?”

“It’s not about scheduling,” Steve says, following. “You know that Lucas came off the bench and made the winning shot, right?”

“Don’t know how I could, considering I wasn’t there,” Eddie replies flatly as he pretends to browse. Pretends that proximity to Steve Harrington isn’t making him sweat.

“Yeah, well. All I’m saying is, next time could you maybe not make the shitheads choose between their favorite pastime and their best friend? It would’ve meant a lot to Lucas if they could’ve seen him do that.”

It’s so earnest, the way he says it, that Eddie almost forgets it’s not that simple. Between Jeff’s family dinners, Gareth’s insistence on actually studying, Grant’s curfew, Dustin’s frequent orthodontist appointments, and Mike’s Spring Break flight to California, it had been like herding cats to get dates and times that worked for everybody all semester.

“And all I’m saying,” Eddie shoots back, remarkably level, “is that Lucas didn’t even bother to tell me about his sudden schedule conflict in person, he made his best friends do it. Sorry man, he got what he got.”

This would be the perfect time to select his tape, shoulder past Steve, and saunter cooly up to the desk to check out.

It would be. Instead, the front door bursts open and startles Eddie into fumbling the tape he’s pulling from the shelf.

“Steve, Robin, we have a code red!” shrieks Dustin Henderson, sweeping in like a hurricane and trailing some red-headed girl Eddie didn’t know in his wake. “I repeat, code red!”

[healeroflightanddark]

Stolen Hearts, Chapter 10: Nightmare

Sawatari had expected his dirty dreams about Yuya to end now that the two of them were dating. Though in hindsight, he probably should’ve expected them to increase instead. What he didn’t expect was for him to have a dream about Yuya kissing Reiji. But to his horror, that awful nightmare ruined his night’s sleep.

Sawatari awoke with a yelp, shaking with tears in his eyes. He sighed in relief as he realized it was just a nightmare. Yuya wouldn’t do that to him! Yuya was the sweetest boy he knew! Yuya would never cheat!

He flopped down on his back, trying to calm himself. A thought came to him unbidden, a thought that he’d not had in years. A thought of his mother.

Sawatari’s mother had been a simply awful, insecure, jealous woman. All of his memories of her were of her yelling at his papa for things that were beyond his control. Mainly for dreams she’d had of him doing something she didn’t like, such as eating her snacks or cheating on him. When Sawatari was six years old, his mother disappeared with all of her belongings, and he and his papa never saw her again. Papa had searched for her for three years, before finally giving up and filing for divorce in absentia.

Sawatari had sworn to himself at a young age that he would never be like his mother. He would never get mad at anyone for something that happened in a dream. Especially not his partner. And he wasn’t upset with Yuya at all. He knew that Yuya couldn’t be blamed for what happened in his nightmare, and there was no way he could even know.

That being said, Sawatari wanted Yuya to be close to him right now. He knew that Yuya wouldn’t cheat, but he needed his precious tomato, to cling to him and cuddle him and know he was there. Dammit, would that be too clingy? He didn’t know. Should he call Yuya? What should he do?

His clingy side won, and Sawatari sent a text to Yuya. A few agonizing minutes later, Yuya responded.

Sawatari: Hey are you awake?

Yuya: I am now. What’s up?

Sawatari: I had a nightmare… Can you come over? I need you close right now…

Yuya: Oh, yeah, I can come over. Just let me change and I’ll be there ASAP.

Sawatari: Thank you. I’m… feeling really clingy after my nightmare.

Sawatari: And just for the record, I’m NOT mad at you at all. I know you wouldn’t do something like that and you have no control over my dreams, and I am NOT my mother. I’m not mad at you. Just… I need you right now…

Yuya: Well, if you want to talk about it when I get there, I’d be more than happy to listen!

Sawatari: Thank you, Yuya. You really have no idea how much you mean to me. I’ll send a car to pick you up so you don’t have to walk in the dark.

[anyaeras]

Always there for me || N.Romanoff

Summary

Natasha comfort you over a fear and Nightmare, And you kinda give away your crush on her, but she feels the same and stays with you, helping you sleep again <3

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

friendly/romantic

2k words

Warning ( mention abuse, nightmare, and fluff)

[Reader POV]

I was Enjoying being an Avenger It was a way for me help other people, But It wasn't always this luxury superhero life I was living, Growing up in the midwest states with only my mother, it was her and I she taught me everything to read to write to fight, Defending myself if They where to come for us, when I was ten I was taken away from my mother, my home,  To become a "widow" The forced me into the "red room" and I know what you're thinking the red room isn't that in Russia? well once the American government found out how these girls were doing in Russia they decided to make their own prototype taking certain girls that showed up on the radar and putting them in but it wasn't the same as the Russian one it was different it was more like science experiments on objects then training, And every day was just another injection or experiment to see what you could do, they wanted these little girls to be The worlds best murderers pretty much, and that's what we were only 10 of us came out of it alive, and to this day, Only I still live,  in the middle of this all of these experiments and fighting in just the life that I have created for myself I have managed to show up on Furry radar, But not in a good way, I was Taken once again,but for some reason I didn't put up a fight, They sent someone who at the time I knew as Another widow by the look of her suit, She offered me something No one has ever, it was help, a New start, A Shield Agent, and Eventually an Avenger myself , as I continued I learned who this women was, Natasha, she did have a hard shell and a strong demeanor but if you got to know her super soft and caring, deep down inside she was always there for me when I need her, and I was there for her there was a small chance I developed feelings for her but I can brush those to the side we have a great friendship there's no need to ruin it, right? And that's where we are now

[Present day Readers POV]

We, meaning the Avengers and I were having a movie night, this type of thing happen often as a way of 'team bonding' It was fun most of the time, team bonding would change sometimes, From a movie to a game night, or a party things like that.

I walk down into the man room to find, Natasha, Clint, and Maria talking on a couch, Tony, Capt, and Bruce on the other, as Wanda and peter sat with blanket wrap around them on the floor, we waited for Vis and Bucky to walk in before starting.

I took a seat next to bucky who was like my best friend, he knew everything, Including my crush on Natasha, I would tur and lie and say it was small but when she gives me butterflies by looking at me, well- it's not so little.

Peter had gotten to pick the movie, which was not an Advantage to me, I might try and act like a badass, cold, assassin, But I just can't do Horror movies, and what did Peter pick, a horror movie! and damn Horror movie.

the movie had started and I was doing okay, I did my best to hide my fear, I really don't feel like getting picked on by the team for being weak, But as I watch the killer in the movie drag away one of the Movie characters and Kill them off, I let out a small yelp, quickly hiding my face, I knew the team saw this, and with that a group of Laughs. came my way.

Everyone but Natasha was laughing at me, I only knew this when she was the one to walk by me kicking me and bit before motioning for me to follow. I reluctantly got up, followed into the kitchen.

"you alright?" she asked a wave of concern in her voice as I nodded

"It's okay to be scared, you know that right?" she said after I just looked down, I wasn't gonna let my guard down so much for the whole team to see, and I was definitely not going to chicken out.

"N-nat can we go finish the movie please" I said giving here a small smile as it was now her turn to nod.

we snuck back to our spots in the Main living area, where everyone was still, eyes glued on the movie, other then Bucky who was smile at me, I rolled my eyes sitting back down. trying to not focus on the screaming and other sound affects coming from the movie.

finally it was over, 2hours later and I was quick to rush to my room, not wanting to be bothered, more so taunted about tonight, so I made the choice to sleep.

I laid down in my bed, It seemed like things we're staring at me and I couldn't get comfortable tossing and turning constantly, It was making me go crazy, until luckily I passed out in my bed

[A little later]

"No no stop...pl- NO!" I let out a murdering scream as I jumped up now sitting up in my bed, My room was dark, only the moonlight shining through the curtains brought a dim light into the room definitely not enough to light the entire room but a little light close by the window, I stayed sitting curled up in a ball, my legs pulled close to my chest Laying my head down on my own legs trying to quiet my sobs but it was a little late certain somebody who's room was just across the hall from mine at the compound had Heard me....

[Natashas POV]

"No no stop...pl- NO!" followed By a screen was all that was heard before silence, I was confused but nonetheless quickly Rose from my own bed, A little startled from the odd awakening but made my way to the door, I slowly creep across the hallway sobs grew louder as an inch closer to someone's door

"Y/N?” are they- Crying? Was the only thought that came to my head at the moment, I took a moment to think what I was about to do through but I wanted to get to Y/N but I didn't want to startle them, I slowly pushed open their door.

"Y/N?" I said softly, not knowing exactly how they react I've never seen them cry they were always so strong and independent but still, Loving. I watched the small body that was curled up on the bed move to look at me before looking away.

"I-i'm sorry if I woke you, i'm fine" they said to me stuttering a bit in the doing of so.

I didn't believe that you don't need to be a train spy to see through something like that, it's quite transparent, slowly inching closer to them, still being careful of the situation, I sat down on the bed close by

"n-nat?" they questioned themself saying it to me

"yes Sweetie?" And like that I had pulled y/n onto my lap letting them cry into my chest. occasionally hushing them

"shh it's okay sweetie"

once's I had gotten them to calm down a bit Still siting in my lap, Rubbing her back as y/n sobs came down to small hiccups

[Readers POV]

I felt really bad about waking Nat with one of my Nightmares, But it felt great to be in her arms, She was comforting, I clung to her like a baby onto it mother,  she rubbed my back as we stayed there in silence until she finally spoke up once again

"wanna talk about it?" she asked me not pressing at all, waiting for me to open up

My response was to move back a little so she could see face as I took a moment to speak

"It was like the movie but you where with me, we were in the red room and the room you away and I had to watch them kill you, with all the things they did to me once, I didn't wanna lose you, I cant lose you" I paused as I realized what I just said and I looked up to her to see if she showed any emotion her face had one of her signature smirks, but I try to pretend I didn't just say that and continue

" they took me and strapped me down just like in the movie, and you were on the table as they injected you with who know what, you screamed and I lost you, Before I- i died, but it was so real, Like that was our real faith!"  I tried my best not to sob, I already looked so vulnerable.

"It's okay, nothing will happen, i-i'll be right here with you"  Nat said to me Laying me back down into my bed pulling the duvet back on

"Взаперти все мои мысли Дождь, внутри слепые искры Не вернешь своей улыбки Хэй, Хэй, Хэ, No way, way! Проснись, только проснись Не оставь меня одну здесь Не дай упасть вниз Верю в нас, ты коснись Только коснись Я лечу вниз Вниз" Natasha song softly

(Vzaperti vse moi mysli Dozhdʹ, vnutri slepyye iskry Ne verneshʹ svoyey ulybki KH·ey, KH·ey, KH·e, No way, way! Prosnisʹ, tolʹko prosnisʹ Ne ostavʹ menya odnu zdesʹ Ne day )

it was almost easy enough for me to go back to sleep, I was half asleep laying there when she stuck I felt movement in the bed and she laid me down out of her arms completely, as she started to leave, I went for her arm pulling her back.

"Stay please- I mean umm if you'd like of course, I'm so-" she cut my off but crawling back into my bed, and under the covers, pulling me into her arms as I snuggled more into her chest taking in her spicy sent

"Go to sleep Dorogoy" she whispered

"t-thank you, for always being there" I said sheepishly back to her before sleep over took both of us....

A/N two one shots one day score! i hope you are having a great day request are open!

[sodadrabbles]

Sibling stuff for Ranboo (you can pick either c! or cc!)? If possible can I specify like maybe a little sister or sibling, like uh, Ranboo is streaming and then his lil sib just comes into his room like “are you hungry? Mom made dinner” and then ends up joining him for the rest of the stream, or reader woke up from some sort of nightmare and it’s like a comfort fic! Idk and you don’t have to do this btw, love your writing <3

The third installation of littleboo >:] I hope you enjoy this one!! I like this one so so much so I really hope you do too!

Pairing: Ranboo x sibling!Reader (gender-neutral!)

Rating: Just more fluff because all my anons are soft babies

Summary: Littleboo plays a prank on their brother and it leads to then starting a podcast.

You sat at the dining table humming to yourself, a plate of mac and cheese and pork chops in front of you. You were messing around on your phone, watching your brother's stream. He was playing Minecraft, some new SMP with a cool mod, with Tubbo, Wilbur, Phil, and Tommy, as well as a few people you didn't know too well.

As you popped another mouthful of pasta in your mouth, you felt someone tap on your shoulder. You set your phone down and glance up at your mother. She hands you another plate of food, asking you to take the food to your older brother. 

It had become a small tradition to bring dinner to your brother if he was streaming late. Normally you would sneak in, set the food on his desk, poke him in the side, and run out. It always earned a good yelp from him and a few moments of chat laughing when he says 'Littleboo just stabbed me with their little fingers!' Today was probably going to be no different.

You send a message in chat- You were VIP'd in his chat, giving you message priority. You spam 'I'm bringing dinner.' about 10 times, before turning off your phone and taking the plate to his stream room. You don't bother knocking, he should be expecting you. You hear him ask chat why they are spamming 'Littleboo.' and giggle. 

The door swings open quietly, and you take a few small steps. You pause and listen in to what he's saying. "Chat, Littleboo isn't in here. Littleboo in chat? When?" 

You stifle another giggle and sneak the rest of the way in. Once he's for sure distracted by his game, you slide the plate of dinner onto his desk and jab your hand into his side. He squawks out a yell and turns to look at you, only to find you laughing with your hands covering your mouth. 

"(Y/N) what the heck!" He tries to sound mad, but the laugh in his words tells you he isn't really. "Why do you always do that!"

You laugh harder, doubling over and clutching your stomach. You can see chat spamming things like 'scareboo' and 'littleboo horror game when?'. You can also faintly hear the others on his discord call asking if Ranboo was alright, or asking about you. You can hear Tommy more clearly than anyone else, shouting "LITTLEBOO!? (Y/N), GET HIM AGAIN!"

"Mom wanted me to bring you dinner," You wipe at the small tear in your eye, and straighten your back once you're able to breathe normally. "I decided to keep to tradition and scare you."

"Very funny." Ranboo rolls his eyes, taking the plate and getting a mouthful of mac and cheese. You once again hear Tommy yelling through his headphones, asking you to get on the call. With Ranboo distracted by food, you're able to quickly snatch up his headphones. You hear him yell at you, but you don't care.

With only a moment to spare you lean in close to the mic, screaming at everyone on the discord call, as well as chat. "Hello! This is a Littleboo stream now! Give me primes- Ah! Ranboo no-!"

Ranboo snatches the headphones off your head, putting them back on his own head. He apologizes to chat and his friends, sending you playful death glares. You only stick your tongue out at him, blowing a quiet raspberry.

As you prepare to leave the room, Ranboo stops you and gestures to the extra chair in the room- It was bought at his 2mil followers milestone, and he made a video of you and him building it together. It was just like his unicorn chair but in different colors. You cock an eyebrow at him, tilting your head in confusion.

"Stay for the stream. You haven't actually been on one in a while."

You can't help the smile that stretches across your face. You hop into your chair enthusiastically, spinning in it a few times before settling in it comfortably. Ranboo plugs in a pair of headphones for you, equipped with a shitty mic, allowing you to hear and chat in discord as well.

You hear Tommy and Tubbo cheering when you say hello to the stream, and everyone else on call gives you a range of greetings, and Phil gives you his classic 'hi mate.'

The stream goes on for about another three hours, and you spend most of it bullying Tommy for choosing avian. Near the tail end of the stream, Ranboo and Tubbo convince you to attempt to beat the game while they talk.

"We should start our own podcast." Tubbo suddenly interjects while you're building a nether portal. "We could call it little beecast."

You hear Ranboo hum, and he nods. "(Y/N) will be our main host and ask the questions." He smiles, poking your shoulder playfully. You hum in thought for a moment before smiling back. "And at the end, we tell everyone to feel a 'little bee-ter'. Y'know, like better, but bee!"

The two boys laugh at you agreeing that it's a good sign-off. You three spend the rest of the night talking about the first episode of Little Beecast.

[storiesforallfandoms]

sing me to sleep ~ corpse husband

word count: 1051

request?: yes!

“Hi it looks like requests are open. Can I request a cute corpse husband imagines where maybe the reader has a nightmare and wakes up and corspe is streaming and the reader doesn't want to bother him but can't go back to sleep. Maybe when he's done streaming he comforts the reader and maybe sings them to sleep. I really wanna read something of him singing to the reader. Pleaseeee”

description: in which she can’t get back to sleep after a nightmare, so her  boyfriend helps her

pairing: corpse x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

You woke from your nightmare with a yelp and immediately covered your mouth. Luckily, you were alone in bed as Corpse was still streaming so you didn’t wake him.

You tried to just roll over and go back to sleep, but every time you closed your eyes you saw the images from your nightmare again. You tossed and turned for what felt like hours, but whenever you checked the time it had only been 10 minutes since the last time.

You looked at your phone long and hard, debating on texting Corpse to ask him to come to bed, but you knew you’d feel bad if you did that. He was probably mid-game, having a great time with his friends. You couldn’t take him away from that. But you did want nothing more than to feel Corpse’s arms around you and helping to lull you back to sleep.

Eventually, you heard the door to his YouTube room open and close, and his footsteps silently creeping down the hall to your shared room. He was trying to stay silent as he got ready for bed, so you spoke up, “I’m awake.”

“Fuck,” Corpse hissed. You giggled at his startled reaction. “Why are you awake, babe? Didn’t you say you were going to bed when I started streaming?”

“I had a nightmare and haven’t been able to get back to sleep,” you responded.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve come and kept you company at least.”

“You were streaming! I didn’t want to bother you if you were having fun with your friends.”

You felt the bed dip next to you in the dark, followed by the warmth of Corpse’s arms wrapping around you. You settled into his embrace, taking in all the familiar things that you loved so much about him.

“You still could’ve come told me, or texted me or something,” he said.

“I debated it,” you said. “But you were having a good time playing with your friends. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Are you kidding? They’d probably prefer for you to be there. They all love you. Rae has been asking when you’ll play with us next every time I’m talking to them.”

You smiled into the darkness at this. You loved Corpse’s online friends .They were so welcoming of both you and Corpse into their group, and they had been fantastic friends to the both of you. You felt closer to them than you had with anyone in real life.

Neither one of you spoke for some time. You buried your head into Corpse’s chest, the soft material of his shirt brushing against your face. Usually, you liked the silence, but at that moment it felt deafening. Your eyes were growing so heavy that you were struggling to stay awake, but at the same time you just couldn’t sleep. Even with Corpse next to you now, it felt like an impossible task that you’d never be able to do.

You groaned in frustration. Corpse’s body shook as he chuckled. “Still can’t sleep?”

“I’m so tired,” you groaned, the words muffled in Corpse’s shirt. “But I can’t sleep. It’s not even the nightmare now, my body just won’t shut down long enough for me to sleep!” You lifted your head from his chest to add, “Maybe I’m destined to stay awake forever now.”

Corpse chuckled again and found your lips with ease, giving you a quick peck. You smiled to yourself again.

“Want me to talk to you to help you sleep?” he asked. “You did always say listening to my horror story videos helped you to sleep before we started dating.”

“I don’t want to hear a horror story, I definitely won’t sleep then,” you mumbled. An idea popped into your head and you smirked to yourself. “What if you sang to me?”

“(Y/N), no.”

You sat up on the bed, pulling out of Corpse’s arms to do so. You turned on the lamp next to his bed so he could finally see your face.

“Come on? Please? You know how much I love your singing.”

“And you know how much I hate my singing.”

Corpse was stuck on the idea that his actual singing voice was the worst sound in the world. Despite the fact that the music he was already making was partially him singing, he kept denying it. He was sure that he absolutely could not sing, and often refused to do it even when it was just the two of you.

There were rare occasions that you managed to get him to sing, though. Usually when you were upset or sick, he liked to take you in his arms and sing your favorite song to you. It was like a magic spell that would instantly make you feel better when you heard it.

“Please?” you begged, drawing out the “e” in the word and even pouting like a child at him. “Just until I fall asleep. If it doesn’t work within the first verse and chorus, you can stop. If I fall asleep right away, you won’t even have to sing long anyways!”

“It might not work.”

“But it’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

Corpse sighed and looked up at your pouty face. He finally smiled and opened his arms to you again. “Fine, come here.”

You quickly turned off the light and basically dove into his arms again. He held you tightly as he began to hum first, a soothing sound that you loved to hear. When he started to sing, your heart fluttered. Despite what Corpse thought of his own voice, it was your absolute favorite sound.

Of course, the magic song worked yet again, as within almost seconds you were drifting off to sleep. Corpse felt your body beginning to slump in his arms, and your head lull against his chest. Your breathing started to get heavier, and finally, you were sound asleep.

Corpse smiled to himself. Although he couldn’t see you in the dark, he could imagine how cute you looked while you were asleep in his arms. He gently kissed your forehead, trying not to wake you, as he settled himself down to sleep as well.

“I love you,” he whispered into the darkness.

“I love you, too,” came a response so quiet it was almost inaudible.

[kentos-filmcamera]

Birthday Baby - Inumaki Toge

pairing: inumaki toge x gn!reader (from the 10 times, 1 occasion verse)

word count: 1.3k

summary: October 23rd. Toge's birthday. Usually a slightly chilly day but just after the events of Shibuya, it's cold, storming outside.

Usually, on any of your birthdays, you and Inumaki would usually have the nicest of picnics, you would pop champagne and laugh when the cork would hit Toge in the forehead or it bounced back and popped right back beside you making you arch your back and yelp. This year, after Shibuya, it was different. So different. Not only by the fact it had been pouring horrendously all week so parks were obviously closed, but Toge lost his arm right beside you, helping civilians. It played over your mind, and you wished it was a nightmare but it was reality, you realized as you looked over him in your weakened state, the first time you were able to open your eyes. This time, there was no medicine or ancient family practices to save you from what happened to you that day.

“Leave her to me!” You called Gojo as Choso had distracted him. You gave him a light stare back and he gave you a solemn nod. You took a hold of the branches they had as eyes and tugged. Hard. There was a complaint from her and no drawback.

You smiled, feeling like a god. “Domain expansion: Seamstress’ cave!” Your smile grew as your eyes closed shut, and heard complaints from Jogo as the thread wrapped around Hanami and you. Your eyes closed shut as your hair started to somehow float alongside your body, and the threads dissolved to wrap around your fingers like a web. You did brutal moves, changing one corner to the farthest, knowing you had to strip her of everything as you couldn’t really exorcise her.

After your domain dissolved, your body was on E in terms of strength. So when a blast of cursed energy blew down a structure nearby, you couldn’t completely stop it.

“Hey,” You said quietly, entering his room. “Happy birthday, ‘maki-kun” You mumbled, struggling to reach into a bag to find the present you bought him. Your hands were severely damaged from trying to stop the debris from hurting your body. Still, you lost an eye.

“Cookie!” He beamed at your presence and pulled you to a hug just to assure you everything was more than perfect. As long as you were there, he was fine. And vice versa.

“I got you lunch box cakes,” You said with shaky hands while placing the bag down on his nightstand, trying to guide yourself to him. He held you with his arm and guided you to his bed. Losing your right eye and some sight in the other was difficult. You faced early retirement, like Aoi Todo. Your hands were full of lacerations and scars and they didn’t work properly; you could barely write, and to use your cursed technique you needed an incredible amount of speed on the tip of your fingers. But you knew very well that Toge still loved you that way.

“I'm sorry we couldn’t have a picnic like we usually do” Your hands clumsily fiddled with the edge of the talisman paper he had wrapped around his arm.

“Okaka” He shook his head, giving you the assurance that everything will be okay. “Close your eyes” He commanded, and you did so. He reached in with his hand and touched your close lids, sighing. “I love you” He kissed your forehead, to then lower his lips to close into yours. The kiss started out slow, the two of you just sitting next to each other, to then build up in intensity as you sat on his lap.

You removed your lips from him with a pop. “We should leave it here” You sighed, as he caressed the small of your back and the curve of your ass. He leaned in to kiss your neck, but you moved away, firm with your words.

He looked as though he was starting to grow impatient “Let me kiss your neck” He commanded as you mindlessly titled your head up to give him the liberty of peppering your neck with kisses.

You opened your mouth to start protesting but closed it into 'O' before a moan squeezed out of your lips. You melted into his affections, lowering your body into his and feeling a small bump by your stomach. It felt so good, you realized as he started to suck on small areas, but you knew Toge would often receive visits on his birthday; it would be humiliating if someone caught you in the act. You rolled off and laid by his side, looking up at the ceiling. This time, he respected your decision, but not without loudly complaining about the matter with whines that resembled those of a wounded dog.

“C’mere” You called, extending your arm out for him to roll on his side and place himself on the crook there. Now it was your turn to caress his back delicately. As you began to doze off, an idea came into mind.

“I’ll be right back!” You left a sleepy and confused Toge on his bed as you almost walked off, almost taking the wrong bag and crashing into the semi-closed door on your way out.

Toge wanted to sit up and follow you, but he was so comfortable in his bed, he didn't feel the cold spot beside him. He dozed off to the sweet sounds of the rain and your humming coming from down the hall, hoping one day, he’ll hear you down the hall from your own little apartment where you’ll both spend the rest of your retirement days together.

A while later, he was shaken awake “Toge-kun! Wake up, my love” His eyes were refusing for a small while before you started kissing slowly down his jaw and neck. There, he was wide awake, with a giant smile on his face. “You tease, c’mon, we’ve got to go to the park!”

“Hm?” Toge sat up, confused. He saw you were dressed in a summer dress and a light cardigan, accompanied with your Victorian-Esque straw hat. He looked outside the window to see if he was dreaming or not, and he confirmed that indeed, it seemed as though you were absolutely crazy.

You nudged him and gave him puppy eyes as if you were asking for a chance. “Please?”

“Salmon” He nodded and got up, and as he faced you, he reached in to fit the collar of the dress, which you had left tucked in. ‘Perfect. As always’ He thought, staring at you fondly.

He gave you a kiss on the forehead before heading towards his closet, picking out an outfit. You laid down on his bed to wait for him, looking at your phone. He changed into some light denim jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a purple flannel. He stepped into his slippers, which gained a severe look from you. He stepped into his converse and you helped him tie the shoelaces together. You headed out the door, him following after. You held out your shaky hand to meet with his and you pleasantly dragged him through the hallway.

“I know it’s not the same but… we have a tradition, don’t we?” You smiled lightly as you opened the doors to the common room. There, you had moved all the tables except one that stood in the corner, set up your usual picnic blanket with the cushions and the basket full of your things.

Toge seemed to be unable to find words, as his watery eyes scrambled about the beautiful sight you had set him. “I think somebody liked it” You teased him and poked his side before you took off your shoes in a corner of the blanket and went ahead to sit down.

“Salmon” He nodded, agreeing as he slipped out of his shoes and sat right next to you with one of the brightest smiles you had ever seen. You reached in to caress the strands of his hair close to the nape of his neck.

You leaned in and kissed his jaw softly, not a lot of malice in your thoughts this time “Happy birthday, you’re the best” You whispered in his ear before he pulled you into his embrace.

[gryffindors-heir]

The Marauders Taking Care Of A Tired Partner

I'm astronomically tired today. I worked a fucking double and got woken up early do now I can't sleep, and I just want someone to take care of me. Also these can be interpreted as friendly instead of romantic for the aromantics out there.

James

He is far too hyper to understand what sleep is tbh

He tries though he really does I swear, he probably takes you to the Gryffindor common room or uses the room of requirement as a place to help you sleep

The Gryff common room is warm and cozy with the big ass fireplace they have and he'd wrap you in a burrito to be even cozier. He leaves your feet out though cuz those things get toasty

For the room of requirement, he basically just makes it a large ass pillow fort from the inside, it's very nice and is 10/10 for snuggles.

Speaking of, he's a cuddler, but if you're not then he 1000% respects that.

Might bring you hot cocoa or tea if he remembers

Sirius

Like James he is touchy and a cuddler, and cuddles help him fall asleep, so if you need contact to sleep he's a go to.

Would probably give you one of his jackets and a warm drink then carry you off to your bed.

He tucks you/you both in and he puts your head on his chest or he just talks to you

Also a fan of just singing people to sleep, he got a nice voice

Might tell you random stories he remembers reading to Regulus, but most of the time he bullshits them because he can't remember how they go anymore

Remus

He reads to you, since that's what his mom did to help him. Especially close to the full moon

Will makes sure to give you a drink before bed, and probably some cookies or chocolate if you want it

Probably gives you a satchet of lavender, and chamomile or something. Just some nice pleasing scents

Not a big fan of cuddles so he is not a go to when it comes to contact, but he will let you sleep on him

Like on his shoulder or like resting your head on his lap while he's reading or studying, he's fine with that

Also a fan of using the room of requirement, makes it into a nice outdoorsy space. Probably with some trees and a hammock. That or he makes just a nice room where it's raining outside.

Peter

Lol you thought. He kind of laughs at you, might give you a potion to actually help you, but that's it

Okay but for real though since Peter fans are out there and need to eat. Peter is a dumbass first and foremost, not entirely dumb, just a dumbass

He might not notice how tired you are at first until you pass out. He'd yelp cuz "oh my god you just collapsed onto the floor"

Would tuck you into bed or by the fireplace and might read to you or study next to you while you sleep (he has bad grades but he really does try his hardest not to)

When you wake up he'll apologize for not noticing, he's just oblivious, and grab something from the kitchens for you as an apology

Lily

Brushes your hair (if you have any. Some people rock the bald look), she might give you a back massage

Big fan of humming and it can go either way with cuddles

If someone tries to wake you up she shooshes them, might threaten them too (especially James)

She'll ask you if you want a drink and then get one for you, she's not gonna get you something of you won't drink it. It's wasteful

Might give you a stuffed animal as a cuddle replacement since she keeps a bear she got when she was five. It's from Petunia and it's the only thing that reminds her of the days before she became despised by her. It's very special

Regulus

Reads to you as well, again, Sirius did it with him and he's out like a light when he gets read to

He might take you outside, which I should explain this.

I like to imagine if you and Regulus are close, you guys have secret meetups in a little tent that you guys set up (you set it up, it was your idea), you guys read to each other classic literature and steal snacks from the kitchen and you stay up all night just chilling

So he takes you to the tent or the astronomy tower, depends on the time of day

Lets you lay on his chest and might fall asleep with you because he is perpetually tired. (In his nightmares he can see his demise)

You guys might have brought a music player of sorts to the tent so if you're there you guys play some jazz or something relaxing

[emixion]

Creatures and Cryptids - Day 10 - Maribat March 2021

oh man, i really love this one. Here’s a HTTYD Au for today. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. @maribatmarch-2k21 ao3 link

Marinette was worried about Damian.

She’d hardly seen him lately. The boy had increasingly become absent over the past few weeks, skipping out on meals, classes and even training.

It was so unlike Damian to skip training.

He was a dedicated warrior, more so than any other kid in their village, and the fact tat he even refused to show up for training was very troubling to her. And very suspicious.

Not only was he absent, but he was acting strange as well. He seemed very distracted. Never in the present on the rare occasion she did see him, which was incredibly unlike the ever vigilant boy.

Not to mention sneaking fish from the mess hall. What was that all about?

She’d tried asking his family about it, but they were just as clueless as she was. His older siblings had noticed his absence as well, but chalked it up to him going through his rebellious teenage years. She wasn’t so convinced.

Marinette had enough of all the mystery, so she decided to go investigate herself. She’d seen Damian scurry away during dinner, stuffing some food in his vest before taking off into the woods.

Marinette’s brows knit in confusion. What could he be doing in the woods?

Quietly, she began to follow him, grower more and more confused as they ventured further into the woods. It seemed as though he knew his way around this area. Like he’d been down this path many times.

Marinette had no idea what was so secretive that he couldn’t tell her or even his family about it.

Her mind flashed with hurt the more she thought about it. Wasn’t she his friend? Didn’t friends tell each other secrets?

She was pulled from her thoughts when they reached a clearing with a small pond. Marinette quickly hid behind a nearby tree and watched Damian intently as he took the fish from out of his vest and began calling into the empty clearing.

Wait, was that a..growl?

Dragon! her brain quickly alarmed her.

Marinette watched in shock and horror as a blood red Monstrous Nightmare flew into the clearing from nearby and parked itself in front of Damian.

Pushing herself away from the tree, she quickly ran into the clearing, pulling out her slingshot.

“Damian!” She yelled, making the boy whip around.

“Marinette?!” He yelled back in surprise.

“Run!” She exclaimed, loading up her slingshot. “Get away from it!” She was in a clear panic.

The Monstrous Nightmare immediately went into a defensive position and growled dangerously at her. Marinette gulped as she approached it, she knew Monstrous Nightmares were one of the most dangerous dragons around (besides Night Furies, of course.) They could light their skin on fire, for Odin’s sake! Still, Damian was her friend and she would be damned if she let a winged devil hurt him because she was afraid.

With a battle cry, she pulled back her slingshot-

-Only to be tackled to the side by Damian.

Marinette let out an “oof” as Damian pulled her down with his body. He then quickly stood up and faced the Nightmare, making Marinette panic more. She scrambled to her knees and looked around for her slingshot, only to groan in dismay as she saw it on the other side of the clearing.

She was about to attempt to sneak around the Nightmare to fetch it, but stopped dead in her tracks.

Damian had his arms out, and was…speaking to the dragon? Like he was trying to soothe it? What on Earth?!

“Damian..?” Marinette called, bewildered by the sight before her. Her jaw was practically on the floor.

“It’s alright, Goliath.” He murmured to the Nightmare. The dragon surprisingly stood down, but still eyed Marinette warily. Damian then turned to her.

“It’s okay.” He offered her his hand. She took it, letting him help her up. “You just scared him.”

“I scared him?!” She cried, looking at Damian like he’d grown a second head.

“Listen,” Damian began, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I can explain this.”

“Explain what?” Marinette asked. “That the reason you haven’t been around lately is because you have a secret dragon pet? That you’ve skipped out on training so you can hang out with a Monstrous Nightmare?!” She grew more and more panicked as she ranted, pacing in a line.

“Angel, please, you’re hyperventilating-“ Damian attempted to calm her down. All the while the Monstrous Nightmare munched at the fish Damian had left for it.

“Of course I’m hyperventilating! This is- this is crazy! You’re crazy!”

“Marinette, please, do you trust me?”

She stopped her pacing to face him.

“Of course I trust you. But this-“

“If you trust me, you trust him.”

“Trust him?! He was about to attack me! Who is “him’ anyway?”

“His name is Goliath and the only reason he got like that was because he thought you were going to attack first. He acted in self defense.”

Marinette faltered. She had run in armed and tried to shoot him. She couldn’t deny that.

“Listen to me.” Damian continued, gently taking her hands in his. “I know this sounds crazy, but just let me show you.” He walked her over to Goliath slowly. Marinette shook slightly as they grew closer and closer to the massive dragon.

“Watch.” He said, and before Marinette could protest, her hand was being held out to the dragon, Damian’s hand on top of hers. She tried to shrink away but Damian held her steady, whispering reassurance in her ear.

Goliath perked up and slowly sniffed the two humans’ hands. He paused for a moment before gently leaning into Marinette’s palm, Damian’s hand still placed over hers.

Marinette looked on in awe. She couldn’t believe her eyes, she was actually touching a dragon!

“He-he’s not going to attack me?” She stuttered in disbelief. Damian shook his head with a small laugh.

“No.” he said. “He won’t attack you.”

Marinette’s eyes were still glued to the dragon who she was now tentatively petting.  “I don’t understand…how did this happen?”

Damian stroked Goliath’s horn. “I found him here injured one day and nursed him back to health.” he explained. “I don’t know why, but I just..couldn’t kill him, Marinette. I looked at him and saw another living creature that didn’t want to die.”

“That’s…that’s amazing Damian.” She whispered, tearing her gaze away from Goliath back to him.

Damian looked almost bashful for a second, but quickly shook himself off. Typical Damian.

“I want to show you something else.” he said.

“Oh no, is there another one?” Marinette asked, panic starting to fill her voice again.

“No, no.” Damian laughed. “Come here.” He waved Marinette over to Goliath’s side.

“What are we doing?” She asked before yelping as Damian picked her up and boosted her onto the dragon.

“You’ll see.” He said as he hopped on in front of her. “Goliath, let’s go, pal.”

The Monstrous Nightmare stretched its wings and stood up.

“Damian..” Marinette began, her arms winding around his waist to secure herself. “Are we..?”

“Yep.” Damian replied just as Goliath took off into the sky.

Marinette screeched as they left the ground, watching the grass get further and further away. She buried her face against Damian’s shoulder, afraid to look.

He looked back at her fondly as they gained more altitude soaring into the clouds.

“Angel,” he called once they gained enough height. “You can look now.”

Marinette shook as she hesitantly pulled her head back and looked around. She gasped.

“Wow!” She exclaimed breathlessly, making Damian smile. The view was absolutely breathtaking. She could see the clouds within reaching distance, the pinks and oranges of the setting sun, the horizon as it sat dividing sky and sea. She’s never seen anything like it.

Goliath flew down closer to the ocean and let her graze the water’s surface with her fingertips while Damian kept a secure hold of her waist.

“This is…amazing.” She sighed, sitting back up and placing her chin on Damian’s shoulder. “He’s amazing.”

“He is.” Damian agreed, giving Goliath’s head a pat. The dragon cooed in response.

“I’m sorry.” Marinette said meekly. “I shouldn’t have tried to attack him. I was just-“

“Scared.” Damian finished for her. “It’s okay, Angel. I understand.” he reassured her.

“I’m glad I listened though. I’ve never thought about dragons like this, but…” she trailed off, hugging  Damian tighter. “You’re an odd kid, Damian.”

Damian laughed, lightly nuzzling his head against hers. “That’s fine with me, Angel. Just as long as you’re on my side. -

After the night grew dark and Goliath grew tired, he flew back to the clearing and returned to the ground. Marinette and Damian hopped off his back.

“I can’t believe we did that!” Marinette chattered excitedly. “We actually rode a dragon! How many people get to say they’ve done that?”

Damian listened on fondly as she expressed her excitement.

“Did you see how high we were?” She continued. “And when the stars started to come out, oh my Odin, it was incredible!”

In her giddiness, she moved in close to Damian and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Thank you, Damian. I had a lot of fun.” her voice went soft and almost a bit shy.

Damian thanked the moonlight for concealing his red cheeks. “You’re welcome, Angel. Would you-“ his voice faltered for a moment. “Would you want to do this again sometime?”

Marinette beamed at him and Goliath.

“I’d love to.” -

The two bid farewell to Goliath and walked back to the village hand in hand.

“My parents are going to kill me.” Marinette groaned. Damian chuckled.

“I don’t think Father will be too happy with me either.”

“Does anyone else know about Goliath?”

“You’re the first one I’ve told.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.”

Soon Marinette’s house came into view and she turned to say goodbye.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” She reassured .

“I can only hope.” Damian replied.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” she said, hesitating for a moment before swooping in to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight.” She whispered against his skin. And with that she scurried to her front door, pausing to wave at him before slipping into her house.

Damian waved back, face burning, before heading in the direction of his own house. His grin lasted the entire way home.

He would have to thank Goliath the next time he saw him.

[obeyme-kaidii-writes]

Dreams

Mammon x gn!MC

Words - 1855

Content warnings - lots of fluff and comfort, platonic relationship

Prompt/Inspiration - Mammon has a nightmare and MC comforts him

Summary - Mammon is forced to sit through another horror movie with his brothers, and you decide to go check on him once he’s gone to bed.

AO3

You didn’t know how it happened exactly, but somehow movie night had turned into “let’s see how many times we can make Mammon jump before he pisses himself.” Since you had been helping Beel gather snacks (someone has to make sure he didn’t eat them before he even left the kitchen), you weren’t involved in the movie selection process. You had already told everyone you had no preference, so they didn’t wait for you to return.

As soon as you took your seat between Mammon and Beel though, you started to suspect something. Mammon was flinching at every little thing - from the sound of your can of soda opening to the sound of Beel opening a bag of chips. You tried to ask him what was wrong, but he said it was nothing. That you didn’t need to worry. And since the movie was now starting, all you could do was watch him skeptically out of the corner of your eye.

About 10 minutes in, the first jump scare occurred, and you heard Mammon muttering obscenities under his breath. It didn’t seem that scary to you, so you were about to just let it go, when the next scare happened and he almost spilled your drink with how hard he jerked into you. You thought about suggesting that they change the movie, saying you didn’t like it, but Levi already knew just how much you loved horror movies and was sure to call you out on it. And seeing as Mammon was trying so desperately to contain just how freaked out he was, you didn’t want to draw anymore attention to him and make him feel even worse.

So you decided the best course of action was for you to just snuggle up to him and hold his hand. There were several times you thought for sure he was going to crush your own with how tightly he was gripping you, but somehow you managed to make it through the entire movie with all your limbs and digits still attached and in working order. When you finally stood up to stretch, you got a good look at Mammon. Poor boy was white as a sheet (which is saying something with his dark skin tone), and made a hasty retreat as soon as possible to his own room, his brothers snickering as they watched him go.

“Y’all really can be assholes, you know that?” you said, sending a glare towards Asmodeus, who you were sure suggested the movie in the first place.

“I have no idea what you mean,” he replied, smiling innocently at you. You rolled your eyes at his mock confusion. He knew exactly what he did. Just like the rest of them.

As you walked towards your room, you thought about stopping by Mammon’s to check on him, but decided better of it, and opted to  text him first instead.

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“Fine. Just fine. Already in bed. Goodnight.”

Well that was odd, you thought. Usually he was more chatty with you. The other times he had been tricked into watching horror movies with his brothers, he usually made up some lame excuse as to why he was going to spend the night in your room, “in case you got scared”. But tonight, he didn’t and you weren’t sure what to make of it.

————

Mammon collapsed on his bed as soon as he got to his room, not even bothering to lock the door behind him or remove his clothes. He was absolutely exhausted at this point. Watching those shitty movies with his brothers always drained the life out of him. He had to concentrate so hard just to stop from humiliating himself and giving them something else to mock him for for the next century.

And tonight’s movie seemed to be the worst one yet. He seriously had to wonder what dark pit of hell the director must have crawled out from to make such a twisted movie. No one else seemed to mind it though. Even you, the weak, fragile human, were enjoying yourself. But he had been too nervous to even register the fact you spent the entire movie pressed up against him, as he squeezed your hand for support.

Part of him really appreciated having you there, but another part of him absolutely hated it. It was bad enough when he got spooked during the other movies they had watched together before, but just the thought of you bearing witness to his shame this time was almost enough to make him cry. Why couldn’t he pull himself together? You’d think the fact that he had resided in the Devildom - literal hell - for over a millennia would be enough to desensitize him to such things.

He flopped over on his back, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he should just go to bed now or give up on sleeping tonight altogether. When suddenly a loud “DING” echoed through his room, causing him to practically throw himself out of bed as he struggled to figure out what the hell that sound was.

Oh.

It was his DDD.

You had just texted him.

Mammon sighed in relief, before feeling utterly embarrassed at his own reaction and simultaneously grateful that no one else was around to see it. When Mammon opened his messaging app, he saw that you were just checking up on him, and his heart warmed a little knowing you were thinking of him. But he also knew he was in no shape to see you right now because he’d surely only add to his embarrassment. So even though the idea of spending the night with you sounded really enticing, he decided to tell you he was fine.

After sending the text, Mammon crawled his way under his covers. He thought briefly about turning the lights off, but quickly decided that would be a horrible idea. He’d just have to sleep with the lights on tonight and hope no one walked by his door and took notice.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“MOTHERFKERRR….!” Mammon yelped, sitting bolt upright as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

“Mammon? It’s me.”

For the love of….it was just you. Not his brothers. Not the vengeful shadow lady murder spirit from the movie. Just you.

“Yeah?”, he said as he tried his best to keep his voice calm and even.

“Hey,” you opened the door and let yourself inside. You immediately noticed that the lights were still on, which honestly didn’t surprise you even though Mammon had told you he was going to bed. The second thing you noticed was that Mammon was sitting in his bed fully dressed, with a death grip on his blanket while he watched you enter his room, having changed into your pajamas. Looks like you had made a good decision to come.

“I was wondering if I could sleep here tonight?”

“Huh? Why ya wanna do that for?”, he asked. He had thought for sure you enjoyed the movie, so it shouldn’t be because you were scared, right?

“Just feeling a little uneasy you know. My imagination can get the better of me sometimes. So I thought I’d sleep better with you.”

“Um yeah. Sure. I’ll look after ya,” Mammon replied.

“Can I turn the lights off?”, you asked. Mammon nodded with a grunt, so you flipped the switch and headed towards his bed, using the light from your DDD to guide you so you didn’t trip over all the junk scattered on his floor. He didn’t really want the lights off, but he didn’t exactly want to say that either, so he convinced himself it would be ok since you were here now.

As you settled down beside him, Mammon started to relax as well. It didn’t take him long at all to realize that you were just fine and only giving him an excuse to not sleep alone, without him needing to do it himself. He smiled to himself as he rolled on his side and felt you rest your head against his back.

“Goodnight, Mammon.”

“G’night.”

————

After only a few hours of sleep, you were awoken by the movement next to you. Mammon was now on his back, hands gripping at his blanket, as he occasionally kicked his legs or jerked his head like he was running from something, trying to escape.

Realizing he was having a nightmare, you sat up and placed a hand on his chest, giving him a firm shake, “Mammon. Wake up,” he didn’t respond, so you raised your voice just a little louder and shook him again, “Mammon. MAMMON.”

Suddenly his eyes flew open, while he gasped for breath, his thoughts still frantic and confused. As he gradually became more fully aware of his surroundings, he noticed you were propped up on your elbow next to him with your hand on his chest. Wanting to make sure you were really there, he grabbed your wrist.

As soon as he felt the warmth of your skin in his hand, tears started pouring down his face from relief. You were here. You were safe. He didn’t remember why he felt it so important to check just then. His memory of his dream was already fuzzy and quickly disappearing. But that didn’t stop him from still feeling those lingering emotions of terror and loss.

“Hey, Mammon. What’s wrong?”, you asked. Your eyes had adjusted to the dim light of his room by now and you could see how hard he was crying. Not only that but you felt his hand shaking as it gripped your wrist. Whatever he had been dreaming about clearly left him terrified.

All he could do in response was shake his head, trying to reassure you that he was fine and it was nothing to worry about, but his words were caught in his throat and the tears just wouldn’t stop. Seeing that Mammon wasn’t going to be talking anytime soon, you leaned over and wrapped him up in your arms, a gesture he was all too happy to return as he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

You held him like that for a few moments, rubbing his back and soothing him. After a while his erratic breathing began to calm, so you carefully laid back down on the bed, holding him close to you so that he was mostly on top of you by the time you had gotten comfortable.

“It’s ok. It was just a dream, Mammon. Just a dream.”

As his panic subsided, Mammon adjusted his position slightly so that his head was more on your chest and shoulder. He could hear your heartbeat better this way, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the familiar, comforting sound. Yeah it was just a dream. You were here. You were safe. It was just a dream.

Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, you continued to hold him close as he tightened his arms around your waist. Snuggled together, it wasn’t long before the two of you drifted off to sleep. And this time, Mammon’s dreams were much more peaceful.

[lunaserenade]

Entangled

Gif by @dornish-queen

Masterlist

Part Eleven of the Meet Me at Sunrise Series

Previous Chapter: Haunted

Next Chapter: Exposed

Author’s Note: Thank you to @icanbeyourjedi , @reddead-trash and @sugarontherims for tolerating me while I overthought everything I wrote for this chapter.

Beta reading dream team: @violentcosmicsymphony and @briefgalaxycat <3

Paring: Marcus Pike x FBI Agent!Reader

Words: 2k

Warnings: Swearing, violence, mentions of blood.

Summary: The team rallies together after a traumatic incident.

“I have an officer down, I need paramedics immediately.” Your voice shook as you rattled off your address to the 911 operator. Snatching a blanket from the couch you reapplied pressure to Marcus' wound, the pain bringing him back to consciousness with a yelp. You gave him a weak smile “Marcus I need you to stay awake. Paramedics are on the way. I-... I'm sorry, I should have disarmed him, I thought I had and I-”

“Baby, I'm okay.” Marcus let out a whine as he tried to sit up and gingerly reached to touch the back of his head, a faint smear of blood from when Pearce slammed him onto the floor. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Says the man bleeding in our living room.” You let out a slightly hysteric laugh at his lack of concern to his own wellbeing. The seven minutes it took for the paramedics to arrive were easily the longest minutes of your life, and you clung to Marcus' hand as they went to work. Once he was loaded on the stretcher, and you had waved off the medics who were trying to tend to your cut cheek, you followed them downstairs and into the ambulance.

“See honey? I'm going to be fine.” Marcus gave you a weak smile. “It was only a light stabbing.”

“... I'm going to let that slide on account of the blood loss.” You gave his hand a squeeze and pressed your lips to his knuckles, the sound of the ambulance siren ringing in your ears as it raced toward the hospital.

-------

Standing in the ER waiting room you knew you must look like something out of a horror film: hair wild, a shallow cut across your cheekbone, and your hands still covered in Marcus' blood. You could feel yourself trembling as you awaited Regina and Maddox's arrival, they had been your first call after Marcus' father. You had promised to keep him updated but it did look like Marcus would be fine as he had insisted the entire ride to the hospital. You heard your name, turning to see Regina, her wife Amber, and Maddox at the Emergency Room entrance. Regina was at your side in an instant, it wasn't until she wrapped her arms around you that the true gravity of the evening hit you, your chest heaving with sobs. You barely registered Amber attempting to clean the blood off your hands with wet wipes from her purse as Regina whispered soft reassurances into your hair.

“Mads, go see about getting us back there to see Pike. Flash your badge if you have to.” Regina said to the younger agent as she surveyed your face, the cut across your cheek had finally stopped bleeding. “Hon, what happened?”

“Ioan Pearce. He was waiting in our apartment when we got home. He must have been following us this week... I should've known... This is my fault, I brought Marcus undercover with me. If it wasn't fo-” You felt yourself spiraling quickly.

“No. You need to stop. This is Laurent and Pearce's fault, no one else's. Tonight, we make sure Marcus is alright. Tomorrow we tie up these loose ends and get Pearce in cuffs.” Regina reassured you.

“Cuffs... body bag, same difference.” You muttered.

“And that's why you probably shouldn't be joining us.” Regina laughed as a nurse came out calling for the group of you, you could finally see Marcus.

“I'd love to see you try and stop me.” You said with a smile, although your words were deadly serious.

-----

Marcus was sitting up on the edge of the bed in the ER, freshly stitched up, and he looked instantly relieved when his eyes met yours. You immediately rushed into his arms, silent tears streaming down your cheeks as you saw the bandage on his abdomen and buried your face in his shoulder.

“-‘s my fault. It’s my fault you’re hurt. I can’t live without you.” You whispered against his neck and felt him shake his head.

“Sweetheart, I’m alright. They’re even going to discharge me soon.” Marcus looked up, noticing the rest of the crew for the first time and gave them a smile. “Ten stitches, nothing vital hit, and a bump on the head. All I really need is a change of clothes and sleep.”

Needing to see for yourself you peaked at his torso, your fingers ghosting over the dressing covering his stitches. Marcus pressed a reassuring kiss to your forehead, his hands drifting to your waist.

“We’re glad you’re alright, boss. We’ll catch this psychopath.” Maddox said from beside Amber and Regina, handing Marcus a fresh shirt to change into.

“I reached out to the office, let them know what happened. They posted officers outside your apartment, I told them they’d have to wait until tomorrow for a full statement. Tonight, the two of you need to rest.” Regina said, squeezing her wife’s hand, relieved to see Marcus relatively unharmed.

“Gina, thank you. For everything.” Marcus said sincerely.

“We’re family, we always take care of our own.” She said with a fond smile.

-----

The search for Ioan Pearce was on, and undeterred by push back from the higher ups you and Marcus insisted on being involved. Pouring over CCTV footage and any new leads on Pearce’s whereabouts. It'd been a week since the break in and though he wasn't fully healed yet Marcus was relentless in his pursuit, but they were getting close. Maddox and Regina had been staking out a location that was a possible safe house for Pearce and his associates, they were sure he would surface any day now. You were camped out on Marcus' office couch with Regina, Maddox was dozing off at his desk but none of you had the heart to wake him. The effort he was putting in tailing Pearce's associates was admirable, and he seemed to have a natural knack for going unnoticed while trailing a suspect.

“I think he'll finally give in and end up at that safe house any time now. He's assuming we've lost any trace of him and he's starting to get cocky. He'll let his guard down and that's when we'll strike. I've got people watching the safe house twenty-four hours a day now, so I think we should all be prepared to move as soon as he's spotted.” Marcus said from his desk, giving a small stretch and wincing lightly as it tugged at his stitches.

“I agree, I think Pearce is getting impatient. That’ll be his downfall.” Regina said, buried in Ioan Pearce’s file trying to see if there was anything she missed that could finally end this.

“I'm just ready to put this bastard behind bars like Laurent.” You said with a small huff as a half-asleep Maddox poked his head into the office.

“My CI just called. Pearce should be going to the safe house in the morning.” Maddox said as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Fantastic! Then I want everyone to head home and get some rest. We take this guy in, come morning.” Marcus said with a smile.

As everyone packed up and headed out for the night Marcus wrapped his arm around your waist. You stood on your tip toes to press a few soft kisses to his jaw. Finally, this nightmare was almost over.

—-

The early morning sun was beginning to creep across the sky as you prepared for the raid on Ioan Pearce’s safe house. Considering how deeply personal this mission had gotten for you and Marcus you both agreed to take a back seat and cover the back door. Regina, Maddox, and a small team would breach the front door to apprehend Pearce; You and Marcus would cover the back door in case he tried to make a break for it.

“I won’t lie, I’m a little disappointed I won’t get to lay hands on this creep.” You gave Marcus a small smile as you adjusted your earpiece.

“As long as we finally get this guy in cuffs, I'm happy.” Marcus said as he adjusted the Velcro straps of your bulletproof vest.

“Breaching door in 10 – 9 – 8” Regina counted down over the earpiece as she prepared to break into the front of the house. You planted your feet and held your gun loosely in your hand, Marcus at your side as you covered the rear entrance. The shouts and sound of the front door breaking echoed loudly in the otherwise silent neighborhood. You could hear scuffles coming from inside the house when suddenly Maddox's voice came through your earpiece.

“He's heading for the back! He's running!” Maddox shouted.

Ioan Pearce burst through the back door and putting your full body weight behind your shoulder you slammed into him, knocking him off balance and to the ground roughly. In an instant Marcus had him flipped onto his front, handcuffing him while reading him his rights. Marcus looked up at you and smiled. It was done, this insane case was conclusively solved and everyone involved in custody. Maybe now the two of you could finally relax.

------

That evening after an early celebratory dinner and drinks with the rest of the team you walked hand in hand with Marcus down the path alongside the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The stress of the last few months with this case hanging over both your heads was settled and maybe the two of you could relax, if only for a little while. You would have never thought you would be where you were today when Marcus had finally asked you out nine months ago, in this very spot no less. He was particularly contemplative tonight, but it was a comfortable kind of silence. Just happy to be in each other's company as the pair of you strolled quietly, the purples and pinks of the sunset streaked across the sky behind the Washington Monument as you reached the end of the Reflecting Pool. Tugging Marcus close, you snaked your arms around him and tucked your head against his chest. Marcus smiled down at you and pressed his lips to your hair, but his nerves were starting to get the better of him.

“Mmm I can't wait to get home. We can curl up on the couch with a movie.” You pulled back to look up at him and smile. “Maybe have a glass of wine and an early night.” Giving him a suggestive eyebrow wiggle you captured his lips in a lingering kiss.

“That sounds like a perfect night in.” Marcus said and paused for a second. “Before we head home, there is something I need to ask you.”

“Of course honey, anything.” You replied with an adoring smile.

“I know we haven't been together for a long time, but I do know that my life is better with you in it. I love you and I can't see a future without you next to me.” Marcus took a deep breath, reached into his pocket, and dropped to one knee. “Sweetheart, mi corazón, will you marry me?” He gently took your left hand and held out a simple but beautiful cushion cut engagement ring with a thin platinum band. Your heart was pounding, eyes welling up as you grinned down at Marcus. It was never a question; your heart truly was his and had been from the moment the pair of you had sat here that early morning watching the sunrise.

“Oh Marcus, yes! I can't think of anything I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.” Your hand trembled slightly from excitement as he slid the ring onto your finger. Marcus stood up quickly and kissed you deeply, holding you tight to his chest.

“I love you. I love you so much.” He said reverently between kisses, you could feel his smile against your lips. You had both been through so much recently and now? Now a new and amazing chapter of your lives was about to begin, and you couldn't wait to see where it would take you.

tagged: @diva-1992, @yespolkadotkitty, @sarahjkl82-blog, @seasonschange-butpeopledont, @mrsparknuts, @disgruntledspacedad, @mrschiltoncat, @giselatropicana, @sugarontherims, @cynic-spirit, @supernaturalgirl, @farfromjustordinary , @keeper0fthestars​

Let me know if you'd like to be added to my tags.

[help-im-a-gay-fish]

Studio NightKiller collab

How did he let himself get into this again?

Nightmare promised himself that the last time would be the last time and he thought he'd done well, keeping away those past few months.

But now, he was once again at the smug jerks utter mercy, as Killer sunk his teeth into him. Nightmare had gotten used to Killer's biting habits, but it didn't make it any easier to deal with. It stung his neck, but also made him feel a warmth no one else ever got him to feel.

It had been such a long day of interviews, he felt stressed and frustrated, all he wanted was to blow of steam. The moment Killer had locked eyes with him during the final interview, he knew that he wanted the same thing.

He regretted asking Killer back to his room, as he was pushed against the door causing it to bang in its frame.

He cursed and hissed as Killer nuzzled the spot he'd bitten him.

"j-jerk" he stammered

"hmm?" Killer replied pretending not to be listening. This only irritated Nightmare further.

"get o-on with it!" he snapped "you've been working on my neck for 10 minutes! Hurry up"

A chuckle left the taller skeletons mouth. There was nothing he enjoyed more then causing Nightmare unravel, he was definitely his favourite person to play with.

Killer pulled back slightly so that he could take a look at his pray. As much as Nightmare tried to act smart and in control, Killer had already started talking down his defences. His body was trembling ever so slightly and there was a beautiful violet blush spreading across his face.

Killer knew that if he was going to have him begging and pleading, then he had to play the long game. Which was exactly what Nightmare was trying to avoid.

"a little eager aren't we Nightingale? He said flashing a smug smile.

Nightmare fixed him with a look of bitter resentment and muttered Spanish curses.

"shut up! I just.... Wanna get it over with!"

The eyeless skeleton fanned confusion, but it was impossible to hide his amusement when he said.

"really? I had no idea.... Am I going to slow?"

"Yes!" Nightmare near growled "I never should have invit-

But as he spoke he was cut off with a kiss. He had every mind to pull away, not wanting to give Killer the satisfaction. But dam.... He just couldn't and instead weakly wrapped his arms around him.

Once they parted Killer smiled.

"don't you know Moonbow? All good things come to those who wait"

With that Killer rammed Nightmare against the door again, causing Night to yelp and it to bang once more. He then pushed his face back to its original spot, kissing the bite mark.

The smaller groaned and shrugged his shoulders in a defeated way.

"I hate you so much you know?"

Killer smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I know Night Light, I hate you to"

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

This was a collaboration between me and @jann-the-bean who drew the original sketch of nightmare and killer on paper and sent me a scan. Then I refined everything, lined, coloured and all that stuff. I'm pretty proud of the background. Make sure to check out Jan guys, they really are a great writer and artist

This is supposed to be years before Ccino is involved with them. So it's back when things where on a off. I found it great fun writing a love hate dynamic! I always have.

This was super fun Jan! I had a great time working with you! I hope I did your drawing justice and that everyone likes it!

Original studio verse concept by @zu-is-here

Original nightmare by jokublog

Original killer belongs to rahafwabas

[acourtofsnakes]

Kov’nyn - Rogue, Chapter 13| The Mandalorian x Force Sensitive! Reader (f)

Summary: The night after Din rescued you from your nightmare, you realise you have a lot to think about… and you might just reach a decision that could change your fate. 

Word count: 7k+

Warnings: None I think, in this one. Like one swear? Weapons/knives – not used in violence - Mainly just soft fluffy times! 

AN: This one is pretty gentle, nothing super big really happening. I thought I’d give you all a rest after the rollercoaster of the last chapter~

Also, time to play Spot The Easter Egg again!! Theres a quote in here from Six of Crows... can you find it?

Gif belongs to me♥︎

Rogue Masterlist | Introduction| 1: Solus| 2: Arir | 3: Tor | 4: Gaa'tayl | 5: Kyr’am | 6: Cabur | 7: Ret'urcye Mhi | 8: Haran| 9: E’tad | 10: Tome | 11: Aliit ori'shya tal'din| 12: Mar’eyce | 13: Kov’nyn| 

Rogue Taglist: @snipskixandbeskar @weirdowithnobeardo @the-bottom-of-the-abyss @jackgrzs @sarahjkl82-blog @boomtownboy @goldielocks2004 @seninjakitey​ @what-iwish-you-knew​ @queenofthefaceless​

Mando’a Translation: Kov'nyn  - Keldabe kiss

You stirred to the feeling of a pleasantly heavy arm resting over your torso. 

You froze, body going rigid on instinct at feeling the intrusion. Further inspection revealed a leg slung over yours and you could feel the line of armour digging into your calf. 

Armour?

Oh. Of course.

The Mandalorian. 

The previous night came flooding back to you in full technicolour, sending a slow wave of heat across your skin and relaxing your body. You remembered the horror of your nightmare, and then the Mandalorian coming in, soothing you, laying with you and then…

Everything that happened after. 

It didn’t even take that much concentration to imagine his hands again, those delightful touches. The husky roughness of his voice as he praised you, coaxed you to the edge and held you as you tumbled over. 

And then… he told you his name. 

He had given you a part of himself, something that was so poignant and personal. It made him who he was, gave him his identity and separated him from “The Mandalorian.” 

Din Djarin. 

Din. 

It was a gorgeous name. Simple, to the point. 

You had to admit, it suited him in that sense. But it felt like starlight on your tongue, and it was yours. He had given it to you, entrusting you with such a precious part of himself. 

In your opinion, tt was as significant as taking off his helmet, and it had settled in a place tucked against your heart, curled there and warmed you from the inside out. 

Din was still asleep next to you – you assume -  on his side. You had since rolled onto your back in the night, which did mean you were precariously close to the edge of the bed. 

Din hadn’t moved at all, presumably used to having to be still from all the times he spent wedged into the medical bay compartment on his side, with no room to move and Grogu in his hammock above him.

You could get used it, waking up with him. 

The modulator in his helmet allowed you to hear the soft, deep rhythm of his breathing and his armour had warmed overnight where it lay against your skin. 

You couldn’t remember the last time you woke up next to someone and had such an immense feeling of safety and comfort. 

This truly was home – wherever the Mandalorian was. 

Wherever Din was. 

You weren’t sure how long you laid there for, but you did know you were staring to get uncomfortable. The thin mattress – if you could even call it that – was irritating you, making you feel a little restless in this position. 

You could feel Din’s hand against your side, but you weren’t sure if his hands were still bare or not. Sleep had taken you before him, so you weren’t awake to witness him pulling them back on. 

You didn’t dare look properly, not wanting to lay your eyes on his bare skin, to break his Creed. So, you opened your eyes to slits, carefully peering across the room and you didn’t see any sign of his gloves. 

You tried to concentrate, to see if you could feel if he had his gloves back on. The blanket and your top didn’t really provide much help in that matter, naturally. 

Maybe you could wriggle a little? See if that did anything?

Of course, you could touch his hands, and then you would know. But the two times you had felt his bare skin previously, he was awake, and you had his consent. He was asleep, and therefore couldn’t tell you if it was okay or not.  

Wriggling it is. 

You began your movement, gently squirming with your hips shuffling side to side, to see if that would provide any knowledge on the matter – not that you thought it would. Truthfully, you didn’t know what you were doing. It was possible your brain still hadn’t engaged after being thoroughly wrecked last night in all ways. 

Unfortunately, a bed that was barely wide enough for you, combined with wriggling around and trying not to wake Din… Well, there was only one way it could end. 

With you dumped on the cold, metal floor. 

And taking the blanket with you. 

And yelping in surprise. 

“Cyar'ika?”

So much for not waking Din up. 

You groaned, rubbing your elbow where you had landed on it and then tried to untangle yourself from the blanket. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” 

The helmet appeared over the side of the bed, “Don’t be, I was already awake. What are you doing on the floor?” 

You rose to your knees and sighed, resting your chin on the edge of the cot, “I was uncomfortable, and I wanted to move, but I didn’t want to open my eyes in case you didn’t have your gloves on. And I didn’t know you were awake.”

Din tilted his head at you, “And that made you fall out of the bed?”

Resting the urge to stick your tongue out at him, you shook your head, “No, I was…” Here we go, “I was trying to feel if you had them on. Without touching you.”

Din was silent. 

It sounded like he sucked in a breath to speak, only to let it out again. 

He made a thoughtful noise. “I see. So… Instead of turning your cheek against my hand which was under your head by the way, you instead decided to try and… wriggle.. to feel my hand.” 

You narrowed your eyes at him, having completely not realised his arm was still beneath your neck. “Yes.”

“Through the blanket.”

“Yes.”

“And your top.”

“… Yes.”

Din made a thoughtful noise again, “I see.” 

Then he started laughing, that gorgeous, rare sound that he had made only a few times in your presence. Sure, you sometimes got a chuckle, but this laugh was like liquid honey. 

Even if it was at your expense. 

“Hey!” You crossed your arms, trying not to laugh too, “Do not laugh at me! It’s your fault! You were awake and watched me struggle!”

The laughter still echoed out of the helmet as he laid back, a hand on his chest, “For someone who has so much grace in everyday life, you are terrible when it comes to night-time and early morning.” 

You rose to your feet this time, pushing your weight onto one leg and copying his ‘hands on hips’ pose, “Oh, because you’re so smooth?” You stuck your tongue at him, “Tin can.” You turned your back on him, meaning to walk from the room. 

You heard movement, and then he was suddenly behind you, catching your hand and lacing his fingers through yours, “Hey, come back to bed.” The laughter was still in his voice, turning it a little softer – and that combined with the coaxing tug to your hand… 

How could you say no to that?

Without turning around, you tried to carry on walking to the door and at least appear strong-willed, “After you just laughed at me? You think you can use that honeyed tone and I’ll come falling into your arms?” You arched an eyebrow, looking over your shoulder

Din gave your hand another gentle tug, stopping you in your tracks “I believe you were falling into my arms last night.” His chest bumped up against your back gently, and his other hand trailed lightly on your hip, just the barest touch in case you didn’t want it. 

Maker.

Heat creeped along your cheeks, and the ghost of his touch trailed over you again, leaving you speechless. 

He had you there. 

The grin on his lips was obvious even through the helmet as he succeeded in tugging you back into his body, winding his arms around your waist. His head ducked down, and you felt the cool beskar brush your ear, “How do you feel...? After last night?” His voice was soft and tender despite his teasing. And you knew he wasn’t just referring to the moment. 

Your body instantly turned boneless, and you melted back into him, fitting against the planes of his body, “I feel… good. Really. A little shaken up still but… you really helped me. Thank you for coming to me… again.” Your heart beat a little uncomfortably in your chest, anxiety trembling in your belly as it always did on the rare occasions you spoke about your darker emotions out loud. 

Din either felt or sensed this, because he rested the chin of his helmet on your shoulder, holding you back into him with his thumb running over your hip, “I’ll always come to you. Whenever you need me, I’ll be right there. And if for some reason I don’t wake up, you can come and find me, okay? Don’t suffer alone.” 

A lump rose in your throat and you nodded, not trusting your voice to speak. 

It was still so new to you, this care and attentiveness from someone. And even more so, letting someone care about you. 

It was always just you, on your own. If you got hurt, you had to fix yourself up. If you were hungry, it was either hunt, gather or steal your food – or go hungry. 

And if you were having a day that things were overwhelming you… well, you had to deal with that on your own too. Usually, you would just push it to the back of your mind, keep going on and on and on. If you didn’t stop, you didn’t feel. 

Which is probably why everything had caught up with you a lot more these past few months. 

For the first time in your life, you were slowing down. Stopping to breathe, to take note of your surroundings and to listen to what your body wanted for comfort rather than survival.

And so, everything that had been bottled up and restrained had begun to seep out. 

Including your powers. 

Din ran his thumb over your hip again, in lazy circles, “It doesn’t make you weak, needing help.” He always seemed to know the direction of your thoughts, “It makes you strong. Being able to admit that you need help, letting yourself feel everything. And I’ll always help you with whatever you need. And however much you want to give me, that’s okay too.” He squeezed your hip lightly, “We’re a clan, remember?” He let you go gently, and you would never know that he was referring not only to your trauma, but your powers too. Trying to tell you subtly that it was okay. He wasn’t scared of you, or what you could do. And he would wait. 

But, instead, you turned to him, smiling softly with the light back in your eyes that he adored to see, “Okay… thank you.” You reach up, gently caressing the side of his helmet, “And you remember that you can share with me too… always.” You rose up on tiptoe, kissing the side of the helmet and then dropped back down to your feet. 

Din nodded slightly, his hand caressing up your side once more and then he let you go, “I’ll leave you to get dressed.” He grazed the back of his finger to your cheekbone and then left the room.

~~

~~~

A few hours later, you were back travelling, playing with Duru’s tail as she laid across her spot next to the big open window. 

Din turned around in his seat to look at you, hands resting on his thighs in that achingly familiar pose, “I have to pick something up from somewhere today… Would you mind staying here to look after the kids? I’m not shutting you away or keeping you grounded, it’s just that it’s not the kind of place I want Grogu in… and it’ll only be for about an hour or so.” 

The vagueness of his explanation piqued your curiosity and you looked over at him, “Pick something up from somewhere? My my, Din, you have such a way with words!” Playfulness filtered through your tone, but it didn’t quite hide the small hitch in your voice as you said his name. 

You would never get used to it, you didn’t think. 

The fact that you knew his name. That you could say it, whenever you pleased – as long as you weren’t around anyone else of course. 

By the way his chest stuttered, you knew he wouldn’t either. You could sense the eye-roll though, “Ahaha. I have to keep a few things to myself; you know. How else am I going to keep you around?” 

You blinked at him, feigning surprise, “Oh, you – you think I stay here for you?” Shaking your head rapidly, you held up Grogu, who had been toddling around on the floor in front of you, “Me and Duru stay here for him. You’re just an added body.” 

Grogu cooed brightly, raising his arms in the air and patting your cheeks as you lifted him. To you, it sounded like he agreed. 

 You smiled widely at him, lifting your eyes back to Din, “He agrees with me.” 

Din mock sighed loudly, turning back around with a mutter that sounded something like, “Maker, save me.” 

You chuckled, leaning back in your seat and holding out Grogu’s ball to him, “But yes, that’s fine. I don’t mind staying here whilst you go about getting things from places.” 

Truly, you didn’t mind. You needed to sharpen your vibrobrade which was looking a little worse for wear lately. And besides, you would be more than happy playing with the kid and Duru for an hour or so – you needed some privacy to have a little meltdown over last night. 

~~

~~~

A few hours later, Din had landed the Crest and had set off to ‘pick something up from somewhere.” 

Before he left, he’d ruffled the kid’s ears, stroked Duru’s chin and then ran the back of his finger across your cheekbone, giving you a lingering look – through the helmet, of course – and then set off. 

You’d then brought your blade up to the cockpit where the kids were, and settled into the pilot’s seat, beginning to sharpen your blade. 

The Crest was sealed tight, so you were all safe, and the landscape outside of the windows provided you with a dusty, barren view. 

As you sharpened your blade, you let your mind wander, allowing it to take the flow of whatever thoughts it decided. 

Naturally, it was going to be one of two things. 

Din, or your powers. 

Today, your mind chose the topic of powers.

You knew that you couldn’t hide them from Din forever. It had been months now since you’d met, and he still had no clue about it, about why you had such a bounty on your head. 

And he’d given you so much, not only by choosing to spare you and keep you safe, but by also given you his name.

And not only that, but every single little thing in between. From making sure you were fed, to coming to check on you after your nightmares. 

He would give you his cape if you were cold or offer up extra blankets. 

And it wasn’t that he thought you were incapable of doing those things yourself, or that you needed to be ‘cared for’. He knew that you were capable and resourceful, and he knew how strong you were. 

He knew that you were stronger than you believed yourself to be, so it wasn’t that at all.

 You knew it was because… he liked having someone else there. 

Sure, it disrupted his routines and he still wasn’t used to it, which you could tell because you felt exactly the same. You still hadn’t become accustomed to waking up in someone else’s presence or going to sleep and trusting another person to stay awake – and not kill you. 

And perhaps the biggest change for him was that now, with you there as well as the kid, there were even less chances for him to remove his helmet and armour and let his skin breathe. 

He had mentioned as much to you before in passing, that he had to be more careful with Grogu around, and even though he hadn’t said it, your presence meant those times were even rarer. 

He didn’t even have the privacy of his own room to do so – he had given that up for you. 

Another thing to add to the list. 

He deserves to know. 

You knew the voice was right. He did deserve to know. 

And not because you felt you owed him for what he’d given up for you – that wasn’t it at all. 

This journey you were on, the way your lives were tightly woven together… who were you to watch him put a bigger target on his head – and not even tell him why?

A sigh heaved its way out of your chest. 

You wanted to tell him so badly, you felt it in your chest. 

But you didn’t know how. 

How would you bring it up? 

“Hey, Din? I have something to tell you… The reason I have the highest bounty ever on my head is because… well... I’m Force Sensitive. I’m not a Jedi or anything but I have the ability to use the Force. Oh, what’s the Force, you ask? Well, it’s the energy that flows in and around every living thing.” 

That just sounded cringey and ridiculous, and you doubted he would even know what the Force was. He didn’t even know that’s what the kid had. 

Hell, you had never even acknowledged to yourself out loud that it was the Force. 

It just… seemed ridiculous to you. 

The Force belonged to the Jedi. If you had the power, you trained to be a warrior and a guardian of peace and life. 

You didn’t go on the run and kill people. 

You didn’t deserve to be associated with that kind of honour. Even if you never trained to be an actual Jedi… you didn’t deserve it. 

But you couldn’t go on like this, hiding it. 

Every time a silence fell, it was sitting there, waiting to burst out and just finally tell him, tell someone. And you knew that once you started, you wouldn’t stop. 

The whole story would come out. 

Your parents, the market, the first time you killed to save your own life and every time after that. He would learn about how good it felt, the sick power that washed over you and then the horrendous shame and guilt that had you vomiting for hours after. 

The story of how you ended up on top of that cliff and then in the water would come out. 

All of it, every single thing that had tied you to this life would be revealed. 

It would all be laid bare to him, leaving you as open and exposed as if he had removed his own armour. 

And that’s what terrified you. 

He would know every single thing, and it would be his decision how to take it. 

And you would respect it, whatever it was. 

If he wanted you gone, far away from himself and his kid, then you would go. Willingly. 

Sure, it would kill you, but you would understand why. 

But if he looked over it all, the darkness, the running, your power… If he looked at it, acknowledged the bad but saw how it had created the good, the fun, the way you’d gone from tripping over a bow to being able to shoot with your eyes closed and the light that had grown in you… If he saw every single thing, and still wanted to be with you…

Well, you didn’t quite know how to take that. 

You might well cry. 

And… if you were honest, you’d built yourself up to telling him. You decided yesterday that you were going to tell him this afternoon. 

But then you had that nightmare. 

Of course, you knew that he would never harm you, never hold a knife to your throat and drive it into your heart. That wasn’t what you were worried about. 

It was your reaction. 

The way the power had exploded and destroyed him. 

What if you got too worked up when you told him, and you couldn’t control it?

You’d restrained it for so long, for twenty years and it was started to come out. 

And you hadn’t admitted it to yourself but… it was becoming agony. 

The aches and pains that you had tried to write off as from hunting or the thin bed… 

You knew it wasn’t. 

It was the strain of holding back your power. 

You needed to let it go, to finally open yourself up and accept it, whatever it may be. 

You just didn’t know how. 

A soft coo brought you out of your rapidly spiralling thoughts. 

You lifted your attention from your knife, and found Grogu holding his metal ball, sitting in your usual co-pilot’s chair. He waved it in his hand, gurgling and you just knew, somehow, that he was asking to play catch. 

A broad smile lit your face, and you sheathed your knife, stowing it to the side, “Of course, little guy, I’ll play catch with you.” You turned your attention to him fully and held out your hand, “Whenever you’re ready, Gu.” The affectionate nickname had developed a few days ago, and the kid loved it. 

He lifted his hand, his little forehead furrowing in concentration, and then the ball lifted, floating in the air slowly toward you where it dropped into your palm. 

A feeling of warm pride filled your chest, and you laughed a little, clapping your hands, “Well done!! You’re getting better at that!” 

Din had told you that sometimes he struggled to use his powers and if he used them for a particularly long time, or for something intense, it would completely wipe him out. 

He told you he’d been gently coaxing him to use them, to be more confident with them and praise him for every small achievement - at the recommendation of a friend. 

You lifted the ball up, “Ready to catch it?” You threw it across the cockpit, gently, so he would have time to stop it. 

Which he didn’t. 

It fell straight into his lap… but that may have been because he didn’t even bother to lift his hand. He just looked at you. 

You tilted your head slightly, remembering Din’s words, “That’s okay, you can try again!” You held your hand out ready. 

A few moments later, it plopped back into your palm. You praised him, then threw it back, but yet again he let it land in in his lap without trying. 

Four turns later, and he started to huff every time you threw the ball, his ears twitching like he was annoyed. 

You sighed a little, “Gu, c’mon buddy… Try at least? For me? You send it to me perfectly, why won’t you catch it?” You raised your eyebrows a little, voice still encouraging but a little firm – again, as Din had relayed back to you as the best way. 

The kid just grumbled, his ears raising and falling again, and he pointed at your hand. 

Lifting the ball, you nodded, “I know you want the ball, but you have to try and catch it with yo-“

His rapidly shaking head stopped you. He pointed more emphatically at your hand, his glossy eyes wide and then you realised exactly what his problem was. 

He wanted you to throw the ball, sure… but not physically. 

He wanted you to use your power. 

Shaking your own head, you feigned innocence, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Grogu simply wiggled his little feet and waited. 

And so did you. 

You stared him down, rolling the ball in your hands, “You know, I really do not know what you’re referring to. You’re mistaken. Now, catch the ball, you little womp rat.” You let your affection for him show in your tone, so he would know you weren’t being mean. You tossed the ball toward him. 

His palm lifted and it stopped mid-air, before whizzing back at you with speed, straight toward your head. 

Your own hand whipped up and you caught it just before it could bonk you on the nose, “Hey! Don’t throw things at me!” 

His ears flapped in annoyance and he make some kind of noise, waving his hands. 

And then he opened his mouth to cry. 

With a groan of defeat, you rubbed your forehead, “Fine! Fine. You’re right. I have the same powers as you.” 

His mouth immediately closed and broke into a wide grin. 

Cheeky little thing. 

You held yourself very still, gazing down at this tiny creature, who had apparently guessed your one big secret. Tilting your head the other way, you narrowed your eyes a little, “How did you guess?” 

Grogu mimicked your head tilt but revealed nothing. He just watched you, smiling happily and patting his hands together to wait for the ball. 

All of your life a secret, and a tiny green baby with an affinity for frogs and space macarons had managed to work you out. 

You couldn’t help the laugh, shaking your head at the whole situation, “You are a clever little baby aren’t you, huh?” You watched him for a little while, and then lifted up your hand flat, letting the ball rest in your open palm. 

You took a deep breath, focusing on the ball. 

Easy. Just concentrate. 

You closed your eyes, slowing your breathing, allowing it to relax in time with the beating of your heart. Ignoring the beeping of the Crest, the worry of using it, you focused simply on the ball, and the air around it. Imaging it rising from your palm, gliding across the air and landing in Grogu’s little hand. 

As simple as that. 

You swallowed, and then opened a tiny gate in that cage, a small gasp releasing from your lungs as the power thrummed through your blood, letting you feel the space ahead of you, the empty air becoming a malleable thing, and you tried not to flinch as the weight of the ball vanished from your palm. 

A breath in, a breath out. Focus. 

Like an invisible hand, you began to guide the ball across the open air, as if it caressed the ball like a boat and carried it across the ocean. 

You were nearly there; you could feel it. The ball was nearing Grogu’s palm, and you were dimly aware of his delighted noises, pride in his own glee like you had for him. 

Nearly there. 

You were doing it. You were controlling that wave, keeping it restrained and focused where you needed it. It was easy and it felt… it felt good. Natural, like breathing.  

This was what you’d missed for the last twenty years, being able to spread it wide or bring it in narrow. 

You didn’t need to be scared, if you could focus it in minimal amounts like this. 

It was okay, you were okay and –

“Sweetheart? Grogu?”

The suddenness of din’s voice broke your concentration and the ball fell to the floor with a soft thunk. 

Your eyes snapped open as your heart leapt into your both and you looked toward the entrance to the cockpit, hoping he was below, hoping he hadn’t seen. 

It was empty. 

The sound had come right from below, as he looked for you. 

You swallowed, keeping your voice even, “Up here.” You turned your gaze to Grogu, knowing you looked as pleading as you sounded, “Please don’t tell him…” You whispered the words, but you knew he understood, the ball zipping to his hand as if he had been playing with it the whole time. 

Gratitude for the small creature flooded your heart and you smiled at him, a little shakily as Din’s shiny head popped up the ladder. 

“Hey, sorry I was a little longer than expected…” He reached the top of the ladder, rising to stand at his full height. He saw you in his seat, one of his hands coming to rest on his hip, “Oh, I see it didn’t take you long to replace me.” He motioned to you in his chair, the husky tone of his voice teasing. 

You leant back in the chair, swaying it from side to side slightly with a grin, “Nope. Not at all. We don’t need you. You can go back out if you want. Shut the door on your way out.” You tilted your head back against the chair, one leg lounged over the arm like it was a throne. 

He called you princess still, so why not play on it?

Did you not deserve a fancy dress and a crown?

Of course, you had no idea what this sight was doing to him, playing on a fantasy he’d had for a while now about this cockpit and that particular pilots chair. 

He laughed, shaking his head and he rested against the side of the cockpit, arms crossed and pulling the fabric of his clothes tight – much to your own delight. “Right, I’ll just grab my things and leave, then. It’s been good knowing you, princess.” 

This. 

This was what you loved. The fact that you could have moments like last night, intense and passionate – or snarling and angry – and still retain the playful teasing that had always hovered between you. 

You shook your head, grinning softly, “Nah, I’m kidding. I need you around to fly the ship… I have actually no idea how to.” You looked over your shoulder at the control panel, the mass of buttons and switches and lights. 

Put you in front of a forest to track an animal or spot a hunter or present you with a variety of leaves and plants and you could identify them all. Give you a few meagre supplies and you’ll have a selection of weapons crafted in minutes. 

But flying a ship?

No, thank you. 

Din chuckled, and you knew he was grinning beneath the helmet, “I’ll teach you one day.” He straightened up suddenly and held out his hand, “Come with me.” 

With a tilt of your head, you unwound yourself from the chair and slid your hand into his, the worn leather soft against your palm and fingers, “Where are going?” 

Din tugged you gently toward the ladder, “I got you something...” His voice was a little quieter as he waited for you to descend the ladder. 

You peered up at him, pausing to lower yourself down, “When you were off getting things from places?” You tried not to smile, your lips twitching. 

Din huffed softly, and there was an implied verbal eyeroll there, “Get down the damn steps before I push you down them myself.” 

Your laugh floated up as you descended, “And I would grab your foot on the way down and take you with me.” 

A few moments later, you were making your way through the ship again. 

Din stopped at the weapons cabinet, then turned to face you, “Close your eyes.” 

You raised an eyebrow at him, eyes flicking to the weapons cabinet and then him, but you did as you were told, closing your eyes. 

“Hold out your hands.” 

Lips twitching again, you held out your hands obediently. 

There was the sound of the cabinet opening and then rustling from within. 

A pause. 

Then you felt smooth, cool metal resting on your palms, across them both but you could tell it was wider. 

You tilted our head curiously, brows furrowing a little as your fingers curled around the mysterious object. 

Din’s voice sounded again, sounding… almost hesitant, “Open...” 

Light filtered back in as you opened your eyes, looking down at the object in your hands. 

Your breathing stopped in awe as you beheld the most gorgeous bow you had ever seen. 

The metal was a sleek matte black, dimly reflecting the light of the ship back at you. 

Inlaid into the metal was a gorgeous swirling design which spread across the arch of the bow. In the centre, where your arrowhead would rest against, a full moon created the focal point of the engraving. 

Just like your tattoo.

Din silently extended his hands, and he was holding a matching quiver and arrows. Everything matched the bow, and the same gold design was etched down the body of the arrows. They ended in wickedly sharp, curved heads and just be the feel and weight of them, you knew they were deadly accurate and fast. 

Quite simply, it was the most stunning weaponry you’d ever laid your eyes upon. 

It was the perfect size for your body, and when you held it up to test the flexibility, it was exactly as you were used to, just like the bow you had lovingly cherished before you lost it on Sorgan. 

This had been made purposely for you. 

Din had taken your measurement – of course he knew them, - and somehow got every single tiny detail perfect. The string wasn’t too taught or hard to maneuverer. It responded to your touch, exactly as you wanted to. 

You lifted your eyes to Din, your expression one of awe and… just simple adoration. 

It took you a few tries to speak, finding your throat has closed up a slightly with tears. You cleared it, though your voice remained husky, “Din… This…” You shook your head, no words being strong enough to relay to him how much you loved it, how perfect it was. 

Din was fiddling with his vambrace as he watched you, “Do you like it? I hope I got your measurements right… I had it commissioned a few weeks ago and it was only just finished. I… The design is a play on your tattoo.” He audibly swallowed, “If anything isn’t right, we can take it back and get it changed. Or if you don’t like it, you can have something completely new m-”

“Din, shush.” Gazing across the bow, you caressed the design with your fingertips, “It’s… beyond perfect. Truly. I couldn’t have designed it any better myself.” You lifted your eyes back to him, a swelling feeling in your chest, “This must have cost a fortune…” 

He shook his head a little, his shoulders relaxing and his hands stilling when he saw how much you truly adored it, “Cara told me that you were discussing your favourite weapons one day… You’d told her that as familiar as you were with knives, you missed your bow.” 

Oh, you did. You knew it wasn’t always the most suitable weapon – considering the number of different blasters and rifles that your pursuers used – but sometimes it had allowed you to escape before the fight had even begun. Perched high in a tree, an arrow whistling you the air in deadly silence and then it was over. 

And now you had one. 

An absolutely stunning one at that. 

A soft laugh of delight slipped from your chest and then you were grinning broadly, “Oooh, I can’t wait to use this. You think I’m lethal with a knife, you should see me with one of these.” You nocked one of the arrows, testing the resistance now it was loaded, and you sighted along it, “We have to go play, soon, I beg you.”

Din chuckled adoringly, fully relaxing at your excitement, “Of course...” He watched you quietly for a moment, leaning back against the cabinet. “In Mandalorian culture… giving weapons can sometimes symbolise – well, not all the time but within some households and clans – it can.. uh-“ He lifted a hand like he was going to scratch the back of his neck, another awkward habit that seemed so out of place. 

You looked over at him, carefully setting the arrow back in the quiver, “What can it mean?” You kept your voice light and casual, as if you didn’t notice his fumbling. 

Din cleared his throat, “It can sometimes mean a marriage proposal.” 

The quiver fell to the floor in a rattle of metal that broke through the air. 

He was playing you, right?

You stooped to the quiver, carefully scooping the arrows back in, “I – uh.. You mean-“

Din was watching you intently, “It doesn’t always mean it, but some couples present each other with a new weapon to signify their bond. And that they want to spend the rest of their days together. 

Blood pulsed through your ears, making your belly feel funny and your bones feel light. “I… I mean, I know a lot has happened between us, and-“

Din suddenly burst out laughing, lifting a hand to his chest like he could try to contain it, but it just kept coming. 

Rising back to your feet, you raised your eyebrows at him, confusion etched on your face at the sudden turn of his behaviour. 

The laughter poured from his lips like sunshine, stirring your chest out of its confusion and filling it with adoration. “Oh, you should have seen your face.” He tilted his helmet to you, trying to quell his laughter. 

You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest, “When we go and use these, remind me to put you in front of a tree.” 

Din tried to speak straight through his chuckles, “And why’s that?”

Walking toward him, you poked him in the chest, “So I can use you as target practice, you shiny asshole.” You tried not to laugh, to keep a straight face. The truth was, if you could have bottled his laughter and gotten drunk on it forever, you would have. It was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard, as rare and lovely as a shooting star. And you just knew that this man didn’t often laugh like this, so easily. 

His hand snaked around your wrist, gently pressing your palm flat to his chest as he contained his amusement, “I wanted to play with you… It is true, but I didn’t get them for that.” He tilted his head just slightly, “You’re a warrior, and… a goddess. So… you deserve the weapons to match.” 

So simple. Such easy words for him to speak, but the meaning and casual pride and care in his voice completely floored you. 

You still weren’t used to such compliments and showering’s of affection – you didn’t think you ever would be. 

The fact that he had complimented you more in your life than anyone else (save for your parents) had your eyes turning glass again, your throat closing a little as that realisation truly set in. 

This man believed in you, saw you, more than anyone. 

You gazed up at him, through the visor of his helmet and not for the first time, you had the truly selfish thought, that you wished he could take it off. 

So you could show him just how much he meant to you, show him how his words held you above water when you were drowning. 

You weren’t good with them, no better than he was really, but you just wished you could show him. He deserved it, to feel those same feelings in return, to be praised and adored for the brilliant man he was. 

Din tilted his head further, his thumb running over your knuckles, “What’s going through that magnificent brain of yours, cyar'ika? Tell me…” The soft, low tenor of his voice never failed to skitter over your bones like fire. 

You bit your lip, the words tumbling out before you could stop them, “I wish I could kiss you.”

Not even two seconds later, it crashed through your brain just how that sounded, how ungrateful and selfish it came across. Your eyes closed in disgust at yourself and you flushed in shame, “Maker, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry for how that sounded, please believe me, I didn’t-”  

Suddenly, Din moved. He leant down and rested the forehead of his helmet on yours. 

The metal was cool, the weight of it gently pressing against your skin, shutting you up with the unfamiliar gesture. 

Din lifted his other hand to your waist, resting his hand there lightly – respectfully. “Kov'nyn.”

You blinked a few times, “Kov… huh?” You guessed it was Mando’a, but you had no idea what it meant. 

His thumb lightly rubbed over your hip bone, sending tiny shockwaves through you, “Kov'nyn.” He used his other hand to gesture at the position you were in, “This is called a keldabe kiss. It can be used in battle, as a headbutt or something but it can also be a show of affection. Mandalorian’s don’t show each other their faces until marriage… so instead we do this. A keldabe kiss.”

You were quiet as you absorbed that, the soft sweetness of the gesture, your head tilted up to Din, and something in you told you he was gazing into your eyes. 

It was incredibly intimate too, despite the later of armour separating you. 

He couldn’t quite offer you the kiss you meant, but he could give you this. And… this was as good as showing each other the affection you intended. 

You didn’t know how long you stood there, his hand lightly on your waist, yours still on his chest but then you started to laugh at something. 

He tilted his head slightly against your forehead, “What now?” His voice was light though, curious as to what had tickled you this time. 

You grinned cheekily, tapping your fingertips over his chest. “Again with the marriage talk. Are you sure you don’t need to tell me something?”

Din laughed too, that heart-stopping, gorgeous laugh, filling the space with starlight and joy, “No. At least not yet, sweetheart.” 

~~~

~~

~

You gazed down at the comms unit. 

The code on the back of Rena’s card had been typed in and staring at you for the last twenty minutes. You were sitting cross-legged in your room, door firmly shut after your wash in the ‘fresher. 

Din was in there now; you could hear the echo of the water splashing down. 

You were only going to change clothes and go back to the cockpit, but when you’d taken them off, Rena’s card had fallen out and… here you were. 

Just call him. 

Your thumb hesitated over the call button, nerves whispering through your blood. 

Was this a good idea? To ask for help? 

There was still the matter of how he knew about you, and how he found you in the first place. 

Maybe this isn’t a good idea. 

Din would be furious, he doesn’t trust him. He thinks he’s a legend come to life.

True, Din would be so pissed.

But… this wasn’t Din’s decision to make. 

It was yours. 

Ever since your parents died, you had been running. From hunters, from the law but mostly... from yourself. 

You were being stalked and hunted for your powers. 

The very thing that you once adored and made you unique, and special, you now viewed as… a burden?

No... that wasn’t it. It was never a burden. 

Yes, it sometimes caused you more trouble than it was worth, and you did fear it but… you longed for it. 

With every fibre in your being, you wished you could utilise it. To once again make it a part of you and feel the purity of it. The energy that flowed in and around every single living thing, responding and allowing you to manipulate it. 

The little experiments you had started to conduct, testing to see if you could control even a small amount… they were making you crave it even more. Even though it terrified you and your nightmare had flashed back in your mind, you had managed to control it this afternoon with Grogu. 

Even if it was just a tiny ounce, it had listened to you – like you were one again. 

Rena had told you that there was nothing to fear from him. His sister had been gifted with the same abilities. 

Din would understand when you explained it to him… but you wanted to at least know more about how to control it. That way, you could tell him and… show him. Show him what you’d been hiding this whole time. 

Maybe it was time. 

Maybe it was time to stop being scared of it, of who you were. 

Maybe it was time to embrace it and become who you were meant to be. 

And so, you pressed the call button. 

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