#i'm trying to be better about adding things outside of tags to get more conversations going but i know that's not everyone's cup of tea

[startreklasirena]

I know the last gif is from season 2. As I said, this whole endeavour isn't an exact science 😅

This gifset is absolutely stunning and showcases the Motley Crew in all of their glory, so in my opinion, it upholds the spirit of Star Trek: La Sirena. It's not OP's fault we only got a Saffi kiss in season 2 ;)

(But this is definitely a case of "let me know if you don't think this counts as LAS". Like I said: I'#'m not the high priestess of the fandom tag, so things are open to discussion and interpretation 🖖)

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

[munsons-hellfire]

Chapter 4: State Of Bliss

SUMMARY: You and Eddie have been living with each other for 3 weeks now. After your mother and step-father show up and some truth is revealed, Eddie is determined to make you feel better by taking you on a date just outside of Hawkins.

PAIRINGS: Biker!Eddie Munson x Teacher!Fem!Reader

PART 4 IN THE DARK PARADISE SERIES

CONTENT WARNINGS: NSFW, 18+ MDNI, mentions of a fight (does not involve Eddie or Reader), Smut, Language, oral (f receiving), vaginal fingering, protected p in v sex, aftercare, smut with a plot, she/her pronouns, Reader is 24 (almost 25), Eddie is 26, modern take, mentions of drugs, rival biker gangs, mentions of depression, mentions of anxiety, angst (reader's mother and step father show up), post-upside down

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is the long awaited part 4, I hope you enjoy this very much. I have finally found a name for the series and it is going to be called the Dark Paradise Series. If you wish to listen to playlist while reading this, there is a link in the series masterlist. Also this is my first time writing smut so I apologize in advance if it sucks. If you wish to be added to the tag list for this series please let me know in the comments down below. But I hope you enjoy it!

WORD COUNT: 5.6K Words

THE DARK PARADISE SERIES MASTERLIST

Three weeks had passed since the phone call with Jules. A date had been set in motion for when Jules would come down with her family even though it was making your sleeping habits bad. And if it hadn't cleared up before the kids came back to school you were in for a rude awakening. In the two weeks since the call Eddie had stayed with you and things had taken a turn that you were happy with.

Somewhere down the line of the two weeks together something had shifted between both of you and things had started to take a different direction. One thing you had told yourself when you left New York was to not allow yourself into another relationship. And well with Eddie that all went out the door. You sat down on the couch in your living room reading a book for work to get lesson plans ready for the first month.

From what you were sure of Eddie was still asleep in the bedroom that he had taken when he had moved in. You were lucky that your apartment had two bedrooms. You didn't need it but that's really what was available at short notice of you moving across the states. You had been so lost in thought on what you were doing you didn't even notice Eddie walk into the kitchen. When you finally looked up from your book you saw that he was shirtless.

His back was to you, but you could see the few tattoos that scattered his back muscles. Finally Eddie turned around but had his eyes elsewhere to notice that you were staring. When he had turned around you could see more of his tattoos, looking down lower you could see a happy trail that lead right into his sweatpants that hung low on his hips.

"See something you like, sweetheart?" Eddie questioned, with a smirk plastered to his lips. He had caught you red handed and you were quick to look away hoping that he couldn't see how red your face had gotten.

"I don't know what you're talking about." You replied, trying to brush off the fact that you were staring.

"It's okay, I know, I'm good lookin' and sexy. I got nothin' to be ashamed of."

"Of course not." A knock on the front door caused the conversation to come to an end. You looked at the door, then at Eddie as another knock could be heard.

"You expecting anyone?" Eddie questioned, brown eyes on you.

"No, I'm not." Eddie could hear the panic clear as day in your voice. You closed your book and set it down on the table and stood up from the couch.

Eddie quickly disappeared back into the room he had come out of. All while you cautiously walked to the front door of your apartment. A shaky breath leapt off your lips as you got closer and closer to the door. Another knock came from the other side of it. You looked back at the biker as he entered back into the front of the apartment. A gun rested in his hand.

"Just for protection, I can't let anything happen to you." Eddie whispered softly.

You sent him a small nod, then moved closer to the door. You stood on your toes looking through the peephole to see who stood on the other side of your door and it wasn't who you'd thought it would be. Your mother and step-father stood outside your door, both had angry looks plastered right on their faces as they waited for an answer. You lowered yourself and pressed your forehead to the door.

A million different things were flying through your head right now, but only one was front and center. Why were your mother and step-father here and what did they want? Slowly you backed away from the door and started to unlock it.

"It's just my mom and step-father." You paused, staring down at the gun. "Please hide that and please if you can stay close to me. I can't have you doing something stupid." Your voice was soft, with a little bit of sternness as you looked at Eddie.

"Okay, sweetheart." He walked towards the couch and slid his gun underneath it, wanting to keep it close in case he had to use it. Then he came back up behind you and placed a hand on your shoulder giving you a comforting squeeze as you opened the door.

"'Bout time, what the hell were you doing?" Your mother asked as the door opened wide. Her eyes trailed over to Eddie who still stood behind you. "Oh, I see you were just fucking." You rolled your eyes at your mother.

"What are you doing here, mom?" You asked, ignoring her rudeness.

"I wanted to know why my brat of a daughter left without saying so much as a goodbye? Had to find out from my ex-husband that said brat daughter came back home. What the hell?" The woman pushed past you, entering your apartment. Your step-father stepped in as well, his eyes lingering on you.

A chill ran down your body after seeing the way he was looking at you. Eddie gently and slowly slid his hand down into yours and held onto it.

"I'm here, you're not alone, Bug." You squeezed Eddie's hand back to let him know that you had heard him.

"Last time I checked, I don't need to let you know where I'm moving." Your voice was stern and distant, it was easy to pick up.

"Last time I checked you lived under our house which means you follow our rules." Your step-father said, eyes drilling into you like a saw.

You stepped forward, letting go of Eddie's hand. "I did live under your roof but now I don't. And you're not my father, you can't tell me what to do."

You had wished you could take back the words you had said, while you did mean them you hadn't meant for it to come out like that. Your step-father took a step towards you and raised his hand. You flinched lifting your hands up to protect yourself however nothing happened.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her." Eddie said through gritted teeth as he held onto the wrist of your step-father.

"What are you gonna do about it boy? She's a brat who deserves what's comin' to her." The words didn't come from your step-father, they came from the last person you expected them to come from but weren't surprised in the least. Your mother had her eyes on Eddie, glaring daggers at him.

"No." It was a simple word spoken from Eddie but it meant more to you than you could possibly say. "You two can stay the night, not here. I'm sure the drive from New York was long. But you're gone in the morning. If you ever contact her or come back to Hawkins so help me I will make sure you regret it."

Shock etched onto your face as well as your mother and step-father, none of you had expected that outburst from Eddie. But deep down you were thankful for it. Eddie dropped your step-father's wrist and walked over to the door opening it up for them.

"Now get the hell outta here."

Begrudgingly your step-father was the first to walk past you and head out of your apartment. Your mother on the other hand walked up to you and stared at you. You could see the angry evident in her eyes as she continued to look at you.

"You got lucky this time because of that boy. But next time, well, next time he won't be able to save you." That right there should've been an indication of your future, but you were too blind to see it. You walked down the hallway towards your room before Eddie had even closed the door. Walking to your bed you collapsed down in it and let everything you were holding in come out.

Eddie walked over to the couch and grabbed his gun, taking it back into his room. He gave you some alone time while he made a call to your father. With his phone up to his ear and his door closed he turned some Metallica on so you wouldn't be able to hear the conversation. Eddie had picked up on what you hadn't and he wasn't so sure he wanted to tell you right now, not in the state you were in.

"Everything okay, Munson?" Allen asked, as soon as he picked up on his end of the line.

"No, your lovely ex-wife and her husband just showed up at the apartment." Eddie answered.

Allen became alerted and told everyone in the room to be quiet. "Is Bug okay?" Sam asked, it was clear to Eddie that he was on speaker now.

"Just upset. I'm letting her cool off before I go in to make sure she's okay. But that's not why I called."

"Why did you call then?" Hopper was the one who asked the next question. Eddie wasn't shocked he was there considering how good friends Allen and Hopper were.

"I have reason to believe that Bug's mom is the one who wants her dead, and the Stingers are the ones who were hired." Eddie could hear how silent everyone was on the other end.

"How?"

"Well, she said that Bug was lucky I was here because next time I wouldn't be able to save her." Eddie closed his eyes at the thought of something happening to you when he wasn't around you.

"Okay. Give me a few hours to figure some things out. In the meantime keep a closer eye on Bug, make sure she's okay."

"You got it, boss." With those words Eddie hung up the phone and turned off his music. Opening the door he walked out of his room and headed back towards yours. You were still in your bed curled up and holding onto a pillow tightly. He walked over to the bed, on the side that you weren't lying down on. Climbing into the bed he laid down and pulled you towards him adjusting your body so your head was resting on his chest. He held onto you as tightly as he could hoping it would bring some kind of comfort. "You okay, sweetheart?" He asked soothingly.

You sniffled quietly, "I'll be okay eventually." You adjusted yourself so you could move into Eddie's warmth, this was the closest you've been to him since he moved in and you honestly didn't mind. Your eyes closed again, while you ran over everything that had just happened. Your thoughts were getting the better of you.

"How, uh, how would you like to get out of the apartment for a little bit?" Eddie questioned. You adjusted your head slightly, looking up at Eddie as he stared down at you waiting for an answer.

"Like a date?"

"Unless you don't want to call it a date." Eddie seemed nervous, which you thought was cute. So cute that this man who didn't have an issue holding your mother and step-father at gunpoint, but had an issue asking you out on a date.

"No, I think that would be a lot of fun. Do you have anything in mind?"

"I do. I'm gonna go get ready, wear somethin' nice." Eddie removed himself from your grip and climbed off the bed. You dropped your head into the pillow already missing his warmth. When the door was closed you began to get ready for the date.

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You sat on the back of Eddie's bike as he pulled up to a small bar outside of Hawkins. He wanted to get you away from the town for a bit. The shock of seeing your mother and step-father still rattled you slightly, but you were curious as to why they were here. You pushed the thought to the back of your head and removed your arms from Eddie's waist, something you didn't want to let go.

Afterwards your fingers grabbed a hold of the helmet and pulled it off your head. Eddie turned his bike off and kicked the kickstand out. You placed the helmet on his bike as Eddie grasped a hold of your fingers and laced them with his. You looked down where your fingers tangled together, a small but noticeable smile appeared on your face and Eddie saw it as his first victory of the night.

He pulled you close to him and the two of you walked into the bar. When the two of you walked in, music was playing in the background. There were people out on the floor dancing to the music, while others were eating and some were at the bar drinking whatever they could get their hands on.

"Have you been here before?" You questioned, your curious eyes finding Eddie as he gave you a quick nod.

"Done business here a couple of times, it's a good place to be outside of Hawkins." Eddie answered, leading you over to a booth so you two could get something to eat. You sat down across from him, only seconds after the two of you sat down a waiter came over and took your order.

"So what's the furthest my father has made you travel?" You were curious to know more about the biker life and how everything worked.

"Uh, California is the furthest I've gone. Before the Stingers took over we had business with the Vipers. They have since relocated on the East coast so if I have to go out to see them for a meeting there in New York."

You looked down at your hands as Eddie explained his answer to your question. It got you wondering, if they were in New York does that mean that they were protecting you from Jules. Another question popped into your head and you had to know, because you needed to know if your friend whom you had a falling out with in the weeks prior to you leaving New York.

"Did uh- was I under their protection? You know in New York?" You wanted to release a defeated sigh when Eddie gave you a nod, but it made you happy to know that your dad and brother had someone watching over you.

"Allen picked out a few people, even before he knew there was a hit out on you he wanted to keep you safe if he couldn’t see you all the time. I know that the one thing your dad regrets, because he told me, is that he didn't fight harder for you."

"That's why he's fighting so hard now?"

"Yeah."

"Makes sense, my mother wouldn't let him visit us in New York. There were times where I didn't get to see him or Sam and I didn't understand it. It wasn't until I got older and had a phone that I was actually able to build a relationship with my older brother. Though it's really sad that I had to build my relationship with him through FaceTime, or calls, or texts. It's the one thing I'll never be able to forgive my mother for."

"I'm really sorry that all this is happening. I don't think you deserve it." You could hear the sadness in his voice as he apologized, even though you didn't need an apology from him. You reached over the table and grabbed his hand holding it in yours. Gently Eddie started to rub your palm while his brown eyes stared back into yours.

"Please, don't apologize for something you have no control over. I am the daughter of the largest and most powerful biker gang out there. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad I'll be here when the attack happens."

"It's my job to protect you now, and I'm not gonna let you die when she comes to town."

You smiled softly. "You can't protect me from Jules. It's a fight neither of us will win, Eddie."

Before Eddie could say anything your food arrived at the table. The conversation was dropped and you two ate quietly not sure what to say to each other. You knew deep down that you were right, Jules would eventually follow through on her plan and you knew she would kill you even if that meant killing anyone that would get in her way.

When the food was finished Eddie climbed out of the booth and held his hand out to you. You looked at his hand with confused eyes. "I wanna take you somewhere else, I think you'll like it, sweetheart." You smiled and placed your hand in his.

And it was a good thing too because a fight erupted in the bar. Eddie pulled you close to his chest shielding you from the glass that was being thrown around just like the punches. You laughed at how fast you and Eddie had made it out of the bar. Making it over to the bike you place the helmet back over your head and climb on wrapping your arms around his waist.

───── ❝ ◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸ ❞ ─────

Eddie pulled up to a lake and knocked the kickstand off, he turned his bike off and removed your arms from his waist. Then he took the helmet off and grabbed your hand. You weren't entirely familiar with the lake but you knew of it because your brother had mentioned it a few times. Eddie placed his hand behind your back and guided you over to the edge of the lake where the sun was starting to set.

A smile smeared across your lips reaching your eyes. You couldn't get something like this in New York where you had lived. Moving to Hawkins made it worth it.

"Whaddya think, sweetheart?" Eddie questioned breaking the silence.

"This is so beautiful. I've never seen a sunset like this."

"Don't worry, there will be more to see for as long as you're here. I just thought this would be a good way to end the night before we go back to your apartment and call it a night." Eddie wanted to be hopeful that something more would happen tonight, but he pushed it aside.

You turned to look at him, grabbing a hold of his hands. "What if I don't want tonight to end when we get back to my apartment?" You said, though it was a question and you hoped Eddie picked up on what you were asking.

Eddie moved closer the space between you closing as he chest came in contact with yours. He stared down at your eyes looking for any sign that you didn't want this. Eddie licked his lips, "then I think we should get back home." You released a surprised gasp when Eddie's lips landed on yours in a sweet kiss.

You nodded your head when he pulled away. "I agree." You whispered. Giggling, you ran as quick as you could back to Eddie's bike, with Eddie hot on your trail.

───── ❝ ◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸ ❞ ─────

The second you were at the door Eddie had his hands wrapped around you, your hair was on the side while he placed soft kisses up your neck. You had your keys in your hand and had been trying to unlock the door but Eddie was distracting you. He seemed to notice, gently he lifted his hand and placed it over top of yours helping you open your door.

With the door now open the two of you were able to enter the apartment. Eddie kicked the door shut and threw your keys and bag to the table. His soft lips found home on yours, continuing to kiss you as he pushed you back down the hallway towards your room. When the back of your knees hit your bed he removed his lips from yours.

An unintentionally wine leaves your lips and causes Eddie to smirk down at you. "Now now, you'll have my lips back on you soon enough, sweetheart." His voice was dripping with lust as he said it. Gently he pushed you down onto your bed and hovered over you. His lips found purchase on your neck.

He placed sweet kisses on your neck, slowly moving his way down your body. Eventually he came to a stop, his hands gripped the dress you were wearing and slid it up your body slightly to reveal your panties. Leaning forward Eddie placed kisses on each thigh sending shivers down your body. He lowered himself to the bed and gently leaned forward placing another kiss on your clothed pussy.

Pushing his hands up he placed his fingers on the waistband of your panties, Eddie looked up at you and you gave a nod letting him know it was okay. He gently pulled them down your legs until they were off. He turned back coming face to face with your already wet cunt.

"So pretty." He murmured. "Is all this for me?" His brown eyes were on you as you stared back at him.

You gave a small nod, "only for you." You whispered.

The biker leaned forward, holding his tongue out flat he licked a long strip from your hole moving between your folds and ending up on your clit. A moan escaped from your lips, one that Eddie wanted to hear more of. His attack starts slow, licking your clit gently as he moves his fingers towards your hole.

Eddie sucks your clit into his mouth while his first finger breaches your hole. Slowly he slides it inside you and curls it up. Another moan leaves your mouth, your eyes flutter close. Eddie flicks his tongue around your bud, you arch your back off the bed. You slam your hands into the bed and grab a hold of your sheets. He sets his pace, licking and fingering you fast enough to get you close to your first orgasm.

"Fuck, Eddie." You moaned out, reaching your hand forward and tangling it into his curls. He could feel you clench around his fingers, he smirked, having you just where he wanted, having you falling apart from just his tongue and fingers.

Eddie pulled away from your clit and added a third finger inside you. He looked at you through his lust blown brown eyes. "Taste so fucking sweet." He whispered but loud enough for you to hear. He dipped his head back down and attached back to your clit sucking on it. Eddie’s free hand moved up your soft skin until it fell onto one of your breasts.

His fingers found your nipple and rolled it between his thumb and index finger. Your hands removed themselves from your sheets and entangled into Eddie’s hair gripping onto it tightly. "Fuck." You gasped at the pleasure he was making you feel. It was like nothing you’d have felt before, not with any of your previous partners. "So close." You mumbled, a broken moan falling from your lips after.

Eddie looked at you from between your legs, a smirk making its way to his lips. "Let go for me, sweetheart." He ordered, you clenched around his fingers. Your orgasm hitting you just after he had told you to let go.

"Oh my god." You breathed out, eyes closed as the orgasm continued to wash over you.

"Good girl." Eddie said, he gently pulled his fingers from your hole. You whimpered at the loss as you let go of his hair. The biker lifted to his knees and placed his fingers into his mouth, liking your slick off his fingers. "Tastes so good, princess." You smiled shyly, and watched him remove his fingers from his mouth. Eddie grabbed a hold of his shirt and removed it, throwing it to your floor.

You looked at Eddie, getting a better look at the tattoo’s that littered his toned body. It was hot to say the least and turned you on. You moved yourself around and moved your fingers toward his pants. You placed your hands on his belt and began to unbuckle it. However Eddie grasped the hold of your wrist and looked down at you.

"What are you doing?" Eddie questioned a soft smirk on his face.

"I wanna taste you." You whispered, eyeing the outline of his cock in his pants.

“Next time. I really need to be inside you.” And it clicked right then and there what Eddie needed. You leaned back down on bed watching Eddie remove his pants. Finally he removed his boxers, his cock sprung out the tip hitting his happy trail. Eddie gripped his length moving his hand up and down. You reached over to your side dresser pulling a condom out.

You ripped it open and pulled the rubber out. Leaning forward slightly you placed it on Eddie's cock and rolled it down his length. He groaned at the way your hand felt wrapped around him. He gently pushed you back down to your bed and moved in between your legs. Gripping himself he slipped his cock through your folds causing a moan to escape from your mouth.

Finally after a long wait, Eddie slid his cock into your entrance. You whimpered at the feeling of him inside you. He was pulled in, you were gripping him tightly. The brunette lowered his forehead and rested it on top of yours. He gave you a few seconds to get adjusted to his side. Eddie had completely bottomed out inside you, and it was a whole new feeling of pleasure. Your head fell back against the pillow waiting for some kind of friction.

"Please, please, please." You begged, soft eyes on Eddie as his brown eyes stared into yours.

"God, you're so fucking tight." Eddie whispered into your ear, he moved his head down to your neck and started to suck on your soft skin and he began to pull his hips back out only to slam them down. A loud moan escaped your lips, feeling Eddie move inside you. It was pure bliss, something you never wanted to end.

Eddie's thrusts were slow to start, but eventually he found his rhythm and his pace picked up. The noise of skin slapping skin was the only other thing that could be heard in your room other than your desperate moans. Eddie pulled back from your neck looking at the mark he had left. A smile fell onto his lips. You lifted your legs from your bed and wrapped them around Eddie's waist not letting him go.

Eddie hit the sweet spot inside you, prompting you to squeeze around him. Another moan left his lips as he continued to pull his hips back and slam them down into you. You were close, Eddie could feel it the way you were squeezing him. He leaned himself up and connected his lips to yours, kissing you softly.

"Mm-close." You said, when you pulled away from the kiss. Eddie understood what you were asking for and moved one of his hands between your bodies. His thumb found your clit and he started to circle around your clit. The pressure was building, beads of sweat were dripping down your body and Eddie's too.

"Need to feel you cum on my cock, sweetheart." Eddie whispered against your ear. "Cum for me." Eddie placed a kiss on it and moved back down on your neck to suck on the sweet spot. With Eddie giving you the permission you didn't know you needed, your release hit you. You arch off your bed, chest moving closer to Eddie's. Your finger nails are digging into Eddie's shoulders as you come apart under him.

Eddie's thrust starts to slow down his own climax just on the way. The biker pulls out of you, you whimper at the loss but watch in a state of bliss as he pulls the condom off his hard length. Eddie wraps his hand around himself and starts to move his hand up and down his dick. A moan escapes his mouth as ropes of his cum hit your stomach. He milked his cock for every last drip until there was no more.

You exhaled, as you came down from your high. Eddie walked out of your room for a brief moment. When he came back he had a glass of water in one hand with a snack and a wet rag in the other. Eddie set it down on your dresser. He leaned over you and moved the wet rag between your legs. You gasped at the sudden touch, still sensitive from the events moments ago.

"Sorry." Eddie whispered softly, eyes looking up at you through his bangs.

"'S okay." You said, sending him a smile. "Thank you."

"For what, princess?" Eddie threw the rag towards your basket and grabbed a hold of his boxers sliding them back on. Then he grabbed the glass of water and held it out to you. "Hydrate." He added.

"For tonight, it was perfect." You hadn't felt this way in a while, you hadn't felt calm, safe, happy, since probably before you left Hawkins for good. "I haven't felt this happy in a long time."

Eddie gave you a half smile as he handed a snack over to you so you could eat it. "I'm glad that I could make it memorable." Eddie leaned forward, grabbing his shirt from the floor. He turned back towards you and held it out. "Here." You smiled, taking his shirt you slid it on.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Eddie gave a nod of his head. You leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on his lips. "And then we're discussing what this means." A giggle erupted from your mouth.

Eddie turned on your bed watching you walk towards the bathroom. "I think you know what it means, Bug." Eddie said. He took the time to get a good look at the things that you had in your room now that it had been decorated. There didn't seem to be much from New York. You had a few photos, mostly of you and your brother when you were younger. But nothing recent.

You climbed onto the bed, Eddie's shirt wrapped around your body and a fresh pair of underwear on. When you made it over to him you wrapped your arms around his waist and placed soft kisses on his shoulders.

"Do you want the honest truth?" You asked, bringing up words from a previous conversation the two of you had shared. He smiled and turned around in your arms pulling you close to him. The two of you fell to your bed, both laughing.

"Of course I do." Eddie placed a gentle kiss onto your lips before he pulled away. His hand fell underneath his hair, holding up his head so he could still look at you.

"I'm scared of what this means. I like you a lot Eddie, and this was so so magical. The best night I could've possibly asked for. But I'm scared that you'll realize that I'm not good enough for you, that I'm broken, or that you might not want the same things I want. I've been trying to get this through everyone's head before I've gone further into a relationship." You paused, a shaky breath falling from your lips. Eddie pushed his hand forward and grabbed a hold of yours.

"Hey, it's okay, you can tell me Bug." You could hear the seriousness in his voice as he talked to you. He was gently rubbing a circle around the palm of your hand with his thumb, his brown eyes were still on your soft but scared eyes.

"I want everything that comes with a relationship, not just the arguments, or the great sex, I want the good qualities. I want kids and marriage, I want it all. But I'm afraid that you might be like the others and will only be in it for the ride. I'm afraid that you'll realize you can do better than what I have to offer." A tear cascaded down your face and Eddie was quick to swipe it away from his thumb, after removing it from your hand. He kept his hand there on your cheek and you of course pushed into it feeling the warmth.

"I'm not gonna lie, all that future talk scares the shit out of me too. With the life I lead, there's always the possibility something bad could happen. I'm scared shitless to be a parent, and even a husband." Eddie paused, he was getting ready to tell his truth. "You are the first person that's walked into my life and I've seen a future with. I don't want to lose whatever it is we have. I'm not saying no to the idea of family, but I think that should be revisited when the time comes."

You felt the bricks that had been resting on your chest finally fall off. It wasn't close to the answer you wanted but it was a better one than what you had gotten from Mikey and Jules.

"Okay." You smiled at him. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. But I just needed to know that there was a possibility in the future."

Eddie pulled you to his chest and held onto you tightly. "Don't be sorry. You have every right to feel the way that you do." You leaned down, your hair falling around you. Your soft lips fell onto Eddie's again and the two of you kissed like you didn't want to let go. And you didn't because you had found the one person you knew you wanted to be with for the long run. You just didn't realize the damage it would do to the both of you.

TAGS: @inhumansxx @lma1986 @corrodedcoffincumslut @squidscottjeans @joantje @whenshelanded @bexreadstoomuch @bl4ckt00thgr1n @wiltedwonderland @lluviamg06 @kaitebugg03 @kimmi-kat @oneforthemunny

[desultory-novice]

As fun as The Angst(tm) is, I really hope the Dead People Gang aren't just, like. Trapped in Turbohell Kirbohell forever. For some reason, my thoughts instantly went to Void Termina - Since Void Termina is implied to be reincarnated as a good guy after their defeat as Void, I thought it would be interesting if they got a glimpse of everyone hanging out in the afterlife between the "blowing up" part and coming back as not-as-evil. Plus, now I've got a really funny mental image of that coming up in casual conversation Kirby/Meta/Dedede/some other protagonist and Kirby finding out and deciding "sounds like more potential friends! time to go to hell" to try and (somehow) save them

My own brain was putting a Charlie & the Chocolate Factory style spin on it. They CAN all come back, just...

Sectonia: ...once the Dream Stalk goes to seed

Max: ...once his brain is finished defragging (...or see Seto Kaiba in the manga version of Yugioh)

Magolor: ...when someone succeeds in breaking the crown

Marx: ..."User 'Marx' can rejoin the game in 87,600 hours"

Links to the rest of the mini-series:

Part 1″A Beautiful Sunset” Part 2 “The Sun Never Sets” Part 3 “Screams of Joy”  Part 4 “Visitors” Part 5 “A Perfect Circle”

Relevant: “Conditional” [You Are Here]

--

That said, your bit at the end about "Let's go to hell and rescue everyone!" is partially why I followed this story to its current, silly (?) conclusion! I know it's sounded / looked / been depressing, especially for poor, poor, poor Magolor, but I meant what I said in the tags about drawing this helping me get over some of my own True Arena-induced trauma......

(continued below)

<PS: To the Anon who asked about the Void beach pic? Your answer is here too! Sorry to make you go through all this to find it!!>

...Ahem!

I -liked- the idea of Mags and Marx having come back from their Soul experiences and have used it as fuel, but it honestly bugged me that they seemed to survive when Sectonia and Marx were still MiA...from the same thing? (I get that Max's brain is DELETED but what about his body? I always imagined that even though Star Dream blew up, the "pilot's seat" so to speak was preserved. But...

Basically, even if I could come up with reasons why the other two "didn't" survive, I could never come up with a reason why Magolor and Marx DID outside of "popular characters." ...Not to be too hypocritical, as I'm a dedicated fan of said "popular characters")

But there being a version of Magolor Soul who doesn't "get better" weirdly makes me feel quite a bit better about the other Soul victims. Because... maybe we could be building up to something with them? Maybe there IS a chance for them to come back now, or be saved, like you said. If they're all kinda in the same way...??

(Heck, I probably would have added Galacta as a visitor to the superhell-theme park if I had ANY experience with drawing them.)

Speaking of "the same way" the reason I'd always assumed Marx followed the pre-remake Mago path because they were both in Star Allies, but if there's a version of Magolor who isn't saved, I've started to think that True Arena Marx Soul (:cough: the only form of Marx Soul :cough:) wasn't saved either. Which is both very sad but also, gives me the same sense of hope/unity as the above!

I had a legit "...aww, darn...!" moment last night as I was finishing this up when I realized Fecty's soul was safely under Efly's care and they wouldn't be able to join the theme park enjoyers... Of course, the very idea of an Attraction to delight and amaze would probably trigger Fecty's trauma, putting them in a worse state than Magolor.

Void's also not available to go to the park, sadly.

Speaking of...!

Here you go, anon!

[fastcardotmp3]

Re: the tags of that post you just reblogged from me - AU where Steve and Eddie swap roles for just the final fight (Eddie’s with the girls, Steve’s with Dustin) but with an added subplot where we meet Steve’s parents early in the season & maybe they’re trying to get him to grow up/move out/think about his future, or something else, but they’d have to feature somehow so we still get that ending scene except it’s Robin telling his parents he didn’t make it (im picturing a very tragic recontextualising around the phrase “you need to do something with your life” leading to Steve drawing the bats away from Dustin)

That’s just my quick thoughts though, I’d love to know how you’d do it!

oh I LOVE this you've got my brain spinning I have so many thoughts and it's all your fault!!!

(I am so sorry for how long this got)

I think there are for sure many versions of this plotline that could work BUT here goes nothing

I definitely agree that we'd need to introduce Steve's parents early on (in my ideal world we'd have met them sooner than s4 for this plotline but alas I'm not in charge I'm simply posthumously script doctoring) and I think one version of the conversation there could come from a place of wanting what's best for him, but centering itself around ambition and choice in a way that sticks with Steve.

"You had so much ambition when you were still in school, Steve-- all of your sports, how sociable you were-- what happened to that? Where did you lose that along the way?"

And Steve flounders a little bit, because he's gotten to the point after season 3 where he can see himself better from the outside, is just that touch more self aware and good at reading not just other people's feelings but his own.

So it takes him a beat to put it into words, but he's able to, is the thing--

"Maybe I don't need to go down the-- the usual path to end up where I want to end up."

"Is this where you want to end up?" his mother asks, "working at a video store for the rest of your life?"

"It's not about that," Steve shrugs, pouring two travel mugs of coffee all the while, one for him and one for Robin.

Because he knows it's not about that, he spent all of last summer learning it's not about that and the months since discovering that there's a certain amount of peace in knowing that things aren't perfect but that matters less when you have your people around.

"What's it about then? Steve, I just-- I don't want you to get stuck here, when I know you could do so much more with your life if you just chose to."

"I'm not doing nothing with my life, Mom!" he laughs, exasperated but certain for once in his goddamn life. "I'm-- I'm actually doing really well right now, I've got good friends and I've got the kind of job where I'm kept busy while I figure out what's next for me and I'm just... happy, I guess? Like, can't my ambition just be to keep doing stuff that makes me happy? Can't I choose that?"

And he has to go to work, has to walk out and promise her that they'll talk about it more later, talk about it with his dad too, but Steve knows what he cares about and this isn't going to shake his resolve.

What he cares about is this group of people who have changed his life even more than the monsters did, who brought enough good into it to at the very least match the bad, and in some cases (like the girl already monologuing as she climbs into the front seat of his car and accepts her coffee with a mocking kiss to his cheek) somehow usurp the bad.

Steve doesn't have to be what this town expects of him, what most likely to end up rich superlative voters expect of him, what his parents expect of him, because his life isn't about being any particular something, it's in the doing.

It's in the swinging of a baseball bat, the swinging of his fists to keep the people he loves safe.

It's in the morning drives to get Robin to school on time and the late night ones to make sure Dustin meets curfew.

It's in the friendship he's managed to find with Nancy in the past year, the knowledge that this version of them is the best one by far.

It's in the days driving the kids to the trailer park to visit Max even if she ultimately ends up refusing to come out with them, because at least they're doing it, at least they're trying with her.

It's in this, too, when they drive out to Reefer Rick's place and some of the claims of happiness start slipping through Steve's fingers again with the proof that it isn't over, the fight.

But they've beat it before and they can beat it again. It's in the doing, and Steve has gotten knocked down many a time but the thing he always does is he always gets up on the other side.

He knows this. He trusts in this. He's built a fucking worldview around this because that's where his ambition went, Mom.

That's what happened to "Steve Harrington, actually a cool dude."

Steve's humble enough to thank Eddie for saving his ass, but he's done this enough times to still be able to reassure the guy who calls him badass that, "It always looks hopeless right before we win. Don't freak out too bad if it looks like the end of the world, huh?"

Eddie looks at him like he has two heads, says he's jealous of Steve's optimism.

Even Robin tells him that she thinks they might not win this time but all Steve knows is that they always have before. All Steve knows is that his instincts usually work out, let him protect the rest of them long enough to make the big and vital moves necessary to beat this thing.

All Steve knows is that he just, he's changed a lot but-- He's just the same kid who was cocky enough to run back into the Byers' house to fight a monster, stubborn enough to let the Russian's beat the hell out of him before he'd let them do the same to Robin and he--

"I don't know, I still have hope. Maybe this is the first time we actually win. Forever."

There's this sense of finality to it, hanging in the air, and she doesn't look convinced there in the same way she doesn't look convinced when he and Dustin are saying goodbye to the other three at Eddie's trailer, but Steve kisses her once on the forehead and says, "what are you waiting around for? Go kick some ass, your schmuck will be here when you're done."

His instincts have always protected them in the past.

It's his instincts that have him formulating a plan the second he realizes the bats are going to get inside the trailer, going to make a break for the gate and attack whole swaths of people unprepared for such a thing.

Dustin will be mad about being abandoned on the other side, but Steve's pissed him off before and he's always gotten over it.

It's in the doing, his ambition.

It's in the doing, the key to a well-spent life.

It's in the doing, the being of Steve Harrington, overconfident nature and all.

He always gets back up, every knock to the head and blow to the ego, Steve always gets back up, so he holds his ground and fights. Leads the bats away and keeps them there.

His mother wasn't wrong that he's changed, but she wasn't right when she claimed the thing he'd lost was his ambition. He'd found it, this force of nature in his chest that makes him willing to face down hell if it means the people he loves are safe.

He always gets back up, a tail around his throat.

He always gets back up, teeth in his flesh.

Steve Harrington is a pro at getting knocked down.

"I'll get up in a second, just-- just a second--"

"Steve there's-- there's so much blood-- Steve, you need to-- you have to get up now--"

"It's okay, it's okay, we won, just-- just another minute. Wanna see that-- Rob and the others made it back. Then we--can go--"

Dustin is crying. Dustin is holding him.

And Steve is bleeding out, he thinks somewhere indistinct and hazy at the back of his mind. He'll get up and fix that in a minute.

"You die, I die! Hey, hey motherfucker! Don't close your eyes-- you die, I die, you hear me?!"

It's in the doing, really, that Steve does as he's told just long enough to see the other three come stumbling out of the tree line towards them.

It's in the doing, in the choice of it, that he dies knowing they won.

(His mother wails when Robin approaches her at the shelter two days later with sunken eyes and unwashed hair. His father sinks into the closest chair and takes the offered keys to a maroon BMW with trembling hands.)

(It's in the doing that this time, in order to really win, they have to cling a little bit to his hope.)

[deficd]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

respond to the prompts out of character!

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? oh man. uh. i guess, following my url's general meaning, i choose to write muses on here that have defied their fates/expectations in some shape or form. this is true for more of my older muses on here, as i've definitely added some recently where i have to kinda twist that a bit. aside from that, i really just write muses that i can connect with on some level. my apparent calling is sad men who are prone to violence and are also incredibly sad/lonely. the mains i have floating in my head are usually there because it's the current media i'm consuming (i.e. star wars: the old republic). i could write long metas on why i adore all of my muses though. c':

is there anything you don’t like to write? uhh, you know. i'm actually pretty open to most things. i need some sort of action going on, regardless of the type, to keep interested i suppose. like, if there's a lot of conversation, i tend to get stuck. that's just because i struggle with it and i don't want to bore my partner, though. aside from that, pretty much any genre you throw at me, i'll be interested in writing.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? I'm a sucker for redemption au's, even if it takes thirty threads to get there. i enjoy writing the aftermath of a character's worst arc, and all of the guilt, pain, and sorrow that comes with it. so do i want to write arcann's redemption? yes. do i want to write about nihilus somehow healing from being a literal wound in the force? yes. (or even, writing who he was before malachor.) ragnar going back to being a farmer? please. all of it, yes. aside from that, i really, really enjoy hurt/comfort, violent/gore threads, general sci-fi adventure, and general fantasy adventure (the campfires, the fights, the enemies in between destinations, etc.)

how do you come up with headcanons?  it's kind of a mix between being inspired by outside sources, such as media, music, mututals, and things that pop into my head after hyperfixating about a muse for three straight hours or something. i do adopt headcanons/partial headcanons from other people, but like sparingly and if it's appropriate/i know them/have asked. most of the time i really just get hit in the face with them though.

do you write in silence or do you play music? i am someone that requires music to write. i need to drown out distractions however i can. i really struggle with being easily distracted (getting tested for adhd soon lol) because i can very easily lose a thought before i'm able to write it down. i find that with music i can focus better, and i have playlists that help with whatever mood i'm going for in the reply.

do you plan your replies or wing them? i usually just sort of write what comes to mind first and then, if i have questions about something, i'll either approach the other mun or write things in the tags. sort of referring to the previous question, i try to write my ideas down as soon as i see a reply, or i'll be prone to forgetting them.

do you enjoy shipping? yes, 1000% yes. i love all sorts of relationships, not only the romantic ones. i don't really get to write about platonic/friendships too often, but i really enjoy the times i can. that said, re: romantic ships, i'm usually on board if there's chemistry between muses. i also encourage other muns to approach me if they think they might want to ship because chances are, i'm already on board.

what’s your alias/name?  Lee

age?  old

birthday?  December 25th

favorite color?�� silver, purple, black

favorite song?  i... don't think i can choose? there are all sorts of songs that hit me in the right way. i can tell you a song i'm listening to on repeat right now is The Wind Weeps Eleanor by American Murder Song.

last movie you watched?  Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse, but I hope to go see Dune 2 this week.

last show you watched?  just started Shōgun and it's wonderful.

last song you listened to?  Dwamn by Tech N9ne 🫣 

favorite food?  fry bread! or a step further: navajo tacos.

favorite season?  winter

do you have a tumblr best friend? um i think i'm close to a few people on here, but the only one i know i can tag for sure is @vuulpecula starbuck has put up with my nonsense on here for years and somehow still talks to me lmfao we have the greatest and the worst ships and honestly i am always always always excited to write with her❤️❤️❤️

and idk if i should tag u because this is an rp meme and this is one of my rp blogs but @oolathurman is my other bestie and i've known and adored them for literal years so. yeah sflkjdslf❤️❤️❤️

TAGGED BY @valorums thank you<3

TAGGING @vuulpecula @riiese @hcxcd @fasciinating @juramentum @mistrdctr / @respondedinkind @auroradicit @red-white-and-trauma @blue-eyed-banshee @helreginn @astridnorddottir @brittlefcrged and YOU!

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"Wishing it Wasn't" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 12/18: Try Something New, Darling Pairing: CaptainSwan Rating: Teen (for gun violence in later chapters) Word Count: (1K/19.5K) Summary: Season 2 Canon Divergence: When Neal tells Emma he has a fiancée, she claims to have a new boyfriend of her own, and blurts out the first fairytale name she can think of: Captain Hook. Killian agrees to this ruse, but when feelings grow between the two, will the con be more than they can handle? Chapter Summary: Killian warns Emma about Tamara's evil plan. Tags: season 2, canon divergence, gun violence in later chapters, angst with a happy ending, fake dating, mild character death, mildly anti neal Author's notes: none Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @pirateprincessofpizza @pawshapedheart  [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 Emma sat in the Sheriff's station alone while her dad was out getting lunch. She'd been staring at the notes app for half an hour, trying to draft a perfect way out.

 "Killian and I broke up this morning."

 That sounded like a pathetic cover story, especially after how lovey-dovey they'd been the past two days.

 "Killian's going out of town for the week."

 Yeah. Like she could convince him to leave that easily, with unfinished business here in town.

 "I'm going out of town for a week."

 Even more ridiculous. She had responsibilities here and no excuses outside of town for her sudden departure.

 "We've been lying to you this whole time. Killian and I aren't really together."

 A confession like that over text message? How much lower could she stoop?

 "We need to talk."

 Bad move. It'd only make Neal feel so much more anxious- not to mention her anxiety at having this conversation in person- and what if he just didn't show?

 She sighed and set down her phone, then crossed her arms on the table and threw her head on them. This scheme was spiraling out of control faster than she could stop it- and it needed to end now. Every step she took to ensure that she and Killian looked like a perfect couple only made her wish they were. She enjoyed taking refuge under his arm a little more each time. Her smiles at him were becoming more and more genuine. She thought of him with every song that came up on the car radio.

 That's why she had to abandon this ruse. She couldn't stand falling for someone again- especially someone who she was sure didn't have feelings for her in return- that would be a big mistake.

 And even if she was sure he liked her back, even if he told her so plainly, even if he confessed love for her in dramatic speeches- not that he ever would, of course, and Emma scolded herself for even considering it- she'd heard all those words before, and they meant nothing anymore. She didn't know if she ever could trust him, and was almost thankful she wouldn't have to, that her feelings really were unrequited.

 Emma expected the interrupting footsteps entering the station behind her to be her dad's- and she never would've expected them to be Killian's- so when she saw him, she was hit with a sudden shot of panic, and wondered how to breach the conversation of their inevitable fake breakup.

 "No one else is around." Emma reminded herself, turning away from him after she saw he entered. "He'll be cold and distant again. I'll need to match that."

 "Hey, Hook." She said, pretending to be very interested in the stack of papers on her desk. "Something I can do for you?"

 "Swan, there's something I need to tell you." Killian said, almost sounding sincere. "But I'm not sure if you'll believe me."

 "I just found out two months ago that my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming." Emma deadpanned. "I've gotten a lot better at believing things recently."

 "Good." He said. "It's about Tamara."

 That was one of the last people she wanted to talk about right now. Tamara was one of those  people. She could do no wrong. She had this air of pleasantries and perfection that Emma found unsettling. She drove Emma's superpower haywire.

 "What about her?"

 "She knows about the fairytales, about the magic at the heart of Storybrooke, and she's out to destroy it."

 As much as Emma would love to believe that her ex's new fianceé was an evil mastermind, she didn't buy it.

 "How do you know?"

 "She thought she could trust the legendary Captain Hook to help her." Killian said. "She thought I'd leave this whole town to die just to defeat the Crocodile."

 "Wouldn't you?" Emma asked.

 She noticed that he didn't respond. She turned around to see him looking at her, staring at her, face tinted with hues of betrayal, shaded with despair.

 "Is that how you see…" he clenched his fist ever so slightly and shook his head, eyes closed, whispering almost to himself, "That's not important now." He then addressed Emma, "The point is, you, your family, and this entire town are in grave danger. Tamara's working with that outsider, Greg, and they're planning…."

 Emma's instincts had been telling her to trust him, and so did her superpower, but she was sure they were wrong, that her gut feeling was colored by her emotions- until he mentioned Tamara and Greg were in league.

 "She!" Emma interrupted him, then began digging through papers in her desk.

 "She?" Killian asked.

 Emma looked for her case file on the Greg Mendell crash. "Greg kept getting these phone calls while he was unconscious- calls from someone saved in his contacts as 'She.'"

 Emma found where she'd written down "she's" number, then pulled out her phone and pulled up Tamara's contact profile.

 "That's why that looked familiar." Emma said. "They have the same phone number."

 "What does that mean?"

 Emma grabbed her keys and gun off the desk.

 "It means whether or not you're right, Tamara's definitely not who she says she is." Emma said. "Can you take me to her?"

 "Of course." Killian said.

 She started to leave, but she was stopped by a hook around her arm. She looked down at it, then back up at Hook, readying to defend herself if this was the inevitable betrayal.

 "Why are you so quick to trust me?" He asked. "Aren't you afraid this could be a trap?"

 "I used to think everything was a trap." Emma said, "I still do. But last time I didn't trust you I was wrong, back on the beanstalk." She looked up at him and noticed some kind of genuine understanding in his eyes, then added. "I'm gonna have to trust you this time."

 He removed his hook's grip around her arm. "Thank you, Swan."

 "Don't thank me yet." Emma said. She turned away from him to build up a wall against his penetrating gaze, then tacked on an emotional barrier as well. "I could still be wrong about you."

[gamesception]

let's read rgu chapter 21, part 1.

Late again today. Slept in plus lost time doing more set up of the new toy. I'll make a separate post about that later. In the mean time, we've started chapter 21, or I guess volume 4 of the graphic novel collections, out of I believe 5.

I'm a little confused by that, because I'm pretty sure we're not doing the Black Rose arc. There's just not time enough to do that AND have a final confrontation with Akio. On the other hand, if Akio is the only thing we're doing for the rest of the manga, 7 chapters feels like maybe too much. But we are doing actually new stuff now - threatening Utena's friends with an arson attack is something that never happened in the anime, and is a solid move for raising the stakes and drawing audience heat, though as I mentioned last time if he had made Anthy do it I think that would have been more dramatic, drawn more heat, and fit Akio's character better. But then again, I don't really know this version of Akio yet.

this chapter in the scan opens with a brief recap. I don't know if the original manga chapter started with that, or if it was something added to the reprint volume.

We also get this recap here showing manga Anthy much more enthusiastically agreeing to follow Akio's orders.

the tag team manipulation of Utena starts with Anthy arranging for Utena to wake up late & be late for classes, stopping Touga from acting as utena's squire by redirecting him towards student council responsibilities, only... wasn't he supposed to quit the student council?

Anyway, Anthy doesn't wake Utena, but wouldn't you know it Akio just happens to show up with his Fancy Car just in time to give Utena a ride.

Only, Akio couldn't have known exactly when Utena was going to wake up, so now I'm imagining him just idling outside her dorm for like two hours, a stupid smarmy grin on his face the whole time, thinking "I'm so clever and devious!"

But Akio doesn't actually take Utena to class, instead taking her out on a joyride to take in scenic views in the area.

Akio's laying it on a little thick here, and you might criticize Utena for falling for it, except this bastard has been literally grooming her since she was six years old to be specifically vulnerable to exactly this kind of behavior. But Utena is savvy enough to think of how Akio is behaving similarly to Touga, who she knows was manipulating her - though she hasn't pieced together that Touga's whole manipulative affect was stolen wholesale from this bastard here.

Mentioning Touga briefly cracks Akio's mask, though.

"My former apprentice! How dare at fool defy me for your sake!"

I choose to read Utena's expression in this panel as being concerned by Akio's change in demeanor rather than struck by the sort of compliment, but it could be either way.

But before that tangent in the conversation can go any further, Utena slips and trips into the water, soaking her shoes, and Akio...

Yeesh. It's doesn't go any further than that, but still.

Back home Utena and Anthy have this conversation, where Anthy directly asks if Utena's falling for Akio. What is she thinking here? Is she afraid for Utena? Jealous over Akio?

Either way, Anthy's upset enough to go to Akio about it. It's still not clear here whether she's afraid that Akio will hurt Utena, or leave Anthy for her. For his part, Akio seems completely unaware of her concern, focused more on trying to come up with the absolute creepiest and grossest dialog possible, as befits 'Prince Licky-Licky'. "Your body will have to be put to Good Use"... Gross. Gross, Akio. That's gross. Go to jail.

That line - "What if she doesn't want to?" does definitely sound like Anthy being sincerely worried /for Utena/. But Akio's so wound up in his masterful manipulations that he doesn't catch the decidedly not Rose-Bridely thought.

...

There's more to this chapter, but I'm kind of burnt out and busy today, and this post is late enough already, so I'm going to end off here and finish the rest tomorrow.

[xpeachesncream]

bands | thirteen

[ series masterlist ]

summary: jeon jungkook has it all: the looks, the fame, the money, the women. being considered the sexiest man in the industry, he finds no complaints about the way his life is going nor does he find any reason to apologize for the way he approaches it. he is a force to be reckoned with - until he meets you.

pairing: stripper!reader x idol!jjk

genre: (18+) strip club/nightlife au, post grad au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 3.9k

warnings: cussing, mature language/implied sexual content, slight degradation, trouble stirring behind the scenes if you squint, yeonjun and soobin (txt) make an appearance but also as reg 18 yr olds lol

tags: @brightcolorsoffendme​ @min-nicoleee​ @eggbutnotyolk​ @ra-mun-e @miinoongi​ @jimidol​ @ppeachyttae​ @thebeebi​ @bluesharksandfish​ @kooafraid​ @liriaus​ @thisartemisnevermisses​ @ggukkieland​ @preciouschimine​ @sunniejinnie​ @cypheruby​ @cyb3rbab3​ @masterlists101​ @awhnamjoon​ @redhedhoseok​ @wooya1224​ @taeismydeath @jikookiekosmos​ @un2-verse​ @aynsx​ @wearenot7withu​ (please message me if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

"BTS' Jeon Jungkook rumored to be dating stripper from nightclub!"

"Jungkook is no longer single, ladies!"

"Jeon Jungkook is dating a stripper? Why the hell is he doing that?"

"Who the hell does she think she is? I bet she's not even pretty."

"Jungkook fell for a stripper? Out of all people? Damn, and I thought he was better than that."

Jungkook has been tired, the rumors constantly being spread day in and day out. But, it still didn't mean he was gonna say shit to prove himself to people out there. He didn't need to give anybody answers. Hell, this was strictly between you and him and that's how he wants to keep it.

Fuck every single one of you who didn't wanna be behind him and support him. Don't even think about calling yourself a fan of his if that's your mindset.

He could truly care less. He was happy and he felt ten times better than he has in a really long time. It's unfortunate how people love to stay narrow minded. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that it was so unfair for you - how they stuck to that stripper image, rather than really getting to know you beneath the surface.

But it's not like anyone else deserved to know the real you, not after all this shit. And he was gonna keep it that way, and protect you.

"Hey, don't listen to any of that shit, okay?" Jungkook says as he meets you in your car in the BigHit building garage. "None of that matters to me."

"I know, but Kook." You look at him. "Your career, BigHit literally might not even want me here and-and—"

"Then I'll make sure they understand it's not an issue, because it's really fucking not." He says, getting irritated only at the thought of the company giving him issues over you. He watches as you slightly frown, causing him to sigh and soften his own facial expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get worked up like that. It's just annoying how people are narrow-minded. This has absolutely nothing to do with you." You give him a small smile. "Come on, I'll walk you." You silently nod and hop out of your car. You follow beside him, your stomach in knots having to meet with their performance director. This meant you'd also most likely run into the rest of Bangtan.

In which happens to turn true pretty quickly.

"Jungkookie!" Hoseok says loudly down the hallway as he approaches the both of you. He does nothing besides smile, curiosity definitely filling his eyes.

"This is Y/N. Y/N, Hoseok hyung." He holds out his hand for you to shake, his head tilting ever so slightly because you know he's familiar with your face. He's just trying to remember from where. Or, he has recognized you, but he's trying his hardest not to say anything.

Cause they have seen all of you, especially in that fishnet bodysuit.

"Hi! Nice to meet you! You can call me Hobi for short. Are you meeting with someone?" You nod.

"Yeah." Is all you can reply with as you shyly tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

"Nice, goodluck!"

"Is everyone else here?" Jungkook asks, making Hobi nod.

"Yeah, but they're still running through some stuff in the dance studio. I just ran off to take a break."

"Okay." Jungkook looks at you. "Follow me, he's in one of the private studio rooms." You both part ways from Hoseok, the need to clutch onto Jungkook's arm immensely strong right now. You hold yourself off though, because even with passing a few female staff members, you catch them looking at you oddly with the way you're walking side by side with Jungkook.

Nope. Don't even think about it, Y/N. It doesn't matter.

Jungkook knocks softly on a door, the middle of it being made up of entirely frosted glass so it's difficult to see inside. Their performance director opens the door swiftly and welcomes you in with a warm smile, stepping aside to let you in.

"I've got it from here, Jungkookie. Thank you." Jungkook nods but tries to peek through the door to get one last glimpse of your face before he shuts it fully. "How are you doing, Y/N?" He sits in front of you, leaning onto his knees with his hands fully clasped together.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Good, tired." He chuckles. "Thanks for taking my call earlier and for meeting at such short notice on a weekend. I had a couple of things come up and didn't want to push things off until later." You smile.

"It's no problem."

"Jungkook tells me a lot about you."

"Does he now?" You chuckle and tilt your head to the side.

"Says you're a really good person. Super hardworking. Told me a little bit about your situation with your brother."

"Mmyeah, it's a little complicated."

"It's alright, no need to get into the details." He smiles before letting out a small sigh. "It's incredibly rare for me to hear Jungkook speak like that. In general. He's usually very closed off, doesn't like to let people in much. He really respects you, you know? Cares about you a whole lot." You slightly blush.

"I'm still getting used to it." He chuckled.

"Look, I know you've been worrying because of where you've been and all that, but I want to reassure you that none of it matters. I don't like to focus on all that. You're here as you, not her." He says, putting another pronoun to your stripper persona.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." He nods. There's a small pause before he begins to speak again.

"I could really use some help around here if you're still interested? The boys are becoming a lot for me to handle."

"Ah-uh, yeah! Of course I am." You found yourself stuttering at the sudden offer. Was this fucking real?! "But, you are aware of where me and Jungkook are at, right?" You ask, trying to be completely transparent and honest about their relationship. He nods and waves his hand out.

"As long as you keep it professional here, right?" You nod.

"Right."

"Come, let me show you around really quickly and have you formally meet the boys." You swallowed the lump in your throat. Fucking great. He definitely didn't know they've all seen your titties and pussy out during Yoongi's birthday, and now here you were - about to meet them again in this environment. Hobi was awkward enough even though he tried not to be.

Surprisingly, Jungkook wasn't waiting outside in the hallway like you thought he would be, but the tour commences and the PD is taking you around pretty quickly. You feel even more awkward and somewhat alone [even though you weren't] without Jungkook nearby, but you chug along and say your hello's to the people you're introduced to. He finally brings you into the dance studio, where there's loud ass music blasting, Jungkook, the boys and some backup dancers in front of the mirrors fooling around.

"Aye boys, come here real quick." You and Jimin lock eyes and your body suddenly gets tense. The room feels 10x hotter than it already is, especially when he slowly walks over and clenches his jaw. He is literally seeping with hate right now, maybe actually disgust, and he doesn't even try to hide it. Most of them for sure recognize you, but they seem to brush it off and give you a big wave/smile anyway.

"Last, that's Jimin - Jimin, Y/N." You give Jimin a fake smile, and the only thing his ass can reciprocate is the smallest, tight-lipped smile you have ever seen. You've never even seen your mom do that when she got mad or upset with you.

"Hi." Is all you can say.

"Sup." He looks at you before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Ooookay?" Namjoon furrows his brows as he watches Jimin walk away so rudely. "The hell was that about?"

"I knew that was Kookie's girlfriend! Maybe Jiminie remembers seeing her titties and shit too, needs to walk away before he gets his ass beat by him." Yoongi says lowly behind Namjoon.

"Yeah, like you're any better." Namjoon says, looking at Yoongi weirdly.

"I mean, we did see her practically naked." Jin says, chiming into the discussion.

"I touched her." Yoongi's mouth slightly hangs down. "I touched her."

"Go ahead, say it louder so Kookie can hear you." Jin nods sarcastically. "Go, say it!"

"No, stop." Yoongi's cheeks turn red while shaking his head and laughing. "He'll literally launch me out the window with one hand."

"Good."

"You asked for her to sit on your lap too, bro!"

"I was joking, and it's not like she did it anyway!"

"Whatever, I'm keeping my birthday deep in my memory storage."

"Clean slate for her so it should be for you too, my guy." Namjoon says as he has enough of their conversation.

You look at Jungkook who is silently standing there, looking like a big dork with a huge smile on his face and his thumbs up. You give him the tiniest nod before proceeding to follow the PD out.

"So?!" Jungkook dashes to meet you in their waiting room area, where an abnormally large picture of Jimin posing oddly hung up.

"He said he'll send me all the info and papers and stuff!" You respond excitedly as Kook hugs you and quickly swings you around.

"See, I knew it would work out!" He puts you down. "Are you gonna tell Kai?" You shook your head.

"Not today at least, it's his birthday and I don't wanna take away from that. It's his day." Jungkook smiles at you.

"Text me when you've picked him up? I should be home by then."

"Okay." You blush and back away, making Jungkook look at you with confusion. "I have to keep it professional here, duh."

"Ah I see." He chuckles. "That won't last very long."

"Jungkook." You whine.

"There's a lot of private rooms here and—"

"I'm not listening, sorry. I think Kai is suddenly calling me." You cover your ears as you begin to walk away, giving him one last smile before leaving him to the rest of rehearsals and whatever else they're doing. He laughs to himself as he waves you off, excited to get through the day so he can just spend time with you and Kai.

As the hours go on and it's about time for you to pick Kai up, you quickly stop by the store because you're a procrastinator and didn't buy Kai's birthday gift any earlier. You felt bad you weren't able to find the shoes he wanted, but you at least snagged the video game he had been talking about for a couple of days now. Before walking into the arcade, you made sure to write your birthday card and slip some more money into it before shoving it in your bag to give to him later.

"Your pretty sister is here." Yeonjun grabs Kai by the shoulder as he finishes up a game.

"Yeah, and you're too young for her."

"Age is nothing but a number. It's only like.. 6 years apart."

"Besides, she's taken, dude. Sorry." Kai snorts as he watches Yeonjun's smile fade. "You would have never had the chance."

"You're mean."

"I'm mean, or you just have really high, unrealistic expectations?" The rest of their friends laugh as they follow Kai over to you.

"Hey!" You smile at all his friends.

"Hiiiiii Y/N." They all say in unison, some waving in awe, while the others shyly dug their hands into their pockets. "Birthday boy, you all good to go? Got some good Loco Moco waiting for you."

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Happy birthday again, Kai! Get online later!" Soobin yells out.

"Yeah, yeah." He says, waving them off as he follows you out to your car.

"You guys run through the entire arcade?" Kai laughs.

"Pretty much." He sinks into his seat, legs damn near touching the glove compartment with how long he is. "I'm honestly so excited for Loco Moco. It's been years!"

"It has not been that long." You laughed.

"You're right, it's been months." Kai looks out the window. "Wait, you're passing the road to get to our go-to shop though?"

"Cause I found a better place."

"How is there a better place when that one was already supreme?!"

"Hey, trust me on this okay?" You laugh. Kai starts telling you about his day and how so many people he knew from school had been messaging him happy birthday. He truly looked his happiest today and it was all you could ask for. Though at the same time, your heart slightly sank at the fact that he'd be going off to uni soon and staying at the dorms. He was just growing up way too fast, and you wanted to spend as much time as you could with him now before he was too occupied being a college boy.

You slipped yourself past Jungkook's security, parking in the one guest spot they have in the garage that's closest to the elevator. Kai doesn't really question it and hops out anyway, his hands in his pockets as he follows you into the elevator and onto Jungkook's floor.

"You ready, kid?"

"Is this some like, Michelin Star Loco Moco restaurant?"

"Ah, I guess you could say that." You knocked on the door, hearing music playing in the background. Jungkook opens the door and Kai's eyes widen.

"Oh shit, that's Jungkook?" Kook laughs and steps aside to let you both in. "Sis why—what—how come you didn't tell me we were seeing your boyfriend? I look like a mess!" He says lowly.

"You don't!"

"Hey Kai! Happy Birthday!" Jungkook says smiling, making Kai actually blush. He's cheeks are tinted with a rosy color and he suddenly gets all shy.

"Thanks."

"Your brother's tall." Jungkook looks at him up and down.

"Looking at an 18 year old 6 footer."

"Must be nice."

"Go sit." Kai silently nods as he sits awkwardly on Kook's couch, while you go and check in on him in the kitchen.

"Is he always that shy?"

"No. Just with you, apparently. He's not even that shy around girls." You chuckle as he places a quick kiss on your head. "Need my help?" You still ask even though the plates are neatly prepared already.

"Not really." He smiles down at you. "You hungry though?"

"Starving, actually." Your eyes light up at the plates. "Ouuuuuu, yum."

"Honestly, I think this batch might be better than my first."

"Still honored to be your guinea pig." You carry a plate over to Jungkook's coffee table in the living room.

"Oh shit, that looks amazing." Kai says, slipping himself down from the couch to the floor so he could get a good whiff of the plate. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jungkook hands you the remote before walking into his room. "Pick something."

"Here, birthday boy. Help me choose."

"Let's watch Soul on Disney+." At this point, Jungkook comes out of his room with a wrapped present, his eyes locked on the TV.

"Ooh, I keep seeing this everywhere! Niceeeee." Jungkook says, smiling with Kai nodding and already digging into his plate. "By the way, this is for you." You shoot him a look as he sits on the floor by you, watching as Kai unwraps the present. Kai's eyes light up as he sees a shoebox underneath the wrapping, quickly flipping the lid open to reveal those blue Air Jordans he wanted.

"Kook?!" You say lowly, making him smile at you and gently pinch your side.

"Holy shit!" He holds out a shoe, only for him to immediately shake his head and close the box again. "Jungkook, I can't take this." Kai says.

"No, it's your birthday."

"Yeah, but isn't this expensive? You've already done so much for me and my sister, I-I don't want to—"

"Kai, it's cool. If it's one thing you can do to repay me, it's to take my present." You literally want to cry at how sweet Jungkook is being with your brother. He had been good to you, no doubt, but this was one thing you didn't expect from him at all. Quite frankly, you had forgotten you mentioned the shoes to him. The fact that he actually remembered and kept his word.

"Okay." Kai says, gently setting the box down aside before looking at Jungkook with a small smile on his face. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. Like, even with the food and everything. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." You give him a soft smile before digging into your food while Soul was already off to a start. Kai and Jungkook devour their food together, with you following shortly behind as Jungkook brings over a small ice cream cake from his fridge for Kai to blow his candles on. After the boys had helped themselves to a good serving of the cake, they started getting hyper and pulled up Smash Bros on Kook's Nintendo Switch [as if Kai hadn't played enough games today]. It started to get intense; the boys jumping and yelling everywhere, bouncing off of the walls, with you getting pulled into the competition every now and then. Even though you knew you'd lost over and over again, you happily joined in anyway, seeing how excited your brother was - plus, it was always a bonus to hear Jungkook's loudly obnoxious, nerdy laugh.

"I WIN!"

"Hey, hey, hey. I let you win because it's your birthday." Jungkook said, making Kai laugh as he crashed to the floor.

"Sure." Kai huffed and puffed. "Crap, I'm tired. What time is it?"

"Almost midnight. We should start heading out, bubba." You patted Kai's chest gently.

"What? No, it's late. Why don't you two just stay here?" You suddenly remembered you've had Kai's shit in your trunk since you dropped him off at Yeonjun's this morning. You didn't have any change of clothes, but that could easily be fixed with Jungkook's closet.

"Only if the queen wants, she's driving."

"It's late, baby." Jungkook says to you softly. "No way I'm letting you two head out there."

"Okay." You give him a small smile before handing your keys. "Can you do me a favor?" He chuckles.

"What is it?"

"Kai's duffle bag is in my trunk." He nods and takes your keys.

"I got it. Kai, you can take the guest room or my office room." Jungkook says with his 3-bedroom apartment having ass. "I have my computer in my office room though, and a pull out bed. I don't know how comfy you'll be."

"It's cool, I'll just take your guest room. I always bring my laptop and switch whenever I sleep at my sister's." Kai says getting up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jungkook says, toothlessly smiling at the both of you, completely endeared at how alike you two were - even down to the fact that you both said thank you for every little thing. If this was a result of Kai being close to you and having you as pretty much his mother figure, then Jungkook wouldn't know what to do with his feelings. He felt butterflies every time he thought about how cute and sweet you were, and he was always excited to be around you.

Jungkook does a quick jog to your car, grabbing Kai's Nike duffle from your trunk before jogging back to the elevator and back to his apartment. He walks in to see Kai helping you clean up the remaining dishes in the sink, tidying the rest of the things in his kitchen.

"Thank you." Jungkook says himself, a little unfamiliar with saying such a thing to be completely honest.

"You're welcome." You say softly, wiping your hands on his hand towel. "Off to bed, or are you gonna go online with your friends?"

"I'll see what they're up to, but I'm pretty beat. Today was fun." Kai smiles at the both of you. "I really appreciate it." You ruffle his hair a bit before gently pushing him towards his bedroom for the night.

"Bathroom's right over there, help yourself to anything you need."

"Don't stay up too late."

"Only if you aren't too loud." You gasp while Jungkook laughs out loud.

"Kai!"

"Hey, I'm just being honest. Please remember that I'm right in this room."

"Oh my god, go to bed." You shove him inside the room and shut his door. "Don't even say a word." You look at Jungkook shyly as you hurriedly brush past him to get into his room - even though Jungkook is literally right behind you with those long ass legs of his, making every stride so much easier for him to catch up to you.

"What's your outfit of choice tonight, pretty lady?" He shuts his door behind him as you start to make your way into his closet.

"Hm, I'll just wear this plain black--" You unfold it. "Balenciaga? Okay, I definitely can't just wear this to sleep."

"Why not?"

"Because this is like, name brand and everything."

"So?" He shrugs. "Just wear it, babygirl. It's not gonna make much of a difference, you're wearing it either way." You do a slight pout before you start to slip out of your clothes to get into his shirt. You make his way to his bathroom to take a little tinkle when you notice another toothbrush sitting next to his. A pink toothbrush, next to his blue one.

"Why do you have two toothbrushes?" You wash your hands as he comes in to the bathroom to start getting ready for bed.

"That's yours." Your eyes light up at his statement.

"Mine?"

"I figured since you'd be over more, it'd be easier for you." He furrows his brows lightly. "Unless.. you didn't want--" You press a kiss against his lips, his hands resting on your arms to keep you close.

"No, I did want that. Thank you."

"Of course, baby." He pecks your forehead.

"By the way, way to make me look like such a bad sister!" You say as you start getting your toothbrush ready.

"Why? The shoes?"

"The shoes, the Loco Moco, the games, the ice cream cake." You laughed. "I literally got him a video game and some money."

"I mean, he is turning 18. I wanted to help make it as memorable as possible."

"I appreciate you a lot. Really."

"I appreciate you too." Your eyes widen as you brush your teeth.

"Waaaaow, say thaht wun mohr tiyme." You say, pulling a Jungkook while brushing your teeth.

"Eye apprushiate yoh toh." You giggle. The both of you finish getting ready for bed before slipping into his warm sheets. Jungkook never goes to sleep early, however, he makes sure all the lights are off and that the show he's watching isn't too loud. You have no idea what's going on in his show, but you lay on his chest to watch for a little bit until you feel yourself getting a little more sleepy. He's holding you close, his hand brushing through your hair softly, causing tingles to ripple through your body.

"Kook."

"Yes, baby?"

"You make me happy." You say sleepily as you hung him tighter. He smiles down at you, your eyes now shut close as you slowly start to drift into a deep sleep. He presses a light kiss against your head, fingers still in your hair.

"You make me happy too, sweetheart."

[multimilfs]

Artemisia x Fem!Reader: Rays of A Sunrise

Summary: fyrepheonix requested "Artemisia from 300: Rise of An Empire Pls, Enemies to friends to lovers" and an Anon requested "I'm very curious about Artemisia, how about her trying to teach reader how to fight, throwing daggers maybe? Obviously that woman wouldn't waste an opportunity to tease, but also is supportive when reader eventually gets better? It'd be super cool!"

AO3

A/N: You know that fic I kept saying I couldn't stop adding to? This is it. This is a 44-page, almost 15,000 word google doc. I really dedicated myself to this one. It made me really happy to write and to see it all come together, so I really hope you like it! Please let me know 💖

Tag List: @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @multifandomfix @evil-feather @simplaif @escapetodreamworld @littlewitch-things @nonbinary-cryptid-baby @imtrashinflames @elenaguarnieri @angel7376

Warning(s): Mild Violence

There are few things more beautiful than a Persian sunrise.

Ever since you were a little girl, you’d wake early and perch on a windowsill, watching as the fiery rays painted the horizon. It was one of the few times the city below was quiet; no shouts of merchants or even the music from the square. Complete and utter peace.

In your position, peace was a rare gift. Days full of conversation and expectation made the mornings like a dream. Until one morning, shouts outside of your door left you agitated. So agitated that you ripped open the door to your chambers in only your nightgown.

You noticed a man first, one you knew well. Then you noticed a woman holding him by the neck. She was beautiful, you noted, but it mattered less than how she was mishandling your friend.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You demanded.

For a brief moment, the woman hesitated. Her eyes met yours and she glared heavily. She wasn’t so beautiful in this moment, she was terrifying. You looked into her eyes and saw only death.

“Removing a threat, your highness. Return to your room.” She said in a brisk tone.

The way she addressed you left you stunned. The rich fabric of her skirts, the golden armor said she was someone who should be important to you. Someone under your father’s thumb. Though she was different. There was more confidence in her shoulders than you’d seen in any of your father’s men. What made her different?

“I will not. This man is my friend, let him go.” You said.

Moving closer to the two of them, there was a beat when you expected her to obey. They always did. Your rank forced them to, whether they cared for you personally or not. The moment never came. Instead, she moved further away from you than before.

This wasn’t a random order. Your father had put her up to this.

“Bahman, tell me you’re not what she says. You’ve been my greatest advisor for years. Was it all a lie?” You asked, realizing that the woman’s favor would be a dead-end.

“No, princess, I swear it. I’d never betray you.” He said.

There were many things you could reasonably say you were good at, others not so much. You were miserable with a bow and arrows and even worse with people at times. But you could always see when someone was lying.

“I believe you,” You smiled, placing a hand on his arm as soon as you could, “He’s innocent. Let him go.”

“Those aren’t my orders, your highness.”

“Will it appease you if I get new ones?”

She stared at you for a long, agonizing moment. There was something curious in her eyes that drew you in. You had a task, however, that you wouldn’t be swayed from. She finally gave you a nod.

You gave Bahman’s arm a reassuring squeeze, folding your arms over your chest and walking away without so much as a glance to the woman. You only cared about getting her away from your friend. Nothing else mattered in this moment.

There was no effort in convincing your father. Despite being a hardened king, he still fell victim to the wants of his little girl. Even if you weren’t so little anymore.

You rushed back to the woman and Bahman with a smug look on your face. Now she’d have to listen to your commands and let your friend go. It’d wipe away some of her overly-confident demeanor. When you returned though, the woman was there and Bahman was not.

“Where is he?” You asked, looking around quickly, panic setting in.

“Your father’s will has been fulfilled, anything beyond that is unimportant.”

“He had a wife and a daughter, what have you done with him?”

“I wouldn’t advise troubling yourself with actions that can not be undone, princess.”

A cold, sweeping emotion covered you. Almost like a veil. It gave you chills, every nerve of your body standing on end as she stood before you. Cold, hard anger was all you could feel. And it would not be tamed.

It wasn’t that she had obviously killed your closest confidant, it wasn’t even that she’d unknowingly disobeyed your father’s order to let Bahman live. It was that she stood before you and had the audacity to look proud of her actions. Of murdering a good man with a beautiful little girl and stealing away the closest thing you had to a true friend.

In a move that was unlike you, you ripped her dagger from its sheath and rushed to plunge it into her chest. Your motions were unplanned and sloppy. They would have made your mentor furious, to see such a lack of form, but it was unimportant to you now. All you wanted was to make her hurt as you did.

She caught your arm swiftly, not moving a muscle otherwise. Her eyes were trained on yours. There was no anger as you expected, though maybe a little surprise.

“I will not fight you, your highness.” She said bluntly.

“I never said you had to.” You ground out.

“I will not allow you to murder me, either. Doing so would not suit you.”

“Don’t ever presume to know anything of me.” You snarled, wrenching your arm from her grasp.

Deep in your heart, you knew she was right. No matter how badly you wished to avenge Bahman, he hated killing, and so did you. It wouldn’t be right to take her life even if you could. But you refused to give her the satisfaction of understanding you at all.

“Stay away from me.”

Your command was harsh and even a bit childish, but the overwhelming emotions in your gut had left your mind blank. Wanting never to see her again was the only thing on your mind. You heard her say something in return. The slamming of your bedroom door made it difficult to hear, not that you cared to in the first place.

Reaching the window, you let out the bitter tears that’d been threatening your composure. Not only had she killed your closest friend, she’d stolen your sunrise too.

----

That afternoon during your court duties you sought to lay out the situation for your father. You’d barely gotten a word in edgewise before he ordered the doors opened and the very person you hoped to avoid led the common people in. A scowl settled on your face.

At your side, Xerxes noticed your expression. His eyes flickered between you and the woman, then between you and the common people. Some of them were beginning to shy away from you as a result of your scowl. He elbowed you hard.

Immediately, the scowl dropped and was replaced with a look of confusion. You turned on him with furrowed brows.

“What was that for?” You hissed under your breath, doing your best to remain quiet and not interrupt your father.

“You are creating unrest.” He said shortly.

“Unrest?”

“Your emotions are too plain at times, sister. The common people thought it was meant for them.”

A response was poised on the end of your tongue, only warded off by your father sending a glance towards the two of you. He was still speaking to the people, but the two of you drew his attention anyway. You’d drawn the attention of the people too if only for just a moment.

It was too public for him to say anything at the moment, so you were both spared from what was sure to be a severe reprimand. You carefully refocused your attention on the task at hand and only occasionally threw glares in the direction of the woman. Who, no doubt seeing them, didn’t once acknowledge them.

----

“If I gave an order and it was fulfilled, I will not punish one of my servants for it. Least of all my Naval Commander.”

“You had given another command by then.”

“One you were too slow to deliver, my dear.”

Anger was building in the pit of your stomach. It couldn’t be so hard to realize that what happened was wrong. That at the very least, he deserved to be mourned.

“He was innocent, Baba. Is this the precedent we’re setting, that the royal family murders innocents?” You asked.

His gaze turned cool and you felt the urge to shy away from it. You knew what you were doing - you were no fool to his weaknesses, to the weaknesses of any king. Xerxes had frozen as you spoke and waited for any reaction.

“I’ve said my piece. You may feel as you wish, but that will not change.” Your father said.

“Can we… I’d like to take care of his family at least. Ensuring their prosperity is the least I can do.”

He narrowed his eyes before nodding slowly. The grip he’d maintained on the arms of his throne loosened. You let go of some of your anger, relaxing your shoulders and letting them fall back.

“You may give them as much as they require,” He allowed, “But as the threat has not been located, we will have to be extra careful of those we trust.”

You nodded, simply feeling content with having made some sort of progress. Something was better than nothing. The first step was sending for Bahman’s family and breaking the news, not that you were looking forward to it. From there you could help them to remain stable. And if you couldn’t bring your friend back, the least you could do was take care of his family in his stead.

----

“Good morning, Baba.”

You pointedly ignored a new presence at your table, leaning in to place a kiss on your father’s cheek. He didn’t return your greeting except in a low hum. The hearty meal on his plate was more interesting at this early hour.

Xerxes was seated at the other end of the table, far from you, your father, or your guest. His face was drawn and he made the barest hint of eye contact with you. You couldn’t help but let a look of confusion cross your face, though you didn’t pursue any questioning.

The only open seat was next to the one person you wanted to avoid. You refused to look at her, even as you felt her eyes on you. It took all of your composure not to break out into an angry blush. Instead, you focused intently on the tablecloth, only looking up when one of the servants brought your plate.

“Daughter, you know our Commander, of course?” Your father’s voice finally addressed you.

You resisted the urge to tense your shoulders or roll your eyes at the question. How could you possibly forget her? She was one of the pride and joys of Persia. And a murderer. One that you could never get too far away from.

“Yes, Baba.” You said, offering up a tense smile as you speared a vegetable rather violently.

“She’s here on my request,” He said slowly, making your shoulders finally tense. You knew that tone too well, “The threat has still not been eliminated. I’ve asked her to shadow you as a protective measure.”

The scoff that left your mouth was purely accidental, but you felt the situation called for it. You’d been trained in self-defense since you could hold a knife. Any possible threat to your body was something you could handle, you didn’t need any help on that front. And you certainly didn’t want any from the Commander.

“I’m more than capable of handling myself. The Commander has more important tasks than looking after me, perhaps like taking her fleet to any of the furthest possible shores and doing something productive there,” You stood abruptly, though you had just sat down. Giving your father and brother a tense half-smile, “I believe I’ll finish my breakfast in the library.”

Your servants scrambled to clear your space, as you walked quickly out of the room. A sigh left your father’s mouth while passing, inspiring a fresh pang of guilt. He was only looking to maintain your safety. But you refused to make yourself need Artemisia of all people.

Closing the door to the library, the guilt subsided, though you knew an apology would be warranted later. For now, you felt safe surrounded by the smells of leather and fresh ink. None of the inconveniences of the outside would bother you in this room.

After quite some time of flipping through pages and taking in the information there, the door opened. You assumed it was your friend by the way the sun was hanging in the sky.

“Good Afternoon, Amani. I’ve gotten an early start, so you don’t have to transcribe nearly as many chapters today.” You called out, attempting to clean some of the ink off of your fingers.

When the chair across from you scraped against the floor and there was no response, you looked up curiously. Directly into the amused gaze of none other than Artemisia. Instantly, your body tensed and the smile you wore dropped from your face.

“Commander, I wasn’t sure you knew where the library was.” You commented.

“I took the liberty of figuring out, your highness.” Artemisia responded, your jab not seeming to affect her as she propped open a random book.

You glared openly at her, not caring in the slightest if anyone walked in and noticed. You refused to hide your dislike. Her disregard for anyone but herself was completely at the forefront of your mind. The only time she does anything for anyone else, you thought, is to better her reputation.

“How fortunate for me.”

In an effort to get away from her, you rushed between the high shelves. Fortunately, it allowed you a break, and aided your purposes. You’d finished transcribing an old book of Persian poetry. It was a passing hobby you’d taken up to fill your afternoons. You thought that by transcribing the palace library, it’d make Persia seem more welcoming to those who spoke different languages.

Plucking the next book from the shelf, you eyed it slowly. It would take some time to properly do the work justice. When you turned to move back to the table, Artemisia was standing there. You jumped and let out a slight noise.

“What the- Go back to the table and stop frightening me.” You demanded.

“I have to ensure your security. The threat could be lying here in wait.”

“In the library? That’s unlikely.”

“It’s unlikely until someone runs a sword through your chest. You spend most of your time in the library, making it the perfect place.”

“Nobody is in here, I unlock the doors myself.” You grit out, shoving past her.

“Locks can be picked and doors can be locked from the inside,” Artemisia sighed, showing the first sign of emotion besides pride, “If this is to work, your highness, you must stop fighting me.”

You bit back the words on your tongue. If you allowed yourself to speak in anger, you’d come off differently than you intended. Your anger made you foolish, daresay childish. That was the last demeanor you wanted to project as a royal. Especially to someone who’d likely enjoy the glimpse into your anger.

“Fine,” You said finally, “But I have terms of this… arrangement.”

“Name them, your highness.”

“One, we don’t speak unless I choose to speak with you; I’ve had enough conversation with you to last a lifetime. Don't get friendly. Secondly, don’t hover, it’s distracting. You can watch me and keep me safe at a distance. Understood?”

“Perfectly.”

The unaffected air of Artemisia’s demeanor was perilously close to testing your nerves. You’d lost so much at the extension of her reach; your dearest friend and now your freedom. Part of you wished she’d give you something more to despise. The knowledge of what she’d done while fulfilling orders didn’t feel sufficient.

Anything she did was carefully devoid of emotion. Almost to the point where you began questioning if she had emotions at all. You would glance at her more than proper, searching for any clues. A part of you began scheming on how to make her react.

Artemisia only moved when something else around her moved. Servants or advisors would enter the library and she’d watch them critically, scanning them for anything she deemed to be a threat. If you moved, she would watch then too, following at a safe distance if you moved out of her original range.

Nothing caught her off guard. The opening of the library door didn’t startle her, neither did the moments you’d abruptly stand up. It was like she’d been trained not to have reactions. The cold, empty expression she wore was driving you mad; you wanted to know how to break it. You wanted to know how to break her.

Your father had many soldiers of a similar bearing, but you’d even seen them break before. A surprising command or swift punishment would warrant the slightest change, their eyebrows would lift higher on their faces or they’d make brief eye contact with one another.

Artemisia, you unfortunately kept realizing, was entirely different.

So caught in your thoughts, you failed to notice someone else enter the library. There was a buzzing in your ears until it took a familiar shape, forming words.

“Your highness?” A voice broke through, making you look up. From the expression on her face it hadn’t been the first time he called for you. Out of the corner of your eye, you could swear that you saw Artemisia glance over.

“Yes?” You asked, clearing your throat and sitting up straighter than before.

“Fairuza, wife of Bahman, is waiting for an audience in the throne room.”

His words sobered you up. You had called her from her home to tell her the news in person, now you wondered if you’d made the right decision. Sweat formed on your palms.

“I’ll be with her shortly.” You said, wincing slightly at the weak thread in your voice.

He nodded, bowing before you and then taking his leave. The silence felt heavier as thoughts went through your mind. You felt wholly unprepared to give her the news, even more unprepared to handle her reaction to it.

You stood slowly, ignoring the weak feeling in your legs. The walk from the library to the throne room felt painfully long. So lost in your anxiousness and fear, you didn’t have any feelings towards Artemisia following at a distance. If things were different, you mused, you might feel more angry about it.

Upon entering the room, you scarcely had time to breathe before a body slammed into yours. You stumbled, righting yourself just before you fell. A warm hand on your lower back aided you briefly before it was gone.

“Anahita, my love, be careful. We don’t wish to injure her highness.” Fairuza’s voice admonished.

“It’s quite alright,” You said, finally gathering your bearings, “I’m very excited to see her as well.”

You hesitantly ran a hand through the girl’s hair, watching as she beamed. It broke your heart. You didn’t want to taint her heart with the news, to dull her smile when she learns her beloved Baba wasn’t coming home to her. A shaky inhale was all you could do to fortify yourself.

“Your highness, I’m sure you’re busy so we won’t keep you. What have we done to earn the honor of your summons?”

Fairuza meant well, but you wished you had more time. You had no idea how to break such news to someone. In the past, when someone was executed, they had been guilty of a crime. How do you tell a loyal woman that her innocent husband was executed in your service?

“I’m afraid this might be something too… sensitive for little ears.” You said.

“That’s alright, your highness. Anahita is a big girl now.”

You wanted to argue against that statement, but knew it wasn’t your place. You may be a princess, but you were in no way a mother. Faruzia’s judgement was absolute in regards to her daughter.

“Fairuza, Bahman...  Bahman won’t be returning home.”

A pin dropping would have felt painfully loud. The silence dragged on, like a punishment for a crime you hadn’t committed. Fairuza’s face crumpled and you wanted to reach out, but she regained her composure just in time.

“What happened?” She asked.

“He was suspected of being a traitor to us.”

“And was he?”

“No. No, he was innocent.”

“Then why was he... “ She tried, but was unable to finish when she looked down at Anahita, who was oblivious to the entire situation.

“The order was carried out before anyone could vouch for his innocence.” You said.

“Who carried out the order, your highness?”

There was a deep, overwhelming emotion in her eyes that you’d never seen. It made you feel ill to even meet her eyes. You couldn’t imagine the pain this brought her, the pain she’d live with for the rest of her life. At your side, your fingers twitched with the desire to point behind you.

“I don’t know.” You said, the words spilling from your mouth unchecked.

Behind you, you heard a sudden inhale. You hated that she’d choose now to show any sense of emotion. It stole any sense of satisfaction you had. You’d caught her off guard, but at what price?

Fairuza nodded slowly. Her fists gripped at her skirts, knuckles turning white with the force of it. You felt for her, but you were also in awe of her composure. You were sure that if you’d been in her situation, you may have reacted much differently.

“Thank you for bringing me here and breaking the news, your highness. We won’t trouble you any further.”

The quick turn-around surprised you, catching you off guard long enough for Fairuza to have collected Anahita. You blinked at her hurry. You were in no such rush to urge them away from you or out of the castle.

“Fairuza, wait,” You called as your mind finally caught up, “This can’t be easy in any way, but I would like to help your family. That way you can all live as you have.”

“I couldn’t accept that, your highness, it-”

“Please, Bahman would want you to be secure.” You interrupted, reaching out and taking the woman’s hands. She stared down at them, not daring to make eye contact with a royal.

A set of eyes felt as if they were burning holes into your back. You wanted to turn around and say anything right about now; tell her to mind her own business, to know her place, anything. No matter how much you wanted to, you couldn’t bring yourself to even acknowledge her at the moment.

You couldn’t ignore that you’d lied on her behalf, protected her against the family of the man she’d killed. Some instinctual part of you had spoken before your brain could tell you not to.

“Thank you, princess, that’s very kind of you.”

Fairuza’s hands squeezed yours before they pulled away, resting on the shoulders of her daughter. You offered what you hoped was a convincing smile. A glinting caught your attention, your eyes drawn to a beautiful necklace resting at her throat. It boasted a beautiful blue pendant, though you couldn’t figure out what it was made of. You snapped back into the moment, feeling embarrassed at how much time you’d let pass.

“No thanks are necessary. The resources you require will be delivered to your home by the morning’s end tomorrow.”

Two of the palace guards escorted them from the room. Before they were completely out of sight, Anahita turned and offered you a small wave goodbye. You returned it instinctually.

As the doors closed, you felt exhausted. Would that be the last time you saw the girl so happy? You wrapped your arms around yourself while the thoughts swarmed. You could have done more, your mind insisted, you could have saved him.

A particularly heavy breath from the woman behind you reminded you where you were. In an instant, you stood completely straight, turning away from where you’d just been. You avoided any and all eye contact with Artemisia as you walked away.

——

The next few days following the meeting found you struggling and throwing yourself into a self-induced isolation as a result. Besides your chambers, the only place you wandered to was the library. You would reside there until long after the sun had set and you had to squint against the candle light to read the pages.

Artemisia bid you a goodnight long before then, in accordance with your father’s new rules; since the threat hadn’t been eliminated or even found out, he wanted the Commander fully on her guard. Every night as the sun touched the horizon, she would excuse herself quietly, and one of your father’s personal guards would replace her until the early morning.

This change gave you what felt like a break from her. From trying to decipher why you couldn’t get her out of your head. Every thought was consumed in some way with her, whether it meant figuring her out or figuring out your reactions to her. It also meant that you were allowed to seriously overwhelm yourself without anyone stepping in. The personal guards were made to be seen, not heard, and they certainly wouldn’t go beyond their bounds to advise you in any way. Only the Commander had the courage to do that. But then again, only the Commander had the advice the crown needed.

Around the middle of the morning, your head would finally drop to the table, and you’d sleep blissfully for half an hour. Then your misery would creep back in and torture you, plaguing you with nightmares. You were lucky to wake up before they went too far.

You’d throw yourself back into your books, content to pretend nothing had ever occurred.

——

One of the following nights, Artemisia did not excuse herself like normal. You worried that maybe you’d misjudged the time until the sky turned black and she was still present.

“Commander,” You asked, “Isn’t it past the bed-time my father set for you?”

You couldn’t help a little tug at the corner of your lips, thinking yourself rather clever.

“Yes, but your father could not spare any of his guard this evening.” She answered neutrally, though you could swear she’d looked the slightest bit amused.

“Why is that?”

“I’m afraid that information is not for anyone's ears but my own.”

“Did my father state that explicitly?”

“Yes.” Artemisia said, raising an eyebrow. She was clearly waiting for you to fight her on this.

Grumbling for a few moments, you went back to your work. You wanted to challenge her on this point and say that as a royal, you were one of the few the rules didn’t completely apply to, but you didn’t have the energy to form such an argument. Your brain felt like it was running in circles. The amount of mistranslations you’d written and scrubbed away to a testament to that.

It wasn’t until you knocked over a vial of ink that you truly felt something besides exhaustion. A large wave of anger slammed into you and as a result, you finally slammed the book shut and tossed it down the table. Unaware of the ink covering your hands, you dragged them down your face, staining part of your cheek.

You let your head rest in your palms, barely fighting against the heaviness of your eyelids. Sleep was beckoning and you went willingly.

When a hand gently shook you awake, you had little idea how much time had passed. You didn’t care at the moment. Your only focus was on who was touching you.

“Princess,” Artemisia’s voice finally whispered into your ear, “You should return to your chambers.”

“Hm?” You asked, blinking as her face blurred and unblurred in your vision, “No, I’m content to stay here. My book…”

“Your book is halfway down the table and you’ve spilled your ink. Half of it went to fixing the basic mistakes in your work. It will be here in the morning.” She said, leaving no room for argument.

Staring down the table at the book, you had absolutely no desire to retrieve it. The thought of your plush bed was sounding more enticing with each passing second. You nodded, standing up slowly, not paying too much attention to the warm hand on your arm leading you from the large room.

The walk to your chambers passed in a haze and you only realized where you were when the Commander opened the door for you. A small pang of shame hit you in the chest, but it was quickly overtaken by your exhaustion.

You went to throw yourself in bed when Artemisia’s hold on your arm tightened. Turning just barely, her other hand gripped your chin and turned your face. The hold surprised you and stirred up a peculiar feeling in your gut. Unbidden, your gaze dropped to her lips for a moment before you caught yourself.

“You’ve covered your face in ink. It will stain if it isn’t removed.” Artemisia said, eyes focused on the spot, rubbing at the blemish with her thumb.

“I can take care of it.” You whispered.

She nodded, dropping her hold on you and stepping back. Your body felt much colder than before as she went to stand guard outside.

“Goodnight, Commander.” You called out before she could close the door.

You’d caught her off guard and she looked back with an indescribable look. She nodded, one hand on the door pulling it shut, though not before returning the sentiment, “Goodnight.”

——

Recovering from your brief stint of sleeplessness, you felt a mortified feeling settle in the next morning. You despised the way you’d left yourself vulnerable to so much by not properly caring for yourself. Anyone could have posed a threat, but you wouldn’t have known.

Another part of your mind was refusing to acknowledge the kindness Artemisia had shown you the night before. If she hadn’t forced you to return to your room for a proper night of rest, no one would have. You felt you owed her.

Your gut still twisted with an unpleasant anger at the thought of her, but it couldn’t be said that you were unreasonable. She’d shown you a great deal of kindness and you intended to repay her. Then the two of you would be even and you could go right back to despising her.

“Good morning, Commander.” You said, pulling the doors open and offering her the smallest smile you could without seeming overly warm.

“Good morning, princess,” She greeted you.

Her eyes squared in on your cheek, piquing your curiosity, before understanding flooded you. Visions of her hold on you, her face an inch away from yours only hours before made your face hot. You were ashamed that she’d flustered you without trying.

“I hope your night was quiet.” You said, clearing your throat loudly in the quiet space.

“It was.”

You were walking towards the library slower than normal. Her presence at your side drew your attention, staring into her face rather than at the path ahead. She guided the both of you with ease.

“Have you gotten any rest?” You asked.

For a moment, her eyes moved away from the hall in front of you, meeting yours. She narrowed them as if searching for something. As quickly as she’d done it, her focus was directed back away from you.

“Guarding you is not an opportunity for rest.” She answered finally.

“I wouldn’t have minded. You need your rest as much as I do, if not more.”

“Leaving you unprotected would be irresponsible.”

“So is attempting to protect me with no rest,” Turning her eyes to yours, the two of you locked your gazes in a silent battle, “Lack of sleep impairs judgement, Commander.”

“For you, that may be.”

The two of you arrived at the library doors and you dug into your pocket for the key, only to find your pockets empty. Instead, the intricate brass tool was being held out in front of you. You took it but found yourself distracted while sliding it into the lock. You had no recollection of giving Artemisia the key or of locking the doors. The thought of how many details you were missing nagged at your mind.

Seeing the layout of the library, it remained the way you remembered. Your book laid crooked on the end of the table nearest to you, the spilled ink sat in a half-dried puddle. The fact that it was still wet proved how recently you’d actually been in the room.

You wordlessly settled into a routine, Artemisia standing just inside the door as always. Removing the ink from the wooden table had been easy enough, but you were glad you hadn’t dressed nicely, as drops of ink had colored your skirt.

The door opened and you looked up, watching curiously as one of the castle servants came to clean up the ink. She flushed when she realized you’d already taken care of it.

“My apologies, your highness,” She said, looking at you in worry, “I should have arrived sooner.”

You heard what she was saying to you and your brain was processing it, but your eyes were focused entirely on Artemisia. When the library doors opened, you caught on to an unconscious system; in quick motions, her back would straighten and her hand would fall to the sword on her hip. This time she’d been clumsy, hand missing the hilt of her sword at first. To anyone else it would have been nothing. To you, it spoke volumes to her exhaustion.

More time than appropriate had passed since the timid servant had spoken and you gave her a kind smile, “It’s not a problem, but would you be kind enough to dispose of the rags for me?”

“Of course, your highness.”

The situation was taken care of in no time and the doors shut once more, leaving only you and Artemisia in the room. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, even though yours were focused directly on her, “Commander.” You called.

“Your highness.”

“You’re tired.”

“I’m perfectly rested-”

“Commander, I’m not blind. Lack of sleep will topple even the most formidable leaders. I’m not going anywhere, lay down.” You motioned to a couch just at your left. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat available, but it’d do the trick.

“I will not leave you vulnerable.”

“Will it put you at ease if I lock the doors until you’ve gotten enough rest?”

She looked to be mulling over the idea before she gave you one slow nod. You were on your feet and locking the doors in an instant. Gently, you pushed her over towards the couch. The touch only lasted a few seconds at most, but it was enough to earn you a grumble from the other woman. She didn’t enjoy being handled, it seemed.

Her move to the couch was slow and hesitant. At any second, you expected her to abandon the pursuit and return to her post. She surprised you by actually taking a seat.

Artemisia never looked anything less than composed at all times, but there was something in her form speaking to her discomfort. You avoided looking at her for longer than a moment. If it were you, you reasoned, it’d make you largely uncomfortable to be watched in your sleep.

It didn’t take long for her to fall into sleep. You only knew because her breathing grew heavier in sleep, a fact you tucked away in your mind. Despite your focus on the book before you, you found your eyes drifting back to her. The lack of a blanket rubbed you the wrong way.

You remembered one from the previous day, tucked in the back of the library among the unorganized books. Quietly, you tiptoed back to the area, locating it rather quickly. It was a rich blue color almost like the sea.

Before you could reach for it, a hand clapped around your wrist and made you yelp. You whipped around to see Artemisia was the perpetrator.

“Why in the world are you sneaking up behind me?” You snapped.

“You moved out of my sights.”

“You were asleep, I was out of your sights no matter where I was! Was it so terrible for me to get you a blanket?”

“It was when you’re oblivious to the threats around you.”

“What the hell are you on about, Commander? I’m in no more danger now than I am at the table.” You rolled your eyes, leveling a glare at her.

She didn’t react to your words or your glare, seemingly as if she hadn’t heard them. Her eyes focused behind you before landing back on your own, “Look at the blanket, your highness.”

“What?”

“Look at the blanket.”

“You’re losing your mind, Commander. What in the world am I going to see-”

When you looked back at the blanket, movement caught your eye. You squinted at the object curiously. Then it came again; only this time you made out a bright, lithe form moving among the fabric. The light reflected off of the blue coloring of the body. You backed away, right into Artemisia’s form.

“What is that?” You whispered harshly, looking up at her.

“A snake.” She answered, eyes never leaving the spot in front of you.

“I’m not stupid. What is it doing in my library?”

“I’d gather that it’s the work of whoever wishes to harm your family.”

A chill ran down your spine at the images in your head. You would have grabbed the cloth, completely unsuspecting until a pair of fangs sank into your arm. Only then would you have noticed what had happened. By that point, no matter what you’d done, Artemisia wouldn’t have been able to help you.

You leaned back against her, your legs feeling heavy. Your wrist felt cold as she finally released it, wrapping her arm around your waist to keep you standing.

“I need to dispose of it, your highness.” Artemisia said, the words soft against your ear. You could only nod. With no small amount of composure, you moved to a nearby seat, not trusting your legs.

She drew her sword from the sheath at her hip, nudging the blanket with the sharp end. The snake slithered around it before a mean-looking face appeared. It’s forked tongue shot out, the mouth opening entirely as it hissed.

Not held back by any fear, Artemisia swung up with her sword, ending the threat. You couldn’t watch and looked intently at your feet.

A hand came into view; palm up, waiting only for your own. You took the offered appendage and stood with her help. The threat had been only that, a threat - until now. Now it wasn’t truly a threat, but a promise. They were coming after your family--after you--and it was only a matter of time.

“Thank you.” You whispered weakly.

“Of course.”

Absentmindedly, you wondered if she meant it. She was doing a duty to someone else, always acting as if it was nothing beyond that. You had to think that some of it was. Not everything she’d done for you could be orders, could it? The thought that it very well could be left a hollow feeling in your stomach, though you couldn’t fathom why.

She took the key to the doors from your hand and opened them, yelling something you couldn’t make out at someone you couldn’t see. You sat there as she closed it and glanced over to you, before taking care of the scene behind you.

Within a few minutes, the door burst open and your father marched in, a number of guards at his back. He moved to your side, glancing you over.

“How did this happen?” He asked clearly, in a tone that you knew wasn’t meant for you.

“Someone must have access to the library, your majesty. I locked the doors personally before leaving last night.” Artemisia answered, voice as stiff as her form surely was.

“Who frequents this room?”

“Besides multiple servants, the most frequent visitor is Amani, who helps transcribe the books here.”

“It’s not Amani.” You said immediately, “I’d know.”

“With all due respect, my daughter, you have no way of knowing any of this. None of us do. We need to follow any lead we may have,” King Darius said, looking away from you, “Commander.”

You didn’t have to look at her to know she’d given a nod. The heavy material of her skirts and the clink of her armor alerted you to her movements. If her father was sending her, you knew it wasn’t answers she’d come back with, but blood.

“Commander, don’t.” You said, catching her arm as she moved past. She stopped and looked at your hand on her for a long moment, “Please.”

Only a sharp inhale let you know that she’d really heard you. Placing a hand atop yours and removing it from her arm, all she offered was a squeeze. You looked away with a sinking feeling of acceptance. Your father’s orders came first.

She left the room to fulfill his wishes without so much as a backwards glance. Your father pressed a kiss to your temple, before following after the Commander.

----

You waited in the library for the rest of the day with your father’s guards remaining inside of the door. A part of you couldn’t help but despise them, not for being there, but for being where the Commander should have been. Every time the door opened it was only a servant. Though you jumped up just the same with each entrance.

The hours passed in a blur. You couldn’t focus, every movement around you catching your attention. The doors remained closed for so long that you wondered if they’d ever open again.

Then they did.

You sat up straighter, but it wasn’t the Commander who walked through the doors. It was Amani. She looked shaken, but didn’t have a scratch on her.

“Amani? Are you alright?” You asked softly, standing to greet her.

“I’m… Yes, your highness, just shaken.”

“What happened?”

“His majesty and the Commander came to question me about my time here and… a serpent?”

The woman’s voice was full of enough confusion to confirm your initial thoughts. She hadn’t been the one to place the serpent. You were triumphant in that, but shocked to see her in one piece. Mercy in any form wasn’t Artemisia’s goal.

It seemed she’d made an exception.

----

When you saw her, it would have been all too easy to let the act slide, but you couldn’t. It meant the world to you. You couldn’t imagine it was easy to go against her nature, the habits of battle she’d formed, but she had. She’d done it for you.

“I saw Amani this morning.” You commented offhandedly. Just barely glancing from the pages of your book, she gave you a knowing look.

“I would hope so, your highness. You do work with her.”

You gave her a glare, though there was nothing really behind it. It’d be easier if she wasn’t so cagey about the kind things she did. Though you reasoned they were few and far between. They were certainly not in line with her character either, but that’s what made it so satisfying.

“Thank you... Artemisia” You whispered softly, finally meeting her eyes. You didn’t need to specify what you were thanking her for.

She blinked slowly as if she hadn’t heard you correctly. It made you wonder how long it’d been since anyone had spoken to her and not the Commander. Your heart ached in sympathy. It was one thing to be proud of your rank, but it was another to be completely defined by it - to be nothing else.

For once, her stare was filled with something else. Some emotion you couldn’t decipher. Had you made a mistake, being so informal with her? You opened your mouth to apologize, to do anything to relieve the tension, when she beat you to it.

“You’re welcome.” Artemisia returned in the same soft tone.

Her voice sent a chill through you that you couldn’t decipher, but you wrote it off as the quick change in your own emotions. You shared a nod before returning to your duties. Though you couldn’t help but glance back at her, surprised to see her still watching.

----

“Commander?” You said, immediately opening the door to your chambers to ask her a question. The thought of impropriety didn’t bother you much, but she was sure to keep her eyes away from you.

“Yes?”

“Is General Ahmand going to be part of tonight's celebration?”

“I believe so, your highness.”

You groaned, letting your head fall against the doorframe with a thunk. Artemisia raised an eyebrow, hazarding a glance to you from the corner of her eyes. She looked away as you raised your head.

“General Ahmand has a misguided belief that I harbor affections towards him and seeks to gain my attention at every celebration. I have no desire to interact with him, will you remain close to me?”

Asking the question felt like forcing daggers from your throat. It felt uncomfortable, asking her for help, even though she’d offer it anyway. You’d never willingly let yourself need her before. It was why you’d opened the door in only a slip, so she couldn’t look through you and see such thoughts.

“If you wish it, then it will be so.” Artemisia answered.

Nodding, you lingered there. You wished that there was more to say. More to offer her so she understood your gratitude, but nothing came to mind. None of it felt good enough.

You disappeared back into your chambers as quietly as you’d first appeared.

----

Just as you’d requested, Artemisia stood at your side stoically. One hand rested on the hilt of her sword with the other folded behind her back. Those who approached you did so with visible hesitance, casting multiple glances in the Commander’s direction. You felt relieved that she warded off any unwanted attention.

At least, she did until the drinks began to flow.

You’d had a drink yourself, as was customary. But only one. Any more than that and you would have regretted it later. Experience is the best teacher, as you unfortunately learned years prior.

Everyone laughed louder when they were intoxicated. It was a pleasant sound to cover up an unpleasant thing. Most of the people in the room would be perfectly behaved here in the palace, only to turn later. Normal hands would become rough, melodic voices would go rough. It dissolved any composure that evolution created.

“I believe if Lady H has another drink, she may fall into bed with the wrong person.” You muttered softly to the Commander, hiding your amusement behind the rim of your glass.

Artemisia’s mouth turned up in her version of a smile. You couldn’t help the satisfaction it rendered to know you’d caused her reaction.

“I’m afraid I must disagree.” She said in return.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Her husband won’t allow her enough freedom to do so.”

The two of you made brief eye contact and you gave her a nod. She was right, you had to admit. Despite the past of Lady H, her husband suffered from too much insecurity to let her out of his sights.

“It feels like such a shame for her talents-” You started, only to be cut off.

“My dear princess,” A sickly sweet voice came from behind you. You rolled your eyes, watching as Artemisia tried to hide a smirk, “What a pleasure it is to see you.”

“General Ahmand,” You turned around, plastering on a fake smile, “What a surprise.”

“I had hoped you would be in attendance, your highness, but I didn’t dare expect. You have many worthier prospects.”

“That I do, but it is a celebration worthy of my attendance. The conquest of Athens is no small feat. I would never dare to slight those who’ve had such a victory.”

“How generous and wise of you, dear princess. Might I trouble your generosity for a dance?”

From beside you, you watched Artemisia clamp her teeth down on her lip. A smile threatened her composure. You wanted to throw a glare her way, but the General’s gaze didn’t waver enough to allow it.

“I’m flattered, General Ahmand, but I am saving my dances for those we’re celebrating tonight. You understand, of course?” You asked with a smile.

His own smile faded, but he wouldn’t dare argue. Not nearly enough alcohol had been consumed to loosen his sense of propriety.

“Of course. Allow me to release your attention, your highness.”

You gave him a nod and tried to maintain face while he left. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that you let the pleasant smile drop and released a low groan.

“How generous you are to reject me, your highness.” Artemisia mocked under her breath, smirk firmly in place.

“Hush.” You whispered.

“But of course, your highness. Your spotless wisdom is law, your highness.”

A laugh erupted from you unbidden, which you covered up with a cough. The action drew the attention from those around you, but no one questioned it. You only offered a smile to relieve their suspicions.

“You’re terrible.” You said, swatting at her arm once all eyes had left you.

“Am I? If there was an altar dedicated to you, he would live upon its steps.”

“Is it so horrible to be admired, Commander?”

“Not at all. Though I wouldn’t take pride in the admiration of General Ahmand.”

“Come now, who wouldn’t want the attention of a man whose only goal is to gain my father’s favor? He may be more in love with my father than I, but what man isn’t these days?” You said, earning a breath of laughter for your efforts. You tried not to look overly proud of yourself.

The two of you remained side-by-side, Artemisia standing at attention when others came to speak with you. She had little to say and only spoke when prompted, offering nothing beyond pleasantries. Her true humor only revealed when the two of you stood alone.

You had to admit you were enjoying the event more than you expected. The music was pleasant and the atmosphere was calm, more so than any previous night like this. You’d never felt so at ease.

Eventually, to your utter dread, the heroes of the night called on you to claim their dances. With a swift hand, you had been dragged away from your protector before you could realize. Now you found yourself being passed through the group, one dance each, as was custom. They told you stories of battle as you danced, leaving you in awe of many tactical feats.

Much to your dismay, you were joined in a dance by the last hero. You wished to relive all of the dances and hear their stories over again. It must have shown on your face, as the man quirked an eyebrow at your demeanor.

“Is something wrong, your highness?”

“Oh, no, I’m quite alright,” You assured him, “I’m only regretting that the dances are over. Your comrades have wonderful stories.”

“That they do. A life in battle makes you rather skilled in retelling your battles. They’re much better than I, unfortunately.”

“I find that hard to believe. You must have your own way of telling a story that they do not.”

“Not a way that is completed in a single dance, your highness.”

Disappointment flooded you as the song drew to a close and the man bowed. You offered him a nod, making your way back to the Commander. Curiosity gnawed at you, made you wonder if the Commander had similar stories of her own battles. Warmth blossomed in your chest at the thought of her animatedly recounting such a story.

When you returned to her side, you offered her a smile. She didn’t return it, she never did, but neither did she offer any sign of amusement or pleasantness. You felt the warmth in your chest wilt slightly.

“Do you ever tell stories, Commander?” You asked, hoping to break away from whatever was happening.

“Stories?”

“Yes, of your time in battle. Your triumphs and conquests laid out in detail. Our guests were offering me a brilliant retelling of their most recent battles. I was quite enchanted.”

There had been a spark of interest when you first began to explain, but it vanished shortly after. Her eyes were unbearably indifferent. Anything you had experienced earlier, any sign of amusement, was gone.

“I’m afraid I have more important duties than storytelling, your highness.” Was all she offered.

You felt embarrassed that you’d ever asked for such a thing from her and nodded. Silence surrounded you as the music ran down and she escorted you back to your chambers. You tried to ignore the hurt sitting in your chest as you fell asleep.

----

When you woke up, your chambers were still covered in darkness. You couldn’t imagine why you’d woken up until a noise caught your attention.

A soft, hissing noise came from your right. The moonlight coming from the outside illuminated the room enough to give you a glimpse of something. It reflected off of something smooth, but something… moving. You pressed yourself against the headboard as you tried to focus more on it.

Two dark, beady eyes stared back. A forked tongue visible in the sliver of light you had. Cold terror shot through you as you realized what you were seeing.

“Commander!” You tried to call out, but your voice broke, “Commander!”

Complete silence.

The snake moved forward curiously, moonlight catching the scales as it moved. It could’ve been a beautiful sight if it didn’t mean a horrible outcome for you.

“Commander!” You shouted this time.

Nothing.

“What is wrong with you?”

You shrieked as a voice came from your left. Dread filled your bones as Bahman stared back, though you couldn’t figure out why. There was some detail niggling at the back of your brain.

“Why would you call out for her?” He asked, eyes focused unblinkingly on you.

“She… She’s protecting me.” You answered.

“You’ve let yourself rely on her. On the woman who killed me,” He snarled, walking forward. That detail was suddenly crystal clear as you leaned away from him, “You deserve this fate.”

The question of ‘what fate?’ was on your lips, but pain erupted in your body before you could release them. Two razor sharp fangs had imbedded themselves in your leg, leaving you feeling faint already.

“Artemisia!” You screamed.

Two hands on your arms ripped you from the nightmare, barely stopping you from colliding with a strong body as you shot up out of the bed.

“Your highness,” A voice rang in your ears as the hands held you steady, “Your highness, you’re alright.”

It was the Commander. She sat on the edge of your bed, hands on your upper arms, holding you in place. Relief washed over you. It’d only been a nightmare.

“I’m sorry, Commander,” You whispered, throat aching against the action, “What can I do for you?”

Confusion was painted on her face and you couldn’t figure out why. She had come to wake you because there was something she needed, right?

“I don’t require anything from you.”

“Then why did you wake me?”

“You screamed.”

“Oh.” You said, blushing at your own absentmindedness.

A few moments of silence reigned, your mind working in a million different ways. Her hands finally smoothed over you and she released a sigh. You looked at her, but you could only catch a glimpse of her side profile, outlined against what little moonlight existed.

“Rest, your highness,” Artemisia said quietly, standing up and letting go of you. You felt a loss of comfort at the action. But you nodded and turned over, listening as she left the room, and falling asleep shortly after.

----

It was an unspoken decision that the nightmare wouldn’t be discussed. The two of you went about your day as if it never happened, though it was all you could think about. Your heart had felt like it’d beat out of your chest, your mind screaming that you needed the Commander. The Commander would keep you safe. A deep swell of pain had captured your heart when she hadn’t come.

You didn’t like any of it. There had never been a desire to rely on someone so heavily before. You couldn’t--and wouldn’t--acknowledge how it felt. Your work became a much more interesting prospect.

For the first time since you were a child, you were fully engaged in your duties around the palace. You forced yourself to pay complete attention at court, to participate, all of it. You left no opportunity for distraction.

It earned you a surprised, but proud look from your father. You were always well behaved at court though never like this. Normally, you were focused elsewhere. In the library, mainly, though you had other habits— habits you’d been sorely neglecting as of that.

That was how you found yourself out on the training grounds, trying and failing to throw your knives at the targets. You focused all of your thoughts into your movements, but would find them drifting back to the presence behind you.

Ten knives so far, only one hit the target. The edge of it, that is.

“Would you like some assistance?” Artemisia asked. You grit your teeth against the smile you could detect in her voice.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.” You said without turning around.

“I see, your goal is to miss the target.”

You turned to glare at her, only to see her approaching anyway with a smug smirk. She turned you back around so that you were facing the target, guiding your arm.

“Start with your arm back here and when it reaches your ear, release the knife.”

Nodding, you did your best to focus on her words and not the sudden way her hands had been on you. Your eyes zeroed in on the target and you swung, releasing the knife as she instructed, but it still failed to accurately hit the target. She let out a curious hum.

“Your form is your downfall. Correct your feet.” She instructed.

You moved your feet into what you thought was the right stance, but she sighed. Part of you wished to give up on the whole endeavor and return to the library. Knives, swords, and armor had never been your expertise -- or even your goal.

A hand grabbed your ankle and you jumped, letting out a squeak. The Commander looked up into your eyes and waited patiently for you to recover. You wished she wouldn’t attempt to move you without warning, but your request was likely to get you nothing but an eye roll. Slowly, you returned to your former placement.

“Are you sure you were trained by the army commander?” She asked, correcting the direction and placement of your stance.

“Of course I am. Why do you ask?”

“I find it difficult to believe anyone he trained could have such an atrocious stance.”

A scowl replaced what had previously been a curious expression. She made no efforts to act ashamed of her comment.

“You do realize you’re within kicking range.” You asked, raising an eyebrow. Sure it was childish, but it would serve her right, you thought.

“I’m well aware,” Artemisia said, but was unbothered as she also corrected your posture, “Keep your abdomen tight. Don’t slouch. Now, go again.”

It wasn’t often that someone else was giving you orders, but you obeyed them nonetheless. Taking a deep breath in, you held it, and went through the motions a few times as practice. On the third practice swing, the knife flew from your hand unrestricted. It landed just outside of the bullseye.

You clapped your hands together in front of you and turned to her, a triumphant smile playing on your lips. She stared at the target for a beat before offering a nod.

“Not terrible.”

Not the most warm compliment, but you took it. You felt invigorated by the small achievement and collected your knives to continue practicing. Over the course of another hour, you had moved your aim closer to the bullseye, but had not managed to hit it. You called it a day when anger began to build.

It had been your hope to impress the Commander with a significant improvement. When none seemed forthcoming, frustration quickly festered in your gut. Ending the session before you became irrationally upset seemed the best course of action.

You walked away from the target and Artemisia followed behind quietly. She feared nothing, but the set of your shoulders left her quiet. Before you disappeared into your chambers to no doubt sulk, she cleared her throat.

“You’re a quick study. Mastering the skill won’t take much longer.” She offered.

The urge to let your jaw drop was astounding. You held back, not wanting to humiliate her. It was kind of her to offer you that comfort. Instead, you nodded.

“Thank you, Commander.”

And as you stepped into your chambers, you felt a smile break out onto your face.

----

You threw yourself into training after that. For some time every morning and every evening before dark, you would stand on the training grounds and throw countless knives at targets. Only once had you hit the center.

It’d been a complete accident, if you were being honest with yourself. The rhythm of throwing the knives and the frustration of missing created a lull. Your mind detached from your body as it moved of its own accord. In that mindless state, your knife embedded itself into the very center of the target, knocking you forcefully back into reality.

Excitement coursed through your veins and you immediately turned to beam at the Commander. She offered the closest thing to a smile you’d ever seen before. It wasn’t much beyond the corner of her mouth twitching upwards, but it’d left you on a high for hours afterwards.

Since then you had been attempting to recreate that same easy, mindless state; all so you could see her smile at you again.

----

For weeks after you had been steadily improving on your aim with the knives, but none of them had quite earned you the same reaction. Still, your stubborn nature refused to let you quit. You were going to prove you were capable, you thought, that was the only reason you were working so hard.

The two of you had fallen into a bit of a habit. You would leave your chambers after sunrise for the training grounds and she’d follow, overseeing the training with a sharp eye. Every now and again, she’d give you instructions or adjust your stance, but that was all.

Today, something about the Commander seemed different. Off. Her skin was always a smooth porcelain, but today there was a sickly tinge to it. You didn’t acknowledge it as you didn’t want to bother her. Though it became more pronounced as the day went on, until it felt wrong to ignore it.

“Commander, are you quite alright?” You asked quietly, watching her expression.

“Perfectly fine, your highness.” She answered quickly. Too quickly. The set of her jaw told you otherwise.

“Mm. I call bull.”

There was no time for her to react to your statement, before you had stopped in your walk. You invaded her personal space and pressed the back of your hand to her forehead. The searing heat there startled you almost as much as her lack of reflexes.

“You’re burning up. How long have you been feeling ill?” You asked, pulling a handkerchief from your sleeve to dab at the sweat on her face.

“Since this morning.” Artemisia said stiffly.

“And you’ve been ignoring it since then? Honestly, you’re supposed to be the intelligent one here.” You sighed, grabbing her and pulling her in the direction of the healer, “We’ll get you seen to immediately.”

For a moment, you could see the apprehension on her features. But whatever had gotten to her must have been affecting her more than she was letting on. She didn’t argue or attempt to combat your decision, she didn’t even make a comment on it. It’d rendered her almost mute.

Her body was pressing into your side more and more. She was losing the strength to hold herself up after having done so all day. It inspired a wave of fear in you seeing her so weak, but you tried to maintain a brave face.

“We’re almost there,” You said softly, squeezing the hand in your own, “Then this will all be handled.”

All she offered you was a grunt and you took it. It seemed better than nothing.

You let decorum fly out the window as you reached the healer, practically beating on the door in your haste. The Commander was slender, but almost completely muscle. Her weight against you was almost too much for you to maintain.

“Your highness, what are you-” The healer asked, taking in the situation curiously.

“She’s ill. I need you to see her immediately.” You demanded and entered the room without being invited.

A long, comfortable looking lounger rested against the wall and you made a beeline for it. Artemisia’s legs were still moving and you took that as a good sign. She was still fighting against whatever was overcoming her. You laid her gently on the lounger and dabbed at her brow again. She attempted to push your hand away.

“Stop fighting me. I’m trying to help.” You hissed.

“Go.”

Despite the weakness that was clear in her form, her tone was stern. As if she was back to normal for only a moment. It made you hesitate, looking down at her in disbelief.

“What? I’m not going-”

“It may be better that way, your highness,” The healer spoke up, looking at the woman with an expression that you didn’t like, “I won’t be able to do much if you’re fussing over her as well.”

“Go.” She repeated.

Leaving her side was the last thing you wanted to do, but you also wanted her to get better. If it was better for you to be absent, you accepted, then you would go. You wouldn’t have to like it.

“Fine. I’ll go, but I want to be updated every hour on her condition. And you,” You said sternly, pressing your handkerchief into her clenched fist, “You have to return this to me when you’re well. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Now go.”

You gave the healer a nod, before finally obeying the Commander’s wishes. The thought of leaving the room made you feel sick to your stomach. There had been a look in the healer’s eye, some sort of pity, that you hated. You didn’t want to think about what it would mean.

Every place you attempted to go reminded you of the situation. Her presence lurked in every corner, reminding you of her sharp wit and steady presence. As you had declared, an update was brought to you every hour, but nothing had changed enough to put you at ease. You didn’t touch any of the food your servants brought and you didn’t dare look in the direction of your work.

Nothing could ease the feelings in your gut. The feelings of fear and desperation, but also the thought that you were missing something. Some piece of the situation. It nagged at the back of your mind and wouldn’t let you go.

“Your highness?”

Snapping from your thoughts, you looked up into the tired face of a servant. You realized in a moment that more time had passed than you thought. Sitting up straighter in your chair, you nodded for the servant to go on.

“The healer is requesting your presence, your highness.”

That was all it took. Like a shot, you were off, meeting up with the healer outside of his chambers. He looked as tired as you felt. You knew it’d probably be kind to inquire after him, but you didn’t care about him right now.

“How is she, sir?” You asked, casting anxious glances at the closed doors.

“It has been a long night, princess. She seems to be improving, but…”

“But?”

“I wanted you here in case her health took a turn for the worst. It isn’t unlikely in a case such as this.”

“And what is that?” You said, fingernails digging into your arm folded over your chest. The thought of her not making it had sent your heart into a frantic beat.

“From my expertise, I believe the Commander has been poisoned.” He said patiently.

“Poisoned? That’s not possible, she’s been with me. She hasn’t had time to be poisoned.”

“I understand that, princess, but that is what the signs tell me.”

“Are you sure that your signs can’t be wrong?”

The healer gave a deep sigh. You knew you were being irrationally combative, but it was easier than accepting the possibility of what he was implying.

“I would recommend remaining at her side during this time, your highness. I will be close if you need my services.” He said, exhaustion in his voice.

You nodded and rushed into the room. A faint sliver of moonlight illuminated the space aside from the few torches. Artemisia remained on the lounger where you’d helped her sit, but she was asleep now. As you approached, you could see that her pallor hadn’t improved. The sickly tinge remained and pulled at your chest.

A sheen of sweat covered her face that you could see. Unconsciously, you reached inside of your sleeve for your handkerchief. You realized when you came up empty. The cloth was still clutched firmly in her hand even in sleep. You refused to disturb her, as you had charged her with giving it back to you. Either she’d return it or you didn’t want it at all.

Another cloth laid on a nearby table and you grabbed it. Pulling up a chair as quietly as possible, you settled at her side. You made slow, careful swipes across her face with the towel. She didn’t stir.

“You’ve given me a scare, Commander,” You whispered as you went about your task, “And now the healer is saying things could still go… wrong. That’s unacceptable.”

She didn’t stir or react in the slightest to your words. You hated it. She was a notoriously light sleeper as you’d learned; with less and less guards available from your father, you would lock the library doors every morning and let her rest. The slightest shift in your seat and she’d move, however unconsciously. If you moved, she was awake and out of her seat in seconds.

“The healer says you were poisoned, but I don’t know how. You haven’t moved away from me in days. I think we’d both notice if something had bitten you.”

A thought that maybe you hadn’t put you on edge. Surely even if you missed such a thing, the Commander wouldn’t have. She made up for your lack of awareness of your surroundings.

“Anyway, you’ll be recovered soon. You’re far too stubborn not to be.”

There was a noise outside of the window that drew your attention away. You slowly realized that it was the chirping of birds. Moving over to the curtains, you opened them a little more to peer out, and found yourself surprised at the pink coloring the horizon. The sun was rising.

“I… I’ve been awake all night, it seems,” You said aloud, looking back even though you knew she wouldn’t wake. Returning to her side, you maintained your gaze outside of the window, “The audacity you have to be ill now. This is the last thing I imagined for our first sunrise-”

Oh.

You felt as if someone had reached into your chest and wrapped their fist around your heart. It felt like the organ would stop beating at any moment from the pain you felt. This whole time… It was so clear now; you had fallen in love with the Commander. The sharp, aloof woman had captured your heart.

Now she was laying weak and potentially dying at your side. A feeling of total helplessness washed over you, igniting a fury that you hadn’t expected. You vowed to destroy whoever was behind this.

“You’re not allowed to leave me, Commander,” You whispered finally, “Not until we finish this.”

Overwhelmed by your emotions and the lack of responsiveness, you finally let yourself cry.

----

The first thing you registered was a warm hand on your shoulder. Not gripping it, but resting there. You wondered who was bold enough to touch you so casually.

Raising your head, you winced against the bright light filling the room. Squinting against the light, a pair of eyes met yours. You remembered where you were and who those eyes belonged to.

“You’re awake.” You whispered, not bothering to stop your smile.

“I am.” Artemisia nodded, “It’s comforting that your skills of deduction haven’t abandoned you.”

You were so happy to hear her voice that you could almost ignore the teasing. The barely-there smirk gave you the deepest urge to kiss her. It was all you could think about, but you held yourself back.

“Good to see you’re still you.” You said. Though you tried to make it sound sarcastic, there was too much genuine happiness behind it to stick.

She only nodded, her smirk growing a little wider. It started you when she began to shift and suddenly held something out in front of you. You took a few moments before realizing what it was.

“You demanded that I return it.” She said.

You recalled that. In the heat of the moment, you had only wanted to give her something to hold onto. Something to anchor her to life. She was too hard headed to leave with unfinished business.

“Keep it,” You finally said, pressing it back into her hand, “It’s yours now.”

She looked as if she wanted to argue, but instead she gave you a nod. Any anxious feelings in your gut melted away. You knew what you were doing, how you were leaving yourself open by giving it to her. You didn’t care anymore. Not after last night.

“Your highness?” A small voice called from outside, before the door opened. Standing there with a tray was a servant bearing a tray of food, “I’ve brought a meal for the Commander.”

The tray was set down in front of you and she took her leave. Artemisia didn’t hesitate to pick at the offerings. That nagging feeling from the day before was back in your brain and without warning, you knocked the food from her hand.

“Don’t eat that.”

“Do you expect me to starve?” She said, looking unamused.

“Did you eat before going to the training grounds with me yesterday?” You asked.

“I beg your pardon?”

“By the gods, Artemisia, just answer the question. Did you or did you not eat before we went to the training grounds?”

“Of course, your highness.”

You could see the exact moment that it clicked in her mind. The sickness had rendered a little slower than normal, but she was still extremely sharp. You removed the plate and set it down on a separate table, moving to rush from the area. A hand on your arm stopped you.

“It stands to reason, princess, that if these attacks are no longer exclusive to you…” Artemisia started.

“Then you won’t be the only one in danger.” You finished, your heart dropping. She released your arm after you gave it a squeeze, rushing out of the room.

Stood obediently were two guards. They looked bored when you rushed from the room, before standing up straighter and attempting to look attentive. Their appearance was the last thing on your mind.

“Do not let anyone in that room, do you understand?” You rushed out, barely giving them time to react before taking off at a run.

You paid no mind to the curious looks and the whispers as you ran past. Servants and individuals would move quickly out of your way, staring after you in surprise. You stopped to offer nobody an explanation. Not for the first time, you cursed the placement of the healer’s chambers in the palace. It made no sense to have someone so vital at the furthest point away from you.

It was the least important thing on your list of tasks at the moment, but you’d be glad that it’d finally be fixed. You had been complaining about it for ages.

As you ran, you bunched your skirts at your hips, cursing their length. They were dreadful for running. Naturally, they had no reason to be. You found yourself wishing for one of Artemisia’s dresses. The slits where the legs were would make running and moving much easier. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for a wardrobe change.

You rounded the last corner to the dining hall and found yourself running straight at the doors. Two guards stood outside the doors, exchanging a glance and then looking at you.

“Open the doors!” You yelled, putting all of your energy into the last length towards the doors. Your calf muscles screamed in protest.

The doors were opened just in time. You had been moving so fast that you weren’t sure you could slow down otherwise. It would have been humiliating to run face-first into the stone doors, though you gathered your brother would get a laugh out of it. Artemisia would no doubt find it amusing too.

Your father and brother were seated at opposite ends of the table. The former was just bringing the first spoonful to his lips when you burst in, his head snapping up in surprise.

“Don’t eat that!” You said, rushing to his side and shoving the plate out of his reach, before looking to Xerxes, “You either. It’s poisoned.”

The spoon fell heavily from your father’s hand. He rose with a scowl, taking in your disheveled appearance with a critical eye. Your lungs were burning, but you resisted the urge to take deep gulps of air.

“How do you know this, sister?” Xerxes spoke first, standing from his seat as well.

“The Commander’s food was poisoned yesterday. I didn’t make the connection until her meal was brought to us.”

“Us?” Xerxes questioned, your father cutting in before he could go further.

“Not now, my son. You are sure of this?”

“I’ve never been more sure, Baba.”

He nodded, turning to a guard at his side. There was no doubt that he’d been listening intently, but he offered no sign of it. His visage was entirely neutral.

All of those in the kitchen were rounded up and brought before the three of you. You and Xerxes stood on either side of your father, while he stayed seated. His hands were folded tightly over his middle, knuckles almost going white as they were brought in. The room was as silent as the crypt.

“Is this all of you?” Your father asked in a terse voice.

“Yes, your majesty.” The head of the kitchen said, bowing his head when your father looked at him, “This is everyone employed in the kitchens.”

He grunted, looking up and down the line of shaking servants. Every head was bowed in submission. In a surprising move, your father turned to you, motioning for you to take over. You nodded and tried to keep a level stare over all of them.

“One, or maybe more of you, have betrayed this family. Yesterday someone important to our country was poisoned and now there has been an attempt on my father and my brother; your king and crown prince. I urge you to come forward now and face your punishment with grace.” You spoke clearly, watching them with a sharp eye.

None stepped forward, though you hadn’t really expected them to. One servant drew your attention more than the others though. Her head was lowered, but her eyes were darting every-which-way, and her frame had started to shake slightly. You raised an eyebrow and looked at your family. They had noticed as well.

With slow, deliberate steps, you walked up to stand before the shaking woman. She was only slightly shorter than you were. Her body tensed, but it didn’t stop her nervous reaction.

“What is your name?” You asked, your voice feeling loud in the silence.

“Madhavi, your highness.” She whispered.

“Is there something you’d like to share, Madhavi?”

Her frightened eyes flickered up to yours for a split second. When she saw how intensely you were staring her down, they returned to the floor. She shook her head. You maintained your stare for a long beat and then turned. Ignoring the curious looks of your father and brother, you caught the attention of the guards behind them.

“Take her away.” You ordered and they moved immediately, clasping a hard grip around each of her arms. She tried to fight and pull away from the guards.

“It wasn’t intentional!” The woman yelled suddenly. You held up a hand for the men to pause.

“And what was it then?”

“I swear it wasn’t on purpose, your highness. The woman handed me what I thought was a seasoning and I’ve seen her around here so often that I took her word for it.”

“What woman?” You asked, brow furrowing.

The doors to the room, the doors you’d burst through earlier, opened suddenly. Artemisia stood there in all of her glory, shoving a familiar face ahead of her. You felt your breath stutter.

“I believe this is the woman she’s referring to, your highness.” Artemisia said, forcing the woman onto her knees.

You approached slowly. The world felt like it was spinning around you. Briefly, you met the Commander’s eyes, feeling utterly confused. Then you finally stared into Fairuza’s hardened face.

“How?” You asked, “How could you do this, after everything we’ve done for you?”

“Everything you’ve done for us? You worked my husband like a dog and gave him next to nothing. He may have been too delusional to see your cruelty, but I am not.” Fairuza spat.

The necklace around her neck glinted. Finally you recognized the single, blue scale resting against her jugular. It was revealed as Artemisia yanked back on her hair, attempting to silence the disrespect coming from her mouth.

“Bahman was paid a fair wage that was more than suitable. If he didn’t reveal that all to you, then that is out of my control,” You said slowly, before grabbing Fairuza’s chin and forcing her to lock gazes with you, “What is in my control is your fate. And it is going to be a terrible one.”

You looked up into Artemisia’s face, seeing a look of curiosity there. You wanted to tell her that this was all for her, that every punishment the woman would endure would be for her. Bahman’s death would haunt the woman’s mind, but Artemisia’s near-death would haunt her body.

“You will pay for your crimes over the rest of your days. I hope it was worth it.” You whispered, releasing her face and motioning for the guards to release the other woman, in favor of grabbing Fairuza.

The lack of fight in the woman made you feel uneasy, but you didn’t waver from your spot until she was completely out of sight. You heard your father dismiss the rest of the staff while you stood, unsure of what to do next. Artemisia’s hand on your arm drew you from your thoughts.

“How are you feeling?” You asked.

“I’m fine, princess. Though I should ask you that.”

“I’d be better if I hadn’t just condemned a woman to a lifetime of torture,” You said, trying to laugh, but it came out terribly bitter, “Now I have to figure out what to do with her daughter.”

“You will find an answer. You always do.”

----

The wind swept through your hair and rustled your dress. You pulled the blanket on your shoulders tighter around you. Despite the sunshine, it had done little to warm you. You peered around the corner with slight impatience.

“Anahita, stay away from the rose bushes,” You called out, “Come inside, it’s almost dark.”

A little head of hair popped up amongst the plants. You felt a smile blossom on your face, almost rivaling the flowers surrounding you in the garden. Ever since Fairuza had been revealed as the traitor, her daughter had come into your care. They lacked any other family who could take her and you’d been happy to do so.

“Coming!” She called, though you knew it’d be at least another five minutes until she actually came inside.

“Still allowing her to run your schedule, I see.”

You turned to see Artemisia propped against the doorway. Her arms boasted a speckled pattern that you recognized as blood. She hadn’t stopped to freshen up before seeking you out, making you her first stop after returning.

“She’s not the only one,” You smiled, approaching her, “Welcome back, Commander.”

Instead of returning your greeting, she gripped the blanket around your shoulders and pulled you into a rough kiss. You melted into the embrace. Her lips were bruising, telling you just how much you’d been missed. A soft whimper left your mouth before you remembered where you were and pulled away.

Your forehead pressed against hers as you took in a ragged breath. A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth and you wanted to kiss it away. Before you could do so, a little pair of arms wrapped themselves around the both of you.

“Hello, Commander!” Anahita said joyfully, looking up at the woman with a bright grin.

“Good evening, Anahita. I trust you’re behaving?” Artemisia said. Her voice was a little more stilted with the girl than with you, but she offered an awkward pat to the girl’s shoulder.

“Of course.”

Artemisia gave her a nod. You wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable the child still made her, though Anahita clearly admired her. She was getting better slowly.

“Alright, you. It’s time for bed,” You said to the girl, pushing her towards the doors. Turning to the Commander, you looked her up and down slowly, “And it is time for you to clean yourself up.”

“Mm. And will you be joining me?” She asked, only loud enough for the two of you to hear.

“We’ll see.”

Artemisia raised an eyebrow, but you only offered a coy smile. You ushered Anahita inside after stealing a quick kiss from the warrior. The excitement settling in your gut made you eager to return to the woman, but you had your duties to the girl first.

----

After getting Anahita into bed and reading her a story, you had rushed back to your chambers. There you found Artemisia submerged in a warm bath, steam rolling off of the water, her arms propped over the sides enticingly. You traced her muscles with your eyes before meeting her gaze. No matter how quiet you tried to be, she always knew you were there.

“Nice of you to join me, your highness.” She said.

“I’m sorry. Anahita wanted a story and I couldn’t deny her. It was hard to get her to sleep, she’ll likely be all over you tomorrow.”

You came to stand next to the bath, intertwining her fingers with your own. Her face didn’t change, but she squeezed your hand lightly.

“We’ll deal with that then. Join me.”

And join her you did. You laid in the warm water with her, exchanging kisses and words, until it had long gone cold. Even after that you didn’t sleep. You propped yourself near the window, watching the stars in the sky as she wrapped herself around you from behind. A pair of lips pressed a kiss behind your ear.

The two of you ventured into more physical pursuits until the morning, leaving you feeling pleasantly sore. Your head was laid on her chest when the sound of chirping caught your attention. Outside of the window, the sun was coming across the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant orange.

“It’s sunrise.” You remarked with a smile.

“So it is.”

“We met at sunrise. Do you remember?”

“I remember you attempting to give me orders, but not that it was sunrise.”

“You ruined my morning. I was so furious with you and I hated you for what felt like ages. Though somehow you wormed your way into my good graces.” You said, pressing a kiss just above her heart.

“We’ve never shared a sunrise.”

“Not on good terms. The only other time, you were… I thought you were going to leave. I couldn’t enjoy it like I wanted, especially since you weren’t awake to see it.”

“I owe you two more sunrises, then?” Artemisia inquired, trailing a hand down the side of your face. The gentle touch left you breathless.

“You owe me far more than that.” You grinned, leaning up to steal a kiss.

Few things may attempt to beat the painted skies of the morning, swirling with pinks and oranges. The birds singing in the trees, calling for the world to wake. Few things are more beautiful than a Persian sunrise - but watching a Persian sunrise in the arms of someone you love is definitely one of them

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Wrong Move

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x reader

Word Count: 1500

Warnings: Kidnapping, slight mentions of drug and physicall abuse (If you squint, but lets just be cautious, shall we?)

Author’s Note: I am once again killing two birds with one stone. This was submitted by the lovely @emmice9 for my 1500 follower challenge. And I’ll be using this for @hellotvshowtrash ​‘s #february2021promptchallenge. I would also like to say that this is A BRIEF LOOK into a new series that will be coming later on in this year. All because my brain cant keep ideas to one shots. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy. 

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. 

The world has changed drastically over the centuries. The world people used to know had changed when the creatures that roamed the darkness had come out of hiding. Vampires became the superior species, creating a completely different hierarchy within the world. Those that came from money were free from the torment and slavery of the Vampires. Werewolves and witches were far and few between. And when they emerged they were a force to be reckoned with that the vampires let them be. So long as they weren't attacked, they never retaliated and stuck to their own.

For the L/N family, they had come from money. Their wealth bought their freedom from the vampires. For the two children in the family they'd never have to fear being human. For the eldest, Alexander, he wished to continue their bloodline to ensure there was a truce between the vampires and the humans of their family. But for the youngest, Y/N, she wished to become a vampire and when she was younger, her parents made a deal with the Mikaelsons to ensure her status would carry over as a Vampire.

While most girls in her age dreamed of becoming something of themselves in the world that was created around them, Y/N wanted nothing more than to be a vampire. One that wanted to change things for the better. And the way the L/Ns had it, their children were going to mend bridges.

Unfortunately, the matriarchs of the L/Ns were killed in an accident that left them as orphans. Alexander being the eldest was given the burden of being the head of household and he uncovered his parents' secrets. Before their death, his parents made a deal with another Vampire. And with their death, it broke the deal between them. It left them on the verge of bankruptcy and being tossed in with the other humans.

Y/N stood outside the double wooden doors as she listened to the muffled sounds of her brother arguing with a vampire. Alexander was in there for more than an hour speaking with the vampire that held the deal with their parents. Seeing as it was a matter for the head of house, Y/N couldn’t be in the room. But where she stood she could pick up on her fair share of things.

Most of it had been about money, or the lack thereof. Being in debt to a vampire left any human feeling unease and Alexander was no different. Especially as he looked across the table at Tristan De Martel. If there was one thing they learned, the De Martels were the downgrades of the Mikaelsons. Where the Mikaelsons held their deals in good faith, the De Martels could find a loophole within the contract to work in their favor. And that was what happened with their parents.

Y/N’s heart dropped when she heard her name being brought up in the conversation. While She couldn’t hear what was being said, she knew it had upset her brother. His voice had raised while the vampire’s remained calm. The longer her brother yelled, the more worry filled her. And the words she picked up on hadn’t made anything easier.

When the doors opened, a chill ran through Y/N as she looked over at her brother, attempting to ignore the way Tristan had gazed at her as he walked passed. The look on her brother’s face had told her this wasn’t the end of things. That the conversation he just had wasn’t an easy one and he was left with hardly any choices.

“Were you able to come to an agreement?” She asked as soon as she knew Tristian would be out of earshot, even for a vampire.

Alexander nodded as he ran his hand over his face. “One that I do not fully agree on.”

“Well?” She asked after a moment of her brother not saying anything. While she may have been able to pick up on bits and pieces of the conversation, it wasn’t everything she needed to know. And when her brother hesitated once more fear filled her.

“What did you promise the De Martels?” She asked as she took a step towards him. He didn’t know how to answer her. Not when it had to do with her. But the guilt she saw written on his face had told her everything, causing her to shake her head. “No.”

“I’m sorry Y/N.” He said as he kept his eyes on hers, even as they filled with tears.

Y/N took a step back in disbelief. “No.” She repeated. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I had no other choice.” He said as he watched the tears form in her eyes.

“I have a deal with the Mikaelsons, you can’t just go and make a deal with the De Martels to hand me over.”

“If it means keeping our family name in good standing, I’ll do what is needed.” He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. But they had been true. Tristan had offered a deal and Alexander jumped on it. Tristan would clear the family’s debt and void out his parents contract if he got Y/N in return.

“You’ve sentenced me to die.” Anger began building within her. “Tristian’s humans never last.”

“You were going to die anyway.” He responded quickly, earning a hard slap across his face.

“On my terms!” She yelled. “Not by the hands of a vampire that keeps his own psychotic sister locked up! When Elijah finds out-”

“Your ties with Elijah no longer matter. Yes he gave our parents his word that you would join them. Your infatuation with each other sealing that deal. But this decision can’t be easily taken back and you know that.”

While they both know going against either families was a risk. But with the De Martels, there was a deadline that was fast approaching them. Y/N ran her hand along her face and shook her head as she turned away from her brother. She couldn’t handle this.

“Elijah might know how to get-” Before Y/N could even finish her sentence, her brother knocked her over the head with the nearest object he could reach, leaving her unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." He said as he crouched down beside her. "But I refuse to become one of them."

_____

The De Martels knew what Y/N would ment to the Mikaelsons. She was to be their saving grace. A chance to mend the world with siblings as a Vampire and her Human brother. She was also Elijah’s soon to be wife. Tristan knew he was playing a dangerous game. And because he knew her worth, he kept her hidden, away from any prying eyes that could possibly leak where she was.

Much like the other humans in De Martel's care, she had been drugged, used and abused by those within Tristan's circle. As she laid in the dark damp cell, all she wanted was to die. Her colorful dreams of the future faded to black and white wishes of death and peace as time passed.

Anger had filled Elijah the moment he stopped by to see Y/N and Alexander told him what happened. While furious with her brother he knew he'd always keep his word to Y/N to not ever harm him. It took him over a month to find Y/N's whereabouts. The moment he had her location there was no stopping him.

Elijah stormed through the De Martel home. Anyone that dared to stand against him had their hearts ripped out in a split of a second. Bodies and hearts had been left in his wake as he made his way through. Each one brought him closer to finding Y/N.

When the door keeping her in was forced open, Y/N whimpered in fear at the sound, unable to see who walked in from her position. She hadn't even begun to heal from the last time that door opened. But even as the footsteps neared, she couldn't get herself to move, her body too weak to try. Panic filled her as the footsteps ceased right next to her.

"Shh, shh," Elijah began, trying to keep Y/N calm. "It's me."

As he did, it wasn't hard to see how beaten and bruised she had been. Bite marks covered her body in several places. He had never felt so much anger before at seeing her injuries.

"'Lijah." It had been a whisper, but he heard it loud and clear.

"I got you. I promise I'm going to take care of you, okay?" He had every intention of never letting her leave his sight. He even made the promise to himself that he'd kill the De Martels with his own two hands.

But before the comfort and relief of being free set in, Y/N was rudely awakened by the sound of the door opening and shutting by the unwelcome guest.

Always and Forever Tags:

@taylordrunkonwhiskey @thewolf-and-thesheep @wayward-dan @neeadinghugs @fafulous @kenmen02 @elizamonet @dora-the-grownup @mschellehitt @xanderling @fandom-princess-forevermore @buckysarm4 @hi-my-name-is-riley @helenasingers @alka16555 @hellotvshowtrash @dpaccione @dumble-daddy @theactressstaringinyourbaddream @maldita-world @nikmikaelsonswife

Stag Tag:

@elejah-wonderland @xxsovereignsarayaxx @asiaaisa77 @astudyoftimeywimeystuff @marvel-at-stucky

The Originals Tag:

@zillahvathek @obsessedwithvampires @mikaelson-emma

Bold tags mean for one reason or another I cannot tag you in this. If you would like to be added or taken off the Tag list please do so here

[barnesandrogersfanfics]

Out Of The Blue - Part 3

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Word Count: 1300+

Summary: Reader has some exciting news to share with her longtime boyfriend Chris but what happens when he beats her to it with some news of his own?

A/N: I think i got everyone who asked to be tagged, if i didnt please send me an ask so i dont loose it 🤣

Please like/comment/share 💕

Hearing Chris's voice i pushed back my chair and made my way to the front door.

"She's not here" i heard Alex say as i got closer.

"Come on man, its important...."

"Alex it's fine, i'll be okay" i spoke up. I saw Chris sigh with what looked like relief?... but it was quickly replaced with a look of regret, maybe a little fear. Good!

"I'll just be in there" he pointed back towards the dining room " if you need me...."

"I'll let you know" i smiled. Alex eyed Chris once more before reluctantly retreating.

"How'd you find me?" I asked crossing my arms, it was kinda like my protective barrier.... he hated when i did this.

"Um, you used your card for gas.... a notification came up on your iPad. I looked up the gas station and drove out there. I asked the cashier if she'd seen you...."

"Great" i rolled my eyes, making a mental not to turn of my notifications!

"She said she remembered you coming in because you looked exhausted and she tried to get you to stay in a motel. But that you told her you only had an hours journey... thats when i kinda figured this was where you were. I didn't think you'd come this far to be honest".

"Was kinda the point"

Chris nodded sadly realising that i came here because i knew he wouldn't think id drive all the way out to Chelsea's.

"I know I'm the last person you wanna see right now, but Y/N we need to talk about some stuff...."

"Not here, i don't want the kids hearing" i said stepping outside and walking across the street to where his car was parked.

Once we were both in the car i turned to face him trying to keep myself from crying, because my god that was all i wanted to do!

"So what do you wanna talk about.... how you cheated on me??"

"I made the biggest mistake of my life. Its over i promise you.... it was never serious, but what i was doing.... it should never had happened!!"

"You slept with someone else of course it shouldn't have happened!!" I shouted.

"I never slept with her!!"

"What??!"

"I never slept with her i promise!"

"But you said you've been seeing someone!"

Chris nodded running his hand over his bearded jaw "it wasn't about sex, we just connected on an emotional level....I didnt even realise it was a problem at first...."

he sighed "but i found myself seeking her out when i was having a bad day. When things got hard with us.... we'd been trying everything to get pregnant and it just wasn't happening"

"You confided in her??! About our relationship?..."

"I was stressed and i blamed myself..... i felt like i was letting you down. I felt us drifting apart...." he told me sadly "i don't even know when it happened. But i started spending a lot of time with her...."

"And less time with me. All while i was sitting waiting for you to come home like an idiot! I know it was hard trying to get pregnant Chris but thats no excuse for you doing this! You should have come to me!" I turned my head away to wipe away some stray tears that managed to escape.

"Please don't cry dahlin'...."

"How can i not??....."

"Tell me how i can make this right? I don't want to loose you...."

"Im not sure you can. Chris do you have any idea how this makes me feel?? I feel like I'm not enough for you..."

"You are! I promise you, you are enough..."

"Clearly im not or we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"So thats it? You're just gonna give up on us?"

"I wasn't the one who gave up on us. My god Chris, i would've done anything for you..... you were my world!"

"And now?....."

"Right now i can't even stand looking at you" i said sadly "my heart is in pieces..... i still can't wrap my head around the fact you did this. Its so out of the blue..... i thought we were happy" I cried into the sleeve of my jumper "i was so excited to tell you i was finally pregnant...... this baby couldn't have happened at a worser time. This should be one of the happiest days of my life but its been anything but happy".

"Will you just come home, please? We can sort this out...."

"I can't. I think we need some time apart"

"No..." he cried, tears running down his face "baby please don't leave me...."

"Go home Chris" i said quickly as i opened the door and stepped out.... i was in such a rush to get away from him that i didn't see the SUV coming towards me.

"Y/N!!!!" Was the last thing i heard before everything went black.

"Y/N!.... Y/N wake up....." i could hear Chris' voice as i slowly opened my eyes.

"Chris.....?"

"Yeah baby its me, you were dreaming" he said quietly as his hand stroked up and down my back. It was then that i realised i was laying in bed with Chris' arms around me.

It had all been a dream??!

I suddenly burst into tears, sobbing into Chris' bare chest.

"Hey.... hey whats wrong?" He asked tightening his hold on me "is it your dream?"

I nodded as i continued to cry "it was h..horrible! It felt so real...."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No. Chris let go of me.... i think I'm gonna be sick...." i pulled out of his arms and ran to the en suite. I made it just in time before i spilled my guys into the toilet.

Once the sickness passed i headed downstairs telling Chris i needed a minute to myself. I knew it was a dream... he hadn't actually done anything wrong, but i was pissed at Chris and felt ridiculous! I was sitting on the sofa under a blanket holding a warm mug of Chamomile tea when he came walking in. He hovered in the doorway for a minute before finally coming to sit next to me on the sofa.

"Look i'm not sure what i did to piss you off but will you come back to bed please? You know i hate sleeping without you"

"You haven't done anything wrong" i reached out and took his hand "that dream just really shook me up"

"Talk to me.... you might feel better if you talk about it"

"I... i found out i was pregnant...."

"Dahlin, its gonna happen i promise...." he quickly added thinking that was the reason i was so upset, because that part of my dream was real.... we'd been trying to get pregnant for so long now but it just wouldn't take.

"Thats not what got to me..... i found out i was pregnant but before i got to tell you, you came home from work and told me you had been seeing someone else. It felt so real...."

"Sweetheart....." Chris looked at me sadly tightening his hold on my hand "it was just a dream. I would never do that to you.... you're my world. Id be lost without you"

"It was horrible Chris! It felt so real! I left and went to Chelsea' but you tracked me down..... we were arguing in your car one minute, the next I'm getting out to leave and i got hit by a car! then i woke up...."

"I know it felt real, but its not. Im not going anywhere, you're stuck with me"

He pulled me in and pressed a tender kiss to my lips "i love you".

"I love you too".

"Sweetheart?.... are you crying again?"

"Yes!" I cried loudly, my god i was a mess! Chris chuckled softly.

"You're not still pissed at me because of your dream are you?"

"No! Im just very emotional!"

"Okay don't get mad at me but, are you sure you're not pregnant?".

I sat up straight on the sofa and stopped crying long enough to think about when i had my last period.

"Oh my god.... i'm late" i gasped, I was never late! "Do you think this is really it?"

"I hope so dahlin!" Chris replied with a huge smile.

Everything taglist: @jesseswartzwelder @dumblani @barnesandrogersworld @patzammit @rynabarnesrogers-reading @rainbowkisses31 @rororo06 @supernaturalwintersoldier @hiddelstannerbarnes @bellamy-barnes @buchanansebba @rosalynshields @turtoix @dottirose

Out Of The Blue tags: @kenzieam @ilovetheeagles @mrspeacem1nusone @kawairinrin @coldmuffinpartycloud @memoriesat30 @idk123906 @thummbelina @uniquebeautyqueen

[toomanyfandoms02]

The Mission // Spencer Reid x Reader

Sooooo this was SUPPOSE to be a blurb for @andiebeaword BUT it ended up being much longer than that, my bad.

Summary - Spencer and Reader must act like a married couple at a party in order to get information on a hitman. They may do more than needed to prove being a married couple.

Word count - 2.7k

Prompts - "If we die, I'm going to kill you." ~~~ "You have a dirty mind." ~~~ "These heels are peeling off my **skin**. But yes, keep complaining about your tag you whine ass." ~~~ "Wow, I can't imagine being that rich! How old are his kids, maybe I can date one."

It was a well-known fact that I loved partnering with Spencer. We could always joke around and make eachother feel better, even when working the bad cases. But I feel like this was a little ridiculous.

"Are you shitting me?" The words slipped from my mouth so easily, which I immediatly regretted. Spencer gave me *the look* and elbowed my side.

"I'm sorry Y/n, you and Spencer are the two people who are the most compatible to seem like a couple, and we need hard proof before we arrest him." Hotch explained with his usual amount of enthusiasm.

None.

"Hotch, this guy is dangerous and we will be in there without vests, is what I believe y/n is trying to say." Spencer leaned back in his seat, flipping through the mans file.

"We will have sharp-shooters pointing through every window at him in case anything gets out of hand. This is non negotiable." And with that, he left.

"Well, clearly we have no choice." I stood from my seat, flattening my skirt. "I'm gonna go home and get an outfit ready. You aren't wearing that to the party either." I pointed to his outfit.

"What's wrong with my outfit?!" He scoffed, hugging his sweater vest.

"Okay, one, this isn't some dingy hole in the wall. And two, even if it was, you don't go to a nice party looking like someone who has 3 PhD's in the first place." The smirk on my lips grew wider as he feigned offense.

"Fine, I'll find something nicer to wear. I'll pick you up at 7 and tell the team to meet us there." I agreed and left the conference room a little grumpy, quickly making a bee line to the elevator before anyone could comment on my mood.

-

I stared at the 3 dresses in front of me. They were all the same style, but different colors.

White, yellow, and olive green.

I wasn't sure why I was having so much trouble picking a *color*. I always say that I dress for myself, which is what I was trying to do right now.

Right?

I totally wasn't thinking back to that conversation I had with Spencer a few weeks ago.

-

*"Y/n!" Emily looked at me with surprise. "You look so beautiful in white! Why don't you wear it more?" She was right, I never wore it. Me and Penelope were pretty known for wearing many colors, mine just had to be paired with a black skirt.*

*"I'm so clumsy." I laughed. "I live in constant fear that I'll spill coffee on it. Hence why I'm not holding a cup of joe."*

*"I agree with Emily, you look nice in white." Spencer chimed in. "You know the psychological meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion. In color psychology, white is the color of new beginnings, of wiping the slate clean, so to speak." He then took a sip of his coffee.*

*"Yeah well I don't know about the innocent part." I giggled, looking to Emily who gave me a shrug and nod. Spencer choked a bit on his coffee. "You alright there Spence?" He saluted me and headed to his desk, which put me and Emily into a fit of giggles.*

-

I reluctantly grabbed the white one, silently hoping that I was less of a klutz tonight.

The satin dress slipped on me easily. It came down to about 2 or so inches above my knees and had thin straps. I paired it with some semi-transparent heels and called it a day. I put on a little heavier makeup to look the part. Foundation, winged eyeliner, blush, highlight, and mascara. Lastly, I tied my hair up in a simple straightened pony-tail.

By the time my indecisive ass was done choosing everything, it was nearly 7 and I knew that Spence would be early. My heels clicked as I walked on my wood floors, heading to the front door. Getting there just in time to hear a knock. I must have startled him by opening it so fast because he stumbled back a bit. He wore a nice white button up and tighter pants than usual, paired with nice black oxfords.

And then he just stood there.

I waved my hand in front of his face.

"Hi!" He shook his head a bit. "Hello there, back to Earth I see. Do you wanna come in and have a glass of water before this whole event, since you are," I leaned back into my doorway to look at the time. "12 minutes early?"

"Oh, yeah sure." I cleared the way so he could walk in. I shook the heels from my feet, taking me down at least three inches before stepping into the kitchen. I grabbed two glasses.

"Do you want ice?" I turned to him, he was sitting at my island. He just shook his head. "Okay." I laughed, putting ice in mine and just filling his with water. The glass clinked as it hit the island in front of him. "You're pretty quiet, are you okay?" The tips of his ears reddened.

"Yeah! I'm just a little nervous, you?" He swiftly brought the water to his lips, guzzling it down like he hadn't drank anything in days. He then stood up.

"Of course I'm nervous." I came around to his side of the counter and swooned into his arms. "But I'll have a great protector there." He smiled down at me with a shake of his head, standing me back up.

Now it's time to head out.

-

We pulled up to the location in Spencer's Volvo, which was incredibly nice to ride in. ~~and I would love to get use to riding in it~~.

"Okay, I have one thing to fix with your outfit." I turned to him before we exited the car. His eyes narrowed at this comment. I leaned forward and unbuttoned two buttons. "Now you look like your going to a party."

"Thank you expert. Stay in the car, I'm going to open your door, the bouncer works with him and we have to go all out on this act." He nodded his head at the bouncer a few yards away.

I wish this wasn't an act.

He opened the door, offering his hand. I took it with a gracious smile, interlacing our fingers. We walked up to the bouncer, who had an ipad with the guest list in hand. Penelope had hacked into their list and added our names, well fake names.

"Mr and Mrs. Adler." Spencer spoke as I leaned into his side. The man scrolled through the list, he tapped our names and opened the door.

It opened to a large room, filled with dozens of people. I leaned up on my tippy toes and whispered into Spencer's ear.

"If we die, I'm going to kill you." I pulled away with a smile, patting his shoulder. His Adam's apple bobbed while he gulped. "So, what's this guys networth, I mean he seems pretty damn rich to throw a party like this." He looked down at me quizzically. "I know you know what it is, I'm sure you have researched him extensively. So what is it?"

"6.2 million dollars." He recited, looking towards the crowd, scanning for the man in question.

"Wow, I can't imagine being that rich! How old are his kids, maybe I can date one."

"Be careful what you say, someone might think we are suspicious." He pulled me into his side, kissing the top of my head.

This night is going to be agonizing. "There he is." We made our way to him slowly, stopping at small drink stations. Just as we were about to get to some seats near him, a server came up to us.

"Hello! Welcome. Would you guys like anything?" She handed Spencer a very small menu. I could see the slight confusion in his eyes. It was truly a weird thing to do at such a big party.

*Salad*

*Potato Soup*

*Fruit Bowl*

*Veggie Bowl*

"I'll have a salad, and the lady will have a fruit bowl." He pointed to the seats we were on our way to. "We will be over there. Thank you." He put his hand on the small of my back, leading us to the seats.

"How did you know I wanted a fruit bowl?"

"You bring some kind of fruit cup to work every day, I'm observant." Right as we were about to sit down, another couple took the seats, not even noticing that we were heading there.

"Well damn. I say we stand next to his table until our food gets here, then we go to the other corner of the room and observe, then we catch him making the deal." I led him to the space by the table. After just a few minutes of waiting, the young lady who took our orders he returned, holding a small bowl of salad and a fruit bowl.

"Have a good night!" She chimed, how can someone be so happy with so many people around?

We ventured to the other side of the room, I grabbed two glasses of champagne from another server on the way. I peered at Spencer over the skinny glass, he was staring at his salad.

"What, is there something wrong?"

"Why is there so much white stuff on it? It's not ranch, I know what ranch looks like." My giggle was muffled slightly by the glass.

"That's what she said." He raised one eyebrow. Then a look of realization came over his face.

"You have a dirty mind." He mixed together the salad to distribute the 'white stuff'. We subtly stared every once in a while over at the mans table.

His name was Anton Todd, but his customers called him Ton. He was someone who frequently assassinated people. He was a hitman to be exact. We had an outside source tell us that a new customer would be coming in to request business, so we could kill two birds with one stone.

So far the man we knew as Cole Kamargo had not come to ask for Antons *services* yet. We had been standing in this corner of the room for a while, just watching him. That's when I caught his eye.

His gaze was terrifying, it struck me right through my soul, and I just couldn't stop looking. He squinted at me, tilting his head. Spencer shook my shoulder.

"Y/n, stop staring at him." It was like being lost in someone's eyes in the worst way possible. I watched as he stood from the table, making his way over with a sour look on his face.

"Shit shit shit shit." I mumbled as he got closer.

"Shit is right. Do you trust me?" I kept my eyes on the man.

"Of course." He grabbed my hips, pushing me against the wall behind us and kissed me hard. He trailed his left hand up to the back of my neck, holding me there. I gasped in surprise, leading him to slip his tongue in my mouth. Meaning we were full on making out. I pushed my hands into his hair, gladly accepting the kiss and sighing into it. Suddenly, Spencer was pulled from me. And there he stood.

Anton.

"Tell your girl to stop fuckin' staring at me." He spat, glaring at me.

"Sorry sir, my wife has ADHD, she zones out frequently." He rushed to my side and pulled me into his side protectively. Anton rolled his eyes and left the area.

I looked up at Spencer, his cheeks were a deep shade of red, and he was touching his lips.

"Thank you. Also, you're a good kisser." I remarked, nudging his side a bit. He looked down at me with wide eyes. "What? Am I not allowed to compliment your kissing? It's good!" I laughed heartily, looping my arm into his.

"Ditto." A smile grew on his lips. I could get use to this. Spencer noticed an available seat near us, so he sat patting his lap.

"Excuse me?"

"Come sit on my lap!" He chuckled.

"I'm glad your getting use to the idea of me being your *wife*." I sat on his lap, leaning my head back onto his shoulder. My hands made their way to the heel of my foot, slightly slipping my shoe off. "These heels are from Satan I think." I rubbed at the sore skin.

"My tag is itchy." Spencer pulled at his collar, relieving the so called *itch*.

"These heels are peeling off my **skin**. But yes, keep complaining about your tag you whine ass." He turned his head to me, kissing my cheek.

"I'm sorry, I can put some neosporin on it when we get home. I mean, when we get-get you home." He stuttered, the tips of his ears once again turning an extravagant shade of red. I kissed his jaw.

"Thank you *baby*." We were then interrupted by a woman next to us.

"How long have you guys been married?" The lady leaned over the booth, a ring was clearly shown on her finger.

"8 years." I answered quickly, before Spencer could say a contradicting answer.

"Wow! You guys look so young to be together so long. How do you guys keep it so... so beautiful?" She tilted her head at the question.

"What do you mean?" I asked, reaching my hand into Spencer's hair and playing with it momentarily.

"You seem so in love. You act like teenagers, I don't think I've looked that in love with my husband since we first met." She huffed.

"You just have to find someone who's easy to love." He leaned his head on mine. "I've never had a doubt in my mind that she was the one." The words stuck with me, I felt like they would be embedded in my soul for eternity.

"I think I need to get a divorce." She sunk into the seat, I watched as her husband come back and sat with her, she gave him a weak smile.

"Okay, we need to leave this area before we become homewreckers." I whispered, pulling him to his feet and fleeing into another direction. "We must be amazing actors." I laughed nervously.

"Yeah, actors." He murmered, but before I could comment on it, I saw Cole making his way to Anton.

"Spencer! It's Cole!" I screeched quietly. We discreetly made our way near the table, quickly catching the conversation and relaying it to Hotch.

Cole spoke of the horrible things he wanted done to his wife, it made me sick.

"FBI, get on the ground!" I pulled my gun from the left holster that Spencer had for me. I couldn't exactly *hide* a gun on this white dress. Spencer pulled his gun as well.

"We have you surrounded by sharpshooters aimed and ready to fire, so I suggest that you comply." Morgan came in soon, cuffing the both of them and leading the men to cars.

We now remained outside, sitting on the stairs of the large building.

"I enjoyed being your husband for a night." Spencer laughed, nudging my shoulder.

"And I enjoyed being your wife." I played with the fake ring on my finger. "Okay. Fuck it. Did you mean any of the things you said in there?" The words spat from my mouth quickly.

"Like what?" His voice was shaky.

"Like, that you never had a doubt that I was the one. Or was that part of the act. I would totally understand if it was, you're an amazing actor if it was because it honestly had me believing-" He put his finger to my lips.

"Yes, I meant it."

"Thank God." I grabbed his jaw with both hands and brought him to my lips. He smiled into the kiss, deepening it. His hands ran up and down my back slowly.

"I wouldn't mind doing this every day." He remarked, gesturing between our lips.

"I wouldn't either pretty boy."

[professorsnape394]

The Potions Master’s Apprentice

Chapter Four: The Three Broomsticks

A/N: This is the fourth part to my fanficiton ‘The Potions Master’s Apprentice (Severus Snape x OC)’. Chapters 1-16 can be found already uploaded on Wattpad under the same name. Feel free to leave requests in my inbox for anything Snape related you want me to write. Leave a comment below if you wish to be added to my tag list.

Pairing: Severus Snape x OC (Dumbledore’s Granddaughter)

Summary: A talented young witch is employed as an apprentice professor at Hogwarts, but who will she be working under? Severus Snape is not best pleased with his new responsibility of taking on an apprentice, however she is relentless to create a friendship between them. Will she be successful? Or might the friendship just go a little two far? With the eyes of her grandfather constantly watching over them, an attempt at a relationship might not be in the cards for Aria Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

Word Count: 1733

Warnings: n/a

Credits to Gif Creator

The following days transpired just as the day before had done; a lot of potion brewing and a little conversation. However, more notably Severus Snape was actually participating in the conversation for once. Aria could not yet say she had seen a pleasant side to the man, however he was acceptable to converse with at the very least. By the end of the third day he no longer pretended to busy himself with textbooks and he actually elected to help with the potion brewing for once. Being able to talk to the Professor and ask him any questions helped her a great deal in learning the correct procedures. She felt herself being more at ease around him, and soon enough they had developed their own way of working together, that she found quite enjoyable. Even Severus had become accustomed to the woman's presence in his classroom as she pranced around the cauldrons, laughing every now and then at his sarcastic comments he hadn't entirely meant to be humorous.

Aria had been lost in thought as she stirred the final potion to completion. "I was thinking." She said cautiously. "It's pretty hard finding things to occupy myself at nights, there isn't much to do here, except aimlessly wandering the halls. How do you feel about maybe taking a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend, have some dinner, maybe drinks? It would make a change from the elves cooking, although I admit they'd be pretty hard to beat."

"I appreciate the offer Miss Dumbledore. However you know how I feel about spending time with Mr. Hagrid, I doubt a change of setting would convince me, especially with the addition of alcohol." Severus spoke, his tone softer than it usually would at such a request.

"Hagrid wouldn't be there." She hastened to add. "He mentioned he has business out with the castle grounds. I just figured since the two of us would be here anyway, it wouldn't make any sense for us to sit alone."

"You may have forgotten, Miss Dumbledore, but I like being alone. I eat alone every night, and I do not wish to simply be your back up plan, now Hagrid has left you to do the same."

"I don't mean for you to be a back up plan Sev- Professor Snape. I just think it might do us both some good. After all haven't we been getting along better these past few days." Aria wanted to get to know the man more, she felt they had got off on the wrong foot and the way to fix this was spending more time together, and hopefully they would even become friends at the end of it all.

"You haven't been as disagreeable as I expected you would be, I will admit. This does not change my previous opinion." He stated.

"At least consider it." She pleaded.

With a sigh Snape flipped another page. "I'll consider it." He agreed, continuing reading his book, no longer interested in conversing with the young witch.

The next few days dragged in more than ever. Aria enjoyed keeping herself busy and was not used to having this much free time. The only thing keeping her sane was her passions for drawing and nature. She chose to combine the two and spend her days outside, sketching the beautiful landscape she found herself in. She preferred to opt for portraits, capturing the essence of humanity in her sketches, but trees were fine too. She shrugged.

Sunday morning eventually came around and Aria chose to tackle something she had been putting off ever since her arrival at Hogwarts. A small pile of letters had accumulated on her bedside table, ignoring each one as they came in. She immediately recognised the scrawled writing on the envelope and could not face opening them. Every second day she received a letter and it broke her heart knowing what lay within. Reading each one carefully, she knew she could not face writing the response the sender desperately awaited. Instead she scribbled a small, generic reply, making sure to include that she would be too busy to write often due to her crazy schedule. This of course was a lie as she had virtually nothing planned for the next couple of weeks until term begun. Aria did not want to face even reading any more letters as long as she remained at Hogwarts, and so she swore to herself she wouldn't no matter how hard she knew it would be.

A firm knock echoed through her quarters just as Aria sent her letter off with beautiful brunette barn owl. "Come in." She called curious as too who would be calling on her. Shocked to see Professor Snape striding into her private chambers, Aria couldn't help but question his presence there.

"I've had time to think about your offer." He stated blankly, visibly out of his comfort zone.

"And?" Aria pressed.

"And I suppose there would be no harm in joining you for one meal. After all, as you say, we both will be here alone, we may as well keep each other company."

"Fantastic!" His colleague gleamed, jumping up from her position on her couch. "Just give me some time to get ready and I'll meet you there? Say six oclock at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Six is fine with me. Don't be late." He warned, leaving the room just as quickly as he came.

*

Aria entered the Three Broomsticks at five forty-five, ensuring Snape had no reason to reprimand her once again for her tardiness. It stunned her to find the sallow skinned man already sitting at a booth, firewhiskey in hand, patiently waiting on her arrival. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched him tap out a rhythm on the side of his glass as he took yet another sip. She wondered if it was out of impatience or nervousness, either way she thought it slightly endearing to see.

Hearing the click of a familiar set of heels quickly approaching him, Severus Snape looked up from his glass, almost needing to hold back the urge to smile, but managed to keep his composure. He rose to his feet, holding out a hand to greet the fellow Professor, instantly cursing himself for such a foolish action. "Sit." He commanded, motioning to the seat across from his own. "I'll get you a drink."

"Oh no, there's really no need Professor." Aria insisted, shaking her head, causing her beach-like waves to brush over her exposed shoulders. "I'm afraid alcohol doesn't agree with me at the best of times." She admitted.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Miss Dumbledore, but as I recall it was you who suggested a meal and drinks. Or did I mishear you." Snape asked, feeling almost foolish, having already down two glasses of Firewhiskey.

"I did say that didn't I." The young Miss Dumbledore blushed. "I apologise, sometimes I just cannot stop myself when I speak, I often forget the consequences of drinking, which as it happens is the ultimate consequence of drinking." She chuckled.

The older man shot her a small look of disdain, not at all as amused as she had expected him to be. He let out a small grunt of dissatisfaction, and proceed to down the dregs of his drink.

It took a few more awkward moments of silence and Severus being slightly more irritable that Aria had wished for before the two finally settled in to a rhythm of conversation. Soon enough it came time to eat and Aria took it upon herself to call over the waitress. As he ordered Aria watched as Severus made no effort to look up at the woman serving him. It crossed her mind that maybe this was a deliberate attempt at ignoring her voluptuous breast and curvature of her hips. However, on the other hand she considered that maybe he truly was not interested as she thought back to their conversation a few days before.

"She's stunning." Aria couldn't help but observe. "You should go for it, chat her up, she might be into the dark, brooding, intellectual type."

"As I told you before, Miss Dumbledore, dating it not top priority for me. If you find her so attractive why don't you, as you say, 'chat her up'." Snape replied sarcastically, not expecting the woman to take him seriously.

"I might just." She said, finding her eyes following the waitress back to the kitchen for a moment or two. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous as the witch watched the woman walk away from their table, though he was not sure why.

"So tell me Professor Snape." The young Professor began. "What are the other Professor's at Hogwarts like? Who am I took look out for? Who's my competition." She grinned, wriggling her eyebrows menacingly.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." He hummed in response.

"You know." She shrugged. "Who are you close with? Will I have to fight them for custody of you." She laughed, although the Professors expression did not change. "What I'm trying to say Severus is, I'm new here, besides yourself and Hagrid I know no one. I'd like to consider us friends, though you may have a different opinion. I was simply trying to express my nervousness at being the new girl. I was hoping you'd be able to help me settle in, introduce me to your other friends and colleagues that is." She sighed.

"You do not seem to understand my disposition, Miss Dumbledore, that which I feel I have made abundantly clear. I am not one to socialise. I am not one to make friends. I am here to teach and teach alone. I do what your grandfather asks of me and that is the extent of my relationship with the staff. They understand how I am, and respect that. I do not bother them and in return they do not bother me. You have been the first to struggle with this concept, Professor." He struggled to grant her the title.

"I didn't realise." Aria stuttered slightly, not understanding how she had not caught on. "I had simply thought you had a vendetta against me, due to my position here at Hogwarts. I didn't realise you shut yourself off from everyone. I apologise for any inconvenience I have caused you." The tone of her voice softening, becoming almost a whisper-like volume. She was embarrassed she had forced him out of his habits and brought him to the Three Broomsticks to clear the air. She realised now it had been a pointless act. This man had been stuck in his ways for over a decade and she would not change that a fortnight into knowing him.

"I am here, aren't I." Severus stated, trying not sound as harsh as he previously had. "Had I truly despised you I would not be wasting my time here with you. I have come to the realisation that if we are to work in such a close proximity to each other, it would be best if we maintained at least some level of civility with one another."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Professor." She replied shyly, remaining silent. Immediately Severus regretted opening his mouth. He didn't entirely hate her company and in fact he had found himself starting to enjoy the evening. It took him a minute or two to gain the confidence to speak the words aloud, but he figured the pay off was worth the sacrifice of a small amount of pride.

"Will you stop fretting woman." He demanded. "I was just beginning to find your constant rambling tolerable. If I wished to spend the evening in silence, I wouldn't have made the effort to accept your invitation to come here tonight. You have managed to entice me thus far, do not spoil what may be your one chance at a friendship with me."

"A friendship?" This piqued her interest.

"You know what I mean. A working relationship. A tolerance. A chance for me to accept your position as my apprentice." Snape corrected himself, fumbling over his words.

"Mmmm." She smirked, taking a small sip of butterbeer. "I'll just pretend a friendship is off the cards for us then, Professor. Although I don't recall you mentioning trips to Hogsmeade as an exception to your reclusive personality." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Despite his annoyance at her persuasive abilities, and daring comments, he was glad he had convinced her back to her previously inquisitive self.

Both choosing to ignore any reservations they might have about their 'non-friendship' the two spoke for hours with ease. With each empty glass of fire whiskey Severus Snape found himself relaxing more into the conversation, his reputation becoming a distant memory. It was the first he had allowed himself to truly relax in possibly the whole of his life.

It seemed in one evening Severus had gotten to know all there was to know about Aria's life, although strangely she mentioned nothing regarding her family and Snape chose not to pursue the subject. He loved listening to her talk, she was a rambler, rarely needing any interjection from him except the odd mumble here and there and that's the way he liked it. He was a listener, he loved taking in new information no matter the subject. Most importantly it meant he did not have to share anything about himself, unless the woman specifically asked, and even in those rare occasions, she knew better than to pressure him when he chose not to provide an answer.

Aria told him of the schooling she received in Ilvermorny, her school in America. She told him of her job working in a local alchemists after she left school. She confided in him of her dream to become a professor, or an auror even, really she was just desperate to make a difference in someone's life and her dream would not succeed by spending the rest of her days working in a dingy old shop. "And that's why your grandfather brought you here?" He questioned, the topic piquing his interest. "You told him of your dream to teach?" "I guess you could say that." She agreed, not wanting to raise any more questions than necessary. "He didn't bring me from America though, if that's what your meaning. I was already here. My mother sent me to school in America to protect me, with all that Wizarding War carry on and what with me being a Dumbledore, she didn't want to put me in any more danger than I already was. She remained here with my father however and I visited on the holidays." Snape raised a single brow at the mention of her mother and father but changed the subject completely, seeing the woman being to shy away slightly.

"It's getting late." Severus observed. "I should walk you back to the castle before it gets too dark."

"That would be nice" Aria smiled, rising from her seat.

The couple made their way back to the beautiful lit up castle as the sky turned a deep shade of blue above them. They continued to speak all the way down to the dungeons, this time Severus participating just as much as Aria. The Potions Master escorted his apprentice to the door of her quarters, the two of them swaying awkwardly not knowing where to go from here.

"You can come in for a drink... if you'd like." Aria hesitated to ask. "Although I'm not sure I have anything alcoholic, so tea might need to suffice."

"I appreciate the invitation, but it's been a long day for me, I'm afraid I must retire for the night." Now they were back in the familiar castle grounds Severus felt as though he had suddenly returned to his body, and the events of the night lingered at the forefront of his mind, a deep feeling of regret developing in his stomach.

"Very well." Aria agreed, feeling slightly uncomfortable herself. "Good night, Professor Snape."

"Good night, Miss Dumbledore." He spoke softly, rocking anxiously the balls of his feet, waiting for the woman to disappear into her quarters. With a simple nod and one final smile from Aria, she vanished from his sight. The sound of the door closing echoed through the halls, ringing in Severus' ears, and suddenly he felt more alone than he ever had before.

Aria stood with her back to the door, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. As much as she enjoyed the evening with her mentor, the intense awkwardness that occurred at her door, got her thinking about the man on the other side. Her intention was to get to know the man better, and though he did not confide in her much, she felt she had achieved that, maybe more than anyone ever had.

Why had he allowed her to get close to him when he claimed to distance himself from the world?

This thought circled her brain for the rest of the night.

Taglist:

@ayamenimthiriel

[xpeachesncream]

acquainted | ten

> series masterlist | series playlist <

summary: the biggest goal of a grad student is to get through school in one piece - no petty drama involved, no sweating over the little things. however, that plan almost always never follows through. sometimes, you can’t help but fall into the most unthinkable, unexpected traps and learn the hard way. like, exhibit a: being unable to resist your engaged, substitute teacher, kim seokjin.

pairing: jungkook x reader x engaged!teacher!seokjin

genre: grad school au, student life au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 2.7k

warnings: cussing, mature language/implied sexual content, jealousy, some good car sex w/ breast play, straddling, fingering, a lil spit play

note: to the anon who requested the one shot, i promise i have it done - i can’t post it juuuust yet tho lol

tags: @laurynne5 @yiyi4657 @miinoongi @teamtardis-notdead @bluesharksandfish @photographic-girl @yonkoghan @moonchild1​ @thebeebi​ (pls msg me if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

"How was your date, Jungkookie?" Hoseok asks as he forks into his salad. Jungkook sits in front of Hoseok and Yoongi, while Namjoon and Jin sit off to either of his sides. Kook does a simple chuckle with his nose scrunched as he's digging into his fries.

"Good." He smirked.

"Oooh, Jungkookie has a girlfriend!" Hoseok laughed, causing both Namjoon and Jin to shoot looks at each other while shifting in their seats.

"No, but I hope to ask her out."

"Wait, like really ask her to be your girlfriend?" Yoongi chimed in, his gummy smile coming forth with a small high-pitched laugh. "How cute."

"Yeah, I want to. Not right at this moment, but I've already been planning on how to have this talk with her about being exclusive."

"Aw, our Kookie is growing up!"

"Shut up." Jungkook laughs. "I just really like her. She's beautiful, and smart and fun to be around."

"Are you seeing her today?"

"No, but I'm gonna hang out with her tomorrow. She has stuff to get done."

"Do you see her a lot?"

"A good amount, but I try not to suffocate her."

"Jin, you haven't said anything. What's up with you?" Jin looks up from his plate, eyes quickly roaming between all of them.

"Sorry, I just knew all of this already. It's nothing unexpected." He gives off a fake chuckle.

"Grace issues?" He shrugged.

"Sure, but this isn't about me." They nod and shift their attention back to Jungkook. Whew.

"Have you gotten her in bed?"

"Woah, Yoongi? What the fuck." Namjoon laughed.

"I'm just curious and we're always honest with each other right?" Joon shoots Jin a quick look before shaking his head at Yoongi.

"No." Kook chuckled. "I mean I don't care for it much. If she isn't ready to take that step with me then I won't force her."

"What a gentleman! Jin you taught him well." They laughed. Jin is reciprocating the energy with a small smile, as that's the best he can do right now. He didn't want this topic to come up only because he did already know how Jungkook felt about you. Yes, he felt bad, but also, he didn't want to let up on you. He wasn't going to, and Namjoon can easily tell he wasn't over you even though he told Jungkook to go for it. He hated having this silent competition. He knew his feelings for you were growing and he couldn't help but feel like a child over it.

I saw her first. I got her first. Me. Not you.

And so their conversation over an early dinner gets put to rest, Jin thanking God that no one pressed him more about Grace or why he truly wasn't saying much. They were all too caught up in Jungkook's feelings. All, except Namjoon. Jin gets to his classroom a little early to get himself together for class, gathering all his thoughts and feelings about you, Jungkook, Grace, etc., and pushing it to a far, far corner in his mind. At least, until class is over.

[Namjoon] 5:04pm: You couldn't be any more obvious.

[Jin] 5:05pm: What are you talking about now?

[Namjoon] 5:05pm: You're still seeing her. Or, let me rephrase - You're still trying to pursue her even after you told your brother to go for it.

[Jin] 5:06pm: It's complicated.

[Namjoon] 5:06pm: Seokjin, please. What did I tell you? Don't start this mess.

[Jin] 5:07pm: It'll be fine, okay? I appreciate the concern but stop worrying about me.

He sighs as he paces around the front of his room. The real reason as to why you weren't hanging out with Jungkook tonight was because of him. He needed to see you. Feel you. Touch you. Be close to you. There was also something he needed to bring up, hoping you'd agree to it.

Namjoon was right. The concern is valid. However, if things pull through the way Seokjin expects it to, then he knows what he has to do from there. He'll know how to approach this better. Hopefully.

Seeing you in class makes him feel at ease. He loves the little smiles you send his way when you both make eye contact. He just loves to look at you. Smiling and laughing with your friends. Your serious face when it's time to focus. He has it bad for you.

"Alright, class. Get those in to me on time by next week and I'll think about the movie." Jin laughs as the class has mixed reactions while packing up their things.

"But Mr. Kim it's a really good movie, don't you think we deserve a little break in class?" Taehyung whines as he picks up his bag.

"I always think you guys deserve a break, the movie though? Not sure if it's my cup of tea."

"Awww come on, just once." The class whined, making Jin laugh that adorable laugh he has. It was cute to see how adored Jin was by your classmates. He truly was a great teacher and made it a safe environment for everyone. Completely inclusive.

"I'll sleep on it. See you guys next week." He smiles and flashes a wink at a couple of people leaving the classroom saying their goodbyes. He stands at the front, his hands dug into his pockets as he looks at you and Ryujin coming down the steps - always being the last to leave.

"I'm counting on you, Mr. Kim." Ryujin says, flipping her hair.

"Counting on me for what?"

"The movie." She turns to look at you. "And other things." You shove her out the door before looking over at Jin, who hasn't stopped chuckling.

"You heard her." He nods.

"Pick you up in a few?" He asks, almost at a whisper. You return the nod and smile before walking out. You silently walk next to Ryujin, thinking about what tonight would be about. Not gonna lie, you were excited to be alone with him again, even if that meant being in his car, sitting in silence. The thought alone made you happy. The thought made you push through the day just to get to this point.

"Are you seeing him?"

"Yeah." Is all you respond to Ryujin with.

"Be careful, okay?"

"I know." Ryujin knew you weren't going to let up on Jin easily. She too, just like Namjoon, could tell that you had developed deep feelings for him, yet she just didn't know how you would approach it. Whatever it was though, she was going to have your back and be there for you. She just wished you had told the boys because handling you alone is work! Extra support would have been nice!

Getting home, you toss your things aside and start working on a few assignments until Jin is texting you that he's outside of your building. You feel a little nervous, as if it's a first date when it's really not. You step out of the elevator and into the lobby, just to see him ahead in the driver's seat. He has one hand resting along the wheel while he's scrolling through his phone in the other.

"Hey." You say as you hop into the passenger's seat. He puts his phone down and looks at you, his head tilted towards you and rested against the headrest.

"Hey pretty girl." He softly smiles as he leans over to kiss you on the lips. "Want some ice cream?" You laugh.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" He begins to drive off, taking you to a nearby ice cream joint.

"How was your day today?" You ask him as he's roaming the streets looking for parking.

"It was alright. Went to work for a bit and met up with the boys for an early dinner before class."

"How was that?" He keeps his eyes on the road.

"Mm, good. I love sitting around and hearing about my brother's feelings for you." You chuckle at his sarcasm.

"You're dramatic."

"Call it what you want." He says. "It's still not fair."

"You can do something about it, you choose not to though." You straight up tell him. He parks his car and looks over at you, a small smirk plastered on his face.

"So, do you want me to do something about it?"

"Jin, please. Don't turn this on me. You're the one whining." You get out of the car. It was true. He kept talking about Jungkook and how he couldn't stand it, but yet, his ass was over here doing absolutely nothing. You expected that much though, because what? Was he just going to up and leave his fiancé because of a little jealousy? You honestly didn't think it was that deep for Jin. Maybe a little bit of a competition, but nothing too serious. And that was honestly the most painful realization for you.

You probably weren't worth it.

"I'm not whining, love. Trust me." You subtly roll your eyes at the weak comeback, but you don't throw in a rebuttal. Were you worth it? It was hard to read Jin sometimes. There were days where you felt like this could be more, then there were days where you felt dumb as hell for even having the thought cross your mind.

Like right now, you feel like this could be more with the way he's letting you taste his ice cream, his hand below your chin to catch any melting ice cream from dripping onto your clothing. He takes his cone back to his lips at the same time he's raising the napkin to the corners of your lips. You're both sitting in his car, overlooking the bay and the San Francisco skyline view in his back seat. There's a walking trail in front of the small lot his car is currently parked in, but no one is around. It's just you, Seokjin and your ice cream cones.

"Mmmm, thank you." You say gobbling up the last bit of your cone.

"You're welcome." He chuckles. "How was your day?" You shrugged.

"Same old." You fold your leg onto the seat while the other draped over it just so you could turn and look at Jin. You lean your head against the seat, watching him eat the last bits of his cone. You admired him, and you couldn't help but marvel at how absolutely breathtaking he was. The goddamn nerve. He was literally sitting there in a hoodie and jeans and you thought he was the most endearing thing.

"Sounds fun." He clears his throat as he tosses the napkin into the cup holder in front.

"Why'd you bring me out here?"

"I just wanted to see you. Is that too much to ask for?" He looked at you. "I missed you."

"You see me in class."

"It's not the same and you know it." He cocks his head to the side again to look at you. "Come here." He grabs your hand to pull you closer to him and leans in for a kiss. You rest your hand on his neck as you continue to kiss him back, the sounds of slow kisses being exchanged filling the car. You climb onto his lap as the kiss deepens, your hands gripping Jin's face while his warm, soft hands explored inside your sweater. "You drove me crazy the other night." He whispers as you slightly pull away.

"Good." You respond, bringing your lips back onto his, slowly grinding your hips into his.

"Fuck." He hisses. He quickly aids in removing your leggings before unbuckling his jeans. You feel his hardened member underneath his boxer briefs against your clothed folds, causing you to slightly tilt your head back in pleasure. You feel his hands travel up to your bra, unhooking it and raising your sweater to suck on your nipples freely. You feel his tongue working in circular motions on your hardened bud, causing you to let out a breathy moan. His eyes wander up to your face, slightly shutting close when he sees how much you're enjoying this. He moves to the other breast, his free hand cupping the one he had just removed himself from, tongue exploring your nipple. His hand moves down to aggressively hook your panties to the side, giving him room to swipe his fingers up and down your wet folds.

"Oh shit." You slightly jerk at the sensation, his long fingers taking their sweet time spreading your wetness all around your pussy.

"You're so fucking wet." He keeps his eyes on you and watches your eyes roll to the back of your head when he inserts two digits, pumping them in and out. It's incredibly hot to him how fucking wet you are, the sounds of your pussy now echoing in the car.

"Jin, ohhhhshit." You mewl. "I'm gonna cum." He continues to pump his long fingers into you, the feeling of both pain and pleasure radiating throughout your body. He curves his digits upwards, tickling your core to send you hurdling over the edge. You buck in your position from how hard the orgasm hits you, Jin's wet fingers swiping your folds and gently caressing your sensitive clit. You squeal, the overstimulation becoming a little overbearing but it feels so fucking good. You unbury his hardened member from his boxer briefs, letting your spit dribble down onto his cock as you play with the pre-cum pooling at the head.

"Oh fuck, Y/N. Don't do that shit." He tilts his head back in pleasure. You silently chuckle as you jerk him, getting his dick a little wet before hopping on and filling yourself up with it.

"Ugh, why do you feel so fucking good?" You moan as you fix your position onto him, slowly riding him and easing your way into it. You slip his two fingers into your mouth to taste yourself, his fingers still dripping from your cum.

"I-I've been wanting to fuck you so badly." He lets out a breathy moan. "The things you do to me."

"Yeah?" You say, picking up the pace as his hands guide your hips and direct your pace.

"Just like that, baby." He groans. You love when he called you baby. It made you want to give him all of you.

Your hands are resting on his shoulders, gripping tightly as you grind your hips in a steady motion. You cock your head back in pleasure, Seokjin's hands gripping your breasts. You begin to roll your hips slowly, a louder moan erupting from both him and you.

"I'mgonnafuckingcum." Your words mesh together, unable to speak clearly at how good he feels deep inside of you.

"You're so tight. God, you feel so good, gonna cum with you." Sooner or later, a roll of the hip or two in, your coil is spiraling out of control, causing you to yell Jin's name as you scratch onto his clothed shoulders, his fingers digging deep into your skin as he fills you up at the same time you're milking his dick.

His head slowly raises from against your chest, his cheeks tinted and eyes slightly glazed. He smiles up at you, his lips locking with yours once more before you climb off to clean yourself.

"Y/N." He says, tucking himself back in and getting himself situated in the seat.

"Hm?" You hook your bra back together and fix your sweater.

"I'm going to LA this weekend for a quick business conference." You furrowed your eyebrows, unsure why he was telling you this. It's not like you asked him for a daily play by play.

"Okay, have fun?" You chuckle.

"Meet me there." He looks at you. "I have to be there by Friday morning, but I know you still have work and school."

"Meet you.. in LA?" He nods.

"I really want you to. I'll buy your plane ticket. But also, know that I'm not forcing you." He slightly sighs. "I just wanna be able to spend time with you and do other things together besides fucking each other's brains out."

"Um," is all you can respond with. Because hell to the fuck yes you wanted this. But you weren't sure why you were hesitating? Maybe it was a big jump and you were scared of taking it? The lies you'd have to tell people about where you would be going this weekend? It was all such a mess. Such a huge, huge mess. Part of you also felt like this would be such an easy way for Grace to find out.

"You don't have to tell me your answer now but— just know it'll make me really happy to have you there with me." He looks at you softly, a small smile creeping at the corner of his lips. Perhaps, you were worth it.

[siimjaeyun]

Chapter 1: Beast from Below

Synopsis: When five teens set their hearts on mystery solving, maybe they'll just uncover something that's a lot bigger than fake masks.

Series Masterlist

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"Another mystery solved!" Five palms met at the center before the metal bars behind them clasped shut; once more did they find themselves enclosed at the city jail. 

"Time and time again. Must I remind you kids about not interfering with city affairs." 

The man pinched his nose bridge before giving them a piercing look through the cage. They expected nothing less from Chief Kim: always bossing them around like toddlers and painting them as fools. 

"Just fantastic. Can't wait for another pep talk from my father." Heeseung fell to the ground dramatically as he looked at his four friends. This occurrence of the city jail never fazed them, and at this point, neither did the fear of being punished by his father. 

A couple minutes elapsed before Chief Kim made his way back to the five teens in the cell. With one movement, the door bolted open, allowing them to go home at once. 

"Wow. Only an hour wait. New record." Sunoo mischievously smiled and hung his shoulder over Jungwon, his shorter companion. 

"Beats that time we spent the night." Sunghoon only scoffed at the duo, no longer amazed by the words that came out of their mouths. 

"Heeseung! Y/n! Hurry up won't you!" You and heeseung strutted through the doors of the city building. You knew heeseung would be faced with utter disappointment from his father, head of the city, but you knew he could care less at this point. 

"Park y/n!" You hated the voice trailing in front of you. Your eyes slowly made their way to meet your brothers, a teen boy who's purpose in life was to delight others and be the puppet of any tiger parent. 

"Go away Jay." You shoved him in the opposite direction and tried to make your way into the van. Frankly, he was the last person you wanted to see. 

"Mom and dad asked me to pick you up. Jungwon and Sunoo as well." He eyed the youngsters goofing off in the background, and when they met his gaze, they walked off the van. 

"Catch you guys later okay?" Sunghoon and Heeseung drove off in the mini-van, leaving the four in silence. 

You said nothing and sat in the back seat of the old Honda. The smell of pine was obvious, and the stack of prep books in the back seat didn't faze you either. 

Jay dropped off Sunoo and Jungwon at their home, and later made his way back to your own. 

"It wouldn't hurt to stay out of trouble y'know." He finally broke the silence and looked at you through the car mirror. 

"I could care less about what you think. Plus, city jail visits from mysteries beat being my parent's trophy any day." 

------- 

"You should've seen our parents look. I think they don't bother with grounding us anymore." Jungwon continued to chat about the lack of punishment he and Sunoo received. 

"Mine don't mind at this point. They told me to might as well study forensics if I'm into silly mysteries." Sunghoon laughed a bit and scanned the tension of the van. 

"Better than whatever my father, the head of the city, had to say. He just laughed and insisted I be a role model." Heeseung added to the conversation as he drove the kids in the van. Being designated driver had its perks and its downs.

"I think I win considering Jay fucking perfect Park had to try to give me the 'stay out of trouble' peptalk." You crossed your arms and entertained yourself with the surrounding buildings. Trees, children running, a giant monster coming out the sewer. 

"Heeseung!!" Abruptly, a pile of fog escaped from the sewer, blinding Heeseung who tried his best to stop the van from crashing. 

"Looks like a mystery has arrived." Once Heeseung was safely able to stop the car, the rest of you left the van as well. 

Small droplets of water dancing were heard from the ground below. The five of you climbed down the ladder, stepping with caution of course. 

You trailed off with Sunghoon and let the bright light of your flashlights illuminate the cave. 

"Why are we in a cave?" Confusion struck your minds, there was supposed to be a river of sewage water. Why you had stepped foot on a cave tricked your minds. 

The teens continued to explore the cave, sharp rocks and pools of water were at your feet. As the light continued to roam the black and gray walls of the cave, a golden object shined from afar.

"Sunghoon, look." You picked up the object and your hands met with a locket. The locket opened and revealed a photograph of a young couple, probably of your same age. Before you could ponder more about the couple, a terrified shriek left Sunoo's mouth. 

"What's wrong!??" Heeseung followed Sunoo's fingers and he came face to face with petrified bodies. 

Three workers were frozen in a pile of green goop. 

----- 

"So?" Jungwon asked the officer with signs of intriguement, but he was not interested in the young one's questions. 

"Dad." You turned and saw Mr.Lee make his way to Heeseung, grasping his shoulders once he had arrived. 

"Do us a favor and go to school." He left almost immediately, and you were scared about what would happen next. 

Turns out that 'next event' meant running away with one of the green creatures. 

When you had arrived at school, Sunghoon and Heeseung plopped the green creature onto the table of Professor Kang, the science teacher. 

"You think you can help?" 

Professor Kang placed the stethoscope around his neck and began inspecting the creature. 

"Well, it's alive; I'll tell you that." He continued to pace around the table, hesitant in informing the group about the odd human in front of them. 

"Hey, sorry to bother you Professor Kang, but um...I was hoping to submit my form." A boy stood awkwardly by the door with a thin piece of paper in his hand. His black hair covered most of his forehead, and the only visible part was his shy smile. 

"Come in, you weren't interrupting anything. In the meantime, I suggest you go off with this thing." Professor Kang turned his way to address the newcomer in the room; the boy responded and followed him to his desk.  

"Quickly, quickly, I've got a class to teach!" Professor Kang left the room once attending to the stranger's needs. 

"You heard the man, lift with your legs." You giggled slightly as you saw Sunoo hesitate at touching the green slime. 

"You guys need help?" The voice behind you observed quietly, and almost gasped slightly when seeing what exactly you were trying to carry. 

"It's fine, but thanks." Heeseung threw the body over his shoulders and made his way out the door. 

"You're Jake right?" Sunghoon immediately began a conversation with the young boy, and didn't see his friends waiting by the door. 

"Wanna come?" 

The three of you wanted to kill Sunghoon for inviting a stranger to these sort of things, but it was merely too late and the unknown boy looked too nice to shoo away. 

"Sure, beats sitting through Professor Min's lecture." 

Jake trailed behind the trio as he chatted with Sunghoon. Heeseung through the van spotted the newcomer, and was slightly confused considering no one had ever tagged alonged. 

"We've got a monster to catch, hurry and get in the van!" You opened the door with force and welcomed Jake into the back. 

"This is Jake by the way, he's joining us for today." Sunoo introduced Heeseung to Jake, letting his mouth ramble on about the few details he had already learned. 

"Where to captain?" 

"RM's studio of course." The rhythm of the music played quietly in the background, and they all found comfort in having Jake around, they didn't expect themselves to be given their history. 

"So you guys travel in a van solving mysteries?" 

"Pretty much. We get thrown in the city jail occasionally." Jungwon mentioned the detail nonchalantly and expected Jake's natural surprise. 

------ 

It was late that night when the group gave back the body to Professor Kang. 

The teacher's steps were audible as he trailed back and forth between one table to the next. He became startled at the sudden noise of the janitor mopping in the hallway. He peered outward and went back to his work. 

Before long, and with an audible gasp, his body was now entrapped and enclosed in the similar green goop on the ceiling. 

------

"It's all my fault!" Heeseung banged his head on the table and looked at his friends with a sad expression. 

"Don't say that. After all, besides Jake, we all helped steal the body from the authorities." Sunoo patted his back gently and observed Jake who placed a container of green smush on the table. 

"I managed to collect a sample, maybe it'll help us." 

Jungwon and Sunoo were drawn to the fruity smell, and hunger couldn't stop them from nearing the sample of the monster. 

"Don't eat that!!!" Before they could stop him, Jungwon and Sunoo had already placed the oozing substance into their mouths. 

"This is lime sorbet.." 

"It's Ricky's Rickwracks." Confused, but curious, the other teens dipped their index finger into the mush and tasted it as well. 

"You're right...I think we just got our next clue." Sunghoon smirked at the rest of his friends and grabbed the keys from Heeseung's left pocket. 

------ 

[RICKY'S RICKWRACK] 

"Since Jake, Sunoo and Jungwon are the shortest, they get to shimmy through the air ducts and open the back door." 

"How come y/n isn't coming? We're the same height!" 

"Because I refused." You gave him a bright smile and helped the three unbolt the door. 

The trio crawled their way through the ducts and yelled loudly when they hit the ground after their sudden fall. 

"We didn't mean to crush your body on the first day Jake." 

They opened the door and let the three bodies waiting outside came in. The restaurant was dark, slightly humid, and oddly quiet. 

"Scream if you see anything." Sunghoon and Jake led you through the left corridor and the others headed right. 

There wasn't much to see, but when you had turned your back to face the door, it closed shut. Your six fists banged on the door continuously, but you figured it was useless. 

"Y/n! Sunghoon! Jake!" Heeseung's voice echoed behind the door, and he managed to pry it open. 

"My hero!" You happily hugged him and it didn't surprise him; apart from your hard exterior, you often liked skinship with others. 

"SUNGHOON HYUNG!" the four of you ran back to see Jungwon pointing at a figure, and behold, it was the monster from below. 

His bright green and sticky appearance startled you, but his roar bounced louder causing your feet to quickly flee. 

Jake had become frozen; it was his first encounter of course. You took hold of his hand and ran off with him. 

Constant twists and turns led you through one hall and the next. The six of you managed to head back to the closet that once trapped you. 

"I-i think it's g--ahh!" You fell backwards and pushed a box aside by mistake. It was no mistake however. 

It was a hole and hidden for a good reason. You jumped first and met eyes with a familiar cave. 

The carts and marked arrows in the ground were a good reminder that it was no mistake. 

"Follow the arrows." 

Sunghoon led the way and you found containers of the same green substance from the monster. It startled you at first, but why had there been this in the first place ? 

"Wouldn't this path lead to the bank?" 

"By why would he need a path?" 

"I'm assuming there's another type of dessert old Ricky likes to indulge in." 

"Take those items, let's build ourselves a trap.." 

----- 

They handled the ropes and buckets in every step. 

Sunoo and Jungwon handled leading the creature into the cave,  running in terror like always; they were the bait. 

"Now!" The trap was set off,  a toss here, a toss there, and the cage landed everywhere but on top of the monster. 

It continued to chase them, and they soon found themselves trapped inside the cage. Well, everyone but you and Jake. 

The two of you continued to run and eventually your two pairs of feet met a dead end. 

"I'll help you up." 

Jake mounted you on his back and hoisted you enough to get a hold of the floor from Ricky's Rickwracks. With enough strength, you pulled yourself up and stretched your hand towards Jake to pull him up. The two of you continued to play a game with the monster on your trail.

In the meantime, the four boys played with the bolts of the cage until it managed to come loose. They went back to you and Jake and grabbed the hose of the lime sherbet. 

At the right time, the creature was pushed towards the wall by the force of the blasting sherbet. His body was now too cocooned like his previous victims. 

"What do you think you're doing!?" Chief Kim walked into the store through the front door alongside Heeseung's father, Mayor Lee. 

"Well we caught the monster from below of course! Ricky couldn't fool me." But unknowingly, Ricky walked through the door. 

"I called the police when my alarm went off." 

"Then who?" Jungwon did the honors of pulling off the mask revealing the human within. 

"Professor Kang!" 

"That's right. When I discovered the cave while looking for samples for science class, I knew I had found my ticket out of this place! I used Ricky's sorbet to cocoon people who came too close and used the costume to scare people off. I even did it to myself to throw you people off. I would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" 

"But Mr.Kang, what about this locket?" You held the pendant to an eyes view but his answer let you know it didn't belong to him. 

"I say we celebrate at RM's Studio !" 

------ 

The soft music let you guys know of another job well done. A loud ring broke through the silence and Sunoo went ahead to answer it. 

"Welcome to RM's studio mix, what can we do for you?" 

"You're all doomed!" The seven of you, including RM, closed around the recorder. 

"You should've never taken the locket out of the cave, but now you've done it. You've found a truth that has been hidden...a true mystery behind Seoul City has begun." 

And just like that, the room went silent. 

[husbandograveyard]

Congrats on 300 followers Hzael! You deserve it! Can I ask for 42 (I'm going to save you from the terrible date you're having) with Aizawa? Thank you! OwO

Hi love! Here’s some knight in shining armor Shota to save you from the other douchebags on donkeys! Hope you enjoy! 

Come save me - Shota Aizawa x Reader 

Cliche with bae event Prompt #42: come save me from the terrible date I’m having  Character: Shota Aizawa - Word count: 1.7k 

Hunger. Regret. Embarrassment. More regret. Anger. Frustration. A whirlpool of emotions was going through you as you kept your expression as neutral as possible, aggressively cutting the piece of steak in front of you and eating a bit to try and distract you from the man sitting in front of you, talking while he barely made eye contact. You weren’t exactly sure what he was talking about at the moment, but you couldn’t care less. You wanted out of here. Now. How did you even get in this situation?

After dating around some in your circle of friends to no avail, you had finally turned to online dating. You made loads of profiles, installed all the apps, did the matching, the swiping, you name it. Out of the hundreds of possible candidates, you immediately deleted anyone that wasn’t looking for anything serious. You were no teenager anymore, you had a job and a home and you were ready to settle down completely.

Your biggest help in this adventure had been your coworkers and best friends, Hizashi and Shota. The three of you had gone to school together and now all three of you were teaching at U.A. Any guy you’d ever date had to go past these two, and honestly, you didn’t mind. Their protectiveness was endearing and they were pretty good judges of character.

They had been helping you weed out matches, even secretly (but not so secretly) tagged along on dates to make sure it wasn’t some creep. Even though you’d be perfectly fine fending off a creep by yourself, you were a capable hero after all, you really liked them looking out for you.

Now for this date, it had been a little different. You had gotten this match from one of the more expensive sites. The kind where so-called experts matched people based on their personalities and profiles. It took you a whole long time filling in a question list for them, but when you got your match, you were not disappointed. Dating apps and such made you a little more shallow, looks were the first thing you saw on those, but hell, you were pleasantly surprised. Your ultimate match was extremely good-looking. But almost insanely so. Shota grabbed your phone, said ‘probably a douche’, and gave it back. Hizashi only laughed at the remark and let you first read up on his profile.

Your match did a normal office job but had an intelligence-based quirk that allowed him to understand everyone regardless of the language they spoke, which he used in his line of work. He was two years older than you, stable income, own house. He did some volunteering in his free time and most of your hobbies seemed to line up or were compatible at least. It was almost too good to be true, which was exactly what Hizashi said.

“Well, who pays so much money for such a personal dating service and then goes around and lies on their profile? That’d be stupid.” You were zooming in on the pictures he shared, desperately trying to find traces of photoshop, but to no avail. Right as you were about to say something, he sent you the first message. You replied enthusiastically, and a nice conversation was born.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and your match had proposed to go have dinner somewhere. It was a pretty fancy restaurant he proposed, but you accepted, it was a nice change to maybe dress up and have an actual fancy date. You were keeping realistic scenario’s in your head but you couldn’t help but wonder if this guy was maybe the one you had been waiting for all along.

The date came along and you were actually in a sour mood before you even got there. Mostly because Shota had been increasingly mean about the guy the more you gushed about him. At some point, you had made a remark about jealousy, and that had caused quite a discussion until Hizashi broke it up and told you to get ready, and he’d be off for a guy’s night with Shota. It had been a while after all, and that way you wouldn’t even have to worry about either of them spying on you during your date.

How you were regretting that now. You wished they had spied on you because this date was a disaster. He had been over twenty minutes late, didn’t tell you the name of the reservation so you were waiting outside in the cold until he finally showed up. He looked great, just like in his pictures, but way less well-kempt than he had been looking on his pictures. You had dressed up in your best dress, had gone to the hairdresser to get your hair on point, applied a subtle amount of makeup to look your best, and appropriate for the date and the location. He was wearing some jeans, a T-shirt that had some spots on it that you didn’t even want to know about.

You smiled anyway, greeting him by holding out your hand, not too keen on hugging a total stranger, but he had gone straight in for a kiss on the cheek, and you noticed how he didn’t smell nice either. It really busted your mood, even more, were you only worth so little effort that he showed up like that? But you kept his hobbies, and all the nice things he had said in chat in mind, and went into the restaurant, putting all your hope in the person he was in your chat messages, which had been a terrible idea.

The food was expensive and way too little, and this man had not stopped talking about himself. The volunteering was a one-time gig, ‘always pleases the ladies’ he had smugly added to the story, and many other things on his profile weren’t exactly lies, but were mostly polished up truths to make him look better. He had gone as far as interrupting you multiple times even after he himself had asked you a question, degraded female heroes and generally any woman who worked because ‘you gotta let men do the job’. He expected his partner to drop their job for him, so he could be the sole provider. He was looking for a housewife, but the way he described it, was more a live-in-maid he could have some intimacy with as well, just whenever he pleased. It made you sick to your stomach and you wanted to leave, but that was not so easy in such a fancy restaurant without possibly causing a commotion.

You briefly excused yourself from the table, and he gave you a pissed-off look because you had clearly interrupted whatever very important thing he was saying. You made a beeline for the bathroom, contemplating for a second to just walk out but again, you had some kind of reputation to uphold. Once in the bathroom, you immediately dialed Shota’s number. He picked up within seconds.

“Let me guess. He’s a douche.” He wasn’t even trying to hide the smug tone in his voice. “He’s terrible… please come save me?” “I don’t know if I can. I mean… I cannot possibly interrupt your date with this perfect, wonderful, beautf-” “Shota I swear to god, get your ass over here. I need you right now.” It was silent for a few seconds, and then you heard a low chuckle before he spoke up again. “One rescue mission coming up.”

He had not put in the slightest effort to hide his annoyance, but you knew he’d show up. You refrained from splashing cold water in your face because you didn’t want to mess up your makeup and headed back into the dining room. He made some remark on how long you took and you focussed back on your plate, inwardly praying Shota wouldn’t take too much time in getting there.

Luckily for you, it was only about fifteen minutes later that you heard some commotion and before you could even look up what had made some other customers make surprised gasps Shouta was standing at your table. In full Eraserhead gear. Not that that differed so much from his usual clothes, but still, very recognizable. You frowned. “Wha-?” “No time for questions. It’s an emergency, got your costume in the car.” You nodded and stood up, apologizing to your date, who was too speechless and too busy comprehending what was going on to come up with a retort.

Shota looked him up and down once as you were making your way to the exit, sending the man one more apologetic look and wave. “You look like you can handle the bill. Hero duties call sir. Good night”

You got in the car, and not five minutes later Shota got in too and started to drive. You weren’t really sure what to say or what to do. “Where’s…” “Hizashi? Got drunk and got home. I just dropped him off when you called.” “Oh…” You were feeling strangely uncomfortable, but you were not really sure why exactly, probably because the argument from earlier was not really resolved yet. “Shota, I’m sorry about-” “Don’t mention it. I could’ve reacted more maturely”

You nodded, looking ahead again. No use for deep discussions when Shota had a road to focus on. You looked around and were surprised to not be going back in the direction of your house. “Where are we going?” “A decent place” “What do you mean?” “Well, it’d be sad if you dressed up all beautiful like that for no reason. I know a place.” You blushed a little and looked at him, his eyes focussed on the road as he said that almost matter-of-a-factly. “Like… like a date?” you almost didn’t dare as k. “Like a date.”

You were speechless. In all your dating adventures you had never even considered the option that the perfect match was around you already all along. “If you’re up for that, if not, I can just drop you off at home?” “No no…”, you smiled, “I’d like that. No surprises with you.” “No stupid profile needed.” He smiled a little from behind the steering wheel and you felt the corners of your mouth curl up too. “No stupid profiles needed indeed.”

You knew what you were going to do when you got home: delete all that bullshit from your laptop and phone. Cause this time, it could really be the one.