#in my defense my brother reminded me that cross save became a thing

[twicethetrouble]

Me: I'm going to get so much stuff done today!

Also me: *Plays Warframe instead*

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Drinking Buddies

Masterlist

--- If Jason ends up going home with someone, call me and I’ll come pick you up.

Y/N read the text from her boyfriend with a smirk. He’d sent it 20 minutes ago, but she was just now seeing it.

It was the only message Dick had sent her all night, always trying to give her the independence and space she needed.

Dick was always amused by Y/N and Jason’s little “club.” It even became an ongoing joke within the family. But Dick also knew that there was something sincere underneath it, as well.

Dick realized early in their relationship that there were some things in Y/N’s past he could never fully understand or help her with. Yes, he had his own trauma. But it didn’t involve abuse. His parents had died, but there wasn’t a day before that when Dick felt unloved by them.

Jason and Y/N had parallel childhoods: abusive parents, fighting to survive on the streets of Gotham, robbed of a happy and sheltered adolescence. Unfortunately, they were both victims of the darkness that Gotham held. The same darkness that drove both of them to risk their lives to stop it from continuing.

Outsiders probably thought it was weird for a man to let his girlfriend go out with his younger brother alone. Especially when said brother was as tall and handsome and broody as Jason Todd. But Dick felt more comfortable doing that than when Y/N had girls’ nights. At least with Jason, Dick knew that Y/N would be safe.

But Dick also knew Jason needed a friend just as much as Y/N did.

--- I doubt that will happen. But I promise I’ll call you if it does. 

Y/N typed back.

--- You’re a freakishly good wing woman. Don’t underestimate yourself. 

Dick texted back instantly. 

--- Have fun. Be safe. I love you.

He double texted.

--- I love you, too. 

Y/N answered before slipping her phone back into her small purse.

“He’s so obsessed with you,” Jason commented without needing to ask who had her smiling down at her phone.

But Y/N wasn’t taking the bait that easily. “Good thing I’m obsessed with him, too.”

“He’s probably sitting at home and crying because he misses you so much.”

Y/N punched Jason in the arm. And it felt like punching a wall rather than a human being with skin, muscle, and fat. “Stop being mean. I didn’t come out with you to listen to Dick get ripped on.”

Jason gave her a crooked smirk. “You’re right. I wanted a drinking buddy.”

“Yes,” she agreed. But then she narrowed her eyes. “But you always wanted to talk to me about a woman.”

“I never said that.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I have female intuition.” But her amusement and teasing faded. “Is it Artemis?”

Jason’s body tensed and gulped down the rest of his whiskey. 

“That obvious, huh?” He asked slowly, his embarrassment was easily caught.

“No, it’s not, actually. I’ve just been paying attention.”

“I told you I hated her and that she drives me to insanity,” Jason scoffed.

“Yeah, and I knew that was your sexual tension speaking,” Y/N teased with a tilt of her head and a smirk before taking a sip of her drink.

Jason chuckled at that. “You’re not wrong…”

“So,” Y/N leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms with interest. “Tell me about her.”

“She’s an Amazon. And a badass. She’s tall – taller than me, actually. Red hair. Doesn’t take anyone’s shit. Loves to pick a fight. Loves to get her way even more.” Jason sighed. “And…she’s beautiful,” he finished with. “Absolutely fucking beautiful.”

“OK. Now that you’ve basically given me her dating app bio,” Y/N ridiculed. “Get to the good shit.”

Jason glared at her.

But he took in a deep breath. “We’ve been…” he didn’t know how to put it politely.

“Fucking?” Y/N offered.

“Fine! Yes, alright?” He growled. “It was just casual at first. Friends with benefits – or whatever.”

Y/N couldn’t stop her laugh from escaping. 

“Jason, even though you try really hard to pretend to be a heartless hard-ass, you and I both know that you’re actually a hopeless romantic. So why you thought you were capable of having a fuck buddy, without falling in love with them, is beyond me.”

Jason rubbed his face in frustration. “I know. I fucking know, OK?”

Y/N finally decided to have some sympathy and gripped his shoulder. “You’re gonna be fine, bud.”

“Am I? I hate this. I feel like such an idiot. I don’t want to mess this up. But I also don’t want to keep pretending like I’m not in love with her.”

It was moments like these where Y/N truly forgot that Jason was also the Red Hood, one of Gotham’s most feared vigilantes. He was also a murderer, if she was being transparent. But right now, he just seemed like a lost young man, terrified of his own feelings.

“Why don’t you get us another round and I’ll put some music on the jukebox? And then we’ll figure out your shit,” she offered.

Jason smiled. “Deal.”

There were at one of the roughest dive bars in Gotham.

Jason was a regular – as was almost everyone else that was there.

He already made his reputation known. 

And even though on the outside he looked like a helpless pretty boy, the bar patrons learned rather quickly not to pick a fight with Jason Todd. Not that most of them wanted to, he was a perfectly polite guy and tipped far too nicely for the shit service he got there.

Y/N made her way to the vintage jukebox and started scrolling through her options.

“What are you picking? Justin Bieber?” A froggish voice said to her right.

Y/N paused to give him a glare. “Is that because I’m a woman?”

This was negging. And Y/N hated this pick up tactic more than any cheesy line.

The man shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure you put on something good.”

“Oh, I will,” Y/N snapped before turning her attention back to the songs.

“How about I help you DJ and then you let me buy you a drink?” He muttered far too closely to her ear.

It made a chill go up her spine and she suddenly felt ill.

“No thanks.”

“Come on. One drink,” he grabbed her wrist.

Y/N whipped her attention back to him and tried to tug her wrist away. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she growled.

But his grip tightened.

“Get your hands off her,” Jason barked suddenly from behind her.

Jason had at least 5 inches on the guy and was probably twice his weight.

It was enough to make the man immediately drop Y/N’s wrist. “Maybe don’t leave your girl alone…”

“She’s not ‘my girl.’ She’s my brother’s girlfriend,” Jason corrected with a glare.

He wanted to say more, but he could tell by Y/N’s body language that she didn’t want to start a scene, hating all the eyes that were already on them.

The man had given up. 

But not before both of them heard him mutter, “Fuckin’ whore.”

Without missing a beat, Jason punched him in the face.

The hit knocked the guy off his feet and possibly knocked out a few teeth. 

So much for not causing a scene…

“Say another word about her and I won’t use my hands next time,” Jason practically spit down to him. 

Then he slyly opened up his jacket to show that he had a gun on him.

The guy didn’t need to hear anything else. He jumped to his feet and tried not to run out of the place.

A beat passed before Y/N erupted into laughter.

“Oh, Jason! Oh, my knight in shining armor! You saved me!” Y/N put the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically as she mocked him.

“I should’ve let him grope you,” Jason mumbled as he led them back to their seats.

They both knew he didn’t mean it.

“Dick’s been showing me some self defense, you know.” Y/N beamed proudly as she took a sip of her new drink.

The bartender came over and silently offered them a free round of shots, proving that he’d seen the exchange. And this was his way of apologizing for their troubles.

Jason nodded his head in thanks before handing one of them to Y/N.

“Yeah?” He played dumb.

She nodded excitedly.

They clinked their shot glasses together before throwing them back.

“You know Dick would have my ass if I hadn’t intervened, right?” He asked her.

She sighed. “Yeah, I know. He’s overprotective like that.”

“I’d be the same way,” Jason agreed.

“Even if it was with an Amazon, who was bigger and stronger and had lived for hundreds of years?” Y/N teased, reminding him that she wasn’t done talking about his love life.

“Even then,” he smirked.

The night went on as normal. 

Y/N asked Jason a million questions about Artemis. 

And together, they came up with a game plan.

————————————

Dick was working on his computer.

Gray sweatpants on. No shirt. A couple of empty beer bottles on the coffee table where his feet were propped up.

He wanted to lie to himself and believe he was waiting up for Y/N to make sure she got home safe. But he knew Jason would die before he left anything happen to her – especially on his watch.

No, Dick didn’t bother trying to go to sleep because he basically couldn’t when Y/N was gone. 

Even if he was in bed and she was still up working or walking around the apartment, it was like Dick could feel her presence and that was enough. He needed her to sleep, even if she wasn’t right next to him.

Dick smiled when he heard the loud clattering of keys failing to match with the slot of the lock.

Finally the apartment door opened.

“Special delivery for Richard John Grayson!” Y/N screamed in a slur before he even could see her.

“Shh!” Jason hushed quickly. “He’s probably sleeping.”

But when they rounded the corner, Jason relaxed at the sight of Dick being wide awake.

Y/N was piggybacking Jason with a drunk smile.

“Looks like you two had fun,” Dick commented with a laugh.

“So much fun,” Y/N agreed.

But then she was squirming and Jason realized she wanted off. He released his protective grip on the back of her thighs and carefully dropped her to her feet.

Y/N sprinted to her boyfriend and tackled him into a hug on the couch.

Thankfully Dick saw this coming and had quickly moved the laptop off his lap before she crushed it.

“Well hello to you too,” Dick chuckled as she wrapped her body on top of his like a koala bear.

He kissed her forehead and ran his fingers through her hair.

“I’m very tired. And Jason wouldn’t get me Taco Bell,” she whined.

Jason looked offended and held his hands up in surrender. “I did try to get you Taco Bell, but it was closed.”

“He’s lying,” Y/N whispered.

“OK,” Dick managed to suppress his laughter. “How about we get you into bed and maybe chug some water?” Dick asked her softly.

She just nodded into his neck.

“Alright. Here we go,” Dick warned her before he managed to lift both of them off of the couch and carry her to their bedroom.

He helped her out of her clothes and then got her into one of his big t-shirts, not bothering with shorts or pants. He managed to convince her to take out her contacts before he handed her a makeup removal wipe. Then he very nicely asked her to drink some water for him.

“I’m gonna go say bye to Jason and then I’ll be right back,” he whispered as he tucked her into bed.  

Y/N sleepily nodded. “Jason punched a creepy dude for me. So be extra nice to him, K?”

Dick sighed.

Of course Jason did.

When Dick walked out of the bedroom, his younger brother was chugging a glass of water in their kitchen.

“You punched a dude?” Dick asked as he crossed his arms and gave him a suspicious look.

Jason shrugged. “Just another asshole who didn’t know the word no.”

“Thanks. For always looking out for her, I mean.”  

Jason nodded.

“You spending the night?” Dick asked.

They purposely rented a place that had a guest bedroom. It was rather common for someone from his family to crash. A lot of the time it was someone hiding from Bruce out of spite and needed some space from the manor.

“Nah. I just wanted to make sure she got home. I’m walking back to my place.”

Dick nodded, expecting that to be his response.

But Jason seemed to be lingering for some reason.

“You OK?” Dick asked him after a few moments.

“Yeah! Yeah, I just…Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“How do you make sure you don’t fuck it up?”

Jason didn’t need to clarify that ‘it’ was Dick’s relationship with Y/N.

Dick scratched the back of his head. This wasn’t a usual subject for him and Jason. They almost never talked about women with each other.

“I guess I just…” he thought about it for a moment. “I’m honest with her. So she never questions where we’re at. She always knows how I feel. And then it’s never scary for her.”

Jason nodded his head, clearly deep in thought as he mulled over Dick’s answer.

“I’ll see you guys later,” he finally said his goodbyes.

“Get home safe, yeah?”

Jason scoffed. “Always do.”

Dick locked the door behind his brother.

When he made his way back to the bedroom, Y/N appeared to be passed out.

But when Dick crawled into the other side, she instantly moved to him and placed a kiss on his bare chest.

“Hi,” she sighed sleepily.

“Hi,” he kissed the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her. “What’s up with Jason?”

She smiled with her eyes closed. “Can’t tell you. It’s club business.”

Dick rolled his eyes and shook his head.

He tickled her sides. 

“Noooo,” Y/N whined as she buried her face into his chest.

Dick only stopped because her reaction was so adorable.

“I’m kidding,” she breathed her surrender. “Your brother…is in love.”

“In love, huh?” Dick said in awe, processing the idea. 

“And what advice did you give him?” He asked.

But when he looked down, he realized Y/N was now actually asleep.

Dick kissed her cheek and mentally reminded himself to run to the store early tomorrow so he could make them a greasy breakfast. He could only assume Y/N was going to need it with the inevitable hangover from a night drinking with Jason Todd.

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

Guess I wasn’t finished with them yet 😏

Let me know what you think. And I’ll see if I want to keep doing these. 

ALL BONUS CONTENT CAN BE FOUND: HERE

[robininthelabyrinth]

lwj never really forgives his family's involvement in the siege, how does this manifest during the thirteen years?

If it had only been the pain in his back, the agony of punishment and icy chill of his family’s disappointment, Lan Wangji might have put it aside; he was accustomed to matters of discipline, and had known what he was likely bringing down on his own head when he had done what he did.

He knew his family loved him and only wanted the best for him, even if –

Even if.

But when Lan Wangji ran away from the jingshi to look for himself, finding only a small child, feverish but still capable of a little bit of babbling, still able to tell the story of what had happened – when he found the traces of blood on the ground, Wei Wuxian’s from when his power had backlashed on him – when he saw the bodies in the blood pool, already rotting –

They had kept this from him.

They had kept this from him on purpose.

They had all known.

For the first time in his life, Lan Wangji didn’t want to go home.

He knew he didn’t have a choice, of course. He had nowhere else to go, and the boy’s fever needed to be treated – but he didn’t want to go home.

“Is he all right?” a voice asked from behind him.

Lan Wangji turned, surprised: it was Jiang Cheng, who might very well rank at the top of people he didn’t want to see right now. He had led the siege against Wei Wuxian –

He looked awful.

Eyes full of broken blood vessels, with deep circles beneath them; skin sallow, even grey, as if he’d been stabbed and allowed to bleed out dry. He looked as though he was very nearly a corpse himself.

Jiang Cheng scowled when Lan Wangji didn’t respond.

“Is the boy all right, Hanguang-jun?” he asked, his voice raspy and harsh. “Is he – is he…”

His voice cracked.

“He lives, but he has a fever,” Lan Wangji said, ignoring the steadily increasing pain on his back. He had not been well when he’d escaped from the jingshi, not well at all; the doctors had estimated at least a year to recover, if he didn’t do anything to strain himself – after this outing, it would likely be three. The discipline whip was not kind. “Why do you care? Didn’t you execute the others?”

Jiang Cheng laughed, voice suddenly spiking into something high and horrible, and Lan Wangji abruptly became aware that Jiang Cheng was also, politely speaking, not well. No discipline whip for him, no, but something had gone wrong in the man’s brain – Lan Wangji might almost suspect a qi deviation, if only he hadn’t lived through a war.

If he hadn’t seen what grief could do to a man. How it could hollow them out while they still lived.

“I didn’t,” Jiang Cheng choked. “I didn’t – I told my people to gather them up, to take them back, we were going to interrogate them…at the time it happened, I was – not there.”

“Not there?”

“A coma, apparently,” Jiang Cheng admitted. “Not especially heroic, but then they do leave it out of all the stories: the great Jiang Wanyin, who took up arms against his own shixiong, then swooned like a blushing bride at the sight of – at the sight of –”

“The body.”

Jiang Cheng covered his eyes, shoulder shaking. “There wasn’t one left.”

Lan Wangji shuddered.

“Nothing to put in the memorial hall at home,” Jiang Cheng said. “Even his personal items, they fought over them like dogs, like they were trophies – someone stole Suibian, you know? I only managed to keep Chenqing because I fell on it. It rolled over to me. It was still –” He wavered, then laughed again, very nearly crossing the line between merely hysterical and actually insane. “I had to clean it.”

Lan Wangji had wished he had been there, at the siege, thinking that if he couldn’t save Wei Ying, he could at least die by his side, in his defense. He thought now, for the first time, that perhaps he was glad he wasn’t.

“Did you mean to kill him?” he asked, and Jiang Cheng shook his head mutely. “You led the armies so that you would have first rights to the spoils. To the prisoners.”

To one prisoner in particular.

“Nie Mingjue would have backed me,” Jiang Cheng admitted. “He obeys the rules of war – the largest faction leads, the leader claims the first prize. He didn’t want to be there, but I needed someone to support my claim to be the leader, I threw all those dead Nie cultivators at the Burial Mounds at him until he agreed…he cursed Sect Leader Jin to his face when he found out what they’d done with the rest of the Wens. I wish I’d done the same.”

“Your sect –”

“I wish I had done the same,” Jiang Cheng said, and there were tears dripping down his face. He didn’t notice them, didn’t bother to wipe them away; he had clearly become accustomed to the feeling. “At least then Wei Wuxian would be less burdened. He’s dead, you know.”

Lan Wangji knew.

“I think he must have died a long time ago, and I just never noticed,” Jiang Cheng said. “I was too blinded by my anger, by wanting to kill the Wens. I ignored it all. My shixiong died long ago, and in his place there was another person, the one who did all those things – I never understood why he did it, any of it. He once swore to me that he’d stay by my side, help me rebuild the sect, and then he turned his face away from me and never told me why, acted as if we were strangers, as if I meant nothing to him…and yet, when we were alone, he still talked as if he were the Wei Wuxian I knew.”

He shuddered, shaking hands reaching out to clutch at his sides as if he were suddenly cold.

“It never made any sense,” he mumbled, and maybe he really had lost his mind. “He said he’d stay by my side, but he didn’t; he said he wanted to do the right thing, but he – he killed all those people. So many people. He killed jiejie. He widowed her, then killed her, and – I don’t see how that’s doing the right thing. That couldn’t have been him, could it? Could Wei Wuxian, my Wei Wuxian, really have done all that?”

Lan Wangji didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to help – there was nothing he could do to help.

The only person who could help Jiang Cheng was already dead.

Thinking that, Lan Wangji decided to take his leave, but the barest hint of movement sent an abrupt spike of agony though his back, making him stagger; he had been standing too long, and movement was now a problem. He had promised himself he would only come for a moment, just long enough to see with his own eyes what had happened, and then he’d return – and then he’d found little A-Yuan, he’d known his time to stay was running out, he’d meant to leave, but then there was Jiang Cheng –

“Hanguang-jun? Hanguang-jun! Lan Wangji!”

The world went black before his eyes.

When he opened them again, he saw – some incredibly ugly drawings, etched into a wooden bed frame as if with a blunted dagger. He had never before seen anything quite so immediately repulsive to every aesthetic sense he possessed and yet somehow still oddly charming.

“You’re awake, then?”

Lan Wangji turned his head.

Jiang Cheng did not look noticeably better, though he had at least changed clothing; he was drinking a cup of tea with calming herbs, the uncontrollable tremor in his hand sloshing the liquid inside.

They were at the Lotus Pier.

“You brought me back?” Lan Wangji asked.

“The boy wasn’t the only one with a fever,” Jiang Cheng said. “Thirty three lashes with the discipline whip, and you went into a place as rotten as the Burial Mounds – you were almost asking to get sick.”

Lan Wangji could feel that his back had been well-bandaged, well-cared for – Jiang Cheng must have called a doctor. People would know, then, what he had done and what had been done to him in return - his reputation would be ruined, his family’s attempt to save face by claiming that he’d retreated into seclusion would be exposed for the lie it was.

He wished he was petty enough to be bitterly pleased by the thought, but all he felt was sick.

“No one will know if you don’t want them to,” Jiang Cheng said, almost as if he could hear Lan Wangji’s internal debate – he couldn’t, of course. Jiang Cheng was no Lan Xichen: he couldn’t read Lan Wangji’s expressions at all. “My Jiang sect’s Doctor Qin might as well be mute, for all he talks; he’s never said anything to anyone about anything other than medicine in the entire time I’ve known him. But he did say you shouldn’t be moved. For – a while. A long while.”

Lan Wangji wasn’t surprised; that was about what he’d resigned himself to expect. “When will my family come to pick me up?”

Jiang Cheng snorted. “The doctor didn’t say anything about you being deaf. Didn’t you hear me? You can’t be moved. You’re not going anywhere.”

Lan Wangji stared.

“No one uses this room, anyway,” Jiang Cheng continued, purposefully ignoring Lan Wangji’s incredulous gaze. “It’s off-limits to everyone, for good – sealed off. Might as well put you here, where I can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re not getting into trouble; I’m just across the hall.”

Across the hall –

The ugly drawings, the style suddenly breathlessly and painfully familiar.

This had been Wei Wuxian’s room.

Jiang Cheng wanted him to stay here, at the Lotus Pier, in Wei Wuxian’s room.

He shouldn’t, of course. His duty was clear: he should return home.

Lan Wangji thought about returning home – to the cold and empty jingshi, where there was nothing left that reminded him of his mother but his memories; to his uncle who loved him but did not trust him, who had helped kill the one he loved; to his brother who had all but lied directly to his face about it.

He thought about not having to return.

His fingers relaxed. He hadn’t even realized they were tense.

“How is the boy?” he asked, and some of the tension in Jiang Cheng’s shoulders released; he had been afraid that he would refuse and insist on leaving at once, Lan Wangji surmised. For some reason, Jiang Cheng wanted him to stay.

Lan Wangji thought he might know why. They had spent all those months searching together, side-by-side, those months when Wei Wuxian had disappeared – thrown into the Burial Mounds, though they didn’t know it at the time. Being side-by-side with Jiang Cheng again felt almost like being back then.

When they still had hope of finding him.

“He’s fine,” Jiang Cheng said, then frowned. “Depending on your definition of fine, anyway. He’d had a very high fever for a long time – by the time I got you both back here, he’d fallen unconscious; the doctor says he’s lost his memory.”

Lan Wangji thought about the things the boy had babbled about, the stories he’d told of the last moments of his family, the things he’d seen…“Good,” he said. “Better that way.”

“Never use two words when one will do, do you?” Jiang Cheng grumbled in a tone that had faint ambitions of sounding disgusted. “I guess I’ll just have to adjust to that…I’ve told my people that he’s yours, you know.”

Lan Wangji blinked. “Mine?”

“I couldn’t tell them he was surnamed Wen, could I? So it’s Lan Yuan, at least for now. Up to you if you’d prefer to keep your reputation intact by saying he’s a cousin, but it’d be easier if you claimed him as your own – that way no one could separate you. You visited Yunmeng during the war, I could say the mother was someone here. It wouldn’t be hard.”

Lan Wangji’s first instinct was to protest – A-Yuan was Wei Ying’s son, if anybody’s, not his own – but…no. The boy could not live at the Lotus Pier with the surname Wei.

Lan Yuan. It wasn’t a bad name.

He nodded his assent, and Jiang Cheng finished his tea in a single grim-faced swallow, standing up.

“I don’t suppose you told your family where you were going, did you?” he asked, and looked bitterly amused when Lan Wangji shook his head. “I figured as much. No one saw me bring you in, and no one ever comes here; the only ones allowed in the family quarters are my people, through and through. Unless anyone asks, I’m not answering. Let your family worry for a while; it’ll do them some good. You’re the best they have – they shouldn’t take you for granted.”

Lan Wangji wasn’t the sort of person who knew how to be pleased at other people’s misery, the type to be warmed inside by the spite of you hurt me now I’ll hurt you.

It was fine, though. Jiang Cheng would do it for him.

“Thank you,” Lan Wangji said, and didn’t say anything about telling his family where he’d gone. Jiang Cheng’s lips twitched in a smirk for a second. “Can you pass me the pouch I had with me?”

Jiang Cheng huffed and passed it to him. “You can’t play that thing all day and night,” he warned when Lan Wangji pulled out his guqin. “I’m just across the hall, remember?”

Lan Wangji nodded.

“And…”

“I will wait until you have returned before playing Inquiry.”

“Like I even want to talk to him,” Jiang Cheng muttered under his breath, but he didn’t deny that that had been what he had been on the verge of requesting. “It’s just a nice tune, that’s all. Catchy.”

No one had ever described Inquiry as ‘catchy’ before, and Lan Wangji suspected no one ever would again.

“The boy’s still sleeping, but I’ll bring him here when he wakes,” Jiang Cheng said, changing the subject. “I’m hoping to bring Jin Ling here, once in a while – I think Sect Leader Jin will agree if I hint strongly enough that I’ll consider leaving my sect to him if he lets me. I don’t really know how to deal with babies, though.”

“We will figure it out,” Lan Wangji said, and allowed his (totally unjustified) confidence to sooth Jiang Cheng’s ruffled feathers. It wouldn’t be that easy, of course – Jiang Cheng was still walking the tightrope on the verge of insanity, Lan Wangji was nearly crippled, and his family would be frantic once they realized he wasn’t coming home. Staying here was a stupid idea. Stupid, and spiteful.

It felt good.

[neesieiumz]

No one else F. Vermillion

Summary: You and your love struggled through a lot, haven't you?

A/N: God this is so late! This is for a collab with the ever so lovely, @vs-redemption. It was for her 1k Captains collab and I got so busy with packing and moving in for college that this completely slipped my mind. So please, just enjoy this! I worked as much as I could!

Word count: 1.8k

The sun was out and about, the heat beating down against your body. Although the wind blew around you, there was no coolness to it, only throwing around hot air. You raised your hands in the air, taking in a deep breath as you crossed your right hand behind your left. Purple light surrounded your grimoire as the same color lightning sparked and surrounded you. Slowly you opened your eyes, eyes locked on the target before you. Cupping your hands together, the purple lighting surrounded you became attracted to the growing force within your hands, raging and buzzing around it.

“Lightning Magic: Glimmer Spada.”

Holding out the ball of concentrated lightning out, a bright purple beam blasted out of it. It took up the shape of a sword, and made a clean vertical cut clean through the target, through the trees, and even the rest of the forest. It left a thick black smoke behind, and the bark of the target and tree were charred. You let a breath of contentment, a smile curling up on your face. You released your hands, stretching them out as you went to the pile of things you brought. Behind down to pick up your towel, along with your bottle of water, you heard a rustle of leaves near you. Eye perked up, your body was alert as a body pushed itself through the leaves and the trees.

Wild, red hair, and a long red cape to match. You relax as Meroleona found herself in your little training area. You placed your water down as she eyed her, her familiar wild smirk landing on you.

“Lady L/n, I’ve been looking for you!” Her haughty gruff voice rang out through the forest.

You smiled, wiping your face with the towel, “Mero, how long has it been?”

The last time you saw Mero was when she took the Crimson Lions to Ultime-Volcano Mountain Trail. You didn’t go, unfortunately, wanting to stay back with your fiance during his coma. So, it was nice seeing your future-in-law after so long. You knew she came back when Fuegoleon woke up and the two of them went back to Ultime but you were busy training your younger cousins. Despite the sweat dripping down your body, she came up towards you, wrapping her arm around your shoulder and pulling you close.

“It’s been too long, how about we catch up? What say we spar?”

You froze mid-sip, your eyes slowly moving to look at the smiling woman beside you. Despite all your training, you knew that you didn’t hold a candle to her power and abilities. She was a different breed. Knowing this, she just snickered and began to guide you out of the forest.

“Nevermind, let’s do lunch.”

---

After you took a shower, you changed into an all-red outfit, the color similar to the Crimson of the Vermillion Family. You wore a cropped coaster top with thick straps, a matching blazer, and dress pants. You wore dark boots before moving your ring from its chain to your finger. You pulled your hair from a messy bun to a low ponytail.

You followed behind the older woman into the private restaurant, leading up to the hostess who immediately greeted the two o you.

“Lady Vermillion, Lady L/n! Oh es, your table is this way!”

Mereoleona said nothing while you thanked her as she took your menus to a booth. She placed them down and immediately left the two of you alone, closing the door behind her as she walked off. You sighed taking the scenery as you took a seat. The stone walls and wooden floors were rustic, reminding you of your grandmother’s old cabin back when you were younger. You smiled, taking a breath before grabbing the menu before you.

“So, how has my bone-headed brother been treating you?”

You glanced up at Mereo, eyes looking away from a meat special they were having. You smiled at the thought of Fuegoleon, the love of your life. Currently, he was doing another training expedition with some of the Crimson Lions. So you were by yourself in the Vermillion Residence for the most part, save when Mimosa would come to visit. Although you were still a member of the Crimson Lions, you mostly stayed behind for home defense just in case something happened. So it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Fuegoleon to be gone for hours or days at a time. Although he wasn’t home for a lot of the time, when he was, everything was such perfection.

“He’s treating me just fine, don’t worry Mereo.” You smiled down at your menu, before choosing one of the things on the menu.

“How’s the wedding planning?”

“We’ve been taking our tome, he’s been busy with everything that’s going on. Things with the Spade Kingdom and what-not.”

She hummed, before looking down at her menu. The waitress came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses, placing each of them down before you two. Mereroleona took the bottle, uncorking it with her bare hands before pouring the two of you a glass. You smiled, thanking her before taking yours and taking a sip. The smooth fruity taste of the win hit your tastebuds in the right way as you gave another smile towards Mereo.

“I see…”

From there, the two of you talked, about anything really. The new spell you were training, her own training, (which is basically all she does), and little quips about her brother/your fiance tat made you both giggle and snicker.

--

You sighed, leaning against the window, staring out at the group of Crimson Lions training in the field. Although your eyes stared at them, your mind was far away.

“Fuegoleon!”

Eye teared up, burning with pain, you rushed up to your finance. He was currently laying across the bed, blankets pulled over him. You let out a shaky breath as you slowly reached out to him, the only sign of him being alive was his shallow breathing. That’s when you glanced over to his right, before eyes widening at the lack of his right arm. You must have been rocking back and forth, because you felt a hand rest at the small of your back, staying you. Your hands crumpled at your dress as you pulled the skirt up, allowing you to sit comfortably by his side. Your hands raked through his red hair, still dirty from the fight he just partook in.

Lips trembling, you shuffled your body to lay next to him, “my Fuegoleon.”

“.../n…. Y/n… Y/n!”

You gasped, jumping up slightly as you heard your name. Turning around, you found Fuegoleon standing not too far from you, eyes shining with concern. Oh, he was back already? You must have not seen him return, despite your eyes staying near the entrance once you came back from lunch with Mereo. The light from his arm caught your eye once more, the makeshift arm moving up and down as your soon-to-be husband walked towards you. Using his regular arm, he reached out towards you, cupping your face.

“Dear, what’s wrong?”

You just shook your head, turning away from him. He, however, didn’t take that, grabbing you by the arm before turning your around once again.

“Speak to me, please?” You could hear a soft pleading in his voice.

You sighed in resignation, before opening your eyes to look at him. His arm went from your own to your waist, pulling you closer. You felt a sudden heat, a force softly grabbing at you by the chin, before making you look at him.

“I just, I guess I’m just… I’m just remembering, back when you were in a coma.”

His grip around both your waist and ace loosened, and the slight drop in pressure allowed for you to escape his hold. You turned back towards the window, leaning against the windowsill. You could hear Feugoleon sigh, before walking up behind you. His two arms came up and rested themselves upon your shoulders, pulling you back towards him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and bent down, resting his head on top of your shoulder.

“I knew that must have been so difficult for you.”

You chuckled, all though there was no humor behind it, “you were the one in the coma.”

“It still must have been difficult for you, seeing me passed out with no way to talk to me. No idea if I’d ever wake up.”

“What do you mean?”

The doctor sighed, staring at you and the rest of the family, “Captian Vermillion was gravely injured, with the loss of his arm. There’s no way to say if he’ll ever wake up.”

You could felt your ears pop, and then you were on the floor. Right before you could hit it, Leopold caught you, holland you up by the shoulders. The rest of your family only gasped, whispering amongst themselves about the recovery of the current head of the Vermillion family. You ignored them all, you couldn’t even hear Leo’s calls for you. Your head buzzed around, you couldn’t think, you couldn’t speak. Fuegoleon.. your fiance? The love of your life? He could... Never recover? You may never see him again?

“We’ll monitor him, but the more time he takes, the less of a recovery chance he has.”

You only sighed, snuggling into his hold even more.

“We dealt with it though, and look, you recovered well. You even got one of the four elemental spirits,” you mumbled.

“That doesn’t mean the journey wasn’t difficult.”

“Y/n, you have to eat something. You’ll lose your strength.”

You could only shake your head, the friction of the bed rubbing against your head. It had been a week and some days since the doctor told you about Fuegoleon’s condition, a whole three weeks since he had been in a coma. You hadn’t left his side, hadn’t changed your clothes or anything, keeping yourself right by his side. Hoping to be there when he wakes up.

“Y/n please, you know he wouldn’t like to hear you are not eating, not taking care of yourself.”

You shook your head again. If your love couldn’t eat, you wouldn’t either.

“But, you’re right, I did recover, and I gained power even more than I could imagine.”

You smiled at that, sighing at the small kiss and nips he left on your cheek and neck.

“And now look at us, preparing for both a war and a wedding. Who other than you, could ever become part of the Vermillion family?”

You couldn’t hold back the giggle that came out of your mouth, squealing as he scooped you up into his arms. He carried you out of the room, mumbling something about having a walk in the family gardens.

[half-bakedboy]

Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz Rated: General Summary: “I’ve recently found myself with a lot of time on my hands and since you don’t seem to have enough to romance someone,” Buck began, settling his drink on the table, “I think it only makes sense for someone to romance you.”

Eddie huffed out a laugh and shot back, “Yeah, and how are you going to find someone willing to put in that effort?”

“Oh, you’re lookin’ at him.”

Or… Eddie gets the romance he deserves in the form of fluff-filled dates with Buck.

For @911fluffweek - day six: “But you love me anyway” // In your lap

(read chapter six on ao3 or start from the beginning)

Eddie found himself to be just as nervous standing on the step to Maddie’s home as he had been those few months ago. Back then, he was terrified of meeting his team’s families and having to somehow keep himself at arm’s length. He glanced over at where Buck gripped his hand tightly and realized just how badly he had failed at that task. 

“You know, you have to knock on the door, Eds,” Buck said, furrowing his eyebrows in equal parts confusion and concern. 

“Deja vu,” Eddie muttered, raising his hand to do just that. Before he could, the door flung open and Maddie stood before them, a wide grin on her face. 

“Little brother!” She shouted and Buck rolled his eyes at the name before wrapping his arms around his sister’s waist and hugging her tightly. Eddie loved the way Buck hugged. He always put his entire body into it, rocking from side to side with his arms enveloping every inch he could. He loved watching Buck hug others and the way their smiles lit up their faces almost as much as he enjoyed being on the receiving end of one of his embraces. 

“Hey, Mads,” he muttered, kissing her hair as he pulled back. “Where’s my favorite goddaughter?” He asked excitedly. Before Eddie could even so much as say hello, he was already making his way into the living room and picking Jee-Yun out of her pack-and-play to blow raspberries into her neck. 

“Has he always been like that?” Eddie asked, giving Maddie a one-armed hug and holding up the bottle of wine he had to insist Buck pick up. He never went to a home empty-handed and Buck never felt like a guest anywhere, so it was a miracle Eddie had convinced him to grab it in the first place. 

“He loves kids. Babies, toddlers, eight-year-olds with cute dads,” Maddie teased, winking at Eddie when he tried to stifle a laugh. “Even when we were teenagers, he was always looking after younger kids. Saving them from bullies, playing with them when they had no friends, sitting with them at family gatherings. It’s probably cause he’s such a kid at heart,” Maddie said, watching her brother fondly as he set Jee-Yun back down and walked over. 

He wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist before he said, “She’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen, Maddie. Are you sure she’s yours and Chimney’s?” Maddie smacked him with the towel she had over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. 

“Here I was telling your boyfriend all about how great you are with kids, alluding to what a great dad you’ll be someday,” she said pointedly causing both of them to go wide-eyed, “and you insult me. Little brothers are always so ungrateful.” 

“I’ll be sure to tell Christopher that,” Eddie chuckled. He froze when he realized what he had said and had never been more grateful for a doorbell in his life. 

The rest of the team and their families arrived over the next few minutes and all of Eddie’s nerves washed away just like they had the first time. He was comfortable around his team, around the people he trusted every day with his life, and with much more than that if he was honest with himself. More importantly, Buck was a calming weight beside him that reminded him he wasn’t alone. 

“Howie and I thought it would be fun to do our little version of The Newlywed Game,” Maddie said once everyone had their drink of choice in hand. “So, everyone have a seat…” She gestured around, frowning at what Eddie assumed was the shortage of chairs. 

“I counted out before—” 

“You forgot to include yourself, didn’t you?” Maddie guessed and Chim didn’t say she was wrong. Eddie shrugged and stood behind the comfortable recliner Buck had planted himself in, reaching around to rest his hands on Buck’s shoulders and massaging gently. 

“Hey, that’s okay,” Eddie said quickly, not wanting to be the person that inconvenienced the rest of the party. “I’m totally good with standing and I’ll kick his lazy ass out of the chair if he gets too annoying,” Eddie added when Maddie stared worriedly in his direction. Eddie winked at her as Buck gasped dramatically, tugging on one of Eddie’s hands.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Buck challenged and Eddie wouldn’t admit he was right. “Besides, this chair is absolutely big enough to support the two of us, even if you’ve been eating extra bites of the desserts Christopher and I make when we’re not looking,” Buck accused. 

“No, seriously, Buck, it’s—” He was already tumbling onto Buck’s lap before he could finish his sentence. 

It was awkward at first as his hands flew out to try and grab onto the back of the chair and the armrest when he felt himself start falling. Eddie wasn’t a small guy, by any account. He was just under 200 pounds of muscle from years in the military and kept up with his physique with most mornings spent in the gym or hauling around 60 pounds of gear each day. Suddenly, though, he felt so small. 

Buck wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist and rested his chin comfortably in the crook between Eddie’s neck and shoulder. He let his legs fall open so that Eddie could slot between them and Eddie let himself form to Buck’s warm body. He leaned into Buck’s touch, resting his own arms on the ones secured around him, and ignored the incredibly pointed gazes of his team.

Chim tossed his hands up in the air and defeatedly said, “Oh, they’re totally going to win.”

He wasn’t wrong, but Eddie attributed that to the fact that out of all of the couples around them, they were the newest. Hen and Karen had been together the longest out of all of the couples, working on ten years of marriage by the time Eddie joined the team. Bobby and Athena had six years under their belt and were just as ‘disgustingly in love’ as the day they met—Chim’s words, not his. He didn’t have much room to talk, though, because he and Maddie were almost at three years and it would take a crowbar to pry them apart when they were together. 

About an hour into the game, Hen made it clear that one of the happy couples would meet their bitter end while Maddie became increasingly more annoyed that Eddie seemed to know more about her brother than she did. 

“Why would you possibly know when Eddie and I had our first kiss?” Buck seethed as Maddie rolled her eyes in frustration. “You didn’t even know when you and your husband had your first kiss!” It was the wrong thing to say and they both knew it as Buck hid his face behind Eddie’s neck. 

Maddie didn’t care as she yelled, “He’s the one who didn’t know! I was right and I know it!” She grabbed a handful of popcorn from the neatly plated platter in between them and tossed it at Buck, effectively only coating Eddie in the snack. He held his hands up in defense just as Chim did. 

“Hey, I was in a hospital bed and I thought we had kissed then. I was on a lot of pain medication, Maddie, you can’t blame me for that!” 

“And you can’t throw food at me because your brother is a coward!” Eddie shot back, wriggling in Buck’s lap when he poked his fingers into Eddie’s sides in retaliation. 

“Can someone read the next question, please?” Bobby said in that commanding tone that had all of them muffling their laughter and ongoing arguments. 

“Alright, Bobby and Athena are up,” Chim said, clapping his hands together. “If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy together?” Athena started to write down her answer and Buck attempted to it, leaning over a bit too far considering the space Eddie took up on his lap. Eddie elbowed Buck in the ribs and pulled a face he hoped clearly told him to stop cheating before the team got even angrier at them. Buck pressed a messy kiss to his cheek and pretended he wasn’t even trying to peek. 

“What d’ya say, Cap?” 

“Athena is too smart to let us spend money on anything. It’s going straight into a college fund for Harry and May,” Bobby answered, crossing his arms over his chest smugly. It was called for because Athena turned over her board to reveal the word COLLEGE spelled out in all caps. She cheered and pressed a big kiss to Bobby’s lips. 

“Lucky round, we all knew the answer to that one,” Hen teased, patting Karen’s thigh as she turned toward Chim for their question. “Hit us up, Han. We’re kicking all of your asses,” she commented. 

Buck chimed in, “Except for us!” It was a reminder that literally no one needed and they all glared daggers in Buck’s direction. Eddie didn’t mind the way Buck hid behind him that time. He laced their fingers together, bringing one up to his mouth for a soft kiss as Chim read out the next question. 

“What was the last date that you went on?” Buck stifled his laughter in Eddie’s shoulder the second both Hen and Karen’s eyes widened in panic. Athena was brazen as always and allowed hers to ring loudly over everyone. 

“Oh, c’mon ladies, really?” Athena shouted. Hen glared at her while Karen wrote down—and then crossed out and then wrote something else—on her board. She shook her head guiltily at her wife when the timer buzzed. 

“The reason we’re kicking all of your asses is cause you know the answers to those ridiculous questions about your partner’s childhood pet but can’t even remember when you last got them flowers,” Buck pointed out. The looks on everyone’s faces told Eddie that while he shouldn’t have said it, he was absolutely right. 

“Yeah, well, what was Eddie’s first job, then?” Maddie shot back to which Eddie sighed because Buck knew the answer to that. They had talked about it one night when Eddie was explaining why he enlisted in the army in the first place. 

Buck smirked and answered, “Easy. Technically, he worked construction with his uncle before he turned 18 but he was paid under the table,” he paused for only a moment before finishing, “and he enlisted in the United States Army almost the second he was old enough to.” He held up his hand for a high five but Eddie gauged the looks around him and decided his team already hated him enough for one night. 

“Hen, what’s your answer?” He asked, knowing that out of everyone in the room, Hen would be the one to get him out of the situation he found himself in. She took pity, if only so that they could get their round over with, and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. 

“Alright, I had the day off three weeks ago but Denny was sick and the day off before that was spent getting the foster twins settled…” Hen looked up at the ceiling and let out the breath she was holding slowly. “We went to that Japanese steak house and sushi bar a few months ago?” Karen cheered and flipped her board over revealing what Eddie assumed was the name of the restaurant Hen had been talking about. Karen leaned over and kissed her wife soundly, both of them glaring over at Buck who waved his hand dismissively. 

“Will you stop pissing off our friends, please?” Eddie whispered while Maddie and Chim prepared themselves for their round. Buck shook his head and hiked himself up a little in the chair causing Eddie to immediately panic. He had almost forgotten that the two of them were sharing a damn chair like teenagers who thought they were in love. Eddie made to get up as he said, “Do you need me to—”

Buck grabbed onto his arms and shook his head, smiling softly up at him. “I’m good, just had to reposition. Just let me…” As if Eddie weighed nothing, Buck moved him to a more comfortable position still on his lap and Eddie let out a very embarrassing yelp at the suddenness of the motion. He wasn’t used to being… manhandled, the way Buck had apparently been comfortable with doing. 

“We have a spare bedroom if you two need some privacy,” Maddie offered, gesturing over her shoulder and down the hallway. The entire team groaned in displeasure while Buck flipped her off, but she shrugged and mouthed, The offer still stands, in Eddie’s direction. 

“Babe, pay attention,” Chim began, earning an eyebrow raise from his wife. He grinned at her as he usually did, and asked, “Describe what you first thought of me in one word.” 

“Maddie, now’s your chance to really let him know how you feel,” Buck teased, egging her on with an excited nod of his head. Maddie rolled her eyes in response and as she wrote her answer on the board, she gestured between her and Chim’s heads as if trying to somehow start some telepathic connection. 

“I can’t believe Chim somehow found someone just as strange as he is,” Hen muttered much to the agreement of everyone around them. The couple in question didn’t care, though, because they were too busy staring at each other. Eddie thought it was cute, but apparently, everyone else was ready to get on with the game. 

“Hey, weirdo, what’s your answer?” Bobby shouted and Buck let out a huff of laughter. It was always nice when Bobby let loose a little and he was seemingly at that point if the name he chose said anything. 

“Cute. She thought I was cute,” he answered. Maddie turned her clipboard around slowly, beaming wider each second because she got the answer right. She cheered and pulled Chim into a very full kiss, both of them smiling into it. 

“Alright, boys, we’re three for four this round. You get this right or wrong, you still win, so we’re gonna pick the toughest question,” Hen commented and before Buck could argue, Athena held up a hand and raised her eyebrows at him. It was the easiest way to shut him up and everyone there knew it. 

“Oh, honey, this one. This is the one,” Athena said, laughter already brightening up her voice. Eddie winced even as Buck squeezed the arm still wrapped around his waist a little tighter in reassurance. Maddie let out a loud laugh before she read the next question out loud. 

“Which one of you would Buck say is the most attractive in the relationship?” 

“That is so not a fair question!” Buck whined immediately, grabbing the board from his sister to scribble his answer. 

Eddie eyed him and at Buck’s inquisitive look, he said, “You answered that incredibly quickly.” 

“Hey, no cheating. Eddie, what’s your answer? Who’s more attractive?” Chim asked and then let out a barely contained cackle. “Wait, oh my god, Eddie is either going to say himself which is going to sound extremely narcissistic or Buck is going to have his own name on that board which is the most egotistical answer and man, this question was genius. Athena, I would bow to you if I could.”

Eddie shook his head and glared at his captain’s wife, uncaring that he was there to witness it all. Bobby had a warm smile on his face that Eddie connected to the fact that he was there, with the family he said he wasn’t going to become a part of, laughing and teasing and cuddling up to his boyfriend of almost six months. It wasn’t where Eddie thought he’d be but where Bobby had assumed they’d end up. 

He made a mental reminder to thank Bobby later. 

“The answer is obviously Buck, but before you start with me,” he pointed at Chim accusingly before he continued, “it’s not because either of us are full of ourselves. It’s because he knows that I would never name myself in any situation. He knows we’re both equally attractive—”

“—And have tested it on many occasions!” Buck interjected but Eddie wasn’t about to explain to his team that they had competitions on who could get the most numbers when they went out together. 

“He knows we’re both conventionally attractive men who would possibly fight someone for thinking otherwise but would never actually admit it about ourselves. He also knows that I would just argue with him if he said anything else. So,” he took a deep breath before he finished, “that board says Buck’s name.” 

“I don’t think all of that could fit on a whiteboard, Eds,” Buck teased, but he flipped over the board to reveal his own name. Scribbled underneath was one short sentence, squished in the small space. It said, Because Eddie won’t let me say it’s him.  

He wasn’t sure what came over him, but all of a sudden, Eddie had his arms tossed around Buck’s neck and their lips pressed together passionately, uncaring that his entire team was watching him. He had never had a connection like the one he had with Buck and this stupid game had solidified to Eddie that the fact they knew each other so well wasn’t all in his head. It made every part of Eddie so incredibly happy. 

“Next game night, Buddie stays at home,” Chim said begrudgingly and Eddie didn’t mind that everyone around him agreed. He felt like a teenager again; sitting in the lap of the man he really, really loved, with warm arms wrapped around him, and what felt like a permanent smile on his face. 

“Eh, we’ll just take the guest bedroom next time,” Buck shot back. Eddie blushed darker than he had been already, but he didn’t say anything in return. He just let Maddie and Chim tease, Hen and Karen roll their eyes, and Bobby and Athena watch the people they considered their ‘kids’ enjoy the night together. 

It was as perfect as perfect could get, Eddie thought. Even when he felt his eyes drooping shut at the end of it all, he knew he would wake up to Buck in his bed and the feeling of family and home etched into his heart. He was starting to believe it would never disappear and he held onto it tighter just to be sure. 

[everlastingdreams]

Weeping Monk x Reader : Playing With Fire   chapter 7

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Story Summary:  The Huntsman, that is what they called your brother. A name he had earned by hunting down the fey for coin. Coin that is given by Father Carden for his services. You refuse to stand aside and watch how your brother hunts down those who are fey. When you start to warn the fey camps your brother wishes to attack, you find yourself behind enemy lines. But when the Weeping Monk becomes suspicious of you, you realise you are playing with fire.

Chapter Summary: The Monk arrives in Mirstone to confront you about what he has found out about the fey camp in the North.

Notes: Starting to build the tension I guess.. also I didn’t find a fitting gif so take this one because pretty.

Warnings: Lowkey Slut-shaming. Which will get worse in some chapters, be warned.

Word count: 2365 words in this chapter.

Chapter:  7/ 30+ something (buckle up, it’s a wild ride.)

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You had wrapped a warm scarf around your neck to hide the bruises that had formed from Draegan's grip on your throat. The last thing you wanted was the stares from the other villagers. You waited until dark before you started to copy the maps you had 'borrowed' from the bag. You were drawing the last details of the maps when you heard the door of your home creak, alerting you to the fact that somebody had entered your small home. Damnit, you hadn't locked your front door. You discreetly moved the maps under some books before turning around to see who it was. And when you did your heart dropped. The Weeping Monk was standing in the doorway. Why was he here ? You nor your brother were expecting a visit from Father Carden today and they never came this late in the evening. Your brother would not have left otherwise. The thought crossed your mind that maybe he had told Father Carden about you trying to help a fey anyway. You stood up from your chair but showed no intention to move closer to him. "Is Father Carden gracing us with another visit ?" You asked in a obviously fake polite voice. The corner of his mouth turned up but it was gone in a flash as he shook his head. He was staring at you now, his eyes following you as you walked around the place. You could feel that he was choosing his next words cautiously and calculated. "No. I came alone." He stated after a moment of silence. You straightened your back, taking on a defensive stance "Have you come to kill me after all then ?" He started to walk around the place as if he was studying you "No." You hated to admit that it was unnerving "Then why have you come ?" He folded his hands behind his back, now facing you "I've been told your brother has recently acquired a map." Damn. The one who sold your brother the map had not kept their mouth shut about it to the Monk. You kept your composure, perhaps he assumed your brother was keeping it to get more coin "I'm afraid my brother is not here. He's..working." You hated to call it for what it was. Hunting fey. "I'm aware." He quirked a brow. Damn.. he had indeed come for you after all. He stepped closer towards you and you stood your ground "A map that held the location of a fey camp that is now deserted." "I don't see how I can help you with that. My brother is the one who you should be asking about that." You tried to avoid the topic of the map completely. "Those who help the fey will meet the same fate " He stared you down. You felt a chill go down your spine. He knew. He knew you were warning them. He had hinted to it in the forest but you had hoped he was just trying to unnerve you. There was no question now that he believed you had taken the map and warned the fey in the North, why else would he have come here to talk to you alone about it ? You did try to save the fey boy from him and he must have connected the dots pretty quickly after that. "I'm aware." You parroted his own words. Then he took two steps closer, and in response you grabbed a pan that was on the table, willing to hit him if he got any closer. His eyes fell on the pan in your hands before they locked on your face. He smirked and let out a scoff "Tell me the locations of the fey camps. I know the Huntsman has acquired the information. I know you have seen it when I was here with Father. Don't lie to me." He sounded irritated. "And cost me my brother's payment from Father Carden ? Forget it." It was a plausible excuse, you actually could not care less about the payment. Besides, you had already warned those camps. The new maps where laying under the stack of books on the table. You hoped he wouldn't think that you would hide them in a similar spot again. He was anything but pleased with the answer, the tension between you and him was palpable "You intend to warn them, don't you ?" His voice was lower then it had been moments ago. It was not a question. It was a statement. You tried to stay calm, but it was starting to tick you off how the Monk seemed adamant to keep bothering you. Didn't he have other things to keep himself occupied ? You were still the sister of the Huntsman, and as long as you didn't confess to warning the fey to Father Carden he had no solid proof to give to Carden. It could be anyone in this village, even one of your brother's men. You spoke through gritted teeth "You can't make me tell you anything, Monk. This is the Huntsman's village, all I have to do is tell one of his men that you are trying to undermine my brother's work."

He was glaring at you now, he knew you were right and it aggravated him tremendously. He was on thin ice coming here without the permission of the Huntsman or Father Carden. The Monk knew he would have to intimidate you into telling him "Do you think you can outrun me and reach one of them then ?" Your grip on the pan tightened at his question. He took two steps around the table in your direction. You backed away to stay out of his reach "Stay away from me, you bastard !" You held up the pan, ready to strike if he came within your reach. He stopped and scoffed at the sight "I could kill you, y/n. I should kill you. If you had not been the Huntsman's sister I would have killed you the moment you attacked me in the forest. Are you truly willing to die to protect the fey ?" Was this it ? Was he really going to kill you in your own home ? You gave a short nod, you had lost your patience with this arrogant bastard "I am. I will die knowing that I protected the innocent from you ! From the torture they would face by your paladin bastards !" Even though he was far more skilled then you, you were not going down without a fight. You launched at him with the pan and almost caught him off-guard. He thought you were bluffing, he had not expected that you would be brave enough to fight him. He ducked just in time so it hit his shoulder hard instead of his face, he turned to the side as he grabbed your wrists. He disarmed you and the sound of steel alerted you that he had drawn his sword. He grabbed hold of you as you tried to escape from his grasp, turning you so your back was against his chest, he held the sword to your throat. "You confess then ?" He spoke lowly, you could feel his breath on the side of your face. "I guess we both secretly help the fey." You struggled against him but he kept you in a firm grasp. He knew you would remind him of the fact that he spared the boy. You elbowed him in the ribs, and he let out a pained groan. His grip faltered momentarily but he pulled you against his chest again, and pressed the sword against your throat now. Making sure you couldn't do that again, not giving you the room to move your elbow anymore. Not giving you room to move at all. This was not supposed to go this way, he had wanted to give you a warning “Don't force me to kill you, y/n.” What ? Was that not why he had come here in the first place ? You stopped struggling for a moment “Why have you come here, Monk ?” He moved his sword so it was no longer pressing directly against your skin “Stop warning the fey. It will not end well for you. Father will not be as forgiving as I am.” “I don't seek forgiveness for saving lives.” You let out an insulted scoff. The Monk had no good counter answer for that. He could say that he was saving their souls by killing them, but your words from the forest still haunted him. Remembering how you had told him he was damning his own soul that way. When he took a deep breath out of frustration he became aware just how closely he was holding you against him. He had done this with other people before but somehow it felt different now. He resisted the urge to step away from you. The close proximity to you was making him nervous, it felt too...intimate.

The sudden silence between you made you uneasy, he was holding you so close that you had felt his chest rise and fall as he had taken a deep breath. And then.. silence. As if both of you were unaware of how close you were standing against each other before he had done that. In that moment it was as if something shifted in the atmosphere between you, he was no longer holding you as firmly as he had been. After another second that felt much longer he spoke again, you noticed that he sounded calmer now. He sounded different, persuasive even. “Be smart, y/n. Don't be brave.” He tried to sound convincing, knowing that the latter would certainly cost you your life one day. The Monk remained still as he contemplated his next action, then he slowly moved his sword away from your throat. “You would spare my life if I stopped ?” It confused you, there was no way Father Carden would agree to this. “Father nor the Huntsman are aware of what you have done. If you stop, I will overlook this. This never happened, just like you and the boy were never in the forest that night.” You frowned at that before understanding what was going on. You had leverage on him, and now he had leverage on you. He would keep his mouth shut about you having warned the fey and you wouldn't rat him out for letting the boy go. It had never been your intention to rat on him for that, but it seemed he did not trust you for that matter. “Alright... I'll stop.” You said calmly, lying through your teeth to the Monk. If he believed you had stopped it would buy you enough time to bring the new information to the fey.

Another moment passed by before he let go off your arm and released you from his grip. You immediately turned around and took a couple of steps away from him. Being so close to him felt strange. He watched as you stepped away from him the moment he had let go of you, he hoped the warning was clear. But he had a feeling you weren't going to be so easily convinced. You had a stubborness that matched his own. His expression hardened again “If you lied to me-” “You'll kill me. Got it.” You snapped at him, you hated how he was bossing you around like this. How he had the arrogance to just waltz in here. The he suddenly looked past you and you turned to see what had caught his attention.

Brogan had entered your home as well "Ah, what do we have here ? I thought I heard another voice in here." This was not looking well for you, if he told your brother about the Weeping Monk being in your home it would further push him to believe that you were indeed working with the Monk... among other things. The Monk looked at Brogan, a brow raised as the man stepped further inside your home. "Thought you'd have better taste, little bird. And a man of the cloth at that ?" Brogan tsked. It sounded terribly demeaning. Like he was scolding a toddler. The Monk narrowed his eyes when he heard the comment, not understanding what Brogan was insinuating "What ?" "We were just talking." You firmly stated. Brogan scoffed "Just talking, eh ? With him ? He doesn't look like the talking type to me." If it had been unclear to the Monk what Brogan was insinuating, it was clear now. You saw the Monk shift his balance, looking uncomfortable being there all of a sudden. Oh great. Had you known that, you would have tried something similar to scare him out of your house. "Believe what you wish, Brogan. The truth is that we were talking. As you stated yourself, didn't you say you heard another voice as you tried to eavesdrop on me again ?" You refused to let Brogan bully you in your own damn home. He had a tendency to be this demeaning to you and get into your business. Most likely to rat you out to your brother. Brogan's expression hardened, not pleased with the way you defended yourself "I am-" You interupted him "Leaving. As is the Monk. Get OUT of my home ! Both of you !" The anger was boiling inside of you, it would help to make it clear that neither of them were welcome there. The Monk looked at you, he seemed almost startled at your sudden outburst of rage. And so did Brogan. Your patience had run out. The Monk scoffed and shook his head as he headed towards the door. Brogan tried to get his attention by glaring at him, the Monk walked into Brogan's shoulder as he passed him by. "Damn paladin dog.." Brogan uttered once the Monk left. Then he turned to you and you glared at him. He chuckled, a sound that send a chill through you, before he also left your home. You drew a deep breath, scolding yourself for forgetting to lock the door.

Taglist:

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[jaskiers-sweetkiss]

Sunset Swerve - Part 7

Pairing: Luke x OC

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: none?

A/N: This one’s a little shorter but I’ve been waiting to get to this part for a while now. It’s got some good Jordan and Luke backstory. Fair warning, I totally cried writing this so like, I’m sorry. As always, let me know what you think!

Part 6  Masterlist

___

When Jordan finally returned to the garage it was empty. She’d gone with the intention of explaining her side and apologize. She’d never meant to break up the band, truthfully it was one of the best things that had happened to her since she died. She’d thought they’d ditched Julie and herself to get revenge on Bobby, she would’ve gone back to get them if she’d thought there was even a chance that they were still at the creepy Hollywood Ghost Club. To make matters worse, Purple Suit, Mr. Covington or whatever, made it sound like they didn’t even get answers about Bobby.

She popped back into Julie’s room to grab her book, fully intending on waiting in the garage until they got back. She made it a couple of pages before she felt another jolt like she had last night. She groaned again, setting down her book in favor of clutching her chest.

By the time the guys came back, Jordan was still clutching her chest, though the pain had faded. Her face was scrunched in concentration as she tried to figure out what could possibly be causing them- she had no physical body so it couldn’t have been normal chest pains or cramps or anything like that. It felt like somebody had given her an electric shock.

“Woah, Jordan are you okay?” Alex exclaimed worriedly, rushing to her side to check on her.

“Yeah,” she groaned, rubbing her chest before removing her hand completely. “I’ve just been getting these painful jolts since yesterday.”

“You’ve been getting them too?” Reggie gasped, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of them and Jordan nodded. “Guess it’s not related to the pizza.”

Jordan furrowed her brows in confusion. “Pizza?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Luke spoke, glaring at her from the doorway. “What matters is what you think you’re doing here.”

“I came back to apologize assh-“ she stopped herself, taking a deep breath and starting over, nicer this time. “I thought you guys had gotten your answers and gone to get your revenge on Bobby, that’s why I didn’t come back to get you. I thought you knew you were ditching us, I’m sorry.”

She looked between the three boys sincerely, hoping her apology would be enough to put them on good terms again.

“We get it,” Alex said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, “You had no way of knowing.”

“Yeah, and the band wouldn’t be the same without you,” Reggie added cheerfully, the two boys then turning to look at Luke who Jordan was afraid to look in the eye.

“Maybe if you didn’t always think the worst of us this wouldn’t have happened,” Luke said stubbornly and Jordan sighed, wanting so badly to argue in her defense but knowing it wasn’t the time.

“I’m sorry,” she just repeated quietly, looking up at the boy and she watched his angry façade crumble. “Are we cool?” She asked quietly.

Luke nodded, “Reggie’s right. Like it or not you’re part of the band now. Just don’t expect me to be nice to you all of a sudden.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jordan smirked, thankful to have things returning to normal.

“Ooh! We have a gig tonight!” Reggie announced excitedly, scrambling to his feet to show Jordan the flyer.

They all crowded around her to watch her reaction.

“Oh, what so a coffee shop open mic is cool but a school dance is lame?” She asked, teasing the guys.

“This place will be packed with producers,” Luke said defensively, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted.

“Wait, for real?” Jordan asked, sitting up straighter at the news and they nodded. “Oh my gosh, this is insane! We’re gonna get signed!”

“Now all we have to do is get Julie to rejoin the band,” Alex said, dampening the mood and Jordan slouched forward again.

“Right, well, if you guys apologize and explain yourselves I’m sure she’ll understand,” Jordan said hopefully and they all nodded, the guys beginning to formulate a plan.

___

As soon as Julie stepped into the studio the guys were ready, immediately breaking into their little apology song. Jordan smiled at how dorky but sweet it was from her position off to the side on the couch.

“In case you missed it, we’re really sorry,” Reggie said and the guys all nodded.

“Yeah… I got that part.” Julie said, frowning at the boys.

“Yeah, we’ve been here for three hours,” Alex added and Jordan nodded despite the fact that no one was looking at her. They really had been stating in that position for three hours. She would’ve made fun of them but it gave her some peace and quiet to read her book.

“We almost sang to your little brother,” Luke said.

“He comes in here a lot. Mainly to use the bathroom,” Reggie explained and Jordan shuddered.

“It’s not our favorite part of the day,” Alex said, pursing his lips.

“But, Julie, it wasn’t okay that we flaked on the dance last night,” Luke said, getting the boys back on topic. “We know we let you down.”

“Yeah and, and none of us wanted to disappoint you,” Alex said, “You and Jordan are the best things that’ve happened to us since we became ghosts.”

Jordan aww-ed quietly at that, making a mental note to hug Alex later.

“So, in hopes that you’ll rejoin the band, we booked a new gig,” Luke announced, handing her the coffee shop flyer.

“A mega-important, life-changing gig,” Reggie added with his signature grin.

“Check it out,” Luke explained, pointing to the flyer. “Tons of managers go here to listen to new bands. All we gotta do is blow them all away and then we’re living the dream.”

“So, this means a lot to you, huh?” Julie asked, looking up from the flyer to stare at the guys, her face hardened.

Jordan frowned at that. Clearly, the apology hadn’t been as effective as they’d thought it would be.

“Kind of how playing in front of my whole school meant a lot to me.” Julie continued and Jordan watched as the realization of where this conversation was going dawned on the guys’ faces.

“That sounds like sarcasm,” Reggie gasped, processing the situation out loud, “I’m starting to think our plan isn’t working.”

“Look, we know we messed up,” Alex said, ignoring Reggie and trying to save the situation.

“But we need you in the band,” Luke finished.

Julie rolled her eyes at that.

“Of course you do. Because without me, no one can see you guys playing.” She spat, staring Luke down. “Y’know, I thought the music we were writing was special, but you’re too obsessed with your past to even care.”

“I do care!” Luke exclaimed, nearly shouting at the girl and Jordan sucked in a breath, worried about where this was going. Luke and Julie both had quick and fiery tempers. “Our band has a real chance at greatness. I’m not gonna let that get away from us again.”

“Uh-huh. Right.” Julie said, clearly not believing him. “So then why did you bail on me to get back at Trevor?”

When Luke didn’t answer Julie continued.

“I’ll tell you why,” she said angrily. “Cause there’s only one thing that you care about and that’s yourself!”

She spun on her heel after that, stomping out of the garage.

“Julie wait!” Jordan called after her, jumping up off the couch to follow after her but stopping short of the doorway when she didn’t stop.

The studio was silent for a moment, everyone worriedly looking at Luke who was staring up at the house dejectedly.

“Dude, she didn’t mean it,” Alex said quietly but Luke didn’t respond, merely poofing away.

Jordan didn’t stick around much longer, only long enough to hear Alex remind Reggie of what day it was. She nodded solemnly at the two boys before poofing away herself.

___

“What are you doing here?” Luke asked irritably when Jordan poofed in next to him.

They were resting on the extended kitchen counter the Patterson’s had between their kitchen and dining room while his parents moved around the two rooms.

She shrugged. “It’s your birthday. Even after we told them we hated each other your parents always invited me behind your back and my parents always dragged me kicking and screaming.”

When the Pattersons had moved in down the street Jordan’s parents had been so excited that she’d have someone her age to play with. What they hadn’t anticipated was Luke putting a spider in her hair the first time they met and the pair forming an immediate hatred of each other. Still, their animosity hadn’t stopped the Moss’s and the Patterson’s from doing whatever they could to make Luke and Jordan friends so Jordan came to every one of Luke’s birthday parties and he hers.

Luke gave a watery chuckle at the memory before the pair lapsed into silence.

“Do you hate me?” Luke asked quietly after a moment. “For leaving when you…“

Jordan cut him off with a shake of her head.

“No.” She said softly but sure. “Maybe if you had left after my parents…” she cleared her throat, looking away to hide her own tears that were forming in her eyes. “No, I could never hate you for a decision you clearly regretted from the start.”

Luke nodded thoughtfully at that and Jordan reached out, placing her hand over his that was resting on the countertop. She hoped the small gesture would be comforting.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,” Jordan began to sing softly as Mrs. Patterson carried the cake over to the table. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, Luke’s favorite. “Happy birthday dear Luke, happy birthday to you.”

Luke turned his hand over to squeeze her own before hopping off the countertop to join his family at the table. When his dad finally lit the candle Luke leaned forward to blow it out, leaving his parents shocked and confused. Mr. Patterson relit the candle and Luke slid into the third chair. Jordan wiped the tears that were falling down her own face as she watched the Patterson’s, unknowingly reunited for the first time in twenty-six years, tearfully blow out the candle together.

Jordan leaned forward, squeezing Luke’s shoulder lightly as they watched his parents eat a slice of cake in silence. As she moved to pull away he reached over to cover her hand with his, holding it in place. As they sat like that in the silence that was somehow both deafening and comfortable Jordan thought back to the thin line Julie had mentioned the other day in the band room and whether or not she was walking it as carefully as she had thought.

Part 8

___

JATP Taglist: @meangirlsx

Sunset Swerve Taglist: @oopsiedoopsie23 @angryknightstatesmantrash @onlygetaway @deni-gonzalez @advicefromnixxxx @brooke0297 

[bruh-haikyuu]

A/N: ITS FINISHED WHAT THE FFUCKK 7000+ WORDS THIS IS A BEAST. ENJOYY!!! :DD Thank you for all your support!

Fem!MC in this is the guitarist/lead vocalist of the rock band PARANOIA! She also went to the same middle school as Konoha, but because she’s deemed as a prodigy, they didn’t get to talk so much. I hope you all enjoy the interesting take I’ve put in MC’s personality!! :))

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (Coming Soon!)

ensemble. | konoha akinori

part 1 - overture.

word count: 7287

warnings: slight angst, a lil’ bit of manipulation

(n.) an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended composition

You’re not the type of person to care. Things flitted over your head so easily like they’re nothing more than a light breeze. But were you an airhead? Not exactly. President of the Light Music Club and one of Fukurodani Academy’s prized minds, people sought of you as a genius or a prodigy. But you never really understood what they meant.

Weren’t you just a high school student like them?

You just got bored very easily. That’s all there is to say. Sure, you hopped between multiple clubs and interests in your first year, but wasn’t that initial year your chance to discover yourself? At least that’s what your parents told you. And you did! Eventually. The Light Music Club was the only club you felt the most interest and where you could be your fanciful, “blunt” self without everyone else worrying about you.

What’s up with that, you asked yourself much too often to be comfortable. Worrying’s for old people like parents, or grandparents or even middle-aged women who’d found no hope for love. Exams are temporary, people are temporary, and if they’re going to last for only a while, why think so much about it? You could never get why everyone made being a high school student so complicated.

But it’s kind of frightening. Being a high schooler but not completely understanding what it means. What were you then? Maybe you were just as “alien” as everyone called you. Put yourself in other people’s shoes, was what you were often told by your bandmates when you’d told them about your woes.

“I’ve decided!” you announced today as your bandmates slash club members sat around you in a circle. “I’m going to get a boyfriend.”

“...L/N, this ain’t another one of your social experiments, is it?” your drummer Reo sighed, exasperation dripping in his voice.

“Yes, and no,” you said, crossing your arms. “Reeeooo, it’s not wrong for your little ol’ club president to find love, right? Besides, I’m already a second year, it’s only a matter of time until I graduate. So why not make full use of it now?”

Bassist Iori exchanged a glance with Reo before chuckling deeply. “Always the unexpected one, huh, Taichou*? Alright then, you have our full support, this is bound to be funny at a point.”

“What is your type anyway?” the first-year keyboardist Tsumugi (occasionally MugiMugi much to his dismay) asked. “Right now, I mean... Since you switch between interests so quickly, senpai.”

“Well it’s neither of you, if you’re curious. Reo’s got a girlfriend already. Iori-kun’s too stingy. And MugiMugi seems like the kind of guy who’d get married to his own mom.”

“Oi, senpai!”

It was true. They heavily reminded you of your three older brothers. And you were thankful to the heavens that they all decided to move away once they graduated high school. One more ounce of “brotherly defense” and you were sure you were going to run off to live in some live house.

“Still not sugarcoating your words, I see. But I’m glad you’re not going to force us to date you, ” Iori muttered, finding interest in the pegs of his bass. “Do you even have someone you like? You seem to be, uh...”

“Very much married to your guitar,” Reo followed. Your drummer and his short-cropped hair was particularly quick to catch on cues and make a humdrum comment about it. It’s very obvious that he tries (keyword: tries) to empathize with you, but the fact that you just become a deeper enigma everyday just pisses him off.

You frowned, getting up from your rickety chair. “Lennon-chan is a very valuable item to me, but I won’t stoop so low as to marry it! I’m interested in a human. Hu-man. We went to the same middle school, so if you were thinking that my affections are baseless, then think of another question for me to answer.”

How unbelievable. You didn’t understand how people thought you were less of a person than they were. You have a set of lungs, human skin without a zipper that opens up to your Martian scalp and a teenage heart for another to hold. What’s so hard to believe that you were able to like something long-term?

“So, who is it then?” Tsumugi asked.

Tapping your finger on your chin in mock wonder, you gave them an impish grin. “Konoha Akinori.”

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Second-year student Konoha Akinori was not a big fan of surprises. He only enjoyed them when he was surprising the person. Other way around... not so much.

Which was not aiding to the reason why he was standing at an impasse with Fukurodani’s resident free-spirited prodigy L/N Y/N.

Your eyes twinkled brightly as you edged closer to him in the school’s near-empty courtyard. “Hello, Konoha-kun.”

“H-hello, L/N-san.”

What was going on? Why was this happening? Was this some sort of prank Bokuto had pulled on him? If it was, then how unfair. To have the prettiest girl in their grade approach him so suddenly... The entire thing reeked of craftiness, and Konoha resolved that Bokuto wouldn’t have gone so far to pull his leg. But why was this happening, again?!

“L/N-s-san, you’re a bit too close,” he choked, back pressed against a wall. Much to his gratefulness, you pulled back to let him breathe. If you had advanced one more step, he’d turn into an oversized tomato soon. Konoha Akinori the Human Tomato—that didn’t look so good on his college applications...

This girl’s danger, he thought. He knew about you. Heck, he even went to middle school with you. Sure, Konoha appreciated your beauty and talent as a person, but your alleged habit of jumping around interests just because “you were bored” terrified people to no end. You were a troublesome one, weren’t you?

“Konoha-kun, is it true you have a crush on me?”

Troublesome! Konoha cursed. His first real confrontation with an attractive girl and it had to be completely direct? No frills, no shoujo sparkles? How unpleasant. At least you shouldn’t pin him to a corner wall like this! Konoha just wanted to melt into a puddle and become absorbed into the soil.

“L-L/N-san, a lot of people have a crush on you!”

“I know. But I’m asking you. Do you like me?” your poised smile was the photograph of absolute nuisance. Blunt this, blunt that, was the way people described you, but Konoha never expected you to be this plain-spoken. Was there even a right answer when it came to your questions?

“L/N-san, you can’t just ask me something like this! I-I mean you’re pretty and smart and everything, so of course I had a crush on you, but isn’t this a little too late for that?”

Konoha swore your shoulders drooped at his words. But even that slight action was enough, to form a small incision to his heart. Just how human were you to have so heavy of an effect on him?

At that point, he was sure you were going to give up and leave him alone—possibly looking for another boy to meddle with... Until you chirped again in your nonchalant manner.

“But do you still like me?”

“I-I don’t know—”

“Then, why don’t we find out?”

‘Find out’? This was getting increasingly complicated. Out of all the people you could’ve trifle with, why did it have to be him? If only you were just more cute, instead of just plain out... surreal.

“We can go out for two months. You can find out if you do still have feelings for me, and I can learn why people make high school love seem more complicated than it should be,” you explained, counting off your reasons with a raised finger in each hand. “If it doesn’t work out by then, we’ll break up and I’ll leave you alone for good.”

In the silence that followed, Konoha was registering the information that had left your lips. Your words glitched in his mind like his mother’s old computer; always loading, never processing. There were so many questions he wanted to ask you, but he’d expected you to fling them back with more perplexing questions of your own. So he said nothing. In the silence that followed, he didn’t notice the glower that surfaced on your features as he let your offer dangle in the wall of space between you.

“We can go out and you can make Bokuto-kun and KomiKomi stop harassing you about being lame when it comes to girls.”

“How—” No. He wasn’t going to ask how you had his entire case figured out. Because he knew whatever reply was going to come out of your mouth was just going to be an indifferent: “It wasn’t a difficult process”. At least, Konoha knew that much about you.

Of course, the feeling of having a girlfriend—and someone like you, surprisingly—was going to be more than enough to rub into Komi and Bokuto’s faces. In fact, they’d leave him alone for eons if he did!  It was a tempting deal, and he ached to shake your hand and get it over with. But your own motives... “Complicated,” you’d said. The way you’d said it to him was almost pitiful. Konoha guessed you really did live on a different wavelength than other people.

Still avoiding your anticipating eyes, he replied, “Give me time to think about it.”

You didn’t particularly enjoy being forced to wait—not because you were an impatient person. “Thinking about it” only blooms ambivalence in return. And the longer someone thinks, the more doubtful they’ll become of their genuine resolve. If Konoha became cynical of the truth, your little ‘investigation’ would definitely go awry. What would happen to your ‘love’ then?

“Alright, but don’t take too long,” you spoke, raising your hands to your hips. “I’ve got your number so I’ll send you a text and you can save mine.”

Watching you spin on your heel and your back slowly shrink into the horizon, Konoha did a double take, finally taking in your final words to him.

“Wait, how’d you get my number?!”

Stopping in your tracks, you turned your head. Shooting him an impish grin, you broke the short absence of noise, and all at once Konoha really felt like he was in trouble.

“It wasn’t a difficult process,” you said.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“That’s...” Sarukui rolled the zipper of his jacket between his fingers before deciding on an appropriate word, “...very unsettling.”

In the privacy of the boys’ club room, Konoha crossed his arms. He’d made a face, just enough to border between pity and discontent. “Unsettling’s right. Do you think she’s a creep for just having my number like that?”

Tapping his chin with his index finger, the lax-faced boy replied, “I mean we are in the same grade. And she was class rep in our first year too, so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if she just had our numbers kept with her.”

From the corner of the room, Washio rumbled, “She’s actually not that bad. Though I admit she’s very strange.”

Turning his attention to the burlier male, Sarukui put his hands together, “That’s right, you’re in L/N-san’s class, aren’t you?”

“I remember that time she offered to lend me her World History flashcards because I forgot mine,” Washio recalled, moving towards the center of the room. “It was great for a while since she’s the smartest person in the class... but then...”

“...Then?”

“It didn’t matter because I couldn’t read anything she’d wrote on it. There were a couple of cards where she wrote backwards and all while she kept switching between kanji, hiragana and katakana mid-word... A prodigy’s brain is truly terrifying.”

Even though the story was rather amusing, the three only let out a despaired sigh.

“Aah, but it’s true that Y/N-san’s a really nice person,” a voice piped up behind them.

Their manager Yukie silently trudged into the carpeted floor, her usual skittish smile broadening against her face. The four second-years pooled around the room, one visibly concerned, the other confused, the third conflicted and the last... slightly hungry. Drawing out her breath, the hungrier one explained.

“She doesn’t seem like she has any bad intentions to me, it’s just that she tends to look into things too much... I mean, Y/N-san always gets to the point without any reason for her actions. But that’s because she doesn’t know how to explain it in her own way. If you think about it... don’t you think she’s actually really shy?”

‘Shy’ had no business with the way you’d confidently strode up to him, asking for Konoha to go out with you. Though he was blatantly thinking of the fact that you’re just messing with his head, Yukie made a point.

You’d barely made any friends in middle school, always separated from the crowds... but you’d react like it didn’t matter. You were always on a different wavelength with the special treatment the teachers gave you, so he hadn’t bothered to talk much with you either. The whole time you were so quiet back then, was it because you were trying to understand the situation?

Now Konoha felt really bad for calling you a ‘creep’. “Geez...”

“Hey, hey, hey! G’morning!”

Like the heavens had heard his woes, they sent him Bokuto for God knows what reason. Barreling inside the club room, the wing spiker was an untamed ball of energy and mischief that Konoha didn’t want anything to do with right about now.

“Y’know, a couple of girls approached me today at lunch. I was super shocked and everything,” Bokuto trumpeted, unravelling his tie. “My chances have grown pretty big since I started using my straights, don’t you think?”

“Not bigger than your head, I hope,” the blonde scoffed.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Bokuto laughed raucously enough to make the entire room silent lest for the drop of a pin. Slinging an arm around Konoha, he poked at his sides making the boy flinch and jump.

“Heey, Konoha-kun... You don’t have to be so mean when you’re jealous~” he grinned. Konoha rolled his eyes in retort. “You’ll get your big chance one day.”

Bokuto’s attempt at being passive-aggressive was just so Bokuto that anyone in the right mind would’ve found it extremely annoying. Konoha didn’t even know if he was even “jealous” anymore; the entire concept of having the ace constantly pester him everyday for the rest of his life for being so lonely was exceptionally haunting.

And to think that he’d constantly thought the things that came out of Bokuto’s mouth could be genius... maybe it had just been provoking. Blood boiling. As the others stifled their quiet snickers, Konoha reached for his pant pocket, the stiff outline of his cellphone taking the shape of his palm. Perhaps he could humor you. Just this once.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“Good morning, Aki-chan!”

Snapping his head quick enough for whiplash, Konoha’s widened stare locked itself on your beaming profile. Putting two and two together, he reddened at the affectionate name you had gifted him.

“L-L/N-san, you don’t have to call me that...”

As you bent down to slip your outside shoes from your delicate feet, the boy couldn’t help but to ogle at your tantalizing figure, but quickly averted his gaze once you smirked at his actions. Keep it together, teenage hormones! he scolded himself.

“Why not, though? I mean, we’re dating now. You can call me by my first name too if you want, you know.”

That’s right. Fueled by the frustration he’d harbored for his friends, Konoha took the action of texting you back, saying that he’d taken up your offer. Your reply was nothing short of innocent giddiness and delirium that he’d felt the searing tightness of regret in his chest.

But it wasn’t like you wouldn’t be able to see through his intentions soon enough. If anything, you’d even brought it up during your “confession”. You’ll be fine, Konoha had convinced himself. Like the rumors said, if you didn’t like it, you’d probably just leave. You knew that much, at least.

“I don’t think couples immediately start calling each other by their given names on the first day they go out. Besides, isn’t this just a trial run?”

“You’re supposed to get the entire experience in a trial run, right?”

“Well yes, but—”

“Don’t you want to get as much out of two months as possible?”

He’d almost forgotten about the limited time he’d have to use you against Bokuto and Komi before you mentioned it to him again. Two months is long enough, he thought, the effect will last even longer if they knew I was dating L/N-san.

“Right, L/N-san.”

“Y/N.”

“Um... L/N...chan?”

“Y/N-chan.”

“Anyway!” Konoha slammed the door to his shoe locker for emphasis, privy to his crimson cheeks. “Homeroom’s about to begin. D’you want me to take you to your class on my way?”

You looked up at him placidly, “Class 5 is on the end of the hallway though... Won’t that mean I’d be taking you to your class?”

Moving behind you to give you an encouraging push on your shoulders, your new boyfriend sighed hurriedly, “Yes, yes. Let’s just go already, L/N-san.”

And like it was your birthday, your face lit up like Christmas lights. Pulling the arms that rested on your arms so it wound securely around your torso, you looked over your shoulder to send the flushed second-year a grin.

“Oookay! The Aki-chan-Y/N-chan train is leaving the station, hold on tight~”

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

The face Iori gave you made you think your lungs would fall off from laughing. Your light-haired classmate blinked twice before realizing that his knife was close to grazing his finger. Giving the fragrant chocolate one last slice, the bassist turned to you for affirmation.

“Taichou’s cheating on Lennon-chan... How daring...”

Veins popping from the grip on the rolling pin, you leered at him from where you were standing. “Do the three of you still think I’m married to my guitar?”

“Of course—Ow! Don’t hit me with a pin if you know I’m right!”

“Now, now, L/N-san, Tsuyoshi-san, don’t get too excited about making cookies back there,” your bearded Home Economics teacher (who’d heavily reminded you of an endearing bear) guffawed heartily, before turning to the left side of the class in utter concern. “W-wait, Shirofuku-san, don’t directly eat the dough!”

Nudging you with his elbow, Iori whispered, “So... two months? How do you know the guy’s not just using you to get back at the Volleyball Club?”

Turning on the tap, you let the cool torrent of water pool in your hands before replying to your bandmate earnestly.

“Oh, he is using me to get back at the Volleyball Club. I figured it out when he texted me back. ‘S not a big deal, though.”

Iori’s shoulder drooped in melancholy. It was sad, on the verge of plain out pathetic. You were his friend, for Heaven’s sake. Yet, he knew you were lonely. Of course, he felt eternally relieved that at least he and the rest of PARANOIA could temporarily lift that despondency from you. But due to God’s intent, neither of them were fated to completely understand your dispositions. And for that, he lamented behind the wall that the world planted around you, unable to reach out nor sympathize. If this Konoha guy was your last resort to your long-term goal of universal comprehension, then it better not be a big deal.

“People say it takes about 2 to 3 months to fall in love with a person. If these two months don’t turn our relationship in the path we want, then... I don’t care if we break up too. It wasn’t like I expected much from myself in the first place.”

“Taichou...”

In the solemn silence that followed your words, your nose perked up at a certain toasty smell coming from behind your friend.

“Iori-kun, the chocolate.”

“Don’t change the subject. You need to consider if this “relationship” will really make you happy.”

“Iori-kun, it’s burning.”

“I know despite your flaming desire for love, you—Aagh!! My chocolate! Taichou, why didn’t you say anything?!”

You scratched your nape as you watched your frantic classmate splash the bowl of darkened chocolate with a flood of cold water, kindling plumes of sweet-smelling smoke to rise softly in the class.

Happiness. You frowned back at Iori’s words (as the latter sobbed at his valiant efforts in scraping his overly-meticulous work from the steaming bowl). I’m already happy enough though.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“L/N-san... You don’t have to follow me to lunch on the first week,” Konoha grimaced at the girl trailing behind him through the staircase.

“Why not though? We’re—”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he rustled, “We’re dating. Yes, yes... But don’t you usually sit with your band during this time? Won’t they ask where you are?”

You hummed hopping down the last few steps before turning around gracefully in front of your boyfriend. “Mm... I think they’ll be more thankful they’re getting a day off from me. Don’t worry though, I won’t say anything if I don’t have to!”

Oh boy.

“L/N-chan’s at our lunch spot...” Bokuto murmured blankly.

Amongst the burly volleyball players eating their lunches in the courtyard, you seemed like a dainty flower about to be devoured by a pack of Titans—as if you weren’t the more threatening one in the bunch. While the familiar third-years gawked with their heads short-circuiting in your presence, the meek first-year setter politely bowed, his obvious ignorance of you surfacing.

“L/N-chan’s eating lunch with us...” you watched Bokuto aimlessly mumble against the yakisoba bread in his mouth.

“Bokuto! Don’t go to the light! W-we’re sorry about this, L/N-chan,” Komi shook the owl-headed spiker in his trance. Thrusting his own box of food towards you, he reddened. “P-please have some of my sausages as an apology, O’ Great Deity!”

Sarukui pulled the libero back by his blazer, sending the boy flying backwards with his bento still thankfully intact. “Hey, Komi, don’t just suddenly ambush a girl like that... Say, L/N-san, you want to try some of my tamagoyaki*?”

“Saru, you leech!”

Anyone who was passing by could indefinitely tell that this group of people was undoubtedly hazardous. An overly-excited Bokuto who had sparks and smoke coming out of his head, an apprehensive Akaashi trying to calm their spiker down, Komi and Sarukui wrestling over their lunch boxes, a bulky but terrified Washio who was slowly edging away from the crowd, a Konoha who was gradually regretting his choices and a L/N Y/N, though seemingly frail, was able to create chaos with a bat of an eye.

Watching the entire ruckus go down, you did feel a bit bored. Gaze flickering to your side, your mouth watered, “Ooh, Aki-chan, is that spicy konnyaku*?”

“Huh? Yeah, you want some, L/N-san?” your boyfriend said, offering you his food nonchalantly.

Dipping your chopsticks into his box, you flashed him a beam brighter than any sparkling night. “Thank you for the food~ Mm, not spicy enough...”

In the silence where you chewed the stinging cake, the Volleyball Club’s bedlam had finally subsided. Their star-struck gazes at you replaced with incredulous glares at Konoha who proceeded with his meal in peace.

“‘Aki-chan’...” Komi repeated. “What’s going on with you two?”

Leering in mischief, Konoha grinned. Chest puffed out like a breasted bird, he set down his food before taking your hand and raising it for the rest to see. At the warmth of his hand, you couldn’t help but redden from the blood that rose to your face. Moments like this really did remind you why you thought he’d seemed so attractive from the beginning.

“Oh, I haven’t told you yet? We’re dating,” he smirked, making sure that he drew out each syllable, prolonging his announcement as much as possible.

“Huh?!”

Dwarfing the previous catastrophe into the size of an ant, the boys went frantic again. Even Bokuto who’d seemed so shocked by your attendance, snapped out of his daze from the outrageous amount of disbelief.

“E-eh?! Konoha and... L/N-chan... no way. That doesn’t make sense... something’s not right...”

You smiled behind the soft pads of your fingers. Noticing Konoha’s worried gesture, you played along, much to his delight, “What is it, Bokuto-kun? You also have girls surrounding you. What’s so different?”

“Ehhh? Lost your chances, Bokuto?” Konoha continued, the smirk on his face growing wider.

“Dammit! The Great Deity’s going to get stained... she’s going to get stained...” Komi wailed.

“Bokuto-san stopped breathing! Konoha-san, do something!”

He felt like it had rained after years and years of a drought. Refreshing. Cool. Satisfying. The same people who’d teased him for lacking a ‘chance’ was now melted in the head from his relationship. It was exactly how he wanted it to be. And you played it out so perfectly for him. A beautiful ‘girlfriend’ with a heart of gold.

Sighing, Konoha smiled at your giggling face. He wondered. For someone so advantaged and strange, you only seemed like a high school girl to him right now. Just his ‘girlfriend’ for two months. Not the genius L/N Y/N, not the zealous musician L/N Y/N. Just... L/N Y/N.

The shrill shriek of a chime brought you to wake, as you pulled him up from his seat while snickering. “It’s getting very loud here, isn’t it? Come, Aki-chan, I’ll take you to class again.”

Tightening his grip on yours, he gave you a knowing nod before following you to escape the scene in a trail of laughter. As the bell subsided in your wake, you didn’t even realize you’d arrived at the second-year hallways. And all that while interlacing hands.

Quickly retracting your hand, you sheepishly glanced at your shoes, “Ah, sorry. You probably don’t want to have that much physical contact so soon.”

Damn, if you were already pretty with even a poker face on, seeing your blushing face took the cake. “N-no, it’s fine. Thanks for backing me up back there. I don’t think anyone would’ve believed me if you didn’t say something.”

Tilting your head sideways, you said, “It was getting a bit dull, so I was glad we made it more lively. You’re very entertaining, did you know?”

“And so are you, Y/N-chan,” he smiled, ruffling your hair.

In the light of the midday sun, Konoha Akinori was blind to his own natural appeal. It was unfair and admittedly cool of him to just ensnare you with a dazzling twinkle, all while taking you by surprise with a reposeful call of your name. Your middle school classmate who’s now your temporary boyfriend... you just wanted to have him all to yourself forever.

He couldn’t deny it. You were magnetizing. Attractive in a way that lived beyond beauty and intelligence. Konoha couldn’t believe that someone so strange would make his chest go tight. It disappointed him that it would only be temporary. Once the two months expired, you’d treat him like no more than a stranger. But just this once, he wanted to relish this quiet moment with you.

Suddenly, like an iron wall had emerged from the ground between the both of you, your phone rang. You didn’t know if you felt relieved that your embarrassment was interrupted or were you annoyed because of it.

Quickly reading over the text, you smiled eagerly. “Ooh! Iori-kun finally finished the reservations for the live house!”

Konoha had almost forgot you were in a band. A rock band that consisted of you and three other male members. Lips faltering, he bit his tongue. They’re her bandmates, Akinori! What are you so jealous for? It’s not like you’re her real boyfriend or anything...

“Got a performance coming up, L/N-san?”

“Yep! It’s our first anniversary show since we formed PARANOIA,” you said, trailing off before a light bulb flickered in your head. “Do you want to come and watch? It’s in a few months.”

And like a cupid had shot his heart, Konoha found himself with a ticket for one to PARANOIA’s Anniversary Concert by the end of the day. Concert tickets that would expire the same day as your relationship.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

If you could list down all the things that happened this past few months, you’d probably end up describing it as “adventurous”. Even for you who’d expect a couple things or two from the start, the things you could do while in a relationship took you by surprise most of the time.

Little by little, your boyfriend had opened up to your usual audacious advances. Compared to the cuter, more nervous Konoha who you approached two months back, this Konoha was more bold, and vivacious. And unbearably even more attractive than you’d hoped he’d be. But he was considerate as usual—though you wished he wasn’t, because this ‘modesty’ of his was especially embarrassing on your end.

His friends slowly got used to your presence (while Bokuto was still slightly dazed from your relationship status). You came to the Volleyball Club’s practice matches, both under Konoha’s request and your own bored intentions. And it came to your attention that he flaunted his feathers more vigorously when you were around. Fukurodani’s Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of None... was much more of a show-off than you’d thought. How amusing, you’d think.

On the other hand, your bandmates had kept hanging on to their belief that you were still easily aroused when it came to your guitar (though you were very sure that it was more of a teasing gesture than their own immature stupidity). For this reason, you’d dragged a pale-faced Konoha to your practices in the Light Music Club more often than he’d hoped. He was your stamp of proof that even you had standards—a terrified-looking stamp that flinched whenever Reo spoke to him.

“Reo, you ever thought of putting on a Precure shirt on when you talk to people?” you’d said to him one day, as Konoha’s ears perked up from your conversation.

“No,” the drummer had replied vacantly, giving his other bandmates a boiling glare when they stifled their giggles.

“Ehh? Why not? Your gorilla face is just too intimidating for the world to get used to, so if you wear a shirt from the cute anime you love—”

“L-L/N! You promised to never say I liked Precure out loud! K-Konoha-san, please forget about this!”

And that day, you’d seen Konoha laugh. A genuine laugh not laced with nervousness or pity. A laugh caused by your own honest-to-morbid humor. It had been a pretty laugh. And Konoha admitted he hadn’t laughed so freely in such a long time.

There was also countless things he’d never done in such a long time, and all that was revived in a mere two months with you in tow. Eating spicy hotpot with you until his lips grew swollen, visiting a CD shop to spam all the music players in the store to play the same song, teaching someone to serve a ball, studying together in the library (though he ended up studying much less with your intricate rambling). Your penchant for boredom made you seem brighter to him. And Konoha began to wonder if it was a crime to finally realize he had feelings for you, even when he’d used you to get his friends off his back.

She’s better off not dating a jerk like me, he’d decided.

But it hurt. It was like a thousand daggers had pierced through his heart every second he thought that it’d be over soon. It hurt to admit that Konoha thought you were funny, pretty, smart and so goddamn endearing.

He loved you. He loves you. But just because he does, doesn’t mean you do.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“Thank you for your support for this past year! Please continue to give PARANOIA your love for the following years to come!”

Your throat felt hoarse from the singing, but as soon as you stepped inside the dressing room, it was all squeals and giggles again. Even the high-strung Tsumugi, forehead shining in sweat, was jumping up and down with an equally excited Iori in his embrace. And for a while, Reo seemed much softer than his usual demeanor.

“Reo-kun~ That a smile on your face?” Iori teased once the four of you had settled down.

“Shut up, ‘Ori, you’re grinning like an idiot too,” he shot back.

Tsumugi piped up, untying his tie from your stage outfits, “It’s good that we’re smiling, isn’t it? We played really well, we should at least appreciate ourselves for that effort.”

Moving towards your unsuspecting underclassman, you poked him behind his ear, amusedly watching him flinch and swat your hand away. “Ah, MugiMugi’s talking like a wise, old man, but that totally contradicts how much you were hopping around during our last song, right? Young people are cute, aren’t they?”

Blushing profusely, he scoffed, “Don’t call me cute when you have a boyfriend. That’s just troublesome, senpai.”

And like the devil had ushered for him, a knock sounded on the door. Reo, closest to the entrance, swung the door open and gave their guest a pleased smile.

“Ooh... it’s Konoha. Thought it’d be my admirers or something,” he muttered in a mock pout.

“Ehh, you have plenty of admirers out there, Mizushima-san,” Konoha chuckled. “But I’m here for your guitarist.”

When Reo, Tsumugi and Iori moved out of your way to rush to the exit to “leave the both of you alone”, you placed your hands on your boyfriend’s shoulders. “Say, Aki-chan, let’s go on a date right now.”

“Right now?! Where?”

“There’s an arcade nearby,” you chirped before leaning over to whisper flatly into his ear, “It’s our last day. Let’s make it count.”

He nodded, but his face faltered at your forced grin as you led him out the door in your typical “Aki-chan-Y/N-chan train” fashion. Last day, huh? That’s right. Konoha had nearly forgotten about it. And the fact that you’d brought it up panged across his chest. This “train” of yours could just be the last time he’d ever be so close to you. The real you.

After that, nothing.

Determination crowning his face, he grabbed your hand as you exited the live house and rushed to get to the arcade as soon as his legs could carry him. Too soon. Two months passed by too soon. Not yet. Not yet.

It couldn’t end like this.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

“For someone with really good analytical senses, you suck at claw machines.”

You elbowed his side, laughter bubbling from your lips. “Look who’s talking! You looked like you were going to eat me when I scored a point in that air hockey game.”

Stopping in his tracks on the quiet sidewalk, Konoha winced at the memory. Perhaps he should’ve held back, considering you were a girl. But that would’ve been a stupid move altogether, knowing that you’d expect his moves. Konoha won anyway, much to his surprise—but only to have the game spew out a total of zero tickets before you realized the machine was faulty.

“What did you get with your tickets?”

Rummaging in your pocket, you pulled out a plastic package with a silver chain glinting inside it. “A souvenir for you. Mm, if I had more tickets, I would’ve gotten you a rice cooker or something~”

Taking your offering, Konoha raised his eyebrows. “A flower necklace? Shouldn’t you keep this sort of present? I mean, you won it and everything—”

“Keep it. It’s a gift for putting up with me this entire time.”

“Ah... thanks.”

Konoha wanted to say something. Anything to make the moment last. Alas, nothing. You didn’t say anything either—not like you could. It’s over now. Everything has ended. Did you grow to love him in the end? You didn’t know.

“It’s... getting a bit late. We should go home,” Konoha said. Though he wished he didn’t. “I guess this is goodbye... Thanks for being my girlfriend, L/N-san.”

You said nothing in reply as he slowly turned his back to you to leave. It was a temporary thing, things that come and go. And he’d used you to his own advantage against his luckless friends. But why were you so worried about his goodbye? You’d pulled off this entire thing in hopes to feel a romantic love that you couldn’t comprehend. It was supposed to be fluffy and heart-pounding like your mother and your brothers’ manga had described it to be.

But it was painful. Like a skyrocketing jolt of pain that nearly made your knees buckle. Why? You didn’t even know if you could love someone when you’ve been isolating yourself for so long... You loved your family, you loved your band, but did you love Konoha? You didn’t get it. What’s with that...

“I don’t understand...”

Hearing a quiet sniffle with a familiar lilt, Konoha spun around to be met with your teary gaze. And it was like the entire word had been sucked into a meaningless void, and the both of you were left to inhabit this desolate world.

“H-hey, L/N-san... d-don’t cry, come on,” he rushed to your aid as more tears rolled down your cheek soundlessly. Oh, how Konoha wished he knew how to comfort a crying girl. “Look, I’m here. I-it’s okay, it’s okay. Agh, I’m not very good at this... um...”

“I’m sorry I made you do this,” you wept. “I’m sorry I forced you into dating someone you don’t like. Everything’s all wrong...”

“Y-you don’t have to apologize! It was fun, everything was fun with you,” he blabbered, hands rubbing soothing circles on your arm. “I-it was my fault too... I just wanted to get back at Bokuto and Komi that I—”

Crap, he said it.

“I knew you were using me for that. I’ve always known.”

Konoha froze. Of course you’d find out, he’d established that point the moment he texted you in agreement. But something about your revelation made it feel like he had committed homicide. He really just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“I thought I wouldn’t mind if you broke up with me since you’d accomplished your goal... but I’m so upset. You used me but you treated me well. You used me but you made me feel loved. You don’t seem to have any feelings for me, but you made me like you... like like you. I don’t get what you’re trying to do. Konoha-kun’s so confusing...”

The entire time you’d been making him feel butterflies in his stomach... you were trying to understand him? Konoha frowned. Gutting any residual feeling of doubt, he grabbed a plastic package in his coat pocket and shoved it in your hands.

“You don’t have to understand anything if it makes you happy!”

Your blood ran cold. He’d never shouted at you. But the determined expression on his face urged you to open the package sitting daintily in your palm. It was the same chrysanthemum necklace you’d given him. Was he giving it back? No... this necklace was slightly different from the one you gave him.

“I got it for you when you were out to the restroom. I was planning to confess to you with this after our date, but you made it seem like you didn’t like me. What’s with that, huh? Of course I like you! You don’t think I regret using you for a petty revenge every single moment we went out? When you made it so hard for me to not fall for you?”

Konoha couldn’t even hear the words coming out of his mouth. Whatever they were, he hoped he got his message through to you. Good and honest. Honest and true. Panting, he watched your tears slowly subside.

Wiping the droplets with the sleeve of your jacket, you weakly punched him on the chest. “You’re an idiot for falling for me.”

Ruffling your hair, he sighed, “That makes two of us. Idiot.”

As the silence dwindled, you played with the hems of your skirt as you spoke quietly, “So, are you going to do it?”

“Do what?”

“Confess.”

“Ha... now? Right here?” he groaned with a cheeky cadence.

“Don’t mess around. I’ll definitely cry again if you don’t do it.”

Chuckling, Konoha pulled back from you with the necklace he’d gifted you back in his hands. “Yes, yes. How bossy...”

He bowed. In the middle of a public sidewalk. But it didn’t matter, because whatever was going to happen next was in your control.

“L/N Y/N-san! I’ve always liked you since middle school when we were on cleaning duty together and you helped me erase the blackboard. My feelings died out for a while because I thought you’d be too distracted to acknowledge me, but after two months of your “trial experiment”, I’ve grown to like you again. So please! Go out with me.”

“Ehh... that was much blander than I’d thought...”

Suddenly, Konoha knew how Reo felt when he’d wonder whether or not you were giving out enlightenment or backhanded comments. Clicking his tongue, he crossed his arms. “How would you do it?”

Proudly clearing your throat, you bowed as he did. “Konoha Akinori-kun, the ignorant fool from Class 2. I’ve come to realize my feelings for you. Though I don’t remember the ‘you’ from middle school, I’m glad you were there to remember me anyway. You were right. The time we spent together was fun; I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with you around... If you will, please accept my humble feelings. I want to keep understanding things with you. That itself would bring me the greatest joy in the world.”

“That... that was actually pretty good. Though, let’s talk about the part where you called me an ignorant fool—”

As Konoha spoke, you reached into his pocket to extract the necklace you’d given him earlier. Placing it in his palm, you smiled warmly, relishing in the blush that dusted his face. “I’ll be in your care, Aki-chan.”

Slipping his own necklace into your hold, he clasped your hands together. “So will I, Y/N-chan.”

And like déjà vu, your stomach rumbled loudly. Embarrassing, you groaned.

Taking one hand in his, the both of you walked through the sidewalk. “Wanna eat? I’ll pay.”

“...Sichuan hotpot*...” you said under your breath.

“No way! I’ll end up with diarrhea like last time. We’ll just eat fast food...”

“Ehehe, Aki-chan can’t handle spicy food~”

“Y/N-chan, pick on me one more time and I’ll split the bill.”

As the two of you burst out in laughter, your arms swung back on forth against the course of the wind. Neither of you even thought of letting go.

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“K-Konoha’s wearing a flower necklace... Dude. If you have a secret you want to tell us, we can always financially support you...”

“Bokuto, I don’t know what ridiculous things are going on in your head, but I know they’re absolutely wrong.”

Buttoning up the last button of his shirt, he slipped the silver chain behind the fabric, it’s steel coolness imprinting itself near his tepid heart. Noticing the faint chirps of little sparrows, Konoha turned his attention to the light streaming from the west-side window. Autumn’s here.

“Hey, are you going to eat with L/N-san again today?” the ever-smiling Sarukui called for him from the door.

“Ah, yeah. She said she wanted to show me a new song she was working on.”

Chuckling, his friend let out a long breath, “Lucky you.”

Konoha smiled. Lucky indeed, he thought as you waved at him from where you stood below. In the green of the plush fall grass, yellow, pink, red and white blossoms surrounded the courtyard where you’d first approached him. Yellow, pink, red, white, and two silver chrysanthemums to welcome the new season.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Glossary:

taichou - captain/leader

tamagoyaki - japanese rolled omelettes

konnyaku - japanese yam cakes

sichuan hotpot - a REALLY spicy hotpot with sichuan peppers

[amethystshipper]

I was scrolling through my dash, as one does, and saw .gifs of the scene where the juniors are defending WWX to Sect leader Yao, and I was just smiling and thinking “ah, the kids are all right this time, it will be better”. And then I realized that ... the kids were all right the previous generation, too? And it would have been so easy to see them band together, especially after everything?

Hear me out. In essence, there’s no difference between the juniors and the ... OG juniors. (We need a name for them. Is there a name for that generation??? Cause we have the parents, and we have the juniors, what are WWX&co named??? Whatever, I’m sticking with OG juniors.) Each of these groups went through shitty situations, the OGs arguably through worse with the war and all. But before the war, we have 2 major bonding moments: the Cloud Recesses classes, and the Wen indoctrination. What if they actually bonded together, and their relationships were more flushed out? (Keep in mind I only saw the live-action drama, so that’s what I’m basing everything on.)

So, Cloud Recesses. You have the Jiangs, and then NSH, LWJ, WN and WQ added to the group, more or less willingly. JZX is still being a little bitch, but whatever, he’s there too, along with MianMian, who is arguably his biggest contribution. I will admit, there are ... levels ... of closeness. But you have the three gremlins getting together, and LWJ pulled in (again, levels), you have star-struck WN and tough WQ (who, need I remind you, took care of JYL at least once, which I bet the latter will not forget). You have LQR spitting blood because the boy is definitely his mother’s son, but LXC smiling indulgently, seeing his little brother finally make friends. (And LQR will remember that CSR was mischief made human form, and her son definitely follows in her footsteps, but both of them wanted always to help and not destroy, so there is definitely something wrong with the accusations that WWX wants to take over the world. And LXC will remember the Wen boy who stayed behind to save one of their own, and the Wei boy who dived in to help them both, and will not believe the grim tales of the fierce Ghost General and the Yiling Patriarch.)

After CR, WWX/LWJ/JC/NHS have their little murder adventure, with a WQ cameo.  LWJ is added to the gremlin dynamic and sure, he might not feel like he fits in at first, but WWX cannot seem to stay away from him, and he suffers in silence with JC while WWX is being an idiot and risking his life, omg, stop that, get down you demented cat, and then finds that there’s a certain bond little brothers with big brothers larger-than-life have, and maybe having two more friends is. Acceptable. They’re all supposed to be 15-16 at this point, teenage boys that started this adventure fully confident, at least on the outside. And then Xue Yang happens. And this is, I think, one of the biggest turning point for these four. Because, to a certain degree, all of them rely on rules. Their own, if nothing else. And here is a guy who just ... wants to see the world burn. He kills with no remorse, admits it gleefully, and is just awful in so many ways. This is their first brush with how brutal the outside world is, when they start to doubt themselves and their convictions. But then! XXC and SL appear, and it’s a breath of fresh air! Because there are terrible people and worse situations, but as long as they hold fast in their beliefs and work together and trust eachother, they can beat them!

So they go to the Unclean Realm, and they meet Daddy NMJ. And he’s been watching them approach, and he sees his little brother laughing with the boy in black, he sees him cackling while the one in purple is swinging his fists around; he sees him share a smile with Xichen’s little brother while the other two are laughing so hard they’re bent over so far they’re almost falling to the ground. And he doesn’t show it, because the Red Blade Master is gruff, and tough, and mighty, but in his heart he’s already adopted these kids who include his baby brother in their circle with so much ease, it’s hard to imagine him on the outside. (And in the future, when people are yelling about WWX’s darkness, this is the image he will have in his head: four boys being innocent and happy and his, how dare you try to touch them?!)

Cloud Recesses burns. LXC is nowhere. And then. The biggest paradigm shift - the indoctrination. Everyone arrives in Nightless City. The three OG gremlins watch LWJ back to his jade statue default, they lose their swords, they are on the same side with JZX and WWX/JC don’t know which one of these frustrates them more. It should be the looming war. It’s probably the JZX part. Now, I assume they spend at least a few weeks there, I don’t remember if it’s mentioned. But WWX always tried to get in front, to catch WC’s attention. (Because he’s the disposable one, right? High enough in status that WC is satisfied when he gets to punish him, but not a sect heir, not someone who will bring down a whole sect if he dies. Little does he know.) So don’t tell me that the others don’t rally around him. (Discreetly of course. They learn fast that he just gets more protective if others are hurt because of him.) There’s nothing stronger than a common enemy, and the Wens and WC, specifically, are definitely that. So they watch, and they remember WWX being beaten, whipped, humiliated, all so that others will not be. Not to mention that one night that he doesn’t tell even JC about, because it would crush his little brother to know he couldn’t keep his promise. They remember him staying behind so that they have a chance to escape the murder turtle. (And after the war, when the adults will try to damn WWX for being too arrogant and too prideful, the OG juniors will remember the kid who stood up to the Wen clan and has the scars to prove it, and all to protect them. Where was Jin Guangshan? Where was Sect leader Yao?)

Lotus pier burns. WWX disappears. JC and LWJ look for him for 3 months. And then. And then he comes back. And he burns the Sun to the ground, using dark cultivation and corpses and no sword, and everything that they were taught not to do, ever. And he succeeds where everyone else fails.

Afterwards, when the dust settles but not really, when life comes back to normal but not quite, when things become too boring apparently, the young ones see their elders muttering. And gossip. And look a bit too much at WWX, too closely. But this was a generation forged in the fires of war. They were not like their parents, who had time to figure out their shit and then go to battle, no. They were kids when it all started. There are no more kids amongst them now.

So when the minor sect leaders, subtly encouraged by JGS and JGY, talk about the “young” LC being a leader at such a young age with honeyed words that hide rot, NMJ and LXC rise to his defense. Both of them became sect leaders at young ages, both of them know how hard it is. LQR rises as well and the older ones expect him to be on their side, but they forget LQR got entrusted with a clan and 2 children that he was not supposed to have, so he will never demean another who was in an even worse position, but rose to the occasion despite everything that happened. The Lans promote knowledge and learning above all, and many people can learn a lot from Sandu Shengshou, wouldn’t you agree Sect leader Yao?

When the Jin sect complains about the Stygian Tiger Seal, rumors begin to spread from behind hand painted fans that they are after the artifacts of other sects. After all, does WWX not belong to YungmengJiang? Therefore, do his creations not belong to the sect as well? Who’s to say they won’t go after the treasures of the other sects next?

When JYL destroys Jin Zixun at Phoenix Mountain, JZX steps up to the plate and stands behind his fiancee. WWX is obviously her little brother that she cares deeply about, he will be his future brother-in-law, and honestly Zixun where were you even during the war?? You have demands now because?? Go shoot some arrows and chill. (JC is just standing there with crossed arms, looking at Jin Zixun without blinking, keeping a tight grip over Zidian who is the definition of  “lemme at him!!!” Jiejie doesn’t like it when he slices and dices people, although she’s not leaving much for him to chew on. It’s the most fun he’s had in years.)

When JGY sweetly suggest that there might be a viper poised to strike them in the back, NHS innocently asks “but San-Ge, didn’t your blow to WRH’s back help us win the war?” (NMJ has never loved his brother more than when he roasts JGY. Really, he could cry with pride. Here, A-Sang, there’s that fan you wanted. I ordered new birdcages to be build back home, you can have all the birds you want. Training is ... postponed.)

When news about the labor camps and the slaughtered Wens are revealed, many stay silent. A few of them cheer. But there are also a few that remember a boy willing to save someone from drowning, willing to risk his life to save the dead bodies of two parents. They remember the best doctor of their generation helping them heal, and rest, and save their loved ones. They remember that they are not the only children who were taken by this war, that they were not the only ones forced to make awful choices that haunt their dreams. They remember that it’s easy to stand back, but yet there was always one who stood up for the others, who would stand up for them, so how can they not stand with him now when he most need it?

WWX is not alone. The YungmengJiang clan is not alone. These kids went through hell and back in the past couple of years, and they will be damned if they will let another rise in WRH’s place. This ends now.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 4: Hope, Love, Family

(from ‘The Conman and the Maid’ Series)

…in which they make a new friend and Harry receives bad news from home.

Word count: 4.8k

AU: princess!y/n, prisoner!harry, conartist!harry.

Series description: Y/N is a princess and Harry is a prisoner in her castle. With his help, she escapes from her arranged marriage in search of a happy ending, if there is one.

Wattpad link (original character: Reyna as Y/N)

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“I’m hungry.”

“You’ll be fine. A human can go for more than three weeks without food.”

Y/N stopped Thunder as soon as she heard, giving Harry no choice but to stop beside her and wait for a reaction.

“We’re going to starve until we get to Theros?!” she finally asked, her face twisted, making him chuckle.

“If you want to eat, you should’ve brought some food when you broke me out of prison.”

The smirk on his face drove her up the wall. She made Thunder walk faster to catch up with him. “Well, I thought we were going to take the main road and buy food and water on the way.”

“You can’t kill a bunch of people and wander off into town, sweet Peach.” He scoffed without giving her a single glance. “You’re a criminal on the run, not a princess on an excursion.”

A princess on the run, actually, Y/N thought to herself but she didn’t have any energy left to start another argument.

“What about water then?” she persisted. “A normal person can only last a week without water. You’ve drunk all of our wine.”

“Thirst won’t be a problem. We can produce water.”

As Y/N scrunched up her face in disgust, Harry tossed his head back, laughing loudly. “You’re not in the castle anymore, my lady. You must do whatever it takes to survive.”

“Tell me you’re joking.” Her expression dulled, but he completely ignored it and stopped Lightning to get off the horse’s back.

It was only when Y/N saw him head towards the nearest tree that she shouted with horror, “no, no, no! You’re not going to do it here!”

He turned his head and shot her a grin. “No one’s here but you, me, and the horses. But feel free to look. I don’t mind.”

“You’re disgusting!” she fussed and quickly looked away. Her face turned scarlet as she heard his hearty laughter from the distance.

“Come here and help me!”

“Are you insane?!” she exclaimed, her eyes squeezed shut. “I’d rather die than let you talk me into this.”

“Okay then.”

For the next minute, all she heard was the sighing of the wind and the sound of her partner digging through the snow. Despite being disgusted by the thought of what he might do, Y/N was curious, and eventually, decided to take a look.

Harry was on his knees as he pulled a big leather sack out of his newly dug hole. Shock transformed Y/N’s face as she uttered, “is that...food?”

“And water, which is frozen already but it’ll melt.” He grinned when her eyes lit up with joy. “I buried it here when I came to Isolde in case I might need it later. This should be enough for the three of us to last for a couple more days.”

“Three?” The princess hopped off her horse and marched toward him.

“Me, Thunder and Lightning. You said you’d rather die, didn’t you?”

“I despise you,” Y/N glowered at him.

With a lopsided grin, Harry handed her a loaf of bread.

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They continued their journey after the meal and walked for the entire day without stopping. By the time the sun was going down, the two had reached the foot of the mountain where they stayed to save their energy for tomorrow.

Y/N tied Thunder to a tree and lay down on the snow to watch the sunset at the mountain top. With both hands resting on her stomach, she admired the radiant pink sky and allowed herself to be transported into a beautiful daydream. It felt good to be taken away from the depressing reality, even if only for a short-lived moment.

“I don’t remember the last time I watched sunset outside the curtain walls,” she said and closed her eyes.

Harry tied Lightning next to Thunder and also lay down beside the girl. Neither of them exchanged a single word for a whole minute.

“Why did you run away?” was the question that broke the silence.

It was then that Y/N opened her eyes and looked at Harry. She’d never seen his features so tender. This magnificent view must have also affected him the same way it had done her.

“Did the princess mistreat you?” he asked when she didn’t speak.

“No, the princess was the sweetest lady I’d ever met.” She smiled, mostly amused because he was clueless. “But the prince was a terrible person. I had to leave before he became our king.”

Doubtful still, Harry puckered up his lips. “How could the princess be a good person when her father and brother were bad people?”

“Her mother, Queen Meira was a good person. She was kind and wise and the people adored her, but...she passed away four years ago,” Y/N lowered her voice to almost a whisper and broke the gaze with him to look at the sky. “A plague killed most of the people in Isolde that year, and she was one of them.”

“Your mo—” Harry stopped himself before he could finish that word. He instantly felt bad for almost bringing up her mother who had also died four years ago. Little did he knew, Y/N had never felt comfortable enough to talk about the queen until today.

“My mother was also a victim.” She pressed her lips into a small smile, turning back to him. “But I know she’d be proud of me. She always wanted to leave the kingdom. Now I’m doing it for her.”

“I feel like she would never have let you leave with someone like me.”

“Why?” She chuckled when he gave a shrug and sat up, so she did too.

“Because I’m a bad person.” He hung his head, exhaling sharply. “I-I’ve killed people.”

Harry flinched when her hand touched his shoulder. He didn’t expect it, and neither did she. But as their eyes met again, time seemed to be frozen, and they held each other’s gaze for as long as they could hold their breath. The pink light cast upon Y/N’s face hid her blushing so well but Harry could still see it, and his mouth spread into a wide grin.

“You did it to save that girl,” she whispered. “I would’ve done the same thing.”

Those words left Harry temporarily speechless. “H-How did you know about the girl?”

“I heard a guard talk to the prince. Why did you think I came to you if you were really a cold-blooded murderer?”

“For I was the only Southerner in that dungeon and you were really desperate?” he said, making her giggle. Still, happiness didn’t last too long on his face. “But...murder is still murder. I had a reason to do it, but it didn’t make it right.”

“Well,” she breathed and let him go, pressing her knees to her chest, “if you feel bad about it, then you’re still a good person. I think the one thing that we have in common is that we’re both good people who have done bad things.”

“You haven’t done anything bad,” he chuckled.

“You don’t know me,” she replied.

Seeing the smile on his face, she assumed he thought she was joking. But Harry wasn’t there when she told her sick father that her mother would kill herself if she’d seen him like that. Y/N didn’t say it to make the king a better person. She’d said it because she knew it could have killed him. She had wanted to kill him. And using love with the intention of hurting someone was the cruellest crime of all.

Before Harry could ask, Y/N shrugged off those dark thoughts and plastered a smile on her face. “My mother used to say the most valuable things a person could possess were hope, love, and family. So as long as you still have at least one of those three, there’s still a reason for you to keep moving forward. I have hope, and when I meet my uncle again, I’ll have a family, and if I’m lucky, I’ll fall in love and get the happy ending I’ve always wanted.”

The princess wasn’t sure why she’d said all those things aloud. She had never been this open to anyone since her mother’s death, not even Jo. So she supposed those were the words she needed to hear, to remind herself of the reason why she’d risked everything to run away. But maybe there was something about sunset and those green eyes that made her walls come crumbling down.

“You’ve never been in love?” Harry asked. For the first time, he sounded genuinely curious and not sarcastic at all.

With a shrug, she said, “I will when I meet the right person at the right time. You’re lucky you’ve got all three valuable things. Hold on to them.”

“I will.” Harry nodded, biting his lip to not smile so wide. “Tell me,” he changed the subject, “is it true that the princess is the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen?”

“Yes,” Y/N said without a second thought. “The most beautiful lady in this world, actually.”

Harry scoffed and stuck out his bottom lip. “Well, my Kenny is the prettiest lady in this world for me.”

“That’s because you look at her through a lover’s eyes. Your opinion is subjective and therefore meaningless.”

Her response made him chortle. “Why are you so defensive? Are you in love with the princess?”

Y/N froze for a second as her mouth fell open, but then he cracked up and poked her cheekbone with a finger. “You’re always so serious, Peach. It’s hilarious.”

“Shut up.” She pushed his hand away and lay back down, looking at the sky which was turning dark. “Just let me enjoy this beautiful view in peace, please?”

“Okay,” he said, still gazing at her.

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It took them a week to cross that mountain. They would travel during the day and stop to rest when night fell. The way down was the most challenging part as the trail was full of debris and sharp rocks. Lightning was not as well-trained as Thunder, so when they reached the foot of the mountain, she was suffering from lacerations to one of her legs. Harry had to tear a piece of his cloak to bandage her wounds and get on Thunder to ride with Y/N. Fortunately, they didn’t have to walk for too long until they found a village in the forest.

“Who are these people, and what kingdom do they belong to?” Y/N asked when they went through a small market. The villagers were staring at them, but only because they were strangers, not because they recognised her.

“None.” Harry shrugged. “They moved out of their old kingdom to live here. They formed their own community and don’t depend on any king and queen for protection and money, but they don’t have to deal with politics and meaningless wars.”

“They seem happy.”

“That’s because they are.”

“Hands.”

Harry immediately removed his hands from her waist as she looked over her shoulder to shoot him a glare.

“Sorry. I thought I was going to fall.”

“Touch me again and you’ll definitely fall.”

“All right, grouchy Peach.” He smirked, pointing ahead. “There. That’s my friend’s house. We can stay with him until Lightning gets better.”

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“Crow!”

“Crow?” Y/N stood beside Thunder, raising an eyebrow at Harry and his friend as they shared a tight hug. It seemed like they had known each other for so long. But why did he call Harry ‘Crow’? And why was that nickname so familiar to her?

She was trying to remember when Harry’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, “this is Stefan, my childhood friend,” he said before turning back to Stefan, “this is Rain. I call her Peach, but only I get to call her that.”

Y/N punched Harry’s shoulder, making him laugh, but Stefan had long forgotten about Harry the second he laid eyes on her. The stranger came up to Y/N as he shyly wiped his palms on his thighs, took her hand and gave it a kiss.

Though Stefan wasn’t exceptionally handsome, Y/N thought he was quite lovely. He didn’t look like the type of guy who would be sent into battles to fight against the enemies, but more like the one who would carry weapons to the battlefield. If he and Harry were in a fistfight, he wouldn’t stand a chance. He seemed soft and fragile. Apart from that, Y/N thought he was friendly and pleasant to be around.

“I used to live in Theros but I moved here when there was a war,” Stefan said, making Y/N’s eyes go around.

“A war?” she asked, looking at Harry, who didn’t seem surprised, so she assumed he already knew.

“Willem tried to invade Theros last year but failed,” Stefan told her.

Her face turned pallid in an instant. She felt so stupid to have believed her father would never invade Theros just because he loved her mother.

Sucking in a breath, she asked, “were a lot of people harmed in that war?”

“A few, but not too many. Isolde lost. They were outnumbered.”

“And King Edgar?”

“King Edgar was well. He went to war like a real man but that coward Willem didn’t even show his face.”

Y/N said nothing, only nodding her head. As much as she hated to think about her father betraying her mother like that, she felt relieved to know that her uncle was safe.

“Peach is from Isolde but her family is in Theros,” Harry spoke to change the atmosphere. “I’m taking her home. We’re partners in crime now, right, Peach?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she elbowed him hard, causing him to stumble back, hugging his stomach and groaning in pain. Stefan, however, had not taken his eyes off her for even a second.

“Thank you for letting us stay,” she said, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with a genuine smile.

“My pleasure. You may stay as long as you’d like.”

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After dinner, Stefan prepared a warm bath for Y/N and even borrowed the clothes from the nice old lady next door for her to get changed. She assumed he treated her this way because she was a guest and a lady. Still, she felt quite uncomfortable to take a bath in someone else’s home.

She used to have many servants to give her warm baths and help her get dressed afterwards, but since she hadn’t been treated like a princess for days, this just felt very strange.

Now left alone, Y/N made sure the door was shut as she loosened her corset and untied the bow at the back. That was when Harry knocked on the door, causing her to flinch.

“I’ll be here if you need me, yeah?” he said from the outside.

“Why would I need you, Harry?” she shouted back, smirking when she heard his laughter.

“I’m still staying here,” he asserted.

She rolled her eyes but felt much safer knowing Harry was guarding the door. She should be concerned with how much she trusted this man, and yet she didn’t hesitate to remove her corset and the rest of her clothes to get into the tub fully naked.

Holding the rim on both sides, she slid down into the water and let it block out all the noises. She wished the tub would expand and turn into a summer lake, even a river so she could go swimming. She couldn’t swim, but she would love to get soaked like she used to on the hot summer days in the South.

All of a sudden, memories of that one afternoon flashed through her mind and she sat up straight, gasping for air. She’d seen herself drowning. She’d seen the sun blinding her eyes. She’d seen a boy and heard him call--

“Peach? Are you okay in there?!”

‘Her name is Kenny. She’s pretty like you, but much nicer.’

“Peach? Answer me!”

‘Is she your betrothed?’ ‘What is a betrothed?’ ‘Someone you’ll marry when you’re older.’

“If you don’t answer, I’m coming in!”

‘Crow? Your name is Crow?’

“Why did Stefan call you Crow?”

Her sudden question stopped Harry at the door. It fell shut as soon as it creaked open.

“What happened to you?” he asked from the outside, but she didn’t answer.

“Why did Stefan call you Crow?” she repeated the question as if he hadn’t heard her already.

He laughed a little and said, “my father was a blacksmith and I used to work in his shop when I was little so my clothes were always black and dirty. Some kids said I looked like a crow, and then all the other kids in the village started calling me that.”

Y/N was right. She knew the name Kenny was so familiar because she had heard it before, same as the nickname Crow. Harry was that boy she’d met when she was eight. The boy who had saved her life.

She sat in the tub, completely paralysed as she did not know what to say next. Should she tell him? Did he remember her still? She had always wanted to see him again to thank him for what he’d said to her that day. If it hadn’t been for him, she would never have known it was a choice to not settle for someone she didn’t love, even if it was her betrothed, and kids should be allowed to be kids, and boys weren’t all terrible.

But before the princess could come up with something to say, Harry broke the silence, “I met Kenny when I was five. She heard the other kids call me Crow, and she came up to me and told me that she liked the nickname. She thought those birds were lovely and she always fed the ones that came to her window every morning. She always chose to see the best in me when no one could. That’s what I love most about her.”

As Harry finished, Y/N swallowed all the words she was about to say. She didn’t want to tell him she was the girl he’d saved from drowning when he was ten, as it probably didn’t matter to him.

But disappointment wasn’t the only thing she felt. There was also this heavy feeling inside her chest, as if her lungs were being crushed and she had never experienced anything like this before. Y/N rested her head back on the rim of the tub, staring at the ceiling and wondering why she only felt this way when Harry told her about Kenny.

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The next morning, Y/N woke up before sunrise. She couldn’t sleep and kept having nightmares about her father finding out where she was. In the end, he killed Harry and locked her up in a tower, and she woke up with sweat soaking through her shirt only to find Harry sleeping soundly right nearby. She’d been having so many dreams about her own death that it didn’t worry her as much as the first time. But seeing Harry die because of her was something she hadn’t got used to and probably never would.

She went outside when Harry and Stefan were still asleep and found an empty field behind the house. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she got there, but Harry soon found her practising alone with her sword.

“Hello early bird!” he shouted to grab her attention. She instantly lowered her blade, beaming at him. “Why didn’t you wake me up to practise with you?”

“I normally do this alone,” she said, pointing the tip of her sword to his face so he couldn’t step closer. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially you.”

The way she stuck up her nose made him laugh as he gently pushed the blade away with his two fingers.

“You cannot hurt me, sweet Peach,” he said, drawing out the sword strapped to his waist. She knew what he was about to do so she stepped back, smirking and holding up her weapon.

“Didn’t you see what I did to those guards?”

Harry seemed unfazed by her playful warning. “I’m not one of those guards.”

“Then I won’t be nice.”

She charged at him with her shiny blade upheld, going for her foreswing and following it with a backswing. Harry dodged the first one and met the second with his sword, his strong force sent her a few steps back. His next swing was so swift she almost couldn’t see it. It sliced the fabric of her shirt at the chest, yet missing the flesh behind it by perhaps an inch.

Shocked, she quickly covered herself and dodged his blade at the same time she fell and hit the ground. She propped herself up on her elbows and the tip of his sword was the first thing that she saw.

“I surrender,” Y/N huffed, glaring at Harry.

A corner of his mouth lifted, he put the sword back to his side and offered her a hand. But instead of staying true to her words, she kicked him hard in the knees. He collapsed on his back and she quickly climbed on top of him, holding her blade at his neck, smiling mischievously.

“You played dirty.” He smirked, his chest was heaving up and down as his eyes glinted when they met hers.

“There’s no rule. And you just lost.”

“I saw your breasts twice so I still won.”

Y/N slapped him across the face and quickly pulled up her shirt. Her distraction gave him a chance to flip them over. She dropped her sword and he kicked it far out of her reach. He pinned her hands down next to her head, grinning from ear to ear as she shut her eyes and cursed at him.

“You get distracted so easily, Peach.”

“Eyes up here!”

“Sorry.” He chuckled and got back on his feet, pulling her up with him. “Did I hurt you? If I did, I’m sorry.”

She pulled her hand away from his and came to pick up her sword so he couldn’t see how red her face was.

“It’s okay. I slapped you. But you kind of deserved it,” she murmured when he approached. She could feel his presence right behind her. Slowly, she turned around, arms covering her chest, their eyes meeting again. And just like that moment before sunset, they couldn’t look away.

Who knew how long they would continue to stare at each other if Stefan hadn’t shown up?

“Harry!” His voice broke the two apart. They both turned and saw him waving both hands in the air. “I got a letter from Kenny!”

Still panting heavily, Harry took one last look at Y/N before running after Stefan back to the house.

She could see a glimpse of confusion in his eyes as he couldn’t explain the moment they’d shared before. Neither could she. And once both of them had left, she put on her big coat and sat down on a rock, gripping her heart to stop it from pounding.

.

.

.

When Y/N returned to the house, Harry was gone, and so was Thunder. She was terrified for she thought he’d taken her horse and left her behind to reunite with his lover. Fortunately, Stefan came back right before she could make the worst assumption.

“He’ll be back. He just needs to be alone.”

“What happened?”

Stefan took a long pause before he said, “Kennedy’s getting married.”

“What?” Y/N almost choked on the word. She was hoping this was a stupid prank and they were both in this together to mess with her. But it could not be. She hadn’t seen Stefan so serious since she met him.

“Her family wanted her to marry a rich man.”

“And she said yes?” Her eyebrows furrowed as she clenched her fists.

Stefan shoved his fingers in his hair, inhaling deeply. “She assumed he was dead. She heard the news that he was captured and was about to be executed.”

“But he’s not! He’s alive! Tell him to write back to her!”

“Rain! Rain!” Stefan caught Y/N’s arms to stop her from running off to find Harry.

She looked at him while trying to catch her breath. She didn’t know why she was angry, but she truly was. Her chest might explode if she didn’t do something to help Harry.

But then Stefan let go of a sigh and said, “he can’t write back to her, the wedding is today. She’s probably someone else’s wife now.”

Y/N felt a big lump in her throat as Stefan told her to leave Harry alone for now. She knew it was Kenny’s choice to move on, but she couldn’t help but feel like it was partially her fault. That moment they had shared this morning felt so wrong now that she recalled it. But if she was honest, it was the most real thing she’d felt in so long.

.

.

.

Harry came back after sunset. Stefan had gone out to deliver the vegetables he’d grown and Y/N was home alone and waiting for Harry by the fireplace. He stepped in, shut the door, and stayed there until she broke the silence with a simple, “hi.”

“Hi.” He smiled back, hung up his coat and made his way to the table where she sat. As he pulled out a chair to sit down next to her and stared at the fireplace, her eyes fixated on him.

“Stefan told you?” he asked.

“Hmm.” She nodded. This time, when she touched his shoulder, he didn’t flinch. “Are you all right? It’s...it’s okay to say no.”

“I’ve been worse,” was his answer. He assumed she didn’t know what it meant, but she didn’t ask for she was fidgeting with her fingers like she had something more important to say.

“Hey, I’ve been thinking…” Y/N bit her lip, looking attentively at the fire as if pondering whether or not she should say it. Eventually, she did, “maybe I should go alone from here.”

Harry was tongue-tied. He parted his lips before his mouth clamped shut, and it took him two more seconds to gather his thoughts. “Don’t be ridiculous, Peach. You can’t go alone.”

“I can. There’s another village nearby and I’ll ask for directions from there. You’ve seen me handle those skilled swordsmen. I can protect myself.”

He held her gaze, wanting to tell her his biggest fear wasn’t that she couldn’t take care of herself, but instead he asked, “but why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s just…” She batted her eyelashes innocently. “I don’t want to make you go back to Theros after...you know...”

“I still have to return to my family, Peach,” he said, giving her a small smile. “But even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t leave you either. I gave you my word and I’d take you home safely. All right?”

She thought for a moment before smiling back. “All right.”

Neither of them said another word for the next five minutes. Neither moved either. She held his shoulder as he held her hand on his shoulder. Both continued to stare at the fireplace.

“Hey,” her voice was so tender it made goosebumps pimple his skin. He turned back and their eyes locked. She spoke quietly, “I’ve never been in love, so...so I don’t know how you’re feeling right now. But you’ll find love again. You still have hope and a family, so you’ll be fine.”

Harry wasn’t sure that the smoke had clouded his mind or it was the scent of pine trees and wildflowers that lingered on her clothes. But dear god, he was hypnotised.

His mind was blank when he leaned in a little closer until their foreheads were touching. She didn’t even question. The next thing he knew was his lips brushing hers. He hadn’t kissed anyone in so long and this kiss was surely different. She had never kissed anyone before. She was shy, but she wasn’t afraid to be wrong. The kiss was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words could never describe.

His hand rested below her ear as his thumb caressed her cheek. As she finally found the courage to run her fingers down his spine to pull him closer, he snapped out of it and pushed her away.

“We shouldn’t,” he blurted. The horrified look on her face hit him harder than the slap she’d given him that morning.

“But you...you kissed me,” she stuttered, her trembling fingers touching her lips.

He didn’t know what to say next, so he said the only thing he could, “I’m sorry. That was wrong.”

“That was...m-my first kiss…”

“Peach…” He swallowed, reaching out his hands, but she instantly backed away, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Peach. Just let me—Peach!”

“Woah! What’s wrong?!” Stefan asked when Y/N burst through the door and pushed right past him.

“Fuck!”

“Where is she going?!”

Harry said nothing as he chased after her. He didn’t know how but he knew exactly where she was headed. He ran to the stable, Stefan followed right behind him. But from a distance, they saw Thunder fly right through the gate with Y/N on his back and run straight into the woods, disappearing into the misty night.

“What happened?!”

Harry ignored his friend and rushed into the stable to get Lightning out of her stall.

“I’m coming with you,” Stefan said when Harry mounted his horse.

“There’s no need to—”

“I’ll bring my bow and arrows. We have to get her before the wolves.”

“Wolves?!”

“I’ll bring your sword too,” was all Stefan said before he ran back to the house.

Now pale with fright, Harry whispered to Lightning, “if something happens to Peach, please throw me off a cliff.” 

[donnyanne]

April Prompt 10: (Zarins) Picnic

Summary: Carin sneaks off to eat her lunch with Zark, and tries to get him to eat with her

Length: 1239 words

Warnings: food, chewing, kind of vomiting?? 

Zark was in the middle of staring at a batch of flowers he stumbled across, crouched down to get a better view at them, when he heard something approach behind him. He became familiar with those steps however, so he wasn’t shocked when he turned around to find Carin. “I knew I’d find you looking at something stupid,” Almost breathless, she grinned and hurried her steps over to him, both hands holding on tight to a basket. He scowled, “Well, now I’m looking at something stupid.” In the strangest of ways, she got him to mellow out fast, “Hey! That one wasn’t so bad.” She said, and Zark flushed, quickly looking down. “And before you say, no, I’m not skipping lunch again.” Standing straight, she held up the basket with one hand. “I’m bringing it here.” Zark blinked in surprise. As the human sat down in the overgrown grass, Zark turned himself around, slowly sitting in front of her. “You don’t want to…” He tilted his head, “Eat with the other, uh… Others?” She frowned, “Of course not.” She dug through the basket and retrieved a small loaf of bread. “They’re loud.” She took a quick bite, “That Sean guy is smothering.” Aggressive chews. “And those… Other two… They’re annoying. I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed me.” Zark rose his head, looking around and keeping his ears sharp. “... No. Not yet, anyway.” He looked back down at her, “I don’t sense anything.” She smiled, “Yeah. Because you’re here…” Zark didn’t know whether she meant that as a sort of compliment or insult. Either way, his breathing stilled. He felt cold. He didn’t say anything, just sat there, numb, as his human “friend” went about to eat her lunch in his presence. He kept on forgetting. It was easy to forget why this person stuck around with him. And, again, he didn’t know how to feel. Humbled that she would spend time with him? Or humiliated that no one else would? That was the reason she stuck around, anyway. And before he knew it, he was letting those thoughts drown him. He felt his bones tense, painfully so. His fingers were itching to claw into something. His eyes kept blurring, vision contorting until he could barely see anything. “Do you want some?” He flinched out of his trance when the human spoke to him. Blinking, he looked down at her, and she looked like she was in the middle of biting into a fresh red apple. It took him a moment to register what she was asking. “I - no…” He was confused still, “The - the food? I - I can’t…” She tilted her head, “What was that I heard the other day then, about your brothers and sisters eating their prey?” He hated that she called them that. “That’s - not me. Not me!” He glared, “I don’t… I don’t eat anything. I don’t have to.” He hoped she ignored all those times she caught him chewing on twigs and leaves. She held her chin with one hand, “Huh… I mean… I guess that makes sense. Maybe they just… Tear things apart, not eat them?” Again, he hated that she was bringing them up, especially the things they do. “And you’re not exactly, well… A predator. You know, besides being a Being and all.” “Ye… Yeah… So I… I can’t...” He was mostly talking to himself at that point, both reminding and convincing himself. Still, Carin saw the hesitation in his face, so she held up the bitten apple with both hands, waiting. “... Come on.” She smirked when he just watched. “I’ll give it to you.” “I… No, I… I can’t…” He lowered himself down, propping his arms in front of her. “Can… Can I…?” The human stood up, giving him an expectant smile as she held the apple higher in her hands, drawing it closer and closer to his face. So, after a nervous bite of the lip, Zark opened his mouth just a bit. That was just enough for Carin to press the apple between his front teeth, so quick he almost flinched back. He almost did move back, but a quick glance at that expectant smile of hers got him to finally take a large chunk out of it, careful as she was still holding it. It tasted… Familiar, sweet, crisp, juicy, and oh so pleasant. A lot different than the earlier red surface looked like. Curious, he tried to chew it slowly, but it was hard given how small it was. Seeing how his eyes almost lit up, Carin grabbed a fistful of his hair and coaxed him to come back down. “That was nothing to you. Take the whole thing.” She pressed the small remainder of the apple onto his lips, and startled, he took it in. Sitting back again, he chewed and chewed, and chewed and chewed, one of his ears pointed as he tried to further savor the fading flavor. “See? Not so bad.” Carin grinned, crossing her arms over her chest, “Good, right?” Flustered, the Guardian closed his eyes, hanging his head,  and nodded, again and again. “I’ll try to bring you more from now on then.” She offered, “But, you can’t just keep it in your mouth forever. You have to actually eat it.” She sat back down, and went through her basket for her flask of water. Meanwhile, Zark thought hard, considering. “The food they give us is a little, I don’t know, meh...” He gathered all he chewed to the back of his throat and swallowed. “Maybe next time we go out to town I can use the change I’ve saved up for some - what are you doing?” It was immediate the moment it went through his throat, it was shooting right back up. He tried to cover his mouth on time, but most of the chewed up apple missed and spilled down through the cracks of his fingers. He gagged and choked for a few seconds, pressing his other hand against his throat and tearing up as he tried to get every little bit out. Carin looked up at him in disgusted, confused shock, flask open in her hand. She watched, waiting as he continued to choke long after the mush of an apple was spilled between them in messy pieces. Hand plastered over his mouth now, Zark looked at her, and she looked at him. Him in shame, and her in shock. “... What…” Carin muttered at first, before sitting up with a shout, “What was that!? You spat it out!” Zark flushed, “Y-Yeah that - that’s what happens when I try to eat.” At her groan, he went further into defense, “I told you! I said I can’t eat, and you knew yourself that the others don’t eat but only tear things apart!” His face got redder when Carin covered her face and wailed. “I thought it would be different this time, because like you said I’m different, and that was human food, so I - I thought…” “That’s why you’re always just chewing on plants you big, stupid animal!” She cried, and Zark cringed, scooting back. “Ugh… Alright. Guess you could just watch me eat my lunch from now on… Or I’ll just bring someone else's lunch, so you’re not stealing from me.”

[thetravelerwrites]

Cetzu (Part 4) Lemon

Rating: Explicit Relationships: Male Changeling/Female Human Additional Tags: Exophilia, Lizardfolk, Changeling, Interspecies Romance, Monster Boyfriend, Sex, Double Dicks, Hemipenis Content Warnings: Assault, Bandits, Injury, Field Surgery, Blood, Poisoning Words: 5211

Part 4 of 5 generously commissioned by @ivymemnoch​​! Feeling guilty for killing a man in self defense, Cetzu turns himself in to his brother, the local sheriff, but when it's determined he's committed no crime, Cetzu has a crisis of conscience that the reader tries to help him through. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

Cetzu slept for four days.

He healed quickly, just like Declan said he would, though he didn’t eat or drink anything while he slept. Lymera, his faun sister, assured you that was normal. The wound had closed and was nothing more than a dark red line on his shoulder, and the scales that had died and flaked off were beginning to regrow.

His gnoll sheriff brother, Feera, came down for a couple of days to check on him, and reassured you that Cetzu would be alright. Apparently he’d gotten his share of horrible injuries from hunting large game throughout his life, and the only reason this particular wound was so severe was because of the iron, which was now cleansed from his body and not poisoning him anymore.

You spent some time by his bedside every day, hoping to be there when he woke up. Otherwise you spent time with his family members, hearing stories of his childhood among the family and learning all their tales. Sad, indeed.

One afternoon, you were dozing in the chair next to Cetzu’s bed, a book from Toklo’s vast collection dangling from your hand, when you heard Cetzu snort and cough. Snapping awake, you stood and lay the book down in the seat, sitting next to Cetzu on the bed.

“Hey,” You said softly, patting his covered chest. “How are you feeling?”

“Cold,” He said roughly. “And my shoulder’s a bit sore. But I’m alright.” His eyes focused and he moved his head to look at you. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am,” You replied. “You saved my life.”

“I’m glad,” He said quietly. There was a pause before he said, “You know what I am.”

It wasn’t a question. “Yes, I do.”

He draped his arm over his eyes and sighed. “Damn it.”

“Why does that bother you?”

“Two different sets of parents threw me away because of what I am. Wouldn’t that bother you?”

You chewed the inside of your cheek and was silent for many minutes. “Can I tell you something? About my mom?”

He removed his arm from his face and looked at you keenly. “Yes?”

You took a large breath, held it for a second, and exhaled sharply. “My mom… was not my birth mother. My mother wasn’t the maternal sort, you could say. She told my dad early in their relationship that she didn’t want kids, so when she got pregnant accidentally, she was pissed. She wanted to get rid of me, send me to an orphanage or something, but my father begged her not to. My mother basically told him to choose between her and me… and he chose me. A week after I was born, my biological mother left us.”

He frowned seriously, but he didn’t interrupt.

“We all have our sad tales, don’t we?” You said, smiling morosely. “My dad knew he needed help, since I would starve to death if he couldn’t find a wet nurse. As it happened, there was a woman one town over who had given birth to a stillborn son. Her husband had died in an accident while she was pregnant and she had no means to support herself. In her grief, she made the kind and selfless offer to be my wet nurse in exchange for food and a place to sleep, and my dad took her in. Over time, they became close and fell in love. By the time I was a year old, they had married. She raised me as her own child. In fact, I didn’t even know she wasn’t my birth mother until two years after she died. She was more my mother than anyone ever could be. I loved her very much.”

You felt a tear slide down your face, and you dashed it away with your fingertips.

“Sometimes, family chooses itself,” Cetzu replied softly. “That’s what Mama and Papa say. If it hadn’t been for them, I’d have died in a gutter when I was a babe. I hope I can be like them someday.”

“You want to have a big family?” You asked, smiling. “Lots of kids?”

“Someday,” He said, matching your smile, but his face fell immediately, his eyes going unfocused and looking past you. “Perhaps I don’t deserve it. I’m a murderer.”

“You are not a murderer. It was self-defense,” You told him, patting his hand. “They could have killed us.”

“They couldn’t have killed me,” He said dismissively. “I was much stronger than them.”

“They almost did kill you, Cetzu,” You reminded him. “An arrow is pretty humbling, strong or not. They attacked us first; it was justified.”

“It doesn’t matter,” He said, moving to sit up. You moved off the bed and back into the chair. “I took a life. There must be balance.”

“So what do you plan to do, then?” You asked him.

He held his shoulder with a grimace of pain and stood up gingerly. “I’m going to turn myself in.”

“What?” You exclaimed, shooting to your feet. “Where? To who?”

“Feera,” He replied. “He’s a sheriff.”

“He’s your brother, though,” You said, crossing your arms. “Aren’t you worried about nepotism?”

Cetzu stopped for a moment. “Good point,” He mused, then shook his head. “No matter. I still have to report this.”

“Then I’ll go with you,” You said, grabbing your bag.

He turned to look at you, surprised. “Why?”

“I’m a witness,” You said simply. “And a victim of a crime. They’ll want to interview me.”

“Oh. Right,” He replied, and waited for you to catch up. After informing his mother of his intentions, and despite her protests, he set off down the road to town with you following in his wake.

The walk to Willowridge was a quiet one. You felt like there was a wall between the two of you now, and it was painful. You thought the two of you had gotten so close, and now these bandit thugs had ruined everything. Even if he didn’t have the same crush on you that you had on him, the two of you had been friends. Was that over? You hoped not. He was the only real friend you’d had since you were young. You weren’t ready to let that go.

Cetzu was on edge when the two of you arrived in Willowridge, though he raised a hand in greeting when a few people when they called hello. The jailhouse was situated on the other side of town, right on the edge between the town and the woods. Beyond it was the orc-run horse ranch, and beyond that was the stronghold, Willowshield. It was from this stronghold that Feera’s head deputy, Padcha, was from.

Both Feera and Padcha were sitting on the front porch of the jailhouse, playing dominoes, when they saw you approach.

“Cetzu!” Feera said, laying his tiles face down on the table. “It’s good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, brother,” He said shortly. “I’m here to turn myself in.”

Feera and Padcha exchanged a confused glance. “For what?”

“Murder,” Cetzu said grimly. “I killed one of the men who attacked the wagon.”

“Cetzu, that was self defense,” Feera said. “They shot you, you defended yourself.”

“I already told him that,” You said, scowling up at Cetzu. “He won’t listen to anyone.”

“I didn’t kill the man who shot me,” Cetzu replied. “I would have, but I was stopped.” He gestured to you. “I killed the other one. He was no threat to me. I was angry and I killed him.”

“Did he have a weapon pointed at you?” Padcha asked.

“Well, yes,” Cetzu admitted. “But--”

“Did you attack before or after you were shot?”

“After, but--”

“Was your intent to kill, or subdue?”

“Well, I only wanted to subdue him, but I’ve never been in a fight with a human before. I underestimated my strength, I guess, but that doesn’t…”

“Cetzu,” Feera said, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Face it. This was clear-cut self-defense. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes, I did!” Cetzu exclaimed, shrugging off Feera’s hand. “How can you say such a thing? A man is dead because of me!” Cetzu scrubbed the scales on the back of his head with the claws on his hands, making a strange rattling sound. “Can’t you at least do an investigation? Go out and find the man and examine the scene. Look at the evidence.”

“If you want me to, I can--” Feera said, but Cetzu stopped him.

“Not you,” He said. “You’re family. I don’t want favoritism. Padcha and the other deputies should do it.”

“Cetzu, you’re being ridiculous,” Feera said in exasperation.

“Actually, boss,” Padcha said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s got a point. It’s not proper for a sheriff to be part of an investigation of their own family member. Conflict of interest.”

Feera sighed. “Fine. Where did this happen?”

“Halfway between Coleville and the farm,” You piped up. “About five hours from here by cart.”

“I’ll take Victor and Louie and we’ll go by horseback. We can get there just after lunchtime,” Padcha said.

Feera nodded curtly. “Get on it, then.”

Padcha nodded and went off to find his deputies.

“Well, since you’re here, want to go to the tavern for some ale while we wait for news?” Feera asked the two of you.

Before you could speak, Cetzu shook his head. “No. Put me in a cell.”

Both you and Feera rolled your eyes.

“If you don’t do it, I’ll do it myself,” Cetzu said, crossing his arms.

“By all means,” Feera said sarcastically, stepping aside. “Pick one. They’re all open right now.”

Cetzu stepped past him and walked right into a cell, closing it behind him, and sat on the cot. “Are you going to lock it?”

Feera scoffed. “No!”

Cetzu scoffed in return and lay down on the cot, his arms still crossed as he stared at the ceiling.

“How are you doing?” Feera asked you.

“I’m fine,” You replied. “Really aggravated at your brother, but fine.”

“I’m with you there,” Feera agreed, staring his brother down. Cetzu ignored the two of you.

“Has he always been this obstinate?” You asked in a whisper.

“As long as I’ve known him,” Feera responded. “He’s as stubborn as a mule when he gets an idea in his head. There’s no compromising with him when he gets like this. You just have to let him burn himself out.”

“I can hear you,” Cetzu grumbled, turning to face the wall.

“Good!” Feera called back. “I’m going to tell your girlfriend all your awful habits so she dumps your pigheaded ass!” He chuffed out of his nose and jerked his head at the door. “Come on,” He said to you. “I’m going to sit down with Eris and the boys for a while. Kurran has a stomachache and I want to check on him. Have you had breakfast?”

You followed Feera back to the home he shared with his wife, Eris, and his two boys, two year old Kurran and six month old Declan. You held the wiggling, giggling bundle of fluff that was his youngest son while Feera cradled his older boy, consoling him through a tummy ache while Eris went out to buy medicine from the apothecary.

You had heard Eris’s horrible tale from the family, and that in the attack against her that led her to first meeting Feera, all of her hair had been cut off, but it had grown back into a beautiful river of gold cascading down her back. Eris was a kind but shrewd woman, and you guessed by her cautious demeanor that some cuts don’t heal as quickly. Feera was gentle and affectionate with her, and watching the two of them together made you pine a little for something you hadn’t yet experienced.

The day wore on. Eris returned with the medicine and made lunch for you and Feera before putting both of the boys to bed for naps. Feera escorted you back to the jailhouse, where Cetzu had fallen asleep.

“Play a game with me?” Feera asked. “It’s been slow around town, but spring’s a slow season. Everyone’s working. People are more likely to start trouble when they’ve got nothing to do.”

“Sure,” You said, sitting out on the porch with him. He set up a game of dominoes and you arranged your tiles.

“The boys will take time looking at the scene, so they may not be back until tomorrow,” Feera said, placing a tile. “This may be an obvious cut-and-dry case of self-defense, but we still do our job properly. I trust Padcha to be thorough.”

“What if Cetzu doesn’t accept your conclusion?” You asked. “He’s convinced he has to atone for killing that man.”

“I don’t know,” Feera sighed. “He hasn’t broken any laws. If we determine he’s not responsible for a crime, and I’m sure we will, that’s the end of it. I’m not going to imprison him to assuage his personal guilt. It’s something he’s going to have to figure out himself.”

You sighed too. “I don’t know what to do. He’s shut down and won’t talk to me.”

“Yeah,” Feera replied. “As much as he tries to deny his nature, he’s just as tight-lipped and secretive as any fae I’ve ever met. He’s still young, though, by fae standards. Maybe he’s just not old enough or strong enough to control his natural tendencies, just like when he was little and couldn’t control his magic. Restraint is just as much a necessary skill as any other.”

“How do you mean?” You asked.

“Well, take gnolls, for example,” He said, holding his arms open and gesturing at himself. “We have a reputation for being aggressive and brutal. Hell, my parents sold me and my brother because we were runts and therefore useless to them. People expect us to be… well… animals. I don’t know if it’s because that’s how we actually are or if that’s how people perceive us and we changed to match, but that’s the way it is. Same with orcs.” He gestured toward the north, where the stronghold was. “Everyone thinks orcs are bloodthirsty raiders, rapists, and murderers. Maybe that’s the way it used to be, but it isn’t anymore. We all fight against our nature and our history in some way. Cetzu is no different.”

You thought about your birth mother and your true mother and contemplated what part of your nature you fought against.

Feera had been right; the deputies hadn’t returned by nightfall. Feera invited you back to the house for dinner, and you brought some food back to Cetzu. Despite the invitation to room at Feera and Eris’s house, you decided to stay at the jail. There were beds, after all, and you didn’t want to leave Cetzu alone.

The next day, the deputies returned mid-morning.

“Well, we found the scene,” Padcha said. “We found the dead man just laying in the road. His friends couldn’t even pull him out of the way. We also found their camp abandoned. It was clearly a bandit operation and it looked like they’d been there for a while; there were horse carcasses and bits of wagons they’d likely couldn’t sell and chopped up for firewood. You scared them off, though. They left their tents and such, but took whatever valuables they managed to steal.”

“So… what now?” Cetzu asked.

“Nothing,” Feera said. “You killed a bandit that tried to kill you. No crime was committed, by you at least. You’re free to go.”

“No!” Cetzu said, slamming a hand against the wall, making you jump. “This isn’t right! There has to be balance!”

“There is balance!” Feera replied exasperatedly. “They committed an offense against you! You defended yourself! What else do you want, man?!”

“You don’t understand anything,” Cetzu growled, pushing past his brother.

“Where are you going?” Feera called after him.

“I’m going home,” He said. “This was a waste of time.”

“You’re telling me!” Feera shouted back angrily.

Cetzu began stalking down the road and you had no choice but to run after him. It wasn’t more than a minute before he had made his way out of town and down the road, starting for the farm.

“Cetzu!”

He was a good ten feet ahead of you when he stopped, looking back. “What is it?”

“You’ve barely said two words to me this entire trip.”

“You didn’t have to come,” he replied shortly.  

“Are you angry with me? Have I upset you?”

“I’m not angry with you,” He said, though his brow furrowed. “Don’t worry about it.”

“What are you talking about, ‘don’t worry about it’?” You exclaimed. “You’re obsessed with punishing yourself for something that’s not your fault, how can I not worry?”

“I’ll have Kurra escort you home. I need time to think. You should have stayed at the house.”

“I came to help you!”

“I didn’t ask for your help!” He snapped, stopping and turning toward you, his body tense. “My job was to protect you! I almost got you killed! This is why I should never have left the farm! I’m only good for planting and harvesting! Kurra should have been the one you hired to go with you. I’m nothing but a liability!”

“That’s not true!” You argued. “I’m not hurt! You did protect me! You did your job! I don’t regret hiring you and I don’t think your brother could have done anything differently! Do you regret being with me?”

“Yes!” He shot back.

You were stunned to silence and fell back a step, your heart dropping into your stomach. He backed up a step as well, looking immediately remorseful for his response. He scrubbed his eyes.

“I don’t… regret the time we’ve spent together,” He clarified. “I regret not being as effective as I should have been. I failed.”

“Cetzu,” You said, walking up to him and taking him by the shoulders. “You haven’t failed. I don’t know what to say or do to make you believe you’ve done nothing wrong, that you saved my life. I hired you to protect me, and you did that. What more can I say to convince you?”

“You can’t,” He said. “I’m a murderer.”

“Stop saying that!” You shook him a little. “You’re not the only person who’s had to kill someone! What about your father? He killed a man to save your mother’s life! He told me so! Is he a murderer?”

“...no,” Cetzu said, looking away from you.

“What about your brothers?” You asked, advancing. “They were forced to fight in the gladiator ring as children. If they didn’t fight, they’d have been killed. Are they murderers?”

“No!”

“Then why is this different? Why are you holding yourself to a different standard than them?”

He refused to meet your eye, his jaw clenching. “We should get back to the farm and hitch up the wagon. You’re overdue to return home.”

“Is this what it’s going to be like from now on?” You asked, feeling upset and on the verge of tears. “You ignoring me and treating me like cargo to be delivered? Is that all I am to you now? Are we no longer friends? Do you plan to quit? Because if so, I’ll go back home and find another bodyguard and you’ll never have to think of me again!”

“That’s not true!” He exclaimed a little loudly, making you step back. “I’m always thinking of you. I never cease thinking of you!”

You sere silent for a moment, processing what you’d just heard. He turned his back to you but didn’t continue walking. He just stood there, silent.

“What are you talking about?” You asked quietly.

“I…” He took a deep breath and sighed. “I think about you all the time. You’re the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I see when I fall asleep. I dream of you. I see you dancing when the wind blows through the high grass. When I feel anxious, I hear your voice, and it calms me.” He bent his head, still turned away from you. “I… don’t want to quit. I want… to stay with you.”

“Why aren’t you looking at me?” You whispered.

“Because I’m afraid of what I might see,” He rasped. “I have hurt and worried you over the last few days, and I’m sorry. I know you’re angry with me. I know what I am, and you may not want… what I want. I am… still your friend… but…”

You walked forward and pressed your hand flat against his back. “I never told you… I’ve always thought you beautiful.”

He spun so quickly that dust and rocks flew from under his feet. He almost smacked you with his tail, but he snapped it out of the way at the last second.

“What?”

You gulped but continued. “You… look like you’re built of onyx and silver. When you stand still, you look like one of your lovely carvings. I don’t care that you’re fae. It wouldn’t matter to me what race you were. You’re kind and selfless and I feel safe with you. I don’t want you to quit either. I want...” You gulped again. “I want what you want.”

“I… I want you.”

You nodded. “That’s more than alright to me.”

He, disbelieving, tentatively reached for you, but you jumped at him, putting your arms around his neck and kissing his leathery lips. He hesitated for only a few seconds before reciprocating, kissing you back and wrapping you in his arms, lifting you off the ground. You ran your fingers over the scales of his head and he gave a purring sort of growl.

You wrapped your legs around his waist and he put his arms under your rear, holding you up as the two of you snogged like teenagers. You weren’t sure how well you were doing; you’d never actually kissed anyone before. He seemed to be enjoying it and showed no sign of wanting to stop.

You were the first to break away. “I don’t want to go back to the farm yet,” You said breathlessly. “Is there somewhere we can be alone?”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “There’s a place I go to. It’s safe.”

“Safe?” You echoed.

He nodded again. “I’ll show you.”

He set you down on your feet and took you by the hand, leading you into the forest. After about ten minutes, he lead you to a clearing. It was the most beautiful place you’d ever seen. It was a perfect circle, perhaps thirty feet wide, with soft clover and moss blanketing the ground. It was surrounded on all sides by wisteria, cherry, and maple trees. Looking up, you could see a bubble of the blue sky lighting up the space. Everything glowed luminously.

He led you in and said, “Wait for a moment.” He let go of your hand and pressed his to one of the trees. A shimmer spread from his hand and extended outward, encompassing the circle. “There. Now no one can find us. It’s completely safe.”

“How do you mean?” You asked.

“It’s a shield,” He replied. He pointed upward. “Watch.”

You looked up and watched a cloud pass over the opening in the canopy. Suddenly, rain fell, but not a single drop entered the clearing. Everything around you was dry.

“It also hides us,” He continued. “We’re invisible to anyone passing by.”

You turned to him in shock. “You can control your magic?”

“Not as much as I’d like,” He said. “But I’m learning. I created this place to practice in peace and secrecy. You’re the first person to ever see it.”

“I thought you hated magic,” You said.

“I do,” He replied. “But if I don’t learn to control it, I’m more likely to hurt someone on accident.”

“It’s beautiful here,” You told him. “Everything you touch becomes beautiful.”

“That’s not true,” he said, smiling. “You were beautiful long before I ever met you.”

You blushed and looked down. He put his claws hand under your chin and lifted your head to look at him. He bent and kissed you again, slower and deeper. You touched the muscles of his stomach, working your way up his chest, then back down and around his back. Your fingers touched the waistband above his tail and discovered the buttons that secured his pants around his waist that allowed his tail to stick out of the back. Without thinking much about it, you undid the first button.

His arms tensed around you and he pulled back. “I… um… I’ve never…”

You nodded before he could finish. “Neither have I. It’s alright. Do you want to stop?”

He shook his head fervently, tugging at the laces of your bodice. “No. I want you.”

You finished unbuttoning his trousers and they fell away, leaving him naked. You couldn’t see his… parts, but there was a slit between his legs, swollen and puckering. Cautiously, you touched it, and he gasped, his legs shaking.

“Does that hurt?” You asked in concern.

“Uh… no,” He said with a laugh. “It’s nice.”

“Sit down,” You told him, and he obeyed, propping himself up against a stump in the center of the circle, likely were Cetzu sat to practice his magic. You began to undress in front of him slowly. You felt a little awkward and unsure, but his eyes never left your body. As you watched, the slit opened a bit wider and you saw something bright red beginning to poke out. Your heart began to race.

When you were fully nude, you knelt in front of him and reached out to touch the pulsing slit, stroking it and teasing it a little. Cetzu groaned and his head fell back. His breathing was heavy and uneven.

“Tell me if I do something wrong,” You told him.

“What you’re doing is great, please keep doing it,” He begged.

As you touched it, it opened like a bloom, and not one but two thick, sharp-tipped members slid out of it, slick with his own lubricant. You felt your slit dripping as well, pulsing and throbbing. As you took one of his cocks in your hand, pumping it up and down, you reached between your legs and stroked yourself at the same time. The both of you moaned breathily and moved your hips in time with each other, completely in sync though you had yet to join together.

He reached out and cupped your cheek with his claws, pulling you forward to kiss your mouth and face and neck. He was doing that purring sound again, and it sent a tingle through your skin. He was now fully extended and erect. You pressed your body forward against his, your breasts pressed against his chest, and used him as leverage as you swung your right leg over his hip, and then the left, and pushed yourself up. Reaching down, you took the lower of the two and pushed it to your entrance.

“Ready?” You asked. He nodded wordlessly, petting your hair away from your face.

You lowered yourself down slowly onto him, feeling a little pop, though it wasn’t painful, and slipped all the way down the shaft. He gripped your hips, applying gentle pressure until you were flush against him, then held you close to him so that his free cock was pressed between the two of you. Slowly, you began to move, rocking against him. His hips moved at the same pace, pushing up into you as you rocked into him.

You raked your nails against his shoulders, speeding up as the throbbing got more intense. His purring became growling, but you weren’t afraid. His claws tightened around you, but you weren’t afraid. He thrust up into you harder, taking more control, but you weren’t afraid. Even when he grabbed you and flipped you onto your back on the ground, looming over you, kissing your bare breasts as he thrust, you felt a thrill, but no fear.

You reached between the two of you and took the second member in your hand, and he thrust against it, his body taut and trembling. He was close, you could feel it. With your other hand, you reached down and rubbing your pearl furiously, bringing yourself to that crest as well.

His back arched and he grunted as he came. You could feel the release inside you as well as painting your stomach and chest. Another few flicks of your fingers and you came after him, crying out against his shoulder.

He collapsed on top of you, and you wrapped both your arms and legs around him, holding him against you. The both of you gasped for air and lay in the soft clover, safe inside his magical shield.

He rolled on his side and kissed you. “I don’t know what to say now.”

You laughed. “It’s okay. This was a little… sudden.”

“Do you regret it?” He asked.

“No, of course not,” You said. “But I do think we should talk about what this means for us.”

“How so?”

“Well…” You sighed. “I’m all my dad has, and I know you don’t want to leave your family.”

Cetzu frowned. “I don’t know. I still feel an imbalance. I want to find a way to fix it.”

You sighed again but nodded. “I know, and I don’t know if I can help you. It’s like Feera said: it’s something you’ll have to figure out on your own. As much as I want to help, I don’t think it’s my place to assist in that.”

“Maybe not,” He said, taking your hand and kissing your palm. “Should we… stop this?”

“No! I mean, I don’t want to,” You said. “I care for you very much, but we both have responsibilities we can’t ignore.”

“So what do we do?” He asked, holding you closer.

“Perhaps we should slow down,” You replied thoughtfully. “This is new for both of us and we should take time to explore it. There’s no reason to jump into a life-long commitment right away. We could court each other, visit each other, still go on the merchant trips together. A long distance courtship could be… romantic. And it would give us both time and room to figure things out. What do you think?”

His grip around you tightened again, but he nodded. “As much as I’d like to be with you all the time, I think you’re right. There are factors in our lives that we can’t brush off. Your father needs you, and I need to find what it is I can do to feel like myself again. It may take time.”

“I know,” You said sadly. “It frustrates me, but it’s part of who you are, and if I’m to love you, I must love all of you, even the frustrating parts.”

He smiled at you fondly. “Heaven only knows how you put up with me.”

“It’s not easy,” You teased. He tickled you breathless.

You stayed there for the rest of the day, making love again, and when the temperature began to drop, signifying the coming of nightfall, the two of you cleaned up and dressed. He dismantled the shield spell with a wave of his hand and the two of you began the walk back to the farm, holding hands.

Thus began your new and uncertain courtship.

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Thanks for reading!

My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[ikuyeah]

The Dawn Rises

Summary: Sukehiro Aki won’t lie. She’s thought about what it would be like being romantically involved with William. But not even her wildest dreams could have prepared her for what his courtship would entail.

(Part Two of the Attract Light Series)

Click here for Part 1

A/N: FUN FACTS!!! This one had some flowers and plant symbolism in it so if you encounter one of them go to the end notes. I've added some fun flower facts to make you even more emo.

Six Years Prior…

“Hey Will.” Aki called out to him, perched atop one of the branches of his world tree. Below, ensnarled in its roots, were the members of the gang they’d apprehended for a string of petty theft at the local markets.

“Yes, Aki?” He hopped down from a higher branch, sitting next to her.

“Can you grow a tree for me?” She asked, turning so she was sitting criss cross facing him. The ease with which she manoeuvred and the belief she wouldn’t fall endearing to him.

William dug into his pocket with his free hand and asked. “What kind?”

“The kind that can make me brave.” She answered, raising her head to the sky.

Within him, he could hear Patri snorting at the sentiment. Nevertheless, he settled on one of the flowering trees, watching Aki as her eyes glittered and mouth opened in awe. The Magnolia tree unfurled, the flowers blooming pure white with its petals breaking off, floating on the wind.

“What tree is this, Will?” Aki asked, snatching a petal from the air.

“It’s a Magnolia.”

Aki laughed softly, voice a little hoarse from the cold night. “That’s kind of a boring name for the tree that can make me brave.” Shivering, she pulled her Grey Deer robe tighter around herself.

Throwing his red coat around her, they watched in silence as more magnolias bloomed in dark red. “Right, let’s call it Faith.” He suggested.

“Alright, Faith.” Aki nodded, swinging her legs to the side so she could tilt over and catch some more flowers, never mind that she could just ask him for one. William couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of faith she had in him and in his power, faith she didn’t seem to have in her own.

Finally catching a flower in her hand, Aki passed it to him. “Faith is a good name.”

“So you’ve finally accepted Captain Shiny’s feelings for you, huh?” Yami wiggled his eyebrows at her over the bouquet of white, pink, and red camellias she’d carefully been spraying with water. It was maybe the third batch of flowers he’d sent her. The first caused a stir among the Black Bulls who hadn’t known about her friendship with William. But as time passed, it became a common variable of the team’s banter.

Aki continued spraying at the flowers, frowning when she spotted a few drooping petals. She could only keep them alive for so long but she loved them, loved how pretty and alive they were against the dark tones of the Black Bull base.

Idly, she thought, it was that kind of parallel that drew her to William in the first place. The stark beauty of his magic, his ideals, and his kindness drew a stunning parallel to her own dark magic. One of the petals, a red one, fluttered down until it rested against the tabletop.

For some reason, it reminded her of his heart, his bleeding heart for anyone in need.

“Oi, are you so out of it that you can’t even hear me talking to you?” Yami’s voice cut through her musings and she stared at him, unimpressed.

“I haven’t.”

“Huh? That’s kind of rude of you, keeping a man waiting like that.” Yami grinned. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

Aki snorted. “Of course you are.”

Vanessa’s voice echoed from the halls, sweetly calling out to them. “Captain! Captain Vangeance is here to see you!”

Aki could feel her heartbeat hasten in her chest before making an effort to calm it. By the time she’d gotten her feelings under control, Yami had stood up and made his way out the door.

“Aren’t you coming?” He asked.

“Why?” She retorted, grey eyes meeting grey.

With a shrug, Yami answered. “I don’t know. To say hi to your suitor or whatever?”

Aki rolled her eyes at him. She’d known how unconventional he was as a Captain. But, for the sake of good camaraderie, she’d always been the one who had to whack him back in his place when Finral and the others couldn’t.

“He’s here to see you for work, isn’t he? Will’s very professional. Unlike another Captain I know.” She snickered, sweeping the fallen petals into her palm and then throwing them out the window.

From the corner of her eye, she could see several members of the Golden Dawn in their uniforms. She wondered what she would have looked like wearing it, what she’d have looked like if she accepted his offer years ago to be his Vice-Captain.

‘Then I wouldn’t have grown this much.’ She thought, going back to arranging today’s training regimen in her head.

“Besides, I have to plan with everything the Heart Kingdom is teaching Asta and the rest in mind. If you can get it through your muscle-filled head, remember to ask Will if we can have an official sparring match so we can schedule it into our training.” She waved her brother off, already cursing that she’d forgotten to get back to Mereonleona on their own joint training venture. It was a miracle the woman hadn’t broken their door down again .

Yami watched his sister, clearly spiralling into a panic from overthinking, and sighed. “Suit yourself. Don’t think too hard.”

“Wow, maybe you should think a little harder to compensate for once.”

-

“Sorry. My lazy brat of a sister didn’t want to come out and say hi.”

William raised a brow at Yami when his fellow Captain finally deigned to come out of his base. “Why would she? This is a business visit. I’d appreciate it if we can attempt to be professional, Yami.” He said, posture relaxing slightly in the company of his friend.

“Look, I didn’t ask to be verbally attacked by you two.” Yami raised a brow back at him in disbelief. “You’re not even in a relationship yet and you’re reading each other’s minds.” He murmured.

Refusing to comment on the subject, William returned to the purpose of his visit. “I’m here for news about a member of my squad, Mimosa Vermillion. Your Spacial Mage, Roulacase, said he would be prepared to give a verbal report today.” He informed, tone cordial but expression bemused.

“Well, as you can see, the useless lump isn’t here.” Yami inhaled deeply, the cigarette between his teeth losing its effect. “Stop standing around out here. You might as well wait inside.”

William opened his mouth to protest but the older man had already turned, gesturing for him to follow.

“Very well.” He surrendered, Alecdora and Letoile taking cues from their own Captain and entering close behind him.

“Well, well. It’s the Golden Dawn!” A scantily clad pink haired woman, Vanessa, approached them with a bottle of alcohol in hand. “Welcome to our humble home.”

“Sober up before you embarrass us.” Yami waved her away as if she were some kind of fly.

William averted his eyes from her, watching as a shorter girl walked up to him with a cupcake. She offered it up to him with a dazed expression. “How about something to eat, la?”

Before Alecdora could protest, William raised a hand to indicate that it was alright.

Kneeling down to meet her at eye-level, William stared at the treat and accepted it with a small bow. “Thank you.”

The girl smiled widely. “As expected from the Captain of my Meal-Saving Prince.” She hummed. “I made it special from ingredients in the Heart Kingdom. It’s really yummy.”

William looked at her and then at the cupcake, small and pink and unassuming. “Have you been training in the Heart Kingdom?” He asked.

“Oh yeah, Charmy. If you’re here then Finral must have brought you back with him. Where is he?” Yami asked, staring down impatiently at his subordinate.

“Don’t know, la.” She shrugged.

Yami clicked his tongue in annoyance. “What a pain. Henry, can you bring that useless lump here?”

The base rumbled to life, some of the walls and floor panels shifting until a room which looked like a supply room emerged with the Spacial Mage handing a box of something vaguely fruit shaped to a surprised Sukehiro Aki.

“You know Nii-chan, it’s one thing to use Finral to send you to the bathroom and it’s another to use Henry to drag us wherever you want without consent.” Aki leveled a withering look at her brother.

“It’s his fault for setting an appointment with Captain Shiny and then being late. You’re giving others a bad impression of us.” Yami scolded.

“Since when have you cared about that kind of thing?” All the Black Bulls seemed to murmur in unison.

“Ah, my apologies, Captain Vangeance. I did bring back some correspondences, reports from Mimosa and letters from her to her family.” Finral approached the Captain, sheepishly offering up the bundle of envelopes.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it kind of strange that the Captain himself would come to collect a report?” Vanessa said with a knowing smirk causing a blue haired girl to stutter that she shouldn’t say things like that in front of a Captain.

Aki shrugged. “He’s just kind like that.” She explained softly.

Professionalism aside, William couldn’t help but smile a little.

“You should show more respect if you know who it is you’re answering to.” Alecdora sneered from behind William who looked otherwise unbothered by his offended subordinate.

“Is their training progressing well?” William asked, trying to gauge how prepared they were for their joint defense against the Spade Kingdom in several months.

“Princess Loropechika has taken to training with Mimosa and Noelle personally. By their ranking, Mimosa’s been able to reach Stage 2 with Loropechika’s assistance. They plan to use this as part of their strategy.” Finral explained.

“I see. Regardless, that’s a great leap in her growth. Thank you, we appreciate your effort in keeping us informed.” William bowed his head and gave Finral a kind smile.

“Y-You’re welcome, Captain Vangeance.” Finral responded, unsure how to react to the man. “Is there anything else we can help you with?”

“You’ve done more than enough. As I said, you have our thanks.”

The Black Bulls looked at each other and then at their Captain, sharing a thought. ‘Is this what it’s like to have a normal Captain?’  

“Since your business here is over, would you mind if I had something to say?” Aki piped up, garnering the attention of everyone in the room.

“That’s pretty brave, Aki.” Vanessa murmured, sobering at the tension building.

“Oi, whatever happened to that professionalism thing you were going on and on about earlier?” Yami teased.

Aki rolled her eyes, snuffing out his cigarette with her magic. “You forgot to ask about joint training, Captain .”

“We can make time for it.” William agreed, ignoring the incredulous look on Alecdora’s face. “It will be a good opportunity to test what my squad has been developing as well.”

“What kind of technique are you trying?” Aki leaned forward, intrigued. If it was something they could incorporate into their own training she’d want to know. She’d always been a very responsible Vice-Captain. William had known she would be exceptional at it which was one of the reasons he’d offered the position to her years ago.

“Some of us still feel the effects of the elves’ power. Despite how we might feel about the matter, right now it’s an asset we can leverage on to get stronger.” He explained. His openness in sharing the information put Alecdora and Letoile on edge. He understood that his squad members, specifically those who were under the effects of the reincarnation, were uneasy exposing themselves and their supposed weakness this way. But the Black Bulls were undoubtedly strong and had unique abilities. They would need to work together to win this war.

“If that’s true then there’s merit in including whatever measures you’ve adjusted in your training to Gauche’s training and maybe even Luck’s though he’s hard at work learning Mana Method already.” Aki responded with a nod. “We’d appreciate any information you can share on the topic as well.”

“Fortunately, this concludes our duties for today.” William smiled but it was good natured this time, as though he’d shed the role of Golden Dawn’s Captain for a moment. “I’ve heard tell that dinner at our Headquarters this evening will be the talk of the town.”

Alecdora and Letoile shared a look and nodded in assent to their Captain. “We can arrange to seat their party for tonight.” They pulled out communication devices, no doubt having alerted the entire headquarters of their arrival.

“Food from my Meal-Saving Prince’s Squad. I wonder what it will be like?” Charmy drooled just thinking about it.

“We have to get you back to the Heart Kingdom for your training…” Finral said weakly, knowing a lost fight when he sees one. “But, maybe Langris will be there.”

“Forget the food, what kind of booze would the Golden Dawn have? They’re pretty straight-laced.” Vanessa interjected, pondering the merits of wine.

“Free food is free food, I guess.” Yami shrugged, instructing Finral not to drink so he could transport everyone there and back.

Aki hid her laugh behind the palm of her hand. Having drifted to William’s side in the commotion, she only had to lean a little so that he could hear her. “At this rate, you will monopolize every dinner vacancy I’ll have for the rest of my life.” She mused as the rest of the Black Bulls celebrated their free dinner. Being next to him again settled her nerves if only for a little. She’d seen him several times after his proposal of courtship but they hadn’t had the chance to talk like this.

“You of all people know that it would be my pleasure to.” William leaned down a little, though at the volume everyone else was speaking only she could hear whatever he had to say. The proximity only made her face heat up.

“ Professionalism , Captain.” She shot back, satisfied when William blinked thrice rapidly, the only outward sign that he was flustered as well.

“This matter is of a very Professional nature.” He retorted.

Aki considered going with the flow of their conversation, of the new dynamic their mutual attraction brought to it. But then she remembered how earnestly he’d asked to court her and she pulled away.

It was only fair for her to give him a proper and honest answer.

“About that dinner, it’s been a while. We should make a day of it so we have more time to tell each other everything, don’t you think?” She proposed with a small but hopeful smile. “After all, I don’t think you could tell me about your secrets and your fears and stuff over a single meal.” She continued, finding herself rambling in the same way she used to when she was afraid he’d find her a boring conversationalist.

“Would tomorrow be amenable?” William asked, his eyes shining with what she hoped was elation.

Taken aback, it took Aki several seconds to think of a halfway decent reply. “You have nothing better to do, Captain?” She sputtered.

“Nothing which offers better company than yours, my friend.” He responded. And there he was, the kindest man in the world. Even in the face of this opportunity, he makes certain to reiterate the importance of their friendship. Aki doesn’t know sometimes what she did to deserve a friend like him. She could feel affection so deep and warm that it burst through the seams flooding her with a fuzzy sensation.

In the face of it all, Aki couldn’t help but beam at him.

“Sounds like a plan, then.”

-

Aki looked around at the terrace filled with tables. The candle-lit dining area was much more refined in a way that made it seem like a different universe compared to the Black Bull’s base. Nevertheless, the base was their home. It didn’t hurt to indulge in a little luxury every now and then. “I wish Henry could be here to see it-” Aki thought aloud.

“Aki-chan.” A slow drawl caught her ears and she turned to find Henry boxed into a small portable looking room with one window. “I’m here too!”

“Henry! I’m glad you could come with us after all!” Aki cheered, patting the top of the portable room. “It looks like a fun time, doesn’t it?”

Looking out at the dining area, he could see Vanessa at one of the tables challenging all manner of older men to a drinking contest. Finral was valiantly trying not to flirt with anyone, seated beside his brother Langris and chatting amicably at him though the younger only responded with single or double syllable responses. Gauche was sitting in a corner, showing Marie the view from the terrace through his mirror. Charmy was rolling around, butterfly net in hand murmuring about cooking that spirit while Grey and Gordon made many valiant attempts to stop her.

And at one of the middle tables, Yami and William were conversing with two Golden Dawn members.

“And look.” Slowly pointing ahead. “Asta-kun’s friend Yuno is at the Captains’ table.”

“Eh? Wow, I didn’t expect Asta’s childhood friend to be Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn.” Aki tilted her head, walking to the table to take her place between Henry and her brother. “Did I miss anything?”

Yami shrugged. “Just a conversation between men.”

Aki raised a brow at him, trying to imagine what they could have been talking about. “I have a feeling your definition of a man is very different from theirs.” She jibed.

William’s lips twitched in amusement.

Ever the responsible knight, he started identifying areas that improved due to the elves’ residual power. They’d discovered an increased magic power as well as some other physical enhancements.

The bespectacled man, Klaus, chimed in every now and then. His tone was much friendlier than Alecdora’s but still cordial. Aki wouldn’t be surprised if he was on the younger side.

Aki took it all in, asking situational questions that gave rise to other possible tactics they can pursue in the fight to come.

“Have you tried any kind of Union Magic between people possessed by particularly strong elves?” She asked.

“In practice, our squad has been more successful in joint defensive maneuvers. We would appreciate any assistance in bolstering our own offensive attacks.” William responded, Klaus taking notes and murmuring to Yuno what they would need to prepare to make it happen. The raven haired wind mage continued to stare out towards the view, uninterested in the lot of them.

“What the hell is going on?” Yami lit another cigarette, watching his sister making plans with his ex-rival and friend.  

“This must be what-” Henry said in that slow drawl of his. “A conversation between men sounds like.” He joked.

Yami felt a strong urge to throw him out the terrace but remembered how frail Henry still was despite his renewed mobility.

“Sukehiro-san.” Klaus called to Aki who had stopped talking for a while to get some food in her stomach.

“Yeah, Klaus was it?” He nodded and she gestured for him to continue with her fork. “Aki’s fine, after all there’s two of us Sukehiros at the table and I’m not a Captain.”

“Aki-san, if I’m not mistaken you wield Dark Magic similar to Captain Yami’s. May I ask how it is similar or different to that of the Captain’s?” He asked earnestly. It seemed that the topic was one most of the Golden Dawn were curious about given the way most turned slightly towards them. Even unbothered Yuno looked like he was listening.

“I wield Moon Magic.” She clarified. “It’s dark magic but its power is amplified depending on my proximity to the moon. Like now, for example, I have considerably more mana than I would if it were late in the afternoon tomorrow.”

“I see, that must be a hindrance.” Klaus nodded in understanding.

“It used to be. It was why many of my missions were those requiring the cover of night. The only times I worked with anyone during the day were with your Captain and several others.” She said, setting aside her empty plate and utensils.

“Indeed, many covert operations were made infinitely simpler with your assistance.” William complimented.

Aki waved to a server, thanking them when they took the plate and utensils away before addressing the table. “Oh hah, Will was a big help. I learned a lot of offensive applications to my magic from him so it’s strange that you’re stumped by it when it comes to your squad members.”

“I never instructed you in offensive application, only in the control of your mana.” William clarified, the nostalgia of it all bringing an air of comfort to the duo.

“Hm, makes sense. I don’t think anyone can out-offense my meathead brother.” Aki bumped her fist against one of Yami’s arm muscles as if to prove it.

Opening his mouth to scoff at her, he thought that maybe there was a way out of his own responsibilities in this joint venture and shifted gears. “Don’t be modest. Your Akatsuki has improved a lot these days.”

Catching on to what he was doing, Aki quickly retorted. “You must be proud, since I borrowed a little of your own Dimension Slash technique to improve it.”

Unaware of their unspoken bout, William had recognised the name and asked. “Your dawn attack has been perfected?”

“That’s the one.” Aki responded, unsurprised but still touched that he’d remembered. “As I was saying, much of my magic is very support and capture oriented so Yami would be the best candidate to maximise your team’s offensive capabilities-”

“What kind of support magic?”

Aki’s eyes widened a little, surprised to find Yuno’s eyes on her. “I can take away mana. I’ve learned to reverse the flow as well. I’ve learned to halt the mana even inside of another person’s body.” She reached out a hand and closed her eyes, her white Grimoire floating up and turning its pages.

“ Blue Moon’s Blessing. ”

Klaus marveled at the way mana was sucked from the surroundings and joined the overflowing pool of Yuno’s mana.

“And to halt it…” Aki opened her eyes, her irises glowing blue for a moment. “ Blue Moon’s Wrath. ”

Yuno gasped, feeling all the magic inside him seizing up. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even blink. He stared at Aki in confusion.

The girl put her hand down, closing the Grimoire and releasing Yuno from her spell. “The moon’s pretty close tonight, so it must have been stronger than I expected. Sorry about that. If you had enough willpower, you could probably have broken through it.” She explained, trying to take away the befuddlement in the younger man’s gaze.

“That level of control over mana is incredible, Aki-san.” Klaus complimented.

“It’s nothing Mereonleona couldn’t do in a heartbeat.” Aki shrugged. Both Sukehiro’s shivered at the mention of the woman. “I learned a lot of my control from dungeons Mereonleona has recommended to me but my fundamentals were all your Captain’s effort.”

The Golden Dawn members approached the table, drawn to this seemingly normal Black Bulls member and asking all manner of questions to improve themselves. Aki did her best to field all of their questions, asking each of them their names and their magic before doling out any advice or fun facts.

“Ah, she’s gone and done it again.” Yami rolled his eyes, the uncharacteristically childish action drawing William’s attention. “The Black Bulls’ Golden Girl indeed.”

“We don’t…” Henry raised a hand to the window of his little room. “Make it hard… Since we’re all… Weird.”

“Good point.” Yami breathed out, smoke rising and dissipating into the air. “But she still has class.”

William watched as she continued to get along with his squad members, shaking hands and patting shoulders with everyone he’s been working with and fighting beside as if she were a part of them. “What a marvel you are, Aki.”

-

“So were you planning on letting me know tomorrow morning or were you going to go on your date with the Captain of the Golden Dawn dressed like you normally are?” Vanessa strolled into Aki’s room, looking for all intents and purposes like it was her own.

Aki crossed her arms, hiding the identical yellow top and black skirt she’d hung up to wear tomorrow. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Nothing, you’re just always wearing them.” Vanessa shook her head.

Aki smirked, seeing a chance for mischief and taking it. “Ah, your clothing choices make so much sense now. You see, in our society, we always wear clothes, Vanessa.” She snickered.

“You know what I mean, you little menace.” Vanessa threw a pillow at her before complaining exasperatedly. “You should spruce up a little. It pays to go on these things feeling pretty, Aki.”

In the back of her mind, Aki heard the muttering and moaning of nobles and of women. An amalgamation of all the jeers and scoffs formed a symphony of doubt that bombarded her each time she’d thought about following her heart, about possibly maybe accepting.

“Well, you can have at it. I doubt I’ll feel pretty no matter what you do.” She murmured, the voices finally dying down.

Vanessa sat next to her, troubled but still eager to help. “I don’t think this has anything to do with your outfit, then. But come on, let’s talk about it while we decide on one.” She gestured for her to scoot over so they were closer to each other.

Aki sighed, dragging herself across her bed with her pillow in hand. She didn’t want to delve into her psyche right now, but it looked like this was happening either way. And honestly, she wanted to feel good about herself too. “Alright.” She threw her closet open. “What should I talk about first?”

“For starters, why don’t you think you’re pretty?” Vanessa waved her fingers across the air, pulling all of her clothes across her thread for inspection. “And do you have a preference apart from yellow and black? You’re a walking Black Bull advert.”

Pointing to the small selection of white and red clothes in the bottom row of the closet, Aki began to consider how she could word her feelings on the matter. “I don’t think I’m ugly or anything. It’s just… it’s more the way Will is that intimidates me? It’s always been like that. The murmurs of people saying things about how we don’t match don’t particularly bother me anymore, it’s what they represent to me.” She struggled through her explanation, her eyes catching a nice red summer dress she forgot she owned. The pattern reminded her of the camellias William had sent. “That one.”

Vanessa’s eyes lit up when she’d spotted the dress. “Good eye.” She started putting everything back and fixing some of the stitching. “How do you feel about the Captain? Are you interested in accepting his courtship?”

“I mean, of course. He’s… he’s Will . Being loved by him no matter what the context is the most incredible thing that could ever happen to me.” Aki said in a burst of honesty that surprised even her. “If I could describe him in two words it’s painfully kind. He’s so… so down on himself. He doesn’t allow himself to be kind towards himself sometimes. Which is painful because he has unending patience for absolutely everyone. And-”

Aki stopped for a while, shooting her arms through the dress so that Vanessa could check the fit.

“And he’s the most accepting person even with how shunned he was. He’s never turned his back on anyone, not even the pettiest and most shallow people. He listens to everyone and remembers everything you say. He makes you feel like… like you’re the only person in the world.” Her voice which was loud grew quieter with every uttered proof of her admiration.

“And his magic is…” Aki breathed in, surprised to find that her nose was runny. “Will’s magic is seriously incredible. It’s probably the most amazing and beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in the world. As expected from the most amazing and beautiful person in the world.” She touched her cheek, numbly staring at the wetness that clung to her fingertips.

“I’m nothing… nothing like him.” She felt a pain constrict in her heart, her tears turning to quiet heaving sobs. “How am I supposed to just accept that someone like that has feelings for me?”

Vanessa wrapped her arms around the younger knight, waiting until she could breathe again before speaking.

“I can’t tell you what he feels or why he feels that way.” Vanessa’s voice was low, like something whispered into the air and lost forever.

“You can only find out if you ask.”

-

William had left the Golden Dawn headquarters alone, much to Alecdora’s chagrin, outfitted in his most casual clothes which were a variant of his uniform in all white aside from his red cape and black boots. Any other changes to his appearance would draw attention from his squad members. As it was, many stares followed him when he emerged from his quarters without his Golden Dawn robes. His mask stayed on which would make it hard to remain unnoticed by the public but he hoped people would understand by his state of dress that he was off duty.

The closer he got to the Black Bulls’ base, the more uncertain he was about his clothes. Aki wouldn’t mind it, he was sure. But part of him also wanted to be presentable, to be seen as attractive in the same way he was attracted to her.

Speaking of the girl, Aki emerged from the mishmash of a building in a red floral summer dress, her hair down with a red ribbon tying up any strands that could obscure her face.

Descending on his broom, William greeted his friend with a smile. “You look stunning, Aki.”

“Thank you. You clean up well, as usual.” Aki reached out, startling him by wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. “Ah sorry, I missed you a lot. I’ve wanted to do that for a while.” She murmured.

“And I you, my friend.” He returned the hug, squeezing lightly, pleased at how neatly she fit in his arms.

Yami appeared next to them, frowning. “Break it up and get going already.” He grumbled, pulling at Finral’s collar so that he could transport them away faster. “Remove them from here before they make us all hurl.”

Aki pulled back, rolling her eyes at her brother. “Whatever you say, Captain.” She saluted, her arm slotting through William’s comfortably. “If you would be so kind.” Aki nodded to Finral in thanks.

“Of course, Aki.” Finral waved in a gesture that it was fine before opening a portal.

Aki looked up at her companion curiously. “Do you have a preference, Will?”

“I’m open to suggestions.” He shrugged lightly.

With a smile, Aki pulled him through the portal and to what looked like the main streets of the Capital. “I promise I’m not trying to remind you of work.” She laughed, entertained by the confused look on his face. “While we did those patrols, I loved taking these morning shifts because of all the fresh food you could get. I’m trying to see if they still have the stuff from before.” She explained, already waving back to an older lady who offered her a muffin all the while welcoming her back after so long.

The lady turned her gaze from Aki to William, her dimples deepening in affection. “Captain Vangeance, I see your little lady has returned to you.” She cooed, chortling when Aki blushed the same shade as her dress. “I remember all of the burglars you two caught around here. You were always so proud of each other and happy to see each other. No one ever believes an old crone like me when I say you have your heart set on someone. I was concerned when the Magic Parliament got their hands on you dear!” She walked around the storefront and started loading various muffins and bread and snacks into a basket.

“I did endanger a whole bunch of people.” Aki pointed out nervously.

“Hush hush. If you meant to do something like that this darling wouldn’t be here with you. He’s got a good eye, this boy. Your Golden Dawn lads and lasses are very good to us.” She flapped an arm to silence Aki and then patted William’s arm, smoothly draping the basket’s handle over it.

Aki grabbed the lady’s hand in thanks, slipping the payment into her palm and then pulling William away. “Thank you, he… he’s really very kind to me. As you have been. We’ll be on our way now!” She waved to her and then continued down the street with William keeping step next to her.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but she makes good food.” Aki said with a sigh, reaching into the basket, letting out an elated yip when she found a cookie.

“She’s right.” William patted a hand against the arm Aki had wrapped around his reassuringly. “I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to say so, but I know you never did anything wrong. Not intentionally.”

“I know, it’s…” Aki agreed, munching on the cookie so she could find the words. “Now that my control is much better, I feel better about it. About making those mistakes. My intentions were to protect her, Freese’s daughter, and my dedication towards protecting the kingdom hasn't changed.”  

“I had no doubt that they would remain that way.” William smiled, taking some bread crumbs from the basket and spreading them across the ground for the birds to peck at.

Aki watched as William continued to do that every few steps, the birds chirping louder now that they’d caught on to the benevolence of their benefactor. “How?” She asked, laughing when William reached into the basket and began to point to the bread crumbs at the bottom. “I mean how are you so sure? How do you have so much faith?” She asked, her voice softening to a whisper in embarrassment. “In me, I mean.”

William’s mouth dropped open, scrambling to correct her perspective. “Aki, I don’t think you understand how much your friendship… how much your care meant to me. You may have looked up to me but I found comfort in you in every moment we spent together. Your time and your honesty, the determination you had in pursuing a friendship with me. I had never felt more seen than I did when I was with you.” He cleared his throat, a little shy but knowing how important it was to be honest with her as she had always been with him. “I felt like I could live another day just to see you again.”

“Will.” Aki said breathlessly, smiling like a fool when he ushered her to sit at a bench to catch her breath. “Y-Yeah, let’s sit down. Honestly, how could you sweep me off my feet like this?” She stuttered, brushing her fingers against each other to stop them from shaking.

“I promised to return your care a hundred fold. I would think you’d be responsible enough to prepare yourself since you were forewarned.” He, William Vangeance, teased. Aki knew about his wicked sense of humor but he really wasn’t holding anything back anymore.

“What I would have given to see you joking around like this back then.” She mused, swinging her legs side to side. “I would have given you the world.”

“I felt the same.” William said, eyes never straying from her face. “I would still.”

“I want to let you.”

William’s eyes widened in shock.

“You really rattled me, I don’t think I can quite…” Aki breathed in and out deeply, eyes glassy when she finally looked back at him. “Could you catch me up a little? Just for now?” She asked.

William nodded, elaborating on the events of the years she’d been gone, about the rise of the Golden Dawn, about their achievements. While he was in the middle of a retelling of Yuno gaining the power of the Wind Spirit, they’d cleared the basket of food and wandered around to get lunch. William made it a point to pay this time claiming that she paid for “breakfast”.

Several vendors recognised William and they waved away offers of free items and food once again. Thankfully, not many nobles were around in this area of the Capital. From the corner of his eye, William could have sworn he caught sight of a red cat or a flash of light ricocheting off a steel surface.

They brought their lunch to a nearby park and under the shade of a tree, William talked about Patri and the elves, about his squad members’ struggle against the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and about the truth behind the story of the Wizard King.

“You-” Aki’s eyes fluttered, the motion fascinating William for a second. “You almost died. He almost stole your body.” She shook her head.

“He was and still is my friend.” He retorted, watching Aki’s awe and annoyance and interest swirling in the grey of her irises.

“You’re so kind.” She leaned forward, the top of her head bumping against his chest. “You’re way too kind. I can’t believe you.” She continued to bump her head against him.

William placed a hand on the back of her head to stop her. “I can’t say I regret anything apart from doubting our Wizard King.” He admitted.

“I know you don’t.” Aki sighed, breathing deeply until she had the courage to look up at him and smile. “After all, your kindness is what I love most about you.”

William let go of her, letting the girl take his hands in hers. He could feel her palms shaking even through the fabric of his gloves and he shook them off so that the warmth of his hands could calm her. “You can take your time.” He reassured.

“I’m okay, better than okay.” She giggled, his favorite kind, the kind that fluttered uncontrollably in a giddy way, one that meant she was thrilled though she was embarrassed. “I might just be an intermediate wizard, and a foreign peasant. I might not be in control of myself all the time. And I might have times when being around other people makes me so nervous I can’t speak. But I’m through with hiding behind all of that. Even if I’m not strong enough yet, I want to become the person who stands next to you.”

“Aki-” William watched as her eyes turned glassy with happy tears, tears of triumph over her obstacles. He couldn’t be prouder, he couldn’t be more in love. “Are you-”

And then, with all her courage and honesty, she answered.

“Yes.”

Aki surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Yes, please court me.” She continued, laughing loudly enough for everyone in the clearing to hear if there were people, her whole body shaking from the force of it. “And for the love of Clover if you don’t kiss me right now I will knock you out.” She said, hiding her flaming blush against his cheek.

And William remembered.

“Wait. I-” He eased her back into a sitting position, his hands slowly reaching up to his mask. “I need to do something first.”

Aki’s face contorted in surprise, her hands softly caressing his. “Will, you don’t have to-”

“I want to.” He said adamantly, his voice softening as her expression turned to concern. She was always an open book to him. “It’s only fair that you know who it is you’re standing next to.” He reasoned, if only to console her.

Slowly, with one hand holding hers and another on his mask, he revealed himself to her with both eyes open.

And her tears began to fall but her smile remained radiant, as bright and pure white as Magnolias on a cold night six years ago. “Thank you. I-I don’t know how to show you but I trust you too.” She said, cupping his cheek and gasping at the warmth and softness of his face, at the piercing intensity of his eyes as he looked back at her.

“You don’t have to. I know you do.” William smiled, his eyes creasing from the fondness and joy. “It’s what I love most about you.” He responded, a little proud of himself for the comeback.

Aki snorted, too happy to be embarrassed about it. “Wow, credit me at least.”

“Sorry, love.” He gave in, pressing his lips to her forehead, thumbing away the damp lines left by her tears. “Originally quoted by Sukehiro Aki, the love of my life.”

“Say that again.” Aki said, breathless once again.

Instead of saying it, from his pocket he’d produced a familiar seed unfurling next to them and stretching over them with bunches of white flowers.

“What tree is this, Will?” Aki grinned, picking at the white petals that fell onto his hair and running her fingers through it lightly.

“A tree that can make me brave.” William whispered back, like a secret.

“Is your Faith back then?” She asked, gasping as he leaned closer, her breath caressing his face, the face he was afraid to show, the face he trusted her to see.

“She is.”

And against her lips, he mouthed an answer.

“And I still love her. And I always will.”

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

A/N: FUN FLOWER FACTS!!

Magnolias:

Magnolias are supposed to have existed since the beginning of time.

It represents longevity and perseverance which is pretty apt since Aki asks for something to make her brave. - But it also resonates with William’s own story, the traits that made him brave.

It also means a love of nature and kind of a feminine charm, both traits William sees in her.

More ironically, it also means nobility and dignity. Things William sees in her that she doesn’t see in herself.

If they’re white, they also symbolise the moon.

Camellias:

Camellias are more common in Japanese culture. I like to think William asked Yami for advice on this, wanting to get flowers that remind her of home or to symbolise his acceptance of her foreign roots.

In China, it represents a long lasting bond. See this excerpt from ftd by Design...

“The delicately layered petals represent the woman, and the calyx (the green leafy part of the stem that holds the petals together) represents the man who protects her. The two components are joined together, even after death. Typically when the petals of a flower fall off, the calyx will stay intact. With camellias however, the calyx and petals fall away together, which is why the camellia also represents eternal love or long-lasting devotion.”

The colors mean:

White: Adoration and is given to someone who is well-liked. Pink: A longing for someone and is given to someone who is missed. Red: Love, passion, and deep desire.

Originally, I chose the Camellias just for the Japanese connection but it ended up being really apt for how William feels.

[mattsammonsez]

Hockey’s Voice

Sometimes you meet people who embody everything you believe makes a good person. Mike “Doc” Emrick is one of those people, and I enjoyed the few times we interacted in the past 13 years.

Mike “Doc” Emrick in his second home. 

When you work in sports broadcasting, your path crosses with the paths of a lot of prominent people, including athletes, coaches, and executives. It’s all part of the job, and admittedly one of the many perks that comes with the territory. While it’s fun to cross paths with these people, there are a select few where you feel blessed that your paths crossed. Mike “Doc” Emrick is one of those people, and you always felt like you knew him and he knew you all your life even if your real life interaction was only 5 minutes. With the announcement from Emrick earlier this week that he is retiring from calling NHL games, I wanted to share a few stories about the times my path fortunately and blessedly crossed with Doc’s.

Like many people my age, we got to know Doc on a regular basis on national television. For me, it was his weekly appearances on the NHL on Fox game of the week in the mid 90’s, as well as numerous New Jersey Devils highlights earlier in the decade as that team was building into a dominant team. In 2005, Doc became the primary voice on the NHL on OLN broadcasts (later Versus, then NBC Sports Network). In 2006, I became the pregame host of Tampa Bay Lightning radio broadcasts, and as I started to settle into my role that season I started gaining new job duties. One of those duties was to pull together guest interviews for our weekly radio show Lightning Hockey Night. In the 2007 playoffs, the Lightning drew the Devils in the first round, and thus my first interaction with Doc would happen as I was trying to get a guest for the program.

We weren’t looking to get Doc on the show as a live guest, but with Doc at the time still calling Devils games I figured he’d be the perfect guest for the show as he was a well-known voice and face even to hockey fans in Florida. Before the morning skate of game 4 with the Lightning up 2-1 in the series, I introduced myself to Doc and asked him if I could get him for just a few minutes to talk about the series. He said he could, and we continued with our usual morning skate routine for the next couple of hours. I hung around the rink until the Devils were done with their skate, and after the locker rooms were closed to the media I approached Doc again to see if he was still able to do a quick interview. This was close to 1 p.m., and with a game starting at 7 or 7:30 that night Doc had plenty of prep to do. Plus his color analyst, the humorous Glenn “Chico” Resch was hungry and wanted lunch. Yet when I politely asked, Doc without hesitation obliged and we sat down in the stands for a few minutes to discuss the series. It was such a special moment, and such a fun interview, I’ve saved it 13 years and counting.

Emrick yucking it up as Jim Carr, the carpet-coiffed play-by-play announcer for the Johnstown Jets in the cult classic film Slap Shot, at Hockeyville USA, 2015.

Fast forward to September 2015. I’m now the Director of Broadcasting & Programming for the Lightning, and I’m on the team plane to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as the Lightning and Penguins will be squaring off in the first Kraft Hockeyville USA preseason game. Game day was hectic, as the NHL and NBC rolled out the red carpet not only for both teams but for as much Slap Shot as possible since Johnstown was the location of the film shoot 40 years earlier. Along with being that night’s radio engineer for our broadcast, my mission was to pull together as many interviews as possible for a podcast on the event. Knowing the legendary Hanson Brothers would be there, I targeted an interview with them which I was able to score. 

The Cambria County War Memorial Arena was opened in 1950, when comforts such as being able to stretch your legs were not baked into many civic building blueprints. In a tiny locker room I waited for the Hansons to come in, and I did so next to Doc who agreed to also do an interview with me once I was done with the Hansons. The Hansons came in, and not only played the part of their characters well for my interview, but they too were incredibly friendly and great to talk to. While the interview went on, there was that brief fleeting moment in my head; “I’m interviewing three of the greatest hockey movie characters while one of the greatest hockey announcers is sitting in the background watching this.” Quite the moment to say the least. After my conversation with the Hansons, I sat down with Doc to talk to him about what the game meant to him, a former college teacher and newspaper writer in Western Pennsylvania 45 years earlier. You could sense in Doc’s eyes and voice this Hockeyville experience in his old backyard with all the Slap Shot fun and frivolity mixed in was quite the moment for him. The Hanson Brothers and Doc interviews were the cornerstone of my podcast, and all these years later it’s still one of my favorite podcasts of more than 100 I did.

Emrick could make any broadcast better, including a Morning Skate Show in desperate need of some good news in 2018.

Fast forward to May 2018. We’re not in the preseason, we’re in the thick of the postseason, and the Lightning are about to battle the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final. Prior to game one at the morning skate, Doc and I are two of seemingly 200 people gathering around Alex Ovechkin for pregame interviews. We looked on from a distance, laughing more at the spectacle then actually listening to anything Ovechkin was saying. When the scrum was done, I casually asked Doc if we could have him as a guest on our streaming video program The Morning Skate Show when the series shifted to Washington D.C. for game 3. Doc said he wanted to, we just needed to route the request through NBC public relations, which is always a coin flip on if your wish gets granted. Thankfully for us, it was.

Never before did we need a personality like Doc Emrick like we did then. The Caps humiliated the Lightning for two easy wins in Tampa before the series went to our nation’s capital. In planning for the show, we decided to talk as little as possible about the first two games, and simply turn the show into the Doc Emrick talent show. For almost 45 minutes, Doc talked about everything from the NHL playoffs to memories of AHL games in Halifax 40 years ago when birds in the rafters of the old Halifax Forum pooped on the ice during games. At the end of the show he very quietly but confidently reminded our viewers that if any team was able to get out of 0-2 hole to the Caps, it was the Lightning. It was the reassurance and the fun story telling we all needed, and low and behold the Lightning rallied for three-straight wins before the Caps pulled it together and won the series in seven games on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship. As of 2019, it was still one of the most-watched episodes of the show.

Finally, fast forward to October 2019. Two months earlier, I was informed my position was being “eliminated” at the Lightning, but I refused to be eliminated from the scene. Newly hired to provide a weekly Metro Express podcast to the Philadelphia Flyers (and later the Capitals), I arrived at Amalie Arena for a morning skate prior to a Lightning and Penguins game that was being aired nationally on NBC that night. Once I found out Doc was on the call, I knew I needed to get him for a few minutes to talk Metropolitan Division hockey. I saw Doc sitting in the first couple of rows of seats when I arrived, and I quickly slipped in next to him and asked if I could get his thoughts real quickly. Doc was there to study lines and defensive pairings of both teams, and now at the age of 74 had to double-check all players and facts before putting on another flawless broadcast that night. I was very respectful of his time, and as always he was respectful enough to grant me a few minutes of his busy day.

While there were many similarities to that first interview with Doc in 2007, this time around technology would come back to bite me. Feeling satisfied my iPhone would work as a microphone just fine, I started the interview. Midway through Doc’s first answer, my phone started ringing, cutting off the voice memo app I was using. Thankfully I silenced my phone so it merely buzzed, but in my head I was cursing while Doc was talking. There was no way I was going to ask him to start over again, I was just going to have to eat the moment as I feverishly hung up on the call and pressed record on the voice memo again. While I did this without interrupting Doc’s thoughts, I still got a good 7-8 minutes from him and used it in that week’s show. It was special to connect with Doc again, and I was reminded even as a veteran hockey broadcaster at this time to never ever again do an important interview on my iPhone.

Doc’s retirement announcement didn’t come totally as a surprise to me. I figured with COVID-19 still a factor in our lives for at least the next year or two, the last place a 75-year-old cancer survivor needs to be is in a pressurized airplane cabin or travelling from one cold city to another in the winter. And even though Doc is a pro’s pro, it’s extremely difficult to call a game from a television screen. Whoever is named his successor at NBC has some very big shoes to fill. 

As for me, my career has moved forward from my exit with the Lightning, and while potentially great things await I don’t know if I’ll be able to cover a daily beat in an NHL arena anytime soon. That’s perfectly fine with me, as I’m always looking for a new challenge and can’t wait to see what is ahead for me and my family. That also adds even more emotional value to the times my path crossed with Doc’s path. Hockey fans have been blessed to have him as a prime voice for decades, and I was blessed to interact with him several times in my career. A visit from this doctor was always welcome in the homes and hearts of hockey fans.

[backtothestart02]

The Heart of the Matter - 8/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: A little bit of a shorter chap, and where my fic starts to differ from the movie, but I hope y’all still enjoy!

...

Chapter 7 -

Ralph sped as fast as he could to the hospital on the far side of town, but by the time Barry had raced inside and gotten to his mother’s side, she was seconds away from taking her last breath.

“Mom?” he said softly, coming down to kneel beside her. He took her hand in his own. “Mom, it’s me. It’s Barry.”

Her gaze was hazy, traveling around the room aimlessly.

“Barry?”

“I’m right here, Mom.” He patted her hand and finally she found him.

“Barry,” she said, overjoyed. “Oh, Barry, my baby.”

“Tell me what happened,” he implored. “I know Dad couldn’t have done this. I know it.”

Nora shook her head, tears seeping out and falling down pale cheeks.

“He didn’t,” she assured. “He didn’t mean…” Her eyes rolled back.

“Mom? Mom!”

“Love you, Barry,” she breathed, and then she was gone.

Seconds later, Jesse burst through the door, her hair gone a bit wild from dancing and a punch stain on her dress.

“Mom?”

Barry looked up at her with tear-stained cheeks. He shook his head.

“Oh, no!” She shook her head, sobbing, and Barry got to her before she collapsed onto the floor.

“She’s gone, Jess,” he said, holding her close. “She’s gone.”

“Where’s Dad?” she asked when she could finally lift her head from soaking his shirt. “Why isn’t he here?”

And Barry couldn’t bear to tell her the terrible truth, so he held her close and she willingly caved to his embrace, wracking out more sobs and shaking in his embrace.

Cisco and Ralph walked in a while later, and Wally too, who offered to take Jesse for a walk after handing her a single rose in offering for her sadness. He draped his suit jacket over her shoulders and nodded to Barry before heading down the hall with his baby sister.

“I should…call our grandparents. Or at least Mom’s parents. They should know,” he said, swallowing hard as his friends stood there saying nothing, hardly knowing what to say.

“I can do that,” came a soft voice from the doorway.

They all turned and saw Iris standing there, now in regular clothes and not a bathrobe. Tears stained her cheeks too, so she must’ve found out before entering the room.

Barry shook his head. “You don’t have to do that, Iris. And you shouldn’t. It should come from me. I’m their grandson. I-”

Iris crossed the room and took his hand in her own.

“Please, Barry. Let me do this.”

“No.” He shook his head again, faster this time, almost violent.

Iris squeezed his hand to calm him.

“Then let me be here with you when you do it.”

He sighed shakily and reluctantly nodded.

“Okay.”

…

The trial for Henry Allen in the murder of his wife went on for what felt like an eternity.

Despite Barry’s testimony that his parents were a loving, married couple who hardly ever fought and that even on Nora’s deathbed she’d said he didn’t do it fell on deaf ears. The justification being, of course, that no one else had seen or heard what Nora said, and that Nora adding ‘mean’ to her second statement implied that Henry had done it. It just hadn’t been premeditated.

Barry suspected Devoe had bribed much of the jury to vote against his father and so discredit his business and anyone who came to his defense and was in fact related, but there was nothing to be done.

Henry Allen was sent to prison for life, and no one but his son and adopted daughter visited him.

Jesse visited a lot at first, but then it became too painful for her to be constantly being reminded of the death of the only woman she could remember being a mother to her and the man who she’d called Dad her entire life who was now incarcerated for her death.

“I need to get away, Barry…from…from all of this. I need to breathe again.”

And so, Barry nodded and gave her the money he’d saved up for his own college tuition.

“Go on then, Jess. I’ll save the family business, put Dad’s affairs in order, and save up money for me to go as soon as you graduate.”

She nodded. “I’ll take over the business then. I promise, Barry. I won’t leave you here forever.”

“Oh, Jess.” And he pulled her close, holding her tightly. “I know you won’t. Now, go. Live your dream.”

She smiled weakly and prepared her things. A week later she was gone, and Barry was left to make sure Allen Brothers’ Building and Loan didn’t fall into decay as a direct result of the family tragedy. As soon as everything was in order and his uncle could get another partner to continue with him, Barry would lessen his role to save up for college. As soon as Jesse returned, he would be able to continue the life he’d dreamed of since as far back as he could remember.

Because by the time she returned, Barry swore – to himself and no one else – their father would be a free man.

[sawyer-saucee]

A New Age - Chapter 1: Brothers

Summary: It's the year 2100, and in the aftermath of a devastating world war, a corrupt organisation called BlueLight has taken over the entire world. Those born in the capital city are treated to a life of luxury... but those outside of it are not so lucky. Logan Sanders and his loudmouth little brother Roman are two brothers doing all they can to stay alive in the ruins of New York. Meanwhile, Virgil Fawcett and the love of his life, Patton Hart, dream of a better life in the capital city. 

When tragedy befalls their families, can Logan and Virgil outwit a corrupt government to save the lives of those they love most?

Word Count: 1460

Warnings: Mentions of death, starvation, and arguing

AN: Hey all! This is my first big multi-chapter fic and I’d appreciate any support for it that you can give! I’m really proud of what I’ve done so far, and I think that this story is going to be a super fun one to explore! Enjoy!

AO3 | Chapter 2

Logan glanced around the desolate streets of New York City. Old, unlit neon signs hung precariously from buildings, dangling from wires that were ready to snap with just the smallest bit of pressure. He could relate. Rubble littered the cracked cement of the sidewalk and stray cats wandered in and out of collapsed buildings, looking for something to eat. The place was a wasteland, but Logan had never known anything else.

He often wondered about the faraway society of BlueLight. Though he heard the story of its creation and saw pictures projected onto what was left of the big screen in Times Square every year, he longed to see it for himself. Though he considered himself to be a hard and fast realist, Roman’s elaborate stories about someday sparking a revolution and overthrowing the government were…entertaining, to say the least. And he had to admit, imagining a better future, no matter how ludicrous it seemed, did lend some motivation. You had to have something to get you through the long, dreary days out here.

He was pulled from his thoughts when his stomach growled. Though he was used to running on very little of anything, lately he and his brother had been going on empty. Roman liked to complain loudly about it, which Logan found terribly obnoxious.

“Logan!”

Well, speak of the devil.

Logan turned and jumped off of the tin roof where he had been standing, ducking into the small shelter where he and his brother lived. It wasn’t much - Logan theorized that it had once been a part of a supermarket, perhaps the storage room, evidenced by the thick concrete walls and decaying wooden shelves. No matter where it had come from, though, it was sturdy and safe. Roman had taken charge of decorating it as well. Broken fairy lights were draped across the shelves over the tattered mattress they shared, and a litany of sharpie doodles covered the walls. There were even some folded paper cranes lining the shelves. So, considering the circumstances, it almost resembled an actual home.

“Yes, Roman?” Logan found his brother draped dramatically over a wooden crate, a hand over his eyes. “What is it now?”

“I’m hungry!” Roman whined, rolling off of the box to sprawl himself across the floor. “We haven’t eaten in days! Can’t we just go out scavenging?”

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We’ve had this conversation before, Roman. You know what I’m going to tell you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Roman pouted. “‘Just wait until the supply drop, Roman. It’s too dangerous.’” He motioned grandly with his hands as he mimicked Logan. “You’ve said it a million times. That doesn’t mean that I’m not hungry.”

“The drop is tomorrow afternoon. I think you’ll survive.” Logan deadpanned, climbing back up through the hole in the roof.

Roman crossed his arms and scowled. “But, Logan-”

“No!” Logan’s shout rang throughout the small space. “You are significantly more likely to be killed by raiders if you go out scavenging than you are to die of starvation in the next twelve hours!”

Taken aback, Roman stared silently at his brother, struggling to think of a response. To be fair, Logan was right, but he didn’t have to be so rude about it. After a moment, he sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest. “I know. I just…I’m so hungry that I feel sick. And tomorrow is so far away.”

“I…” Logan winced, internally chastising himself for being so harsh. “I’m sorry, I know. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

His brother shrugged, half-heartedly muttering, “It’s fine,” but Logan knew that he didn’t mean it. He crouched down to Roman’s level, taking his hand.

“Look at me, Roman.” Roman complied, resting his chin on his brother’s dry, cracked hands. How many ‘tomorrows,’ so to speak, have you made it through so far?” Roman stared blankly at his brother. “I’m too hungry to do math, you’re going to have to help me out with this one.” “In your 15 years, roughly 5,340.” Logan allowed himself a fond half-smile. “Don’t you think you can make it through one more? It really isn’t so long in the grand scheme of things.”

Roman nodded. “I isn’t. I’m sorry too, Lo, you’re...right. Bleh,” He playfully shoved his brother away, watching him fall backwards onto the mattress. “I hate telling you you’re right.”

“Only because you know it’s true, Ro.”

Roman seemed to light up all of a sudden, jumping to his feet. “You should let me come with you to the drop tomorrow! I’m old enough now, right?”

“No, absolutely not,” Logan answered immediately, all playfulness in his tone suddenly gone. “The answer is the same as it was last year. You will stay here.”

“What?!” Roman crossed his arms. “That’s not fair! I’m 15 years old, Logan, I’m ready! What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Are you- Roman, listen!” Roman felt Logan’s hands on his shoulders and watched his eyes lock onto his own, trapping him with a deadly serious gaze. “The drop is dangerous. More dangerous than scavenging in decrepit supermarkets. Everyone in the city attends, and they’re all just as desperate as you and I are. You could be killed, and that’s not hyperbole. Besides, there will be BlueLight officials there and I don’t believe you’d be able to keep your opinions to yourself.”

“Well, maybe if they’d actually follow through on that stupid ‘plan for improvement’ that they read out every damn year, I wouldn’t need to have such dangerous opinions!”

“This is what I mean, Roman!” He could feel his frustration starting to bubble over, and it took everything he had not to let it explode. “I wouldn’t be able to keep track of you, or- or keep you safe-”

“I don’t need you to coddle me, Logan!” Roman yelled, ripping himself away from his brother’s grasp. “You started going to supply drops when you were twelve! What makes you so much better than me, huh?”

This was ridiculous. Logan clenched his fists tightly at his sides, still fighting to control his temper. “I went because I had to, Roman. You know that. When Mia died, I had to start taking care of you, and I will continue to do so. Meaning, you are not going to that supply drop. You will stay here and wait for me to return, just like every year.”

“And if you don’t come back? Just like Aunt Mia?”

“You’ve always trusted that I’ll come back, Roman. You’re only bringing this up now as a ploy to get me to change my mind. It won’t work.”

“I-” Roman let out a frustrated shout, gesturing wildly to cover up the fact that he didn’t have a defense. “I hate you sometimes! You act so kind one second and the next, you’re treating me like a child!”

“You are a child!” Logan yelled.

Suddenly, the room was silent.

“You are a child,” he said again, his tone softening. “And I will not risk losing you just to satisfy your ego. Do you understand?” Roman didn’t reply, instead electing to scowl viciously and plant himself on a crate, his back to Logan.

Logan, too, was silent. Surely, Roman would understand one day. And even if he didn’t, if he stayed resentful for the rest of his life, at least he would be resentful and alive. Logan only did what made sense for the both of them, and risking Roman’s life to do something that Logan could do by himself like he had been doing for years…it was illogical.

When the silence became too stifling, Logan said, “We should get some sleep. I know you must be exhausted, and lack of sleep can negatively affect your memory, it weakens your immune system, and it can-”

“Shut up, I get it,” Roman grumbled, picking himself up off the crate. Immediately, he pressed a hand to his forehead, swaying unsteadily on his feet. He stumbled back a few steps, sending the crate sliding across the floor. Logan grabbed his arm, helping him over to the mattress to lie down.

“Be careful, Roman, your blood pressure is very low right now, due to the fact that you haven’t been eating regularly. Standing too suddenly can cause you to become dizzy-”

“I said shut up!” Roman snapped, curling up in the fetal position. “Save your stupid facts for someone who cares.”

Logan reminded himself that a prolonged state of hunger could also cause irritability, and tried not to be too offended.

“Right.” He mumbled, lying down beside his brother. Roman shuffled as far away from him as possible, staring intently at the wall. “Goodnight, Roman.”

Despite the tension lingering between them, Logan sighed with relief when he heard Roman whisper, “Goodnight, Lo.”