#it's always 'well at a certain point she gets frustrated by X and Y'

[draconifay]

I feel like more people need to understand this:

Just because you're frustrated or upset at someone, doesn't mean it's okay to say and do hurtful things to them.

You're allowed to feel your feelings, but please communicate in a CONSTRUCTIVE way with someone so you can better problem solve rather than taking out your frustrations on someone. ESPECIALLY if what they're doing to frustrate you is not out of malice.

If it IS out of malice, and they don't change, you set boundaries or remove yourself from the situation if you can.

If it's not though - you're just barring any chance of working through issues with someone when you go on the offense by default. And it doesn't help fix anything.

[rennalaqotfm]

𖤓 DRAGONSPEAR | J.V (PART IV)

Pairing: Prince Jacaerys Velaryon x Martell Princess! Reader

Synopsys: Upon discovering Aemond Targaryen's alliance with the Triarchy, the Blacks are pushed to the point of desperation. With the war looming over the horizon, they have no choice but to turn to an unlikely ally: House Martell.

Content Warning: Sexual content (but MDNI 18+ just to be safe), dry humping (-ish?), violence, alcohol consumption, toxic dynamics, swearing, themes of prejudice and misogynism, and a lot of 'fucking politicking,' as King Viserys said, (not proofread).

WC: 5.6k

Series Masterlist

(A/N and taglist at the end of the chapter)

As the winds guided Ser Tyland's ship to the Free Cities, the excitement regarding the wedding of the future Princess of Dorne and the Crown Prince buzzed in the air. No ravens had to be sent, for the whispers began within the palace walls, spread through the bustling streets of Sunspear, and were carried by the desert winds across the dunes, reaching the furthest Dornish houses.

Princess Y/n sat before her mirror, watching her handmaiden, Melynda, fasten the back of her dress. A sweet girl of one-and-twenty, Melynda had been brought from Pentos on a cramped boat, a former slave traded by her master for coin. Ever since she had served the Princess with quiet devotion, her nimble fingers always making a masterpiece out of her.

Despite being draped in the finest fabrics of deep sapphire, adorned with intricate golden swirls and beads of amber, Y/n stared blankly at her reflection. The celebrations leading to the wedding were set to last a fortnight, a long stretch filled with feasts, ceremonies, and endless politicking. In mere hours, she would be facing the guests, forced to smile and charm as she and the Velaryon boy persuaded them to align with Rhaenyra's cause. She didn't even know where to begin looking for the strength and willpower she had to gather to convince those lords to join a war she herself didn't fully believe in.

“Is it too tight, Princess?” Melynda asked meekly, noting how Y/n had remained quiet the whole time she had been preparing her. "Princess?"

Suddenly, Y/n's bottom lip began to quiver as she felt a knot forming in her throat. 

“Gods be damned…” she muttered, feeling her tears pooling in her eyes. “How did it all come to this?” 

“If it's too tight, mayhaps I could—”

“Of course, it’s bloody tight! It’s damn near crushing my guts!” the Princess burst out, causing her handmaiden to stumble backward, her hands trembling. “I apologise, Melynda,” she sniffed, feeling the guilt pool in her chest. It wasn’t the first time she had taken her anger and frustration out on the younger girl. Of all the people in the palace, she was the least deserving of such crude treatment. “It’s just—”

“I understand, Princess,” Melynda smiled sadly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Y/n held her hand softly, holding back her cries. “To be betrothed to someone who you don't truly love must be a punishment for the soul.”

“I’ve been trying to avoid this all these years. Gods forbid a woman who wants to live a life free from all this nonsense," she muttered bitterly.

“You are to be the Princess of Dorne. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“But not with a Targaryen… someone who sees us as nothing more than goatfuckers.”

“Once you get to acquainted with one another, I’m certain he’ll see past the veil of prejudice that blinds the rest of Westeros.”

“Oh, we’re well past the point of acquaintances, and I’m certain we’ve both made it clear that we’d rather kill each other than push forward with this betrothal.”

“And yet, you've hardly spent a moment alone together, away from prying eyes. Forgive me if I'm wrong, my Princess, but this hostility you feel towards one another... it feels more like the weight of your houses than your own. He’s not truly wronged you, nor have you wronged him... well, apart from the few wounds you’ve exchanged.”

“I wish it were as simple as you say, but the hatred between our houses runs deeper than that trial. We’re talking about years of bloodshed, of lives torn apart by their desire to conquer what was never theirs. How can we ever forget that? If anything, those Targaryens are only reaping what they've sown.”

“I understand, Princess, but is it truly fair to place the sins of the forefathers upon their children? Yes, the Targaryens once sought to conquer Dorne, but they failed. And since then, they’ve left us to rule our lands. Why should Prince Jacaerys suffer for the wrongdoings of his ancestors when he himself hasn't harmed you?”

“You speak the truth, Melynda. But do you truly think the rest of the Dorne will see it that way?” She stared at her handmaiden's reflection. “The pain the Targaryens have caused... it’s not just written in our histories, it’s engraved into the souls of our people.”

“I’m not saying that your betrothal to Prince Jacaerys will reconcile your houses overnight, Princess. In fact, it may take generations to heal these wounds. However, if Queen Rhaenyra proves to be the rightful and just ruler she claims to be, and honours your demands... and you and Prince Jacaerys unite the Seven Kingdoms as promised, then mayhaps it could be the beginning of something.” 

Suddenly, both women were startled by a knock on the door.

“Yes?” Y/n cleared her throat.

“My Princess,” Ser Domeric said from the other side. “The guests have begun to arrive, and your presence is expected shortly.”

Princess Y/n quickly composed herself, ensuring that any trace of sorrow had vanished from her face, and replaced her semblance with a mask of indifference.

The late afternoon breeze crept through the palace windows, stirring the heavy air in the Hall but doing little to lift the mood. Spirits were low and the lingering music was drowned out by the quiet murmurs of the guests. Lords and ladies from House Yronwood to House Qorgyle had traversed across the arid deserts to Sunspear, not out of enthusiasm, but out of duty, their gazes shifting warily as they gathered to pay tribute to the Princess. Even Y/n herself, appeared as though she wished to be anywhere else.

At the high table, the Martells sat alongside the Targaryens, not able to look one another eye to eye. They faced the great houses, whose semblance didn’t hide their disdain for the dragonriders. They showed no efforts for forced pleasantries, bracing themselves for the next chapter of conflict rather than celebrating a wedding that would unite the Seven Kingdoms.

Before anything, Prince Qoren stood up, ready to speak before his people.

“It is truly an honour to welcome you all this evening, and I thank each and every one of you for making the long journey to Sunspear. Tonight, we gather not only to celebrate the betrothal of my beloved daughter, Princess Y/n Martell, to the Crown Prince Jacaerys Velaryon... but also, the union between House Martell and House Targaryen,” he spoke, the enthusiasm fading in his voice. 

The crowd fell into an immediate hush, the lords and ladies exchanging uncertain glances, some full of resentment, and some full of disgust. Y/n felt each pressing gaze suffocating her and tried to hide her discomfort behind the rim of her cup, already expecting those pessimistic reactions. After all, who in their right mind would willingly wed a Targaryen?

“Out of all of the suitors that have lost their lives willing to serve you and our realm, you chose to spare the one whose ancestors sought to conquer our lands?” Lady Liara from House Briar’s voice trembled, barely able to hold back her anger. “Could you not have shown mercy to my sweet boy Eldritch instead?”

The Princess had always been taught to hold back in such moments, especially in front of such a large audience, but before she could stop herself, the words were already spilling out of her mouth.

“My Lady,” Y/n began, trying to push down the feeling of irritation rising up her chest. “Remind me… who sent your son, alone, to seek my hand? As far as I know, someone that young shouldn’t be burdened with ‘providing me a strong heir’ or ‘making Dorne more prosperous than it already is.’ Those aren’t words a boy of three-and-ten should be speaking.” 

Lady Liara sank back to her seat with a scowl. The Princess’ gaze swept across the Hall, their faces etched with grief and bitterness, never forgetting the lives lost in pursuit of her hand. 

Whilst the guests sat in silence, waiting for either Prince Qoren or Princess Y/n to justify such a decision, Rhaenyra seized the moment to capture the crowd’s attention. She cleared her throat and rose slowly, her lilac eyes lingering on each guest, meeting the same eyes that had carried pent-up hatred for generations.

“By coming here, we are not denying the sins of House Targaryen,” she paused, allowing her words to settle, her gaze never leaving the crowd.  “I understand that to many of you, we are still the enemy. I am aware of the blood that was spilled and the pain that has lingered for generations. But the true enemies now are the Greens, who have usurped the Throne and seek to bring all of Westeros to its knees. And I know Dorne will not bend without a fight. Join us, and we will stand together. We can prevent the war that the Greens will bring to your lands.”

Despite Rhaenyra's words, the guests still mumbled with one another and her plea fell on indifferent ears. She clasped her hands together, holding her composure.

“So, the Greens are the enemies now, eh?" A voice echoing across the hall finally broke through the whispers. “To them, you are the usurper. And as far as we are concerned, they have yet to come to our lands to pester us with this petty war of yours.”

“Do not mistake their silence for mercy, my Lord. When they come, they will not ask. They will take. And by then, it may be too late to decide where your loyalties lie,” Daemon retorted.

“They have left us with no other choice,” Lord Lysander Dayne scowled. “Is this why you brought these beasts? So they can burn us if we refuse to join?”

Upon the mere mention of the dragons, the fear of the crowd became palpable. Prince Qoren’s face was flushed with anger, seeing that the celebration had somehow turned into a council meeting.

“Enough of this nonsense!” Prince Qoren bellowed, rising to his feet and jabbing his fist to the table. "We are here to celebrate the upcoming wedding of my daughter, not to squabble over this bloody war! If I hear more of it tonight, I’ll throw you in a pit of scorpions myself," his voice cut through the crowd, making the lords shrink back into their seats as he glared at Rhaenyra.

The music, which had momentarily ceased, began to play again. Princess Y/n exhaled deeply, gripping her cup as she swirled the crimson liquid. If she was going to endure the remainder of this night and persuade those thick-skulled lords to support Rhaenyra, she would need wine. A lot of it. She downed the first cup, the sweet taste lingering on her palate as her gaze shifted across the room, spotting the lords she had to sway.

Lord Lysander of House Dayne sat with his lady wife, his stern face etched with displeasure. He had made it clear where he stood, opposing any involvement in the war. Yet, he was infamously known for his ambition; he was the sort of man who would bend the knee for the right price, advancing his own house in exchange for his formidable army. Then there was Lord Thaddeus of House Yronwood, head of the second-most powerful house in Dorne, capable of providing enough supplies to sustain the armies at sea; a practical man, loyal to tradition, but always open to negotiation. On the other side of the Hall, she spotted Lord Ander of House Jordayne, who owned the largest fleet in Dorne.

Ser Domeric, being part of House Uller and their loyal informant, would provide whatever support was asked. And lastly, House Santagar, though not enthusiastic, had always been fiercely loyal to the Martells and would stand by their house regardless.

Despite the collective disappointment lingering in the air, as the feast came to an end, the guests stood up to salvage what remained of the evening. Jacaerys’ eyes followed Y/n as she rose from her seat, weaving through the multitude and making her way to Lord Lysander. The man bowed his head and extended his hand, offering the Princess a dance which she accepted with a smile that seemed far too charming than she would normally allow herself to be. Jacaerys couldn’t tear his gaze from Y/n, watching how she leaned towards Lord Lysander, her lips closely brushing his ear, as he nodded eagerly so as not to disappoint her.

“A celebration of our upcoming betrothal?” Jacaerys scoffed, already feeling his blood boil at the sight of the Princess with another man. Had they been at the Red Keep, the whispers would have already circled around, rumours of the Princess enjoying the company of other men, even while bound by a betrothal to him, that would call into question not only her honour but the legitimacy of their future children. He could already hear the council’s scandalous whispers behind closed doors–whispers that had been haunting him all his life.

“She’s quite gifted, isn’t she, my dear sister?” Elyas remarked, turning to Jacaerys. “She has a way of making men dance in the palm of her hand.”

“Only if one is foolish enough to fall for whatever games she is playing,” Jacaerys muttered.

Jacaerys and Elyas watched how Lord Lysander placed a kiss on top of her hand. With one final whisper, she slipped away from his arms and disappeared into the crowd, only to be seen again; that time with Lord Ander, who offered the Princess his hand without hesitation. 

“There are a couple of things you should know about her,” Elyas said with a sneer, glancing at the Princess. “One of them is… you’ll never be her only one.”

“You need not tell me what I can already see. It seems your sister is not familiar with the notion of faithfulness.”

“Faithfulness? As far as I’m aware, neither of you are bound by vows just yet,”  Elyas grinned, noting how Jacaerys clearly wasn’t enjoying the conversation. "But listen, this celebration isn’t meant for you to sulk in a corner, watching my sister dance with every lord in Dorne. It's for indulging. There’s a place not too far from the palace, where we know how to truly celebrate. Who knows? You might not even survive this war you’re throwing yourself into. You may as well enjoy the finest pleasures our land has to offer before it’s too late," Jacaerys’s knuckles whitened around his cup, his repulsion palpable, but Elyas only leaned in closer. 

As much as Jacaerys despised watching Princess Y/n flit from lord to lord, he wasn’t about to lower himself to her games. What was she trying to prove? Was she testing him, daring him to show any signs of jealousy or anger? Or mayhaps she was simply making it clear, once again, how much she misliked him?

Jacaerys refused to give Elyas the satisfaction of a response and merely shook his head. Elyas smirked, amused by Jacaerys' restraint, and stood up, ensuring he ruined the evening even more before leaving.

“Oh, and just so you know… whatever illusions you have about loyalty and honour, you'd best cast them aside. If you think my sister will suddenly change her ways after this betrothal of yours, then you’re completely wrong. I’m telling you now, she won’t. She’s as Dornish as they come… untamable and always chasing trouble. The more you tighten the leash, the more she’ll struggle to break free. And she’ll keep playing her games, whether you like them or not... so you better learn how to play them if you don't wish to end up as another one of her playthings,” Elyas said, slapping Jacaerys’ shoulder playfully before walking away.

Jacaerys hadn’t even realised how tightly he was clenching his jaw until the sound of Elyas and his sworn protector’s fading footsteps pulled him back to reality. He let out a breath, trying to shake off the bitterness away, and downed a gulp of wine.

But what he hadn’t noticed was a pair of dark wide eyes watching him from the other end of the table. It was Farien, whose gaze had been flickering between him and Elyas the whole time. When Jacaerys caught the boy's gaze, his expression softened. He set down his cup, watching how the little boy stood up and made his way over to him.

“If you marry my sister, does that mean you’ll become my brother?” Farien asked. 

“I suppose,” he forced a smile, though he wasn’t sure if the little boy was particularly glad about that.

Farien climbed on to the empty seat beside Jacaerys, glancing around the nearly deserted table and making sure none of his family members were nearby. All of the Martells were tending their own business, leaving the Targaryens seated in silence. The boy leaned in close, cupping his small hands around Jacaerys’s ear, scared that someone might hear what he had to say.

“So, does that mean I get to ride your dragon?” He whispered. 

Jacaerys looked at him, his eyes widening in surprise. 

“If your father allows you, then I suppose you could… but are you not afraid?” He asked.

“I’m really, really scared. But I wonder what it must feel like to see the world from up above. The closest I’ve ever gotten to flying is in my dreams, you know? It feels like I’m one of Father’s falcons, soaring high in the skies. Father says I have the gift to turn into one of them at night and watch over the desert,” he glanced up, his eyes gleaming in wonder.

Jacaerys looked at the boy and allowed himself to smile, as Farien somehow reminded him of his younger brother, Joffrey, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

“Anyway,” Farien continued, “I think we could be brothers, you and I. We even look alike, see?” He pointed at Jacaerys’ curls. “It would be nice to have another brother... because, well, Elyas... he’s nice, sometimes. But not always.”

Jacaerys held back a scoff, figuring as much. 

“And what about your sister?” 

“We like sneaking sweets from the kitchens and feeding them to the horses,” Farien’s eyes suddenly lit up. “And she loves fighting, too. But not the angry, shouting kind, no. She says that sometimes, fighting feels like dancing, and that’s why she enjoys it. She’s really good at it. And I think you are too. But my sister is better.”

Just as he was about to ask Farien what other things his sister enjoyed, one of the little boy’s servants approached them. 

“My Prince, your father has sent me to take you back to your chambers to rest,” she smiled at the little boy, who had no choice but to accept dejectedly.

As the servant took him in her arms, Farien waved at Jacaerys with a small smile. He nodded at the little boy, unable to stop himself from smiling back.

“At least the little one is not as irritating as the rest of his family,” Rhaenyra said as her gaze softened, noticing how the little boy never tore his eyes from them as he got further and further.

“Give him a couple of years. He will turn out exactly like his older brother,” Daemon muttered. 

Then, Jacaerys' gaze trailed back to the Princess once again, who was still locked in a dance with Lord Ander. The exchange of whispers seemed to grow more intense, as his lips lingered on the shell of her ear, making her nod as her smile never left her lips.

“Jacaerys,” Daemon’s sharp voice cut through his thoughts. “Do you not have a duty to fulfil?”

“I have been fulfilling them since the moment we arrived,” he muttered, his voice laced with irritation. As Jacaerys had been doing everything he could to uphold his duties, Daemon merely sat back, watching the spectacle he had set in motion unravel before him. 

“You have, but sitting and watching the Princess be courted by every lord in Dorne is not one of them. Listen to me, these men are doing everything in their power to pull her away from our alliance since they can see she does not favour you,” he paused leaning in closer. “You are no stranger to this. If you two are to rule the Seven Kingdoms, she needs to be seen by your side.”

Jacaerys rose from his seat as he exhaled, growing frustrated by the second. It was all in the name of duty, after all. He headed towards the Princess with steady steps, disappearing into the crowd and dodging every drunken lord and lady that stood in his way. Lord Ander, who seemed to have more intentions than just dancing with the Princess, held her close, too close, his hands lingering on her waist. 

“My Lord,” Jacaerys cleared his throat, barely containing himself. Lord Ander snapped his head towards his direction. “I would hate to interrupt your conversation, but the hour is quite late, and Princess Y/n needs to rest.”

“Is that so?” He pulled Y/n even closer to him, making Jacaerys’ blood boil. “How come the Princess seems to be enjoying herself?”

Jacaerys’ eyes flicked to the cup in her hand, the liquid threatening to spill from the rim. He wasn’t a stranger to that dazed look and that loose smirk playing on her lips. 

“The Princess seems to have indulged in one too many cups. You may continue whatever… conversation you were having on the morrow, my Lord,” Jacaerys forced his words through his teeth. 

“Is that an order from the Crown Prince? Or from a boy who is still learning how to hold a woman’s interest?” Lord Ander raised a brow, sliding his hand even lower on her waist. 

The Princess’ gaze flicked between the two men, unaware of the escalating tension. She took another sip from her cup, her eyes landing on Jacaerys, finally acknowledging how dashing he looked in a Dornish ensemble of deep blues and golds.

“Gods, spare me,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “You two sound like you’re ready to start another war.”

“If it means winning your favour, Princess,” Lord Ander said with a grin.

“Mayhaps that's a battle for another day. Besides, the Prince is right, the hour is quite late,” she said softly, growing tired at the show of bravado between the two men. She moved away from Lord Ander and took a step towards Jacaerys.

Jacaerys, whose heart was pounding with both anger and relief, offered her his arm. Y/n would’ve hesitated at first, but under the effects of wine, any qualms were long gone. She noted how he tensed his arm uncomfortably, unaware that she was putting pressure on the wound she had given him not too long ago. 

Casymir leaned against one of the pillars with a hint of amusement on his face, watching the whole scene unfold before his eyes. Once Jacaerys and Y/n were away from the crowd, he finally pushed himself off the pillar, approaching Jacaerys, who was struggling to keep her in place.

“Allow me, my Prince. The Princess is in good hands with me,” he said, extending his arm. 

Jacaerys glared at Casymir as he adjusted her weight in his arm, wondering what he was smiling for.

“You are the Princess’ sworn protector, are you not?” He raised his brow. 

“Yes, my Prince,” he smiled proudly.

“Yet all you did was stand and watch how the Princess wandered into the clutches of men with less than noble intentions,” Jacaerys tried to keep his composure, though his anger simmered beneath the surface.

“Do you question my service to the Princess, my Prince?” He chuckled, brushing the Prince’s concerns aside. “The Princess was in no immediate danger. And as far as I’m aware, a dance with a lord hardly constitutes a threat.”

“If you think a man whose ulterior motives are clearly written in his face not to be dangerous, then mayhaps we have very different understandings of the word danger,” Jacaerys said. 

“You greatly misunderstand the Princess. Lord Ander was eager, but he knew better than to cross the line. And besides, she would’ve ended his attempts long before you stepped in. As you might have already… experienced, the Princess knows how to handle herself and hardly needs to be coddled,” his blue eyes trailed at the way their arms were intertwined. “Though, it seems she doesn’t mind letting you try.”

“So, what are you here for, then? Just for decoration?”  

“Is picking fights with other men a favourite pastime of yours, my Prince?” The Princess laughed, poking fun at Jacaerys as she unconsciously tightened her grip around his injured arm. “You do seem to have a talent for making enemies wherever you go.”

Jacaerys hesitated, unsure if replying to the Princess was even worth the efforts given her current state, so he merely scoffed, shaking his head in defeat. However, one thing he couldn’t ignore was the feeling of having her so close as she mindlessly ran her hand up and down the length of his arm. He tried to calm his heart, but he couldn’t keep his composure with each stroke of her fingers that made him lean into her touch ever so slightly.   

Once they reached the Princess’ chambers, Casymir leaned on the door, his arms crossed with an infuriatingly calm expression on his face. 

“If you wish to be escorted back to your chambers, my Prince, I can call for a servant,” Casymir offered, implying that Jacaerys had overstayed his welcome.

“No. I wish to stay. The Princess and I have a few words to exchange,” he said.

“I’ll be fine, Cas,” the Princess slurred, assuring her sworn protector with a slow nod.

“As you wish, my Princess. I'll be just outside, should you require any assistance.”

Jacaerys stood by the door, unsure of what to do now that he was inside the Princess’ chambers. It wasn’t improper of him, as her soon-to-be husband, to be seen there, so he found himself leaning against the wall, trying to regain the composure that he had repeatedly lost throughout the night. His eyes trailed around the intricately carved golden statues that adorned the corners and the colourful tapestries that swayed slightly, catching the faint breeze that slipped through the windows and bringing with it the distant murmurs of the ongoing celebration. 

Only when he heard a soft clink and the steady stream of wine being poured into a cup, he snapped out of his thoughts. Before he could even think, he turned to Y/n, walking towards her and snatching the cup and jug from her hands, causing her mouth to hang open in disbelief and indignation. 

“You will not drink any more tonight,” he ordered, pouring the liquid out of the window and slamming the cup aside.  

“Well, isn’t this absolutely perfect?” She spat, throwing her arms in the air in defeat. “Not only will you take away my freedom, but now you wish to take away one of the few things that bring me joy?”

“You must live a very miserable life, Princess, if wine and men are the few things in life that bring you joy,” Jacaerys burst out, no longer able to contain the pent-up anger that had been brewing all night.

“Oh, believe me, I’ll have a miserable life once I marry you.”

“And what makes you think I want to marry you? That behaviour of yours… is unacceptable,” he wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I do not wish to marry someone who is a slave to their desires.”

“A slave to my desires? Is that what you think of me?” Y/n shouted, unable to control the fury taking over her voice.

“What else am I supposed to think when you go from lord to lord like a marionette whose strings had been cut?” He paused, taking in her dishevelled appearance. “I was not aware how these Dornishmen could name someone so ruthless and so debauched as their Princess.” 

“And I didn’t know you Targaryens go around crowning bastards just to keep your house on the Throne,” she spat, making sure to rest her gaze on his dark eyes and on his brown locks long enough.

“You whore–!”

Before Jacaerys could finish his sentence, Y/n's palm collided with his cheek in a stinging slap, his head snapping to the side. His eyes widened, more in shock than pain, as his hand instinctively rose to the reddening mark on his face.

“A whore? A savage? A goatfucker?” Y/n's voice trembled with fury. “Is that all you see me as?” She shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward until his back hit the wall. Her finger jabbed into his chest with every word. “You,” she spat, “should be thanking me for getting my hands dirty, persuading those lords to join your petty war!”

Jacaerys was stunned into silence momentarily, feeling every ounce of her rage bleeding through her words.

“And who told you to do that on your own?” Jacaerys shot back. “You could have asked me, we could have gone together and spoken to them like it is expected of us!”

“You overestimate yourself,” she scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him. “Do you even know what those lords think of you? Of your family? If it weren’t for our betrothal, they would have driven a spear through your chests without a second thought. Because to them, you Targaryens are nothing but bloodthirsty murderers who’ve come to take our lands all over again.”

“Enough!” Jacaerys grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her, slamming her against the wall. “You think I do not know that? You think I do not feel it every time I step into a room? The way they look at me? At my family? You think I enjoy being the enemy?” He seethed, feeling his throat grow raw with each word. “Gods, you are infuriating,” he grunted, realising how close their faces were to one another. 

The Princess’ lips curled into a smirk, a flicker of satisfaction lingering in her eyes. She had struck a nerve, realising how Jacaerys was always quick to react to whatever blasphemous speech she had to say about his family, and once again, she had managed to unleash the dormant wrath that blinded his actions. 

As the Princess found herself cornered between his arms and the wall, she crouched low, slipping beneath his arms in a fluid motion and spinning around to pin Jacaerys against the wall, pressing her chest to his back. Jacaerys reacted instinctively, kicking off the wall to shove her back. The sudden force sent her stumbling as she crashed on the ground, and he followed, landing on top of her in a tangle of limbs.

Just as he was about to stand up, Y/n yanked him back down and rolled on top of him, keeping him in place by locking her thighs around his waist and pinning his arms on the floor with one swift movement. Truth be told, Jacaerys could have easily pushed her away as her usual strength was halved by the wine; yet he remained still, feeling the warmth of Y/n’s body pressed into his, and how their faces were inches apart yet again, her breath hot on his skin.

Once again, he found himself under her mercy.

She stared down at him with half-lidded eyes and lips slightly open as she breathed lightly, taking in the sight of Jacaerys’ flushed face and his gaze clouded by desire. Jacaerys looked up at her and gulped, feeling his erection stirring uncomfortably beneath his breeches.

His eyes locked onto her plump lips and trailed towards to the hollow of her neck, down to her chest. He stared hungrily as she leaned towards him, his fingertips itching to explore the skin hidden beneath the fabric of her dress. As she got closer and closer to his face, Jacaerys’ breath hitched, and without realising it, his lips parted slightly as his eyes fluttered shut in anticipation. His pulse quickened, waiting for the warmth of her lips pressing against his.

But instead of the kiss he craved, he felt the hot caress of her breath graze the shell of his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Her voice, low and smooth, held him captive with each honeyed word.

“If you want to win this little war of yours, you better start by respecting me,” she whispered as she let go of one of his wrists and began tracing delicate patterns with her finger. “Just because I’ve chosen you as my betrothed doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind,” she bucked her hips against his hardened cock, causing Jacaerys to groan at the sudden spark of pleasure coursing in his veins. 

In that very moment, Y/n had uncovered yet another emotion—the primal desire that, despite her infuriating attitude, she had managed to set ablaze. If Jacaerys had to ask himself how it happened, he wouldn’t know where to begin answering. Had it all started when they first met, when she held little regard for him? Was it in the arena, when she brazenly humiliated him in front of everyone? Or was it the fact that they always seemed to find themselves pointing a blade at each other’s throats? Behind all that anger and hatred, and the prejudice that blinded him from seeing the Princess as she truly was, lay a spark of curiosity. Something he knew that once he began to explore, that spark would turn into wildfire.

With each passing second, he fought against the temptation to place his hands on the curve of her hips and make her grind herself against his cock.

“Remember, my Prince,” she purred in his ear, bucking her hips once again. “The wedding has not taken place yet, and anything could happen.” 

A/N: For some reason, i keep beating my wordcount record. istg my fanfic wc is way bigger than all of my uni papers combined, and bare in mind i was a humanities student lmfaooo.

anyway, i feel like this chapter was a mess. jace's patience continuously getting tested by everyone, and our reader making things even harder for him. i actually feel sorry for those two but the way they are handling things is not very demure, mindful or cutesy. we got the exact opposite.

Taglist: @happinessinthebeing @deltamoon666 @dark1paradise @elz-zalarrr @v0dka4a (continued in comments)

[spenceragnewfics]

f!reader losing virginity to spencer ? maybe as "just friends" to help her "get it out of the way" but they really like each other.

So...this was supposed to come out on Spencer's birthday but work and life got in the way...sorry.

WE’RE JUST FRIENDS? | Spencer Agnew x F!Reader | 18+ MINORS DNI

(also, yes the girl in the photo has a certain skin color but it's not indicative of the reader. I try to make these open to everyone as possible.)

TW: Smut, oral (f! receiving), fingering, cursing, two idiots in love

WORD COUNT: 2.4k

DESCRIPTION: You have told you're best friend Spencer everything...well except two things. You're in love with him and you're still a virgin. Two things you never plan to tell him...until you do.

She never understood why people couldn’t just be friends. Opposite genders can be friends and not have any romantic feelings. Is it kind of hypocritical coming from her…yeah, but not totally. 

You see, Y/N has feelings for her best friend since college but is purely platonic with all her other male friends; Chanse, Shayne, Tommy, Ian, Anthony, and all the other guys at Smosh. She knows the main reason she’s attracted to Spencer and has been for years, he’s himself. It’s hard to explain unless you know Spencer but what made her fall for him…is him.

It’s not like her feelings are so intense she couldn’t date anyone else, in fact, she’s dated a couple of guys but they haven’t lasted for vastly different reasons. One thing has been one of the constant reasons for the break up, you don’t want to sleep with them.

She doesn't know why, but she has yet to date anyone who has made her feel comfortable enough to lose her virginity to, not wanting to regret it later on. That’s something she hasn’t told anyone, not even Spencer because she doesn't know how to explain why she hasn't yet. It’s something she never thought she would tell him until one night of drinks, pizza, and gaming. A semi-regular night for the two of them, especially after a long shoot week.

It was barely midnight, the two of them had been hanging out for like four hours at this point just talking, eating, and trying to beat the other at Mario Kart or play duos on Fortnite.

The night had gotten away from them after an epic Battle Royale about an hour ago where they celebrated with an extra drink and chatting. Like everything, somehow they got onto the topic of dating, both of them being single for almost, or over in Spencer's case, a year. That then delved into talking about more intimate stuff, “Honestly, I’m so fucking happy that I lost my virginity in high school. I could not imagine still being a virgin now. Too much pressure.” He quips after he makes a joke about the movie 40-year-old Virgin.

Y/N looks at him confused and lowkey, panicking, “Why do you say that? I don’t think it’d be that bad.” She confesses, sipping more of her drink. “Dude, when you’re in high school or college it’s all just part of the experience. You barely have dated anyone so there isn’t much pressure. Now though, fuck dude!” He says, rubbing his face in frustration at the thought and she looks down.

“There would be so much pressure at this point. You’ve dated so many people and at this point, it’s probably just you being in your head.”

“Or you’re scared to give it away and regret it. Guys losing their virginity is a lot more different than girls. You have to remember that, Spence. A lot more at stake too.” She looks at him, trying to show a stoic face but Spencer isn’t buying it.

Y/N is always someone who tries to show both sides of the coin but is usually more silly about it. Now, she’s being very serious and trying to act stoic, like she’s hiding something. It’s not something he wouldn’t have noticed unless they had been friends this long.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to strike a nerve. I know you’re all about being things neutral but this seems like a bit more than usual. What’s up?” She looks at him confused, trying not to get embarrassed and say something she doesn’t want to. “Nothing, I just think that sometimes this whole thing is oversimplified.” He raises an eyebrow, “You’re acting like you’re still…” He trails off when she looks down and squeezes her eyes shut.

“Oh my god! Y/N! What the fuck! I thought you and-”

“We were but I changed my mind. Every time I thought about possibly losing it to him I felt nothing but dread. Same thing with the other guys. I don’t want to regret it.” She plays with her fingers, not wanting to look him in the eye.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She looks at him shocked, “Why would I need to tell you? It’s personal but also how the hell do I bring that up?” She says before speaking in a silly voice, “Oh, Spencer, I gotta tell ya, buddy. I’m a virgin because I get major anxiety and overthink it to where I just haven’t done it.” She does a silly laugh that sounds a lot like Goofy.

“Okay, I get it. This is a sensitive topic, I’m sorry.” He apologizes, looking at her sadly and she feels her heart pinch. “It’s not that. I just…I want to. I want to so badly but I just get so anxious and overthink everything. Sometimes I think that it’d be easier to find someone to hook up with or just get an escort or something.” She looks at him, “Or someone I have been friends with forever basically and I trust more than anything.”

Spencer looks at her confused until she raises a brow and he gets the message, “Oh, you mean me? Really?” She nods, playing with her fingers again as she gets nervous. “Yeah, I mean. I know I wouldn’t regret it with you because you’re my best friend. I don’t think there is a guy I trust more than you.” She confesses, making his face light up.

“I would be honored. Holy shit, you won’t regret this. I promise.” He says, sounding like an excited young kid who just got picked first for baseball. She giggles at his silly antics before letting out a shocked yelp when he pulls her close. “So, are you more dominant or submissive or…” She shrugs her shoulders. Spencer shrugs his as well before putting his hand on her cheek, pulling her in gently before connecting their lips.

She puts her hand on his as her other moves into his hair. He sighs into the kiss as her nails scratch at his scalp, sending chills down his spine. Gently, he lays her down on the couch as his lips move to cheek then to her jaw, and landing lastly on her neck.

He feels his pants tighten as she lets out soft sighs from his lips on her sensitive neck. His tongue licks a long stripe along it before he sucks on her pulse point. Her hand pulls at his hair in response as she mutters out his name softly, the sound making him harder by the second.

Unknown to Y/N, Spencer was slowly coming to the realization of his own feelings for her. What he would always brush off as anxiety of her dating someone new and unknown to him has turned out to be jealously. Jealous that these random guys would take you out and not him. He finally has his chance to test the waters…well test a little more than the waters.

His lips continue to work on her neck but stop when she starts to giggle. “What, what’s so funny?” He asks, moving back a little and chuckling himself. “Your beard tickles a bit. I like it though.” She’s coy about her words, he smiles at her shyness before going back to kissing her neck as she giggles again.

This is nothing he’s felt before. The other girls he had dated and slept with were all serious about sex. They didn’t want or think that sex could be playful and fun but in this moment Spencer feels his heart soar. He’s pulled out of his trance as she tries to pull off his t-shirt, he helps her take the article of clothing off before slipping his hands under her shirt.

He holds back a moan just at the feeling of her lace bra, not even seeing it in person. She giggles before slipping the shirt over her head and swears his eyes are popping out of his head. “I knew you had awesome tits, but holy fuck!” He groans as he puts his face between them.

His warm breath fans over them, sending chills down her body before his warm tongue licks her lace-covered nipple. She bites her lip as he does the same to the other before pulling her bra down to expose the flesh fully.

A strangled moan falls from her lips when he wraps his around her right nipple. His thumb and forefinger play with her left, rolling and gently tugging it. She feels herself getting wetter with each tug as her hands tangle in his hair. He continues to stimulate her nipples for a while before moving down with open mouth kisses.

“Spence, you don’t have to-”

“I want you, now sit back relax and enjoy the show.” He jokes with his sassy smirk before kissing her plush thighs. She sighs comfortably at the feeling before laughing when he playfully bites her thigh. “Sorry, you just tasted too good not to have a bite.”

Her eyes stay on him as his beard tickles her thigh before he moves to be face-first with her pussy. His finger come up to spread her lips as she feels her cheeks heat up, not used to having someone see so much of her. Her thighs start to close but Spencer stops them before they can. “Don’t hide yourself. You’re beautiful.” He assures her as he licks a long strip up her slit.

The new feeling makes her eyes roll as she breathes shakily. He continues to give long licks before moving to suck on her clit. “Holy fuck!” She moans, her hands quickly finding a place in his hair as she relishes in the new feeling.

She had used vibrators and other toys but nothing had felt like this before. His tongue swirls around her clit a few times before sucking again. He moves a finger to her entrance, “I’m going to put a finger in. It might feel weird at first.” She nods, moving a hand down to his arm. She releases a breath at the uncomfortable feeling, her hand squeezes his arm.

“Are you okay?” He asks his finger fully inside. “Yeah, just feels… different.” She confesses as she starts to feel embarrassed. “It’ll feel better in a bit, just gotta get you warmed up a bit.” His finger thrusts in and out for a moment before he adds a second. She moans softly when adds a second and whimpers as they move. “Is it feeling better?” He asks, she responds with a sweet moan that makes his cheeks heat up.

His fingers continue going in and out, stretching her out slightly. His fingers graze the spongy spot inside her, “Oh my, do that again! Please.” She begs. The feeling made her see stars, who is Spencer not to please? His finger rubs the spongy spot as she starts to feel herself get close.

“Yes, yes, just like that-Fuck!” She screams when his lips wrap around her clit again. He licks and sucks intermittently while still playing with her G-spot as she screams his name. “Spencer! Fuck! I’m gonna cum!” She yells as the knot in her stomach snaps.

He licks and sucks her clean before sitting up. Pulling off his hoodie and pants. He aligns himself with her leaking hole, “This will probably hurt, but it’ll subside. I promise.” She nods as he slowly pushes in.

While the tight feeling makes him moan loudly, having been a while since he slept with anyone, Y/N bites her lip, the feeling being intruding and uncomfortable. Noticing her discomfort, he leans down and kisses her sweetly, trying to distract her as he continues to sink in.

Spencer is just a bit above average in length but more girthy than most. The stretch is something Y/N will come to love but for the first time, it’s a different feeling than anything she’s ever felt. Her face unconsciously skews in a bit of pain when he’s fully inside.

Leaning down, he locks their lips. His hips are still as he gives her time to adjust, the feeling of her wrapped around him is making it hard to keep still though. Her hands tangle in his hair once again and gently pull when she’s adjusted, giving them the okay to move.

His thrusts start out slow, letting her body adjust to the new sensations and the starting pain slowly melts away. He intertwines their fingers as he thrusts at the same pace. The gesture is small but is enough to make her feel safe and loved by the man on top of her.

It takes about a minute before Y/N starts to moan, “Faster, please Spencer.” She begs needing to feel more. It takes everything in him not to smirk as his hips pick up speed. “Oh god.” She moans, wrapping her legs around his waist to keep him close.

Spencer keeps a steady fast pace, his tip hitting her G-Spot as he moves his hips a little. The only sounds in the room are skin-on-skin, moans, and heavy breathing. The two are eye-locked, watching the other’s face and expressions.

“Shit, I’m close.” Y/N moans, feeling the familiar knot forming. “Me too, shit,” Spencer groans as his hand moves to rub her clit. “Fuck, Spencer!” She practically screams with the added sensation.

“Cum for me, Y/N. Please cum all over me.” He moans, his thrusts getting sporadic.  She screams his name as the knot bursts in her stomach and she cums on his dick. He groans as she clenches around him, making it hard for him to not cum inside her. He continues to thrust through her high before he starts to breathe very heavily.

“Where do you want me to cum?” He struggles to get out, feeling very close. “I don’t care.” She says, her voice very breathy. He pulls out and only strokes himself a few times before he cums on her chest.

Coming down from his high, the two look at each other and then laugh. “Oh my god, that was amazing. How the hell are you still single?” She jokes as he lays on top of her. “Just haven’t found the right one yet.” He says, his eyes looking at her softly as she runs a hand through his hair.

“Maybe you just haven’t been looking in the right places.” She smiles at him and he leans in, “Or maybe I just have been overlooking a certain someone.” he says before kissing her.

[torukmaktoskxawng]

the perfect fit

Pairing: Aged up!Ao'nung x Aged up Fem!Metkayina!Reader

Request by: @froggieface

Warnings: NSFW, minors DNI, aged-up characters, rough smut, p in v, mentions of choking, nudity, creampie, cock warming, dirty talk, etc.

Words: 3k+

Taglist: @aonungmyaddiction (because you wanted to be tagged in anything Ao'nung related. I hope that's still okay!)

Prompts used: #17, Stealing or Sharing Clothes

Na'vi Words: ilu - plesiosaur like animal, marui - home/pod, tewng - loincloth, yawne - beloved, tsaheylu - the bond

A/N: Doesn't correlate with any Kinktober prompts, except for choking but we already surpassed that lol. Thanks for the wait and enjoy my first avatar x reader smut :) I did stray away from certain aspects from the original request so I'm sorry about that, was desperate to get it done.

~~~~~~~~~

It all started when Ao'nung had been in an ilu incident earlier that week. When helping herd a predator away from the reef, his ilu was startled and began to buck and swim wildly to the point where the poor thing couldn't figure out which way was up or down. Amidst the chaos, Ao'nung had been flung and shoved into bystanding coral, cutting up part of his right arm. His hunting party brought him home immediately after scaring away the danger. It was only a superficial, non-threatening wound. The cut was long but not deep, and Ao'nung had barely bled, but to refrain from swelling, his mother advised him not to wear his usual adornments on his arm for the rest of the week.

This brings Y/n to her current predicament, trying to find something new to wear for tonight's upcoming celebration for the new season. Scrounging around hers and Ao'nung's shared marui, she was partially frustrated that she hadn't made something new for this event even though she had known about it for weeks. Rummaging through her things, she had come up with some old tops and loincloths she hadn't worn in a while and thought they would be perfect for tonight's event. She might as well refresh her old style and make it new and exciting as she wanted to stand out, but over the years, she had started changing her style so much to the point where none of her current jewelry matched the older clothes. So now she was frustrated with herself that she, yet again, didn't make anything new for the festivities. 

She decides to rummage around her mate's things and immediately finds his armband, the one Ao'nung always wore but currently wasn't due to his small arm injury. Y/n beams while holding the armband, running her thumb over the sea hemp weaving and the scattered iridescent shell chips. She goes to place the band on her respective arm and feels a small pang of disappointment when she realizes it was too large. At the same time, she felt amused, and her cheeks felt warm, knowing that her mate's arms were more prominent. Scrambling for ideas on what to do with the armband instead, a small, devious thought crossed Y/n's mind.

~~~~~~~~~

Later at the celebration, Ao'nung will see what devious thought that would be for himself. He hadn't been able to meet back up with Y/n before the day turned to night and the festivities rolled around.  The communal fire was set ablaze, and the drums and singing had already started before Ao'nung finally caught a glance of his lovely mate.

He and Rotxo were standing off to the side and watching the dancers swirl around the fire like a wave, working forward and back on the shoreline. Ao'nung was looking around to see if he could spot Y/n among all the dancers before Rotxo nudged him, grabbing his attention. His friend is pointing off to the long row of dancers, eyebrows scrunched in confusion and recognition.

"Hey. Isn't that your armband?"

Ao'nung follows Rotxo's gaze and his finger, finally finding Y/n in the crowd. She was wearing a beautifully beaded top and a matching loincloth that Ao'nung didn't recognize, but greatly appreciated the way the outfit looked on his mate's body, admiring how the band holding up her loincloth hugged her hips and accentuated the color of her skin, making the cloth itself look as though its covering Y/n by itself. The top was made of seagrass dyed a light blue color, so light to the point where it nearly blended in with the rest of Y/n, giving off the impression she was practically nude. Many bystanders' jaws dropped and they had to look a second time just to realize that she was, in fact, clothed, then they all continued to watch her in awe. Y/n was none the wiser, more focused on the dancing than the people around her.

And settled around her neck, acting as a choker, was Ao'nung's favorite iridescent shell armband.

Ao'nung's eyes could not leave her neck, gaze completely fixated on that very familiar armband that Y/n was treating as a necklace. It was a perfect fit, he noted in amazement and a growing fascination. A band that could easily fit over his arm was now perfectly snug against his mate's beautiful neck and Ao'nung almost envied it. He envied the fact that his armband was currently wrapped around Y/n's neck and whatever warmth that was growing in his gut made it known. The flash of hot jealousy blazes through Ao'nung's body, heating up his skin in a way the communal fire couldn't, his envy perfectly residing alongside the hot desire he also felt. He had to refrain from gaping like a fool by clamping his mouth shut, forcefully swallowing back whatever stupid sounds he nearly let out at the sight of his woman.

Y/n could feel eyes on her, all around the ceremonial fires. So many people were looking at her, and while she didn't visibly show it, her skin was hot under so much attention, but her mind was only focused on one. Her gaze flicks to the spot where she last saw Ao'nung, and to her delight, he was already staring at her, unwavering while Rotxo was none the wiser. Y/n knew that look from anywhere, and a warm stirring made itself known between her legs, fired by the heated gaze that was her mate. Suddenly, Y/n didn't feel up to dancing anymore. At least, not the public celebrating kind.

She easily slipped away from the party without any protests, waiting until the song changed to swiftly break from the dance circle. Her skin cooled as she drew further away from the bonfires, walking into the night, her feet sinking into the sand. Y/n made her way to the nearest floating pathway and lifted herself up, standing up straight and peering over her shoulder back the way she came. Sure enough, another figure had crept away from the celebration, and her adrenaline stirred once more when she recognized the hair and tattoos anywhere. The figure was heading toward Y/n, picking up speed, and so, while barely containing her excitement, the young woman turned and sprinted down the walkways weaving through the village, never taking the time to look back again until she could get to the marui.  

Not a second into stepping into her home, Y/n was ambushed by the figure that caught up behind her, a laugh forced out of her lungs when large, strong arms wrapped around her from behind and carried her further into the pod. Catching her breath, Y/n's laughter was quickly replaced by breathy moans as Ao'nung swiftly hid his face and kissed her neck. He didn't start off slow or gentle, his teeth only determined to mark and brand, especially around the area where his armband rested around her neck.

The moment she tried to grind her backside against his loincloth earned a low growl from him before he purposely pulled away, spinning her around to face him. Y/n immediately leaned in for a kiss, but instead, Ao'nung grabbed her arms and shoved her down onto the sleeping mat, just hard enough to get her to gracefully trip and get his point across. Once lying on her back, Y/n's heart stuttered with the way her mate stood over her, strong shoulders rising and falling with his heavy breaths, muscles clenching up and down his arms as his hands curled into tight fists. He looked feral, teeth grinding together to further show just how much he was restraining himself from practically tearing her apart, only doing so with his eyes, the color in his orbs vanished in exchange for the deep-rooted hunger.

Ao'nung watches his woman for a moment, her body laid out on the mat, squirming under his gaze, eyes completely fixed on him. Her top was barely covering her hardening nipples, her breasts rising and falling quickly to compliment her small, excited gasps of air. She makes a subtle movement, her knees knocking together as she closes her legs. She thought Ao'nung wouldn't notice, but all of his senses were heightened in his arousal and his eyes quickly darted to the small movement. Y/n whimpered, wishing to rub her legs together for some much-needed friction, but felt her whole body freeze under her husband's gaze, unwilling to move without his permission.

The marui slipped into silence while Ao'nung's eyes raked up and down her body, analyzing her, before another growl slipped out of his lips and he knelt down, crawling over his mate's body and pressing his hips to flush against hers. She lets out a small gasp, arching her back to meet his body heat, wishing more than anything to grind against his loincloth. Aside from pressing down onto her, he doesn't move the way she needs him to. Instead, he ducked his head back down into the juncture of her neck, his words hot and prickling her skin, "You have no idea what you do to me, wearing that around your neck. Do you have any idea how much self-control I had to quickly gain before I could foolishly march over to you and put my hand around its respective spot, right around your throat?"

She felt her whole body shiver, closing her eyes as she tried to imagine it. Her womb definitely flutters at the idea of Ao'nung marching up to her in the middle of a party, not caring if other people see when he wraps his hand around her neck and squeezes. She imagined other things, too, like Ao'nung taking her right in the middle of that celebration, never letting up until she orgasmed at least three times. 

Her thoughts are cut short as he begins to kiss down her body while his hand lightly rests on her collar, just shy of her neck, "Imagine all the restraint I had to possess before I could make it known how jealous I was to see my armband around your throat when my hands are literally right here, ma'yawntu."

His kisses reach below her belly button and her legs move on their own to create room for him, spreading apart despite the desire to rub together and create friction. She finds comfort in his weight pressing down between her legs, pushing her tewng aside as she sighs up at the ceiling, "I'm sorry. You can wrap your hands around me now, husband. Right where they belong."

"No," she squirms and whimpers as his hot breath fans over the wetness that began to slowly leak from her pussy, "You don't get whatever you want after pulling a stunt like that. You don't get to have the rush of my fingers tightening around your throat tonight. You should've thought of that before taking my armband as a replacement," his fingers that lay on her collar faintly tap the shells of her new choker, "Now, as punishment, you get to keep wearing this... and only this."

He pulls away from the heat of her cunt and she softly cries at the loss. He moves his way up her body again, removing both of their clothing as he goes, until there is nothing left between them other than the choker, as promised. And Eywa above, the moon was peeking through their home and reflecting off of the damned piece of jewelry, hugging Y/n's neck gently and glowing as if it was made of magic. She looked like a goddess, her cheeks flushed and hair in disarray, the glowing necklace further complimenting the lust in her eyes, half-lidded while looking up at her mate. Ao'nung would normally take the time to memorize this moment, distracted by her beauty and wishing to draw out every soft sigh and moan out of her perfectly formed lips. But the glint coming off of the choker quickly reminded him of the possessiveness he felt earlier, and suddenly he was going back to ravaging her body, relentless in making her squeal and move either away or toward his mouth wherever he kissed or bit down. He was charged up and barely able to form a clear thought through the haze in his head, his instincts only focusing on one thing.

She was so caught up in the bites and kisses mapping out her skin, she failed to notice that Ao'nung had moved his other hand down his own body and ran his fingers along his bulging slit, urging his huge, leaking erection to slip out. She's not given a warning before she feels his large cock slowly push into her, a little snug and making the most obscured squelching noises. Y/n stutters out a loud gasp, squeezing her eyes shut, "Ah-- agnh-!"

She's barely wet enough to make the intrusion easy, so there's a pleasant pain mixing in with the pleasure, that familiar tightness deep in her gut slowly forming, warm with a promise of undeniable pleasure. With her eyes closed, she's unable to see when Ao'nung will be fully seated into her, so the sensation that he was still slowly pushing in only heightened her desperation for more. Imagine her surprise when she thought he was all the way in and he still kept going. It was agonizingly slow and she held her breath through it all, right up until she felt the tip of his cock prod against the soft wall of her womb, his pelvis now flushed against hers once again, finally fully seating him inside her tight, warm walls.

There wasn't any time for adjusting as Ao'nung quickly pulled out and thrust back in, moving his mate up the mat at the force of his hips. Y/n could only take it, knowing her own hips would bruise in the morning by the strength of his thrusts, pistoning in and out of her wet heat, "Ah-- Ao'nung! W-Wait--"

Her words had the opposite effect, and Ao'nung's hands reached down to tightly grab hold of her legs, lifting them up into the air and pressing them down against Y/n until her knees were practically hugging her head, folding her in half. It's just the leverage he needed to go faster, mercilessly pounding into her body, showing off his fangs as he watched his cock spread her glistening lower lips apart, the tight muscle ring hugging around him now puffy from the abuse. The stretch is erotic and borderline painful, filling Y/n without any chance of leaving any room inside while her hands frantically look for a perch to hold onto. One hand grabs the back of her own thigh while the other finds its home around the back of Ao'nung's neck. The pinch of her eyebrows that usually represents pain finally smoothens out into pleasure around the same time Ao'nung noticed it was getting easier to thrust in and out, the wet slick from her pussy drenching both of their thighs and sticking whenever their hips meet. 

Ao'nung slips out a groan when he feels the tightness of her walls clenching around his length, gripping him in waves of ecstasy, "Feels... so good..."

"Don't stop," Y/n tilts her head back to lean against the mat, her neck fully exposed and presenting that sinful armband that got this whole thing started, "Oh, Eywa, please don't stop!"

"First you wanted me to wait, now you don't want meet to stop," the glint in his eye was dangerous as a grin slowly formed on his lips, presenting his fangs again. He clicks his tongue while shaking his head, "Tsk, which will it be, yawne?"

"Mmf!" Her answer is silenced by the sharp thrust of his hips pushing into hers once more, the tip of his cock hitting just the right spot to make her see stars, "O- Oh! Do that again, please! Feel so good, Ao'nung-! So strong and--"

She cuts herself off when his cock thrusts back in and hits her sweet spot once more, drawing an elongated moan out of her lips. Taking a deep breath, Y/n pleasantly feels her new choker gently hugging her neck when inhaling, only for the air to get knocked out of her again when Ao'nung pulls out and shoves his way back into her dripping pussy, gritting through his teeth when feeling his length begin to tighten and leak, "And?"

Tears began to prick in the corner of her eyes. Her peak felt so close and yet so far away like a crash waving that was quickly receding back and forth, back and forth, denying her that climax, "Big! It's so big. Please, my love, please don't stop!"

A coil snaps and Ao'nung's movements suddenly turn primal. He stops thrusting for only a moment, making Y/n cry and spill her tears, desperate and frustrated for her release. He makes quick work to lie down on his side and pull Y/n into his arms, his cock still buried to the hilt inside of her. Tightening his strong arms completely around her body, he's got his mate completely restrained, pressed tightly against the front of his body as he finally moves his hips again, quicker than before and pounding into her bruised cunt without any sign of stopping. Y/n's cries and hot pants in his ear only drive the animal out of him, his arms further tightening around her like a constricting snake, taking whatever he wants without any room for denial. His cock was so unbelievably hard now and pulsing, desperate for release, his thrusts becoming sloppy and erratic, "Yawne... fuck, yawne I need you to cum before me. Can you do that? Can you cum on this cock before this cock cums inside you?"

The promise of Ao'nung finishing inside her thrills Y/n to the point she felt lightheaded, her imagination running wild with her pussy clenching around his cock at the very thought of it, drawing out another string of curses from him. He has one of her legs wrapped around his waist in this position, splitting her open on his fat cock and dragging his length against her walls over and over again, each time hitting her cervix with his tip, right where he knows will have her seeing stars. Her thighs begin to tremble, unable to writh against him with his arms so tight around her.

She whimpered as he purposely stopped and dragged a slow, long thrust in and out of her, not speeding up until she finally remembered to answer, "Yes-- Yes! I wanna cum on your cock, Ao'nung. I need it so bad, fuck! I need you to cum inside of me. Please, claim me."

His hips pick up speed again and she has to bite her tongue to refrain from screaming, instead letting choked-out whines escape her throat. On top of his hips thrusting in and out of her, Ao'nung also uses his arms to move Y/n up and down on his cock, her nipples dragging up and down along his chest as he does so and driving her to gasp and spill all sorts of words out of her lips, praises and nicknames and curses and none of them entirely put together. The coil in her belly is wound so tight, practically oozing out the warm honey within, but not snapping and releasing. It's all too much and not enough to the point that Y/n is dumb on words and spewing nonsense. 

All she could smell was sweat and arousal and him, eyes still stinging with tears while the inside of her thighs are full of slick and Ao'nung's cock, pulsing inside her whenever he thrusts in, just as desperate to let go. She tilts her head up to look at him and watches as he grits his teeth, eyebrows furrowed together with eyes screwed shut, trying to focus so as not to cum early. He's whining and moaning, hissing between his teeth, his sweat sticking his curls to his face. He opens his eyes and looks down, seeing her eyes on him. Without a second thought, he reaches a hand up and curls into the hair on the back of her head, pulling until she bares her neck to him. Pain blooms where he pulled her hair and further blooms on her neck as he sinks his teeth into it, his growl vibrating into her skin and sending shockwaves down her body, "Cum for me, mate. Cum on my cock now."

She screams, holding onto him for dear life as the coil finally snaps, sending both herself and Ao'nung over the edge. Her walls were sporadically fluttering around him as she climaxes, strangling his cock until Ao'nung let out a guttural noise and his cock finally spills everything inside her, coating her walls and spurting thick ropes into her cervix. He couldn't help the loud panting groans he let out into her neck as his balls continued to empty, keeping it all trapped inside his mate.

He initially tries to stop, stilling his hips while continuing to pump and fill his love to the brim, but then her hands find his waist and urge him closer. Her voice is broken and a little hoarse as she desperately grinds down onto his dick, "Keep going... keep going, please!"

He does what she begs for and it's fucking amazing. Ao'nung had to grind his teeth together so that his moans and whimpers weren't heard outside of their marui, his cock now oversensitive from the continuous friction, a feeling he's never felt before since he's never fully ridden out his high. The friction also hits Y/n's clit with how close they're pressed together, and her eyes roll back into her head as another wave of pleasure runs through her, though more calm and minuscule compared to the last.

Ao'nung finally slows to a stop but doesn't pull out, keeping his softening cock inside of her, too warm and comfortable to even think about moving, her walls now rhythmically pulsing around him. The exhaustion doesn't hesitate to take over, arms and legs wrapped around one another to a point where it's uncertain where one begins and another ends. Y/n pleasantly wonders if she should wear Ao'nung's armband more often, and perhaps the next time he decides to fuck her to oblivion they will remember to form tsaheylu before they get too desperate to properly think.

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Y/n's ceremonial outfit is a small nod toward Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress, when the dress gave off the initial impression that Marilyn was nude and sent the audience gasping in shock when she walked on stage and took off her coat.

[imbored1201]

Hi writer, may i request barca x teen reader, where reader is very bullied in school but does not tell anyone and the bullying results in her missing out school and classwork . The school contacts the Barcelona team and the team tries to find her. The reader finally tells the truth .Thanks

Dropping Out

Barcelona Femeni x Teen Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

You always hated school; practically everyone did. But probably the top reason for your hatred towards school was because you usually had to miss out on training over tests.

With the agreement Barcelona had made with your school, you entered after training, and during away games, you did most of your work online or your teacher sent you off with a bunch of packets.

If Alexia knew you were currently skipping them and eating ice cream at the place she always took you to, you would be grounded for life. You were certain the school wouldn’t call her; there was really no point to it.

In your mind, you still had your straight A’s, not actually aware that your grades had dropped, and now you were just a straight C student. You had a bunch of tests you needed to make up.

Well, a part of you knew about how much you dropped; you just chose to ignore it.

————

Alexia, on the other hand, was finally getting the peace she had been craving. She loved you, but you were a handful half the time. Especially when Olga wasn’t around, you quickly went from semi-behaved to terrible right when Olga was dropped off at the airport.

“Hello?” Alexia answered, “Yes, I’m her guardian." Mapi frowned, trying to get closer to Alexia to hear. The school never called; they had no reason to. You were a straight-A student who always kept up with all the work given.

“What do you mean she hasn't gone all week? I drop her off every day." Mapi grabbed Alexia’s phone, putting it on speaker.

“Ms. Putellas. We should make a meeting regarding Y/N; her teachers have been reporting that she’s been off; has there been anything going on at home?” Alexia looked around, where all the other girls were now crowding around her.

“No, she’s been acting the same." “Let’s just have that meeting and discuss it with her. Y/N is an amazing student; this isn’t like her at all.”

Alexia sighed. “Of course, I’m available any time.” She hung up quickly, making her way to her car and calling you.

"Ale,” Mapi called out for her, "what, Mapi? I need to go find her.” She was frustrated, not at you but at herself. She sighed when the call went straight to voicemail, only making her more nervous.

“Que paso con bebita?” “I don’t know, Mapi, there’s something wrong.” She looked at your little friend group, who were in the corner, looking worried.

“Ninas, do you have any idea where she’s at?” Salma shrugged, nudging Cata. “She said that she was craving ice cream last night,” which helped a lot. Alexia rushed to her car, knowing you were probably at the ice cream place you both loved.

She was always taken there when she was a little kid after a game, and now she makes sure to continue the tradition with you.

————

She sighed when she parked and saw you sitting on the curb, eating your ice cream. She quickly sent a text to the team, telling them she had found you.

She didn’t know whether to be strict or soft with you, considering she knew you wouldn’t just ignore school all of a sudden. But she also knew you were a teenager, and teenagers randomly love to rebel.

"Shit,” you cursed as you watched Alexia walk up to you. As much as you wanted to make a run for it, you knew you would be in deeper shit for that, but Alexia’s glare was enough to make you freeze.

“Ale, I’m sor-“ You were thrown off guard when she pulled you into a tight hug.

“Don’t ever disappear like that. At least tell Salma where you're going to be,” you muttered a sorry, sinking into the hug.

“Your school called me today; why haven’t you been going?” You looked down, not wanting to see Alexia's soft look that always got information out of you. “Ale, can’t I just drop out? I don’t need school.” You were close to tears, wanting to tell Alexia the truth but also scared.

“You do need school. Cariño, whats really going on?” You looked back at the ground, pushing away Alexia’s hands.

“They're very mean,” you sniffled, rubbing your eyes. Alexia quickly pulled you into a hug. “Who bebita?” “The kids always make fun of me, and the teachers never believe me when I try telling them about it.”

“Oh bebe,” she cursed herself for not noticing how sad you were, hated the teachers for ignoring you, and hated those kids for doing this to you. You could do no wrong in her eyes. Yes, you were a little asshole at times, but she still loved you.

“We’re going to figure this out. I’m going to get those kids expelled, and we’ll figure out a different situation for you." She wanted to kill those kids, but she knew she had to handle this in a mature way.

————

You told Alexia everything in the car. When it started, the names of the staff you tried telling about the kids bullying. Even the fact that one of your teachers would just listen to their insults and say nothing about it.

You were confused when she pulled up to Mapi and Ingrid’s place, and you were even more confused when you saw Mapi waiting outside. You pouted at her when you saw Claudia, Salma, and Patri. “You cannot leave me with them." "Yes, I can; behave; I’ll be back soon.” Before you could protest more, Mapi opened the door.

“Come on, bebe, I want to see you beat these rookies in FIFA,” Mapi grinned, pulling you out of the car. You looked confused, seeing some other familiar faces still in their car. Alexia, along with Irene, Marta, and Sandra, were going to march into your school and demand stuff be done against everyone who had hurt you.

Fridolina and Ingrid went to get you your favorite food and desserts to cheer you up while you and Salma kicked Patri’s and Pina’s asses in FIFA.

You were very happy when they returned, hoarding all the snacks and refusing to let anyone expect Frido and Ingrid to get any.

As you watched Pina and Patri argue over teams, your eyes drifted to the door when you heard a knock. You watched as Mapi opened it and your favorite person stepped in, “Ale!” You smiled widely, about to jump up and jump on her; it quickly turned into a frown when you noticed the angry expression on her face. You looked at Salma, who also looked a bit scared.

"Ale, I’m really sorry I skipped school.” Her eyes softened when she looked at you. “Don’t apologize, bebita; I’m sorry. I should have noticed what was going on; those assholes don’t want to do anything about those dumb kids. You’re no longer going to that school.”

“Can I drop out?” Alexia scowled. “No, we’re figuring out a different situation.” Salma smirked. Usually she was the one that helped you with your homework, but instead of trying to teach you things, she just commanded you around to do her favors while she did your work.

“Just please find something that won’t come in between my training." Alexia smiled at you, a proud look on her face now. “I know, bebe, I hated that you had to miss out on practice too. I’ll see what I can do.”

————

The different situation was switching to fully online, which you liked better. Now you were finishing your work before training, which gave you all day to just relax and hang out with the team.

The downside was the fact that Alexia knew you had more time, so she made you train more; she called it bonding, but sometimes you wished you still went to school in person to get away from it. Especially during the extra-running days.

And now you were a target of pranks, before you weren’t allowed to be pranked since you used the “I have too much work to be getting involved with your shenanigans excuse.”

They didn’t even buy the ‘I’ll tell Alexia and Irene’ threats that you always shouted.

Even then, you were happy to just be free.

[scribblesofagoonerr]

— We just want the best for you

pairings: lia walti x reader, caitlin foord x reader, katie mccabe x reader, leah williamson x reader

summary: reader has only ever wanted her mums' to work together and finally they both seem to be in agreement with one another.

this ones' been drafted for a while, but i found it a bit hard to get it written the way that i wanted it too...

anyways, i hope this lives up to the expectations and stuff.

let me know what you think!

"So, how long has this been going on for?" Lia questions, breaking the silence in the room between the three of you after the not so awkward hug with her ex-girlfriend.

"A while," You admit while biting your bottom lip as you move to sit on the sofa in the living room in Caitlins' home.

Caitlin furrows her eyebrow in concern as she follows you into the room, "Why didn't you tell us about it before, kiddo?" She wonders.

You think about your mums' question for a second or two. You honestly wish you could have told them both, but could you when all they seem to do is argue with eachother whenever they're in the same room for longer than 5 minutes?

"Well, I couldn't do that," You murmer, picking at the skin on your finger nails; A nervous habit you'd picked up when your stuck in a situation like the current one that you're facing.

"Y/N, wait, what are you talking about?" Lia catches up to you both in the unfamiliar living room, having not been here too often for her own benefit. "We're your parents, sweetheart. You know that you can come and talk to us any time at all!" She insists.

"Like its' so easy to do that?" You think to yourself, continuing to pick at the skin on your finger nails.

Caitlin nods in agreement, "Your Mamas' right, kiddo. We're here for you, depsite what has happened. You know this!" The Aussie tries to reassure you, placing her hand gently on your knee.

"I can't though, can I?" You can't help but scoff, "Cos' you two are always fighting and you didn't even realise what was going on! You just put it down to me acting out at school, but you didn't think there was anything going on to cause it!" You don't mean to shout, but you can't help the frustration in your voice about it all.

"We... We don't argue all the time kiddo," Caitlins' taken back by your words.

"Yes you do!" You exclaim in disbelief and shake your head. "That's all you do whenever you two are in the same room as each other-- All you do is argue!"

"Y/N, sweetheart," Lia tries to speak.

"It's true, Mama!" You throw your hands up in the air in protest, "You two seriously can't even get along, ever!" You exclaim, knowing that you speak nothing but the truth when it comes' to your two mums' not getting along.

You start to feel like its' a turning point when Lia and Caitlin look at one another with the same concerned look.

Finally!

"You're right, kiddo. We're sorry," Caitlin states in realisation.

"We want to help you, sweetheart. We're going to deal with this," Lia chimes in.

"What? You're going to deal with your issues?" You sacrastically question, trying to fight the urge to roll your eyes.

"Y/N," Lia gives you a pointed look in reference to your newfound attitude.

"What? I'm just speaking the truth and you know I'm right!" You huff in defiance, glancing between the two of them. "Whys' it always got to be so difficult for the two of you to just get along? I need you both!" You exclaim.

Your mums' seperation wasn't the easiest to deal with, you're not entirely sure what happened, but your not blind to see that Lia holds a certain resentment towards Caitlin now, along with Katie to an extent.

Sometimes you wish things could just be simple like they used to be.

"We're going to try for you kiddo," Caitlin declares, sharing a look with her ex before she smiles reassuringly at you. "Whatever you need, we're both here for you, kiddo." She adds.

"O... Okay then," You murmer in agreement.

"So, what's the next step then?" Caitlin turns to Lia for her help with the situation.

"We'll go down to the school and talk to the prinicpal, talk to them and tell them whats' been going on," Lia finishes the explanation.

"Right, good," The Aussie women nods in agreement.

"Together," Lia states, pursing her lips together.

Caitlin can't help but scoff slightly, "Are you sure you don't want to take Leah with you instead? Cos' you didn't have much of a problem with that last time." She speaks out of spite, not too keen after what happened the last time you were in trouble at school.

The Swiss women exhales a sigh and shakes her head, "Caitlin, no, I'm not getting into this-- This is about our daughter and whats' best for her!" She insists.

"What would've been best was if I went down to the school instead," Caitlin mumbles, not willing to let it go that easy without a conversation about it.

"Oh, seriously? You're bringing this up again?" Lia looks at the women in disbelief.

"Yes,  I am!" Caitlin exclaims, not wanting to back down from argument. "Because its' still relevant!" The women states.

"No its' not," Lia shakes her head in disagreement.

"Yes it is--" Caitlin goes to object.

"You're doin' it again!" You shout aloud over the two of them. "Can you two seriously not argue for once? Seriously!" You can't help the intital anger that comes over you, the two of them agreed to try and push their differences aside to be there for you and less than 10 minutes later, they're once again arguing again.

"Y/N," Lia furrows her eyebrows, confused.

"Kiddo, we're just talking," Caitlin tries to explain.

"This... This is the reason I didn't want to tell you what's been going on! You two are so angry with each other that no matter what the situation is, you always just end up arguing!" You're too angry to care if anyone else can hear whats' going on right now. "You don't care about my feelings or my problems! You're both so selfish!"

"Y/N/N, thats' not true," Caitlin objects.

"It's not true, sweetheart. We do care about you, your the most important thing in the world to us both," Lia chimes in, trying to take a hold of your hand.

You instantly snatch your hand away and scoff at the two of them, "Wow. For once, you both actually agree about something," You murmer, going to stand up from the sofa. "The two of you really need to work out your issues in therapy or something!" With that, you storm off out of the room, making your way to go and find Ella, whos' no doubt still on a TikTok live in her bedroom.

"Y/N--" Lia tries to call you back in.

"Just let her go, Lia," Caitlin stops the Swiss women from going after you. "She needs the time to calm down. I think shes' gone to find Ella." She explains.

The room is completely silent between Lia and Caitlin, so much that you would be able to hear a pin drop in the room but you'll take the positivity of that at least they're not arguing again.

"Shes'... Shes' right, Caitlin," Lia exhales a sigh and glances at the Aussie women for her acknowledgement. "All we do is argue in front of her and it needs to stop." She tells her ex-girlfriend.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Caitlin murmers in agreement with her ex.

"We need to find a way to work together and co-parent. We missed the signs of our daughter being bullied because we're at each others' throats all the time," Lia confesses, shaking her head as she feels awful how she missed it entirely.

Was she so caught up in bickering with her ex that she didn't even realise you were being bullied at school?

"I... I know, Y/N needs to come first," Caitlin insists, wanting to at least be on the page as her ex about her daughters' wellbeing, "Look, if we're gonna do this then we all need to be on the same page, alright?" She wonders.

"Meaning?" Lia questions, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well I'm with Katie and your with Leah," The Aussie women cuts straight to the chase.

"We're just friends," Lia interjects.

Caitlin scoffs slightly, "Sure, keep telling yourself that. So friends, or whatever you want to call it, we all need to be there to help her out-- I'm guessing Leah's outside?" She asks, knowing full well the blondes' more than likely out in the car.

"Shes' outside in the car," Lia replies in agreement.

"Right, well, you might as well invite her inside then," Caitlin nods and clicks her tongue. "Katie will be home soon as well, so we'll all sit down, the 5 of us and talk." She declares.

"Together?" Lia asks, hesistant about the idea of that.

"Together. United as co-parents," Caitlin nods along in agreement.

Even as hesitant that Lia is about all 4 of them being in the same room with you, she knows that she needs to do what's best for you, "I'll go and get her from outside." She mumbles, standing up from the sofa to go and find the blonde outside.

Right on queue as the front door opens, signalling that Katie is home now.

"And that'll be Katie comin' into the house now," Caitlin gestures to the sound of the front door opening. "Katie, we're in the living room!" She calls to get her girlfriends attention.

"We're? I didn't realise we had company," Katies' playful voice jokes as she walks through the house and is taken back by Lias' appearance in the living room. "Oh hi Lia, I didn't know you'd be popping round. Guess that makes sense why I've just seen Leah outside as well, I did think it was a bit weird." She states, still confused.

"Hi Katie," Lia begrudingly greets the Irish women, knowing that she needs to suck up her dislike for the pair of them to focus on you right now. "I'll go and get her to come inside so we can talk." She stands up and makes her way out of the living room.

Katie sends her girlfriend a confused look, "What have I missed?" She wonders, still trying to figure out what is exactly going on that requires her to sit in a room with her girlfriend, her ex and her own partner, or whatever they are.

"Theres' a lot that we need to talk about... All of us," Caitlin admits, exhaling a sigh. 

"Oh," Katie is further puzzled by what is going on. "So, is the kid here as well? I'll go say hi!" She questions, trying to put the pieces together and take a wild guess that you would be here as well.

The Aussie women nods in agreement, "Shes' in the kitchen with your sister I think, she stormed off when Lia and I had a slight disagreement," She confesses. "We need to sit down with her and talk about things."

"Oh. This sounds serious?" Katie asks, concerned but still in her playful jokey manner.

"It is," Caitlin mutters, exhaling a sigh as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Cait, what's going on?" Katie furrows her eyebrows in cocnern.

"That's exactly what I want to know," Leahs' voice enters the conversation, joining the couple in the living room as she walks in with Lia following her asking her to join them inside to talk. "What is going on, and why are we here?" She wonders.

"The four of us need to talk," Lia insists, gesturing the blonde to take a seat beside her on the spacious sofa.

"We need to be on the page when it comes to Y/N," Caitlin chimes in.

"Same page about what?" Katie asks, confused.

"Y/N is being bullied," Lia admits quietly, bowing her head slightly.

Leahs' the first to react, "What? Seriously?" She questions, shocked.

"Who is it? I'll fight them!" Katies' straight away shooting up on her feet, although shes' yet to figure out a plan of the next steps.

"For once, I'm with you on that one," Leah mumbles, standing up from the sofa.

"Sit down, the pair of you," Caitlin states, shaking her head. "Neither of you can go and fight a literal child!"

"The hell I can't!" Katie exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. "Nobody picks on the kiddo and gets' away with it!" She declares, firmly.

"Whos' been bullying her? We... We have to something about it!" Leahs' protective instinct kicks in, wanting to shield you from any further hurt or suffering at all.

"We will, but fighting another child isn't what's best for Y/N," Lia tells the blonde, giving her a prompt look.

"Then what do we do?" Leah questions, worriedly.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Caitlin chimes in.

Katie snorts and a slight smirk appears on her face, "I still think fighting them is a viable option." She jokes, half serious about the fact of it.

Leah frowns and bites her bottom lip, "Why didn't she tell anyone?" She asks, confused about it.

"Shes' been stuck between me and Caitlin arguing, so its' no wonder she kept it quiet," Lia admits, rubbing her temples before she exhales a sigh. "None of that is a good environment for Y/N to be around and it can't continue." She tells them all.

"So going forward, we put whatever problems or differences we have with eachother aside, for Y/N's sake-- She's what is important now, we can't bicker in front of her. We need to stand united if we want to help her!" Caitlin is remaining strong in what she says, she's not exactly on the best of terms with her ex but when it comes to her daughters' wellbeing, she doesn't play at all.

"That's fair enough," Katies' the first to agree.

Leah follows suit and nods in agreement, "I agree with you, Y/N is what matters." She states.

"All of us are an important person of Y/N's life, she needs us all to be there for her," Lia starts to explain as she looks around the room between the four of them. "Katie, you and Caitlin are together, you obviously make each other very happy and Y/N clearly loves to spend time with you all here." She tells the Irish women.

Katie faintly smiles, "I love the kid like shes' me own."

"And Leah, whatever you and Lia have going on," Caitlin pauses, glancing between her ex and the blonde. "Whether there's a label on it or not, your someone who Y/N looks up to, regardless." She tells her.

Leah smiles in agreement, "Shes' a good kid, I love her."

"That's why we need to get on with eachother, for Y/N's sake if nothing else, okay?" Lia stands her ex on her words, when it comes to her daughter, shes' willing to do what she has too, even if it means hanging out with her ex girlfriend and her new beau sometimes.

"Yeah," Katie and Leah both reply in sync.

"Right, and with that being said. Now we need to speak to kiddo," Caitlin says, motioning in the direction of where you are in the kitchen with Ella still. "I'll go and get her, I'll be back in a minute." Leaving the room, Lia is left with Katie and Leah, who are currently scowling at each other.

"I don't care what grudges the two of you have, we all need to remain civil with eachother for Y/N's sake, alright? We might not agree with somethings that are said, but whatever it is, we keep it away from Y/N, deal?" Lia firmly speaks, glancing between the two women.

"Deal," The blonde agrees.

"Yeah, yeah deal. Anything for the kiddo," Katie replies.

"Mum, I don't wanna talk about things-- Uh, what's going on?" Your protest is cut short, being forced out of the kitchen as you walk into the living room and your met with not just Lia, but Leah and Katie now as well.

"Here she is," Caitlin speaks aloud, walking back into the living room with you in tow.

"Hi kiddo," Katies' waving in your direction.

"Hi Katie," You politely smile and wave back at the Irish women before you furrow your eyebrows. "Uhhh, am I in trouble?" You ask, confused.

Leah can't help but laugh slightly, "What makes you think that, kid?" She questions.

"The four of you are in one room together, and that never happens," You comment, glancing round between all 4 older women. "Like ever." You mumble.

"Well shes' got a point there," Katie snickers in amusement.

"You're not in trouble, sweetheart. Why don't you come and sit down?" Lia offers, patting the empty space on the sofa between her and Leah.

Your hesistant to walk over and plonk yourself in between the two of them, "Are you sure I'm not in trouble?" You ask, worriedly.

Caitlin chuckles and shakes her head, "You're not in trouble, kiddo. We just want to talk to you about things." She explains.

"Oh. Talk about what?" You cock your head to the side in confusion.

"Listen sweetheart, you were right about what you said about your mum and I fighting all the time and we're not gonna do it anymore," Lia begins to tell you, making you listen intently.

"You mean you guys are gonna take my advice and go to therapy to sort out your issues?" You perk up, glancing between Lia and Caitlin.

"What?" Leah asks, confused.

"I love this kid," Katie laughs in amusement.

"We're not going to go to therapy, kiddo--" Caitlin starts to tell you.

"Why? Cos' you all definitely need it!" You further insist, throwing your hands up in the air.

"Y/N, we want to talk to you about the bullying instead," Lia takes the conversation in a serious direction. "We need to talk about it." She adds.

"Oh," You instantly clam up and go quiet, trying to stay reserved when talking about this subject.

"How longs' it been going on for?" Leah gently approaches the situation.

"A few months," You admit, biting you bottom lip. "It wasn't that bad at first, but gradually, it got worse, like more physical and that." You tell all of them in the room.

"I still think fighting them would be a better to resolve things," Katie pipes in.

"Katie, no..." Caitlin shakes her head in her girlfriends' direction.

You start to pick at the skin around your nails again, "I didn't want to tell anyone and be a bother, and well things haven't exactly been easy, I... I didn't know what to do." You admit, quietly.

Lias' heart clenches hearing your honest words, "We're going to sort this out, sweetheart." She states, firmly.

"Your mama and I are going to go down to the school, we'll get to the bottom of things and figure out what we can do," Caitlin adds in, making it well known to you that she's serious about this. "You're not a bother kiddo. You can always talk to us, no matter what's going on."

"This is the reason you've been acting out, isn't it?" Lia speaks up in realisation.

"I guess so, uh... I thought maybe if I acted out then I would get both of your attention and then you'd be in the same room together," You confess, biting your bottom lip as you try and not look in the direction of either Lia or Caitlin. "But all you seem to have done recently is fight with another so that backfired I guess." You mumble, ducking your head down in shame.

"Well that stops now. Right, Caitlin?" Lia turns to look at Caitlin.

Caitlin nods in agreement, "Agreed, we're your mums' and we're going to be here for you to figure this out together."

"I wish you could have told us sooner, kiddo," Katie speaks up as she frowns.

"I didn't know what to say," You mumble quietly.

"We love you Y/N and we don't want to see you struggle with anything," Leah chimes in, having the same thoughts that she just wants to protect the kid that's not even hers.

It's ony now that you suddenly realise how cold and distant you've been acting towards Leah for no apparent reason when all she wants to do is be there for you, "I'm sorry for the way I have been acting towards you Le," Your quick to apologise to her. "Your still my favourite stern blondie."

"I feel like that's a backhanded compliment there kid," Leah jokes with you, ruffling your hair as she has the advantage while sitting beside you.

"Be glad you got one, Le," You can't help but grin.

Something which all 4 women are happy to see you starting to return to your old-self, despite the challenges you've faced over the last few months.

"We love you, Y/N," Caitlin states, gently.

Lia wraps her free arm around her daughter, "Your our daughter, we just want to help you the best way that we can." She tells you, kindly.

"We want our happy little kid back, so we're gonna sort it out, alright?" Leah declares, firmly.

"And we'll hurt anyone who tries to hurt you," Katie finishes with a determined look on her face.

"No we won't Katie, we're responsible adults. We're not going to hurt other kids!" Caitlin promptly continues to tell her girlfreind.

"Speak for yourself, they don't call me McCard for no reason, you know?" Katie jokes with her girlfriend before she looks you dead in the eye. "Anyone hurts you kiddo and there'll be hell to pay."

© scribblesofagoonerr

[radawayghoul]

His Little Dove | Chapter 1

The Plan

Warnings: cursing, slight age difference, innuendos, height difference, ummm calling people names, angst, i think i switched from second to third POV at a certain point so..bad/subpar writing is a warning lol, 18+ only, MDNI

Pairing: Lee Russell x Reader (AFAB)

Word Count: 2,123

A/N: it's finnniisshheeddd!! ugh i actually am so insanely proud of this chapter!! thank you so much to everyone who has been waiting to read this!! i'm genuinely so honored and am starting chapter two as we speak!! the comments and stuff really motivate me so much 🥹

 Following behind Lee and Neal, Y/N listened in on their conversation, a bit confused as to why you’d been invited. 

“Oh, Jesus Christ, the bloodbath begins,” Lee said around a mouth full of smoke, “She’s got me off my rocker, Gamby. We gotta act quick,” Lee adjusted his hold on his cigarette, “Now, she’s tied up in teacher reviews for the next 72 minutes. That gives us some time.” 

Y/N arched a brow. “Time to do what, Lee?” You questioned him, “Who exactly are we sabotaging?” Y/N knew the name of Lee’s game by now. 

“Oh, great, Russell, why did you invite her?! She’s not even familiar with the parameters of our plan!” Neal exclaimed, yanking his toothpick out from between his teeth, pausing in the middle of the school parking lot. 

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Gamby!” Lee whined, “Treat Y/N with a little respect! Ohhh, Y/N, darlin’, I’m so sorry for this fat fuckin’ losers disrespect, please just ignore him, okay, pretty bird?” Lee gave you a sickeningly sweet smile before turning back to Neal with a disgruntled look, “Loosen the fuck up or I will do this shit on my own motherfucker. Now, let’s go dig up some dirt on that grimy bitch.” 

Neal scoffed but followed after Lee begrudgingly, Y/N speeding up her steps to keep up. 

You had no idea WHO you were sabotaging but you weren’t one to say no to Lee. You never said no to Lee Russell. And you absolutely never fucking would. 

-----------

The three of them rolled up on a house that Y/N knew all too well. Lee’s house. This did little to lessen your confusion but you trusted Lee. 

“Is this where she lives? What a shit-hole.” Neal chuckled. 

Y/N snorted as Lee ripped off his sunglasses. 

“This is my house, motherfucker! It’s a mid-century sea ranch!” Lee yelled, huffing a sigh before continuing, “Now, stay here, I gotta go get somethin’.” Lee got out of the car and strutted towards his front door. 

“You should go easier on him, Neal. Really.” Y/N said, crossing her arms, leaning back into her seat. 

“Oh shut up, Y/N! God! Stop being so pretentious.” Neal groaned, rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. 

Y/N looked over as Lee was followed out of the house by his screaming mother-in-law, Mi Cha, looking stressed to the heavens. 

“Shut up! Shut up! All I hear is gibberish from you, shut up! Go back in the house!” Lee yelled before turning to walk towards the car, “Like nails on a fuckin’ chalkboard.” He groaned, stopping when he got to the car, closing his eyes in frustration as the woman kept screaming, “GO BACK IN THE HOUSE!!!” He yelled louder this time, pointing angrily at the open door. 

“FUCK YOU!” Mi Cha yelled, finally walking back inside. 

Lee grunted as he got back inside the car, a noise that made the butterflies in the pit of your stomach stir, shoving a bag into the back of the car into your lap. 

“Y/N, would you be a dear and hold this?” Lee smiled at Y/N, always being so sweet with her, even if he was out of breath. His smile dropped, however, the minute he turned towards Neal. “Go.” Lee demanded.

“Everything okay?” Neal questioned. 

“Just go.” Lee sighed, leaning heavily into the passenger seat. 

Y/N’s heart hurt for Lee. He was always under so much stress. Ever since his mother-in-law moved in, he had not been doing so well. He’d been a bit…wilder than usual. Always wanting to get into something scandalous or cause some sort of raucous to relieve his stress. Was it always the best solution? No. No it wasn’t. But, Y/N wasn’t going to deny Lee any sort of stress relief…even if it did mean they’d have to cover for him. 

-----------

Neal cleared his throat as the three of them continued their journey to wherever it was that they were going. 

“So, uh, was that woman your wife?” Neal asked, looking over at Lee nervously. 

Y/N couldn’t help but giggle slightly. 

Lee looked at him completely disgusted. “Don’t be asking me personal questions. We ain’t fuckin’ friends, okay? This is business.” Lee scoffed. 

“Leeee..” Y/N said quietly, leaning up slightly to rest their hand on Lee’s shoulder, “Breathe.” Y/N massaged his shoulder, trying to help him relax. 

Lee relaxed a little into Y/N’s touch, taking a deep breath. Y/N was really the only one to have this sort of effect on Lee. She could calm him in almost any and all situations unless he was really, really stressed. 

“Friends?” Neal laughed, “I am not trying to be your friend.” 

“Over here tryin’ to make a fuckin’ friend and we about to do a mission.” Lee scoffed, leaning back into Y/N’s touch even further. 

Neal looked between the two of them with a raised brow, “You’re the one trying to make friends the most.” Neal challenged. 

Lee sighed, slipping his sunglasses back onto his nose. “Just shut up, Gamby, god!” 

Y/N shook her head at the two of them, pulling her hand off of Lee to sit back once more. 

-----------

The group of them rolled to a stop in a very well-off looking neighborhood. 

“Who are we here for, Lee?” Y/N questioned, peering out the window of the car. 

“Dr. Brown’s deep, dark secrets.” Lee smiled mischievously, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Belinda?! Lee…honey, I need you to bring yourself back to earth for a moment. You know I support you in all that you do but this is a suicide mission, sweetheart.” Y/N told him sweetly, sighing a little. She knew this man was up to something scandalous. 

“Don’t start, Y/N. God, you both just really wanna piss on my parade, don’t you? Maybe you two should be fuckin’ butt buddies and I’ll do the work that fuckin’ matters.” Lee grumbled, getting out of the car. 

Y/N sighed, following after him while Neal awkwardly stayed in the car. 

“Lee, sweetheart, you know it’s not like that at all!” Y/N said, walking over to place a hand on his back, “Don’t get all grumpy with me like that, it hurts my feelings, doll.” Y/N frowned up at him. 

Lee scanned Y/N’s face with his famous sad puppy dog eyes before letting out a frustrated sigh. “Alright fine, fuck!” He exclaimed, looking down at his feet, “I��m sorry, okay? There I said it. Now, come help me take this dirty bitch to hell?” Lee looked at Y/N with a cute smile, batting his lashes at her. 

Y/N closed her eyes. “I’m gonna regret this..but fine. I’d do anything for you.” Y/N muttered, shaking her head. 

“Are you two weirdos finished? We’re running out of fucking time!” Neal grumbled as he stomped over to them. 

Lee rolled his eyes, grabbing Y/N’s hand to drag her towards Dr. Brown’s house. “Shut up, Gamby!” 

The three of them shortly arrived at Belinda’s house where Neal and Lee began digging their way through the woman’s garbage. 

“Ugh,” Y/N gave them a disgusted look, “Lee, I love you, but that is fucking repulsive.” 

“Oh, please, just pretend I’m digging in your ass, that’ll make the picture a whole lot prettier.” Lee winked at Y/N with a smirk.

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat, heat rapidly rising to her cheeks. “Lee fucking Russell, do not say that shit to me,” Y/N crossed her arms over her chest, feeling sheepish. 

“Don’t pretend like you don’t love it when I talk dirty to you, darlin’.” Lee’s smile grew as he took in her red appearance. 

“So..uh..I’m confused, are you two like..dating..or..?” Neal questioned, watching the pair with an expressionless face. 

“NO!” Y/N said much too quickly before steadying herself, “No, we’re just friends. Lee just doesn’t know how to shut the fuck up.” She grumbled. 

Lee placed an offended hand on his chest. “That no was a little too quick for my liking. What? Am I not good enough for you little miss honors English teacher? Huh? Not good enough for the little straight A, fuckin’ teacher of the goddamn year?!” Lee scoffed, his brows narrowed slightly. He looked genuinely hurt by her rushed response. 

“You’re fucking married, Lee!” Y/N yelled at him, eyes wide, “Why the fuck would I ever agree to someone asking if we’re dating, idiot?!” 

“Oh, don’t you start callin’ me fuckin’ names now, missy!” Lee pointed an accusing finger at her, scrunching his face up the way he does when he’s upset about something. 

“Right. Okay um, it seems like you two have a lot to work out and I really don’t care to hear the rest of this conversation because you’re both fucking stupid and I don’t care about either of you.” Neal ranted awkwardly before walking towards Belinda’s steps.

Y/N and Lee rolled their eyes at each other, following after Neal. 

“Oh..there’s no fucking way we’re breaking in here!” Y/N scolded, giving Lee a disapproving look. 

Lee shrugged, shooing Neal towards the door. 

Neal popped off his tie, wrapped it around his hand, and busted open one of the windows on the back door before sticking his hand through to pop the lock. 

“Jesus Christ,” Y/N muttered, shaking her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, “what are y’all getting me into?” 

“Oh shush.” Lee scolded, waltzing into Belinda’s house behind Neal. 

Y/N followed close behind. “Lee, we should not be doing this. You’re smarter than this.” 

Lee stopped and turned around to give her a cold gaze. “Am I, Y/N? Hm?” He challenged, walking towards her dangerously slow, “You don’t really know me all that well, do you?” He smirked, standing so close to her she could feel his breath fanning her face. 

Y/N gulped, trembling slightly as she peered up at him. “Stop it,” She said quietly, looking away from him, “You always fucking tease me and it’s not fucking fair, Lee, jesus.” She snapped, immediately turning and walking back out the door. 

Lee chased after her, grabbing her by her elbow. “Hey now. What's the matter with you?! Where the fuck are you going?” 

“Back to my fucking job, Lee. I am not doing this. Belinda hasn’t done shit to me. Look…I love you, Lee, I really do. You’re my best friend but this job is my fucking life. But you wouldn’t get that, would you? Because you’ve got fucking everything. You’re married, you’ve got a beautiful home, a nice car.” Y/N took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She was overwhelmed with her feelings. His teasing usually never bothered her but today...today was different for some reason. She just couldn't go through with this any longer. “I understand why you’re doing this..and I want to help you, Lee, believe me, I do. But I can’t lose this job.” Y/N finally looked up at him, almost taken aback by the sincere look on his face. 

“Go,” He said, softly, “I’ll meet you back at the school..okay? For lunch. Like always.” Lee held out his pinky. It was their tradition to link pinkies when making plans as a promise to not let each other down. 

Y/N nodded, curling her smaller pinky around his larger one. “Like always.” She pulled her hand away, starting her journey back to the school on foot. It wasn’t far, she wouldn’t have any trouble getting there but leaving Lee behind like that when he had been counting on her to help him really broke her heart. But she couldn’t lose this job. It was all she had that kept her connected to Lee and she’d be the first to go if anyone found out about this scheme. She couldn’t risk it - couldn’t risk her livelihood and her job. Lee was everything to her. Everything. Lee was and always will be her livelihood. 

-----------

Back at Belinda’s, Lee walked back into the house with a determined look on his face, now upset that his one and only friend bailed on him. 

“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?” Neal said while scanning the wall of Belinda’s photos.

“What the fuck did you just say to me, Gamby?” Lee said pissily, narrowing his brows at him. 

“That girl loves you..and you’re just blind to it..I’m not good with women but you shouldn’t use her the way you do.” Neal shrugged. 

“Shut the fuck up, you ass face, you have no fucking idea what you’re even talkin’ about.” Lee scoffed, stomping off up the stairs of Belinda’s house. 

That couldn’t be right, could it? Could you really love him in that way? 

‘No,’ Lee thought, shaking his head, ‘There’s no way…right?’ 

Right? 

--

tag list: @one-of-thewalkingdead @itsyellow @ajeff855 @vulgarfuckinvirgo77 @casiaregina @dried-mushroom @justme12200 @wtfwhyanyway @sequoiassoul @saturnbourne @ryankaylamartin96 @avidreadee123 @theweirdoneee @saltysultry @radskull-69 @deviantgamergirl @caligrl1992 @littlenosoul @sir-henry-may @spatialwave @danveration

[queenshelby]

Our Little Secret (Part 58)

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Infidelity, Age-Gap, Triggers, Smut

On the same day, following breakfast with Siobhan and her friends and just after you picked up Mara from your mother's house, you received a text message from Cillian.

"Can I see Mara on Tuesday? I am heading back to Liverpool on Wednesday," he wrote, his words short and to the point.

As you stared down at the screen of your phone, you couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over you. At least he was still engaging for Mara's sake even if things between the two of you were strained and complicated.

"Sure. She would love that," you wrote back, adding on a smiley face as an afterthought, trying to lighten the mood, but Cillian's response was, once again, short and to the point. 

"Can I pick her up at noon?" Cillian requested curtly.

"Of course," you replied after a moment's hesitation before adding, "Is everything okay, Cillian?"

Cillian didn't respond for what felt like an eternity, leaving you with nothing but silence and the feeling of regret. You couldn't help but wonder if you had made the wrong choice by sleeping with him again. Clearly, things were still not okay between you two, and maybe they never would be.

"I'm fine, Y/N. I'll see you Tuesday," came the eventual reply.

"Will you not be available for our counselling session tomorrow afternoon? It was booked for 4 o'clock," you reminded him, seeing that he must have forgotten about it which, too, was unusual.  Cillian was a man of organization and he always marked important appointments like this on his calendar.

"I would prefer to appoint a mediator moving forward and have a proper parenting plan drawn up instead. I don’t think counselling is helping," Cillian wrote back dryly, and your heart sank.

Part of you couldn’t help but wonder if things would have turned out differently if you had just stuck to your original plan and hadn’t given into the temptation to sleep with him again. You had been doing so well with sticking to your boundaries and focusing on Mara’s happiness, but now things were even more complicated than ever before.

"Counselling is for Mara's sake. It helps us work together, as a team,"  you argued, hoping to make him see reason, but Cillian's response was firm.

"I don't think it does. I think it's a waste of time and I would rather focus on having a proper parenting plan in place. I'll pick up Mara at noon on Tuesday. Goodbye, Y/N."

You stared down at your phone in disbelief, your heart racing as you tried to steady your racing thoughts. Cillian was shutting you out, and there was nothing you could do to change his mind.

"Lets just keep that last session please?" you requested, hoping to salvage even a little of the relationship you had with Cillian. 

"Fine," Cillian replied and you sent him back a quick and polite "Thank you,"  before putting the phone away which is just when the doorbell rang and you had to prepare yourself for the inevitable confrontation with Sean. 

You had been expecting him after, that same morning, he had demanded to see you so that you could talk. You were certain that he had read the tabloids and had seen the images of you and Cillian from the hotel lobby, sharing a kiss and some PDA, and so he did. 

As soon as you open the door , Sean wasted no time in firing on you.

"I knew this would fucking happen Y/N. I fucking knew it," he said, his voice filled with anger and hurt. "And it's all over the fucking internet too. It's so fucking embarrassing for me, you know that?" he yelled, causing his cheeks to redden. 

"Sean, please, I can explain," you  tried to interject, but he cut you off.

"Explain what, Y/N? How you cheated on me?" he asked, his voice shaking with anger and hurt.

"I didn't cheat on you Sean," you said, feeling a sense of panic rising within you.

 "So you didn't fuck him then?" he  pressed on, his voice getting louder and more frustrated and, immediately, your cheeks reddened. 

For a few seconds or so, you remained silent until, finally, you managed to gather your thoughts enough to respond. "I did sleep with him Sean, but you and me are not together. I didn't cheat on you and I was very clear from the beginning that I did not want to be in a relationship with you." 

Sean's expression changed then, and he looked almost hurt. "Out of all people Y/N, why him, after all that he has done to you?"

Sean asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

You hesitated for a moment before answering him, "Because I love him, Sean. I have always loved him. I am sorry."

"Jesus Y/N, this man is almost fifty. He could be your fucking father," Sean lashed out, his voice laced with disgust.

You felt your heart drop at his words, the guilt and shame bubbling in your chest. "And yet this changes nothing for me, Sean. He is the father of my child," you replied tearfully.  "Cillian and I were, and I guess still are, attracted to each other and I can't help that. I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you,"  you managed to say before your voice trailed off, your vision blurring with tears.

"So you are back together then? Even though he is screwing other women on the side?"  Sean's anger escalated and it seemed as though the room pressure grew along with it, his face turning purple and clammy.

"No, we are not back together, because quite frankly, I cannot yet forget what he did and I am not sure if I ever will,"  you replied, your voice trembling with emotion. "But it doesn't change the fact that my heart beats for him, even after everything that he has done. I can't help the way I feel, Sean. I am truly sorry if I hurt you in any way and if I did, I will make sure to take the necessary steps to rectify this."

Sean looked at you, his eyes filled with disappointment and hurt. For a moment, you thought that he was about to say something, but then, he took a deep, calming breath and nodded his head.

"So I guess that's it then, between us?" he asked  again, this time his voice softer and more defeated.

You nodded your head, feeling the weight of your decision settle on your shoulders. "Yes, I think it is," you said, swiping at the tears that had started to fall down your cheeks.

Sean looked at you for one final moment before turning and walking away, leaving you alone on your doorstep. You watched him for a moment before slowly closing the door, feeling a sense of loss and regret wash over you.

You hated hurting people, but you knew that you couldn't keep leading Sean on if you truly had feelings for Cillian.

Sighing, you turned your attention to Mara. She had been watching the interaction with wide eyes, her expression one of confusion, but not much else than that. She didn't understand your relationships and inner turmoil just yet , but the tension and energy emanating from your exchange left her feeling restless.

Extracting yourself from the awkward scene, you settled down on the floor beside her, pulling her close into your embrace. The warmth of her felt soothing, and you couldn't help but hope for better days ahead.

"Mama," she cooed, looking up at you with those big blue eyes of hers, her soft lips forming a small smile which was something that always made your heart melt. 

"Are you hungry?"  you asked, your voice softer and more gentle as you tried to distract Mara from the earlier scene.

Mara nodded her head eagerly, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Okay, then let's go make some lunch," you said with a smile, standing up from the floor and offering your hand to Mara.

She was walking well now for her age and took your hand eagerly, and as you walked towards the kitchen, you couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards her. In times like this, Mara was a constant reminder of what truly mattered in life.

She was the light of your world, the reason why you got up each day and faced the world with a newfound determination. You had been through so much in the past few months, but it had all led you here, to this moment, with Mara by your side.

You settled down to make lunch, grateful for the peace and quiet that had enveloped the room. Although your mind was plagued with doubts and insecurities, you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over you.

Ending your fling with Sean was for the best and you knew it. You also knew that with Sean no longer being in the picture, it would be easier for you and Cillian to focus on co-parenting Mara as a team.

But that didn’t change the fact that things between you and Cillian were strained and complicated at best. You were still hurting from everything that had happened and it seemed as though, especially after last night, Cillian was too.

You couldn’t help but wonder how things would have turned out if you had never given into your desires and slept with him again and knew that, come tomorrow, this was possibly something that needed to be addressed during your counselling session.  As you sat down to make lunch, you couldn’t help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over you. You had a lot on your plate and so much unsaid between you and Cillian.

"Mama, up?" Mara asked softly, pulling you from your thoughts and bringing you back to the present moment.

You looked down at her, feeling a sense of warmth wash over you at the sight of her innocent face. "Sure, sweetie. Let's go over there," you said, pointing to the seat beneath the window, which was Mara's favorite spot. 

Mara loved watching the birds and people passing by on the street. You often shared food there and talked about what you both saw. 

"Bird," Mara  pointed out, excitedly as she watched a sparrow alight on the sill.

"Yes, it's a sparrow," you confirmed, smiling at how interested she was and with that, the afternoon passed without much incident.

The following day, however, nothing worked out for you as you had planned. First, Siobhan had to cancel on you, unable to take Mara while you were attending your counselling session with Cillian and, after you finally dropped her off at your mother's house, you ended up in a traffic jam on the way to your counselling session, causing you to be late.

You were fidgeting nervously as you entered the counselling room, knowing that Cillian did not like to be kept waiting. You found him already seated, staring out of the window with a frown on his face, his arms crossed, annoyance written all over his face. 

"Cillian, I'm sorry I'm late," you blurted out as soon as you entered the room.

He turned to look at you, his expression giving nothing away. "Yeah, I can see that," he replied curtly. "You couldn't call?"  Cillian asked, his voice filled with annoyance.

"I got stuck in traffic and my phone is almost out of charge," you replied, trying your best to sound calm and collected despite the flutter of nerves in your stomach.

Cillian nodded his head, not saying anything, but simply rolling his eyes and when you took your seat on the sofa next to him, you noticed that your counsellor, Mrs Harrison, had printed out a recent article about you both. 

"Alright Y/N, now that you are here, should we cut straight to it and address the elephant in the room?" the counsellor asked gently, addressing the article and the obvious tension between the two of you in the room.

Cillian sat in silence, his eyes focused out of the window, a thousand miles away, ignoring her question while you took the piece of paper into your shaking hands and stammered out "I made a mistake." 

Mrs Harrison looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to continue, but you couldn't find the words. 

"Explain to me, in your own words, what happened between you two that evening," she guided you, pointing towards the article in your hands.  You knew this was coming. The article that had caused a whole wave of drama and chaos in your already messed-up life and you knew that Mrs Harrison would have come across it.

"Did you fight?" she asked after you failed to say a word.  You swallowed hard before nodding your head.

"We did after Cillian made a scene about me dancing with one of the other guests at his sister's wedding. This is where this photograph was taken," you explained  , your voice shaky as you pointed towards the photo in question in the article.

Mrs Harrison nodded her head, jotting down some notes on her clipboard just before Cillian interrupted. 

"I did not make a scene, Y/N! I simply...," he began to say, which is when you cut in again.

"You pulled me away and had a go at me because you couldn't control your jealousy and insecurities!" you interjected, throwing the words at him like daggers.

Cillian looked at you, his eyes flashing with anger and hurt. "I am jealous alright, but I am not fucking insecure," he spat, leaning forward in his seat. "You are the one who is insecure and immature, throwing yourself at every guy there is and using me for...," he began to say, shaking his head before trailing off. "You know what, forget it. This doesn't work," he announced, slamming the other copy of the article down on the table in front of him, causing the furniture to creak under the pressure.

Mrs Harrison looked at both of you apprehensively, unsure of what to do next. 

"You seem to be rather emotional Cillian. Do you want to tell us why?" she asked, cautiously. "In your own words, tell me what happened that night that made you so upset?"  Mrs Harrison continued, asking Cillian directly.

Cillian sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. "We had an argument that, somehow, let to us having sex and I was naive to think that this meant something more," he explained  , his voice laced with disappointment.

Mrs Harrison looked at him sympathetically, taking note of his words. "Why did you think that?" she asked gently.

Cillian shook his head, a weary expression on his face. "I don't know. I guess I was just hopeful that she had finally forgiven me and that this was a chance for us to start fresh," Cillian replied, wrinkling his brow and looking down at his hands. His response was met with an uncomfortable silence in the room.

"You know I can't just forget what happened Cillian. I told you many times, and even during our last session here, that I cannot forget about the fact that you had sex with Amanda,"  you replied, your voice trembling with emotion.

Cillian looked at you, his expression filled with hurt. "And I told you that I regret what I did. I regret it every fucking day," he said, his voice filled with frustration.

You looked at him sympathetically, taking note of the pain in his eyes. You knew that he was hurting just as much as you were, but that didn't change the fact that you were still hurting from everything that had happened.

"I know you regret it, Cillian. I regret it too, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened," you said softly, trying to diffuse the tension in the room.

"Y/N, forgiveness and forgetting isn't the same thing," Mrs Harrison chimed in, sensing the frustration in Cillian's tensed up posture. "But it sounds like you have neither forgotten nor forgiven him for cheating on you, is that right? So let me ask you, why did you sleep with him that night?" she continued, turning her attention back to you.

You hesitated before responding, "I don't know. I suppose I was feeling vulnerable and emotional after our argument. I wanted to feel close to him I guess and maybe I wanted to show him that I am the one who holds the cards now. I really have no idea, but what I know is that all of this was a mistake. We shouldn't have slept together that night. It was dumb."

In response to your comment, Cillian  turned his gaze towards the window, lost in thought. Mrs. Harrison, seemingly sensing the heavy atmosphere in the room, decided to intervene by shifting the discussion towards a more neutral topic: co-parenting.

"Let's move on from this, for now," she suggested gently. "You both have a daughter to take care of, and that's the most important thing right now. It seems to me that you guys need to come up with a more effective way of communicating and working together for Mara's sake. During the last sessions, we made progress but this progress seems to have been  eversed with what happened between you on the weekend," Mrs Harrison continued but was interrupted by Cillian.

"I want to appoint a mediator and have court orders prepared,"  Cillian said tersely.

"That's not really what we are here for today Cillian," Mrs Harrison replied, trying to steer the conversation away from that. 

"I know it is not, but I cannot see the value in these counselling sessions anymore if there is literally no hope for us to reconcile. I am tired of this, and I frankly don't have time  for it," Cillian replied, his voice laced with frustration.

“I understand why you feel that way Cillian, but I think you would benefit more from this process if you were to give it a fair chance and keep an open mind about the possibilities of our co-parenting relationship,” Mrs. Harrison continued in her calm and soothing tone while Cillian pulled out a document, prepared by his solicitor,  and handed it to Mrs. Harrison.

“This is my request for Mara’s parenting plan and I have also proposed a mediator that will handle all communication between myself and Y/N moving forward," he declared. "Once a plan is in place I am happy to continue these sessions but for now I think that, what Mara needs the most, is structure and that's clearly something Y/N is unable to provide,"  he explained with a heavy sigh while you sat in a stunned silence next to him, watching as Mrs Harrison quickly scanned the document in front of her.

The weight of his words hung over you heavily and it was clear to see that the last few months, coupled with your repeated attempts to work on communication, had taken its toll on Cillian. You didn't blame him if he wanted to wash his hands of the whole situation, but at the same time, you couldn't help but feel disappointed that he had resorted to this.

"Please explain to me how I am not able to provide Mara with structure when it comes to our co-parenting arrangements, seeing how you are the one who is away for long periods at the time?"  you asked, unable to keep the sharpness out of your voice. 

"Well, for starters, you were planning to come to Liverpool next week and now, after all this, last night, you texted me that you thought it was no longer a good idea for you to come," Cillian replied, frustration dripping from his voice. "That is after you used me for god knows what reason, without giving any consideration to how your actions may impact on our co-parenting relationship or Mara."

You felt the weight of his words settling on your chest, pressing down on you, and you couldn't help but feel hurt at his accusations. "Oh, but your actions didn't have an impact on Mara? You cheated on me and tore our family apart by doing so! This is why we are here in the first place!"  you exclaimed, your voice shaking with emotion. "You cheated on me and, yet, I am the one who you consider to be unreliable in this!"

"Yes I cheated on you and I regret it every day. I am sorry, alright? I am so fucking sorry! Every day, I am telling you that, and it feels like it's getting nowhere. I can't change the past and I am fucking done apologizing. I am done with this too, these pointless sessions. Let's just move on alright? Let's get court orders through the mediator and not see each other anymore unless we have to," Cillian  said, cutting the tension in the room with a knife.

His words felt like a punch to the gut, leaving you breathless and speechless, unable to process what was happening. It was as if the ground beneath you had given way, leaving you to plummet into a dark abyss of uncertainty.

Mrs. Harrison, looking concerned, tried to reason with Cillian, telling him that it was not too late to repair the damage that had been done, but he was having none of it. His mind was made up and nothing you or Mrs. Harrison said could change it.

Cillian stood up, his eyes blazing with anger, and left the room. Mrs. Harrison turned to you, concern etched on her face.

"This is a lot to take in, I know, and it seems like Cillian is at his wits' end. I understand that he wants to move on from this relationship and have court orders but, honestly, that may not be in the best interests of Mara," she said gently.

She urged you to take some time to think about what you wanted and that she'd be available for private sessions.

Tags:

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@nela-cutie @futurecorps3 @delishen @nosebleeds-247 @thirteenis-myluckynumber @gills-lounge @hjmalmed @lost-fantasy @tiredkitten @sidechrisporn @smallsoulunknown @charqing-qing @hopefulinlove @aporiasposts @shycrybaby @me-and-your-husband @hjmalmed @lacontroller1991 @galxydefender @aporiasposts

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[pookalicious-hq]

defense ... suna rintarou x miya!reader

| 0.1: sidelines| prev | next | master list |

synopsis : being part of the miya family had its ups and downs. will volleyball be the thing that help her overcome the thoughts overwhelming her ind or will a certain foxed-eyed middle blocker offer solace. tags:coming of age, angsty, underlying themes of depression, mommy issues, childhood friends to lovers, manager!reader word count: 4100~

Atsumu couldn't pinpoint the moment his sister's muffled cries turned into whispers in the night. The sound had become so familiar that it blended with the rhythm of the house—background noise that everyone pretended not to notice. But tonight, like every night, the cries clawed at him. He told himself it was her injury. She was frustrated, she was hurting. But wasn’t it all supposed to heal by now? He had dealt with his own injuries, but they had never held him back this long.

He could barely recall the last time he had tried to address it. How dramatic could she have been? Her injury had been attended to, and her pain should have dissipated by now. His own injuries had always been fleeting, temporary. Why couldn’t hers be the same? The clock ticked relentlessly in the background, a constant reminder of the time that passed and the growing distance between them.

The house, once filled with the bustling noise of family life, now seemed eerily quiet, save for the occasional, muffled sob. Atsumu felt a strange disquiet that gnawed at him. It wasn’t just irritation; there was something more profound and unsettling, a discomfort born from his inability to understand or help. He wished he knew how to address the aching silence that followed her cries—a silence that seemed to grow heavier with each passing day. The thought lingered in the back of his mind: what if her cries stopped? What if, one day, the silence became permanent? That terrified him more than the sound itself.

At the breakfast table, (Y/n) would show up with a smile, genuinely appearing content or perhaps just pretending to be. Her efforts to blend in were so convincing that everyone around the table chose to ignore the reality of her struggles. They ate in silence, the weight of unspoken concern hanging heavily in the air.

Despite the silence, Atsumu couldn’t escape the unsettling feeling that gnawed at him. He’d seen (Y/n) around school, putting on a welcoming face, interacting with her friends, and even sharing smiles. To everyone else, she appeared to be managing just fine. But Atsumu was baffled. How could she seem so happy and so sad at the same time? It was a dichotomy he couldn’t wrap his head around. He wondered if she was faking one of these personas and, if so, which one it was.

But that Monday morning was different. As he watched her enter the guidance counsellor's office, he saw a side of her he rarely did—one devoid of the smiles and friendliness she showed to others. Instead, her expression was a frigid slate of indifference, and then within a second, it had been wiped from her face. Maybe he didn’t know who his sister was after all.

She sat as the very image of calm—back straight, posture perfect, with eyes that held a polite, distant light. A faint smile teased at the corners of her lips, a front that convinced everyone around her, lulling them to believe the perfect image that was Miya (Y/n). But underneath the neatly pressed pleats of her skirt, her fingers dug into her palms, nails biting against skin as she struggled to keep her irritation at bay.

“Well then… Miya-san, how have your classes been?”

Just get to the point, you old fuck.

“They’re going well,” (Y/n) responded smoothly, her voice not betraying an ounce of the annoyance swirling beneath her skin. She had grasped the strings of placating authority figures, of giving them what they wanted without ever truly giving them anything in return. Her face, still locked in that carefully curated smile, remained uncracked—only her hands, clenched tight beneath the table, betrayed the storm brewing within.

Internally, her mind raced. Do you care? Or are you just saying this because you have to? She stared at the counsellor, wishing he could just cut through the pleasantries and get on with it. His insignificance was overwhelming, his voice buzzing like an insect in her ear—just noise, barely scraping at the edges of her attention. At least anger or sorrow were tangible emotions, but this? This was nothing. He wasn’t worth her effort.

Her knee throbbed, a dull reminder of the injury that sidelined her, and with it came the wave of inadequacy that gnawed at her, sharper than the pain itself. The ache was constant, but not nearly as irritating as the sense of being stuck. I should be out there, she thought bitterly, not sitting here listening to this.

"...but such a shame about your ankle. I hear you were quite the player, setter if I remember correctly..."

Libero, she mentally corrected him, but what did it matter now? Her title, her position—reduced to a footnote in this man’s trivial recounting of her achievements. The sting of the past tense hit her harder than she expected. Were. I was. I'm not anything now.

Her chest tightened as the word echoed in her thoughts. She clenched her fists tighter, forcing herself to maintain that well-practiced smile, though inside, her thoughts spiralled into a storm of frustration and bitterness. Though, to the fox-slanted eyes peaking through the window, (Y/n) was sitting just fine.

Their words began to blur together, becoming white noise. I’m not a has-been, she thought, forcing herself to blink away the burning in her eyes. She didn’t need their pity; she needed them to stop pretending they understood what it felt like to lose everything she’d worked for. Every breath felt heavier, the walls closing in as her identity slipped further from her grasp. She wasn’t a player anymore. Not now. Maybe never again. Was this all anyone saw when they looked at her? A faded memory of what she once was?

"...with that said, we’ve decided—"

She blinked, snapping back to attention, barely registering his words until— what?

"...you’ll take on the role of manager for the boys’ volleyball team this year."

Finally, her smile had cracked. The violence of her gaze was enough to tear through the unassuming counsellor’s presence, and he had every right to let his features turn slightly distressed. In (Y/n)’s mind, she had been reduced to someone who would sit on the bench, filling up water bottles and managing paperwork. Manager. The word burned her from the inside out.

Is this all they see me as now? A shadow, an afterthought. Her knee throbbed in sync with the bitterness pooling in her chest. I’m just a placeholder. Not a player, just someone to sit and watch. She was being benched in life.

She imagined herself, day after day, on the sidelines. Invisible. Useless. No longer in the game, but orbiting around it, bound to a role that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Is this what my worth comes down to now? 

Her smile faltered, lips twitching as she forced it back into place. She couldn’t let anyone see how much this stung, how small it made her feel. Her voice remained calm, though it felt like a betrayal of her own feelings. “Of course. I’d be happy to help.”

The words brought an unpleasant tinge to her mouth, lips fighting the indecency to turn sour. 

(Y/n) was done. She excused herself from the meeting with all the pleasantries that were expected of her, but every step felt heavier than the last as she made her way out of the office. She gripped the strap of her bag tightly, the false calm she had worn during the meeting threatening to crack for real this time.

As she stepped into the hallway, her gaze flickered up and locked on to a familiar face lounging against the wall—Suna. He was staring at his phone, earphones in, completely absorbed in whatever had his attention. She almost sighed in what would be relief. At least Suna never demanded anything from her; he never cared to dig into her emotions or ask how she was doing. He was just there, a quiet constant. She never needed more.

“Hey.” He finally looked up, tugging one earbud out as she approached.

“Hey,” she echoed back, her voice flat but not unkind. It was a weird comfort, their indifference.

“Meeting over?”

“Yeah. They made me the manager of the boys’ volleyball team,” she said, her tone dry and bitter. Her disdain wasn’t at the fact that it was the boys' team, though she dreaded spending more time with Atsumu, more so it wasn’t her team.

He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

She let out a frustrated scoff. “Apparently.”

Suna shrugged, leaning back a little against the wall. “Could be worse. At least you’ll be around the game.”

Around it, (Y/n) thought. Not in it. But she didn’t say it out loud.

“Yeah, guess so.”

Suna didn’t press further. He didn’t offer some pointless pep talk or try to make her feel better. He just fell into step beside her as they started walking, the silence between them filled with the soft tap of their footsteps down the hallway. She mindlessly steered him in the direction of their last period, his gaze locked onto the manga he was glued to. 

As (Y/n) walked down the empty hallway, her thoughts fixated on the paper clutched in her hand. The muffled murmurs of her classmates reached her ears, their whispers a constant reminder of her inadequacy. Faces blurred into anonymity as she focused on the notes she had been given.

She felt the weight of the paper in her hand, the same weight as the expectations that seemed to rest on her shoulders. If only they knew how insignificant she felt—her dream of being on the court, making a difference, replaced by the mundane tasks of a manager. Her mind swirled with frustration and a lingering ache of inadequacy. She pushed through the crowd of faceless students, their whispers barely registering as she tried to focus on what lay ahead: her new role, the upcoming practices, and the challenge of fitting into a world that felt increasingly distant.

(Y/n) walked into the classroom, the low murmur of students filling the air. The walls, adorned with bright posters and educational charts, seemed a stark contrast to the turmoil she felt inside. Her gaze swept over the room, noting the familiar faces and the cliques that had formed over the past few weeks.

She found her seat with Suna, who had already spaced out, and slid into her chair with practiced ease. As she set her bag down, she caught a glimpse of Atsumu and Osamu chatting animatedly in the back of the room. A pang of envy twisted in her chest. They seemed so at ease, so effortlessly part of this world she felt increasingly detached from. They brought a flicker of something—perhaps longing or resentment—before she quickly crushed the budding thought.

Suna glanced up from his manga, looking at her demeanour. She returned it with a small hum, trying to keep her emotions in check. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about the upcoming responsibilities, the new role she had to embrace, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. The sense of being an outsider, of not fully belonging, loomed large, but she pushed it aside.

The bell rang, slicing through her thoughts and signalling the start of class. Ever so slightly, her expression shifted. The smile she wore was content, almost too at ease, as if it were a shield against the world. It was a smile that spoke of someone ready, ready to blend in and push through. As the teacher began the lesson, (Y/n)’s focus shifted to the front of the room, her outward demeanour now perfectly aligned with the expectations of her peers. The classroom felt distant, a stage she was no longer a part of but merely watching from the sidelines. The clamour of student life seemed to mock her, a reminder of the normalcy she was missing. Her brothers’ voices, though cheerful and light, carried an undertone of something she couldn’t quite place—perhaps a hint of irritation or pity. It was hard to tell through the haze of her own frustration.

She opened her notebook, the pages a blank canvas for her attention to drift. Despite her best efforts, her mind kept wandering back to the meeting. The notes from the counsellor seemed to mock her, the paper a tangible reminder of her current situation. She found herself staring at the clock, counting down the minutes until the class would end.

now playing: suzie save your love by allie x and mitski

While change was considered distressing, (Y/n) found solace in her routines.

Spin, smack. Dribble twice. Spin, smack. Dribble once. Toss. Hold your breath. Hit. Exhale.

If only she could feel the vibrant leather beneath her fingertips, it might wash away a fraction of her worries. Instead, a heap of pepperminted volleyballs lay scattered across the hardwood floor, just feet away from where she stood outside the gym doors. Her fingers twitched, drawn to the balls with a magnetic pull, aching to reconnect with the only thing she learned to understand.

It’d be dramatic to describe the last fifteen minutes as torture, but the pit in her stomach was akin to envy.

She had passed the girls' gym on her way here, and the sounds of squeaking shoes, laughter, and the thud of volleyballs against hands and the floor had stung worse than expected. Including Kokoro’s bright, familiar laugh that echoed through the halls as her teammates cheered her on. (Y/n) could see her best friend moving effortlessly, like she was born to play.

Her stomach twisted. She wanted to be out there too, running drills, perfecting every move, being part of something. But all she could do was watch from the sidelines, tethered by the weight of her injury and the cast that felt like a reminder of everything she’d lost—for now. Her eyes lingered on her friends, on the game she loved, feeling the ache of longing settle deep in her chest. Everyone else had a chance to play right now. Everyone but her.

Everyone including fucking Atsumu. He didn’t deserve to play the sport she loved with all her mind, body, and soul. Inequity wasn’t even the start of all the reasons she dreaded being his manager.

She exhaled sharply, trying to push the frustration down, but it clung to her chest. The thought of being so close to the game without playing it—it was like standing outside in the rain, looking through a window at the warmth inside. She was cut off from it, left to watch while others thrived-- improved.

She hadn't wanted this, hadn't asked to be stuck on the sidelines. And being tied to Atsumu’s team of all people only deepened the sting. It felt wrong, unfair. Of course, Atsumu could still play. Of course, he got to live his dream uninterrupted while hers hung in the balance.

The familiar sound of shoes squeaking against the court came from the boys' gym now, pulling her back. Without thinking, her feet carried her closer to the door, where the muffled noises of practice seeped through the gap. The gym smelled faintly of sweat and polished floors. She could hear the low hum of voices, and then the distinct, rhythmic thud of a ball being passed back and forth.

She peeked through the small window on the door, watching as the boys warmed up. Atsumu was laughing, of course, tossing a ball back and forth with Osamu. Her jaw clenched instinctively at the sight. It wasn't just envy—there was a deep frustration building in her chest, swirling with an ugly tinge of resentment.

As (Y/n) shifted her weight from one leg to the other, trying to ignore the constant pull of the court, she caught a glimpse of the middle-aged man on the sidelines. He couldn't have been more than two inches taller than her, with a sturdy frame and a well-worn whistle around his neck. That had to be Coach Yumiko—the name scrawled across the top of the sheet she'd gotten from the counsellor.

She hadn’t expected to deal with him until tomorrow, the end of the week, when she was supposed to start her duties as a manager. For now, she wasn’t officially tied to the team and had been content waiting outside the gym, pretending she wasn’t silently critiquing every drill Atsumu ran.

But just as she considered sneaking away to avoid the inevitable, Coach Yumiko glanced toward the door and spotted her. His eyes locked onto her figure, and before she could duck out of sight, he was making his way over.

"Miya-san," he called out, walking up to her with unexpected energy contrasting the everpresnt frown on his features. "I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow, but perfect— thank you for your enthusiasm, it’s highly appreceatied."

She blinked, caught off guard. “Uh…?”

“I could really use an extra hand. Asami’s out, and I wasn’t expecting you to jump in so soon, but I like the initiative.” 

Sota Asami, the third-year manager she had to coordinate with. The name wasn’t foreign to her as it littered every other hall she passed. Posters gave life to a gentle girl, her eyes light and dark as night, numerous achievements listed beside her glowing smile. Asami’s reputation as the school's poster girl—thanks to her father’s position as the vice principal—loomed over the page, a stark contrast to (Y/n)'s own feelings of displacement. The prospect of being just another face in the background, navigating the role of manager instead of playing, gnawed at her sense of worth.

He clapped his hands together, and what she assumed was his smile took over his features. “You can help with some of the drills and keep an eye on the players. Think of it as an early start.”

She opened her mouth, searching for an excuse, but the words got tangled in her throat. She wasn’t ready to be back—not like this. Being the injured manager wasn't where she belonged. She wanted to return to the spotlight, but this wasn’t the way. The weight of the hefty brace around her leg felt like a chain dragging her down, keeping her on the sidelines when she should be in the thick of the action.

Yumiko, oblivious to her inner turmoil, gestured toward the gym doors with a slight nod. “It’ll be good for you to get to know the boys.”

Lovely.

(Y/n) forced a tight smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes, and found herself trailing behind him, her gaze fixed forward. She wasn’t interested in engaging with anyone she didn’t have to. The sound of shoes squeaking on the hardwood floor and the faint echoes of a ball being spiked came from behind the door, and her chest tightened. That should be me out there.

They reached the doors, and Yumiko pushed one open. The sudden burst of noise—the laughter, the ball bouncing, the distant whistle of someone calling out—hit her like a wave. It wasn’t just the noise; it was everything she was missing, everything she couldn’t do right now. The gap between where she was and where she wanted to be felt wider than ever.

Yumiko stepped in, leading the way across the court toward the area where he kept his practice supplies: clipboards, towels, and bags full of equipment. The team was in the middle of their warm-ups, scattered across the gym like she used to be—alive, thriving, in the game. Her fingers twitched at her side, aching to hold a volleyball, to feel the rush of competition. But instead, all she could do was walk behind Yumiko, like a shadow, unnoticed.

Or so she thought.

She caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye. Suna was standing in a circle with her brothers, one leg crossed over the other as he watched the court with his usual indifference. But when his eyes landed on her, his expression shifted ever so slightly. His brows raised in a silent question at her appearance. Her stomach stirred with exasperation. She rolled her eyes in return, showing a fraction of disdain she felt at the moment. Why does he have to notice me like this? Not as a libero, not as someone in control, but as this—an injured outsider forced into a role she didn’t want. She didn’t need his quiet attention, especially not now. 

But why did that even matter? Whatever...

Her jaw clenched as she kept walking, pushing aside the urge to scream in irritation. She wasn’t in the mood for this—not for his raised brows or Yumiko’s well-meaning, but clueless attempt to integrate her into the team. She just wanted to be seen for who she really was, not what this injury had reduced her to.

Just get through this, she told herself, the knot tightening in her chest. Smile if you have to. Say as little as possible. Get in, get out.

Her knee throbbed in sync with the ache of being benched from life itself, the weight of the cast only adding to the burden.

Before she could dwell on it any longer, Atsumu’s unavoidable voice boomed from across the gym. “Whaddya doin’ in my gym, (n/n)?” His words were loud, and animated, but genuinely confused as he made his way toward her, clearly not expecting her presence.

(Y/n) blinked, a scowl tugging at her lips. Your gym? Really?

Osamu appeared right behind him, rolling his eyes at his twin. “It ain’t yer gym, dumbass,” he spat, the usual dry sarcasm dripping from his voice as he sent his brother a side-eye.

Atsumu ignored him, his gaze fixed on his stepsister. “No, seriously. What’re ya doin’ here?” His accusing tone had increased tenfold now, but as his eyes darted toward the brace on her leg, she could tell the question wasn’t entirely casual.

She bit back a sigh, her words sharper than she intended. “Just filling in while I’m stuck like this.” She gestured vaguely to the brace, trying to brush off the awkwardness of it all. She didn’t need this attention, not from him, not from anyone. Especially not right now.

Atsumu’s brows furrowed, as if he was going to say something more, but Osamu gave him a light shove. “Don’t be weird, ‘Tsumu. Let her be, yer annoying enough as it is”

(Y/n) let out a small huff in agreement, but the discomfort in her chest lingered. She hated this—hated being seen like this by anyone, but especially by them. The last thing she needed was to be treated like she was fragile.

“God, it’s a headache when the three of you are together,” Suna muttered, his voice as flat as ever as he walked past them. He shot her a quick look before lazily turning his attention back to the court, clearly uninterested in whatever sibling dynamic was playing out.

(Y/n) managed to smile at his comment, but it didn’t ease the knot in her chest. She was still stuck here, on the outside looking in.

Yumiko, having returned with a clipboard in hand, clapped loudly to catch their attention. “Alright, boys, enough chit-chat. Let’s get back to work!”

The sound of sneakers squeaking across the floor filled the gym as the team scattered, huddling into their respective groups. Atsumu and Osamu jogged back to their positions, Atsumu throwing a grin over his shoulder. “Catch ya later, (n/n). Don’t miss us too much.”

She rolled her eyes, more out of habit than irritation. She wasn’t in the mood to play along with his teasing. Not today. As much as she loved volleyball, as much as she loved her brothers… this wasn’t where she wanted to be. She should be on the court, not hovering at the edges of it.

Yumiko nudged her slightly, drawing her back into the moment. “Come on, you can help me set up the drills. It’ll be a good distraction.”

Distraction. Right.

(Y/n) nodded stiffly, not trusting herself to speak. She followed him toward the sidelines, watching as the players fell into their rhythm—jumps, sets, spikes. It all moved so naturally for them, while she felt stuck, frozen in place. Her hands fidgeted by her sides, aching to feel the ball, the adrenaline, the rush of being in the game.

But that wasn’t for her anymore. At least not now.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on what was in front of her. This was her new role, at least for the time being. She could either wallow in frustration or find a way to adapt.

As the whistle blew and the practice began in full force, (Y/n) steeled herself. She might be on the sidelines, but that didn’t mean she was out of the game entirely. Not yet.

a/n: mwah

taglist: @arusio , @neito327 , @kyoneko , @jino0ix , @soobinsbreadscrumbs , @dazqa, @littlemissendlessdreamer , @blueeclipsepaperartstudent , @ihatetakumi , @sugacor3

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Jareth x dreamy reader🔮💭🌌

Part 2

Masquerade ball scene🎭👗💃🔮

(A/n: hello, thought I'd make another part 2. I wanted to make it a bit different from the movie version. Enjoy 😉. Please comment and reblog, helps me alot 💖.)

Requests: open for labyrinth

Part 1 here

You knew where you were going. You were certain. You were the optimist. A dream mixed with sweetness. The definition of a sweet dream.

The environment was clumped with overgrown vines, trees, shrubs, and more stoned walls. Twas another obstacle, something to deter you from the path you went before.

"She'll never make it. She's not even heading in the right direction." Two short, stubby hairy creatures with protruding snouts, identicle to the next observed you sludging through the jungle. One spoke in a high high-pitched accent and the other a deep husk. It was like, similar to that of two young children watching a grown-up waiting for the moment to tell them 'I told you so'.

"She'll end up lost." The high pitch one said.

"Stuck." The low pitch responded.

"Mhm, stuck, that's what I said, stuck."

"You said lost."

"Mhm, stuck, lost, forever and ever."

You ended up reaching a tree, grabbing its vines, clinging to it carefully, not falling into the vines, or the vegetation that over grew even more. You swore they moved. Moving and increasing like snakes to block your path.

The one on the left shook his head, making a tsk sound with his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, never going to learn."

"No."

"Never going to make it."

"Never."

"Lost."

"Stuck."

"Forever."

"And ever."

Growing frustrated you tried to look for any sort of branch or loose vine that's strong enough to swing you across from the small island with the giant oaken tree to the platform covered in broken, grey, stoned paver's against the concrete slab.

You thought for a moment of jumping in; perhaps that's the only way. You would need all your strength to break through the dense vegetation, but, better than nothing.

"Oooooh, shes going to jump in."

You looked up to see a small creature sitting on a tree branch, wearing medieval scottish garb.

"Jump! Jump! Down ya go!"

"Down, down".

"Thar she goes."

"Into the unkown."

"Where will she stop."

"We won't know."

The two creatures then proceeded to laugh. Thinking there was no other way you paused to speak to them. "Excuse me, but would you please help me to get across."

"Oooh, help ya, quite bold of ya ta ask."

"Help you with such a task."

"To break the rules."

"To help with you to glory, or to your doom."

"Oh, help, help, power, power. The power we hold."

You were getting fed up. You didn't have time to waste for such nonsense. "Please, I don't have much time."

The two gazed at each other and then back at you. They then held up their hands, whispering to each other.

"Ok."

"Very well."

"We will agree to help."

"If you can solve a puzzle."

"Solve a mystery."

"Very well, what's the mystery, what's the riddle." You asked, smiling. You always had fun with these kinds of things. Surely, it's not too difficult of a task.

"Oh, brave, very brave. We will agree to help you."

"If you can figure out—"

"Which."

"Is which."

"Who is knick."

"And who is knack."

"Is he this."

"Or is he that."

They laugh once more.

You had to think for a moment. It seemed obvious for knick to have the higher voice and knack to have the lower. Though, knowing this place, tricks and turns come at every corner. You had to think hard, "well..." the creatures listened intently.

"You must be knick," you pointed to the one with the highest pitch. "And you must be knack." And the same for the lower pitch creature.

They glanced at each other, bewildered. "She—she's right."

"Correct."

"Now we have no choice."

"Help the girl."

"Save her from doom."

You smiled in brightness, you were getting the hang of this. Usually, you weren't the brightest of the bunch, often feeling half witted compared to other work colleagues or strangers that speak to you as if they had any idea of what you mean.

"Yes, now, will you please help me?" she said gently to the creatures with kindness.

"Very well." Knack hopped down from the tree as the other did the same. "Nnn, ok, let's see here, oh yes, just a twist and a snap, nnn," he muttered to himself. "Knick, where was tha spot again."

"Spot?"

"Aye, the spot, you know, tis a tap, one, two three."

Knick hopped down from the tree, looking like he hasn't slept in ages. He groaned getting up "errr let's see here, was it here, err no, no t'wasn't."

"Aha!, I found it." He stood at the edge of the small mount. "Give it ere, y'know, the ol' knock." Knick held out his hand for the long stick, that actually resembled a small staff.

"The ol'clock" he said.

"The ol'knock?" You questioned.

"Mhm, that's what I said the ol' knock."

"You said ol'clock" you mentioned.

"Mhm, that's what I said the ol' knock." Knack handed knick the staff.

Knick stuck the staff inside the hole. "mhm, there it is."

"Knew it was there."

"You were close."

"Very."

"Best stand back." You and knack took a step back expecting something rather big and tremendous.

He then started hitting the ground thrice, precisely three seconds in between. And—as you waited—

Nothing. Nothing happened.

"That was it" Knack said slightly disappointed. "Must be more to it then that."

"Give er a minute." Knick said, repeating the same movement once more.

All of a sudden, the ground began to quake. The vine's, roots, and vegetation slithered away. Creating a pathway for you to cross.

Knack posed with the stick expecting a 'thank you' of sorts.

"It's clear." You said thankful.

"Pathway m'lady." Knick proudly spoke.

"Always a boaster aren't you." Knack clicked his tongue tsk-ing at knick.

"Thank you both." You said walked along the gravel like path with mis matched grey stone pavers.

You felt confident, all you needed to do now was pass through the goblin city and get to the castle where you can find the king and return to your normal life, redeeming your wish, taking it back.

The two creatures waved at you as you looked smug, however, in that moment—something went wrong.

The floor beneath you began to crumble, creating a hole you fell through. "Woa!" You screamed.

The creatures staring unphased spoke. "Now, knick, did you remind her of the hole there."

"Don't beileve so."

"Well, she's well on her way to her doom now."

"Never to return."

"Never to come back."

"Trapped."

"Lost."

"Stuck."

"Forever."

"And ever."

"Mhm that's what I said lost, stuck, forever and ever."

They then started to laugh from the mounted island with the giant oaken tree.

-------

You slid down to what almost felt like a water slide, dirt and mud covered your clothes as you screamed. Turning, twisting and speeding down the slippery rabbit hole.

Eventually, you landed in a place that seemed rather empty, dark, and voided of any life. To your astonishment, a wooden stave dripped in tar lit on fire. So the king was playing fair—for now.

You grabbed the wooden stave, expecting it to disappear as you touched it—assuming it was another illusionary trick.

You wandered through the mysterious catacomb, believing it was an old city from another time. You took a moment to glance around at the structures; you were fascinated.

They seemed old, ancient, as if structured from inspiration from another city like Atlantis, Egypt, Greece, Rome pompeii, before the doom.

You trailed on for what seemed like hours, or rather perhaps twenty minutes. That was until you stumbled upon a structure, a structure that resembled an old standing mirror. The outer rim was decored in ornated wood and silver, and patterns of fairytails surrounded it. You couldn't help but run your hands down the side of it. Although, seemingly, some of these patterns resembled small items sparking old memories throughout your life. He wasn't kidding when he claimed he knew you better.

The glass of the mirrors reflection suddenly started to shift. Within the reflection, an illusion played out, like something that only happened in movies. You watched closely. It showed a room of white with sparkling glitter falling along with huge bubble like crystals floated around.

You were hypnotised. Entranced. Many of the women and men donned in different vibrant colours of frock coats, sack-back gowns, and masks resembling different animals.

Curious, your finger lifted to the mirror. Your finger push through the mirrors glass like liquid. Like moving water. You pulled your finger out, afraid and bewildered.

Looking closer, the men and women that danced in the costumes all waltzed; laughing, chattering and singing. Somehow, it drew you in, you always loved the ball scenes in movies.

This seems too familiar, somehow, like wasn't this from the movie. The part where she lost track of time, memory and herself.

Hesitantly, you looked behind the mirror. Nothing. And it seemed the only way through this was through the ornated wooden, silver mirror.

Shaking your head, you pushed through, taking a deep breath and holding it. It was quick. Like a flash. Your body felt a cold wetness for a second, and the next, you opened your eyes.

You wandered through, astounded beyond belief of the whole setting. You could hear singing and like in a trance, you began to loose your train of thought. As your eyes glanced down, you wore formal attire that seemed way too otherworldly or perhaps something you remembered wearing once before.

You traversed through the venetian masquerade ball. Many of the men and women, laughing your way as you passed. They seemed unphased by your presence. You turned and spun slowly trying take in your surroundings, trying not to lose touch with reality.

Oh, but how far you've already drifted from it.

You fidgeted with an item of yours that was close to you. Each moment, each time you moved closer, the more you started to forget, lose train of thought. Becoming one within the world of daydreams.

Oh y/n, you're already losing. You just don't know it yet.

Your vision became a sudden blur as suddenly you even forgot your name. You listened to the sound of the music, as many danced around you. Was, was this your purpose. Yes. This must be why you're here. To dance. To dream. To dance and dream. To be here. Forever.

Oh, you poor, callow minded creature, I've already won. You'll remain here forever. You've lost your innocence. You'll never see your dear ones again. You'll never go back. Forget about your home, the ones you hold so dear, dreams of realism, and live forever within a dream of our own.

You began to sway, having no little reason to believe this was your purpose. You moved fluently, dancing to yourself. Moving your arms and gracefully swaying your legs. Stepping in a glide to fit in with the crowd. Wasn't this what you wanted. To fit in when no one understands you. Now they can, here, where you can be safe and sound. Where no one can judge you and your free to be someone.

To be yourself. To live within your fantasises.

As you heard the sound of the gentle music sing. You spun and spun, feeling the reality drain away. Feeling happy. Free. Joy. Love.

Suddenly, you stopped in someone's tracks, and you delicately held your arms beside you. Dreamily looking up. He stood there. A man that felt familiar but you couldn't grasp the name of.

He wore a glittery, deep, blue frockcoat with an ornated cravert attached to a white poet linen blouse beneath. Without a word, you stood back, gripping the fabric of your attire. You didn't trust him. He seemed. Evil? No, not exactly the correct words but—

Evil, well that's a bit far-fetched, don't you think.

The mysterious man held an odd venetian mask to his face attached to an ornated handle. The horns from the mask somewhat made you curious. You shouldn't approach. However, he held out his hand covered in a white glove.

Your hand hovered over his. However, you continued to dance, dismissing him. You spun and turned. Locked in a daydream.

Much to his annoyance, he tried to garner your attention. As you danced, many of the ladies and gents laughed and tried to offer their hand. Purposefully trying to block your path to guide you back to the mysterious man.

However, you simply drifted past them. Elegantly frolicking past the crowd. You felt free.

Careful y/n, look, their eyes are gazing upon you. Their judging your actions.

You continued to joyously spin and turn, kicking your leg in the air as you moved freely, ignoring the voice.

The mysterious man glanced with impatience. Surely this was supposed to happen, yet—he wanted something more...

He attempted to grasp you, following your movements. Yet, to no avail could he hold your attention. It was agitating. You were an irritating creature.

Only until did he take a step, you stopped in front of him. Stuck in a daze. He glanced directly at you. Looking into your eyes. His mouth slightly parted, showing a mixture of tantalisation and pique.

You moved to glide around the dance room. He couldn't control you. He trapped you. Yet. He couldn't grasp you. You were a dream, he couldn't touch.

Eventually you stopped at the mirror, the same one you entered. You took a look at yourself dreamily. You could see an illusion, the illusion of yourself in the reflection of the glass but—wearing different clothes—Were those what you wore previously. Was that you? Didn't you have a purpose? You were here for something?

City? To get to the city? To meet the ki—

You gasped as someone gently touched your shoulder. Looking up, it was the same mysterious man whoms voice sounded familiar. "Oh dear, daydreaming again are you." He said in a mysterious, mystical tone.

"The—mirror—I saw?" You looked back.

"And that was." He grasped both your shoulders, prompting you to take a closer look. "I think you should look again, carefully this time. Look deeply within the mirrors reflection y/n."

You looked once more in the mirror's reflection, seeing nothing but the reflecting dream. "I-i beileve I saw—"

"A dream y/n, you saw. A. Dream." He spoke, concluded. "Dreams. Oh, what's that? " You laughed, smiling.

"Illusion." He smiled back in response. "Would you like me to show you." He guided your gaze back to the mirror. You saw yourself but, wearing different clothes. You watched as many people you thought you knew speak ill of you. Your loved ones resuming their normal lives without you and flashes of words you remembered that made your heart ache. You turned to him, tears streaking down your face. As though you were confused, not knowing why and yet feeling the pain washed over you.

"What. What is this." You say watching it. It felt so real.

"This is your reality y/n, this is what's real."

You wanted to take it all away. You wanted to imagine again. "If this is reality, I do not want it, take it away—please"

"Of course, you can, look." In the mirror you saw, yourself, in royal attire, that fitted only you. The style formed from a balance of your imagination and dreams. You saw yourself spinning forever smiling, not existing in that horrid illusion he showed.

"You can remain here with me. They won't mind. you're free here y/n. Free to do whatever you oh so desire." He offered his hand out to you.

Taking it out of curiosity. He smiled. He will keep you here, until time runs out. Forever making you his. A dream within his world.

He glided you across the room, as you danced in unison. Twirling, spinning, gliding, turning, dancing—to remain here. Forever.

Dancing with this mystical stranger felt right and—wrong. As he spun you, smiling. You were trying to remember something. A flicker of a memory, something within your mind. "City?"

To feel safe.

"Wasn't there a city, somewhere."

You need to feel free.

Y/n.

"There's a city I must go to."

Stay with me.

"I'm certain."

I'm your haven.

"To."

Your my dream.

"To go beyond, the walls of the—GOBLIN CITY! THE CASTLE!"

Your eyes flickered as if you awoke from the spell. You broke away, pushing him. You grabbed the fabric of your attire trying to run. In that moment, the guests were trying to surround you, to block you once more. You pushed and shoved them, rushing toward the mirror from which you came. The mysterious figure you recalled felt familiar, turned out, to be the king himself. Of course, he was tricking you. To make you lose yourself, to steal time away in order to make you forget, so you would lose.

That's why you remembered that scene in particular, oh how foolish you felt—but—you broke the spell.

The king, in frustration, grasped a crystal ball from thin air. Throwing it toward you. Showing all your greatest fears and wounds in a mass of shadow. As your eyes widened, you grabbed a chair, breaking the surface of the mirror's protective seal. You jumped through the liquid. Almost in an instant, you felt yourself falling, floating. To a near trash heap, only you describe it as a literal dump.

You held your hand to your head. As though you had a pounding headache. Once you realise your surroundings and gather your barings. You looked down, seeing the elegant attire you wore in the dream, a torn, trashed garbage piece. Suppose it was still clothing. Much to your annoyance. You sneer in disgust. He practically just dressed you in an illusionary trick.

You were sick of this, yet, you were thrilled. You loved the excitement of that dream, waking up. Now you were more determined more then ever to take back your wish and finish this off.

You trudged off through the trash pile, to the goblin castle beyond the goblin city.

Perhaps, you might even ask if he could return your clothes too.

[whumpback-wail]

07 - Decrescendo

Trial by Fire (Wriothesley x Reader)

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Reminder that this fanfic contains dark and mature themes. The TW/CW are in the masterlist and are constantly updated as I add each chapter. Please reread the warnings, proceed only after you reread the warnings. If you don't like/can't handle the topics mentioned in the TW/CW, please DO NOT read. This work is 100000% fictional and any similarities to real life people and events are purely coincidental, and none of the characters (especially the villains) are real. Again, please DO NOT read if you are not certain you can handle these topics or are in a bad place mentally. Minors are strictly forbidden. I only create content, and I am not responsible for your personal content preference and moderation. If you think you will not like this story, please just scroll away. You have been warned.

Wriothesley didn’t know how long he sat there watching her sleep, silent tears long since dried out. He couldn’t imagine the trauma that (y/n) must have gone through. She’s really strong, although he wished she didn’t need to be.

A knock sounded at the door, and Neuvilette stepped inside.Wriothesley turned his head around and nodded in greeting, not caring about how he looked with puffy red eyes and tear stains on his face.

“How is she?” The Iudex placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulders.

Wriothesley scoffed, rubbing his nose, “Terrible. We both are.”

Neuvilette nodded, understanding.

“Dougier spilled once we brought in Chlorinde.” At the mention of Dougier’s name, Wriothesley bristled, hands clenching on his thigh.

“She hasn’t even touched him. Wriothesley, we found Arderne’s location.”

“Where?” Wriothesley was on his feet in an instant.

Neuvilette hesitated.

“I… I only came here to tell you that, since you deserve to know the update, but in your current condition, I’m afraid you have to sit this one out.”

Wriothesley couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “What? Why?”

“I am doing this for your sake, Wriothesley. I know that look in your eyes right before you pounced on Dougier. You were going to kill him right there.”

Wriothesley grumbled. As much as he hated it, Neuvilette was right.

“I mean he’ll be dead once he gets sent back to Meropide.” The raven haired Duke sat back down, feeling defeated. He also knew he was acting rashly when he straight up decked Dougier, but that was as if his body moved on its own. That yet again proved Neuvilette’s point. Well fuck.

“But until then, we will have to follow Fontaine’s laws. You know that better than anyone.” 

Sighing, he could only quietly agree with the Iudex. He kept his eyes on (y/n)’s sleeping form as Neuvilette excused himself and left.

Part of him was frustrated, he wanted to do something, anything, to help with the case, especially at such a vital moment. But he also knew he probably wouldn’t be able to hold back once he got his hands on Arderne. If he were alone, he would risk it and he wouldn’t care about serving another sentence in Meropide. But he has (y/n) now, and he didn’t want to leave her behind

Rubbing his nose, he got up to splash some water onto his face. He has to stay strong for her, for them.

Once all traces of tears were gone, he came back to her side, leaving a kiss on her forehead, a silent promise that he would still love and cherish her through thick and thin.

“I’ll be back, my love. I won’t be long.”

Wriothesley needed to clear his head, and he knew exactly what to do. He exited (y/n)’s room and thanked the two men guarding his fiancee, he took a mental note to give Navia a hefty reward to distribute among her men later. They have been a great and reliable help.

Going back down to Meropide, he went straight towards the pankration ring arena, where there are always some boxing targets for him to use. It has been quite a while since he last came here to let off some steam.

After a quick warm up, he let his mind go blank and proceeded to strike the targets. Each punch he threw using a hundred percent of his power, putting in as much body weight into it as possible to make the blows harder. Wriothesley was in a world of his own, head empty and mind solely focused on the target before him, not caring about the eyes of inmates who watched their Duke exercise.

• • •

“So… I heard that it shouldn’t be too painful?” Wriothesley rubbed (y/n)’s shoulders comfortingly. They are at the abortion center of the hospital, awaiting the doctor to prescribe (y/n) the medicine that she would have to take.

“Nope, since the pregnancy is under 5 weeks, we can do it by medication.”

(y/n) swallowed, and gave Wriothesley’s hand a little squeeze. “Will it… Will it hurt the foetus?” As much as she hated Dougier, the experiments, and everything she was forced to go through, the foetus growing inside her, no matter the source, is still innocent.

The doctor smiled and shook her head. “This pill was specially developed in Monstadt by the famous alchemist Albedo, and his assistant, Sucrose, who had used her anemo vision to enhance it even further. It will be completely painless for the foetus and the mother. Besides, the foetus has not developed to the stage where it can feel pain.”

(y/n) nodded, feeling more reassured.

“So now all (y/n) has to do is just take the pills twice a day for 3 days and it should be all good?”

“Yes, it should remove everything from inside her womb. She might feel a bit drowsy as a side effect, but it will not be painful.”

“I will. Thank you so much, doctor.”

• • •

“According to the judgement of the Oratrice Mecanique D’analyse Cardinale, Dougier and Arderne, you are deemed… Guilty.” Neuvilette’s voice seemed to echo through the Opera Epiclese, reverberating through the (y/n)’s chest.

It’s over.

“You have been sentenced to 60 years in the Fortress of Meropide, and you will have to fulfil your duties there, under the command of the Duke of Meropide, Wriothesley.

(y/n)’s eyes darted to Wriothesley, who stood under the balcony of the defendant, where she sat. She didn’t need to see his expression to know how satisfied he looked, it was reflected on the faces of Arderne and Dougier, the two main perpetrators of the facility. They stood on the balcony opposite her’s and their faces were pale as ghosts.

“B-but…” Arderne reasoned, wincing pitifully as his small movement jostled his broken leg, still wrapped in a cast. “But Iudex, surely we will be granted protection once we are back in Meropide-”

“I hate to break it to you,” Wriothesley stepped forward slowly, eyes flashing with a sadistic glint, “But the Fortress of Meropide is not under Fontaine’s Jurisdiction.” He has waited a long time for this.

Neuvilette nodded, repressing the urge to smile, “The Duke is right. The Fortress of Meropide has its own laws and systems, and anyone who has to serve a sentence there is not under the protection of Fontaine’s laws. I suggest you be on your best behaviour while you’re there serving… for the rest of your lives, it may seem.”

A giggle sounded from the back of the room. Furina, from her own balcony as the Archon, clapped her hands. “Bravo! Bravo! What a lovely finale to perhaps the most intense trial in the history of Fontaine! You two certainly broke the record for longest sentence ever given by the Oratrice. So in a way, congratulations!”

Neuvilette knocked his cane on the floor three times, “Lady Furina, if I may conclude the trial-”

“Oh let me do it!” Furina cleared her throat, and with an intonation almost perfectly mimicking Neuvilette, she said “And with that, this trial has concluded. Guards, take them away!”

It felt like a huge weight has lifted off (y/n’s) chest. She felt all the intense feelings she had just moments earlier melt away into misty grey numbness.

It’s over. Everything that happened could just be a bad memory now.

She took a shaky breath and looked downwards to seek her fiance, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Looking for someone?” His voice appeared from behind her, as hands snaked around her waist.

“Wriothesley,” (y/n) turned around and hugged him, letting him catch her full weight as her legs turned to jello and gave up. “It’s over. It’s really over huh?”

Wriothesley kissed her cheeks, damp with tears, “Yeah, sorry you had to revisit old wounds, I know you want to forget everything, and keep the things that happened to you to as few people as possible. I hope not opening the trial to the public helped.”

(y/n) shook her head, “honestly, not really. But it was necessary, I know.”

During the trial, (y/n) had to be escorted out of the room a few times as she was starting to hyperventilate. Her therapist was there, always right by her side. It was unfortunate that Wriothesley had to stand below her balcony, joining the rest of the witnesses to this case. She would have felt better to have him right beside her.

She sniffed, wiping the remnants of her tears from her face. “Can… Can we go home now?”

Smiling, Wriothesley swept her off her feet and into his arms in a princess carry. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Walking out of the Opera Epiclese, (y/n) held onto Wriothesley tightly, burying her face into his neck. “So…”

“So…?”

“So what now?”

Wriothesley hummed, and (y/n) could feel the vibrations from his chest, “I suppose you have another therapy session tomorrow, so I’ll take you back to the hospital. But hey, at least now that you’re discharged, you don’t have to sleep there anymore.”

(y/n) smiled, “Yeah, I’ll be sleeping in our home, with you.”

“And we’ll do our absolute best to make things go back to normal, well… As normal as it gets anyway.”

She looked up at her fiance, who has been by her side through the worst of times, and still stayed despite how she had pushed him away in fear. She felt another feeling replace the numbness in her heart. Love.

Lifting her hand, she caressed Wriothesley’s cheek, and gently turned his head to face her. His footsteps faltered and his eyes closed automatically the moment he felt her press her lips against his.

Once they broke apart, (y/n)’s world was filled by the brilliance of the grin that stretched across Wriothesley’s face, “Well that was our first kiss after a very long while.”

Embarrassed, (y/n) buried her face into his neck again. Her ears tinged red, giving away the flush that had bloomed across her cheeks. “I just felt like doing that.”

Wriothesley chuckled, and continued walking, but this time he changed directions and went to the side of the road. He sat (y/n) down on short the stone walls that fenced the clean brick roads, and picked a rainbow tulip nearby.

“(y/n), love, I know I’ve done this before, and you’ve already said yes, but I think I need to do this again.” He got on knee, and fished inside his jacket pocket, taking out a ring that matched the one on his finger.

“(y/n), we have been through a lot these past months. The road was rough and the skies were dark. But even so, we pulled through together. You were so strong having overcome everything, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. You voiced out your concerns at your lowest point, and I wanted to reassure you again to make sure you never have such thoughts ever again. I love you so much, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day on. (y/n full name), Will you marry me?”

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{{(＞＜)}       ☆ ～('▽^人)

Well that de-escalated quickly, I honestly was stuck and didn't know what to write after the previous chapter because I wrote the entire fic only for chapter 5 and 6, it was pure self indulgence that somehow blew up here on Tumblr. After that usually the ‘scenario I play in my head to fall asleep’ ends and I’m already asleep. So I think the next chapter would be the epilogue, to wrap everything up neatly (and emotionally). I will also post the originally planned plot of Trial by Fire after that, because I think you guys deserve to know it (frankly I think it’s much better than this blurb, and much longer).

Though I think this chapter could be better, heck this fic could be better in general. If it were more detailed and longer with better descriptions and scenes to show (y/n)’s recovery from the incident. Something more show than tell. But since the beginning, I did tell myself I will keep it short, since writing does take a lot of time and energy, and with the amount of work I have as an illustrator, it looks almost impossible. So perhaps my next work would be one-shots or just 3 chapters max. It definitely won’t be as long (but will be as angsty with hurt/comfort heheheheheh)

Now I’m a little curious. How do you fall asleep? Do you think of all sorts of scenarios or keep your mind blank? Or just scroll on your phone until you fall asleep? For me, it’s usually  angst and hurt/comfort scenarios with my favourite characters. Some could be self-inserted, others not really. Not sure why that works best for me, but if it works, it works.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story so far! If anyone wants to rewrite this to your own version, you can contact me, and please credit this fic when you publish yours. I’d love to read what you come up with!

Last but not least, thank you so much for reading! I hope you all stay safe and healthy, and I hope you have a wonderful year this 2024! Cheers!

Taglist: @almosteggs @quuela @tempest1art @yamanaka13-blog @arseneumbra @kimmeaahh @cottonfluffs @randomidk-123 @applejayee @keigo-hawks-takami-simp @mechanicalbeat1 @aribae14 @bforbiblio @supernerdycookietrashblrr @furblrwurblr @chifuyus-kitty @bunnibabe @the-real-fandom-person @idawnghoul @kitsunechan707

[porcelainbirdss]

those summer nights ⋆·˚ ༘ * kuroo tetsurou

japan, 1991. kuroo tetsurou just graduated college. due to his advanced insomnia, he’s trapped within his own house, unable to work. his parents finally come up with a solution. he moves to his grandma’s house in the countryside, but only for the summer. there he meets a certain problem called y/n.

kuroo tetsurou x f!reader

content warning: serious health problems, (kinda) unstable relationships with parents, slight enemies to lovers, this is an au where haikyuu takes place in the 90s, more warnings to come as i go on with the story.

ch. one - "don’t let the bedbugs bite." ↓

japan, 1991

kuroo tetsurou just graduated college.

if you were to ask anybody else, they would probably say that the time passed quickly. days flew over their heads. but not for him, no.

kuroo’s days always seemed to stretch on forever. a gray blur. they were mostly filled with studying, as he was at the top of his classes. one may say that’s a normal school experience.

there was only one, big issue.

he couldn’t sleep.

his first problems with insomnia started to take place during the fresh start at a new college. in kuroo’s mind studying was more important than sleep, as he was academically driven. maybe his issue was that he dreamt of reaching the stars, or simply because success was drilled into his head at a young age.

still, nothing changed the fact that his health deteriorated. everyone always pointed out his skin was pale, and the shadows under his eyes hung low.

he felt fine, telling himself that this lifestyle is only temporary, that he’ll change once he gets back home. it turned out impossible. whenever he tried to get a rest, all he could do was throw around. changing positions, trying to tire himself. none of that had any effect on kuroo.

he’d randomly pass out during the day. concentrating and doing daily tasks took a toll on him, rendering the man useless. no point in getting a job if he can’t even tell apart a spoon from the fork.

kuroo often wondered during those sleepless nights - how did he even manage to do well in college? right now his whole life was crumbling and he wanted to scream from frustration. actually, he often did, stuffing his head into the pillows of his childhood home.

it felt torturous.

eventually he began going to the doctors. filled with new hope, the man tried taking their advice. medication, health procedures, exercises. at first it seemed to be working, but then everything in his system crashed again. at some point no one had a clue on what was going on inside his body.

finally, it began to feel terrifying. not only the sleeplessness, but also the alienation. detachment from your own body. the lack of control. not being able to force your own self to do something as simple as sleeping. of course there was the inability to do most things right too, and forgetting major parts of the day.

whenever he passed out, time seemed to jump around the place, like a mischievous cat. it’s noon, now it’s evening. he was just awake - wait, he closed his eyes for a second, so why’s it dark? is it the next day or is it still today? perhaps it’s yesterday?

he often pondered - will it stay like that forever?

can anybody even live like this?

when kuroo’s head banged onto the table with a loud 'thud!', his mother rapidly stood up, hitting the wooden surface with her palm. the rattle was strong enough to knock over the weird concoction that kuroo cooked up a while ago. a lemon tea (if you could even call it that) with at least twelve spoons of sugar. yes, the woman was counting.

"kuroo!" she yelled, "enough of that nonsense!"

her remarkably loud voice was enough to stir the man out of his unexpected nap. his mother was seething. kuroo rubbed his hurt forehead with a frown, before looking up at her. then his eyes trailed over the spilled tea. a short noise of surprise ripped from his throat.

"oh, my drink…" he sighed, getting up to grab a towel. "i’ll clean this up, mom, no worries."

kuroo quickly explained, his tone slightly slurred as he slapped the cloth onto the table, attempting to soak up the gooey "tea" that just spilled all over, now dripping down on the floor. he tediously wiped. a long beat of silence filled the kitchen before it was over.

"see? done." he forced a smile, which probably didn’t seem authentic.

his honeyed eyes snapped towards his mother, seeking approval. her face distorted, only for a second. it happened often, seeing stranger things. sometimes they just… looked different, and kuroo already got used to it. no matter if that plant reminded him of a dog, sitting by the stairs. or if his mom’s face was replaced by the weather girl’s. at the end of the day, it was only his mind playing ugly tricks.

"kuroo. we need to talk," she demanded, "i’m worried."

"about what?" her son inquired, leaning over the counter in order to support his suddenly heavy body. "i’m fine mom, just a bit tired."

oh wow, what a blatant lie.

the woman circled over the table, now standing in front of him. her posture was as stiff as a violin string, and that usually meant no good. she crossed her arms, looking at kuroo with scrutiny. her eyes studied him for a prolonged second.

"you’re lethargic."

"what? no-"

"don’t you dare lie to me," she barked, her lips starting to tremble, "sometimes i look at you and wonder - how is he even alive?"

kuroo didn’t know how to respond to that. 'me too'? if others worried, then imagine just how troubled he was. they didn’t have to be in his place. none of his friends nor family had to struggle with insomnia. of course he was jealous of them, and obviously pained too.

seeing his unresponsive reaction, his mother continued, "and this is the main reason why you’re still unemployed. you— we can’t go on like this forever!”

here it goes again. the ''work talk''.

shame instantly washed over him. he wished he could sit down, and he felt his eyelids drooping. the ticking of the clock resonated loudly in the back of his mind. wait, where was the clock again? was it ever in the kitchen? no, never mind. that’s not important. right now he needed to muster up a response.

"uhh… i’m sorry. i’m not sure what to do myself." perhaps he sounded too uninterested. "i’ll… try to figure something out."

at that, the woman sighed and strolled slowly over to the chair, plopping down heavily. frown painted itself across her face. she supported her head with a fist, unsatisfied with her son’s answer. tension in the air arose as she observed his slumped silhouette.

kuroo fiddled with his fingers, biting inside his cheek. he parted his lips, thinking - "should i break the silence? but what do i even say?". before any sound left his mouth, the man’s mother got up from her seat. she swiftly rendered the distance between her and the phone hanging from the wall.

"i’ll call your father." she stated, fingertips grazing over the receiver. "we’ll talk everything over in person. i can’t handle having a literal wreck of a human under my roof."

sensing it was the end of their frigid discussion, kuroo simply nodded and headed upstairs. he reached his room, feeling like he should probably be angry. he couldn’t. time after time, he felt his emotions becoming duller. at first he was irritated by his mother showing zero understanding towards his situation, however now it seemed pointless. or maybe his mind was just too fried.

he fell down onto his bed, praying for at least an hour of sleep. last night he was blessed with astonishing thirty minutes. good enough, he thought. as he closed his eyes, the sun rays tickled his whole face. too bright.

kuroo got up to close the dark curtains, swishing them over his window.

"now that’s better…" he muttered, lying back down. he repeated someone’s words in his mind - stay still, relax, quiet down your mind.

nothing.

he lied, sprawled out on his bed in the most comfortable position he could find. it seemed like forever, and maybe it was. no matter how much he tried soothing himself, it never worked. why was he even trying?

another forever passed, and kuroo felt the agitation arising in his chest. he could not sleep. feeling close to freaking out, he reached towards the sleep medication placed on his bedside table. he rattled the bottle, and by the sound of it, there were maybe three pills at best. it would take at least two hours for the melatonin to kick in, and the effects were usually meek anyway.

his tired eyes trailed mindlessly over his walls, finally stopping at the diploma he hung over the desk. a badge of honor. one of the best students.

was it all worth it?

before kuroo had the chance to slip down the spiral of dark thoughts, he heard footsteps, followed by knocking. the man got up, cracking his neck with a small yawn. he opened the door, and the sight of his father failed to surprise him.

"how are you doing, son?" he asked, "me and your mother wanna have a word with you. can you come down?" his words were steady, but something was obviously up.

his father was rarely home, often working until late hours or running errands. whenever his wife called him home, it usually was for an important reason.

"yeah, sure." kuroo responded softly, trailing after his parent. he didn’t want to, but protesting didn’t have a point. it’s not like he had any choice to begin with.

he couldn’t help the ominous feeling creeping down his spine when he spotted his mother sitting on the couch with a pinched expression. uh-oh. something was definitely up.

he dragged his feet towards her, swallowing thickly.

"sit down with us," the woman spoke, patting the seat beside her, "i made you some tea. it’s a lemon balm - peppermint blend."

kuroo obediently seated himself next to his mom, his father taking a seat across them. the man eyed the tea made specifically for him. his favorite. he felt as if he was on some kind of politician meeting, his leg starting to bounce involuntarily. kuroo grabbed the cup, noticing that his hands were shaking from the exhaustion. nothing new.

trying not to spill anything, he drank a little of the warm liquid. somehow it had the opposite effect of relaxing.

"so… you’re kicking me out?" he finally broke the gravely silence, before realizing how straightforward he sounded. his tone was so apathetic it could seem as if he did not care.

and maybe he didn’t.

his parents looked at each other, shock blooming on their faces in vibrant colours. it instantly melted their harsh expressions into something more agreeable.

"no, of course not. we would never," his father began, leaning closer to him, "me and your mother simply came up with a certain idea.”

"one that perhaps could help you," she added quickly, trying to sound reassuring, "do you remember your grandmother?"

his grandmother?

oh. oh.

kuroo already guessed in which direction the conversation was going, even though it took his anguished mind a second. nonetheless, he nodded slowly, trying to listen to them with patience.

"as you know, she lives in the countryside," the woman continued, "we’d want you to live with her for the summer. the air and lifestyle will surely help you with your sleeping problems."

"when you come back, all rested and happy, then you could find a job. or maybe even try to start your own business, am i right honey?" the older man sent his wife a smile before focusing his eyes on kuroo.

both his parents ogled him with anticipation, making it impossible to refuse even if he wanted to. well, if nothing worked, then at least he could try their idea. the more he mulled over the vision of living far away from the city, the more appealing it appeared.

"i mean… why not?" kuroo’s lips curled up, probably being his first genuine smile in a while, "i could do that."

his mom and dad cheered together, patting their son’s back. the spirits in the room were lifted instantly. how simple.

in a more peaceful atmosphere they explained every detail to him, saying that he should start packing as soon as possible. kuroo felt as if they actually wanted to get rid of him, considering how suddenly happy they got. it didn’t matter.

from what he deduced, he should leave in about two days. with that, he began preparing. he met up with his friend, kenma, saying that he will be out of town for the whole summer. the younger man wasn’t opposed to the idea. he even went as far as encouraging it. well - if kenma thinks it’s something good, then kuroo was left with no doubts.

first of july, 1991

a rundown station welcomed kuroo, who was trying to fight his sluggishness. for whatever reason, he didn’t feel as energized as he thought he will. it was no surprise, though. during the last two days, he overall got about three hours of sleep. plus, he will have to tug his suitcase until he finds taxi. what a pain.

letting out a big sigh, he began walking. his luggage seemed more heavier than he remembered. perhaps it was the work of the cracked cement, which certainly made the whole route harder.

one hour passed and he lost his way. twice. but hey, at least he got to his grandmother’s house safely, right?

wasting all of his remaining energy, he dragged the suitcase towards the door and knocked. before he knew it, an older woman appeared in front of him, taken aback. kuroo’s jaw tightened, unsure of what to do. did she not recognize him? well, it could be the case. the last time he visited was probably ten years ago.

"kuroo…? is that you, my son?" she inquired, adjusting her glasses. yup, she did not recognize him.

"yes, grandma. that’s me. i—"

he didn’t even have the time to process what was happening before he realized that he was trapped in a gentle embrace. slightly confused, he hugged his grandmother back, smiling to himself. he didn’t expect such a warm welcome.

the woman pulled away, examining kuroo. she had to crank up her neck in order to look into his eyes, as he was towering over her. well, she was old and fragile. no wonder the height difference was so overwhelming.

"you’ve grown so much. i didn’t even recognize you at first!", she chuckled, stepping aside to let the man in. he thanked her with a nod before walking inside.

"i’m very grateful that you agreed to this. i mean- me staying with you.” kuroo felt himself stumbling over his own words. even though he tried to focus, the world before his eyes seemed to blur and spin.

"ah, no worries, no worries,” she replied, quietly shutting the door, "when i heard from your mother that you’re sick… i just couldn’t believe it. you were always such an energetic and healthy child." her tone was sorry, making it sound as if she was close to tearing up.

kuroo’s lips formed a thin line, suddenly feeling guilty. he shook his head, trying to appear unbothered.

"i’m not sick, grandma. i just have problems with falling asleep. i’m sure i’ll get better here." he smiled at her, before looking around the house.

it was… rustic, to say the least. but not in a bad way. he liked the atmosphere. everything seemed so cozy and somewhat soothing. he instantly got reminded of his youthful, carefree days. how he used to run around the house and play soccer in the fields with other children. he even invited kenma to spend a few weeks at his grandma’s- but the younger got ill after two days and had to go back.

"well, if you say so… anyway, i’ve prepared dinner and—"

she didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence before someone opened the door.

a young woman appeared in the doorframe, carrying a basket filled with various stuff. from what kuroo could tell, it was only some eggs and vegetables.

he opened his mouth in order to greet the new face, but she overtook him.

"i brought everything needed," she smiled cheerfully at his grandmother before handing her the basket, "oh! also, my aunt wanted to give you her new jam." she kneeled, zipping her postman bag open and taking out two jars filled with some red stuff. it probably was strawberry flavored.

"thank you so much, dear," the older one chimed, taking the jars from her hands, "i can always count on you."

kuroo looked between the two perplexed, before finally someone decided to break him free from the awkwardness.

"oh, i’m sorry kuroo. this is y/n. she’s our neighbor. she moved in two years ago with her family, and has been helping me since. she’s a true sweetheart." his grandmother briefly explained, sending an apologetic smile towards her grandson.

the girl straightened up, her eyebrow quirking upwards. she placed her hand on hip, examining the black-haired man with scrutiny.

"and you?", y/n asked curtly, obviously awaiting for his introduction.

well, if you were to ask kuroo, she was every other adjective but a 'sweetheart'. he felt himself freeze under her electric gaze. he wasn’t shy, so why was he acting so dumb? he could as well drop dead from the embarrassment that his slow reaction caused him.

at the first glance, there was nothing remarkable about y/n. she was shorter than him, dressed in a humble summer dress. it was obviously stained from the soil. however, she measured him with perfect confidence and calmness.

the more he looked at her, the more intriguing she appeared in his eyes.

gosh, what on earth is he even thinking about?

"i’m kuroo tetsurou. i moved in for the summer." was all he could muster up. blame it on his tired mind.

the girl nodded. then she turned to his grandmother and said her goodbyes before leaving the house.

damn. she didn’t even cast a single glance towards him as she was walking out.

"well, she’s… certainly something." he muttered. hearing that, his grandma laughed before patting his back in a reassuring manner.

"she’ll grow on you, don’t worry. y/n is your age, so i’m sure you both will get along just fine," she let out a small chuckle, "for now let’s eat. i’ll show you your room later." the older woman stated, shuffling kuroo’s baggage to the side.

the two of them walked into the kitchen. kuroo sat by the table, earlier offering to help with serving the food, but his grandmother sternly denied. at least he could rest his legs now.

before long, in front of his eyes appeared the dinner. it consisted of his favorites during childhood. it surprised kuroo, making him smile at the rather big portions of everything.

they prayed and began eating. his tongue was burning, but for some reason he couldn’t stop himself from reaching for more. the food was… oddly satisfying. when he was in tokyo, his diet consisted mainly of instant noodles and other trash that he dig up from the bottoms of the drawer. he was over the moon to say the least.

fortunately for him, grandmother didn’t really speak much about his insomnia. they conversed about volleyball, college, his travel here and such. it was a pleasant change.

whenever he was at home, his parents only wanted to talk about one topic. sleeplessness (or his unemployment). it bored him and made even more exhausted, as they didn’t even try to feel bad for him. now it was different. kuroo knew the topic will eventually come up, but for now he could take a breath.

later on, his grandma showed him his room. it was mostly empty, filled only with necessities. it also had a nice balcony he could relax on.

kuroo thanked the older woman before unpacking his suitcase. he troubled himself with putting everything inside the wooden wardrobe, and that made the time pass quickly enough. then he took his sleep medication, washing the pill down with tap water.

'it’s so quiet in here', he thought, before stepping out on a balcony. the silence was deep and engulfing. the only sound that interrupted it was the soft chirping of cicadas and night birds. the man looked around, taking in the sights. mountains, trees. everything was now submerged in the dark.

it took kuroo a while, but soon he realized that his balcony was actually facing another one. they were so close, he could probably jump across to the other one without a sweat. he didn’t know who lived there, but it made no difference. the man plopped down on the plastic chair, letting out a huff of air.

his poor brain was at the brink of what it could endure. his muscles ached. he closed his eyes, thinking that maybe, just maybe he could get some sleep. even for fifteen minutes. even for—

"just what are you doing here?!"

a high-pitched yell came from his right, stirring the man from his desired slumber. kuroo growled, already recognizing the voice. it was her. his eyebrow twitched, as agitation arose within his chest. hm, it was long since he felt so annoyed.

he pulled himself up, facing the girl on the opposite balcony. y/n was standing by the barrier, gripping it with her hands. her face was also contorted, but probably not as much as his.

"i’m living here! have you forgotten already?!" he yelled back. just how much nerve did this woman have?

"oh, how could i?", she sneered, "i just don’t understand why are you interrupting my relaxation time!"

"actually, you just interrupted my relaxation time. i was trying to get some shut-eye, but you come here screaming at me as if i am on your balcony!"

kuroo felt like a ten year old, bickering with some girl over a stuffed toy. her behavior was ridiculous, yes. however, he was acting absurd too. at the end of the day, they were on the same level of idiocy.

"hmph! whatever. you’ll get scared off by the mosquitoes anyway," y/n barked, "you city folk always end up crying and screaming whenever a bug comes near you! oh, no, a moth! ahh, ahh! a wasp just stung me! am i gonna die?!" she exclaimed in an overly dramatic way, flailing her arms around in a rather exaggerated imitation of people from the cities.

kuroo almost let out a laugh. almost. he had to admit- even though y/n was beyond annoying, she also had an amusing side to her. nonetheless, he wouldn’t let her have that one.

"and do i look scared of bugs right now? they’re harmless, you know. or maybe you’re speaking from your own experience?" he quickly snapped back, forcing his face not to form a smile.

"what? i used to catch bugs all the time when i was a kid!" she retaliated, furrowing her eyebrows.

kuroo leaned on the barrier, studying y/n’s face. the girl looked worn as well, yet she didn’t seem like giving up. her cheeks were hot, and she was still bustling with energy. that only reminded him of how much he wished to rest.

"you know what?", kuroo began in a much more laid back tone, "i’ll let you have that balcony for tonight, but only because i’m too tired to put up with you. goodnight."

he turned on his heel and went inside. a short "wait, i’m not done with you!" could be heard before he shut the door close.

the man clicked his tongue with irritation, rolling his eyes. y/n seemed to dislike him, even though she practically didn’t know him.

if he could describe her, he’d say she was full of herself and selfish. she probably looked down on everybody and was actually from a rich family, or something of the sort.

but… since y/n was helping his grandmother she couldn’t have been that bad. he remembered how eager she appeared, a big grin plastered on her face as the girl handed the vegetables to the older woman.

the bounce in her walk and slightly disheveled hair. stained sundress. the bag she carried around with various keychains, jingling whenever she moved.

yeah, she surely wasn’t that bad.

kuroo shook his head, getting rid of the weird train of thoughts that were spinning inside his mind. he paid a quick visit to his grandma’s room, wishing her goodnight before going to shower.

after his whole body was free of any grime, he changed into some fresh clothes he could sleep in. then he lied down inside his bed, turning off any lights. the man inhaled with ease, already sensing a difference between city and countryside air. the sheets smelled nice, soothing him into a more serene state.

he glanced at the clock for the last time before closing his eyes. it was 10 pm.

that night, kuroo slept for full four hours.

🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚

notes: aaand that is the end! i’m aware that the intro was very long, but i wanted to cover everything before i got to the main part of the story. this chapter was kuroo-focused, but i’ll try to shift the perspective if needed.

also english is not my first language (as you probably can tell) so i apologize for any grammar mistakes or misused words.

[azrielslightintheshadows]

Princess

Azriel x f!Reader

One of the series I’m currently working on. Enjoy!

Summary; Reader is Mor’s new friend that she found in the winter court while she was away for business. Y/n has been raised as a princess since her parents wanted to wed her to a noble fae in order to climb the social ranks. When her parents are brutally murdered y/n is left alone without a clue about the harsh reality or the brutality of the world. Mor finds her and takes her back to Velaris afraid of what might happen to her if she was left to live on her own. Will y/n survive the hate she will receive from certain members of the inner circle -including her mate- regarding the way she grew up?

Warnings; angst, mentions of abuse, trauma and death, swearing

Masterlist.

Princess Masterlist.

Chapter 7

You couldn’t move away, no matter how hard you tried your knees gave out and you remained on the floor with your back against the door. Azriel didn’t move either, you could feel his presence through the bond and even though he terrified you earlier you now felt safe with him so close. You couldn’t understand if it was the alcohol that made you stay there or if your body wanted to stay close to him. Morning came and you heard his footsteps as he left. With a sigh you got up and started getting ready for training.

You quickly climbed the stairs and walked out on the roof, Cassian was drawing a line on the ground with a piece of chalk while Nesta was sitting on the bench with Emerie and Gwyn. “Good morning” you smiled at them.

“Good morning” Nesta smiled back and gestured to the empty seat next to her.

“Y/n right?” Emerie asked and you nodded. “Nesta told us that you made a lot of progress even though you have never fought in your life” she continued with a proud expression.

“Oh thank you” you blushed and glanced at Nesta who winked.

“Okay girls come on” Cassian shouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

You all approached him, and he pointed at the line.

“You will all stand on this line and practice some kicks. If your leg doesn’t return on the exact spot on the line three times in a row you will try again. When you manage to do it, you will go into the ring with Azriel. Assuming he gets here in time” he scoffed at the end.

You all nodded and stepped on the line.

You were all panting at some point, and as the time passed you all managed to do it two times in a row but always failed at the third time.

“Come on! Try harder!” Cassian shouted.

“Shut up!” Nesta exclaimed, her face red from frustration.

A dark chuckle sounded from behind you, and you shivered.

“Ah hello brother I thought you got lost on the way” Cassian said mockingly and Azriel snorted.

“Where do you need me?” the shadowsinger asked with a bored expression.

“In the ring” Cassian replied and at the same time Gwyn shouted, “I did it!”

“I saw” the warlord replied and gestured at the ring.

“Don’t go easy on me shadowsinger” she purred as she entered the ring.

Your whole body shook with anger, and you lost your balance.

“Focus!” Cassian yelled and quirked a brow.

You gritted your teeth. Gwyn’s giggles and gasps as she dodged Azriel made your blood boil, and you gasped as you finished the third round.

“Very well, Gwyn you’re out. Y/n you’re in.” Cassian ordered.

“Oh come on five more minutes” She whined.

“Nope” Cassian smirked, and Gwyn scoffed.

You entered the ring and stared at Azriel. The wind had ruffled his hair, and his shirt was clinging to him showing all his muscles. You cursed under your breath and got into the fighting stance Cassian had shown you.

“Let’s see what you’ve got” Azriel smirked making your breath hitch.

He pounced on you, and you quickly moved to the side. He huffed and tried again. You were going in circles as you dodged him without daring to attack him.

“Come on little mouse don’t be scared” his voice was deep and raspy as he spoke and his eyes darkened. You knew that he enjoyed it, it wasn’t training anymore; he was the predator, and you were the prey.

Gwyn was watching you like a hawk with a frown.

“Okay y/n you’re out. Nesta you’re in” Cassian ordered.

“Not yet” Azriel growled.

“Now Az” Cassian pressed.

“We’re not finished.” He snarled and Gwyn scoffed.

“Show me what you got little mouse” he taunted you.

He pounced on you again quicker this time and you moved to the side, your body working on its own as your elbow landed on his back between his wings. He gasped and grabbed your leg sending you on the ground and falling on top of you.

“Got you” he smirked, his nose touching yours.

You heard Gwyn gasp and run away while Nesta growled and followed her. You stared deep into his eyes, trying to figure out why he was acting like that.

“What are you going to do now?” he purred.

You kept staring at him deep in thought and a smirk appeared on your face as you got an idea. You raised your hand and traced a line on his wing from the top to the middle. He gasped and his whole body twitched giving you some space to roll away. You stood up and watched as he blinked.

“Y/n come here please.” Cassian spoke and moved closer to the ring. You walked to him, and he pushed you behind his back.

Azriel was staring at you with something like lust. No it can’t be. You thought.

“Leave Az, now!” Cassian barked making him snap out of it and leave with a scowl on his face. Emerie was sitting on the bench watching the scene with wide eyes.

“Okay listen to me.” Cassian said softly “Our wings are…uhm how can I say this…sensitive? And really intimate for us, so its like an unwritten law to never touch an Illyrian’s wings.”

“Did I hurt him?” You gasped and your hands covered your mouth. “Oh no, no you didn’t. Uhm shit okay listen..” Cassian seemed really uncomfortable “Its different when someone touches them like that, especially when said someone is our mate like in your situation” Emerie made a surprised noise at that.

“When our mate does this, it arouses us.” He explained.

You gaped at him not sure what to say.

Emerie nodded goodbye and left, leaving only Cassian and you on the roof.

“But he hates me” you mumbled.

“He doesn’t hate you” Cassian sighed. “Azriel is complicated.”

“Well I don’t have time for ‘complicated’ right now. How can I reject the bond?”  You asked him.

“What? Are you sure about this?” he panicked.

“Yes… maybe he’ll leave me alone if I reject him.”

“I don't know about that but you will need him to break the bond. You have to stand in front of a priestess and pour some of your blood in a bowl, Azriel then will do the same and the priestess will say a prayer that will separate your blood and souls.” He explained.

“What if Azriel doesn’t want to do this?” you asked.

“I don’t know” he said and you noticed how he avoided your eyes.

“You’re lying to me. You know!”

“No I really don’t know” he sighed “we’re done here, enjoy the rest of your day.”

He hurried off without looking at you.

Liar.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You walked into the library with a determined look on your face but stopped as you saw one of the sisters there.

“Oh hello y/n” she smiled.

“Hi” you replied. “Elain” she said, and you mentally scolded yourself for not remembering.

“I’m sorry” you mumbled.

“It’s okay. Do you need something?” she asked.

You stared at her for a few seconds not sure if you should tell her.

“I-I’m looking for a book about mating bonds” you finally spoke.

“Oh of course what do you want to know? I’ve read plenty.” She said cheerfully.

“How to reject the bond without your mate’s consent” “You have to find a witch” she said quickly “I’ve done my research on this” she smiled sadly.

“What happens if I find a witch? Have you done this?” you asked and she shook her head.

“She will break the bond but its really dangerous. The witch will grab the bond and rip it from your souls. Both you and your mate will feel tremendous pain and you might even die. That's why I didn't do it.” She explained and your breath hitched.

“Thank you” you smiled.

“You’re wel…” she gasped and her eyes unfocused.

“Are you okay?” you panicked, stepping closer to her not sure how to help her.

“Don’t do it!” she shouted, and you flinched.

You took a few steps back and when her eyes focused again you muttered a quick goodbye and left quickly.

You returned to your room, the interaction troubled you and as you thought about the way to break the bond your heart clenched.

You made a note to remind yourself to search a book about witches when someone slammed your door open. “You want to reject me?” Azriel’s voice boomed through your room making the floor tremble.

You flinched and glanced at him. He was furious.

“I’m just doing you a favor” you said softly.

Cassian came in and stood behind Azriel. “Who do you think you are to reject me?” he growled.

“If that’s the problem then just reject me. I don’t want to bruise your ego I just want to be free.” You raised your voice.

“No! I’ve been looking for my mate for way too long to reject the bond now. The bond stays.”

“We will never be together” you pointed out to make him think rationally.

He narrowed his eyes “No we won’t but the bond will stay.”

“Why?” you cried out.

“Because I say so.” He yelled, his body shook, and a strand of hair fell on his face.

“I don’t want to be bound to a monster” you screamed, tears prickling your eyes.

Hurt flashed on his face but he quickly covered it with a cold mask.

“Well too bad for you” he shrugged. “This monster will always have a claim on you.”

He smirked wickedly and left.

“You told him?” you asked Cassian.

“I did” Elain said as she walked inside. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do this.”

“Why?” your voice broke, and tears streamed down your face. She betrayed me. You kept repeating in your mind.

“It’s for your own good.” She sighed.

“I wish to be alone” You muttered and sat on the ground hugging your knees.

Elain and Cassian looked at you with sad expressions before leaving and then it hit you.

How did she know? Does everyone know about the bond? Am I trapped here?

If I forgot to tag someone please let me know!

@glitterypirateduck, @zara-aliza08, @mika-no-sekai-blog , @purpleshoelaces , @act1839 , @fasoaurore , @pinksmellslikelove, @bunnyredgirl, @lectoracronica , @tuggboatfishin , @sunnysideup000 , @blessthepizzaman , @universevsd, @raisinggray, @ssmay123 , @kalulakunundrum, @justasillylittlegoofyguy , @tsunami-of-tears, @just-a-social-casualty-1, @thelov3lybookworm , @saltedcoffeescotch, @justdreamstars , @strangersunghoon

[kit-walk3r]

I’m Not Me (Kyle Spencer x fem!reader)

Kyle opens up to you about his insecurities with his new body.

Warnings: sort of body dysmorphia, brief mentions of sexual abuse by a parent

Note: can be read as a companion to Together Not Forever and it’s alternate ending or separately. I always wondered how Kyle would actually feel about being made up of his dead friends’ body parts and was inspired by the scene where he finds the tattoos on his body.

Ever since the two of you had reunited you and Kyle were on the path of getting to know each other again. Kyle’s memory was still a little shaky, he had trouble remembering certain things and he would often get frustrated if he couldn’t recall something from your past. You were still trying to get used to this new version of Kyle, who was a little more tense and easily frustrated than he was prior to his death. Basically, the two of you were trying to move past the differences and reach a new sense of normality, but new issues would keep arising.

Prior to the bus crash you and Kyle were frequently intimate with each other. It took a while for the two of you to reach that point (due to his issues with his mother) but once you did it was a very passionate relationship. But since the two of you were reunited? Not so much.

It wasn’t necessarily an issue for you, you had Kyle back and that was the biggest blessing of them all, but a part of you did miss the warmth and the love and the passion you often felt when the two of you were together.

You and Kyle had been getting closer, however. Physically. At first it was just a reconnection of memories, the two of you would sit together and talk for hours, going over all the tiniest details of your relationship to properly refresh Kyle’s memory. It took a while for you to just kiss again, you not wanting to push Kyle further than needed and Kyle also fearing overstepping. But once you shared your first kiss since Kyle’s resurrection the two of you were soon finding it difficult to stop.

One afternoon you were attempting to help Kyle with his reading (since he still struggled with it) and that difficulty was soon apparent but the book he was studying was discarded and the two of you were back to being attached at the mouth yet again. You kissed Kyle heatedly, and from the intensity in which Kyle was responding you presumed that he was ready to take things a little further.

Your hand gripped the hem of Kyle’s black sweater and you tugged, gesturing that you wanted him to take it off. However, instead of pulling it off over his head like he had done many times in the past he pulled back from you and turned his body away.

Your face mirrored confusion at Kyle’s actions, wondering what had happened for Kyle to be distant again. You thought things were going well, he was just as passionate as you were moments ago.

Then you realised.

His mom.

Zoe had told you about how she had taken Kyle back to his mom when he was first revived and that something happened there and he bludgeoned her to death. Zoe didn’t know what happened, but you had a pretty good idea and it made you feel sick. You knew all about Kyle’s mom and the abuse she liked to inflict on her son, and you could only imagine what she had done to Kyle to make him react so violently.

Your hands shot back away from Kyle as if you were burned and your eyes widened. “Kyle, I’m so sorry,” you immediately apologised, feeling guilty. You knew what Kyle went through with his mom and you still tried to push things forward without discussing it with him first. You felt awful. “Your mom… I forgot… I’m so sorry.”

Kyle reached out and grasped your hands in his own, rubbing his thumb over the back of them to try and soothe you. “Y/N, it’s okay,” he said reassuringly. “It’s not you, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he paused for a moment. “And it’s not her.”

You felt yourself relax in Kyle’s grip. “What do you mean?” You asked softly. “Are you okay?”

No response.

“Kyle?”

Kyle let out a shaky breath. “I’m not… me,” he finally said.

Confusion filled you. “What do you mean?”

“My body,” Kyle looked down at himself. “I’m not me.”

You were still confused. You didn’t know much about Kyle’s resurrection. You’d seen the scars around his neck, you knew that he was sewn back together, but that was the extent of your knowledge. Zoe didn’t say much about the process, but honestly you never asked. The idea of witchcraft was new to you and still creeped you out, and you hated the idea of your boyfriend being dead and in pieces. You’d rather not think about that part.

It was as if Kyle could sense your confusion, because he continued to speak. “I’m a mess. A mash-up of different parts. I’m not how you remember me.” To prove it, Kyle rolled up his sweater sleeve to reveal a small four leaf clover tattoo on the inside of his forearm.

You felt sick as the realisation of what Kyle meant by ‘I’m not me’ dawned on you. Kyle had no tattoos, you knew this. Yet there one was, clear as day against the pale skin. And you recognised that tattoo. You’d been there when he’d got it, having tagged along on their little trip to the tattoo parlour at Kyle’s invitation. That wasn’t Kyle’s arm. That was his frat brother’s arm.

“Oh my god,” you couldn’t help the tiny gasp and Kyle quickly pulled his sleeve back down at the noise.

Kyle sniffled and you looked up to see his dark eyes filled with tears. “I’m them,” he mumbled, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater.

Your sickness was replaced with anger. When they stitched Kyle back together they didn’t even use his true body. That was sick, disgusting. It was as if they were trying to build him into something better. Kyle was perfect the way he was, he didn’t need bigger biceps or a more muscular chest or to even be taller. It disheartened you that those girls who remade him thought he needed the physical change. There was nothing wrong with him, he didn’t need ‘improving’.

“I’m not me anymore,” Kyle continued. “They changed me. When they put me back together they didn’t use me, they used them,” he pulled up one of the legs of his jeans to reveal the black markings of a Chinese symbol. In your head you could hear the laughter as Kyle mocked the tattoo and his friend and your own eyes began to water at the memory of Kyle’s boyish smile and carefree laughter. “I’m not Kyle anymore. I’m really sorry.”

Your heart broke. Not at Kyle’s different body, but at how much he was hurting. He was apologising for something way beyond his control and was really tearing himself up over it. Did he really think you cared that much about his body?

“I don’t care what you look like, Kyle,” you tried to reassure him, but Kyle just shook his head.

“I’m not me. I’m not your Kyle,” he sniffled. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“You are my Kyle,” you insisted, reaching out to cup his cheek and wipe the tears away gently with your thumb. “You’re my Kyle and I love you. I don’t care what you look like, what your body looks like. You are you. And you’re perfect,” you pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Kyle smiled at you through his tears. “I love you,” he murmured.

You smiled back. “I love you,” you reciprocated.

Kyle looked down at the bed before looking back up at you. “Can we just lay here for a while?” He asked almost sheepishly.

You nodded and Kyle pressed a kiss to your cheek before laying back on the bed. You copied him and laid down too, tucking yourself into Kyle’s side and resting your head on his chest. Kyle’s arm wrapped itself around you protectively and he nudged you even closer to him, wanting there to be zero distance between the two of you. He wanted to lay like this forever, and so did you. Just the two of you tucked away in your own little bubble, away from the dramas of the world.

“You’ll always be my Kyle.”

•———•

There was so much potential in Kyle that never got explored in Coven so I love writing about it. I really wish we got to see his reactions and attempts to come to terms with what happened to him but since we didn’t I hope this was an okay substitute! Thanks for reading 💗 (also only just discovered that Kyle cries “what am I?” to Zoe when she comes to him in the greenhouse 🙃)

Taglist: @jellyluvr @howtobesasha @dewberryobssesed @luv4evan @kaismanwich

Want to join my taglist? Just reply here!

[artzee-bee]

Jealousy

Fandom: My babysitter's a vampire; Ethan Morgan x reader

Request: "basically, reader acts like she hates ethan because she thinks he has a big crush on Sarah, but eth hears her talking about him to Erica or smth??? I just think it would be sooo cute tysm"

Genre: fluff

Warnings: cussing

A/n: anyone wanna come up with titles for me? I'm done.

~~~

“Is she still staring at me?”

“Yep” Ethan went to adjust the hood of his hoodie again.

“Can you be any more obvious than that?” Benny remarks and Ethan’s hands go down slowly

“What’s her deal anyways? What did I even do wrong?”

“Why are you asking me? How would I know?”

“Hey guys!” a certain blonde boy appears , with a tray of food in hand

“Rory, sit down and eat your food!”

“Well someone’s in a bad mood today, damn Benny.”

Ethan is still staring down at his lunch. The mere thought of putting something in his mouth feels overwhelming. Anxiety runs through his body and he can’t stop his leg from shaking under the table. He’s trying not to make it obvious that he can feel your gaze on the back of his head from the other side of the room but that’s very difficult.

“What’s wrong with you E? What's wrong with everyone today?” Rory, the ever-so-oblivious, picked up on him acting weird. That’s definitely a bad sign.

“Y/n has been tearing him limb for limb with her eyes for the last 5 days and he has no idea why.” Benny answers

“Why?”

“...didn’t I just say…” and the normal banter starts again

Ethan does the same thing he’s been doing every night for the last 3 days: think. Think back to the day you stopped talking. Where was he? Well at school, it was monday. What did he do? Nothing unusual. Just classes and then lunch with the guys. He’s gone through his routine a dozen times by now, there was nothing to point out new and the more time passed, the more blurry his memories got.

The most frustrating part was how sudden it had all been. You two were so close, in fact you were the closest you had ever been. Ethan met you around 3 years ago now, when you joined their little friend group but in the past month, it was like you and him were growing so much closer within your own relationship. There was a lot more time spent between just the two of you, a lot more messages exchanged. Late night video game competitions and sometimes study sessions, although those would more than definitely turn into a regular hangout session with no work done. Ethan was enjoying how much more time you would spend at his house everyday and how happy you seemed to always be. He felt so comfortable with you. There was a sense of never having to worry about being anything other than himself, because he knew, without a doubt, that you liked him just as he was. He didn’t need to show off, and that was nice!

And then suddenly you’re not wishing him good morning when you walk past his locker. You take a seat at a different table in your shared classes. When Ethan approached you to see what’s up, you quickly made some lame excuse and got out of there, every time! You stopped replying to messages, let alone come over like you used to. At first he thought you were going through something and needed your space, so he tried to respect that. But the more time passed, the less ignored he felt and much more resented. The nasty glares, purposeful ignorance of him. You didn’t even make the effort to reply to him when he approached you at school anymore, instead walking right on ahead without eye contact. Now you were sitting at a different table for lunch, staring arrows at the back of his head. It was really aggravating how what he considered to be a nice, open and honest friendship was now turning into what felt like a rivalry. He didn’t like accepting it but your behavior was growing aggravating. It was getting on his nerves and even he could tolerate it any longer. He couldn’t stand the thought he did something wrong. He was perfectly innocent! None of the people he asked could think of something he did wrong. HE couldn’t think of something he did wrong. You were so absurd for this! You were so absurd in your behavior for no reason at all!!

The days passed on like that. One week turned into 2 and you still weren’t talking. In fact Ethan had resolved to send you his own nasty glances. When he catches you staring at him again, with the same aggravated frown, he simply raises his eyebrows in a challenge instead of pretending not to notice. It sure didn’t help mend things but he was exhausted of you. If you were looking for attention you’d have to find it elsewhere!

And things kept getting worse! Ethan was still upset and could not get over you. Could not go back to being his old, cheery self knowing you were mad at him. He tried to push his questioning thoughts away but sometimes they were just too much. One positive thing came out of that though: he created a mechanism. When he felt his head too heavy with thoughts, he would go out for a walk. It’s not anything he generally did, but it helped now and it was probably good for him to get some fresh air so it’s ok. That’s how he found himself hearing your laugh. At first he thought he was imagining but no, it was definitely you. Even tho he wasn’t sure where the noise was coming from, it was definitely you!

He tried following the sound, which led him down the street to a convenience store. He didn’t have to pass the corner of the building to know you would be there. He could now clearly hear you and Erica talking.

“It’s not my fault!” your annoyed voice was somehow comforting after so long of no contact

“Listen, I’m never gonna be the one to blame you. If anything, boys are always at fault!”

that got a laugh out of you. So sweet and innocent, it made Ethan feel weak. He knew he shouldn’t be listening into your private conversations but God, it was too interesting to back out now.

“Whatever. I mean he can like who he likes, it’s not my problem to deal with but also, I don’t wanna just sit on the sidelines and watch that happening. Gross!”

“Do you think she would say yes to him?”

“Erica I seriously don’t wanna think about it”

“I mean Sarah is way out of his league in the first place. And definitely uninterested. I mean could you actually imagine them together?”

“Ethan and Sarah? Yeah, I’ve done my fair share of imagining, thanks!”

This made E’s heart drop to his stomach. Him and Sarah? What the hell was this about? There was nothing going on between them. Yes, she was a pretty girl and he used to have a crush on her but that was a long while ago now. He’s swiftly moved on since she made it very clear that she was uninterested. Plus, the closer they got, the more he grew to understand that they would really not work, so it was all fine. So why were they the subject of conversation?

“Of all the girls in the world, you were the closest to him. Honestly, if he was gonna fall for someone, it should have been you!” and you scoff at this

“Well it wasn’t. I heard them talk. He’s into Sarah and all the guys are supportive of that. They are good friends and I wish them all the best but he made his decision and it was not me so I’m moving on in the only way I know how. Creating distance.” “Whatever you say girlie!” Erica’s voice seemed uninterested

Ethan left after that. He had heard too much. ```

He couldn’t find the courage to approach you about what he’d heard immediately after. A part of him was worried you would get mad for listening in on your conversations, the other part of him kept questioning what he’d heard and if it was really true. Did you want him to choose you? Because he will. He already has damn it, just didn’t have the courage to express it. Is that why you were so cold all of a sudden? Would this count as jealousy? He blushed anytime he thought about it. You were jealous because you wanted to be with him! How much luckier can a guy get?

At first he wanted to talk to Benny about it, get some advice but on second thought, decided not to. For a small second he considered asking his mom but quickly changed his mind. He had never really had ‘girl problems’ if you can even call it that, he wasn’t sure who to go to for advice. 

It took about a week for him to build up the courage to talk to you. He had pondered the idea back and forth basically every waking moment and was never sure what to do really. When he saw you waiting at the bus station one day after school, all alone and scrolling on his phone, he pushed back every thought and insecurity he felt and approached you, almost mechanically.

“Hey!” his voice cracked a little, giving away the nerves swirling in his head. You barely spared him a second of your time to look at him before going back to scrolling 

“How have you been?” he tried, admittedly lacking the old confidence he had around you

“Just peachy. You need something or what?”

“Just making conversation.”

“yeah…don’t really feel like it. Long day, y’know?” but when you caught his eye, the boredom was so clear in your eyes. It hurt him more to see you didn’t even care about hiding your distaste for him anymore

“Yep, got it.” Ethan laughed in response. All his courage, gone! Within seconds!! That irritated him so much. He had prepared for this. Went through every possible scenario, even tried acting out some speeches in his room in preparation and you still had him at your feet with a glance. He felt pathetic and for the first time ever, genuinely enraged by this whole situation. You used to be best fucking friends and look at you now! All within a matter of weeks and from a misunderstanding at that too!!! He knew how to fix this, he just had to say it so why couldn’t he? 

“I don’t even like Sarah like that…'' he snarled, under his breath and frankly it was a miracle that you heard him over the white noise of the busy town.

“Like shit you don’t.” 

That’s what you had to say? Of all fucking things that was your first reaction?!

“How would you even know how I feel?”

“Clear as day on your face and actions! I don’t need to be a mind reader to crack into that big head of yours!”

“You have no idea what you are even talking about! I act with her the same way I act with all my friends!” Ethan’s voice failed to hide the anger surging through his body. Now, as he faced you completely, head tall and fists clenched in frustration, you seemed just as uninterested. Your gaze didn’t shift from the cracked screen of your phone, shoulders hunched, totally disengaged. It just fueled E more.

“ You don’t even have a problem with Sarah!” he started again, throwing all logic to the wind and speaking whatever came to him “ You just hate that she’s a girl! You would have made this shit up regardless of who it was I got close to!”

Finally, your attention was on him!

“What the fuck makes you think I care enough for that?” you stood up, looking him in the eye

“You mean to tell me we’ve been friends for years with no problems but the second a new girl enters my life and I start spending time with her, you act all crazy and throw a fit? What am I supposed to make of that?” “This has nothing to do with Sarah to begin with! See? There you go making false assumptions again and acting all smart about them, like you actually did something!” “I’m not the one making unbased theories and running with them! You never even asked me about my feelings for Sarah! You just draw a conclusion yourself and then go complain about me to Erica, don’t you?” Anyone would have been able to see the dots connecting in your head at that time. You didn’t spend that much time with Erica anyways.

“You were there?”

“I was behind the corner of the store”

“You were hiding?! What the hell?”

“I wasn’t doing anything! I was out on a walk, I happened to hear your voice!” but his explanation gains him nothing but an irritated scoff. You go back to your phone, seemingly ready to ignore him again, but that just won’t be enough

“So now that all the cards are on the table, can we address the elephant in the room?”

“As I said, you like Sarah. It’s very clear. And that’s fine and you can do whatever you want!” your voice didn’t carry the same rage as before, much more mellow and distant. 

Detached.

“I liked Sarah! A long time ago. I don’t now!”

“Okay” said with absolute indifference. Ethan, couldn’t help a roll of the eyes

“You’re unbelievable!” “What do you honestly want me to do right now?!”

“Just say that you like me, if you do!” “I fucking like you Ethan! God damn, I’d think you’d be smart enough to piece it together yourself but clearly you’re just-”

The grasp Ethan had on the back of your head felt strangely powerful and as he pulled you into him, locking your lips together, you genuinely felt yourself considering if this was the same man you knew! Truth be told, Ethan thought about this moment forever! About kissing you, about confessing to you! When he heard your conversation with Erica however, perspectives changed. Now all his thoughts were clouded by you confessing to him, admitting that what his speculations were, in fact, true. He thought about what he would say, how he would react to receiving that confirmation. He practiced the soft smile he’d give you in return, the quiet but tender confession of his own feelings. One thing he never expected himself to do is to aggressively pull you by the back of your neck and kiss you powerfully. He never thought himself the kind to have enough confidence to just go in for such a shameless kiss, but in that moment he wanted nothing more than to just shut you up!

It took a little bit to register, to wrap your head around the sharp pull of your hair and the sloppy moves of his lips on yours. Every conceivable thought in your head told you to pull away, slap him, tell him to leave you alone but your body had a mind of its own and you found yourself tugging him closer by the collar. Your lips moved on his with just as much intensity and fervor as his! The build up of emotion, frustration, anger, all of it boiled down to this moment. Ethan’s hand sneaked around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer and finally, as if satisfied with this outcome, his grip on you loosened. His kisses turned progressively softer. The hand in your hair moved to cup your cheek and almost instinctively, you followed his lead, letting go of the tight grip you had on his shirt, resting your hand of his chest instead.

It felt like a real kiss. Like all the kisses you dreamed about every time you thought of him. You knew your cheeks were burning up and that now, after your anger had subsided, the reality of your situation, the confession, Ethan’s fingers pressing into the plush of your waist, all of it made you shy. When he finally pulled away, bruised lips and breathing heavily, you couldn’t look at him. All this time, you used your anger to cover for just how weak in the knees this man had you but now, somehow, even that had been stripped away.

“I…um..sorry about that! I...should have asked” Ethan was blushing just as much. He was starting to second guess his actions. He took 2 steps back, giving you room again, the feeling of your ragged breaths so close to his lips made his head spin

“It’s ok” you whispered. This was an unusual situation. In one move, all your cards had been turned upside down and now there was no point in even trying to deny the truth.

“So are we good?” Despite trying to sound confident, you could hear the edge of nervousness in Ethan’s voice. It’s the kind of knowledge that comes with many years spent together, and the thought makes you smile.

“Yeah. We’re good.” “Can we possibly be more than good?” Ethan’s chuckles, as if he already knows the answer, if the blush on your cheeks is anything to go by anyways. You giggle in return and nod.

[glorismorningstar]

THE LION CHRONICLES

Pairings: fatherfigure!Alastor x f!reader, Charlie x bodyguard!reader, Vaggie x reader, situationship!Carmilla Carmine x reader

Summary: The group is hesitant when a certain serpent-like threat returns to the Hotel for the third time to ask for redemption. Y/N begins to accept that Carmilla is the one she's with and grows more comfortable in the relationship.

Warnings: WLW, mentions of sex, aftercare, nostalgia, canon-typical violence, Alastor being Alastor, betrayal

A/N: damn this part sucks so bad in comparison to the others, but I have to keep it going, and the next few parts are gonna get so much saucier >:))

| PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3 |

˚���‧ ��ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

˚₊‧ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“What was up with you last night, corazòn?” Carmilla purred from beside me, soft lips skimming over my shoulder with appreciative pecks. “You didn't want to come over, I got a little worried.”

“It's no big deal, I just had a lot on my mind.” I sighed softly, carding my fingers through her white and black strands of hair. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked.

“Not really,” I replied, guilty about keeping her in the dark. As much as our relationship was casual and mainly carnal, I did care about Carmilla, and I wanted to tell her everything about my sisters, my status and Lute, but I always ended up deciding against it. Alastor said it was better for my safety to keep it a secret. “Now's not the time to think about it. Tell me about your day.”

“Ugh, Vox canceled on me today again.” She groaned in frustration, which drew an eye roll from me. Nepotism ran rampant among the Overlords, that was how I'd met Carmilla and all the other Overlords. Months before Alastor's sabbatical, he had asked me to attend meetings with him enough times to get me used to going there. Gradually, he began to skip meetings more often, which resulted in me filling in for him for the last seven years. His one-sided homoerotic rivalry with that bonehead Vox, and incidentally the other Vees, had also been passed on to me. Well, not so much the rivalry itself as the general distaste and animosity for them.

“Again?” I huffed, shifting on my side to face her. I brushed my fingertips along her bare arm, tracing imaginary patterns on her skin.

The gesture made her relax, the annoyance with Vox melting away. “Yeah. But it's just as well, at least we got to make up for last night.”

“Mhm, you're right.” I chuckled, brushing her hair away from her neck to expose the fresh love bites littering her gray skin. The way they bloomed so easily on her pale complexion reminded me of-

No. Enough. I hadn't seen Lute in twenty-seven years, and she either thought me dead, a deserter or a traitor. Even if I could get a chance to see her again, the odds of her wanting me back were far too slim.

Get out of my head, I groan internally. You're in bed naked with another woman. Stop it.

“So, how are the girls?” I cleared my throat, shaking the previous thoughts out of my head.

“Actually, they've been asking about you.” She hummed. 

“They have?” Her daughters knew about our little affair, as they had seen me sneaking out multiple times before. Before becoming involved with Carmilla, I'd met Clara and Odette at the meetings, they'd accompany her just as I did Alastor. They seemed quite fond of me, and I found it adorable that Carmilla named them after ballet characters. I wanted to protect all three of them, it finally felt like having a family again, but seeing Lute again…

Ugh, what's the point? I'd never get back to Heaven again. I needed to care about the family I had to protect now, situationship or not.

“Yeah. They said they'll keep you if I will.” She chuckled, gazing at me with something beyond simple care in her eyes. Damn it.

“They really said that?” I laughed softly, endeared. 

“Yeah.” She said, nuzzling her nose into my neck. My hand buried itself in her hair, stroking through the silky white and black locks that flopped over her forehead. Carmilla was a single mother and extremely busy. Even if Clara and Odette weren't children, they needed to be maintained. It's not like they had money problems, but if either of them ever wanted to go on their own path, they'd need support in any way they could. The way they had so much faith in me made me feel responsible for them. 

I made up my mind. If Carmilla decided to ask me out on a proper date, I'd say yes.

“In fact, I've been thinking-” My ringtone cut her off, which made me curse under my breath and peer over my shoulder to see who was calling. Vaggie. Fuck. She hung up and a message appeared on the screen:

SOS, Pentious is back at the hotel

18:37

“Son of a bitch.” I mumbled, running a hand through the single tuft of golden mane atop my head. 

“What- what's going on?” She stuttered, sitting up on her elbows to gaze at me with a little nervousness in her gaze.

“Some buffoon who attacked this morning is back at the hotel. I have to deal with this,” I huffed and sat up, gathering my clothes from the insane spots they had ended up in. “I'll make this up to you, I promise.”

I pulled my purple striped jacket on and buttoned it up, then bent down to plant a long, passionate kiss on her lips, thumb rubbing her cheekbone with care. I smiled at her and pressed another kiss to her forehead, which drew another smile from her. “Bye, cielo.” 

“Bye, corazòn. Text me when you're safe.”

I nodded at her and ran a hand through my mane to fix it, then blew her another kiss and walked out the door, running down the stairs and towards the hotel as fast as possible.

˚₊‧ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

I reached the hotel and spotted a flash of gray and yellow walking inside, recognizing it as Pentious, which drew a low growl from my throat. My claws protracted with a small shink noise and I stalked after him without a sound, tail swaying side to side for balance as I prepared to pounce- “Change of plans, he's staying.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“He says he wants to try redemption.” Vaggie explained with a look of dismay.

“But he attacked us just this morning, how is that not a trick?” I gritted, ears perking up at  each of his hisses with great irritation. 

“It is, but the point here is to give people second chances,” she sighed, looking at Charlie as she showed him around the hotel. “Just keep your eyes open. Don't leave her side, especially not when he's around.”

“Alright.” I mumbled and followed after them, eyes already supervising his each and every move like a hawk. I let out a silent huff. I couldn't believe that I had to leave Carmilla alone after sex to put up with a nutbag and a golden retriever’s poor judgment.

“What are you booing about? Taco booty call got cut off?” Angel asked sleazily, elbowing me in the side with two arms.

“How many minorities can you offend in a single breath?” I replied with a roll of my eyes, crossing my arms as I followed after Charlie, not drawing my gaze from her and Pentious.

“If that pisses you off, you should watch the Olympics with me.”

I sighed in exasperation and trailed after them, ears twitching atop my head as I listened to their conversation, “-and this is the new wall after you broke the last one, heh, and- oh! This, this is-”

“Babe, you don’t have to show him every detail.”

“Sorry, I’m just so excited to have our first real guest!”

Right. A hissy man child who destroyed one of our walls and came back six hours later to request sanctuary. There’s no way this could end badly.

“What the hell am I then?” Angel asked, offended.

“A spider that lives here rent free.” I replied promptly, tail curling around my leg as I moved my gaze back to Pentious, as ordered.

“Well, you’re an important part of our family here, Angel, but you, um…”

“Constantly make us look bad, sexually harass the staff and have literally never once tried to improve?”

“Correct.” I affirmed, having nothing more to add to the list.

“What they mean is, it’s nice to have someone interested for once.” Charlie rephrased in a misguided attempt to soften Vaggie’s true words. “Over here, we have Nifty!”

“The bad boy is back!” The little lady exclaimed, crawling up Pentious’ upper body and clinging to his shoulders with a creepy whisper, “Never leave me again.”

“Don’t mind her, we’re about eighty percent sure she’s harmless.” I said, coming up behind him and standing over at Charlie’s side, giving him a death glare that ensured that Nifty was harmless, but I sure wasn’t.

“And over here, we have-”

Oh, boy, here we go.

There stood Alastor, with his questionable posture, his signature grin and his hands resting home on his lower back. I rolled my eyes fondly and watched the scene unfold with amusement, as Pentious had ripped his coat earlier today.

“-oh, uh, Alastor, our gracious facility manager! You’ve met our newest guest, Sir Pentious… heh, heh.” Charlie chuckled nervously as Pentious gave an awkward wave.

“Ah, yes, you’re the one that ruined my coat,” said Alastor, drawing another eye roll from me. And so it begins. “I definitely remember you now.”

They're cute when they're about to wet themselves. I cringed while Pentious swallowed thickly and Charlie's expression grew into a concerned one and she scrambled to salvage the situation. “Well, I guess this is a great time for your first lesson-”

She cleared her throat and I smirked, leaning against the railing of the stairs as I observed the princess mediating the two petty, petty men. “-how to apologize. The first step to becoming a better person is to admit when you are wrong. Why don't you give it a try?”

Charlie pushed Pentious forward and Alastor kept staring at him with his scary-ass smile, while the snake man smiled awkwardly and tried his best to apologize. “Yes, um… Mr., um, Radio Demon, sir, please forgive me for attacking you and ruining your very lovely coat… um, here…”

He pulled a chunk of red fabric from his pocket and handed it to Al, obviously thinking it was a good idea. I snickered under my breath and pretended to rub my jaw to cover it up, watching the scene with great amusement. “Oh-ho, not many people have been able to take even this much off me! It must have meant quite a lot to you.” 

After putting on a look of faux empathy, he set the fabric on fire, green flames wrapping the material in a tiny blaze as he held it between his red gloved fingertips. I pursed my lips tightly to keep any comments or laughter at bay while the other two stared at the flames with concern.

˚₊‧ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“Now, with a new resident, I think it's important that we all get to know each other, so we are going to play a little game. Everyone, follow me,” Charlie began, then cleared her throat softly and sang, “My name is Charlie - clap, clap - I like to sing - clap, clap - and when we get to know each other, it's the greatest thing - clap, clap.”

She then pointed at me, who sat beside her, and I stumbled over my words, scrambling in my mind for any good ideas for the improv. “Uh, my name is Y/N - clap, clap - I like to draw - clap, clap - and when I'm in difficult endeavors I try not to use my claws - clap, clap.” I pointed at Pentious with an expectant look, still distrusting of him. 

“My name's Sir Pentious - clap, clap - I like to build - clap, clap - and despite my stupid Egg Bois, I think I'm very skilled - clap, clap.” The three of us looked at Angel, the one that was left to play the game. 

He boredly looked up from his phone and grumbled, “This is stupid.”

“This is not stupid - clap, clap - it's just the game - clap, clap - Y/N and Sir Pentious did it well, so now please try to do the same - clap, clap.” Charlie sang, hoping to keep this from falling apart. Angel was never particularly interested in redemption itself, maybe it was the free room and food, because, and I quote, crack is expensive.

“I'm too sober for this.” He complained, rubbing his face with one of his hands.

“Well, get used to it and learn how to play,” I began, which Vaggie finished with, “This is gonna be your whole day - clap, clap.”

˚₊‧ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

This was hilarious.

I had to purse my lips to keep from laughing because this is the best thing I've ever seen since Alastor's commercial. Angel was wearing a trench coat and a hat and roleplaying a crack dealer, while Pentious was wearing white and eating a lollipop. Oh, if only I could get this on video.

“Oh, I'm a bad man on the streets who never got enough hugs. Now where's an innocent kid I can sell crack to?” Angel read. My God, the script was garbage, but it's so garbage that it's actually good. “Wow! Who wrote this?”

“It's great, right?” Of course it was Charlie. 

“I'm telling you, you're no Homer, but it's really funny.” I snickered, drawing my bottom lip between my teeth and rubbing my jaw to hide the chuckles escaping my mouth. My phone pinged in my pocket and I took it out, seeing the notification from Carmilla. Damn it, I forgot to text her.

Are you alright corazón?

22:37

Are you safe? 

22:37

Hey <3

22:37

Yeah, sorry I forgot to text you earlier

22:38

Everything's fine, it was just a false alarm

22:38

What happened?

22:38

I'll call you later and tell you all about it, okay?

22:38

I have a little thing to finish up right now

22:39

Okay, have fun

22:39

Bye amorcito <3

22:39 

Bye <3

22:40

“The only cool thing here is to say no to drugs,” Pentious recited with a proud smile. I still didn't trust him, but at least he seems to be trying. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to not have sexual intercourse before marriage!”

“Yes! Oh, bravo!” Charlie cheered. 

“Nah, no one in Heaven cares about that, anyway.” I said carelessly, which caused Alastor's radio filter to static for a brief moment. Damn it. 

“Really?”

“Uh, yeah, think about it. Adam's in charge and he's probably had sex with half womankind.” I replied, my heart and stomach deflating with relief at my last ditch salvation. I couldn't believe I was about to spill my biggest secret out of a dumb comment. 

“Yeah, she's got a point. The guy spent half the meeting talking about some girl he scored with.” Charlie complained, which drew a humorless chuckle from me.

While Charlie praised Pentious for his performance, I noticed Angel Dust walking up the stairs with a weird look on his face. He usually kept up this act of being horny all the time, now it's just… gone. A small confused frown settled on my lips before I walked to my room, excited to call Carmilla.

˚₊‧ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Loud crashing and arguing roused me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and yawned, ears twitching towards the sounds below. It's like one in the morning, what in Heaven's name is up with these people?

With a groggy whine, I got up from my plush mattress and waddled down the stairs, following Charlie and Vaggie to the library with half-lidded eyes. I pushed the door open and saw Angel glaring at Sir Pentious, which made me tense in alert and my tail stiffen. I had a bad feeling about this.

“What's going on?” Charlie yawned.

Angel, with a grip on Pentious’ arm and an angry expression, gritted out, “This little bitch is a traitor!”

His words made me frown and I glared at the snake as well, claws protracting out of instinct as I awaited any confirmation. I knew there was no way he could change his mind in the span of six hours, I should never have let this happen. “Preposterous! I would never betray you. You are my best friends!"

I moved out of the way when he hugged Charlie and Vaggie, a grumble of apprehension and distrust falling from my lips. “Uh-huh, then explain this.” Angel pulled a book aside and uncovered a camera. I recognized it as a VoxTek device from the vibrant blue static line on the side, to which I bared my fangs and a low growl rumbled from my throat.

“You dirty little liar.” I hissed and took a step forward while Pentious scrambled to the window and pleaded for evacuation. Vox answered the phone and I trotted forward, standing just behind Pentious in case he had to be stopped.

“I can't believe we thought you could handle even something this simple,” Vox patronized. I should have known. I did know. I should have stopped it while I had the chance, I knew I shouldn't have let him in. “Do us a favor, if they don't kill you, go ahead and do it yourself, you miserable failure!”

My ears drooped and my lips morphed into a frown. That was really over the line, even for a back-stabber. I saw how the tears beaded up in the corners of his eyes and he lost hope, which made my heart hurt a little. He walked over to us and lied down on the ground, “Just make it quick, I guess… not that I deserve it.”

“Gladly.” Vaggie said and approached him with her spear, which made me hold out a hand in front of her to stop her.

“No, don't.”

“Pentious?” Charlie approached the snake curled up on the ground and extended a hand to him with a kind smile.

♪ It starts with sorry

I saw how he blinked with confusion when she chose to spare him, and to help him, no less. I watched with a soft tilt of my head and a little smile as she helped him up and encouraged him.

♪ That's your foot in the door

One simple sorry

Charlie touched a hand to his chest, which made him look at her with a different look, almost one of surprise.

♪ The path to forgiveness is a twisting trail of hearts

But sorry is where it starts

Pentious shook his head and stepped aside, dejected and unconvinced. 

♪ Who could forgive a dirtbag like me?

I don't deserve your amnesty

♪ Can't we just kill him? 

Shoot him and spill his blood?

Angel and Vaggie piled on, backing him into a shelf with their respective weapons, the spear and the machine guns. I walked to stand in front of Sir Pentious to keep them from harming him and sing,

♪ That's an option you could choose

♪ Works for us

♪ But who hasn't been in his shoes? 

Charlie joined in with me at the next verse, once again extending her hand, and this time he took it, dancing along with her.

♪ It starts with sorry

♪ Sorry

♪ Dig down deeper and say one sincere sorry

♪ I'm so sorry

Pentious said dramatically but from the heart and dipped into our arms, which drew a smile from me and I pushed him back up to encourage him to keep going. Vaggie and Angel still looked skeptical, but to me it seemed honest.

♪ And your journey's under way

♪ It'll take time to cover your vast multitude of sins

But sorry is where it begins

It starts with sorry

Nifty walked in in a little pink nightgown, standing at the door with a pout. “I hated that song! Why are you so lame? Not a bad boy!” She gave him a little kick and stomped away and I laughed, patting him on the back and shaking my head fondly.

“Good first day,” Charlie sighed and walked out with Vaggie's arm around her waist, Angel following suit. “Let's get some rest.”

I chuckled softly and rested a hand on his shoulder, offering him a kind smile. “Welcome, new guy.”

He smiled back and nodded gratefully, then we walked along all together to our rooms. Before leaving the hallway, I heard Alastor's voice ringing out and Vox raging on the device, followed by Alastor's cackle. A smirk of satisfaction adorned my lips and my tail curled mischievously behind me as I walked away, satisfied with the Vees’ failure.

As long as they stayed away from my home, I'd be happy.