#its either murderous brunettes or pathetic blondes for me

[kazu-naito]

save me pathetic man with platinum blonde hair save me

[bipadme]

the thrill of proximity

pairing: female detective (leila) x ava du mortain

prompt: wayhaven week day 4 - thrill

word count: 2213

warnings: none

tagging: @likemoonlights 💜, @otomefandomevents

read on ao3

The key to lying to a vampire is to be comfortable with telling only part of the truth.

Leila had discovered this the hard way, when she’d told Morgan that of course she didn’t know Felix had snuck his laundry into hers again, and then proceeded to spend the next week waving smoke out of her face and out of her office. Felix had cackled pitilessly at her plight, and asked how she hadn’t known better.

A great question.

Well, she’d learned eventually. She’d learned that telling the part of the truth and being okay with it was key to lying successfully. Or, rather, simply omitting uncomfortable truths for the good of the overprotective vampires of Unit Bravo. This was the mindset she went into when she agreed to have a “girl’s night” with Tina, and then told Ava she planned on having a “nice night watching a movie and listening to this new group Tina wants me to check out.”

All technically the truth.

Leila slings her bag over her shoulder and then gives the team leader a warm smile. The stiffness in Ava’s shoulders seems to have dissipated a bit and she nods curtly, “Acceptable. Considering the recent trapper threat--”

Leila scoffs, “Overgrown teenagers with the poor sense to try and accost me outside of the station?” The incident itself had been more annoying than anything else. A sidestep and a quick kick to the rear had sent one straight into a wall, the other downed by the taser she’d jammed into his gut. They hadn’t so much as landed a hit, that time, but it had been enough to make Ava scowl and demand full-time Leila-sitting duty for the better part of a week.

“Trappers are a credible threat, just because this group wasn’t prepared doesn’t mean the next won’t be,” the vampire pauses.

Then she takes a step closer, fear flashing in her eyes, “More and more people are finding out and I…” Her hand reaches out, hovering so close to the detective’s skin that Leila feels a thrill race straight to her heart until it pounds like she’s just been shocked. All she wants is to close that infinitesimal distance, to stop wondering whether Ava runs warm or cool, whether her hands are calloused from training or if she heals too quickly and her hands are soft, or whether her hands will clench a hair too tight in concern or be achingly gentle. She wants to close that distance, but she feels arrested by the intensity of Ava’s full attention. Instead of pushing forward she’s frozen and struck dumb.

Then the tension breaks like a rubber band stretched to its limit. 

The vampire seems to notice how close she is and jerks backwards a good three feet until the distance leaves Leila feeling cold and slightly shattered. She rocks back onto her heels, trying to find her equilibrium in the midst of a moment she is sure the other woman is feeling as well. She swallows past the tightness of her throat, clogged with disappointment.

God, I’m pathetic, she can’t help but think.

What had she expected? Why did she continuously let these moments haunt and torment her like she lived in a romance novel instead of reality? It was as if their orbits had destined them to pull close, but never touch. So instead they spent their days vacillating between being tantalizingly near and terribly far. How long could she be expected to keep this up? Why did she allow it?

With that thought, she releases the breath she’d been holding and tries for a smile. It feels brittle on her face, and it must look as much too, judging from the crease forming between Ava’s brows. A crease that soon smooths out into her usual stoic non-expression (or as the detective had privately taken to calling it, her repression face.)

The vampire opens her mouth, but she cuts her off before she can say anything that will sink her heart any further, “Have a nice evening, Ava.”

She turns on her heel and determinedly walks away with the weight of Ava’s stare on her shoulders. But she knows better than to let her posture droop so soon. She knows how to walk away and smile at the passing familiar faces with something approaching nonchalance, but she also knows that she hasn’t fooled the people she wants to fool the most.

Or herself.

Once she leaves the warehouse and is safely in her car, that’s when she lets her shoulders drop and passes a hand over her face in sheer exhaustion. That’s when she makes her decision.

I’m going to have a nice time with Tina, she swears to herself as she jerks her car into gear, and for one fucking night I’m not going to dwell Ava fucking du Mortain.

That, she hoped, was the truth.

(It wasn’t.)

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

By three in the morning, she has a distinctly pleasant buzz, a lighter wallet, a happily drunk Tina deposited safely at her apartment, and feet sore from dancing all attesting to a night well (and safely) spent. She and Tina had watched a movie, danced, drank, eaten greasy and cheap pizza, and allowed themselves to relax into the comfortable anonymity of the city. For an hour or two, Leila had even allowed herself to forget the team that thought she was safely ensconced in her living room.

Until the texts, and the calls, and the inevitable need to silence her phone to buy a little peace. Beyond all the remnants of a fun night, she has one text conversation reassuring Felix that she hasn’t been brutally murdered and/or kidnapped by ne’er-do-wells, sixteen missed calls from Unit Bravo, and what she’s sure is one furious team leader waiting for her at the apartment.

Leila steps out of the car with a shiver at the cool air on her skin and the near freezing asphalt under her bare feet. Immediately, her gaze is drawn upward to the silhouette in her apartment window, broad shoulders painting a severe figure against the warm light of her living room lamp.

It’s either a particularly stupid trapper, or Ava lying in wait with the lecture of a lifetime, and no matter what she would admit to out loud, Leila knows what she’s secretly hoping for.

Ava, even angry and lecturing, is always far more delightful to see than Leila is ever prepared for.

She takes her time meandering into the building, heels dangling from her fingers as she quietly makes her way through the dark hallways. Her front door isn’t even locked, and she takes a moment to drop her shoes next to the mat before dragging her gaze to the ice-cold fury of Ava’s eyes. 

She forces herself to look away and walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. She can feel Ava’s eyes on the unusual looseness of her stride, and Leila hopes she isn’t so tipsy that she looks foolish. 

Glass in hand, she takes a small sip before leaning forward onto the island and tilting her head in faux curiosity, “I told Felix I made it home safely. What brings you here?”

“I came in,” she says stiffly, “When I was on patrol and discovered that you weren’t in your apartment as you’d told me you would be. Where were you?”

It’s stated more as a demand than a question, and Leila purses her lips before speaking. “I did watch a movie and I did check out some new music,” she hesitates and bites the inside of her cheek, “While I was in the city with Tina.”

At that moment, the buzz notification of Leila’s phone fills the silence following her question, and Ava scoffs.

“Ah, so your phone does work. I was starting to wonder if it was unable to take calls,” the blonde sneers, the aristocratic lines of her face still unfairly beautiful. “Or is it simply my calls you can’t take?”

“I don’t take calls when I’m out with a friend, and I’ve been texting the group and Felix all night to check in,” Leila argues, her ire rising despite her intentions to stay calm. “Just because I didn’t deign to answer your questions--”

“I should not have bothered with texting at all! I should have tracked you down the moment you--”

Leila slaps her palms onto the counter with a glare, “For what? I was careful! I took an Uber there and back, I only had a few drinks, I stayed in sight of a group of people at all times--”

Ava pushes onward and circles the island to stand directly in front of the brunette as if proximity will win her the argument, “You come home, drunk--”

Leila scoffs, “I’m barely even tipsy—“

“In an Uber—“

“Oh, the horror!”

Ava’s scowl deepens, “Uber’s safety policies are far from—“

“Ava,” Leila raises a hand to stop her and rolls her eyes, “If you cite Uber’s safety policies, the most dangerous thing about this evening will be me jumping out of my window.”

Ava sucks in a breath on a hiss, her eyes narrowed, “Someone has to prioritize your safety, since you seem thoroughly determined to take every risk that crosses your path! Do you have any idea how easy it would be for someone to make you disappear from a crowded room?” 

Leila takes a step forward, and it’s a testament to Ava’s stubbornness and irritation that she refuses to back up despite how close they now stand. “Ava, I’m human. I could trip on Douglas’s stupid charging cable and crack my head wide open, tomorrow!” She scoffs and crosses her arms, “So excuse me if I’m not impressed by how easy it is for some ridiculously strong supernatural to kill me! Why should I be more scared of you or anyone else than I am of sharks and car crashes? Or even particularly aggressive geese?” She flings her arms into the air, “Are you going to nail down every vending machine in Wayhaven in fear that I’ll shake one and it’ll crush me? Where do you draw the line?” 

She crosses her arms again and watches with irritation as Ava takes a shaky breath and pinches her nose before speaking,  “You are the most impossibly infuriating human I have met in 900 years,” she seethes. 

“Well I’m not much impressed by you either,” Leila lies, her idiotic brain choosing this moment to notice how close their shared anger has brought them. How, in her pique, Ava had put a hand on the island next to her and drawn close until she loomed over Leila in a shiveringly satisfying way. She’s still irritated, sure, but it takes a backseat to the desire rushing through her and making her warmer than any alcohol could manage.

Determined to maintain her stance, she tilts her face up, jaw set stubbornly even though she only wants to kiss the sharpness out of Ava’s glare.

It’s just for show, she thinks bleakly. She can glare and bluster all night, but she can’t deny what she wants more than anything else. She can’t deny how frightened she is that admitting her feelings would drive Ava so far away from her that this closeness, even if antagonistic and charged with irritation, would be nothing but a distant dream. And fuck if she isn’t pathetic as hell, but she has no plans on giving this up any time soon.

Yes, she feels guilty for making Ava worry. Despite that, now the vampire is closer than she usually ever dares, her full attention pinned on the shorter woman in front of her until Leila’s every nerve sings with energy. Her warmth is magnetizing, and she feels sober in a way that is nothing short of electrifying. So, yes, she chases this feeling harder than any adrenaline junkie looking for a thrill, and damn if aggravating Ava didn’t always always manage to deliver it.

Her heart pounds, and Ava’s eyes flick a quick glance to her chest, before meeting the detective’s eyes once more, this time with a noticeable flush in her cheeks. And Leila… she can’t help herself. She’s sure she’s visibly trembling at this point, and still she can’t stop herself from swaying forward until her chest is barely brushing the other woman’s. If Ava won’t lean down and meet her halfway, that’s fine, she’ll just--

As her hand drifts forward to brace itself against the vampire’s hip, Ava whips away in a cold rush of air. Leila stumbles hard and catches herself on the counter with a curse. When she looks up, Ava is halfway out of the door, trying to school her stricken expression into something resembling neutrality. 

Good for her, Leila’s shoulders droop even as she straightens from her near fall, at least one of us can pretend this is okay.

“Next time,” Ava croaks, her voice betraying her, “You’ll take one of us.” She takes a breath that seems to steady her, and glares, “And you’ll answer your phone.” 

Then she’s out of reach once more.

The momentary thrill long gone, Leila sinks to the floor and drops her head into her hands.

And she plans on doing it all over again, if that’s what it takes.

[otome--fantasy]

Of Demons and Dragons

Ikemen Sengoku Imagine: Being able to turn into a dragon

Ch.7 Pt.2

Warnings: Swearing, blood and violence, MC gets physically hurt, this one is short as it is just the last bit of the chapter 7 that didn't fit in my last post.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Hideyoshi extended a hand towards you, as if the motion could calm you down, "Forgive me. When we return to the castle, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you."

You shook your head defiantly and replied with a shakey, "No."

"It was a fine retreat," now Nobunaga was attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction, "Although my entertainment was cut short."

You gave the man a small growl, not even looking in his direction, before an odd sound cough the attention of all four of you, "U-ugh."

You had almost forgotten about the guy Nobunaga elbowed in the face. You raised a brow at him as he attempted to get up, but ultimately just ended up crawling towards you when the two of you locked eyes, "I'm sorry!"

You made no attempts to move from your spot and instead stood your ground whilst the man groveled at your feet, "I apologize for everything!"

Oh? Your brows furrowed as you looked at him with a perplexed expression.

"I-I'll do anything you ask!"

The expression on your face turned from one of confusion to one of remorse. This man thought he was going to die.

"Just spare me!" His eyes were wide with panic, and he quickly grabbed your ankle in what you had thought was just another act of desperation, but when you opened your mouth to say something, you were cut off by the sound of Nobunaga drawing his sword.

"Don't touch her." You saw the blade come down through the corner of your eye, and you intercepted it with your hand - giving the downed man your back, "No!"

Nobunaga attempted to stop himself when he realized you had put yourself in his path, but before he could you had already caught the sword. No one noticed the thin layer of scales that blanketed the inside of your hand to keep you from being cut.

"He's surrendering!" Your face held a mixture of bafflement and horror at the warlords actions, but you stopping Nobunaga only caused Hideyoshi to draw his sword - whether is was at you or not wasn't clear, "Hideyoshi-!"

You couldn't even finish your sentence as your words were cut off by a dagger being plunged into your back. Your eyes widened in shock and you snapped your jaw shut before looking down at your abdomen. The blade hadn't been long enough to pierce you all the way through, but when you didn't fall to your knees, the assassin who clung to you attempted to drive the weapon deeper.

"Mildly!" Mitsunari, being the only one with free hands, moved to catch you for when you inevitably fell, but you didn't. Both he and Hideyoshi held suprised expressions on their faces, but Nobunaga's could only be described as detached rage.

"You naive woman!" Nobunaga tried to pull his sword from your hand, but the pain from the dagger had made you tense. You gritted your teeth and clutched its blade tighter, holding it with such strength that it dug into your skin and created a superficial cut, which resulted in a thin trail of blood dribbling down your wrist.

"I was trying to help you," your voice was shakey. Your three companions thought it was a result of your shock, but no, you were pissed. You slowly turned to look at the man still clinging to your leg with sharp eyes, and when he noticed the inhuman look of them, he quickly released you and scrambled to scoot away, "Ahh! No!"

The man used his hands and the heels of his feet to push himself along the wood flooring in an attempt to keep his eyes on you, "W-what?! What are-?!"

"I was trying to help you!" You turned around completely to face him, releasing Nobunaga's sword and slowly walking towards your would-be killer, "And you, quite literally, stabbed me in the back!"

He was hyperventilating now as your eyes seemed to glow, and you sneered at him with sharp teeth and fangs. He stopped in his panicked effort to get away from you only when his back hit the wall with a 'thud' that crushed any hopes he had of getting away. You were approaching faster than he cared for, and he watched you with terrified eyes as your hand reached behind you. Did you have a weapon? Where would your hide it in that bath robe? You couldn't see the wide-eyed expression the warlords behind you had when your hand grabbed the handle of the dagger you had been assaulted with, and pulled it out of your back.

The blade was slick and colored crimson with your blood. A few droplets pattered on to the floor as you stopped right in front of the man who tried to murder you. He was too stunned to try and defend himself, especially when you raised the dagger above your head like you were going to kill him. He screamed, but before you could bring the blade down a hand stopped you by grabbing your forearm, "Mildly."

You turned to meet the pleading gaze of Mitsunari. He was a taken aback by the dark look in your eyes, but he waved it off as an illusion created by the lighting and the stray steam from the hot springs, "Please princess," he took a deep breath, "once you go down this path, there is no going back."

How sweet, he was trying to preserve your 'innocence'.

You huffed, "I wasn't going to kill him," you spat, "and if you knew me as well as you think you do, you would have known that."

The man at your feet tried to make a break for it by squeezing past you to the back doors, but you caught him by the neck, picked him up into the air so his feet were a good foot off the ground, and slammed him against the wall, "Where do you think you're going?"

He squeaked unceremoniously before frantically bringing his hands up to grab your wrist, "P-please!"

"Princess," Hideyoshi spoke firmly, "Put down the assassin."

You looked back to see Hideyoshi still in a defensive position with his sword pointed at you. You growled before taking a glance around the room - Nobunaga seemed to be studying you, Mitsunari was slowly releasing your hand, and the other two assailants were pale and shaken. You sighed, your posture visibly relaxing and after a brief moment, Mitsunari stepped away from you. Hideyoshi quietly let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, and replaced his sword back in its sheath - but as soon as they thought everything had past you quickly brought the dagger down.

"No!" Mitsunari moved to stop you, but before he could finish raising his arms you had lodged the bloody knife into the wall two inches from the assassins head. He whined pathetically before you tossed him to the side, sending him flying into his two comrades and making all three of them fall flat onto the floor yet again. Mitsunari let out a relieved sigh before taking the blade from the wall.

You rolled your eyes, "I told you I wouldn't kill him."

Hideyoshi swallowed nervously as you approached and Nobunaga nodded, "Good, the retreat is over. We shall return to Azuchi, and these men will be taken in for questioning, and you," he pointed towards you when you stopped in front of him, "Are going to see Ieyasu as soon as we return."

"I'm fine."

Hideyoshi moved to gently grab your arm and lead you away, but when he did you smacked his hand away - the quick movement caused your wound to send a sharp pain through your body and you winced.

The trip home was agony, every movement of the horse sent another jolt of pain through your back, but at least the bleeding had stopped. The only thing that made you blood boil more than the fact that you were once again injured, was the fact that you had to ride back with the men you were currently pissed at. You refused to speak to either of then the entire way.

"The silent treatment is unbecoming of a princess," Nobunaga jested, but you didn't respond with a witty comeback like you normally would have. Instead, you just silently glared at him any time he tried to get your attention before looking back to the trail ahead of you. He was receiving better treatment from you than Hideyoshi and Mitsunari however, you wouldn't even acknowledge them when they spoke to you. The brunette was actually becoming quite frustrated, though he tried not to show it, Mitsunari however probably took it better than Nobunaga or Hideyoshi. He simply didn't talk to you and gave you your space.

When you arrived at Azuchi, Ieyasu was one of the first to greet you all at the castle gates. Probably to make sure that no one had been seriously injured, "Seriously, again?" Ieyasu scoffed as you were handed off to him and you chuckled, "Guess trouble just follows me."

The group rushed you to the castles med bay where Ieyasu sat you down and examined your wound, you were currently sitting on his desk with nothing to cover your top and your back to the warlords.

"Well at least he didn't get you in a spot that would put your vital organs in any danger," the lead medic briefly glanced at the others standing behind him, "You said she was stabbed with what again?" Ieyasu sat on a pillow on the floor, leaning forward to examine your injury. Mitsunari stepped forward and held out the dagger he pulled from the wall at the hot springs, "This."

By now the blood had dried and crusted, and the flecks of white speckle and wood from the wall stuck to the blade with your blood as the adhesive. The blond turned around and looked at the weapon with furrowed brows, taking it by the handle before raising it up to compare its size with the opening, "It can't be, the entry point is too small."

Oh boy.

"Well how can you tell?" Hideyoshi motioned to the blood surrounding your wound, "There's so much blood, and it's dried already- what if it clotted a majority of the wound shut?"

At that moment a servant you didn't recognize walked it with a bowl of hot water and a rag, "The supplies you requested my lord."

Ieyasu nodded to the servant and took the bowl and rag before turning to look at Hideyoshi, "While that is how things like paper cuts and splinters work, that's not how it works for big wounds like this," he began cleaning the area around your injury, and you winced slightly from discomfort. The blond washed off all the sticky crusted blood and all that was left was a cut in your skin about half the size of the daggers width, and it wasn't actively bleeding. Ieyasu tsked before turning to look at Nobunaga, Mitsunari, and Hideyoshi, "You're sure this is what she was attacked with?"

"Of course," Nobunaga spoke up, "She pulled it out of her back herself."

"What?" Ieyasu looked at you from over your shoulder, "Are you stupid? You should never pull out a weapon from a wound, you could have bled out!"

"Well I figured if I wanted it to heal faster, I couldn't just leave it there," you began to argue with the blond, "Besides the blade was sharp, it was a clean cut, it should have no issues closing," you shrugged, "Probably won't even leave a scar."

Ieyasu rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "That isn't the point." Ieyasu moved to look back at your wound, and if he hadn't known better, he could have sworn it had gotten smaller. He blinked a few times before leaving his seat all together, "I'm going to examine this for any possible additives- toxic herbs or poison incase it wasn't ment to kill right away."

You looked at Ieyasu through the corner of your eye and nodded while bringing your rob back up and sliding your arms into it. "Wait," Hideyoshi called after Ieyasu before he could close the door, causing the blond to whip around with an irritated look, "What?"

"You aren't even going to stitch her up?" The brunette motioned to you as you turned around to face the group and crossed your arms. The green-eyed warlord groaned, "It's a small enough cut, it's not even bleeding, probably isn't that deep- she'll be fine, I'll bring her some more salve in the morning. Now if you don't mind," Ieyasu raised the blade, "I need to hurry up and get a look at this," before slamming the sliding doors shut.

You sighed heavily, being left alone once again with the men you were mad at made you feel tense and anxious, and after a moment of thick silence you stood up from sitting on the desk to go back to your room. The three of them looked at you and you raised a brow at them, "What?"

"Don't you think you need to stay here?" Hideyoshi moved so he was infront of you, and also blocking your path to the door.

"No, I think what I need is some rest, maybe some food, and a good nights sleep," you moved to step around him before stopping and back tracking like you had forgotten something, and motioned to Nobunaga, "Oh, and to get out of the same room as the man who has almost gotten me killed twice already," you shoulder checked the brunette as you passed, "Thank you for asking."