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silverfairywings · 18 days ago

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— IN THE WAKE OF FLAMES PT IV

eris vanserra x archeron!reader

summary: even before you became fae, your favourite season was autumn. it’s a little hard to hide this when your least favourite newly appointed high lord has made it his life’s mission to be the most annoying male in your life.

a/n: she's baaaack. this one made me a bit excited ngl i hope u enjoy and also the tag list is closed now sorry! thank u all for enjoying this story :) please lmk what you think <3

The first thing you become aware of is the cold. It seeps into your skin, sharp and biting as if the stone beneath you is sentient and determined to steal any ounce of remaining warmth in your blood.

For a second after you open your eyes, you start to panic when nothing but darkness comes into view and you blindly reach out for something to hold onto. Your wrists make a rattling sound with the movement and you realise there are chains around them. Blinking, your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness and it becomes apparent that the only light in the room is a dimly lit torch mounted on the wall far from where you’re sat.

When you try to move, your muscles scream in protest and you wonder if you’ve sprained your wrists because they feel like they’re on fire. The manacles are clamped tightly around them and you reach for one with your opposite hand to see if it has some give. As soon as your fingers prod around under the cold metal, you recoil with a sharp hiss of pain.

You inspect your finger as close as you can in the dim lighting and see that it’s now red and sore. Suddenly, the burning sensation around your wrists makes more sense and you lift them up to find that the insides of the manacles are lined with some sort of powder.

Ash wood.

Stomach turning, you slump against the damp wall and it’s almost as though the realisation that you’re physically being weakened has made you even more susceptible to it.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you register that it’s going to leave scars on both of your wrists.

Despite the pain and the fear that settles on your chest, you don’t cry. You’re too distracted wracking your brain, trying to remember how the hell you got here in the first place.

The last thing in your memory is rushing out of the High Lords’ meeting with Eris’ biting words replaying in your mind. Even now you feel scorned, despite your much bigger issues. You had left the gathering in a hurry and gotten a short moment of solace alone.

You were outside. Alone. And then…

Bile rises in your throat as the memory hits you — a hand clamping over your mouth and the smell of something strong and chemical before the world faded to black.

Biting back a sob, you force yourself to take deep breaths to avoid making any noises in case there’s someone stationed outside the cell you’re locked in.

Still breathing shakily, you decide to test your limbs and shift on the cold floor, swallowing down a gasp when a sharp pain flares in your ribs. You glance down at yourself and pull up your gown to inspect your side. Even in the dim light you can see the blossoming bruise, how the colour of your skin is starkly different to the injured area.

Your pulse thunders in your ears.

Clearly, whoever has thrown you in here doesn’t care about being gentle with you. Who? You think to yourself.

You think hard for answers, for any clue that might explain your predicament. Was this about the rebels? Did they think they could use you as some sort of bargaining chip against the High Lords? You’re sorely hoping they need to keep you alive in order to do that, and that you’ve not been taken just to make a point. Because in that case… you’re disposable.

The realisation that whoever took you may not need you alive for much longer makes your skin start to become slick with sweat, despite the freezing cold.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes in the distance, pulling you from your spiralling thoughts. They’re slow and deliberate and grow louder with each passing second.

Body tensing, adrenaline surges as you scan the barren room for anything you could use to defend yourself. Using your powers is out of the question for now. The ash wood is weakening you and until each little bit of the ground wood has fallen from under your manacles, you’re powerless. You doubt whoever took you even did it for that reason. It feels more like a torture tactic.

The footsteps get closer and closer and you give up on thinking of any ideas, pressing yourself against the wall to make yourself as small as possible.

They stop just outside your door.

You hold your breath, your entire body trembling as a key scrapes in the lock. The door creaks open, revealing a figure silhouetted by the torches from behind them.

They don’t speak, but you can feel their eyes on you, taking in every detail of your weak form.

“Who are you?” you demand, your voice hoarse and raw. You hate how weak you sound, but you do everything in your power to infect as much force into the words as you can.

“Forgotten me so soon?” he says, voice flat and devoid of any emotion. Rage bubbles beneath your fear, hot and consuming.

“I can’t see you,” you growl, scowling as your impertinence makes itself known. You gesture around your cell with your hands, chains clinking. “You didn’t exactly spoil me with the warm and cosy lighting.”

The figure turns and closes the door to shut out the light that’s causing too much glare. You have to bite your tongue so you don’t beg him to leave it open, very aware that you’re at his mercy.

When he turns back around, you have to blink to adjust to the lighting again before having to squint as his face comes into view when he steps nearer the torch, silver braid glinting in the fire.

You blink, leaning back to slump against the stone wall. “Vaelith?”

Your scowl drops in favour of a confused expression that has the Spring Court official’s eyes narrowing in irritation. He was most likely expecting you to be afraid, but you’re simply baffled.

Vaelith. The same Spring Court advisor who had questioned you in the High Lords’ meeting which had prompted Eris to humiliate you the way he did.

His lips curl into a thin, cruel smile at your silence. “Surprised?”

For a moment, you can’t find the words. Your mind reels, trying to piece together how one of the Spring Court advisors — someone you’d see countless times at meeting, trusted even in a superficial sense despite him being an asshole — could be standing here as your captor.

“Slightly underwhelmed, if anything,” you mutter, only regretting your words a tiny bit when he clenches his jaw. You have to remind yourself that he’s in control of whether you live or die and it sobers you up a bit. “I don’t understand. Why?”

Vaelith sighs, as if your confusion is an inconvenience to him. “You really think that this rebellion we’re all trying so hard to stop, could have achieved even a fraction of what it has without someone on the inside?” He steps even closer, the flickering torchlight catching the cold gleam in his eyes. “You and your little circle and all the other High Lords were so focused on our precious borders… you never thought to look closer to home.”

Your ears start ringing as the pieces click into place. “You’re the one who let them into Spring. You’ve been feeding them information…”

“Clever girl,” he sneers, crouching down so he’s at eye level with you. “Not clever enough to stop this, of course. But clever.”

Your lip curls and you tug against your restraints, despite the pain. “Does Tamlim know? Or are you just another rat gnawing away at his Court.”

“Tamlin is weak,” he spits, venom dropping from his every word. “The Spring Court has been rotting from the inside for years. The rebellion is the future — Prythian’s future. And you… You and your sisters are nothing but obstacles in its path.”

You spit in his face.

Vaelith recoils, the spit glistening on his cheek, before he straightens, his lips bulling back into a dangerous smile. His eyes flash with anger, but there’s something darker, more unsettling in them as he wipes his face clean with a nonchalant gesture.

“You’re going to regret that,” he remarks, as though he’s pointing out an obvious fact.

You breathe heavily, chest rising and falling rapidly. “You going to kill me?”

Vaelith smirks. “You’re going to wish I had,” he mutters and the last thing you see is his fist flying out to connect with the side of your face, knocking you further down into the darkness of your cold, damp cell.

“I need to speak to the two of you,” Eris demands, not bothering to knock as he bursts into Tarquin’s throne room where he knew he would find the High Lord of Summer along with the Inner Circle. His eyes land on Rhysand and Feyre. “Alone.”

Eris knew something was wrong when he saw everyone departing for their own courts except the Night Court, their faces lined with worry. All except you.

You’re missing from this particular gathering too and the bad feeling in his chest progresses into a sinking feeling that has his footsteps slowing.

“And why would we allow that?” Amren asks, in a quiet voice that sounds almost challenging, if her eyes are anything to go by. She regards him like he’s a toy to be played with and he decided to ignore her completely, focusing instead on Feyre.

“You can’t find her, can you?” he says, not really asking. Eris attempt to keep his voice as composed and unbothered as possible, but the way Feyre doesn’t look surprised to see him suggests that maybe he isn’t being as subtle as he thought. “You haven’t seen her since she left the meeting room.”

Feyre hesitates and Eris doesn’t know if it’s because she deems him untrustworthy, or if she truly doesn’t know what to say.

Tarquin, who is still staring at Eris with a slight frown after he threw open his doors so unceremoniously, steps forward. “I have my people searching my court. As does Azriel,” he explains, gesturing to the Shadowsinger’s dark spies that swirl around him, whispering in his ear.

Cassian crosses his arms, glaring at Eris. “Why are you so interested? Do you know something?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Eris drawls, unable to help himself from provoking the Illyrian warrior. It works, although Eris doesn’t feel much satisfaction from knowing that, when Cassian steps forward menacingly. Mor hurriedly intercedes and whispers something in his ear that makes him hesitate and eventually allows her to lead him away.

Eris turns to the High Lord of Night again. “I need to speak to you,” he repeats. Rhysand simply stares at him, until Eris throws up his hands in exasperation. “Fine. Fine, just let me know when you find her corpse-”

“Alright,” Feyre interrupts him, holding up a hand to stop him speaking further. She sighs, turning to Tarquin with a strained smile. “May we use your room for a moment?”

Tarquin’s eyes flick over to Eris as if he’s worried that his throne room will be burnt to a crisp by the time he returns. Eris rolls his eyes.

“Of course,” the High Lord of Summer replies smoothly, giving Feyre a slight nod. He gestures for the Inner Circle to lead the way out of the room and it’s only when Rhysand nods at them that they follow. If looks could kill, Eris would be deceased six times over.

As soon as the doors shut, Eris whirls around.

“This is all your fault,” he says darkly, glaring at Rhysand. “You were the one who told us all to make her seem weak in front of the others. She never would have left if I hadn’t-“

He cuts himself off before he gets too worked up in front of them, inhaling deeply.

Rhys didn’t answer right away, instead watching him carefully. Then, with a calm that made Eris’ blood boil, he said, “You agreed to be cruel in that meeting. To deflect attention from her strength. It was a calculated risk to protect her — and you were more than happy to comply.”

Eris scowls at him. “And what good did your little strategy do? Because she left the room and disappeared into thin air. She’s gone.”

Feyre’s face tightens with concern. “Why did you wish to speak with us, Eris?” she asks, tiredly. “Do you know something?”

Eris’ hands fist at his sides. He had hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this. But the feeling of dread inside him wasn’t something he could just ignore. “I’ll help you find her. But I need something in return.”

Rhysand raises an elegant brow. “What could you possibly want from us?”

“Your silence.”

Feyre tilts her head and frowns. “About what?”

Shaking his head, Eris’ lips turn up into the ghost of a smirk. “Swear it. You need to swear it first.”

The two of them exchange a look and no doubt some words through their maddening bond. Eris nearly rolls his eyes at the secrecy, patiently waiting for them to finish talking to each other silently. Eventually, Rhysand sighs after Feyre gives him a stern look.

“If you help us find her,” Rhys says slowly, “we’ll keep your secret. Unless it becomes relevant to the safety of anyone in my court, including Y/N. And that’s non-negotiable.”

Eris meets his gaze, amber eyes blazing with defiance. “Fair enough,” he says, begrudgingly. “I accept your terms.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, he feels the unfamiliar magic in the air arise. Eris doesn’t make oaths often. Lifting his arms, he pulls back his sleeves to look for the evidence of agreeing to a bargain with the Night Court. When he doesn’t find anything, he glances down his shirt to find inky black tattoos peeking up from his waistband and swirling up, just stopping short of his navel.

“Interesting placement,” Eris says drily, raising his brows at Rhysand. “Are you trying to hint at something?”

“Eris,” Feyre warns, gesturing at him to hurry up. “Don’t forget my sister’s life is at stake here. How are you going to help us find her?”

He wishes he could forget it.

Rolling his neck, Eris clenches his fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white. He takes a deep breath and meets the High Lady’s eyes directly. “Because she’s my mate.”

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#eris vanserra imagines #eris vanserra x reader #eris vanserra x y/n #eris x reader #eris vanserra x you #eris vanserra fanfiction #eris vanserra #eris fanfic #eris x you #eris x y/n

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eunandonly · 4 months ago

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⟡ ⸻ dandelion

riki x fem. reader | friendship and love blossoms between you and riki in the seemingly dull hospital ward

genre. friends to lovers, fluff, ANGST | warnings: angst, mention of illness, major character death, heavy topics, set in a hospital, incorrect medical terms | wc. 2k EN-

you and riki first met on the hospital rooftop.

it had been one of the rare days the doctors allowed you to go up there, deeming the fresh air as “good for you”. it had been such a nice warm night, the perfect weather for you to stare at the flickering lights of the city and passing cars. you found it interesting, perhaps a little bit sad even, to know that you seemed to be the only one stuck in time and unable to move forward with your life. the world went on and left you behind, the gap between you and the others only growing larger and larger. the dreams you had once had were now out of reach.

because you had just six months left to live, and six months wasn’t at all a long time once you thought about it.

and so you had been standing at the rooftop, lost in your own thoughts when riki joined you. you hadn’t seen him before; he was new to the hospital and freshly admitted. you two hadn’t exchanged much words at first, letting the silence speak for itself. just the presence of riki was comforting to you. someone your age that was also stuck in the endless loop of hospital medications and consultations. someone stuck in time just like you as they watched the world leave them behind.

the first words spoken to each other were casual and light. a simple, “why are you also in this hellhole of a place?” and “what’s your opinion on doctor yun?”. the nurses moved you into the same ward the moment they saw you conversing. they found your unexpected friendship sweet, and some of them even gushed about young love.

***

“do you ever feel scared?”

the question escapes your lips before you know it as you’re strolling around the garden. it’s a question that’s always been lingering deep inside you, simmering just below the surface. you try not to bring these things up when you’re with riki, choosing lighter and easier topics to talk about. laughter can always be heard when you two are together even though the circumstances are dire and seemingly hopeless. you are both slowly and surely dying, succumbing to your illness despite the days and months and years spent telling yourselves that everything would be fine and that a miracle would happen.

but it never works out like that, does it? once the doctor gives you a set time that you have left, that number is the only thing you can see when you close your eyes. the clock is ticking and it has no kindness or mercy to people like you and riki.

“scared?” riki asks, giving you a glance. “i don’t think i’m really all that afraid to be honest.”

“how?” you breathe, tilting your head up look him in the eye. you look for a sliver of fear or doubt in his eyes but find none.

“there’s nothing much to be scared about. it’s true, the time we have left is seemingly cold and mean, but we shouldn’t waste our precious time on such a negative feeling.”

you turn his answer over and over in your head, wondering just when you’ll stop being haunted by the thought of death being just around the corner.

***

it’s been over three months since you and riki met on the rooftop, and there’s no denying that there’s a subtle change in the air between you two. you wonder if he’s noticed as well . you definitely have. you would say something about it if you weren’t so scared- gosh why were you scared of everything? you were afraid of things changing between you and the thought of that alone made you feel a pang of loneliness.

it’s the little stuff: the way your eyes meet across the room when doctor yun goes into one of his lectures about the importance of staying still when you’re connected to an iv drip as you both try to stiffle your laughter. the concern that clouds his eyes on unrestful nights when you’re tossing and turning from the pain of it all. the endless patience he has for you.

it makes your heart skip a beat. a palpitation, that’s what doctor yun would probably say.

***

“riki, i told you i was going to win,” you say triumphantly as you put down your last uno card. “i’m way too good at this.”

you give riki a big smile and pick the card back up again to wave it in front of his face just to rub it in. you would do a little celebratory dance if it weren’t for the multiple tubes connected to you and strict orders from the nurse not to move too much.

“it was just this once.” riki says, rolling his eyes playfully. he looks at you with so much tenderness and endearment that you’re convinced for just a second that he likes you back.

his look alone makes a flush creep up your too-pale cheeks, and you have to turn your head away to hide your flustered face.

he’s so pretty when he smiles.

when you look back at him, it’s just too much. you reach out to sweep the hair out of his face, your fingers running through the soft strands before you drop your arm to your side.

“sorry.” you mumble, your face hot.

riki just grins, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “it’s okay, i don’t mind.”

as you stare at his face, you’re left with a sudden pang in your chest that leaves you breathless.

you love him so much. six months with him isn’t enough.

‘y/n,” riki says, touching your arm gently. “you okay?”

you smile, hoping it looks reassuring when it just hurts your face. “yeah, i’m okay.”

you take a moment to look out the window of the room, dozens of thoughts crossing your mind. there’s something precious about this moment, something so very special. you’re scared to let it slip through your fingers and disappear.

“riki,” you hum, eyes traveling to the heart monitor that’s mounted on the wall next to your bed. “what will i do without you.”

you can’t bear to think about riki leaving you behind just like everyone, and you can’t bear to think about leaving riki behind either. though it’s never been talked about, it feels like you two made a promise to stay by each other’s side no matter what.

“y/n, don’t go there right now, please.” riki says quietly, reaching out to hold your hand in his.

you take your gaze off the monitor and meet his eyes. “sorry. i won’t.”

riki eases back to rest his back, his fingers still intertwined with his. before you can say anything else, he gives you a fleeting peck on the cheek.

“I love you.”

you feel a tug in your heartstrings as you curl into his side and close your eyes.

“i love you too.”

***

you try to savour each and every day with riki as if it’s the last. some days you watch a film together in the ward or listen to music together. other days when the doctors allow you, you go up to the rooftop together and watch the constant motion of the city below. sometimes it’s just you and him curled up together and finding comfort in each other’s presence. though it’s all inside the premises of the hospital, riki still tells you that it’s a date.

strolls in the garden are rare but very much looked forward to, holding hands as you make a slow circle around the hospital building. everything you do with riki is precious and priceless. it’s at these moments you’re truly convinced that perhaps it is possible to stop time, pause the ticking clock during sweet conversations.

riki stops in the middle of the garden, bending down to pick something from the grass.

a dandelion.

“look,” he says, handing it to you by the stem. “this one hasn’t quite matured yet. it’s half yellow and half white.”

“it’s an in-between dandelion.” you comment, observing it carefully.

riki smiles. “yeah, an in-between dandelion.”

he gives you a soft kiss on the forehead.

“can i blow on the seeds?” you ask in his embrace, looking at the dandelion you’re clutching in your hand.

“go ahead.”

you give it a gentle blow, and both you and riki watch the seeds fly away in the warm breeze, traveling further and further away to who knows where.

you’re convinced that you can’t be any happier than you are now.

but nothing ever lasts.

***

you’re jolted awake from the commotion around you, and you shoot up from your bed.

there’s an overwhelming amount of doctors and nurses in the room, all shouting as they crowd around riki’s bed.

“COME ON, HIS BP IS DROPPING, GET A MOVE ON IT!”

panic starts to set in. you’ve been in the hospital long enough to know that when there’s screaming of doctors and chaos in the ward as they yell about a dropping bp, nothing good is going on.

you scramble out of bed, not caring about the tubes that cling to you. all that matters now is riki and the doctors. you rush towards riki’s bed, trying to see what’s going on.

“where’s riki? what’s wrong with him?” you ask, your breaths coming out short and quick. an alarm sounds in the room and the beeping of machines intensifies.

“HIS VITALS ARE DROPPING BRING ME THE-”

you can’t hear anymore, you can’t even see anymore. your vision’s turned cloudy as you try your best to see what’s going on. you know not to push through the doctors. they know what they’re doing. they know. they’ll make riki okay again.

they have to make him okay.

you’re acutely aware of yourself trembling as you listen to all the chaos. your hands are clasped together, praying for god to please save your best friend, the boy you love.

you don’t have anyone else.

“please, please, please,” you whisper feverishly, almost like a mantra. your hands are shaking and your head is pounding. and than suddenly there’s a nurse by your side holding your hands as she kneels on the floor in front of you.

you don’t pay attention to what she’s saying, endless pleadings escape your mouth as the room fills with loud beeping that makes you clench your eyes shut.

until it all

just

stops.

the doctors who had been in action just moments ago all still. the only sound being the never stopping beep of the machine that signals a straight line on the monitor.

and than everything is just falling

and falling

and falling.

***

it’s a month since everything happened now.

a month since he left, a month since he let go.

you’re standing in front of his memorial, holding a thick book to your chest as you stare at his name that’s been carved into the plaque.

“gosh riki, i miss you so much,” you whisper as you blink away the tears that are threatening to spill. riki wouldn’t want you to cry. he wouldn’t. “you don’t understand how much i miss you. i was selfish, i couldn’t let doctor yun announce-“

you take a deep breath. “i couldn’t let the doctor yun announce the time of death because i couldn’t let you go. i was determined to keep you by my side.”

you let out a little laugh, trying to smile despite the numbness of it all.

“but riki, i can feel it approaching,” you say as you open the book you’re cradling against your chest. “i think it won’t be long until i join you.”

you pluck out a dry pressed dandelion from the pages of the book. it’s the one riki gave you in the garden, the in-between one that you blew on. you place it on top of his plaque, a bittersweet smile playing on your lips.

“i’ll see you up there soon, and we’ll do everything we want together. just wait a little longer.”

“i love you.”

a/n: this one was a little more heavy compared to other works i’ve written. i hope you guys still enjoyed, please feel free to leave me any feedbacks!! i’m not sure if i’m satisfied about this fic, so i’m really sorry if it was kinda shit

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corruptedcaps · 5 months ago

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Transfusion Confusion

The following story is inspired by a prompt from the great @misseviehyde

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Emma tossed in her hospital bed trying to sleep but she knew from weeks of being there that it would be futile. It wasn't the bed or the room itself, which was relatively nice for a hospital, that kept her from sleeping. No it was her long prolonged illness that gave her insomnia.

Emma had been in an out of hospitals since she was young. She had a rare condition that would strike at anytime. It wasn't life threatening but it made being a functional adult nearly impossible. She would spend weeks like this alone in the hospital getting her body pumped full of steroids and hormones to return her body to normality.

Her condition made having a social life basically impossible. As a result she didn't have any friends, had never had a boyfriend, and even her parents had ran off when she was four. It was a pretty pitiful existence but it was the only one she knew.

The door creaked open, and Rita, a kind and friendly nurse Emma had known for years, walked in, pushing a bed with a comatose woman on it. The woman, despite her unconscious state, was strikingly beautiful, her features sharp and flawless.

Emma sat up, confused. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to wake you Emma. We're running out of space, and I hope you don’t mind if we put Veronica in here for now. She’s been comatose for a while, so she won’t cause any trouble. If she ever wakes up, that's when the trouble would start." Rita said with a tired smile.

"Why? What's her deal?" Emma said looking at the blonde haired beauty.

"You never heard of Veronica Steele before? Well count yourself lucky. She's a real piece of work. A week after she married the richest guy in town, her new husband fell mysteriously to his death. Of course no one could prove it was her but she didn't make it secret she enjoyed inheriting everything he had." Rita said as she hooked Veronica's bed up to the sensors.

"So how'd she end up in a coma?" Emma asked intrigued.

"Oh she partied a little too hard and over dosed. She loved to let loose any chance she could and she did it often. She broke up so many good relationships. That's why everyone called her the homewrecking queen. Although I know some who called her the Whorewrecker." Rita said blunted. She looked over at a shocked Emma.

"I'm sorry Emma, it's been a long shift, I don't know what I'm saying. I'll just hook up her IV and I'll be out of your hair. She'll only be here temporary, I promise." Rita said going back to finishing up.

Emma sighed and lay back down, pulling the thin hospital blanket up to her chest as Rita moved around the room. She closed her eyes as the nurse placed Veronica’s bag in the closet beside her bed and began setting up the IV drip.

Rita, clearly exhausted, fumbled with the tubing for a moment. Without a second thought, she connected Veronica to the same IV bag Emma was already attached to, her tired mind too clouded to notice the mistake.

"There we go," Rita mumbled, stepping back with a satisfied nod before quietly leaving the room.

As the room settled into silence, a soft bubbling sound came from the IV bag. A strange pink liquid began to seep from Veronica's drip, mixing with the clear solution. Slowly, it flowed down the tube, snaking its way toward Emma’s arm, the liquid now entering her bloodstream unnoticed.

As the minutes ticked by, Emma began to feel a strange sensation coursing through her body. What started as a faint warmth soon blossomed into a surge of energy, filling her veins with a vitality she had never felt. Her frail limbs, once thin and weak, began to fill out, muscles tightening and expanding beneath her skin.

Opening her eyes she watched in awe as her arms and legs transformed, growing stronger, more defined. The sensation was intoxicating, a rush of pure, exhilarating strength, but the best was yet to come.

Emma’s gaze dropped to her chest as a tingling sensation spread through her. Her boobs, once modest and unremarkable, began to swell, growing larger with each passing breath. She gasped as they expanded beyond anything she had ever seen on another woman, full and heavy, straining against her hospital gown.

Emma's eyes drifted to the IV connected to her arm. The pink liquid was pumping in rhythm into her body. She followed the tubing up to the bag and back over to the lifeless Veronica.

She noticed with shock that Veronica’s once voluptuous body had become gaunt and frail. Her once full tits had shrunk to barely noticeable proportions. The life force, the very essence of Veronica’s power, was being siphoned into her.

Instinctively, Emma reached to remove the IV, but just as her fingers touched the line, a seductive voice echoed in her mind saying "Don’t!"

The voice seemed at once comforting and commanding. Desirable and demanding. It continued.

"Veronica has no use for her beauty trapped in that coma. It would be such a waste to not use it, don't you think?" The voice purred in Emma’s mind.

Emma’s hand hovered over the IV, trembling. She knew she should take it out in hopes to reverse whatever was happening but she couldn't deny how increasing good she was feeling.

"She had her fun, isn't it time you had some of your own? Isn't it time you got to feel alive?" The voice continued. She tried to resist, tried to shake off the influence of the voice, but the logic it offered was undeniable. Why should Veronica have a perfect body when she was nothing more than a shell?

"After all the years of being weak and pathetic, haven't you earned this? Don't you deserve this?" The voice hissed pleasantly.

Despite herself, Emma felt her lips curl into a smirk, the seductive reasoning taking hold. The voice was right. She did deserve this. Why not take what was freely flowing into her veins?

Emma let out a slow breath and lay back down on the bed, sinking into the thin mattress, as the changes continued to ripple through her body. Her once dull and lifeless hair began to shimmer with health, growing longer, thicker, and cascading down her shoulders in luxurious waves.

Her lips, which had always been chapped and thin, plumped into a full, sensuous pout. Emma ran her tongue over them, feeling their newfound softness, a wicked smile tugging at the corners.

She held her hand out and watched as her nails, once brittle and short, lengthened and hardened into perfectly painted manicured talons. She ran her hands over her new tits with pleasure, giving them a joyful squeeze.

Her body was red hot with desire for her own form and she needed release. Pushing her hands further south, she slipped them under her hospital gown. Had she'd known how good long nails felt in her pussy she would have had them done every week.

She let out a moan of carnal delight as her fingers got soaked with her own juices. She watched in glee as her all blemishes on her skin started to erase. Her pale complexion began to tan, erasing the years spend inside under fluorescents.

As her body transformed, so too did her mind. Her sweet and caring nature, moulded by years of loneliness and illness, was getting corrupted. Where once she desired human connection now it sickened her. She didn't need anyone, not when she was superior to them.

She felt an overwhelming surge of narcissism, a belief that she was better than everyone else, more beautiful, more powerful. Her thoughts turned mean, dismissive of others. Vanity and arrogance took root, feeding off her new obvious beauty. The voice in her head was no longer an intruder. It was a reflection of her own desires.

"Yesssss! I feel so fucking alive!" She groaned as she continued to pump herself. She watched with an evil grin as the last of the pink liquid flowed into her body. She timed her climax to that moment perfectly and with one swift motion, she ripped the IV from her arm, feeling the rush of her transformation, her orgasm, and the last of Veronica's essence in one.

Emma swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, feeling the solid strength in her legs. She leaned over backwards, catching herself on the ground and flipping back onto her feet with ease. She wasn't just cured, she had evolved.

Each step toward Veronica was deliberate, confident. She stood over the frail, unconscious woman, a sneer curling her lips. Veronica had all the imperfections that once plagued Emma. Thinning weak hair, pockmarked skin, unathletic limbs, unremarkable beauty.

Emma turned to Veronica's closet and eagerly ripped it open. She began rifling through the expensive clothes and luxurious belongings. She pulled out designer dresses, delicate lingerie, and sparkling jewelry, tossing them onto the bed with a satisfied smirk. Each item felt like another piece of the life she was meant to have, now finally hers.

However she found the biggest prize inside a designer bag. Pulling out her wallet, Emma grinned at the plethora of credit cards just crying out to be used and abused. She took out Veronica's ID and stood in front of the mirror with it next to her.

"Yes of course I'm Veronica Steele, how dare you question me. I'll have you fired for even speaking to me worm." She said with a natural bratty tone that she knew would have everyone convinced she was Veronica in no time.

However out of the corner of her eye she saw something unexpected. Veronica was stirring. The transfer must have some how knocked her out of her coma. However Emma was not about to give up a life she had barely tasted. Picking up the pillow from her bed, Emma walked calmly but coldly over to Veronica.

---

Rita was having her 7th coffee of her shift, fighting against her drooping eyelids when the code blue alarm started to go off for Emma's room. The shock of the alarm was like taking seven coffees at once.

Rushing to the room she got in just time to see a blonde bombshell pulling the bedsheet over Veronica.

"I'm sorry nurse but the little urchin girl who was in here with me is gone. I think Emma was her name." Said the blonde, turning around with a face that conveyed no hint of sadness.

Despite her extreme transformation and the fact that she was in Veronica's designer clothes, Rita was not fooled by who the blonde was.

"Emma? What happened? You look…" Rita said before being cut off by Emma.

"Nurse Rita, you are delirious with exhaustion. I am Veronica Steele." Emma said, her voice smooth as silk but carrying a hint of menace.

"I don't know what has happened or what you have done to the real Veronica but it's ok we can fix this." Rita said bewildered but trying to get a grasp on the situation.

"Nurse you forget your place and you forget who you are talking to! I will buy this hospital and turn it into a landfill if you keep talking like this." Emma said, her ire palpaple. And yet Rita could not condone what was happening.

"No, this isn't right, I can't...." Rita said trailing off as Emma slowly approached her intimating her.

"Listen here you fucking cunt. You will report the unremarkable death of Emma Smith. You will also report on my miraculous recovery, Veronica Steele. If you don't I will see you hang for the death of that useless bag of bones laying over there. Understand?" Emma said with a whisper that was somehow more intense than her shouting.

Rita looked up at fear at the woman she had taken care of for years, seeing no part of her left.

"Y-yes... of course." Rita said trembling.

"Yes what?" Emma said starting to smirk.

"Y-yes... Ms. Steele." Rita replied. Emma satisfied and more than a little bit aroused at hearing her new name, stood back from Rita in triumphant.

"Good. Now go order me a fucking car." Emma said, turning her smirk into a cold pout. Rita quickly scurried out of the room.

Emma walked over to the closet and picked up the bag that contained the begins of her new life. She stepped over to the door and took one last look where the real Veronica lay.

"I wish I could say I was sorry, but that wouldn't be very Veronica of me." She said with a cackle as she left the room.

THE END

#f2f #corruption #bitchification #evil bitch #power transfer #cc2024 #transfusionconfusion

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bubbles-for-all-of-us · 2 months ago

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Damn that ivy fic hurt so good I need another.

How about ivy x reader but iii is in love with reader too but always thought she only loved him as an older brother but on a random friday she‘s tipsy and confessed to him that she had a huge crush on him but he never made a move but ivy did and she eventually fell in love with him?

Love in depths of silence

iii had always been a class clown. Never cared much for it. Never cared that he looked silly or unserious. He enjoyed it. Letting his bubbly personality show. It was him being his true self just… minus the deeply loving and caring side. When you had walked in with just as much sas he knew you were gonna get along just fine. And boy had he underestimated.

Crew often joked that you two should never be left alone unsupervised because if not one then the other was dancing on top of the tables or trying to prove that one could lift the leg higher than the other. There was constant laughter with you. Genuine one. One that made him giddy inside for hours as he thought back on it. But there was also a deeper part to this. One where you two would only have to look at one another to feel it. The pull. The slowly growing desire. They say that eyes never lied and in this case, they did the most talking.

When the flirting started it was hard to distinguish it from silly banter. So the push and pull started. That night in London after the fully sold-out arena happened. The thrill of it all. The buzzing in the air. The pins and needles in the fingers. The dim back room. iii’s hand in your hair as he pressed you against the wall. That kiss had it all. The longing. The desire. The love blossoming in silence. You had been the outlet and then when he had seen your big eyes looking back at him as he pulled away. He had panicked. Fully panicked he spewed something about this being a mistake as he stumbled back into the main room.

It had all shifted after that. For a handful of weeks, you two had fully ignored each other. iii knew that he had to be the one who had to take the first step. But how do you make a comeback after that? So he waited. Watched. You slowly went back to a somewhat similar banter. And after thinking of it for days he had finally bit the dust and went up to your hotel room. Palms sweating as he waited for you to answer. “Hey”, your cheeks were flushed, only a button-up jacket over your frame. “Hi, I was…”, iii frowned slightly as he let himself drink you in. “I…”, “Baby, who is that?”, that voice alone sends iii’s heart falling to his feet. “Did you need something?”, you asked softly but all iii can focus on now are the rustling sheets and the sound of footsteps. His shirtless bandmate walking from the back side of the room. “Hey, dude what’s up?”, iv says casually pulling his pants back up. iii honestly felt like laughing. No, the first reaction was to punch iv actually but he knew he had no right to so he had to back away. “Can’t seem to find my phone, thought that I maybe…”, iii was quick to shrug, “Actually maybe I do know where it could be”. And he’s turning so quickly he’s surprised he doesn’t tumble.

It was one agony-filled pretend fest after that. His only salvation was that you two didn’t seem too keen on public affection but even then fate would pull him to you. Making sure he would end up in the back room just as you were straddling iv, kissing him. Eyes falling to your interlinked fingers as you walked back to the bus. Ivy’s clothes you wore. He had a feeling that he could have had that. That it had been right there but he had fucked it.

And he had thought that he was starting to get over it. That he would move on. Make peace with it. Should have known it was a fool’s dream. The moment you stepped into the pub for that post-tour celebration. All iii could do was look at you. The lace dress. The heels. You were a vision. A fucking apparition he had been chasing for months now. One that had given him a fleeting hug before settling on iv’s lap.

“You’re quiet”, you nudged his shoulder as most of the guys had taken it upon themselves to either go dance or refill everyone’s drinks. “Just tired”, iii shrugged. You were inches apart. He could feel the warmth from your body. Smell your perfume. Then you just let out a giggle as you shook your head. “What’s so funny?”, he asked turning to you slightly. “Just… you know I had the biggest crush on you”, you mussed still shaking your head, “and I still think that you’re an ass for what you did”. iii wrapped his hand around his glass tightly, “I apologized”, “Did you?”, you asked bitterly. “I was pinning after you like an idiot and then you had pretty much called me one too”, you sighed, staring ahead. “Ever thought about the fact that maybe I had feelings for you too?”, iii bit back. “Oh, please”, you rolled your eyes. “I’ve been in love with you for months and I fucking blew it all out the window”, iii put his glass down on the table running a hand over his face. “Iii”, “Don’t give me that pity party boo shit”, he grumbled pushing out of the booth. “Don’t you fucking walk away”, you hissed following after him just his steps were a lot bigger and faster. “Iii this is your last warning”, you grunted as you both pushed into the called night. “Or what?”, he turned back harshly. You two were all up in each other’s faces at this point. “Or I will let go and you will never be able to reach me”, you whispered. “Go back inside”, iii said coldly, “your boyfriend is looking for you no doubt”. “You’re being an asshole again”, you muttered. “Just let me go”, he shook his head, stepping backwards. “Do you really want me so bad if you’re walking away for the second time?”, you muttered bitterly. “You don’t know shit about it”, iii shook his head, walking away.

#sleep token x reader #sleep token imagine #sleep token x you #sleep token fanfiction #sleep token iii imagine #sleep token iii x reader #sleep token iii x you #sleep token iv imagine

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weskie · 4 months ago

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Hi just wanna say I love your blog!

Okay!! I've been ive this idea stuck in my head!! imagine Wesker becoming super intrigued with like a musician or something like that- And he can't help but feel a bit jealous at his lovers adoring fans

One would think he’d get better at swallowing back the nearly nauseating wave of jealousy that rises in his throat, but such clearly was not the case.

You’d both settled onto the couch in his office, him with a laptop and a nice stack of folders perched upon the arm rest, and you with a small mountain’s worth of fan mail in a cardboard box. This was how your weekends often went. The scribble of his pen and clacking of keys would fill your ears while the occasional sweet chuckle from you would tickle his.

Other times, you would perhaps be in the adjacent room playing whatever stringed instrument you’d decided required practicing. Wesker often dropped whatever occupied him in those moments to linger outside of the door, listening to you with a content smile and pride bubbling in his chest.

Sometimes you show him what your fans send you. It’s sweet for the vast majority of the time. Endearing letters, admissions of admiration, people who swear up and down that you, angel of music that you are, changed their lives. Some send you art. Others send gifts. It makes no difference to him, for you deserve nothing less than to be spoiled to your heart’s content.

Others were… less savory. Disgusting tirades of everything some scumbag desires to do to you, scribbled, certainly, with putrid hands that couldn’t be less deserving of both your attention and time. Some were smarter than others, leaving the return address blank. Those who were not so bright��?

It only ever took a phone call to ensure they would never write such vile words again. First he simply had them killed. But now? Oh, now Wesker ensures they will remember their transgressions for a lifetime.

The way you smiled when you noticed such foul occurrences becoming next to nonexistent was all Wesker ever needed to know he’d done the right thing. Still, he sometimes wondered what he should do about the more… appropriate advances.

“Another love letter,” you chuckle. You hand it over to him, as you always do, and he scans over it as usual to determine if it’s one worth a visitor being sent to the writer’s home. “It’s kind of cute.”

He hates when you say such things. The only one whose words of affection you should care for are his and his alone.

“Not the word I would use.” He huffs, gesturing for you to take the paper once more.

Suddenly your knuckles are brushing against the corner of his jaw and you’re smiling at him with big, sparkling eyes. “Well, what would you call it? You ask with a big grin. You know.

It takes him a moment and a brief scowl to settle on the only word he could assign to any of it. “Pathetic.”

You know of his tendency to feel like this. Threatened perhaps was a better word, but jealousy was, well…

Apt.

He blinks and you’re in his lap, legs straddling his, hands at his cheeks. All of his ire fades the second your lips graze his. It’s as if your touch can take away everything that’s bad, leaving only warmth blossoming in his chest. He forgets sometimes that you, despite every hand that has yearned to have you, chose him.

Not them.

His fingers splay at your lower back, pulling you in just a little closer. Even now, with those hands still writing their longings for you, you stay right here. Right where you belong.

You choose him.

#albert wesker #albert wesker x reader #ask #anon #request #resident evil

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loversj0y · 2 years ago

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saving face

pairing: siren x gn!reader (villain wilbur soot from tommyinnits clinic for supervillains)

tws: okay so, im going to be REALLY thorough because there is some dark content throughout so kidnapping, chloroform use, drug use (power enhancers), reader gets called sweetheart at one point, violence, injuries, torture, major head injuries, alcohol, alcohol is poured on reader, mental manipulation (attempts at it), blood, broken nose, siren tells someone to claw their eye out, mentions of a fractured skull and concussion

notes: big major thank u to @medlarwrites for this idea!!!! ive been obsessing over siren since i read clinic and had to write something abt him. im not in love with the start of the fic bc i had a very different direction at first but!!! dont care i like how it ended up!! so :3

medlars original prompt: “anyways lemme leave you a siren!wilbur who finds our his bestfriend from college got kidnapped because they suspect she's associated with siren and so want to get information about his identity from them :)”

word count: 5.5k!

taglist: @l0veb0mb1ng / @core-queen / @zooone

When you were in college, you had a rather… peculiar best friend. Maybe you should’ve cared a bit more about the moral consequences of what he did, but honestly, it was college. Your best friend was one of the most well-known supervillains, Siren.

That wasn’t how you met him, though. You met him as Wilbur Soot, the guy who sat next to you in your Literature class, who often forgot his pens. You had a small crush on him, so you made a habit of always bringing an extra pen for him. You became quick friends after, bonding over mutual hatred for the professor’s teaching style, as well as sharing an onslaught of opinions.

You didn’t mean to find out about his identity, it was a complete accident. You and him had this mutual agreement that if something was going on (life troubles, finals stress, etc.), you have free permission to come over for some company. If the other person wasn’t there, you would just wait until they got home. It was a good system that kept both of you from getting too lonely, especially you. He lived at home, but you lived in a dodgy apartment by yourself. He would always make an effort to show up any time he had anything he wanted to talk about, mostly to keep you from feeling too alone. One night, the loneliness had gotten pretty rough, so you decided to go to Wilbur’s house. You two had given each other spare keys a long while back, and it wasn’t the first time you’d done this, so you were quick to unlock the door and head into his room to wait for him to come home. When the door did finally open, it wasn’t Wilbur who walked through.

You immediately jumped, backing up a bit as you saw Siren walk in. Once he’d processed that you were there, he cursed under his breath, trying to console you while quickly pulling off his blindfold. You watched as he went from Siren to Wilbur in a matter of seconds, your head swirling with confusion. You two had a very long conversation that night, while you helped him clean up a scratch along his arm.

After college, you didn’t see Wilbur as much anymore. You worked a lot, and he worked quite a bit too. You two still saw each other, just not as often.

You saw Siren much more often, though. Since Wilbur knew where your walk home from work was, he would always make an effort to be there and walk you home at night once a week if he could. Sometimes he would only watch you from the rooftops, other times when it was a bit darker and there were fewer people out, he would walk with you, chatting about anything he could think of. Over time, what once had been a small crush blossomed into genuine love for your best friend.

It was nice, a really good system. Kept you and him talking, even when your busy schedules tended to keep you from each other. However, for as good of a system as it is, it also had some apparent downsides.

Like your current situation.

You didn’t know exactly where you were.

The last thing you remembered was leaving work. You locked up the small bookstore you worked at and began your walk home when you felt a hand wrap around you, pressing a cloth against your mouth. Whoever it was ended up being too strong for you to fight against, and it was only a few minutes before the chloroform reached your brain, knocking you out quickly. In terms of kidnappings, it was fairly tame, at the very least.

It took a while to wake up, your consciousness floating in and out a few times, allowing you to get small glimpses of conversations.

“Try and get ‘em to talk. Just being friends with Siren doesn’t mean they’re strong. We can break them, even if it takes some… stepping in.”

A bit of a horrifying thing to hear post-kidnapping, but even if it wasn’t on purpose, it at least got your guard up a bit.

When you woke up, you spent a few minutes looking around and familiarising yourself with your surroundings. You were in some shitty warehouse. Which, honestly, cliche, and how many abandoned warehouses did this city have? Large, brown-stained windows lined the top of the walls, allowing for a bit of light to pour in. There were garage-type doors every few feet, but most of them had large padlocks, except for one the furthest away from you.

Your hands and feet were tied onto the chair, one hand behind handcuffed while the other hand and your legs were attached with zip ties.

Escape was not going to be easy, but you knew a bit of fighting, Wilbur having taught you how to protect yourself. You finally looked over to the middle of the room.

It took you a while to recognize the guy who’d kidnapped you. You did know him, though, only because of the things that Siren had told you. Schlatt, previously known as Gunmetal, an ex-hero. His power was the ability to strengthen his body to a metal-like level, making him incredibly hard to take down. The Syndicate considered approaching him for membership, but he was… unstable. He got discharged by the Hero Committee after his increased strength led to the destruction of an apartment building. There weren’t any villains around to pin it on, either, and there were too many witnesses. It had also been discovered that he’d been utilizing power enhancers, which were supposed to be outlawed, in order to extend his abilities and allow him to strengthen multiple parts of his body at once.

If what Wilbur had told you in his frustrated rants was true, Schlatt wanted to take over the Syndicate. He’d attacked them numerous times, always aiming to kill, and he’d taken a particular interest in finding out Siren’s identity.

You sat up a bit, preparing yourself for whatever bullshit he was about to spew at you.

Wilbur caught onto something being wrong a few hours after you’d been taken. He had gone on a minor heist with Techno, and things ran… suspiciously well. No hero intervention for the majority of the heist, until Flame showed up towards the end. Blade handled most of the fighting for him, while Siren took care of their escape. It was when they finally escaped that he noticed something odd. He and Techno passed by your apartment, and he knew your habits well enough to know that you would not be asleep this early. Despite that, the lights in your apartment were off. A bit of searching later, and he was quick to notice your disappearance. When he arrived back home, he was quick to enlist Tubbo to see if they could get a ping on your last known location. Your phone wasn’t anywhere to be found, so he hoped he could at least figure out where you had been. Normally, he would pace to try and distract himself, but when it came to you, there was no use. He immediately headed out, trying to find any sign of you and waiting for a response from Tubbo.

“Good mornin’ sweetheart,” Schlatt chuckled, standing in front of a table in front of your chair. He had two briefcases set out in front of him, “Don’t worry. I ain’t gonna hurt you.” There was an implied ‘yet’ at the end of that sentence. You got a good look at him. He wore a pressed suit, and an airsoft mask – equipped specially with two ram horns on the sides, his signature look. His knuckles were wrapped with red athletic tape, at least you’d hoped it was originally red.

“Then what the fuck do you want with me? It’s hard to believe you aren’t going to hurt me when you kidnapped me off the street.”

“I just need a bit of information, that’s all.”

You scoffed, “Really? So you just fucking kidnap me?”

“It’s effective, is it not?” He chuckled, leaning forward, “Do you have any powers?”

You rolled your eyes, “Cut the shitty small talk. Why am I here?”

“To answer my fucking questions.”

You looked down at your arm, noting a small cuff wrapped around it, “If I tell you, will you take the stupid power dampener off?”

He snorted, “Don’t act dumb.”

“Oh, good, then I’m not telling you.” You did have a power. It was part of why Wilbur felt comfortable being around you. You were also a mind manipulator, but you couldn’t get people to actually do things for you. You could just easily see through their words and arguments. Which meant that you could get them to believe you were telling the truth as well, which would be a bloody good thing to be able to utilize right about now.

“Fine, be like that.” He held up a photo, “So, if you won’t tell me your power, maybe you’ll tell me why Siren has had such a close eye on you?” You looked at the photo closer, being able to clearly make out Siren walking you home.

“He’s just a nice dude. Wants to walk me home sometimes,” you shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly, “I don’t know much about him if that’s what you’re wondering.”

He snorted, “Yeah, like I’d believe that.” He pulled out a folder, spreading out numerous photos of you and Siren, hanging out and eating together in your apartment.

“Have you been fucking stalking me, you absolute creep?”

“Not you, but Siren. You just happened to be there. And I wanna know why.”

“What? You’re mad that a citizen can show compassion to a villain?” You scoffed, “Boo-hoo, poor Schlatt, must be such a sad life you have.”

He growled, and you grinned at how easy it was to get under his skin, even without your power. “I couldn’t give less of a shit about that. I want to know why he’s trying to recruit new Syndicate members.”

You laughed, “God, you could not have worse of a grasp on the situation. He’s just a nice guy. Came to my bookstore once, offered to walk me home, and we became friends. Is it impossible for villains to have friends?”

“Supervillains don’t have friends. Not without an agenda.”

“What about their healer? He’s a friend, isn’t he?”

“He works for them. He doesn’t count.”

“Well, I clearly don’t work for them. So just leave me alone, why don’t you?”

“Okay, I will let you go. If you tell me one thing.”

Oh, here came the stupid request. “Oh? Let me guess? You want me to tell you Siren’s real name.”

“Obviously.”

“Do you really think he’s that stupid? To let a random civilian he met know his name?”

“No. But I know you’re not just a random civilian he met. Because these photos date back years.”

You tensed a bit, trying to hide any clear facial reaction, “And?”

“And, no one who doesn’t work with him would stick around that long, unless there was something keeping them there. So, you obviously know who he is.”

“Oh, obviously?” You tried to will down the blush on your cheeks. “Is it really that obvious? You don’t know anything about me, and you clearly don’t know anything about Siren.”

“So tell me what I don’t know.”

You rolled your eyes, “I’m not falling for that, dipshit. If you want information on Siren, you’ve got the wrong person.”

“Yeah, except that can’t be true. I know you have a power you’ve been hiding, and we know that Siren has spent a highly significant amount of time with you, longer than he ever did their healer. And, we have photos of you with him and other Syndicate members at your apartment. So we know you know his identity. But we can figure out other ways to make you talk.”

“Wow, so you’re adding misuse of power against a civilian to your list of crimes? That combined with the kidnapping, not to mention the murder and the numerous times you’ve hurt civilians and destroyed their homes, oh and getting discharged as a Hero?”

That got under his skin, “I have no problem adding torture onto that list.”

“So much for being a hero then.”

His fists curled up, and he slammed it down on the table, “ex-hero, for a reason.” He walked closer, crouching down to be eye-level with you. “So then, you’re really trying to tell me that the numerous dates you’ve gone on with Siren just don’t mean anything?”

“We- They weren’t dates!” Your face flushed dark red, “We’re just friends!” You blatantly tried to ignore the fact that you’d been in love with him for years.

“Your face is telling a different story,” he smirked, “Is he hot under the mask? Or maybe you just like a man with power?”

You moved back from his hand, jaw tensing, as he tried to cup your jaw, “Hm, well, if you aren’t saying anything willingly, I can make you talk.”

He stood again, walking over to the second briefcase, opening it to where you couldn’t see the contents. You didn’t know if you wanted to. “Plus, this is all just a distraction.” He lifted your phone, turning it on, “They’ll be here soon enough. I won’t need you then, I can take down the Syndicate myself.”

A shiver went down your spine, and you prayed that Wilbur hadn’t noticed your absence.

Tubbo was able to find you pretty quickly. Just when he’d thought your phone was too far for a proper ping, he got one with an exact location that he quickly relayed to Siren. Siren was on it almost immediately, but he wasn’t going in alone. He didn’t know who took you, so he was going to be prepared. By enlisting most of the Syndicate to join him. He made it to the location first, but he knew better than to jump in early, especially since he was one of the least physical fighters. He did some surveying, though, spotting a few guards in suits. Suits were the tell of Schlatt, and he mentally cursed the team members for not getting there as fast as he’d wished. He knew Schlatt could be violent, unpredictable, and hot-headed.

The rest of the Syndicate arrived, and Nemesis and Thanatos made quick work of taking down the guards. Which meant it was time to take down Schlatt.

You’d lost track of time. Schlatt had some interesting methods for getting you to talk. Most of them involve hitting you, his ability making it easy to hurt you, if the broken nose and cut lip were anything to go by. But a lot of it was mental. Using taunting words to try and get under your skin.

“It’s going to be so funny when you’re little boyfriend comes here,” he snickered, grabbing your jaw to make you look up at him, “It’ll be even better to make you watch him die.”

He almost seemed drunk the more and more he continued, “Or, maybe, I could hurt him more. Make him watch me kill you slowly. Or,” he chuckled, but the laughter quickly turned maniacal, “I’ll let him kill you. I’ll make him use that shitty fucking voice of his to kill you.”

You snorted, and he raised an eyebrow, “Something about that funny to you?”

You looked up at him, spitting blood out of your mouth, “His voice is real nice, actually. Much better than yours.” You were playing with fire, but you needed to buy time to get him hopefully exhausted enough to give you a chance to escape.

He smacked you, a loud crack reverberating and echoing throughout the warehouse.

“You piece of shit,” he rolled his eyes, moving away from you. He grabbed a water bottle, downing half of it easily. You watched cautiously, becoming all too aware of how thirsty you were.

“What? You want some or something?” He chuckled, walking back over to you, “Be my fucking guest,” he poured the water over your head. You tilted your head back and drank some of it down. Once you’d gotten some of it in your mouth, though, you quickly realized that it was not, in fact, water but instead vodka. You coughed once you realized, spitting out as much as you could.

He laughed as you hissed in pain, the alcohol stinging the wounds he’d left. He went to throw another retort at you, but before he could, the door slammed open.

Just as Schlatt predicted, the entire Syndicate was there. You sat up, watching as Schlatt moved back to his briefcase and pull out a syringe.

“Siren, run!” You yelled, thrashing and trying to draw attention to yourself, “All of you! Run! It’s a trap-”

You weren’t able to finish your sentence as Schlatt stormed over, grabbing you by the hair. “Oh, Jesus, just shut up with your whining,” he rolled his eyes, hitting your temple harshly, sending the chair to the ground and you with it. The ground rushed up to meet you, and the darkness of unconsciousness was quick to follow.

Siren was pissed. Blade quickly began to advance on Schlatt, but Wilbur was faster. It was stupid, he knew he was being stupid to rush in like this, but he was angry. He watched as Schlatt quickly injected himself with something, some odd shimmering yellow liquid, and in seconds, his body started glowing the same yellow. Power enhancers, Wilbur’s mind supplied. He cursed, hanging back to allow Blade to hit first. Zephyrus flew overhead, getting behind Schlatt to prevent him from running. As much as Wilbur wanted to fight, he needed to make sure you were okay.

He rushed over, grabbing a knife from the table that he prayed hadn’t been used on you. The first thing he did when he approached you was check your pulse, thanking anything that would listen that your pulse was still coming through. He cut the ties easily, then he moved onto the power dampener, trying to pry the thing off. He had no clue where the key for it was, but he didn’t have time to waste looking for it. He started breaking it off when he was tugged back, Schlatt having grabbed the back of his collar. He slammed Siren against the wall, grinning at him.

“For a world-class supervillain, you’d think you’d be smarter,” he chuckled, leaning his knee against Siren’s back and pinning him there. He pushed all of his power into his knee, strengthening and solidifying the metal against Wilbur’s back. “You know how easy it was for me to track them down? You made them an easy target, Siren. You’re the reason they’re here,” he pushed his knee further into his back.

“Let me go,” Siren ordered but to no avail.

Schlatt started laughing louder, “What, you think I’m an idiot? You thought I wouldn’t prepare my mask for you?”

Fuck.

Siren didn’t have to fret much longer, though. Blade came up behind Schlatt, driving a sword through his shoulder. He’d put too much power into his knee, leaving the rest of him vulnerable.

The rest of the takedown was easy. They were planning on taking Schlatt in, hopefully, to use as a bargaining chip against the Hero Committee since he was wanted by them. Once Zephyrus had him subdued, Nemesis and Thanatos grabbed his things and started heading back. Siren lingered with Zephyrus, Jester, Blade, and Ender (who’d only shown up to help take anyone who needed healing to Apollo). Siren walked over, ripping Schlatt’s mask off.

Schlatt was still spilling curses and threats against them, but he’d quieted for a moment as Wilbur pulled his mask off, eyes adjusting to the light. Wilbur threw the mask behind him, and a sinister grin spread over his face.

“We need him alive, Siren,” Blade reminded him.

He groaned, huffing softly, “Fine.” He hummed, tilting his head.

“Claw your left eye out, then knock yourself out.”

Wilbur didn’t stay to watch the aftermath, but he heard the groans and screams of pain from Schlatt as he walked back over to you. Ender was waiting next to you, double-checking for any serious wounds.

Wilbur got the rest of the power dampener off, throwing it to the side. He carefully lifted you, making sure to be mindful of your head.

Ender gave him a concerned look, "It looks bad, but they should be okay."

“No, not should be.” Siren snapped his head towards Ender, shaking his head, “I need them to be okay. Bring us to Apollo.”

Ender nodded, placing a hand on Siren’s shoulder. In seconds, they disappeared in a flurry of purple particles, appearing now in Apollo’s clinic in the Syndicate building.

Tommy was sitting by the desk, playing on his DS. He perked up quickly when he heard Ender teleport in, looking up and seeing Siren cradling you. Siren moved forward, placing you down on the doctor’s mat in the center of the room.

Tommy quickly walked over, “Jesus, man, what the fuck happened?” He placed his hands near your head, warmth emitting over them as he began healing you.

“Schlatt happened. But he won’t be a problem anymore,” Wilbur huffed, tearing off his blindfold and coat, draping them over a chair. He paced around the room as Tommy worked on healing.

“You’re going to burn a hole in the floor,” Tommy huffed.

“I couldn’t care less, Toms. They weren’t supposed to be involved with any of this, I’ve fucked it up again, I-I put them in danger,” Wilbur ran a hand through his hair.

Tommy straightened, pulling his hands away as he finished healing, “Don’t start with your self-deprecating shit, man. They know you’re Siren. They’ve stuck around, and they always knew this could happen. You’re not to blame.”

“But I-”

“You weren’t the one who kidnapped them. It’s not your fault,” Tommy sighed, grabbing a glass of water.

Wilbur nodded, walking up to you, still unconscious, “They- they’ll be fine, right? They’ll be okay?”

Tommy took a sip of his water, nodding, “Yeah. Head injury was the worst of it, but it should be all healed up now. They might be a bit foggy when they wake up, though.”

“When will they wake up?”

Tommy shrugged, “Should be soon. Probably an hour or two. Can’t give you an exact time. You should get them somewhere more comfortable before they’re up, though.”

Wilbur nodded, carefully picking you back up, “Thanks, Tommy.”

“You don’t have to thank me, man, it’s my job.”

Wilbur rolled his eyes, “I want to thank you, dickhead. Now, go to sleep, child.”

“I am n-” Wilbur cut off Tommy’s response by closing the door to Tommy’s clinic behind him. He called Techno, and within a few minutes, Wilbur was being driven home with you still resting in his arms.

“They’re going to be fine, you know that.”

“I know they will be, but they never should’ve been there in the first place. They never asked for this.” Wilbur sighed.

“Oh, please.” Techno snorted, “You tried to scare them away way back when. You even used your ability to try and convince them to not want to be around you.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the same. They turned down the offer to join the Syndicate, which meant they never should’ve been involved with this stuff.”

“Maybe you should ask again,” Techno shrugged. “Even if they don’t want to fight, we could use someone to help out with questioning people. Their ability would work pretty well for that.”

“Techno, I just said they shouldn’t have been involved with this stuff.” Wilbur sighed.

“All I’m saying is if they do become a member, it would be a lot easier to keep them safe. Less loose ends that we can’t keep our eyes on.”

Wilbur bit his lip, nodding with realization, “True. I- yeah. I’ll ask them.”

“Plus, with how in love with them you are, it won’t be long before something like this happens again.”

“I- What?” Wilbur spluttered, eyes widening, “How-?”

“How do I know that? Wilbur, it’s insanely obvious,” Techno laughed, “I have no clue how they don’t know.”

“They won’t know. And you won’t tell them.” Wilbur hissed out.

“Mmhm, okay, sure. Pretty big wimp move for a supervillain.”

Wilbur groaned but didn’t respond past that.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, Wilbur gently playing with your hair gently. He routinely moved a hand to check your pulse, just as a reminder that you were fine and alive and here with him.

He carried you out of the car once Techno pulled up, heading straight to his room. He laid you down gently, placing your head on his lap.

The world seemed fuzzy when you came to. You were too comfortable to open your eyes at first, shifting slightly and letting out a soft groan. Your joints felt sore and stiff, but your face felt even weirder. Your face felt warm but like all of your muscles were new and had never been used before. You scrunched your nose, slowly opening your eyes and letting them get used to the environment around you.

You recognized the room instantly and relaxed as the memories started flooding back to you. The kidnapping, Schlatt, getting knocked out. You heard humming, looking up to see Wilbur leaning against the wall, humming with his eyes closed. He was fidgeting with his fingers and biting at his lip.

You slowly shifted to look up at him fully, “Hey.” Your voice was groggier than you’d expected.

He looked down quickly, “You’re up,” he smiled, “Hi.”

“Did everything go well? With Schlatt?”

He laughed, shaking his head, “God, you just woke up from getting knocked out and tortured, and the first thing you ask is if the fight went well?” He moved a hand to your hair gently, “Are you okay?”

“Well, yeah,” you shrugged, “I feel fine, just a bit tired, I guess. I feel like I’m supposed to feel worse.”

“Tommy healed you,” he supplied.

You sat up slowly, and he carefully placed a hand on your back, keeping it there until you’d gotten in a better position. “He didn’t have to do that. I would’ve been fine.”

“You would’ve had a concussion and a fracture in your skull.”

“That’s not the worst thing in the world.” You joked and gave him a lopsided grin, and he shook his head, chuckling.

He pulled you into a tight hug, “I’m so fucking glad you’re okay.”

You hugged him back, burying your face against him gently, “I would’ve been fine.”

You were lying. You were not fine, actually. As strong as you acted, you couldn’t deny the slight shake that lay in your hands as you thought about that warehouse and the overwhelming fear the image of that mask in your head put in you.

You could’ve used your ability to make Wilbur believe you. You didn’t honestly have the energy to do so.

“You don’t have to be fine,” he whispered, rubbing your back gently, “I know how terrifying it must’ve been. But it’s okay, you’re safe now.”

Your fists balled up the fabric of his sweater, and the tears started falling soon after. He rubbed your back as you cried, the waves of fear and stress finally coming out. You could only hold it together for so long, and Wilbur would always be there when you finally broke.

By the time you calmed down, you were left with soft gasps of breath and holding Wilbur like a lifeboat. He leaned over to his nightstand, handing you a glass of water. After a moment’s hesitation, he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead.

You drank slowly, not wanting to overwhelm yourself. Wilbur’s kiss didn’t exactly help, but physical affection wasn’t something new to either of you.

As if he knew exactly what you were thinking, he wrapped his arms around you gently, leaning his face against your shoulder. You leaned into his touch, letting your eyes close for a moment.

“He was stalking me. Well, he was stalking you, but he had photos from years ago of us. Of Siren walking me home. Of Blade at my apartment. Of Zephyrus in my living room.”

Wilbur tensed, keeping you a bit closer. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered, “I-I never should’ve let you get involved with the Syndicate stuff, I was so stupid to think something like this wouldn’t happen.”

“Wilbur, you never let me get involved. In fact, you were the one pushing me from getting involved. I chose this. I knew something like this could happen, and I chose to stick by you.”

“You’re not a member of the Syndicate, though. I know you can protect yourself, but I don’t want to be the reas-”

“Wilbur.” You hissed out. “If you even for a moment insist again that this is your fault, I will use my ability to make you believe that the best way to sleep is by falling out the window.” He bit his tongue from responding, nodding. “I didn’t turn down the Syndicate offer because I thought it would keep me safe.” You reached for his hand, taking it and squeezing it tightly. You didn’t know if it was your foggy mental state that made the idea of confessing your feelings so appealing or if it was just the residual fear in your system, but you didn’t care regardless.

“Why did you turn it down, then?” Wilbur asked softly.

“I turned down the Syndicate offer because I was worried about working with you.” You sighed, “It’s hard to focus around you, Wilbur.”

“Me? I don’t understand, we’ve been best friends for years, why would..?”

“That’s the problem. It’s hard to focus around you because I am constantly wishing that you would love me back.”

You held your breath once the words left your mouth. Wilbur pulled away from you, and you felt your heart drop.

“Do you mean that?” He asked softly, moving to sit in front of you.

You nodded, unable to respond further in fear of the tears resurfacing.

Wilbur reached a hand out, pausing and hesitating for a moment. He continued though, gently cupping your cheek.

“Can I kiss you?”

Your eyes widened. “Only if you mean it.”

He smiled softly, leaning forward and kissing you hard. You wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him close as you kissed him back, putting all the passion behind it that you’d wanted to for years.

When he pulled away, you rested your forehead against his, catching your breath slowly. He smiled, fingers lightly tracing your arms.

“So… about joining the Syndicate then,” you started.

He laughed, pulling away to grin at you, “You don’t have to decide anything tonight. But it would be really nice. You probably wouldn’t be on the front lines, but we’d love to have you. Plus, we’d be able to see each other a lot more.” He grinned.

You smiled, “Well, I’ll give you a formal answer in the morning. But as for an informal one, I’d fucking love it.”

He grinned, holding you close once more. You ran your hands up and down his back gently, and he hissed in pain when you reached the midpoint of his back. You pulled away.

“Will? You alright?”

He gave a thumbs up, and you smirked, “Say it out loud.”

He groaned, “I am alright. I am perfectly fine.” You could feel the pressure of his words in your head, and they almost sounded distorted. A clear lie.

“Let me see your back.” You smiled, and he groaned.

“You know how much I hate that I can’t lie to you?” He huffed, turning and pulling his sweater up.

“I know, I know,” you took a good look at his back, frowning at the dark bruise on his back, “Wilbur, you have a huge bruise. Are your ribs okay? It looks like some might be cracked.”

“They feel fine,” he shrugged. The pressure returned to your head, and this time you could feel a sensation of burning below your hands. A big lie, then.

“...I’m texting Tommy.”

“No, do not!”

You already had your phone out, texting Tommy to ask for him to come as soon as possible, both for Wilbur and so you could thank him for healing you.

“Too late,” you smiled, and Wilbur huffed, pulling his sweater back down.

He wrapped an arm around you again, kissing the top of your head, “You’re lucky I love you, Aletheia.”

“I am,” you smiled softly. There was no pressure or warm sensation. He did love you. He meant it. “Alethia? God of… truth, right?”

He nodded, “It’s Techno’s codename for you. He chose it out months ago.”

You smiled fondly, “Cool. Has a nice ring to it.”

He nodded, “I agree. And for what it’s worth, I’m lucky too.” He smiled, and you gave him a gentle kiss.

“We’re both lucky. Maybe our duo name could be Tyche.”

“Oh, god, I’m going to have to deal with so many more Greek mythology references with you in the Syndicate, aren’t I?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

#mar writes #wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #mcyt x reader #dsmp x reader #lovejoy #wilbur x reader #medlar :3 #siren wilbur soot #tommyinnits clinic for supervillains #siren x reader #sirenbur #siren wilbur soot x reader #clinic!wilbur #clinic wilbur soot

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izfrogzy · 9 months ago

Text

Soft and Innocent Part III 18+ Aemond x Sister Reader(OC.)

Warnings: 18+ content, Masturbation and envisioning and lusting for OCSister.

A/N: Part III is a steamy part.....I hope I did good I'm stepping my toe in the smut aspect of writing in the fandom so be easy on me.....but please enjoy if you like....Again There may be grammar mistakes and inaccuracies with certain characters so just think of this of a AU scenario. A bit short....but still steamy and saucy if you ask me.

Part IV in the works now

Later that night….Aemond was alone in his bedchambers thinking as he was brooding by the fireplace he typically found himself staring towards….as the flames seem to put him in a trance each time he found himself before the hearth like this.

He thought back to him and his sister. How she clung to him and her tear-filled eyes. How his heart began to feel warm and full of love when he held her and promised to keep her safe. And how she looked so beautiful even when in tears. Aemond’s jaw tensed as he felt a feeling of longing and desire stirring within him. He felt ashamed of having such thoughts. It was so very wrong for a brother to feel this way for his sister....yet for some reason, he could not help himself.

Every time he shuts his eyes, Aemond pictures his sister ... .Sweet….Soft and Innocent…Seanna…It was wrong but yet for some reason it was a guilty pleasure of his.

He saw her face in his mind's eyes. He saw her wide, big and beautiful violet eyes. He heard her voice as if it whispered to him softly. Aemond shuddered and closed his eyes tightly shut. It was wrong....but it made him feel....content. as he opened his eyes again he could almost swear that he saw her face in the flames of the fireplace. The feeling of longing stirring even more in his body.

He felt his body reacting to the thought of her as it typically did since she’s ripened and blossomed as of late into a woman.

he felt a tightening in his breeches as he recalled her sweet and innocent but somehow seductive face. The way her lips formed so perfectly as she talked and talked. The way they formed around his name as she called it out to him when she was upset. The way the fire light made it look as if her skin glowed gold. He closed his eyes as a groan left his mouth.

He began recalling his memory of the kiss he laid upon her forehead. Remembering how soft yet perfect her skin felt against his lips, and the way that she melted into the embrace. How she nuzzled up against his chest….in a way that a sister should not.

With the thoughts and images in his mind, he took one last look around his chambers before making sure the doors to his chambers were closed and almost all Candlelights were out. He moved over towards his bed and laid upon it. Closing his eyes as the image of her continued to fill his mind. He sighed as he began to move his hand down his body.

The Bedchambers were darkened mostly only alit was a few candles and the fireplace which filled the room with warmth a comfortable atmosphere mostly ... .and there laid Aemond upon his bed about to….well about to get comfortable it seems….and vulnerable too.

Aemond’s thoughts were consumed by his sister. He bit his bottom lip slightly as his hand began to move further down his body. He let out a groan as he began to push his breeches down, freeing himself from the tight constraint that had been bothering him for a while. He kept the image of her in his mind. Her wide violet eyes, her lips, skin, and most of all her loving embrace she gave as he comforted her when she was in her emotional states. Aemond gently grabbed ahold of his girth which had become very aroused.

He remembered the way she pressed herself up against him. How he could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest ... .the way he could hear her breath and see her chest rising and falling with each breath. How her body seemed to feel….right against his. How she seemed to fit in his embrace so perfectly. Like they were two pieces to a puzzle. Aemond felt a shiver run through him as his hand started to slowly move up and down on the thickness of his girth.

He continued to recall how he could feel her breath and heartbeat against him….hearing her breathe out a whimper as she looked up at him with those big eyes…her lips were parted slightly letting out quick and shallow breaths as she….she seemed so vulnerable in that moment. So innocent and sweet. And she was. Aemond let out a loud groan as he started to move his hand slightly faster. He felt a tightness in his chest and he felt more guilty doing this.

He remembered how he leaned forward and nuzzles his head into the crook of her neck….his nose inhaled her sent….she carried a sweet scent with a hint of roses. Aemond opened his eyes as he could almost swear that he smelled her at this very moment. He could imagine how her hair would feel against his face too…so soft and smooth like the most finest velvets that existed in all the kingdoms. How he could run his hand through it.

“Lēkia.” Older Brother. A voice from within his mind the Valyrian word she’d use and call him by….her gentle sweet voice calling him out of affection and love

He let out a low groan as he heard the voice in his mind. That sweet and beautiful Valyrian voice he loved so much in his mind. He heard the word 'Lēkìa'. He felt as if she was whispering it into his ear. His grip became slightly rougher as he started to speed up. With the voice and his imagination he almost felt as if she was really there. It was almost….perfect..

“Lēkia.” ... .The voice said again sounding more like a moan like a desperate needy wanton girl for her lover to please her more from within his imagination as he continues his lustful actions this night.

He groaned as he heard the moan in her voice. He imagined her saying it just like that. The needy and wanton sound of how she moaned out the word almost like a whisper into his ear. It was all so much for Aemond. Feeling and hearing all this.

“Sister…” Aemond moaned out as he bit his bottom lip.

He imagined how she would have looked and sounded when they were alone. How she would have sounded as her face became flush with passion. How she would have sounded as she panted and gasped for air. How her fingers would have dug into his flesh as she held him, how her back would arch up as he made her feel so good.

“Please Lēkia More….” That imagined voice would say.

He groaned as the image of her came into his mind. Seeing her face full of pleasure. Her cheeks flushed bright. Her eyes closed shut as her mouth became open and she panted for air. He wanted to feel her body against his. He wanted to hold her and please her. To hear how she’d call out his name in the most intimate and passionate way. Just thinking about it made his body shiver.

He groaned louder. Feeling the sensation building in his body as his hand continued to move. He could hear the panting in his mind from the imagined voice. He could hear her voice growing more desperate as she would plead for more and more.

“Sister…Seanna.” He groaned as he began to say her name out loud.

He could feel himself nearing that edge. The feeling kept building and building. He just needed to keep moving just a little more. He could see her in his mind’s eyes and he could hear her voice moaning and pleading with him to keep going. Aemond groaned as he kept pumping his hand. The feeling was so strong now.

He began to pump faster. Her voice getting louder and louder in his mind. Her moans and needy gasps as she panted out for him to continue. He closed his eyes as it was all too much. All this pleasure and the knowledge of it being so wrong. He had never felt anything so intense like this….and it was because of his soft and innocent sister.

It was all coming to a head now as he bit back moans. His entire body tensed and relaxed as he kept moving his hand. The images and sounds consumed his mind until he couldn’t take it anymore and his body exploded and he was sent over that edge of ecstasy.

“Seanna….Seanna…Sister...Seanna.” He moaned out her name over and over again. Not caring if anyone heard him. He just needed to call out her name…His beloved Seanna.

The pleasure began to subside as he let out one last shiver. He lay there with his eyes closed….still seeing his sister in his mind, hearing her soft moans. As the after-pleasure feeling coursed through him. His breathing slowed and finally, he was calming back down again as the final wave of pleasure washed over him one last time.

he slowly opened his eyes…the image of her vanishing in his mind. And he was left alone in the silence. Only the sound of the fire crackling and the silence of the night. He slowly raised his clean hand up and held his face as he let out a weary sigh ... .the reality of his situation suddenly crashing upon him like a tidal wave.

“What have I done?”

He groaned softly as he felt the guilt and shame wash over him like a cold bucket of ice water. He slowly pushed himself up and off the bed to go and clean himself up. He felt disgusted with himself. He wanted to cry. No man should have such feelings for his own blood sisters. It was sinful. He felt unclean, wicked, like he needed to be burned by the Gods for his sins.

After he got cleaned up he pulled on a nightshirt before slipping back into bed and curling up on his side away from the fireplace. He felt guilty and ashamed and he wanted to cry. He felt conflicted and confused. How could anyone love their own blood siblings this way he thought….or at least he had never heard of it before. But then again the Targaryen’s were known for the ways of incest. He shut his eyes as he tried to push the thoughts away. But in the back of his mind they continued to creep back and take hold once more.

A/N: Stay tuned for Part 4 ;)

#asoiaf #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen smut#house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon au #aemond x reader #aegon ii targaryen #aegon targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #Aemond x oc #ai image #ai generated art #prince aemond targaryen #aemond fanfiction #aemond smut #aemond fic

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literary-motif · 3 months ago

Text

Act I — The Proposal

Scene iv — The Informant

previous scene // overview // read on ao3 // next scene

Warnings: references to depression

The night felt hollow, or perhaps he was just drowning in his melancholy as his eyes caught the setting sun. The Collective was draining, and he could already feel the growing strain on him from keeping up with the world. It used to be so simple, eyeing his father as he sat slumped forward at the table in the living room, cradling a cup of coffee as he rubbed his temples tiredly.

He used to wonder why he was so exhausted when all the power at his fingertips should have made him ecstatic, reigning with the grandeur of a king or emperor of the world. Instead, he looked so drained, crushed — not that he ever let it show outside these brief moments, curled around his mug. He had seemed so incredibly human then, so vulnerable that Asirel could not help but look away.

Now he understood, and he felt the same vulnerability creep up to him as he watched the sun set slowly on the first day of his new life.

Cementing his place in the Collective would be tedious. His colleagues were nice enough — understanding, gentle, likable — but he saw their lingering glances, the appraising looks they shot him, trying to figure him out. They did not respect him yet, and fighting for that respect would be a mountain of work that needed to be climbed to make his plans be heard.

You seemed to trust him already, and somehow that support felt like a safety net below him, cushioning his fall if he should slip. He did not feel like he needed to prove himself to you — why that was he could not tell — but that did not mean he did not want to.

He wanted you to treasure his loyalty. He wanted you to look at him not merely as the little apprentice his father had seen you as — no doubt because of the large age gap between you — but as a colleague, a friend, a confidant. He wanted this alliance. He wanted this connection.

Asirel was exhausted already, and the day was not even over yet. The blue card was heavy in his chest, silently taunting him, asking him the question that had been rummaging in his mind since you had told him what it was: who can you trust? Who can you trust?

He drew a blank. There was no obvious choice. He resolved to hold onto it himself for the time being. The feeling sent a jolt of pain to his heart.

Lonely. He was lonely. He felt deserted.

This tentatively amicable relationship he had with you truly was his only tether. This new life he had been thrust into as his father perished, the one he accepted when he slipped the ring on his finger with shaking hands, had put an insurmountable rift between him and his family.

Yes. He was alone in this.

His mother could barely look at him without tearing up, the pain of who she had lost much too fresh as his father’s shadow clung to him like a phantom. His sister pretended, but he saw her walking on eggshells around him as if she did not know him anymore. It was painful. It tore out his heart and left it shredded at his feet.

He longed to fix this, mend whatever unspoken tether had snapped between them and pulled them worlds apart. But he knew it was useless. Time would mend the rift, or solidify the edges enough that he did not fear the ground crumbling beneath him.

This was his new reality — this lonely, bleak, sharp darkness pulling around him like a cloak of mystery, obscuring the depths of the fall enough that he could pretend a slip would lead him to be cushioned against these clouds of blackness.

You brushed a finger along the delicate petal of a rose, the last one blossoming in the autumn twilight. It had nearly wilted, the weather turning much too cold for it now, but it held steady, soaking up whatever minerals the ground still offered it to stay alive a moment longer. You suppressed the urge to snap it off and end its suffering.

“We are nothing without intel,” you said, straightening your back again — leaving the rose to fend for itself — and tearing Asirel out of his reverie. “Knowledge is everything in this line of work. People kill for it, people die for it — remember that throughout. The Informant is your greatest asset, when they are good at what they do. And once you find one who is, you better never let them go.”

He hummed, turning from watching the sunset to look at your figure standing on the pathway, back to the nearly empty rose bushes as you faced him. Your somber expression made him pause, wondering for the first time how many of theconnections you were showing to him had actually been his father’s before. It felt like you had revealed a deep truth to him, one that he knew, of course — like he knew that everything would die in the end. Memento mori. God please let me forget the phrase — but had not fully internalized yet.

He knew knowledge and information were important. It was all the Collective operated on. But feeling the fact would be something different entirely.

The leaves rustled behind you. A twig snapped. You had only a moment to snap your jaw shut before a deep voice spoke. “Is that why you kept me busy for so long? You flatter me.”

A tall man stepped around the bushes, following the little trail to its end and coming onto the pathway. His coat was dark blue — Asirel was beginning to notice a pattern of blue stringing through this life. Blue and gold and red — his black leather shoes were faintly coated in mud. He had a beard, graying hair dusting what had once been a head of pitch-black hair.

Asirel thought he seemed distantly familiar.

The man looked at you, an amused twinkle in his eyes as you stared back unimpressed.

“Mr. Rhoades,” you greeted, making a show of checking your watch despite your words carrying no bite nor reproach. “You’re ten minutes late.”

“What a way to greet your ‘greatest asset,’” he said, allowing a low chuckle to pass his lips at your scowl.

The wind picked up, making the leaves rustle. The lighthearted moment was gone in a blink, buried under the strain of things — important business. Happiness was fleeting. Duty lingered.

“You’ll find out why in a minute,” Mr. Rhoades said, eyes settling on Asirel. “Mr. Cain, I presume? You look just like your father. It is a pleasure to meet you again, although different circumstances would have been more ideal.”

The comment should not have stung as much as it did. Asirel found himself averting his gaze, hands clenched into fists at his sides to distract himself from the burning fire that had erupted in his chest.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said tensely, hoping beyond reason that the private investigator before him did not notice his reaction.

If he did, Mr. Rhoades said nothing. His eyes softened minimally, but he turned back to face you before Asirel could be sure.

A silent conversation seemed to take place between you. A few beats of silence passed before you spoke. “Go on,” you said, dismissing Mr. Rhoades’ hesitation. “Speak freely.”

He clenched his jaw, glancing at Asirel. “Are you sure?”

It suddenly dawned on him that you were talking about him.

Knowledge was everything — as was anonymity, he began to understand — and the person who proquieted it for you and revealed his hand in the process had good reason to be protective over both. He did not know what case Mr. Rhoades was working on, but he did not doubt that it was important, and talking about it in front of someone other than the person he knew he could trust — the person putting him on it — must feel like a violation of his innermost ideals.

He understood why you held onto him.

You narrowed your eyes, staring at him intently. Asirel’s presence at your elbow already felt like second nature. You trusted him. Why else would you have brought him here? Why else would you have tugged him along to meet your informant, the very spring of your knowledge?

You wanted him to be present. You wanted him to be part of this.

He found himself shaken, eyes widening at the realization that your agreement — loyalty for information — had already turned into your status quo, when he was still trying to adjust. You had accepted his word, moving on with this newly established dynamic as if it was something you had known all your life. As if it was something you could swear by.

The loyalty went both ways. Trust did, too.

The well of loneliness in him deepened. He swallowed thickly, gaze falling to the withering rose.

“Yes,” you answered decisively.

Mr. Rhoades did not hesitate (trust went three ways) reaching into his coat and pulling out a thin beige folder. “Two things,” he said, opening it carefully and pressing it into your awaiting hands. “Samuel Kennedy is more of an enigma than I initially thought. His work in the Court is bizarre. Things aren’t adding up properly, and I am not sure why. He is hiding something, and I need a little more time to figure it out. His gambling ring in Vegas is already well-explored. There is a vague connection to aviation, but I cannot quite see through the web of business relations he has. There is something important there he has put a lot of resources into hiding. It bothers me.”

Asirel perked up. “Kennedy?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing. Something rattled in his brain. The right and honorable Samuel Kennedy. But It was not Samuel he recalled, written in gold letters against a dark gray wall as he watched the smoke of his father’s cigar float up in the air, the whiskey on his tongue. “As in Robert Kennedy?”

Mr. Rhoades' gaze settled on him as if he were a book, written in a language he could not yet understand.

“His brother, yes,” you replied, looking at the pages carefully filed away. Little snippets of intel showed you Mr. Rhoades was making progress, but they were not enough to make the bigger picture click into place. “A member of— of the Court. He did not quite make the cut for the inner circle. A bit too bland. Do you know him?”

“Not personally. I’ve heard about him,” Asirel answered, looking at you but giving nothing away. The Court, was it? He began to think that you kept more secrets than you let on. “He owns a chain of bars, as far as I know.”

“Real estate is his true passion,” Mr. Rhoades said, waving a hand as if to disperse the conversation. “I will get back to you when I know more. There are leads I need to follow first. Now” — he turned the page, the paper falling open to a black-and-white picture of a demolished restaurant, smoke rising from behind it — “to the second issue.”

You groaned, recognizing the street. “This is bad news,” you muttered. “Penance? Skoligs?”

“Vex, as far as I can tell,” Mr. Rhoades said. “It is difficult to keep up, especially with the Kennedy case branching so wide. There was a blackout not long ago — the reason I was late, by the way. Some wounded, a few dead. It appears to be a confrontation between the Wraiths and Vex. Local disruption, but the fallout beyond Stockton is minimal, which is why you did not know about this sooner.”

“Disappointing,” you said, glaring at the picture. “Tara told me she was on top of things.”

Mr. Rhoades hesitated, licking his lips as he took back the folder. “Suppose she keeps secrets,” he said, his piercing gaze cutting through you.

The warning was clear. It was one you had heard many times. It was the reason the rest of the inner circle was content to let you handle the gangs running amok in Stockton. They were too unpredictable. It was next to impossible to steer them, unless you had your hooks in them already, and your connection with Tara made you an exceptionable charioteer.

Pupett.

Well, it was more like a never-ending fight on the edge of a cliff. She had a sword. You had a gun.

“Suppose she was just as surprised as we are,” you countered.

“Likely,” he said, tucking the folder back in his coat. “But sometimes it is good to wonder. I suppose you will take care of this?”

You nodded, already feeling a headache approaching from the loaded conversation with her.

He hummed, hand hovering over his pocket.

“Go on,” you said, looking at him expectantly. You took the pristine white envelope he pressed into your hand. He did not let it go.

“If I may be so bold,” he began, gaze flickering to Asirel before settling on you again, choosing his words carefully. “If you do not reach out, I firmly believe you will come to regret—”

“Careful,” you warned, eyes flashing with a quiet rage that told him to stop pushing.

He did, letting go of the envelope and the information it contained (so very dear to you that you could not help tucking it away hastily).

“Everything in order, then?” he asked dutifully, returning to business as if the whole ordeal had never happened.

Asirel watched the exchange quizzically, eyeing your hand pocketing the envelope with a bitter feeling. You did not trust him quite that much after all. Or perhaps the matter was personal.

The knowledge we agreed upon does not include that about me. There was truth to your words. He should have expected this.

“Everything in order, Mr. Rhoades. Thank you for your service.”

The wording made him roll his eyes, always feeling like a knight when you spoke of his ‘service.’ He ran a hand through his hair, giving you a small smile regardless. “It’s simple business,” he said.

That’s when you saw it, the little sticker of a blooming blue orchid on the sleeve of his coat. You could not suppress a fond chuckle. He noticed your reaction, following your line of sight.

His eyes widened, peeling off the sticker immediately as a faint blush colored his cheeks. You noted how he did not crumple it, no doubt waiting for a moment to tuck away little Isaac’s gift.

#a tragedy in five acts #asirel cain #asirel cain x reader

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b2ngch2n · 6 months ago

Text

somebody.

bangchan x gender neutral reader

angst/fluff

wc: 877

i was listening to this song as i wrote this, the music just gave me this vibe.

it was in the middle of lunch at school, i wasnt really feeling myself as i sighed, sitting alone on a bench.

i like sitting here since nobody really comes here. theres blossom trees and bushes that cut off everything. cherry blossom petals scattered around the ground. the petals would fall as the wind blows. it was comforting here. i zoned out as i was listening to music.

everybody had a somebody, a best friend or a lover, although i didnt. i never had a somebody. i did have friends, but they always had a pair. i feel like im missing something. its like i dont understand how to get a somebody. its just, different.

i was distracted by my music from my headphones, looking at the nature around me as i sighed. not realising somebody was sitting next to me.

"hey."

a soft voice surprised me out of my thoughts as i looked to the side to see chan. chan was a mutual friend i had. we dont talk much. he wasnt my somebody.

"oh hey."

my voice was abit groggy as i took a sip of my waterbottle to clear my throat.

"you know, you always look like you have something in your mind."

his voice was soft spoken, i could see him looking around as he leaned back to look up at the sky.

"i do, although i rather not talk about it."

i sighed as i took off my headphones and fixed myself up.

"your always alone... am i correct?"

i look at the side in his direction. was it that obvious? how embarrassing.

"... um... yeah.. i guess you could say that."

my words were abit shakey as i cleared my throat.

"what goes through your head then?"

he looked at my eyes as i thought about his question.

"uhm well... alot."

i looked away as i bit my lip as i began to fiddle with my fingers

"over here is calming, i can see why you hang out here alone"

he was still looking at me. why was he here? why did he know I come here often?

"its just better being here then over where everybody else hangs out. i dont like seeing people with others having fun. it makes me feel jealous"

i sighed as i brought up my legs and wrapped my arms around them. sitting comfortably as i look infront of me, pretty cherry blossom trees rustle from the wind.

"jealous? whys that?"

there was a hint of confusion and concern in his voice. i bit my lip. was i really going to vent to somebody? he isnt my somebody, though.. right...?

"everybody has a somebody. a close friend or something. i just never had one. my whole life i was confused on why i didnt have a somebody. i just hated seeing others get along in duos. its always two people. never three. trios dont work."

i looked down at the ground as my eyes began to tear up. why am i crying? this is embarrassing.

chan sighed as he thought about my words. feeling pity as he looked up at the blossom trees.

"right. i understand, it must suck seeing that, now i get why you sit here. do you ever think you would get a somebody?"

i stopped to think. i never really thought about that before.

"no i dont think so. im pretty convinced i dont and wont have a somebody."

"i can be your somebody."

i look at him as i was confused.

"what..?"

chan looked down and then to my eyes. he bit his lip and thought about what he said. then opening his mouth.

"ive been observing you for awhile. not in a weird way.. its just.. i always wanted to know what goes in your mind. you never speak much to people and always draw in class in your sketchbook... i just think about you alot... i wonder about alot of things about you."

his voice was anxious as he fiddled with his fingers. scared of what you were going to say.

"you.. think about me..? but why me though...?"

i didnt understand why he observed me only. why did he want to know more? does he actually want to be.. my somebody?

"im into you ever since i laid my eyes on you. its just i want to know more about you. more stuff about you personally. so i can fall inlove with you even more.. i want to be your somebody."

he looked deep into my eyes as i was surprised by his words. he.. was inlove with me?

"i always watch you in class. you little habits make me smile. everything you do is just perfect in my eyes."

he sighed as he looked down at his hands. scared of what i would say.

i began to tear up as i had never heard this before. it felt different.

"chan.. i.. i dont think ive heard words like that being told to me.. ever.."

i chuckled nervously as i wiped my tears.

he was surprised but glad. he heard you chuckle for the first time, and it made him flush. he smiled as he looked up at me.

"may i be your somebody?"

part 2 maybe?? dunno its like 5am and i havent slept

#stray kids #bang chan #christopher bang #skz #skz angst #straykids angst #bangchan angst #fluff #bangchan fluff #chan fluff #chan angst #angst #skz x reader #bangchan x reader

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elleirbagsstuff · 22 days ago

Text

"Sunset Brews"

idol!naoi rei x barista!f reader

synopsis; A famous idol, Naoi Rei, seeking escape from her chaotic life, stumbles upon a small village café at sunset on one of her most stressful day. There, she meets Y/n a simple barista whose warmth and authenticity captivate her. As love blossoms, they must navigate the challenges of fame and a world that threatens to pull them apart.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon as IVE finally arrived at their dorm. The van ride back had been filled with laughter and lighthearted chatter, their spirits lifted by the successful interview earlier in the day. As they entered the dorm, the members kicked off their shoes, collapsing onto the couch and floor in a tangle of limbs and contented sighs.

“That was fun,” Liz said, leaning her head back against the armrest. “But I’m so ready to sleep for a week.”

“Same,” Wonyoung agreed, stretching her legs. “But we nailed it today. Our fans will love it.”

The room hummed with the usual post-work energy, but Rei stayed quiet, lingering near the door. She set her bag down gently, her eyes distant as the others continued to talk. Gaeul was the first to notice.

“Rei?” Gaeul called softly, concern flashing across her face. “You’ve been quiet. Everything okay?”

The chatter stopped, and the rest of the group turned to look at Rei. She forced a small smile, tugging at the sleeves of her sweater. “I’m fine,” she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

Yujin, ever the leader, got up and walked over to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You don’t seem fine,” she said gently. “You can talk to us, you know.”

Rei hesitated, her gaze flickering to the floor. “I just... I feel drained,” she admitted after a moment. “I don’t know. It’s like... everyone’s so happy and energized after today, but I just feel... empty.”

The room fell quiet. The usual lively atmosphere dimmed as the members exchanged concerned glances.

“Rei,” Yujin said softly, squeezing her shoulder. “It’s okay to feel that way. You don’t have to match our energy all the time.”

Liz sat up from her spot on the couch, her brows furrowed in worry. “Yeah, we all get burned out sometimes. Maybe today just took more out of you.”

Rei bit her lip, nodding slightly. “I think I just need some space,” she said quietly. “It’s been a lot lately... and I just want to escape, even for a little while.”

Gaeul walked over, her expression warm and understanding. “We get it,” she said. “But don’t keep it all to yourself, okay? We’re here for you.”

Wonyoung, who had been listening intently, got up and handed Rei a cozy blanket from the couch. “Here,” she said with a small smile. “Go to your room, wrap yourself in this, and take some time to recharge. You deserve it.”

Rei took the blanket, her lips curving into a faint smile for the first time all evening. “Thanks, guys,” she murmured. “I just... really appreciate you all.”

“Always,” Yujin said firmly. “We’re a team, Rei. Take the time you need, and we’ll be right here when you’re ready.”

Rei retreated to her room, the blanket tucked close to her chest. As she closed the door behind her, a weight seemed to lift—if only slightly. The sound of her members’ quiet voices outside was a comforting reminder that even in her exhaustion, she wasn’t alone.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow across the dorm. It was their long-awaited rest day, and the members were buzzing with excitement over their individual plans.

“I’m heading to that new café downtown,” Liz said, tying her hair into a ponytail. “I’ve been dying to try their pastries.”

“I’ve got a shopping trip planned,” Wonyoung chimed in, flipping through her phone. “There’s a boutique I’ve been wanting to check out.”

“Lucky,” Yujin said, stretching on the couch. “I’m just going to sleep all day, maybe order some takeout later.”

Gaeul glanced over at Rei, who was sitting at the dining table with a mug of tea, unusually quiet again. “What about you, Rei?” she asked. “Got any plans?”

Rei shook her head, her fingers tracing the rim of her mug. “Not really. I think I’ll just stay here and relax,” she said softly.

The members exchanged subtle glances, concern still lingering from the night before. “Are you sure?” Yujin asked gently. “You could come with me and Gaeul for a walk later if you want.”

Rei smiled faintly, appreciating the gesture. “Thanks, but I think I just need some time to myself. I’ll be okay.”

“Alright,” Gaeul said with a nod, though she still looked a little unsure. “But call us if you need anything, okay?”

“Of course,” Rei replied, her voice warm.

As the members gradually left to pursue their plans, the dorm fell into a serene silence. Rei wandered into the living room, wrapping herself in the blanket Wonyoung had given her the night before. She curled up on the couch, gazing out the window at the clear blue sky.

Part of her wished she had the energy to join them, to laugh and explore like she used to. But another part of her relished the peace and quiet, the stillness that allowed her to breathe.

She pulled out her sketchbook—a rare indulgence—and began to draw, letting the lines on the paper take her mind somewhere far away. Hours passed in quiet contentment, the dorm becoming a sanctuary where she could finally reconnect with herself.

For the first time in days, the weight on her chest felt a little lighter.

By mid-afternoon, the quiet of the dorm began to feel stifling. Rei had enjoyed the stillness at first, but now, a sense of restlessness crept in. She set down her sketchbook with a sigh, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders.

“This isn’t working,” she murmured to herself.

Deciding a change of scenery might help, she grabbed her hoodie and mask. Sliding on a pair of sneakers, she stepped out of the dorm, careful to stay unnoticed. The crisp air greeted her as she tugged her hoodie’s drawstrings tighter, the mask concealing most of her face.

The streets near their dorm were familiar, but today Rei ventured farther than she usually dared. The rhythmic sound of her footsteps on the pavement was oddly soothing, and she let herself wander without a clear destination in mind.

After about thirty minutes of walking, she noticed the scenery changing. The tall buildings and busy streets began to give way to quieter, tree-lined roads. The air smelled fresher here, and the noise of the city seemed distant, muffled.

Eventually, she stumbled upon something unexpected—a small village nestled between rolling hills. Quaint houses lined the cobblestone streets, and flower boxes filled with vibrant blooms adorned the windowsills. It looked like a scene from a storybook, a stark contrast to the bustling city she was used to.

Rei paused, her eyes widening as she took it all in. “How have I never noticed this before?” she wondered aloud.

Her curiosity pulled her deeper into the village. She passed by a tiny bakery, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, and a bookstore with shelves visible through the window, crammed with worn, well-loved books.

But what caught her attention most was a small café at the corner of the main street. Its warm, inviting glow seemed to beckon her, the sign above the door reading Sunset Brews. The name alone intrigued her, and before she could overthink it, she found herself stepping inside.

The gentle chime of the door announced her arrival, and the cozy atmosphere immediately enveloped her. The walls were lined with rustic wooden shelves holding jars of tea leaves and coffee beans, and the faint hum of soft music played in the background.

Behind the counter stood a young woman, her apron dusted with flour as she worked on a tray of pastries. She looked up at Rei, offering a kind smile. “Welcome,” she said warmly. “What can I get for you?”

Rei hesitated, her eyes scanning the menu scrawled in chalk above the counter. For the first time in days, she felt a flicker of interest—this quiet village and its little café seemed like the escape she’d been yearning for.

“I’ll just have whatever your favorite is,” Rei finally said, her voice soft but audible through her mask.

The barista’s smile widened. “Coming right up.” As she moved to prepare the drink, Rei found a seat by the window, gazing out at the picturesque street. For the first time in what felt like forever, the world seemed a little less heavy.

Rei sat by the window, her fingers tracing patterns on the smooth surface of the wooden table as she waited. The faint hum of the café, paired with the soft clinking of mugs, was oddly comforting. She found herself relaxing in the peaceful atmosphere.

A few moments later, the barista approached her table, carrying a small tray. On it was a beautifully arranged cup of coffee, the foam art forming a delicate heart, along with a plate of pastries that looked almost too perfect to eat.

“Here you go,” the barista said warmly, setting the tray down.

Rei blinked at the sight, her brows furrowing slightly in confusion. The coffee was a flavor she adored—rich with just a hint of sweetness—and the pastries looked eerily similar to the ones she often craved.

“How did you...?” she started, her voice trailing off as she looked up at the barista.

The woman smiled knowingly, her hands clasped in front of her apron. “You’re Rei from IVE, aren’t you?”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat, panic momentarily flashing across her face. She instinctively pulled her hoodie lower and adjusted her mask. “I—uh—what makes you think that?” she stammered.

The barista chuckled softly, her tone reassuring. “Relax. I’m not going to tell anyone. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while now. When I saw you come in, I recognized you immediately.”

Rei’s eyes widened, and her hands fidgeted nervously on the table. “You... recognized me? Even with the mask?”

The barista nodded. “It wasn’t hard. Your eyes gave you away,” she said with a smile. “But don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

Rei hesitated before relaxing slightly, her gaze shifting to the coffee and pastries in front of her. “And these...?”

The barista grinned, gesturing to the tray. “I remembered reading in an interview about your favorite coffee flavors and pastries. I thought I’d surprise you. Oh, and...” She straightened, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I own this café. Sunset Brews is my little slice of peace.”

Rei stared at her, momentarily speechless. The effort and thoughtfulness behind the gesture touched her in a way she hadn’t expected. She felt her guard begin to lower as she allowed a small, genuine smile to grace her lips.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her voice filled with sincerity. “This... means a lot.”

The barista pulled out a chair and sat across from Rei, her expression kind but curious. “I can tell you’re not just here for the coffee,” she said gently. “Sometimes, we all need a place to breathe.”

Rei looked at her, surprised by how easily the woman seemed to understand. “Yeah,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s been a lot lately. I just needed to get away.”

“Well, you’ve found the perfect spot,” the barista said with a smile. “Stay as long as you need. This place was made for moments like that.”

For the first time in days, Rei felt a flicker of light in the heavy fog that had surrounded her. Maybe, just maybe, she’d found the escape she’d been searching for.

Rei took a sip of the coffee, savoring its warmth and the perfectly balanced flavor. She glanced up at the barista, who was now arranging a few items on the counter, her movements graceful and unhurried. The light from the setting sun streamed through the café windows, casting a golden glow around her.

Rei couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked. Her features were soft and inviting, with an effortless charm that seemed to radiate calm. The way she smiled when she interacted with customers, the way her eyes lit up when someone complimented her pastries—it all seemed so genuine.

As the barista turned back toward her, their eyes met for a brief moment. Rei quickly looked away, her cheeks warming beneath her mask.

“Is the coffee okay?” the barista asked, tilting her head slightly.

“It’s perfect,” Rei replied quickly, her voice a little more flustered than she intended. She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. “You’re really talented. The flavor’s spot on.”

The barista’s smile widened, and she pulled out the chair across from Rei, sitting down again. “Thank you. It means a lot coming from you.”

Rei hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “So, you own this place all by yourself?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation away from her own sudden nervousness.

The barista nodded. “Yeah. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t easy, but I finally made it happen. This café is my little world.”

Rei admired the determination in her voice, the quiet pride she carried. She couldn’t help but be drawn to her. “That’s amazing,” she said softly. “It’s rare to see someone so... passionate about what they do.”

The barista leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. “I could say the same about you,” she said, her tone teasing but kind. “You’ve inspired so many people, including me.”

Rei froze for a moment, caught off guard by the compliment. She looked down at her coffee, her fingers tracing the edge of the cup. “It doesn’t always feel that way,” she admitted quietly. “Sometimes, it feels like I’m just... going through the motions.”

The barista’s expression softened. “Maybe you just need to find moments that remind you why you started,” she said gently. “Like this—sitting here, enjoying coffee, taking a break from everything. Sometimes, the little things matter most.”

Rei looked up at her, something warm blooming in her chest. There was a kindness in the barista’s words, a genuine understanding that made Rei feel seen in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Yeah,” she murmured, her gaze lingering on the barista’s face. “Maybe you’re right.”

And as the sun dipped lower in the sky, Rei found herself wishing the moment could last just a little longer.

As the evening deepened, Rei glanced at the time on her phone and sighed softly. She didn’t want to leave the cozy haven she’d stumbled upon, but she knew she couldn’t stay much longer without raising questions from her members.

Gathering her courage, she stood and adjusted her hoodie and mask. The barista, who had been wiping down the counter, noticed and walked over to her table.

“Heading out?” she asked with a warm smile.

Rei nodded, her fingers brushing the edge of the now-empty coffee cup. “Yeah, I should get back. Thank you... for everything. The coffee, the pastries... the peace.”

The barista’s smile widened. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. You’re welcome here anytime, Rei.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “I mean that. If you ever need a quiet place to escape, Sunset Brews is always open for you.”

Rei felt her chest tighten slightly at the kindness in her tone. “Thank you. That... means a lot,” she said, her voice soft.

As she turned to leave, the barista called out, stopping her in her tracks. “Wait!”

Rei turned back, curious.

The barista took a step closer, wiping her hands on her apron. “I never introduced myself,” she said with a small laugh. “I’m y/n.”

Rei blinked, surprised but pleased by the sudden introduction. “Y/n,” she repeated, the name rolling off her tongue like a melody. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Y/n smiled, her eyes warm. “Likewise, Rei. Take care, okay? And I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

Rei nodded, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. “You just might,” she said with a faint smile hidden behind her mask.

As she stepped out into the cool evening air and began the walk back to her dorm, she couldn’t help but glance back at the café one last time. The glow of its lights and the figure of y/n by the window stayed with her, a quiet memory that she knew she’d carry for a long time.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Rei felt like she’d found a place—a person—that offered her a kind of peace she didn’t know she needed. And as she made her way back to the dorm, she realized she was already looking forward to her next visit.

■■

The sun was setting, casting a golden hue across the city as IVE wrapped up their packed schedule for the day. The members were tired, but there was a sense of accomplishment in the air. They had performed well, nailed their interviews, and managed to squeeze in some time for practice. Yet, Rei couldn’t shake the feeling of eagerness that buzzed under her skin.

As they made their way to the van, the other members chattered excitedly about their plans for the evening—some of them talking about takeout, others planning to unwind at home. But Rei, despite the exhaustion pulling at her limbs, seemed unusually restless.

“Rei, are you okay?” Yujin asked, glancing at her from the front of the van as they all piled inside. “You’re kind of rushing, even though we’re all heading home.”

Rei straightened in her seat, trying to compose herself, but the smile she gave Yujin was a little too bright to be entirely convincing. “I’m fine! Just... ready to relax,” she said quickly, looking out the window.

But it didn’t escape the other members’ notice. Gaeul raised an eyebrow from the opposite seat. “You’re really eager to go home today,” she remarked, a teasing tone in her voice.

Rei chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I’m just tired, that’s all. I’m really looking forward to a quiet evening.”

“I bet you are,” Wonyoung said with a smirk, eyeing Rei with a hint of amusement. “It’s been a long day. But if you’re planning to do something exciting, don’t leave us out!”

Rei flashed them all another quick smile, feeling the warmth of their concern but unable to share her thoughts. “No plans, I promise,” she said, her voice light, trying to brush off their teasing.

But as the van neared the dorm, the excitement that had been simmering inside Rei only grew stronger. She had only one thing on her mind—returning to Sunset Brews and seeing y/n again. The thought of the small café, with its peaceful atmosphere and y/n’s gentle smile, felt like a breath of fresh air.

As the van pulled into their parking space, Rei took a deep breath, her heart fluttering with anticipation. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said quickly, unbuckling her seatbelt and practically rushing toward the door.

“Wait, are you really not going to tell us where you’re headed?” Liz called after her, but Rei was already halfway out of the van.

With a quick wave, she turned and hurried inside the dorm, her thoughts consumed by the quiet, comforting space she had discovered the day before. No one knew it, but her mind was already drifting back to that peaceful café—and to y/n, who had unknowingly become a place of solace for her.

The streets were quiet as Rei approached Sunset Brews, the last hints of twilight fading into the horizon. Her chest heaved from running, her legs aching from the long day and her desperate attempt to make it to the café in time. But as she turned the corner, her heart sank.

The warm glow of the café’s interior was dimmed, the “Closed” sign hung on the door. Y/n was outside, locking the door and tidying up the chairs on the patio. Rei stopped a few feet away, bent over slightly to catch her breath, disappointment evident in her posture.

Y/n looked up at the sound of hurried footsteps, her brows knitting in confusion before softening as she recognized Rei. “Rei?” she called, stepping closer.

Rei straightened, her hoodie slightly askew from her rush. She tugged her mask down just enough to speak, her voice breathless. “I’m sorry... I didn’t realize how late it was. I thought I’d make it in time.”

Y/n’s gaze shifted to Rei’s flushed cheeks and the tired look in her eyes. She could see the exhaustion in every movement—the kind that wasn’t just physical but emotional, too. Rei had pushed herself to be here, and it tugged at Y/n’s heart.

For a moment, Y/n hesitated, glancing back at the locked door. Then, with a small smile, she stepped aside and reached for the key. “Wait here,” she said softly.

Rei blinked in surprise as Y/n unlocked the door and flipped the sign back to “Open.” “You don’t have to—” Rei began, but Y/n cut her off with a warm smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” Y/n said, holding the door open. “Come in. You look like you could use a break.”

Rei hesitated briefly, a wave of gratitude washing over her. “Thank you,” she said, her voice quiet but filled with emotion, as she stepped inside.

The café was as cozy as she remembered, the soft lighting and faint scent of coffee instantly soothing her nerves. Y/n followed her to a table by the window, pulling out a chair for her. “Sit down, catch your breath,” Y/n said, her voice gentle. “I’ll make you something.”

Rei nodded, her body sinking into the chair as she watched Y/n move behind the counter. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her chest—not just from the café’s ambiance but from Y/n’s kindness.

Minutes later, Y/n returned with a steaming cup of coffee and a small plate of Rei’s favorite pastries. She placed them in front of Rei with a smile. “Here. On the house.”

Rei looked up at her, her eyes glimmering with gratitude. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said softly.

“I wanted to,” Y/n replied, sitting across from her. “You worked so hard to get here. The least I can do is make sure you’re taken care of.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The world outside was quiet, and inside the café, it felt like time had slowed. Rei sipped her coffee, the warmth spreading through her, and for the first time that day, she felt truly at peace.

Y/n leaned forward slightly, her smile gentle. “You know, you don’t have to rush next time. This place isn’t going anywhere—and neither am I.”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in Y/n’s voice. She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll remember that,” she said quietly, feeling a spark of hope flicker to life.

As the soft hum of the café’s ambiance settled between them, Y/n rested her chin on her hand, watching Rei with a gentle curiosity. Rei had visibly relaxed now, her shoulders no longer tense as she nibbled on one of the pastries Y/n had prepared.

“How was your day?” Y/n asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Her tone was light, inviting Rei to share if she wanted to.

Rei paused mid-sip of her coffee, lowering the cup slowly. “Busy,” she admitted, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. “It’s always busy, but today felt... heavier than usual.”

Y/n tilted her head slightly, concern flashing in her eyes. “Heavier? How so?”

Rei hesitated, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her cup. She wasn’t used to opening up, especially not with someone she’d only just met. But something about Y/n—her calm demeanor, her warm smile—made her feel safe.

“Schedules, interviews, rehearsals,” Rei began, her voice soft but steady. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy it. I love what I do. But sometimes, it feels like... like I’m just going through the motions. Smiling when I’m supposed to, saying the right things, performing perfectly, no matter how tired I am.”

Y/n nodded, her expression understanding. “That sounds like a lot to carry,” she said gently. “Do you ever get time to just... be yourself? To breathe?”

Rei looked down at her coffee, her fingers tightening slightly around the mug. “Not really,” she admitted. “That’s why I came here yesterday. I didn’t even know what I was looking for, but...” She glanced up at Y/n, her voice softening. “This place feels different. It feels... calm.”

Y/n’s smile grew, her heart warming at Rei’s honesty. “That’s exactly why I created this café,” she said. “To give people a space to slow down and just be. I’m glad it could be that for you.”

Rei smiled faintly, the corners of her lips lifting beneath her mask. “It is. Thank you for letting me come in tonight, even when you were closing. I don’t think I’ve felt this relaxed in... well, in a long time.”

Y/n shrugged playfully, her grin teasing. “Well, you looked like you needed it. And I figured if a superstar like you is running all the way here, it must be important.”

Rei chuckled softly, her laughter light but genuine. “I guess it was.”

Their eyes met across the table, a comfortable silence settling between them again. For the first time in what felt like forever, Rei felt like she could simply exist—no cameras, no expectations, just quiet conversation with someone who saw her for who she was, not just who she had to be.

■■

The next morning, the dorm was buzzing with the usual morning chatter as the members got ready for the day. Rei sat in the living room, scrolling through her phone, a small smile on her face as she looked at the pictures she’d posted the night before—softly lit snapshots of the cozy café, her coffee cup, and a corner of the pastry display. She hadn’t tagged the location, but the vibe of Sunset Brews was unmistakable.

It wasn’t long before Yujin wandered into the room, phone in hand and an amused expression on her face. “Rei,” she called, drawing out her name in a teasing tone.

Rei tensed slightly, looking up from her phone. “Yeah?”

Yujin plopped down on the couch beside her, holding up her phone with Rei’s post open. “What’s this?” she asked, grinning. “Late-night café visits? You didn’t tell us about this secret spot of yours.”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly sat up straighter, trying to mask her nervousness. “Oh, uh... it’s just a place I found while walking around,” she said, keeping her tone casual.

Yujin narrowed her eyes playfully. “Just a place? You seemed pretty invested in getting there last night.”

Rei felt the heat rise to her cheeks and shifted uncomfortably. “It’s... nice,” she said simply, avoiding Yujin’s gaze. “Quiet. Peaceful. That’s all.”

Yujin tilted her head, her curiosity deepening. “And you went there alone? That’s not like you, Rei.”

Rei hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her hoodie. “Sometimes, I just need to be by myself,” she admitted, her voice softer now. “You know how hectic things can get.”

Yujin’s teasing expression softened slightly at Rei’s honesty. “Yeah, I get that,” she said, leaning back against the couch. “I’m glad you found a place where you can relax. Just make sure you’re being careful, okay?”

Rei nodded quickly, relieved that Yujin wasn’t pressing further. “I will. Promise.”

Yujin smiled, giving her a gentle nudge. “Alright, I’ll let it go—for now. But if this mysterious café turns into your new favorite hangout, don’t forget to invite us sometime.”

Rei chuckled softly, the tension easing. “Sure, if it ever comes to that.”

But deep down, Rei knew she wasn’t ready to share Sunset Brews—or the person who made it so special—with anyone just yet. For now, it was her little escape, her quiet secret, and she wanted to keep it that way just a little longer.

Before Rei could fully relax, Gaeul walked into the living room, overhearing the last part of the conversation. She casually leaned against the doorway with a knowing smile.

“You’re talking about that café, aren’t you?” Gaeul said, catching Rei off guard.

Rei blinked, trying to keep her face neutral. “What café?” she asked, her voice a little too high-pitched to be convincing.

Gaeul smirked, crossing her arms. “The one in that little village nearby. Sunset Brews, right?”

Rei’s eyes widened slightly, and Yujin perked up, turning to Gaeul. “Wait, you know about it?”

“Yeah,” Gaeul replied casually, walking over and sitting in the armchair. “I went there a few times when it first opened. It’s a cute little spot, super cozy. The owner is really sweet, too. She even gave me a free pastry once.”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Y/n, but she forced herself to remain calm. “You’ve been there?” she asked, trying not to sound too interested.

Gaeul nodded. “Mhm. I stumbled upon it during one of my walks. It’s pretty hidden, but it’s worth the trip. I haven’t been back in a while, though. Schedules got crazy.” She tilted her head, eyeing Rei with a teasing grin. “Looks like you’ve claimed it as your spot now.”

Rei felt her cheeks heat up, and she quickly looked down at her hands. “It’s not like that,” she muttered.

“Oh, come on,” Yujin chimed in, her grin widening. “You’ve clearly got a thing for that place. Gaeul’s probably right.”

Rei sighed, knowing there was no escaping their teasing. “It’s just a nice café,” she said, trying to sound casual. “I didn’t even know Gaeul had been there.”

“Small world,” Gaeul said with a shrug. “Honestly, I’m glad you like it. The owner puts a lot of love into that place. It deserves more people who appreciate it.”

Rei’s chest tightened slightly at Gaeul’s words, her thoughts drifting to Y/n. She bit her lip, unsure how to respond without revealing too much.

Yujin, ever the observant leader, leaned in closer, studying Rei’s expression. “You’re acting weird about this,” she said, half-joking. “Is there something—or someone—you’re not telling us about?”

Rei froze for a moment, her mind racing. “No, nothing like that,” she said quickly, shaking her head.

Gaeul chuckled. “Alright, alright, let’s not scare her off. Everyone needs their little escapes. I get it.”

Rei nodded, grateful for Gaeul’s understanding, though she could still feel Yujin’s curious gaze lingering.

Just as Rei was starting to relax, Liz wandered in, munching on an apple, with Wonyoung and Leeseo trailing behind her. They all looked intrigued, clearly catching bits of the conversation.

“What’s this about a café?” Liz asked, plopping down on the couch next to Rei.

Wonyoung raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, you guys seem really into it. Is it some secret spot or something?”

Leeseo’s eyes lit up with excitement. “If it’s that good, we should all go together! It sounds fun.”

Rei stiffened, her fingers gripping the edge of her hoodie. “It’s just a quiet place,” she said quickly. “Nothing special.”

Gaeul smirked from her spot in the armchair. “It’s special enough that Rei’s been making late-night visits,” she teased.

Wonyoung gasped dramatically, sitting up straighter. “Late-night visits? Rei! Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Liz leaned in closer, her curiosity growing. “Now I really want to know. What’s the vibe? What’s so great about this café?”

Rei felt cornered, her gaze darting between her members. “It’s just a place to relax,” she said, trying to keep her tone neutral. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“But you’re being so secretive about it,” Leeseo pointed out, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Now I have to see it for myself.”

Gaeul laughed, leaning back in her chair. “I’ve been there before, and I’ll admit, it’s a nice spot. Cozy, quiet, great coffee. But Rei’s acting like it’s her little treasure.”

Rei sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I just like the peace and quiet, okay? It’s not a big deal.”

Wonyoung leaned toward her, grinning. “Peace and quiet? Or the barista?”

Rei’s face turned bright red, and she immediately looked away, her heart racing. “There’s nothing like that!” she protested, her voice higher than she intended.

Liz and Leeseo exchanged amused glances, while Wonyoung let out a laugh. “Sure, sure. But now I really want to check it out.”

“No!” Rei blurted, startling everyone. She froze, realizing how defensive she sounded. Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself. “I mean... it’s just nice to have a place that feels... personal, you know? Somewhere I can go and not feel like... Rei from IVE.”

The room grew quiet for a moment, her honesty catching the others off guard.

Gaeul nodded knowingly. “That makes sense,” she said softly. “We all need a place like that.”

Liz smiled gently, nudging Rei’s shoulder. “Okay, we get it. We won’t invade your little sanctuary. But if you ever feel like sharing, we’re here.”

Rei let out a small sigh of relief, a faint smile forming on her lips. “Thanks,” she said quietly, grateful for their understanding.

The conversation shifted after that, moving on to lighter topics, but Rei couldn’t help but feel a weight lift off her chest. She knew her members were curious, but for now, Sunset Brews—and Y/n—were still her little secret.

Later that day, after the teasing and playful interrogation from her members had subsided, Rei found herself alone in her room. The dorm was unusually quiet, with most of the members off doing their own thing.

She lay back on her bed, phone in hand, her thoughts drifting back to Sunset Brews and, more specifically, Y/n. Rei had been trying to distract herself, scrolling aimlessly through social media, but her curiosity got the better of her.

With a deep breath, she typed “Sunset Brews” into the search bar of her favorite platform. It didn’t take long to find the café’s official page—its profile picture was a charming illustration of a steaming cup of coffee with a sunset in the background.

Rei’s thumb hovered over the profile for a moment before she finally tapped on it. The page was a collection of warm, inviting photos: perfectly crafted lattes, pastries arranged neatly on rustic plates, and cozy shots of the café’s interior. The captions were simple yet heartfelt, reflecting the personality of the place.

Her heart skipped a beat as she scrolled further, finding a few candid photos of Y/n herself. In one, Y/n stood behind the counter, her hands wrapped around a coffee cup, her smile soft and genuine. In another, she was arranging flowers in a small vase for one of the café tables.

Rei couldn’t help but smile as she stared at the pictures. There was something about Y/n’s presence—even in a photograph—that felt comforting. Her fingers hovered over the “Follow” button, hesitating.

“What if she notices?” Rei whispered to herself, biting her lip. She knew she wasn’t just any regular customer; her name alone could draw attention, and the last thing she wanted was to make Y/n feel uncomfortable.

Instead, she decided to keep browsing, reading through the captions and comments. It was clear that Y/n had built a small but loyal community around the café. Customers left glowing reviews, talking about the warm atmosphere and Y/n’s kindness.

Rei’s thumb lingered on one photo in particular—a shot of the café at sunset, the golden light streaming through the windows. The caption read: “A little piece of calm in the chaos. Thank you for making this place what it is.”

Her chest tightened slightly. It was like Y/n had created the café not just for herself but for people like Rei, who needed a place to escape.

She set her phone down, her thoughts swirling. The café, the coffee, the pastries—they were all wonderful. But it was Y/n’s presence, her warmth, that made it feel so special.

Rei lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, a small smile playing on her lips. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but one thing was certain: she couldn’t wait to go back.

■■

Rei was startled out of her thoughts by Yujin’s voice, loud and teasing, as the leader leaned casually against her bedroom doorframe. Rei quickly sat up, clutching her phone like it was a secret she’d just been caught with.

“What?” Rei asked, her voice a bit too defensive as her cheeks flushed.

Yujin smirked, crossing her arms. “You’ve been spacing out all day, and now you’re holed up in your room looking all suspicious. Let me guess—you’re planning to visit that café tonight, aren’t you?”

Rei’s eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head quickly. “No, I’m not!” she protested, though her tone lacked conviction.

“Really?” Yujin raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Because you’ve got that look. You know, the one where you’re thinking about something—or someone—and trying not to let anyone notice.”

Rei groaned, flopping back onto her bed. “I’m not planning anything,” she mumbled into her pillow.

Yujin laughed, stepping further into the room. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. But honestly, I think it’s good you found a place you like. You’ve been smiling more the past few days—well, except when we’re teasing you about it.”

Rei peeked out from behind her pillow, her cheeks still pink. “It’s just... nice there,” she admitted quietly.

Yujin’s teasing expression softened. She sat on the edge of Rei’s bed, her tone gentler now. “I get it. Sometimes, you need a little escape from everything. I’m happy you found yours.”

Rei nodded, her heart easing at Yujin’s understanding. “Thanks,” she said softly.

Yujin stood up, giving Rei a playful wink. “Just don’t overthink it too much, okay? Whether it’s the café, the coffee, or... whatever else has you hooked, just enjoy it.”

Rei didn’t respond, but her lips curled into a small smile as Yujin left the room. She sat up, glancing at her phone again. Her mind drifted to the warm glow of Sunset Brews and the person who made it feel like more than just a café.

Maybe Yujin was right. She shouldn’t overthink it. But as the thought of seeing Y/n again crossed her mind, Rei realized she wasn’t sure if her heart could take the calm approach.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the city in hues of orange and pink, Rei sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her sneakers. Yujin’s teasing echoed in her mind, but so did her gentle words of encouragement.

Rei exhaled sharply, standing up and grabbing her hoodie and mask from the nearby chair. She wasn’t going to let a little teasing stop her from doing what she wanted.

“Just a quick visit,” she muttered to herself as she slipped on her shoes. “Nothing more.”

She moved quietly through the dorm, hoping to avoid further questions from her members. Just as she reached the door, she heard Yujin call from the living room, “Have fun, Rei! Say hi to the barista for us!”

Rei froze, her ears burning, but she refused to give Yujin the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, she quickly slipped out the door and into the crisp evening air.

The walk to Sunset Brews was quieter than usual, the streets lit by the golden glow of the setting sun. Rei pulled her hoodie tighter around her face, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

When she arrived at the café, she noticed it wasn’t as busy as the first night she had stumbled upon it. The soft glow of the lights spilled onto the cobblestone street, inviting her in like a warm hug.

Rei hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before pushing the door open.

The familiar chime of the bell greeted her, along with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. And there she was—Y/n—standing behind the counter, her eyes lighting up as she looked up and saw Rei.

“You came back,” Y/n said with a smile, her voice warm and welcoming.

Rei felt her chest tighten at the sight of her. She nodded, trying to keep her composure. “Yeah... I hope I’m not too late this time.”

Y/n shook her head, already moving to prepare something. “Not at all. I was just thinking how nice it would be to end the day with good company.”

Rei felt a blush creeping up her neck as she took her usual seat by the window. “You’re too kind,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Y/n glanced over her shoulder, her smile teasing but kind. “Or maybe I just know good company when I see it.”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to calm the rush of emotions. For someone so composed on stage, it baffled her how Y/n could unravel her with a single sentence.

When Y/n brought over Rei’s coffee and a plate of her favorite pastries, she sat down across from her instead of going back to the counter. “So, how was your day?” Y/n asked, her tone genuine.

Rei looked at her, surprised by the gesture. She smiled softly, leaning forward. “Busy, but coming here... makes it all worth it.”

Y/n’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she laughed softly. “You’re good with words, aren’t you?”

Rei chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee. “Only when I mean them.”

For the next hour, the two talked like old friends, the outside world fading into the background. For Rei, it was more than just a café—it was a place that felt like home. And she realized, it wasn’t just the coffee or the pastries that kept her coming back. It was Y/n.

As Rei took another sip of her coffee, she hesitated, debating whether to bring it up. Eventually, she decided to go for it.

“So… I may have mentioned this place to my members,” Rei said, her voice light but careful, gauging Y/n’s reaction.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. “Oh? And what did they say?”

Rei chuckled softly, playing with the rim of her cup. “They’re curious now. Especially after Gaeul said she used to come here when it first opened. The others are thinking about visiting too.”

Y/n’s smile widened, and she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “Ah, Gaeul. She was one of my first regulars. She’d always show up early in the morning with this calm energy about her. We had some nice chats back then.”

Rei blinked in surprise. “Really? Gaeul doesn’t talk much about stuff like that.”

Y/n nodded. “She mentioned how the quiet vibe here helped her think and relax. I guess she got busy with her schedule, though. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Rei found herself smiling at the thought. “That sounds like Gaeul. She’s always good at finding little escapes like that. I didn’t realize she’d been here before me.”

“She’s a good person,” Y/n said warmly. “And she told me about her group back then. She didn’t say much, but you could tell how proud she was of you all.”

Rei’s chest tightened slightly, a mix of admiration for Gaeul and gratitude for the way Y/n spoke about her. “That’s just like her,” Rei said softly, her tone full of fondness.

Y/n tilted her head, studying Rei for a moment. “And now you’ve found your way here. I guess this café has a way of drawing in good people.”

Rei laughed lightly, feeling a bit shy under Y/n’s gaze. “Well, it’s not hard to see why. This place has a way of making you feel… at home.”

Y/n’s smile softened at Rei’s words. “That’s what I hoped for when I opened it. A little corner of the world where people could feel safe and comfortable.”

Rei nodded, her fingers tracing the edge of her coffee cup. “You’ve done a good job, then. Because I feel exactly that every time I walk in here.”

Y/n seemed genuinely touched, her eyes glinting with emotion. “Thank you, Rei. That means a lot.”

The two shared a quiet, meaningful moment before Y/n’s playful side returned. “So, if your members show up, should I roll out the red carpet?”

Rei laughed, shaking her head. “No red carpet, please. They’d never let me hear the end of it.”

“Well, I’ll be ready,” Y/n said with a wink. “But if it’s all the same to you, I think I prefer when it’s just you.”

Rei’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, and she quickly looked down at her coffee to hide her flustered expression. “Y-you don’t have to worry about that. I think they’re just curious for now.”

Y/n chuckled softly, her voice warm. “Good. Because I like our little chats like this.”

Rei glanced up, her heart racing as she caught Y/n’s gaze. “Me too,” she said quietly, a small, genuine smile spreading across her lips.

As the evening wore on, Rei reluctantly glanced at the time on her phone. She sighed softly, realizing she needed to head back to the dorm before her members started asking questions.

Y/n noticed her shift and smiled knowingly. “Heading out?” she asked, her voice gentle.

“Yeah,” Rei said, standing and adjusting her hoodie. “It’s getting late, and I don’t want them to worry.”

Y/n walked her to the door, her steps slow and unhurried. Before Rei could push the door open, Y/n paused and reached for a napkin on the counter. With a pen from her pocket, she scribbled something on it, folding it neatly before holding it out to Rei.

“Here,” Y/n said, her smile warm and slightly teasing.

Rei blinked, her brow furrowing as she hesitated to take it. “What’s this?”

Y/n shrugged, her expression calm but her eyes twinkling. “My number. In case you decide to bring your members here someday. Let me know ahead of time, and I’ll close the shop early so you all can have the place to yourselves. Freedom’s a bit easier when there’s no crowd around.”

Rei stared at the folded napkin in surprise, her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly, she took it, her fingers brushing against Y/n’s for a brief moment.

“You really don’t have to do that,” Rei said softly, her voice tinged with both gratitude and disbelief.

Y/n shrugged again, her smile unwavering. “I want to. You’ve brought such good energy here, Rei. And if your members are anything like you, I think it’ll be a fun time.”

Rei felt her cheeks flush, and she looked down at the napkin in her hand, her lips curving into a shy smile. “Thank you,” she said sincerely, her voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n nodded, opening the door for her. “Get home safe, okay? And don’t be a stranger.”

Rei glanced back at her one last time before stepping out into the cool night air. “I won’t,” she said, her voice carrying a promise.

As Rei walked back to the dorm, she clutched the napkin tightly in her hand, her mind replaying the moment over and over again. She couldn’t help but smile, her heart lighter than it had been in days.

■■

A few days had passed since Rei’s last visit to Sunset Brews, and the conversation with Y/n still lingered in her mind. Rei had spent the past few days trying to figure out how to bring up the topic with her members. She wasn’t sure if it was too soon or if they’d think she was being weird about it.

It was during dinner, when the atmosphere in the dorm was relaxed and casual, that the opportunity finally arose. Yujin, Liz, and Leeseo were chatting about something that had happened earlier in the day, while Wonyoung was scrolling through her phone. Rei cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the others.

“Hey, I... I wanted to tell you something,” she said, a bit hesitant but determined to share.

Yujin paused, glancing up with an interested look. “What’s up?”

Rei fiddled with her chopsticks, her nerves getting the better of her. “Remember how you guys were curious about Sunset Brews?” she began, glancing at them one by one. “Well, I’ve been there a few more times... and, um, Y/n—the barista—told me that if we ever wanted to visit together, I should let her know.”

Liz’s eyes widened. “Wait, really?” she asked, leaning forward. “She said that?”

Rei nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah. She said if I let her know ahead of time, she’d close the café early so we could have the place to ourselves. No crowds. Just us.”

Wonyoung’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “No crowds? That sounds amazing!”

Leeseo, who had been silently listening, smiled as well. “That’s so thoughtful of her. I’ve been curious about that place ever since you first mentioned it.”

Rei shifted in her seat, a bit nervous now that she had their full attention. “I—I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. I didn’t want to make it... awkward or anything, but I thought you might like the idea.”

Yujin grinned, her playful side shining through. “Awkward? Rei, come on. It sounds like the perfect way to have some fun and enjoy each other’s company without worrying about being spotted.”

“Exactly,” Wonyoung added, “and we get to see this magical café that’s been keeping you all smiley and mysterious lately.”

Rei blushed, her heart racing at the teasing, but she couldn’t help but feel happy that her members seemed excited. “Well... if you’re all up for it, I could reach out to Y/n and arrange it.”

Liz placed a hand on Rei’s shoulder, smiling warmly. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to make it weird. We just want to enjoy the moment, and we’re happy you found a place like this.”

Rei nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. “Thanks, guys. I’ll message her tomorrow and let you know.”

“Great!” Yujin exclaimed, grabbing her phone. “I’m already imagining all the cute coffee pics we’ll take!”

“Wait for me to change into something nice,” Wonyoung added, already thinking ahead. “I’ll need to look cute for the café.”

Rei laughed, feeling lighter. It was strange how easily her members had accepted her little secret and how excited they were to visit Sunset Brews.

Later that night, after dinner, Rei sat in her room, phone in hand. She hesitated for a moment, thinking about how she would phrase the message to Y/n. Taking a deep breath, she typed it out:

“Hey, it’s Rei. My members are curious about the café, and I was wondering if we could come by sometime soon? It would be great if we could have the place to ourselves for a bit. Let me know if that’s okay. :)”

She hit send, then put her phone down, anxiously waiting for a reply. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this visit was going to be different, but for once, she wasn’t worried. After all, it was just a café... and a new chapter in her growing connection with Y/n.

The day had finally come. After a few days of anticipation, Rei had managed to coordinate with Y/n, and tonight, Sunset Brews would be theirs. Well, theirs for a few hours anyway. Rei had tried to push down her nervous excitement, but it was impossible to ignore the buzz in her chest.

As the members all piled into the van and headed to the café, Wonyoung sat next to Rei, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “I have a feeling this Y/n girl knows how to treat a girl,” she said, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “She’s making me swoon already.”

Rei blinked at her, caught off guard. “What?”

Wonyoung leaned back, crossing her arms dramatically. “You know, the way she made you feel special, the whole ‘I'll close the café for you’ thing? That’s the kind of thing a girl can’t ignore.”

Rei’s cheeks immediately turned a deep shade of pink, and she quickly looked out the window, trying to avoid Wonyoung’s playful gaze. “Stop it,” she muttered, half-laughing.

Yujin, who had overheard, smirked from the front seat, clearly enjoying the moment. “Oh, someone’s getting protective,” she teased, her eyes glinting mischievously in the rearview mirror. “Rei, are you getting jealous?”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat, her hand flying to her face in an attempt to hide her blush. “I—I’m not jealous,” she stammered, shaking her head quickly. “I just... I just think you’re all overreacting.”

Liz, who had been sitting across from Yujin, raised an eyebrow. “Really, Rei? Because you’re acting like someone just stepped on your favorite pair of shoes.”

Wonyoung giggled, nudging Rei with her elbow. “It’s cute, though. You’re really protective of Y/n.”

Rei groaned, leaning back in her seat. “It’s not like that,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just... she’s been really nice to me. And I don’t want you guys to think I’m weird or anything.”

Yujin let out a dramatic sigh, turning around to face Rei with a teasing smile. “We know, we know. But seriously, if we show up, and you’re too busy watching Y/n, I might have to pull out the jealousy card too.”

Rei shot her a look of mock horror. “Don’t even joke about that,” she said, trying to act serious, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

Leeseo, who had been listening quietly, piped up from the back seat. “I don’t think Rei needs to worry. Y/n seems like a professional at making everyone feel comfortable. I’m sure she’s not out to make anyone jealous.”

The van fell into a comfortable silence as they approached the familiar street where Sunset Brews was located. Rei felt her heart race a little faster. What if the others didn’t like it as much as she did? What if it felt different with all of them there?

As the van came to a stop in front of the café, Rei quickly adjusted her mask and hoodie, though she didn’t need to hide her excitement as much as she thought. This place was hers and Y/n’s little secret now, but she was ready to share it with her members.

The door opened, and the warm light from the café spilled out onto the sidewalk, drawing them in like a beacon. As the group walked inside, Y/n was already behind the counter, a welcoming smile lighting up her face when she saw them.

“Welcome, everyone!” Y/n greeted, her eyes sparkling as they entered. “It’s so nice to finally meet you all. Rei’s told me a lot about you.”

Wonyoung immediately shot Rei a teasing look, “See? She already knows all about us. I’m feeling special already.”

Yujin raised her hands in mock surrender. “No need to make it awkward, Wonyoung. We’re just here to enjoy some coffee, okay?”

Y/n’s smile didn’t fade, and she moved to greet the group. “If there’s anything specific you’d like to try, just let me know. I’ve got some specials ready for tonight, and I’ll be making sure you all have the best experience.”

Rei watched the way her members interacted with Y/n, and a wave of relief washed over her. They were all so relaxed and comfortable here, just as she had hoped. Even Wonyoung, despite her teasing, was genuinely charmed by the café’s cozy ambiance and Y/n’s warmth.

As Y/n prepared their drinks and pastries, Rei took a step back, watching the group chat and laugh among themselves. She felt a flutter of something in her chest again. It was the same feeling she had the first time she stepped foot in this café—something light and comforting, like she had finally found a place where she truly belonged.

And, as she looked over at Y/n, who was glancing back at her with a knowing smile, Rei felt that maybe, just maybe, it was becoming a place that wasn’t just about the coffee.

As the group settled into the cozy corner of Sunset Brews, their eyes gleaming with excitement over the warm drinks and pastries in front of them, Leeseo couldn’t help but notice something strange.

“Hey, wait a minute,” she said, her voice rising with curiosity. “All these drinks and pastries... they look like... Rei’s favorites?”

"Wait.. hold up you're right." Yujin said agreeing to the youngest member.

Leeseo pointed out the coffee choices—an elegant mix of matcha and caramel, Rei’s usual go-to—and the pastries, which seemed to match Rei’s love for fruity, tangy sweets, it became clear. The group exchanged knowing glances, and Rei felt a warmth in her cheeks.

Y/n, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold from behind the counter, looked up and smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Okay, you caught me,” she admitted with a soft laugh. “I may have gotten a little inspired by Rei’s taste when I built this café.”

Rei’s heart skipped a beat, her face turning a deeper shade of pink as she looked at Y/n, who was now walking over with more treats.

“Really?” Rei asked, almost shyly, not entirely believing it.

Y/n nodded, her eyes soft and warm. “Yeah. And i prepared all the specials tonight, i wanted to make it special. I figured if you’re bringing your members, it’d be nice to make them feel at home with something you’d enjoy, too. So I made sure the menu tonight is a little personal.”

Rei couldn’t help but smile, touched by the gesture. It was something so small, but it meant more to her than she could explain.

“Rei, you’re famous even here,” Yujin teased, nudging her with a grin. “You’ve got your own personalized menu now!”

Rei rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

Just then, a voice chimed in from the other side of the room. It was Gaeul, who had been quietly sipping her drink and watching the exchange. “Wait, you’re telling me that all this was inspired by Rei?”

Rei’s gaze snapped to Gaeul, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You didn’t notice?”

Gaeul shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “Well, when I first came here, it was just me and Y/n talking about things like the café’s vibe. I didn’t really focus on the details. I just came in to relax.” She grinned, catching sight of Rei’s amused expression. “But I guess I should’ve known this place had a way of making people feel at home, especially you.”

Y/n’s face softened at the mention of Gaeul. “I still remember when Gaeul first visited. She was so quiet but seemed to really appreciate the atmosphere. I figured she’d come back once she had more free time.”

Rei leaned in a little, trying not to grin too much at the casual way Y/n and Gaeul spoke about the café’s early days. “You two have some history, huh?”

Gaeul laughed. “It’s not that interesting. Just a few quiet mornings here. I was more focused on my own thoughts back then. But Y/n’s coffee was always the perfect start to my day.”

Y/n’s cheeks flushed again, though she tried to keep her usual cool demeanor. “I was just doing my job, you know. But it’s nice to know people appreciate the little touches.”

Rei felt a warm glow spread through her chest as she took in the exchange. It felt like everything—Sunset Brews, her growing connection with Y/n, and her members—was all slowly falling into place. This night, this little slice of normal, was exactly what she needed.

“So,” Yujin said, looking at Rei with a sly smile, “now that we know this café’s got some special treatment just for you, when are we coming back for another round?”

Rei chuckled, her smile soft and content. “As often as you want, I guess.” She glanced at Y/n, who smiled back at her. “I’m sure Y/n wouldn’t mind.”

Y/n nodded, her tone playful as she added, “Of course not. You’re always welcome.”

And as the night went on, filled with easy laughter and delicious treats, Rei couldn’t help but feel like she was starting something new. Something that felt good, something real. She looked over at Y/n again, her heart skipping a beat as their eyes met. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

As the group made their way back to the dorm after a night filled with warm drinks, delicious pastries, and lighthearted conversations, the atmosphere in the van was relaxed, everyone still buzzing from the cozy night at Sunset Brews.

Rei sat quietly in the back, her thoughts drifting to Y/n. She couldn’t help but replay their moments from the café—the soft smile, the way Y/n had made sure they all felt special. It had been a night unlike any other, and she felt a little sad that it was over so quickly.

Yujin, however, was less reserved in her excitement. “Okay, I have to admit it,” she said with a grin, leaning over the seat to look at Rei. “Y/n is seriously the sweetest. I mean, she made that entire café experience feel so personal, and I think I’d definitely come back.”

Wonyoung nodded in agreement. “I’m with Yujin on this. She really knows how to make a place feel like home. And those pastries? I need the recipe. Seriously.”

Rei smiled, the warmth of the evening still lingering. “Yeah, I’m glad you all liked it. I told you she was nice.”

Liz, who had been sitting quietly for a while, spoke up next. “I didn’t realize how... attractive she is, though.” Her words were nonchalant, but the look in her eyes gave away her thoughts. “I mean, I kind of got distracted by how she looked while she was behind the counter.”

Leeseo, who had been silently listening, added with a grin, “No kidding. She’s definitely got that cool yet approachable vibe. Kind of hard to ignore, don’t you think?”

Yujin leaned back in her seat, tapping her chin in mock thought. “Yeah, I was almost too distracted to enjoy the coffee for a second there. Maybe next time I should bring some sunglasses to look cool while I’m sipping my drink, so I don’t get caught staring.”

Rei’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as her members continued teasing her. “You guys... stop it,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “It’s not like that.”

Gaeul shot her a teasing smile. “I don’t know, Rei. It seemed like someone was paying a lot of attention to Y/n.”

Rei’s face turned bright red. “I was just... trying not to make it awkward, okay? She’s the one who invited us, after all.”

Liz chuckled, nudging Rei with her elbow. “Of course, of course. But seriously, Y/n was really sweet, and I think we’re all definitely coming back. We should make it a regular thing.”

Leeseo smiled and nodded. “Definitely. I could use more of those pastries. And maybe next time, I’ll bring my own notebook and get some work done. It seemed like the perfect place for that.”

Yujin grinned. “You mean, we’ll all just go back to stare at Y/n while pretending to do work, right?”

Rei groaned, sinking lower in her seat as the teasing continued. “Please stop. You’re making it so awkward.”

But despite the playful teasing, Rei felt a warmth in her chest. It was nice, hearing her members be so open and happy about something she’d introduced them to. And even though they were all teasing about Y/n’s attractiveness, Rei couldn’t help but agree—Y/n was beautiful in her own way, with a natural charm and warmth that made everyone around her feel special.

As the van turned the corner toward their dorm, Rei’s thoughts drifted once more to the café, to Y/n, and to the feeling of being in a place where she didn’t have to be anyone else but herself. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a while, she felt a sense of peace.

“Maybe next time,” Rei murmured to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips, “I won’t be the only one who feels special.”

■■

This may or may not have a part 2...

Anyways, stream Rebel Heart.

#kpop #ive #naoi rei #ive leeseo #ive liz #ive rei #jang wonyoung #ive wonyoung #ive yujin #ive gaeul #rei x reader

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sayafics · 2 years ago

Text

Soul-bonds & Heartaches - Chapter IV

Hey guys! Sorry for taking such a long break, I had a lot of fsmily events over the last few weeks and had a hard time juggling time.

I do hope you enjoy the update, though. I think this chapter will be the last for this series unless there's specific prompts/ideas you want to see. (If so, let me know in the comments or asks! I'd be v happy to write them <33)

TW: implied SA, slight violence

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Masterlist

Geralt had searched for months, the days scraping by as he looked for Andromeda in every shadow, in every smile, in every laugh that haunted him on his travels.

He had left his friends - left them all so he could find her.

Cirilla was safe with Yennefer at Aretuza, and Jaskier had wandered to distant lands, his heart full of broken ballads of an unfinished journey.

Geralt and Yennefer had kept a tentative friendship, ever so cautious to not overstep the boundaries Geralt had so diligently drawn up. Friendship came to them with ease, but every interaction was soured by guilt from one party and longing from the other.

Geralt ventured through the continents, unsure of what guided him and where. His mind was bare of thoughts and his heart burning with emotions he had never been taught to deal with. He was a mess.

He had barely slept since Andromeda had left, living off the scarcest meals as his stomach turned to lead at the idea she may be starving in some backwashed village all because he had messed up and sent her running.

Andromeda was a princess. She was not made for the life he lives. Yet she still followed him into danger, still healed his every wound, and still stood bravely in the face of death if it meant Cirilla would be okay.

She trusted Geralt, trusted him to help them survive, to help them live and find a purpose. Now she was alone, far from them all. And he did not even know if she was safe.

Andromeda was an enigma, a presence so addicting he felt his skin crawl at the realisation he had been so far apart from her for so long. His heart would burn as it longed for her. His mind was plagued with the sound of her voice, his skin imprinted with the sensation of her hands brushing against his skin as she took care to treat his wounds after every battle, his eyes tracing her silohuette in the shadows as he forced himself to sleep at night.

Months.

Months of searching and no success.

Geralt was laid back in a bed, facing the ceiling as he laid an arm over his forehead and scrunched his eyes closed in defeat. He couldn't get her out of his head, her eyes burned into his mind, and sometimes, in the dead of night, he would pretend she was watching him as he slept. Ever a watchful eye, a caring friend, a loving mate.

Perhaps that was why this situation took him by surprise.

He smelt it - a deep and honeyed scent of orange blossoms and jasmine tickling his senses as he leapt up from his place on the bed.

He inhaled deeply, a wild beast searching for its prey. His shoulders tensed as he leapt up to replace his sword and dagger into their respective belts, hands rummaging through blankets and over furniture to collect trinkets and vials he had thrown carelessly across the tavern room as he lost himself in his grief.

Geralt marched through the tavern he had taken residence in, deaf to the cries of indignation of drunk patrons he barged past and eyes seeking a familiar head of hair in the crowd.

His senses led him far from the tavern he hoped Andromeda was hidden in, pushing him to march towards the outskirts of town.

Geralt had never found himself fearing for his life, never had he faced a creature he could not slay and never had he doubted the skills instilled upon him from infancy.

Yet, in this moment now, as he tore through the wilderness in the careful embrace of the night sky, the air thick with fear and horror as the smell he had been craving - the smell he had been fantasising about for months - made itself known to him and grew stronger as he drew closer, he felt a shred of fear wedge itself in his heart.

He could hear a stuttered heartbeat, ragged breaths, and a cloying scent of terror threatened to burn his eyes.

He dared not speak a word, fearful even the faintest whisper would turn his trail into phantom sensations, and he would be following nothing but an echo. A ghost of the woman he had lost.

Still, his shoulders were raised in determination, eyes narrow as he searched through overgrown shrubs and low-hanging trees, head on a swivel as the hand on his right side twitched, ready to reach for his sword if a threat made itself known.

"Please..."

It was a quiet whisper, a pleading whine. And that's how Geralt knew.

It was her.

He would recognise the melody of her voice anywhere. He could be holding onto this life by a thread, and her voice would the only thing he wanted. Needed.

Geralt broke out into a sprint, hand drawing out his sword as he feared what creature could have her so subdued by fear.

He came to a stumbled halt as he took the scene in ahead of his, hand tightening around his sword as a threatening sneer painted itself across his face.

There she stood with her back to him, she was dressed in leathers. They looked clean, neat. Next to her foot laid a single dagger, the hand that seemingly held it before had blood flowing from it, ruby pearls cascading down her fingers to seep into the damp soil.

The sight reminded him of the night with the ghouls, of how he had bled similarly before running to find her, only to miss her by a hair's breadth.

He had found her now.

But she was not safe.

Her back was to him, but he could see how her figure trembled in fear, a calloused hand twisted itself into the careless waves her hair had been flowing down her back in, a knife held to her throat as a man threatened her with a painful death, and forsaken torture.

It didn't take long for the pair to realise someone had joined them, and as the assailant took in Geralt's presence he twisted the girl harshly so her back was against his chest, the hand in her hair tugging her head back so he could press the knife harshly into her skin.

"Geralt."

Andromeda's eyes were wide, pupils blown by fear and mouth parted in surprise.

She looked... good.

She looked healthy, and had it not been for this moment he had stumbled upon, Geralt was sure she had been safe too. The hollows of her face had filled slightly over the months she had been gone. Her eyes no longer held an ache and were not weighed down by pain and longing. As though she had been eating properly, and was able to sleep through the night despite her fear of the dark.

"Rory..."

Her face shuttered at his whisper, drawing in a sharp breath as she ignored the threat of the man behind her and focused on taking in the man who stood in front of her.

Despite all his betrayals, all the hurt he had inflicted upon her, despite his harsh words and unprovoked actions, she found a weight lifting from her shoulders at the sight of him.

He looked ragged, as though he was worn down and tired. And some part of Andromeda was selfish enough to hope she was the cause of it.

A wince escaped her as the man pressed the knife harder against her throat, feeling a warm trickle down her throat, pooling at the hollow at the base of her nack.

A growl ripped from Geralt's throat, "let her go and I'll give you a quick death."

The man scoffed, "an' why should I do that? She's mine, I found 'er first. Get lost Witcher, we don' want y'r lot 'round here."

Geralt huffed in amusement, taking a step foward as he raised his sword higher in a show of promise, "what do you want? If not a quick death."

The man's eyes narrowed, his dark, bushy brows drawing into a frown and peeking past the strands of ebony hair that fell over his face in rivulets. His face had paled when he caught sight of the Witcher, but now it began to redden at the reminder of the cause of his indignation, "this bitch stole me silver. I need repayment, so 'm here t' get it. Been huntin' her down for weeks now, quick little brat, this one. Think I deserve a reward."

A leering smile stretched across the face of the gaunt man, the hand in her hair leaving to wrap around her waist as he pulled her further into him, pressing and feeling.

Andromeda screwed her eyes shut as nausea threatened to overwhelm her senses.

Geralt twisted his head, his heart roaring at the scent of fear that rolled off her in crashing waves, at her quiet whimpers and horrified glances.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a hefty bag he had been rewarded for a recent job he had been successful in. He threw it at the man's feet, wary to give into violence so soon, afraid his need for vengeance would only cause Andromeda more hurt.

No, first she had to be safe. Then he would do what his mind was screaming for him to when he first came upon the scene.

The man looked towards the bag in amusement, eyes dragging their way back to Geralt - "no amount of silvers goin' t' gimme what I need."

"And what do you need?"

"Her. Or her bits at least."

Geralt's heart thudded at his lecherous smile and travelling hands, face grim as he tried to think of a way to help without risking Andromeda getting hurt.

Andromeda spoke then, "then you'll let me go?"

Her voice was quiet, tainted with despair and dread. Geralt screwed his face up in anger and cut off the man with conviction before he spoke, "you won't touch her."

The man laughed unashamedly, head thrown back in glee, "already am Witcher, see."

His hands roved over her, dragging harshly from her waist to her stomach, spanning up to the valley of her breasts and tracing her throat before winding itself in her hair once more. All the while, Andromeda screwed her eyes shut, her stomach roiling in protest at the feel of his touch.

"It's okay, Geralt," there was a whisper of defeat as she looked at him, her eyes glittered as they pooled with expectant tears. The situation was too precarious, too unpredictable. She knew Geralt couldn't help her without risking her life, and a part of her felt envious when she thought of how he had succeeded in helping those who had been in much more vile situations than her own. A traiterous voice told her that if Yennefer had been in her place, he would have fought endlessly for her safety without hesitation.

But Andromeda was not Yennefer, and she didn't hold the same place in Geralt's heart that Yennefer did.

"It's okay," she repeated, her voice stronger despite the fact she felt herself breaking as the seconds passed. She would accept the fate ahead of her. She would pray for her survival and beg the Fates to allow her the strength to move past it and be better.

But if she were to succumb to death, she would walk into its welcoming arms with a relieved smile, "it's okay, Geralt," tears flowed down her face freely now, shoulders lowering as she forced her body to relax, "you'll be free." To love Yennefer, to be with her without guilt.

She had expected to find silent relief in his eyes or a sigh of understanding to escape past his lips. Instead, her words seemed to anger him. Her acceptance of her fate, her willingness to give her body and free will away simply because she thought he would be happy, ignited a blazing fire within him.

Geralt would fight endlessly for Yennefer. But he would wage wars for Andromeda. He would level cities and burn worlds in her name.

It was Andromeda who he pined for all these years, Andromeda whom he wished to pick but felt undeserving of, Andromeda who he was tied to so intricately that he revered the bonds which attached them with unadulterated adoration.

It was Andromeda. It has always been Andromeda.

Geralt nodded, his face expressionless as he lowered the arm holding his sword. The assailant fould himself straightening in surprise, baffled at how the Witcher had given up so easily.

Andromeda's face crumpled in a mixture of understanding and disbelief. It was what she had expected. She wasn't Yennefer.

Geralt lowered himself to the ground, bending at the knees as he placatingly spoke, "I'm going to put the sword down, then I will leave."

The man didn't understand why Geralt would discard his sword before leaving. If Geralt accepted the assailant's terms, then he could leave freely with his weapon if he so wished.

He opened his mouth to speak as such, but a vicious roar escaped Geralt, one filled with grief and guilt and anger as his left hand was thrown forward from behind his back and a knife lodged into the dark-haired man's kneecap.

The assailant let out a wail of agony, falling to the ground harshly. He hadn't expected the pain, hadn't expected Geralt's harsh attack, so the knife fell freely from his hands without causing Andromeda much hurt.

She fell to the floor with the injured man, but before he could reach for her once more she leapt away from him, eyes wide in fear as she saw how he frothed at the mouth and spewed off slurs at both herself and Geralt.

Geralt didn't wait a moment longer, leaving his sword behind he lauched himself at the man. Geralt burned with rage, every scent and every sound a reminder of how close he was to losing Andromeda all over again.

He continued wailing on the man, every hit harder than the last, and his anger did not wane until the man took a rattled last breath. It was then he looked up to find Andromeda staring at him in stunned silence.

Andromeda should have been wary and fearful of Geralt. Her heart should have trembled as he stood to step over the crumpled corpse to stalk his way to her. She should have trembled and cried at the sight of him inhaling deeply, refamiliarising himself with her scent and the overwhelming bounds of emotions that spurted from her uncontrollably.

But as she reached towards his hand that was stretched towards her, palm up - staring at his raw and bleeding knuckles, at the spurts of blood which speckled across his face and the greasy strands of hair that fell across his face - she found herself bubbling in desire.

He had done this for her. To protect her.

She glanced towards the motionless body behind Geralt, hand finally enclosed in his own as he tugged her up to stand - he had killed for her.

He had killed for her.

Andromeda didn't have a chance to look into his eyes, to see the passion and fear and love that drowned his amber eyes. Instead, Geralt drew her into a shaky embrace, as though he couldn't believe she was standing in front of him, as though he couldn't believe he had found her.

When Andromeda didn't rear back from his gentle touches, he tightened his arms around her as a shuddered breath escaped him. He buried his head in the tresses of her hair, finding solace in the familiar scent of orange blossoms and jasmine as he i haled deeply. He tried commiting her form to memory, tried to memorise how her body melded into his own, how it fit against him.

But Geralt could spend an eternity with her in his embrace, and he would still yearn to hold her for longer.

Geralt stiffened at the feeling of a light caress against his back, it was a hesitant touch he soon recognised as Andromeda returning his embrace.

He could no longer help it.

Geralt of Rivia. Butcher of Blaviken. The White Wolf. The Witcher.

All of these twisted parts of his were warriors, stripped of emotions and imbued with skills and tactics.

Yet, in her warm embrace, his eyes began to burn as traiterous tears escaped.

Andromeda closed her eyes in quiet relief at the feeling of his tears against her head, hoping to cherish the moment before Geralt of Rivia replaced her Geralt.

Before Yennefer's Geralt took the place of her own.

"Come back."

Yennefer's Geralt never did come back, and Andromeda found herself wondering if he had even existed in the first play or if he had simply been a mask to hide Geralt's deeper feelings.

His voice was raw, it was quiet. Almost child-like, tinged with desperation as he held onto her tighter, fearful she would slip between his fingers once more.

"Come back, Rory," he pleaded, "come back to me. Come back with me."

She shut her eyes in agony, knowing every inch of her being begged her to say yes. But she knew better, after all this time, she knew better than to blindly say yes.

The truth was, over the last few months that she had been gone, there were no burning sensations that plagued her. There was no sign through her bond to Geralt displaying that he was laying with another.

Not even a burn of the lips like the one she had felt so many moons ago.

But she knew better.

"Do you love her?"

She had to know. She couldn't leave him without knowing, and she couldn't stay when she thought he did.

Geralt pulled back, hands reaching to cup her face as he pulled her face up to look at him, his eyes earnest as he spoke, "I did. Perhaps a part of me still does."

He saw the way her face crumpled at that, but he forced himself to continue, "but it's a thing of the past. I picked you. I pick you. I have every day since that night by the fire"

A harsh laugh escaped her as she tried to pull away unsuccessfully, "then why did you kiss her that night?"

He closed his eyes as he was overcome with guilt, "I didn't do it because I love her. I told her I wanted you, I needed you. She wanted to say goodbye. And it was wrong of me, I know, and I am so sorry, little one. But it is over, never to happen again."

"How can I believe you? You lied to me once already."

Her words were spoken defeatedly, but it caused determination to rise in Geralt. He brought a hand to reach for her own, placing her palm against his chest, against his heart - "ask me."

She looked at him in confusion, a small frown tugging at her lips, "what?"

"Ask me."

She knew what he meant, of course she did and she found herself breaking into a sweat as she tried to string her words together.

"Do- do you love me, Geralt?"

"Only you, only ever you." Andromeda could feel his thudding heart, the way it beat against its cage as he confessed the truth after so long, begging to bare himself to the girl. To show all his scars and faults, and plead with her to accept him and love him as he is.

She found her own heart began to beat in sync.

"It's only ever been you, Rory. You're all I ever want," he leaned closer to her, nose brushing against her own as his breath fanned over her mouth, the sensation causing blood to rush and tint her face a darkened pink. "I love you," the whispered confession came out at a rushing pace. He began echoing his words as he teetered between kissing her or letting her go.

Thankfully, heart satiated by the confession, spirits reignited, and doubts diminished, she looked at Geralt with eyes full of adoration. Her hands skimmed up the leathers of his arm, carressing over his broad shoulders before tickling up his neck as they took their place at the edge of his jaw, close enough to tug a few strands of hair as she dragged him closer.

Her tongue flicked out her mouth, lightly tracing the shape of his lips only a breath away, every accidental brush against his lips caused Geralt to flush red until his impatience got the better of him, "kiss me."

The demand was fulfilled with vigour as Andromeda soared up on her toes as Geralt leaned down. They met with a soft kiss, their lips gliding against each other as hesitance melted into passion, and they began to pour eons' worth of unreminisced desires into a single kiss.

The kiss caused their souls to brighten, a pleasurable burn racing through their body as the claim Geralt had made all those years ago sang harmoniously at their union.

Andromeda wasn't sure how long they had been kissing, but when she pulled back to gasp for air she found herself tucking back some loose strands of hair behind his ear, a shy smile bracing her face as she confessed, "I love you too."

"Come home, little love."

Home was where her heart lived, with her family. With a grumpy Witcher, a runaway princess, and a boisterous bard.

"Take me home, Geralt. Take me whever you go."

They stood there for some time, their heads leaning against one another, eyes closed as they basked in each other's presence.

Andromeda's hand found its way back to Geralt's chest, finding solace in the racing beats of his heart.

Geralt's hands had never left Andromeda's face, absentmindedly tracing the contours of her face, following every blemish and scar that graced her skin.

Soon night turned into dawn, and they looked at each other with renewed vigour in the golden light, drinking in the site of each other hungrily.

Geralt had found Andromeda.

Andromeda had found Geralt.

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