#left me alone after I'd only been there for 1 hour and hadn't learned anything yet

[liebelesbe]

felt anxious about starting my job in september but I just had to remind myself that absolutely nothing could be worse than the job I had at that bookstore 🙏

[rebeldaydreams]

working overtime

summary: after a long day of hard work in the palace hangar, boba is there to take care of you. 

pairings: boba fett x gn!reader

warnings: boba and reader are in an established relationship, implied age gap (through gratuitous use of “little one” heh)

word count: 1.1K

a/n: FIRST BOBA FIC *pops confetti*. anyway i love this man and i would like him to Hold Me

You knew he wouldn't be happy about it if he found out. It was silly really, there had been no need for you to work yourself so hard. The only job Boba had actually requested of you while he was gone was to give Slave-1 some much needed maintenance - it wasn't a big task, seeing as he kept his beloved ship in very good shape anyway - and you'd had it done not two hours after he left. If you were being honest with yourself, you'd just wanted to impress him - to be able to list off everything you'd accomplished while he'd been away. But now, as you leaned against the wall of the elevator which was taking you to the top level of the palace, your aching limbs were telling you it had been a terrible idea. Oh well, you thought. Lesson learned. Boba will be none the wiser-

- - - -

You were exhausted. Like, really exhausted. As you heaved your trusty box of tools back onto their shelf in one of the hangar’s supply rooms, you let out a sigh of relief. You had officially finished every outstanding job on your mental to-do list - and it had been quite the list. The hangar was now pretty spotless thanks to your tidying efforts, if you did say so yourself, with Slave-1 sitting proudly in the centre. Boba was out on some business with Fennec – he wasn't expected back until the evening so you figured you'd have time to go shower and pretend like you hadn't completely overworked yourself.

"I'd been about to come looking for you, little one."

‘Shit!’

You froze in the doorway to Boba's room, finding him stood beside his bed stripping off his armour. He had just finished removing his left gauntlet and dropped it on the bed alongside his right gauntlet and chest piece. He stopped and turned to you, those honey eyes of his locking with your own.

"B-Boba! You're...home early." You said quickly.

He raised an eyebrow. "No, in fact I'm late."

Your heart skipped a beat. You couldn't have worked for that long...could you? Oh dear. Those sharp eyes of his didn’t miss a thing, and he quickly noticed the smudge of grease on your cheek, the scuff marks at your elbows and knees, and how you were covered in a light helping of dust.

"Have you been overworking yourself again?"

"N-No! Of course not-" you began, but Boba had already walked across to stand in front of you, and his overpowering presence alone made you trail off.

"Little one..." he rumbled, in a warning-like tone. You knew you'd never get anything past him.

You sighed and hung your head in shame. "Yes. I-I'm sorry, Boba, I didn't really mean to. I swear! Well...I-I kept working until I had everything done but I meant to finish before you got back, I didn't realise how late it was, I-"

Boba lifted a hand to stop you and immediately you stopped talking.

"Cyar'ika," he said, using a finger under your chin to tilt your head up. "I'm not angry with you."

You frowned. "You're not?"

He chuckled, and the sound made your heart skip a beat. "No. Concerned, perhaps, but not angry. I just don't want you pushing yourself too hard."

You nodded, dropping your gaze down once more. "I'm sorry, I just…”

You felt your cheeks warm with embarrassment at admitting this to him, and didn't see the way he tilted his head at you curiously. "I-I guess I just...wanted to impress you."

Boba brought both hands to your cheeks, and you looked up at him once more. "You do not need to impress me, ad'ika. You do that already, every day."

"I...I do?" You asked incredulously. Boba chuckled, running his thumbs over your cheekbones.

"Yes, you do." He smiled down at you, those warm eyes of his brimming with love.

"Now," He rubbed his thumb over a particularly prominent smudge of dirt on your cheek. "Let's get you cleaned up."

As much as you just wanted to fall into bed and sleep for the next few days, you felt fairly icky and wanted to wash away the evidence of your hard work. Boba seemed to sense your exhaustion, or perhaps it was just clear on your face, because he accompanied you to the 'fresher to give you a helping hand. You didn't have the energy to tell him he didn't need to but you knew he wouldn't have listened to you anyway.

You felt dead on your feet as Boba helped you undress, wincing a little at your sore muscles as he gently tugged your shirt off. He immediately pressed a kiss to your now bare shoulder, mumbling an apology into your skin. He switched the shower on for you and you stepped inside, sighing as the hot water ran over your skin. Admittedly, you hadn't been expecting it when Boba stepped up behind you, having stripped off his own clothes. You let him wash you, rubbing soap into your skin and running a soft cloth over your back. Any other day this might have turned into a more…heated situation, but instead you just felt an overwhelming sense of affection as he took care of you. If Boba was at all aroused by what was happening, he didn't show it. By the time he was finished, you were leaning back into him with your eyes closed and his arm was wound around your waist, holding you upright.

"Don't fall asleep on me just yet, little one." he said gently, and you mumbled an affirmation of his request as he guided you out of the shower. You leaned into his warm, bare chest as he dried you off with a soft towel and mumbled a barely audible thank you as he led you back out to the bedroom.

“Regrettably this next part will be easier with your participation.” He said, and you reluctantly peeled yourself from his embrace to see him holding out your sleepwear in one hand. You smiled and took them, being rewarded with a kiss to the top of your head. The pyjamas were warm and soft - a welcome feeling against your abused skin after such a long, hard day.

Relief washed over you as you were finally, finally crawling into bed, a long sigh escaping you as your head sank into the pillows. Exhausted as you were, you were almost asleep already when Boba was slipping under the sheets behind you not 30 seconds later. A strong arm wound around your waist, pulling you back against him, and he leaned over to press a soft kiss your temple.

“Sleep, little one.”

[newgenog]

Love and Chaos

Wildmoore Week Day 1 - Tropes/Emotions

Notes: This is something I'd written but hadn't broadly shared. Thought it was fitting for the prompt, but decided to do this spur of the moment and didn't make an AO3 account (we're also going to pretend I'm on west coast time, and it's still Sunday). 😉

Mary and Luke have just left the loft after learning that Sophie and Ryan are "officially a thing." Sophie reaches for the bag of ice Ryan placed on the coffee table before their talk. 

S: I really should head home. I can't spend another day wearing these clothes. And you need to ice.

Sophie hands Ryan the bag. Ryan takes it, but smirks.

R: You don't have to go all the way home to get out of those clothes.

S: Mmm...but I don't think you're in any condition to be starting anything. 

R: Starting? I'm continuing where I left off before we got interrupted.

Ryan leans in, and Sophie meets her halfway, both of them kissing each other this time. Memories of every time she wanted to close the gap between them flash in Sophie's mind. 

Sophie thought they'd have a little more time to forget the world was one villainous strike away from imploding that morning, but their chosen duty was always calling. Still, they stayed close throughout the day, with the only time spent apart being to fight parallel battles, having firearms pointed at their chests, and Ryan actually taking on bullets, now bruised but not broken thanks to the bat suit. Knowing how close it had been - how close it always seems to be - to one of them never seeing the other again...The urgency of the moment speeds, intensifying their kisses to mirror their fervor. 

And then Ryan moans, but the tone isn't reminiscent of the night before. Sophie pulls away, quickly.

S: See…? You asked Luke and Mary for 24 hours. How are you going to be ready for Marquis when you're like this - if you don't rest?

Ryan frowns, looking pained and disappointed, but relents, letting her back hit the couch in defeat, and returning the bag of ice to her injuries.

R: That doesn't mean you have to leave.

S: Ryan, I don't have anything here.

Ryan's eyes tighten as she considers this, but Sophie doesn't give her enough time to complete her thought.

S: I'll come back. 

Ryan lifts a brow, looking accomplished. 

S: Don't get any ideas. I'm just making sure you stay put for the night. At least this way, I know you'll be here in the morning. 

Ryan smiles the way she does when she's about to persuade Sophie.

R: I didn't want to wake you...you're so pretty when you sleep. 

Sophie drops her wide eyes, biting the inside of her cheek to extinguish her grin. 

S: So, is this going to be a thing - me waking up alone because you snuck off into the night?

R: If you don't want me to kiss you again, you better go. 

Sophie looks as though she's trying to decide something. 

S: Don't move. 

Sophie inches nearer until her lips reach Ryan's with a feather-lite touch. They're just close enough to feel the heat trading between each other's skin. One kiss, slow and soft. She hovers over Ryan's lips, so Ryan can feel her breath as she speaks in a low rasp. 

S: Stay here. 

R: Hurry. 

~~~~~

When Sophie returns, in joggers and a thin white tank, she finds Ryan has put herself to bed, and she's relieved. The relief is short lived, though. After placing her duffle bag on the couch, she makes her way to the bed and eases back the covers to find Ryan fully unclothed. Ryan never makes anything easy. 

S: When in Rome…

Sophie can't resist the chance to feel Ryan's skin pressed against hers. So she undresses, too, and climbs into the bed. She scoots close, and wraps an arm around Ryan's waist. Ryan doesn't speak, and Sophie doesn't believe she's awake, but Ryan's back does relax into her arms.

~~~~~

Hours later, the sun peeks through the windows throughout the loft and pulls Ryan out of her slumber. She's facing an awake Sophie, who has clearly been watching her. 

R: Hey.

S: Hey. Bad dreams?

R: I can't remember. Was I-?

S: You weren't doing anything. You just had that expression you get when you worry.

R: Worrying in my sleep - sounds about right. 

Sophie gently strokes Ryan's arm, starting from her shoulder until she reaches her hand, and Ryan catches Sophie's fingers, entangling them. 

S: How do you feel?

R: I've been worse. 

S: Worse than bullets being fired off into your chest? I've been there; bullet proof vests aren't made of Kevlar, but you were also hit five times in close range.

R: At least these bullets weren't made of Kryptonite.

Sophie can imagine this becoming somewhat of a routine for them. Gotham never eased up, and the bad guys were only becoming more dangerous and ruthless. This life - it comes with plenty of close calls and downright fear. But they couldn't stay in that space. What they could do was take care of each other, both on the front lines and at home.

R: I think my ego was more hurt than anything. I didn't want to fight Marquis, but he isn't leaving me much choice. Anyway, we can talk about him later. 

Powering through pain isn't new for Ryan. She can't remember the last time some part of her body wasn't actively healing. Now, though, she could look forward to a different form of relief, better than codeine with no risky side effects. And this would be a reality of their life together. There was no great time to pause and just be. They'd wait an eternity if that was the goal. Love and chaos, all mixed together. It worked for them.

Ryan drops Sophie's hand, and reaches around her back, pulling them closer to each other.

R: Let me show you how much better I feel. 

Ryan eases on top of Sophie, and she doesn't fight or argue, satisfied that Ryan is safe in her arms for now, and that she's finally getting the morning she'd wished for the day before.

[kammieceleek]

Cat's Bride Chapter One.

Tohru Honda always heard her classmates and cousin talking about the game Zodiac Lover. She was always more fascinated by the talk of a supposed impossible route in the game that broke everything if you tried to go down it. But she never played it.

Yet, when she dies in a freak traffic accident, she finds herself in the world of the game. She learns how to survive, and then she meets the one known as 'the most cursed of all'. And this was the one route in the game that she was the only person to take.

******

The prison was a dark and damp place.

She let out a shuddering sigh as she descended the staircase underground. She didn't care for how dirty it was, or the dampness that seemed to seep into her bones whenever she stayed down there too long. But she kept coming back every day because of the one prisoner held there, one who was said to be too dangerous for the outside world and needed to be kept far away from everyone.

She stumbled on the last step, catching herself before she hit the stone floor. Her eyes began to adjust to the dim light, and they landed on the young man in a cage before her. He lifted his head, his dull eyes brightening upon seeing her and he sat upright.

"You're back," he breathed.

"I always come back. Didn't I promise that?"

"Y-yeah, but a lot of people promise things and don't follow through." He turned away from her, and even in the dim lamplight she could see a blush on his cheeks.

He's so cute.

"Well, why'd you come? I already ate today, and cleaning's pointless."

"I came to spend time with you." She sat with her back against the cage. Vaguely, she heard him moving to put his back against hers as much as he could through the bars.

"You didn't have to come. I'd be fine on my own."

"But then you'd be lonely, and I'd be sad." He mumbled something under his breath.

"Do you… feel sorry for me? Is it pity?"

"It's hard not to pity someone who's living in a cage. But that's not why I keep coming back." She smiled even though she knew he couldn't see it. "You're kind, Kyo, whether you know it or not. You aren't a monster or a creature. You're a person, and one day… you'll walk out of here. And I'll be right beside you when it happens."

"Tohru…" His voice was breaking. She slipped a hand through the bars and his fingers linked with hers. Despite the chill, his hands were warm and she felt much less tired than she had when she'd made the journey down here.

They were silent for a moment.

"…I love you." His voice was almost inaudible, but she heard it.

"…I love you, too." She could feel his hand tighten around hers and her heart ached. This wasn't his fault. He shouldn't have been down there.

But he was the Cat, and to the Somas, that made him guilty.

They sat there, just being in each other's presence, not knowing how much time was passing. Eventually, he pulled his hand away.

"You should get back to the damn Dog's house," he said hoarsely, as if he were holding back tears. "They'll notice if you're gone too long."

"I'll come back." They turned to face each other and Kyo leaned forward. She followed suit, and their lips met between the bars.

I will come back. I had to come from another world to meet you, and I'm not letting you go. Not now, and not until there's no possible way for me to stand beside you.

She stood up and started walking towards the stairs. Before she reached the top, she cast one last longing look towards him. His eyes were on her, full of the same desire to be near her.

Then she was out in the moonlight, alone again.

Tohru Honda was used to being alone.

She'd lost her parents in an accident when she was in her first year of high school, and her grandfather had passed not long after. She'd been left to move in with her Aunt Yuna and cousins Kaori and Goro, none of whom were particularly fond of her. So she'd been left alone going through high school. She hadn't had any close friends, only being acquaintances with most of her classmates.

Back then, she'd tried her best to go along to get along. And on that note, many of her classmates had been obsessed with an otome called Zodiac Lover. She often listened to their conversations, and bits and pieces of the game caught her interest. Though it wasn't enough to get her to actually play it, it was fun to hear them all be so excited over people who didn't even really exist.

More than anything about the game, she was interested in an apparent glitched route within it. There was a character who, at first glance, appeared to be the tenth route in the game; however, whenever a player attempted to go down said route, the game would glitch and break until you restarted it. Then things would go back to normal. Kaori played it, too, and she complained that the developer needed to patch it out (whatever that meant) rather than leave it in. Rumors abounded as to the identity of this character, but Tohru graduated high school and moved out of her aunt's house and that was the last she ever heard of the game.

Then, one day, she was on her way to work.

It wasn't a normal day. Part of her wished she'd taken the day off, but rent would be due soon and she needed all the hours she could get. It marked five years since her parents had died in that accident, a train derailment that had claimed the lives of so many others. She'd go visit their graves after her shift, and then go see her grandfather's.

Would they be proud of me?

The rain poured down around her, making her feel sleepy and wish she'd stayed home even more.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the screeching tires or the screaming of people telling her to get out of the way until it was too late. The headlights shone in her eyes and she squeezed them shut out of reflex. The pain was immediate as she flew through the air and hit the ground. She knew before anybody started tending to her that this was it. She was dying. Tohru Honda was going to be dead at the age of twenty without anyone to truly mourn her passing.

At the very least, she'd see her parents and grandfather again soon.

Y̴͚̺͊o̵̲͉͐͝ŭ̸͚.̸̜̈͝

…me?

Y̸̥̓̚o̴̥͋͜u̵͙͝'̷̯̪͘r̷͖̝͐ȩ̴͝͝ ̶̦̈́͋ť̷̺̬ȟ̵͎͊ȅ̵̹͌ ̵̢͐̌o̵̡̬͠n̵͉̎͛ͅe̵̹͓͂.̴͎͆͜

S̸͚͝a̷̗v̷̢̔e̷͉̎ ̵̻ḥ̵̇i̶̘͂m̴͕̔.̴̮͌

Save him!

Who are you?

He needs you. You need to find him before it's too late.

Who? Who needs me?

The most cursed of them all.

Tohru gasped as she opened her eyes.

To her shock, she was no longer lying in a puddle on the street. Instead she was kneeling in the hallway of a house of some kind. She certainly didn't recognize it… nor did she recognize the clothes she was wearing. Gone was her work uniform, and in its place was some kind of old-fashioned kimono. Like she was a maid in one of those awful dramas her aunt had watched near-religiously every day that she could remember.

"Honda!"

She jumped at the sudden yell of her last name and looked to see another woman in a matching uniform. The woman was older with graying streaks in her honey-brown hair, and she was clearly not pleased with Tohru.

"S-sorry!" Tohru gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry won't get this place cleaned! The master's coming home today, and this house needs to be spotless before he does!"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Honestly, I don't know why the Somas even hired you. Lazy, good-for-nothing girl…"

Tohru felt her heart racing.

She'd never heard of the Somas before. They certainly weren't her employers. What was…?

Soma.

The name did ring out as familiar in her head. She tried her best to remember, and that was when she could see the name written on the screen of her cousin's tablet as she played out a game. And this same uniform, on a character in that same game that had enraptured so many girls her age.

She didn't want to believe it. But there was only one way to be sure.

Taking a deep breath, she smacked her cheeks in an effort to wake herself up. It didn't work. She was still there. Her eyes went to the bucket and rag before her, and to the dirty floor. Well, if she was stuck here, she might as well do something that was at least mildly familiar. She got to work, scrubbing the floor like she did back home and before too long it was as spotless as her apparent superior had wanted. The older woman returned and nodded.

"Good. I see you just need a bit of encouragement."

"Yes, ma'am. I promise I won't slack off again." It was just like dealing with her boss at work. Then again, this woman was her boss now.

"Good girl. Don't forget to wash up before you make the master's dinner. He's having a guest tonight." The woman gestured down the hall towards what was most definitely a kitchen.

Tohru nodded in confirmation and stood up, taking the bucket with her. She glanced down and realized that while her clothes and location had changed, her face was the same. How was this possible? She couldn't remember if there was ever a character like this in the actual game. Kaori would know, but Kaori wasn't there.

She let out a sigh and headed towards where her boss had pointed. The kitchen was largely empty, save for the ingredients, and she felt that sense of familiarity she had while cleaning. This was something else she could do. Cooking was one of her favorite ways to pass the time, and she hadn't cooked for someone else since she'd moved out of her aunt's house. So rather than dread or confusion, she felt excited.

I have to make the most of this until I find out what's going on.

Save him.

That voice again. The one that had spoken when she was struck by the car. Who did she need to save? Who were they talking about?

She shook her head. Right now, she had to cook dinner for the house's master and his guest, whoever they might be.

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work chopping vegetables. Everything was so similar to back home that it was startling. Sure, the tools were a little less sophisticated but they did the jobs they needed to do. And even though she'd never worked with a stove or oven like the ones they had here, she already knew that those kinds of things tended to do what they wanted depending on age or use, so she knew to check them often to make sure nothing burned and everything cooked properly.

"Tohru!"

She turned around to see another young woman in a maid's uniform entering the kitchen. The newcomer had golden blonde hair and she was taller than most of the people Tohru had ever known.

"Hi!" Tohru greeted her.

"Man, Hamasaki put you on this by yourself again? You've got to stop being such a pushover."

"I know, but… cooking's so easy! And it's fun!"

"If you say so. I just came to see if you needed a hand."

"I won't say no to some help! Could you put those veggies in the pot, please?"

"No problem."

Tohru suddenly felt awful. Obviously this girl was her friend, but she didn't even know her name! How terrible must she look to this person?

"Um… this is going to sound really dumb, but… who are you?"

"Jeez, cleaning duty's gotten to you. I'm Arisa Uotani. We've been friends since we got here?"

"Right! Sorry, Uo-chan!" The name slipped out so easily, as if she'd been calling the other girl that for years.

"It's all right. Hanajima and I know how spacey you get."

Spacey? Then… this Tohru Honda really  is  me?!

"So, er, do you know anything about the master's guest?"

"Not much. He's supposed to be a member of the main family, just like Shigure. All I know is he's supposed to be a real prince of a character."

"Oh, really? Well, thank you for your help. I've got it from here, if Hamasaki has anything else she needed you to do…?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll see you later."

Shigure's the master of the house. I think he was Kaori's favorite route in the game. But a prince… I know who it is. Nobody would stop talking about him in school. It's Yuki. It's got to be.

There was no doubt in her mind now. She was in the world of Zodiac Lover, and as it stood, she had no way out.