#listen i was about to nap and it is EMBARRASSING how wide awake i am suddenly
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kindahoping4forever ¡ 9 months ago
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Luke via IG Story
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savoryscribbles ¡ 3 years ago
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Staying At the Wangshu Inn
A/n: Haha how long has it been since I’ve written something???? Idk? Anyways I’m in a new fandom… again,,,, anyways enjoy the fluff
Paring: Diluc x gn!reader
Tags: fluff, only one bed trope, mutual pining, lots of blushing(sorry, you and Diluc be awkward)
Warnings: none? Kinda suggestive???
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It’s easy to understand how you got here, but it certainly wasn’t the outcome you hoped for.
Sure you liked Diluc, romantically speaking, had you told him yet… no. There’s no problem with that, only it became increasingly difficult to hide said feelings when you had to be inches apart from said person you were totally not crushing for.
Diluc was confused, he remembered reserving two rooms at the Wangshu Inn, yet only one was available. Had he know this prior, he would have made sure to ask for two(2) beds. Knowing this, and now knowing that only one of the two rooms he asked for were open, made Diluc a little flustered. Sure Diluc was stone cold, and very good at hiding his emotions, but things still catch him by surprise, not to mention his feelings for you was something he had not yet discussed with himself, opting for pushing them away, hoping they’d stay there.
“Are you sure there arnt any rooms available with two beds?” He muttered, hoping you wouldn’t point out his slightly pink face.
“I apologize Master Diluc, but I’m afraid not.” Verr said with a frown. You both sighed at her response, but were to tired to push the matter further, instead accented the stairs to your room.
When entering, the first thing your eyes were drawn to was the bed, which was reassuringly large.
“Umm so…” you started, not sure where you were going with your sentence.
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” Diluc responded curtly, somehow knowing what you wanted to say.
“Are you sure? The bed is quite large, I’m sure you’ll hurt in the morning if you sleep on the floor.” You questioned.
“I’ll be alright” he responded with a nod “you should wash up, we’ve had a long day, and another one tomorrow.”
You decide to listen to his words and headed towards the bathroom, before stopping and turning around.
“If you’re really going to sleep on the floor, at least take a nap on the bed first so you get some semblance of sleep.” You suggested, smirking to yourself as you locking yourself in the bathroom before he could protest.
‘I guess a small nap couldn’t hurt’ Diluc thought to himself ‘they are right, my back is going to hurt like the devil in the morning’ he decided he was going to take a nap, and settled on the bed, not bothering to pull the covers down.
You hadn’t realized how much time you’d spent in the shower until you reentered your shared room, only to see the dark star filled sky in place of the orange hues whom were there when you entered. Your eyes fell to the bed, seeing Diluc sleeping peacefully. You cringed as you saw him laying atop the covers. ‘How am I going to get under them? This was my plain, but I expected him to actually use the blankets…’ you didn’t like seeing him still fully dressed in his combat attire, which was Lilly uncomfortable for lounging, but… you also didn’t want to wake him up, because likely he would refuse the bed, and instead let you use it, which is exactly what you didn’t want to happen.
You’d finally devised a plan, decided your best corse of action was to just sneak into the bed, and hope he doesn’t wake up. But first, you quietly exited the room, and asked Verr for an extra comforter, which she happily let you barrow.
You still were upset that Diluc would be sleeping in his uniform, but decided it was better than him sleeping on the floor, and carefully put the extra comforter over him, tossing your fingers he wasn’t that light of a sleeper.
You looked down at his face as you finished tucking him in, he looked peaceful, free of worries, so unlike his cognizant expressions. You justified that a little forehead kiss wouldn’t wake him, seeing at you’d already layered a blanket atop him without trouble.
You gently pressed your lips to his hair covered forehead, but froze as you heard his sharp intake of breath, you waited a moment, not realizing your lips were still on his skin, before pulling away, hoping to find his eyes closed. Only luck wasn’t in you hands, because his eyes were very much open, and his cheeks quite red. He looked at you as he sat up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He said, adverting his eyes away from you. “I hope you weren’t going to sleep on the floor.” He added with a scowl.
“I wasn’t” you responded, giggling a bit, “I was going to sleep on the other side, I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable first.”
“Oh, you didn’t need to, you should have woken me up.” He whispered as his blush darkened. At this point you wanted to see how flustered you could make him.
“And let you sleep on the floor? Nonsense. You should get changed into something more comfortable, I truly don’t mind sharing the bed.” You smiled, resting you hand upon his shoulder, making him take a sharp breath.
“Are you sure? I really don’t-“ he tried
“Yes I’m positive, now go change.” You said sternly with a squeeze to the area you were holding, before letting go.
Diluc sighed as he stood up, following your directions and grabbed his night clothes. He was almost to the bathroom when your voice interrupted the silence.
“You can change in here, I’ll look away, I promise.” You truly wanted him to be comfortable, but didn’t realize until after, how suggestive it was. You didn’t even try to retract your words, just sat there flushed with your eyes wide.
He was taken aback but smirked at your flushed face. “You don’t have to look away.” He responded, pulling his shirt off. Your eyes widened further as you covered your eyes. E he himself was surprised with his boldness, but continued changing nevertheless.
You slowly open your eyes as you feel a dip in the bed. “Are you sure you want me to sleep in the bed?” He asks you once more, making you roll your eyes. “For the millionth time, yes I’m fine with it, just stay on your side.” He nodded at your response and turned away from you, scooting to the far side of the bed. You did the same, falling asleep peacefully.
Diluc was the first awake, which wasn’t surprising, however what he didn’t expect when open his eyes was the sight of you, inches from his face, sound asleep on his chest. He flushed red, and stood about as still as a tree on a clear day. His mind raced, not sure what to do. Should he stay still? Should he wake you up? Should he move you as gently as possible? Should he kiss you away? He had no clue what to do, but opted to just stay where he was, you needed your rest, and he was likely going to disturb that if he were to move. However he couldn’t just do nothing, so he reached to run his fingers through your hair, he loved the texture of it, and he loved the little scrunch your face made when he did it. Diluc let out a light airy laugh, ‘you are so cute’ he thought to himself ‘if only you truly liked me back’
You and Diluc had been friends for years, often doing missions together, and you even aided in his quests to protect Monstat. And that’s all Diluc thought you saw him as a friend.
You were gently pulled from you slumber as your pillow, which you didn’t remember being this soft, rumbled, wait- rumbled? You open your eyes only to see that you were not in fact laying on a pillow, but rather on Diluc’s chest, it was embarrassing, but so comfortable, he had the perfect body temperature, which is presumably why you were drawn to him in your sleep. You wanted to stay here for longer, so that’s what you did, you closed your eyes once more, hoping for a little more sleep.
“Why do you gave to be so… cute? And you’re just laying here, I shouldn’t love you as much as I do, but I just can’t bring myself to not,” Diluc muttered to himself with a sigh. This confession of sorts cause you to open you eyes in surprise, right as he looked down at you.
“I- thought you were asleep.” He quickly explained. “Please ignore what I just said.”
That is the exact opposite of what you did, instead you pulled yourself up to hover over him before leaning down and kissing him.
“I love you a little bit to much too.”
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moss-flesh ¡ 2 years ago
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I'm incapable of choosing just 1 or 2 questions, oops! 💖
Aila/Alistair - 2, 7, 16 Adahlen/Solas - 3, 19, 31
i dont know what possessed me but i loves these questions so much i wrote a lot ! so here u go !! <3
aila x alistair
2. What would they do if the other woke in a manic state after a nightmare?
Grey wardens and their nightmares am i right ? Both of them had really bad nightmares before killing the archdemon, but Aila suffered from nightmares most of her life already. They morphed her fears of her father, of the circle, n everything she went through there, with the archdemon stuff n it rlly fucked her up. She’d toss and turn and scream herself awake, on these occasions Alistair wraps his arms around her and brings her to his chests, stroking her hair gently. He’d hush her and reassure her of where she was, safe with him.
when Aila was not able to sleep (which was most of the time), she would see alistair struggling in his sleep, and get as close as she could to him with her ear against his heart and hug him gently, listening as his heartbeat and breathing became calm again.
7. Would they build a pillow fort together just because?
yes !!! god of course, this is very them, and they would make it everyone elses problem too.
alistair: STEN! give me your pillows
sten: no.
alistair: but your kadan is my girlfriend!
sten: something i still do not understand.
aila: wow morrigan youre looking hotter than ever, new necklace?
morrigan: yes. you gave it to me. what do you want ?
aila: …… gimme ur blankeys….
morrigan: take them. i dont want to know.
16. Can they stay up all night just talking?
Thats like all they did the first few weeks of knowing eachother. they would move their cots a little closer to eachother and talk for hours staring at the stars. Alistair would mindlessly throw logs on the fire listening to Aila intently as she goes on about flowers, herbs, arcane histories and silly shit her few friends (jowan n anders) use to get up to. And she would stare at him wide eyed as he told her stories of duncan and his warden friends. They wouldve continued but wynne and zevran complained about losing sleep coz they wouldnt shut up. They continued once they started sharing a tent lmao.
adahlen x solas
3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.)
oh yeah Adahlen is a little thief n she always takes Solas stuff lmao. she usually just likes to wear his necklace or sleep in his tunic. But the first time she wore his tunic as an undershirt everyone in skyhold was like
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Shes pretty small so he cant really fit in her clothes but he ALWAYS steals her fave blanket and uses it for naps.
19. How do they feel about PDA?
Solas is surprisingly fine with it as long as its not too inappropriate, sometimes even so he shocks her by how affectionate he actually is in front of others. Sera would say some shit about them to tease him and hed just grab Ada and smooch her. At first Adahlen was actually so nervous about it though, like she wants to do pda but shes like “oh no what if he doesnt, will he think im weird, oh gods oh fuck” coz sadness alert, solas is her first love, lonely baby. But while she’s distracted vibrating from anxiety, he would just grab her hand and kiss her head as hes really perceptive of her emotions.
31. Can they sit side by side without touching the other or are they handsy? (lacing fingers, touching knees, etc.)
absolutely not lmao, solas likes to think adahlen is the touchiest out of them but they both cant help mindlessly grabbing onto the other, neither of them even notice until varric is like “i gotta write that shit down” because it’s embarrassing, they practically stand on top of one another.
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tallstars-rewrite ¡ 3 years ago
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Chapter 5
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Tallkit was trying to nap, but he couldn’t stop thinking about why Sandstone didn’t tell him about Leafshine. Perhaps he simply hadn’t wanted to scare him. Besides, Tallkit didn’t know exactly why the accidents had happened. Maybe it was like Crowfur said, they were just confident that the problem was already fixed and there was no need to worry anymore. I wish he hadn’t hurt Lilywhisker’s feelings...but he hadn’t meant to, he was only trying to say that training made it safer!  Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding...
It took a long time to start nodding off, but then the sound of Fallowpaw and Fawnpaw bolting into camp, tripping over each other as they went, startled Tallkit awake again. His head was still laying on the shallow dirt pile he’d been anxiously scraping at earlier with little success and he was confused to find there were twigs and grass bits covering his pelt. He shook them off and saw Shrewkit’s tail already disappearing out of the nursery entrance. Briarkit went to follow him and paused to look back at Tallkit, who was pawing another leaf scrap from his ears.
“You fell asleep in the dirt and Shrewkit started stacking leaves and sticks on top of your head.” Briarkit mewed apologetically. “He wanted to see how high he could get it before you woke up...I did tell him to stop! He wouldn’t listen.” 
Tallkit was too groggy to be annoyed about the leaf litter. Outside he could see Shrewkit was already dancing around the new apprentices as they described their first view of the territory.
“It’s huge, I never thought the world was that big!” Fawnpaw said. “You’ll never guess what happened--”
“Ryepaw caught a mouse! On our first time out! You should have seen the look on Larkflower’s face, she was so fast!” Fallowpaw said.
 Ryepaw padded into camp, her head ducked modestly. She had a plump mouse between her jaws as her mentor followed behind her, although Larkflower wore a surprisingly dark look and her tail flicked back and forth with obvious agitation. Cloudrunner and Aspenfall followed close behind.
“Fawnpaw I’ve already told you twice to stay with me! You’ve got to stop running ahead.” Cloudrunner scolded. 
“I bet I could catch a mouse next time” Fawnpaw continued as if he hadn’t heard his mentor. Cloudrunner let out an exasperated sigh. 
“Cloudrunner, Aspenfall, Heatherstar will want to speak to us about what we saw.” Larkflower called out.
Tallkit caught up to the others as soon as the older cats had padded away to the leader's den.
 “Did you really catch that all by yourself?” He mewed in wonder. 
Ryepaw gave her chest fur a couple embarrassed licks after setting the mouse down in the prey heap. “It was a really slow mouse.”
Briarkit was looking after where the warriors had disappeared to. “What's going on with them? They seemed in a hurry.”
“Oh! Right!” Fawnpaw gasped. “I almost forgot, that’s not all that happened, we saw the border to ShadowClan!”
“ShadowClan?” Tallkit’s voice was small. What he had heard about them from the elders hadn’t been good. Shrewkit had even told him that they ate kits that misbehaved and snuck out of the nursery. It was probably nonsense, but Tallkit still shuddered at the thought.
“It smelled just awful.” Ryepaw said, wrinkling her nose. “And some of the scents were lingering pawsteps over the border under the thunderpath. Larkflower said it smelled like a whole patrol was scouting the area. We would have stayed out longer but they wanted to report it right away.”
“ShadowClan tries anything, I’ll claw their ears off!” Shrewkit growled.
“Not if you can’t even reach their ears.” Fawnpaw snickered, “I’m not worried. The clans haven’t had a war in ages, why would ShadowClan want to bother us now?”
Tallkit wanted to believe them but he remembered the dark look of concern on Larkflower’s face and he wasn’t sure. ShadowClan sounded terrifying. A warrior doesn’t fear anything. Sandstone’s voice scolded in his head. Tallkit was going to be a warrior, and he wasn’t going to be scared of ShadowClan. If Shrewkit’s not scared, neither am I!  he told himself. 
“Nevermind all that,” Fawnpaw continued. “ShadowClan stench isn’t going to ruin my day. We’ve got the evening to ourselves before we have to start doing all the chores around here.”
Tallkit shot a concerned look over his shoulder. He hadn’t made much headway on his makeshift tunnel. “I don’t know if…”
“Oh come on, you’ve been scratching at the dirt all day!” Shrewkit complained.
“Maybe it would be a good idea to take a break,” Briarkit murmured. “But I understand if you don’t want to hang out with the moor runners...”
I did hurt his feelings before… Tallkit thought glumly.  “No I...I can. It’s not such a big deal.” he mewed awkwardly.
Fallowpaw and Fawnpaw regaled them with surely exaggerated stories of their brief lap of the moor. It was bigger than ten camps put together and they could look down on the rest of the territories which stretched even further. Tallkit didn’t know or care if it was exaggerated. He couldn’t even begin to imagine it. The WindClan camp being tucked in a divot below Outlook Hill blocked him off from seeing very far or feeling the unrestrained moor wind. It sounded like a different world. Tallkit had even forgotten all about his failed tunnel.
 Eventually Fawnpaw said, “Now that it’s getting dark...I’ve got another idea for you kittens.”
Kittens! Tallkit gave an annoyed flick of his tail You’ve barely been an apprentice a day! Don’t start pretending to be a grown up! 
“What kind of idea?” Briarkit mewed suspiciously
“Me and Fallowpaw heard the coolest story from Flintfoot yesterday,” he said.
“He said it was a true story his own grandfather told him from his kithood!” Fallowpaw added. “It’s really scary.” 
Tallkit wasn’t sure he trusted the gleam in the young apprentice's eyes, and he absentmindedly scooted closer to Briarkit.
“Flintfoot hardly talks to kits at all!” Shrewkit said suspiciously. “What could he have to say that’s any good? Whitetooth is way better at stories, even if he’s a grump the rest of the time.”
“But when Flintfoot does talk, it’s worth listening to” Ryepaw said sternly, “Although...I know the one you’re talking about, and I’m afraid it might be too much for them...Tallkit especially. You really want to tell that one?”
“Yes!” Fallowpaw cried “I’ve been practicing so I can tell it just the way Flintfoot did! I think I'm getting good at it.”
Ryepaw shook her head “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Fawnpaw lifted his nose “Well alright, if you’re all too scared to hear it, I guess it can’t be helped.”
“I-I’m not too scared!” Tallkit tried to sound confident but his voice quavered.
“Neither am I!” Shrewkit said louder.
“I...guess I’m not either,” Briarkit added cautiously.
Ryepaw got to her feet and turned away. “Well I’m not going to join in with you giving the kits nightmares!” 
“She’s only leaving because it scared her the first time too.” Fawnpaw scoffed. 
“Good.” Fallowpaw suddenly sat up straighter and began. “So...you know about the spirits of StarClan above us, and even the good spirit messengers on the earth--”
“Yeah I know about that!” Briarkit piped up enthusiastically. “Hawkheart said there are messengers from the earth around us that tell us about helpful signs from StarClan if you know how to listen to them, and--”
“Yes, yes!” Fallowpaw said impatiently, “I know you know that but also, Flintfoot told us there are evil spirits too. Unrested spirits, even spirits of cats who were so angry in life that they could never find peace in StarClan, and instead stayed roaming the earth to torment the living.”
“I’ve never heard that…” Briarkit’s said with wide eyes.
“Why would spirits want to torment us?” Tallkit asked fearfully.
“Who knows?” Fallowpaw replied with a shrug. “Maybe they just want everyone to hurt the way they did. Maybe they think they’ll never find peace if there isn’t a payment for what they lost. And they can manifest as anything! You may not even know an evil spirit is upon you until it has you.”
Tallkit scooted even closer to Briarkit, until he was almost hiding under his plush red-brown fur.
“And the story that Flintfoot heard is about a cat who became one of those bad spirits,” Fallowpaw dropped her voice ominously, “a cat who is only remembered by the name ‘Harehead.’
“It happened seasons ago, during a cold and rainy leaf-bare when the clan hadn’t seen the sun shine for moons. Hunting was becoming more of a competition as many rabbit warrens flooded in the storms. One warrior saw the hard times as an opportunity to prove himself. They say he was a proud warrior, but a foolish one. He was sure he could hunt anything he set his eyes on, and he set them on a massive hare that had run the moors uncaught for as long as any cat could remember. Bigger than any cat, and faster too. The clan told him it was too dangerous trying to hunt such a large animal, but he insisted he could do it. No silly hare would beat a hunter like him. He chased it for three sunrises into the rain and the storms, exhausting himself and ignoring his clanmates' calls for him to give it up. The hare fled into an abandoned rabbit tunnel to escape him, and of course he went after it. Suddenly, with the thunder shaking the ground and the rain pouring in, the soil got so heavy that as the warrior was digging, he didn’t hear the earth start to fall in ahead of him.  And that’s when the worst happened.”
Shrewkit was now shoved up against Briarkit’s other side, squishing him between Tallkit. 
“What happened?” Briarkit asked in a trembling voice.
Fallowpaw continued with more fervor, clearly delighted by their reaction. “He heard the earth roar and shake like it was breaking apart under his feet. He tried to back out, and went running down the mud and slosh he had dug through. But he wasn’t fast enough. A large stone over his head crashed down right on top of him...and it cut his head right off!”
Tallkit let out an involuntary squeak. “Cut it off? That can’t be possible!”
“But it’s true! And that’s not the worst part. See, a mysterious rogue cat found the collapsed tunnel days later, along with the warrior's body, flailing around trying to get himself free. But it was no use. The rock had completely crushed his whole head, but his body was twitching, like he was still trying to get his head free…”
“Wait, how could he still be moving if he lost his head days ago?” Briarkit asked.
Fallowpaw gave an irritated sigh, “I don’t know, maybe he hadn’t bled too much yet because the rock was keeping it in!”
“I once saw a snake that was still moving after getting its head squished.” Shrewkit said helpfully. “Maybe it’s like that.”
“Yes, it was like that, thank you Shrewkit. Obviously he was going to be dead soon, but he was still twitching, so no one could tell! Don’t question it. Let me finish.”
“Sorry.” Briarkit whispered.
“Anyway. Where was I? Right, so, they say this mysterious rogue was once a medicine cat that got banished for abusing StarClan’s gifts. He had a habit of... experimenting with methods not normally taught to good medicine cats, and some claimed they even heard him talking with strange spirits other than StarClan’s messengers. Those spirits gave him an idea. The cat's body was in perfect condition... if only he had a head. So the medicine cat found the body of the hare, killed in the same collapse, ironically just barely out of the warrior's reach when it died. He pulled the remainder of the cat's headless body out from under the rock, of course, leaving his head behind. Right when the poor warrior nearly stopped twitching, the medicine cat fastened the hare’s head onto the body. And it worked. The warrior got to his feet, unsteady and blind, because the dead hare’s eyes had already been pecked out by crows and worms. The old rogue medicine cat hadn’t thought to check that all the parasites were removed from the crowfood he used to stick the once great cat back together, afterall.”
Tallkit suddenly felt very ill, and he wished he had listened to Ryepaw earlier, but he felt that he had no choice but to see it through as he trembled together with the other kits.
“The rogue only laughed at his distress and said ‘You wanted your clan to see the prize you swore you would bring down, and now they will always be able to see it!’ With nothing else to do, the warrior stumbled his way back to his clan. When he walked into camp, they were horrified at what they saw! But it was their clan mate all the same, right? How could they turn him away? From then on, he was only ever known as Harehead. Little did they know, he would never be the same again. He was quiet. He couldn’t speak well anymore because his mouth and throat weren’t his own. He was just a little bit off in his manner, walked a little funny, twitched every now and then, and when some cat worked up the nerve to speak to him, he would just look at them with his sightless eyes and walk away. But still, he went on walking. Even when he grew thin and smelled awful, he continued, refusing his medicine cat's attempts at treating him for illness. Harehead patrolled, and he hunted on his own, proud as ever despite it all. The food he brought back was mangled and smelled as foul as him, and his clan realized that everything he caught and fed to them was filled with worms, like it had gone rotten at his touch. Harehead grew spiteful that his clan refused his prey, and that they whispered behind his back, calling him a poor fool for his relentless chase which in the end had amounted to nothing good. He was enraged that StarClan had allowed him to suffer this curse for his folly. He wanted vengeance. He deserved better.
“And that night, his denmates awoke to a horrible noise, a squishy gnawing sound… And there, in the dark, they found Harehead. His long front teeth and ungroomed fur were soaked bloody from chewing through the neck of one of his own clanmates. He wasn’t content with a hare’s head, and if he couldn’t have his own, he intended to steal one in order to make himself feel whole again. It was then they saw what he truly was. He wasn’t just thin, he was shriveled, like prey that had been left out in the sun and turned black and dry. His insides were replaced with mushy dirt and the things that crawl in the ground had chewed at him from the inside out until he was hollow. His heart had been eaten away along with the rest of him, or else how could he do such a thing to a cat he had once called a friend and ally? He was not a cat any longer, but an unnatural shambling monster, moving along only through the power of his spirit’s fury and spite. 
“His clan was horrified, they banished him and chased him out before he could harm anyone else. Harehead fled deep into the tunnels, and was forbidden from ever showing his face above ground again, lest the stars see and punish him for his crimes. And they say that to this very day, If you go into an unfamiliar tunnel alone on a night of a new-moon, when StarClan’s watchful eye is hidden in the sky, and you listen very closely, you can hear his moan. A cry that sounds neither quite like the yowl of a cat or the scream of a hare, as he wanders the tunnels searching for an unsuspecting victim so he can claim their head as his own and finally make himself whole. Just the prick of his rotten claws is enough to infect a cat with horrible sickness that lets bugs inside to eat away at you as if you were crowfood. If he catches you, he’ll pin you into the dirt, and chew off your head like he did his clanmate. He’ll leave you with the rotten hare head in place of your own, condemning you to share his curse, forever wandering the darkness alone, crying out... where is my he-eead? I want my he-eead...” Fallowpaw sang in a trembling voice.
 From behind her, a dark shape leaped out of the shadows. Tallkit saw nothing but a brown blur, and then a swinging head of a rabbit with it’s jaws hanging open, empty eyes wide, blank, and staring right into his.
“I WANT YOUR HEAD!” It screeched, rearing up with it’s terrible claws flashing in the dim light.
Tallkit yowled louder than he ever had in his whole life. Both Shrewkit and Briarkit had already sprung a tail length in the air and were tripping over themselves to scramble back to the nursery, with Tallkit stumbling as fast as he could after them, wailing for his mother. 
Brackenwing was the first to spring out of the nursery. The kits barreled into her, clamoring over each other and trying to dart between her legs.
“What--kits, what in StarClan’s name has happened!?” She stuttered, trying to gather the squirming kits into a bundle with calming licks. It was a heartbeat later that Tallkit was aware of Fallowpaw and Fawnpaw hooting with laughter behind them. He looked over his shoulder to see Fawnpaw drop the rabbit head he’d been holding up between his teeth as he and his sister fell into each other. 
“Oh my stars, I didn’t think Shrewkit could jump that high, that was perfect!” Fawnpaw cried. 
“Hey!” Shrewkit growled indignantly, apparently having already gotten a hold of himself as he pushed away from his mother’s paws, trying to flatten his puffed out fur.
“That was mean!” Briarkit yowled. 
Tallkit still couldn’t find his voice. By that point, Palebird had quickly followed Brackenwing out of the nursery and was looking around her with wide eyes until she finally spotted Tallkit shivering under the brown queen's fur.
“Tallkit? Tallkit, are you hurt?” She asked, trying to nose him out of hiding. He readily buried his head into her soft white fur.
“The apprentices are pulling jokes on the kits and trying to scare them.” Brackenwing said with a growl to her voice. “Even though they should know better! You’re lucky your mother’s out right now!”
“I wasn’t actually scared, I was just surprised for a moment!” Shrewkit insisted. 
The apprentices ducked their heads when their mentors came out of Heatherstar’s den, Cloudrunner especially looking very cross. Tallkit didn’t hear the rest of the lecture that the warriors gave about misusing prey. Even if it was a joke, he couldn’t stop his heart from thudding in his chest.
“Let’s go inside, Tallkit.” Palebird murmured to him. 
He nodded glumly and allowed her to lift him by the scruff and carry him to her nest. For once he was happy to lie there and allow his mother to groom his thin fur. He couldn’t escape the image of a headless cat with a hare’s terrible hollow eyes stumbling through the cramped dark, cornering him with blood stained front teeth bared. 
Palebird and Brackenwing talked softly to each other after Brackenwing had calmed her kits down. Briarkit had wanted to see if Tallkit was alright, but the shivering black and white kit wouldn’t come out of hiding. Tallkit nuzzled under his mothers chin, desperate for a comforting purr to drown his thoughts out. She purred for a brief moment before going quiet again. He tried to close his eyes, but Tallkit knew he wouldn’t get much sleep that night.
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Pass the Time
Pairing: Drew Starkey x Reader.
Summary: You feel like you spend more time outside of you dorm and so does your neighbor. Why? Both of your roommates are hooking up.
Word Count: 1,548.
Note: It took me longer than it should've to write this since Tumblr was keep messing up so please don't let this flop ( I reached my breaking point with trying but I still like it) and tell me what you think :) I hope you love it! Thank you @snkkat for posting the photo and inspiring me to write this!
Hey," your roommate, Jazmyn, speaks softly from her side of the dorm to see if you are still awake or not. You hum in response, not looking away from the episode of your newest favorite Netflix original TV show- the reason why you are not studying right now- Outer Banks. Jazmyn moves to sit upright on her bunk bed and swings her feet back and forth and gives you puppy eyes, "Can I ask for a favor?"
Knowing what she will ask, for not the first nor late time, you say, "I'm not moving, Jaz."
She jumps off and walks over to you and must go on her tippy toes to learn against your mattress. It is a fail on her part when she tries to grab your throw blanket off of you since you're wrapped in it.
You sing, "told y'all" in a teasing tone and Jaz response is a weak, "shut up."
"Why can't you just go over? I'm comfortable right here in my dorm."
Ignoring your point of view, she easily lies as she says, "I swear it won't be long."
"Really? Two nights ago, Andrew said the same thing to Drew before you went over there for three fucking hours!" Before she can try to deny it, you hold up your hand to add, "I actually mean fucking for three hours."
You roll your eyes as she blushes and gets lost in dream land that is made of all the sex, she and your next-door dorm neighbor, Andrew, have.
Which is a lot.
You knew that going to a University there would be a huge chance to live crazy college stories that one day will blow your kids' minds whenever they accidentally find one out. Getting locked out of your dorm on a weekly basis so your roommate can hookup? That is not one of them, it is annoying as hell.
The first time you got locked out was just last month, three months in your freshman year. After taking two tests in one day, you just wanted to go in a nap coma for the rest of the year. Since the elevator in your building did not get fixed yet, you had to drag yourself up to the firth floor. You could not help to wish the sock on your dorm knob was just a part of your imagination. But it was not. From the noises you could hear from the other side of the locked door, Jazmyn had someone over. You jumped and cursed when the door next to you opened and an extremely attractive and tired boy smiled at you as he tried to fix his bed hair. He noticed the sock and grabbed it to throw it over his shoulder, inside of his dorm. "I was wondering where Andrew went." He holds out his hand and as you shake hands, he told you his name and you told him yours. You agreed that you did need coffee, so you two left the hallway to grab some.
“You know, it’s weird that we are finally meeting.”
You looked over your shoulder and silently wished Jazmyn would open the door so could lay down, “We’ll probably see each other more in the hallway if they keep this up.”
A week after you talked with Drew over two refills of coffee for who knows how many hours, he saw you walking up the stairs after your last class of the day. He kicked himself off the floor to learn against your door.
"Are they...?"
He nodded in response and told you that he does not know how long, or how much longer. He followed you into your dorm after you slightly pushed him away to unlock it.
"I was planning on doing something with Jaz tonight but since you're here instead... have you ever done a face mask?"
He wiggled his eyebrows and used a husky manly tone to ask, “Sexually?"
His laugh echoed after you throw one of your pillows at him.
The third time was a couple of hours later and Drew agreed to go as far away as possible. You two went through a drive through before going to a park to eat in comfortable silence until he tried to be sneaky to grab some of your food. A small food happened before you two acted like big children on the swings, trying to see who could go up the highest. Since he is so tall, it was easy for him to do the monkey bars.
Now what was supposed to be a relaxing and do-nothing day, you let out a fake cough. “You can’t let Andrew come in here, I’m sick.”
“I’m sure Drew would be willing to take care of you.”
“I hate you.” You mutter as you get up to put your shoes on. You try not to think about how he told you he wants to make you his famous homemade chicken casserole soon since you’re been stressed with all of your school work, working part time and being home sick.
“You love me! Have fun whenever you guys do this time to pass the time.” She winks at you as you slam the door closed behind you. You stop knocking on Drew’s door with your blanket still wrapped around you and carrying your laptop when his voice comes the end of the hall, “fancy seeing you here.”
He knows your smile is half fake so he nervously asks, "You can come over if you want? I can let you in before heading to the showers."
 Andrew comes from the end of the hall, looking like he ran up the stairs while holding a plastic bag from the nearest gas station. You can see Jazmyn’s favorite candy and a box of condoms. Classy. You do not think twice before reaching into Drews maroon gym shorts to grab his keys while they have silent conversation. You miss how much his eyes widen for leaving them both in the hallway.
“I swear to God I’ll give up on being your wingman and move out if you do not make your move.”
Drew pushes Andrew out of the doorway and glances over at you to make sure you are not listening. “You are not my wingman!”
“Yes, I am! I am giving you two alone time as I have sex! It’s a win-win for everyone!” Andrew pushes him inside, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
From his bed, Drew hears the confusing in your voice when you say, “it’s only one am?”
“I stopped listening to what he says a long time ago.” Drew states as he can hear Andrew’s and his own voice in head saying, “she’s on your bed” repeating.
You mutter, “same” for trying to do the same thing with Jazmyn.
Over the trim of your laptop, you watch Drew stand in front of you and starts taking off his gray and black long sleeve hoodie in slow motion.
"Oh my god."
"What?" He asks, amused.
"What?" You ask, embarrassed.
“Take a picture, it would last longer.” He teases, sitting next to you. You shove your elbow in his ribcage, “Shut up!”
You should not be surprised when he teases, “make me.” But your skin gets covered with goosebumps.
“Okay, last time we hangout it was two, three nights ago?” You try to change the topic, “I just remember that I beat your ass at Family Feud. Wanna play that again?"
Drew lets out a breathless, “no” as he puts both of his arms around you, his hands resting against the wall. “Let’s play a new game.”
He grins ear to ear when he feels you take a big breath in, the air faming the side of his face. “Let’s see who can the be the loudest, them or us.”
You look at him like he grew a second head when he starts hitting the wall and making grunt noises.
“You want to make it seem like we are having fake sex?”
He laughs, mostly to himself, “It’s not like you are taking me out of my misery and-“
You cut him off by pulling his hands off the wall to put them on both sides of your waist as you to help you saddle his lap. As you trace the outline of his abs, you cannot help to lick the rest the way up until he puts one of his hands under your chin to pull your face upwards to his. Both of you do not know who kisses who first.
When you need to catch a breath, you mutter, “what?” since his smile makes you smile too. “I want to take you on a date and stop using our roommate sex lives as an excuse to hangout.”
“Okay.” You feel like you are on cloud nine when his smile becomes even bigger. “When?”
“We got time to figure that out. For now…” He gives you a quick kiss before setting you to lay on the bed so he can get up.
You watch him grab a sock before opening the door wide enough to put it on the doorknob. “I want to keep on doing what you started.”
He runs his way back to his bed to tackle you while you have your arms wide open.
─────
Tagging the people who reblogged or comment on the post about which college AU to write first:
@ilovejjmaybank @softstarkey @pixelated-pogues @everydayimfangirling @maaybanks @scandalousfemale @thelocalpogue @sunnypogue @sortagaysortahigh @tembo-ndoto @arthiriticcricket @jjsbxtch @thatsme-johnbookerroutledge @rudysrings @ptersparkers @obx-saltlife @ssjiara @drewsephsmiles @obbx-tings @jjmaybanksbaby @jjaybank @mahleeyuh @jjcultmain @tcmhollnd @teamnick 
The college AU for Rudy will hopefully be posted tomorrow!
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643 notes ¡ View notes
moonscarsandstars ¡ 4 years ago
Note
i fell asleep on your shoulder and you were too polite to move or wake me up au. how about this one for a prompt?
If Sirius was being truly honest, he was exhausted.
Stifling yawns and catching overpriced coffees wherever he could didn’t seem to do the trick, so Sirius was left dragging his suitcase in the hopes that he could just possibly catch a nap on the flight home. It hadn't particularly helped that he'd explored the city all night, meeting locals and trying out foods from night stalls. Or that he'd stayed awake far past the morning alarms set to wake him up.
But a solo trip to France that was, for once, free of the formalities and complaints of his family, had so been worth it.
“Sir? Boarding pass?”
“Oh- so sorry,” said Sirius, snapping out of his sleepy daze and urgently digging through his pockets before dropping three pens and presenting a slightly crumpled boarding pass. “Here it is.”
The lady accepted it with no comment, apparently ignorant of Sirius's hectic struggle to pick the pens up, before giving him a nod.
“Thanks,” Sirius said to not much avail.
With a sigh, he clambered up the ramp, his heavier-than-ever suitcase trailing pathetically after him, and before he knew it, was sunk in his seat, not caring about the plastic wrapped blanket and headphones he'd shoved onto the floor and the suitcase uncomfortably heaved onto his lap.
And he might've fallen asleep for a couple seconds, before an equally tired and flat voice woke him up.
“Exhausted, huh?”
“Who's there-” started Sirius hazily.
Half-heartedly putting his hands up in accusation, a man next standing at his seat gave a small chuckle. “Just sitting next to you is all.”
“I'd say that's allowed.”
“Why thank you,” said the man, dragging a hand through loose golden curls. Freckles were splattered across his skin and his eyes seemed to reflect the same golden brown as his ruffled up curls. And at Sirius's tired smile, wrinkles appeared in the corners of his grin. If Sirius was being honest, he thought he was really lucky to have landed this seat.
“Sirius Black,” said Sirius, smiling at the man as he shuffled into his seat. “That's my name.”
The man replied with a smile, and extended his arm. “Remus Lupin.”
It took Sirius all of five seconds to realise that the extended arm was an invite for a handshake, and blushed in faint embarrassment as he awkwardly took Remus's hand.
“Sorry, sorry. Really sleepy.”
“Aren't we all?”
“I'd say so,” said Sirius, looking around to face dreary passengers with a yawn. “Didn't sleep much last night.”
“Any reason?”
“Was the last day on my first solo trip, of course I wasn't going to stay inside and sleep. So worth it, though.”
“If I were you, I'd wait 'til the babies start crying and giving you a headache to say that.”
“One could always hope,” groaned Sirius, stretching his arms up, just possibly catching Remus's eyes slip down to his lifted shirt and bare waist.
Pulling his backpack onto his lap, Remus chuckled quietly. “I suppose.”
For a moment, Sirius's eyes widened- as wide as they could go, really, in such a sleepy state- as he watched Remus draw a book from his bag. Maybe it was the sleepiness, but Sirius couldn't help his pure confusion at someone who didn't want to use this time to catch some blissful rest.
“You're not going to sleep?” He blurted out, his voice beginning to drag.
“I never really can sleep on flights, so I always come well prepared,” replied Remus simply, holding up his book. Wuthering Heights. Sirius recognised it as one of the books he could never truly get past a few pages of. Regulus used to love those kinds.
“Really smart of you.”
That smile came back. “Why, thank you, I'm sure you're not too bad yourself.”
“You're speaking to the man who wandered around the city the night before an early morning flight.”
“Oh well,” replied Remus with a smile. “One could always hope”
Replying gracefully with a rather loud yawn, Sirius gave the man an apologetic look, eyes drooping. “As lovely as this has been, I think I’m going to turn in now.”
“Oh, sure,” said Remus, with another one of those smiles that Sirius figured made him feel warm even in the cold of the airplane. “Hope you sleep well.”
The loud hum of the plane’s take off was starting, and a quiet bit of anxiety settled somewhere in Sirius’s mind. But he was too tired to mind it much, and too close to Remus to truly fear of anything. And there was something about Remus that made Sirius believe this would be the best flight ever.
~~~
If Remus was being truly honest, he had no idea what to do.
Usually, he was too busy panicking over everything and nothing to hold interesting conversations with hot strangers. Or have them fall asleep on his shoulder. But here he was.
The man- Sirius- seemed thoroughly exhausted, having slept through turbulence that had almost driven Remus up the walls. In a way, Remus was jealous of him for being able to catch a more than a mere wink of sleep on a flight.
With his breathing so steady and his expression void of any worry he may have had, Remus truly hadn’t the heart to wake him up. Not when Remus’s meal came, not when his leg started cramping up, and definitely not when he needed the next book from his stowed away bag, no matter how suspenseful the last one had left him.
But Remus snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Sirius stirring, pushing away the strands of hair falling onto his face. Silently, he thought it was adorable the way Sirius seemed to look almost confused as his eyes began to flutter open and he shifted around.
With a sudden push and a jolt from his side, Sirius woke up in almost a scream. That turned into a groan. That turned into a whimper as his exquisite sleeping arrangement came back to him.
“Oh fuck- I didn’t did I?” Asked Sirius, wincing a little as he put the pieces together.
“You might have. Just a little bit.”
“I am so, so sor-”
“Hey, don’t worry about it, you looked exhausted anyway. I’m glad you got some sleep, really.”
“Still I-”
“No ‘but’s, it’s really alright.”
And then he broke out the grin. That grin. The one that Remus would’ve gone weak at the knees over if he weren’t sitting in a cramped up seat. He was half convinced Sirius, knew fully well that his hopefully light blush refused to die out. Although, maybe it was just the dim lights and drowsiness playing him, but there was a certain blush that lingered on Sirius’s cheeks too. Unless he was overthinking it.
“Well- thank you, I suppose, for having a comfortable shoulder.”
Remus burst out into chuckles. “No problem, no problem at all. Besides, I’m sure yours is just as comfortable.”
“I’d offer to test that out, but-”
“But? Are you refusing your shoulder to me?”
“I wouldn’t deprive you of such joy,” said Sirius, in a way that made Remus hope no one was listening in on this conversation.
“Maybe I’ll test it out later, if you’re lucky.” Remus stretched his arms and fought hard not to kick himself once the words had left his lips.
“If I’m lucky?”
“That depends,” said Remus. There was an odd sort of sparkle in Sirius’s eyes that seemed vaguely familiar. With an invitation at the tip of his tongue, he asked, “Where are you headed?”
32 notes ¡ View notes
commanderserwin ¡ 4 years ago
Text
put your head on my lap.
↦ pairing(s): erwin smith x reader
↦ word count: 1.2k
↦ anon request: 
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[plus] Then thinking hes fallen asleep you traced his face features and spluttered some bullshit about how you love him or described how you just love his eyebrows earning him to chuckle so you blushed all hellish red and playfully smack him on his chest/shoulder!!! (Yeah no dick sucking this time just pure bliss of heavenly fluff) (2)
↦ author’s note(s): for my erwin simp ♡ (i added something else too bc 🤩) i hope you like it !!! (ngl i couldn’t post this bc i had no proper title for it but here we are🚶🏻‍♀️)
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Erwin sat around the table, his hands clasped together as he listened the other soldiers voicing out their grievances. He’d occasionally write them down on his notes, nodding away, taking mental notes until the next soldier complains again. It went on until everybody in their table got to say something, which ended with their Commander sighing deeply. He could feel his body shutting down, exhaustion spreading on his body but he tried to not show it. Finally, they all stood and the meeting is finished. 
Erwin stayed there for a few minutes, just staring into the window, then back to the notes. He is so exhausted, sighing deeply here and there, his mind closing in and his thoughts buzzing with silence. 
If he could just take a nap, that would be good, he thought. 
Erwin finally pushed him off of the chair, dragging his feet to go back to his private office, carrying his notebooks with one hand. It was still the middle of the day and he is already swarmed with documents. He sighed again, turning the knob to his office, thinking: This is my job. I am the Commander of Survey Corps. 
That all vanished when he looked up to a familiar figure on his couch across his desk, someone flipping through a random book, tapping their fingers on the furniture. Erwin sighed loudly, hoping that they’ll take notice and it worked. 
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You listened to the knob turn, smiling to yourself as you flipped through your book. He finally stepped in, sighing loudly— the usual thing he does when he’s looking for your attention and it always works. You closed the book, placed it underneath the couch, eyeing Erwin still standing by the door. 
He looked so defeated, so exhausted, that your smile almost dropped from your lips, ushering him forward while he leaned in to place a kiss on your forehead. You grabbed on to his jacket, pulling him towards you, while he lazily followed your kisses. 
“Busy day?” You whispered against his lips as he pulled away, brushing his fingers on your cheek.
Erwin only nodded, taking the space right beside you. He leaned his whole body on yours, while you squirmed underneath him in a feeble attempt to get him off. 
Tired Erwin is playful. He always wants to be with you, wants your whole attention on him, just have you with him, and all that. It always leaves you in awe when you see him during meetings, his brows furrowed in seriousness while he discusses strategies, and when the two of you are alone. He’s like a big clingy baby. Not that you’re complaining, it’s just a huge contrast to the one ordering soldiers around— then he here was. Currently using all his body weight to squish you. 
“Erwin,” you whined, feeling his cheek on your head. He tangled his fingers with yours, still leaning on you. He paid no attention on how you pinched his forearms, smiling away. “Get off of me, please.” 
“I’ll think about it,” Erwin whispered, closing his eyes. 
He could sleep right here and there, he thought. 
“Oh,” you squealed, pushing him off of you. “No! Do not sleep on me like that!” 
“How would you like me to sleep on you?”
“Not like this!”
He pulled away slightly, holding your chin as his icy blues stared at yours. There’s a small smile playing on his lips, as his lips brushed yours while he spoke, “Sleep inside you-,”
“Dirty!” You chuckled, successfully pushing him away while you blushed nonstop at the image and the feeling. Erwin caught on your blushes, chuckling softly as you pinched him again. 
“But you enjoyed it last-,” 
“Don’t say it.” 
“Night.” 
Silence. 
Erwin only smiled ahead, his shoulder rubbing yours. You looked up at him, arching your brow as you crossed your arms at your chest. He only chuckled, prying your hands away from each other in an attempt to hold them again. You didn’t budge, only tightening your arms together until Erwin sighed deeply, again. He pecked your cheek, then he laid down on the couch, his head laying on your lap. 
He reached up to cup your cheeks, making you look over to him, his thumb rubbing circles. You only rolled your eyes, letting him guide your hands again on him. Erwin yawned, closing his eyes, as he turned his head away. 
“Are you tired?” You whispered, brushing away his hair— his energy bubble ending as he yawned once more. 
“Yes,” he whispered back, opening his eyes to peek. He clasped your hand in between his as he closed his eyes again. “Will you wake me in half an hour?” 
“Sure,” you answered, resting your hand on his chest. 
He nodded on your lap, feeling his breath steadying underneath your touch. He nuzzled in closer to your touches when you began to brush your fingers on his hair. It makes him drift faster to sleep, feeling your fingers brush him as you softly lull him to sleep. 
You continued to brush his hair, knowing that he likes it. At times like this, you still couldn’t believe that both of you made this work, knowing at how much dangerous it is. Both of you are here, just basking in silence, being an anchor to each other. After years of hints and those shy smiles of his, here you are. 
Completely smitten with him, and your heart still aches at just the thought of him. 
“I love your stupid jokes,” you whisper, smiling to yourself, remembering how lame he was at the beginning. 
“And the way it would still make me laugh,” 
“I love how you make me feel so... important,” 
“So loved,” 
“Cherished,” 
“I just hope I make you feel the same way,” you whispered, fingers dancing on his skin. “Because you’re my everything.”
“The way your kisses would make me feel so complete,” 
“Or the way you would look at me like I am... that,” 
“Or how every time you hold my hands and I would feel so lucky,” 
“I still wouldn’t understand why you wouldn’t let me touch your damn eyebrows after all the things we’ve done,” you chuckled softly, your fingers slight grazing his brows. “But I still love them. Your stupid eyebrows.” 
He stirred in his sleep, lips quivering and nose scrunching. 
All the color on your face disappeared when he turned his head to look at you, his blue eyes staring intently. He smiled widely, making you pull away from him as you covered your face in attempt to cover up your blush. 
“You were awake!” You spluttered, feeling his chest shake in your lap as he chuckled loudly. You feel so embarrassed, hoping that the ground would swallow you whole while Erwin chuckled endlessly. “You were awake this whole time!” 
Erwin sat up, holding you in his arms, as you kept covering your face. He kissed you all over your hands, prying them away until he succeeded. He’s staring right at you, face red, the blush creeping in hot as you tried to pull away from him. 
“You love my damn eyebrows?” He asked, raising his damn brow, now that he got you to stare at him.
You looked at him, “That’s all you got from I said?” 
“Of course not,” he breathed deeply, his face contorted into seriousness as his hand traveled to your leg. You let him guide your body, his hand cupping the back of your thigh as he moved you to sit on his lap, your legs on either side of his. He rested his hand on your hips, while you wrapped your arms around his shoulder, looking down on him. 
Erwin pulled you flushed to him, his hands now resting on your back as he embraced you, feeling his lips travel from your jaw as he captured your lips in soft pecks. He pulled away, “Wrap your legs around me.” 
“Hmm,” you hummed, feeling Erwin lift you up as he padded towards his desk. He kept his eyes on you, his hands on your thighs as he gently placed you his familiar desk. 
Oh, the times he’s made a mess out of you on this very desk, you thought. 
Erwin began to kiss you again, this time with urgency, his hands moving to cup your jaw, making you rest your hands on the table to stabilize the both of you. 
He smiled against the kiss, making you do so, his hands now busy unbuttoning your blouse. You let him, loving the way his calloused fingers brushed your chest as he took his time. Until he pulled away, his eyes looking down on his desk. His eyes flitted towards you and the papers, curiosity painting his face. 
“Oh,” you mentioned, sitting up straighter to point at the papers, “They told me to give it to you.” 
“More work?” He groaned, resting his forehead on your shoulder. He sighed against your skin, kissing your bare shoulder as lifted his head up again. 
“Sorry, Commander,” you feign a frown, patting his shoulder. 
“I’ll work on them later.” 
“Why not now?” You asked, your fingers automatically buttoning your shirt up, but Erwin stopped them. 
“Later,” he breathed deeply, holding your hands. “I have you now and you expect me to work on those now?”
“Okay, okay,” you nodded, flustered, feeling his hand on your back as he places you gently on his desk. 
Erwin mumbled against your skin, as you listen to him list all the things that you just said to him. He nibbled on your skin every time he exposes more of yourself to him, his lips making small and tender kiss on your chest and stomach. He looked up, leaning in again to kiss you. 
It was hot, rough, and urgent, his lips capturing your lower lip, while both of you breathed heavily, flushed against each other, his hand guiding your leg to wrap around him. 
His work no longer instilled in his mind, but only you, you, you. 
╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾╼╾
Then, everything stopped. It was quiet that you could hear a pin-drop. 
Somebody knocked on his office door. Then again. You punched Erwin on the shoulder to knock him out of his own surprise, eyes widening to get himself off of you. His fingers fumbled with the button of your shirt in a hurry, redoing the wrong one where he inserted it on a wrong one. You pushed yourself off of the table, as you fixed your hair and jacket as Erwin quickly buttoned it up. 
“One second,” Erwin loudly said, his lips in a tight line. 
Both of you can’t be caught. Not like this. You chuckled against his body, and he immediately looked at you. Erwin smiled down at you, never missing a second to kiss your lips. 
“Not funny!” He mouthed, his damn brows furrowed by the smile on his lips displayed widely.
You have to push him away, when you felt something brush on your thigh. 
“You’re hard,” you mouthed, pointing at his trousers. 
“Yes, I know,” he muttered, pecking you one last time. He squinted his eyes as you quietly chuckled, gently getting off of the table as he helped you so. 
“Quick,” you patted his shoulder as he fixed his clothes. Your hands immediately went to his bolo, fixing them while he did his hair. “Cover it up with the documents.” 
He nodded hurriedly, as both of you try to find a realistic position to stand. 
“Commander Erwin?” 
“Wait a minute!”
“What am I going to do?” Erwin asked, looking down on his pants. 
“Why are you asking me?” You replied, fanning yourself to calm yourself from the kissing and from the trouble of being caught. 
“You did this!” Erwin seethed, looking around inside his office. 
“Why, thank you!” You smiled, glancing up at him. You pinched his arm, and pointed at the door. “Let them in-,”
“Have you found them, Arlert?” 
Both of you stared at each other, familiar with the voice on the other side of the door. 
“Oi!” Levi knocked, his loud voice echoing in the tensed room, “This kid’s been knocking on your door for a minute now!”
None of you talked. None of you even breathed. Erwin hung his head low, chuckling quietly, as he covered his blushed face with the papers that he was holding. You chuckled alongside him, leaning your head on his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around you. Both of you couldn’t even hold it anymore, your laughters echoing in the room, fully knowing that Armin and Levi could hear you two. Erwin blinked down at you, smiling widely to see that you were laughing in his arms. Erwin could feel his heart clench, ready to burst into never ending butterflies, his thoughts echoing back to what you said earlier— making him smile wider as he could. 
“You two better be dressed.”
317 notes ¡ View notes
youreacowgirllikeme ¡ 4 years ago
Text
Competition
note: I just felt like writing some angry, jealous Chris...enjoy :)
words: 2.5k
warnings: swearing, alcohol, unprotected sex
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"I am Chris Cuomo, live from New York with my collegue Y/N Y/L/N, keeping you updated on this 2020 presidential election all through the night.”
The camera switched to you as you greeted the viewers before handing it over to Phil on the magic wall, right in time so the giant yawn you had to let out wasn’t caught live.
"Pull yourself together, Y/L/N.“ Chris whispered across the anchor desk and discreetly slid a cup of coffee your way.
You rolled your eyes at him, that was easier said than done. It was the second night of the election coverage and you ran on nothing but naps and caffeine for two days now. You spent all your time off air preparing your nightly coverage, doing panels for the day shift, keeping track with the incoming numbers and doing calculations. It was exhausting, and you had no idea how Chris managed to not only be wide awake, but also look impeccable doing so.
It was the first major event the two of you had covered as co-anchors, you had never worked with him before and maybe that was for the better. Because while he was a brilliant journalist and you had already learned a lot from him, he also was a huge pain in the ass, and the fact that he teased you all the time was only made worse by the surge of heat that went through you every time he stared at you with those damn blue eyes.
Yes, you had a slight crush on him, but you blamed it entirely on sleep deprivation and would never even dream about acting on it. You had this big event to cover, and that’s where all you focus was, or at least should be.
The camera swayed back to you right in time for you to announce a key race alert, calling the next state for Biden. A good way to start the night.
+++
"And that’s it from us in New York, I’m Chris Cuomo and I’m now handing over to my colleagues in Washington, our live coverage on CNN continues after a short break. Thanks for spending your night with us.”
“Fuck me.“ you murmured, slumping your head down into the anchor desk as soon as the cameras were off.
You were absolutely bone tired, and you only had about a 10 hour break before preparations for the next night started, because there was no chance the race was going to be called in the next hours.
“Y/N?” one of the producers called your way. “Washington asks if they can have you up for a panel discussion at 10, and maybe another one in the afternoon?”
You groaned and just gave a thumbs up, it wasn’t like you had planned on going home anyways.
Deciding to squeeze in a nap in your office, you got up from your chair to at least get a couple hours of sleep. You walked through the hallways like a zombie, and didn’t pay any attention to where you were going until you ran right into a huge body, colliding with the persons chest with a huff.
“Come on, Y/L/N, too tired to keep your eyes open?” Someone chuckled, and you groaned internally. Cuomo was one of the last people you wanted to see now.
“Sorry, We can’t all be super humans who don’t need sleep.” You muttered, and tried to keep walking, but a hand on your shoulder stopped you.
“You’re staying here until tonight?” Chris asked, and you just nodded tiredly in response.
"Join me in my office for a drink then?” He asked, and your eyebrows shot up.
“You keep alcohol here, Cuomo?”
“Of course.” He chuckled. “Emergency use only, but the craziness of those past hours calls for it, and you really look like you could use one.”
He was right, a drink sounded like heaven, and you were way too tired to be rational right now.
+++
“Shit, this is good.” You sighted, taking another sip of the scotch Chris had poured you, your head slumping back on the backrest of his comfortable leather couch.
Chris had already downed his drink and was now watching you from an armchair across from you.
“You need to toughen up.”he suddenly said.
“You’re doing a good job, you’re driven and intelligent. But you let stuff get to you too quickly. You need to stay focused 24/7, even under pressure like tonight, or the job will break you at some point.”
You blushed furiously, what he said hadn’t sounded mean or condescending at all, but you still got defensive.
“I didn’t have one single slip those past two days, cut me some slack, Cuomo, were all tired.” you snapped.
Chris face stayed as calm as his voice.
“I’m tired, yes, but you don’t see me yawning in front of the camera. You looked cute, don’t get me wrong, but I doubt the bosses will see it the same way.” He chuckled, and you couldn’t believe your ears.
“I am not cute, I’m an anchor just as you are.” You hissed, your fists clenched in your lap. You got up from his couch. “I’m leaving now, I don’t need your condescending shit.”
Before you even reached the door, Chris had already caught your arm, his fingers wrapped around your wrist, holding you back.
“Hey, no need to be cross, I was joking.”
He took a step closer to you, and you got a whiff of his aftershave mixed with the whiskey he just had. He smelled like heaven, and looked so stupidly good, even in his wrinkled dress shirt and with circles under his eyes, you hated him a bit for it.
You took a step back, hitting the office door behind you. Chris was so close now, watching you with dark eyes and a curious expression on his face.
“Well it wasn’t funny.“ you whispered, unable to come up with a better response. Your brain was fuzzy with alcohol and sleep deprivation, and couldn’t handle the situation.
"Or maybe you just need to loosen up a bit.“ Chris grinned, cocking his head to the side.
Looking back, you weren’t sure what made you do what you did next, maybe it was the whisky, or the lack of proper sleep, or both, but grabbed the fabric of Chris dress shirt and yanked him down, crashing your mouth onto his.
He appeared suprised and didn’t move for a second, but then his hands grabbed your arms and pressed you back against the door. He deepened the kiss, but just as you tried to reach out to bury your hand in his hair, he suddenly took a huge step back.
"You need to leave.“ he pressed out, even if his body language clearly said the opposite.
"What’s gotten into you?“ you asked, confused and slightly irritated.
“There’s no way in hell we’re doing this. Not here, not now, not ever.”
“But you just-“
“Look, I’m m sorry if I sent you the wrong signal, but we can’t do this. I know, we’re both tired and we had a drink and everything. But we’re working together. This isn’t right.” He let out a deep breath, before his face hardened. “I really think it would be best if you leave now. I’ll see you later, once we’re back on air.”
You felt absolutely mortified, you had been convinced that Chris had wanted the same thing, had you really been reading him so wrong?
You didn’t want to be in that situation any longer, already feeling the embarrassing sting of rejection manifesting itself with a giant flush creeping onto your face.
So you did the only thing you could come up with, you ran, locking yourself in your office and dreading facing Chris again.
+++
The joy and relief over the Biden victory had erased most of the exhaustion and pent up frustration you and the whole CNN team had felt during that election week. The guy who hated your network and the way each of you did their job was finally out of the White House, and that was a definitely reason to celebrate.
You were currently all gathered in the main office space where the bosses had thrown together a party, their way of appreciating your hard work during election week. There was music, amazing food and, much to your delight, an open bar.
It would’ve been a great evening if it wasn’t for the almost unbearable tension still hanging in the air between you and Chris. Looking back, you had no idea how you had managed to keep it so professional during the coverage following your encounter in his office.
Of course, being serious journalists, you didn’t let it show that there was any animosity between the two of you, but as soon as the cameras were off, Chris either completely ignored you or fled the room as fast as he could.
You tried not to take it personally, but it still hurt, and even talking to him on air without showing that was incredibly difficult for you.
Now, you hadn’t spoken to him at all in the three days since the election was over, and you had finally decided that he wasn’t worth the many thoughts you had spent on him.
You wanted to have some fun tonight, have a chat and some drinks with your colleagues and not think about Chris Cuomo.
Which was pretty hard, considering that his huge frame was almost impossible to miss in the crowd, and you had felt his eyes on you more than once.
But you stood your ground, trying your best to appear unimpressed as you joked around with some blokes from the production team. One of them, a guy called Jim, seemed a bit into you, and you decided some harmless flirting wouldn’t hurt. The last days had been physically and emotionally exhausting, so some light banter was just what you needed.
You were in the midsts of laughing about a story Jim had just told, when your eyes caught Chris staring at you from across the room. And for some reason, he looked really mad.
You just raised your eyebrows at him and turned your attention back to your colleague. But you were only listening with half an ear, your thoughts were circling around Chris again.
What was the matter with him? It was when Jim put his hand on your arm and you saw Chris throwing another murderous stare your way that you realized what was happening.
Time for some fun, you thought, and leaned closer to your admirer to whisper into his ear.
“Would you be a dear and get us some more drinks?“
You laughed theatrically when he agreed, just for the effect, hoping Chris would see it. But when you looked up, he was nowhere to be found.
Jim was making his way to the bar now, so you decided to use the restroom real quick. You were just walking through the hallway, when suddenly, someone roughly grabbed your arm from behind you.
“You’re coming with me.” Chris growled and dragged you into the closest room, which did just happen to be his office.
As soon as the door slammed behind you, he had backed you up against it, his huge frame towering over you.
“Cuomo, what the fuck are you doing?” You spat, trying to get away, but his arms were on either side of your head, effectively trapping you. Your heart was beating like crazy, a sign of your treacherous body reacting to Chris’ closeness.
“What the fuck are you doing, Y/N?” Chris growled, “You like playing games with me?”
You were really annoyed now, he had no right to just treat you this way. But you couldn’t deny the the burn of arousal in your lower stomach at seeing him so worked up.
“Games? What’s your fucking problem, Cuomo? you can’t just drag me in here like that.”
“What were you doing with that asshole out there? That your new boyfriend?”
“Oh my god, are you serious?” You yelled back. “You were the one who basically kicked me out of your office the other day, and now you’re actually asking me-“
Before you could finish, Chris kissed you, pressing you against the door with his body. The kiss was almost brutal, his teeth clashing against yours, he bit your lip and his tongue plunged into your mouth.
It had you clawing your hands into his shirt, your arousal kickstarting as a noticeable bulge pressed against your stomach.
Your need for the man, that you had carefully bottled up for about a week now, was now hitting you with full force.
“What are you doing?” You gasped between kissed, your breath already rigged from arousal. You wanted him so bad, your whole body screaming to be touched by the man in front of you.
“Shut up.” Chris growled, his huge hands sliding under your dress to squeeze your ass. You moaned into his mouth, palming his rock hard erection through his trousers before starting to work on his belt buckle.
The groan Chris let out against the skin of your neck he was currently kissing sent a pool of wetness between your legs, and you doubled your efforts to finally get him out of his clothes.
When his huge cock finally sprung free, you couldn’t suppress a moan at the thought of feeling him inside you. It earned you a smug chuckle from Chris.
“Stop laughing and fuck me.”you whined, and he grabbed your panties, effortlessly tearing the thin lace from your body, bunching up your dress around your hips in the process, leaving your dripping core completely bare.
“Those were my favorites, Cuomo.” You growled, but he just gave you a sharp slap to your ass.
“I don’t fucking care, baby.”Chris replied, and before you could come up with a snarky remark, a huge finger slowly got pushed into you, making you throw your head back as you let out a needy whine.
“More, please.” You whispered.
“You’re so fucking wet for me, baby, I’ll give you everything you want.” Chris replied, withdrawing his fingers.
He picked you up and pushed you against the door with enough force to knock the air out of your lungs. You didn’t care. He gave you one last hard stare before he slammed you down onto his cock without warning.
“Fuck.”You cried out , biting your fist to stop yourself from making any more noise, the office walls were thin.
“You like that baby? You think that damn boy out there could ever fuck you like that?”Chris pressed out, his hips thrusting in and out of you in a relentless pace. His brows were furrowed, teeth bared. He looked feral, aggressive, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your thighs hard enough to bruise. You were transfixed by his face, your eyes locked on his as he pounded into you harder and harder.
“I asked you a fucking question, could he ever fuck you like that?”
“No, never.” You cried out, your voice almost breaking.
“Shit, Chris, don’t stop, please.” you pleaded, throwing your head back against the door with each of his thrusts. You were not above begging, there was that raw possessiveness in his voice and the way he manhandled you, and it drove you wild. You had fully succumbed to him by now, going limp in his arms as your body shook with every hard snap of his hips.
“Look at me.” Chris snarled, delivering a particularly forceful slam, making your head snap up, your eyes meeting his.
“That fucking punk won’t ever touch you again.“ Chris accentuated his words by grabbing you even more roughly.
“You’re being ridic-shiiit.” You groaned, as Chris pressed you down onto his cock, hitting that sweet spot. He was so deep inside you, and when he dug his nails into the flesh of your tights, the sweet flash of pain pushed you right over the edge.
All the built up tension of the last days left your body as you clenched around Chris cock, trying to muffle your cries by burying your face in the crook of his neck.
“That’s it, fucking squeeze my cock, baby.” He breathed into your ear, giving a few more sloppy thrusts before he tensed up and spilled inside you.
He lowered you back onto your feet and you slumped back against the door before Chris carefully maneuvered you over to his couch, sitting down beside you.
“Where the hell did that come from?”You broke the silence. You still couldn’t quite wrap your head around what just had happened, but there was no denying that you had enjoyed the hell out of it. Your body was still tingling with the afterglow of your orgasm.
“I did some thinking, and decided that I need to stop being an asshole and go for what I want.“ Chris shrugged. "I wanted to apologize and talk to you first. But when I saw this jerk putting his hands on you, I just snapped.“
“Glad you finally came to your senses, you were acting like a total idiot” you said, seriously at first, before a grin took over your face. “But I forgive you, we have a party to get back to, my bathroom break is already taking way too long. But how does dinner tomorrow night sound?”
“Great, actually.” Chris replied, giving you the first sincere smile that evening, and maybe the most sincere you had ever seen from him. "But stay away from that guy, or I’ll drag you in here again.“
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op-peccatori ¡ 5 years ago
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per sempre tuo (M) | IkeVamp Leonardo
Fandom: Ikemen Vampire
Pairing: Leonardo da Vinci/Fem!Reader 
Rating: Explicit/18+/NSFW
Word Count: 4400
Summary: Your lover has many different sides, and you adore every single one of them.
per sempre tuo: forever yours
a/n: Finally. This is just some unnecessarily long fluffy smut to cope with finishing his route. Yes, I did listen to Italian music for this and yes, I did cry at some of the lyrics. I recommend the first 2 (A Te and Magnolia) if you wanna give it a listen~ AND, for Thirst Purposes, I’ve installed a reading nook in Leonardo’s room.
I had a tough time with the title, trying to pick which was more appropriate, per sempre tuo or tuo per sempre, but I went with the former...
(warnings/tags under the cut)
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Warnings/Tags: explicit sexual content, vaginal sex, no plot, extreme cheesiness, some minor spoilers for Leo’s route
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You’re not sure what wakes you–the gentle thrum of the rain outside the windows, or the familiar, sweet scent wafting over to you.
Slipping out from underneath the comforting mantle of slumber, you shiver and curl up sleepily.  
Or maybe it was the cold, the hint of autumn chill brushing warm skin as you turn over with a groan to find your usual bedmate missing. With a quick search of the disorderly room, you blink at the way your head throbs and squint at Leonardo. He’s curled up in his little reading nook, with the window cracked open, and you watch as he–cigarillo held between sanguine smudged fingers–sucks in a mouthful of smoke. It spills from his lips in slow, curling wisps after a few seconds. 
Further inspection reveals a notebook resting on his lap, an unbuttoned shirt, and chestnut strands pulled back into a short, messy ponytail that does unfair things to your libido. You don’t sit up just yet, content to let your eyes run over him as you try to recall the events of last night. 
Dinner had, as always, been a warm, chaotic affair. You remember being unable–and unwilling because it had been a while since you had indulged–to turn down Comte’s offer of wine. You remember the slow buzz creeping through your veins as you laughed at Arthur and Theo’s bickering, the droopy look on Sebastian’s face as it snuck up on him too, and the endearing flush on Isaac’s cheeks, unsure if it was wine-induced or if it was the result of Dazai’s teasing. 
A flush fills your own cheeks as you remember Leonardo’s warm gaze and soft lips, telling you to have fun as he left to have a quick chat with his old friend.
You remember accepting another glassful of the beverage, and you remember Sebas walking you to your room–which doesn’t explain why you’re in Leonardo’s bed instead of your own. It’s a bit like staring into murky water, trying to identify what lurks beneath the surface, and it slipping away just when you’re on the verge of discovery.
You refocus on his still figure.
Leonardo is, at his core, a man of action. With an eager mind, hands that itch to reach for something or the other–a book, drawing tools, things to repair, and ever since you came into his life, you. 
Jack of all trades, master of nearly all. 
Watching him at any time is fascinating; it’s hard to take your eyes off of him, you’re always eager to watch him in motion. And then there are the times where he’s quiet.
You hadn’t realized it at first, but it’s clearer right now as you observe him silently. He’s more subdued when it rains. It had been different when the two of you had been caught out in that sudden shower, but even now, the restlessness seems to have withdrawn, leaving placidity in its wake. 
He loves his naps, but the way he’s curled up next to the window, listless, eyes unfocused–he looks almost lonely. 
“Buongiorno.” Your startled gaze meets his, the cool gold of his eyes heating as they catch you staring. He turns his head to face you, his upturned mouth and the little crinkles in the corner of his eyes sending warmth fluttering through you even from across the room. “Slept well?” 
“Mm, I think so.” A yawn catches you off guard, quickly covered up by the back of your hand. You stretch languidly, feeling your muscles release, before you sit up, reaching for the top of your head to pat down flyaways. Your dress from the previous day is draped over the back of a chair, prompting a quick startled glance down at your body. You’re in one of Leonardo’s shirts; with a grateful sigh, you reach for the glass of water he somehow managed to make space for on his crowded bedside table. “I feel like I did.”
With the way he perks up, you wonder if he’s been waiting for you to wake up and play with him. The thought amuses you for a moment; sometimes, he really does act like a cat. You meet his eyes again, and he looks curious, putting out his cigarillo in a little ashtray on the windowsill. He’s always curious about what’s going through your head. 
“I hope you do. You were out cold,” Leonardo replies after a moment’s pause, before something sly crawls into his tone, the mischief glittering in his eyes putting you on guard. “I’d say you slept like the dead, but your snoring could’ve actually woken them up instead.” 
You barely avoid choking on the cool drink, gulping down a mouthful of it as you glare at him as dangerously as you can. It only serves to widen his smile. 
“Lies.”
“Nope. It was cute, though. I like it when you snore.” 
“When I-how often do I do it?” Your voice is shriller than you would like, and he, being the infuriating man that he is, starts laughing. 
“No need to get so worked up, cara mia,” he soothes, closing his notebook and placing it on a shelf behind him. He reaches for a damp cloth, wiping his hands clean, and closes the window.  “Come here, you look cold over there.” He looks colder. 
“I am cold,” you mumble, embarrassment still hot on your skin, but you can’t resist his beckoning fingers and climb out of bed quickly, the hem of his shirt falling to the middle of your bare thighs. Picking your way across the room as deftly as you can, a low hiss escapes you as you end up stepping on what looks like a puzzle piece. 
He reaches for you with a sheepish smile, gathering you up in his arms before settling back against the wall, reaching down to rub the sole of your foot tenderly. 
“Sorry about that,” he murmurs, his calm voice warm, raspy gravel, reaching down to the very depths of you; wrapped up in his embrace, his heat seeping through the layers of cloth between your skin, you can’t help but melt into him with a soft hum. With your head cradled against his chest, you peer out the window. The skies are a solemn grey, but the flowers are there to make up for it, looking brighter in the light shower as they reach toward the heavy clouds.
You mull over his words for a moment, worry filling your heart, pressing your lips to the side of his neck before tilting your head back to look at him. “Is that why you were awake? You couldn’t sleep because of me?” 
At your words, he looks close to laughter, the corners of his lips quirked, but he fails miserably and presses it to your scrunched up brow. “I’ve slept through a lot worse, so no.” 
You study his expression for a moment longer, gauging the sincerity in his eyes, before you nod. Wondering what kind of stories are behind those soft words. “Oh. Also, did I pass out at the dining table? Because I don’t remember getting back to your room…”
“No, you didn’t. Last I saw you there, you were wide awake, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh that loudly. But by the time I got back, you’d already gone up to your room. ” Confusion creeps in, and Leonardo chases it away with a swift peck to your scrunched nose. “We should get you drunk more often.”  
You think back to dinner, and while it’s all a bit blurry you do remember having fun.
“So, I didn’t do anything embarrassing?” His fingers skim down your arm to tangle with your fingers, bringing them up so he can press his lips to the back of your hand. 
“Hmm. I think we have different opinions on what makes something ‘embarrassing’.” You stare at him until he grins again, sudden and wicked. “Don’t you remember singing for us?”
You resist the urge to jump out the window. “Oh no.”
“It was lovely,” he insists, chuckling when you swat him. 
“I can barely sing when I’m sober, and my drunken version has been likened to the screeching of a cat.”
“I don’t agree at all. I enjoyed it quite a bit.” 
“Of course you enjoyed it.” Feeling quite faint from the force of your despair, you attempt to escape his hold only for him to tighten it, pressing you back into him. You pull, he pushes. He pulls, you push. Your brief tussle ends with you sitting back against his chest, curled up between his legs, and a shiver running up your spine when you feel his lips on your neck.
“I did. Let’s see–I loved how free you looked, the way your hair escaped your neat little braid, the way you throw your head back when your laughter seizes you. The way you smiled at me, with your flushed cheeks and smiling eyes, reaching for me as if you never wish to be parted from me again. I loved it all.” His breath falls hotly on your skin and you’re frozen in his embrace, your heart holding onto every word that rolls off his silver tongue. “There was just one little problem.”
Your first attempt to speak dies in your throat. You wet your lips and try again, eyes sliding shut as he presses a burning, open-mouthed kiss beneath your jaw. “What was it?” 
Leonardo hums, lips forging a path up to your ear. “I wasn’t the only one to see all of that.” 
Fingers trace the jut of your collarbone, slow and inquisitive, as you work through the implications of his words. “I doubt anyone would see it the way you do.” 
“In this, cuore mio, you’re completely wrong. Not only do they see what I do, they covet. They envy. I don’t blame them for it, you’re a blessing one can only dream to have, but it still…” 
“But still?” 
He nips at the shell of your ear, hand smoothing across your abdomen, and your breath grows heavy. 
“It makes a part of me want to hide you away, away from their longing eyes. I would never do that, but a man still feels the need to stake his claim, yeah?” His hand dips under your shirt, tracing incomprehensible patterns on your skin, the calloused pads of his fingers skimming the skin beneath your breasts. “The entire time I was speaking with ‘Comte’ I was thinking of what beautiful side of you would be revealed next.” 
Your next words are carried on a breathless whisper.
“What did you do?” And you feel the way his lips, pressed to your temple, curl up. “What happened after that?” 
“Heh. Nothing.” He bites at the plump flesh of your cheek, light and playful even as his hand drifts up to cup one breast. Something is lodged in your throat and it feels like it might be your heart. “You did all the work for me.” 
It must’ve been something embarrassing, because you know the way he tugs at a nipple, rolling it between nimble fingers, is more of a distraction. The knowledge doesn’t stop your stomach from clenching with anticipation. “What did I do?”
“Nothing as bad as you’re imagining. I went looking for you, you see,” Leonardo licks up the length of your neck, kissing his way across your skin. Your fingers dig into the firm flesh of his thigh, holding onto the cloth as he sucks red, blooming marks. “But you weren’t in your room. Gave me quite a fright. I found you soon enough, though; stumbling through the halls, trying to find your way to your darling Leo’s room.” 
“I don’t remember that at all…”
His other hand cups your sex, heel pressing in with purpose as your head tips back, lips parting. “Don’t think anybody’s ever been that happy to see me. It was quite a kiss. Did I mention I had a few of the others looking for you too?” 
Leonardo’s palm slips further down, caressing the soft skin of your inner thigh, his cheek brushing yours when you try to look at him. He helps you turn around, leaving you kneeling between his legs, his fingers brushing your cheeks before he cups them and pulls you into a sweet kiss. The taste of his thin cigar spills rich on your tongue, the proof of his arousal brushing against your knee, but he seems content to just kiss you, tongue curling around yours, making a satisfied little sound low in his throat.
Desire burns low in your belly and you pull away with a gasp, forehead dipping to press against his.
With eyes dancing with fervour, he doesn’t look so lonely anymore. You worry, sometimes, that you won’t be able to reach him, that your worlds are too different. He’s a living legend who seems so out of everyone’s league it’s almost funny. 
But he’s also Leo: easygoing and warm, when all he wants is to curl up in your arms, to kiss you, and run his hands all over you, a dragon curling and rubbing itself all over its greatest treasure. When he just soaks up every bit of affection you offer him like a starving sponge.
The flat of his palm meets the soft flesh of your rear with a low smack, pulling you out of your musing. 
“I think that’s really e-embarrassing.” 
Such a demanding old cat, you think. Always wanting to hoard your attention. You should save that one; he gets, quite subtly, but adorably huffy when you say that. You’ve seen his quiet, simmering anger over the big things, but it brings you an odd sort of joy when he gets playfully mad at you over the little things. When instead of shrugging it off, he pouts until you’ve peppered enough kisses all over his face. 
He pinches your stinging flesh.
“Don’t agree. Story’s not over, though. So, then I brought you back here, but you decided to be a bad girl and torture your helpless compagno.” His hands slip up your shirt to cup your breasts, your back arching when his thumbs brush over tightening nipples.
“I’m not sure h-helpless is a word I would ever use to de-describe you.” Desire begins to pool between your legs, your head dropping back when he rolls the peaks between his forefingers and thumbs. You slip the shirt over your head, much to his approval and he doesn’t hesitate before leaning in for a taste, his next words spoken into your skin.
“No, you wouldn’t, would you? But when the love of your life kisses you so sweetly, tasting like rich wine, with her hand on your cock–” He sucks a taut nipple into his mouth, working his mouth roughly as you moan and weave trembling fingers through his hair. “And you have to tuck her into bed because she’s drunk, and spend the rest of the night trying to think of the most disgusting things you’ve seen in your life? One can only wonder what circle of hell invented this.” 
“I-“ your skin burns at the thought of you trying to drunkenly seduce him, and you sit back on your heels with ears burning hotly. “I’m sorry.” 
“Me too. You put up a real tough fight, nearly convinced me…the places my mind went…” Leonardo sighs and slips a leg between your thighs, laughing when you squirm at the firm muscle of his thigh pressing into your sex. “Yeah? You wanna know?” 
“Did I really do that?” It comes to you in one single sentence, and the memory of Leonardo’s body pinned beneath you. 
“I just want to feel you. Please?”
Strong hands grip your hips and pull you forward, the friction robbing you of all coherence for a second. “I very nearly prayed.” 
You can’t help but laugh at that, planting soft kisses on both his cheeks, reaching for the collar of his shirt to pull him closer. “I’m really sorry.”
“Mm.” The pleased possessiveness in his eyes always takes your breath away, and the way he sighs and relaxes at your touch makes your heart thump in delight. It always ends up this way; a quiet moment spent with hands running over warm skin, the muscles of his chest firm under your fingers, your spine stretching as his palm slides along the length of it. “I’ll allow you to make up for it.”
“Yeah?” Your lips brush over his, and you breathe in the sweet scent lingering in his breath. Your hand slides down his solid abdomen, coming to rest on the waistband of his pants. “What do you need me to do?” 
With a small hum, his darkened eyes fixated on yours, clever fingers brush your breasts, your sex, and in a move that makes your breath hitch in your throat, they wander over to your rear, between plump flesh–and you immediately consider if what you’ll need is available or if you’ll have to run down to the kitchen. 
Leonardo kisses his way across your cheek, soft and sweet, lips warming your ear. “Smile for me.”
You blink as he pulls back to grin boyishly at you, feeling your brow twitch as your head drops to his shoulder. “You make me feel like a horny pervert.”
“Aren’t you?”
The sound you make is childish, near whiny in tone as you attempt to jump off his lap and flee to the safety of his bed. An admirable attempt, but one that is foiled right away by his arms wrapping around you. “Hey, don’t run from me.” 
“Leave me to my shame, Leo.” He pulls you close, chest pressing to chest, and your lips quiver at the feeling of your breasts against his muscle, and the way he tries to look stern but his affection just softens it until you want to eat him up. 
“You’re so pretty, Leo. Sometimes I wanna just eat you up.”
Dear Lord. Drunk you is shameless. 
“No shame in wanting your lover, cara mia,” Leonardo coos, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I want you just as badly, in every single way, all the time. Il mio cuore è tutto per te,” he murmurs, pulling your hips down to meet his, your mouth watering at the hard ridge of his erection. 
“I don’t see you making a fool of yourself,” you breathe, rolling your hips into his, thrill unfurling within you when he growls throatily. 
“If you saw what goes on in my head, you would run.” His voice is a power unto itself, growing deeper, going straight to your pussy. You reach for the fly of his pants, unbuttoning it swiftly and tugging at them until he lifts his hips with a thick chuckle. 
“Never. I’m far braver than that, and much too in love,” you declare, yanking the fabric down his thighs, taking a moment to admire the thick muscle defining them. 
“And you say I’m the smooth talker.” You crawl up the length of his long legs, his keen eyes raking over you, swaying breasts calling his hands to them like fleshy magnets. “Come to me, cara mia. I’ve been waiting too long to get my hands on you.” 
The head of his hard cock pokes at your thigh when you settle over his lap, his legs spread out. It begins to leak with a few pumps from you, and your eyes flit between the beads of his precome and the way his lashes flutter with each movement of your hand. 
“I don’t think I can wait too long,” he groans. “I was hard most of the night. Wanted you so bad.” 
“Sorry, baby.” You press your lips to his chastely, again and again until his other hand comes up to cradle the back of your head, keeping you there. Rough fingers reach your entrance, collecting drops of your arousal before pushing in. A wicked grin stretches across your mouth, matching his own. 
“Ah, I don’t think you’re up for waiting either.” Shuffling on your knees, you guide the head of his cock to your entrance, slack-jawed as you sink onto it. 
“...Fuck, Leo.” 
Leonardo draws you into another kiss, teeth sinking into your lip when you clench him tightly. His hands squeeze your thighs and, in a display of strength that honest to god has your pussy fluttering, he lifts onto his knees with ease, your legs coming to wrap around his hips. With his tongue still licking into your mouth, he pulls you half off his cock before jerking you back down and slamming his hips into yours. He swallows every moan, every cry, every wrecked sound that climbs up your throat. 
“You feel so good, cara mia. So perfect. And you’re all mine,” he growls into your skin, his thrusts relentless, intent on taking you apart. He presses you back into the bookshelf, and your heart pounds in your chest when he adjusts his grip on your thighs, pushing them back and hooking your calves over his broad shoulders.
The next, merciless slide of his length into you has your eyes rolling back. It’s only in this, when it comes to sex and your pleasure that Leonardo can push you in different, filthy ways until you’re left shaking. Your voice climbs in pitch with every rough thrust, your hands scrambling for purchase on a shelf behind you. 
“There, oh, there, please, k-keep doing that,” you sob, blinking back tears as you look up at him pleadingly, burning hotter at the sharp, consuming desire you see. He presses what feels like impossibly closer, the burning in your thighs strong but the drag of his skin against your bundle of nerves overwhelming. 
“Come for me, ___,” he groans, a wicked smile ghosting across his lips, allowing you a glimpse of fanged teeth and you see stars. Your back arches, head thumping against wood; your walls clamp down, and a hiss leaves his lips as you break in his arms. He slows his pace, fucking you through it, lips chasing away the tears spilling over. 
Forehead pressed to his shoulder, chest heaving, mind and body more jelly than flesh–his cock is still heavy in you, and an involuntary whimper sounds deep in your throat when you look up at him. He kisses you gently.
And with all his gentle affection, he pulls you off of his length and sets you down in front of the window, back arched and ass out, the glass cool against your sweaty cheek. You hiss softly when he slides in again, your breath fogging up the glass, his front curled over your back. Brushing away damp strands, he plants open-mouthed kisses on the nape of your neck, your shoulders. Twining your hair around his fist, other hand steady on your hip–he angles his hips and thrusts deep. 
You had been sure you didn’t have it in you to make even the slightest noise, but your body disagrees in the form of a low keen, your aching cunt swallowing him greedily. 
“That’s my good girl,” Leonardo exhales, his pace turning swifter and harder, the sound of skin slapping against skin providing an erotic contrast to the soothing rain. “Sorry for being so greedy but…” His fingers find your swollen clit and heat coils in your belly. “...I want one more.”
Denying him, your own pleasure at that, is not something within your capacity.
He muffles a guttural groan in your skin, nearly rutting into you as you wail, loud and wanton, unravelling once more. His pace stutters and liquid heat fills you in thick spurts. You turn your head, weak but wanting, to welcome his lips on yours.
Cracking the window open once more, you curl up against his body, his heat more than enough to shield you from the cold. You brush his hair away from his face, his having slipped free in the frenzy of desire. He rubs your lower back gently, covering you with his still-warm shirt, reclining against the bookshelf; you think you almost hear him purr his contentment. 
“Wait, where’s Lumière?” You’ve seen no sign of him, and the thought relieves you a little.
“Following Sebas around, last I saw him,” he mumbles, nosing at the skin behind your ear. You’re both so sweaty, but you wonder if you can make it to Le Thermae without running into any curious residents. “Also, cara mia, there was something I wanted to ask you.” 
“Mm?”
“I talked to Comte about it, and he’s agreed so you don’t need to worry about that. If you’re okay with it, I wanted to take a little trip.” You look at him and he pokes your cheek, but there’s no missing the hopeful look in those eyes. 
“Just us?”
“Just us. I want you all to myself,” he tells you, smug smirk and cockiness, before it softens into a tiny smile. “I had some work, back in Italy. Thought I could take you, show you around since we’d have the chance. Only if you’d like to, of course.”
“I’d love to.” Your immediate response is, quite embarrassingly, teary eyes and an enthusiastic kiss. Pulling back, you raise a brow. “Only if I’d like to? You mean you wouldn’t have wrapped me up in my sleep and taken me along anyway?”
“As you cute as you look when you’re grumpy,” he laughs at the narrowing of your glittering eyes, “the journey would be far more pleasant if you’re happy, no?”
“But I’m always happy when I’m with you,” you point out, foxy smile in place. The fuzzy feeling in your heart feels close to spilling over when he hugs you closer, but you still catch the way the tips of his ears flush. He holds you close as if wanting to imprint the feeling of your body against his, to sear your love onto his heart, to inhale the scent of you and trap it in his lungs–before the day comes when he will no longer have the chance to.
You turn away from the sadness and bury your face in his chest.
“Y-yeah, well. It’s time you got to eat some of the best food in the world.”
Now is the time for love, and you plan to give him so much, to paint him in the colours of your adoration, devotion and passion–that loneliness will not dare touch him for a long, long time.
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Thank you for reading~ 
Translation:
il mio cuore è tutto per te: my heart is all for you
cuore mio: my heart 
per sempre tuo: forever yours (tuo is masculine singular possessive, tua is feminine singular possessive)  
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juliandev0rak ¡ 4 years ago
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Lapine
Dinner at the Lonan manor doesn’t go to plan.
a side fic to the Hallmark Yule Series by @leila-of-ravens
characters: Lysander Lonan, Leila Lonan, Leith Lonan, Lachlan Lonan (of @leila-of-ravens), Ella Sagen (of @leechobsessed), Beatrice Viano, Bramble the rabbit, also sort of Julian Devorak
words: ~1800
notes: takes place somewhere between chapters 4 and 5 of the Hallmark Yule Series
Beatrice has been running on nothing but excitement and lots of tea for the last few days.
She’s been busy being introduced to the city of Umbra and to her home for the duration of her stay. It’s hard to rest when there's so much she wants to see and do while she’s here, there are museums and an opera house and most exciting of all- a university. She wants to see it all, wants to soak up every moment of being in this place.
She finally has a break in her busy itinerary, an hour to herself before dinner which is usually served at eight. She finds it difficult to stay awake now that she’s not on the move, and she decides a nap is in order. But as Beatrice lays down on the still unfamiliar bed, she finds it impossible to fall asleep. 
As she tosses and turns fitfully, her mind wanders back to the house tour Lysander had given her after she’d arrived a few days ago. Beatrice had probably looked like a fool, all wide-eyed and curious about everything. She’s never been in a house this grand, except for the palace in Vesuvia which is well, a palace.
The Lonan manor is large, beautiful, and filled with all sorts of wonderful things. She’d noticed a grand piano on her way in, and books, books everywhere. If someone had asked her to describe her dream house, this would be it. 
Even the guest rooms are nice, tasteful if a bit impersonal. And Lysander is just down the hall, the second to last room he’d told her. She feels slightly strange at the thought of him sleeping so close to her, just a few walls away. Beatrice can hardly believe she's here, seeing where he lives and works and spends his free time. She's in his home.
Trying to sleep seems useless, so she gives up on her nap and decides to read. But she’s restless and even her novel can’t hold her attention for long. Hiding away in her room has less of an appeal when she has so many more interesting things, and people, she could be seeing. 
When it’s time to get dressed for dinner Beatrice stands in front of the wardrobe for far too long, trying to decide on an appropriate outfit. She wants to be casual, this is simply a family dinner after all, but she wants to look nice too. Beatrice finally picks a dress and tries to fix her hair, which is beyond repair after a day spent out in the cold and wind. She pins it back from her face and fluffs her bangs- good enough.
This is just a dinner with Leila’s family, but her family happens to include Lysander. If she’s making a little more effort on his behalf, who could blame her?
Beatrice shakes off her sudden bout of nerves and checks the clock on the wall, it’s five minute till eight so she heads downstairs to the dining room. Bramble hops along beside her, sticking close to her side. Her familiar has been uneasy since their arrival, on guard around the other animals who inhabit the house. There’s a dog, a fox, and multiple birds of prey- it’s not the safest environment for a rabbit, and Beatrice has been careful to keep an eye on her.
When she enters the dining room she finds nearly everyone seated already. She takes the seat between Leila and Ella, and notices that the only person missing is Lysander and the only vacant seat is directly across from her. She wonders if someone had arranged the seating like that on purpose. 
Bramble settles into her lap and Beatrice reaches for the full wine glass in front of her, taking a polite sip as she listens to the others talking around the table. She’s a bit overwhelmed by all of the chatter and is content to observe rather than interact for the moment. She notices that Ella is avoiding any and all eye contact with Lachlan, who is similarly avoiding her by conversing with Julian. Beatrice looks away, unsure how to offer Ella support in this moment, and watches as Leila jokes with Leith.
Lysander enters the room then and her eyes immediately go to him. 
She stares at him, dressed in his usual white shirt and blazer combination, and he stands in the doorway looking back at her. The eye contact stretches on, neither looking away until Leila laughs loudly at something Julian says and breaks the moment. Lysander clears his throat and crosses the room to take his seat across from her. He nods at her in greeting and she dips her head in response, wondering if she should say something.
Bramble stirs in her lap and Beatrice suddenly wonders whether it’s rude to have a rabbit at the dinner table. She’s pretty certain that the laws of etiquette don’t dictate what to do with your familiar, but she isn’t about to let Bramble roam the house alone.
“Dinner is served!” Leith announces from the head of the table. They’re served some sort of stew, the meals in Umbra are always warm and hearty. It smells good but Beatrice decides to try the bread first. She’s learned over the course of her stay that Leith is a very competent cook and usually makes every meal himself. As she spreads butter on a piece of warm bread she notices Leila turned to face her.
“So, Beatrice, did you manage to nap?” Leila asks, and her friendly smile puts Beatrice at ease as it always does.
“No, I think I’m quite immune to sleep at the moment.” Beatrice takes a bite of the bread, savoring the soft texture. “I read instead.”
Leila laughs, “I’m not surprised to hear that. Is the book any good?” 
“Yes! Lyse recommended it to me. It’s got so many characters that it was a bit difficult to keep up at first, but I’m enjoying it.” Beatrice turns to look at Lysander across the table and finds him already looking at her. She smiles briefly and quickly averts her eyes, staring down at her plate instead.
“Lyse, is it?” Leila laughs at the casual slip of the nickname and Beatrice blushes, wishing her hair was down to hide behind. She picks up her spoon to cover for her embarrassment and is just about to eat a spoonful of the flavorful looking stew when Ella’s voice rings out over the other’s conversations.
“Beatrice, don't eat the stew!” 
“I beg your pardon?” Beatrice lets the spoon fall back into the bowl, careful not to make a splash. Her eyebrows draw together in confusion as she stares into the bowl, it looks like a perfectly normal meat stew to her.
“It’s rabbit.” 
“Oh.” She stares down into the bowl, unsure how to react. She doesn’t eat rabbit, how could she when she’s got an adorable one sleeping in her lap right now. Beatrice looks up from her bowl to find everyone’s eyes trained on her and she blushes again, embarrassed to be making a fuss.
“Leith! How could you serve us rabbit with Beatrice here?” Leila asks, shaking her head in disapproval.
Leith looks horrified as he stands up from his chair to make his way over to Beatrice. He bends down towards her as he talks. “I’m so sorry Beatrice, I forgot entirely! Rabbit is a very common meat here and… well that probably doesn’t make this apology any better. I am sincerely sorry for having served you this meal, can I get you something else to eat?” 
“Oh it’s fine, please don’t worry about it!” Beatrice is trying to sound reassuring but her voice raises to a slightly squeaky pitch as it does when she’s uncomfortable.
The chunks of meat in the stew seem to stare at her accusingly and she tears her eyes away. She looks up to see Lysander still watching her with a peculiar expression on his face, he looks a bit upset but it’s always so hard to tell what he’s thinking. Beatrice hides her discomfort by taking another sip of wine.
“It most certainly isn’t fine, I’ve greatly offended you and your familiar.” Leith’s voice pulls her attention back to him. “Please accept my most sincere apologies, I’m sorry to have caused you any discomfort.” 
Beatrice frowns as he talks, but she’d made up her mind to forgive him before he’d even apologized. It was a simple mistake after all, and one he clearly hadn’t intended. “Your apology is accepted of course, but I’d appreciate if you didn’t serve rabbit again while I’m here.”
Leith puts his hand over his heart as if he’s swearing an oath, “Of course, it won’t happen again I promise. Now would you like something different? I could make a vegetable soup if you’d like?” 
“Oh, that’s alright! I’m not very hungry, I think I’ll stick to bread, thank you.” Beatrice reaches for her piece of bread and takes a bite for show. Any appetite she’d had has pretty much disappeared. 
Leith doesn’t return to his seat, still intent on making amends. “I’ll have to make something special for dessert sometime to make it up to you, any requests?” Beatrice drops her piece of bread and nearly knocks over her glass in the process. She hates being an imposition, especially as a guest. “That’s very kind of you to offer, but you don’t have to go to any trouble on my behalf!”
“Beatrice loves cake,” Leila interjects before Beatrice can demure too much.
“Well perhaps I’ll make a carrot cake then, to apologize to both of you.” Leith smiles warmly at her, and Beatrice returns the gesture.
“May I help you bake it?” She asks, surprising herself with her boldness. Beatrice has only just met the oldest Lonan brother, but she can already tell that he is a very kind person. She’ll willingly accept his apologies, and his baked goods.
“Sure, if you’d like. I’d be happy for the help.” Leith gives Bramble a scratch between her ears and then returns to his seat. 
The dinner continues on, though everyone seems to enjoy their meal a bit less than before. She notices that Lysander hasn’t touched his stew at all.
As the rest of the group continues to talk and drink, Beatrice sits back to observe again. She had worried that she’d feel out of place here- in a fancy house, in a city so far away from home. But the Lonans have tried their best to make her feel welcomed and included, and she appreciates the effort.
Though she’s still trying to get her bearings in this unfamiliar place, Beatrice realizes that she wants this. She wants to believe she could belong here, in a fancy house with a family like this. With this family. As long as they don’t serve rabbit again.
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iwriteforthetincanman ¡ 4 years ago
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Mandoctober Day 14: Helmet
A/N: brought to you by angst, depression, a small hot chocolate, the tense feeling in my shoulders as I’m typing this and of course the source of almost all of my writing: the mixture of insomnia and a f**ked up sleep schedule.
p.s. I am trying to take care of myself, October is just a tough time of the year for me and Mandoctober is helping me cope. I refuse to give up any possibly writings/drawings at this point.
Also this is loosely based off of headcannons from @dindjarindiaries​ blog and this is for @leo-moon​ ‘s Mandoctober!
TW: mentions of abuse (both descriptive, non-descriptive, mental, emotional and physical but only for a two, three paragraphs) Refusal to eat or sleep (Din refuses to do these things for two seconds and Reader isn’t granted them) minor character death, themes of slavery (NOT RACE SPECIFIED) (not a trigger warning) pronouns of a gender neutral partner and of course, lastly, hurt/comfort and fluff. (Also personally because I wrote this and I can shout it into the void, I’m gender fluid with she/her pronouns so I’d like to imagine reader is too, BUT THAT’S JUST ME SO IMAGINE THIS HOWEVER YOU WANT, once again requests are open for any sexuality/gender, as long as you give me brief description of what you want, nothing NSFW)
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Time. Aboard the Razor Crest with no specific moon, sun or stars to guide you, time easily became irrelevant. What you learned very quickly was that with this discovery, you realized Din knew that too. 
Or it had gotten to a point where he learnt it a long time ago and just...forgot all about it.
Sometimes he would just sit there in the pilot’s seat, without even doing anything and he would just stare into oblivion. You wondered if his eyesight was okay. Now that you think about it...when was the last time he ate something? Does he ever take that helmet off?
“Din? Are you okay?” For a moment you thought he might be asleep. 
“Sorry...did you say something?” Okay, now you knew he at least needed some sleep. 
“Come on tin can. You need some brain food and maybe even an ‘extended nap’.” You joked.
“Isn’t that just called sleeping?” You couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not...or if that helmet was squeezing his brain too.
“Come on!” Grabbing his hand unexpectedly, Din flinched a little before you dragged him to his feet. 
“I-I can’t.” This admission had you stopping in your tracks as you reached the hull. 
“Is...everything okay?” You were concerned before but now you were starting to think he was hiding a wound from you. He’s done it before. Waiting until you were asleep to tend to it so you wouldn’t worry. Little did he know you had been wide awake with worry for a while and could hear him hurting himself with that blasted cauterizer. 
It was understandable that as a Mandalorian medical supplies weren’t cheap. Even with all the bounties Din brought in, currency rates were going up around the universe. It was difficult to keep up with. Which is why you never broached the subject with him.
It wasn’t your place to pry. 
Not with him anyway...he was silent, reserved, it was like he didn’t trust you. Yet you of all people understood that, you understood that it took you a long time to trust him. Like really trust him with your life...rather than just your role to him as the child’s ‘caretaker’.
It blind sided you when you realized how deeply you cared for him...Mando. 
Gods, you didn’t even know his own name.
“My creed. I can’t...eat in front of other people.” This was a touchy subject. You knew that. But you underestimated how stressed out he really was. He wasn’t wounded...he was just bone tired.
“Well, I can make some food-”
“DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!”
“...ok.”
He hadn’t seethed the words out from his teeth as loud as you had heard them.
But...the look on your face as your eyes met the floor, undoubtedly filling with tears.
It cut Din deeper than any vibroblade could.
---
“I don’t know what to do Ad’ika. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t dream without thinking of her. And now...now I’ve gone and done the worst thing I could ever do to her...I hurt her without even touching her.” 
The sigh was small before it reached a crescendo out of his lungs, erupting out of his head like it was a volcano. That was what it felt like to breath again. When he was alone Mando had the freedom to take his helmet off on the Crest as much as he wanted. As long as he was in space, his privacy was unlimited. 
But that all changed when he met the child and then eventually...you. 
“I just wish...I knew more about her. Knew her likes and dislikes. Knew what her favorite food was. What makes her laugh...her favorite kind of music…I’ve gone and ruined everything haven’t I? Not just for me but for you too. I can’t just let her go...and if she does leave I can’t just hire someone new. She’s...really burrowed her way into my heart, little one.” 
Din’s soliloquy fell into the little creature’s ears like a fly trap. The child knew his father was hurting, he could feel it, not just in the force but in his tiny little heart. It was the kind of hurt he couldn’t fix with his own hands...he had to find another way. He had to make his buir feel whole again. 
Determined, the little creature climbed onto his father’s chest as his breathing started to relax. 
“Ad’ika, I’m not in the mood for games right now…” The dark circles under Din’s eyes became more and more pronounced as the hours dragged on. The good thing about being a father now meant that he had someone to talk to at any time if the baby was also struggling to sleep. 
Din never thought he would become a father. He thought a lot of things wouldn’t happen before he died a warrior’s death. He definitely thought he wasn’t going to fall in love too...but that happened before he could even think about it. 
Multiple chirps and coos echoed from the child’s lips as Din continued to massage his temples. 
“Ad’ika did you not hear me?”
Opening his eyes, Din found himself utterly and completely alone. 
“Ad’ika!” Startling upwards, he launched himself onto his bear feet as he searched the dark air around him for either you or the child. 
“Y/N!” Screaming your name into the void he began to run, not caring about his bare feet, his sleep wear or the fact his helmet was completely missing. 
A fact that had not gone unnoticed by the child.
---
Abruptly, Din was launched into the scorching blazes of a desert sun. 
The sand hurt as he fell down the dune he wasn’t gonna lie. 
But in some weird, twisted way, it felt good to feel the sand under his skin. 
“Girl! You get back here! Wretched creature!!” The sudden yelling came from a small village not too far away from where Din stood. Flinching, he hid behind the sand. He felt naked without the beskar. It was almost embarrassing how scared he was right now.
Peering over the sandy hill, he saw a young child with Y/H/C hair, rosy cheeks and bare feet run straight towards him. Not considering the strange events that had occurred before this, Din, although he’d never admit it, attempted to run away from her. Except, when she caught up to him, she ran right through him.
Din couldn’t decide whether this was some wicked form of a dream or that he had died and was now wandering the nearest planet.
Oh Maker, what if he was dead? There was no way you could pilot the Crest on your own...and what about Ad’ika.
That was when he heard it, the baby cooing in his head. 
“Ad’ika?”
That’s when it clicked. He wasn’t in some hellish figment of his imagination or dead…the child had used his powers to do this since he wasn’t wearing his helmet. But then again...where the hell was he?
“Y/N! YOU UGLY THING! IF YOU DON’T GET BACK HERE I WILL THROTTLE YOU!”
Whipping around to face you, all Din was met with was the familiar sight of you hunched over yourself, right near his feet. Crying. This had happened before but…not like this.
Was this...one of your memories? 
Oh no...Din was in your head. Somehow, the baby had managed it.
“I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK THERE! AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!” Din turned back to face the furious woman, she looked like a cursed school teacher, her hair flying all over the place. But what stood out to him were the nail marks on her cheek. 
He couldn’t picture it but somehow this woman had distressed you so much you had decided to hit her. The next thing that happened confirmed it…
SLAP!
“YOU EVER HIT ME LIKE THAT AGAIN GIRL I WON’T BE AS CONSIDERATE TO KEEP YOU!”
Keep you? Oh...you weren’t a school child.
You were a slave.
That’s why when you had first met you had been so skittish, so fearful...and yet so brave. 
Somehow it all made sense.
Din couldn’t help reaching out for you as your head sagged on your shoulders, a purple and pink mark blossoming across the side of your face as the evil woman clawed her hand around your wrist. 
“You will make my children their supper and you will go straight into the cellar with no dinner. Do you understand me child?” She spoke with a gentle tone...yet the venom dripped from it with the force of a thousand sandcrawlers. 
“...Yes Ma’am.” 
Your submission startled Din. Then again, you were only a child, and if Din hadn’t been taken in by the Mandalorians at your age...who knows what could’ve happened to him. From what little he had heard about of slaves...they didn’t often make it to see their teenage years. 
Yet, somehow you did. 
Din couldn’t help being grateful that, from what he could see of you, those were the only things that cruel woman had done to you. 
---
Stumbling into a new landscape, Din shook his head in an attempt to gain his bearings. 
“Look Y/N, it’ll be a quick job, all you have to do is listen to what I say and we’ll be gone as soon as you can say ‘bantha fodder’.” 
This was a new voice. A teenager from what Din could guess. They spoke in a kind tone but at the sound of the way they said your name he couldn’t help the feeling of jealousy welling up in him. 
Shaking his head once again, he looking around the jungle planet to spot you and this person.
“Iarren...I don’t know about this. I know we’ve done stuff like this before but we’re not resistance fighters. Those are imperial troops. What if...what if one of us doesn’t come back from this?” 
A much older version of you appeared like a vision from behind the leaves. You were much older now, Din could only guess that you had only just recently come of age. You had grown into your features well. He could see more of the fierce woman he had come to know. 
“Babe, you worry too much. Imps are stupid, plus what we are after is right next to the door practically. If you’re so concerned you can cover me from here and I’ll be right back to kiss your worries away...alright?” Din could tell just by the way you shared a glance that you were absolutely taken with this person. 
In a way Din respected them...but in the back of his mind he knew there was a reason he was seeing this particular memory. Bracing himself, he could only watch as you shared a tender kiss with your lover. It shocked him how passionate you were with them. Gripping them like a vice as if you knew what was about to happen. 
Din’s heart broke for you as he watched you sob over their corpse later that very night. 
---
“Cyare?” 
Din thought he had finally made it back to you just by looking upon your face. Much older now, age similar to the one when he met you. Looking around, he realized...this was that exact moment. 
“Excuse me.” 
Now Din knew for certain he wasn’t dreaming...there was no way he could dream about himself in this much detail. It was like having an out of body experience...in a way he was.
“Can I help you?” The first thing Din noticed about you was that you were too kind to have been on a planet as rough as Andos. Imps were everywhere nowadays and it was the one time Din had to wear a proper cloak so no one could spot him. 
“I need to hire someone to help me with a child. I was wondering if you could help me find a person that is trustworthy?” Being a Mandalorian was so difficult that day. Meeting you made him realize that you were kind enough to suggest yourself, admitting that you were tired of the constant trail of dead bodies this planet had shown you. He flinched when you mentioned the blood you found leaking through your front door one morning. 
He accepted your offer immediately. Offering payment for a job you had been doing for years without none. 
Din had no clue he had saved you from slavery for the second time in your life. 
---
Waking up in a cold sweat, Din knew this was reality. 
All your memories, it felt like a dream. 
That’s when he felt his son sag against his chest, heaving long tired breaths. 
Din was scared he had over exerted himself. 
“Ad’ika...why did you do that?” 
All the child could do was reach for his father’s face, bringing it towards his own. 
“Da.” This one, simple word, brought Din’s walls crumbling to the ground as he began to cry. 
“Thank you...Ni kar’tayli gar darasuum Ad’ika.”
The overwhelming joy he felt caused his thoughts about you to skyrocket. He knew he had to share this information with you. 
Startling from his bed, Din shot out of his room with the sleepy child tucked against his vest clad chest. 
“Y/N! Cyare come quick!” 
The sound of his unmodulated voice scared you more than anything else he had said to you that night. What you didn’t expect when you opened the door was to find a complete stranger shouting your name. 
“WHO ARE YOU? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH DIN?!” You practically screamed, ready to throw hands with this strange practically half naked man that had appeared before you.
That’s what you spotted the child in his arms, half asleep and staring admiringly up at the man. 
“...He called me da. I...had to share that with you Cyare...I didn’t even think twice about my creed.” The watery smile he gave you was enough to convince you that the man before you was none other than Din Djarin himself. 
“...just like that? You...you threw away your creed, being a Mandalorian...just so you could tell me he spoke his first word?” Din thought you were upset, in a way you were. 
When he turned to find your eyes filled with the happiest of tears he had ever seen, the overwhelming urge to kiss you kept slamming into his head, bleeding through his heart. 
“Cyare...Father’s always share the first word their child speaks with their Mother.” 
When you began to sob, Din refused to hold himself back as he curled his fingers through your hair, cradling your son between the two of you as he tilted your head back. 
As his lips brushed against yours for the first time…
You both had never felt so free.
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cilldaracailin ¡ 4 years ago
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Heaven For Everyone
Hello my Tumblr Lovelys!
Sorry to say this is the last part in this story in the Robyn and Taron series. Working on more but when it appears, it appears :) Thanks for all the love and comments and reads on the story. Hope you all enjou Suze xx :)
P.S A lot of the details of Taron's flat come from my head and the brief video I have seen. I don't know his flat at all so I have done my best but again as this is all fiction, it doesn't matter if it is not perfect.
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10
“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.”
Even with the late hour, there were still some photographers waiting for those who left the afterparty, hoping to catch them stumbling out and looking worse for the wear. Taron was stone cold sober and so was Robyn and the only fuss that could have been made about their exit from the venue was the fact that Robyn was wearing Taron’s jacket.
She got into the black car, which thankfully was nice and warm, moving right over to the door, giving Taron space to get in too.
“Thanks Clive.” Taron thanked the driver as he got into the driver seat.
“No worries Taron. You have a good night?”
“Yeah it was brilliant thanks.”
“Heading back to yours right?”
“Yeah please.”
“Sure. “
“No problem at all. Let me know if the car gets too warm for you.”
Taron didn’t answer and hoped Clive saw him nod in the rear-view mirror, as another long yawn filled his body, his arms stretching over his head. “Go on, say it.”
“I’m saying nothing.” Robyn could see the tiredness immediately settle into him as he relaxed against the car seat and wasn’t surprised to see him yawn. “But…”
“And there it is!” Taron chuckled as he rested his head against the seat. “You were forewarned about the tiredness and that was even before last weekend.”
“Yes I was.” She agreed. “You want a quick snooze on the way to yours?”
“I am going to rest my eyes for a while.”
“Wanna rest them over here?”
Taron turned his head to look at Robyn as she held her right arm open for him and he didn’t even question it but moved closer to her and leaned his head under her chin, Robyn wrapping her arm around his shoulder. “Probably not the best idea to have you sleep through a power nap. You probably won’t actually sleep now.”
“Oh, don’t worry I will.” Taron snuggled a bit more into Robyn, moving his lower body so he was a little stretched out on the back seat. He happily sighed as he felt Robyn run the lightest of touches down his nose and temple before her fingers eased into the hair at the side of his head, scratching his scalp back and forth.
It was definitely the quickest Taron had ever fallen asleep with her and Robyn on hindsight, wished she hadn’t suggested the power nap for him because she hated waking him when he was sleeping. Deep and even breathes filled his body and she continued to run her fingers tips through his hair and it was slightly worrying with how quickly he had fallen asleep but Robyn just figured it had been a really long day for him work wise and she knew his body was still not quite fully healed after being so ill. Leaning down, she placed a kiss on his head and wrapped her right arm around him a little tighter, smiling to herself as he mumbled in his sleep and nestled into her some more.
The drive to Taron’s flat in London took just about half an hour and Clive turned in his seat once he had parked the car. “Robyn we are here.” He glanced at Taron who still slept against his female passenger. He had noticed in his rear-view mirror the position Taron had found to have a quick few winks and wasn’t surprised to see him still asleep as they arrived at his London home. “I will go and get your cases for you.”
“Thank you Clive.”
Once the driver had closed the door of the car quietly, Robyn wished he had of slammed the door because maybe it would have been the jolt Taron needed to wake up. She didn’t know why she bothered to run the tip of her finger down his nose because she knew it was a soft touch that comforted him and as she ran her hand through his hair, she chuckled a little. “You really can sleep anywhere but I suppose the warm body helps. Ok Taron, time to wake up.” She dug her fingers a little deeper into his scalp but knew it was a hopeless effort in rousing him. Taking her hand from around his arm, she moved to his shoulder and shook him gently. “Taron? Come on rocketman, time to wake up.”
When Robyn ran her hands so tenderly through his hair, Taron’s eyes had fluttered open and as she shook his shoulder, he stretched, yawning twice. “So sleepy.” He mumbled into her soft skin.
“And hello to you too.”
“Let’s just stay here and sleep” Taron moved his head so his face was tucked into her neck.
“Or we go inside to your nice warm flat and sleep on your bed.”
Taron smiled. “I am already nice and warm and cosy.”
“Of course you are.” Robyn laughed. “But you promised me a weekend of movies and I don’t see a TV in this car.”
Lifting his head from her shoulder, Taron looked to her. Her eyes were still bright and her face smiled at him. “Did I sleep the whole way?” He asked as he finally moved from her warm body to look out the window, seeing the outside of his apartment building. “Ok I guess I did.”
“Poor tired little chicken.” Robyn laughed.
“How are you still awake and cheery.”
“Always am.”
There was a little knock on the window. Taron moved to open the car door and Clive face appeared in his eye line. “Bags are all set to go Taron.”
“Thanks Clive.” He turned to Robyn who was still smiling his way. “You know, with the exception of Cannes, because that was just ridiculous, I think tonight has been one of my favourite premiers so far.”
“Whatever Taron. I am pretty sure your first premier was the best one.”
“Hell no. I was shitting myself.” Taron said as he started to get out of the car.
“And you weren’t shitting yourself this evening?” Robyn asked as she followed him out of the car.
Taron chuckled. “Oh there was some definite shitting.”
Robyn laughed loudly at his words and then his face after he realised what he had said, his hands going to his face in embarrassment. “And there he is!” She laughed at him again as his cheeks flared bright red, his hands moving down his face and away from his eyes. Robyn reached over to him. “Never change.” She took his hands from his face and held them tight. “Too precious for words.”
“Jesus Robyn, sorry.”
Robyn shook her head at him and closed the door of the car. “Nothing to apologise for. I work with kids, talking about shite is part of my daily conversation.” She turned to Clive who was patiently waiting for them. “Thank you so much for driving us back to Taron’s.”
“No problem at all. I hope you both had a nice evening.”
“It was very lovely.” Robyn assured him.
“Taron, I will be back on Sunday at five to collect Robyn to bring her to the airport?”
“Please, Clive. Thank you.”
“No problem at all. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
They watched him get back into the car and drive away slowly, leaving them both in the quiet of the dark street, orange light from the tall street lights beaming down on them.
“So, are you going to invite me into your pad, or am I to set up camp here for the night?” Robyn asked Taron, his face finally turning back to its normal colour.
“You know I think I might like to see you try doing that.”
Robyn gently pushed Taron on his right shoulder. “You know I will follow through with that. I love camping and a good tent.”
Taron’s lips grew in a wide smile. “Well I know that chicken and about the camping too. You were once a girl scout.” Robyn nodded, hoping her face didn’t show her surprise at Taron’s memory and ability to listen once more. “Well I guess we had better head in then, seeing as how you will get started on making a tent out of leaves and branches soon.”
Robyn chuckled. “Maybe we can do that tomorrow instead of a movie day.”
Taron shook his head and grabbed the handles of the two cases and walked toward the gates of the apartment complex. Letting go of Robyn’s case in his right hand, he quickly pressed the numbered code in the keypad, which immediately opened the automatic gates, the black metal swinging backwards to let them in. He started walking through as soon as the gap opened enough, turning his head to make sure Robyn was following him and she was right behind him, holding her dress up slightly. He gave her a small smile and turned his face forward again, telling his heart to slow down. A shiver ran through him and he knew it wasn’t from the cold night air, but rather finally getting to bring Robyn home for a visit at last. She had shared every part of her home with him and he was excited to finally get to do the same for her. He nodded towards the security guard as he came out of his little hut to greet him.
“Good evening Mr Egerton.”
“Evening Ben.”
“Miss Quinn.”
“Ben.” Robyn tipped an invisible hat his way.
“Nice to meet you. Taron always has such wonderful things to say about you.”
“Thanks Ben.”
“You both have a good night.”
“Will do Ben.” Taron replied as he kept walking.
Robyn waited until they were far enough away that the security guard wouldn’t hear her and then she spoke. “So that’s the complexes security guard Ben who knows who I am?”
“Chicken, everyone knows who you are and it is good to give the security a heads up in case you arrive at the gate and would like to get in.”
“You could just tell me the code. I mean you know where the spare key to my house is and that way, I can just walk in.”
“Well Robyn, I don’t want to catch me out when I am in nudey nudes.”
“No Taron, we wouldn’t want that would we.” Robyn chuckled.
“Definitely not.”
Robyn stuck close to Taron as he made his way in through a door, holding it open for her so she could walk through. “I’m on the fifth floor. Lifts are this way.”
Once out of the lift, Taron walked down the soft carpeted corridor to the very end, stopping in front of a white door with the number five one zero.
“Corner apartment Taron? I should have guessed.”
Taron left the cases by the door and turned to Robyn. “You mind?” He asked as he lightly touched the front of his jacket which she was wearing. “My key is in the inside pocket.” He watched as Robyn opened the button for his jacket and held it open for him, so he could reach into the left inside pocket to take out his key for the door. “Thank you.” Key in hand, Taron held it over the lock and the light pinged green. “After you.” He stood back.
“You sure? You don’t need to go in and do a quick tidy?”
Taron laughed. “No Robyn. I was here on Wednesday and I left it pretty tidy.”
“Ok then but if I find a pair of rouge boxers laying around, be warned, I am going to run around waving them.”
“Whatever makes you happy chicken.”
He pushed the door fully open and let Robyn walk in, flicking on a light switch inside the door, so his apartment lit up with white light. Once she had stepped fully in, he held the door open with his left foot and dragged the two suitcases in, leaving them at the wall, closing the door. He followed Robyn as she wandered around his apartment, waiting for any sign of reaction from her as she looked around.
“So, you were keeping not only your open plan kitchen and living area a secret…” Robyn walked straight over to his couch. “You have a corner couch and it is blue!” Taron chuckled at her words. “You have been holding out on me Mr Egerton!”
“I can’t tell you all my secrets in one go, now can I? You won’t want to come back and visit!”
Robyn laughed hard as Taron used her words against her. “This is so gorgeous Taron. You haven’t remodelled your home since you met me, have you? Stealing my homes design?” As Robyn waited for Taron’s answer, she wandered into his pristine white kitchen and pointed up to The Troubadour sign. “Stealing is bad, you know that right?”
“I didn’t steal it; it was given to me and no I didn’t steal your design. It was like this when I bought it and yes, I have a corner couch but it is nowhere near as comfortable as yours.”
Robyn gave him a doubtful look and with purpose and holding her dress up, walked over to his couch and dropped herself right into the corner, kicking her legs up onto the couch, leaning back into the cushions. She shuffled a little and then looked to Taron who had walked to stand behind the couch. “Mine definitely wins the comfy contest.”
Walking around to the other side of the couch, Taron dropped his body onto the soft material, his head resting on her shoulder, kicking his own legs up onto the couch. “I have to agree with you but as always you make a good cushion.”
Robyn moved so his head slipped down a little and she could swing her right arm around him, her hand resting on his chest. “So you’re settled for the night now?” She asked gently rubbing her palm up and down his side.
“Hmmm.” He answered her.
“This all I get to see of your home?” She asked him, lifting her left hand to his hair.
“A bed is a bed and a toilet is a toilet.” He hummed as Robyn scratched his head in gentle circles. “I have both, all you need to know.”
Robyn’s lips curled into a smile as the man laying against her moved to get more comfortable. She could already feel his breathing evening out under her right hand. “Been a long day for you.”
“Been a long week.” He whispered back.
“Any chance Matthew will hold off the start of filming for another week?”
Taron opened his eyes. “Why? You want to stay with me a little longer?”
Robyn shook her head. “Not that but it would mean you could actually get a decent rest.”
“You don’t want to stay with me longer?” He asked her, tilting his head back so he could look at her.
“I always want more time with you but you need some rest before you get straight back into it.”
“We have some scene preparation Monday and Tuesday before we actually get into filming so I have a bit of reprieve before we get right into it.” He saw a frown on her face. “At least I can come back here every evening and coming back to my own bed always makes it easier to rest up and I still have the throw you gave me and draíocht too.”
“All the tricks to help you sleep.”
“Yep.” Taron closed his eyes and moved his head so he was more settled.
Silence surrounded them, their light breathing and some late traffic the only noises that could be heard until Taron’s stomach gave one loud grumble, Robyn’s laughter soon following.
“I guess chocolate covered marshmallows weren’t enough to keep your hunger at bay.”
Taron grinned, still with his eyes closed. “Breakfast was a long time ago and I can never really eat when I am nervous.”
“Well I am not going to let you go to bed on a hungry stomach. Up ya get.”
“Oh no. I am so cosy.”
“I know that but you need some food and I have just the thing for you.”
“Baked goods?”
“The quicker you get up, the quicker you can find out.”
Reluctantly and making it obvious that he wasn’t too happy about being moved, Taron grumbled as he sat up on his couch, kicking his legs out in front of him impatiently.
“Behave!” Robyn pointed a finger at him. “Getting too used to your Robyn cuddles now.”
“‘Cos I love them.” He replied with a pout.
Robyn stood up, straightening out her dress. “Right Mr Egerton, which way to the bedroom.” Taron pointed dramatically towards the kitchen. “So I shall find it myself then.”
Before Robyn walked away from the couch, she took her shoes off, one at a time leaving them by the coffee table, picking up her dress and swinging it over her right arm so she could walk without falling over the material and headed for her case. She took the handle in her left hand and rolled it past the kitchen and down the hallway, heading for the open door at the very end. “No need to get up Taron, I found it.” She called back to him, knowing well he was stuck to the couch. The bedroom was clean and tidy, a dark navy duvet on the bed and she figured the door to her right in the bedroom was his on suite. She took Taron’s jacket off and laid it neatly on the bed before she lifted her case onto the bed too, cringing a little as it hurt her right hand, working on opening the zip to get into her case, smiling as she saw her grey and white teddy bear fleece on the end of his bed and the green dinosaur they won at the beach together sitting in front of the cushions, dressed in her blue blouse which she had left with him in Paris last weekend.
Taron happily sighed as he lay on his couch, grinning to himself a little as his atrocious attempt of a tour of his flat for Robyn. He had left her to wander herself, making her own way into his bedroom and he knew he should have gotten up to ensure she was ok but he was wrecked. The sleep in the car which had been so perfect was such a terrible idea and once again, Robyn had been right in saying that he would just feel more tired after his quick nap and as he struggled to open his eyes, his mind was telling him he really needed to check on Robyn.
“Oh no!” His head turned as he heard her give a little shout.
“Robyn?” He called. “You ok?”
“Oh bollocks!”
He knew he shouldn’t have laughed at her words, but her curse made him giggle. He pushed himself up from the couch, stretching a little as he yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes. As he heard Robyn exclaim again, he picked up the pace of his footsteps, loosening his tie as he went, opening the top button of shirt too.
“Robyn are you ok?” He asked as he walked into the bedroom, her back facing him as she stood in front of the side of his bed. “Heard some choice words filter from here.” He looked to her face as she turned to face him which was a mixture of sadness and shock and then to her hands. She was holding up a t-shirt which was definitely the colour blue but was covered in a white powder. “What…”
When Robyn opened her case, her shoulders fell before she groaned and cursed. She heard Taron call her name but was routing through her belongings to see how far down the mess had been made but when his voice was closer, she picked up her blue t-shirt and turned around him, holding it up. “It’s flour.” She groaned. “And sugar.” She saw Taron tilt his head with confusion and she rolled up the t-shirt into a ball and turning back to her case threw it down in and frustration, feeling Taron come to stand right beside her and look in her case.
“Oh Robyn.”
She sighed miserably. “I brought stuff to make cookies with you but the bags have burst in my case and everything is now covered in flour and sugar. I am just glad the butter stayed in the bag.” She took out a ziploc bag which was completely smeared inside with yellow butter, before throwing it back in. “What a bloody disaster.”
“You brought the ingredients to make cookies with me?” Taron asked quietly. “White chocolate chip cookies?”
“Kilcreen second place cookies.” She nodded then shaking her head. “But now we have extra ingredients.” Robyn put her hands in the case and lifted up her clothes. “All ruined and now no cookies.”
“You were going to bake cookies with me.” Taron repeated.
“Taron!” Robyn said a little more sternly than she meant too, immediately reaching to put her hand on his shoulder. “Sorry.” She apologised. “Sorry and yes I was going to make cookies with you tomorrow. It was my plan to make them Wednesday evening so I could bring them with me to give to you but as you know that never happened so I quickly threw the ingredients into some bags so I could make the cookies with you here because my other plan fell apart and the bags were fine this morning but now…” She held up a burst bag and a dusted white piece of clothing. “Now we can’t even make the cookies.”
Taron pulled some jeans from her case, a puff of white drifting into the air. “Robyn only you could think to do something so sweet and have it literally blow up.”
“Taron…” Robyn whinged. “That doesn’t help me.”
“You ever think that maybe I would have the ingredients for cookies here?”
“But that just ruins the surprise.”
“Better than clothes covered in flour.” Taron pulled something else from her case but quickly dropped her bra back in.
“Ok Taron, I’m a girl and wear bras and this is a sport one.” She pulled some more stuff out before throwing it down, crossing her arms over her chest. “Right that’s it. I am not taking this dress off.”
“What?” Taron laughed a little.
“I am staying in this dress for the rest of my time here and do you even have the ingredients to make cookies?”
“I have flour and sugar in a press somewhere and the butter was saved and surely the white chocolate is still ok.” Robyn routed in the case and pulled out four bars of white chocolate and held them up to him. “Ok so I am sure we can make the cookies and I can give you something to wear.”
“Not taking this dress off.” Robyn said stubbornly as looked to him, dropping the chocolate back into the case.
“Ok well how about we get all these clothes washed then and you can stay in the dress for as long as you want chicken. You know my opinion on the dress.”
Taron lifted her case back into the kitchen and into his laundry room to the side of the kitchen and helped her to separate her clothes from her toiletries and put her flour covered clothes into the washing machine.
“I think these were green once?” Taron helped up her dark green converse, now covered in a fine white powder.
“We can just put them in with everything else.” Robyn said to him as she took her runners from him and threw them on top of her ruined clothes. She moved out of the way so Taron could then add the washing powder and softener to the machine, getting it going on a wash. He then grabbed a cloth to help wipe the flour of her toiletry bottles, wash bag and hairdryer with Robyn, both putting her now clean belongings into her empty and clean case.
Robyn sat down on the laundry floor with her back against the presses beside the washing machine, Taron sitting beside her, the cleaned case in front of them. “I am starting to agree with you, ya know.”
“About what?”
“That trouble follows me wherever I go.”
Taron swung his arm around her shoulder. “Robyn?”
“Hmmm?”
“Want to make some cookies?”
Still dressed in their fancy fancy outfits, except that Taron had rid himself of his tie and waistcoat, opening two more buttons on his shirt, the two gathered the ingredients needed to make some white chocolate chip cookies and as Taron carefully chopped up the white chocolate into little chunks, Robyn guesstimated the measurements of the flour and sugar as best she could, letting Taron do the harder work of beating everything together as he didn’t own a mixer, Robyn throwing in the chocolate and once he had thoroughly mixed the cookie dough, they took turns to roll large balls of dough and place them on the baking tray.
“I can’t wait to eat one warm from the oven!” Taron said excitedly as they sat down on the couch, bending down to open the laces of his shoes so he could take them off, leaving them neatly beside Robyn’s heels beside the coffee table. The sight of their shoes together, made him smile a lot and once he had his socks off too, sat back on the couch with Robyn.
“Best way to have them when they are still a little gooey and chewy.”
“And I have ice-cream in my freezer. I could make an ice-cream sandwich.”
“Sandwich!”
The couch bounced a little as Robyn got up quickly, lifting her dress and she jogged back to Taron’s room where they had put her case back, Taron’s eyes following her for as long as he could, chuckling a little as he wondered what she was up to know. He checked his watch and was a little surprised to see it was near half three in the morning but yet even when he should have felt tired, he was happily content and awake, the power nap finally kicking in as well as the baking, giving him some extra energy. His mind ran in curious thoughts as he waited for Robyn to return and as she skipped back into the kitchen, he chuckled at her.
“What are you up too?”
“What I was going to do for you before we saw my ruined case and made cookies, which we need to keep an eye on or they will burn.” Robyn opened the oven door. “A few more minutes.” She closed the oven door and pulled a fresh pan of bread from the counter top and butter from the fridge. “I should have brought some Irish butter.”
“Did you even look in the fridge?” Taron asked as he got to his feet and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling from the back a gold wrapped package of Irish butter, handing it to Robyn. “I bought one just for you.”
Robyn grinned as she took the butter from him. “You need a butter dish for this and thank you.”
“What are you making?” He leant on his elbows as he watched her open the bread and pull out four slices. He moved to get her two plates and put the bread on it.
“A sandwich.”
“I know that much Robyn. What kind of a sandwich?”
“A tayto sandwich. Your stomach was grumbling earlier. You haven’t eaten anything proper since breakfast.”
He watched her put the bread on one plate and then cut some butter to put on the second, moving to the microwave, putting the plate inside and setting the timer for thirty seconds. “So, you are making me a crisp sandwich.”
She nodded, stopping the microwave. “Yep. Very nutritious and healthy and an Irish stable after a night out.” She took the plate with the softened butter and once beside Taron, started to butter the four slices of bread. “I’ll forgive you for not having Irish bread too.”
She expected the nudge and met his with one of her own and once had buttered both slices of bread, turned to open the oven to check the cookies. “And done!”
“Here let me. You only have the use of one good hand.” Taking the tea towel from her, Taron carefully took the cookies out, Robyn closing the oven and turning it off. “You do know I am going to eat one of these now right?”
“Give them about three minutes to cool down and then you can. They need a little more time.” She laughed at his face. “Help me make your sandwich and then your cookie will be ready.”
“Negotiating queen.” Taron murmured as he turned around to the island. “So, what do I need to do.”
“Just follow my lead.” She tossed him a packet of cheese and onion crisps and once she had picked her own, gave the packet a little squeeze before opening it up, taking one to eat, grinning as Taron copied her every move. She then poured the crisps onto one slice of bread; a tower of fallings crisps on the slice once she was done. Lifting the second slice of bread she placed it on top of the crisps, hearing a delightful and satisfying crunching sound as she pressed down, hearing the same crunch from Taron’s sandwich too. Without hesitation, Robyn picked up hers with two hands and took a large bite from the corner, nodding happily as she chewed, watching as Taron did the same, a smile growing on his face.
The saltiness from the crisps mixed perfectly with the savoury taste of the bread and as the two different textures from the crunchy crisps and soft bread combined together, Taron nodded his appreciation for the crisp sandwich, taking another large bite. He spoke with his mouth full before going into for another bite.
“I haven’t a clue what you said but I can I guess what it was.” Robyn laughed a little as he took another bite. “Good huh?”
Taron finally swallowed the food in his mouth. “So good.” It definitely wasn’t a full three course meal by any standards but the sandwich was delicious and Taron was feeling very satisfied by the unusual sandwich filling, taking another bite, leaning against the island and he nodded at Robyn’s words. Once he swallowed again, he spoke. “Just what my stomach ordered and cookies for dessert? Perfect.”
While Robyn finished off the last of her sandwich, Taron was on his second cookie, holding it between his teeth as he filled a glass with some milk. The sugar was welcomed but he knew he definitely was going to find it hard to sleep now with the homemade sweet treats. As he took a bite from the cookie the washing machine started to beep to indicate the end of the wash. He dropped his cookie and walked into the laundry room and bent down to open the door. “Can your things go in the drier?” He asked.
Robyn came to crouch beside him. “Erm not really. The jeans will shrink and the t-shirts go all wrinkly.”
“So, radiators it is.” Taron looked to Robyn. “So, you want dry clothes but they have to go on the radiator and by doing that they won’t be dry until tomorrow so you really do intend on wearing this dress for the rest of the weekend, don’t you?”
Robyn nodded enthusiastically. “I will probably never wear this dress again and it is so beautiful Taron that I want to get as much wear out of it as I can.”
“You are going to sleep in it aren’t you.”
“Might do. Let me help you with these.”
Taron knew he felt his cheeks blush as he carefully placed Robyn’s more delicate clothing on the radiators, his stomach in knots as he straightened out the matching black bra to the pants he had just put out, the little lace details on both subtle but very effective to his over active imagination at the moment. Once had he fixed her t-shirt on the radiator too, he made his way back into his living area where Robyn was sitting on the couch routing through her clutch bag. He did a quick turn around back into his bedroom, picking up the large white coloured Armani paper bag to carry with him.
“You sure you don’t want something to wear Robyn. I really don’t mind and I have a bigger selection of clothes for you to choose from. I know I can get you a comfy pair of shorts and a hoodie.” He placed the shopping bag behind the couch so Robyn didn’t see it, coming to sit beside her. He had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a blue t-shirt but Robyn was adamant that she was wearing her dress until her clothes were dry.
“Nope. I am good.” She pulled out the black velvet Kingsman souvenir that she was given in the restaurant from her handbag. “You know what is in here?”
“Maybe.” He teased.
Robyn pulled open the gold string and looked inside with a smile. She pulled out a pen that was shaped like an umbrella. “I am going to bring this to work with me. It will come in very useful.”
Taron smiled. “Definitely more user friendly then a fidget spinner.”
“I saw that video. You loved that spinner.” Robyn laughed as she dropped the pen and velvet bag into her clutch, throwing it onto the coffee table so she could lean back into the couch, shoulder to shoulder with Taron. “Thanks so much for this evening. I had such a lovely time. I wonder why I was always so against doing this with you.”
“It’s a lot to deal with when you think about everything that is involved with a premier. The press and media, fans, all the cameras and then having to sit and watch my face on screen for two hours.”
“That was definitely the hardest part of the evening.” Robyn shook her head. “So difficult.” She leaned her head onto his shoulder. “Thanks for asking me.”
“Thanks for giving me the vouchers that let me ask you to come with me.”
“You still have a lot of vouchers left to use.”
“Don’t worry Robyn. I am going to be closer to you now so plan to use them in the coming weeks and if I remember correctly, they don’t have an expiration date.” He felt her body move as she laughed. “I had a good evening too.”
“And you can finally let go of all of that pressure you have been holding onto since Florida.” She heard the heavy sigh that left his chest. “Brand new start Taron.”
There was another moment of silence before Taron kissed her head. “I have something for you.” With a very gentle push, he got Robyn to sit up so he could move and stretch his left arm over the back of the couch to pick up the bag, seeing the look of surprise and then flicker of confusion in her eyes. “You never keep to our present pact so why should I?”
“My presents come in tiny boxes, not giant bags.”
Taron set the bag down on the couch between then, Robyn moving to sit crossed legged, fixing her dress so it was gathered in between her legs, as he knelt opposite her. “It is the only bag I had to carry the presents in.”
Robyn rose an eyebrow his way. “An Armani bag?”
Taron shrugged his shoulders. “I have some fancy suits that come in fancy bags. So are we going to let me give you the presents?”
“It doesn’t matter what I say, you will find a way to give them to me somehow. I think we need a new present pact.”
“I think we should scrap the present pact.” Taron added. “You constantly break it.”
“Only with cookies.” Robyn shrugged.
“Cookies are presents. So…” Taron reached into the bag and pulled out a long-wrapped box. “It’s a little heavy so be careful.”
Robyn took the silver wrapped gift, feeling the slight weight in her hands, wondering what on earth it could be. She tore the paper off quickly, thankful that Taron didn’t have the same love for sellotape that she did and as she got the last of the paper off, she smiled widely. “I love these but don’t have one.”
“I couldn’t see one the last time I was at yours and thought it matched your blue décor perfectly.”
The blue lava lamp was nostalgic and Robyn already knew where she was going to put it when she got home. She uncrossed her legs and leaned over so she could put the box on the coffee table. As she made sure the lava lamp was safe on the table, Taron had taken the remaining gifts from the bag and thrown it over the couch out of the way. He picked up the smaller silver wrapped gift and handed it over once she settled back into the couch once more with a grin, not saying anything.
“What’s that grin for?”
“Nothing.” He answered her.
Not believing a word, seeing his grin grow, Robyn quickly ripped the paper from the small rectangle present and took to laughing when she saw what it was, hearing Taron’s laughter too.
“You think I am going to put that on my phone?” She asked him, holding up the pop socket of his face.
“I am not letting you leave my flat until you put it on. In fact, I will do it for you.” Taron got up from the couch and lifted her phone from the coffee table, moving to sit into the couch again. “Pop socket please.”
Even though Robyn had told him she wasn’t going to put the new phone accessory onto her case, she handed over the packet, letting Taron pull the plastic open to get the pop socket of his face out. He very carefully took her current socket off and once he had the cover of the sticky part taken off, he applied some pressure onto the new socket, making sure it was applied properly onto her phone. He grinned as he held it up to her. “Now you can see my face whenever you pick up your phone.”
Robyn took her phone from him and chuckled. “And how am I going to explain this to anyone who picks up my phone?”
“Taron Egerton fan?” He answered her simply.
“Claire is going to get such a kick out of this and I am going to be teased mercilessly.”
“Just tell her I gave it to you.”
“I will, don’t you worry.”
Still smiling, Taron picked up the last gift and handed it over to her. “You can change it back if you want.”
As she took the present, Robyn shook her head. “Nope. I love it. I am keeping it on. Thanks Taron.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen what this one is yet.”
“Is it a bigger print of your face?” She asked.
“Not quite.”
“Something else?”
“Robyn!” Taron’s eyes widened at her words, his lips turning into a grin as he saw her smirk. “Just open it.”
It only took her five seconds to rip all the paper off and that beautiful smile that he loved so much, that lit up her eyes, quickly appeared on her face. It was an idea that came to him as he walked past a t-shirt print shop in London on the way to an interview Thursday morning and he asked Lyndsey to ask in the shop if they printed on other items as well as t-shirts and once she came with a nod, Taron called into the shop between interviews to get something made for Robyn and judging by her face and how she threw herself into him for a hug, that she loved the present.
Robyn hugged him tightly, getting used to the sideways hugs she had with him, kissing his jaw lightly as she moved away from him. She picked up the cushion she had thrown to the side as she went to hug Taron and lightly ran her fingers over the chicken, love heart, rocket and man emoji that were printed on the front of the white cushion, with blue tassels on all four corners. “Best gift ever and it will sit nicely on my couch.”
“Better than the dress?” Taron asked.
“Comes a very close second. I love this so much. Our favourite emoji’s.”
Taron grinned and nodded. “Perhaps over used emojis.”
“Perhaps but sometimes an emoji is all you need.” She reached over to take his hand and give it a squeeze. “Thank you Taron. These are brilliant. All of them.”
“Even my face on your phone.”
“Especially your face on my phone, though…” She picked up her phone and swiped the screen. “You might already be there.”
Taron took her phone seeing the picture of him sleeping on her bed hugging cwtch, groaned a little. “You really had to pick that one?” He asked her.
“Well it is your favourite thing to do.” She took her phone back from him. “Taron thank you so much for these. They are so thoughtful and perfect.”
“Don’t know if they equal a stunning tie pin.” He looked down his hands which were tangled together on his lap but had no choice but to look up as Robyn put two fingers under his chin to make him lift his head.
“Do you want a lecture from me because you know I am so good with my words.” It was a slow smile that filled his face and he shook his head. “Good.” She leaned in and placed the lightest of kisses to the side of his lips. “I love them all and you too.”
“I know.”
Robyn gave the cushion and cuddle and looked up to him. “Did you spray this with your aftershave?” She asked him, watching as he moved so he was sitting properly on the couch.
“Maybe.”
Robyn grinned, changing her position too so she was sitting beside him. “Thanks.”
“Welcome.” He closed his eyes, letting his head lay back against the couch, his body overcome with a yawn, followed by another. He felt Robyn lift his left arm.
“It’s so late or rather early.”
Taron took a glance to his watch and groaned. “We’ve been up for nearly twenty-two hours.”
“I think sleeping will replace movie’s tomorrow.” Robyn said as she slipped her hand into his. “You are going to be so tired for Monday.”
“Good thing you like to take pictures of me sleeping because it is all I am going to be doing for the next two days.”
“Let’s get you comfy then. Bed.”
Taron didn’t even need to be persuaded as Robyn stood up and pulled him to his feet. She waited for him for turn off some lights before following him to his bedroom, where he turned on his bed side lamp before switching off the main light.
“You want to take the bathroom first?” He asked.
“Sure. Give me five.” She started to walk away from him but turned back. “It will be longer than five.”
“Take your time.”
Robyn picked up her toiletry bag from her case and walked into the on suite, closing the door behind her. With the excitement of the late night, the sudden activities and Taron’s generosity, she had forgotten about her sore hand and only remembered how tender it was as she started to take off her make up from the evening. She had to remember to message Stella to thank her for keeping her look so simple but also so pretty and ask her what products she used as the make-up still sat perfectly hours later. She grumbled to herself at her reflection without her make-up, black dark circles deep under her eyes. Once she had given her face a through wash, patting it dry with Taron’s clean towel, she rubbed in her night moisturiser and a little eyes cream, hoping it would help ease the darkness on her skin.
Once she was make-up free and had her teeth brushed, she looked down to the dress which she was still wearing and chuckled. As much fun as it had been getting to wear such a fabulous gown for the evening, it really wasn’t sleeping material and she knew she wouldn’t be able to lay comfortably on her side with the fitted corset and finally admitted defeat. The dress was going to have to come off. She opened the bathroom door and leaned her head out.
“Hey Taron.” She saw him laying on his pillows, his hands behind his head.
“Yep.” He titled his head towards her.
“Any chance I could borrow some clothes?”
“I left some on the dresser for you.” Looking to her left, Robyn saw some neatly folded clothes on his set of wooden drawers. “I knew you would give in.”
Robyn took a step out of the bathroom, her hands on her hips. “I didn’t give in. I just know you like cuddles before you sleep and this dress has so much material it would get in the way for cuddles.”
“Sure Robyn.” Taron leant up on his elbows on the bed.
“Thanks for the clothes.” Robyn picked up the bundle and turned to go back into the bathroom, kicking the door behind her. Taron had left her a wonderfully soft pair of black shorts and a long-sleeved red top. They both looked comfortable and cosy but as she looked down to her dress, she knew she faced a problem. Stella had to help her into her dress earlier that evening and as she looked to her sore hand, she had no idea how she going to get out of it alone. She groaned as she realised she was going to have to ask Taron for help and it was a new predicament she found herself in. Slipping into the shorts under the dress, she then made her way back out into the bedroom, Taron looking up as she wandered out.
“Ok chicken I know you love the dress and you can bring it home and wear it all you want around your house but it really is not the best choice for sleeping in.”
“Erm I have a bit of a problem and I need some help.”
“Need to be fix your bra again?” Taron chuckled.
“Well, maybe a bit more than that.” She watched as Taron sat up on the bed, crossing his legs. “I need help to get out of the dress.” She could feel her cheeks reddening. “Stella had to help me get into it and even without a busted hand, I still would need some help.”
“I can zip you out. That’s no problem Robyn.” Taron made to get off the bed but her next words stopped him.
“Yeah there isn’t actually a zip. It was literally pulled down onto me and I need your to help pull it back off.”
Taron heart raced as he crawled off the bed and came to stand beside Robyn. “I can help you.” She didn’t look at him as he spoke to her. “I will keep my eyes closed.”
His words made her smile. “I have the shorts on already and do have underwear on.”
“And I have seen your underwear before. Nothing new there but sure let’s get you out of this dress.”
“Taron…”
“I will keep my eyes closed Robyn. Just tell me the best way to do this.”
“From the bottom up.” Robyn rolled her eyes and gently pushed on Taron’s chest as he giggled. “Grow up.”
She directed him to bundle up the material from the bottom of the dress at the back and once he had it in his hands, Robyn lifted her arms into the air and Taron pulled the corset of the dress up and with an extra hand from Robyn, they got the dress over her head. Robyn felt his hands brush over the skin of her sides as he very gently tugged the dress over her head, his light touch sent wonderful tingles down her body. She was very thankful for his height and help and as he carefully lifted the green dress right up over her head and body, whereas before she would have kept her two arms in front of her body, now she didn’t bother, completely trusting Taron as he got her out of her dress. She snuck a look to him as he held the dress in his arms and smiled as he kept his promise of keeping his eyes closed, even putting one hand over his eyes as he held the dress. Robyn stepped into the bathroom, to grab the red top and slipped on, walking out of the bathroom as she did so, the soft cotton covering her chilled skin, the material baggy and perfect for a cosy sleep.
Taron heard Robyn step into the bathroom without a word and he opened his eyes to see a glimpse of her heading into the bathroom, a full hitch of his breath filling him as Robyn’s beautifully smooth bare back from neck to where his shorts sat very low on her hips, came into his eye line and had to steady himself on his feet for a second, quickly closing his eyes and covering them with his hand again as he heard her step out of the bathroom. The brief touch of his hands on her skin, left his fingers burning and he was glad he had to keep a hold of the dress as it gave him something do with his hands.
“Ok all done.”
Opening his middle and index finger, Taron took a peek at her. “I miss the dress.”
“Of course you do.” Robyn pulled a trousers clothes hanger from his wardrobe and took the dress from him, laying it out on the bed, attaching the hanger to the green material.
“Let me.” Taron picked up the dress and hung it on the outside of his wardrobe. “Now all sorted.” He came to stand back beside her. “You all finished in the bathroom?”
“Yep all yours.”
“Go and get settled on the bed. I will be right back.”
As Taron closed the bathroom door, Robyn walked to the bed and got up onto her side, pulling the covers back so she could get cosy underneath the cotton duvet. She pulled draiocht over to her, giving the green dinosaur a tight squeeze, cuddling into it as she snuggled back into Taron’s soft pillows, inhaling the lovely scent from where he had been resting. It felt nice to be laying down in a soft bed after the rush of the day and as she closed her eyes, the tiredness immediately set in. All her worries about the premier last weekend had really been for nothing and she had had such a wonderful evening getting to celebrate Taron’s success with him.
“Cwtch is going to be jealous when he hears that you have been cuddling another dinosaur.” Taron turned off the bathroom light, smiling as he saw Robyn looking adorable curled up in a ball on his bed. He saw a smile on her face and he climbed up onto the bed beside her, kicking his legs under the covers, pulling them up to his waist.
“Cwtch will understand.” Robyn whispered; her words slightly muffled as she dug her face a little deeper into his pillow. Opening one eye, she looked up to him. “Or we could just not tell him.”
Taron chuckled. “It will be our secret.” He gently brushed some hair away from her forehead, Robyn staying nestled into his dinosaur. “Want to have a cuddle with a warm body instead?”
Leaving draiocht behind her back, Robyn shuffled over into Taron’s open left arm, resting her head on his shoulder, smiling tiredly as Taron pulled the covers right up to her chin. She felt his chest rise and fall as he yawned, his eyes closing as he happily sank further into the bed feeling Robyn lazily drape her arm over his stomach.
“Taron?”
“Hmmm?” He sleepily replied.
“Thanks for looking after me today, keeping by my side.”
With his eyes closed, Taron placed a kiss on her hair. “Easy to do chicken. Thanks for looking out for me too, bringing that sass and feeding me turtles.”
Robyn laughed lightly against him. “Technically you gave me the turtles. I just waited to share them with you.”
“Right decision too.” Taron chuckled. “And I told you, I will always look after you.” He kissed her hair again. “Now you need to sleep.” He felt her hum against his shoulder. “Movie day tomorrow.”
“Sounds good to me.” She nestled her face a little more into his shoulder, feeling him rest his hand on her waist. “Wanna get the light there rocketman?”
Taron stretched his right hand over to turn off the light and as they were plunged into the early light of dawn, they sighed happily.
“Sleep good.” Taron wrapped his left arm around Robyn, pulling her tighter into him. “So glad you came Robyn.”
“Me too Taron.”
His warmth was always so comforting and it was so easy to rest against him, feeling safe and snug and she was so thankful for him in more ways than one over the whole weekend and as she felt herself drifting off, her last thoughts were that she would be more than willing to attend another red-carpet event with him, knowing they weren’t actually as scary as they thought they were, especially when she had a wonderful caring man by her side.
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deeeelightfuldee ¡ 3 years ago
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Your ex taps you on the shoulder and says, “I still love you.” You say? ooooof. I don’t think i’d buy that. I hardly think people who DO show they have feelings for me are being truthful, so I doubt that.
Do you play video games? haven’t in some time, but I want to get back into it a little.
Do you spend a lot of time with family? oh heck yeah. I have a really great family.
Is your house more than two stories tall? nah, it’s the two stories with a basement.
Have you ever hit your significant other? Has he/she ever hit you? I will never raise my hands to another human being. I once dated someone who was a veteran and had severe ptsd. we were napping one time and he got aggressive. that wasn’t HIM though. 
What makes you an attractive person? (Talk about your personality too!) physically, I suppose I have nice eyes and a decent smile. personality wise, I am warm, friendly, loving, supportive, sometimes funny, very loyal.
What color is your hairbrush/comb? depends which one I use. I have a pink one right now. 
What snacks do you have available in your household atm? I honestly haven’t got a clue. I haven’t been let out of my room in 2 weeks.
Has anyone recently told you that they like you, or find you attractive? yes. it’s weird.
Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? DEF not. he has been asking me out since we worked together maybeeeee.. 8-9 years ago? 
Do you care about anyone that doesn’t care about you? yes! I am trying to learn how to undo that. it’s not that I don’t want to care about him, but I know and can soooooooo clearly see that he doesn’t care anymore, and it is extremely emotionally draining to watch.
Was your last Facebook friend requests from a male or female? I wanna say female but idk
Which one of your relatives is most likely to embarrass you? scott
When was the last time you ate a bar of chocolate? couple days ago.
Do you play any games on Facebook? Nope.
What would you like to get a degree in? I have two degrees -- one in psych and one in SLP. 
Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? ahahahaha yes. almost always wide awake from 3-6
Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game? typically more in the movie/show or book mood.
Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater? Both. nothing like that buttery, salty goodness that obvs requires an enormous drink
What genre of films do you like the best? either make me EXTREMELY sad, or romantic.
How many bank accounts do you have? 2
Have you ever had the flu? Yeah.
What is your goal for the next few months? i have several. the only one that can/will be public right now, is to get my lungs back to functioning as they were.
Have you ever had some kind of sleep-disorder? How did it affect your life? yes. I have very bad breathing during sleep. I have had 11 sleep studies done, because my breathing will just stop randomly, which luckily my brain wakes me. it doesn’t really affect my like severely.. I function normally. but shoooooot, if I got normal levels of sleep i’d be a force to be reckoned with.
Have you ever had food poisoning before? Describe the experience. Yes. It was AWFUL. vomiting for 2 days straight. it was so gross.
Funny, charming, cute, romantic, smart - choose only 2 for the opposite sex. smart and romantic.
Have you ever let somebody use you? Why did you do it? hmm. I think there have been times where i’ve let people have more access to me than they should have had. or there have definitely been times I’ve been used in school groups. But honestly, I tend to be protective of myself. I stop when I feel enough is enough. 
You can go back in time & change something in your mom’s past - what is it? I would want either Bill to not die, or for her to be spoiled incessantly by someone else.
Do you know anybody who is around the exact same size as you? Who? psh. no. my friends are all tiny which is just not fun.
Ever been to a haunted house? How scared were you? Yeah. i found it so fun.
Been on any websites today you wouldn’t want your parents to see? ahahahaha no. 
Which is worse: dusting or mopping? mopping. i hate doing the floors.
Did you pull a senior prank? Not really advised when a homeschooler. 
Did you graduate? Yes. that was a rough, rough day.
Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship? Nope
What was the last song you listened to? i think it was Happier than Ever by billie eilish. the lyrics are ... woof. 
Are you one of those lucky people with 20/20 vision? 20/12 -- the last time I had insurance anyway.
Is fashion one of your interests? honestly, if I had money, it would be. but it isnt right now.
Do you think you’ll eventually find that special someone? It’s getting harder and harder to believe that will be the case. I knowwwww I need to start dating, but every time I go to open up an app, I hesitate and chicken out. I just was so happy before.. its hard to think I could be able to offer anything to anyone right now.
Do you care what people think? veryyyyyy few people. I care about the thoughts of those I genuinely love and respect. However, I still ensure I’m protecting myself regardless.
Is acting something you enjoy? No. 
What was the last thing you broke/sprained? I have a bum knee, so I sprain that from time to time. I last broke a finger.
Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Because of yours? ahahahaha yes. but years ago. never because of mine.
Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language? No. I don’t cuss. 
Whose house, other than yours and your families’, are you most comfortable at? probably either nathan’s or em’s.
Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you? alix’s family used to yell at me a lot for being fat. that used to mess me up. 
Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? soccer. no, i found the endless running to be unnecessary. 
Did you ever watch the show Full House? yup
Is there a celebrity you are just DETERMINED to marry? no, thats so out-of-touch with reality
Have you ever burned someone’s picture? yes, i have.
What’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on? i think it was 8 hours. I hate hate hate hikes. But, thats because I have really weak lungs, so my doctor says it’s like lighting them on fire.
Would you ever get a lip tattoo? No.
Who is the first person of the opposite sex that pops into your head? kile
Do your parents smoke cigarettes? my mom hasn’t since a teenager. I think my dad does still. though, i dunno for certain.
What does one of your T-shirts have written on it? uhhhh, PTK honors society
Name a pet you definitely wouldn’t want. Any reptile or insect. <<<< same
Would you prefer your partner smaller or taller? Taller. 
Do you enjoy going through old pictures? Yes. very much so.
Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people? No, i respect people who are truthful saying they either try not to judge, or that they do judge despite their desire to stop.
What did you love the most about the town you grew up in? sooooooo much. it’s small town-y, quiet, safe, lots of trees, family close by.
What’s a movie you cried the hardest during? ps i love you will always shatter my heart.
What’s your favorite restaurant? buona or ashford
Is there a dessert you don’t like? im not wild about pastries.
What’s a book that you read because everyone else was reading it? hmmm maybe that one mrs. pettigrews home for peculiar children.
Underwater or outer space? i’m fascinated by both. typically more interested in the water.
Dogs or cats? both. all of them.
Kittens or puppies? kittens.
Bird watching or whale watching? whales!!!!!!!!
What was your best subject in school? in HS probably history. or science. in college, psych or neuro.
What was your worst subject in school? Math. always freakin’ math.
What is one thing you wish you knew in high school? Uhhh. hm. i don’t think anything. I liked my experience.
Who is your fashion icon? nada.
Diamonds or pearls? Both are nice. I love pearl stud earrings and I really want a simple, one pearl necklace. I am kinda ruined for diamonds for some time. My favorite rings and necklace were diamonds from kile and I just cant bring myself to wear those anymore.
What color dress did you wear to prom? pink
Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now? oh sure. I am envious of those with bangin’ bods. I’m envious of those who have great finances. I am envious of those who live life married to their love. I’m envious of people who see kile regularly. But there are difficulties that come with any of those situations.
Honestly, when was the last time you REALLY cried your heart out? not long ago. the whole crushing reality of losing kile just destroyed me. I’m OK now.
Do you need to return anyone’s phone call? ahahahahah. I just reject all calls.
Who are you closest to? My mom and nathan rn.
Have you ever had a bad concert experience? no
Are you currently sad about anything? several things have recently been really saddening, but I’m ok. Ill get thru it.
Have you had any form of exercise today? Its going to be some time before I’m cleared for that. I almost faint from taking a shower and I have to be on oxygen after doing the one flight of stairs. 
Can you handle blood? doesn’t bother me at all.
Has any place hired you underage for a job? yes. I mean technically, I was legal to work in that I was 17, but the company didn’t want to hire younger than 18.
Have you ever carried a concealed weapon? not like in public, but at a house or gun range, yes.
Are you currently searching for a job? soon.
Does eating breakfast make you sick? i’m never ever ever hungry for it. I know i should, but its the worst. I don’t even like breakfast foods.
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shikamarubase ¡ 5 years ago
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His Shadow (A Fic)
[Summary: Temari found an old baby video of Shikadai and forced him to watch it with her.]
“I’m home,” Shikadai called out as the door slammed shut behind him.
No one greeted him back. His eyebrow arched at his mom’s lack of presence at his arrival. She would usually be waiting for him by the door around the time he came home from the academy.
Tired from another gruelingly boring day of staring at his textbooks and shuriken practice, Shikadai contemplated on taking a nap for the rest of the afternoon, before his ears picked up the sound of the television.
He dragged his feet forward and stopped at the doorway connecting the living room and hall.
“Mom?”
He immediately spotted her hair sticking out from over the couch. He couldn’t see her face, but the television blared in front of her, showing a picture of a toddler with dark hair crawling on all fours. His eyes were bright green and curious as he stared at the camera, his tiny arm half-raised as if he was trying to reach out and touch it.
It took Shikadai a second to realize he was staring at his own baby video.
“Oh, welcome back. I didn’t hear you come in.” Temari flashed him a smile from over her shoulder.
“What’re you doing?” His eyes flickered between her and the television, silently asking for an explanation.
“I was clearing the attic when I found this.” She gestured to the screen, where baby Shikadai was gurgling happily at the camera. “I figured it would be fun to watch.”
He blinked at her once. And then twice. Then he strung out a brisk, “Have fun.” before turning his back in preparation for a quick escape.
“Stop right there.” Temari’s commanding voice halted him in his tracks. “Come here and watch it with me.”
Shikadai cursed his inability to disobey his mother, as he sullenly took a seat next to her. He slowly lifted his eyes and immediately winced. His younger self had a big smile on his face as he crawled closer to the camera. He could hear his mom’s breathless voice in the background, urging his dad to grab more toys for him. Seeing himself on TV was both unnerving and embarrassing. He could hardly believe he was the same person as the toddler producing baby sounds at the other end of the screen.
He stole a peek at his mom when he knew she wasn’t looking. A huge smile was splayed across her face as she immersed herself in the video.
“Shikadai~” Startled, he turned his attention back to the screen when Temari’s recorded voice echoed around the room. In the video, her outstretched hand revealed a familiar toy. It was the stuffed deer he had cherished up until he became more interested in books and video games. She gave it a small shake, causing baby Shikadai’s eyes to follow the movement faithfully, almost as if he was in a trance.
When he grabbed the deer with his tiny fingers and hugged it to his chest, Temari let out a triumphant yelp. “See, I told you he would love it.”
“How troublesome.” This time, his dad’s deep voice penetrated the record. The camera joustled a bit when his big hand appeared on screen to pat Shikadai’s small head.
His raised his eyes almost questioningly, opened and closed his mouth a few times, before a hesitant “....um...” escaped his lips.
There was a few seconds of shocked silence before Temari excitedly cried out, “His first words! Do you think he’s trying to say ‘mom’?”
“Isn’t he still a bit too young for that?” Came Shikamaru’s answer. A hint of excitement dripped from his otherwise calm voice.
“Go on, Shikadai. Call me mum.”
Shikadai’s face scrunched in concentration, his tiny fingers tightening around his toy. He made a sound with his throat as he struggled to form a word.
“...sum...trubwlsum...”
Shikadai’s wide eyes stared straight into the camera, head tilted in wonder, as the recording became engulfed in deafening silence.
“T-Temari, I can explain...” Shikamaru nervously spoke up. The volume of his voice seemed to dwindle a bit after every word, and Shikadai could imagine him slowly backing away from the camera.
“Shi-ka-ma-ru!!!” Temari’s enraged voice rang in his ears. Shikadai listened to the sound of hasty footsteps until it completely faded—his dad must’ve broke into a run. Temari let the recorder fall as she made a move to chase after her husband. The sound of Shikadai’s surprised wail filled the room before the recorder clicked shut.
Beside him, Temari chuckled as the screen turned black. “I scolded your father for the rest of the day after that incident. Unbelievable, that man! I told him not to say that in front of you, but of course he didn’t listen.”
Shikadai had listened to various versions of the same story throughout the years, and his mother never lost the zeal of letting him know how infuriated she was. She spoke big, but her eyes twinkled every time she relayed the story, along with a permanent grin etched on her face. Ten years as their child and he knew all about his parents’ dynamic—they often bickered to cover up the affection they have for each other.
Shikadai could gag.
“I’ll be taking a nap.” He removed himself from the couch and exited the living room
Temari called out after him, “What about your homework?”
“I’ll do those troublesome stuff after dinner,” he answered back, one foot already on the staircase.
“I swear, you’re a bit too much like your father sometimes...” He heard her mutter before he went out of earshot.
Shikadai entered his room and immediately jumped into bed, his mind whirring from Temari’s words. ‘You’re so much like your father’ was a phrase he regularly heard while he was growing up. Most people told him he took after his father physically—which he could understand considering he was the mirror image of Shikamaru down to how he wore his hair; the only obvious difference between them was the striking teal eyes he got from his mother.
But as far as he could tell, that was where their similarities end.
Shikamaru was the respected advisor of the seventh Hokage, the village’s second-in-command, and a brilliant stategist who survived the fourth shinobi world war.
Growing up in his father’s shadow was difficult for Shikadai; everyone expected great things from him. He always had to keep himself in check. He was prepped to become the next heir of the Nara Clan—he couldn’t afford to mess up, he refused to let his dad lose face because of him. On the surface, he was a carefree academy student who couldn’t care less about his studies. Classes were a drag—it would be so much easier to sleep through the day and refuse to take exams—yet Shikadai would still find himself reaching for his textbooks and pencil during lessons, do his homework every night, and ace all his exams.
If he was being honest with himself, the hard work and effort he usually masked stemmed from the innate desire not to disappoint his dad. Sure, his mom would nag him to death if he didn’t perform well. Shikadai wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t scared of Temari’s wrath. But this was more than his fear and greater than his lazy nature—
His dad was rarely home.
It wasn’t something Shikadai blamed him for. Shikamaru’s job required long hours in the office; he would be gone by dawn and come back late into the night. Shikadai seldomly saw him, except during his rare day offs. He knew his dad would always make an effort to come home earlier for his family, but some things don’t always go your way. Before long it became the norm to eat dinner without him or go to bed without seeing him the entire day. When he was younger, Temari would pull him aside to explain why he couldn’t see his dad regularly. She always wore a forlorn expression as she spoke, but rather than feeling disheartened Shikadai understood.
Shikamaru was the right-hand man of the Hokage; he had an entire village to worry about. But he always made extra efforts to spend time with him whenever he could. Some nights, Shikadai would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night to find his dad beside his bed, rubbing his head as he bidded him good night. It happened often enough that Shikadai would purposely stay awake to wait for his dad’s late greeting. That’s why, despite Shikamaru’s hectic schedule, Shikadai knew he regarded them as a priority.
And with all the pressure and expectations of the villagers riding on his shoulders, Shikadai didn’t want to add to the weight. That’s why he’ll continue to be a good student and son, and work harder to become a ninja his dad would be proud of.
At the end of the day, he respected Shikamaru too much to let him down.
Reaching the end of his thoughts, Shikadai felt his eyes grow heavier until darkness consumed him.
————————
Shikadai felt a familiar touch on his head when his eyes cracked open. His room was dark; the only light shining in through the window came from the moon. Sitting beside him, with gentle eyes looking over him, was Shikamaru.
“Dad?” His voice came out as a croak. He blinked a few times in disbelief, as if the shadow of his dad would disappear any second.
Shikamaru gave him a small smile. “Hey, kiddo. Your mom told me to call you up for dinner.”
“Dinner?” Shikadai pulled himself into a sitting position. “That means...you’re home early.”
His dad nodded. “There was less work today, so Naruto told me he would take care of everything else.”
“Cool.”
Shikamaru searched his face. “How was your day? Your mom told me she found your old baby video.”
He shrugged lightly. “Eh. It was a bit of a drag, but I guess it wasn’t too bad. She’ll never let either of us live it down though...troublesome.”
His dad chuckled as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. “I guess I should apologize for being a bad influence on you. I didn’t expect you to copy me.”
“You’re not a bad influence,” he said too quickly and then cleared his throat. “I mean...I wouldn’t be the way I am without you.”
A tender smile broke through Shikamaru’s face as he ruffled his hair. “You could be nothing like me and I’d still be proud of you, son.”
The extra weight on his bed was taken off when his dad stood up. “Now, c’mon. Let’s have dinner. If we eat fast enough, maybe we can play a few rounds of shogi. Didn’t you want a rematch after the last time?”
Shikadai eagerly followed him out of the room, already brimming in excitement for the night ahead.
—————————
A/N: So instead of updating Scarred, I went ahead and wrote a long oneshot while suffering from writer’s block. I honestly don’t know what to do with myself xD So the headcanon that Shikadai is motivated because he didn’t want to trouble Shikamaru sprung in my mind while I was writing. I’m disappointed with myself for not considering this until now. I know I always say Shikadai got his motivation/competitveness from Temari, but who knows the real reason right? I completely enjoyed writing from Shikadai’s perspective—I’ve never really explored his character in a fic until now. I even added some fluff for old time’s sake😂 I hoped y’all liked it. And as always, thank you so much for reading <3
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mercurypilgrim ¡ 4 years ago
Text
Drizzle
Ven'fir notices Malavai having a difficult time.
Ven’fir glanced up when he heard Vette raise her voice.
She was standing there by one of the terminals, her hands clenched at her sides and glaring a hole into the side of the Major's head.
“It doesn’t matter, Quinn.” She ground out, her lekku curling in irritation.
The Major didn’t look at her.
“It does.” He said sharply, and it sounded like he was grinding his teeth.
Ven’fir looked at him.
He was so tense he moved like a droid, his limbs robotic and stiff.
His shoulders were hunched and tight, and his expression was pinched as he typed.
A bad feeling tingled in Ven’fir’s belly, and he brushed the Force over the Major and almost recoiled.
The spike of emotion was painful.
That swirling, jagged typhoon of feeling was suffocating and dark. It was the feeling of too much too much too much that he had felt on Quinn before.
It was like dragging his hand over broken glass.
He got up, padding over carefully.
As he approached them, he heard Vette snap something.
“You're insufferable.” She bit out, “Can’t you try not being so pedantic? What is wrong with you?”
Quinn’s hands skittered over the panel, and he all but snarled at her, his eyes wide and manic.
He looked tired.
Ven hurried up.
“Vette!” he greeted with a plastered-on grin. “Would you be a dear and link in with Theron about those dampeners? I need to borrow the Major.”
Taken aback, she threw a last furious look at Quinn before turning on her heel and marching away.
Quinn stared after her, before turning blue eyes on Ven’fir.
Ven’fir’s smile turned softer.
“Bad day?” he asked, sympathetic. It was the wrong thing to say.
Quinn's nostrils flared for a moment and his mouth twisted into something ugly, even as his hands shook.
“It is when nothing is right.” He ground out, turning back to the console. “I need to correct these models.”
“Why?” Ven’fir asked, peering at them. “These are last week’s ones; we don’t need them.”
“They're wrong.”
His fingers jabbed at the lit keys.
Ven’fir was surer than ever he knew what this was.
“Mal?” he asked softly, keeping his voice level. “Leave them for tomorrow. You're exhausted and your shift ended... an hour ago.”
Black gloves hands shook.
“I need to work.”
“Why?”
His gentle question threw the soldier off and he glared as through Ven’fir was trying to outsmart him.
“There's so much to do.”
Ven nodded, smiling in what he hoped was a kind way.
“And it will be here tomorrow.” He soothed, desperately sympathetic. “You're having an anxiety attack, Mal.”
Malavai blinked.
“I- oh.”
Anxiety attacks weren’t always shaking and loss of breath. They weren’t always hyperventilation and digging nails into palms.
Sometimes there were bouts of irritability or annoyance, obsessive behaviour, hypersensitivity to disarray and chaos.
Some were hyperfixation on certain tasks or nit-picking at tiny things.
It had been a long time since Ven’fir had needed to intervene like this, and he made his heart hurt.
“Come on, let's take a datapad and go and sit for a bit in our room, yeah?”
Seeing Malavai’s refusal on his lips, he quickly spoke again.
“I said you can bring the work with you, yeah? It'll be there when you want it.”
Malavai swallowed thickly, and did so.
He stood, form wound so tight it had to hurt, his shoulders and arms held tense. His face, exhausted and washed out, was blank and manic.
Ven’fir brushed his fingertips over Malavai's elbow to get him walking.
He followed like a droid, hands clenching and unclenching at his side.
Ven’fir led him back to their rooms and, the moment the door was closed, led him over to the low sofa.
He gently pulled him down to sit on it, and guided him in for a hug.
Malavai melted into it.
“I'm sorry.” He heard him whisper, even as he shook. “I'm sorry.”
Ven’fir rubbed soothing circles onto his back.
It had taken him a long time and a lot of messing up to learn how to handle these situations.
“It's alright,” he murmured. “No harm done. It's not your fault.”
Malavai buried his nose in the crook of Ven’fir’s neck.
“It's embarrassing.” He whispered, coming down off his shakes and manic focus.
Ven’fir gave him a little squeeze. He knew hugs were often hit or miss with an anxiety ridden Malavai, but this seemed to be working so far.
Sometimes, when everything was hypersensitive and too much, physical touch was not encouraged.
They sat like that for a long time, just listening to each other breathe.
Talking was usually something that made Malavai feel worse, so comfortable silence it was.
“I don’t want to let you down. I need to be stronger than this.” Came the whisper from his shoulder, muffled and thick with emotion. “I'm not good enough, but I want to be.”
He pulled back slightly, and his eyes were shining.
“I promise I’ll be better.” He assured so passionately that it broke Ven’fir’s heart. “I'll work harder, I promise.”
Ven’fir struggled to find the words.
“Oh, Malavai.” he breathed, “You're don’t need to do any of that. You're brilliant as you are.”
Malavai didn’t believe him. Ven’fir could tell.
Ven’fir kissed him, sweet and soft.
“I love you.” He breathed, “It's your ridiculous brain talking, you know that.”
That was a risky thing to say, but it also gave Malavai an escape clause, which he took.
“My brain is ridiculous? That rich, coming from you.”
Ven’fir huffed out a laugh, and kissed him again.
“Not all of us have a brain faster than most computers.” He teased, and watched Malavai's form lose some of that painful tension.
“I think mine has a virus,” the Imperial said dryly, staying close. “Considering it doesn’t work right.”
Ven’fir shrugged, smiling. “You're working on it. You're fine.”
MMalavi blew out a breath, exhaling long and slow and shaking.
“I... I am, aren’t I? I’m fine.”
Ven’fir brushed his fingers over Malavai's gloved hand, and the officer grabbed him and held on tight.
“I hate this.” He said quietly, glancing up at Ven’fir. He looked so tired.
The faint web of scarring on the side of his face made him look worn, and the dark circles under his eyes gave him a grim look that didn’t suit him.
Ven’fir’s belly curled with affection and sympathy.
“I know you do.” He sighed. “Come on, let's have a quick nap.”
Malavai frowned.
“The work-"
“Will be done better when you're awake and not about to fall over.” Ven’fir assured him, meeting his anxiety driven thoughts in the middle. Malavai knew he was right. The work would be done to a higher standard when he was awake.
Slowly, Malavai nodded.
“I- okay.”
They undressed in silence before climbing into bed and curling closer to one another. Malavai clung to him, and Ven’fir held him close.
“I think we should talk to Master Vol again. Maybe book in another session.” He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his lover’s temple.
Malavai shifted.
“I didn’t realise I had gotten that bad.” He whispered, and he sounded so small that Ven’fir wanted to cry.
“I hate seeing you hurt,” he replied, honest. “Even if it's by your own stupid brain.”
He felt Malavai smile against his shoulder.
“Hey, watch it.” He murmured with a small smile, before nodding. He shifted, awkward. “I like him. He doesn’t make me feel embarrassed.”
Ven’fir’s heart swelled at that.
“Good. We'll deal with that later, though.”
“Need to say sorry to Vette.” Malavai mumbled, already on his way to sleep.
Ven’fir gave him an affectionate squeeze.
“She'll understand,” he assured. “Now, sleep.”
A small snore told him that Malavai was already under, and he smiled to himself.
To Ao3
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justjessame ¡ 4 years ago
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The Deal Chapter 65
I woke up in Negan’s arms. On top of him, actually, since his prison cot was barely big enough for him. All cried out, for now, and feeling stiff and still tired I tried to lift up, but his arms held on tighter.
“Don’t you dare.” I smiled at the roughness of his voice. It had been so damn long since I’d heard it first thing in the morning or in this case pre-dawn. “This fucking cot sucks, but having you on top of me does not.”
Propping my chin on his chest so our eyes could meet I smiled up at him. “I love you, do I tell you that enough?” One of his arms released me so his hand could cup my cheek. “I wish you-”
“Hush.” Negan shook his head and smiled down at me. “You tell me you love me every single time I see you. ” His thumb was tracing under my eye and I saw him swallow hard. “I’m so fucking sorry, Jessi.” I started to ask why he would be sorry, but he stopped me by answering. “For this entire fucking mess.” He glanced at our surroundings. “I should have forced Rick to listen to what Carl really wanted. I should have fucking stopped it before it fucking started. You-” His thumb brushed my lips and I saw his eyes tighten. “You should have been enough to leave this fucking bullshit to your people.” Another swallow. “And I am so fucking sorry that I gave up. That I wanted Lucille. That I told Maggie to kill me. That I forgot that YOU were here. That I need you just as fucking much as you think you need me.” I moved up so our faces were lined up, but before I could kiss him, he gave me one more gift. “I fucking love you, Jessi Grimes, and I’ll die before I think of leaving you again.”
Our lips met, and I was thankful that I’d woken before dawn. It meant that we could find new comfort in one another. Comfort we hadn’t had for as long as I hadn’t heard his voice straight from sleep. If anyone asked me how our clothes ended up on the floor, I wouldn’t be able to answer, but I could tell them how he kissed the scar I couldn’t bear to look at when I got out of the shower because it reminded me of everything I’d lost. How he watched my face as he entered my body after so long and how we both still felt like we were made for one another.
I was under him, the cot making the most irritating sounds that a cot could ever hope to make, but no one came to check. No one interrupted us. No one could have, honestly. We both needed to be together. Like this. Like we needed air, or food. And as I went over the edge one last time, taking him with me, I knew that I had to find a way to have this feeling again.
I left once we heard Alexandria waking up outside. The guard came down to see if I was ready, and after kissing Negan goodbye inside the cell, much to the embarrassment of his jailor, I left for home. I’d sent word, through yesterday’s guard, to Michonne that I was staying with Negan. I expected her to be awake when I walked in, RJ was an early riser as most babies tended to be, a thought that brought me a fresh wave of pain.
“Morning.” She offered to me as I closed the front door behind me. She was cradling my little brother and rocking him as he had breakfast. “You look like you slept poorly.”
I rolled my eyes. “That cot is made for one. And it might be made more for someone my size than his.” Rolling my shoulders as the pain started to remind me of my Negan mattress.
“Are you planning more sleepovers?” She was grinning at me, so I knew she wasn’t irritated or surprised.
“Possibly. I need a shower. I smell like a wet dog.” And sex. “Not sure RJ isn’t allergic to dog dander, so I’ll clean up first, and then snuggle his cute little self.”
“Jessi!” Judith’s little feet slapping against the hardwoods gave me too short warning of her impending launch, and then she was wrapped around my knees.
Smiling, I lifted my not so little sister into my arms. “Hey, sweetie.” She tugged on my braid, something she’d begun to do when I got out of the infirmary and she wanted my attention. “Did you sleep well last night?” Her pout told me more than words ever would. “Sorry I wasn’t here to keep you company.”
“Why couldn’t I sleepover with Negan, too?” I could see the mirth in Michonne’s eyes over the top of Judith’s head. Guess Mom could smell more than wet dog on me, or she was making some assumptions.
Biting my lip and hoping my blush wasn’t burning as bright as it felt, I cleared my throat and gave my best non-answer. “I need a shower from my trip yesterday, want to keep me company?” Diversions still worked with her, thank god, and so we set off for the bathroom while I listened to Judith regale me with what she’d done the day before while I was gone.
The shower, accompanied by Judith’s storytelling, was heavenly. Once I was dried, dressed, and had my hair pulled up in a long ponytail, I sat my little sister down and told her that I was planning on visiting Carl.
“And the baby?” She asked, her tiny hand on my stomach.
“Uncle Daryl and I named her,” we were snuggled on my bed. “Wren Mae, do you like it?” She nodded. “Her cross is being made right now, but we haven’t visited with Carl for awhile and I thought we should go catch him up, what do you think?”
“Can we take a picnic?” I smiled, it was one of the ways Dad and Michonne had worked out to keep Judith’s life on a more normal keel. Kissing the top of her head, I assured her that a picnic was more than doable. “Can we visit Negan after?” I sighed, not because I didn’t want to visit him with her, but I didn’t want her life to be more complicated due to my relationship with him.
“Of course,” my need to be near him won out. It always would.
Judith and I sat in the sunlight, and I listened as she retold her tale of a day without me. My eyes landed on the tiny grave that was next to my baby brother’s. The artisan had told me it would take a few days to finish what I’d asked for, but I could picture it. Guarding over Wren’s grave, keeping watch when I couldn’t, standing far taller than my little one ever would.
We ate sandwiches and drank cool water while we sat on one of the thinner blankets that the community had saved. It was a temptation to lay down and take a nap in the warmth of the sun, but I fought it. I could just imagine the rumors that would run rampant about my mental state if Judith and I were caught sleeping in the cemetery. Instead, we gathered our blanket and leftovers up, I took her hand and we walked to visit Alexandria’s only prisoner.
“Well, well, well,” his voice greeted us as we came into the light streaming in from the newly opened window high in the wall of his cell. “What do I owe to this honor?” He’d dropped to his knees so he was close to eye level with Judith.
“We visited Carl and,” she looked up at me for confirmation, and I nodded and reminded her of my baby’s name. “Wren, and had a picnic.” She was beaming at the fact that she and I were spending our day together and I had to think about how long it had been since we’d had one. “Jessi said we could come see you.”
“Jessi is an amazing woman,” Negan’s eyes met mine and I could see his dimples were deep with happiness. “And a wonderful big sister.” His fingers brushed through Judith’s long curls. “Thank you for coming to see me, angel.”
She sat down on the hard floor and regaled him with her activities of the day before as I sat down behind her and let her curl into my lap.
Negan’s eyes kept meeting mine, his dimples deep, and his smile wide. He needed these visits too. To keep him sane and with me. To remind him that life, any version, even this one was worth living.
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