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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 10 months ago

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Roads Untraveled 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, pregnancy, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Single and pregnant, you discover a super soldier in the dumpster but he might not be hero you think he is.

[This is a rewrite of a series of the same name which I removed a couple years ago]

Characters: Silverfox!Steve Rogers

Note: I finally did this.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

‘When he went away The blues walked in and met me Oh, yeah if he stays away Old rocking chair’s gonna get me All I do is pray...’

You sway to the melody as you wipe dry the last plate. You set it in the rack as Etta James’ soulful crooning wafts around the kitchen. Just the simple task of washing the dishes has you out of breath. You can no longer hum along as you’re suddenly light headed with sweat speckled across your brow. Even the breeze drifting in through the open window can’t cool the constant heat brewing within you.

You brace your lower back as you reach for the dish towel and pop open the cupboard. The music drones to silence as the next some in queue loads. Your rounded stomach presses to the counter as you take a mug and dry it inside and out. Strange, you don’t remember the song starting like that; the strange warbling noise much unlike Marvin Gaye’s rich tones.

You set the mug on the shelf and back up. Another noise peaks your attention, too tinny to be a snare. You rub your stomach mindlessly as you sling the cloth over your shoulder. You waddle across the tile to the folding table beneath the window. You tap pause on your phone and the bluetooth speaker goes silent.

Your fingers pick the damp fabric away from your bump. These days you can’t avoid getting soaked. Even as you can’t forget about the burden of your condition, you’re still oblivious to how it gets in the way until it does. You sigh as you listen for another clue.

A pained deep grunt floats up from below. Distant but decisive, another rustle beneath the unexpected noise. You lean over the table, a hand on the ledge as you push the pane higher. You bend, stomach pressed to the speaker, and peer down. You expect another dumpster diver searching for empties to trade in; rather you meet a most unexpected sight.

There is a man in the dumpster, alright, but he isn’t moving. From there, you can’t see very clearly. You squint at the figure strewn among the trash but the zigzag of the fire escape obscures your eye line.

You shouldn’t go and see. Not only is it a lot of effort, but it’s dangerous. You shouldn’t be wandering into alleys to check on strangers in dumpsters. You don’t know any good reason someone might be swimming in garbage. Nor do you think they would want to be bothered.

Still, the prickling in your neck urges you to do something. There’s just something so peculiar about the angle of the arm you can see clearer than the rest of the body. At least they’re moving, even if they sound agonized.

You take your phone and untether it from the bluetooth speaker. You unlock it and keep your thumb ready to dial out. You move as quickly as you can, not very, and waddles along the back of the couch into the entry way. You take your keys from the hook near your door and step into your cushy slides.

You turn back the latch and leave the door unlocked behind you. The slides shift on your swollen feet as you rush down to the elevator. God, your back hurts. You try not to lean too far back as it only adds to the pain. You need a belly belt but they’re so darn expensive.

You’re out of breath as you step on and turn to watch the numbers count down. You’re still panting as you reach the lobby and push through the front doors, leaning into the heavy grated iron until it creaks loudly. You clamour down the steps to even ground and your hips pang.

You put your hand under your stomach, trying to lift it and ease the pressure in your hips. You blow out between your lips as you have to slow down. You shuffle across the grass and into the paved lobby. The stink of the trash brings you back to those early days of morning sickness. And afternoon sickness. And night sickness.

You try not to inhale too deeply as you step between the brick buildings. You bring your phone up, ready to hit those three digits in a heartbeat. You should’ve done so already. Even if you do, it’ll take hours for anyone to come out here.

You stop and listen a few steps from the dumpster. You don’t hear anything now. You look up at the sky, dimming towards evening in a mixture of pink and blue, the moon peeking palely through the hue. You grip your phone tight, keys jangling with your movement as you continue forward.

“Hello?” You call out, “is someone in there?” You linger near the corner of the dumpster, the trash reeking in your nostrils, “do you need help?”

No answer. You stare up, wondering how you might see inside. If you weren’t built like a keg, you might be able to see from the lower level of the fire escape but you can’t even make it one rung. You blink and call out again.

“Hello? Are you okay?”

You wait for a response. Silence again. Maybe they found their way out on their own. You huff. So much for all that. All you’ve done is added to the pain in your arches. You turn on your heel and a groan gurgles and plastic crinkles noisily.

You stop again, wavering, and peer back over your shoulder. A hand appears over the tops of the dumpsters edge and grips it. You face the large metal bin as the knuckles strain within the stained brown leather, fingertips poking out nakedly, blood and dirty tinged across the flesh. A long grunt follows as the figure drags himself to look over the top.

“Sir, are you--” you begin, voice catching at the sight of the cowl and the man’s square jaw. The white star on his chest stuns you. It’s him. Everyone knows that uniform, that face, even under his helmet. New York’s own Captain America.

You gape as the super soldier strains and swings himself out of the dumpster with one arm. His other is hanging limply as his feet hit the pavement. His knees crack and buckle. He drops down onto them and hisses.

“Captain America?” You utter dumbly.

He puts his fist to the ground and leans on his arm. He hangs his head and heaves. He drags a leg forward, planting his foot, and makes himself stand. He pushes his shoulders back and winces, reaching to cradle his dangling arm.

“Steve,” he rasps, “goddamn.”

You don’t expect the obscenity. Not from him. He leans against the dumpster and turns his chin up. He gnashes his teeth as he grips his arm and jerks, moving the heavy bin with his effort. The pop of his shoulder is sickening as he growls tightly. He stomps his foot and as he shakes out the arm he just put back into place.

He reaches up and peels off his cowl as he puts his head straight. He looks at you as he wipes the streak of blood from lip to chin. His blond locks are streaked silver and his face is lined. He looks much older than the magazine covers and the TV screens. The magic of editing, right?

He swipes the sweaty hair from his forehead and huffs.

“Steve,” you rest your phone on your stomach, “are you okay?”

He pushes himself away from the dumpster and puffs, “I’m fine. Just... a hiccup.”

You stare at him. He looks tired and worn. You believe him when he says he’s okay. He's a super soldier and the world has seen his many feats. Yet he looks completely hollow.

“Are you sure? I could call someone or...” you step forward and point to the slash that borders chest and shoulder, “you should clean that out, shouldn’t you?”

He looks down and grimaces, “had worse. I got comms. HQ doesn’t care about a few scratches.”

He goes to step forward and stumbles slightly. He snarls and kicks his foot into the gravel. He wiggles his knee and bends to rub the joint.

“I...” your mouth opens and closes. This isn’t the man you’ve seen in the media. He's not smiling and golden and shining. Still, he’s the Captain. “I live above,” you gesture upward, “I could help... or maybe you can just... sit for a little bit. Get yourself straight?”

He looks at you. As if for the first time. His forehead smooths as the tension eases from his jaw. His gaze slowly crawls down to his stomach and you see the dimple in his cheek.

“Your husband okay with that? I’m a bit of a mess,” his tone is lighter as he fixes his grip on his cowl.

“Oh no, I don’t have--” you chew your lip and look at the brick wall, “it’s just me. But I have first aid kit and learned to stitch in summer camp. I think I can still remember how.”

He glances around and nods, “got a back door?”

“Yeah, it’s... past you,” you nod in his direction.

He pivots stiffly and cranes to see around the dumpster. You near him and your keys jingle again. You follow him to the metal door with the glass window and you shove the key in and twist. You pull it open a few inches. It’s heavier than the front door. He grabs it and wrenches it all the way back.

“Thanks,” you murmur. “There’s an elevator.”

“Hm, fewer people see me, the better,” he sniffs as the door clanks behind him.

“It might take me a while,” you warn, “I’m slow.”

“What floor. I’ll meet you,” he offers.

“Sure, it’s three.”

“Number?”

“310.”

“I’ll find it,” he states and marches towards the stair sign.

You go to catch the elevator, stewing in disbelief on your ascent. You step off and continue on to your apartment. He’s already there. He stands with his hand on the frame, looking over his shoulder as you waddle down the hall towards him.

“It’s unlocked,” you say.

He opens it and waits for you. You thank him as you enter and he follows. He locks it and lingers behind you. You put your hand to the wall as you slip off your slides. He gently lays his cowl on the corner table and bends to unlace his boots. You hang the keys on the hook and place your phone on the small table.

He leaves his dirtied boots on the mat and limps forward. You stand in the open doorway of the living room and peek back at him. He looks around reluctantly.

“Please, sit down,” you insist and wave through the doorway before you pass through.

“I...” he begins and you hear his uneven gait down the hallway. “I don’t want to dirty your couch.”

“I have a steam cleaner,” you assure. “Sit, I’ll get the kit.”

He stares, his eyes once more scanning the space. Does he think this is a trip? That you’re some covert agent who all too conveniently found him? That’s absurd. Look at you.

You shrug off that ridiculous idea and cross to the kitchen. You open several drawers before you remember it’s in the bathroom. Of course. Your brain likes to play games these days. You grab the metal tin from under the sink and return to Steve.

He pulls off his gloves and balls them on the side table next to the couch. You come around the other side of the couch and sit, leaving lots of space between you. You squeeze the kits as you’re once more out of breath.

“You okay?” He turns the question on you.

“I’m not the one bleeding. Just pregnant,” you smile.

You balance the kit on your stomach as you lean back. You sanitize a needle and weave it with surgical thread. You put that aside and fish out an alcoholic swap. You shift the kit aside and push on the back of the couch as you try to sit forward. You shake and he helps you, a humbling assistance.

“First,” you turn to him, “we’ll see how deep it is,” you tear open the swap, “can I...”

“One sec,” he dips his fingers into the fabric and tears the sleeve, renting the fabric like tissue. His arm is thick and well-toned despite the years. A centurion like him can’t complain for the shape he’s in, even battered. “I can do it myself.”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t be easy.”

You reach as he angles towards you. You gingerly dab around the gash and he tenses. He takes a sharp breath, “you don’t have to be so gentle. I can handle pain.”

“Right,” you work more diligently.

He’s quiet as you tend to him, picking out gravel and some metal slivers. You worry that you might miss some. You lean in closer and he steels himself at your proximity.

“So,” he clears his throat, “just you and...” the kid?”

“We all make mistakes,” you chuckle. You can only laugh about it, as scared as you are.

“Mmm,” he flinches as you sweep down the length of the cut. It’s not that deep, mostly superficial.

“Let me put some steri-strips on, shouldn’t need the stitches, ” you say as you sift through the kit with one hand, “if you’re hungry, I have leftovers. You like chicken?”

You don’t know why you’re offering. Maybe it’s because you owe him. Like everyone in the city. It’s your chance to give back to the hero who gave so much. Or maybe it’s because you’re so damn lonely talking to your own stomach.

“I should go,” he insists as you place a strip across the cut.

“Up to you,” you say, “I don’t mind either way, but I’m not going to chase Captain America out of ym apartment.”

He doesn’t say anything. You finish dressing his wound and gather up the wrappers and all. You crumple it in one hand and rock yourself to stand. You’re overly aware of him watching you. You touch your stomach and rub it, soothing your nerves. You find him watching the movement of your hand.

“You must be pretty far along,” he says.

“Six months. Chicken tortellini, if you want. I was gonna reheat some. I haven’t eaten since work.”

“Work?” He frowns and stands, moving better than before. “Should you be?”

“I’m at a desk. It’s nothing. HR got me some ergonomic stuff. Nothing compared to what you do.”

You put away the kit and toss the garbage. You wash your hands before you search out the container of pasta in the fridges. You sense him behind you, just in the wide archway that peers into the kitchen. You reach into the cupboard you left open and take the single plate that isn’t in the rack.

“So, you want some?” You ask.

He’s silent with contemplation, the shift of his weight creaks in the floor, “I appreciate it, yes, please.”

“I might have something you can change into,” you say. You wonder why you’re doing all this. Maybe it’s that maternal instinct kicking in. “The father, before he took off, left a few things.” You peek over your shoulder, “he was a bit smaller than you.”

He shrugs then winces at the careless gesture. “Do you mind if I wash up before I eat? I smell like garbage. I don’t wanna overstep--”

“Go ahead, it’ll take a while to warm this up,” you say.

Another long lull. He taps his fingers on the wall and inhales deep enough for you to hear, “promise, I’ll get out of your hair after dinner.”

“Please, take your time,” you say as you put the tortellini in a glass pan to rebake. He backs away and you sense his hesitation, “oh, down the hall, to the left of the bedroom at the end.”

“Thanks,” he intones, “oh, uh, just realised, you know who I am...”

Your brows pop up and you stop before you can put the pan in the stove. You look back at him and give your name. He nods.

“Pretty,” he comments, “also, it’s just Steve, not Captain.”

#steve rogers #dark steve rogers #dark!steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #series #roads untraveled #silverfox au #au #fic #dark fic #dark!fic #mcu #marvel #captain america #avengers

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happy-lemon · 25 days ago

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And I'm searching through the wreckage for some great recollection that I might have been queen. ~ Tina Turner, 1984

In Ravenwood, Camille found Zelmira Gomes, a practitioner of the art of divination. They arranged to meet outside The Final Draught Pub in Whispering Glen.

"Would you like to use your own cards?" Zelmira asked, as they took a seat at a small table.

"I'm afraid I've permanently misplaced mine."

Zelmira arranged her tarot cards in a spread between them. "What are you seeking?"

"For the better part of a year, I've felt...well, I don't know how to explain it exactly," Camille said. "I've been having dreams that feel like memories, and recently I was on a date with a man and I had the strangest sensation that we'd been there before. Together."

"It sounds as if your past and present lives are bumping up against each other."

"Is...that a thing?"

"If one fulfills their soul's journey in life, one has the option to be reborn," Zelmira said. "Do you recall making that choice?"

"I don't even recall dying," Camille said. "As far as I know, I've only ever been Camille Adams. Still here, still alive. So, this has been...interesting...but ultimately unhelpful. No offense intended."

"None taken. Locks require keys, Camille. It's possible that you haven't found the key that will unlock your memories." Zelmira picked up a card from the spread and turned it toward her.

The Lovers.

Nine sprang immediately to mind. Had he and Camille been lovers in a past life? Could she be...Caimile Adomako? Except, that didn't make any sense. From her limited understanding of life and death, when a soul was reincarnated, it went into a brand new life to begin again, not into an existing being. Maybe this had been a ridiculous idea. Maybe she should see a therapist. Maybe she should rely on science instead of mysticism.

"Do you have any other questions?" Zelmira asked.

"I don't think so. Thank you for your time."

Camille moved to get up from her chair, but Zelmira stopped her with a hand on her wrist. "About your lost cards...does the name Etta mean anything to you?"

#ts4 #sims 4 #sims 4 story #camille adams #generation chaos

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bokettochild · 6 months ago

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Little Soldier Boy, Come Marching Home

I apparently had some Uncle Aflon brainrot (could y'all tell?) and it spawned this monster!

Not sure if I'm actually going to make a story about this, I mean a proper one, but this refused to let my brain rest until I wrote at least this much, so I figured I'd share it for the folks who kept sending me Aflon asks :)

(Yes I am very aware that the title is from a song, I'd recommend listening to the Reinaeiry cover on YouTube, because it's also rotted my brain since I listened to it and I think it suits Aflon and Legend quite well T-T)

The first time he held Link, it was standing on the edge of the wood, away from the eyes of all the kingdom and under a veil of darkness. The forest chattered and whispered behind him, bringing to mind whispers of thieving Kolkiri and fae, and it had made him hold the babe in his arms all the tighter.

His sister-in-law was watching him closely, hands hovering, wary, like she didn’t trust him to hold the child quite right, ready every second to take the positively tiny bundle back from him and tuck that red and fitful face back against her own breast, hushing and cooing softly herself as she’d been when he’d arrived there. She didn’t though, although whether that was due to his own skill or some sort of restraint from the woman, he wasn’t certain.

“What’s the little ‘us name then?” He’d asked, pushing down the swaddling of rough fabric, far too rough for so small a thing, but lined carefully with far finer where no eyes could see. The child within trembled, cold air drawing a wavering wail from a tiny mouth. There wasn’t much to see anyways, he was a baby, same as anyone had ever had. Far smaller than Aflon had ever seen before though; so small he almost could hold him in one hand alone, but by all other means the tiny creature wasn’t much to look at.

Despite that though, Loretta’s dark gaze hadn’t lifted once from the infant, usually stern features awash with pure adoration as one trailing hand lifted the blanket back up to shield the babe once more. “Link.”

“Like the hero?” The dead one?

“Like the star,” her hands lingered so close to the face of her child, and in answer, the tiny one stilled, quieting as though some spell was laid over him. “Like the boy who brought hope to dark countries when Hyrule was at her worst.”

“Sir Raven’s squire.”

She’d nodded. “The same.”

And the child was just, well, a child; a tiny wee thing that felt so fragile to hands accustomed to the sword, and Aflon had shaken his head with a sigh, turning to Loretta with the question that had plagued him since he’d been given his riding orders this morning with the command to meet her here. “Why me?”

Those had been the words to make her draw back, pain welling up behind dark violet eyes that avoided his own. “There’s no one else I can ask.”

“He’s your son.”

“Which is the same as a sentence of death,” she’d hissed, tone harsh as her blade, “you know as well as I how Hyrule sees its crown. You took a vow the same as any other knight.”

He had.

“That child,” her child, “stands no chance, no matter what I do, if I keep him with me.”

Aflon had shifted, sparing the bundle in his arms a glance one more before murmuring, “his chances are pretty slim regardless, ‘Etta. Babes this small-”

“I know,” She’d run a finger along a tiny cheek, face pinching into something bordering on gentle, on sweet, something no one would describe the woman as save with her steads, “But it’s the best I can give him.”

He’d felt the weight of those words, the weight of their expectation, and all the more so when the Queen of all Hyrule had lifted violet eyes to hold his own and given him her final command. “Protect him, Aflon. He’s not just your prince, he’s your nephew, and I swear on hell’s ashes if you fail him, I will flay you.” Typically, he’d have assumed her words to be in jest, but the fire behind her eyes, a furious and dangerous love the likes of which he’s only heard tell of a mother for her babe, had made him take the words to heart.

“I won’t fail you, your grace.”

“No,” she’d stepped closer, pulled his arms down just a bit further so she could duck her head and press a kiss to a tiny cheek, “don’t fail him. All else doesn’t matter-”

“The princess-”

“I will mind the princess,” Loretta’s eyes had darkened, “and failing that, the Impa sent is a good one. Your priority is him,” and both of them had turned to the child, a child so tiny he almost weighed nothing, but yet lay so heavy in his arms with duty set beside him. “He needs you.”

And he did. He hadn’t seen it then, hadn’t felt it, but even a man made in blood and battle knows the worth of life. And so, somehow, he’d managed.

He’d carried his little charge back to the closest village and taken a room, managing to ignore the curious and lingering gazes of the locals at a young knight in full armor with a tiny baby in his arms.

In truth, he hadn’t been sure where to go from there. Loretta had entrusted him with her child, which meant all other missions, whatever they might be, were out of the question. His duty as a knight, as a soldier, was now changed, which, all considered, wasn’t the worst fate in the world. Still, he’d mused, staring at the tiny creature that slept more than he stirred, it’s not exactly the life he’d imagined for himself.

They’d always been knights, or so his own father had taught himself and his brother. The men in their family take up the sword and the women the plow and reigns of a rancher. Their older sister already is married with her own farm, and goodness knows Banzetta himself, though king consort, still carries his blade as the second in command to their warrior queen. For himself, Aflon has never imagined anything else than to serve as his forefathers, perhaps to marry, although there’s no woman who’s caught his eye as of yet, or at least none he’d be keen to stay beside for all his life. He can’t continue traveling Hyrule though, not with a tiny child in his care, not when the world out there is still so dangerous and dark.

For days, he’d stayed at the inn. He’d had no direction or clue, but he’d done his best to mind the tiny princeling in his care, although his attempts must have been very poorly indeed because it wasn’t long at all before two of the local village women had been knocking down his door and scolding him left right and sideways.

Without the women of Kakariko, Aflon could say for a certainty that neither he nor Link would have made it through that winter. They had though. The ladies of Kakariko nursed his precious nephew alongside their own children, taught himself how to change and clean a child, how to swaddle them up tight against the cold, how to burp and soothe them. He’d listened with care, listened like they were marching orders from a commanding officer, and he’d taken them all to heart, employing every bit of skill imparted to best fulfill his duty to the child in his care.

Thankful as he was for those women, the many mothers of Kakariko, young and old both, there was still, despite their care, a fear that gripped him each time one of them took up Link in their arms. The babe was a prince of Hyrule, and were that known it would be easy to stage some incident to see that the bad omen that was a royal son was no more. The women of the village would laugh, saying that anxiety for a child was normal, but they had no conception how deeply his fear ran each time one of them held the boy, each time he had to turn his back on his helpless charge for even the smallest of moments.

Come spring, he’d settled, bought a piece of land with the money he’d saved over the years and made a home for himself. As it happened, an old orchard had been up for sale, just close enough to the village to keep in touch with those who’d shown them kindness, but with enough distance that he no longer felt the need to be on the defense at all times against neighbors who might seek to harm the boy in his care.

They’d asked, some of the village folk, if the baby was his. For lack of a better response, he’d said Link was his brother’s. No one questioned it. Why would they? He was a stranger to them, and though chatter would sound on street corners wondering what had happened to lead him, ‘a clueless young man who hasn’t the faintest on how to mind a babe’ to have care of Link, but they’d never asked him anything more, just gone on offering advice.

That was fine though. That was better than them all assuming he was the father, because it felt wrong to allow such a misconception. He couldn’t say why, but when a parent still lives and wants their child, there’s no right for another to claim them as their own. Besides, he couldn’t be a father.

As it was, some days he felt he was doing a terrible job of being an uncle.

And he hadn’t thought of himself as such at first, but somewhere amid long nights sitting up, just watching labored breaths from a body almost too frail to take them, somewhere amid whispered words with doctors who’d told him to let go already, with midwives who’d urged him to keep fighting as long as his little one did, somewhere along the line of spending every day forever in the presence of the child, there’d come a day when he’d stopped worrying about his charge, and where he’d started fretting about his nephew.

Maybe it was those moments of clarity and wakefulness when big bright eyes would stay up at him, so curious. When floppy little ears would follow the sounds of his voice, or tiny hands would cling fast to an offered finger, toothless jaws working at its tip with little coos and warbles. He couldn’t say. But somewhere in that first winter he’d gone from a knight with a charge to an uncle with a nephew, and he’d never wanted to go back.

Sure, it was hard some days. Link was a sickly baby from the start, and he grew slowly. He was bright though, so very bright, like a star as his mother had said, and with every passing day those eyes so like the queen’s own had filled up with their own constellations of joy and smiles, tiny hands clapping, little feet stumbling.

Despite all concerns and doubts, his little Link beat the odds.

The child was his sunshine. He’d never been a very social man, so the company of a single boy wasn’t bad at all in his opinion. Granted, with just the two of them it had raised concerns when Link hadn’t learned to speak when he should, and for a time he’d wondered if perhaps it was for a lack of him having used words enough for the little one to know them, but in time he’d accepted that words weren’t to be had, and while some village folk would murmur that a changeling might have been traded for his precious bundle, stolen by jealous kolkiri in vengeance for their own lost little one, he’d never minded too much. He’d learned to speak with his hands from the village elder, and so Link had as well, and by that means they’d gotten along quite well until the wee one had made up his mind to try for actual sounds.

His old friends from the army were company at times, stopping in between missions and runs, catching a drink or a place to stay. He used to worry about exposing Link to the life he’d known among them, but in front of the child they’d all minded well, many even offering help and kindness he’d never dare to ask for. Some had children of their own, they said, others younger siblings. Regardless of the reason though, not a man would enter his home as didn’t have a kind word for his nephew, and while worry still brewed up within to see Loretta’s child among men sworn to prevent his existence, not a one had ever guessed at the truth.

And then everything had changed when Link turned eight.

He’d been talking by then. Belated though it was, words would come to him at times, although he’d prefer his hands over his tongue. Despite the murmurs of locals though, the boy was bright, sitting up more often than not with whatever book Aflon could find for him and positively devouring anything inside of them, big violet eyes near glittering in delight at the world painted for his eager mind, at the discoveries and worlds and words and stories- heavens did his little star love the stories! He had ever so much to say about what he read, and a smile brighter than the sun itself, and small though he still was, weak though he’d likely always be, Aflon adored the boy that ran to his arms at every day’s end and shared home and heart with him.

He’d had doubts, in the beginning, that he could settle to a quiet life, but it never felt quiet with Link so eagerly learning about it beside him, indeed, it felt like he’d only just learned what it was to be alive for himself!

And every day was a new adventure, teaching his nephew something new or finding himself taught some lesson or fact. Every night was settling down before the fire and holding firm against the plea of “one more page!” before smothering his precious Link in mustachioed kisses and tucking him in tight against the chill of the night. Sometimes they were disturbed with guests and his efforts would be in vain, but nine times out of ten when that did happen, Captain Bertram or Major Wilkins would take the lad back to bed and recount enough stories to finally have him dozing off against them, ready to be tucked back in again upon their departure.

He wouldn’t have changed that life for the world though.

Yet, the world seemed to have other plans.

Link had startled awake in the middle of a storm one night, tearfully insisting that something was wrong, that there was danger, that Zelda, the sister he didn’t know was his even then, was in danger and that she’d told him so herself.

To another man, it might have been nothing, just a bad dream, but Aflon had himself woken before to the sound of startled cries sounding through an army camp. He could remember when the queen would awake from a vision while traveling with himself and his brother, and many a time, Banzetta had recounted to him when it happened that he hadn’t seen. It was in their blood, the people of Hyrule would say, that those of the royal line would sometimes be given visions, often of future events and or trouble brewing beyond even the eyes of the Sheikah. That was how all the prophecies surrounding his own family had come about, how the reappearance of a hero had been foretold.

So, upon hearing such strange words from the mouth of his nephew, rather than beg him return to bed or otherwise ignore it, Aflon had taken it to heart. After all, he’d been reminded, looking down at the tear-stained face at his bedside, Link may be his nephew, but he was also still Loretta’s son; still born with the blood of the crown, a prince of Hyrule.

So, although Loretta had told him to leave Zelda’s care to herself long ago, back when she and Banzetta were still alive and before some mission had gone awry and the both were lost forever- despite the fact that the Impa chosen by the sheikah had, indeed, never once failed in her duties, he’d still chosen to attend to the fears of his nephew and brave the storm, just in case. He’d chosen to risk it, even if it did mean he’d strayed from his orders.

He wishes every day that he hadn’t.

If only he’d done as Loretta said and minded Link first and foremost, maybe nothing would have changed. If only he’d promised that in the morning they would go together- although, looking back, he knows the princess would have been dead by that time if he had.

He’s long come to grips with the fact that whatever he had done, there would have been no happy ending, but even so, he still hates himself that he had allowed what happened next.

Rather than tell him to go home, rather than protect him, shield him from the world his mother never wanted him to know, Aflon had looked into the terrified eyes of his nephew, down in the depths of the castle sewers where the boy had followed him against his orders, he’d used his final breaths to push a sword and shield into hands too small to hold them, bidding the child go to save Zelda. He’d known he was dying, he’d known Link was scared, but at that little obedient nod, he’d also known something more:

His death would leave Link the last of their bloodline, and a prophecy given to a queen long ago had once said that it would be the last of them that would face Ganon when next he emerged. Looking at eyes the same as Loretta’s own, albeit far kinder, he’d found himself reminded of those words, and sickeningly certain that he was witnessing the birth of that hero. His little Link who wanted to be a farmer, who didn’t know how to fight and who was still so tiny, so young, was going to become the Hero of Hyrule.

Though he’d been bleeding out as they spoke, he’s rather certain it was heartbreak that had been his undoing, not the wound in his side, and he’d drawn his final breath to the sound of sniffled tears.

Yet, it seemed his eyes had only just closed before they were opening again, pain gone and so too his young charge. At first, he’d thought perhaps he’d struck his head somehow and dreamed the whole thing, but both sword and shield were gone as well, although when he reached the end of the sewer system the prison was quiet, empty of any princess, and when he’d turned back and returned to the outside world, not only was it daylight, but it was spring.

It had been a late autumn storm that he’d traveled through to reach the castle.

He’d thought, hoped, that it was some trick, but when he’d hurried along back towards town, to the house, everyone he passed seemed to think nothing at all of the fact that they were plowing fields and making ready for a planting. They were preparing for a new year of work, as though the winter itself wasn’t supposed to be coming, as though it had already happened! And there were still bits of snow lying about. There was a dampness to the ground of a fresh fallen rain. The world itself seemed insistent it tell him that he was wrong. But if he was, then where had the time gone, and what had happened? Where was Link and why was his side unmarred as though never an ax had plowed through it?

His feet had all but flown down the paths, paying little or no mind to those he passed or the startled shouts they sent his way. His goal had been set; his destination desperately darted towards.

The house looked entirely normal when he’d finally reached it. The orchard was beginning to brighten, not yet blooming, still expecting another snap of cold before the season truly sprung, but they were well along to blossoming. The path was clear, nothing and no one on it, and when he’d come to the door, he’d found it locked up tight. As it should be, as he’d left it, as he’d taught Link to leave it. He still had his key with him even though his sword was missing, and though his hands trembled he’d still managed to fish it out and, with some struggle, had gotten it into the lock.

The house looked the same as it had when he left. Clean as a whistle because a soldier’s training still lingered with him even after eight years and that expectation was one that he’d taught Link to hold himself to as well. Their beds were made sloppily, as though the boy had tried to do it for him after he’d left and maybe given up after, or else simply been unable to see, from his height, how crookedly the blankets had been lain. Most notably though, Aflon had noted, there wasn’t much in the way of dust. There wasn’t much in the way of dirt. The only difference that he found was that the pot, which he kept by the door for spare rupees, was empty.

His breath had evened some at that. A clean house meant someone had minded it, and missing rupees were nothing if it meant Link hadn’t been left to starve in the unidentified period of time where Aflon had been absent.

Or so he had thought.

It was two days later, two days he’d spent searching the whole neighborhood, quite at the end of his rope in fear as Link hadn’t been seen at all in that time, when at last he’d laid eyes on his nephew.

Or rather, when he’d met the hero.

Because the wary creature that entered the cottage door and froze, hand on a sword and dark eyes so large in a thin face, was not his nephew. Because his nephew would have run to him with maybe a few tears or a cheer, jumping into his arms with a hug rather than start and draw a blade the moment Aflon made a motion towards him.

Link didn’t fear him.

The boy who came to him in Link’s stead did.

When he voiced his worries to the women who’d helped to mind the lad over the years, some would say perhaps he’d been taken, changed for a changeling by the forest children, at last getting their hands on a hero to replace their own. Others just shook their heads and sighed, unwilling to explain why.

He’d known though that the child in his home wasn’t a changeling though. No, because that child had eyes every bit as much like the late queen. Eyes that knew war, and battle, that bore the burden of a kingdom which dragged on too small shoulders, eyes that Knew, that Looked, and eyes that Saw people for what they were, not simply what they’d claim to be. There was no doubt, looking at that boy, that he was Loretta’s son.

But he wasn’t Aflon’s nephew.

Link was bright and bubbly, quieter by nature but prone to prattling when the mood took him. The silent little thing that lived in his house, wary like a rabbit hunted and hidden, was a stark contrast. Link liked to travel with him, going to town for any errands and skip-tripping along the path at his side, getting distracted by small creatures and ever full of questions.

Not only did the hero avoid going out of the house when he could, preferring instead to stay inside behind a locked-up door and shuttered windows, but when he did go out, the lad was ever scanning the world, ever watching the sky and the path as though expecting an attack from one or the other. He didn’t stray off towards sudden changes, curious ears cocked, he put a hand to his shoulder and looked for a blade.

The child that came back to him held the manner and look of an old knight, not a child too young to even be a page, and it disturbed him. He tried though. This was Loretta’s son, the prince of Hyrule, and as he’d later learned, the boy had indeed become the country’s hero. Not that the boy had told him that himself. No, the child in his home didn’t speak, tongue faltering and sounds stuttering before hands would lift to answer questions in as few words as possible.

Two of his fingers were crooked, Aflon realized, watching him, heart aching. Two fingers and, in those first days, he’d favor one leg over the other.

He wanted to help, but the boy was wary of touch, starting and panicking as a first reaction if he didn’t see it coming and wincing even when he could. He kept a wide space between himself and anyone, a swords-distance, Aflon realized after a spell, although as for the blade he carried, well, that had disappeared after the first few weeks. It wasn’t the sword he’d handed to his nephew though. The sword that the hero held was unfamiliar to him; radiant, beautiful, masterfully forged so that his own blade paled in comparison. His was absent, and the one time he had asked what happened to it, he’d just watched violet eyes fall and shoulders hunch, and immediately changed the subject.

It was hard. His nephew looked the same as Loretta’s child, same face, same form, same stature, although time had made her changes too. The boy was scrawny, and though he had hoped his lost rupees meant his charge was still fed even with him gone, he’d come to doubt that.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it when, at learning of his own return, one of the neighbors down the road had invited them both for dinner, and the hero child had only stared at his own plate, stirring the food around but not eating. He’d dismissed it at first, but soon it became abundantly clear that the hero would not eat food he couldn’t watch being prepared, not unless it was a meal offered by Aflon himself, and, to his own surprise, Dolly, the village elder’s wife.

Somehow, both she, Dolly, and Sahasralah, the elder, were the only ones who seemed unaffected by how his charge had changed. In fact, more than once, Aflon would find himself watching, wistful, as the two would speak with or even handle the hero with not a thing done to show fear in response. Simple acceptance met their motions, their words, and at times he’d almost been tempted to ask if maybe the boy that wore Link’s face wanted to stay with them instead, as he seemed so much more at peace in their home.

He didn’t though. He’d sworn a vow, a vow to do his duty to his prince, to his queen, and though he wasn’t certain if Loretta’s spirit would haunt him if he failed that, he wasn’t exactly keen to find out.

He couldn’t leave her son with strangers, with people she didn’t know or trust. Still, as the days passed, house silent as a crypt and the boy inside nearly the corpse it housed, he’d found the temptation growing daily.

At night as he’d blow out the lamps, now knowing full well not to approach his charge in the dark and sometimes fearing to even look at him (because what looked back was a slip of a shade with eyes glinting red like a rabbit’s in the low light of the hearth and by all means hardly human) he’d fight his own mind on the matter. Stay or leave, linger with what wasn’t any longer what he’d sword to protect, the child that wasn’t his nephew but was a hero.

Loretta said to protect him, he’d remind himself as he lay beneath the blankets. Yet, small hands knew the touch of blood, and the boy who’d wandered in at his door knew a blade like knights four times his age still hadn’t learned. Lying there at night, he’d wonder to himself, what was there left to protect the boy from? Loretta’s child already had seen everything she wanted to shield him from, so what was even the point, when there was no more innocence to shield?

It was that thinking, after weeks, months, that had led to him gathering up clothing and books, toys left behind because the person who would leave with him wasn’t a child but a young soldier, so what did they matter? He’d packed things up, watched the hero slip to his side to help, dutifully but silently gathering Link’s clothes and folding them up with the same careful effort Link always did, ending with the same misshapen result, and tucking them away like they would do every summer for the trip back to his own childhood home.

He’d locked the door tight that summer. Shut up the shutters and minded that nothing was left untended, no mess within or without. Long ears had cocked sideways, big eyes watching, curious, but nothing was said with scarred hands holding their bags while he prepared the house for their departure.

Most summers, he’d take Link down to Lon-Lon so the boy could stay with his grandparents and Aflon could attend to the heavier tasks of their orchard without worrying over minding the lad or leaving him feeling alone. This year though, after Mother had ushered the boy within the ranch house, shooting him a startled stare over his shoulder, he’d not gone back to the cottage.

Aflon Lon had, instead, taken to the road.

Guilt ate at him, but he’d known there was no going back.

He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he couldn’t return to the house. It wasn’t home without the laughter of his nephew, without bright eyes and brighter smiles. It wasn’t home without a presence at his side working away at the trees, muttering and talking at times to the birds who’d stop to watch them in their labor. It wasn’t home without Link, and Link- or at least the boy he knew, was gone.

So, he’d wandered Hyrule. He hadn’t traveled in a long while, but it was easy to take up again, to wander the roads by day and make camp at night. He stopped in old haunts he used to visit as a knight to see how they had changed, and he’d thought nothing of his wanderings. After all, it was summer; the summers were always free for him to do what he wanted. It was when autumn had begun to show her colors that guilt had well and truly began to build up inside of him.

Link would be waiting at the gates of Lon-Lon, watching the road for his uncle to come and bring him home. He knew it wouldn’t be the same eager stare, ears crooked and head rested on folded arms as the boy would perch on the rungs of the fence, leaning his whole weight against it and keeping eyes and ears on the road. The hero child would likely sit with more wariness, but despite all changes there was no doubt in Aflon’s mind that he’d wait all the same.

The difference though, the real one, was that this time, Aflon couldn’t come back. He couldn’t.

He couldn’t go back to that house, that child, he couldn’t live like that forever, with the shade of what should have been.

Mother and Father though, they could handle a soldier boy. They’d handled Banzetta after his first battles, they’d know how to work with Loretta, and if they could manage the parents of his own charge, he was sure theft were the best suited to handling a young hero. Not only that, but they were safe, they were good, and they’d never hurt Link for the circumstances of his birth. They would be better to him than Aflon could be, and given time, he was sure the hero would settle there again, into a life with a knight, a lady, a history of heroes all around him on the walls and swords ready for his hands; the life he’d taken on, but one Aflon couldn’t watch lived.

As for himself, he’d wander. He’d travel, he’d embrace the world he’d had to forsake for a small bundle. By winter, he’d gone further south than he’d ever strayed, gone where word of the hero didn’t reach, where peace and simplicity beckoned. He’d meant to resist, but an evening in a bar with a pretty woman at his side had changed that.

“Here alone, stranger?” She’d asked, voice thick with a drawl and gaze bold as she’d settled beside him.

He’d never been a bold man, quiet by nature, so he’d nodded.

She hadn’t been dissuaded, motioning to the barkeep for a round for them both before striking up chatter, asking where he was from? What brought him here? Where was he going? And his answer of course had been that he was from central Hyrule, seeking his fate and unsure where he’d find it.

“D’ya have a family?” She’d asked, honest and friendly. “Can’t be easy for them not knowing where you are.”

And he’d hesitated, just a moment, before offering a stilted smile and answering “just my parents and a sister.”

A sister who’d left, he told her, to marry a man from across the border, who visited at times but was busy with a farm and a family of her own, much like his own parents were even in their older age. He’d said nothing of a nephew, just the same as he’d left out the dead older brother and sister-in-law.

He’d lingered in that town for a few more days, and she’d been at the pub each night, coming to join him when he entered and striking up chatter until they were both looking forwards to the evening when they’d happen upon each other. Somehow though, that had turned to arranged meetings, to wandering, to talking, to a kiss that left him speechless and a courtship that left him stumbling and eager like he hadn’t been since he was just a boy.

He’d wondered how she hadn’t had a fella before he’d come, but he’d thanked the heavens for it too, especially when he’d proposed, when they’d taken a home together, when they’d made the choice to live life together.

It was easy to forget, for a while, in that early bliss, in the whirlwind of emotions, what he’d left behind to find it. He was reminded though when their own little one was born, when a little boy had been laid in his arms and he’d started when blue shone back at him rather than violet.

Liza would laugh and tease him, calling him a worrywart when he fussed. She’d say it was like he’d never held a child before; he was so cautious. She’d remind him to relax, when she found him sitting up and watching the wee one slumber, because he was healthy, he was fine, they needn’t worry so much because while babies need care, they won’t break if you breathed wrong.

Aflon couldn’t help himself though.

He was used to looking for signs of trouble, for any hint of illness. He’d started when their boy had started babbling, started talking, at only two years old. Liza had said that was normal, that they wouldn’t stay babies forever, that it was part of growing up. Still, he’d found himself signing more than speaking with the boy, and more times than he could count, the wrong name had slipped to his lips.

Their son had dark hair like his mother, blue eyes like Aflon himself, but it always startled him to see them. It was supposed to be strawberry blonde, with starlit skies veiled beneath. He expected a slip of a child who was quiet but eager, not a loud little thing that ran and darted and climbed and made him panic because Link was fragile! …except this wasn’t Link, and his son was strong, like him, like Liza. His son was bold, loud, like a little boy was supposed to be, not timid and wary like the boy he’d left behind.

It never stopped catching him off guard though. Their little Rusl didn’t care anything for books, or reading, or sitting still. He was always off with other children of the village; he was always climbing trees and ‘sword fighting’ other young ones with twigs they’d find on the roadside.

He was a normal boy, all told, but somehow that was more jarring, in so many ways, than if he hadn’t been. Because Aflon had never dealt with a normal boy, he realized. Even Before, his Link hadn’t been normal, he just hadn’t known to see it.

It was strange, how often Rusl would stare, watching people without those hesitant little falters that Link always had when someone met his eyes. He didn’t pay attention to the little details, didn’t care to watch the sky or the sun. He didn’t care about stars or tiny creatures or pouring over books the same size as himself for hours.

The one thing that the two boys did have in common though, was a love for stories of heroes.

Link used to bury his little button nose in the volumes of history that told of the Hero of the Four Sword, the Hero of the Skies: the chosen hero. Rusl didn’t read much, but one day he’d come back to their home with Liza after errands, and he’d had nothing on his mind except some story he’d heard about the Hero of Legends.

Aflon had paused in making dinner, frowning because he’d never heard of that hero before, because Link never spoke of that title.

“Who is the Hero of Legend?” He’d asked, turning to the dirt streaked four-year-old at the door.

“He’s who killed Ganon and saved Princess Zelda!” Had been his answer. “He’s so cool, I wish he’d come to our village so I could meet him!”

He hadn’t realized, until Liza had darted across the kitchen and scooped up the pot, that their meal had boiled over, or that it’d burned his hand when it did.

Rusl and his friends would talk about Link, pretend to be Link, say they wanted to be heroes like him, be knights, be brave. He’d be in the village and stories would sound, gossip between neighbors recounting the latest exploits of the Hero of Legend. He’d killed Ganon twice, he’d traveled the world, he’d saved Labrynna from a witch, he’d fought some tyrant down in Holodrum. Everyone had a different rumor that they’d heard, everyone a different thought on what the hero might be like. Despite all they’d chatter about though, all he could see in his own mind was a boy with heavy eyes and crooked fingers that trembled when he used them to talk.

Aflon had gone home that day, after hearing all the chatter, all the stories, all the news that had come down to them from some merchant who’d strayed to town, and he’d told Liza he was taking a trip.

“Just for a few days,” he’d said, wrapping arms around her and trying to smile, even though he’d known she’d see past it. “Just to see how my parents are doing.” He’d left out the part about his old house, about the child he’d raised inside it. He knew it was wrong, felt guilt eat away each time his mind turned there, but he’d never let slip about the boy he’d raised before meeting her, the child he’d left behind.

Link, as he’d known him, was gone, why speak of what wasn’t there any longer? Why drag everything he’d tried to leave behind into the perfection he’d stumbled himself into?

Still, he needed to know, needed to see, and maybe, just maybe, he’d wanted to see Loretta’s boy again, just to assure himself that he was alright, because try as he might, much as he wished, worry still plagued his heart for the little soldier boy he’d left at Lon-Lon.

He’d stopped by the house first, if only out of curiosity for what had become of it. It had been years, had the village elders sold it? Left it be? He didn’t know, so he’d taken the road around Kakariko, hood up as he passed old neighbors, boots stumbling some on a path he knew better than that back to his own wife and child.

The cottage hadn’t changed a bit. Standing on the path, apple trees shivering in a slight breeze, he’d almost felt a decade younger, almost tricked himself into thinking he’d need only open the old wood door, the door whose key still sat heavy in his pocket, and a bright little face would whip around to meet him, gap-toothed grin his welcome home as feet would pit-patter across the worn-out floors. Maybe it was that image that tricked his feet into walking, following a path altered only by shade of trees grown taller in his absence, their fruit hanging heavy but not yet ready to be plucked.

It’d be cider making season soon, he’d mused to himself, hand digging through his pocket for a key he couldn’t name why he still carried. Absently, he wondered if the old press was still down in the basement, if Link- because it must be Link- had minded to keep it oiled and tended, or if he’d left off using it. After all, the former knight chuckled, the boy couldn’t even turn the handle fully on his own, now could he?

His mind had been so caught in his thoughts he hadn’t been minding his surroundings, pushing the door open after a moment’s struggle (the key stuck more than it once used to) and moving to enter his old home. He hadn’t expected to be immediately whacked over the head, nor, when he’d picked himself up again, to find himself face to… face(?) with a masked figure.

“We aren’t open!” The purple clad individual had declared, mallet in hand, and a small creature with wings- which could in no ways be considered a bird- fluttering about at his shoulders, squawking and hissing something terrible. “And if you thought you could break in, you’re dead wrong!”

Aflon had blinked, slowly, and then started, gaze flying about the house briefly.

It wasn’t changed, not really. Pictures were all taken down and boxes were tucked against the walls, but the couch, the rocking chair, the china-cabinet, it was all still there, still in the same places, now with new stains and scuffs, but he could recognize them all the same. Really, the only major difference was the desk near the door scattered over with glittering items and objects, little price tags set before them in poor mimicry of a shop.

He wasn’t sure if the purple clad figure was meant to be here or not, but given that the house still technically belonged to him, he’d been more than slightly caught off guard.

“I’m not here for a shop, I- who are you?”

“Who are you?” The apparent merchant had demanded in answer, face shielded behind a hood that looked like it was meant to resemble a very, very odd face. “And why are you here?” Their voice was trembling slightly, but they stood firm despite.

“I live- or, well…” he’d paused, picking himself up and dusting himself off, “I used to live here. This was my house- still is actually, I’ve just been away.”

Despite not being able to see the merchant’s eyes, he could feel the apprehension in their gaze, weighty as it was as they looked up at him, one hand on their hip and the other holding fast to their oversized mallet. “You must have the wrong house; this one belongs to Mister Hero.”

Oh.

“You mean Link?”

“You know him?” Their head cocked on one side, hood following with a flap of long ear-like attachments.

Aflon had nodded briefly. “Do you?”

“Of course!” And suddenly the mallet was gone, the figure gesturing about with a cheery chirp now entering their tone. “He’s my housemate! Lets me stay here, keep up the shop while he’s gone and all that lovely sort of thing. Didn’t realize he had a landlord himself though! So terribly sorry if he’s been stiffing you on rent, he’s been out of town for forever now, you see.”

He’d nodded. He hadn’t known what better to do.

The stranger had introduced themselves as Ravio, offered to show him their wares, but when asked about Link had firmly insisted that he knew nothing more than that the hero was off on some mission for the crown or something and that he was just keeping the house in order for him.

It had been all Aflon needed to hear though. Link was still alive, apparently having embraced his role as the hero, and it seemed he wasn’t alone. He must have left the farm at some time, but seeing as he was approaching fifteen it made sense. He’d been rather eager for his freedom at that age too.

The kid would be fine, he’d told himself, walking back to Liza and Rusl. Link didn’t need him; he was getting along fine.

Somehow, even with the whole trip home to convince himself of that, it hadn’t worked. In fact, now he couldn’t stop thinking about it, slipping more with Rusl, drifting off at home. Liza wouldn’t let him in the kitchen anymore, insisting that he was too prone to forgetting what he’d been doing, too likely to hurt himself because he wasn’t paying attention. She’d begged him to see a doctor, or talk to her, but he’d waved it off, saying he was just tired, just thinking, he was fine; he just needed to rest. He knew she didn’t believe him, but she’d stopped asking at least.

If only he could stop himself thinking as easily.

But as the months and seasons passed, more worry had grown, more thoughts.

Link is turning sixteen this winter. Sixteen years since he’d stood on the edge of the wood with the queen of Hyrule and taken her child in his arms, promising to guard him. Only eight of those years were spent keeping that promise, only half, and he’d startled when he’d realized it. Even now, he’s left wondering, as he braves a storm so like that night that robbed him of his precious nephew, has Link changed? What is he like now? Did he ever grow into those too-big ears of his? Did he learn to look men in the eyes when he spoke to them, to steady his voice and hold himself with surety and not simply just skill?

His boy will be becoming a man, and he doesn’t know what that man looks like.

Or rather, he didn’t.

Because when he comes home, drenched to the bone but with a fresh kill in hand, ready for dinner, ready for him to show Rusl how to skin and prepare it, he finds his house full of strangers, his wide smiling and telling him that they’re travelers, more boys than men, and they need a place to stay but the inn is so far. Of course he greets them, of course he looks at men in armor and offers a smile like he would to his old brothers in arms, welcomes them to his home.

He didn’t realize, until just now, how much he missed hosting people fresh off the path he once used to follow, how much he missed their stories or sharing a smoke or a drink with men like himself once in a while, not just farming folk (nice as they are).

He’s midway to offering the a warm welcome when his eyes stray to the fire and he finds himself freezing.

Great violet eyes, shaded heavy under strawberry blonde, plastered down by dampness and the storm that howls just outside the door, stare up at him.

His breath catches.

It’s Loretta’s face, freckled and fine, fae-like features and faint traces of scars, upturned nose and steady jaw, but the galaxies that gaze out from violet pools aren’t the queen, even if everything else about the figure at his fire is. No, those stars are all Link, all his nephew, and the weight of that stare, not sure and stern like his sister-in-law but yet also not startled and wide like that day eight years back when he’d first met the hero.

In the same breath, it’s the dead queen and the young hero that sits before him. It’s Loretta with accusing eyes, fire burning in their depths as his own words ring in his head, sounding a promise, a vow to do as she’d said, to guard and guide her son, to protect him, no matter what. Yet it’s Link, it’s that little boy with eyes that know a demon’s smile and remember him bathed in his own blood.

If his heart had failed him when he’d first put a sword in the hands of his nephew, it’s ache is a thousand times worse as he stares at the result of that action, even as it refuses to cease in an endless flutter inside him as shock touches the face of the little soldier boy he’d left behind eight years ago, but who’s somehow, some way, found his way back before Aflon’s fire, staring up at him with the same startled gaze that shook and broke his world so long ago.

His knees hit the floor even as Liza cries out in concern, hands fluttering about him, but he can’t lift his eyes to look at her. Instead, he’s trapped in an endless expanse of dying stars.

“Link.”

Long ears, still too big for his nephew, turn his way at the sound of his voice, the answer coming out breathless and disbelieving. “Uncle?”

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu legend #uncle aflon #Ketto writes #don't come for me I just had a bunch of headcannons #and brainrot #blame the asks #I needed to get it out of my system

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calummss · 1 year ago

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Uptown Girl | Klaus Mikaelson

masterlist

summary: as london’s most known girl, you are used to lingering eyes. but one night a man’s eyes won’t leave and his obnoxious sense of self gets under your skin—bad and good

pairing: fem! reader x klaus mikaelson

words: 2.3k

a/n: probably one of the best writing i have completed this year…

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, look who my eyes just spied.’ The singer announced, her glistening eyes under the spotlight finding you as soon as you entered the Eden Club, guests turning their heads to see you beam from above the dancefloor. ‘Miss Renée, save me a dance.’

‘I always do, Etta.’ You gave her a grin, taking the stairs to the dance level, greeting people as you made your way towards the bar. Men reaching out to engulf your gloved hands, women’s arms trying to claw you to themselves as your presence was greatly felt whenever you entered any club.

Being around you was enough for most people. Everyone in London knew your name and your favourite drink you would order whenever you were spotted at a party. Every individual trying to win the favour of the city's most popular uptown girl. Many greetings came your way. Men, women, old and young, each ‘Hello’ and ‘Honour to meet you’ as sweet as the ones before.

Finishing your greetings for the greater part of the evening you headed towards the bar, your dear friend Hattie already sipping her second Gin Rickey, waiting for you to finally spend the night together.

‘Hattie!’ You called out, raising your arms with a cheerful smile as Hattie turned around, her frowny look disappearing as soon as she set eyes on you. Standing up from her seat to hug you, you briefly saw a man’s eyes on you, awkwardly closing yours as you swayed back and forth with Hattie in your arms.

When you let go of her, you occupied the stool next to her. Ready to order your favourite drink to get the party started, ready to dance the night away.

‘You were bought a drink, Miss Renée.’ Charlie the bartender slid over a sidecar, your favourite.

‘By whom?’

‘Niklaus Mikaelson.’ He replied, gathering dirty glasses and polishing them off to reuse them throughout the night. ‘Like you, he’s made quite the name for himself in the city. And from what I can tell he’s been eyeing you ever since you stepped foot into this club and he is handsome. He’s in booth five.’

‘Oh stop drooling would you!’ You playfully hit his upper shoulder.

You slowly turned your head over your shoulder, feeling his gaze from the booth Charlie said he was. Your eyes met his as you took in his features: dirty blonde hair brushed back; nice eyes, their colour tucked away by the dim club lighting; but his lips looked soft as butter, his smirk making you feel like you had one too many drinks. Niklaus Mikaelson lifted his champagne glass with a smirk, cheersing you through the air as his eyes seemed to have already undressed you. You grabbed the drink and cheered him back, letting the cold alcohol burn the back of your throat as your eyes trailed along his body, curious to see what he hid underneath the nice suit; perfectly cut, shoulder pads sharp enough to let the confidence smoothly drip off of him.

Your eyes saw that he was very much handsome; but your eyes saw the trouble that came with him. Why else would he look at you like he could have you with the snap of his finger? Much of arrogance. You grabbed the glass Charlie had slid over, barely lifting it into the air, a subtle nod letting him know that you appreciated the gift in the form of a drink, your parchiness coating your tongue.

‘Let us dance!’ Hattie hurryingly gulped the last of her drink, fetching your hand to pull you out of the stool, your drink staying behind.

The dance floor was crowded. Suits and dresses, glitter and shimmer, dancers and stiff competition. Smiles across the room as you and Hattie started dancing, making your way to the heart of the room, arms swaying, legs carrying you like feathers. The music pulsated through your veins. Etta’s smooth yet powerful voice making people forget their hardships in life, only the feeling of alcohol, smoke and a good dance on their minds. Ready to embrace the undoubtedly painful throbbing the next day. The sound of music was great but an awful sound from up the booths caused a nagging noise that made enjoying Etta’s tune hardly amusing.

Looking back you saw the man that bought you your drink engaged in fits of laughter and deafening talk with another man and woman. Both cooped up on one side of the booth, his arm lazily drooped over her back, their combined musing striking one too many nerves.

‘I’ll be right back, Hattie.’ You leaned in to convey her your message, Hattie not paying attention to you in the slightest. The waves of music controlled her.

Walking up the very stairs that were supposed to not be climbed until the very next morning, you found yourself hitting the wooden staircase harder than the step before. And before you could count to five you had already reached the table that seemed to have a rather good time ruining other people’s night.

‘Hello, sweetheart.’ Mr. Mikaelson greeted slyly, his eyes full of the pride he had shown off for the most part since you had arrived.

The other man and woman finally stopped gushing at each other, their eyes falling to you and Mr. Mikaelson, amused by the scene that took place in front of them.

‘Keep the noise to a minimum.’

‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. Are we too loud?’

‘Yes.’ You cocked your head, jestfully grinning at him as his smirk only seemed to grow. ‘Keep it down.’

‘Or what?’ The other man leaned forward, smooth American accent, his eyes carrying an empty soul that had long lost his sense of self. His date’s eyes smiling back at you. The same kind of satisfaction that Mr. Mikaelson carried himself.

You stared back at him, knowing that he was far gone unlike his friends. His demeanour telling as to how far he would go if this quarrel were to grow past unpleasant exchanges, demanding to be settled by rowdy fumes and accentuating the converse. ‘Back off, vampire.’

Several eyebrows raised, looks of surprise exchanged at the table as their smirks continued to be planted on their faces, only disappearing when their raised glasses were brought to their lips.

‘So you know about vampires then?’ Mr. Mikaelson said, only now noticing that their glasses were filled with bright red fluids and you knew for sure that those weren’t Bloody Marys. Well maybe that blood belonged to a Mary, so bloody Mary would be accurate and—moving on.

‘I’m not a half-wit, Mr. Mikaelson.’ You crossed your arms in front of your chest, rubbing your lips together, the soft feeling of your red lipstick providing you with a quick composition, shortly to which you lost all of it as soon as your lips parted. ‘-And if you are surprised that people know of vampires, may I suggest not to drink your conspicuous dinner at a club full of humans? It only takes one drunken fool to accuse you and is persuaded by his intoxicated head to start making a scene so I suggest you order a bottle of whiskey and gin, lower your level of conversation or join everyone on the dancefloor. You especially,’ you glanced at Mr. Mikaelson, ‘need to loosen up. Good evening.’ And with the turn of your heels you let your annoyance at the booth and rejoined the fun with Hattie as she immediately grabbed hold of you as soon as you appeared back under the lights.

You turned into Hattie’s arms, shortly being spun out as you fell into the arms of George Hannigan. Works at an industry just outside of the club. Comes here every Friday to forget the life he was living. George was one of the few men inside the establishment that truly knew what it meant to get loose and dance the night away. Your footsteps captivated people around you, letting the stage light shine above you as adrenaline pumped through your veins. Turning into George’s arms, he let you spin out again so that you were to rejoin Hattie, yet the frame you met was much more stiff than Hattie’s body. A suit instead of a dress, and a smirk instead of coral painted lips. The song changed to a slower tempo, the song calling for intimacy, something that couldn’t have been timed worse.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Loosening up, darling. Now…threatening a vampire,’ he said as you placed your hand on his chest, rolling your eyes. Hoping that no one could see just how off putting the dance made you feel. ‘Not your smartest move. Pun intended.’

‘Do you know who I am?’

‘Yes,’ Mr. Mikaelson said, letting his body move to the sound of music, so gently it felt like you were floating.

‘Then you will know that everyone in this club knows me and would gladly help me get rid of you.‘

‘Do you like all the attention you get?’

‘I suppose I do.’

‘Suppose?’

‘I never really had a choice,’ your lips rubbed against each other, you patience starting to crumble the more you appreciated his dancing. ‘Just like I hadn’t consented to this pervasive dancing with you.’ You tried to free yourself from him but with the pull of your hand you were right back where you were seconds ago.

‘You know,’ the air of his whisper sent a chill down your spine, hoping that he wasn’t able to tell that you tried not to heat up. ‘I could easily compel you to take a knife and stab yourself. The more snarky remarks you let out the more my patience for kindness starts to burn out.’

‘Nice try,’ you gave him a grin. ‘Compulsion won’t work I fear. However I would much rather take the knife and plunge it into your chest cavity…You won’t die but just seeing the blood seep through your shirt will be enough to satisfy me.’

‘What do you mean compulsion doesn’t work? You are human.’

‘Call it a lucky gene.’ You smiled up at him, still swaying across the dancefloor as Etta hinted no reason to change up the tune anytime soon.

‘Well isn’t it just my lucky day that London’s most beautiful woman can literally resist my charm,’

‘Luckily I can see that your conceitedness is encased with the charm you so claim to possess, when the only thing that my eyes are able to pick up is a man with bad manners, who should’ve paid more attention to his parents growing up (ouch). Now if you will excuse me once again, nicely this time; please keep the disturbance to a minimum that we can all enjoy tonight.’

Escaping to the bar you hoped that you were going to get rid of him at last yet a familiar scent on your trail did not sway from your nose. The smell following you until you sat back down at Charlie’s bar stool, Charlie’s eyes somewhat telling you what you already knew.

‘At least let me buy you a drink?’ He talked to your back, his tone very clear that he liked whatever he was doing.

‘You already did.’ You held up the drink Charlie had kept behind the bar until you returned, the ice not so cold anymore but the alcohol doing exactly what you needed it to do.

‘That was a mysterious buyer. Now you know me. Let me redo the favour.’

‘Fine,’ you sighed. ‘If I let you buy me this drink will you stop nagging me?’

‘I buy you a drink and we will converse until you have finished.’

‘I’ll just gulp it down then.’

‘Not allowed.’

‘Fine.’ Rolling your eyes you turned to Charlie. ‘Charlie, a sidecar on Mr. Mikaelson’s tab please.’

Charlie set down the drink with an amused smile, enjoying the sight of you and Mr. Mikaelson too much. ‘Clock’s ticking.’ You took a sip, thankful that your drink was cold again.

‘Tell me about yourself.’

You choked on your drink, suppressing a laugh. ‘What?’ He cannot be serious.

‘Why not?’ He ogled you. ‘Don’t tell me the popular girl finds it hard to talk about herself.’

‘I don’t find it hard.’

‘Then tell me.’

So you did. You told him your name, your age, what food you liked and which you detested. What you like to do in your free time and if you could live forever would you. You told him that his intimidating nature wouldn’t scare you—Miss Renée and her list of things she’s afraid of is nonexistent.

You started to not mind his company too much. When he wasn’t being annoying he was listening to what you said and his jestful answers made it difficult not to crack a smile. Mr. Mikaelson talked about himself and what he was in London for. He was about to open his mouth when something loud interrupted him. The sound of bullets filled the club; screams and people running made your heart beat faster. Another round of bullets were fired at the bar and with teary eyes, Klaus Mikaelson used his vampire speed to bring you behind the bar. Hoping that you were safe from the bullets.

‘What’s happening?’ Your voice shook as you barely managed to squeeze the words past your throat. Clinging onto his jacket as you placed your head near his chest.

‘I thought there was nothing that could scare you, dear?’

‘I lied.’

‘You would be a half-wit if you weren’t afraid of him,’

‘Of who?’

‘Look me in the eyes.’

‘I can’t be compelled.’

‘I know. You need to listen to me. You need to forget that we ever met. When someone asks you if you have seen me, you need to deny it.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you have to! Please, I swear I’ll keep the noise to a minimum if you do…’

‘Okay,’

‘Okay. It was lovely to meet you. Hopefully we’ll meet each other again under different circumstances.’

‘Nice to meet you, Niklaus Mikaelson.’

‘Miss Renée…’ He bowed his head and with a blink of the eyes he was gone.

You knew that you would think back on this specific night more than just a few times.

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lvrslvt3 · 2 years ago

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LOVABLE | s.reid

main masterlist | spencer masterlist

pairings : reader x shy!spencerreid

summary : the times that spencer’s girlfriend has appreciated him in public.

warnings : none :)

notes : this is not proof read !!

“oh my god, you didn’t tell me he was so cute, morgan.” you didn’t even glance at your friend as you stared at the man with glasses across from you. he turned red at the compliment.

“oh my god, boy wonder has an admirer!” garcia approached the pair with an excited squeal, only causing spencer to become even more red as she gushed over the pair.

it only lasted a few moment before both derek and garcia disappeared, leaving spencer and you alone. he was still red in the face and refusing to meet your eyes.

“i’m sorry for embarrassing you.” you apologised as soon as the two had left, the man finally meeting your eyes. all hope in them had vanished and instead you were met with disappointment. he thought you were kidding. “you are cute, though.”

spencer was back to blushing at your compliments.

“oh my god!” you squealed as you walked out of the elevator with spencer, grinning ear to ear as he chuckled at your overly dramatic reaction.

“what’s wrong?” derek turned the corner with emily by his side, both looking mildly concerned at you both. you couldn’t speak, instead holding up your hands that were holding spencer’s.

“i’m so happy i can’t talk.” you stuttered through your speech before looking up at spencer, “i have to tell garcia. i cant contain myself!” before he could stop you, you practically skipped down to her office.

“why is she so happy?” emily questioning as she watched you disappear down the hall. “i, um—“ spencer suddenly looked down at the ground, the grin never leaving his lips. “i asked her to be my girlfriend.”

there was laughs, and screams, as everyone rushed inside at the sight of the pouring rain. spencer didn’t, instead he looked around disappointingly. his halloween party was ruined.

not on your watch.

“where is everyone going?” you frowned as the speakers were grabbed by someone to prevent them from water damage, instead opening your phone and playing a song as loud as you could. it was an etta james song.

“it’s raining.” spencer stated with a small huff, “let’s go inside before you get sick.” he wrapped an arm around you but you weren’t having it, instead wrapping both of yours around his neck. “afraid of a little rain?”

the man looked confused until you placed his hands on your waist and then returned yours back to loop around his neck, beginning to sway side to side with the songs slow beat.

“y/n, you’re gonna get sick.” he warned but it was clear by the smile on his face that he was warmed by your actions. you simply laid your head onto his chest. “one song, please, spence.” you begged.

he hummed while wrapping his arms around you, hoping to keep you warm as you danced together while the people inside watched on - small smiles on their faces.

“i can feel your back muscles.” you grinned up at your boyfriend that returned the gesture, looking down towards you. after all the compliments he received from you his confidence had grown — but they still made him go red.

“they probably think we’re crazy.” the agent referred to the crowd inside. he continued to dance with you, spinning around in slow steps while holding each other in the rain.

“i don’t care.” you shook your head, “aslong as i’m with you, they can think whatever they want.” you leaned up to place a kiss on the man’s lips, unable to contain your smile as you did.

#Spotify #criminal minds #criminalminds x reader #criminalminds imagine #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid one shot #spencer reid imagine

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bullet-prooflove · 29 days ago

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Art Deco: Endeavour Morse x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @caffeinatedwoman @lieutenantcrosby @to-grow-in-and-to-love @gwyn73

Companion piece to:

Next Time - Morse doesn't expect to meet his soulmate on the lawn at Oxford.

Bruises - You see to Morse's care after a beating.

Rarities - You and Morse discuss the fact your differences.

The Right One - Morse's bad trip leads Fred Thursday to question your intentions.

Morse isn’t thinking about marriage when he finds the ring. He’s focused instead on the interviewing the pawnshop owner about a murder a few doors down when the glint of silver catches his eye. He tries to ignore it, but the thought consumes him late into the night as you sleep, nestled in against his chest.

Art deco with two small diamonds tucked into a delicate filigree style.

1920s era, he’s told when he goes back with Fred Thursday the next day because he knows absolutely nothing about jewellery.

“It means the metal quality is much higher.” Fred tells him as he studies the ring between his fingers. “Anything after 1939 is of a poorer grade because silver was listed as a strategic war material. Jewellery after that era tends to shatter after a decade or two. This…” He says weighing the ring in his palm. “This will be with her an entire lifetime.”

A lifetime…

That’s exactly what he wants with you.

He spends the day thinking about weddings, trying to imagine what your own might look like. He rules out a church straight away because neither of you believe in God, he thinks a registry office will be too dreary which leaves heritage sites and you’ve both always loved the Bodleian Library.

He disappears on his lunchbreak to enquire about hosting a wedding there, taking detailed notes of the costings, biting his tongue at the rates. He has a little money saved but not as much as he’d hoped.

“Aye, weddings are expensive.” Fred says when he catches a glimpse of his scribblings back at the nick. “What you want to do is narrow down your guest list, cut costs there. There’s no point in hiring the whole place out if it’s just the two of you and a couple of witnesses.” He taps his finger on the notebook thoughtfully. “They’ll probably give a discount if you pick a quiet time, late afternoon on a weekday in the autumn perhaps. September or October so you still have the light. Wedding season will be over by then so she’ll probably be able to get a dress on sale. Mrs Thursday might be able to help if she wants it, I know your girl isn’t a traditionalist and Win, she likes a good project.”

“I haven’t even asked her yet.” Morse reminds him, his pencil tapping on the surface of his desk.

“Well you’d better get cracking.” He remarks gesturing at the detailed figures in the notebook. “There’s no point in putting in the legwork if you haven’t asked the question.”

You’re already home when he gets back to the apartment the two of you share. You have Etta James serenading you on the record player as you sit at his desk, working on the book you’ve been writing for the past few months.

“What do you think of the Bodleian?” He asks as he hooks his finger in the loop of his tie, pulling it away from his throat.

“I could spend hours just sitting there absorbing the history of that place.” You say looking up from your paperwork with a wistful excitement in your eyes. “We haven’t been there for a while. We should go this weekend, take a picnic, maybe hire a punt. I’d enjoy lounging back, watching you do all the work.”

He laughs then, his cheeks turning pink because they were his exact words to you this morning when he woke you with light, lingering kisses, each one a tiny sunbeam on your bare skin.

Lie back Cleo, let me do all the work.

“I think I can swing that.” He tells you as he unfastens the buttons of his sleeves. “Fancy’s on call this weekend which means I’m in the free and clear. I’ll pick up a bottle of bubbly on the way home tomorrow to go in the hamper.”

“Bubbly?” You tease as you raise to your feet, your fingertips ghosting over the buttons of his shirt, freeing them one by one. “And what are we celebrating?”

“You, me, life.” He murmurs, his forehead coming to rest on yours as his shirt hangs open. You push the fabric off his shoulders and it flutters to the floor as he claims your mouth.

Everything else is forgotten then including the ring box inside the breast pocket of his blazer as he makes love to you in his favourite chair, Etta’s dulcet tones hitting their peak.

This weekend, he thinks in the aftermath as he cradles you close, his fingers combing through your hair. I’ll do it this weekend.

But that day at the Bodleian, with the picnic and the punt it never arrives because Morse has to participate in an undercover operation at Coldwater School and it all goes downhill after that.

“They’re sending me to Woodstock.” He informs you the day after George Fancy’s funeral. You’re folding the laundry into neat squares, his, yours, the bath towels. You’ve been quiet since the shooting, reserved. He thinks it’s dawned on you now, the reality of being a police man’s wife, the fact there’s a day that it might be you getting that call. “I’m to be the village bobby.”

“How do they expect you to commute…” You say, your eyebrows furrowing to a frown before the answer dawns on you. “Oh, you’re to live there aren’t you?”

“There’s a cottage attached to the station.” He says as he lingers in the bedroom doorway and you close your eyes briefly because right now your whole world is falling apart at the seams.

“I can’t go.” You say, your voice breaking as you tilt your head up to look at him. The anguish he sees in your eyes at that moment, it eviscerates him. It feels like his heart is being torn right out of his chest. “I have a life here, a career here. Please don’t ask me…”

You’ve worked so hard to get where you are, to be in a position where you can help other young woman who are trapped in their own lives, who feel stifled by the constraints of a society that doesn’t understand them. There’s importance in that work, it’s something Morse believes in, that you both believe in. You were always destined to be more than just a police man’s wife, he understands that now more than ever.

“I won’t.” He assures you, thinking about the future that could have been. “I won’t let you give that up because of me.”

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#endeavour morse #itv endeavour #endeavour morse x reader #endeavour itv #endeavour x reader #endeavour #shaun evans

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theeseanymph · 4 months ago

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Meet the DuBoise Family! 🤎

After her husband had passed, Etta (Ettie) Allen-Duboise had made the move from Copperdale to Brindleton Bay, in hopes of setting up a good stable life for her 2 girls. Ettie put her all into raising Rose (top-right) and Marie (bottom-left) to be educated, hard-working, and self sufficient young women. She ran her own business, worked an extra job, volunteered and did small gigs here and there.

The girls are much older now. Marie and her husband James both working freelancers, are expecting their first child together, a baby girl! Although Rose isn't as settled as her older sister is, she's got a decent job, a boyfriend, and a solid group of friends keeping her busy living a care-free life!

#i start and abandon way too many saves lol but I'm committed #ts4 cas #ts4 legacy save #ts4 simblr #ocean's edge gameplay #the sims 4

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bumblebeeswrite · 1 month ago

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VELVET & SMOKE | DIMITRI KRAVINOFF

summary: you’re just trying to make your way in the world, and then Dimitri comes crashing in

CW: Mentions of violence and criminal activity, some angst and emotional vulnerability.

I may or may not have whipped this out in an hour LOL

Please let me know if I should make a part two?

The air in the club was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, and even more expensive liquor, and something else… something metallic and faintly unsettling that you tried not to think about too hard.

It was Dimitri’s club, after all, and whispers followed him like shadows. Whispers of his family, his brother, the things that happened in the back rooms that were strictly off-limits to the staff, especially to you.

You adjusted the microphone, the cool metal a familiar comfort against your palm. Tonight, the crowd was a mix of the usual clientele – the city’s elite, looking for a thrill, and the more shadowy figures you tried not to make eye contact with.

Your job was just to sing. To lose yourself in the music and maybe, just maybe, catch a break.

Dimitri was usually a ghost in his own club. He’d make a brief appearance, a curt nod to the staff, maybe a clipped word with the bartender, and then disappear into his private office.

You had known him only weeks before his father died, but before that he seemed more present.. more engaged. But who were you to say he was different?

He was all sharp angles and colder eyes, a man who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his tailored shoulders. You’d only spoken to him a handful of times, mostly about your setlists and the occasional equipment malfunction. He was always polite, if distant, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down your spine despite yourself.

But sometimes, late after your last set, when the club had emptied to a handful of stragglers and the cleaning crew was sweeping up spilled drinks, you’d hear it. Music. Faint at first, then growing clearer – the melancholic chords of a piano. It was always Dimitri on the piano, his long fingers dancing over the keys with a grace that was at odds with his usual stoic demeanor

And then there were the times that he would sing. He could borrow the voice of almost anyone, though you never knew how he could do it. His pianist was usually a rotating cast of session musicians, but sometimes… sometimes it was you.

It had started a few weeks into your employment. You’d been packing up your gear, humming a tune to yourself, when Dimitri had emerged from the shadows, his eyes, for once, not quite so glacial.

“You play?” he’d asked, his voice surprisingly soft.

You’d nodded, clutching your guitar case a little tighter. “Piano, mostly. Some guitar.”

“The pianist for tonight… he called in sick.” A beat of silence. “Would you… would you be willing?”

Your heart had leaped into your throat. Playing with Dimitri? It felt both terrifying and exhilarating. You’d stammered out a yes, and that night, something shifted.

When you played together, the walls Dimitri had so carefully constructed seemed to crumble. His focus wasn’t on the business, the clientele, or whatever dark dealings went on behind closed doors. It was solely on the music.

His eyes would meet yours, not with the usual guardedness, but with an intensity that made your breath catch. You’d lose yourselves in the melodies, the shared rhythm, a language you both understood without words.

Tonight, as you finished your first set with a powerful rendition of Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” you scanned the dimly lit room, half-expecting to see Dimitri observing from a shadowy corner. But he wasn’t there.

A familiar pang of disappointment hit you. You’d been hoping he might be around tonight. You’d been working on a new song, something vulnerable, and you’d wanted to see his reaction.

During your break, you retreated to the small, cramped dressing room, the silence a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the club. You pulled out your notebook, the pages filled with scribbled lyrics and half-formed melodies. This song… it was different.

It was about the longing, the yearning for something more, something beyond the confines of your current life. You weren’t born with money or inheritance, only talent and a dream. You worked tirelessly to make ends meet, to ensure that you would have a chance to succeed. But you had no connections or means to make it happen, as best as you tried

It was also about the way Dimitri looked at you sometimes when you played, a flicker of something real in his usually impenetrable gaze.

You were humming the tune to yourself when a soft knock echoed through the door. Your heart skipped a beat.

The door creaked open, and there he was. Dimitri. He looked… different. His tie was slightly loosened, and there was a weariness around his eyes that you hadn’t noticed before. He held a small glass in his hand, the amber liquid swirling within.

“They liked your set,” he said, his voice low.

A blush crept up your neck. “Thank you, Dimitri.”

He took a slow sip of his drink, his gaze fixed on you. “You have a… powerful voice.”

“It’s all I have,” you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

His eyes flickered with something that might have been understanding. “That’s not true.” He paused. “You have talent. Real talent.”

It was the most personal thing he’d ever said to you outside of your musical collaborations. You didn’t know how to respond.

“I… I was working on something new,” you said, gesturing to your notebook. “Maybe… maybe after my last set, if you’re still here…”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Perhaps.” He took another sip of his drink. “The pianist… he’s still unwell. Would you… would you play with me again tonight?”

Your heart soared. “I’d like that very much.”

The second set flew by in a blur. You poured your heart and soul into every song, feeling Dimitri’s occasional gaze like a warm weight. When you finally announced your last song, you felt a mix of anticipation and nerves.

“This next one,” you said into the microphone, your voice a little shaky, “is something I wrote myself.”

You took a deep breath and began to play. The melody was simple, raw, and the lyrics poured out of you, telling a story of dreams and longing, of wanting to make everything you dreamed a reality.

As you sang, your eyes found Dimitri’s in the dim light. He was watching you intently, his usual guarded expression softened, replaced by something you couldn’t quite understand.

When the last note faded, the club was silent for a moment before erupting into applause. You looked at Dimitri, your heart pounding in your chest. He simply nodded, a hint of something akin to admiration in his eyes.

Later, after the club had mostly emptied, you found yourself back in the small dressing room, gathering your things. You were humming the melody of your song when the door opened again. It was Dimitri again.

“That song,” he said, his voice quiet. “It was… honest.”

You shrugged, suddenly feeling self-conscious over the whole thing. “It’s just… how I feel sometimes.”

He stepped closer, the air between you charged with an unspoken tension. “You want more than this, don’t you?” he asked, his gaze searching yours.

“Of course, I do,” you said, your voice barely a whisper. “I want to be heard. I want to make music that matters.”

He nodded slowly. “And you will.”

You wanted to believe him, but doubt gnawed at you. You were just a poor girl with a voice and a dream, working in a club owned by a man who moved in circles you couldn’t even imagine.

“It’s not that simple,” you said, looking down at your hands.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against yours. The touch sent a jolt through you. His hand was surprisingly warm, his soft skin a stark contrast to your own. And then there was the business of the missing finger, which you’d always chosen not to comment on.

“Maybe not,” he said, his voice low and husky. “But sometimes… sometimes the most unlikely things can happen.”

He didn’t let go of your hand. You looked up at him, your heart pounding in your chest. In the soft light of the dressing room, his eyes seemed to hold a depth you hadn’t seen before.

“Why does that matter?” you asked, your voice trembling.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickered down to your hands, then back up to your eyes. “Because… because when you sing, it’s like the whole world stops. And for a moment… for a moment, even I forget.”

You didn’t know what to say. His words were unexpected, and they stirred something within you that you had tried to ignore, that you had tried to convince yourself weren’t real.

“Dimitri…”

He squeezed your hand gently. “I know we come from different worlds,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I know my life… it’s complicated.”

You knew that much. The rumors about his family, his brother’s… unusual hobbies… they were hard to ignore. Even though they tried their best to keep it all quiet.

“But when we play music together…” he continued, his eyes searching yours. “It’s… it’s the only time I feel… free.”

His vulnerability surprised you. This closed-off, enigmatic man was admitting something deeply personal.

“Me too,” you whispered. “When I sing with you… it’s like nothing else matters.”

He leaned closer, his breath warm against your ear. “Maybe… maybe it could be more than just the music.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You wanted to say yes, to throw caution to the wind and embrace the possibility of something more with this complicated, intriguing man. But fear held you back.

“Dimitri, your world… it’s not mine. I don’t belong here.”

He cupped your cheek with his hand, his thumb gently stroking your skin. “Don’t say that. You belong wherever you want to be.”

His touch sent shivers down your spine. You closed your eyes, leaning into his touch. You knew it was risky, that getting involved with someone like him could lead to nothing but heartbreak. But in that moment, with his hand on your cheek and his eyes filled with a longing that mirrored your own, you didn’t care.

You opened your eyes and looked at him, a small, hopeful smile playing on your lips.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against yours. It was a tentative touch at first, a silent question. You responded in kind, standing up a little taller to press your lips more firmly against his. The kiss deepened, a slow, tender exploration that was full of unspoken desires and a hesitant hope for something more.

When you finally pulled apart, the air between you was thick and slightly hot. Dimitri’s eyes, usually so cold, held a warmth that made your heart flutter.

“Stay,” he whispered, his forehead resting against yours. “Stay and let’s see what happens.”

You knew it wouldn’t be easy. There would be obstacles, challenges, and the ever-present shadow of his family and their dangerous world. But in that moment, held in his arms, with the promise of music and something more hanging in the air, you knew you couldn’t walk away.

“Okay,” you whispered back, your voice filled with a newfound hope. “I’ll stay.”

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#dimitri kravinoff #fred hechinger #Dimitri kravinoff x reader #kraven the hunter #kraven the hunter fic #Spotify

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