#oh how i wish my drawing skills were not as atrocious as they are

[anidealistatbestburntoutatworst]

the brain worms crave seeing kunikida with his hair down- but alas the brain worms and my hands which know only the creative bounds of shitposts are unable to bring this notion into reality,,,,

[superpuppies]

Hobbit High school

Chapter 1: The Stories Exchanged

Fandom- The Hobbit

Characters- Ori X Dwalin, Bilbo X Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dori, Nori, Gandalf, Thlandral, Legolas

Rating- PG13

Word count- 4924

Archive Link- https://archiveofourown.org/works/10027448/chapters/22350188

Summary- Ori and Bilbo meet before class to exchange stories (as the title may suggest) and Dwalin joins the two younger Ri brothers for dinner.

Hey all, here’s the newest from my mind, please keep in mind that I do have dyslexia and I really do try to fix all spelling mistakes but some will always slip through. If you spot some please let me know and I will do my best to correct it. Thank you.

Moria is a quite suburb, nestled prettily between the Lonely Mountain, where Lady Galadriel’s School of Medicine shown bright and the White City. In the old days it was a fairly bustling mining town but now it was just a quiet place between a bustling city and a large college of medicine. This fall morning was windy with a chilling under tone as the sun was only just beginning to peek through the gray clouds at six thirty in the morning. Ori Ri had walked to school with his brother, Nori as usual and now sat in the bleachers watching the football team run through their morning drills. Well more watching Dwalin Stealbuster run through his morning drills, of course Ori would never admit that was why he was there. Whenever asked he always said it was to meet with Bilbo for a quick homework review.  This of course only cemented the two younger boy’s reputation as nerds even more, despite the fact that most of the team didn’t believe it. Though the story was hard to dispute when Bilbo always showed up and most of the time papers and note books where passed back and forth between them.  

Two months after Ori and Bilbo had come clean to each other about their crushes, Bilbo surprised his friend with the first of what would become many erotic tales featuring Ori and Dwalin. It was only after receiving three such tales that Ori returned the favor in kind supplying Bilbo with ones featuring himself and Thorin. This secret game of gifted tales turned into something adjacent to a competition to see whose story could affect the other more. There was only one rule to this little competition of theirs; they would only receive a story if they both had one to give.  Today was one such day.

Ori pulled his too large gray and green horizontal striped cardigan tighter around him as he heard Bilbo step up on to the aluminum. He turned to his friend and smiled as Bilbo’s medium length soft brown hair flew wild in the breeze. Bilbo was wearing one of his father’s old maroon corduroy jackets over a dark blue button down and some well-loved, faded jeans. He had an old brown leather satchel that the two boys had found in a local thrift shop slung across his chest to rest on his right hip. Ori’s smile widened as he thought how much his friend looked the part of a literature nerd, there was no doubt that Bilbo would follow his parents down the path to librarian but he may also add writer to that path as well.

Bilbo is the only child of the Baggins family, who had been personally invited by Mayor Oakensheild to help bring the library up-to-date. Dori and nine-year-old Ori had dragged Nori to the re-opening celebration.  While exploring the new building Ori found Bilbo bunkered down in the fantasy section. The two young boys became quick friends over their shared love of literature. Over the years Bilbo became very comfortable in the Ri household, so much so that when Ori brought up the suspected affection for Thorin he had very little trouble admitting to it and wrangling out Ori’s thoughts on Dwalin.

“Windy this morning.” Bilbo said, as he got closer to Ori.

“It’s probably going to rain before lunch.” Ori nodded at the sky.

“Yeah?” Bilbo sat down to Ori’s right.

“I can smell it.”

“When are you going to get rid of this thing?” Bilbo picked at Ori’s cardigan. The striped thing clashed with Ori’s earthen fire hair, besides doing nothing at all for any semblance of fashion his friend might have. Ori wore brown slacks with a brown and teal argyle pull over. Bilbo was fairly certain his friend couldn’t look any more like an old man trapped in a young man’s body if he tried especially with that cardigan.

“I like it.” Ori said brushing Bilbo’s hand away.

“You bought it as a joke; you’re not supposed to wear it all the time.” Bilbo huffed opening his bag and pulled out a maroon binder. Ori shrugged reaching down by his feet for his canvas messenger bag.

“It’s comfy.”

“It’s ugly.”

“It is, Ori.” Thorin said leaning against the field fence before gulping down some water. Both Ori and Bilbo turned to the football captain.

“Shut up, Thorin. No one wants your opinion.” Ori said with playful defiance, Thorin just laughed dropping his water bottle back onto the bench.

“It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Nerd boy. Isn’t that right Bilbo?”

Bilbo blushed slightly as he smiled. “That’s what I keep trying to tell him.”

Thorin laughed again and ran back out to join his team.

Bilbo watched Thorin’s retreating back with longing.  One early spring afternoon two years ago, Ori came to the realization that Bilbo had a heavy crush on Thorin.  So, while both boys where sitting in Ori’s room Ori confronted Bilbo about it and was forced to admit to his own feelings for Dwalin.

Ori dropped a black folder onto the binder Bilbo was holding, startling his friend into catching it before it slid to the ground. Bilbo tightened his grip on the folder and turned sharp eyes on Ori, who just shrugged. “What, I dropped it.”

Bilbo smirked. “Yeah right.” But his voice showed his hurt feelings. “And to think I stayed up writing two of these for you.” Bilbo handed Ori the binder.

“Two? Oh, don’t I feel special.” Ori flipped open the binder. “What are they about?”

Bilbo cracked open the folder. “They’re both the same basic idea but I couldn’t decide who should be in what role so I wrote it both ways.”

Ori laughed as he started reading, though the more he read the more he decided he didn’t like this first tale.

Bilbo put away the folder, pulled out a notebook and sat writing quickly. “What are you doing?” Ori asked, Bilbo had never before not at least started the story given to him.

“I forgot to finish the story treatment for English.”

“Geeze, you’re lucky Professor Thranduil accepts hand written stuff from you.” Ori said rolling his eyes in disbelief.

“He would from everyone if their handwriting wasn’t so atrocious.”

“Well most of us prefer the computer anyway.” Dwalin said dropping down onto the bleacher in front of them.

Ori started at his sudden appearance and pulled the binder up to his chest as he asked. “How do you do that?”

Bilbo smirked; he was also surprised by Dwalin’s fairly sudden appearance but not as much as Ori seemed to be. Dwalin’s ability to silently appear had come up several times before and still continued to confound them.

Dwalin shrugged leaning back to look at Ori. “It’s a skill.”

“I imagine.” Ori said relaxing his hold on the binder slightly. Bilbo’s smirk grew, part of him enjoyed watching the two of them dance around each other. No matter how many times he tried to encourage his friend to confess to Dwalin, Ori simply wouldn’t do it. Not that Bilbo could bring himself to be all that upset by it, he got a good show most of the time and he couldn’t say a word to Thorin about his own feeling so he had no right to be upset. There was also the chance that he was misreading Dwalin’s kindness because he knew how Ori felt about the older boy.

“Why do you two sit out here? It’s too cold to just be sitting.” Dwalin asked his eyes never leaving Ori’s face.

Both Ori and Bilbo shrugged in response. “I walk in with Nori and this has just kind of established itself as the place. Besides were else would we go?” Ori said drawing invisible patterns over the story on his lap.

Dwalin half smirked. “Inside, the library or something. The school is open you know, just somewhere else so you don’t have to sit out here in the cold.”

“Stealbuster!” Coach Boromir shouted from the field, Dwalin looked back at the field and the familiar weathered face. “Leave the worlds quietest cheer squad alone and get back down here.”  Dwalin rolled his eyes at his teammates who were silently mocking him behind their coach and stood. He smirked again as he hit the field and he heard Ori and Bilbo let out an unenthusiastic, “Go team. Fight.” before returning to what they had been doing. Coach Boromir chuckled briefly but quickly went back to barking orders at the team.

Ori watched the team for a while but didn’t want to seem like a creeper and eventually turned back to the story Bilbo had given him. He never really cared for the stories in which Dwalin was almost submissive to his every wish and this one was getting to be too much in that vibe. He read on a bit longer before turning to the second story. Bilbo closed his note book and glanced at his watch as he put it away. They still had about twenty minutes so he opened the folder with Ori’s story in it and began to read.

 Coach Boromir gathered his team and sent them inside to get cleaned up. As he picked up the last of his papers, he noticed the younger Ri and his friend still on the bleachers reading. With a sigh he walked to the bottom of the bleachers and called out to them. “Ori, Bilbo” The two boys looked up. “You should be heading in too.” The boys glanced around and noticed everyone else had moved inside and began to gather themselves up. Once done they trotted past him with an apologetic. “Sorry Coach.”

“Just get inside.”

 Nori was showered and dressed first as per- usual having thrown around his power as ‘Most bad-ass on the team’ the entire team did not agree with this statement. They did however agree that he was one of the funniest and had the best beard. While they all sported pretty impressive beards for young men still in high school, Nori had already set his into interact braids and patters that hinted at the star pattern he would be known for in his adult life. He had his reasons for wanting to be out the door first. One he needed more time for beard matiness and two he wanted to get to Ori. Since the rumor that Nori was “screwing Ori senseless every night” had made its way to his little brother. Ori had blushed so hard upon hearing the rumor that his cheeks almost matched his earthen red hair while he sputtered out denials that were sadly less then convincing. Ori had begun pushing him away and the only time he was allowed to be with Ori publicly was in the early morning.  

Nearly done primping in the mirror a ruckus broke out in the showers, so reluctantly Nori peeked in, to see what was going on. Two of the younger boys, Fili and Kili to be exact had started some sort of water fight. Nori sighed; he had no intention of dealing with them so he turned to Thorin who was toweling off nearby. “Thorin, your idiots, blond and black.”

“God, damn it!” Thorin grumbled pulling on a pair of dark jeans and marching back toward the showers. “Fili! Kili!”

“Yeah, yeah” Fili answered, he was the more brazen of the twins and enjoyed riling his ‘uptight’ Cousin.

Nori smirked as Thorin began verbally leaning in on his cousins in that almost kingly tone of his. It was times like these that Nori and Dwalin thought he sounded like his father, Mayor Oakensheild at one of his many speeches. Nori was tightening that last tight into his beard when Dwalin appeared in the mirror beside him. “You know if you keep playing with it, it’s going to fall off.”

Nori rolled his eyes. “Is that why you just let yours flop there?”

Dwalin stood a good head and a half taller than Nori; his beard matched the deep black of his hair and falls more naturally, so that from the side it almost looked like extensions of his hair that ended about an inch off his chin. “It does not flop.”

Nori reached up and smushed Dwalin’s beard. “Yeah you’re right, it’s too short for that.”  Dwalin shoved Nori away from him.

“I hate you.”

Nori laughed at Dwalin, Thorin walked back into the locker area behind them in a huff, pulled on a dark blue shirt before grabbing his brush and going to town on his hair. “It’s like they do it on purpose, like I don’t have enough to deal with!” Thorin grumbled.

“I don’t get why you take responsibility for them.” Dwalin said with a sidelong glance at Thorin.

“Because if I don’t and they get into trouble, I get blamed for it.”

“Well, sucks to be you don’t it.” Nori threw over his shoulder walking to the door.

 Ori stopped in the hall to fix his bag. Bilbo smirked; to anyone else this wouldn’t seem all that odd except for where they stopped and that they stopped there most mornings. The locker room door opened and Nori practically leapt onto Ori’s back. “Ori! I love when you wait for me!”

Ori tightened the strap on his bag and braced himself to take on Nori’s weight. “Well if I don’t you chase me down the hall, jump on me and make me fall over. So it’s just better to stand here.” Nori laughed loudly as he tightened his hold on Ori.

Immediately following the Ri parents’ death, by car accident, Nori acted out for several months, causing quite a bit of trouble for his eldest brother and now legal guardian Dori in the process. When nothing seemed to be working to straighten the young Nori out, Dori gave a last ditch “God Help Us” effort, by placing a seven-year-old Nori in charge of the five-year-old Ori. To Dori’s and many other’s surprise, Nori took to the task extremely well. Because of this the younger siblings developed an exceedingly close bond. As they grew Nori began to show his affections more publicly, randomly hugging his younger brother or finding other ways to have some sort of physical contact. This struck Dori as a bit odd but he was sure it would come to an end as Nori entered High school, it did not. When two years later Ori entered high school himself, the displays became even more overt, to the point that Nori was often seen hanging off of his brother in the hallways.

Ori for his part enjoyed the attention from his brother, though sometimes Nori could be a bit embarrassing. There were times when he wished Nori would stop but on the whole, he did truly enjoy knowing how much his older brother cared for him. Dwalin looked away from the two brothers as Nori snuggled into Ori’s cheek causing the younger boy to blush and turn away.

Thorin smiled and wrapped his arm around Bilbo’s shoulder as he chuckled at his friends. “Why are you friends with these weirdoes?”

Bilbo used his answering shrug as an excuse to brush closer against Thorin as he looked up and said. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Thorin shrugged in return as he ruffled Bilbo’s hair. “I’m pretty much stuck with them at this point.” Dwalin started down the hall without them. “Even if I stopped hanging out with them I’d still be associated with them through family. So, you know what’s the point.” The Oakensheild’s, Stealbuster’s and Ri’s had been dear friends and figureheads of Moria since the town’s creation.

Bilbo smiled again as he tried to get his hair to lie properly. The group fell into step with Dwalin and an easy joking atmosphere began swirling around them. Almost a half hour later the halls where filling too much for Ori and he began to pull away from his brother. When they stopped at Ori’s locker Ori had to physically push Nori off of himself. “Get off me!” Ori said half laughing half panicked as he swatted Nori’s returning hands away. Ori’s ritualistic morning please and shove, rang in Dwalin’s ears and as the first bell sounded Dwalin dropped a hand on Nori’s shoulder. When Nori didn’t move Dwalin grabbed him by the shirt collar and began dragging him down the hall. Thorin chuckled as he turned for his own class.

Ori and Bilbo settled into their seats and muttered to each other that whoever came up with an eight AM Math class was clearly the devil. The teacher began roll call as Kili and Fili sauntered into class. She paused and disappointedly watched them head for their seats. “Please try to be here on time gentlemen.” Kili just nodded while Fili turn and smiled at the teacher, flashing some charm.

“Yeah, sorry about that Coach was talking to us.” The teacher made a notation on her roll book and continued call. Fili settled next to his brother two seats behind Ori and Bilbo. As the lesson started Bilbo pulled out the folder from Ori and some blank paper so that it looked like he was taking notes. Ori sat with the binder-spread open before him; he twirled his pen in his fingers as he began reading Bilbo’s story again.

The day proceeded normally, Ori and Bilbo did their best to stay as far away from Fili and Kili as they could and as per- usual they had one minor run in with the twins. Thankfully though the run in was a small one with only the twins throwing sad reference to the rumor about Ori and Nori at them as they separated for their next class. When Ori and Bilbo got back together for lunch Ori sat across from Bilbo and with a lowered head handed back the first story.

“Not this one, Bilbo.” Ori hated when he gave back a story, he felt as if he didn’t appreciate them. But these types of stories were always strange to him and left him feeling very bothered so he never kept them.

“I thought as much.” Bilbo said shaking his head as he slid the story back into his bag. “You have a weird aversion to the idea of him treating you like that.”

Ori pushed at the mashed potatoes on his tray a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. “It just doesn’t feel right…natural? I guess.”

“I don’t know about that?” Bilbo said picking up a carrot, Ori eyed his friend. “I just call it like I see it, Ori.”

“Then why don’t you call Thorin like you see him?”

Bilbo glared at Ori. Fili turned toward the boys a table away at the sound of his cousin’s name. “It’s not that simple, he’s only nice to me because he thinks he has to be.”

“What, is that supposed to mean?” Ori laughed.

“Because of his dad.” Bilbo rolled his eyes.

“Okay that is utter bull shit and even if it wasn’t, which it is. How is that any different then what I’m dealing with?”

“He doesn’t have to be nice to you.”

“He’s my brothers’ best friend of course he’s not going to be an asshole.”

“I don’t understand why you simply refuse to see it.”

“Fili!” Kili snapped as he leaned into his brother. Fili turned back to his dark haired baby brother with a smirk. “I’m talking to you, what the hell are you looking at?”

“Sorry Kili, but I think I have an idea.”

“Oh yeah?” Kili sat back and pouting, shoved a fry into his mouth. “About what?”

“A little prank we can play on the fag and his book worm.” Fili nodded at Ori and Bilbo so Kili would look, the two would be victims looked as though they were starting to fight with each other. A smirk settled on Kili’s lips, they were generally speaking his favorite victims, fairly easily frazzled and quick to freak out, you just had to know the right buttons to push. Though lately Ori had grown immune to any menschen of the rumor he and Fili had started about Nori screwing him senseless almost nightly. So maybe a new topic wouldn’t be such a bad idea for a while.

“Hmm, what brought them to mind?”

“They were just talking about Thorin and I think we should teach them to stop relying on our dear cousin’s kindness all the time.” Fili’s smirk darkened. “Just give me some time to fine tune it and we’ll have our fun…” The bell cut through the cafeteria and Fili’s sentence. Fili watched Ori and Bilbo stand and walk out the door with a mob of other students. Fili and Kili fallowed at a safe distance and watched as Bilbo opened his locker put his math and soc books inside along with the folded returned story as he grabbed his German text. Fili crept closer and when Bilbo turned pushing his locker closed as he walked away into the hustle of the quickly moving hall. Fili reached out and grabbed the locker door before it slammed shut, pulling the door open he grabbed the folded story and shut the locker before merging back into the crowd.

 At the end of the day Ori stood at Bilbo’s locker and apologized for their little tiff at lunch while Bilbo filled his bag. Nori and Dwalin came up and stood on either side of Ori ready to walk home. Ori and Bilbo said their good byes, Dwalin waved and Nori just threw himself on to Ori’s back. Just before closing his locker Bilbo reached in for the story but couldn’t find it, thinking he must have already put it in his bag while he was talking to Ori he shrugged and closed the door. He would find the story later when he got home but right now he had to get to violin lessons.

Ori walked quietly beside Nori, thankful that he had managed to get his brother off him but now he was impatiently waiting for Dwalin to deviate down his own street. He was tired and an afternoon nap was looking great right now, he smiled at the thought of it.  Until he realized that Dwalin should have left them two streets ago he glanced up at Dwalin and unconsciously asked. “Wha?”

“Dwalin can’t go home right away today so he’s staying with us for dinner.” Nori answered and nudged Dwalin’s shoulder. “I told you he wouldn’t remember.”

“Oh.” Ori glanced at the ground, he vaguely recalled Nori mentioning something about this a few days ago.

“Mom’s having the carpets cleaned and I’m not allowed in until they’re dry.” Dwalin offered up as explanation.

“That’s just the nice ‘mom’ way of telling you that you’re gross and disgusting and she doesn’t want you around for a while.” Nori jabbed.

Ori sighed as the thought of his afternoon nap evaporated.

“Then why would she send me to your place?” Dwalin arched an eyebrow confidently.

Ori let out an audible huff as he realized he was going to have to make dinner, Nori looked at Ori who had picked up the pace in his growing frustration.

“Oh, come on Ori.” Nori wrapped his arms around Ori’s shoulders and leaned against his back. “Dori’s supposed to have left us stuff for fajitas.”

“Really?” Ori smiled slightly.

“Yep.”

“I’m not doing dishes.” Ori said pushing Nori off of him and crossing his arms.

“Well, duh. I mean he’s got to do something to pay for eating my delicious fajitas.”

“Nice.”

“Excuse me! I am the guest!”  Dwalin sounded almost appalled.

Ori walked up the step to the front door in a much better mood. It looked like that afternoon nap was going to happen, along with Nori’s famous Fajitas and dinner with Dwalin. He opened the door, kicked off his shoes and dropped onto the sofa. Today was turning from fairly good to pretty great. Nori dropped his bag on the coffee table and dragged Dwalin into the kitchen to wash all the veggies and dishes he needed.

 Nori flipped the meat and vegetables into the air again and smirked at the grumble Dwalin gave him while setting the table. “Hey, do me a favor.”

“What now?” Dwalin said dropping the last plate unceremoniously onto the table.

“Go wake up Ori for me, it’s almost done.”

“What?” Dwalin’s tone softened.

“He’s usually asleep by now so go wake him up.”

“You mean he’s usually in here cooking and you’re falling asleep.”

“Yeah, when you guys are over. Rest of the time I’m doing shit around the house and he’s passed out on the sofa.”

“Really?” Dwalin chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?”

“It’s just weird to think of Ori as the lazy one.”

Nori narrowed his eyes at Dwalin. “Do you know why Ori comes to morning practice with me?”

“So he and Bilbo can check each other’s homework, how nerdy is that by the way?” Dwalin smiled leaning against the counter.

“No.” Dwalin’s smile fell. “That is just some stupid cover story. He comes to practice with me because if I didn’t drag his ass to school every morning then he wouldn’t show up.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Nope, he does this all the time. Comes home takes a nap, has dinner, goes to his room and does whatever the hell it is he does until some unheard of hour of the night then morning comes around and I have to drag his whinny ass out of bed and the whole cycle starts all over again.”

“Aww, that’s kind of adorable. You being a caring big-“

“Just go get him.”

Dwalin laughed as he walked out into the living room still not believing Nori in the slightest. Ori lay on the sofa, his head back, mouth slightly open, his legs sprawled wide over the rest of the cushions, he had twisted himself somehow so that his shirt had rolled up and exposed the milky skin of his stomach. Dwalin’s eyes caught and hung there memorizing the slight rise and fall of his breath.  

Walking closer Dwalin told himself that he would just grab Ori’s shoulder and shake him awake but his out stretched hands ignored him and instead did a gentle, ghostly glide over the exposed skin. He let out a quiet sigh at how soft it was and spared a quick glance back to the kitchen door but thankfully Nori was still preoccupied.  Turning back, his fingers ghosted across the exposed patch and played in the red trail that linked Ori’s navel to his groin.

Ori moaned as his left arm vacated its perch on his chest with a swipe to settle on his stomach. Dwalin pulled his hand away barely avoiding detection.  Silently berating himself for what he had done. Dwalin took Ori’s shoulder and shook the boy awake.

Ori grumbled once before opening his eyes as soon as he saw Dwalin leaning over him he shot upright an embarrassed blush creeping over his skin. “Dinner’s ready.” Dwalin said as he forced himself to look away from Ori’s quick fidgeting fingers and walk back into the kitchen.

“Thanks.” Ori said quietly pulling his shirt down.

Dinner was full of corny jokes, bad impressions of Dori and Coach Boromir, old stories and embarrassing ones. All three boys laughed hard and often; Ori was glad for it too because there was something really embarrassing about having Dwalin wake him up. The festivities were interrupted by a knock on the door; Ori excused himself to answer it.  “Hello Sheriff Stealbuster.” Ori smiled up at the man Dwalin would be in twenty years. Dwalin really was the spitting image of his father only not balding and rundown looking yet.

“You don’t have to call me ‘Sheriff Stealbuster’ it’s either ‘Mr. Stealbuster’ or just ‘Sheriff’.” The man chuckled it was a low warm sound that washed over Ori.

“Yes I do, it’s what you are.”

“Does that mean I should call you ‘student Ri’?”

“If you want but it might be kind of hard to distinguish me from my brother.”

The Sheriff chuckled again as he fallowed Ori back into the kitchen. “There’s no problem there, you’re the good kid in this family.”

“Hey dad.” Dwalin said dropping his plate in the sink.

“Dwalin.” The Sheriff smiled at his son and turned to Nori with a nod.

“Hey” Nori grumbled as he slid down in his chair. “I could hear you, you know.”

“So are we clear for reentry?” Dwalin asked.

“Yep, so let’s go before she thinks we got shot or something.” They all smiled at the idea of it, as Dwalin gathered his bag and put on his shoes. “Thank Dori again for me would you Nori.”

Nori scoffed. “Why, what the hell did he do?”

The Sheriff looked around the house. “Where is he anyway?”

“Minas Tirith medical conference.” Nori supplied.

“Oh” The Sheriff’s voice was tinged with concern as his eyebrows raised.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I just always thought Dori liked Ori alive.”

“Nice! Get out of my house.” Nori glared.

“Hey now, if you don’t knock off this threatening behavior I’m going to have to take you into custody.”

Ori sighed, this game was old. “I’m going to go do homework. It was nice seeing you again Sheriff Stealbuster.” With that Ori snagged his own bag and climbed the stairs. About thirty minutes later he heard the Sheriff’s car pull away.

[vaguely-concerned]

Temeraire let’s read: Crucible of Gold AHOY!

- lol I’m glad hammond is back, he is phenomenally funny. I do love me a bureaucrat character who won’t let trifling things like dignity, morality, politeness or common sense get in the way of their job 

- it is a CRIME that Tharkay had to leave before he got to see Laurence all sun-bronzed and casually dressed and golden haired and relaxed, I wish to petition the universe itself on his behalf to correct this injustice 

- hahaha shen li is the best; a buddhist dragon would be the greatest party pooper among her own kind 

shen li, serenely: attachment to material things can only bring suffering

literally every other dragon, dripping bling from every available surface: um actually

- . . . without the clinging stink of murder and treachery which seemed to have by slow octopoid measures attached itself to his life. laurence I understand where you’re coming from on this but you have served colonial britain since you were like twelve. this has been an extremely slow process of waking up to smelling dem roses (fatherhood changes your perspective on your life situation I guess)

- awwwwww laurence finally studying some more chinese while temeraire helps him... no no this is just rain on my face yes I know I’m indoors it’s just me and lady allendale sitting here with our arms around each other crying about our boy reading poetry of his own freeish will

- oooh I really like how novik writes the way hammond talks -- it can be hard to write a character who constantly breaks up their own dialogue and interrupts themselves and continually couches their words without it being hard to read and annoying, but she really nails communicating that he’s a) completely graceless and with no dignity but also undeniably intelligent, b) definitely a Diplomat but not a total weasel, if only by a hair, c) hilarious

- pour one out for laurence’s civilian beard with me guys, gone too soon and dearly missed (and again tharkay didn’t even get to see it! this continues to be the greatest tragedy of these books let’s hope he grows it out again later when they’re all settled down.) 

- . . . These were distinguished from the others mainly for their having had less time in their careers to demonstrate a lack of initiative or skill, so he could have some small hope of uncovering some previously hidden talent. OH MY GOD LAURENCE the straight up savagery 

- DAD!LAURENCE!!! DAD!LAURENCE!!!!!!! (aaah it’s so interesting that when he gets a bit more stern you can definitely see sides of his father peeking out, but he deeply remains his mother’s son -- he’s acting from a place of affection, feeling of responsibility and concern for their futures, not the weird controlling shit lord allendale routinely pulls)

roland is such a teenager at this point oh my god. also laurence’s whole speech to demane about respecting her boundaries and agency... *chef kiss emoji* and ALSO demane is so sympathetic in this still because who HASN’T wanted to dangle some asshole over a cliff for being a creep to your friend/crush... they’re all good and perfect and I love them actually

- ...I’ve managed to put it out of my mind in the last few books but with the allegiance going down like that I keep remembering there were so many actual children onboard and now I feel ill

being an adult and realizing the full fuckedupedness of these things sucks haha

- 1) the description of seeing the ship sinking from underwater is hauntingly beautiful and 2) as I have said many a time before, thank god for demane

- see this is the other side of the coin of these books making you care so deeply about the characters; I know that no important characters die in this book but I am still so fucking stressed out by all of this D:D:D:

- well well well if gong su’s ludicrous competency wasn’t suspicious before it certainly is now, I guess china trains its spies well in the culinary arts haha

- I mean uh. what a way to symbolically and literally sever laurence from his former life and former self, I guess. you’d be hard pressed to do so more explosively at least

 - something extremely bad happened to granby, we can tick that off the list

- I feel like the prose and writing in general is super improved in this one? it feels sharp and purposeful in a way the last few haven’t quite been

- He hoped Riley would be mourned; Riley deserved to be mourned ahfksahsdajklhsajkfhaslkjfhsakjdfhdaslkfhakj pain :(:(:( I’m so sorry laurence and I didn’t even like the guy. I can’t believe that the first thing this madman does after trying to secure their survival as best he could is writing letters -- on dragonback!!! hands stiff from cold so he can only work in five minute increments!!! -- to make sure riley’s memory isn’t blackened how can he be like this

- emily roland is so smart and capable and amazing my heart is blooming with pride

- iridescent feathered dragons... holy shit this is awesome

temeraire has a little feather envy tho and also maila casually eavesdropping so he can chat up (literally) hot babes... I know they’re prisoners of war and everything but this is all pure unadulterated gold

- oh temeraire darling no have no fear hammond has no self respect whatsoever, that will not be what stops him

- I can’t believe laurence is actually taking time to tie himself in knots over not following perfect procedure around his officers’ future career options while they’re FUCKING MAROONED with a bunch of asshole sailors fkdfhsjdh

- GET YOUR DIRTY FUCJING HANDS OFF DEMANE OR I’LL CHOP THEM OFF FOR YOU YOU SWINE

sipho is like eleven and a nerd and ready to run at all these grown men armed just with a branch PAIN

- granby’s unending exasperation at laurence not knowing all the stuff that seems self-evident to him having grown up with dragons fksjdhfskajd

- aw laurence finally having a little dad talk with roland ;____; and demane has proposed to her repeatedly and she would agree in a moment under other circumstances ;________________; and it never even occurred to me that that’s why she was so upset about him taking on his own dragon but of course that would fuck everything up if that’s what she was planning OH NO ;_________________________________________________;

laurence confirmed for boytoy & hideously embarrassed about it flasdfsdkjhfksd 

“But I don’t want someone I want, if I can’t be sure of seeing him one week in the year” crack crack goes the sound of my heart breaking

I hope they find a way to solve this eventually :(

- really interesting what a clear view emily has of roland and laurence’s relationship tho, considering he’s basically her father figure -- like there’s clear affection, physical attraction and camaraderie there but it never feels particularly romantic & they both have other shit to do. (and laurence knows it too on some level, considering his main emotion when she refuses his proposal is relief lol. it really shows off this central conflict he has where like... he has a very clear idea of who he feels he should be and managed to convince himself he was for a long time, and what that man wants and needs (namely very little, emotionally) and is loyal to. aaaand then there’s the person he actually is, who’s been fighting his way to the surface since temeraire showed up in the very first book and sort of woke him up by giving him something he actually loves and values with all of himself and can’t compromise on. proper gentleman/navy!laurence feels like he has to do what society deems decent and marry roland to be a good person, actual!laurence seems to know that what they already have isn’t wrong or immoral in any way as long as they’re both happy with it. ugh I love him and I hope his last remaining character development includes realizing that who he really is is not only acceptable but actually a better man than that imagined perfect self ever could be and how many people love him for who he is already A N Y W A Y onwards)

- the incan dragons continue to be dope as hell

it’s super interesting how they’ve grown to value people -- and not just one special person, like british dragons, but whole groups of people -- over gold and jewels. like the tendency is there in dragons from other cultures; temeraire loves The Bling but would still easily prioritize laurence and his crew over it. presumably some of it is cultural and some of it must stem from the sheer trauma of losing so many people within a few centuries, which is basically living memory for a dragon (which makes it equal parts sympathetic/heartwarming and juuuuust on the edge of being too creepy and possessive haha).

- jeez this book is doing a good job at showing what a haunting fucking sight it must be to enter a land where like. 90% of the people are dead in plague and their cities stand abandoned

- fhasdklhfaskljfhs hammond going full diplomat on the dragons squabbling... he truly is something

and laurence apologizing to demane because he was out of line and he is a fellow captain now T_____T lord allendale could never

- haven’t had a lot to say for a while because I’m just so entranced with the world building and stuff haha, I find the irl history of this area super interesting as well

- ambassador iskierka........ what a time to be alive

poor poor poor granby hahahaha

- if these books were named harry potter style this one would be ‘william laurence and that time he tried to put off wearing his ceremonial robes for as long as humanly possible’

- granby being good at drawing but having atrocious handwriting is such a good little character detail, novik is just so expert at nonchalantly plopping them in 

- temeraire is being haunted by a green-eyed monster the size of a continent huh lol fair play to maila tho, he’s given it his sleazy all right from the start

I can’t believe gong su invented dragon ice cream solely so temeraire could eat it out of a tub over this... the real mvp

- awwww granby <3 I’m glad there’s some actual canonical queer rep in this series as well (as for the technically not stated straight(heh) out in canon... listen my friends if you can come up with any kind of heterosexual explanation for normally extremely sensible tenzing tharkay gazing at his friend and thinking shit like ‘in the fading light he was a statue gilded by sunlight’ and ‘it was a pang not unmixed with pleasure to look on him, as ever’, you are free to try to come at me with it but I won’t believe you lol. also laurence has the most potent disaster bisexual energy of any man in modern media even if he hasn’t quite caught on to it himself) 

tbh I know it’s mostly in desperation but they should come up with some new kind of medal to give granby for having this particular Talk with william laurence, one of the most awkward men to ever walk this earth... braver than any us marine etc.

- temeraire and iskierka in this scene STRONGLY evoke dirtbag teens sneaking off to make out in the backseat of a car or something god bless

- ...I guess you can’t fault the empress for siding with the dude already crashing like a natural catastrophe over his own home continent and who is eyeing the other six like a starving eagle would a pack of mice. all the europeans suck but I guess it’s sort of her best bet to ally herself with the biggest bully on the playground, especially since forces in her own court would be hard pressed to do anything about the situation. respect sister & congratulations granby lol

- hahahahahahaha leave it to hammond to be forcibly adopted by a dragon 

poor churki tho she’s a grownass adult and she only has one weird coke-addled diplomat and three basically adolescent dragons to work with here

- GRANBY SETTING SOME BOUNDARIES FINALLY I’m so proud of him ;__; this book really does have a lot to say about dragon/human relations huh

- LETHABO!!!!!!!!!!! man i’m so happy she’s doing well, she fucking deserves it and she’s doing good work

- laurence has evolved to his ultimate form of give-no-fucks-do-some-good laurence and hammond was not prepared lol 

“You forget yourself, Captain Laurence,” Hammond said . . . 

“I forget nothing,” Laurence answered . . . 

im crying b/c he literally has forgotten before but remembers himself at the end of victory of eagles b/c of tharkay and and aaaaaaaaaaaaaugh here he is refusing to do the dirty work he’s handed once more 

- lily and maximus! this is not a drill it’s the good good kids back at it again. also temeraire’s phenomenally misplaced sense of superiority re: his reaction to kulingile growing bigger than any of them fkshdfksahdfkj

- berkely <3

- poor harcourt :( ah well she’ll survive it tho he wasn’t that important it’s not like she lost her dragon lol (I honestly can’t feel that bad about riley considering y’know how he was not only chill with but actively for the institution of slavery)

- YOOOOOOO GONG SU! and temeraire is so happy they’re going back to china aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I love this (laurence’s stammering outrage at this reveal is also highly entertaining “he STAYED in my father’s HOUSE!!!!!!!”)

- man that entire last battle scene was so cool in the context of the rest of the series; the sheer effort and ingenuity that went into avoiding a bigger battle and slyly aiding the only worthy cause in the situation (the tswana and freeing the slaves) is so satisfying, especially after VoE

- holy shit I really enjoyed this one! It had a good balance of travelling/character moments and giving us time with the culture and characters of the Inca and their dragons, as well as driving the overall plot forward splendidly! I also feel like we got some more meat to the laurence POV (in hindsight it feels like it was mostly temeraire POV in tongues of serpents, which is fine but I do love our golden boy and his slow burn character development too)

on to blood of tyrants! I don’t know anything about this one except a) amnesia and b) some Very Important Lines I’ve already picked up along the way, I’m not sure I’m prepared (as a trope amnesia can be pretty hit or miss for me, so it’ll be interesting at least!)

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m going (9)

A freaking lock

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, two VERY steamy scenes! One of them is like a 60-diamond scene :D This is NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: 4,050 (let me know if the ‘keep reading’ cutoff isn’t working well!)

Notes: This picks up on the next day, with Amara’s POV, as she’s getting ready to head to Lythikos.

*****

‘Amara, you look great! What do you say?’

She looks in the mirror, glances at the winter outfit she’s trying on. It’s weird to be dressed up for cold weather again, after living in this mediterranean climate for a couple of weeks.

‘I’ll take it!’

Maxwell excitedly raises his hands in the air. ‘Yay! I love this on you. Alright, we gotta go, if you wanna have enough time to finish packing.’

‘How long do I have?’

He looks at his watch. ‘Hm. I’d like you to be out front in like an hour. Is that doable?’

‘Oh, of course.’ She heads back into the changing room. In the unflattering light, her reflection is not that kind to her. The dark circles around her eyes betray the very little sleep she got last night. Not on purpose, but she didn’t want to say no to Hana and Maxwell who had been so eager to go out for dinner and drinks after the one on one dates and the afternoon tea with Queen Regina. Just like Amara, Hana was less than enthused after her date with Liam, and the two women exchanged some charged glances during their night out, but could not truly discuss anything in presence of Maxwell, who was trying so hard.

After their night out, Amara had snuck back into Drake’s room to sleep next to him, which by now, felt like her new normal, and the only stability she’d had in a while. Just knowing he was lying there next to her was enough to make her feel safe and reassured.

She had to sneak out early enough for Maxwell not to notice she was gone, and given his propension for getting up earlier than anyone else in the world, it had to be before dawn.

So, dark circles it is. Completely worth it.

‘Alright Max, I’ll see you within an hour.’

‘Sounds great, and if you need a hand with your suitcase, text me.’

She brought her newest purchase in her room and closed her suitcase. After putting on her makeup, she still had enough time ahead of her to send an email to her dad and stepmom. It had been a few days since she last updated her dad and she felt terrible about it, especially since she was pretty sure Michael had alarmed everybody back home and told them she was off the rails.

She finalized her suitcase before heading downstairs. After careful consideration, she took some of the condoms she had bought with her. She made sure they were hidden in a small compartment of her toiletry bag, to avoid prying eyes. Boom, ready.

*****

Drake had put together his usual duffle bag, but caught himself paying more attention than usual to what he was bringing. When going on trips with Liam and Maxwell, he typically didn’t bring enough shirts and ended up wearing the same one, and he routinely forgot to pack a comb or even toothpaste, that he had to borrow from Maxwell. Not this time. He had taken everything from his bathroom, and he had woken up at the same time as Amara so he could have ample time to shower, pack, and manscape. Which he hadn’t done for an embarrassingly long time. He hadn’t forgotten anything, especially not the condoms he had recently bought. After all, Liv had promised him some freedom to see Amara, so...he didn’t want to be presumptuous, but better safe than sorry.

As he walks out to the hallway, he spots Amara doing exactly the same thing. When she sees him, a huge smile runs across her face.

‘Fancy seeing you here, Walker!’

‘Hey Suarez.’ He lowers his voice. ‘You look beautiful.’

She quickly looks around to make sure no one can see them, then hurries towards him to plant a big kiss on his lips. ‘You look handsome. I wish we could travel together…’

He smiles at her. ‘We are traveling together. Liv arranged for us to be in the same towncar as Max and Hana. It will be the four of us.’

Her face lights up. ‘What? That’s awesome! When were you gonna tell me?’

‘There’s a lot I didn’t have time to tell you. Mostly because I was sleeping like a log when you came in, but I’ll fill you in via text when we’re in the car, ok?’

She nods and kisses him again. A jolt of something rushes through his veins. Adrenalin? Desire? Probably both. In any case, it feels good.

‘I’ll help you carry your suitcase.’

‘No, I got it. It looks like you have your hands full with yours…’ she gestures at his very full duffle.

‘Yeah, I may have gotten out of control with the packing. I don’t know what’s happening to me.’

Amara grins playfully. ‘Did you happen to bring…’ she feigns a gasp. ‘a non-denim shirt?’

He chuckles. ‘You’ll have to wait and see, Suarez.’

‘Well,’ she continues, ‘I’d rather see you without a shirt on, if you catch my drift.’

‘Was that a drift? It was more like, an overt flirtation.’

She turns around and schleps her suitcase towards the stairway. ‘Yup.’

*****

Amara and Drake had plotted to sit next to each other in the towncar, leaving Hana and Max on the row in front of them, unsuspicious. Those two enjoyed each other’s company, so there was nothing to complain about.

For the whole drive, Drake had filled Amara in on Olivia’s schemes via text, and they had both been sneaking looks and touches and secret hand holding, like horny teenagers who just had to touch each other, no matter who’s in the room with them. It felt good and sexy and illicit, and Amara found herself craving for more. She was just hoping she’d have the patience to interact with Liam and his princely demeanor, when all she wanted to do was sneak away with his best friend.

Lythikos was gorgeous, it had all the fierceness of Olivia, and Amara could tell why she loved her home so much. Her staff was just as unfriendly as she was, and a very curt butler took Amara to her room, swiftly followed by Drake. She was delighted to see that their rooms were once again adjacent, but this time at the end of a long corridor, away from prying eyes. She thanked the butler promptly and took possession of what would be her room for two nights.

‘Oh!’ she gasps.

Drake, visibly concerned, rushes to her side. ‘What? Are you ok?’

She beams with joy. ‘I have a freaking LOCK, Drake! This is awesome!’

He laughs, ‘Heh. You’re easily pleased.’

She raises an eyebrow, and adds suggestively, ‘We shall see.’

Drake walks towards her, closes the door behind him, and slowly turns the lock. ‘How bout now?’

She playfully pretends to faint, clutching her chest. ‘Oh, that is too good.’

He approaches her fast, wrapping his arms around her. ‘We only have very limited time, y’know. We’re expected downstairs for a snack and outdoors activities.’

She pouts. ‘I know. Let’s enjoy the little time we have, but tonight…’

He kisses her deeply. She falls into the kiss, and feels like she might melt. His fingers get lost in her dark curls, as her arms cling to his waist, bringing him closer. They lose their balance together, and fall onto the king size bed. She straddles Drake, still kissing him as she works on unbuttoning his shirt. God, she wishes she could just undress him now and forget about all the others, so she tries to forget for a second. His shirt is now wide open, and her hands caress his torso, going lower and lower. He grunts as she slides a hand inside his pants, and finds his hard cock. She grabs it and strokes it slowly, making him moan with each movement. ‘Fuck, Amara, you’re making me so hard…’

In turn, he unbuttons her jeans, and his hand gently pulls her underwear aside. ‘Mmmm,’ she moans into his ear. His finger circles her pussy lips, and tease her more and more. ‘God, you’re so wet,’ he whispers, almost inaudibly. She wants him so badly it’s not even funny. She wants him inside her now, just fuck the rest, and fuck her please and thank you.

‘DINGGGGGG’

An extremely loud bell sound startles them both.

‘Shit,’ Amara whispers, covering her ears. ‘What the hell is this?’

‘Ugh, I bet you it’s the signal that everyone is wanted downstairs. Things are hardcore here in Lythikos.’

Amara feels like she’s going to cry. No, not right now. Not when Drake’s hand is in her panties, no. ‘Come on,’ she says, disheartened.

They part ways with a kiss, and reluctantly put their clothes back on. She almost misses Maxwell’s interruptions, at least they’re more civilized than this atrocious sound.

As everyone reconvenes downstairs, Olivia announces that some outdoors activities are about to commence, after some light snacks. She mentions ice skating, which Amara is actually grateful for. Not that she can skate very gracefully, but she can skate ok. She mentally thanks her dad for making them take skating lessons because he loved the Flyers so much. When she moved to New York for college, she would always keep an eye out for hockey games and buy her dad and herself some tickets when the Philadelphia team played the Rangers. She smiles at the sweet memories of her father cheering huge toothless men on.

Skiing, she wasn’t a fan of, she had had a bad fall when she was little, but hey, the concentration it required would at the very least keep her mind off Drake Walker’s erect penis.

*****

‘Dis-moi Amara, where did you learn to skate so well? C’est impressionnant!’

She smiles at Kiara, and gently replies: ‘Oh thanks, my dad liked hockey so I had skating lessons growing up. But my skills are nothing compared to Hana’s, really. You’re truly amazing, hun, that was awesome.’

Hana blushes and dismisses the compliment, as usual. Amara wonders why and how that woman can do anything and everything. And yet, she didn’t really seem to draw any happiness from all those skills she accumulated. Pushy parents, from what she’d gathered, but still, Amara made a mental note to find out more and to incite her to talk to her.

They’d skated and skied for a big chunk of the afternoon, and everyone was happily gulping down some mulled wine and warm nuts around the fire on the patio.

Kiara looks at Madeleine, which Amara notes as odd, and continues talking. ‘Oui, très bien, Hana. You know who else is a great skater? Ou plutôt, WAS a great skater? Savannah Walker!’

Amara’s eyes dart towards Drake, whose face is suddenly drained of any color.

Liam attempts a diversion, obviously aware that this is a dangerous topic. ‘You’re not bad either, Lady Kiara. Have you skated much in France? Or maybe in Switzerland, there are wonderful lakes there.’

Kiara pauses, and after another glance at Madeleine, reiterates. ‘Oui, j’aime beaucoup. But I am definitely not as good at it as Savannah was, truly, she was amazing. Shame she couldn’t handle life at court, or else she could have joined us today, n’est-ce pas, Drake?’

Drake takes a sip of his mulled wine and replies ‘Let’s please change the subject.’

Madeleine flashes an icy smile and breaks her silence. ‘You have to admit, Drake, that her departure lacked a certain poise. It’s almost as if she had something to hide. A shameful secret, or simply, the shame of her rank, perhaps? But after all, what would you expect from people who bring nothing to the table? Or, as one would say, freeloaders?’

Drake doesn’t say anything back, puts his mug on the table, gets up and leaves.

Amara, dumbfounded, cannot begin to contain her disgust towards the two ladies’ attitude. ‘Do you think this brought anything to the table? Besides rudeness and entitled behaviors?’

She gets up as well, and zips up her jacket, ready to go after Drake.

‘Suarez, sit down,’ Olivia calmly says. ‘Don’t walk away, some heavy snow is coming and you can’t handle it.’

Amara scoffs, and puts on her knit hat.

‘Truly, Lady Amara,’ says Liam, ‘I don’t believe you should go after him. He’ll come to his senses.’

Amara’s eyes go wide. ‘Are you all serious? Are we just going to ignore how rude that was of Madeleine and Kiara, and just act like nothing happened?’

The confused looks on most people’s faces confirm that yes, indeed, that was the plan.

Olivia speaks up. ‘Suarez is right, that was out of line, ladies. Was Savannah a little weakling who couldn’t handle not being noble? Absolutely. But she left, and some of you were supposed to be her friends. It’s a little easy to bitch about her behind her back now.’ She stares at Amara, nodding. ‘That being said, Walker truly needs to learn how to communicate. Storming out is a tad dramatic.’

Madeleine whispers into her drink, ‘Giving up runs in the family.’

Amara puts on her scarf, and just says: ‘You may not feel compelled to go after him, but I do. He didn’t deserve this treatment. I’ll see all of you later.’

*****

Drake feels stupid for storming out, especially since now, the snow is picking up, and he can’t go back to the group without looking like an idiot.

He didn’t blame the others --Liam, Maxwell, even Liv-- for not standing up for him. For way too long, he had presented himself as a man who didn’t take charity, and yet his entire life was a fucking charity. He was probably a freeloader, after all. All he did for Liam in return was take care of the stables, help with fundraisers, and build stuff. What was he, Ryan Gosling in The Notebook? He had a business degree and had never done anything with it. On some level, his defense mechanisms, his silence, his hasty exits, they were all a cover-up, so that people thought he had pride. But really--

‘Drake!’

He turns around, and his heart skips a beat. She followed him out.

‘Drake, stop! Wait for me!’

He stops in his tracks and meets her halfway, scooping her up in his arms into a warm hug.

‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left, now you’re gonna catch a cold, and--’

‘Shut up, ok? They were both out of line, they had no right to talk about Savannah. I promise you we’ll find her, ok? We’ll make this right.’

‘Thank you. I just...I think Madeleine might be right. Maybe leaving court was the right move for Savannah, because this is toxic, especially when you don’t belong.’

Amara takes his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eye. ‘Stop. She’s wrong. You are not a freeloader. If anything, Liam is holding you back, and he’s the one who owes you.’

He doesn’t know what to say to that. No one had ever looked at things this way.

She continues. ‘It’s convenient for him to have you here, you are his wingman and you do what he can’t do. It makes you believe that you owe him, when really, it might just be the other way around. His friendship is preventing you from living your life.’

God, what if she was right? When it came to her, Liam was definitely the obstacle to his happiness. What if she was right about everything else? ‘I do owe him, Amara. When my dad died, he supported me, and after college, he offered me the odd jobs that I needed, and--’

‘What was your dream?’

Well, that was a first. ‘My...dream?’

‘Your dream job. When you were in college, what did you want to do with your life?’

He hesitates, not wanting to tell her, because he’s embarrassed of having such a silly dream.

‘Drake, tell me. Let’s brainstorm. And quickly, before the blizzard gets us.’ She gestures at the sky, and the heaps of snow coming down. She adds: ‘I’m not leaving here until you tell me at least one option. And for the record, I’m starting to not feel my feet already, so hurry.’

‘I’ve always wanted to open a little restaurant. Like...a bar/grill, something casual, but…’

Her face lights up. ‘Well that’s an awesome dream. Now let’s get out of here alive, and let’s think of ideas to make that happen. And we’ll find your sister, and not to say she needs to return to court if she doesn’t want to, but at least we’ll know she’s ok and you guys can be close again.’

*****

Dinner had been somewhat tense. Drake could tell that Liam and Liv were looking at Kiara and Madeleine sternly, as if they had lectured them earlier. Maxwell had avoided his gaze upon his and Amara’s return to the castle. Now they were seated together and Max had attempted to tell him something several times, but had just said ‘nevermind’ on each occasion.

Nevertheless, Drake was feeling good. His conversation with Amara in the snow had been comforting, and they had planned to spend the evening together after dinner, once everyone was ready for some rest.

He couldn’t help but eat fast, wanting to fast-forward to his illicit date with the one person he wanted to spend time with. As he glanced at her throughout the meal, he could notice that she was doing the same, wolfing down her cheese course like it was her job.

Finally, dinner was over. Drake almost cursed out loud when Olivia offered a digestif in the grand salon. Thankfully, Maxwell was exhausted from skiing, and given that he was the OG party boy, his turning down the nightcap set the tone for everyone else, and Olivia agreed to push it back to the next night.

The anticipation was driving Drake crazy. He had made a point to go upstairs first, very hastily, because it would look less suspicious. He had been silent at dinner, and given his prompt exit in the afternoon, no one would be surprised to see him turn in early.

So, he sits in his room, hoping that Amara would come meet him soon. He opens his shirt, but then decides it looks stupid, and closes it again. He brushes his teeth, and practices different ‘casual’ sitting poses on his bed.

When she opens the door, his heart is racing more than ever.

‘Hey,’ she whispered, ‘sorry it took so long. Hana wanted to come upstairs and talk to you, to say how sorry she was for not standing up for you earlier, and I convinced her not to.’

He smiles, not caring anymore. ‘It’s ok. You’re here now.’

She locks the door, making an exaggerated face at the sound of the lock, still marveling at the invention. Then, she comes join him on the bed, and they fall onto each other. The days of longing come undone, and they start kissing deeper than ever, losing themselves in the moment. He tries not to go too fast, he’s determined to take his time and savor this intimacy with her. When she lets out a soft ‘I want you so badly,’ he almost loses it. So does he, he’s wanted her ever since he met her. He thinks back on the way she looked that day on that secret beach. How he had daydreamed about that moment for days on end. How he had fantasized about kissing her, about making love to her on that beach. He feels her body against his, and just wants to feel her closer. He unzips her dress, as she unbuttons his shirt, for the second time today. God, he wants her.

Once all of their clothes are on the floor, there is nothing standing between them, for the first time ever, it’s just them, no interruptions, no schedule.

He caresses every inch of her body, with his hands and with his tongue. He circles the tip of his tongue around her nipples, and she lets out a moan. He can’t get enough of her body, he can’t get enough of her. His tongue continues exploring her, lower and lower, until it finds the spot on her inner thigh, which he teases until her moans indicate that she can no longer wait. His breath is short, he can’t stop nipping at her thighs, and he can’t help but longingly stare at her wet pussy, so inviting, begging him to kiss it. Amara wiggles under his touch, clearly wanting more. He starts with a soft kiss on her pussy lips, just enough to make her shiver. Then, he peeks his tongue between them, and parts them slightly. She pants more and more, and parts of Drake just wants to take her right here right now. But he wants to take his time. Who knows how many nights like this they will have.

*****

Amara wants him so badly that she thinks for a second that she’s going to faint. His tongue on her core is driving her crazy, and as he picks up the pace and finds her clit, her entire body is threatening to give out. She forgets where she is for a moment and, as he is going down on her and his tongue is almost completely inside of her, she allows herself to moan louder and louder.

She feels waves of pleasure coming to her, and as her body contracts, Drake takes all the cues and continues kissing, licking, and sucking even more intensely.

Finally, she feels it. Drake’s mouth still entangled with her, she lets go and groans loudly, feeling every second of her orgasm.

As she regains her spirits, Drake gently pecks her legs, going back up towards her stomach, until he reaches her chest. She feels his erection against her leg, and the feeling drives her crazy once again. ‘Oh my god,’ she whispers, ‘Drake, I want you. Now.’

He looks at her with more desire than she’s ever seen in anyone’s eyes. ‘Mmmm you taste so good...you’re so wet for me’

‘Yes,’ she pants. ‘please, I want you inside me.’

He reaches for his pants on the floor, fishes out a condom, and seamlessly puts it on. God, he’s hard. His fingers find her dripping wet pussy, and he caresses her, all the while kissing her hungrily.

He teases her entrance with his cock, and finally enters her, slowly, progressively. When he’s completely inside her, she gasps. Her walls contract against him, as if her body was not ready to let him go again.

As they make love, his slow and deep movements threaten to send Amara over the edge once again. He groans as he enters her again and again, growing harder and harder by the second.

Amara suddenly takes control and gets on top of him. As she rides him, he clearly loses control even more and repeats ‘Mmmm...this feels so good..’

Amara moves on his cock, until she feels like she is going to lose it herself, once again. Upon feeling her contract more and more, Drake kisses her intently and whispers in her ear ‘come for me’, which sends her over the edge. Amara loses herself in another orgasm, this time a lot louder, as she grabs onto Drake’s chest for balance.

‘Shit, you feel so good...I’m about to come’

It’s not long until Drake orgasms; Amara feels him get harder than ever, and the warm sensation of his pleasure ripples through her whole body.

They lie down, still entangled in each other, still bewildered at what just happened. ‘Wow…’ Amara manages to say.

‘Yes. What you said,’ Drake pants.

They look at each other, laugh softly, and share another kiss.

*****

Maxwell couldn’t believe what he had heard. He had come to see Drake in his room, because he had felt terribly about what had been said that afternoon. He thought about it all through dinner, and decided it was time to give Drake some information.

But before knocking, he realized that some very distinctive sounds were coming from Drake’s room. Of course, when he checked on Amara, she was nowhere to be found. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

*****

Taglist:

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Thank you for your encouragements, everyone! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist :)

[absolutelyxosmittenxo]

Anonymous asked: If it's not to much trouble could we get some general relationship headcanons for winter, Glynda and raven please ?

{notes: fun fact - glynda was actually the first character to capture my heart, winter is so calming to write for me, and raven? she is a complicated woman volume five tailored to splendidly. now, I admittedly am inexperienced with these ladies, so hopefully I portrayed them properly. but regardless, thank you very much for requesting, and I hope you enjoy ❤}

－ ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＳＣＨＮＥＥ ⭐

⭐ In the course of a procedure, Winter would be inclined to scold any of your misbehavior or foolhardiness. It's to project a smoother route for what has been relegated down to her. Never sheepish towards how imprudent you can behave every once in a while, but she wouldn't be reluctant to be verbal concerning such minor offenses. Don't fall out of line. The Atlesian calvarium thoroughly understands she can confide with you, your immeasurable faithfulness an object of unconditional affection. Even with your persistent silliness. And whoever said the eldest Schnee couldn't take part in your fun herself?

⭐ Abrasive geeks clacking against the asphalt, you and your lover would saunter throughout Atlas. No paladins crawling behind you, none trailing behind in a clunky, robotic march. General Ironwood wouldn't infringe on her spare time, not prodding with responsibilities relevant to the armer forces. You aren't to be tasked with being fearful of what lay beyond the outer reaches of the unknown tomorrow. Acclaim cultivates your connection, admiring what has been achieved in one another's years. Brief chatter sneaking in, marveling at the sights and such. It's an excellent time for her to forgive and forget and be around you in public.

⭐ Critique, constructive and degrading, has not stopped popping up in the esteemed fighter's life. She has conquered what comments were made, but sometimes those who are the most powerful require protection, too. It's a lovely surprise when you insist she trains you. You want to protect her, as it seemed nobody else was willing to be her valiant guardian.  The justification for your actions triggers emotion evaporated in the presence of others. You're doing it for her. Flattered, Winter rewards you for your hot pursuit however you wish.

⭐ Following a string of military tasks, Winter would be heaving with exhaustion once arriving home. It's suggested you prepare a little something nice for her, allow the blizzard to come to a still. Interruptions or anything that wind her up aren't anywhere. She would embroider your bodies as if they were a singular mold, propping you into her abdomen. Pursing her lips, the oldest of three would feel honestly weightless as worries die down. She can breathe; it makes you feel calmer, knowing the harshness of a potential war between kingdoms hasn't stripped you of your lover.

⭐ Public displays of affection? Dismayingly, there would be roadblocks. It wouldn't tarnish the upper class woman where she stands nor the reputation she must uphold. But keep in mind Winter is a maiden who would preferably bury those desires, conserving them. In private, she doesn't squander the chance to express herself. You would be appeased, dwindling in the liberality. Behind closed doors, she would be tangy as marmalade, passionate as you are littered head to toe with kisses and embraces galore. Not too excessive, not too little. Just the right amount. If you were to ever have an exchange of PDA, it would be the oh so subtle pressing of your palms. It reminds her you're loyal, at her side whenever she needs you to be there.

- BONUS: 

⭐ You are worthy of respect, in Weiss' book. How you have untangled the stubborn knot tied around her sister's heart would be stunning. Not many have seen that side of Winter. Winter holds a special place in Weiss' heart, being the only considered family - along with Klein - from the Schnee lineage she had. If you mean a lot to Winter, you mean just as much to her little sister.

－ ＧＬＹＮＤＡ ＧＯＯＤＷＩＴＣＨ ⭐

⭐ As the headmaster's assistant, Glynda would be strapped with numerous hassles. Dealing with the rambunctious huntsman and huntresses in the making, keeping order in good repair, mudslides of paperwork. Don't forget how she serves as a millennial protector of Remnant! The pay off though is admittedly gratifying. But the backbreaking work on a daily basis would leave wares and tears on her. As the stress accumulates, take action. Distract your sorceress from the heavy burdens she carries however you presume would be helpful. Massage the tension to oblivion. Whip up your finest cuisine (she'll be appreciative, even if your cooking skills aren't anything to write home about, or completely atrocious). Help out with the mountains of grading. Just let her have the space to breathe.

⭐ Slow dancing would be marvelous. Record spinning, the euphony is liquefied gold poured all over you as you are transported magically to a ballroom ripped straight from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Hands firmly clasped on her, shoulders bumping, thighs trembling with an easy going sway as you rock rhythmically. It draws a high resemblance to the obsessive fantasies of a young girl. Miss Goodwitch would be your fair maiden, you mastering the role of her dashing partner. 

⭐ Juveniles are naturally bringers of stress as they sort out their own ups and downs of the world. With those rampant hijinks, the captivating magic wielder could be reduced to a nagging although motherly contrast of her namesake. She'll preserve a second or two for your sake, comparable to buried treasures you carry in secrecy. But such duties must be attended to and interaction may be brief. Forgive Glynda, for under those set of circumstances, there won't be an abundance of PDA.

⭐ Disciplinary doesn't automatically translate to insensitivity. Home is where tenderness runs wild! Aversions nowhere to be seen and no troubles to speak of. Above all, you would shimmy on up to the highest peak where you are the highest priority of the one and only Glynda Goodwitch. She wouldn't hesitate to extrapolate your importance. Wholesome phrases, happy dazes, comforting squeezes and truthful answers to your "Do you love me?"'s. The headmaster's right hand woman couldn't imagine a better way to spend those select moments alone.

⭐ Restraint raises constraint on school conversation, but that doesn't mean any second would be wasted. Every fortnight, you would inscribe scriptures edifying all fractions of your ardor. Slipping them into your sweetheart's desk whenever she isn't around, you would be brightly illuminated all throughout the day wondering how she'll react. It would generate an admiring smile and gentle shake of her head. Glynda would always take your messages to heart.

⭐ The fall of Beacon was heartbreaking, especially for the professor. She doesn't express it often, but she holds every student near and dear, latching onto them and astounded at their achievements. Yet she couldn't protect all of them. As your lover mourns the fallen, raise her spirits, and grieve alongside her. Don't leave her alone - she needs you.

- BONUS:

⭐ Ozpin would rejoice at how you can assuage his assistant. He takes notice of her stress and your company has appeared to be a useful remedy. Occasionally, the wizard let's your romantic escapades slide, freeing you two lovebirds so you can flutter your wings. Particularly as his conscious has been converted into a disembodied voice infused with a young farmer boy, Oz knows he can trust you to comfort Glynda as you rebuild Beacon.

－ ＲＡＶＥＮ ＢＲＡＮＷＥＮ ⭐

  ⭐ "I love you"'s would be rarities, the intervals of it transpiring difficult to foretell. The language of exchanging amorous drivel doesn't suit Raven's fancy often. She's an arbitrary, cutthroat tribe leader expressing herself through the tongue of the pitiless to those threatening members. Don't measure her infrequent expressions as measly grains of salt. The scarcity shouldn't delude; every time she utters these three words, there is magnitudes of sincerity laced on them. No ruthless spatting injecting venom - honest and profound, rather.

⭐ The Branwen would be very territorial. She'll stamp you with her marking, . You would be front and center on the throne. Possessive at times, yes, but Raven wouldn't treat you as a prisoner. You're the Omega connected to her, the Alpha of the pack, by the red string of fate. You are confined, bound to one another. Two birds on a wire, as they say. You wouldn't be bidding her farewell soon.

⭐ Qrow's sister prioritizes stable authority. One mishap could deconstruct the gang of thieves and troubled souls who lick her boots. Thus, the rabenmutter would rebuke all public displays of affection as to maintain balance. She doesn't want to be mocked by her alleged family. Ridicule would in rather displeasing consequences.

⭐ Not to say you are an embarrassment, but Raven goes in line with the other ladies mentioned before. The clashes would be heavily secluded, as to avoid generating unwanted disturbances. Fervent as the daughter she conceived, the collisions strike, a match inspiring so much touch of vigor. Rough, straight to the point, never beating around the bush; no betrayal, no lies, no denial or force. Only what you would please.

⭐ Taiyang's departed lover would be very defensive over you. Flying in with a flash as her avian equivalent when you are in danger as she has done for Ruby and Yang,  eradicating the threat on sight. You'd given her another thing to protect, even as molten lava has sweltered. Your strength would be heightened as Raven aims to ensure you are battle ready. If you wanted to thrive, you must be strong enough to survive.

- BONUS: 

⭐ Based on how his sister has strayed, Qrow would be staggering from learning of your relationship. She was a strange one, only tamed once before by Taiyang. Though justified distance has strained their kinship, the bad luck charm would be thankful someone's keeping tabs on her.

[cosimayoun-blog]

As the chair sits empty, a voice scatters throughout the room. She sighs and ties her hair as she walks to it, eyes rolling in a careless manner. There goes my fame as an enigma, she thinks, wires quickly finding their way and attaching to her smallish frame. Cosima had seen machines like these before – they were nothing new, yet she had always evaded them. Now, she faces one, and it was like prison all over again but in addition, there was the giant sihthead behind the glass waiting for her dirty laundry to be spilled.

                                          Perfect. 

Please state your name, age, height and place of birth for the record.

          “Cosima, twenty-nine, 5′6′’, and unfortunately, this wretched planet.“ Cosima smiles as her words pour, back leaned on the back of the chair and arms resting on the table. Her eyes are pinned on the mirror-like glass, the green light flicking confidently next to her not of importance. “Continue to the part where you try to catch me in a lie, please. I don’t have all day.“

Is that your true name and age?

          Cosima scoffs immediately, her lips finding their way between her teeth. The tattoo on her ankle begins to ache, reminding her of the girl she had killed way back in her teenage years; the girl who was so much like her yet nothing alike, nothing but a mere corpse in her feet. She shuts her eyes closed in harmony with the ceasing sensation of her inked masterpiece, words coming out after a long pause. She was smarter than to lie the machine, she knew there was no point, yet that’s exactly what she did. “What, do you presume I’m a grandma? Of course that’s my real age.” Cosima’s periphery catches the grass-green light turning blood red, her head shaking with a sarcastic smile on her face. “Nari Youn. You happy? Do you also want my birth certificate? Oh wait, you probably have that too. Creepy stalker…”

Do you believe in what this mission is trying to accomplish or are you here for different reasons? If so, what are they?

          “At this point, there are no real results. Nothing to prove that we are doing anything else but rotting on a starship.“ The answer comes easily to her, her composed posture paired with a shrug of her slender shoulders. “I’m here because I prefer the air normal people breathe instead of the drunks down in prison. I made some great friends there – rats and cockroaches, intoxicated prisoners and beaten up children – nothing compared to what I’m required to endure on a daily basis. Lips pull into a smirk, voice just slightly darker. “I am also here to continue what I’ve started, perhaps somewhere down the path after this hell show is over. I still have cards I haven’t played.“ The machine lights green without hesitance – and can it wonder for its choice at all, after Cosima was so unapologetic about everything she said?

Do you have any friends on board? Any enemies?

          “Fox, Orion, but that’s anything new, is it?” she answers, the light turning red, however. “Do I have to state Augustus as my friend too? Cause they aren’t. I like to make them sob in a corner and draw mustaches on their inspirational brochures.” The light remains unapologetic, her eyes squinting at it. “Oh look, the rich ass Benefactor can’t afford a working machine. Do you expect me to say Nyena? I thought that was obvious.” Green lights next to her almost immediately, her reflection expecting another answer. “As for enemies, I hate everyone else. Mostly. The thief and the angry pilot are my favorite ones to infuriate.”

Are you loyal to this crew?

          “I trust no one but the two people tied to me for years now. Fox and Orion. I believe everyone knows that anyway.“ The answer is concise and pointed, her pulse steady and diodes flickering next to her. “I suppose you are gullible enough to trust sixteen weirdos, half of which like to kill things or set buildings on fire, the other half crying in corners.“

Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

          “How do you think I got hold of all the government’s dirty secrets, huh?“ Cosima challenges, venom dripping from her lips. And when you think today she had woken up in a good mood. “I too was once innocent. Believing what I was told without making sure of it for myself. But then I challenged, I conquered. And now, I know if not too many truths I wish to change. Have I not, really?”

If a scenario occurred which ensured you could only save the life of Fox or Orion, who would you choose?

          Her air is finally stolen, eyes immediately filling with fear. The stomach flops and her words are caught in her throat; her body remains tense, concentrated and comfortably relaxed despite the death sentence she was put on. “Both of them, fucker,” she snarls, the machine now even making funny noises. Oh, how she wants to BREAK it and throw it at the window which stalks her every move and word, each twinkle of her eyes and curve of her lips. How she resents it. Cosima straightens her back, thinking of how she could evade, but nothing comes to mind. A feeling forms in her gut, one that she’d felt when she lost her father but never wished to express it.

          Perhaps the most unfortunate fact is that Cosima knew the answer. It was held in a box neatly tucked at the back of the brain, its contents remaining safely locked due to her lack of impulsiveness. Fox was the one she trusts the most, the one the hacker can’t let go of no matter what. Orion was a situation never anticipated but welcomed with open arms once they rolled into the Rebellion with her. Yet, there was tension between them, a certain change of air Cosima had noticed as soon as they had reunited. How did one make such a choice? How did Cosima have to choose between the only people keeping her sane in this wretched world?

          If anything else, she is at least decisive. Her tongue acts before her brain, though, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. It’s not caused by sadness, but by anger for the one asking questions and too much of a coward to show their true face. Vulnerability – how fucking disgusting. The tear rolls down gently, almost invisible against her skin; but she can feel it while her hearts is beating rapidly. “Fox.” As she wipes the tear ferociously from her face, she slams her fist on the table, the impact echoing through the room. “I can’t wait to meet you in person and bash your head into a wall, you fucker. My answer does not mean whatever you are forcing me to imply. It doesn't mean I wouldn't die for both of them at any time. Try again.”

Are you completely confident in your skills? Do you believe there’s anything that could stop you from hacking something? Perhaps your moral code?

            Her voice nothing but a memory now, she stares blankly at the mirror in front of her. “Isn’t that what you recruited me for? My confidence in my hacking skills. The only thing I can’t hack is your identity, which I’m convinced is atrocious by now. Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing anyway.“ Cosima thinks of the words ‘moral code’. She didn’t consider herself a person with wicked morals or an antagonist of some sorts, just different views. “My moral code is the enabler of everything I do. I wouldn’t hack without a reason. I don’t manipulate machines just for fun or because I like to watch the world burn. There’s a purpose behind my actions, even if sometimes it burns like an inferno. You should learn from that, by the way.“ she spits, baring her teeth with aggression in her voice. “You know, having a purpose behind your actions. I guess you are the one who wants the world to burn via a lie-detecting machine. So mediocre… at least you could’ve brought them here. I’ve always been an opened book.“

Finally, do you believe your actions within the rebellion were just? Do you feel bad for anyone that has gotten hurt?

          “Was this question submitted by Theon?“ she asks, genuinely. “What I did, as stated before, had a reason to be done. I am not sorry about what I did, and many can agree the Rebellion is just. If the rich are ready to kill to leave the rest poor – we will answer fire with fire. Always.“

Of course the Benefactor thanks her for her answers. She tears the wires glued to her skin immediately, kicking her weight off the chair and raising her middle finger to the mirror before leaving for the Concord with the air behind her left ablaze.

                                                               || ARMOUR ||