#otp: i'm not leaving you!

[piperslovebot]

They’re getting married in two months <3

[bertoyana]

Erik, what are you doing?

X-MEN: DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST (2014)

[thequeenofsastiel]

Armand instinctively lowering his eyes in submission.

ETA: These are examples of Armand being submissive to Louis in their beautifully healthy D/s relationship. Gtfo with any kink negative tags

[lover-of-mine]

Buck, Eddie and The lightning mirroring the well.

[the-badger-mole]

"While I appreciate that you did that for me, I don't appreciate the fact that you nearly died because of it." Possible part 2 to the "Katara kisses Zuko to distract him as she pushes him to safety and sacrifices herself to get captured instead of him" little tumblr fic you wrote? Mayhaps?

Got this request twice, and I like this idea. @lollipopsandlandmines

Part 1

What were they waiting for? Katara wondered this not for the first time. It had been three days since she'd been captured. Three days since she'd seen her brother and friends escape in their stolen Fire Nation air ship. Three days since she'd seen the shattered look on Zuko's face when she pushed him off of the terrace. Three days since she'd surrendered to the Fire Nation soldiers who'd been hunting Zuko. She'd expected to torture to begin immediately. She had expected to be dead by now, or on the way to it.

After she'd been captured, Katara had been taken aboard the airship the soldiers had managed to keep. After she'd been locked in the brig, she had been more or less ignored, to her mild surprise. Maybe, she thought, they were waiting to move her some place more permanent. She'd spend the trip imagining the horrors that were surely in store for her when they got to wherever it was they were going. Boiling Rock, she figured. That was where they had taken her father. Hakoda hadn't told his children what he experienced at the hands of his Fire Nation captors, but there had been enough for Katara to heal for her to form assumptions. The though made her shudder.

Yet, here it was three days later (by her admittedly imprecise reckoning), and she was still unscathed. She hadn't been taken to Boiling Rock. There wasn't enough water around for that to be where she was, but aside from that, she had no way of knowing where she was.

Her cell was as dry as a bone. The only liquid she had access to were the tight rations that came with her two daily meals. Her cell's toilet was no help either. She could feel the heat when she squatted to relieve herself. She figured that wherever the pipe ended up, there was probably a fire burning, evaporating her waste as it came down. How many waterbenders had tried to escape this prison until the guards figured that out, she wondered.

The next full moon wasn't for another two weeks. Katara wasn't sure what her fate would be, but she vowed to be ready, if they made the mistake of leaving her alive that long. That was all she could do. No one had given her any clues as to what the plan for her was, and she was still certain that there would be horrific tortured in store for her before long. For the moment, though, she was being surprisingly well cared for.

On the evening of the third day, Katara was finally clued into why she hadn't been subjected to the torture she had anticipated. Azula was coming. Princess Azula had specifically requested that Katara not be harmed before she arrived. The soldier who had delivered the news had given Katara the most pitying look in spite of himself. A shudder ran down her spine. She'd heard enough stories from Zuko and Suki (though she still wasn't ready to divulge the worst of what she had experienced in her time as Azula's favorite prisoner). Azula was no one to scoff at, and without access to water, Katara was more vulnerable than she'd ever been. She was suddenly glad that she had no idea where Zuko and the others had gone. There was no chance that Azula would get anything from her, even if she did succeed in breaking Katara.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Sneaking into the Desert Tower prison was much easier than breaking into Boiling Rock. Zuko told Sokka that it was because this prison hadn't been built with firebenders in mind. It was a simple matter to bypass the security of the prison by going in through one of the massive furnaces used to keep the stone prison free from moisture of any kind. Zuko bent a path that was cool enough to walk through, and Sokka stayed on his tail.

"Breaking in is always the easy part, though," Sokka said. Zuko only grunted in reply. He didn't care how difficult it would be, he wasn't leaving that place without Katara.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Azula had arrived. Katara had been given a grotesque mockery of a preparation ceremony, where she'd been fed, bathed, and dressed in a rough sackcloth shift before being shackled in the room where Azula would soon arrive to begin the torture. Katara was on the verge of dehydration. She felt weak and parched. She longed for the sweat that usually accompanied the sort of anticipatory fear she felt in this moment. Why had she been brought here so early? No one had told her anything outright, but Katara paid attention, and she had heard the snippets of gossip in her prison cell. Azula's retinue hadn't arrived yet. So, why prepare Katara so early?

The door behind her opened a few moments later, and she tensed up, anticipating the sound of Azula's oily slick voice. Instead, she heard the sound of the soldiers bickering amongst each other behind her.

"I had direct orders to-"

"Do you know who we work for? Directly?" Katara had to force herself not to gasp. She knew that voice. She would know it anywhere. She'd argued with Sokka far too many times to mistake him.

"The message from the Crown Princess said very specifically to-"

"She did not mean that the prisoner should be here before her." The sound of this voice sent a pleasant chill through Katara. She knew this voice, too. "Prepared means ready to present when the princess is ready to have her brought in. Princess Azula likes to put on a show for her...guests. She would be furious if she arrived and found the prisoner already here.

"I-I didn't realize-" one of the other guards said.

"That was your mistake," Zuko growled at him. "You're lucky we're here to cover for your incompetence. We'll take it from here. Dismissed." Behind her, Katara could hear her captors murmur hesitantly among themselves.

"You heard him!" Sokka snapped. "Beat it, or we'll tell the princess of your incompetence." That was enough for the three soldiers. Once they were gone, and the door was shut, Sokka rushed over to Katara.

"Are you alright?" he asked frantically, but quietly. Katara nodded.

"I'm fine," she said. "They were given orders not to hurt me until Azula got here."

"That tracks," Zuko said grimly. He approached Katara more slowly, but with purpose. His eyes were on the chains holding Katara to the floor. His nostrils flared and his look darkened, but it was surprisingly the only show of emotion from him. He removed the pin holding Katara in place and helped her to her feet.

"Keep the shackles on until we clear the cells," he said. He glanced at her apologetically. "We have to sell it until they're not watching."

Getting Katara out of the prison was shockingly easy. Katara kept her head cast down, and Zuko and Sokka walked purposefully with their chins high and haughty. Had Azula arrived then, everything would've gone to chaos, but Azula did not arrive. She would not arrive for another hour, eager to make her grand entrance and begin torturing her brother's waterbender for information on his and the Avatar's whereabouts. By that time, Zuko and Sokka would have managed to get by all of the prison's guards and successfully slip Katara out and away to the relative safety of their airship. They would flee through the night, not stopping until the sun began to rise nearly seven hours later.

Miraculously, the only injury Katara suffered during her time as a captive were the abrasions from her shackles. She hardly noticed them in her eagerness to get water inside of her. Sokka and Suki celebrated her freedom with wild cheers and laughter made too loud by the anxiety of the previous week searching for her. Zuko was quiet in his relief. He barely said anything while Sokka had been eager to tell Katara how they'd come up with this daring rescue mission, but he'd stuck by Katara like a shadow. She could barely turn around without bumping into Zuko. They didn't have a chance to talk until Sokka, and then Suki finally drifted off to sleep sometime between midnight and sunrise.

"That was reckless," Katara said, frowning disapprovingly at Zuko. That caught him completely off guard.

"Me?" he sputtered. "I was reckless? Katara, you got yourself captured by my sister's soldiers. Do you know what she would've done....done to you if we hadn't found you?"

"Much less than she would've done to you," Katara retorted. "I did what I did to make sure you were safe. The Fire Nation needs you. The world needs you. As much as it needs Aang. Maybe even more."

"I don't care what the world needs!" Zuko snapped at her. "I'm not some pai sho piece."

"I didn't say you were." Katara sighed and sank to the floor of the airship. She patted the space next to her and and motioned for Zuko to sit with her. He hesitated, but soon joined her.

"I don't want you to think that the only reason I want to make sure you get on the throne is to protect my people," she told him. "I want to make sure you become Fire Lord because you're the only one who has enough love for your people and enough honor to do what's right by the other nations. The world needs you, Zuko. It needs your compassion, and wisdom, and honor. I would gladly do anything in my power to make sure you get there."

Zuko swallowed hard past a solid lump in his throat. For a moment he couldn't breathe. He reached out tentatively for Katara's hand. He squeezed it tight.

"I don't want it," he confessed. "I don't want it without you. Maybe you'll do anything in your power to make sure I make it to the throne, but I'll do anything in mine to make sure you're there, too. By my side, or in the Southern Tribe, or just going wherever you please. I don't care, as long as you're somewhere alive. I-"

The words died on his lips, and Zuko cursed himself for being a coward. But then she reached up for his cheek and made him meet her eye. She kissed him again. Slowly, this time, and lingering. Zuko had enough time to respond this time. He cupped her face, tangling his hands in her hair and did his best to pour out all the words he was still to afraid to say in that kiss. When they finally broke for air, Zuko had the satisfaction of seeing the dazed look in Katara's eyes. She held him tight, as if afraid he would pull away. As if he had any inclination of pulling away.

"Well," she said breathlessly after a moment. "I guess we have some things to talk about."

"I guess we do." Zuko let out a short incredulous laugh. Katara smiled at him, brushed his hair away from his face.

"Zuko, thank you," she whispered. "For saving me."

"Any time."

"I really do appreciate that you came back for me." She sat up, and the dazed, just kissed look faded from her eyes, leaving a much sterner expression in it's place. "But, I don't appreciate the fact that you put yourself in danger to do it."

"What?" Zuko sputtered again.

"Don't do that again," Katara warned him. Zuko glared at her. He started to argue, but she closed the distance again, and Zuko decided kissing was a much better use of their time. They could pick their discussion up again later.

[emilyskinners]

dick and kory in titans 4x08 "dick & carol & ted & kory" / stiles and malia on teen wolf 4x07 "weaponized"

[valerieofavonlea]

I'm still here btw

[lesbiangabriellle]

"Janeway is given a blessing in the form of a half-human, half-Borg, very beautiful girl, who we call Seven of Nine. So, I am taught vulnerability. I am taught my limitations. I am taught how small I am, in the face of this kind of possible love. Seven of Nine is what brought Janeway to life, as a deeply human woman... and I am deeply grateful for that" - KATE MULGREW

[timothyslucy]

remember when titus said he imagined jackson finding out about tim and lucy dating after waking up in the morning to find tim standing shirtless in their kitchen making coffee?? why couldn't we have had that????

[kismetconstellations]

Shiro from Voltron for the character ask game

To spare my poor followers' dashboards a massive wall of text, my answers will be found behind the cut. Let's regroup there, shall we?

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I love Shiro because he demonstrates so perfectly that a person's trauma does not have to define them. No matter what kind of Hell they've been subjected to, they always have the option to remain gentle, compassionate, and kind. Even when they're afraid. Even when they believe themselves to be "broken", or monstrous because of what they had to do to survive.

One can rise above attempts to break them, and be so much more than the people who mistreated them tried to force them to be.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

His personality. Even when he isn't being everything that epitomizes a true hero- brave, selfless, strong-willed, empathetic, always looking after others and willing to risk his life for them at the drop of a hat- he's so much fun to watch. From his moments of tired, resigned irritation and bemusement with others' antics,

to his quiet fascination with Altean technology and concepts, like water pouches and their time measurement system,

to the moments where he's just a great big dorky sweetheart.

People who think he's "boring" because he's a workaholic soldier who isn't as inclined to shenanigans and over the top reactions as his younger comrades aren't paying attention. He's an extremely dynamic, multi-faceted character just begging to be explored by someone who loves him and all of his depth and multitudes.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

How he's handled by the team of inept showrunners who helmed this messy disaster of a cartoon.

He has no real support system, something I can only imagine is due to him being the commanding officer to a group of teenagers he can't truly confide in, and the intention to have him fill a Doomed Mentor role, despite him being inadvertently written as The Chosen One. His biological family is virtually non-existent. The only other proper adult he could look to for advice is the designated comic relief. There were opportunities for him to be taken in by the Holts, given their mutual fondness for each other, or even Allura and Coran. Allura and Shiro seemed to have developed an even stronger bond (offscreen, of course) after she saved his life.

(I have a theory that Allura's quintessence alchemy altered Shiro's DNA, which is why his new arm could only be safely powered by the Balmeran crystal from Allura's tiara, and the Atlas, similarly powered by Altean magic, responds to Shiro and Shiro alone, establishing a mental link with him the same way Allura had with the Castle of Lions. But, that's for another unhinged essay.)

And, when Coran confronts Iverson about strapping Shiro to a table in the pilot, he refers to Shiro as "our Shiro".

But, neither of these avenues were ever explored, as Shiro was "retired" and relegated to side-character status, leaving him isolated from everyone, including his best friend who loves him.

The ableism surrounding his disability is disgusting. He's a forced amputee twice over. He spends most of an entire season standing mute on the sidelines without a right arm, and there's absolutely no acknowledgement of his missing limb, that his best friend is the reason why it's gone, or inquiries into how being rendered effectively "useless" after coming back from the dead is affecting Shiro's already poor mental health.

(Does Shiro sleep? Does he have pajamas he can even change into, or is he supposed to wear the Black Paladin armor the entire trip back to Earth? Is he able to shower with that stump, or does it pose an electrocution hazard if it comes into contact with water? Is there anything available for him to do so he isn't standing silently around, losing his mind?)

His best friend's mother tells him to stay out of a fight, and he meekly accepts the order, never making another attempt to be anything other than a helpless bystander until he's been outfitted with a new arm that he, once again, has no say in the design of. An arm that is bulky and over-sized, impractical, likely extremely uncomfortable, and sickeningly mirrors his abuser's.

The same abuser who filled his head with taunts about his previous prosthetic being the "strongest part" of him, and the same abuser who tortured him and is implied to have raped him.

An ally tells him that he would be stronger with "two robotic arms", almost mocking the fact that Shiro's right arm was deliberately taken from him to be replaced by a weapon. And, this is never called out or questioned.

A punch that he lands on his abuser with his organic fist only incites a mocking sneer before Shiro is flung across the body of the ship that they're fighting on like a ragdoll.

After being made to feel washed-up and old at twenty-six, Shiro participates in an arm-wrestling tournament that he wins-- using the ill-proportioned prosthetic modeled after his abuser's.

I don't know if there was no one on the staff who was aware of the vile implications in this handling of a disabled character, but when one considers the similar grotesque handling of intense trauma and passive suicidal ideation... It doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture of the ideas and beliefs that went into the writing on this show.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

This is so silly and indulgent, but... What immediately comes to mind is, instead of him dying in the second season's finale and spending four entire seasons helplessly roaming and languishing on the Astral Plane, I would have him magically transported to the beach episode of a slice of life anime.

He would get to play volleyball with and be fawned over by a bunch of pretty, shirtless men with glistening, sun-kissed skin. As he deserves. ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)

5. What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

"Lazarus Drug", by Meg Washington. Longtime followers of my silly little blog might be aware of my love for Bluey, which is how I was introduced to this gorgeous piece of music. It was used to masterful effect in the twenty-eight minute special episode, The Sign.

When I was struggling to come up with a title for my Shiro-centric character study/fix-it fic, "Lazarus Drug" proved to be a lifesaver.

"And when I hear you calling, Like you were always there, I rise until I'm hanging in the Middle of the air

And when I hear you calling, I split like I'm a snake With golden light like fingers And, then I start to break

Into a billion pieces Oh, I shatter into constellations Like I've never been more here Like I completely disappear

I'm nothingness, but shining And everywhere at once I'm everything and everyone Who is or ever was."

6. What’s something you have in common with this character?

Less than stellar mental health as a result of trauma.

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

There are so many jaw-droppingly stunning and breathtaking pieces of Shiro fan art out there. I also greatly appreciate fanfics, meta, and analyses that take all of his trauma and his disability, and how they would realistically impact his daily life, into account.

Christening him "The Unkillable Gay", and "Gay God", is also pretty darned fantastic.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Dark Shiro, Shiro-bashing (usually in tandem with Allura-bashing), sidelining him due to ageism, ignoring his canon sexuality to give Keith reason to angst over Shiro not accepting him in K/L fics, minimizing Shiro's role in Keith's life to focus on their preferred ship, having Shiro adopt or be biologically related to Keith, especially if Adam is co-parenting and Keith has more of a bond with him than Shiro (it's pretty obvious why certain shippers do this), depicting him as high-libido and sexually aggressive/an Alpha/dominant/top, even more so when he gets off on being called "daddy", expressing a belief that he should have stayed dead in service of Keith's character, treating him and his clone as the same person... Just to name a few.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

I don't see why not.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

I'd love to think that I could be. But, realistically, I'd be too nervous to ever approach him and strike up a conversation. >////<'

11. Would you date this character?

Though he is undeniably gorgeous, we are romantically incompatible, I'm afraid.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

Shiro moved to the United States with his grandfather in late childhood, between the ages of eight and ten. That's why he speaks perfect English with no trace of an accent.

13. What’s an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

☆

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Classic Hollywood pilot aesthetic; aviation jacket with (faux) fur lining, patches on the sleeve, and a tight t-shirt or tank top underneath, sometimes with aviator sunglasses folded over the collar or worn over his eyes, military dog tags around his neck, the sort of clingy, curve-flattering pants that he canonically favors, and knee-high combat boots. Scarf is optional.

I also love a soft formal look on him. Crisp dress shirt and tie with a vest over top, perfectly tailored slacks, and shiny black loafers.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

I'm going to go with Shiro/Keith, though I very much have a fondness for Shiro/Hunk, as well.

Keith's devotion to Shiro is exactly the level of devotion that Shiro deserves, though Keith could stand to tone the intensity of it down just a tad. His willingness to throw his life away for Shiro would be a massive source of anxiety for Shiro, and something they'd have to discuss, among many other topics, before entering a serious romantic relationship.

And, Hunk is such a sweetheart, he'd spoil and pamper Shiro in all of the best ways. When he's of legal consenting age, of course.

(I also may or may not crack-ship him with Sven.)

16. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

Romantic Shiro/Pidge, and Shiro/Sendak. An adult gay man and a female child, and a trauma survivor and his personal tormentor is a great big "no thanks" for me.

17. What’s a ship for this character you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite that you’re fine with?

Shiro/Lance, and Shiro/Matt. I prefer Shiro and Matt as friends, and overexposure to Lance thanks to a hyper-zealous fanbase has done a fairly good job of putting me off of him. Which sucks, because I genuinely like him just fine in the show, itself. I don't mind either ship, and have read fic for them. They're just not prospects for Shiro that I ever seriously entertain.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

I love Shiro and Pidge's relationship in the early episodes. The way he is so gentle, encouraging, and protective with her, basically becoming a second older brother, and how she comes to trust and rely on him as a confidante, enough that she personally seeks him out to tell him that she plans to leave the team to search for her father and brother, knowing he will understand, stole my heart almost immediately, and stole it hard.

It's incredibly disheartening that, after his resurrection, we only get tidbits and table scraps of that relationship.

Why did Shiro start riding with her in the Green Lion on the journey back to Earth? Who knows? The writers certainly weren't going to tell us, because Shiro was so thoroughly a side-character, by that point, he and Pidge- if I'm recalling correctly- only talked to each other onscreen one time.

Never forget what they took from us.

(Also ignore that they forgot to draw Shiro's scar.)

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don’t like?

No offense to Mr. Set-Dressing, but there is nothing that points to these characters having any sort of even platonic relationship, let alone the kind of chemistry that would lead to a marriage a few years down the line. They never address each other by name, or at all, when they're not exchanging commands in the heat of battle. "Curtis" has more personal interaction with Acxa. And, I swear Shiro only looks away from the console on the Atlas's bridge to physically acknowledge this man once.

The animators certainly did poor "Curtis" no favors, either, by making him look like a sad, pathetic older man who couldn't lift or dip his strapping younger groom on their wedding day.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I adore the idea of Shiro and Allura as best friends, and would have loved to have seen some genuine interaction between the Real Shiro and Matt, after Shiro attacked Matt to save his life. Alas...

21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I've only very recently started writing for Shiro, and don't see myself doing much more than the aforementioned character study/fix-it fic. That said, I love getting into his head to really flesh him out, his psychology, his illness, his failed relationship, his experience in captivity, and using the members of his found family as conduits for him to realize just how special and good to his core he truly is. Like what should have happened in canon.

I don't like writing about him suffering, but part of recovering from trauma is processing it. And, processing often involves reliving the traumatic event as you walk a trusted friend, loved one, or mental health professional through it in the hopes that they will then offer you the greatly needed comfort and support and skills to cope that you didn't have, at the time it occurred.

22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I love in-character portrayals of Shiro in Hurt/Comfort settings that address the sheer magnitude of his trauma, and emphasize how unfailingly brave, strong, compassionate, and altruistic in spite of it all that he has always been and always will be.

I'm not a fan of him being treated like he's "oblivious", or "emotionally constipated" for not immediately acting on an Anguished Declaration of Love that Keith gave to "Kuron", and prefaced with, "You're my brother".

And, I've covered before, in detail, how much it irks and baffles me when Lance fans give Lance traits distinct and exclusive to Shiro in an effort to try to turn him into Shiro, instead of accepting him as he is.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

Tough call, since there are so many, but, I do think this one is the winner:

I love that, despite his strong jaw, his features are so gentle and soft, and the silver hair truly lends him an ethereal quality. That arm is ghastly, but it doesn't detract from just how pretty Shiro is, and how much that Admiral coat flatters him.

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

I don't participate in the fandom at all, but I've carried a torch for Leonardo from the 2003 incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since the show was still actively airing and in production. There are so many similarities between Shiro and 2003 Leo that one could almost say there's a specific type of character that I'm drawn to like gravity hurtling a ship into a planet with a crash-landing imminent and the projected number of casualties astronomical.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

My first impression of Shiro, when I watched the pilot and second episode back in 2016, was that he was my favorite character of the lot. I was drawn to him for all of the reasons stated above. But, once I became aware of the online fandom drama, I backed off, only watching three more episodes (A Little Adventure and Lions' Pride I and II) in 2018 for Shiro/Keith shipping reasons before becoming a lurker on the peripheral, exploring fanmade content without engaging with the show, itself. It wasn't until earlier this year that I finally grit my teeth, braced myself, and committed to watching at least the seasons where the Real Shiro is featured in full.

I both immensely regret that decision for the sheer levels of frustration, fury, and deeply-rooted sadness at all of the wasted potential that I opened myself up to, and don't regret it at all. Because, I sincerely love Shiro and wish with all of my heart that he, and especially Allura and Coran and even Hunk, were handled by infinitely better writers in an infinitely better show.

----

Thank you so very, very much for asking! ❤

[livetogether--diealone]

Eventually something you love is going to be taken away.

[piperslovebot]

We were robbed fr

[felicitykings]

4.02 | 4.06

PRIMEVAL (2007-2011)

[thequeenofsastiel]

Like, EVERYTHING about the way Louis fed from Armand was SO much more intimate than the way he fed from Damek.

Damek's eyes are opened with an expression like, "yeah, this is just for money, I'm not into this," body stiff, with his face angled as far away from Louis' as possible, while Louis approaches his neck from a very horizontal angle, and Louis is holding his face and neck in an entirely still manner.

Whereas Armand, jfc

His face is turned into Louis', their cheeks pressed together, Armand's eyes closed, he's completely relaxed, clearly loving every second of this, while Louis strokes his face.

For FUCK'S sake, how the hell did this go right over my head before s2 happened?

[felixcatton]

But I knew you, playing hide-and-seek and giving me your weekends I knew you, your heartbeat on the High Line, once in 20 lifetimes And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed You put me on and said I was your favourite

[supermarine-silvally]

💜 Yara

Thank you very much for the prompt, dear Anon!! <3 I hope you enjoy it!

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

This fucking Marine would not leave her alone. 

“And so there I was, surrounded by forty of the nastiest, ugliest pirates in all of the South Blue! They were pointing their weapons at me, creeping closer and yelling curses far too crude to repeat in front of a lady. Bunch of disgusting savages.” The man took a swig of alcohol, pounding his mug against the counter.

Yara’s teeth gritted, staring down at the bottom of her glass as if it had gold in it. If it wasn’t for this ridiculously overpriced beverage-- some kind of pomegranate-flavoured thing that didn’t taste half as good as it looked on the menu board-- she would’ve been out of this shithole bar ages ago. 

It was the first day that the Moby Dick had made shore in almost a month, and she had somehow managed to spend far too long of it stuck next to this loser who had just spent the last hour bragging about his impending promotion to Captain of the 453rd Branch or whatever. The shit-eating smirk on his face told her that women were usually fawning over him by this point, and the fact that she wasn’t apparently meant that she needed a little more persuading. 

The Marine leaned closer to her, his breath reeking of cheap liquor. “So you know what I did next?”

“I couldn’t care le--”

“I grabbed hold of the steering wheel and swung the ship around! The bastards were so surprised, they didn’t even have time to grab hold of anything, so they all ended up tumbling into the ocean!!” He roared with laughter. “Can you believe that? See, the thing about pirates is that they’re all so hopelessly stupid.”

“Are they now?” Yara said flatly. She was increasingly tempted to push the edge of her dress back, fully revealing the tattoo that adorned her left leg. The only reason why she hadn’t so far was because she was loath to make the man think she was trying to entice him. 

“You better believe it, sweetcheeks.” He winked. “And if you want my opinion, Gold Roger was the stupidest one of all. Some ‘King of the Pirates’ he was. I heard there wasn’t even much of a fight to bring the brute down.” Swallowing another gulp of his beverage, he turned to face her. “Now, enough about me. What’s a pretty little gal like you doing all alone in this part of town?”

“Who said she was alone?” a familiar voice spoke from behind them. 

Yara’s heart leapt, a small smile creeping onto her lips as she finally glanced up from her half-empty glass. 

Ace flashed the both of them one of his usual cocky grins before draping an arm over Yara’s shoulders. “There you are. I was looking everywhere for you.”

The Marine’s expression soured. He shuffled closer to Yara, his tone dropping. “What do you say we get out of here? A man of my rank can get a room at any hotel you fancy.”

Ace tsked. “Whispering isn’t polite, y’know. And there’s a big problem with your plan.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

A devilish grin spread across the young pirate’s face. He withdrew his arm and reached forwards, fingers brushing gently under Yara’s jaw as he tilted her chin up ever so slightly. “She’s mine.” 

Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaned in, his lips colliding with hers. Yara’s eyes widened, surprised by the sudden burst of affection, but they quickly fluttered shut. Ace’s hands had found her waist, pulling her in closer, the taste of pomegranate lingering between them as he deepened the kiss. Finally, he pulled away with a gentle nip to her bottom lip, leaving her breathless. Keeping one arm wrapped firmly around her midsection, he shot the Marine the most satisfied smirk Yara had ever seen.

The man’s lip curled as he slid off the bar stool and took a step towards Ace, trying to look menacing. “Oh, yeah? Who do you think you--” He stopped, his eyes landing on the ASCE tattoo on Ace’s arm. All the colour instantly drained from his face. “W-Wait a minute… I know you… You’re… You’re Fire Fist!!”

Ace tipped his hat at him. “That I am. Pleasure to meet ya.”

“But… that means…” His gaze slowly shifted over to Yara, finally noticing the tattoo poking out from under the hem of her dress. He gulped. “H-Hellcat Yara… It’s-- It’s the Whitebeard Pirates!!”

“And you say we’re the stupid ones,” Yara said disdainfully, watching as the man’s shaking hand reached for the sword strapped to his belt. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

His hand stilled for a second before grabbing the sword and whipping it out. “I’ll… I’ll capture you both! You have a combined bounty of almost one billion Berry, right?! I’ll be rich-- and a hero!!”

Ace and Yara looked at each other, then back at the quivering Marine. Yara let out a sigh, lifting up her glass.

Thunk!!

Before the man could move, she brought it down over his head. He slumped over, his sword clattering to the ground. The rest of the pomegranate-flavoured beverage splashed from the glass, dripping down his blank face.

“Wow.” Ace looked impressed. “That’s one way to solve it.”

Yara shrugged. “I’ve been wanting to do that for over an hour now. Besides, his flirting game sucked anyways.” She placed the glass down on the bar’s counter, sliding it over to the bartender who had apparently seen enough brawls to be completely unbothered by the situation. 

Side by side, the two young pirates left the bar, stepping out onto the sunny street. 

Ace’s stomach growled as they walked, making him chuckle. “All that excitement and I’m completely famished. Now whaddaya say I take you out for dinner? My treat.”

She laughed. “You say ‘treat’ as if you haven’t skipped the bill on every single date you’ve ever taken me on.” 

“That’s true,” he conceded, grinning sheepishly.

 Yara looped her arm around his, twining their fingers together. “I would love dinner. And to spend time with you as long as you’ll have me.”

Ace pretended to ponder it. “Well, if that’s the case, then… How about forever?”

Smiling, she leaned down and pressed a kiss against the crossed-out ‘S’ of his tattoo. “Forever sounds nice.”

tagging: @auxiliarydetective @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene