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rivendell-poet · 3 months ago

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Hello! Can you do a headcanon on how the fellowship reacts to the 10th member being so oblivious to flirting?

Thanks so much anon! Sorry it's taken me a bit to answer, but hopefully you enjoy these <3

*･༓˚✧❝𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡-𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫❞‧͙⁺˚༓˚✧ « headcanons »

○ Aragorn ○ Legolas ○ Gimli ○ Boromir ○ Pippin○ Merry ○ Frodo ○ Sam ○

GN!Reader | No TWs | Wordcount : 1k

𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐧

✧ His main ways of showing affection/romance isn’t flirting, so if you pick up on him being more caring/his eyes constantly drifting to you/wanting to listen to you speak then you’re good.

✧ However, if you miss all of those queues as well, eventually he does realise he needs to be more obvious.

✧ Aragorn is pretty good at flirting, the voice definitely puts it from good to pretty good, although a lot of his lines are still done when he’s close to you.

✧ The two of you will be leaning against a wall and he’ll come closer before saying something.

✧ And then you still don’t figure it out.

✧ Confesses pretty quickly after realising it isn’t going to happen any other way.

✧ Will still flirt with you, especially after a fight. Grins when you just look at him like ‘???’

✧ Eventually you understand when he’s doing it, although that’s more because he’ll always come very close to you before saying something. (Comes up behind and hugs before whispering in your ear.)

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬

✧ Also a more traditional romantic, except whenever he takes you on long walks with him it always ends up with one of you infodumping about some flora/fauna you’ve seen.

✧ Still loves you for it, but decides to try a different approach.

✧ Merry and Pippin decide to step in and help their good friend Legolas, and give him some of the worst flirting lines anyone has ever heard (made most of them up).

✧ Says them to you in his softest voice, before staring deep into your eyes and trying to see if you liked it.

✧ You just end up in weird staring contests until he looks away, or you ask him what he said and he repeats it (you still don’t get it).

✧ Isn’t sure what he’s doing wrong.

✧ Asks Aragorn to help, and does spend a night trying to flirt with the ranger as though he were you.

✧ Aragorn has far too much fun during this, and Legolas takes it far too seriously.

𝐆𝐢𝐦𝐥𝐢

✧ Is also so confused as to how you’re not getting it, and what he’s doing wrong.

✧ But he is a great smooth-talker, genuinely 10/10 lines. Has one for most occasions, and in most tones.

✧ Does experiment to try and find which ones you like and is just so confused as to why none make you blush.

✧ Eventually realises it’s because you’re being oblivious and not because his lines are bad (which is a big relief for him).

✧ Finally, after saying a great line to you, he gets exasperated and asks if you even know he’s flirting with you.

✧ You immediately go red, and he takes that as a ‘no’.

✧ Grins and asks if you’d like to hear any for a second time.

𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐫

✧ Mainly shows affection by physical touch and acts of service. His loving words to you and generally acts of praise, or asking you to continue talking - he’s better at listening.

✧ Is also given advice by Merry and Pippin to flirt with you, although he recognises how bad their lines are and genuinely asks them if any of these have ever worked before.

✧ Does not believe them if they say yes.

✧ He has experience with flirting, although it’s generally over ale and with people flirting at him - not the other way around.

✧ At first is more subtle with his flirting. Then, when you aren’t getting it, it eventually devolves into much more obvious flirting - the kind used at slightly seedy bars.

✧ Knows from experience (himself) about people being oblivious to flirting so eventually just confesses.

✧ Still flirts to see the ‘???’ face and laughs before hugging you, telling you he loves you if you ask what he meant.

𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧

✧ Good at flirting, but not in a serious or romantic way. He’s better at getting a smile from his lines, and getting his feelings across, than he is actually starting something intimate.

✧ Flirts quite often from the day he meets you, and doesn’t realise you’re not understanding them.

✧ Slowly gets more dejected until Merry is like, ‘you know they haven’t picked up on you flirting with them?’

✧ Instantly brightens.

✧ Flirts quickly get more and more obnoxious. Gandalf audibly sighs at quite a few.

✧ Eventually tells a very obvious one while looking directly into your eyes and winking.

✧ Takes a lot of pleasure in your embarrassment, will take advantage of you finally realising he’s been flirting with you and tell you almost every line.

✧ Occasionally comes up to you and says something random but with a wink - you then have to guess if it’s a genuine pick-up line or nonsense.

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲

✧ Quite similar to Pippin, although his pick-up lines are slightly better.

✧ Uses them as a way to subtly show his feelings to people, as a way of confessing without the harshness of rejection.

✧ Catches on fairly quickly that you’re pretty oblivious. Has a small amount of fun with it.

✧ Makes some small bets about if you’re going to notice him flirting (mainly with Merry, very occasionally Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf join in. Legolas could, but just bets with Aragorn).

✧ Confesses normally to you.

✧ Attempts to rig the gambling ring by telling you how you should act ahead of time - this is quickly discovered.

𝐒𝐚𝐦

✧ Sweet, little Sam.

✧ Cannot flirt for the life of him. He truly is trying.

✧ Even gets coaching from Merry and Pippin (and a pep talk from Frodo) to try.

✧ Doesn’t realise you’re oblivious because he’s also so bad at it.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐨

✧ Frodo is surprisingly good at flirting, he just never uses them.

✧ And whenever he does there’s always a slight aura of him being uncomfortable about them. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

✧ Wouldn’t use them as a way to show you his feelings, and would confess before flirting with you.

✧ Does it very occasionally, and when you don’t realise he grins a little.

✧ Tries flirting a bit more, you don’t pick up on any of it, and lets you know at the end of the night.

✧ Very occasionally would flirt with you - but if he’s going to talk to you with romance in mind, he rather be vulnerable and open than flirt.

Hopefully you enjoyed! In any case, I'm thankful you stuck around until the end <3

« 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 » « masterlist of my works »

thank you for reading *･༓˚✧ wish to be tagged?

#lotr x reader #lotr x you #the fellowship x reader #the fellowship of the ring x reader #aragorn x reader #legolas x reader #boromir x reader #pippin x reader #frodo x reader #merry x reader #flirting #x reader #x gender neutral reader #gender neutral reader #lotr headcanons #headcanons

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sere1nnes · 17 days ago

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︶︶︶﹕House of Cards. CHAPTER 1

Pairing: Aventurine x Galaxy Ranger!Reader second chance romance, canon universe, ex!aventurine, reader is a former member of the IPC

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶ ── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ SYNOPSIS: When a seemingly ordinary visit to Penacony ends up in meeting your ex from the IPC, it quickly leads to numerous attempts from Aventurine in winning you back. You swore to cut off ties with that corrupted organization, but the past always comes to bite you eventually. You begin to wonder if his feelings are genuine, or an elaborate plan for you to be dragged back as a pawn for the higher-ups.

Even with the familiar sensation of his lips on yours and his gloved hand behind your neck, you still can't help but be skeptical of his true intentions. But perhaps he really is willing to bet on you two again.

After all, Aventurine's more than willing to gamble on his pride in exchange of your heart.

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶ Chapter WC: 1.9k

a/n: the childe fan to aventurine fan pipeline is real, y'all... I can confirm

Penacony was known as the land of sweet, blissful dreams. So why did your visit start off as a nightmare, merely half an hour after stepping foot onto the Reverie?

To say that the infrastructure was simply massive would be an understatement. The Reverie was colossal. It was lined up with a seemingly endless amount of floors that faded into the skies. No wonder it took an average worker an entire Trailblaze year’s worth of labor to even visit as a regular guest— everything about the hotel screamed luxury.

Standing amidst several people walking with gigantic luggages, you admired the scene before you. The gigantic gears that spun around a glowing ball of energy was centered before the lobby, further adding extravagance to the view.

This was one of the first steps to a new life away from the Interastral Peace Corporation— one of integrity.

Or so you thought.

"Your room number is 431." The receptionist hummed as she finished verifying your stay. Her hand reached out to give out a Penacony Dreamscape card. "Please do not hesitate if you'd like us to assist you with directions and such." Raising your eyebrows slightly at the familiar number, a sense of deja vu filled you. Where can you recall it from?

Ultimately, you shook the feeling off as something trivial. "Alright, thank you miss." Accepting the card, your fingers brushed against its shiny texture. You then pocketed it and turned to leave for the hotel room.

With a typical service smile, the staff member seemed a little nervous, even guilty, in her tone of voice. "E... Enjoy your stay."

This caught your attention instantaneously. It didn't take too long for you to realize that there was something amiss by the way that woman had hesitated in saying such simple words. Even if the benefit of doubt was given, surely it wouldn’t be that difficult to wish someone a pleasant visit. It was imperceptible to most, but for a former member of the IPC turned Galaxy Ranger, your intuition was correct at least 95% of the time. That’s what you believed.

However instead of requesting for a room change, your own curiosity motivated you to disregard that idea and investigate the suspicious matter. You simply gave a polite nod in response to the lady, taking a look at her once more.

Walking in long cautious strides, you made your way to zone 10 of the Red Heart with mixed feelings.

You certainly had a keen eye, but the speck of blonde hair in your peripheral vision had slipped past quite quickly— if not, easily.

…

Before you was the door to your hotel room. After a bit of assistance from a kind bellboy named Misha, the journey in searching for Room 431 managed to be a breeze.

Shoes tapped against the ground as you hovered closer, examining if the knob has been tampered with. But after some careful observation, you concluded that nothing was out of the ordinary. With the door, at least.

It gently opened as you stepped in, your eyes locked onto the spacious bathtub shaped like a seashell in the middle. A vaporwave-styled background displayed behind it, adding a retro vibe to the surroundings. You further scanned around and took note of the shiny red couch cushions, evident that they have just been cleaned. Even the lilacs on the coffee tables were fresh and fragrant.

Though everything seemed to be normal, you couldn’t let go of your previous suspicions surrounding the safety of the room.

A golden phonograph sat neatly on a drawer, as if it was waiting to be played. Curiously, you gravitated towards the device. Putting a finger to the press button, the CD began to spin.

“Birds are born with no shackles, then what fetters my fate?” Robin’s melodic voice tuned, the vinyl slowly twirling. Your lips slightly curled as you reached to raise the volume.

“Blown away, the white petals,”

Deeming it was a bit too loud, you lowered it just slightly by sliding down a button.

“Leave me trapped in the cage,”

The phonograph continued to hum, waiting for the next lyric.

“That’s your favorite song, isn’t it?”

Your eyes widened, spinning around at the sound of the voice that clearly did not belong to Robin’s. When you realized who it was, your heart nearly stopped.

Not a single word was uttered out as you stared at Aventurine. He in turn looked back at you with those soulless eyes of his— ones you used to think were the most beautiful ones in the entire universe.

A nonchalant smile was etched onto his lips as if this was just a simple reunion of old acquaintances. “Though I would say I prefer ‘Hope Is the Thing With Feathers’, even if it isn’t my usual genre of mu—“

Aventurine blinked as your sharp blade met his face only inches away from actual contact. He was caught off-guard, but ultimately his signature smirk returned to his expression. “Now, now, is this a way to greet a former colleague?”

”I already told all of you, I’m not coming back.” You replied bluntly.

With a low laugh, he pushed your sword aside without a care. “You’re not coming back to who, specifically?” Aventurine stepped closer. “To the IPC, or me?” His voice lowered to a whisper.

“You—“ Your face heated up with infuriation, or perhaps even something else. “I’m not trying to play into the executives’ tricks. My resignation is final, and I don’t care how many of their underdogs they send just to hunt me down.”

Moving to him, you made sure to assert your own stand on the matter regarding your former employers. “I am simply a third party that they hired, and I no longer wish to pursue the line of work they assign to me.”

The Interastral Peace Corporation was far from a protector of unity, even if it was what they claimed to be. Those who have been unfortunate enough to experience their unethical ways and exploitation know that well.

Both you and Aventurine were familiar to this dark truth.

He seemed to remember this as he no longer had an aura of confidence. It instead had a tinge of understanding.

However, his demeanor once again switched up. Removing his hat with another smile, he replied, “Oh, but I never said I was here on behalf of the IPC.”

“The IPC is on the Charmony Festival’s VIP list. ” You deadpanned, not believing the statement entirely.

A half-hearted chuckle escaped from Aventurine. But he managed to recover quickly. “Well, perhaps you’re right. But that would mean you actually cared enough to keep that in mind, no?”

“That’s not the point.”

“You’re right, I’ll cut straight to the chase,” He leaned in, his face now serious.

“Why don’t you begin by explaining why you simply vanished without telling me?”

You visibly tensed, your eyes avoiding his firm gaze.

It was difficult to speak. You were genuinely scrambling to form a proper explanation in your head, expecting Aventurine to start demanding answers to more of his questions. But he only stared at you with a quiet intensity as he waited. “You were on a mission. I didn’t want to disturb you and possibly cause it to fail.” You finally said.

Mustering the strength to look up to his eyes again, you could see that they were distant, yet intensely present. A paradox that made it impossible to tell what Aventurine was feeling.

“…Is that really it?” He muttered, before clearing his throat and returning his closed-mouth smile. It was intimidating how quickly the Stoneheart could change his demeanor. “It can’t be helped, I suppose.”

“But come on, did you really have to block my number too?”

The guilt in your heart only worsened. “I just don’t want to involve you in the conflict I’m in.” You retorted, almost giving in to the emotions stirring within you. Your tone grew strict once more in order to counter this. “Listen, we shouldn’t even be talking. The walls have eyes and ears.”

“So you still care about me then?” quipped Aventurine, disregarding the rest of what you’ve said. You blinked, momentarily speechless. But you managed to ignore his comment. “You should just go. Please.”

The small curl on his lips stayed, replying, “But this is my room.” His room…?

”What do you mean?” You asked warily, not sure on what he had up his sleeve. But the dots connected once he pulled out a Dreamscape card out of his clothes. It was identical to yours.

“Room 431. Is this not proof enough?” The gambler’s eyebrows raised innocently. Knowing his tendencies, the expression on your face turned into a scowl. “You’re insane. It all makes sense now— you bribed that receptionist?”

“What can I say, I’m one helpless man.” Aventurine slid the card back to his pockets. “But I’m sure you already know how desperate I can get for what I want.”

Before you could even come up with a snarky reply, he added, “Nothing can make me convince you? Not even the fact that our room number is our anniversary date? If that’s not enough, then you could consider rearranging the numbers and realize that it also spells out 143.”

You were seriously close to tweaking out. “Aventurine, you can’t possible be serio—“

“No? Okay, then how about you go open your bank account for me and see that I—“

“For Aeons’ sake! I told you to leave, didn’t I?!” You gasped out, silence forming between you two. Though with an exception for Robin’s album playing in the background, almost ashamed as the vinyl stopped moving on cue.

Aventurine’s expression looked blank, not expecting this sort of reaction from you. He withdrew a couple inches back, shoulders tense.

Regaining composure, you muttered. “…Just go.” With that, you turned your back away from him, swallowing the lump in your throat.

The tension in the air seemed to hang for an eternity, before he replied, “Okay. See you.” He seemed reluctant to leave, his footsteps heavy and slow as he turned.

Part of you wanted to yell at yourself for acting that way towards your ex, especially one you haven’t completely moved on from. But you firmly thought to yourself that this was the right decision.

It was only an attempt to deceive you. That’s what you kept in mind the entire time. You managed to keep your feelings buried this entire time, meaning this was no time to falter. So why are you only realizing now that the look of emotion in those dull eyes of his could possibly be real?

The efforts you’ve made have gone to waste with just one word. “Wait.”

Almost as if Aventurine was waiting for this moment, he stopped and turned swiftly. “Changed your mind?”

You wanted to scoff at how fast he jumped onto conclusions, but it wasn’t like he was wrong either. “I didn’t block you. I just changed my number.” The thought of turning around and facing him fully would hurt your dignity even more, so you simply threw a card to his direction. Of course, Aventurine caught it with ease. His fingers were always efficient.

“So you just casually have cards like these?” He smiled playfully, although you refused to look at him properly. “Have you given this out to any other man so far?”

“Those are business cards.” “Oh, so this is only for business purposes. I see.” He mused. “Then, I’ll certainly find the time to contact you if I’m in some trouble, yeah?”

You waved him off, not saying another word. Luckily, he decided not to push on your buttons any longer.

As Aventurine exited the room and shut the door behind him, you couldn’t bear to keep yourself from groaning at what you just impulsively did.

That exchange was only for professional purposes, surely.

a/n: helloooo! thank you for reading up to this point, chapter 2 is available on my ao3 and will be posted on my tumblr once i drop chapter 3 :3 divider creds @/cafekitsune

#honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #aventurine x reader #aventurine x you #aventurine x y/n #hsr aventurine #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr fanfic #aventurine fanfic #fem reader #female reader #cross posted on ao3

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sha-n-dowbannedlol · 2 years ago

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Alhaitham — Nothing ever goes according to plan

It is no secret that Alhaitham is a man of many talents and extreme knowledge—however, one thing that he is willing to admit that he knows little to nothing about is the Art of Romance. Which is why when he caught wind of the budding feelings that he had for you, and when he realized that he actually wants to do something about said feelings, he turned to the one thing he knew he could trust; books.

(No matter how much Kaveh claims to be an expert on the topic, Alhaitham would much rather eat his own shoe than to approach his roommate for advice.)

Which lead to his situation now. The book in his hand was surprisingly quite heavy, a few inches thick with red leather as covering. He almost lets out a scowl as his gaze traces the gold lettering spelling out the title of the book.

Introduction to the Psychology of Love and Attraction.

"Give them a bouquet of flowers"

"Which flowers would be optimal for a confession?" The forest ranger's ears twitch, looking at Alhaitham with a raised brow, quoting the gray-haired man's words, "What's gotten into you, Alhaitham?"

The Scribe inwardly cringes, he knew he should've just went into the House of Daena and researched himself, but when he managed to catch the sight of a certain former botanical scholar turned forest ranger, he couldn't stop himself from approaching him and asking the question. Tighnari furrows his brows to think, before turning his back to Alhaitham and tending to one of the many flowers planted in Pardis Dhyai.

"Red tulips declare love, begging the recipient to believe in your confession. Gerbera Daisies shows desire for a relationship. Sunflowers can be used to tell someone their presence brightened up your life. Garden Cosmos may mean to cherish the one you love. Geranium can send the message that they make you happy, and daffodils can represent self-love or a plea; 'please respond to my love'. Or you can just go with the usual red roses." Tighnari responds without a moment's pause, his voice leveled and neutral, just stating facts and information for Alhaitham to absorb, "Though, these messages may vary depending on the source material you've read, but these are the first ones that came to mind."

"Thank you," The gray-haired man no longer sees any reason to prolong this conversation, "I would appreciate it if no one hears of this conversation,"

"Don't worry," The forest ranger didn't turn to face the scribe, but he did wave Alhaitham goodbye, "I don't think anyone will care enough to ask."

Alhaitham didn't waste any more time and headed to the nearest florist, and with the florist's expertise, it didn't take long before they created the optimal bouquet that he could give you to wordlessly clue you in to his feelings. Sure enough, the florist was quick to notice the language that the bouquet was trying to send and teased Alhaitham about it which he pointedly ignore, giving them the payment for the arrangement and acquiring it from their hands before he headed off.

Much to his dismay, however, he couldn't find you anywhere. As it turns out, you left town earlier in the day for your research, the scholar that informed Alhaitham didn't comment on the obvious disappointment on the Scribe's face as he was informed of your whereabouts. But he eventually shrugged it off, you'll be back soon enough. He can just place these flowers in a vase at home (Kaveh would be sure to have one of those laying around) and give them to you when you come back.

Unfortunately, at the day of your return, Alhaitham was greeted with the horrifying sight of a blank vase.

"Kaveh, have you seen the flowers in this vase?"

"Oh?" Kaveh glances up from his plates he's working on, taking quick look at the vase before looking back down at his work, "I threw them away."

Alhaitham almost exploded.

".....What?"

"They already wilted, what, was I supposed to keep it?"

The architect looks up again, mouth still open and was about to give another jab at his roommate but said roommate has already rushed his ay to the door, and the only thing Kaveh caught sight of was the door closing.

"Weird."

Alhaitham looks on with horror at the sight of the closed shop of the florist, and he fell into even more despair at the sign written at the front of the shop, indicating that they will be closed for quite a while.

To rub even more salt to the wound, you actively sought him out that day because a certain scholar couldn't keep their mouths shut about him searching for you, and here you are now asking him as to why the Scribe of the Akademiya was searching for you—outside of his work hours, even.

"The record you borrowed last time," he lied, "It's already past its due date."

"Ah, of course!"

"Know more about their interests, try to indulge yourself in them"

"the main lead from that romantic novel... I love him! He's definitely my type! My ideal man!"

Alhaitham didn't mean to overhear your private conversation with someone else, but it's not like he cares. It doesn't interest him if a fictional character has managed to catch your eye, at the end of the day, that guy is just a figment of imagination anyway. Just a character made up by a bunch or words written in a page.

He truly doesn't care.

Besides, an ideal is just that. An ideal. Nothing more than a fantasy.

He made his way to the House of Daena, eyes sharp as he examines the spine of various books arranged in a neat fashion, keeping an eye out on certain book he's looking for. It took him half of the day before giving up and leaving the library, the book he's searching for still nowhere in sight. The sun is no longer as scalding hot as it was in the noon when the Scribe exits the Akademiya, making a quick trip from one store to another to search for his book but to no avail. The sun was already setting by the time he finally makes his way home, the book he looked so hard for now in his hands.

Entering his home, he basked in the silence from the absence of his roommate, crossing his legs and opening the book in his lap. He can finally read in peace.

"Which physics book are you reading now?" Alhaitham sighs at the familiar voice that rang, followed by the front door closing as the roommate finally made his appearance,

"It's called 'None of your business'."

"Oh, really?" the sarcasm heavily dripped from Kaveh's words, "What's it about?"

"It's a fictional story about the light of Kshahrewar finally minding his own business for once and not bothering his roommate."

"You-" Kaveh's words die down in his throat in shock, his crimson gaze landing on the book being held in the scribe's hand, the words written at the cover catching his attention, "Wait.. I know that book.."

Alhaitham took that as a sign to leave, snapping the book shut in his hand before getting up and turning his back towards the architect.

"Alhaitham," Kaveh's words were of disbelief, the architect glued to his spot near the doorway,

"Are you reading a romantic novel--?"

"If you're going to be hammering things tonight, do it outside."

He slams the door to his room shut with a scowl.

He can't even read in peace.

He just wanted to know what you like so much about this male lead and he can't even do that with that man around.

"Make sure to look out for them"

thump!

A bag was dropped in front of you, prompting you to look up only to be met with the face of the one and only Alhaitham. You confusion must have been showing because he was quick to answer your question without you even voicing them out.

"My roommate made too much food this morning and he asked me to drop it to you." he lied. He figured there wasn't a need for you to know that he woke up extra early today to gather the best ingredients just so he can cook something he deems to be perfect enough as a gift for you.

All of it was worth it, he concludes, as he sees the glint of pure happiness in your eyes at the sight of free food. You were quick to pull the bag towards you, opening it up to take a peek inside the bag.

"Thank you, please send my re-" you were suddenly cut off, and Alhaitham frowns in concern as the excitement in your features was washed away and replaced with disappointment instead. He blinks as you close the bag once again before pushing it towards him.

"I'm sorry, Alhaitham, but... I can't accept this."

"Why?"

"I'm.... allergic to this."

For the first time in his entire life, he suddenly felt the need to slam his head against the wall. Repeatedly.

How- how in the world did he overlook your allergies?

"I see, that is unfortunate." He didn't allow even a drop of his emotion to seep through his words, picking the bag up once again, "I'll be sure to let him know."

"And of course, go on a date."

"Ms. Nilou has a performance at the Grand Bazaar tonight, Care to join me?"

"Are you... talking to me?" The look of disbelief on your face made Alhaitham sigh exasperatedly.

"Is there anyone else within earshot around here?" He responds, a deadpan look on his face.

"I would love to!" you exclaim in response,

Once again, he is graced by the sight of your wide smile, an excited glimmer in your eyes that never failed to make his heart beat rapidly. His breath hitched in his throat as that beautiful smile was finally aimed towards him, and his thoughts has gone haywire. But of course, you were none the wiser, you never could know what he's thinking with that emotionless look on his face.

However, your smile immediately turns to a frown when you seem to have remembered something, and Alhaitham squeezes his eyes shut as he braces himself for another rejection.

"But... I have an exam coming up, I can't slack off." You sounded so disappointed that he couldn't fault you for cancelling even before plans were made,

"Nothing ever goes according to plan.." he sighs, muttering under his breath. He turns his head away from you, his gaze looking off into the far distance.

You frown at the sight. It occurs to you that you weren't the only one disappointed with not being able to go see Nilou's performance with him. You can't help the guilt that start to well up in your chest at the sad look in Alhaitham's eyes.

"Haitham.." you call out to him, and he turns to look at you with a hum. "Why don't you help me study instead?"

His eyes widen for a fraction of a second in surprise at your suggestion, and you almost blurted out that you were just joking and you couldn't possibly waste his precious time. However, his surprised look morphed into one of soft fondness, an almost unnoticeable smile etched on his lips as his usually sharp eyes now look gentle.

"I guess I can do that."

#alhaitham x reader #al haitam x reader #alhaitham #genshin alhaitham #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin imagines

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fallingdownhell · 1 year ago

Note

Hellloo, I've been shamelessly reading your fics. Love your writing 😭💙 I hope you don't overwork yourself tho, 20+ asks are a lot and I kinda feel bad adding to that....

I wanted to ask for the sumeru boys (Kaveh, Alhaitham, Cyno, Tighnari) reaction to being kissed by the reader(best friend). She got fed up of little hints and decided to level it up 😊

Thank youuu 💙

Aww, thank you so much<3

Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm taking breaks often so I don't exhaust myself with writing all the time, but thanks<3

Characters Included: Cyno; Tighnari; Alhaitham; Kaveh

Content: female reader; getting together; the boys are oblivious; many fluff

Word count: 2,2k words

Hope you enjoy!

Cyno

God, he would be so oblivious to your advances

he prides himself on being the General Mahamatra and how perceptive one has to be for this line of work, to be as sufficient and successful as him

yet when it comes to romance, he has no clue about anything at all

you have fallen for the man long before you guys even became friends

you always found him interesting, yet his stoic and mysterious attire made it difficult for you to just simply approach him

the friendship started slowly, but it grew steadily. Your romantic feelings for him never once faultered, but you didn't want to risk the friendship you had with him, so you stayed silent

for a few years, you were happy just to be by his side and call him a friend

but as it tends to be, feelings only grow bigger the more you try to ignore them

You still didn't want to just outright tell him, so you started dropping little hints to him that you liked him

your shoulders brushed together more often then they should, touches lastet longer than usual, you tried subtly flirting with him

and yet, nothing seemed to work. Everyone around you figured out your hints pretty quickly, even Tighnari did and encouraged you to keep trying, but Cyno was just oblivious

he never noticed anything different, brushing your behaviour off as it just being yourself

after a few more weeks of trying, you finally got fed up with him and decided to do something a little more drastic

Cyno had been gone on a mission for the past week. He had returned today and you both have made plans to meet and catch up over dinner

While dinner was enjoyable to you as usual and you had a pretty good talk, he still didn't catch up to your hints

so, as he was walking you home, like he always insisted to do to make sure you got home safely, you decided that it was finally time

once you arrived at your front door, Cyno was already saying his goodbye and turning to leave, you quickly grabbed his wrist

he wanted to ask you what was wrong but before he could do so, his eyes widened in shock as he felt your lips on his

it was only a brief moment, the touch only lastet a few seconds, but it was enough to make him feel all flustered, his cheeks turning a different shade of red

he looked at you, completely frozen, his fingers reaching up to touch his lips, eyes still fixed on you

you try to smile at him, but giving his wordless reaction up until now, you grew nervous.. did you just mess up?

meanwhile, Cyno seemed to have a sudden moment of realization, thinking back to all the times before where he never understood your hints

now, he simply grabbed you by the waist and pulled you in for another kiss, surprising you, but you weren't about to reject him, anyways

this time, the kiss lasted longer, it was more than just a touching of lips together

"Sorry it took me so long to notice.", he whispered once you separated again, and you knew that you didn't make a mistake at all...

Tighnari

LOTS OF PINING!!

Being friends with Tighnari can be difficult at first thanks to his personality standing in the way sometimes

he's a great leader to the forest rangers and people respect him, but his personality in private is not really different from that, so it can be a bit overwhelming for some people, choosing to only keep the relationship professional

not you though. You took a liking to him the first time you laid eyes on him. You knew instantly that you were attracted to him

So, you decided to just test your luck, dropping little hints here and there

Wether it be in conversations, trying to flirt with him when appropriate, or through actions, making him some snacks that he likes or offering your help with his reports

Though, much to your dismay, he never took it as anything else than a friendly gesture from you, thinking that you were just looking out for him in your own way

It frustrated you, but you also didn't have the courage to simply tell him right at the beginning of getting to know him

And that's actually a good thing, because thanks to getting to know him better, you got to learn so many different things about him, which only made you fall for him even more

And it also gave you more than enough time to mentally prepare yourself for the moment when you were going to make the desicive move, which you knew you would have to make at some point in time if you wanted to progress with him

And today, it seemed like it was the perfect opportunity. He had invited you to join him on a patrol through the forest, since his initial accompany got sick and couldn't go

You happily accepted the invite, keeping him company since you weren't a forest ranger yourself. You loved hearing him talk about all sorts of things and how happy he seemed to be about someone seriously listening to him

Currently, he was in the middle of telling you some fun facts about a glower you ran into. You stood closely to him as you kept looking between him and the plant

Once he was done with his explanation, he looked over at you for a reaction. And in that moment, you decided tontake a leap of faith and just be bold

"That's interesting.. you're really good at explaining stuff like that, Tighnari."

He blushed slightly from your compliment and wanted to say something, but the words were caught in his throat when he suddenly felt a pair of lips press against his cheek

His entire face exploded in a blush as he stared at you, his hand coming up to cup his cheek where you just kissed him. His expression was one of disbelieve.. like he didn't think what just happened was real

You giggled at his reaction then got up and started walking back in the direction of the village

"Huh? Wait, (Name)! What does this mean? Why did you..", he trailed of, not being able to say it out loud

"You're smart, right? I'm sure you can figure it out, fox boy!", you turn and say, smiling at him. Yet he noticed a faint blush on your cheeks as well

He then rushed to catch up to you, his mind running at a thousand miles per hour, thought rushing through his head

You couldn't possibly feel the same way as him...right??

Alhaitham

For someone so smart as him, it's actually surprising that he did not pick up at your attempts of flirting at all

He is clearly aware about the concept and, in theory, he knows what flirting looks like

He just never thought that he would ever be on the recieving end of it, since most people find his personality to be insufferable, so why would anyone be interested in a relationship with him?

And it's not like he was actively looking for one, either. He was happy with the life he had build for himself, no need to complicate things in any way

You, however, have beem attracted to the Grand Scribe of the Academiya for a few weeks now

What first started out as mere acquaintances meeting in the House of Daena from time to time grew into a mutual sort of friendship where you two would mostly talk about books youbwere reading and sometimes other aspects about your life

Well, it was just a friendship for him. For your part, you were hoping that you would be able to build up something off of that, but he was just way too oblivious for your advances

When you got out of your way to cook your lunch, you intentionally made a bit more, so you could give some of it to him

He took it, but didn't think anything else of it. Verbally flirting was also off the table, he just didn't pick up on any hints, and pick-up lines also didn't work on him

At some point, even Kaveh noticed your attempts at flirting. He offered you his pity but still wished you look on yojr endeavours

However, only few days after that encounter with his roommate did you finally loose your cool

You had yet again invited the Scribe to join you for dinner, which he accepted. While eating, he told you about his day and how he was approached by a female scholar today

As he told you about his encounter, you soon had a realization

"Alhaitham.. that poor girl was flirting with you..", you say to him after listenting to everything he told you. This made him think for a few seconds before answering

"I'm sorry, but I disagree. I do believe I would have noticed of she was flirting with me."

"Oh, you mean like how you noticed that I've been flirting with you?"

You didn't mean to say that, the words just slipped out before you could hold them back. But now it was said, and he was looking at you with a shocked expression

"What?", he asked, blinking at you like he just heard you wrong

You decided that now was as good a time as any other, so you just took the risk and leaned into him, placing a gentle, quick kiss to his lips

You pulled back quickly, but then suddenly, a hand in your neck pushed you back into him, entangling you in another kiss

You were surprised by this turn of events but quickly closed your eyes as you enjoyed the kiss

When he broke the kiss, he gently took your chin in his hand, making you look up at him

"I'm sorry for not noticing sooner."

"It's fine. At least you're aware now.", you smile and he also gently laughs at this

Kaveh

Oh boy..

With how much of a social butterfly this man is, it's almost impossible to believe that he wouldn't pick up on any flirting attempts

Or, maybe it's better to say that he does pick up on them, but he never really takes them seriously

Mostly because usually, the people flirting with him are strangers, and the only thing strangers look for, are people's appearances

And he doesn't want to get with someone simply because of his looks. He wants the person to know him already, to want him for himself and his personality, not something so shallow

And yet, when you start dropping hints at him, flirting with him, he immediately shuts that idea down in his head, blocking out all the signs until he becomes literally blind to them

The reason? He doesn't belive himself to be worthy of someone like you. He thinks himself not deserving of your love and affection, so he annhialtes the idea before his heart can raise any false hopes

You also notice this change in behaviour from him, since he starts acting a bit more distant from you. You don't think too much of it though and continue to flirt with him, dropping subtle hints here and there

At some point, he starts hanging around you less and less, and you start thinking that maybe you made him uncomfortable with your advances

So, you give him some time and space since it didn't seem like he wanted to be around you

However, that set Kaveh off, thinking now that he did something wrong for you to stoo seeking him out like you usually do

It takes some time but eventually, you find back together and you start hanging out again, yet your feelings for him still keep hanging in the air between you two, always left unsaid

So, you decided that you had to play with open cards with him, or else nothing was ever going to happen. And you would rather just be honest with him than make him uncomfortable with your flirting again

So, one night while hanging out at your place, you decided that this was the time to make your move on him

While you were having a break from your previous conversation, you looked at him for a breath moment before getting up from your spot across from him and went to sit right next to him

You could tell that the gears in his head were turning, trying to figure out what you were doing

You didn't say anything as you slowly began to lean into him, analyzing his reaction

You saw Kaveh's eyes widening in realization, yet you kept calm. You continued to go slowly, giving him ample time to react if he didn't want this to happen

However, when he did nothing, you closed the last few inches and placed your lips on his in a sweet, gentle kiss

His eyes, as well as yours, were now closed, both of you enjoying this moment to the fullest

When you parted after a few more seconds, you were both blushing profusely, yet you held eye contact with him

He placed his hands on your cheeks, before speaking in a soft, almost trembling voice. "Are you sure about that? With me?"

You just smiled at him and pulled him into another kiss, giving him the answer he needed to know

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spookyspecterino · 1 year ago

Text

Grunt Work

Sam Coe x GN! Reader

GN! Reader. No pronouns, no use of Y/N, or reader descriptions used. Reader is referred to as Captain sometimes, like in the game.

Canon typical violence: blood, injury, mentions of death, guns, language, romance, kissing. All PG-13.

Spoilers for the “Grunt Work” Quest

It’s the very first UC Vanguard quest. If you haven’t played it yet, I highly recommend it. Out of my 20-ish hours playing it’s my favorite so far.

No spoilers for the end of game (I haven’t even gotten close to it yet) or anything to do with Sam Coe’s romance questline (I haven’t finished that either).

Non-spoiler summary for this fic/quest:

Reader and Sam Coe go to Tau Ceti II to check up on the settlers in the Tau Gormet Production Center.

More descriptions of the fic with a more specific summary below the cut. I’m being very specific about spoilers because for most people, myself included, we’ve only had the game for a week.

More specific summary of this fic/quest:

The UC Vanguard sends you on a routine mission to check in on a settler colony on Tau Ceti II—it turns out to be anything but routine. With Sam Coe at your side, your first Vanguard mission is a baptism by fire.

Characters: Hadrian, Sam Coe, Vasco (mentions of other characters: Cora Coe and Barret)

“Vasco, do a quick comms check for me. I want to make sure it’s working after it glitched out on the last planet.”

The tall robot makes some beeping and whirring noises. The way it stares into nothing bothered you at first, but after some time you’d gotten used to it—even appreciating how it followed commands without hesitation. Over by the ships on and off-boarding ramp, Sam says goodbye to Cora. A smile spreads across your face as you watch them.

The Frontier’s external lighting illuminates the surrounding landing site. An otherworldly moon hangs in the night sky. You take one more moment to do a last check of your pack’s contents. This was going to be a routine check-in mission, but it never hurt to be safe than sorry.

“Comms are operational, Captain.”

“Thank you.” You wave goodbye to Cora who smiles and waves back before returning to the Frontier. “Comms are good Sam, ready to go?”

Your companion saunters over with that signature ranger’s confidence. “Always.”

“Great. I think I’ve got everything. Vasco, have I got everything?”

“Scanning now.”

Sam shifts from foot to foot. “Storm’s rolling in.” He comments, looking into the distance. “I’d like to get there before it starts raining.”

Sure enough, muted thunder rolls on the horizon and the wind picks up a touch.

“Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, cowboy.”

“I don’t even know what a horse looks like.” He mumbles.

Vasco beeps affirmatively. “The necessary items are present, Captain. However, you are carrying more than the recommended amount.”

You sling your pack over your shoulder with a grin, ignoring the second part. “Thanks Vasco. You know, for a second there Sam, I thought you were going to say something about your joints hurting.”

“Ha ha. I’m not that old.”

You make a teasing face at him as you start heading toward the compound’s lights in the distance. The trek isn’t bad, mostly flat terrain with a few rocks here and there. The wind continues to pick up, carrying the scent of rain.

Sam hops over a rock, taking his place by your side. “Not to sound too over-eager to get this Vanguard busy work out of the way, but, where’s our next stop after this?”

“I was thinking we could explore the rest of this system. How’s that sound?”

“You know me, no complaints here.”

A radio tower comes into view, red lights along the sides flashing periodically. Beyond it is the main compound.

“Oh, Cora asked to keep an eye out on books specifically about ship reactors. She thinks she can fix ours.”

You hike your pack higher on your shoulder, already feeling the soreness. Blast your incessant need to carry every type of weapon part with you at all times. “I’ll be on the look-out. If she can save me a few credits and fix it herself, she’s welcome to try.”

“She’s a brilliant kid, but let’s do it on a planet with an actual mechanic who can make sure it works after. I have faith in her, but she’s 11 and you can’t learn everything from books—”

“Hold up. Sam. Stop.”

He freezes, noticing your stock-still posture, eyes fixed on the wide-open doors of the radio tower. Bright light filters out into the night.

“Does that look like a body to you?” you ask him, pointing toward a slumped over shape laying against a supply crate.

“Sure does.”

Unholstering your pistol, you both crouch and move closer. The grass underfoot sways in the wind.

It’s a grisly scene. Multiple bodies litter the area. All settlers—dressed in civilian working clothes. Blood splatters dot the concrete, some trail back to a body. Sam whistles, short and low, to get your attention. He’s looking inside. On the table is a settler, face up, arms splayed out and gutted. Clothes stained a vibrant red. Deep claw marks gouge out sections of the floor.

“No bullets, no casings in sight.” He murmurs close to your ear. “And it’s all fresh.”

You don’t need to look at him to know he shares your particular anxiety. “Let’s check out the main compound.”

Moving out of the small building and down toward the tar mac, you’re about to say something about the wrecked ship when an alien scream interrupts you. It sets every hair on end. Never have you heard a sound like that, even on the many planets you’ve explored.

In little to no time after the scream, a sharp static crackles over your comms, making you jump. Sam shuffles closer, crouched low next to you. If the situation wasn’t so tense, he may have chuckled, but he stays frozen and somber faced.

“I am so glad to see you.” The voice, a woman’s, sounds heavy with relief. “I think it knows you’re here. Hurry up to the second-floor office, I’ll unlock the door.”

As you make your way into the compound, it feels like walking straight into the lion’s den. Every sense is on high alert. Lightning flashes, making you see things in the shadows that aren’t really there. Only Sam’s presence behind you keeps you level-headed.

The brightly lit, glass windowed office only makes you feel worse, like a sitting duck on display.

“I’m Hadrian.” The woman introduces herself curtly while holding her side. “Are you my saving grace?”

“Not exactly. I’m UC Vanguard—sent to check in on the settlers.”

“Well shit.” She leans against the table, eyes closed in pain.

“Please don’t tell me we’re dealing with a Terrormorph here.” Sam asks, beating you to the punch.

She sighs. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Shit. That’s bad news, Captain. Real bad.”

“Listen,” Hadrian starts, moving away from the table, “I know you’re just two people, but you have to help me kill this thing.”

“And why’s that? Why don’t we all just leave now?” You ask.

“It’s unique. It showed up way too early. Tau Ceti’s only been colonized for 20 years. If this is a new kind of Terrormorph that matures faster and shows up earlier, we need to know.”

“Damnit.” You hiss. “Terrormorphs that show up after only 20 years of colonization could wipe humanity off the map.”

“Exactly.”

Rain begins to fall on the large windows with a clatter. The rolls of thunder were becoming booming clashes now. Visibility was already reduced at night, but now the storm made things worse.

You relent, giving up any notions of leaving. “Alright. I’ll help. Got any ideas on how to kill it?”

Sam’s eyeing you particularly hard from where he stands.

“Yeah, turrets. But we need to bring them back online and get them powered up. The terminal’s on ground level at the far end of the warehouse.”

Sam grunts. “So, closer to the Terrormorph?”

“I’m not sure where it is right now. My best guess is it’s still around the outer edge of the facility. But there’s a tracking system you can use on one of the terminals.”

You run a hand over your face. “Ok. Tracker and turrets. That’s better than nothing. I can make do”

“Radio me when you’ve reset the system and I’ll calibrate it from here. Thank you for helping and good luck.”

You and Sam sneak out one of the office doors into the warehouse. Fat raindrops fall on the metal roof, amplifying the sound into a loud drumming. It doesn’t come close to the volume of your heartbeat in your ears.

“Vasco, come in.”

“Reporting, Captain.”

“Initiate full lockdown on the ship. Tell Cora we ran into some trouble and are taking necessary precautions. If she seems worried, give her a book from my locker.”

“Yes Captain.”

You shut off comms and sling your pack from around your shoulders, attempting a commanding tone that you’ve always needed to fake. “Sam Coe.”

His usual raspy, low voice is layered with apprehension. “Captain?”

You’re pulling out weapon pieces from your pack for your rifle. They’re big—heavy duty—and add a decent amount of weight to the gun. “Go back to the ship.”

“I had a hunch you were gonna pull something like this. No. No way.”

“That’s an order—”

“Don’t try that with me. You know it ain’t gonna work.”

You pause, just as you’re changing out the rifle’s .50 Cal magazine with a 9x39mm eight round clip. “Sam.”

“I’m staying.”

His eyebrows are furrowed. Mouth slanted in a stubborn, almost angry frown. You’d have to dig deep. “Cora can’t lose you.”

“You always pull that card. It’s lost its affect.”

“…I can’t lose you either.”

You’ve never used that before and quite frankly are surprised to hear it come out of your mouth. Maybe it’s too soon. Up until now, you and Sam have only been flirting—no real feelings or moves have been made. It’s a bit of a jump, but you’re sincere.

His eyes hold yours unflinchingly. The crease on his forehead lessens a little. “Then you know how I feel and why I’m staying right here.”

He’s one-upped you and you weren’t prepared for it. You murmur a “Damit Sam” and go back to modifying your rifle. Fighting is pointless, and his admission has your nerves shaken more than you’d like. “Stay glued to my side unless I say otherwise. If things turn sideways and I order you back to the ship, you’d better listen. Got it?”

“Understood, Captain.”

“I mean it.”

A hint of his familiar smile returns. “I heard ya.”

“And Sam…”

“Hm?”

“No heroics.”

He doesn’t respond, his brows pinch together again. It’ll have to do.

Moving through the warehouse went excruciatingly slow. At all times you wished you could just get up and run instead, but it would signal the monster almost immediately. The whole situation made you feel like you were prey, scared and small. The addition of Sam’s presence put a heavy responsibility on your shoulders and that made you even more careful.

Hadrian was on your comms as soon as the system was reset. She directed you to the tracker frequency tuner in the same room. While finding the frequency, the system went into high alert—detecting the major threat. Your watch begins beeping steadily, and then rapidly speeds up. The Terrormorph was getting closer to your position.

Your eyes met Sam’s just as the alien appeared on the roof of the building outside. Right in sight from the room’s windows you were in. A rough hand yanks you down to the ground. Sam is crouched damn near on top of you, shotgun aimed up at it. However, it doesn’t notice you two in the dark room. You slowly cover the watch face to try and muffle the beeping sound. Maybe it was the rain, or the creature was just playing games, but it moved on past to a different part of the facility. Loud footsteps fading as it leaves. The radar lessens to a low, steady beat.

“Hadrian, come in.”

“I read you. The turrets are going to need their power sources reset with the security system in lockdown.”

“Great.” Sam sighs, lowering his gun. His shoulder leans into yours as he gets closer.

“We’ll find them. Out here.”

Reaching for your rifle, your hands visibly shook. You can feel Sam’s watchful gaze.

“Last chance to leave.” You whisper, aimlessly checking over your gun. You feel his hand squeeze your shoulder reaffirming.

“Not happening.”

The first power source wasn’t hard to find. You took the slow route, keeping an ear out for any changes in the radar frequency. The power switch was like a beacon, a big red switch on a yellow panel—it stuck out like a sore thumb. When you flipped it lights came on, loudspeakers announced to stand back…and the radar went nuts.

“Out, out, out!” You hiss, pushing Sam toward the far end door. He doesn’t need to be told twice as he beelines it.

With Sam leading, you follow him, scrambling up onto the roof of the building near the turrets. Two of the six are online now. Two more switches and you’ll have a fighting chance. Maybe.

Behind you, further in the facility, things crash. For now, it seems you’re safe.

You huff, lightening the death grip you have on your rifle. “Ok, here’s the plan. We’re going to split up.”

“I’m not gonna like this am I?”

“Take the watch. Find the power sources. I’ll create a distraction.”

“No.”

“Sam…” you exhale, closing your eyes. Despite the sheer terror you feel, you manage a chuckle. “We’re not going to get anything done if you keep arguing with me.”

“Let me create the distraction.”

“No.”

“Now who’s arguing?”

“Your shotgun has no range—it’s effectively useless, you’d be dead in two seconds.”

“Fair point. Then give me your rifle, I’m a good shot.”

You’re already unclasping your watch’s band from around your wrist. “I’m not taking the risk.”

“What if I wanna take the risk?”

Shuffling over while still crouched, you bring his arm closer. The watch slides on and you make sure to fasten it tightly. “You already know I won’t let you. At least now you can radio Vasco if…”

It didn’t need to be said.

He looks at the device and back to you. “Why is this startin’ to feel like you’re on a suicide mission?”

You can’t look at him or you’d lose the last of your nerve. “I’ll be on that walkway over there. It’ll have to run through the turrets to get to me and they’ll still have a shot when it tries to climb up.”

The way Sam chews his cheek really underlines how unhappy he is with this plan of yours. “Remind me to have a word with you about your savior complex when this is all over.”

“Hm. I’m looking forward to it.”

A gentle hand wraps around your arm. His eyes are soft, pleading. His other hand cups your face, it’s rough and calloused, but warm. “If you need to run, then run. You don’t have to die for some Vanguard that sends you on a ‘routine’ mission they were too lazy to check first—or for a colony full of dead settlers. Ok? I want you back, with me, alive, and in one piece.”

You don’t trust yourself enough to speak, something sappy or cheesy may decide to come out, so you simply nod.

It isn’t enough for him. “Please, say you’ll come back to me. I need to hear you say it.”

If he wasn’t so close, he may not have heard you through the pounding rain. “I’ll come back to you.” You pretended that you meant it, that you believed it.

“Thank you.” His hand falls away to hold his shotgun. “Now let’s kill this thing.”

“Be safe.” You manage before turning and heading toward your position. The chill of the rain creeps through your spine, but the warmth from Sam’s hand lingers on your cheek. You try to hold onto that feeling.

The steel walkway is sturdy and grated, giving you a good vantage point of the surrounding area. Once in position, you set up your rifle and lay flat, adjusting the scope. Lightning flashes, the crash of thunder isn’t far behind it. Water runs down your face and you wipe it hastily to keep it from your eyes.

The bright fire of the flare casts everything in red. With a good toss, it lands directly in the middle of the kill lanes. Bringing out your pistol you shoot once, twice, up into the air. The alien screams and the sound of wrenching, tearing metal draws near.

The hulking creature appears at the far end of the kill lanes, focused on the flare. It’s huge, big enough to fill your scope’s sights. You breathe deep and exhale slowly as you take your first shot.

The round hits the Terrormorph square in the back leg, crippling it for a moment. Blood leaks out onto the ground below. It lurches before regaining balance on its five other legs, letting out an enraged roar.

More lights come on in the facility. Sam’s already found one power breaker. Two more turrets begin to flash and come online.

The monster’s head swings in a different direction. Toward Sam, no doubt. The realization fuels you with a cold fury. You crank the rifle’s bolt-lever, a long bullet casing flies out of the chamber with a cling. Sliding the lever back with a heavy clunk you even your breath and prepare to take another shot.

You take it, aiming for its other back leg, but miss—the shot glances off the ground. Six shots left.

The thing’s giant head swings back to stare at you directly. Through your scope it’s as if you’re staring it directly in the eyes. Its front legs stomp the ground, and it roars. It ambles forward right into the kill lanes. Four turrets open fire, knocking it off balance and sending it sprawling momentarily. You take another shot, this time severing its thinner front limb.

The thing howls, ear splittingly loud and shrill, but claws its way back onto its feet. The turrets are doing damage, but it isn’t enough. It lurches toward you with surprising speed. The turret fire follows. You take a shot and miss. You exhale and your breath comes out shaking.

It's at the base of the building your walkway is on as Sam flips the final switch and the last of the turrets power up. The Terrormorph slows down a little, struggling to climb the building with two of its limbs missing. You have another 130 seconds, maybe, before it reaches you.

Your fifth shot hits it in the back, effectively doing nothing. The thing is bloody and losing steam from the constant onslaught of all six turrets. You start to feel hopeful. There’s movement to your left. It’s Sam on one of the rooftops. You’re about to give him a thumbs up when lightning flashes—some of the facility machines spark, an alarm sounds, and all lights except for auxiliary backups flatline. An unlucky power surge from the storm.

The Terrormorph has reached the base of the walkway below and is trying to make its way up, now free from turret fire. This would be your chance to run, but something holds you there. A false hope maybe.

You hold your breath, take a shot, and hit it square in the face. It doesn’t stop, clawing at the thin metal for purchase. Pulling the bolt lever and sliding it home, you fire again, chipping its other back leg and causing it to stumble. Metal rails groan and collapse under the monster’s weight. It falls to the ground with a metallic crash. You don’t fire, yet.

Sam is still on the other roof. You wave him off, pointing to the ship. Trying to make it clear that this was the order to run. A clashing sound below snags your attention back to the monster. It’s testing out the strength of the rail supports.

You’re aiming again as it springs up and begins throwing its weight at the steel rods. The vibration of the metal groaning and shifting with each impact reverberates through you. This is your last shot.

You fire and miss entirely as a section of rails to your right collapse and bend, tugging your section down. You’re forced to let go of your rifle to hang on. It clatters to the ground below.

More support beams collapse and you can feel the structure groan before you even hear it, vibrating hard enough to numb your hands. Trying to climb up the tilting walkway was a mistake as the shift in weight caused the whole thing, with you attached, to fall entirely. The feeling of falling was short-lived, something sharp sliced at your leg as you fell into the railing and walkway debris below.

For a moment, you lay dazed and in pain. The sound of rain patters around you on metallic surfaces. The whole walkway and railing fell over, the area was littered with jutted angles and metal parts. Something shifted under the debris. Something big enough to toss heavy metal away with ease. Any hope of the Terrormorph getting crushed by the impact was gone as it reared back and screamed. Its eyes, all six or seven of them, landed on you.

There was no way of escaping, debris had fallen over you. A particularly large beam held you in place on your back. Your pistol, the last line of defense, dug into your hip uncomfortably.

Sensing it had you trapped, the creature took its time closing the distance. Your leg was devoid of all feeling except a vague sensation of warmth spreading around it. The rails on top of you pinned you down, but you managed to free your measly pistol.

Only three or four of your shots made contact, others glanced off the Terrormorph’s armored shoulders or missed entirely. Either way, the low caliber did nothing to it. With an empty mag, and nothing else to defend yourself with, your arm fell to your side. You just hoped Sam was smart enough to listen and go back to the ship.

A loud blast caught the monster on the side of its head, snapping it away from you, and causing it to stumble.

Apparently, he wasn’t.

Sam emptied three more shells into the creature before reloading with cool, practiced ease. One blast dislocated the Terrormorph’s other back leg. Chunks went flying.

It howled and thrashed as he kept unloading shells into it. When he was completely out, he dropped the shotgun and picked up a long rod of metal with a jagged, broken end. The sharp tip sliced clean into its ribcage. When the alien still tried to pull itself up on its remaining two feet, Sam pulled it out with a yank and drove it home into the thing’s head, right above the mandibles. It gave one final spasm and finally fell dead.

At last, the only sound around you was the rain.

Sam dropped the crude spear with a clatter, eyeing the body a few times as he rushed over through the debris.

“You ok?” he panted, kneeling down. His hands cupped your face, bringing the familiar warmth with them.

“Holy shit.” Was all you were able to say.

It made him laugh with relief as he moved to check you over. “And you said a shotgun wouldn’t do anything.”

His hands moved debris from your legs, and he hovered as you yelped in pain. “You’ve got a nasty gash here. We need to get you back to the ship for medical attention. Let me see if I can get this off you.”

With a grunt of effort, he pushed the beam up enough for you to pull yourself out. Your leg was bleeding badly, but nothing you couldn’t fix with some TLC and bed rest. The pain hadn’t set in yet, thankfully.

Near you was a chunk of the Terrormorph’s leg. Feeling oddly disconnected from yourself, you grabbed it, staring at the gross thing, and put it in your pocket for Hadrian.

Sam started taking out bandages and doing what he could to wrap your leg. You could see his hands were shaking now.

Against all odds you both were alive; you started to laugh.

Sam gave you an odd look. “Don’t go loopy on me.”

A giant smile broke across your face. “Wasn’t expecting to live. There goes my chance at a cool memorial or bragging rights.”

“Going face to face with a Terrormorph and only losing a chunk of your leg gets bragging rights. Believe me.”

“Nah. All the credit goes to you on this one. That was just badass.”

He grunted, throwing more debris out of the way, and trying to clear a path. “Wasn’t thinking about how cool it looked when I did it. I was just trying to save you.”

“You know I’ll be telling this story forever, right?”

He chuckles, helping you up, slinging your arm over his shoulder and wrapping his around your waist. “I can see Barret’s expression now.”

“‘Sam Coe, my hero’ is how I’ll start it.”

He groans playfully. “Please don’t.”

“It’s true.” You looked at him as your feet touched even ground. Your faces were close. You could see the rain drops clinging to his hair and beard. “You saved my life.”

When he looked over, his nose nudged yours from close proximity. He didn’t shy away from the contact. Your paces slowed to a stop. “I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, either.”

Your grin was slow to spread as you glanced at his lips more than once. “Would you prefer a quippy one line as thanks?”

“Mm—no. Maybe something else though.”

You feigned ignorance as his eyes trailed down your face. “Oh? And what would that be?”

“I’ll let you think of it.”

“A hero’s song?” you joked, voice softening.

“Nope.”

“How about a poem?”

He faces toward the room Hadrian’s in with a low laugh and begins to walk again. “You know, if you were as much of a smartass to that Terrormorph as you are to me, it would have keeled over on the spot.”

You put your good foot down and hold it, halting any forward progress. “Ok, ok. I think I’ve come up with something.”

He’s still smiling as he looks at you. Your noses nudge again. “If you suggest a book or a short story—”

His surprised breath as your mouth presses to his is an award in itself. He stays motionless for a moment, as if his brain had short-circuited, before his lips move and mold to yours. Slow and tentative at first, exploratory. Soft and gentle as if he’s afraid of hurting you. His hand on your waist moves to your lower back, gripping your clothes. He leans into you, beard scratching the skin of your face. Your fingers slide through and tangle in his wet hair. It makes him pant into your mouth before kissing you again, more eager this time.

Breaking apart, you both linger close, hot breath mixing together. His forehead leans to yours, eyes still closed.

That raspy voice of his you love so much is the first to break the silence. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting you to do that.”

“You could have made the first move. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Was never sure if you were just being quippy and flirtatious for fun or not.”

“It is fun, but it’s also because I care for you.”

He hums, nuzzling his nose against yours. “Good to know, we’re going to have to find time for this more often.”

You close the distance enough to ghost your lips over his. “We have time now.”

He hesitates, so tempted with the offer, but exhales instead. “You’re hurt and bleeding all over the place, I need to get you some medical help. Plus, Hadrian needs her damn samples.”

“Pshh. I’ve got plenty of blood left—and she can be patient.”

He starts walking again, bringing you with him, and pressing the gentlest kiss you’ve ever felt against the corner of your mouth. “Just wait until you’re healed. You won’t be able to keep me away.”

#Sam Coe x Reader #Sam Coe #starfield #gn reader

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