#rose of all people helping her come to terms with it (oh rose i love you so much)

[hecatesbroom]

I just rewatched Here Comes the Bride parts 1 & 2 (season 6 but I forget the episode numbers) and OH my!!! There was so much going on and I just-- I cannot find the words to express all the thoughts I currently have about these episodes

[bbydoll18xx]

She’s Such a Good Girl (Part 2)

Paige continues her assault on your innocence, leading you to spiral.

Paige Bueckers x reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Themes: angst in the beginning, Paige being hot and flirty the rest of it woohoo, mentions of being horny oops

Part 1 - You move in across the hall from Paige Bueckers. It doesn’t take long before she tries to shatter your innocent persona. And you just let her.

Masterlist

A/N: I’m so, so grateful for all the love on the first part of this little mini series. Let me know if you are up for a third part:)) I have soo many ideas it's ridiculous

~

You wake up feeling anything but well rested. Your sleep was muddled with dreams of Paige, her smile infiltrating your unconsciousness until you woke up with an uncomfortable stickiness in between your thighs. You groan into your pillow, the general overwhelmingness of last night draining you even more.

Grabbing your phone from your bedside table, you see a text from Paige, and the butterflies erupt inside of you once more. 

‘We’re all planning on going out tonight. You’re coming with us.’

Her bluntness momentarily stuns you, but you were grateful to be included. It seemed she was hell bent on getting you out of your shell, for whatever reason, and you were simply just going to concede. You needed this.

You respond, your heart beating out of your chest, and the anxiety begins to set in. 

It was getting harder and harder to deny the gay feelings you had. And although it had been years since your “oh shit, I’m gay,” moment had dawned on you, this was reaching new heights of awareness. But you had refused to truly accept it thus far.

You had a complicated relationship with your sexuality. Most of the time you had shied away from even acknowledging it; it was too painful. In high school, you were surrounded by other gay people, and it felt like you almost belonged, slowly coming to terms with your sapphism. But as you moved away to college, you were the only one in your friend group who was even a little remotely queer, and you felt isolated by your glaring differences. 

Your religious upbringing did not help the situation either. You quickly learned how to hide your emotions. Slurs were regularly thrown around the dinner table, the nasty words cutting into your being, and your fists would be tightening in your lap, fighting to keep a neutral expression on your face.

You could not give yourself away.

As soon as you could, you’d seek solace in your room, hot, shameful tears sliding down your cheeks, forcing yourself to quiet the sobs erupting through your chest. The words of contempt echoed through your mind, until eventually you had nearly come to believe them yourself. 

Each evening you clasped your hands together desperately in prayer, vehemently struggling with everything you had been raised to know and everything you wanted and needed to feel. It was an eternal battle that raged on inside, slowly withering you into a ghost, haunted by the darkness that had flourished in the absence of support and acceptance.

You wondered what the people who had claimed to love and know you the most, would do if they found out about your dirty, little secret. The anxieties about being outed manifested in cruel dreams, awakening you suddenly, a thin layer of sweat glistening on your body as your chest rose and fell in quick staccato breaths. 

That was something you still wondered today. And you would certainly wonder for the rest of your life. You had vowed that you would never come out to your family unless you truly fell in love with a girl. So you had kept everyone at arm's length to protect yourself. But Paige Bueckers was slowly breaking your walls down, brick by brick. 

A wave of nausea washes over you as you realize that getting closer to Paige meant toying the line of the false heteronormative persona you’ve been carefully crafting since you were a young teenager. The temptation of feeling normal in a group of girls quickly shuts down any immediate worries. That was a problem for another time. 

You hear your roommates in the living room, bustling around without having any idea of your internal battle. With a sigh, you drag yourself out of bed to go out to meet them, already preparing for the deafening noises that would inevitably come with telling them of last night's events. 

You open your door, nearly shuffling your feet against the carpet as you walk out to greet Taylor and Sarah. Their heads turn from the focus on the television, faces set in smiles as they see you emerge from your room.

“Guess what I did last night?” You prompt them, and their faces morph into ones of natural curiosity. 

“Did you read your class syllabuses to get a head start?” Sarah asks sarcastically, and you stick your tongue out at her in false derision. 

“No,” you scoff, although her guess was not completely off base. “I went over and hung out with Paige and the rest of the team.”

Taylor and Sarah were uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. They glanced at each other, momentarily stunned before erupting in hollers, jumping to their feet in excitement. 

“How the fuck did that happen?” Taylor all but yells, still jumping up and down. It was a good thing you did not have downstairs neighbors.

“Well they were being so loud, and I wanted to go to bed, so I knocked on the door to politely ask them to shut up,” you explain, trying to hide the giddiness you felt as you recalled the events of last night.

“And Paige answered and invited me in. And now I’m going out with her and the team tonight,” you finish, carefully watching the reactions of your two best friends. 

Their faces were morphed into ones of sheer delight and astonishment.

“My innocent, little angel is growing up,” Taylor exclaims, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye, and you swat at her, giggling at the sheer hilarity of the situation.

“What am I supposed to wear to a bar?” You ask, and the girls shriek in laughter, clapping their hands and promising to help you get dressed later.

You feel better about everything, the support from your roommates briefly quelling the fears and uncertainties that had plagued your mind for years. And your excitement was a testimony to the effect a certain blonde had on you.

~

“You’ve got great tits. Might as well show them off,” Sarah says exasperatedly, shoving one of her low cut tops at you.

Your face heats up, and you hold up the tiny tank top. “Don’t you think it’s a little, I don’t know, slutty?” Your voice trails to a whisper as you think about purposely showing off your body. 

“That’s the point, girl! It’s finally your time to show everyone what you’re fucking made of. Go be a sexy, bad bitch!” Taylor urges, slapping you on the butt as she does.

You take a deep breath, nodding in agreement, finally pushing yourself further away from the perfect, good girl act that had been placed upon you since you were a child. 

You don the skimpy black tank, admiring the way it shows off your slim waist, and you pair it with tight jeans that accentuate the curve of your ass perfectly. You fluff your hair and add a layer of lip gloss, before taking one last long glance in the mirror.

You could do this.

With a few encouraging words from your roommates and a few slaps to your ass, you nervously make your way across the hall to knock once more on Paige’s door. The door is thrown open, loud cheers erupting as you appear, and KK launches herself at you excitedly, throwing her arms around you and pulling you into her. 

Giggling, you hug her back, your nerves melting away at her friendly disposition. She pulls away, eyeing you up and down with an approving nod. “Someone cooked here,” she smirks, and your face blooms an embarrassing shade of deep red.

“My roommates kind of helped me get dressed,” you admit, hands tugging down your impossibly small shirt. 

“Girl, you look fineee,” she says, rubbing her hands together, causing several of the other girls to cackle at her not so subtle attempt to rizz you up.

“Who looks fine?” you hear a familiar voice, and your head whips in the direction of the question. You see Paige sauntering towards you, and your heart immediately begins to pound as your eyes rake over her tall figure. 

Her hair was down in blonde waves, making you want to reach out and run your hand through the soft-looking locks. Her toned stomach was exposed from her crop top, her abs flashing in a way that had your stomach rolling with an unfamiliar feeling. You couldn’t necessarily put your finger on it, but it shot down in an intense display of unbridled want. And she had the smuggest look on her face, accentuating the plumpness of her bottom lip. Your tongue subconsciously darts out to lick a slow line against your own lip as you watch her approach you.

KK points at you, waggling her eyebrows. “The pretty princess over here.” 

You blush again. Shit, you really had to get that under control. 

Paige hums, looking you up and down once more. “She’s not wrong,” she mutters huskily in your ear as she pulls you in for a hug. Your knees weaken at her touch, and you aren't sure if you’d be able to survive the night. It had just begun, and she had you completely and irrevocably fucked. 

30 minutes later, you, Paige, and the other members of UCONN’s women’s basketball team were shuffling into several ubers to head to a nearby bar. Unsure of which car to get into, you awkwardly stand off to the side, the anxiety pumping through your veins once more, but you soon feel a muscular arm wrap around your waist.

Looking up, you are met with Paige’s blue eyes and that smug smirk, and with a wink, she guides you to the nearest car, helping you into the backseat. As you sit, you adjust your top, overly aware of how much of your chest was actually out. Paige sits next to you, settling in with a low grunt, and she immediately places a hand on your thigh. Your eyes focus on the veins and the length of her fingers, and that feeling in your belly ignites again. 

As you arrive at the bar, Paige helps you out of the car with a chivalrous hand. And it does not leave yours as you enter the doors. She laces her fingers through yours, and you don’t miss the way it feels so damn right. She guides you through the crowds of people, and your breath hitches, feeling slightly overwhelmed from the volume and the hoards of drunk people pushing into your frame. 

Paige notices immediately, and she pulls you closer, tucking you into her side protectively. You preen at the attention, the feeling so foreign but addictive. You needed more, and the idea of it ripped away from you sent an unsettling spike of dread shooting through you maliciously. 

Subtly, you shake your head in a futile attempt to clear the thoughts out of your head. Overthinking was sure to be your downfall. Nothing a little alcohol couldn’t fix, though.

Aside from the occasional glass of wine, you had never really drank. And you certainly had never done shots. But when Nika and Aubrey had thrusted a tray of them towards where you and Paige were sitting, you were quick to grab one, eager to dull the bitter voices in your head. 

You bring it to your face, taking a hesitant sniff that causes your nose to wrinkle, eliciting a fond chuckle from the blonde. “Do I just sip it or…?” You trail off shyly, suddenly very aware of how ridiculous you sounded. What kind of college girl didn’t know how to take a shot?

Paige bites her lip. “Lemme help you, baby,” she mutters in your ear, and she takes the shot out of your hand. “Breathe all of the air out and then swallow it all at once before you take another breath, okay?” 

You nod, letting the air leave your mouth, lips pouting. Without her gaze leaving your mouth, Paige holds up the shot glass, pouring the liquid down your throat in a swift motion. 

You swallow quickly, feeling the burn slide down your throat and settle into a warm pool in your belly. You lick your lips, trying to catch a tiny drop that had slid past your mouth and trailed down your chin towards your neck. 

Before you can chase the trickle, Paige leans in, swiping it with her thumb, placing it into her mouth and sucking, her cheeks hollowing in the process. 

Your face morphs into a look of shock, and she gives you a shit-eating grin. The effect she had on you was something out of a book you spent many lonely nights immersing yourself in. And now that you were living in the crystal clear reality, you regretted not getting out of your shell a little sooner. 

“Can I do another?” You ask, already looking at the tray where a few shots still remained. 

Paige laughs. “Maybe wait a few, princess. The alcohol will kick in soon,” she promises. “You can share mine,” she gestures to her drink, and you don’t miss the way the pet name rolls off her tongue effortlessly. 

Paige was not lying when she had told you that the effects would soon hit you. Before you could even start to feel uncomfortable, a delicious easiness fell over you, loosening you up in a way you had never experienced before. You reach for Paige’s straw once more, pretending that her mouth was not just on it, and you relish in the sweet liquid adding to your tipsiness.

Paige had stayed close all night, similarly to the night before, and you were grateful for her constant presence anchoring you. The other girls took turns dancing with you, showering you with compliments and making future plans. Even through the haze of the alcohol, your heart felt as if it could burst; they were all so nice, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like you actually belonged. 

The night flies by, and as it does, you and Paige get more and more touchy. Her hands took turns between trailing down your back and resting heavily on your hips. She played with a lock of your hair, twisting it in her fingers as you swayed to the music, and she was constantly gazing at you through heavy lids, pupils blown from the darkness of the bar and pure want.

Emboldened by the drinks that had graced your lips, you don’t shy away, and before you know it, you’re leaning in closer, intoxicated by more than just the liquor. The bustling crowds and excessive noise surrounding you melts away as Paige grips your waist, pulling you closer into her. 

Your heart pounds at her proximity. She reaches up, cradling your jaw and stroking the soft skin of your neck with her thumb. You wonder if she can feel the thumping of your carotid, but you’re too enthralled in her presence to even care. Her eyes flit between your own and your slightly parted lips. Everything felt so fucking delicate, as if one small move would break everything. 

“Been thinkin’ about doin’ this all night,” she whispers, and pulls you into a kiss.

All the air is sucked out of you as her lips touch yours. And while you are momentarily stunned, it does not take long before yours are moving against her in a delicious exchange of passion. All worries of not being a good kisser leave your mind as Paige moans against your mouth, the sound shooting straight down your belly and to your pussy. Her tongue moves against you, and the feel of it does not help the slick now accumulating in your panties. 

The kiss eventually ends, much to your displeasure, and as you pull away, a giggle erupts from your mouth at the insanity of it all.

You had just kissed Paige Bueckers.

“OOH, P is fucking whipped!” KK shouts over the music, enthusiastically high-fiving Ice and Nika. 

Fuck, you were caught. 

But little did KK know, is that you were pretty fucking whipped, too. With one smooth move, Paige had broken down all your walls, and you were surrounded by the bricks of your carefully crafted innocence shattered around you at your feet. And maybe you could blame it on the alcohol, but you were pretty sure that if Paige made you anything less of a good girl, you were certainly okay with that. 

~

Part 3 - You get drunk off Paige, and confessions come out.

Part 4 - Paige makes you feel so good.

Part 5 - Paige shows you her strap.

Part 6 - Your newfound fascination with Paige's abs leads to some fun.

The beginning hits a little too close to home I’m so sorry I blacked out while writing it. It’s been almost 9 years since I realized I had feelings for girls, and I still struggle every day with accepting myself. To all the readers who are going through the same thing, I love you, and here’s to hoping things get better. If you ever want to reach out, my inbox is always open.

xoxo katy

[loveesiren]

Doing It All For Us (Pt. 11)

Masterlist

Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: Rafe and Y/n find out more about their baby while trying to distance themselves from the crime.

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 4k+

It'd been a few weeks since the cops chased John B and Sarah out into the storm. They were presumed dead.

People were talking. The rumor that it had actually been Rafe that had killed Peterkin was circling around the island but there was no evidence to prove it. And going after the Cameron's, especially after they'd just lost their daughter, was not a good look.

Even more so, you were showing now. Elliot Y/L/N's daughter was bearing Rafe Cameron's child. Needless to say, you and Rafe had protection.

However, that didn't stop the sideways stares you received attending Sheriff Peterkin's funeral. Or the way Topper and Kelce had slowly distanced themselves from the two of you.

"Did he do it?" Courtney had asked you as you sat across from her in her bed.

You answered with your eyes. You couldn't lie to her. But you couldn't say it out loud.

She nodded. The lack of words exchanged kept her safe. Kept Rafe safe. But she knew. She'd never say a word though. She loved you. She loved Rafe. And she loved the baby that would need both of it's parents.

-

You gripped Rafe's hand tightly as the doctor scanned your ultrasound.

"5 months! Good weight, looking healthy as can be." The doctor says. "Would you like to know the sex?"

You smile widely at his words. You could see Rafe shaking with anticipation. "Yes, please!"

"Well, Miss Y/L/N. People will owe you a lot of money. It's a boy."

You squeal with excitement and you watch as Rafe tries to contain himself, wanting nothing more than to jump around the room and cheer.

You knew from the beginning. You always knew. Call it mother's intuition. Mother. The term felt so real now.

Rafe kneels down beside you, placing kisses all over your swollen belly. You giggle at the sensation.

"I'll give you two a minute." The doctor smiles. "When you're ready, just head to the front desk and schedule your next appointment."

Rafe looked up at you, tears streaming down his cheeks. You laugh but couldn't help the tears spilling from your eyes as well.

"I can't believe this is real." He whispers against your skin. "You still want to name him after me?"

"Of course I do! Wolf's been his name since the beginning. It's who he is. I can tell. I'm his mom." You tease, getting used to referring to yourself as that.

Rafe presses a deep kiss to your lips before trailing the rest of your face with kisses. He'd never been so happy in his life.

-

Rafe gushed about your future the whole ride back to Tannyhill. About the house he was going to buy you, about colors for the nursery, about all the sports he was going to teach Wolf.

You smiled the whole way, admiring the smile on his face at the thought of his son.

When you pulled into the driveway Rafe quickly hopped out to come retrieve you. You chuckled as he pulled you inside, clutching the ultrasound pictures tightly.

"Dad! Rose! Wheeze!" He yelled.

"What's going on?" Wheezie asked, poking her head out of the living room.

"Where's dad and Rose?"

"We're right here," Rose said as her and Ward enter the foyer. "Is everything okay?"

Rafe excitedly passed out the pictures, smile wide on his face. "It's a boy!"

"Oh my God!" Wheezie squealed.

Rafe pulled you to his chest and squeezed you tightly. You were at pure bliss with how happy he was. You hadn't seen him like this in so long.

Ward was still grieving the loss of Sarah but you caught the genuine smile break across his face as he stared at the picture of his soon to be grandson. "Shit," He mumbled, running his fingers over the scruff coating his face. Rafe looked at his father hopefully. "This is-wow. Congratulations, son."

Rafe smiled. "Thanks, dad."

"You guys are gonna be great parents." Rose cooed, pulling you into a hug.

"Do you have any names for him?" Wheezie asked hopefully.

"We do, actually." You say, earning Ward's attention away from the photo in his hands.

Rafe smiles even bigger, you swear he was going to bruise his cheeks with how much he was smiling.

"Rafe-" You begin. "Rafe means Counsel of the Wolves. So we're naming him Wolf. Wolf Cameron."

"What? That's so cool!" Wheezie says. "Holy shit, I'm gonna be an aunt!"

"Language, Wheeze!" Rose scolds.

"Your, uh...your mother named you. I didn't know that was the meaning." Ward said softly, almost disappointed in himself for not knowing that.

"Thought he should have a strong name," You start, wrapping your arms around Rafe's waist and looking up at him. "Like his daddy."

Rafe was an absolute mess of pure bliss.

"Okay, uh..." Rafe says, running his fingers through his hair manically. "I have to take you out tonight. Wherever you want. Whatever you and Wolf are hungry for."

"Oh, let us cook!" Wheezie says. "Please?!"

You glance at her and Rose. They both seemed eager to make a special dinner for the two of you.

Rafe looks at you, eager to know what you want to do. You were beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"Uhm, yeah Wheeze! That sounds good! Italian?" You offer.

"On it!" Wheezie says, running to the kitchen.

"You two go rest." Rose smiles. "Rafe, breathe."

You notice the way Wheezie and Rose pin your ultrasound photos to the fridge. You also notice the way Ward stuffs his in his pocket.

"Uh, Y/N. I have something for you." Ward says as he walks back to his office. You and Rafe follow slowly. Ward picks an envelope off his desk and hands it to you. "From your father."

Your breath hitches. You'd written your dad a while ago to tell him the news but you hadn't heard back. You were at the Cameron's so often you had just sent the letter from there. "Thanks," You say, taking the letter from him warily. You had no idea what your father's reaction would be and you knew Ward would be eager to know.

You and Rafe head up to his room. You still had a few more photos from the ultrasound and you watched as Rafe propped one up on his nightstand, smiling down at it. It made your heart flutter.

You sat on the bed and sighed, staring at the letter. Rafe sat behind you, pulling you into him. The feeling of his arms around you calmed your nerves.

You ran your nail under the envelope to open it. You took a deep breath as you unfolded the letter.

Y/N,

Wow. It's so good to hear from you. Although, that was not the news I was expecting to get. Pregnant. I'll be honest, I went through a range of emotions at first. One of them being the urge to strangle Rafe. But I talked to some of the people here. They are really great. They helped me realize that you are an adult. You won't always be my little girl.

You are so much like your mother, and because of that, I know that you will be a great mother. And I know Rafe will be a great father. I trust he is taking good care of you. I trust that all the Cameron's are. I pray you're staying clean. For yourself and your new little family. I know you can do it. You're strong. You just have to put your strength to use in the right places.

I hate to do it, but I will be staying for a few more months. I miss you and I wish so badly I was there with you, but this experience has really opened my eyes and I just don't feel like I am ready to leave yet. But when I come back I will be a better father and grandfather. I can't tell you how excited I am to meet him or her.

Take care of yourself. I love you. Talk soon.

Dad

You stared at the letter with a lack of emotions. You knew they were there somewhere but you just couldn't bring yourself to feel them. You'd built up a wall. Of course he was staying longer. You weren't surprised. I mean, good for him right? It's what he needs. At least he is happy for you and not grabbing the first flight home to murder Rafe.

You fold the letter up and set it to the side. "You okay?" Rafe asks.

"Mhmm," You say. "I'm really sleepy. Can we nap?"

"Of course, my love."

Rafe gets up and shuts the blinds in his room before crawling back into bed beside you. He wraps his arm around you and tucks his hand under your shirt, trailing his fingers over your belly.

"Shit!" You hiss and grab your stomach.

"What? Are you okay? What happened?!" Rafe asks.

You chuckle. "Nothing, babe, I'm fine. He's just kicking." You reassure him. "Here, feel." You guide Rafe's hand to the spot where a tiny foot was thumping against your inner belly.

"Holy shit," Rafe smiles. "That's our son." His voice was so soft, so absolutely entranced by the movements inside you.

You smile, enjoying the little jolts inside your stomach as Rafe caressed you skin.

-

You woke up around 7pm to Rafe bringing you a plate of chicken alfredo.

"Oh shit," You mutter, sitting up and rubbing your eyes. "I forgot Wheezie and Rose were cooking for us."

"It's okay, baby. I told them you were really tired. We can just eat in here and watch a movie."

You smile, taking the plate from him. You were grateful for their efforts but you don't think you'd be able to make it downstairs without falling asleep.

You lazily ate your food as Jurassic Park played on the tv. You were starving but you could barely keep your eyes open. You managed to finish your food and set your plate on the night stand before pulling yourself out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom.

You peed and chugged a glass of water before stumbling back and collapsing in bed.

"Back to bed, my angel? Did you eat enough?"

"Mhmm," You groan. "Shhh, I go sleep now."

Rafe giggled and placed a kiss on your head, instantly shipping you off to dreamland once again. Pregnancy made you tired.

-

"Rafe,"

Rafe snaps awake to find Ward standing in the dark of his room.

"What? What is it?" He asked sleepily, looking over at you to make sure you were still asleep.

"I need your help." Ward said.

Rafe slowly climbed out of bed, careful not to wake you, and followed his dad outside.

"I need you to keep quiet and stay calm okay?" Ward said.

"Yeah, okay." Rafe responded nervously.

Ward pulled back the cover on the truck to reveal a large bag.

"W-what is that?"

"It's a body, son."

"Oh my God." Rafe says, losing control of his breathing. "Oh my God, it's a body? Whose body is it?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? My girlfriend is upstairs! Whose body is it, dad?!

"It's Gavin!" Ward hisses, slapping his hand over Rafe's mouth.

Rafe pulls back. "Gavin? The pilot? W-why? What'd he do?"

"He was trying to blackmail us. He had the gun that you used to kill Peterkin. I told him to throw it over the ocean on the way to the Bahamas but he didn't. He kept it." Ward explained.

Rafe's eyes were wide with anxiety.

"He was going to turn you in, Rafe. I couldn't let that happen. Not when-" Ward sighs. "Not with Wolf on the way..."

Rafe eyed his father for a moment before glancing back to the body. "He said you were a psychopath, Rafe, and that he wasn't going to jail for you. Now can you please help me carry him to the boat."

Rafe took a deep breath, absorbing all the information. Gavin was a threat. Ward took care of him. Just like Rafe took care of Peterkin. A dead witness meant a safe place for him and his family.

"I got the head." He says.

-

You woke up to an empty space beside you. You frowned, hoping Rafe was just downstairs.

You reached for your phone and scrolled through your messages.

Rafe: Gotta take care of some business. I'll be back later. I love you more than life.

You sighed. You knew it wasn't work related business.

You open the next message.

Courtney: Wanna kick it?

You smile. You needed to get out of the house and do something.

Please. You respond.

You get up and go to Rafe's bathroom, pulling open your drawer where you kept your make up, tampons, moisturizer, and all the other shit you could possibly need when you stay at his house. Although you had your own drawer, lashes and hair ties and glitter still took up most of his bathroom counter.

You get to work on your face, opting for a simple make up look since you and Courtney planned to spend the day getting your nails done and shopping for Wolf.

Here, bitch

You smile, checking yourself in the mirror one more time before heading downstairs.

You hop in Courtney's car and hold up your nails. "Take me to the salon right fucking now. This should be illegal!"

Courtney examined your pink claws in desperate need for a rebase. "Atleast you still have all yours. I'm missing three!"

Courtney backs out of Tannyhill and makes her way to town. "Soooo?" She asks. "How was the doctor yesterday? Did you find out what you're having?!"

You look over at her and smile. "It's a boy."

"I FUCKING KNEW IT!" Courtney screams. "YAYAYAYAYAY!!!"

"We're naming him Wolf." You smile.

"Oh my God that's so fucking cute!!! Where'd you come up with that?"

"Naming him after Rafe. He's absolutely over the moon."

Courtney beams over at you. "I still can't believe you guys are having a baby. Really never thought I'd see the day you or Rafe Cameron settled down."

"I wouldn't exactly say we're settled." You laugh.

"Where is Rafe anyways?"

You shrug. "Said he was taking care of some business. I don't really want to know to be honest."

Courtney nods and decides not to press it further. The two of you go to the salon. You opt for white toenails to bring out your tan and glittery gold coffin nails for your fingers. You felt like a new person as you walked around town, looking at the cute baby items all the shops had. You couldn't believe you were spending a Saturday shopping for a baby instead of getting fucked up on the beach. But you wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yo, is that Rafe and Barry?" Courtney asked suddenly as the two of you made your way down the street.

You look up to see Rafe and Barry fucking with the water system. "What the fuck..." You whisper to yourself before heading towards them. "What are you two doing?"

Rafe and Barry turn to look at you at you and Courtney. "Uuhhhh..."

"You better not try to lie to me right now, Rafe Cameron." You said sternly.

Rafe knew better than to lie. He took your arm and pulled you to the side. "My dad lost the gun..." He stated quietly.

"The one-"

"Yes." He cut you off. "He dropped it down the sewer by accident. We're trying to get it back."

Before you could respond your heard the sound of echoing voices.

"Guys! There's something dead in here!"

You and Rafe walked closer to the sound.

"Is it Gavin?! Do you see the gun?!"

The fucking Pogues.

"They're in the sewer." Rafe states.

"Shit..." You hear Courtney say.

Rafe turns back to Barry. "Flush 'em out."

"You flush that pipe, you gonna kill the rat." Barry warns.

"Yeah." Rafe's voice was confident.

"The last thing you need is more dead bodies showin' up around this bitch."

"If you're gonna be a pussy then you can leave." Rafe says.

"Do you not realize what you are doing, bruh?"

You and Courtney watch as Barry and Rafe stare at eachother for a moment.

"Get the hell out of the way." Rafe finally says. Barry does as he's told and leaves. The three of you standing in silence. You glance at Courtney.

"I'll go get the car," She said. "Be ready."

Courtney walks off towards the car and you turn to Rafe. "They all know?"

He bites his lip and nods.

"Okay. Drown 'em." You tell him. You tried not to think about the murderous path you had joined Rafe on, but you needed to protect your family. These Pogues were going to try to take him down and you couldn't let that happen.

Rafe smiles at you and you smile back. He begins turning the wheel and you watch as water begins to bubble out of the manhole. You listen closely for the voices.

"Guys! The water!" You can hear Kiara yell. "Guys, help!!"

You laugh. "Got 'em."

Courtney pulls up quickly and you and Rafe jump in her car. She speeds off towards Figure Eight, leaving the Pogues to drown in the sewer system.

-

You stared out at the moonlight hitting the water while Rafe and Ward talked.

"I looked for it everywhere, I swear to God." Rafe said.

"I know, I know. I'm not mad at you."

"Listen, if those Pogues got the gun we can just say John B stole it, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah I mean he lived at the house." Ward responded. "He's a known thief. Absolutely, yes."

You turn to Rafe. He holds out his arm for you and pulls you close to him. You remained quiet while him and Ward talked. You were as much a part of this now as they both were. There was no way you'd be kept out of the loop and they knew that. Even though you were pregnant, you still possessed all the crazy that Rafe did and now that the two of you were expecting, it fueled your fire even more, ready to do absolutely anything to take care of your baby.

"Listen, guys..." Ward begins. "I have to fly to the Bahamas tomorrow. Will you-will you guys go with me?"

Rafe looks at you and you smile your approval. "Yeah, yes sir."

"Good. It will be good to get you guys out of here. And honestly, I feel like I need someone to have my back."

"I got that. All day." Rafe says.

Ward looks at Rafe with love in his eyes. An expression you barely ever see from him. "You do, don't you?"

Rafe smiles. The smile only you and his dad are able to pull out of him. It makes your heart melt.

"Are you okay to fly?" Ward asks you.

"Yeah. I'll be good." You say with a smile.

"Okay. I'll see you two in the morning."

"You sure you're okay to go, sweet girl?" Rafe asks once his dad disappears down the dock.

You felt your hormones take over suddenly and you couldn't help the sob that escaped your lips.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?!" Rafe asked, pulling you into his chest.

"I just-I just want to be with you." You cry. "All the time. I hate when I'm not with you."

"I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

"This is just all so overwhelming, Rafe. I just want you to be okay. I'm so scared."

Rafe kneels down in front of you, holding your hips and placing kisses to your belly. He looks up at you. "I'm okay, baby girl. I'm going to make sure everything is okay. I'm going to take care of you and Wolfie, okay?"

You stare down at him through watery eyes and nod, running your fingers through his hair.

"Nothing will take apart our family. I promise." He tells you.

You smile. He smiles back, standing up and pressing his lips to yours. "Let's go pack, baby."

-

You practically want to kiss the ground when you touch down in Nassau. You were puking the entire plane ride. Rafe holding your hair back over a bucket while Ward flew the plain. You had no morning sickness your entire pregnancy but as soon as you were in the air you could not hold on to your stomach.

Once you got into the truck and rolled the windows down you felt a thousand times better. Ward stopped and picked up some sandwiches which you were grateful for because you had absolutely nothing in your stomach.

When you pulled up to the Cameron's Bahama house you were more than excited to go inside and lay down.

"I'm sorry this trip's been so hard, baby." Rafe says sadly as he helps you out of the car.

"It's okay. I'm just glad we're here." You say, lacing your fingers through his and resting the other hand on your baby bump.

"I didn't just bring you guys here because I need your help." Ward says. "I want to show you guys something."

Ward walks over to the large safe he had built into the wall. "You ready?"

You hold Rafe's hand tightly. "What you got in there? The Hope Diamond?" Rafe chuckles.

Ward smiles and opens the door to the safe. Your jaw drops at the sight. Gold. A lot. Of fucking. Gold.

"Is that real?" Rafe asks.

"Son, that's the realest thing there is." Ward says. He grabs two blocks of gold and hands one to each of you.

You gasp at the weight of it in your hands.

"You found..." Rafe begins. "You found the Royal Merchant?"

"Holy shit," You whispered.

"That's what all this has been about. The shit with John B, his dad, Peterkin. It's what Elliot and I worked out. All this gold, it's ours now. It can't bring your sister back, but it can save us."

"Jesus," Rafe whispers, you look up at him in awe.

"When Agatha hit we were in a financial hole, a deep one. Now we're not."

"How much are we looking at here?" You ask as you eye the gold.

"Half a billion." Ward responds.

You drop the gold to the floor as you turn to look at him. "Half-half a billion?"

Ward chuckles, picking the gold bar up off the ground.

"Oh, my God." Rafe says. "Holy shit!" He skips to the back porch. "Whoo! Haha! Dad what?! How is this even possible, huh?!"

You could feel a tear escape your eye as you laughed. You were set for life. I mean shit, you already were, but now you really were. You and Rafe could get a place of your own, you'd be able to send Wolf to college. The world was literally yours.

"Rafe look at me, look." Ward says, grabbing Rafe's shoulders. "I'm hard on you, Rafe. I'm real hard on you. That day on the tarmac. This is what was on the cargo plane." Ward says, holding up a piece of gold. "You were the only reason we were able to fly that out."

You look over at them, watching Rafe absorb his father's words.

"You, Rafe. Without you, no gold."

You walk over to them, pulling them both into a hug.

"You guys will be set. Wolf will be set for life. We wouldn't have this gold without the two of you." Ward says.

Rafe turns and wraps his arms fully around you, picking you up and twirling you around. Ward smiles at the sight of you two.

You giggle in Rafe's arms, pressing a deep kiss to his lips when he sets you down.

"You two go get some rest. We're flying this out first thing in the morning." Ward says, patting Rafe on the back. "You feeling okay, Y/N?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm great. Thank you for this." You say to Ward.

"Wouldn't have been able to do it without your dad's help." Ward smiles. "Now go. Figure out what school my grandson will be attending."

You chuckle and offer a smile.

"Thanks, dad." Rafe says before grabbing both your bags and heading upstairs, pulling you along with him.

He brings you to his room of the Bahama house. It was gorgeous. Gold assets and a large double door that lead out to a patio facing the ocean. It looked like a hotel room at the Versace mansion.

You and Rafe were all smiles. "We're set, baby." Rafe says as the two of you lay down on his bed. "We're fucking set."

You laugh. You couldn't believe how fucking set you were. "I fucking love you, Rafe."

"Marry me." He says quickly, but meaningfully. As if the question, or the demand, has been in his head forever. "Please. Please, marry me."

You look over at him in shock.

"I will buy you the prettiest ring. I promise. I just want..." He starts, turning towards you and cupping your cheek. "I want you to be my wife."

You place your hand over his and smile. "Of course I'll marry you, Rafe."

That sets off his big ass grin. "Really?"

"Yes. YES!" You say excitedly.

Rafe rolls you over, pressing a harsh kiss to your lips as he hovers over you. "I'm gonna put another baby in you now." He whispers against your lips.

"I don't think it works like that," You giggle.

"I'm gonna try anyways," He says, reaching under your dress and ripping your panties off.

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged! :)

@outerbankspov @torturedtypewritersdept

[vxlentinescookies]

This is a sequel of the previous Dark Cacao one were they fought and everything

Things have calmed down now, the awkward moment has open space for some time, peace and some further talks

But Dark Cacao has come into term with a little something

He likes Reader Cookie: (use any pronouns) are/is strong, resourceful, agile and very skilled, he could see so much potential, and it's a surprise to find someone who not only knows their way in a fight, but ALSO can match HIM

He wants to ask her out, the issue is: how!?

He was not a single clue, time to ask his soldiers for advise I guess?

Maybe even contact hollyberry?

(To resume, this is Dark Cacao finally knowing he likes Reader Cookie, asks others for advise to ask them out and fails miserably, but Reader Cookie is so amazed at the brave [though failed] attempt that decides to give the idea of a date a try)

→ ❛Between the sword and your opponent, pt. 2❜

→ Pairing ; Dark Cacao Cookie x Reader → Quote ; ❛❛It surely didnt go according to plan but, to say Hollyberry, who had been listening intently from behind one of the pillars, wasnt satisfied, would be an understatement.❜❜ → Genre ; Drama , Romance → A/N ; This was very fun hahah, pt 1 is here!

Its been a good few days after the incident, the one where you shamelessly flirted with Dark Cacao in the middle of a fight. To say the king hadnt been thinking about it was… an understatement, he had thought about it, quite a lot. It had leaked into his daily like like the growing vines of grapes, and in return, they were twisting and shaping around his brain like a deadly respite. This, paired with the following talks you both had about the help the kingdom of Rose Champagne wanted to offer to the kingdom of Cacao, and the inevitable flirting that came with your personality, Dark Cacao seemed to inevitably start falling in love. It was a force of nature he didnt expect, that he didnt take in consideration, but as time passed, he realized that these feelings were ever present, and that there was no way he could keep them hidden.

Love, for Dark Cacao, was something he had long since given up on. He no longer seeked it, and he no longer expected it, especially after the falling out with his previous wife and the loss of his son, that he still deep down loved dearly, he no longer felt he had a place in the grounds of love, therefore, he simply stayed on his own place, allowing himself to be moved by the currents of life while focusing on the current moments with his kingdom, his subjects, and the war ever present with Dark Enchantress Cookie.

Thats perhaps what made this moment the more jarring to him, to be flirted with after he felt unlovable, after he felt undeserving of being loved—And then, the fact that his heart was starting to beat with fervor and energy yet again, for someone he once hurt unintentionally… It put his mind and heart at a standstill, confused as to how to proceed, confused as to what to do exactly.

“Damn, sounds like you’re deep in the trenches of love, old friend” Hollyberry would tell them once Dark Cacao sought them out for help, after all, out of all his comrades, the hollyberrian was the most capable when it cames to matters of love.

“Sigh, Im just, confused as what to do… I’ve given up on love a long time ago…” He said, looking down for a few moments, before turning back at her.

His hands were tainted with blood, and his mind haunted by the warriors long lost in the wars the cacao kingdom had been part of, not to mention the small guilt that followed him for having fallen in the trap that was Affogato’s tricks. He sighed yet again, because then there was you, someone hurt unintentionally by his hand, even if he was under the tricks of the snake, he still felt like he owed his people something. 

“Oh c’mon, rid yourself of that long face, Dark Cacao!” Hollyberry would snap him of his thoughts, as she’d laugh heartily “Its clear what you must do, you must act upon your emotions!”

“Act… Upon my emotions?” He felt like he stayed in square one, unable to think of what exact way to move thorough this new challenge. “Right, but, how exactly?”

“You speak as if you hadnt been in a marriage once!” She spoke yet again, frowning for a moment before patting his back lively, and perhaps a bit too strongly “Fret not! What you must do, is confess and ask her out on a date! Dosent that sound logical?”

Right, a date… If only he wasnt rusty in these themes, perhaps the idea would’ve seemed more appetizing, but as it stood, he was confused and didnt know exactly what to do or say. Hollyberry, noticing this, would just sigh and shake her head, she thought Pure Vanilla was THE challenge in the ancient’s groups when it came to love, but Dark Cacao? Now he was winning second place.

You had been resting in your quarters, quietly taking a nap when it happened, a soldier knocking on your door causing you to wake up startled, and once the door opened, you would look confused at the soldier in question, looking at you with seriousness as he spoke the words sent by his majesty. He was requesting your presence in the throne room, words that left you dumbfounded as you brushed hair out of your face before nodding. You didnt put much thought about it, as you dressed to come see Dark Cacao in the throne room.

Walking towards the castle suddenly felt colder than usual, and your steps felt heavier, as if you were expecting something bad to happen, but thinking about it, the worse that could happen would be Dark Cacao shaming you and sending you back after your constant flirting… which didnt seem to be the case, if anything it did seem quite… out of character? The king didnt seem to be that fazed by your flirting, so… But on the other side, you could be expecting the end of the trip as he declared that all was well, and that the Cacao Kingdom would continue relations with the Rose Champagne Kingdom… Not really out of character and far more viable… still, if it were to be the case, why were you hesitating? Why were you feeling so heavy? Confused, you simply approached the door before stopping.

Were you, were you falling in love? No, there was no way, there was simply no way that you were falling in love with the King of the Cacao Kingdom, was it…?

“Your majesty, I’ve arrived…” You spoke as you finally took a step inside, bowing in front of the king, before he’d dismiss the other cookies in the room, letting you both alone in the room. “Is there, something you wished to discuss with me?”

“Yes, ahem… (y/n) cookie, there are some matters I must get to… involving you”

You lifted an eyebrow as he spoke, his nervousness apparent as he left the throne and walked towards you. Each step felt dangerous yet filled with a certain sense of unknown that scared you in some way. Yet you persisted, until he was right in front of you.

“Will… Ahem… Will you go on a date with me?”

“Huh?”

Now it was your turn to be taken aback. You stared at him dumbfounded as you felt all your worries and fears fade away into the dark. He looked at you curiously and you simply coughed before looking at him, smiling.

“... S-Sure, I dont mind!”

“You dont have to if you dont want to…”

“No-No, I do want to! Lets go on a date!”

It surely didnt go according to plan but, to say Hollyberry, who had been listening intently from behind one of the pillars, wasnt satisfied, would be an understatement.

[iicarused]

More on that whole Alastor having a spouse thing (spoilers for ep5).

A dynamic I've had rotating in my mind is of Alastor having a partner who died and went to hell with him. They represent the stereotypical couple from their time and all around are just happy, despite being in hell. Before they died Al's darling helped him cover up his crimes. Being his alibi, lying to people and cleaning up any messes he might have accidentally left behind. Even on occasions helping him cook or even back using the meat he hunted for. And when they both eventually kicked the bucket they held those values as they did when they were alive.

From an onlookers perspective they come off as a couple who's madly in love with one another, still holding that adoration towards each other through the decades they've been together. They dance together, they hold hands, they kiss… But it's not love. Ok, let me rephrase that for you. They gouge out other people's eyes out of jealousy, they pick their next victims together, they have eachothers back through thick and thin. It's not love, it's deeper.

The thing about those two is that no one can really understand them, as cheesy as that sounds. It gives them a sense of solidarity, that there is no one else for them because there is no one else like them. They are the only ones they would consider… Equals. Heh, one of the reasons why they're so intertwined with each other is because they're both just so terrible. His darling spouse just seems more negotiable, but their passiveness is a ruse. Coming of as motherly/fatherly (whatever the gender neutral term is) easily reeling in any weak minded sinners. Their diabolical antis have Alastor weak. HAH, the demon/angel, whoever has Alastor on contract wishes they had this amount of power over him because he, is, whipped.

Oh, and we can't forget the hotel's residents finding out about Al's little darling doe. Either it was Alastor who mentioned them or Mimzy did through her retelling of how Al rose to power. Or they already meet them (Husker, Niffty), but nevertheless the crew has only heard good things about you. Much to their surprise considering how self centered the dear demon is, while Vaggie is weirded out by this her girlfriend is happy and wishes to meet them someday/night. And when they do meat? They weren't very surprised, they kinda already had an image of who they were due to Alastor's ramblings.

.

.

.

Holding you close he kisses your neck where the burn marks are most visible. You can feel his everlasting smile tugging into a frown against your skin, the mere thought of you taking your own life still makes him sick. How afraid you must have been without him. You lean back cupping his cheek with your hand looking deep into his sorrowful eyes. An unfamiliar look for the usually dapper man, it didn't suit him.

“There's no need to get so worked up over old scars dear, I don't, so why should you? Besides, I'm here now aren't i?”

At your words the radio demon saged and let out a content sigh, his lovely smile returning.

“Your right” he said, kissing the inside of your palm before returning back to snuggling with his lover.

…

I can't imagine the reader not having a twang to their voice, their own vibe, not radio per say but something like from this youtube clip. It probably wouldn't make sense for them to sound like that but I couldn't get it out of my head.

If there's one thing I love , it's when others explore the relationship between the two individuals before they went six feet down under. And one of those versions that i quite enjoy is Deer Dolly by ohproserpine check em out. And also, Where do I begin? on ao3 (be warned, for there is implication of SA in it, nothing too graphic but still, protective Alastro being protective, love it).

I think the appeal of Alastor was how different he was (except for in the creepy ass twink department, we've got plenty of those). Mainly in the way he was presented. “a show made independently, and the voice actors are making streams talking in their characters voices? Ö”. And everyone just ran with what they had, we were given just enough to fall for the colorful cast, enough to make fan content before the pilot was out. Like the dad jokes, fan animations, Alastor saying darling~ and the many accounts of them flustering Ashley, among other things :) (all the letters are links, haven't seen some of these in years dafuq). I'm surprised that not many people use what they said in the streams in their writings, I'd wish to see more of that. There's some real gold in there to be utilized.

But anyways, back to the topic at hand. There's always been one song I've associated Alastor with, since I was like 15 to16 years old, and it's something has to happen. Can't help but imagine a chase sequence whenever I listen to it, and I recently found some more inspiration in the form of this! and that.

.

.

.

He could smell the fear radiating from his prey, they ran with haste, trying to put distance between them and their pursuer. The demon chuckled to himself at their persistence. Such a lively prey they were, truly, he couldn't wait to hold them close to his chest, to trap them in the grip of his teeth, tearing tissue and bones in his jaws. Oh He loves them, he hunts them.

…

Man, I remember back in the day there were so many stories revolving around Alastor appearing in the living world to torment his darling, or to make a meaningful connection with them. But I've never seen one where his darling is his accomplice, helping him spread his “curse” onto unsuspecting victims. I got this idea from this piece of artwork by lanveril.

i remember the days of that too! it was such a great time of alastor and obsession fics yknow, but also small??? since it was just the pilot and we had a lot to toy around with. but you are so right about him and his s/o being a cheesy couple.

the sweetest couple on the block who seem very normal and overall a prime example of love. “darling, i have the meat!” and you would beckon him in the kitchen with a sweet smile so you could prepare it.

i think he would be a cliche husband, but also one who enjoys a little rough housing form time to time.

i had to gatekeep this ask for awhile mb LMFAOO i loved it so much😭

[syoish-aot]

"I Found You (too)" - EREN/READER - REINCARNATION AU (chapter 6)

eren/reader

Rating: M

2020s reincarnation of marleyan nurse reader & undercover eren

4k words

also on Ao3

<- chapter 5

*A Warm Living Room*

Jean resented the word “babysitting”.

Connie said: “I mean that’s basically what it is though, right?”

And Sasha- well… actually Sasha didn’t really say much of anything. Her face was too full of french fries when Eren asked them to do it.

Regardless of their feelings on the matter, after Eren called them to cash in a favor they all end up there:

Alone. In your apartment. With only you because Eren was running out of excuses to give his boss and he was going to get his ass fired if he called in sick one more time.

“Don’t stress too much about it,” Armin had told him on the phone the night before. “If anything, getting back into your old routine might help her remember things.”

“Yeah but… I still feel weird leaving her alone. What if something happens?”

There was a muffled sound from the other side of the phone before Armin was back: “Jean said he could come over and keep an eye on her.”

Eren could barely make out Jean’s defiant: “I DID NOT!” from the other end of the phone.

“Oh, and he just told me Connie and Sasha could help too!” Armin added.

Jean awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “I feel like a phone call would have worked fine…” he mumbled. Jean knew you were his friend, a version of you anyway, but that version was tucked away in your subconscious with the current version leaving a lot to be desired.

Especially with how you were staring at him.

“What?” Jean’s glare caused you to jump before looking back to your lap.

‘Good riddance,’ he thought as a proud smirk spread across his face.

“Play nice,” Sasha ordered, slapping him on the back of the head as she crawled over the back of the couch to join the two of you in the living room. “Soooooo…” she started.“What do you like to do for fun?”

“I like to read,” you answered.

Connie snorted. “Fuckin’ nerd,” he mumbled.

Your head tilted curiously to the side as you looked at him. Obvious confusion was plastered across your face.

Connie was only half paying attention to what was going on, slumped in the loveseat and more absorbed in his phone game than anything. At least, until he realized what he had said and his eyebrows rose. He immediately sat up straight, his phone falling to his lap. “Sorry! Normally you’d- uh call me a dumbass back or- um-...”

Your eyebrows tightened together. “Mr. Kruger said we were friends.”

“We are friends.”

“But… I’m mean to you?”

“That’s-... oh boy…” Connie sighed. “You really are different.”

You scowled into your lap. “...everyone keeps saying that…” 

“ ‘s not a bad thing that you’re normally different,” Jean mumbled. “The old you seems kinda...” he vaguely waved his hand as if you were supposed to know what he was saying.

And you supposed you did: “Marleyan?” you finished for him.

“Woah there!” Sasha quickly jumped in. “You being Marleyan doesn’t have anything to do with it! My fiancé is Marleyan and I’m Eldian or at least- we used to be. Technically Marley and Eldia don’t really exist here but-”

“You’re engaged to a Marleyan!?” you exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise.

“Uh-... yeah,” Sasha answered, “have been for a while. We’re doing that whole ‘long-term engagement’ thing.”

“And you tell people that?”

“I mean I do,” Sasha said. “Nico’s kinda embarrassed about the fact that the economy is in shambles and it’ll be a while before we can afford a wed-”

“No not about that!” you interrupted, “about… about you being in love!”

“Huh?” Sasha seemed confused. “Oh- yeah! Yeah, we tell everyone.”

“It’s kinda gross, actually,” Connie said.

“You’re just jealous,” Sasha stuck out her tongue.

“Ew gross! If anything I feel sorry for Niccolo having to kiss your burger breath all the time.”

“Hmm… bold of you to assume he doesn’t have a food kink.”

Connie threw his head back with a loud laugh. “Oh my god he totally has a food kink!” he clutched his stomach through his laughter, almost falling out of his chair as he did so. “Sash, you're nasty! Is he into that feeder thing too!?”

“Even if he was I-”

“Guys please shut up,” Jean cut them off. “You’re traumatizing her.”

Connie and Sasha looked over at you. You’d gotten quiet (which would have been weird under normal circumstances, but they were starting to realize that silence was pretty typical for your old self). 

“No I-” you stuttered, “sorry. I was just… thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Sasha asked. 

“I-” your cheeks flushed pink. “Wh- Where I’m from an Eldian and Marlyan can’t-... a-and even if they did they would… well…”

“We know,” Jean told you. For the first time, there was an undertone of concern in his voice. Like a part of him cared about you. Or at least some version of you. 

Of course, that concern was quickly washed away as your eyes met his and he went back to scowling.

You looked back at Sasha and Connie (they were a lot nicer). “Well if you know that then maybe you also know that I-... I um…” Your cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. “I’ve never said it out loud before but-...”

You squirmed against your seat, suddenly unsure if you should keep your hands in your lap. No, the armrests! No wait next to you! No, that looked awkward!! 

“I think she’s gonna hurt herself,” Connie whispered to Sasha.

“Yeah, she looks like she’s about to have an aneurism,” Sasha mumbled back just in time for you to blurt it out:

“I-I’m in love with Mr. Kruger!!”

Your cheeks burned deep crimson as you clenched your hands in your lap, tightly gripping your skirt while your shoulders trembled. 

You couldn’t believe you had just admitted it! You’d said it, out loud, to someone that wasn’t him!! This place was so amazing, if you were allowed to admit that then you really, truly never wanted to leave!

Jean sighed. “Yeah everyone fucking knows that.”

Your heart leapt into your throat. “E-Even Mr. Kruger!?”

“Oh my god...” Jean rubbed his hands over his face with a loud groan. “Yes. Mr. Kruger,” he said in a mocking tone, “is very very aware that you’re hot for him.”

“A-And… how does he um-... how does he feel about… me?”

Jean groaned again as he leaned back in his chair.

You turned your attention to Sasha and Connie instead, eyes begging them for reassurance. 

Instead of offering you any, they both held back their laughter:

“...this is so fucking priceless...” Connie snickered.

“...wish I had this on camera…” Sasha agreed.

You scowled as you crossed your arms over your chest. “I don’t get what’s so funny about someone having feelings for another person! No one was laughing at you when you were talking about your- your- your feeder kink fiancé!!!”

Whatever that meant (and honestly you had no idea) it must have been pretty funny because Connie started laughing so hard that he fell out of his chair. Sasha clutched her stomach yelling “My abs! My abs stop! They hurt!!” Even Jean, who seemed to hate your guts, let out a loud bark of a laugh. 

You still weren’t sure what you said, but you knew their reactions.

Part of you did, anyway.

And that same part encouraged you to join in on their, strangely familiar, laughter.

So you did.

You laughed with them. You laughed with your friends over a joke you didn’t really understand.

You’d never laughed like that before.

*An Office Downtown*

Eren was pulled from his computer screen daze as Armin placed a coffee on his desk.

“You’ve been glaring at your computer all day,” his best friend pointed out.

“Sorry,” Eren sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “Just catching up on emails. Buncha bullshit piled up.”

“Then how about you actually take your lunch today and give yourself a break?” Armin asked. Eren was notorious for getting sucked into something and forgetting to eat, which is why he’d spent the entire morning in complete silence glued to his computer. Thankfully, working at the same company as his best friend meant that he normally had someone looking out for him.

Eren glanced back at his monitor and a half-written email stared back at him. Then he looked down at the coffee Armin had brought over.

He reached for it. “A break sounds good.”

They ended up circling the small park next to their office building, enjoying the sunshine while it lasted before sitting down by the fountain in the middle of the park where they usually ate lunch together (on the days Eren remembered to do so, of course). 

It didn’t take Armin long to get to the elephant in the room:

“Still no luck getting her to remember?” he asked.

Eren sighed, knowing that this question was coming. “Nothing,” he answered, immediately running his fingers through his hair. “It’s been a week and she hasn’t remembered a single thing. What if she never does? What do we do if she’s just stuck like this and-”

“Eren, don’t worry about it,” Armin cut him off, “sometimes it takes a little longer.”

“But a full week?”

“Yeah. That’s not unheard of,” Armin shrugged.

Eren let out a short sigh as he picked at the lid of his empty coffee cup. The past week had been… rough, to say the least.

He’d kept trying to maintain an air of normalcy, but that was growing increasingly more difficult every time you looked up at him in wide-eyed amazement over something in the modern world, or smiled at him like he’d hung the fucking moon, or every single time you called him Mr. Kruger.

It was never Eren.

Always Mr. Kruger.

And every time you said it, it felt like a punch in the gut.

“Eren?” Armin asked, sensing his best friend’s apprehension. 

“I just-” Eren dropped his hands with a sign. “I just miss her so fucking much,” he said, “she’s right next to me but it’s not her and I-...” he drifted off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

“I know, Eren. We all get it. It’s hard waiting for things to go back to the way they were.”

Eren scoffed. “It’s not going to though.”

“Of course it will.”

Eren didn’t reply. Instead, he stared down at his coffee cup and ran his thumb against the light brown stain on the white lid.

“This is how it always happens,” Armin said. “Every time someone wakes up it’s hard for a few days, but once their minds catch up with them things have a way of working out.”

“‘Working out’ and going ‘back to the way it was’ are two different things,” Eren pointed out.

“I-- yeah,” Armin sighed, “you’re right, but sometimes ‘working out’ is better. Don’t you think?” 

Eren’s hold on his cup tightened, causing the thin paper to crinkle as the lid almost popped off.

Armin continued: “Remembering everything that happened back then made all of us cherish this life so much more. All the bad stuff from the past doesn’t-”

“Don’t you dare tell me it doesn’t matter, Armin!” Eren exclaimed as the lid to his coffee popped off and fell to the pavement below them.

Armin remained silent at his friend’s outburst.

“I’m sorry but it just-- it can’t not matter,” Eren said. “Just because we’ve been given a chance to try again doesn’t mean that what we did before doesn’t count for anything!”

A silence hung over them again.

Eren stared down at his empty cup. He noted how light it felt, the way it crinkled against his hold. The way it felt to dig his nails into the white paper.

A paper cup with coffee stains.

A paper cup with three pills.The green one discreetly slipped into a pocket before anyone could notice.

Armin captured Eren’s attention with the soft calling of his name:

“Eren?”

Eren was scared to look up, so he didn't.

“Who was she?” Armin asked.

It was the question Eren had been avoiding. The same question he couldn’t answer. Not to the rest of his friends. Not to Armin.

Not to you.

“Whatever happened to the two of you in your first lives,” Armin told him, “no matter how- no matter how terrible it was, this is our chance to try again. Everyone who’s woken up understands that.” Armin reached out to place his hand on Eren’s, giving it a soft squeeze. “...and she will too.”

Eren pulled away. He tossed the coffee cup into the trash can and shoved his hands into his pockets.

He didn't want Armin to feel the way they trembled.

The way they shook.

The way his fingers twitched with nervous hesitation as Armin’s words repeated in his head.

But more importantly, he didn't want to look at them for himself.

At his hands.

Eren wanted to cut them clean off, even now that he couldn’t regenerate. Especially now that he couldn’t regenerate.

He wanted to cut them off and make them pay for their crimes.

*A Warm Living Room*

Pandemonium had broken out in the time Eren had been gone, and that fact became immediately obvious as he stepped back into his apartment.

“Connie if you don't fucking back me up here I'm going to chop your balls off in your sleep!!!” 

“Fuck you, Jean! What do you want me to do!? It's completely chance!”

“It is not chance!! It depends on when you push the button!”

“NO IT DOES FUCKING NOT!!”

“Okay then push it now! Push it right fucking now I dare you! You won't do it because it's not completely cha-”

“Oh look I won!” The third voice wasn't Connie, Jean, or even Sasha.

The third voice was you.

Everyone burst out into excited screams:

“HOLY SHIT!!! HOW DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!!” Sasha exclaimed. 

“IT'S NOT CHANCE I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT FUCKING CHANCE!!!” Jean shouted, immediately followed by Connie’s loud:

“FUCK MY ASS OFF DUDE HOW ARE YOU STILL THE MARIO PARTY CHAMPION!?!?”

Eren tucked his shoes into the closet and Bitcoin stumbled out of the living room. He hobbled over to his dad and rubbed against Eren's leg before he began loudly meowing for his dinner. Eren leaned down to pick him up and walked into the living room, towards the commotion.

“Guys we have neighbours you know,” he sighed, “can you please keep it down?”

Everyone looked over at him as he entered the room. 

Jean and Sasha were on the couch as Connie took up the loveseat. Despite how there was more than enough room for you to sit on the couch too, you were in front of the coffee table, much too close to the TV for it to be doing anything good to your eyes.

You clutched your GameCube controller in one hand as you smiled at him. “Look Mr. Kruger, I won!” You told him, pointing at the TV where Princess Daisy stood in front of the flashing lights and banner that declared:

You are the DREAM STAR!!

Apparently god given Mario Party 5 skills trumped even reincarnation.

Who knew?

Eren chuckled with a smile. “Good job ba-” he stopped himself before the pet name came out. “Good uh-” he cleared his throat, “good job.”

You smiled.

His stomach flipped, just like it always did.

*A Cozy Bedroom*

“Connie and Sasha told me something,” you told Mr. Kruger that night as you crawled into bed.

Mr. Kruger always came to make sure you were all set before falling asleep. He’d turn the lights off for you, check that the cats were comfortable (although the old brown one was the only one that would actually stay in the bedroom overnight) and then he’d tell you goodnight before leaving.

It was the exact opposite of the real world, but given the way everything else in this somewhere nice was the opposite, you figured it made sense. 

“What did they tell you?” Mr. Kruger asked, placing a glass of water on your bedside table, just like he did every night.

“They said um-...” You looked down at your hands, curling the blanket in your lap against your fingers. “They said that Eldians and Marleyans didn’t really exist here.”

“They don’t,” Mr. Kruger confirmed as he sat down on the end of the bed.

“Sasha also told me that she has a fiancé who’s Marleyan.”

“She does.”

Eren watched you stare down at your lap as you avoided his eyes. He noticed your cheeks turn pink in a way he’d never seen on this version of you. 

The old you.

The old you had two modes, and he’d gotten familiar with them after the months he spent with you in Liberio. You were either spaced out, completely gone as your body moved in robot mode to complete whatever task needed to be done, or you were fake.

Smiling.

Cheery.

Putting up a performance that, in the past, made his blood boil to watch.

Right now though- with your slightly flushed cheeks, the subtle smile that slowly spread across your face, and the way you eventually looked up at him- right now you looked like the version he was used to.

The version he met here. The version he fell in love with without any memory of what had happened in the past.

Who he’d been in the past.

“Is that allowed here then?” you asked, making Eren’s heart feel like it might beat right out of his chest.

Eren cleared his throat. “I--Is what allowed here?”

Your reply came out after a moment of hesitation. Softly, as if you were nervous about how he would answer: “Are an Eldian and Marleyan allowed to be together…?”

Suddenly, the two of you were in dangerous territory.

Suddenly the same feeling of impending doom washed over Eren, just like it had when Armin asked: ‘who was she?’

It was all he could see. It was all he could feel-

The grinding of stone. Fire. Screaming. The roar of his titan. The zipping of lines. And a body lifeless against the battered streets.

At some point, he’d sat down on the bed.

At some point, you’d leaned closer.

At some point, you’d looked back down at your lap. Down at your hands before you took a short breath.

Before your hand slid across the covers and hesitated, just a fraction of a centimetre from his.

It was all so familiar but so different at the same time.

The way you paused. The way the bed dipped between the two of you. The way Eren could feel the warmth radiating from your fingers, even though they weren’t touching his.

But the sheets below you were dark green, not white, and the walls were covered in framed photos, not completely bare.

So it was different, and he tried so hard to focus on how it was different but---

But it all felt so familiar. 

So familiar that he got lost in it for a moment. So familiar that when your hand finally moved closer to his, brushing so gently against his pinky finger- Eren jumped.

“Is…” you whispered, “...is this allowed?”

Your finger brushed against his, just your finger, so hesitantly that you could easily have pretended it hadn't happened if you wanted to.

But Eren didn’t want to pretend it hadn’t happened. The moment you touched him finally actually touched him, lit a fire in the pit of his stomach as his heart pounded.

“It’s-- It’s allowed…” he slowly answered, so softly that if there had been any other noise in the room at all you might have missed it.

His finger hooked against yours, body moving completely on its own as if it was instinct.

And it was.

At this point, it was instinct.

Eren could hear his heart beating in his ears at the simple sensation of your finger pressed against his. He’d touched you so many times (you’d been dating for six years, so obviously he had) but it had never felt like this.

It had never felt so intense…

He didn't know at what point your fingers had curled together.

He had no idea how long it took until he looked over at you.

And he surely couldn't recall when you'd looked back at him, but all of a sudden you had.

All of a sudden the two of you were sitting there in that bed with that wall and your hand in his.

And it was just like Liberio.

“Don't go tonight,” he'd said as his fingers curled, for the first time, around yours. You were touching him. Not to change a bandage, or give him his medicine, or check his heart rate. You were touching him all on your own for the first time.

“Why wouldn't I go to the festival?” You laughed with a smile. A smile so wide and genuine that Eren wanted to bottle it up and keep it forever. “It sounds fun.”

“Please,” Eren begged. Before he could stop himself, he'd lifted his hand to cup your cheek.

He was touching you. He was touching you and not because you were changing his shirt, or passing him a tart, or helping him hobble across his hospital room. He was touching you all on his own.

His thumb brushed against your cheek. Your warm cheek, as the image of your bloody body, discarded against the cobblestone, flashed through his mind.

No. No no no no no please no.

“Mr. Kruger I-”

You were just as close right now as you had been then. Looking up at him with the same eyes, the warmth of your palm against him in the same way.

Except it wasn't the same, right? It was different now.

He was different now. He was Eren, not Mr. Kruger.

In a different life under different circumstances with a different path in front of him.

You were safe here, finally, where there wasn’t fire or rubble or cobblestone. Here, where nothing bad could happen to you.

Eren's hand cupped your cheek and the two of you moved closer. It was warmer here. It was better.

He was better. He was Eren, not Mr. Kruger.

“Is… Is this allowed...” your breath ghosted across his lips as you asked it again.

Eren's eyes slid closed as he nodded. He leaned in, craving your kiss so badly that it almost hur-

“...Mr. Kruger?” 

Until you finished your sentence and Eren’s world completely shattered. 

Mr. Kruger.

Right.

That’s who he was to you right now. He wasn’t Eren, he was Mr. Kruger.

“She’ll do it.” “Oh good, your dog can do more than just fetch.”

“She's distracting you, Eren.” “No, she's not.”

“Then kill her.”

Eren’s palms grew damp with nervous sweat. His stomach turned. His heartbeat rang in his ears, this time for a different reason entirely.

Mr. Kruger Mr. Kruger Mr. Kruger

That’s who he was to you.

Mr. Kruger

Eren pulled away from you, trying not to watch your heartbroken expression as he pushed out of bed. “H-Have a good night,” he stuttered before he left the room.

He didn’t turn back to look at you. He couldn’t.

He was worried that if he did, all he’d see would be-

Fire and screaming. The roar of his titan. The zipping of lines. And a body-  your body -lifeless against the battered streets.

Eren didn’t want to look back because if he did, he’d remember who he was to you.

Mr. Kruger

The man who had manipulated you into loving him.

*Libero* 854

“Good morning Mr. Kruger!” Three days into his undercover mission and it had quickly become one of his least favourite sounds. 

Eren groaned as he sat up.

Headache. Pills. Wate-

“I snuck you an extra apple,” you told him with a wide smile, holding up the crisp red fruit just for him. He wanted to deny it and tell you he didn’t need your pity, but his rumbling stomach betrayed him and he reached for the apple anyway.

You laughed. “Don’t tell anyone or they’ll accuse me of picking favourites.”

Juice dribbled down his chin as he bit into the apple.

He looked over at you as he chewed.

It was a good apple.

Crisp. Fresh. Sweet.

It was a good apple.

And the way your eyes light up- with so much hope and joy, like a dog waiting to be praised- it was-

It was pathetic.

Pathetic how eager you were to please.

…he could use that…

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[lady-bluebird-luv]

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if others were reading the same story as me regarding Feysand. Feyre has always had darkness in her that she struggled to accept. Her arc in the original trilogy was about coming to terms with this: the lengths she was willing to go for the people she loved and for those who wronged her. Rhys helped her with this and she loves him for it. She’s fully aware of how much of a right bastard he can be but it’s almost always with cause and purpose. She has her high-handed bitchy moments too, and they don’t try to change the other but work with their flaws together.

Oh yeah, killing Andras in cold blood shows that Feyre had a dark side from the very beginning.

Like I mentioned once here, Feyre was immediately attracted to Rhys, before she saw anything good in him. She admits in ACOFAS that she wanted him during their time UTM. I've seen some discourse about her having rose-colored glasses, and I understand where that interpretation comes from. I'm also still not convinced that she's ever had any naiveté about him.

I 100% agree with you that Rhys not trying to change Feyre is a huge reason why she comes to respect and love him. She does change, and Rhys is part of why, but she's changing on her own terms. He just helps.

At his core, Rhys needs someone who can accept him as he is, stars and darkness and all. Feyre likewise needs someone who sees her clearly - one of the reasons why they become close is because he's the only person after her time UtM who acknowledges, let alone addresses, her guilt and shame for killing innocents during the third trial.

So much of their relationship is built on unconditional acceptance and trust, which 1) makes Rhys's evasive BS egregious but also 2) is why Feyre always lets it slide relatively easily. Maybe some people think that's not healthy or comfortable to see. Nevertheless, it's a huge part of their dynamic.

Thanks for the ask, anon!

[bladekindeyewear]

Beyond Canon 2024 October and November Artist/Writer Commentary

So the new Artist and Writer commentary for this month's latest upd8 popped up on Patreon, and even though I've been working (pathetically slowly) on a draft post that goes back through the commentary in order from the past where I left off, I feel like the last two updates have been HAMMER BLOWS in terms of the seriousness, hopelessness, et cetera and I feel like everyone wants answers as badly as I do, and the teaser we got at the end of the last upd8 to whet my excitement can offset the bad news only SO much on its own. So even though I'm kind of too sick to be doing this today, I want to help myself and others cope by liveblogging the last two months' posts of Artist and Writer commentary each so we get some more... words from the word of God on why they're subjecting us to this.

As much of this is Patreon exclusive content I won't be quoting everything, I'll be making just a couple out of context quotes and summarizing or paraphrasing things that I find important to point out about what I'm reading.

I'll put a TL;DR here above the cut once I'm done-- ahem: "Oh yeah Rose was even more doomed to feel fucked in that sort of situation than I realized, and also there's a hiatus because an animation is coming to kick off the End of Act 1 / Start of Act 2, holy shit. Maybe I’d have known that already if I’d read the news posts, oh well".

10-24 Artist Commentary

This is the artist commentary for the update I liveblogged starting here.

They mention how it contains a lot of standout moments, "things are coming to a head in the story"-- there was indeed a climax between this update and the one that followed it, I certainly agree. Since this is the artist commentary, they talk about their appreciation for proposed pacing, the jaw-dropped yelling of some on reading the proposed script... there's a shot of the story board, of course.

They go into some interesting detail on how they went about devising how they wanted Jade's "Space force fields" to look.

Everyone loves Jade's paw-print gloves, as they should.

Haven: this panel showing “how rose ‘sees’ things now” was added late into this update's production and floral didn't have a description other than “haven go wild” 

Yes I can certainly believe that. Nice touch in retrospect thematically coloring Rose's blood with her color instead of the literal red it'd be.

"generic troll soldier bumps into a god"-- nice how they're lumping Kanaya in with the god-tiers when referring to the Gods of this world.

Oh I never actually noticed the rebellion's "massive crab tanks" in the background of all these other shots, no wonder they surprised me the following update.

The full hemospectrum of Blood around them grasping hands:

Haven: sometimes very blatant symbolism is the way to go.

exactly, noted, noted...

Some notes on how they did up Jane's office and her bridge, and the storyboard for that BRUTAL scene with Jane and Jake, ow.

Practice the different artists had at drawing Jane and Jake in "Guardian Mode", which is the new clearly adult sorta-hero-moded silhouette term that I probably would have gotten from reading the other artist commentary in order.

Nice thoughts on how even the framed photo of Tavvy next to the blaster button is a distant shot-in-passing photo that doesn't communicate a close family.

The shot, the heal, the turnaround and beatdown.

I got storyboarder brain and I love the excruciating anticipation of making people hold their breath between panels... When you know something’s coming but you can’t help but clasp your hand over your mouth like, “OH NO…”

Yeah, no kidding...

Nothing too concrete to note in this artist commentary, the writer commentary's probably going to be richer. So to save my sanity I'm going to do the next Artist Commentary first:

11-2024 Artist Commentary

This is the artist commentary surrounding the most recent upd8 i liveblogged.

Oh holy shit, this one has some big news I wasn't aware of!

Chumi, hoping you guys had a Happy Thanksgiving: Welcome welcome! 🎉🎉 We’re really getting into the holiday season with this one! Unfortunately, this is our last update until the Flash Production break. Look forward to the Flash guys, we’re working really hard!

I didn't expect them to start off our new session with a big flash, but if they're going to bust out some Animation to really emphasize any new stepping stone in Beyond Canon, the introduction or pre-introduction to The New Session™ is probably the time to do it. I'm pretty busy and/or sick lately (the annoying sort of sick not the dangerous kind) so I'll be glad if it takes a little longer before the next upd8 than it did this one.

They talk about how they carefully gradiated the sky over past updates to reflect the danger closing in, much appreciated.

Tavvy writes with something called "Magic Link" handwriting apparently; they go more into it here.

An Andrew-embossed-seal reference, huh? I'm not gonna elaborate on that but it is funny.

Rose covering the kids' eyes before the shot:

I thought I was so clever putting a bit of shadow underneath her hands… Because her aspect is Light… She’s blocking the Light / knowledge from reaching the kids…That’s why she’s a silhouette too… Heh…

Yep.

Kim: This particular bit gets me every time I think about it… Jade loves her child!!! The way it completely throws Jade off her game when the most precious thing in her life right now is suddenly in the middle of a freaking battlefield of a WAR. These kids just can’t stand still for one minute can they!!

Gahhh, it just tears my heart out. Rose could have stopped this with a word, earlier, but didn't... why not?! What does she KNOW where she sees this path being the better path forward than others?!

Jade getting shot...

Floral: I can feel how much this hurts, it’s so good.

Guhh my heart. Owwwwuch. Can bad things just stop happening to Jade Harley for once? Can some good things start happening where she gets to be cool and not shoved out of the way unceremoniously by the narrative? :C

Okay there's something interesting here.

Floral: I did a single panel for this update too, featuring Dirk’s bell tower and the rest of the human city that stands between it and the meteor site. So much to parse. Wonder what the significance of it all could be.

Implying this has some significance... does it have something to do with what's brought into the game session? With how much IS and how much isn't? Or are dramatic things happening at "Dirk's bell tower" repeatedly being themed to be brought home by something else happening there later? Hmm.

Oh:

The impact is also knocking over whole tanks and the trees around the area, so the Rebellion guys near the meteor are totally vaporized. Sorry fellas. The two peeps in front are just some random soldiers to fill the empty space HEHE.

This explains my confusion around the explosion. The crab tanks I hadn't noticed earlier that they helped point out above, and these indeed being two random soldiers and PROBABLY not a stealth inexplicable Aradia appearance. PROBABLY.

So the "End of Act 1" bit:

Chumi: We are not done with Act 1 just yet…

I was wondering how much the "psyche" meant, if it meant psyche regarding our place within the story, how much was left to go, whether this was a real act ending et cetera... apparently the end of Act 1 is coming somewhat soon from the sound of it, and that gives us an idea of what exactly is planned for this lovable clusterfuck that is Beyond Canon. Is this a three-act tale we're planning, or effectively one, sort of like our three most major build-ups and climaxes across the six acts in the main story (Descend, Cascade, Collide)?

A slight preview sketch of the computer exploding in GC's face you can see if you opt for the Patreon commentary, and that closes out that. Now we'll have a look at the really, REALLY juicy stuff for the last two updates, the WRITER commentary. I'm dreading seeing them drill down into the dread these last two updates gave us before the hope of a new session with our favorite new kid-kids in it, and I'm desperately hoping that as they explain their choices they sprinkle in some EXTRA hope they hadn't given us with Rose's twisted hopeless perspective, because I could use the positive reinforcement.

10-2024 Writer Commentary

Been so excited/apprehensive for this update to drop!! It’s been months and the entire time we’ve been going back and tweaking and playing with things to perfect it and it was worth it. Super satisfied with the response.

Any writers getting ready to write such meaningful dialogue and traumatize their audiences are going to be chomping at the bit to, I've had the taste of that in my mouth before as someone on the writing end and the twists you're ready to unleash can have you salivating even when you know they're going to cause suffering. ESPECIALLY when you know that. It's the entire author's curse that is essentially THE ENEMY in the form of Dirk Strider in this narrative.

And I was inspired to handle it in a way true to a Seer or Light, heavy in lore and reminiscent to Rose’s GameFAQs Walkthrough of the SBURB Beta.

That's a very good inspiration for putting most of Rose's predictions in her narrations below her walking away from that conversation.

They go a lot into the idea of her creating a Spatial shield, whether it would fall into the confines of her powerset. I like a lot of the keywords used here:

A stray missile comes towards them and the shield won’t bounce it off but manipulate and control the space around it.

Note the keywords 'manipulate and control', the change/control/manipulate keywords we've always held so central to the theorized Witch role and possibly the Heir role by extension.

And ultimately:

I think in general, a lot of aspected powers are limited only by the user’s imagination!  But even putting that aside, it makes a lot of sense to me that she’d have the tight control necessary of a spatial perimeter necessary to do something as basic as maintain a shield.  We’ve seen her do way crazier shit before.

--who could disagree?

FLORAL: There was a lot to explore with this conversation between Rose and Jade, the first one they’ve had privately since fucking… ACT 5, 2011?

Yeah, they barely got STARTED with the unpacking. And Rose refused to continue it because she foresaw that it'd be ultimately pointless.

Many thoughts of how their dynamic could be and how their dynamic would evolve under current conditions went into it and it was so fun!! Writing two people that obviously understand one another so well while feeling completely misunderstood and frustrated because they’re not being empathized with is complicated! But exactly how you show a character's specific perspective the best in my opinion. Rose and Jade share a lot of experiences, especially considering their Aspect switcheroo fake out, and have taken such completely different lessons from them. I love their friction! 

What's also unsaid here is how their Aspect switcharoo fake out was also secretly potentially paired with a REAL class switcharoo in the form of role inversion that they BOTH underwent, Jade getting a distrust of Seeing and Rose gaining a distrust of Witchcraft in making any ultimate difference as this wasn't the way they were best meant to operate as themselves, but can't help but project onto each other when stressed.

We know from Meat that even without all of Candy’s baggage they aren’t close. So why? There are very probable, passive answers and then there are equally probable drama answers, that actively communicate parts of these characters we never got to see clash.

Really interesting. And yeah, we DID get to see that from this update.

MILES: I think, and this is something that we’re going to touch on later in this commentary/update, part of that is that they really aren’t that compatible in terms of their interpersonal problem solving styles. 

We talked about this in a great deal of detail surrounding the update in question, and I'm glad they were intentionally provoking us to think about these things!

Okay there's a section here that I'm going to quote in FULL from the Patreon commentary, and it also outlines a divide, a HUGE rift between Candy Jade and Candy Rose that Meat Jade/Rose wouldn't have experienced, and the tragedy of its basic inevitability because of how events turned out:

MILES: And speaking of dear, sweet Yiffy, and the way Rose and Jade’s attitudes differ, there really isn’t a better example of their incompatibility than the two entirely polarized attitudes they take towards Yiffy’s existence: Rose’s detached view of Yiffy as amounting to nothing more than an inconvenient favor she did for a friend, as part of a cosmic obligation she barely even understands (more on this later), spits directly in the face of Jade’s knowledge that Yiffy is, without question, the most important thing in her life.  It’s arguably “right” that Rose chose to completely sterilize any feelings she might possibly have had (but probably barely even ever did) for Yiffy in terms of maintaining some modicum of emotional fidelity to her Actual Wife and her Actual Daughter, but obviously that’s going to chafe Jade.  Jade’s a lonely person!  Yiffy was a way to fill that void, and although having a daughter has absolutely brought some purpose, companionship, and stability to her life, the complications that came along with it have absolutely served to isolate her even more in other ways. 

:'(

With all the setups being given to us like Dave's stuffed corpse falling out of Jade's pocket, or the idea of Kanaya finding "new love" before Rose is saved that she refused to Foresee (I'm still banking on that Light Between Space OT3, you can't stop me), I'm really hoping that Candy Jade can both live through this and come to a MUCH LESS LONELY peace than she's come to in other timelines we've been forced to witness. I don't want Meat Jade to be the only Jade that comes out of this healthier and happier than she went in.

The commentary gets into Jade and Rose's debate on what Truth means, from a Light perspective or a Space perspective almost...

That’s why it was felt important to comment on Rose’s estranged relationship to Roxy too, in her ramble. Really cementing questions that were hinted at before, can you find closure in another, younger version of your dead parent? How does that evolve over the years?

I really hope that we get a version of Rose and Roxy out of at LEAST one of the two ongoing timelines that end up MUCH closer than this update implied Rose's parental relationship had forced them to stay estranged rather than get closer like they could have, possibly should have. I want them to come to terms with each other because they could be SUCH good sisters to each other. And maybe in the Meat timeline when they're put into direct conflict, when Roxy achieves some sort of victory over Rose, Void over the gaps in Ultimate Light, that it finally punches through her emotional barriers and lets that version of Rose accept her essentially-sister the way her Candy Self never let happen.

And now we get to that horrifying future-sight screed of Rose into the narrative text zone...

FLORAL: Everything Rose talks about in her monologue was so, so nerve wracking to write, to take so many points of what makes this character who they are laid out for the reader.

Yeah, it made so little sense why she'd say such callous things to Kanaya earlier unless she had been DELIBERATELY trying to push her away... which as it turned out in this monologue, she absolutely had been, having foreseen her own coma.--

Which is hard for serialized media because you guys don’t get those answers the way you would if you were watching a movie or a book, there’s real time waiting completely out of your control. It’s anxiety inducing! I’ve had a good deal of Homestuck induced anxiety myself lol.

Hell to the fucking yes. We're all feeling that incredible anxiety and only the writer knows, for sure, that it's all going to turn out okay, but we the readers have to wait in limbo with our anxieties gnawing at us all the while.

MILES: I totally get where you’re coming from, on that.  This bit felt like a part we really did need to write, partially for that exact reason; taking the readers on an exciting voyage to the twisted shores of Rose’s nihilisthmus is a peek behind the curtains that hopefully DOES serve to contextualize just how checked out she is and provide some more clarification on why it is she’s acting the way she does.

Instead of taking individual text blocks, Miles is going to give us the whole shebang summary, so I'll pull it straight out of the patreon commentary wholesale since anyone suffering like me probably ought to hear it with me:

Overall, as a Light player trapped in a universe/timeline/whatever-you-want-to-call-Candy devoid of “real” narrative consequence (and thusly, devoid of any “real” fortune that might seek to inform her Light-aspected guidance), she’s been sort of adrift!  Imagine having access to a cosmic intuition that points you towards what’s “best” and then, one day, you notice it’s broken.  Still trying, but broken nonetheless.  Rose is already predisposed towards existential malaise; she’s always needed action to fill that void, and when the little voice in your head suddenly starts telling you that you live in a world where action is fundamentally meaningless, coping with that reality probably... fucking sucks!  She has nonetheless done an admirable job of trying to keep herself anchored with a wife she DOES care for and a daughter she DOES love, but fighting the creeping thought that none of it means anything at all?  Having what you believe is objective cosmic confirmation of nihilism woven into the foundation of the reality you inhabit?  That’s scary shit.  Honestly, it’s kind of a wonder she’s even as sane as she is, but Rose, for better or worse, is quite the badass. Not great for the people around her, though.

I'm starting to see, that's useful additional information. Rose's Seer of Light powers aren't just telling her that this timeline doesn't matter, they're also almost broken to the point of uselessness by the fact that so little 'matters' in the entire world. And those malfunctioning powers have been reinforcing her nihilism just as much as the message that this is a Doesn't Matter Timeline is. Gosh that's depressing... and I hope what Vriska, the Plot Point, and the New Session pulling in their children does manages to eventually shake her out of it, even if she needs to get miraculously saved from a coma first.

Moving on...

Karkat and Kanaya clasping hands being awesome, yeah.

Jake and Jane's confrontation. As much as they wanted in their hearts to give Jake a win, they had to make him lose here because Jane is just too wildly powerful to fall to him when he'd only just turned around, and had to make it sentimental and personal instead of doing something cold and unloading enough lead into her to kill a God of Healing, which wasn't something he'd prepared himself to do, doing something more Jake and "cinematic" instead.

Then we cut back to the kids, and the next update:

11-2024 Writer Commentary

Okay, here we go. What are you going to give us from that last update that was such an emotional whiplash of impacts?

FLORAL, loving some bacon: THE HOMEWRECKER IS DEAD!!!!!!

God damnit XD You fucking jokesters.

Some comments they have about Jake's letter here, which seems unintentionally tailor made to provoke Vrissy into a frenzy:

We’ve been trying to give him a little shade of passive aggression, just a hint of spice, and I think this letter was a fun place for that.  “Sorry but you guys are kind of weak as fuck, can’t do a single backflip, and so you need to sit here and eat these considerately provided packages of snacks while a real gymnast handles shit.”  It’s a flex, but I think it also demonstrates his caretaker tendencies.

I'm trying to dissect what they're saying about him and more could mean about, like, his potential Class and Aspect, but I'm coming up with bupkis aside from all our previous scattershot analyses. Gymnasts can be Breath, Breath can be Provokers, and plenty of classes can be Caretakers, but... I'm still not entirely sure where Tavvy is going to land on the hero spectrum.

MILES: Unfortunately, he probably should have accounted for the fact that these two aren’t really inclined to listen to him.  When Tavvy flips the script on their established relationship dynamic, as he has quite a bit these days, it rubs at least Vrissy the wrong way. 

Yeah it didn't seem like Tavvy was TRYING to provoke Vrissy to run out in rage and try to do something heroic to keep her kismesis from showing her up, but he definitely had that effect unintentionally as hard as it possibly could have been, and any variety of Breath player could have unintentionally managed that, even a Bard. The Caretaker thing is being reinforced by the soda and snacks though, and this writer commentary... is it pointing to a specific caretaker class like a Maid of Breath? Hmm.

On Jade dying right in front of them:

Clearly shit is popping off a bit more flagrantly than the kids imagined.

To put it mildly, yeah.

Tensions have been building for a while, but blood’s been definitively drawn now.  It’s been a lot of setup to get to this point, but it’s super satisfying to see it all reach a boiling point here, even if it comes at the cost of poor sweet Jade’s cranial structural integrity. 

Everything this entire-- well, "Act", now that we KNOW it's an Act, has been building towards THIS climax in particular. A moment where so much shit goes down that we can officially say in every way that Shit Has Gone Down, and they had to herald it in with SOMETHING shocking I guess... especially if they want to neutralize the lingering macguffin that is Candy Calliope's spare Ring of Life if I had to guess from the hints they've been dropping.

The act curtain drop, the psyche, and...

MILES: You’ll notice that, with this little gag (which felt so fun to do, by the way), we’ve returned to the ACT structure, abandoning the CHAPTER format HS^2 utilized before the production change.  This was a point of a lot of thought, for us, but ultimately we think that the Act structure makes more sense for the story it is that we’re trying to tell, for a variety of reasons that I’m not gonna get TOO into here.

With a new session on the cusp of starting, I can really imagine why.

That said, we’re coming up to the climax of what we consider... I don’t know, the “setup” period of the plot?  It’s been a long, long road, and it’s tough to say what final percentage of HS:BC this whole saga is going to represent, but capping it off all under the purview of one Act feels appropriate.  Everything, from the beginning of HS^2 to now, has been dedicated to fully selling the transition from the Epilogues to what has become Homestuck: Beyond Canon.  It’s been just over a year of updates on our end, and it’s so crazy to see this arc getting ready to finish!

That confirms a feeling I was getting but wasn't sure whether to confirm. That the entire time we've been experiencing HS^2, interrupted by that long hiatus in between, was meant to be a setup for THIS moment where we realize a new session is starting, and we're dumped fuck deep into the Game Session format with all the establishing situations and incoming vectors and player collisions to come laid out like bullets streaming in converging on a single point of impact.

And to finish it out, they analyze our new Dark Purple Text Friend!

HAVEN: “Negging” this is new! And again with this 108 number pattern, how curious.

I genuinely forgot they did that 108 earlier in Vriska's plot point. Read back on my Homestuck Liveblog tag for people pointing out the significance of that as HS:BC's act number.

This person seems to drag on each sentence... Before snapping back to finality.

A trait I hadn't noticed besides the bombs, but a trait one bomb-and-fuse oriented could be reasonably said to have without indicating to us which Doom class this obviously-Doom-player is.

HAVEN: A lot of information here! TC and AA, who are curious characters and what could their roles be? (well I suppose you could guess their upcoming roles.)

There probably ARE hints to TC and AA's literal hero roles, their classes and aspects (such as Oracle being listed there), but we don't have enough of them on hand to tell the wheat from the chaff just yet beyond that. I'm sure we're going to be getting piles of hints in the coming pages both up through and after and possibly within whatever flash-like animation they're taking extra time to cook up for us to celebrate the miracle of this new beginning.

They point out GC's "and we did spend a lot of time on it..." meaning they're the ones that must have coded this new incarnation of The Game out of the Ruins codebase.

HAVEN: Here I think there was going to be a line specifying they had “47 friends lined up” but it got switched out.  JAMES: I wonder if that's important. I guess we still need to be sort of coy about it.Which is horseshit. HAVEN: Yeah, that IS horseshit! Anyway our coyness continues.

I like how they wanted to make at least a JOKING reference to a 48-player Squiddle session that isn't going to happen, because I'm still betting that somewhere between 8 and 16 people is the most we can comfortably fit in a new plot like this, not to mention the Gene pattern that seems to be being followed so far, but we'll have to see.

Alright, that's the end of four posts of commentary. I've gained a LITTLE bit of meaningful information and some expectations on the upcoming timeline, and I hope you have too, and I also hope I didn't pull so much out of the Patreon exclusive info that y'all don't feel discouraged to chip into Homestuck Beyond Canon too like I'm doing if you have extra dosh to spare (but only to spare, don't impact your livelihood if you need the money for important/life things, that's advice they and anyone else would give you).

I'm feeling slightly less sick by luck now that I've rammed all this typing out of my fingers, and hopefully y'all feel a little less of the ominousness that can't help but hang around recent in-canon events. Phew.

I see in the Patreon comments some commenters are extrapolating from that cut "48" that Dirk wants to create the session that made the TROLL session (with the trolls' 48 star signs) to complete a solid loop, which I concede is possible, but I doubt his goals are really all that pedestrian, that wouldn't make him the most important the way he's aiming-- you already have my counter-speculation in hand that Dirk intends to create the session that gave birth to the chess game ITSELF, that gave birth to the Prospit/Derse system and the very seed session for the propagation of Paradox Space. Alt!Calliope seems like they're practically in alignment with him on the goal, wanting to tie Beyond Canon back down into a neat self-causing loop excepting that Alt!Callie's intending to ensure he doesn't get to make himself the Author Of All That Exists, no matter who it hurts when she forces the issue, which makes Alt!Calliope not much different from him. And between these dueling forces, we have the ever-underestimated plans of Calliope and Roxy across both timelines, the Muse of Space and the Rogue of Void, who seem to have SUCCEEDED in collaborating knowingly or unknowingly across the timelines to use Vriska as a shunt to SOMEHOW get the Candy Kids to be important friends and players in this new Game, bringing things all full circle in a way not even Alt!Calliope thought would save their home timeline but quite possibly can. How exciting!

It hurts, sometimes, but gosh do I still love Homestuck. See y'all whenever that next hiatusy bombastic probably Flash-animation-like update goes up in a month or two or however long it takes them, bless their diligent crazy hearts.

[clonedchaos]

👟 𝓜𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓑𝓪𝓵𝓵 🌸

Orchids and Oranges: A Yasammy Week Special

Yasammy week brought to you by @yasammyweek!

Trigger Warning: Minor homophobia (And some tooth rotting fluff and sappy pet names)

Sorry this one was nearly two weeks late, I've been struggling with motivation and I'm slowly coming to terms with having ADHD. Sometimes my brain just won't let me focus on what I want it to, unfortunately. :/ (And a bit of an irl extra update that doesn't really mean much but-- I got a nose piercing a few days ago! Yippee! I love it! It has definitely improved my self image some in terms of boosting my confidence. :D A bit sore, but I decided to write to take my mind off it)

Day 3: Prom Rating: G/PG Summary: Sammy and Yaz have the time of their lives at Prom with their friends… even if a few students aren't accepting of their relationship.

AO3 Version:

Tumblr Version:

“Everyone say cheese!”

”Cheese!”

The cameras clicked, leaving Sammy and her friends slightly dazed by the glares of the flash. The boys were done up in tuxes and ties. Kenji had an excessive amount of gel in his hair and Ben was avidly loosening his seafoam green tie. Darius was, of course, wearing a red tie with faint emblems of various dinosaurs on it.

Brooklynn's hair fell down her shoulders in elegant curls. She wore a strapless black dress with a pink ruffled skirt that fell a little past her knees. Glitter was speckled all over the top, giving it an iridescent glint at certain angles. Her faux diamond heels glinted in the setting sun.

Yaz... Gosh, Yaz was stunning. Her athletic physique fit perfectly in a silver side-shoulder gown with a far less dramatic skirt in comparison to Brooklynn's. A black dress jacket wrapped around her shoulders, the sleeves extending down to her elbows. Matching black flats were just barely noticeable; she said she wouldn't be caught dead wearing heels or anything of the sort. Truthfully, Yaz had preferred to wear her usual tennis shoes-- much to Brooklynn's objection. She had expertly done up Yaz's hair in a high ponytail and curled two strands to frame the sides of her face. The blogger had insisted she could do a flawless smokey eyeshadow effect, but Yaz was comfortable in minimal concealer.

She was gorgeous. It took all the self-restraint Sammy had not to scoop her up and shower her with hugs and kisses. Though she wasn't sure she would appreciate the cherry red lipstick stains on her cheeks. Sammy herself had taken ages prom dress shopping; it took numerous facetime calls with Yaz and Brooklynn to narrow down her specific desires. In the end, she had picked out a red ball gown with a cascading skirt. Pink roses went in a diagonal line down her chest with a few others dotted along the hem of the skirt. Unlike Yaz's, Sammy's dress was long enough to touch the floor and help hide her trusty, comfortable boots. To complete the look, Brooklynn had picked out a pink rose headband.

Their parents were watching them in pride, fawning over their outfits and how "their kids were growing up." Sammy even noticed her father getting misty eyed.

"Woo! Party people! Who's ready to hit the dancefloor??" Kenji boomed, picking Brooklynn up and giving her a little twirl.

Brooklynn giggled exuberantly. "Hey! Quit! You're going to ruin my hair!"

"You of all people would know how important hair is, Kenj," Yaz snorted, wrapping her arm around Sammy. Her heart thudded at the touch.

Kenji set Brooklynn down on the ground. In immediate response, Brooklynn leaned forward and playfully ruffled his slicked back hair.

"I'm so excited! I've always wondered what prom would be like!" Sammy chirped, restlessly shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I mean, is it like all those cheesy high school movies? Will there be drama? Will we break into song?"

"Oh, like High School Musical?" Brooklynn asked.

"I used to love those movies," Kenji added.

"What? High school wasn't at all like those movies," Ben crossed his arms with a raised eyebrow.

Darius chuckled and pat Ben on the shoulder. "Oh, Benjamin. Don't you know? ... We're all in this together."

Ben groaned in disgust as the others burst into laughter.

"Alright, kids. Time to take this show on the road," Mrs. Bowman announced, gesturing a hand to the crew's awaiting limousine. For such a special occasion, their parents had offered they ride in style. This was a night to remember after all!

~

"Ooo! Yaz! Look at that! Or-- look! A photo booth!" Sammy had her arm linked in her girlfriends as the group entered the ballroom floor. The theming of this year's prom was "Moonlight Ball." Stars draped down from the ceiling with a disco ball sparkling in the center like a faux moon. The tablecloths and drapery were speckled with stars and clusters of purples, blues, and blacks to form a miniature galaxy. There were even some colorful mosaic planets that were scattered about the room to mimic the solar system.

"They really outdid themselves with this, huh?" Yaz murmured as she glanced around in awe. Their friends were of similar interest and begun chatting amongst themselves.

Sammy couldn’t contain her enthusiasm as she subtly bounced up and down on her heels. She needed to dance! 

“Yaz! Wanna dance?” She chirped giddily.

Yaz blinked. “Me? Dancing? I don’t really know how…”

”It’s easy! Here, I’ll show you!” Sammy whisked Yaz through the crowd until she found enough empty space. She then turned on her heel, focusing in on the upbeat pop music. Definitely not a slow dance by any means! No matter, the Cha Cha Slide is something she'd learned since birth.

”All ya gotta do is follow what the music tells you!” Sammy instructed over the blaring stereos.

”Right foot now!”

Sammy stomped her right foot. 

Yaz chuckled, moved to stand by her side, and followed along. It took her a moment, but she was a fast learner. Soon the two were laughing and playfully twirling one another in between the choreographed steps. At the end of the song, Sammy grabbed Yaz around the waist, picked her up, and spun her. The two giggled joyfully. The world seemed to fall away as the music faded. It was just the two of them, content to be in the other’s presence. What could be better than that? And the night was just getting star--

Someone laughed.

Sammy paused and set Yaz down, glancing to her left. A trio of girls their age was staring in their direction, all huddled in a semi-circle with heads bent close together. A blonde said something Sammy couldn't hear over the opening of the next song. Whatever it was caused her friends to burst into giggles, all three of them casting Yaz and Sammy side glances.

Sammy's paradise fell away before her. Were they... laughing at them? Sammy swallowed down the lump forming in her throat. Her cheeks flushed.

"Sammy?" Yaz asked. Her hands were suddenly in Sammy’s. Sammy looked back at Yaz to find her eyes speckled with uncertainty. Yaz always had beautiful eyes…

”It’s nothing!” She lied right through her teeth. Sammy hated lying, especially to Yaz and her friends. It reminded her back to the days where she was spying for Mantah Corp. But the last thing she needed right now was to spoil their night with a probable confrontation. Yaz did have a history of being the queen of sarcasm after all. And Sammy knew all too well she wouldn't hesitate to call someone out for their nasty attitude.

”Maybe we should get some food,” She offered. That wasn’t entirely a lie, she did have a hankering for some delectable prom treats.

”Are you sure? We just got started?” Yaz asked thoughtfully. Sammy felt her scanning her features to try and discern what was actually bothering her.

”Can’t dance our hearts out on an empty stomach,” Sammy pointed out and quickly led her off the dance floor towards the food buffet. The laughter began to fade over the overpowering boom of the stereos, much to her relief.

The buffet table had pretty standard food; chicken nuggets and fries courtesy of the local Chick Fil A, various fruit options, sodas, coffee, waters. But what Sammy was looking forward to the most were the desserts— brownies, trays of cupcakes, loaded chocolate chip cookies, and even some mini ice cream cups nestled inside a cooler. Tonight she needed to satiate her sweet tooth!

The duo waited in line before it was their turn to load up their plates. Sammy piled on her plate until she had formed a miniature mountain of a meal.

“Hey, Sammy. Try this.” Sammy looked over to find Yaz dipping a strawberry in a rich chocolate fountain. She held it up to her. Both Sammy’s hands were currently occupied in trying to steady her ever growing pile of food. She leaned forward and took a sizable bite, careful not to nip Yaz's fingers. Instantly her tase buds were hit with a smooth and tangy, fruity flavor. The chocolate coating was pure bliss.

"Mhmm. Thash purfect," Sammy rambled with a mouth full of food. Yaz laughed and gave her a quick peck on the side of the cheek. Sammy was about to return the gesture when she felt eyes on her. A young man their age was standing in line behind Yaz, a disdainful look in his eyes. Sammy's face fell.

Yaz noticed the shift in expression and began to turn to look over her shoulder. "Oh! Yaz!" She stopped midway and turned to face Sammy. "Why don't I go find us somewhere to sit?" She asked, privately relieved Yaz didn't notice the scornful look they were getting.

"In that mess?" Yaz laughed lightly, glancing over at the packed circular tables. "We'd be lucky to find a place on the floor to sit."

"What? No!" Sammy moved to stand by her side and nudged her shoulder. "We can't get our gowns dirty! Brooklynn would kill us!"

Yaz laughed again, sending little butterflies fluttering around Sammy's heart. The two abandoned the buffet, Sammy leading the charge to find a space for them to sit. All the while, she still felt those eyes on them. How many people were staring at them; were talking about them? Whatever joy she had been feeling began to evaporate like morning mist. 

After what felt like ages, Yaz and Sammy finally managed to snag a spot... right next to the table of gossiping girls. Sammy tried her best to ignore them, but she couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation as she and Yaz dug into their food. 

"... Do you think those two got together because they couldn't find a guy who wanted them?" She caught the brunette snickering.

"Couldn't be me," The blonde replied in faux sympathy.

"It's a shame too. They must've got loads of secret admirers for being famous," A curly haired girl with jet black hair added. "But instead, they turned them down to be with each other."

"Probably just a trauma response given what they've been through," The blonde dismissed. "Things like that are nothing but a phase. It won't last more than a month."

"Is that a bet?"

Sammy felt sick to her stomach. Is that what they thought? What her and Yaz had was... just a phase?

"Sammy? Did you hear me?" 

Sammy jolted and turned her attention to Yaz, whom was sitting by her side. Her hand met Sammy's. She flinched and pulled away. Yaz recoiled subtly, not something anyone would notice unless they knew her like she did.

"Are you okay? You've been acting off since we've got here..." She asked. Sammy couldn't tell whether she was being blunt, concerned, or both at this point.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Sammy lied again. Her heart felt like it was breaking. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But she couldn't. What was the use of causing a scene? This was supposed to be their perfect night.

By the look Yaz was giving her, Sammy could tell she knew she was lying. Yaz opened her mouth, about to say something, but thought better of it. "I'm going to head to the bathroom. Be back soon," She said in a unreadable tone. Sammy's heart split in two.

"Alrighty. I'll be here!" She called as Yaz got up and headed off. The moment she was out of sight, Sammy's shoulders slumped and her bright smile withered. She began to pick at her cupcake with a fork, as impractical as that probably appeared.

"Never thought you'd be one to turn down sugary goodness."

Sammy slightly started in her chair and looked up to see Brooklynn flop down next to her. 

"Oof. My feet are beat," She laughed lightly and leaned down to remove her shoes. "The pain of heels, am I right?"

"Yeah," Sammy replied shortly, trying to crack a smile. 

Brooklynn was already on high alert, her gaze searching Sammy's features. It was hard to put anything past Brooklynn. That girl had a nose for deciphering the hidden and unknown. "What's up? I thought you'd be out enjoying yourself."

"I'm alright," Sammy lied again. She hated lying.

Brooklynn crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward. "I know that's a lie, Sam. Spill it. Please?"

Sammy took in a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder. The trio of girls weren't paying her any mind now that Yaz was gone. So, she leaned closer to Brooklynn and confessed. "Alright. Truth is... Yaz and I have been getting looks. Some have been whispering behind our backs saying... less than kind things... I didn't want to tell Yaz because, well, this was supposed to be a fun night. I didn't want to start any drama. And I know how some react to people like... us... I just didn't want Yaz getting hurt if someone instigated violence..."

Brooklynn's features softened. "Oh, Sammy... I'm sorry. I-- I get what you mean. It wasn't always easy growing up with two dads. Don't get me wrong, they're amazing parents. But ever since I was a little girl, when I walked down the street with them, I always caught those scornful glances and snide remarks. I never quite understood why until I was older, and even then it still doesn't make sense." She sat back and gave her a gentle smile. "But you know what? It didn't matter. My dads loved each other, and they loved me. No matter what others thought of them, that was always true. And no amount of hate would be able to stop that."

"How did they learn to work through it?" Sammy asked, still absently picking at her dessert. "Those comments... they hurt. I know they shouldn't, and I know I shouldn't listen, but... it doesn't feel good."

"Not everyone you come across in life is going to agree with you," Brooklynn answered after a brief silence. "There's always going to be self-righteous jerks who think they know best. Whatever they say about you, or you and Yaz, let it roll off your back. They don't know you two. They don't know how you built your relationship brick by brick. Your love for one another, it's special. If they can't see that, it's their loss-- not yours. What's important are the people that love and accept you. They're the ones you need to remember in times like this... Remember what I said on the isle? What you and Yaz have is awesome--"

"Let it be awesome," Sammy finished, brushing away tears. Shoot, her mascara was running.

Brooklynn chuckled at that and dug around at the purse dangling by her waist. She pulled out some wipes and a mascara tube, then went to work fixing Sammy's makeup. "Now, if anyone else tonight gives you two any grief... come get us. We've got your back."

"Thank you, Brooklynn," Sammy smiled. Her soul felt a little lighter. Her friends had always been there for her when she needed them most. Of course they'd have her and Yaz's back against adversity. "...Where are the boys at anyways?"

Brooklynn tossed her head towards the dance floor. Sammy glanced over, careful not to move her head too much in case Brooklynn accidentally jabbed her eye with the mascara brush. Kenji, Ben, and Darius were all doing the Macarena on the outskirts of the crowd; Ben accidentally kept hitting Kenji with his long arms. Sammy laughed, her first genuine one in a while.

Once Brooklynn had finished touching up Sammy’s makeup, she sat back and begun slipping on her heels. “Alright then. Go enjoy the rest of the dance with Yaz. You two deserve it.” Her voice raised and her eyes slid towards the trio of girls who had begun staring at her again. “And if anyone tries to ruin your night, I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate negative publicity on my blog. Brooklanders are some of the biggest Yasammy supporters after all.” Brooklynn’s gaze hardened into a warning, fiery glare. 

The trio quickly turned away just in time for Yaz to make her way back to the table. “Hey, Brooklynn. What did I miss?”

”Oh nothing, just a bit of a pep talk and a personal beauty appointment,” Brooklynn answered, giving Sammy a side, confident glance. Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk. “Would you like an appointment too, Yaz?”

”Over my dead body,” Yaz snorted bluntly and crossed her arms.

Sammy and Brooklynn giggled at the response. Just then, Kenji came up to them and set a hand on Brooklynn’s shoulder. “C’mon party people! The fun is that-a-way.” He pointed towards the dance floor.

Brooklynn abandoned her chair and took Kenji’s hand, reaching up a smidge to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Alright, alright, we’re coming.” She turned her head and gave Sammy a quick wink.

Fueled by newly placed passion, Sammy stood up. She did a grand curtsy and extended a hand toward Yaz. “May I have this dance, my gorgeous, witty goddess sent from above?” 

Yaz laughed at the cheesiness and blushed as she took Sammy’s hand. “You may, my country strong, beautiful cowgirl…” She leaned forward and whispered, “Sorry, I’m not really good at this pet name stuff.”

Sammy chuckled in response and kissed her on the forehead. “I think it was lovely, mi diosa.”

Yaz’s cheeks were turning as red as a ripe tomato. Sammy couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She’d never seen Yaz so flustered before! It was soooooo cute!!!

Sammy pulled Yaz back onto the dance floor, catching a glimpse of the trio of girls watching them once more.

Let them talk. Let them stare. It didn't matter, not really. Sammy had her family, her friends, and she had Yaz. They were her whole world. And that was all that mattered.

[ladylooch]

Best Thing I’ll Ever Do - Lio x Savannah (Part 3)

A/N: This chapter really encompasses a lot of what you all wanted to see with Lio and Sav in this part! I am really loving the way Lio is showing up for Savannah in these parts. I just... the way he has grown, both for her and himself... it's beautiful! Courageous! Aspirational! We love you, Lee 🥰

Word Count: 4.7k

Trigger Warnings: infertility, mentions of blood, pregnancy/birth

Part 1 | Part 2| Part 4 |

Inside a bright room atop a Manhattan skyscraper, Savannah delicately arranges the ‘Oh Baby!’ sign hanging down the gorgeous, flower wall filled with roses. The wall is fake flowers, but looks so real, Savannah didn’t believe they were fake until she ran her fingers over them. The flowers are dotted with the theme of the day which is delicate little butterflies, just like the baby they are celebrating today. 

Baby Girl Wood #2 is due in 6 short weeks. Or long depending on which one of her parents you’re talking to.

“My ankles are already swelling up.” Lucie complains from where she is sitting at the bar, sipping on a strawberry lemonade. She extends her legs out in front of her, baby pink skirt hitting just below her knees. She evaluates each ankle while sipping consistently from her straw. “Oh! She loves sugar.” Lucie chuckles, rubbing over her rounded belly where the baby presumably moves. 

Savannah glances over, throwing a sweet smile as Lexi pats her daughter’s shoulder comfortingly. Behind them, Mack, the hostess of the baby shower, is adjusting the little gift bags on the table by the door, making sure they are all aligned and in place.

“Soph did too. Would practically punch through my skin when I had lemonade.”

“I can’t relate. Lio was always fighting people in my belly, I swear.” Emma adds in her two cents. Savannah smirks, turning to call towards her.

“So his punching people started young?”

“Ha!” Emma points at her future daughter-in-law. “Yes. I’m sorry.” She cringes. “I tried. Too much of his dad in him.” Emma pauses, looking over Savannah’s work. “Wow, that looks so real. I am in love with the butterfly touch. That was a great idea!” Emma walks over, inspecting it up close as Savannah steps back to be in line with her.

“Thank you! I am satisfied.” Savannah confirms, crossing her arms over her chest while continuing to look with critical eyes.

“Perfect.” Emma murmurs, then wraps an arm around Savannah’s upper back. “How are you?” Savannah turns, meeting Emma’s eyes. She can tell Lio and his mother spoke this morning. How much of her recent struggles Lio shared with her, Savannah isn’t sure. But nothing has been easy since Connor and Lucie told them they were expecting a baby. 

The heartache and immutable circumstances Savannah thought she had come to terms with no longer felt resolved. It was easy to say this was all okay, but being thrust into a pregnancy journey with someone they are so close with has changed everything. Some days, it takes everything for Savannah to get out of bed. The mere act of existing weighs on her. Lio has been so patient and understanding. Savannah isn’t sure how she is going to get out of this funk. It’s never gripped her this hard before. But she has also never loved anyone as much as she loves Lio, or planned a life with someone to this extent. 

Every step closer they take towards forever- the wedding, the honeymoon, discussing if they are going to move- it all seems like a magnifier on this gaping hole Savanna has eating through the ventricles of her heart. She loathes herself for reverting back into old habits- retreating within, staying out of the house longer to avoid Lio, and the negative self-talk when she sees mothers with their children. It’s all so immature. She should be past this by now.

In an act of asserting willpower and taking back control, Savannah offered to help Mack plan the baby shower. Emma had been helping, but stepped aside when Savannah offered her time and creative mind. Getting immersed in the world of Pinterest and all the different options for showers had been surprisingly therapeutic as long as Savannah ignored the reason for the party. 

This morning, when she woke up and Lio mentioned it sounded like Connor and Lucie settled in on a name for their baby, everything shattered inside Savannah again. She hit the wood floor, collapsing under the crushing weight of knowing she will never have this moment. She will never be able to understand what it's like to have people celebrate her pregnancy. Though she has faced this thought before today, it reopens the wound every moment she remembers.

“I’m good.” Savannah assures Emma, leaning in to hug her soon to be mother in law. Emma squeezes her back hard, fully like a mama does, and it takes several calming breaths before Savannah is sure she won’t cry from the sweetness. She cannot wait to officially join the Meier family. She is hitting the jackpot with Lio’s family. 

Not long after the flower wall is completed, guests begin to arrive. The list consists of mostly family, a few of Lucie’s college friends, and the Rangers WAGS. They all arrive together as a group, descending into the room like gorgeous runway models. Savannah smiles when they see her, offering a wave. The group grabs various drinks, then comes over to where Savannah is standing by the table of quick shower games. 

“Hi Savannah!” One of them, Whitney, exclaims. The two women hug, then she is introduced to the other three women: Gianna, Crystal, and Kyra. Whitney and Savannah know each other from a few mutual friends, Lucie included. 

“Nice to meet you.”

“Savannah is engaged to Lucie’s cousin, Lio. He plays for the Devils.” Whitney fills in for the group. 

“Oh! I know!” Kyra giggles. “ I love your content on TikTok.”

“Oh god. Thanks!” Savannah starts to blush. While she loves creating content, she feels a little awkward when she sees someone in the wild who has seen her stuff. It feels like the other person knows so much about her and she knows nothing about them. Like a one-sided relationship Savannah never knew she entered into. 

“Congratulations on your engagement!” Gianna notes Savannah’s ring. “It was recent?”

“Thank you! Yes, not long ago.” Savannah switches her glass to the other hand so she can extend her fingers out to show off her huge, square cut engagement ring. “It’ll do.” The girls laugh.

“So, when is the wedding?”

“Next summer, we are planning on July.”

“Here?” Whitney asks. 

“Yes! We finally decided on getting married here in the U.S. We were going back and forth on different places in Europe, but with the unknowns of the hockey season, it felt safer to plan for here. You know cause the cup.” 

“One day our lives won’t revolve around a silver cup.” Whitney jokes.

“Keep dreaming. They never stop talking about it, girls. Even after they win it.” Lexi says as she walks past towards Mack by the windows. The girls laugh at the former captain’s wife.

“Well soak it up! It won’t be long before everyone transitions into baby discussions. Unless you already have them?” Crystal comments.

“Oh no, we don’t and won’t have any.” Savannah clears the air. The silence that falls over the wives is awkward immediately. Savannah chews on her bottom lip for a moment, then takes a sip of her mimosa. 

“That’s nice. Kids are… so much work.” Gianna says assuringly. “You’ll be able to travel and do so much more without them.”

“Yeah.” Savannah nods, swallowing hard. All these things she gets to do that she would trade in a heartbeat for a baby. “That will be nice.” She smiles weakly. 

“And you’ll actually get to sleep at night. No late night feedings or changes or just the non-stop screaming. Unlike this girl.” Crystal murmurs, grabbing at Lucie’s forearm as she walks up to the group.

“What about me?”

“We were just telling Savannah that not having kids is the right choice.” Lucie’s face drops in utter horror. She looks over at Savannah so apologetically.

“Some things aren’t a choice.” Lucie snaps, glaring at her shower guest.

“It’s okay, Luc.” Savannah interjects immediately. The group of girls fall into confused silence. “I actually can’t have kids. I would if I could.” Savannah nods as she speaks, waving her hands awkwardly as she explains.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry.” Crystal closes her eyes and shakes her head immediately. “I should not have assumed.”

“Probably not.” Lucie mumbles, clearly annoyed. 

“It’s okay. Seriously, I’m fine.” Savannah plays it off to the group.

But after that, the party isn’t the same. Even after Lucie walks Savannah to a private corner to check in on her. 

“This is your party. Stop worrying about me! I am fine. I’m having a great time and I am hating how much of this is feeling like it’s about me. It’s about you and this perfect butterfly who is joining us soon.”

“Sav, I love you and I know you’re struggling, even if Lio keeps trying to shield your pain from the world.” Lucie sighs. “You know you can talk to me?”

“Yes.” Savannah nods. But they both know why she won’t. Lucie is currently pushing it’s little feet out of her ribs. 

At the end of the shower, Connor and Stella Wood pop in as the guests are starting to disperse. Stella bolts in, attaching to Mack’s waist immediately. 

“I saw Uncle Davey!” She announces.

“You did!? Did you keep him in line?”

“Um, well he tried to eat my pancakes, so I stabbed him with the fork.”

“Oh…” Mack hides her hand to laugh. “How did that go?”

“Not good. I had to go to timeout.” 

“They shouldn’t be giving us another baby.” Lucie jokes.

“Who is this they?” Mack asks her sister. “Y’all know what you did.”

“And I enjoyed it. Ready for more of it this weekend.” She grins at her husband who chuckles. 

“Plenty of it.” He says into her hair. “You ready? I got the car packed, bags are in there. Got Stella’s here for her adventure.” He holds up her purple duffle bag. Lucie and Connor are heading to the coast for a baby moon while Lio and Savannah take Stella for the next few days. 

“Where is my pillow!?” She shrieks, running away from Mack to her dad.

“In here. I put it on top.” He assures her. 

“Okay. Where is Uncle Lee?”

“He is at home waiting for us.” Savannah assures her. 

“Let’s go then.”

“Stella. Patience.” Connor snips a bit at her, clearly annoyed with her attitude. Him and Lucie share a look. His wife chuckles, then wraps an around around his waist.

“Okay, Stell, we are going to go. You’re in the best of hands this weekend, so please be kind and respectful and listen to the adults, okay?”

“Okay. I love you!” She bounces up on her tip toes, puckering her small lips for a smooch from both her parents. 

“I love you.” Lucie responds.

“Love you, bug. Be good. We will see you on Tuesday.”

“Yeah.” Stella nods, then swallows hard. She grips Savannah’s hand tightly which makes Sav’s heart beat stronger in her chest. Stella and her are in a great place now. It was touch and go in the beginning but the little girl has begun to cling to her just like she does to Lio. It’s the ultimate sign of love from a five year old. 

Lucie and Connor pass around hugs and appreciation to the remaining family members, then walk hand in hand to the elevator to begin their long awaited baby moon. Savannah looks down at Stella’s hand still resting in hers. 

“Should we go see what Uncle Lee is up to?” Savannah asks. 

Stella grins up at her, ready to rush across town to see her favorite person in the world.

- - -

(Lio)

The sound of the quiet crowd clapping at the Yankees game filters to Lio’s ears as he lightly dozes on his couch. Savannah is on her way back to their apartment with Stella and he is taking the last few moments of quiet to his full advantage. He pops one eye open when the crowd cheers exceedingly loud. A double. Nice. He scratches at an itch on his nose, then crosses his arms over his chest, wiggling deeper into the couch cushions. 

A faint whine is heard from the hallway. It grows increasingly louder until he recognizes Stella’s sobs. Lio bolts up, rushing over to the door to open it. His eyebrows raise in surprise when he sees his fiancé on the other side of the door. Stella is propped on her hip as Savannah is loaded down with various different bags. 

“Whoa.” He says as he takes note of the tears streaking the makeup off her cheeks. “What is going on?”

“Help me.” Savannah snaps.

“Okay.” He reaches for Stella, taking her into his chest. The little girl presses her wet cheek into his shoulder, hot puffs of hair hitting his neck with each cry.

“Ow.” She whines to him. “Ow!” She yells harder when he doesn’t react.

“Okay, Stella is hurt. Are you hurt?” He asks Savannah. 

“No. Just.. she skinned her knees.”

“Okay.” Lio grabs the bags from her left hand, ushering her into the apartment completely. “What happened?”

“I don’t know what to do with children! That’s what happened!” She throws the remaining bags in her hands to the couch, then rushes from the room. Lio stares at her in confusion. The bedroom door shuts hard and loud, making both Stella and Lio jump. 

“Uncle Lee, she’s mad at me! I said I was sorry!”

“Let’s look at you.” Lio says, putting her on the counter. He looks down at her knees, seeing both of them have been skinned down a bit. The left one has dots of blood in it while the other one has red dribbling down her calf. Stella looks down at them with him.

“Look at it.”

“Yeah. That’s not fun. But I think you’ll live.” He assures her. He scoops her back up, carrying her to the bathroom where he can work on cleaning them up. He sets her on the closed toilet, then kneels down at her knees. He wets a washcloth, carefully dabbing at them with the warm cloth.

“No, no, no, no!” Stella says, pushing his hands. 

“Stell, I have to clean it. Those streets are nasty.” Lio sighs, trying to reason with her.

“I want daddy to do it!” She says, bouncing anxiously and kicking her feet.

“How about I do this and we pick out a really cool BandAid from the Disney pack Auntie got you?” He suggests. Stella contemplates. “I bet Mulan is in there.” Stella grins. 

“Yessss!” She holds her legs out for him, allowing him to clean them off. 

“How did this happen?” He asks her, careful of her sensitive skin. He works the soft cloth over her scrapes, pressing through even as he hates her little whimpers. 

“Um, well…” She trails off, looking towards the sky. Lio knows a guilty Stella when he sees one.

“You didn’t listen?”

“Yeah.” She sighs, like such circumstances were beyond her control. 

“We talked about this.”

“Well, I wanted to go into the M&M store! My mama was supposed to take me this week and she didn’t because of my stupid baby sister that makes her feel icky and then Auntie Sav said we could go in after the shower! But, but, then she walked by and I wanted to go back and she said no.”

“And you did what?” Stella pauses, mashing her little lips together nervously. She doesn’t want to say. “Stella.”

“I ran away.” 

“Stella Wood.” Lio gets stern, dropping the washcloth down to his side. “That is not okay.” 

“I-”

“No. You need to listen. To your parents, to me, and to your auntie, especially when you’re out in public. She promised your mama and daddy that she would take care of you. She can’t do that if you aren’t behaving or using your listening ears.” A nasty scowl drops Stella’s eyebrows and lower lip. “You hear me?” His blue eyes pin her in place. She nods reluctantly. “When we are done here, you’re going to apologize to Auntie Sav.”

“But she said I could go and then didn’t take me! That’s not fair!”

“You are 4 years old-”

“-I’m almost five!-”

“Okay, you’re proving my point more. You are almost five years old and I know you understand the rules. You do not get to disobey adult decisions. You had no idea what was happening. Maybe she was trying to protect you from something. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. Maybe she had a better idea planned for you here at home. But it shouldn’t matter. You need to listen and be respectful of your caretakers.” Stella drops her gaze. Lio looks down at her brown curls, sighing heavily. “Stell, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now pick out your bandaids.” He encourages her, holding open the box for her. She picks an Olaf and an Elsa bandaid because there were in fact ZERO Mulan bandaids, which she was sure to point out. Then Lio got her situated on the couch with a movie and an apple juice box before he headed down to Savannah. 

“Hey.” He calls as he walks in. She is on her side, curled up on top of their comforter. Her head rests on her arm with the opposite hand palm up under her cheek.

“Hi.”

“I talked to Stell.”

“I overreacted.” Savannah sighs.

“She shouldn't have run off.” 

“Yeah. But I did tell her we could go into the M & M store and I was... struggling, so when we got there, I couldn’t stand another second of being out in public. That’s not her fault. Should she have run off? No, but it was an all around fail by me.”

“What’s wrong? Was.. did something happen at the party?”

“You mean did all the Rangers girls look at me like what’s wrong with her when I said we didn’t have kids and weren't going to?” Lio’s eyebrows furrow together angrily.

“What the fuck?”

“It wasn’t intentional, and no it wasn’t all of them, but it felt like it at that moment. Then I just wanted to leave and there was so much of the party left. I kept having to pretend everything was fine and your mom was being so sweet, but also kept coming up and checking in on me and it was all too much.” Lio encourages her to roll onto her back so he can look down in her face. She stares blankly back at him, almost unfeeling and disassociated from the moment. He runs his hand up her thigh to rest on her stomach. Savannah weaves their fingers together there. “Is she okay? I didn’t really get a good look but it looked like minor scrapes.”

“She’ll live. She’s got cool bandaids and apple juice.” Savannah tries for a small smile. She plays with his fingers while he looks her over more.

“Guess Mother Nature knew I would be a shit mom and made it so I couldn’t be.”

“Don’t say that.” Lio responds quietly. “I’m not okay with you talking about yourself like that. I don’t like it. You had an off day, babe. That’s it.”

Savannah doesn’t respond, but she tilts the corners of her mouth up at him in agreement. The worry in Lio’s gut continues to grow. He hasn’t seen her like this in a long time, not since Lucie first said she was pregnant. As the days grow closer to Lucie’s upcoming birth, he gets more and more uneasy. Now, with a sassy and defiant Stella in the house, he isn’t sure this is the best fit for his fiance's mental health. He loves Stella. He was really looking forward to this time together, but he needs to support his other girl too.

“Go back to Stell. I’ll be okay.” She whispers.

Lio doesn’t want to go, but Stella unattended in the living room isn’t a long-term solution. He gives her a kiss, cradling her head in his hands before heading back into the living room. Stella is in the same place he left her, juice box tossed onto the other couch cushion, mouth agape as she watches the scene unfold. 

“I’ll be right back.” He assures her with a gently pat on the head, 

Lio sighs as he steps onto the balcony. He leans on the railing for a minute, taking a breather from the chaos he just came out of. He contemplates what he should do next. 

When he has collected himself, he pulls his phone out to make the call.

“You called me not Lucie.” Mack answers the phone.

“Ah.. yeah I meant to call you.” Lio responds.

“... Oh. I figured it was the wrong button or something.” 

“No. I need a favor.” Lio says, shooting straight with her immediately. This is how they are. 

“Kay.”

“I need you to take over watching Stella.”

Loud silence comes over the phone line.

“David and I had plans that did not involve children.” A hint of annoyance is in her voice. He supposes he doesn’t blame her. He has bailed on commitments in the past. No one has been slower on accepting the changed version of Lio than Mackenzie Hischier. She’s not a forget and forgive kinda girl. He respects that about her.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, but Sav isn’t okay. I need to focus on her right now.”

“Okay. I’ll send David to come get her. She loves his truck.”

Lio smiles at the way Mack doesn’t press further and the annoyance has dropped completely. Lucie would be all “mama” with him and ask a million questions, already on her way over trying to fix everything. Not Mack. As long as you give her enough information to make a decision, she takes over with whatever is needed.

“Thank you.” Lio murmurs, closing his eyes in relief. “Sorry to ruin your plans.”

“No problem.” Mack pauses. “Are… you okay?”

“Ahm, yeah.” Lio clears his throat. “Yeah.” He repeats more firmly. 

“Okay. David should be back from his run soon. I’ll send him over after his shower. Are you calling Lucie or am I?”

“I’ll call her. Thank you.”

“Yep. Bye.” Mack clicks off first. Lio chuckles. Now to break the news to Stella.

Stella takes it well, especially when she hears about Uncle Davey coming to pick her up, but Lucie on the other hand is as concerned as he knew she would be.

“What’s wrong with Sav? Should we come home?” 

“No. I’m taking care of everything, but your daughter has this idea that I should entertain her at all times. I can’t do that and do what I need to for Sav.” Lio speaks to the phone while packing up Stella’s suitcase that was already strewn all about their guest room.

“Fair.” Lucie agrees then blows out a heavy sigh. “She just loves you.”

“I know. And I love her. But she has other people here who will take care of her.”

“Mack won’t do the bedtime routine though.” Lucie grumbles.

“I guess I should tell you I don’t either.”

“Lio!” Lucie yells. 

“Lu, what you do at your house is your business, but that is too many steps for me. She gets into pajamas, brushes her teeth and by the time I'm shutting the book she is out. That’s it.”

“How is Lio Meier of all people better at bedtime than me?” 

“Because you have always made things complicated.” Lio says, flipping the suitcase shut again and zipping it up. “Like this conversation.”

“Wow.” Lucie snips. “Okay, well sounds like you all have it figured out. I’ll check in with Mack tonight.”

“Alright. Have a good rest of your trip.” Lio places the small suitcase on its wheels, shoving it towards the door. 

“Lee?” Lucie pauses. 

“Yeah.”

“I asked Sav if it was okay for her to help with the shower, and for you to watch Stell. I hope I didn’t overstep somehow. I would never want something I did to hurt her.”

“No, Luc, you didn’t do anything wrong. She wanted to help with these things. But she is struggling more than I think she even realizes.”

“Okay.” Lucie responds. Her voice drips with sadness, clearly concerned for her friend. “I feel really bad.”

“It’s okay. You can’t fix this.”

“Neither can you.” She reminds him. He juts his lower jaw out in disagreement. 

That’s her opinion. He is still gonna try like hell to.

- - -

Winnie Wood came into the world in a chaotic c-section on a rainy, September morning. Stella had arrived at Lio and Savannah’s the previous night when Lucie’s contractions started picking up.  Despite being put to bed in the guest room, Stella ended up in bed with the adults and none of them slept well after that. Lio has no idea how Connor and Lucie can stand to sleep with her and her flailing limbs on a regular basis. 

Next to him, Savannah rests her temple on the steel of the elevator. They ride up to their place the same way they rode in the car home from the hospital: silent. Stella has been dropped with all her grandparents for dinner tonight and will be back at their apartment later tonight, then home tomorrow to sleep in her own bed with a new baby sister. 

Lio glances over at Savannah as the elevator pauses on their floor. 

“Babe?” He calls to her when she doesn’t move to get out. She startles, clearly lost in another world. 

“Oh sorry.” She sniffs, then walks out past him. He reaches for her shoulder from behind, wanting to pull her back into him to comfort her. Instead, she shrugs his touch off. That hurts. 

He sighs as silently as he can, then waits next to her as she unlocks the door. She walks in, heading immediately towards their bedroom. She abruptly stops before going in, a loud suffering sob coming from her lips.

“Lio, I’m not okay.” Savannah hiccups from the doorway. Lio rushes forward quickly to hold her. 

“I know, baby. It’s okay that you’re not.” He grabs her hand, gently encouraging her fully into his chest. She weakly grips his hand back, blinking her tears down her cheeks. 

“Oh fuck I’m so sad.” She wails, curling over at the waist. “I’m never gonna have that. I’m never going to know what it feels like to hold my baby in my arms.” She starts to cry so hard that no noise comes out of her. Lio wraps an arm around her waist, holding her up until he can guide her safely to the floor. The bed is less than ten feet away but he knows they won’t make it. He sits down next to her, then encourages her to crawl into his lap. Savannah shoves her face into his shirt, smearing black mascara all over the light blue fabric. 

“She already has a baby. Why can’t it be me?” Savannah sobs into Lio’s shoulder. 

“Baby it could be you.” Lio murmurs, feeling brave even as she falls apart in his hands.. “There are so many avenues we haven’t tried. We could try surrogacy. Or IVF.” Savannah pulls away, looking at him like he has grown three heads.

“Lee, you don’t want kids.” Her sadness pierces through the room.

“I want whatever you want.” A look of deep sympathy softens over his face.

“No.” Savannah pushes away from his chest, clearly withdrawing from him again. “I’m not doing kids that way. I’m not forcing you into IVF or surrogacy because I want this and you don’t. I’m not going back on our deal. It’s not in our cards.” Her teeth are gritted shut. She wipes her tears away, trying to get her shit back together.

“Babe, I’ll do it for-”

“Please stop.” Savannah whispers, then purses her lips together to stop the sob in her throat. Her eyes close, steady tears flowing down from her closed eyelids. Lio feels his heart crack open again in his chest. For her. For himself. For them and the things they’ll never get to experience together. He would do anything to give this to his wife. He would give up everything they have to give her a baby. But she won’t even let him try.

Heaviness fills the room between them. While she continues to turn inwards, struggling, Lio holds her tighter, gathering up all of her pieces and keeping them together until she can do it again herself.

Read more Lio and Savannah here

[echo-goes-mmm]

Silas and Wren #9

Masterpost

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Warnings: none

Note: Felix (Silas’s brother) uses they/them pronouns and masculine family terms

The doorbell rang, and Wren’s blood ran cold. Master was out, and he hadn’t been told what to do when someone came to call.

There was very little time to decide, so he summoned up all his courage and opened the door. Two people were on the step, a man and a woman.

‘Master is out, but I can pass on a message for you’, is what he would have said, but the man at the door pulled him into a hug. 

“Thank you for protecting my brother,” said the man, stepping away. 

“Uh-”

“May we come in?”

“Um-” 

“Great, thank you.” They pushed past him, and Wren awkwardly shut the door behind them. 

As they put their coats in the hall closet, Wren had the opportunity to actually look at them. The person who hugged him must be Felix, and the lady their fiancée (wife?).

Felix did actually look like a younger version of their dad, and it was eerie how similar they were. The woman was blonde and pretty. She had a diamond ring that must be incredibly expensive.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do. Master was gone, and had been for hours. Maybe he’d come back soon, but Wren wasn’t even a house slave. He had no hosting experience.

“Could- could I get you some tea, or- um-” he wrung his hands as they turned to look at him. Heat rose to his face; vampires didn’t drink tea. 

“How about you show us to the sitting room?” said the woman, gently.

“Right- sorry.” He led them in, trying his best to seem put together despite the fluttering anxiety in his chest. 

“You know,” said Felix with a little laugh as they sat on the couch, “I’ve never actually been to my brother’s house. It’s quite nice. Where is he, by the way?”

“He’s uh, out running errands.” Wren wasn’t sure if he was also supposed to sit down or not.

“Oh.” It was Felix’s turn to be embarrassed, and Wren could see the charming family resemblance. They made the same face as Silas when he was awkward.

“Darling, you didn’t ask ahead?” The lady shook her head. Sheepishly, Felix rubbed the back of their neck.

The lady turned to him and offered a smile. “I’m sorry my silly fiancé forgot to warn you, and I’m very sorry we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Elisa, and of course this is Felix.”

“I’m called Wren, but um, I guess you knew?” Wren sat down in Master’s armchair, curling into it. He tucked his branded hand under his leg. Maybe they wouldn’t notice, or at least hadn’t yet.

“Ehh, not really,” said Felix, “I knew you were living with Silas, and I know you made my father very angry, but he neglected to mention your name.”

“I’m afraid he doesn’t care much about the details of most people. He didn’t bother to learn my name for the first three months I was courting Felix.” Elisa placed her hand on Felix’s. Wren tried not to feel jealous that they had the luxury of being in love and he didn’t.

“How did you meet?” he asked, as politely as possible. People did small talk, right? 

“Oh, well,” Felix glanced at Elisa, and it was probably the wrong question to distract himself from his own longing. “I was at a housewarming party for a business acquaintance, and Elisa was wearing this eye-catching gorgeous dress-”

“Oh stop it, you,” blushed Elisa, smacking their shoulder while smiling.

“-and it was love at first sight. I thoroughly seduced her that night.”

Elisa leaned in, a mischievous glint in her golden eyes, “They spilled a glass of wine on me,” she whispered conspiratorially. “And could barely stutter out an apology. My mother was quite offended on my behalf. It was adorable.”

“Don’t tell him that bit,” protested Felix, “Let me have my fairytale.”

Wren felt himself smile a bit, despite the sick pool of envy in his stomach. He couldn’t help but be happy for them.

“How did you and Silas meet?” asked Elisa, and Wren tried not to panic at the question. 

“Oh… um…”

“It’s alright,” reassured Felix, “I am a bit curious about how my brother managed to meet a partner- especially a human- but you don’t have to say.”

“Thank you,” he said, immediately feeling guilty. He was lying to Silas’s beloved brother, and sooner or later it would come out. But the lure of pretending- he couldn’t pass it up.

“How’s he doing? We… haven’t spoken in a while.”

“He’s fine. A little shaken after his father visited, but he’s mostly okay. He worries, though.” 

Felix nodded. “That sounds like him, alright. Father is an intense man. I’m fairly certain he’s to blame for my brother’s nervousness.”

“He was adamant we didn’t invite Silas,” added Elisa. “We didn’t want to make a fuss, but it is unfortunate.”

“But tell us about you,” smiled Felix. “I’d like to know about my future brother-in-law, instead of lamenting my subpar family. Do you have any siblings?”

“Not that I know of. I, uh, don’t really know my dad,” he said truthfully. “I’m an only child as far as I know.”

“Oh… my condolences. I couldn’t imagine. I have three siblings, all older than me,” said Elisa. “It must be lonely. How’s your mom?”

“We don’t really talk. She worked all the time, and I left home pretty young,” lied Wren. It was true up to a point, but he was really talking out of his ass.

Silas was going to be furious. And his hand was falling asleep.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Have you two been together long?”

“A few months. A little fast, I know, but he’s so sweet and we just sort of happened.” Wren desperately tried to get back on familiar territory. Talking about Silas was easy.

“We can hardly judge,” waved off Felix. “Elisa and I have only been together two years and look at us! Married in a scant few days.” 

“Silas has gone nearly crazy with deciding on a wedding gift. He even asked my opinion on vampiric wines, as if I knew anything about that,” he joked.

Felix snorted. “Typical. He gets caught up in his head sometimes.”

“I’ve noticed,” he grinned. “He sent you a letter, by the way. I’m not sure what all he said, but he was, well, nervous.”

“I haven’t gotten it yet, but I’m sure I can guess. Aside from the wedding fiasco, is he… happy?”

“I think so. Or at least, happier than when we first met.” 

“Thank you,” said Felix, genuine and sincere. Guilt swirled in his gut. “Really, thank you. It was tough for him when Father tossed him out.”

“I-”

The front door opened and closed. Felix and their fiancée turned toward the doorway.

“Wren?” called out Silas, wandering into the room, “I need your opinion on-” Master froze at the scene. He dropped the package he was carrying.

“Felix?”

Felix stood up from the couch and wrapped their arms around Silas. Silas melted into their embrace. 

“I didn’t know you were coming,” he sniffed. He stepped away, wiping his eyes.

“I know, it's my fault. Sorry about that.”

“No, no it’s fine.” Silas glanced at Wren. He looked away, and Silas furrowed his brow.

“Silas, this is my fiancée, Elisa.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” said Elisa, standing to shake Silas’s hand. “Felix has told me lots of stories.”

“Oh, um, all good things, I hope?” Elisa smiled at him.

“Of course.”

“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you about the wedding,” said Felix. “It happened rather quickly, and Father, well. You know how he is.”

“Right,” muttered Silas, leaning over to pick up the package he dropped. He set it on the table beside Wren.

“To be fair,” pointed out Felix, and oh no- “you didn’t tell me about your beau either.”

“Beau?”

“You know,” winked Felix, “Partner, lover, whatever you want to call him. I never thought you’d meet such a lovely man. No offense.”

“None taken, but what the hell are you talking about?”

Wren sank further into the chair. Felix turned to him, confused, and Silas followed their gaze. Even Elisa was looking at him.

“Wren,” said Silas, and he couldn’t read his tone, “what did you say to them?”

He bit his lip, trying to keep from bursting into tears. There was no way Silas would love him after this.

“I- I just-” best to get it over with- “I just wanted to pretend for a little while.”

“I’m a little lost here,” said Elisa. “Pretend what?”

“I think I’ve made a critical error of assumption,” said Felix. “And my brother is actually single.”

Wren nodded, and he pulled out his hand, showing off his damn mark. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Felix’s eyes went wide, and they turned on Silas, snarling. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Nothing!”

“You own a person!”

“If it makes you feel better, I’m not a person,” he offered, but they didn’t seem to hear him.

“Well maybe I was just tired of being alone! Sorry you can’t understand that with your perfect life!” hissed Silas.

“Oh that’s a laugh! You think I want to be the golden child? It’s fucking exhausting! You can do whatever you want now! And I have to put up with Father’s orders all the time!”

“You can just say no! It’s easy! No! See?”

They were a scant foot away from each other, shouting and hissing, like two cats with hackles raised.

Elisa grabbed his hand. “Let’s leave them to it,” she whispered. Wren followed her out into the main hall.

“How about you show me the rest of the house?”

“Oh, uh, sure, ma’am.”

“Just Elisa will do.”

“Right, sorry.” They wandered around the house. It wasn’t much of a tour; he was too tense from the distant argument.

“They’ll get over it,” she assured him after a moment. “Felix loves their brother.”

“I’m not worried about that. I lied to you two, and made him look bad. He’ll be angry with me.”

Elisa paused, looking at one of the paintings. She traced the golden frame with a slender finger. “Does he mistreat you?”

“There’s not really a way to mistreat a slave. By definition. We’re meant to accept anything.”

“That’s not what I meant.” 

Wren stared up at the painting. It was one of his favorites.

“He hasn’t hit me, or anything like that.”

She turned to him. “You think he will?”

“No,” he said immediately. Silas wouldn’t. But there were a variety of ways to punish slaves. It didn’t have to involve a fist.

They moved from the library to the wing where he lived. 

“Tell me, what do you do for Silas?” she asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. 

“Not much,” he admitted, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge. “I just keep him company really.”

“Sexually?”

“I was sold to him for that, but he’s not interested. We just talk. Play board games and cards.” He poured a glass of juice and put the jug back. “He’s been teaching me to read.”

“Oh?”

___________________

“You of all people should know it’s not that simple!”

“Then why do you think it’s easy for me? I lost everything when Father threw me out! No one wanted to talk to me, not even my own brother!”

“I-” Felix deflated. “I’m sorry. I should have gone with you.”

“I never wanted that. I just don’t understand why you didn’t talk to me,” he said, quiet. It still ached, like a bruise on his heart.

Felix sat on the couch. “I don’t have a good explanation. Guilt, I guess? I’m just sorry, Silas.” He looked down at his hands.

Silas sat down next to him. “I forgive you. As long as I’m still your brother, right?”

“Of course. But Silas, why did you buy a slave? It’s not like you.”

Silas looked up at the ceiling. “It’s just like I said before. I really needed someone in my corner. Don’t laugh.” he nudged Felix.

“I wasn’t laughing! I might not… really get it, but if it makes you happy then that’s fine with me. Just as long as you aren’t too mean to him.”

“I would never!”

Felix snorted. “I know, I’m messing with you.”

Elisa and Wren walked into the room, and Silas immediately noticed that there was something wrong with him. Wren was lingering half a step behind Elisa, eyes trained on the floor. 

Elisa kissed Felix on the top of their head. They tilted their head to the side, a smile gracing their face.

Silas caught Wren looking, something strange in his expression before he turned back to the floor. 

They exchanged goodbyes and I-love-yous and well wishes. 

“Hey,” he called to Wren, low and calm. “Come here.”

Wren miserably made his way over. He did not sit down, instead opting to linger with his head hanging low. Silas took his hand in his own. 

“What happened? Did Elisa say something?”

“No, Master,” he whispered. “She was nice.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Wren sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “I lied to your brother, and I’m so so sorry.” Wren looked up at him, and he looked terrified.

“I’m not mad.”

“Y- you’re not?”

“No.” Silas stroked his thumb over the back of Wren’s hand. “You just didn’t want to be judged. I get that.”

Wren looked away.

“Really. I’m not upset.”

“Okay.” Wren wiped his tears. “Can I go? Please?”

“Yeah, uh, sure.” Silas felt wrong footed, like he just messed up somehow. “I’ll see you later, I guess.”

taglist: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @secretwhumplair @freefallingup13 @mylovelyme @whumpzone @paintedpigeon1 @haro-whumps @whumpthisway @fanastyfinder @extemporary-whump @susiequaz12 @keepingwhumpwiththekardashians @the-cyrulik @morning-star-whump

[anawrites3]

I want someone (not me) to write a Bodyguard!Sladick fic - but in a very specific way (I'll probs end up writing this unless someone beats me to it (pls beat me to it someone, I can't commit to another WIP))

Basically, someone kills Bruce Wayne. And not because he's batman, but because he's rich af and refuses to sell his land in Gotham (bc yk, bro can't sell the fucking batcave and all his safe houses full of Batmerch). But no one knows who killed Bruce and why but they all believe it's because they found out Batman's identity and needed him out of the way for something.

21 year old Dick Grayson, who hasn't spoken to Bruce or had anything to do with the Batfam for two years, is asked to come back for Bruce's funeral and reading of the Will. Turns out, Bruce left everything - and I mean everything; cape and all - to Dick. Dick is now The Batman, the leader of the JL, the billionaire, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and also the legal guardian of not one, not two, but three kids. Jason and Tim was understandable, but Bruce never mentioned to Dick about having a kid with Talia al Ghul of all people. In all fairness, Damian was only dropped off at Bruce's feet two months ago. (Note that I'm fucking around with the Batboy's ages. Thus, Jason is 16 (bro died young), Tim is 14(bro was crazy stalking so young), and Damian in 9(bro is just young))

The killer, however, is still at large, and is now targeting Dick, the new Prince of Gotham, and his kids. But Batman (Dick) can't get involved just yet, the Batfam don't know what exactly the killers knows about them and Batman - it's too risky. But Dick can't just not do anything. So he calls the one person he knows will keep his family safe - for the right price, obvs.

Dick has money to play with and Slade loves a good game.

Basically they make a contract that issues Deathstroke as the bodyguard of the Grayson-Wayne Family until Bruce's killer is handled.

Only, Slade comes with his own baggage (aka a 9 yr old Rose Wilson) and Dick is stuck training (aka raising) another kid. But that's fine, because Slade ends up being less of Dick's bodyguard (let's face it, the kid can handle himself), and more of Dick's bodyguard-with-benefits/mentor/business partner/mental-support-bestie/drinking-buddy/private-chef/co-parent/stay-at-home-husband/love-of-his-life.

They get very domestic in this fic. And Slade has to wear a three-piece suit when following Dick around as he plays Gotham's Billion Dollar Prince and Dick can't stop riding him in the back of the Batmobile because Slade looks waaaaay too good in a suit.

But raising kids is hard, especially when you're 21. So Dick faces a lot of challenges in this fic - like his undead brother, Jason, trying to come to terms with Bruce dying right after they started to mend their relationship, and Tim who was just recently fired as Robin after one simple mistake, and his new rage at Bruce for that and dying (he refuses to believe his dead), and fuck - the nine year old assassin and grandson of Ra's al Ghul, Damian, who never truly had the pleasure (misfortune?) of knowing his father. Than there's Rose Wilson, who doesn't really know English all that well and is dealing with the trauma of watching her mother die before her.

So Dick has to really step up - as a business man, as a leader, as Batman, and as a father.

Luckily he's got Slade, who fuck's like he fights. It tuff that Dick is quickly falling in love with Slade, and Rose, who he can't help but see as his kid, too.

Oh I love this idea so much, its great!! I would love to read it as well ahaha and I might write something 👀👀 but it's a big project so I wouldn't be able to do the whole thing

But you can let me know if you have any fav/special scene in mind (or a few 😌) and I might write it. You can also check out my commission info if that's what you'd preffer and you're able to afford it!

I love bodyguard Slade stories, I'm a sucker for those honestly haha and I love how here he's protecting not only Dick but the whole family. And its just so delicious that Dick hasn't talked to Bruce in so long and now he's thrown back into his life- but Bruce is dead and Dick has to take on the mantle and help the city and raise three kids and keep them all alive and not go crazy and-

I love that you're making it even more messy and difficult for Dick by putting Rose in the middle of it too lmao. I can already imagine all the trouble the family would have together

Slade wearing a three piece is a sight and I don't blame Dick at all 🙈🙈 But seriously, I adore their relationship in this, it's so complex and complicated. I can imagine them bonding over some whisky when the kids are deep asleep and Dick getting frustrated with what his life is now and Slade just letting him cry while holding him close AGHH SO GOOD

Thank you for sharing! Again, its a great idea and I'd love to play with it a bit if you allow me 🤗💕

[broadwaybalogna]

Final Zutara ff I’ve written so far. If you have any prompts you’d like to read! Let me know!

[Zutara] oneshot! Modern AU in which Katara and Zuko are going to prom❤️

TW: body dysmorphia

Katara knew she was pretty.

The words of past friends and family stuck with her over the years. Gawks from people telling her how beautiful she is and how lucky her boyfriend must be.

Katara understood that she was objectively pretty.

So why didn’t she feel like it?

-

Katara looked at herself in the mirror. Her long dress fell to the ground around her shoes and she studied herself. The dress itself was flawless. It was a long burgundy dress with a long slit on her left leg. It was a one shoulder dress with that flared the dramatics once it reached her chest. The dress had a separate piece of fabric that ruffled and formed into an abstract rose shape.

Zuko had chosen it.

She sized herself up, adding some finishing touches to her hair that was in a loose bun. She looked at herself again and turned to her side.

She self-consciously held her open arm over her chest. Over the years she’s spent in high school, her chest hadn’t grown any more than a B cup. She held a piece of the dresses fabric in her hand and scrunched it. She hated doing this to herself, constantly criticizing her looks. But she couldn’t stop, the endless criticisms toward herself never seemed to end.

Her stomach seemed to bulge out of the dress. It wasn’t completely flat in the dress unless she sucked in her stomach and held it. That, however, was beyond exhausting. She stood straight in the mirror and looked forward again. The small curves in her body felt overemphasized in the dress. She hugged herself as she stared, unmoving.

A knock on her bedroom door finally unfroze her.

”Come on, perfectionist! We’re gonna be late!” Sokka yelled at her, only half joking.

”Got it,” Katara replied, rolling her eyes.

Katara picked at her hair again, messing with the few loose strands to make sure they were perfect. She grabbed her clutch that was laying on her bed before staring at herself in the mirror again. She let her head fall and rubbed the back of the neck (an anxious habit she had picked up over the years).

Another knock at her door.

”Sokka, Jesus, I’m-“ she was interrupted by the door opening to reveal Zuko.

He was wearing a fitted black suit with blue accents (she chose it for him). His hair wasn’t as messy as he usually left it, but it was still maintained. Katara couldn’t help but smile at his appearance.

”I thought you were waiting downstairs?” Katara questioned, feeling a bit more guilty about her tardiness than before.

”I wanted to see you before everyone else,” he spoke, walking up to her and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

”Mmm-“ she pulled away, “lipstick”.

”Right,” he rolled his eyes. He lowered her head to press another kiss on the crown of her head. When Katara looked back up, Zuko’s face had contorted into a look of confusion.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

”Yeah, why?”

”The back of your neck is red,” he explained.

”Oh,” Katara distantly replied, slightly turning her head from him.

”What’s bothering you?” He led her to the foot of her bed where they both sat down. He took Katara’s hand in his own and she squeezed back.

”I don’t know. I guess I just…” she struggled to find the words to explain her feelings, “for lack of a better term, wish I liked my body more?” She offered an awkward smile. Although she phrased the statement as a question, Katara still felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

Zuko nodded and let out a hum.

”I think there are parts of ourselves that we all fail to understand and accept,” he finally began after a long pause. “I mean, look at me. I have a huge scar on my face but you sit next to me and tell me how beautiful it makes me.”

”Well, your face would be boring without it.” Katara lightly joked.

”The same goes for you.” At this, Katara’s smile faded. “Whatever you may dislike about yourself, I know I love it more than you could imagine.”

Katara let out a sigh. “Yeah.”

”Seriously, Kat! I mean, I love women for their personalities more than their bodies one hundred percent, don’t forget that— but literally everything about you is beautiful in my eyes. I mean, it might actually be a problem how rose tinted my glasses are when looking at you.”

Katara laughed.

”We all have things we’re insecure about, yeah. But I think the opinions that matter most are those closest to us and can best shape us to love ourselves the most. If that even makes sense.”

”it was perfectly worded.”

”Good. Now, can I please share a kiss with you on the lips?”

Katara pretended to think for a moment before pressing her lips against his own.

”Oh my god, lovebirds, hurry up. He have a reservation!” Sokka called from downstairs Katara’s bedroom.

”Right, we’re going to prom,” Zuko smiled.

“Can’t we stay here instead?” Katara complained, only slightly serious.

”We could… but the tickets were eighty dollars,” he argued.

Katara smiled and stood up. Zuko followed suit and once again, took her hand in his.

”Ready?” He asked.

”As long as you are.”

[rumbelleshowdown]

Moderator note: There will be only one fic posted for Groups G, H, and J. The other person in each of those groups dropped out.

-

Author: Rose Tea

Group: G

Prompts: Goddess. Let us sail astray. Skunk in the garden.

-

Stuff of Legends

Belle opened the massive tome, eyes darting  across the first page.  Whether she’d read this one already the little maid couldn’t recall. But some books get better each time you read them. She couldn’t count the times  she’d poured over Her Handsome Hero; enthralled in the adventures of Alma and Gideon. 

Blowing away a tiny bit of dust, Belle turned the page. To her surprise, she hadn’t read this one. It contained various legends and stories of the gods and how they controlled  every part of the realms.  

Halfway through the first chapter; however,  at the sudden  noise of footsteps entering the library, Belle paused.   Rumplestiltskin said he’d be  back at sundown. 

Then who—

“Am I disturbing you,  Miss Belle? I could go back out to the garden and explore. Only  something is out there. A skunk, I think.” 

Belle sighed.  Peering over the book, she looked into the dark eyes  of the little master. Well, ‘little’ being a relative term, as Baelfire would protest he is now eight years old. 

“No– No.  You aren’t bothering me” She replied,   giving the boy a friendly smile.  “I have been exploring a little myself. “ She gestured around the room.  “There’s enough books in here for a lifetime!” 

The boy  sat down on the floor.  “So what are you reading  now?”  He asked, face lit up in curiosity.    

“Oh? “ Belle showed him the cover.  “It’s some old stories. About the gods and goddesses. “ She  chuckled. “ I don’t think you’d find it interesting, Bae.” 

Bae shook his head.  “Could you read me one?  I like hearing you read, Miss Belle.  And I think Papa likes it as well.” 

Belle swallowed; keeping back the forming blush.  “He- he does?” She asked, quavering. 

Bae nodded.  “He told me last night.” 

Well, Belle thought,  she could at least read one.  

“Let’s see” she muttered, flipping the pages until back at the beginning.  The page showed a simple drawing of a woman in a blue gown.  “This one?”

Yes!”  Bae moved closer to hear every word. 

—----

There are many legends about this world. From  stories of the smallest ant who worked all summer, to the selkies who can change their shape, to the Black Fairy.  But none is more  beautiful than the tale of the man who loved a goddess. 

Long ago, there lived a lonely man.   No one wanted to  be around him.  And no one completely knew why: some say it was something in his eyes or how he moved.  Others said it was his attitude.  How he always acted rude and utterly callous. Either way, no one wished to come  close to him. 

The man had very few things that mattered to him.  Those being  his wife and son. With them, he felt like he had everything he needed. 

But one day, his wife grew unhappy. She wanted to  venture out into the world.  To see new things and meet new people.  

“Let us sail astray” she would beg at least once a day. 

But he’d refuse.  

Until one day,  the man came home to find his wife had done just that.  She’d  headed off into  the night  with no indication she would return and leaving their son  without a mother. 

This made the man bitter. His son was growing fast and would soon not need him anymore.  The thought of losing everything terrified him. He consulted with  sorcerers and found all sorts of magic. He wanted to try anything he could to ease the fear and hurt he felt. 

His son couldn’t bear to see his father in such a state. He wondered if something could be done to help him. 

—--

Belle caught the wide-eyed look on Bae’s face.  “Should I stop?” 

Bae shrugged.  “Keep reading. I want to hear  how it ends. “ 

—-----

He developed a talent over time:   knowing exactly what someone desired the most and how to get it. Even  if it cost their lives.  This consumed him,  making him fall further  and farther into darkness.  So deep it took him over like a huge wave. 

One  day, however,  when the first flushes of springtime came to the land,  the man saw a beautiful woman. Her eyes such a bright shade of blue, they seem to pierce the darkness  for a moment. 

He could sense something special about her and had to find out. So he  took her to his home. 

“You will stay here for the rest of your days” he declared,  “And we shall never be apart.” 

The woman didn’t like this idea at first.  Why would she want to stay with such a disagreeable man?  She hoped and prayed each day  that he’d let her leave. 

That is until  an afternoon in early autumn.  She had gone out to gather fruit for a pie  when all of a sudden, a great bird attacked her and almost carried off his son.  

 A bit later,  she heard sounds coming from outside.  What the woman saw startled her more than the bird.  That this man, who had been so disagreeable to her cared enough to not harm the bird  upon learning it had a nest full of chicks.   In that moment, she knew there must be more to him.  

—----

 “Miss Belle, this man kind of sounds like Papa.” 

Belle bit her lip as realization of what the boy said dawned on her “He does, doesn’t he?” 

—---

Autumn turned to winter.  The trees once bearing fruit now wore a layer of frost.  The house became colder, as did the man. Any time the woman talked to him,  he snapped at her. 

His breaking point came when she inquired as to the fate of his wife.   He’d yelled at her to leave, to never return.   

The woman cried a pool of tears. She  had grown to love the man in spite of everything.  As she turned to leave the house,  the man noticed something not there before.  

A brilliant glow illuminated the woman: brighter than anything he’d ever seen. The man froze. 

What he hadn’t known was the woman was a goddess; one of great beauty and knowledge.  She came  to find someone who loved  her truly  and thought she’d found it. 

As she left, she said these words:  “You have grown so cold to love that  when it comes, you can’t see it .  I loved you.  And I do hope that  one day  you will come to realize you aren’t immune to the concept. “  

—---

Marking her place with her finger,  Belle turned to the little master. “Did—--Did you like it?” 

There came a long pause before Bae answered. “Miss Belle,  if Papa is the man,  does that mean you are the goddess?” 

“I—-I’m don’t think I am.” She stood up, putting away the book. 

“But do you love Papa ?” 

Thoughts raced through Belle’s mind.  How could she answer that truthfully? 

“Do you?”  Bae repeated.  

-

[thousandyearphantombunker]

how the fuck was Steven supposed to kill the diamonds? With the crystal gems a team consisting of like 8 people? One is a human girl with a sword, another is a random technician and another is a disabled soldier? With the breaking point? The diamonds are huge and have insane powers they could use to protect themselves with ease so...and if somehow he did find a way to kill them- what would the aftermath be? What would happen to the corrupted gems? The system on homeworld wouldn't have changed, they'd still kill the off colors, they'd still be colonizing planets etc. would spinel still be waiting never knowing anything about what happened to her friend? Like what would have happened- 'oh the diamonds will probably go right back to killing people if Steven let them live and therefore Steven will be responsible for all the blood on their handa when that eventually happens, it's also unjust and toxic that Steven forgives other peoples abusers on their behalf we always let the colonizers have redemption arcs and portray the people they hurt as villains for fighting back' yeah okay, you cop Steven is a moral failure who is guilty of colonization and hes an abuse apologist who ignore the victims and demonizes them(where we watching the same show? Did we not see Steven try to help centipetle? Did we not see him break down over the cluster- could Steven had forgiven the diamonds for the sake of the victims? I do give some shit to Steven for how he acts about rose but even then he's a teenage with PTSD)-The situation also changed from 'homeworld gems are coming back to earth after the war to create a geo-weapon, they thought they won the war and didn't care about colonizing the earth anymore' to 'now they want rose quartz to hang for as justice for what happened to pink diamond' to 'pink diamond faked her death and her attempt to escape the abuse and evils of her home ended up turning her friends into monsters and her deciding to die to create Steven has led her sisters trying to drag her back to homeworld to uphold the horrible caste system' no more going after earth the way they used too, now the conflict was personal.

su's ending was bad- it felt hollow rushed and like so much happened but also like not enough was happening- it was a mess but also, su is about restorative justice and changing unhealthy family dynamics, and that's actually great. I get pissy about Steven Universe's ending-lapis, peridot, lars and bismuth were completely irrelevant the complaints i have about white diamond are the exact same ones i have about the collector (i hate them both) the movie piled more shit onto rose's bad rep sheet when it was really unnecessary and the show only portrays the perspective she was a brat which was great at the start but once you see how internalized she was and that shes an abuse victim the show should have portrayed her more empathetically, and if we wanna talk about the show as a whole- i hate that shattering can be reversed fully now and that jasper didn't stay dead as much as i love her, i hate that the show never acknowledged how toxic sadie was toward lars (kidnapping him and steven the donut prank- lars was a dick but sadie was a psycho) or how its hard to defend pearl after they made her a total creep (even if you don't read fusion as sexual its still super uncomfortable to see pearl lie to garnet like that and take advantage of something that meant so much to garnet) and i dislike that peridot lost her edge and the episode "too far" pissed me off (amethyst you encouraged peridot to be mean and call garnet a slur, pearl a braindead slave and Steven an affront to nature but when she made an accidentally ableist remark while trying to compliment you that's when it became a problem?). Su botched a fuckton of its messages and the filler was hit or miss in terms of quality and a lot the hate was Deserved (it did get uncomfortably sexual when it came to certain fusions- and rebecca sugar being Jewish bi, nonbinary etc doesn't exempt them from criticism- it felt perverted in several parts and rocknaldo was a worthless episode though if I hear another anti-Semitic take on this show im gonna flip- y'all don't know what Nazism is please stop using that word without understanding it) but I while I have my complaints about the ending I think Steven changing the diamonds minds was the only appropriate way for the show to end, the show always was about making amends or living life after the carnage had settled without focusing on vengeance/perpetuating the cycle of violence it was always about seeing nuance and not seeing you people you come into conflict with as enemies. I'm not angry at the diamonds being redeemed, I hate how it was handled, I'm not angry at the show for saying bismuth was wrong I hate how it was handled she deserved better but Jesus christ can we stop acting like the only appropriate way the show could have ended is with Steven 'realizing pacifism is bad and killing the abusers/colonizers is the only answer' because fuck diplomacy and systemic change-

also Steven is fully willing to use violence, Steven would pick up a gun and shoot to before batman or aang would ever if it meant saving his world (this isn't me shitting on those characters just pointing out Steven isn't that extreme of a pacifist) and Steven carries a lot of anger as we see in su future (whether or not you think it's a hot mess it's canon) while i don't think he hates the diamonds he definitely resents them and is afraid of then but holds back (until he ya now gats... Way worse mentally), he wants to fix the system not get justice or vengeance or make huge moral judgements where he is in the right when he hurts others- steven isn't an abuse apologist who believes him self morally superior (he actually kind of is afraid of that) he isn't afraid to use violence if he seems it necessary (he's a diplomat and his skills lie in talking things out- of course he'd go to that first) he cares a lot of about the victims of the diamonds and people who have been hurt- even if they hurt him. Steven is deeply flawed his martyr complex reveals him to be incredibly entitled and desperate to be in control and for others to be hurt or bad so he can fix their problems so he can feel good about himself and deals with a lot of guilt and by future he has developed anger issues- but he always cared about others that's why he did what he did and does what he does

[aphrodisiac-siren]

Innocence- Aemond X OC

Summary: War is an ugly thing; Something that is common knowledge to all and yet something people resort to anyway when conflicts arise. It was not something Eirlys Velaryon wanted though, nor what Aemond Targaryen wanted as well. It was a war they were dragged into, and suffering they had to endure for crimes they were innocent of.

Warnings: Smut [18+ minors DNI]

Masterlist

Part 7

"Are you quiet certain you don't want me to accompany you?" Aemond asked once again as he lazily sprawled himself on Eirlys' bed while she packed a few of her essentials. He'd offered to help but made no effort to do so as of yet "at the very least only until you're within a few leagues away from the castle"

"Yes I am certain ñuha prūmia" (my heart) Eirlys sighed as she assured him yet again for the fifth time that evening "I'm not flying to war, I'm simply making a short trip to visit my family"

"Your valerian has improved I see" the prince grinned at her and the term she'd used to address him with "nyke kessa bardugon naejot ao tolvie tubis" (I shall write to you every day)

"hae kessa nyke" (as will I) Eirlys smiled. She figured Aemond was only jesting while she was in truth being serious about writing to him, just as a form of assurance that she had reached Dragonstone safely.

"We're going to be wed soon" Aemond simply stated.

"We are" Eirlys replied.

"Are you done packing your things?" The boy asked as he leaned back into the softness of the pillows "come lie here with me"

"It would get done a lot faster if you actually helped, like how you said you would" the princess muttered in annoyance as she put away another one of her many dresses "all you've been doing is eating my ear off"

"Something else you'd like me to eat then?" Aemond inquired with a smirk as he propped himself up by his elbows to glance at Eirlys "tell me what other use I could put my mouth to"

"You're disgusting" the younger girl laughed as she reached for a cushion and flung it at him which Aemond effortlessly caught with one hand without flinching.

"Oh am I now?" He raised a brow as he placed the cushion beside himself "wasn't disgusting last night when I was in between your legs, now was I princess?"

"Alright I've had enough of you" The girl rose to her feet and marched around the bed to get to him. She held his hand and began to tug "get out"

"A-Aemond please" he mimicked her moaning and burst into a fit of laughter, looking at her with an amused expression while she struggled to pull him off the bed "yes, right there"

"Shut up" Eirlys tried to stop herself from joining him in laughter "you are the absolute worst. Perhaps I should moan someone else's name then"

"You can try it jorrāelagon (love) but I assure you, you will find the man's head who's name you dared to moan in my presence, mounted on a spike the very next morning" Aemond's signature smirk still danced on his lips but his tone was far from jovial. No, he was being serious "and then I'd fuck you senseless until the only name you can remember is mine"

"If you helped as much as you talk, I might've let you spend the night in my chambers" Eirlys taunted as she let go of his hands, knowing well enough she could not overpower him before she went and bolted the door and headed back toward the trunks she was preparing for her journey.

"Why'd you bolt the door?" Aemond asked as he sat up, still in no hopes of actually helping; shameless.

Eirlys did not respond. She simply undid the front of her dress to loosen it and then got herself rid of it before retiring her underskirts as well until she was completely naked.

Aemond was suddenly very interested in where this was headed.

He quickly got to his feet and walked toward her but Eirlys took a step back before he'd even reached her.

"You don't get to touch me until I've finished packing all my things" she smiled smugly at him "the sooner I'm done, the sooner you can take me so I suggest you quit ogling and start helping"

Aemond muttered a few profanities under his breath before he begrudgingly joined her in folding clothes, wrapping a few shoes and boxing a few pieces of jewellery and then putting them into either of the two trunks, neatly.

Eirlys was making things rather difficult for him. He noted her leaning to retrieve things that were closest to him, occasionally squeezing one of her breasts. Sometimes even whimpering softly while she brushed her fingers against her core.

However, when they were finally done packing, she slipped into one of her nightgowns and proceeded to torment him further by telling him she did not wish to entertain him tonight.

Aemond of course, would never force her to do something if she did not wish for it but he could quiet clearly see that she was only doing this to agonise him further.

He seized her by the waist, lifting her up quiet easily, before bringing her to the bed and crawling on top of her.

He once again, did not prolong his time on her neck or any other areas where the bruises might be visible. And now out of all times would be the worst considering she was on her way to see her parents and brothers.

He couldn't deny that he wanted to leaves a few marks on her neck, simply to enrage her brothers Jace and Luke but he also remembered that her step father Daemon would be the first one at his door with a sword in hand.

He impatiently ripped the dress, earning a scowl from the princess.

"Aemond-" she gasped before her face contoured into an expression of pure annoyance "you ripped my dress-"

"I can have five more made for each one I rip" he grinned down at her chest, still covered with his love bites "gods you are beautiful"

He wasted absolutely no time in devouring her and this time Eirlys made sure to keep her voice down each time she moaned.

"You're still dressed" the girl managed to say while Aemond held her legs firmly apart and tongue fucked her.

"I know" he simply mumbled, still sucking on her clit.

"Take them off" Eirlys entangled her fingers in his hair "now"

Aemond obliged. He would listen to almost anything she had to say.

Eirlys felt the blood rush to her cheeks when she saw his hard member that she hadn't seen properly yet since he was handling himself while she was sat atop a table the last time.

Aemond once again got on his knees but Eirlys stopped him.

"I- I want to please you" she meekly told him as she rose up from the bed and stood before him "but you'll have to guide me"

Aemond's heart clenched at how she looked up at him so innocently. He forgot how not-so-innocently she was taunting him only moments ago. Right now all he could see was his sweet Eirlys tenderly looking up at him with no lust but pure longing for him.

Aemond sat down at the edge of the bed with his legs spread open while Eirlys got on her knees in between them. The sight along of her meekly looking up at him with his small, delicate hands resting gently on his thighs, was enough to drive him insane.

He reached down to take one of her hands in his to guide to his throbbing cock.

"Wrap your fingers around" he instructed in a soft, tender voice; afraid that if he spoke any louder he would frighten her "now glide your hand up and down my length, slowly at first"

He let go of her hand and let her do it herself. She was nervous, he could tell so he did not make her anymore anxious by staring down at her. He simply leaned back and gazed at the ceiling while he enjoyed the sensation of her pumping him.

"You can lick the tip, and along my shaft too if yo- oh" he bit his lip the moment her tongue made contact with the head of his member.

She licked the head first before dragging her tongue from the base of his shaft all the way back up before swirling her tongue around the head, tasting his pre cum.

"Did I do it right?" She nervously asked to which Aemond responded with a hum and then laced his fingers with her free hand.

"Eirlys" he breathed out "take me in your mouth, as much as you can and then suck"

The girl took a moment to look at his length. There was no way she would be able to take all of him. She hesitantly placed her lips on the head of his cock, taking him little by little and stroking the rest of him with her hand.

It took a few minutes for her to get used to it and to set a pace.

Aemond could feel himself getting lost to the sensation. How long he'd craved for this, for her.

His other hand went to gently fist her platinum hair while he ever so slightly tightened his grip on the hand that he'd interlaced his fingers with her's.

Aemond shut his eye tightly as he bit his lip and fought back the moans that got caught up in his throat.

Eirlys mistook his silence for something else entirely, not being able to see how desperately he was holding himself back.

"Am I doing something wrong?" She asked, fearing that she was doing a terrible job. The last thing she wanted was not being able to satisfy him.

"N-no don't stop" Aemond whimpered "you feel amazing"

Aemond's hips rose from the bed, pushing himself a little more into her mouth as he felt himself getting closer with each second that passed.

"Eirlys" he moaned softly as he threw his head back, his chest heaving while he anticipated for that wave of bliss to wash over "I, I'm so close"

He thought she might pull back, only using her hand to help relieve himself but she kept sucking him off, bobbing her head up and down his shaft.

Aemond's mind went blank and his senses dulled as he felt the familiar sensation of sparks shooting through the entirety of his body.

Hot ribbons of white shot out of him and into Eirlys' mouth that caught her by surprise at first but she swallowed nonetheless, taking a moment to get herself accustomed to the salty taste.

Aemond was a mess. His throat felt dry and his chest glistened with sweat while he continued to pant.

Eirlys used the back of her hand to wipe the bit of his semen at the corner of her lips before climbing into bed with him.

"Did I do okay?" She asked, hoping that she was able to satisfy him the same way he'd satisfied her.

"You were more than okay jorrāelagon" (love) he wrapped and arm around her and pulled her close before pressing a kiss to her forehead "I don't feel like letting you go all the more after this"

~

The flight to Dragonstone was indeed a short one.

Aemond made quiet a fuss the morning of the departure, peppering Eirlys with kisses before she left her chambers.

It would be her name day a few days after her return back to the Red Keep and he kept reminding her to not prolong her stay since it had turned into quiet a ritual for them to celebrate their name days with each other. Aemond knew it was selfish, to ask her to spend her birthday with him instead of her brothers; especially since she was seeing them after years. But he did not care for them, Eirlys was his and his alone and if that made them hate him even more, so be it.

Besides, it was not their love he was after. It was their sister who his heart belonged to.

It was no secret that the prince had grown rather too attached to the princess but the extent of this attachment became very clear to her that day and in turn revealed to her that Aemond Targaryen would be a very protective yet needy husband.

The one-eyed prince kept his composure once he was within the company of other nobles at court, sending off his beloved wife-to-be with a lingering kiss to the hand and a smile.

As much as he wanted to seize her by the waist and kiss her senseless, him and her both knew that such a desperate display of affection would only create more gossip and not the good kind. Aemond didn't care, he took no offence and bore no shame when it came to showing his love to his beloved but he knew such bold gestures would only speculate rumours within the narrow minded people at court and put to question their virtues. They were both royalty in their youth, and it wouldn't be a complete surprise if it were rumoured that they both had humped one another several times. Why else would there be such affection between two people who were in an arranged marriage?

Small minded people indeed.

Ember had been spotted from afar from one of the guards at the watchtower of Dragonstone. The men weren't able to identify the dragon but Daemon, who had already marched toward the narrow bridge that served as the entrance of the castle, knew at once it was Eirlys and her dragon, and asked one of the guards to inform Rhaenyra; thus alerting the princess of her daughter's unannounced arrival to their home.

Rhaenyra did not care that she was not dressed in one of her finer dresses, she was simply in an excited rush to see her daughter after all these years. Jace and Luke too did not bother to change out of their messy clothes that were a bit muddy due to their training.

They all rushed to the entrance while Ember took his time to make his descent, circling the grounds a few times before gliding down toward the gates.

Rhaenyra smiled when she saw her daughter from a distance, who was eagerly undoing the chains of her saddle.

Her hair was long but she had it styles in soft curls, much similar to how Alicent wore her hair. Even though she did have a few braids incorporated into the style, Rhaenyra could tell that the queen had a minor influence on how Eirlys presented herself.

Eirlys wore a coral blue dress, to signify her being a Velaryon princess. Yet a few minor accents were of sage green, a symbolism of her union with the prince Aemond, who wore the colours of his mother's preference: Green.

Eirlys effortlessly got down from the saddle atop her dragon. She gently rubbed the scaly neck of Ember, muttering something to him that the others could not hear because of the distance but it seemed to put her grumpy dragon a good mood, who made it noticeable by making a low rumbling noise and nudging his head to her belly.

With one last pat to the Dragons's head, Eirlys made her way toward her family.

Rhaenyra was the first from the lot to step forward, arms outstretched and a warm smile to greet her beloved and only daughter.

Eirlys wasted no time in breaking into a run, her silvery hair flying with the wind behind her before she was engulfed into her mother's embrace.

"You look beautiful my darling" Rhaenyra kissed the girl's forehead "oh how I've missed being able to hold you"

Daemon was right by his wife's side, who greeted the girl with another hug; a shorter one, but warm nonetheless.

"You are the very image of your mother" he smiled as he pulled away to look at the girl "they shall sing songs of your beauty"

"You flatter me, step-father" Eirlys smiled at the compliment "though I am no match for my mother's ethereal beauty"

"The scrolls will certainly record how you reak of dragon"

Eirlys rolled her eyes at her brother's comment.

"Well I can now say without guilt that I did not miss you Jace" The girl smiled before she hugged her brother who simply chuckled in response.

"Luke? My! what a handsome young lad you've become" Eirlys' smile grew even more as her eyes landed on one of her younger brothers "and dear gods, you've grown taller! Almost as tall as myself"

It was true, Lucerys had infact reached almost the same height as her, a few more years and he would indefinitely outgrow her.

The boy simply smiled at her, abashed. He let the girl playfully ruffle his brown curls before she hugged him.

"Joffrey my love" Eirlys wrapped her arms around the youngest as she bent on her knees to be on the same level as him, not caring about her dress being ruined "I've missed you so, look at how much you've grown, why you're nearly man enough to wield a sword"

"Rather clear who's her favourite" Jace muttered, earning a chuckle from Luke and Joffrey sticking out his tongue at them as a taunt.

"What brings you to Dragonstone, my dearest" Rhaenyra asked as she gently tucked a few strands of hair behind Eirlys' ear.

"Have the greens finally managed to bore you senseless" Daemon snickered "if this is about you wanting to dissolve the engagement with the one-eyed prince, just say the word and consider it done"

"It's actually quite the opposite" the girl put on a smile, despite the obvious hatred Daemon exhibited toward her betrothed. She'd just visited her family for the first time in years and did not wish to commence an argument "shall we head inside? I am rather tired"

"Of course" Rhaenyra ushered toward the gates "I shall have the servants prepare a warm bath for you. We shall have a feast tonight to welcome my daughter back"

The bath was rather refreshing.

Eirlys scrubbed at her skin, gently, to wash away the smell of smoke and dragon.

The oils provided here were a complete contrast to the ones she used at King's landing.

While she usually used ones that had hints of sweet florals or fruit, here she was given ones that gave off a gentle yet spicy fragrance like viburnum, mint and cloves.

She picked a maroon dress for dinner, to match with her mother who she'd seen wearing a red gown only moments after she finished bathing.

She wore her hair down but braided two locks of her hair on either side with a black ribbon and then tied them both at the back of her head, giving it the illusion of a braided crown.

For her jewellery, she scanned through one of her many expensive and intricate necklaces for she was known to take after her mother and prefer the choice of the more finer and precious jewels that her darling Aemond was well aware of. In fact, most of her jewellery were gifts from the prince, a token of his ever growing love for her.

She picked a gold necklace that had a small yet detailed head of a dragon for a pendant. In its mouth was an even smaller gem that was as blue as the sapphire Aemond wore, another symbol of their courtship.

She slipped on a ring made from valerian steel. It resembled twine twisting around to form a loop with three small diamonds placed randomly that represented her three brothers: Jace, Luke and Joffrey. A gift from her Mother on her two and tenth name day.

Once she was happy with her appearance, she walked toward the dining room, escorted by one of the guards.

The numerous candles lit provided a dim yet warm and welcoming ambience.

"Evening sister" Jace pulled out a chair for her "allow me"

Quiet the gentleman.

Jace returned the smile his sister gave, that was quiet similar to his mother's. He was slightly envious of her, how she had been blessed with their mother's looks as opposed him him and his brothers who took after their father.

Their true father.

Though one thing did make her stand out just like the rest of them, granted hers was not as obvious.

Her eyes.

Her eyes glowed like the brightest of flames when the fires of the room shone against them just right.

She did not have her mother's bluish-lilac eyes that most Targaryens had.

No. She, like the rest of them, had her father's brown eyes.

And yet not once did that ever make her question her legitimacy. Why would she? She had never been ridiculed at court like the rest of them.

Besides, the king had once told everyone it was the Baratheon blood in her that blessed her with those doe-like eyes.

He'd said the same for the boys upon seeing their appearance. But the lords and ladies at court found it much easier to believe Eirlys' legitimacy over theirs because of how loudly their appearance resembled that of the late lord Strong.

His envy never managed to overpower his love for her though, she was his little sister.

His little snowdrop that he would protect with his life.

There was almost nothing she could do or say that could ever make the prince turn against her.

"Does our uncle give you a hard time?" Luke asked as he took his seat beside his older sister.

"Prince Aemond is one of my closest friends at court" Eirlys beamed at the boy "he doesn't do anything that might hurt me"

Lies.

He had done, once. But that was water under the bridge.

"Of course he doesn't torment her" Jace switched glances from Eirlys to Luke "that side of his is reserved only for the both of us"

"Why does he hate you boys so?" Joffrey asked innocently, not knowing that he too was on Aemond's list of nuisances.

"He dislikes us because he believes mere rumours he once heard" Jace smiled as he came up with a quick response "you needn't take anything he says to heart"

"You're lucky you take after mother and not father" Luke muttered under his breath so that Joffrey might not hear.

"Luke!" Jace scolded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Eirlys asked cluelessly "our father Laenor was quiet charming"

"No that's not-"

"That is enough" Jace interrupted sternly. It was best that Eirlys didn't know. Knowledge of such would only complicate things further.

"Did I miss something?" Eirlys turned to Jace with a playful smile "have we grown apart so much that I can't be let in on a few secrets?"

"No of course not" The older boy assured "it's just Luke being mean. Lucerys, do not talk about father that way. Eirlys is right, Laenor was indeed a handsome man"

Luke rolled his eyes at his brother's attempt at forming a quick cover up. Jace was quiet the actor and quick to come up with solutions to escape a situation.

Though his farce did not fool his sister. These boys were her blood, she could quiet easily tell Luke had begun something that was a delicate matter, at least for Jace.

She did not bring it up since her mother and Daemon walked in to begin with their dinner. But she would question them about it later.

"So" Rhaenyra took a sip of her wine "do tell, my dearest, what has brought you back home to me? It must be rather important if you decided to fly here yourself"

"Perhaps she fled the city" Luke jested "living with those vipers must've been torturous"

Daemon laughed at this but Rhaenyra and Eirlys simply rolled their eyes.

Like mother, like daughter.

"I came to announce to you all about my wedding to prince Aemond" she told them as a smile crept to her face "it is to happen on the evening of the new moon"

"So soon?" Daemon tilted his head as he looked at her with confusion "seems sudden"

"It does, yes" Eirlys admitted "but the queen sees no more reason to prolong the engagement. And I too am more than eager to be wed"

Jace and Luke shared judgmental glances discreetly. It was no secret that the boys did not like her betrothed. Why would they when he addressed them by the term 'bastards' instead of their own names.

"I would be more than delighted if mother would accompany me back to King's landing to help with the wedding preparations" she turned to look at her mother with a hopeful expression "the queen offered to help with my wedding gown earlier but I declined and requested to design it with the presence and guidance of my mother as well"

Rhaenyra beamed with pride at her daughter.

"Of course my sweetheart" she answered with that smile still dancing on her lips "I would be delighted to help with anything you may need assistance with"

"I assume you will be wed in the sept then?" Daemon asked.

"She did wish for us to exchange vows in the sept, yes, but I made another request" the girl told him "I informed her of my desire to honour tradition and have an authentic valerian ceremony of exchanging marriage vows"

Daemon too was now sat there with a proud smile similar to Rhaenyra's.

"Should've made another request to exchange your husband for a better one" Jace muttered, proceeding to make a light hearted joke "or at the very least a complete one"

"Jace" his mother's tone was sharp, almost like a warning "your sister just announced her marriage, be nice"

"Aemond is not the same boy you once tormented" Eirlys sternly told them, subtly hinting that they too were to blame for the way he spoke to them "I agree he hurled treasonous insults but all of that is in the past. He paid the price with his eye. He is a man changed and the man who I am to take as my lord husband, I urge you to keep that in mind before you say anything against him"

Everyone at the table grew momentarily silent.

They had never heard Eirlys speak so sharply and least of all as defence against Aemond.

They all got the warning.

Eirlys was not the same girl she once was.

She would not stand an ill word against her betrothed.

The rest of the evening was a lot better even though it got off to an awkward start.

They exchanged stories and filled her in on things she'd missed out on over the years and she did the same.

By the time dinner ended and she was back in the chamber of her own, she began to write her letter to Aemond, letting him know that she had reached her family safely and that the news of their marriage was taken in with great joy, for the most part.

She rolled the parchment into a scroll after she'd signed her name and sealed it with her own emblem: a snowflake.

After sending it off with a raven, she headed to bed.

She was aware the letter would reach Aemond within a few hours time and knowing him, he would write one back as soon he'd received her's; which would most likely arrive on the morrow.

With the thought of waking up to a letter from her sweet prince, Eirlys let sleep take over her as she rest her head on the pillow after such a long and eventful day.

~

It had been three days.

Well, three days and sixteen hours to be specific.

Not that he was keeping track of it in his notebook.

But Aemond was starting to grow concerned.

In the span of these 'three' days, he'd written almost seven letter to Eirlys and not a single one was responded to.

He didn't think much of it when she didn't respond to his first or second one, she must've been so tired after her journey and then busy with her family.

But in his last two letters he had mentioned his worry and requested for a reply, even if it was a small piece ripped form a large parchment with nothing but her initials sighed in a corner.

But nothing.

No response.

He thought perhaps her family did not approve of their marriage and had maybe asked her to stay with them at Dragonstone permanently. But she had mentioned in her first and only letter they took the news rather joyously, so what could possibly be the reason behind her silence?

Another day passed.

And another.

Until it was finally the day he has been awaiting ever since he'd waved goodbye to Eirlys as she soared away from the Red Keep, above the city and into the clouds.

His beloved was returning to him again.

"You are like a puppy, you know that?" Aegon commented as he stood beside Aemond who awaited with anticipation for the arrival of the princess and her mother "a needy puppy who can't go on a single day without his master"

"Another word and I will have Ember burn you to crisp" Aemond casually stated as he held both his arms behind him. His shoulders were pushed back and his posture was upright. Aemond carried himself with a certain poise and gave off a dark and dominant aura that demanded respect from everyone who set their sights on him.

If his confident body language did not do the job, his intimidating stare did it for him.

This was something even Daeron looked up to and incorporated.

Meanwhile all Aegon cared about was drinking and sleeping; with random women most of the time.

Helaena, with her queen mother Alicent and her father and her husband the king too, were present.

Viserys still felt weak with his growing illness but he wished to be present to welcome his beloved daughter and his sweet granddaughter.

The sounds of the dragons screeching reached them before the sight of the dragons did.

The majestic winged beasts made themselves visible in their own time, slowly descending from the clouds and nearer to the castle grounds.

Rhaenyra was the first to dismount her dragon, Eirlys took her time undoing her chains.

Each of them greeted the princess Rhaenyra with a slight incline of the head, as a form of paying their respects which she also returned with the same gesture.

Aemond was more eager to see Eirlys than his half sister and he shamelessly marched away from his family and walked toward her, extending his hand to help her off the saddle, that she took.

"I have missed you dearly" he looked down at her fondly.

"As did I my prince" she replied with a smile, yet not looking up to face him.

Aemond looked at her confused, none of the nobles from court were present. Why was she addressing him so formally? Perhaps she hadn't taken notice of it yet.

"It is just us, jorrāelagon" (love) he looked at her with a playful smirk whilst assuring her that it was only him and his family present "you may discard the use of such formalities-"

"I am rather tired" she told him as he walked her back to greet the rest of his family "forgive me but I need to retire to my chambers and indulge in a bath"

And with that she left him to say her hello's to the others before she made her way to her chambers at court.

Aemond was so lost as to what had happened.

Why was she being so distant? And with the day of their wedding nearing. Perhaps it was just nerves?

He would not let whatever he fought for, quiet literally, wither away so quickly.

Rhaenyra did not speak much with her step-siblings, most of her conversations were with Alicent and her father Viserys. Though Aemond and his siblings stood there with their father, mother and grandfather, a polite gesture.

The prince marched to Eirlys' chambers soon after his family had dispersed and the dragons were taken to the pit.

In truth he wanted to desperately talk to Eirlys as soon as she walked away from the others but he remained stood alongside his mother only because Eirlys had informed him she wished to bathe first.

He knocked twice and awaited her permission, which came after an interval of a few seconds.

He swiftly opened the door and walked in, taking long strides toward her.

"What's wrong?" She asked when she saw the expression he wore; a mix between concern and hurt. Her eyes darted away as quickly as they'd turned to examine him, not wishing to hold eye contact.

"That's a question I ought to ask you" he simply told her, his voice sounding a lot harsher than he intended "what's wrong?"

"Nothing I-"

"You're being so distant and it took barely a few words for me to notice something is off" he told her as he took a step closer, suddenly feeling so far away from her even though she was within arms reach "you refuse to call me by my name Eirlys! It was you who said I am your closest friend before I am your betrothed"

"I am aware" she briskly responded, unsure if she should let her disappointment show or if she should maintain her calm composure.

She wanted to tell him everything but she would not let him have the satisfaction of knowing that his negligence of her while she was away had such an effect.

That along with a certain conversation she had with her brothers had put her through quiet a spiral of emotions.

"What's gotten into you?" He finally snapped, his voice on the danger of cracking. Aemond didn't know the last time he'd cried and he certainly did not want to break down now "you don't look at me, you don't say my name, you didn't even respond to any of my letters!"

"You wrote me letters?" Eirlys finally raised her head to meet his gaze.

Her eyes softened when she looked into his, it carried such sorrow that it made her heart clench at the sight. She did not wish to be the reason behind her beloved's sadness. But at the same time, he was also the reason behind hers, again.

"I did" he sadly replied "y-you never..."

"I never received any" it was her who took a step toward him this time. Days worth of sorrow and anger vanished in a matter of seconds when Aemond told her that he did write to her "in fact it was I who wrote to you numerous times"

"I only ever received one of your letters, the one you sent on the very night you reached Dragonstone" he told her "I wrote back to you soon after, seven times"

The both of them were so confused as to how neither of their letters made it to them. Did the birds fly astray? It would be an odd occurrence for it to happen for each letter that was sent.

But who would benefit from breaking their union?

No other lord in the realm had ever approached Eirlys with the intention of courting her. Neither did any lady make advances on Aemond with hopes of being his lady wife.

An odd occurrence indeed.

One thing was clear, this couldn't be something that happened by chance.

"I was afraid you would not return" the prince sighed as he reached out to hold her hands in his "i thought that perhaps you..."

"Shh" she went up on her toes to rest her forehead against his.

She did not want to talk further about something that had put them through complete misery in the last few days. She simply wanted to be with him. To feel his presence.

To some this might seem so silly. But this was their first time being apart.

Never in their lives had they spent a single day apart so for them suddenly to be away from each other for a little less than a week, when their days since childhood revolved around each other, was rather difficult for the both of them.

She was relieved that he did not forget her or resort to ignore her and the letters she wrote. Thought it did upset her. The misplacement of the letters had put her in a rather horrible mood in the past couple of days.

She couldn't deny that it did cross her mind that perhaps Aemond had resorted to following Aegon's ways with regards to tending to his sexual urges.

A fleeting thought that she pushed away the moment it came.

Aemond would never. He had promised.

A gentle smile graced her lips when she felt Aemond welcoming her into an embrace as his toned arms wrapped around her smaller frame, pulling her cautiously closer to him.

He smelled of green apple with a hint of charred sandalwood. His smell accompanied by the sound of the crackling fire in her cozy room felt like home.

He was her home,

Her heart,

Everything.

"Change of oils" Aemond softly mumbled as he placed a kiss atop her head that he then rested his chin on "you smell different"

"Do you not like it?" Eirlys asked, knowing well that he, in fact, did.

She had carried with her some of the oils that her mother used to give her at their castle, suddenly rather fond of the spicy scented ones over the sweet ones here at court.

Dianthus and lemon balm is the one she'd picked to bathe in to drive away the smell that lingered after a dragon ride that went on for too long.

"It's a nice change" he rocked her gently "very sultry"

Eirlys responded with a soft 'hmm', a habit she'd picked up from Aemond himself. They once again embraced the comfortable silence. It offered some solace from the busy life at court.

"I love you Aemond" Eirlys interrupted the quietness of the room as she pulled back slightly just to look up at him.

After days of feeling her absence, it felt reliving to hear her say his name whilst in the security of his arms. Arms that he'd wielded the sharpest of swords with. With which he would kill for her.

He looked down at her and then a single tear rolled down his cheek, then another, and another.

Aemond never let his emotions out. He was the one who bottled it all up and never let anything show on the surface.

But with Eirlys he'd felt a sort of calm wash over him. It gave him a sense of belongingness, a blanket of safety, like you'd feel within your home.

She was his home.

He didn't know what he felt in that moment.

Relaxed?

Relieved?

Happy?

The girl's expression quickly turned into one of concern as she reached up to gently wipe away the tears.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

Aemond smiled for the first time in days as he sniffled.

"I love you"

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