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thenovelartist · 23 days ago

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Words Left Unspoken - Honkai: Star Rail fanfiction

Amphoreus, but DanStelle Series #5 - <<Previous - Next>>

Dan Heng did not call Stelle a raccoon for no reason, and it wasn’t just because of her love of trashcans. She genuinely loved exploring new worlds, picking them apart and scavenging around to immerse herself in it. Even for a nameless, her dedication was impressive. But because of the unorthodox way she integrated herself into new worlds, she frequently ended turning up trouble.

Dan Heng knew this. He was prepared for this.

… but he wasn’t. Not really.

It had been several weeks since they’d first crashed on Amphoreus. The first two weeks in particular had been filled with fights and chaos, resulting in them getting so beaten up that the most trouble Stelle and Dan Heng were able to get into on their lonesome was losing a piece of the game Dan Heng was teaching Stelle to play. Though she engaged and was quite good at it, he could tell she missed her video games. He noticed the melancholy way she’d tap at her phone and once hear her mutter something about a log-in streak and missing out on premium currency.

When they had recovered enough, Stelle decided to head out and explore the town in her usual odd way. Dan Heng had given her the normal ‘behave yourself’ warning, sending the smiling girl off while also knowing she would find some trouble to dive into. Prepared for the inevitable chaos, Dan Heng thought he would be content to sit back and find things to read.

Instead, every incident—and they were shockingly frequent—grated on him more and more.

There was a rather scary incident involving her passing out in the bath. Someone mentioned she’d sparked a Holy Candle to light, the backlash of power knocking her out. He’d had to carry her back to their room. As he did, rumors of other strange sightings around other Holy Candles reached his ears. When Stelle woke back in their room, she told him of her self-imposed mission to spark the broken lights back to life and the weird things that happened as a result. He’d had to warn her to stop messing with divine structures.

Next, Stelle found herself in the center of a marketing scam. Apparently, some swindlers were attempting to sell so called ‘unbreakable’ war equipment, which Stelle had decided to very thoroughly test out. Her test soon became a massive spectacle as she revealed the products for what they were. In terms of trouble she could find herself in, Dan Heng considered it benign. Yet, he changed his opinion when people began searching her out for both assistance in verifying quality weaponry and testing their wares. Dan Heng was growing rather weary of shooing people away from their door. She wasn’t even in half the time, anyway.

After being swarmed as frequently as she had, Stelle had decided to stay inside for a bit. Dan Heng had been relieved at her choice, thinking she would be getting into substantially less trouble. Instead, she managed to find it anyway. A certain bath salt concoction had practically knocked Stelle out in the bath, and when she’d come back to her senses well over an hour later, she’d talked at length of the voices she’d heard under the influence of the salts. After concluding Stelle didn’t just randomly find these salts, Dan Heng had interrogated the front desk sales lady about just what they were selling at this bath.

Even after Dan Heng had decided to stick by her side to prevent her from getting into any more trouble, the chaos still lingered. Such as her fascination with a lyre in the main hallway of Marmoreal Palace leading her to ask if he’d use his water powers to play it. Or following her up and down an elevator five times trying to collect a butterfly. He still remembered the weird looks people were giving them with each round, looks Stelle didn’t even seem to notice whatsoever.

He didn’t even know how she found things like this, but one thing was for certain: he was just so very done with everything.

And worse yet, Stelle knew it. He knew she knew it. The stories she’d tell of her daily adventures were growing less animated, and her smile was growing more strained with each random tablet or scroll she presented to him. The last one she just left on the table, not even bothering to inform him.

The ever-present sun made it hard to tell time here. He had to check his phone to confirm it was morning. Early morning. Setting it back down, he looked toward the other side of the bed where Stelle was still asleep, her back toward him. Yet another thing he’d noticed: her teasing comments of sharing a bed had died down. They’d simply settled into the bed consisting her side and his.

From a practical standpoint, this was for the best. However, he couldn’t help but feel that even this viewpoint proved the growing rift between them. It broke his heart. Their relationship, though unexpected, was too new and tentative for it to be treated this way. He knew it was because of him. The stress of everything had finally caught up, making him far more irritable than he’d expected.

And he was taking that frustration out on the person closest to him.

He hated it.

He hated everything.

Considering it was early, the palace should be quite empty. Maybe it would do him well to go for a walk and clear his head before things got too busy. Remaining shut in their private room all day wasn’t good for his head, but neither was navigating the throngs of people in an unfamiliar city.

Dan Heng leaned over Stelle and gently resituated the tangled blanket over her. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, not wanting to wake her but also feeling guilty for disappearing without saying a word.

Though she didn’t wake, she did respond to his touch at her waist, settling deeper into her pillow while the corners of her lips tugged upward.

His heart squeezed at the sight. It was a small but real smile, not strained or forced or pretending everything was as it should be.

It made him feel more like a lout.

“Sorry,” he whispered so quietly that he could barely hear it. Then he slid out of bed.

After getting dressed in his patched-up clothes, he headed out the door. Just as he’d suspected, the palace was quiet this early, only a scattering of people hanging about instead of the throngs that clogged the hallways mid-day.

He found himself at a place that faced Kephale’s statue, holding up the world. He understood that titan a bit, for he too felt like all pressure was on his shoulders. As both an exile and long-lifed species, there had always been a part of him that knew the Astral Express crew would not last forever and he would need to adapt to the inevitable change. Yet, now that he was apart from it, unable to contact them and uncertain how to even attempt to do so, he felt uncomfortably alone.

Honestly, he didn’t know if having Stelle at his side made things worse or better for him. He wanted to think that if he was alone, then he’d just accept his fate as an exile once again and start off anew just as he’d been forced to do so many times before. It probably would have hurt far more than any of the other shifts, but he’d have gotten through it. Stelle at his side meant he wasn’t alone, hence his past way of dismissive thought was not an option. It kept him tethered to home. As much as he cherished that, it also meant he was responsible for getting both of them back home, something he didn’t know how to do. The world felt like it was tilting on its axis, and he didn’t know if he was going to be able to keep it up.

If only he could find some information to point him in a direction off this planet. Yet, there had been nothing. Up beyond the sky, he had to wonder if Himeko was trying to find a way to get in contact with him. What if he just needed to be in the right spot to receive it? Or what if March had taken a turn for the worse and they’d had to leave to seek medical assistance? What if they had left early on and had yet to return? He wouldn’t fault them for doing so.

He just hoped that they hadn’t left forever.

Dan Heng took a deep breath. Every time he went down this spiral, he forced himself to stop, knowing that there was no use in worrying. He and Stelle would do their best down here, and the Astral Express would go on fighting for them in every way they could while balancing whatever was happening with March. Only after they’d exhausted every possible avenue would they surrender. He had faith in them.

But the thought still made him sick.

“The world seems to be weighing on your shoulders, Master Dan Heng.”

He turned to see Aglaea walking up to him. He hadn’t heard her coming. Had he been that absorbed in his own thoughts? “It is, in a way.”

“Is there anything I can do to assist?” she offered. “You two have been nothing but a help in our journey. I’d be remiss to withhold aide when you are in need.”

“It’s… personal,” Dan Heng dismissed.

Aglaea didn’t seem convinced. With a wave of her hands, a slew of golden threads appeared around him, one even reaching out to weave around his left hand. The gold of his wedding band glittered amidst the glowing gold threads.

“Marital problems?” she inquired.

Dan Heng felt his muscles tense. The unease of these golden threads being the same ones that had previously bound him settled deep in his stomach, twisting it so tightly he felt as queasy as when he drank Himeko’s coffee.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Aglaea appeased, removing the threads from his hands. “My web was already established here before you walked into it. I could feel everything before you said a word.”

He pursed his lips, glancing away. Right, he forgot that Aglaea had this city in a chokehold. It was disconcerting. Yet another stressor to add to the pile.

“I understand you may not want to talk about it, but the threads of fate tying you and Stelle together seem to be experiencing some strain. Not common among newlyweds.”

“It’s not her,” Dan Heng confessed, deciding it best to be honest. He didn’t know how feasible it was to lie to Aglaea nor was there any reason to at the moment. “It’s… everything else.”

“That may be, but ‘everything else’ can easily tear a marriage apart if couples allow it to pile between them.”

He looked at his feet. That was sound advice. The problem was just how was he supposed to fix it?

Aglaea hummed, the remaining threads vanishing with just a wave of her hand. “Join me for tea, will you, Dan Heng? I originally intended to send for you and Stelle when you both awoke, but since she is not here, we can visit a bit before she arrives. Maybe I can pick your mind about the world beyond the sky, and you can pick mine regarding the answers you seek. Removing your fears would be one less ‘everything else’ between you and her, no?”

The woman did have a point, and Dan Heng would appreciate answers. Yet, he found his gaze drifting toward where he came, the direction of his and Stelle’s private chambers. “I was planning on getting breakfast for Stelle.” It was a weak idea at best. It would hardly fix the rift between them, but it would be a start of… something. Stelle was quite receptive to food, after all.

“Allow me to send someone to collect something for the both of you. I’ve spent enough early mornings awake to know which places offer the tastiest breakfasts.”

She wasn’t allowing any excuse for refusal, meaning Dan Heng had no reason not to accept. Maybe it was better this way, to get all his thoughts in order before facing Stelle in the first place. The sooner they solved this, the sooner Stelle would return to her normal self, unreserved grins and all. “Then I thank you.”

~~~

If Dan Heng had thought the morning would get better, he had been sorely mistaken.

“I think it’s for the best if we split up,” Stelle said.

And he was not happy about it.

“Why’s that?” Dan Heng challenged, his tone too firm for his liking. Currently, they were standing off to the side of the heroes’ bath, the Chrysos heirs waiting on their deliberation. One Dan Heng had insisted they have when Hyacine had offered to take Stelle to the grove and Stelle had suggested she go without him. “We’ve faced so much trouble that I’m hesitant to separate for so long. I’m coming with you to the grove.”

Stelle’s expression twisted in uncertainty. “But Hyacine offered you a bunch of texts on this world, right? She says she follows the sky titan, so if anyone has information that would lead you to an answer, it would be her.”

She wasn’t wrong. There was a part of him hesitant to give up that information, but Stelle and her safety were more important. They always would be. Leaving her to go alone, even though she was capable, made him feel uneasy.

“So it’s settled.”

“It is not,” Dan Heng disagreed.

Hesitantly, Stelle reached for Dan Heng’s hand, holding it in both of hers. “I think we need a break.”

His mind went blank.

Unable to hold his gaze, Stelle’s eyes dropped to the ring on his finger. She began toying with it, slowly twisting it one way, then the other as she rubbed her fingers over it. “You’re getting really stressed out because I’m not giving you enough quiet time, right? And you’re not happy with anything I’m bringing you to read. I think some time apart would be good.”

His gut was twisting into knots, a cold dread sinking into his bones. An icy sense of isolation was creeping up on him, and this was one of the few times he could recall that this fear truly scared him. He laid his free hand on top of their hand pile, clinging to her tightly as he took a half-step closer to her. “It’s not because of you. I’m just worried about everyone else, and even if we can’t find a way to escape quite yet, I at least want to get into contact with them. I just… I haven’t found a way to do that yet.”

Her lips pursed half twitching up into a sympathetic smile. “I am, too,” she softly confirmed. “I’m worried about March and if she’s okay. I’m worried that not even the memokeeper knew that this would happen or how to fix it. I hope everyone is managing up there. But… I feel like… you’re bothered with me, too.”

The weight of his regret struck him in the chest. His actions had come back to bite him, but he wasn’t just going to take the consequence lying down. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s not fair of me to be harsh on you. I want to fix this, and I know you’re counting on me, but I can’t do anything.”

“I know,” she said. “But that’s why I think it’s better this way. I’ll go explore, which will leave you with enough quiet time to read to your heart’s content without me being a distraction. Besides, we’re trailblazers, right? We can cover more ground this way so that we really solve the fuel problem when we get back home.”

For the first time in a very long while, maybe ever, Dan Heng was faced with the strange reality that Stelle was being the logical one while his emotions were running rampant. “I still don’t like it,” he protested.

“I’ll be fine,” Stelle assured, forcing a smile that wasn’t nearly as bright as it should be. “The black tide isn’t there, right? Besides, with Castorice, Trianne, and Hyacine, it really makes it whole ‘girl trip’ thing. You’d ruin the vibe.”

Though she meant it as a joke, it felt more like a barb. It punctured his resolve, and he felt his will to fight deflating fast. With a sigh, he tightened his hold on her hands. “Fine,” he relented. “Promise you’ll be safe and behave.”

Finally, a little haze lifted from her golden eyes. It made him wonder if this really would be good for both of them. “I promise.”

~~~

On the day of their parting, Dan Heng had told himself he would send her off with a smile and a word of luck instead of a wish she didn’t leave. It was hard to bite back the words he wanted to say, his regret warning him that this was all because of his actions.

Much to his surprise, instead of simply returning the sentiment, she presented him with a book.

“It’s a notebook,” she said. “Your other one is getting full, right? And I know you prefer paper and pen instead of typing down notes. With all the reading you’ll be doing, this should last you until I get back. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find the things you’re looking for.”

He held the book in his hands, looking down at it with awe.

Stelle stepped away, grabbing a new bag packed with some clothes for the travels. She’d picked it up at the market yesterday when she went shopping with Tribbie and Hyacine. She must have gotten the book as well.

“Thank you, Stelle.”

She walked toward the door, putting more space between them. “I’ll see you in… a week or two, okay?”

“Have a safe trip.”

With a nod, she headed out the door.

The moment the door shut, he felt himself deflate. He should have said more. Should have told her… what, exactly. Something. Something more than he said.

Frustrated, he dropped the notebook down on the pile of new research material piled on the table in their private chambers. Hyacine had not held back with information, which was wonderful, but he didn’t have much interest in reading at the moment.

Absently, he flipped through the journal, looking over the faintly lined pages as they rolled past. When he flipped through them all, he almost dropped the cover when a black scribble caught his eye. There, in the back of the front cover, was Stelle’s messy scrawl.

Enjoy your research! But don’t skip meals and be sure to get out for a walk every now and then. Take care!

His heart clenched as he ran his fingers over the lettering. Even after all he’d done to push her away, she was still showing how much she cared for him.

He was a terrible person. Stelle didn’t deserve to be the target he took out his frustrations on. Yet, that’s what he’d been doing, however unintentional.

Leaning against the table, he hung his head, his eyes scrunching shut in shame. More importantly than delving into research about the sky, he needed to analyze his own attitude and figure out how to fix it so that when Stelle returned, he’d be able to give her a true, proper apology. Not to make himself feel better or to get rid of the guilt but instead because he realized, far too late, that he loved Stelle. And no matter the state of their relationship—be that friends, lovers, or truly married—she deserved better from him than this.

~~~

Dan Heng was growing tired of her.

No, she needed to rephrase because for the first time, that sentiment genuinely stung. Dan Heng was growing restless because he wasn’t getting enough quiet time, and her antics were beginning to put him on edge.

Ugh, that still stung.

She hadn’t expected this to hurt as bad as it did. Before they’d crashed on Amphoreus, Stelle was used to Dan Heng giving her that one particular sigh. The one that held a touch of a warning growl within it, begging for an escape from her and March’s antics before he lost his mind. Previously, she’d just laugh it off while she sauntered away, knowing that it was time to give Dan Heng his space for a bit. But things had changed drastically. That particular sigh now set her on edge and made her feel guilty for offending him. At first, she’d tried to brush it off the same way she would have on the Astral Express, but it was getting much harder to do so. Was it because they were a couple now? Was it because she wondered if he was rethinking everything concerning their relationship?

“Mem?”

At the strange version of her name, Stelle looked up to see Mem floating beside her, their little gaze concerned.

“Are you okay?” the creature asked in the voice only Stelle could decipher.

No. She really wasn’t. But she didn’t know how to begin telling the truth. “I’m fine,” she lied.

Mem didn’t look convinced. “You’ve been sulking this whole time. And when you left Dan Heng, you looked sad.”

Great, she couldn’t even lie about it. “It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

From up front, Trianne harrumphed. “That means you’re not fine.”

“I am.”

“Puh-lease. Little Gray hasn’t been her normal self since we left.”

Even Castorice gave Stelle a look of concern. “If anything is bothering you, we’d be happy to listen.”

Stelle heaved sigh. Wonderful. They all knew.

“See?” Mem said, little hands on their hips. “I knew it was something.”

It was, but… where did Stelle even begin. Oh, you know how Dan Heng and I are married? Well, it’s all a sham and now I’m worried he’s going to dump me because he realized that I’m too annoying. “It’s difficult to describe.”

“We still have time before we reach the grove,” Castorice assured. “And if it’s bothering you that much, then we want to help in whatever way we can.”

“Agreed!” Mem chimed up.

“That’s what we’re here for!” Trianne concurred.

Stelle took a moment, trying to figure out where to begin and how to cover her lie. At least Aglaea wasn’t here. It would have been impossible to lie to her, and she would have sussed them out with those golden threads of hers. Stelle still didn’t know how she’d managed to fool the woman before, but she highly doubted she’d be able to again. “It’s… marriage stuff.”

“I knew it!” Trianne said. “You and Dan Heng have been acting weird lately. Tribbie said you looked kinda sad, and Hyacine said you two had an argument.”

“It wasn’t an argument, Trianne,” Castorice chastised. Yet, there was a hint of uncertainty in her tone.

Aeons, Stelle had been delusional to think she’d hid this even remotely well. She covered her face with a hand.

“Sorry,” Castorice spoke. “We didn’t mean to offend.”

“It’s not that. It’s…” Stelle shrugged, fighting for words. “We’re both just stressed out, but I feel like I’m the one stressing him out, even though I know that’s not the case. At least… I don’t want to think that’s the case. He’s trying so hard to find out how to get back home or just contact our friends, but he hasn’t been able to find anything yet. And we’re both super worried because one of our closest friends was really sick when we left, so I’m trying to stay out of his way, but it seems like I can’t do anything without him finding out and getting irritated by it, which makes me feel like I’m the problem and I don’t know how to fix it because if I stay out of his way to give him the personal space I know he needs, I cause more problems for him, but even when I stay inside and out of trouble, I’m still causing problems for him. And one of these times, I swear he’s just gonna realize he made a mistake and dump me.”

Once the words started coming, they just didn’t stop, growing more and more passionate as she rambled. By the end, her heart squeezed so tightly in her chest she felt like it was going to squeeze out tears.

Mem touched a paw to her shoulder in support. Castorice looked like she wanted to do the same, her hand hovering in the air before she froze and tucked it close to her chest, ducking her head.

Trianne frowned, her wings falling slightly. “H-hey,” she stuttered out, trying her hardest to push happiness into her voice. “Dan Heng’s not gonna dump you. Trianne has seen lots of couples over the years. We’ve seen a lot of couples fight, and we’ve seen a lot of couples in love. And you and Dan Heng are definitely in love.”

“I agree,” Castorice spoke up. “It’s clear to me that Dan Heng cares for you very much. I don’t think he’s going to divorce you.”

“I don’t want to think so, but…” Words died in her throat as the tears she’d managed to hold back finally fell. It took a moment to get her bearings before Stelle wiped them away with her gloves. “S-sorry,” she muttered.

“It’s okay,” Castorice assured. “Let it out. It will only hurt more if you hold it in, pretending to be strong.”

The tears came harder, and Stelle turned away, scrubbing at her cheeks as though that would make the tears disappear. “I don’t want to fight,” she said, her voice warbly. “I hate it. I hate all of it. I just want things to go back to the way they were.”

Mem snuggled against her shoulder. “They will. It’s okay.”

“I… I really love him.”

The words rolled so easily off her tongue. She knew that fact, of course; she’d loved him for ages. Even early on, she’d been drawn to him, but the more she learned about this weird library hermit, the more she found herself fascinated by him. Underneath the cold exterior, he was kind and protective and observant and wise and patient and so many other little things. Stelle could compare him to a garbage can: easy to overlook, a little beaten up on the outside, but full of interesting things the further down she dug. She didn’t want to stop.

And now, her favorite can had a padlock on the lid that she couldn’t lift and didn’t have the key to. It was really destressing.

“We know,” Castorice assured. “And it’s obvious Dan Heng loves you, too. But all couples fight, especially when they’re under so much stress. It must be really hard for you to worry about your friends while also navigate a new place like this.”

“Yeah,” Trianne concurred. “Trianne would be really sad if she couldn’t contact Cas or De or Snowy out of the blue.”

Stelle nodded. “I really just want to know March is okay. It’s been so long…” The camera at her back seemed to weigh twice as much as when she’d started the journey. “She has to see all the pictures I took for her. Photography and collecting images of new places is her favorite thing. She has a whole wall that she organizes with different pictures she’d taken of our adventures. It’s impressive.”

“You two sound really close,” Trianne commented.

“She’s like a sister to me. And Dan Heng. None of us really knew what was wrong because it’s not like a cold that you get over. It had something to do with being close to Amphoreus and a past she can’t remember. Her powers were acting up and…” Stelle shrugged. “Even the most knowledgeable member of the train couldn’t put any pieces together.”

Thinking about it, maybe she shouldn’t be divulging all this information to the Chrysos Heirs, but on the other hand, it felt nice to actually talk about it. No secrets, no dancing around the subject, no pretending nothing was bothering her so as not to upset someone else.

“But Dan Heng and I had to come here because we have to explore new places to fuel our train or we’ll be stuck without any place to go. As long as Dan Heng and I are here, the Astral Express can keep going, but we don’t know how they’re doing or if they’re okay. And they’re probably freaking out that they can’t reach us. Welt isn’t going to sleep, and neither is Himeko. Akivili knows Pom-pom is probably going to sweep the carpet so much it will start falling out but they won’t be able to stop their nervous habit. Then Sunday is probably going to feel uselessly awkward with everything because he’s so new. I guarantee this was not what he signed up for when he agreed to travel with us.

“Then Dan Heng…” She rubbed a stressed hand down her face, pressing her fingers over her eyes in hopes the tears would stay in. “He’s trying so hard and he’s going to run himself into the ground fighting. And I admire it so much, but he just needs to stop. I can’t stand him hurting himself like this, and I can’t do anything.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Trianne came over to hold Stelle’s hand. “If we could open a century gate to your friends,” they said, their normal jovial voice calmly sincere, “we would. But… we can’t.”

Stelle squeezed their little hand back. “Thanks, Trianne. If only it were that simple.”

“I have an idea, though. We should ask Agy for help. She would know—”

“I don’t want to bring Lady Aglaea into it.” The image of Dan Heng came to mind, struggling against her golden threads the last time anything related to the sky escaped into the public. She found herself rubbing on her own wrists.

Ashamed, Castorice quickly looked away.

Propping her hands on her hips, Trianne frowned at being so quickly shot down. “I know Agy went a little overboard, but you two are our helpers from beyond the sky. Surely she would know something.”

“Lady Trianne,” Castorice cut in. “I… think it’s best we listen to Stelle’s wishes.”

“Ughh, fine. If you say so, Cas. I still think that’s the best way, but…”

“I’d prefer not,” Stelle reiterated. She then shot a smile at Castorice, silently mouthing her thanks.

It was enough to ease Castorice’s sullen expression.

Having been quiet for this long, Mem flew in front of Stelle. “Dan Heng might find something in his new research! He has a bunch of new books, and you left him that notebook to put all the interesting new things in.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Stelle reluctantly agreed, swiping away the last of the damp tear-trails from her cheeks. “We’ll just have to hope, right?”

“And,” Mem continued, “with all the quiet time, he’ll be happy when you return!”

Stelle scoffed. “Maybe. A girl can hope, right?”

“Hey! What did the little rabbit say?”

Huffy, Mem put their hands on their hips, shooting Trianne a glare. “I’m not a rabbit.”

Stelle translated, “That Hyacine gave Dan Heng a lot of new information and that he might find something.”

“Oh yeah,” Trianne spoke. “He’s very studious, always asking questions. We tried to give him information, but not even we know everything. Maybe Hyacine could help since she follows Aquila. Or maybe he’s already asked Agy for help.”

“See?” Castorice said. “There’s hope on that front.”

Stelle made a show of crossing her fingers. “As long as he’s not still mad at me.”

“Why would he be mad at you after all this time?” Trianne asked. “You’re worrying over something so weird.”

Stelle’s brow furrowed. “You think?”

“Yeah. It’s hard to stay mad at someone you care about for that long. When Trianne makes Tribbie or Trinnon mad, we fight for a bit before we get sad and apologize. And then, we go back to being happy. We can always fix our mistakes.”

“Lady Trianne has a point,” Castorice agreed. “We’ll be gone a while longer, but when you return, both of you can talk about what’s bothering you. I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”

Stelle pursed her lips, uncertainty still haunting her. “I’d like to think so. I just don’t know how to make things better. The only thing I knew how to do was leave him be for a bit. I just…” She felt for her ring under her glove, squeezing it as though it would bring her comfort. “I don’t like how we parted.” Weren’t married couples supposed to send each other off with a kiss and a smile? Because there hadn’t been much of either, and the air had been too cold for her liking.

“You should tell him that when we get home,” Castorice said.

“And say you’re sorry,” Trianne suggested. “For whatever is bothering you. Even if it’s not the right thing, then he’ll tell you what’s bothering him. That’s how Tribbie is when Trianne doesn’t apologize for the right thing. Like if Trianne ate something Tribbie wanted, but Tribbie was upset because Trianne left a mess in the kitchen!”

With an amused smile, Castorice shook her head. “Maybe you shouldn’t have done either.”

“The point is that Trianne wouldn’t have known if Tribbie didn’t tell her. So Little Gray and Dan Heng just have to do the same thing! So, cheer up, Little Gray. Things are looking up!”

Were they? Stelle felt like she was lost in such dark turmoil that their solution seemed almost too easy.

“Though Lady Trianne’s assessment may sound simple,” Castorice added in, “I also agree. You may have needed this time apart so you can both come back together with a clear head. Although… this trip might be longer than both of you need. Maybe it would be best to think not about what went wrong, but rather how to approach correcting it. You might have Mem, but I don’t think this is a case where you need to change the past. It would be more worthwhile to look to the future.”

“That’s right!” Trianne said. “You and Dan Heng are newly married, right? This is what Agy means when she says people have to build their relationship. She says couples who want to last forever have to build Pragma. That’s a type of love where two people compromise and communicate so they can find balance in a life-long relationship.”

“Oh, right,” Castorice said. “I forgot. Aglaea does talk about that kind of love being the backbone of a long-lasting relationship, but it’s built slowly over time.”

“Yup. So that means Little Gray and Dan Heng just have to work through this so that they’ll be able to fight off other miscommunications in the future.”

Their words were filled with hope and promise, so much so that even Stelle could start to believe it. Besides, they did have a point. Though she and Dan Heng might not be married, they were newly dating. Hitting rough patches was normal, right? Just as Trianne suggested, Stelle would just have to adapt. She loved Dan Heng, and she wanted this to work. If this pragma stuff really was real, then that meant she and Dan Heng would have to talk and find a compromise, right?

Then she swore Himeko’s voice popped into her head, mentioning the art of a deal and how sometimes, to get what you want most, you have to be willing to give a little bit more than you take. No doubt, that applied here, too.

Taking all the presented advice, Stelle decided that when she got back to Dan Heng, she should lead with an apology then follow it up with some action. As for what actions she should take, she didn’t know yet, but as Castorice mentioned, there was still many days of travel ahead of them. Stelle had plenty of time to reflect on what needed to change so their fledgling relationship wouldn’t crumble before her eyes.

~~~

She didn’t realize just how happy she’d be to be back in Okhema. She and Dan Heng had previously discussed the similarities of this black tide with stellarons, but now Stelle felt as though she’d confirmed it. Seeing the corruption of the black tide was horrific, but worse yet was being able to see the memories of those who died. She felt like she was back in Belobog, navigating the fragmentem and leading ghosts of the deceased out of their turmoil and into their eternal rest. But there was no helping these people. She could only see the horrors, not offer any comfort.

Then, there was the Reaver… Trianne…

An ache settled deep into her bones, but she couldn’t collapse yet. Anaxa had asked for time before they escorted him to Lady Aglaea. He felt it his duty to inform the families of his former co-workers that their loved ones had passed on.

Stelle didn’t object to his request. They deserved to know. Thankfully, Castorice felt the same.

The duo followed the professor around as he searched out specific families, standing behind him as Anaxa broke the news over and over again. Parents who lost their daughters, sons who lost their fathers. Those broke Stelle’s heart.

But the words of Anaxa’s last visit made her physically ill.

“I’m sorry, your husband has passed.”

Stelle didn’t hear the woman’s reaction. The world disappeared around her as she grabbed her left hand, feeling for the ring hidden under her glove and pressing her fingers tight against the metal band. If things had gone even slightly different, if Trianne hadn’t opened the gate in time, if they hadn’t been able to escape the Reaver, if this… if that…

Would someone be knocking on Dan Heng’s door, speaking those words to him?

She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

The ache in her bones doubled under the immense weight of longing, guilt, and heartbreak. Her and Dan Heng’s icy parting echoed in the forefront of their mind. What if that would have been the last time Dan Heng saw her alive? He never would have known how much she regretted how they saw each other off with distance and awkwardness. He never would have known just how sorry she was for everything she’d done to add stress onto his shoulders.

He never would have known that she loved him.

Those were words she’d wanted to tell him for a while. Not in passing or for show or in jest, but earnestly. She had loved him long before they’d started dating, but she’d hidden that fact until now. At first, it was because she hadn’t known whether he felt the same way about her and didn’t want to make things awkward between them. But then, after they’d became official, she’d withheld that information because she’d worried it was too soon. That she’d scare him off, or worse yet, that he’d brush those words off as insincere.

But now, she felt strongly that those words were coming far too late.

Well, they wouldn’t wait much longer. Right or wrong, she had to tell him. She couldn’t risk him never knowing the truth. In this turbulent world, it had taken her too long to realize the importance of words unspoken.

She wasn’t going to let that lesson go to waste.

~~~

With Stelle gone, their parting having been on bad terms due to his bad attitude, Dan Heng’s beloved alone time was growing too lonely. However, due to unforeseen events, he was growing used to interruptions from two certain Chrysos Heirs. Mydei and Phainon had become a reprieve from the too-empty silence. Their banter reminded him of Stelle and March, which both filled the time and worsened his longing.

Today, it was just Phainon who knocked on his door, but what worried Dan Heng the most was the lack of his usual vapid grin.

“Did you hear?” Phainon asked.

Dan Heng’s stomach sank. “About what?” he asked, wordlessly inviting Phainon to enter with a wave of his hand.

The man did so. “About what happened at the grove.”

The door closed with a heavier thud than normal. “What happened?”

Before launching into an explanation, Phainon admitted he only knew what he’d learned from Tribbie and didn’t know everything first hand. Still, what he did know was enough to make Dan Heng sick. The black tide had hit the grove hard, and survivors were almost none.

“Where are the girls now?” Dan Heng asked, a storm of worry brewing inside him, sending his nerves rolling like tidal waves.

“They were taking Professor Anaxa to see Lady Aglaea. I don’t know when they’ll—”

At that moment, the door burst open, revealing a frantic Stelle. “Dan Heng?!”

Her voice was a most welcome sound to his ears, instantly calming the brewing storm within him. His feet were moving before he could think. In the next second, Stelle lunged forward, leaping into his arms. He swooped her up, clinging to her like a lifeline.

Thank aeons. She was alive and well.

“I’ll… take my leave,” Phainon said, already heading to the door. “I’m glad to see you’re back in one piece, Stelle.”

Not pulling away from Dan Heng, Stelle gave him a grunt of acknowledgement that sounded vaguely like a thanks.

“Thank you, Phainon,” Dan Heng said in her place.

Shooting the couple a parting wave, Phainon shut the door behind him, Stelle having not bothered with the act.

Turning his focus back on the woman in his arms, Dan Heng stroked his hand over her head, smoothing down her chronically untamed hair. “Stelle—"

“I’m sorry,” she interrupted, the words tumbling from her mouth and not stopping. “I’m sorry for being annoying. I’m sorry for interrupting your quiet time; it probably stressed you out more. It wasn’t intentional—”

“Stelle.”

“—I really was trying to behave. And I just wanted to spend time with you because I was so excited we were a couple and I wanted to enjoy it, but I wasn’t thinking you wouldn’t like what I was doing. But I’m sorry I left without clearing the air because the grove was a mess—”

Dan Heng had given up trying to interrupt her at this point. She was positively frantic. The only thing he could do was hold her tight.

“—And it scared me because there was death everywhere. And then we faced this really tough boss that probably was the thing that killed everyone, and while we got home in one piece, Professor Anaxa had to tell all families that someone they loved died, and I panicked because what if they had to tell you.”

Her rambling was cut off by the onset of tears. She sniffed, clinging tighter to his clothes. “And I was thinking about all the things I didn’t say or how we left, and I didn’t want that to be how we parted ways. So I’m sorry. It was my fault. Thank you for being my boyfriend. Please don’t break up with me. I love you.” She hiccupped, the tears rolling down her cheeks and onto his jacket as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. “I love you.”

Finally, her rambling ceased, the weighty silence tainted by her choked whines and sniffles. Dan Heng continued to hold her, letting her cry as he took the time to process her words and formulate some of his own. But that was harder than he expected with her confession hanging in the air.

I love you.

There might be plenty of situations where Stelle would throw those words out only for him to easily dismiss them. On the contrary, every word she’d frantically spoken poured from her panicked heart.

I love you.

His mind was racing, his heart keeping pace. His blood rushed through him even faster, making him light headed and woozy. Aeons, this girl knew how to drop a confession. Yet, the more he thought of it, the more he wondered why he was surprised. That was very Stelle of her. She always shone so brightly, whereas he’d always had to be tempered. The ability to sit and bask in her unfiltered emotions was one of the things he admired about this woman. It was that very quality that encouraged him to be honest with his inner thoughts and feelings regarding her. She always made it look so easy.

Meaning this time should be no different. She’d already done the hard work. He could trail on her accomplishments.

He wriggled his way out of her death grip so he could cradle her cheeks in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away the glimmering tear trails. “Stelle,” he spoke, looking into her eyes. “I love you, too.”

Her golden irises glowed like two suns at his words, the haze over her eyes lifting.

“And I’m not breaking up with you,” he said, the words of her rambles running through his head. “Honestly, I don’t know where you even got that idea—oof.”

She knocked the rest of the words out of him as she practically tackled him in a hug again, burying her face back into his shoulder and clinging to his jacket as though he’d disappear any second.

It seemed now was not the time to talk quite yet. He’d just have to settle for holding her. And it was a good thing he did because soon enough, Stelle was shaking in his arms. Then she was sinking, her weight increasingly leaning against him.

He wouldn’t let her fall. He would always have her back when she needed him. Even more so now.

He swooped her up into his arms, intent on carrying her over to the bed to rest. Although she relaxed, he could feel her hands continue to shake as she clung to handfuls of his jacket. It was clear she was determined not to release her vice-grip on him.

With Stelle still in his arms, he sat on the edge of the bed. The movement placed her into his lap, meaning he could wrap his arms more fully around her. They stayed there engulfed in each other’s embrace for a while, Dan Heng debating how to break the silence. He was still processing her word salad from earlier.

“You didn’t need to apologize,” he finally said, hanging onto the first thing she’d said. “I’m the one who’s sorry. You didn’t deserve my anger. Looking back, there’s nothing you did that was out of the ordinary. Minus the bath salts; I was rightfully mad about those, but not at you.”

She huffed a weak laugh. Good. Even a moment of amusement was good. “I really didn’t know.”

“I figured as much. Especially when the lady at the front wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information about them.”

Her grip on his jacket relaxed a bit more.

“But I have to ask,” he continued. “What even made you think I was going to break up with you?”

She shifted in his embrace, curling tighter into a ball. “I thought you found me too annoying. That you’d realize you could do better than me or realize we’re really different, then I’d get some super logical explanation of why we would never work and that you were breaking up with me.”

He heaved a sigh. It was almost strange to hear such insecurities come from Stelle. She was always such a brazen rocket that in her vulnerable moments, he always felt disoriented. Not that she wouldn’t have such insecurities; everyone had them. But rather because he always didn’t know how to fix it or comfort her or save her in those moments. Worse, he didn’t know if any of those were even the right answer. He just wanted to make things all right for her so she could go back to being her brilliantly shining self. Never had he felt so protective over anyone before.

After running through the answers in his head, he settled on confessing the truth. “Stelle, I’ve had feelings for you long before now.”

She stiffened in his arms, clearly caught off guard by his words. “Yeah,” she muttered. “You mentioned that.”

“And, they were probably there longer than I realized. But I finally figured it out on the Luofu, when we were there for the Wardance Festival. It was after the incident in the Shackling Prison that I realized how I felt about you, and it grew so much worse when you dragged me around, begging to be shown the real sights of the Luofu I mentioned in the prison. I tried to talk myself out of starting a relationship with you, but at some point, even I had to give up. You meant too much to me to just let go.”

By now, she’d pulled her head out of where she’d buried it against his neck, her expression soft as her gaze met his. “Dan Heng…”

“I should have asked you out before this,” he said. “Looking back, I realize that navigating this relationship would have been easier if we’d started when things weren’t so turbulent. I didn’t think my hesitation would lead to this. Part of me worries that I shouldn’t have kissed you when I did, when we first landed, but I don’t regret being in a relationship with you.”

“Even if I’m annoying?”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Even if I can’t comprehend the kind of chaos that follows you wherever you go. I wouldn’t exactly call all of it annoying. I’ve had plenty of time to accept what I would be getting into if I got into a relationship with you.”

A touch of pink dusted her cheeks.

“But, that doesn’t negate the fact that if I had to have anyone by my side down here, I’m so thankful it’s you.”

Finally, after far too long, he was rewarded with a smile. One unrestrained as it shone with joy.

His heart could finally be at peace at this proof that things could return to normal.

Then that smile was pressed firmly against his. Needy at first as though begging him to reciprocate, then demanding and unrelenting as she stole everything he could give in return. Her hands dragged over his jaw, raked through his hair, grabbed at his clothes.

And finally pushed him over and trapped him beneath her.

“For the record,” she said, between kisses, “because I know you like writing stuff down.” She was straddling him by now, her hands running over his jaw and neck. He had to grab her hips to balance her, yet he found his hands digging into her skirt as he clung to her. “I’m really glad it’s you I’m here with.” She kissed him again. “And who cares if it wasn’t the right time—” She kissed his other cheek. “—to start a relationship. I’d rather have it than not.” And then she kissed his nose. “Even if it’s not perfect. It’s good enough—”

He didn’t let her finish. He didn’t need her to. He grabbed the back of her head, holding her still so he could steal her lips again.

She smiled against his kiss. Then, only after meeting his needy desire for a kiss did she pull away to whisper, “I feel so lucky to be dating you.”

“I believe I am the fortunate one.”

Her smile widened.

Aeons, was he happy to see that smile again.

“Hey,” she continued, her eyes sparkling. “Out of curiosity, if by some off chance we’re stuck here—”

“I really hope not.”

“No, no, I agree. But, like, on the really off chance… would you be upset if we have to pretend to be married forever?”

He paused a moment, the question catching him off guard a bit. He didn’t want to be stuck here forever. He even hated thinking about it. But if he had to give Stelle an answer�� “There would come a point where we’d just have to accept the fact we are married.”

“Would you be upset about that?”

He didn’t need to ponder the answer for long before shaking his head. “No. But there is one condition for that.”

“Which is?”

He stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear before toying with the ends. “You need to come home to me in one piece.”

She lit up like a sunrise, one he was happy to bask in for as long as possible. “I’ll do my best if you promise to do yours.”

“You have my word.”

She leaned down and kissed him yet again. This time, it was long, slow, lingering. Like a binding seal being placed over a person’s heart.

“Sealed with a kiss,” she whispered against his lips. “You’re not allowed to go back on it now.”

“That goes both ways, Stelle.”

“You have my word.”

~~~

Stelle felt lighter than she had in days. Castorice and Tribbie had been right: with an apology and some discussion—and a healthy amount of handsy kissing—everything with Dan Heng was fixed. Their relationship felt more solid and real than ever. She couldn’t be happier.

Maybe that’s why she wasn’t so mad about being dragged into a work competition involving some chimeras some weeks back. She still hadn’t figured out how exactly she became their leader, but hey, she wasn’t complaining. She was making a little relevant currency while proving she really could do anything she set her mind to, sometimes even better than the pros.

And, you know, seeing Dan Heng all over town as she managed the little guys wasn’t exactly a bad deal, either.

“They seem to be listening well today,” Dan Heng commented.

“Yeah, but I just got backstabbed, so I’m about to take a chimera down.”

He chuckled. “Just don’t cause a scene.”

“I wouldn’t want to embarrass my poor, long-suffering husband, so I’ll refrain.”

With a smug grin that she found a little too sexy, he pat her hip encouragingly as he walked away.

And she maybe too proudly made googly-eyes over him as he left. She liked this new habit, his hands finding her waist and hips and small of her back in a touch that ranged from calming to playful to tender to possessive. That had quickly become Stelle’s “green light touch” zone. She didn’t know if that was a real thing or what exactly it meant, but as long as he continued showing affection that way, she’d be happy. If they hadn’t been in public, she would have grabbed him by the jacket collar and kissed that parting smirk right off him, all with the goal of turning that little pat into a full-on grab of her hip as he yanked her closer and—

“Hey!” one of the chimeras yelled, snapping Stelle out of her wild fantasies. “No slacking off on the job!”

Right. She couldn’t embarrass him by failing this task, either. Though he’d assured her he loved her, chaos and all, maybe it was time for the racoon to rein herself in a bit. Actions could speak loud as words, and it was best not to leave either unspoken.

#honkai star rail #honkai fanfic #danstelle #fake marriage #but established relationship #angst #then I fix it #hurt/comfort #romantic fluff #at the end

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hummingbird24220 · 1 month ago

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Chapter Forty-Five: The Crowned Menace at Breakfast

So, there might be ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE CHAPTERS. Put your best socks on and get your most finest reading glasses, its going to be a long road ahead. I have loved writing every second of this story, and although very self indulgent, i hope you are loving it as much as I am. Im up to chap 63 with editing. They're coming sooooooon!

Enjoy! And don't forget to tell me what you think!

Ps: im already running out of images.

_____

The next morning came quickly—too quickly, considering the previous night had been an emotional sneak-attack double feature from both Zoro and Sanji.

You rolled out of bed with your usual grunt, still half-asleep, hair wild from tossing and turning, limbs aching in that oddly satisfying way after a long day of laughter and chaos.

You didn’t even think about it. Didn’t look in the mirror. Didn’t remember the flower crown still tangled in your hair like it had taken root.

And so, you trudged up to the galley like a sleepy gremlin… Wearing a crooked mess of daisies, clover blossoms, and a few crumpled petals dangling behind your ear like some kind of forest deity who also punched sea kings for fun.

You pushed open the galley door with a yawn. “Morning.”

Every single head turned.

A long beat of silence.

Then: “PFFTHAHAHA—” Usopp immediately faceplanted into his cereal. Sanji dropped the spatula. Zoro choked on his tea. Luffy pointed and yelled, “YOU’RE GROWING FLOWERS!” Robin set down her book, eyes sparkling. Nami looked up with the most evil, satisfied grin known to mankind.

You blinked, mid-step, confused. “What?”

Nami reached into her bag, pulled out a tiny mirror, and wordlessly held it up.

You stared. Stared harder. Then groaned like your soul had left your body.

“…I forgot,” you mumbled, rubbing your face. “I forgot it was there.”

Sanji, heart-eyes activated, swooned. “You look like a magical nymph who could punch me through a wall and I’d thank you.”

Zoro coughed into his cup. “She looked better yesterday. You had less dirt on your face then.”

“Shut up,” you muttered, dropping into a chair and resting your head on the table. “I was hoping today would be normal.”

You were trying to pretend it wasn’t happening, but Nami had already walked around the table and stood behind you with a glint in her eye.

“Hold still,” she said, fingers already reaching for your head. “What are you—hey, no—”

She started gently picking the flowers out, untangling them from your hair with surprisingly delicate care. “I’m not letting you eat breakfast looking like a possessed field spirit,” she said, voice amused but kind.

Robin chuckled. “It was charming, in its own chaotic way.”

“Not helping,” you muttered into your arms.

Chopper climbed up on the bench beside you. “Ooooh! I can help! Your hair’s kinda knotted in the back.”

You didn’t even argue. You just sighed. “Fine. Groom me like one of your wild jungle creatures.”

It was strangely… relaxing.

Nami’s fingers combed through with the ease of someone used to hair maintenance, occasionally murmuring “how did this even get in here” as she removed stubborn bits of grass. Chopper used a soft brush and a comb from his med kit, careful not to pull too hard.

Your eyes were half-lidded by the time they were halfway done. Zoro was watching from across the table, smirking just slightly. Sanji looked like he was holding back tears. Usopp whispered, “We’ve domesticated her.” Luffy tried to plop a second flower crown on your head and got swatted.

Eventually, Nami pulled the final daisy loose. “There. You're free.”

You sat up, hair fluffed, dazed from the gentle care. “…Thanks.”

Nami grinned. “Anytime, flower queen.”

You flicked a piece of toast at her. She caught it with her mouth like a smug little goddess.

And as you started breakfast, cheeks a little warm and heart a little full, you realized something:

You’d almost forgotten what it was like to be taken care of without asking.

And gods, did it feel good.

You, now free of your floral crown (RIP, daisy halo, 2025–2025), were quietly chewing on toast, hair freshly brushed and stupidly soft thanks to Nami and Chopper’s impromptu salon session.

You could feel it too—every time you turned your head, strands floated against your skin like they were silk. It was both deeply unsettling and weirdly comforting.

Sanji placed a new cup of tea in front of you with a little flourish. “For the queen of the garden,” he said smoothly.

You gave him a deadpan look. “You’re never going to let this go, are you?”

“Not unless you make me,” he said with a wink.

“Don’t tempt me,” you warned, sipping your tea. (It was perfectly sweetened. Of course it was.)

Across the table, Zoro stared at you for just a second too long. You felt it.

You raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Zoro grunted. “Nothing. Just... you look different without the crown. That’s all.”

You squinted. “Better or worse?”

He shrugged, picking at his rice. “Neither. Just… less like someone possessed by forest demons.”

“Wow,” you muttered. “So romantic. Your words make the flowers bloom.”

Sanji leaned in, eyes glittering. “I think you look radiant either way.”

Zoro snorted. “You’d say that if she was covered in mud and blood.”

You smirked. “He has said that before. I distinctly remember it.”

Sanji huffed, crossing his arms. “I meant it. You looked powerful.”

“See? That’s the difference,” you said, pointing between them. “Zoro insults me into flustering. Sanji compliments me until I short-circuit.”

Nami, walking past with her coffee, smirked. “And somehow, you like both.”

You coughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Robin, not looking up from her book, casually added, “She once said she’d let Nami ‘break her ribs and call it love,’ so I don’t think subtlety is really her strong suit.”

You choked on your toast. Chopper patted your back. Sanji almost dropped his plate. Zoro just stared at you like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

Luffy, chewing noisily beside you, looked up. “Wait, is this like the thing where she said she’d let Nami ‘step on her neck if she asked nicely’?”

“LUFFY!” you howled.

Nami sipped her coffee with the calm of a queen who already knew her power. “You’re all obsessed with me. I’m not even mad.”

Later, as the plates were cleared and Luffy and Usopp started chasing each other around the ship with forks for no reason at all, you found yourself lingering on deck.

Zoro had ended up beside you again—like he always did. Not saying much. Just being there.

“You were good with them,” he said after a while, nodding toward the shore.

“The kids?”

“Yeah.”

You shrugged. “They were easy. Didn’t expect anything from me. Just wanted to play. Kinda nice, y’know?”

Zoro nodded. “They liked you.”

You side-eyed him. “…You did too.”

He smirked. “Shut up.”

You grinned and bumped your shoulder into his, just enough to nudge him slightly off balance. “You’re still one of my super best friends, you know.”

“Tch.” But he didn’t move away.

And somehow, that said more than anything else.

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banamine-bananime · 9 months ago

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meets an encouraging, patient, fatherly commanding officer that chooses tucker specifically for an assignment and takes him under his wing. he’s actually a secret operative for a sinister military project recruiting tucker as a target practice guinea pig orchestrating the next couple years of his life to be a lie.

meets an alien that tells tucker he’ll help him fulfill the quest he’s the legendary hero of. he chestbursts him and steals a getaway vehicle given upon the “end” of the quest.

meets some weird computer program programmed by the culture the prophecy came from, pretty much the only remaining source of information about this “quest” that’s upended his life. it’s actually the ai of the freelancer trying to kill him and kidnap and use his kid to end the great war… uh, with slavery of the alien species

meets one of his best friends, an acquired taste and kind of an ass, but they give each other as good as they get and they’re a team. she leaves them to make the plan to capture junior and use him to enslave his species succeed. and tucker feels like can’t even be mad about it without feeling guilty because in her mind she was sacrificing herself and junior to save humankind from a losing war for survival, and immediately after he thinks she fucking dies and takes his kid with her!! they were friends and then for a few minutes they were almost enemies because she did the worst thing for the best reasons and then that’s it!!! how do you even grieve and process that. apparently tucker opted for watching reservoir dogs instead of therapy and i can’t blame him. that’s not the sort of grief you can find a self-help book for. HELLO I’VE BEEN SCREAMING FOR YEARS. never over it they make me insane.

meet some humans on the desert dig-team, charismatic down-to-earth soldier guys. breath of fresh air after he’s been stuck for months in complicated political situations with a species that has just recently decided to perhaps not kill all humans, as a reluctant religious figurehead in diplomatic corps that i’m sure just loved his way with words and women. bet he made a lot of friends there. the dig team kills them all except him and he proceeds to spend the next months in a psychological thriller slash survival horror.

meet church again. church leaves again (and then again) and tucker’s left furiously picking up the pieces of blue team with caboose and some blond guy they rescued from the pound. we needn’t talk about that blond guy and whether tucker knows he both set up and hit the Original Church Killswitch lest tucker doesn’t know and hears us because i think he doesn’t need that extra complication in his life tbqh.

meets a charismatic mercenary with a rough exterior, but a heart of gold, right when tucker and caboose have lost all of blue team’s charismatic mercenaries and/or assholes with a rough exterior but a heart of gold. he. well. he stabs him in the back, guys. you know. i can’t get more on-the-nose than that.

meets church again. he seems like maybe he kind of gets that he was an ass and won’t go off killing himself this time. immediately after reconciling he sees the siren call of martyrdom and kills himself instantly after simulating several ways it could go very, very extremely badly for tucker, not even counting the previous evidence from how this went for some blond guy (sorry i’m committed to just calling him some blond guy in this post now for no reason except that i think it’s a mildly funny bit).

meets church someone else who’s been fucked over by project freelancer. he’s been manipulating them to get close enough to freezermurder their friends and implicate them in terrorism charges.

meets yet another young stray asshole with Issues and a heart of gold who needs some guidance, maybe someone he can be the kind of a leader he wishes he could have been to green team. she also stabs him again.

at some point we have to let tucker just start stabbing people. like a lot of people. i don’t think he’d enjoy a villain arc once he realizes that’s what’s happening but he deserves the sheer free joy and clarity of just solving problems with pure simple stabbing before he comes to that realization.

#rvb #red vs blue #lavernius tucker #rvb tucker #tucker does not like to be manipulated and betrayed but it is his favourite hobby time-wise.#tucker #alexa send post

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kiiwiigii · 2 years ago

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The Red-Eyed Boy pt. iii

Pt. One | Two | Outtake

Alec x Swan!Fem!Reader

Summary: Alec returns and shows you how sorry he is. *wink, wink*

Warnings:

Smidge of angst

Smidge of bondage

Straight up smut

Word Count: 3,130

A/N: Today I learned that suck at writing smut, but please enjoy anyways. As with all my Alec fics, he is aged up. Also, I am fucking obsessed with this gif.

Tags: @rosedpetal, @lack-lust-3r, @badass-daisy-22

Alice and Bella eyed me warily from their spot on the kitchen table as I padded around the kitchen. It was my turn for dinner tonight and I was working on a new recipe.

"Please stop looking at me like that. I'm not about to keel over dead and I'm definitely not about to poison Bella right before she gets married."

I grinned when Bella scrunched up her nose in annoyance.

"You're not gonna die because you're tied to Edward through a piece of paper, Bells."

"Says you." She grumbled.

"Have you heard from him?" Alice asked softly.

"No." I pursed my lips.

It had been nearly two weeks, and I hadn't heard a damn thing from Alec. I had called and texted only to be ignored and left on read. I knew he'd be mad, but for the love of God, he was taking this too far. I just wanted to strangle him. I had spent the first week moping before trying to shake myself out of it. I refused to let myself fall into the state that Bella had after Edward left.

Although it was really hard not to. I still had my moments, usually in the evenings when I was alone.

I paused in the middle of chopping an onion, looking over my shoulder at Alice. Her visions were the only thing I could really count on right now, unless I had a vision of my own. Unfortunately, sleep had been avoiding me, and when I did sleep nothing came to me.

She shook her head sadly, indicating that she hadn't seen anything. Yet. However, she also hadn't seen anything different from her previous visions, so nothing had really changed, and that gave me hope.

"So, Y/N, we have your first dress fitting tomorrow." Alice, thankfully, changed the subject.

"Ooh yay! Do I get to see Bella's dress?"

Bella groaned before plonking her head onto the table. She was so easy to tease.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want to marry me." Edward entered the kitchen, shrugging off his jacket.

I smiled watching them all together, happy to watch the little scene from afar. Eventually I had to turn back around, doing my best to hum a tune in my head, both to distract myself from the situation with Alec and so Edward wouldn't pick up on my depressing thoughts. This should be a happy time.

Somehow, I don't think I was fooling anyone.

It was official. I hated weddings and anything to do with them. I was almost positive that had I not been in a house full of vampires, Rosalie would have stuck a few pins in me on purpose.

It was dark by the time I finally arrived home, and all I really wanted to do was shower and pass out on my bed. Keeping up a relatively happy façade almost 24/7 was exhausting.

The house was dark, and I suddenly remembered that dad was out on one of his camping trips with a friend. Well, at least I would have the house to myself, and I could be as depressed as I wanted.

I went straight to my room to gather some pajamas and a towel. I almost felt too tired to even shower, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to make sure I do some basic self-care. Throwing my bag onto the bed, I began to strip.

"You should keep your window locked."

I jumped and let out a scream, quickly covering myself, dress already hanging half off.

It was Alec, propped up on my bed, another book in hand. How had I not seen him?? I even threw my bag in his direction.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I wheezed at him, trying my best to get my racing heart back under control.

"Not particularly." His eyes roamed over me, from head to toe, his eyes lingering on my neck, where my pomegranate seed necklace hung. And then the dangling straps of my dress. "You look beautiful, tesoro."

I blinked rapidly, trying my best to figure out what the hell was happening. I hadn't heard from Alec in nearly a month and here he was, just sitting here. In my room. On my bed. As if nothing had ever happened.

"Where have you been? Why have you been ignoring me?"

He simply eyed me before closing the book with a thump.

"I was extremely… angry. There was a while where I did not really have control of myself. I even scared Jane." He admitted. "I didn't want to take it out on you. Or for you to see that side of me."

I glared at him.

"So, you just disappear without a word? Didn't bother telling me that you were okay and that you just needed space? You're aware that I've had visions of you since I was like, six years old, right? I've seen you angry."

"Not like this, you haven't." He said quietly.

"Do you know what I thought? I thought you had left me. Despite whatever Alice's visions tell her, I know that they can change at the drop of a hat. I was just sitting here waiting, praying that you wouldn't change your mind."

Fuck, here come the tears.

He was next to me in a heartbeat, hands cupping my face. I tried to back away, but he kept his grip firm.

"I would never leave you, Y/N." He said softly, wiping the tears away. "Ever. I have never been good at relationships. I have always kept myself at arm's length, but you, you are different. And when I saw you on that field, after the battle, I had never been so scared and angry in my life."

He paused for a minute, searching. "Had I lost you, I would have burned the world down."

My breath hitched in surprise, and I could feel my heart skip a beat. He kissed me then, and I allowed it, wrapping my arms around his neck as he reached for my waist. His kiss was soft and controlled, while mine was bordering on desperation.

"Don't you ever do that to me again." He whispered against my lips, a warning.

Why did that turn me on and piss me off at the same time?

"I'm sorry, what was that? Because it sure didn't sound like an apology, Alec."

He pulled me flush against him, nipping at my collarbone in reproach. I hissed in pain, but he quickly soothed it over with his tongue.

"Then let me show you how sorry I am." He whispered.

He pulled me in for a heated kiss and I couldn't help but gasp. Alec took the opportunity to dip his tongue into my mouth again, and the moan that worked its way up my throat had him growling possessively.

I could already feel my nipples tightening and the wet heat between my legs.

I grabbed him by the collar to pull him closer. He gladly obliged and before long, he had me pressed into the bed, right underneath him, his lips giving slow languid kisses anywhere he could reach.

"Alec." My voice was caught in my throat.

Goddammit. He hadn't even gotten me out of my clothes before he had me begging. Hell, he had barely even touched me.

And I was supposed to be mad at him, dammit!

He paused, lips at the swell of my breast. Finally, he lifted himself up so he could look me in the eye, searching my face.

"Do you trust me?"

I nodded my head furiously.

"I need to hear you say it, Y/N."

"I trust you."

I was practically panting.

Alec produced a long strip of gauzy fabric and slowly tied my hands together, gauging my reaction, before putting them above my head.

"Did you come prepared with that?" I gaped at him.

"No. I took it from your bag." He smirked.

My bag? Since when did he have the time to go through my bag? I looked at my tied wrists again, trying to wrack my brain as to why I had a long ass strip of-

'Oh my god.'

It was the sash to my bridesmaid's dress. I know I hadn't put it in there. The last time I had seen it- Alice. She fucking knew. She had to. She had a vision and didn't even tell me. Granted, if this was a part of her vision, I would be highly embarrassed to hear her explain exactly what she saw.

"Now." Alec put my hands above my head again, and then trailed his own hands down my arms to my collarbone, thumbing over the mark he had placed on it earlier. "Your hands stay put above your head until I say otherwise. If they do not, I stop. No matter what I am in the middle of." He warned, pausing to make sure that I understood. "Are you okay with this? If not, we can stop."

I shook my head back and forth frantically.

"Y/N, I need you need to say it out loud."

"Yes." I breathed.

"Good. If you become uncomfortable at any point you are to tell me."

"Yes sir." It was out of my mouth before I even realized it and I blushed furiously.

"Are you sure you're a virgin?" He teased.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" I teased back, a little breathless.

Alec's brows raised before he smirked, leaning in closer, mouth right next to my cheek.

"I think I am going to enjoy this very much." His hands began to make their way past my collar bone to cup my breasts through the fabric of my dress, his thumbs flicking slowly back and forth over my nipples.

My back arched in a gasp, and he let out a hum, pleased with my reaction. Soon I felt more and more skin being exposed to the cool night air, his cold lips and tongue following right behind it, licking and nipping his way until, aside from my bra, I was fully exposed from the waist up. I blushed as he sat back, admiring the view.

"You are truly beautiful, mio cara." He breathed.

His cold hands caressed every inch of exposed skin, purposely avoiding the spots that I wanted him to touch the most. I pouted up at him and he swiped a thumb across my lip.

"I must admit Y/N, I like seeing you like this. And I think you like it too."

Slowly, I gave his thumb a long lick before sucking it into mouth. His eyes darkened even further, and I could practically feel the rumble of possessiveness in his chest.

"Careful, amore." His voice was now husky and strained.

I released his thumb, edging my teeth along the sides and cocked an eyebrow at him. "I thought you were supposed to be apologizing."

His eyes were now pitch black.

"I think you forget who's in control here."

I let out a squeak as he moved aside and ripped my dress the rest of the way down, leaving me in just my bra and panties. He settled himself between my legs, to nip and kiss his way along the inside of my thighs.

I sucked in a sharp breath when he placed a kiss right over my covered mound, and then nuzzled into it. My hands jerked and he looked up at me, remaining still.

"Hands, amore." He chided.

I immediately put them back in place, wriggling my hips in anticipation. Finally, he slid my panties down, revealing my inner most self, glistening and wet just for him.

"Perfect."

It was the only thing I heard before his mouth was on me and my back arched off the bed yet again.

Keeping perfect eye contact with me, he gave me long slow licks, delving into me with his tongue. And then he found my clit. I couldn't help it, I cried out, my hands immediately coming down to lace themselves through his hair.

This wasn't an apology; this was fucking torture.

He paused with a growl.

"Hands, amore."

"But- but-"

He lifted himself up slightly, a warning look in his dark eyes. "Hands."

"Alec." I whined, wriggling my hips again and trying push him back down. "Please."

"You know the rules, principessa."

"Did you just call me princess?"

He just smirked. "You're learning. Now, hands. If I have to tell you again, I will tie you to the bed."

'You just may have to do that.' I thought.

He watched me for a moment more before slowly lowering himself back down, wrapping his arms around my thighs to keep my hips level. He began his slow assault on me yet again and I did my absolute best to keep my arms above my head. It was working so far... barely.

Before long I could feel a warm heat beginning to build low in my stomach.

"Oh god, please don't stop." I chanted. "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop."

I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, all I knew what that it felt good, and he absolutely had to keep going. Otherwise, I was sure I was going to die right then and there.

And then the bastard stopped.

"Alec." I let out a low whine.

He crawled back up to me, placing a kiss on my lips and I groaned at the taste of my arousal on him.

"No cumming just yet, amore." He swept his tongue along my lips. "The only cumming you will be doing is on my cock."

I almost choked. "Have- have you always been this dirty?"

"You have no idea." He bit my earlobe and I squirmed at his words. “And this is only just the beginning.”

"Well, it looks like won't be doing much of anything, since you're still dressed."

"That can easily be remedied."

My eyes widened as he slipped off his shirt. I had always known he was muscular but there was a big difference between feeling it and seeing it. Next came his pants and underwear, and I’m pretty sure my brain stopped working.

How was that going to fit??

"Like what you see?”

I simply nodded my head, my mind still trying to process the situation I was in... and the fact that his cock was rather... large.

He leaned over and began untying my hands. I raised a brow at him.

"I want you clinging to me when you cum."

Oh fuck.

My hands immediately went to explore his naked chest when he caught my hand and kissed my fingertips.

"Are you still okay?"

"Alec, I swear to God if you don't fuck me-"

He cut me off, crushing his lips to mine and I suddenly felt him nudging at my entrance. He sat back briefly, rubbing himself in my juices, preparing.

"Eyes on me, amore."

I swiftly looked back up at him. I don't think I could have taken my eyes off him in that moment.

Finally, finally, I felt him enter me ever so slowly. I let out a hiss of pain, my hands clutching desperately at the sheets, and he stopped, letting me adjust for a minute, all the while never breaking eye contact. This, this was something else. I had never felt so full.

"Fuck, you're tight."

I let out a whimper.

"It's okay, mio cara." He kissed away the tears from my face, I hadn't even realized that I was crying. "I'm going to move now."

And boy did he move. It took a few thrusts before the pain subsided and then I felt as if I was flying. He kept his thrusts steady and deep, his hands roaming my sides before cupping my breasts and placing gently kisses along the edges. And then proceeded to close his mouth on one of my nipples through the lace.

"Alec."

He didn't reply, deciding to suck harder and scrape against the sensitive buds with his teeth instead. If he kept this up, I wasn't going to last long, and I think he knew it. He sat up again, but this time he angled my hips up and I was suddenly seeing stars. He was hitting my sweet spot now and I couldn't contain my moans any longer. I could feel it building, and building, and building.

"Don't you dare stop." I panted.

"Eyes on me, darling." He ordered, grabbing my face, and making me look him in the eyes. "I want to see the look in your eyes when I make you come on my cock."

Oh, God. He was speaking to me in Italian, and I didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was saying, but it was hot.

"Alec, please. Make me cum. I want to come."

"Fuck, so tight for me." He thrust harder and I could feel the walls of my pussy starting to tighten up. "I want to see you come undone around me."

"A-Alec!"

He forced me to look up at him again as I came hard, legs wrapping around his waist as he nearly collapsed on top of me. If I was seeing stars before, now I was suddenly seeing a whole fucking galaxy.

"Fuck." He kissed me deeply as I felt him spasming inside me, cool liquid coating the walls of my pussy.

He hovered like that for a long moment, his kisses turning into soft, languid ones, his hands roaming in even softer caresses. Finally, he pulled out of me, and let his eyes wonder over me. I'm sure I looked a mess, but he seemed to like what he saw, judging by the smirk on his face.

"Come, amore. Let's get you cleaned up."

"I don't think I can walk." I closed my eyes, doing my best to breathe and not die from great sex.

"I can definitely help you there."

I nearly yelped as he lifted me from the bed bridal style.

"Is this your way of saying you want shower sex?" I wriggled my eyebrows at him.

"I had not really thought of it, but if you insist."

I laughed and snuggled into his chest.

He paused a moment, really looking me over now. "I am truly sorry, Y/N. For everything."

I placed a hand on his cheek. "Apology accepted."

NEXT - (Outtake)

{Masterlist}

Translation (Done via Google): Tesoro: Darling/Treasure Mio Cara: My darling. Principessa: Princess

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#alec volturi x reader #alec volturi #volturi #twilight #fanfic #reader insert

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chuuyas-height · 12 days ago

Text

A commission for @emijkoxy featuring her characters, Felix and Noelle!

Warning: soft, willing vore

You can also read on Wattpad

Silence in the night

Like every Friday evening, when the professor signaled the end of their final class, students rushed out as usual. Some returned to their dorms to relax, others to study, but the vast majority had plans for the night and hurried to their places to get ready for a fun night out. Noelle, though, couldn't relate. With her final class over, her only goal was to make it to the human bus stop in one piece, preferably without getting squashed underneath one of her giant classmates' shoes, and go home. Being one of the few humans to earn a place in a co-ed university had its perks, like lower tuition fees and free transportation to and from the human side of the city. But it sadly also had its downsides. Traversing the giant campus was an arduous task on its own, and she had to watch out for her giant peers on top of that. She tried to keep as close to the side of the pathway as possible, with the hope that the human paths under construction would finish sooner rather than later.

What also didn't help Noelle's case at all was that her implant, which had been acting up for days, eventually malfunctioned before she had a chance to get it fixed. She had a hard time concentrating in class as she had to put in some extra effort and read the professor's lips since she couldn't hear them. But now that she was outside, her anxiety spiked. With her hearing aid broken, she struggled to identify the vibrations around her. Of course, she couldn't exactly miss her giant classmates, so steering clear of their feet wasn't that difficult. Still, being unable to interpret sounds was unnerving.

The world around her appeared hazy and a bit darker than she remembered. Some of her surroundings even seemed...distorted? Her fatigue was probably to blame. The campus was mostly clear by the time she made it halfway towards her destination. One thing was for sure: this semester would leave her extremely fit. While walking all that distance every day was tiring, the alternative was even more dreaded. During her time there, she had observed how some of the human students befriended a few of the giants, so seeing giants carrying humans around was nothing uncommon. Noelle, though, couldn't imagine being friends with a being so massive! She had a hard time socializing with people her size; interacting with living skyscrapers seemed like a nightmare!

Lost in her thoughts, she kept walking. Unfortunately, she wasn't as observant as she originally thought. Unbeknownst to her, a giant that had been observing her from the moment she left the building was approaching with featherlight steps. With the campus devoid of most students, the lonely human girl appeared to be the perfect target. Careful not to alert her of his presence, the nameless giant grinned to himself and increased his pace, excited.

Noelle, fully aware of how late it was getting, increased her pace in fear of missing the bus because, judging from previous experience, waiting for the next human bus in the dead of night wasn't a jolly experience. At exactly eight o'clock, the giant pathlights lit up, illuminating the miles of pavement she had yet to reach. She would've been grateful for the additional lighting if she hadn't noticed something that nearly made her heart stop. From behind her loomed a massive shadow that drowned her tiny self in its darkness, the mere sight causing her heart to pick up. Her throat suddenly felt dry, and her eyes like they were ready to escape their sockets. With dread, she stopped and slowly turned around. She didn't get a chance to scream before she was snatched. A gasp left her lips as digits bigger than her entire body closed around her, trapping her efficiently in their calloused prison. She was raised over a hundred feet high in too little time, the motion almost forcing her lunch back into her mouth. Even in her disoriented state, she managed to get a glimpse of the fair-haired giant's grin, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the intentions behind it were only malicious. His lips moved; he was talking, but Noelle was simply too shaken to read his mouth. Her own mouth parted as tears pricked her eyes and she choked while releasing what she hoped was a coherent plea. If the giant heard her, he made no indication that proved so.

"Didn't your parents tell you not to walk alone at night?" The giant asked mirthfully, but his words fell, quite literally, on deaf ears. A diminutive voice begged for something muffled. He guessed what it probably meant but didn't care enough and instead took the opportunity. His jaws parted, and the shrieking human was raised just above his wide-open mouth.

The heat of his breath washed over Noelle like a humid wave, the darkness that awaited her in the back of his gullet threatening to literally swallow her whole. Her chapped lips trembled, a fresh flow of tears making their way down her cheeks as she was dangled above that terrifying pit. A scream she felt rather than heard was released, which only made the sadistic giant's grin wider. She could feel her grip on the enormous fingers falter, the damp atmosphere doing little to help her hands from sliding. And as her damp skin failed her and she was about to lose her grip, the impatient cavern below anxiously waiting to claim its prize, something unforeseen happened.

It turns out that another giant had been present on campus. Even though classes had ended over half an hour ago, the dark-haired giant took his sweet time collecting his things, chatting with his friends, and finally exiting the building. Much to Noelle's fortune, the giant took notice of the small, red bundle that dangled from the evil giant's hands. At first, he couldn't pinpoint what the tiny thing was, but hearing the blood-curdling scream it released, he froze, eyes growing wide with alarm. With no second thought and full of determination, he jumped in action, running towards the shorter giant with a sole goal in mind: to apprehend him.

Noelle's world shook violently as the two behemoths collided, the unexpected motion causing her grip to unclasp. For a long moment, she was falling. Fast. Gravity tugged at her, and as much as she wanted to shut her eyes and hope everything was a twisted prank that had gone too far, she couldn't stop herself from witnessing her impending demise. The ground approached hurriedly and everything besides that had turned into a blurry afterthought. The tears that bubbled in her eyes didn't get a chance to run down her cheeks, caught mid-air by the speed of her fall. That was it, she thought. Her breath hitched, and when she was about to fall to certain death, never to be seen again, a miracle took flesh before her very eyes.

She was no longer falling. Instead, warm, fleshy walls closed around her entire being, stopping her descent and holding her in place. Noelle's mind was spinning, the absurdity and speed of the past few events leaving her lightheaded. She brushed a few red locks off her eyes and tried to focus on the spectacle in front of her, or rather above her. Expecting to be met with the blonde giant's sadistic grin, Noelle was stunned when she was greeted by a familiar face. A pair of dark eyes that she knew all too well stared back at her, the plush lips she had grown so accustomed to mouthing something along the lines of "Are you okay?". This wasn't just any giant; it was Felix!

She never got a chance to call out to him. As much as she talked, he didn't seem to listen, the same worried expression adorning his features. Noelle tried to sit better on her fleshy chariot, only to discover her limbs were heavy as lead. The scenery around her was starting to dim, the face of her lover slowly swirling into an indistinguishable mush. Her heart picked up as the earlier anxiety crept back. The sky was swallowed in darkness, along with everything else. Reality was starting to blur at the edges, leaving a great expanse of nothing behind. The person she trusted the most was fading, becoming one with the indistinct background. The warmth that cradled her was quick to disappear, leaving her to float scared and alone in a chilly void with nothing but empty silence to keep her company.

Her eyes flew open as her entire body jolted, beady pupils scanning the room for any proof that everything she just experienced was nothing more than a nasty nightmare. Raising a hand to wipe her sweat-drenched forehead, Noelle's relief was immediate. The earthy scent of cinnamon and peppermint that still lingered from the afternoon's teatime seemed to ground her, allowing her to breathe freely after what felt like spending a long while underwater. Her own heartbeat still thrummed in her ears, meaning her hearing aid was indeed working; another relief. The warmth below her stirred, catching the short redhead off guard. Turning around, a handsome face was illuminated by the soft radiance of the night light. A bleary-eyed Felix was rubbing the sleep off his eyes while his free hand came from behind to pull his girlfriend closer.

"Another nightmare?" He couldn't suppress the yawn that escaped him, forgetting momentarily to conceal his mouth. "Sorry about that..." he added sheepishly.

Noelle, who seemed unable to use her words for the moment being, merely nodded.

"Wanna talk about it?" He tried to pry.

She shook her head.

"Okay... no need to if you don't feel like it. But I'm here if you need anything, alright?

Another nod. Ever so carefully, Felix cupped his hands around Noelle, holding her in his embrace with the same tenderness he'd handle a wounded kitten. As he was about to settle with the tiny weight on his chest and drift back to sleep, cradling her, he felt a tug. His eyes opened to Noelle pulling his thumb, a microscopic motion that meant so much. She wouldn't say anything, but the look on her face often betrayed her wants. The way she avoided his gaze, as if embarrassed, or how her lips parted, ready to make the request but always a tad too shy to really go through with it. Felix knew what she was silently requesting, of course. It wasn't the first time, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last, but he still had every right to fawn over his adorable little girlfriend.

With Noelle still in his hands, the giant man sat up, back lying against the wooden headboard.

"Looks like little cherry wants some mouth time~" He cooed. Noelle blushed in his hands and nodded, trying to hide her bashful expression and failing miserably. Felix smiled at the view and when the awaited nod arrived, he gingerly raised his hands to his mouth. It opened slowly, letting the small woman peek inside and familiarize herself with her surroundings once more. In her dream, the sight of her captor's mouth made her shudder. But with Felix, this was never the case. The steamy breath felt inviting instead of suffocating, encouraging her to further explore the wet cavern. Carefully, she climbed in, moving to the center of the tongue. Once he felt her settle, Felix slowly closed his mouth. His taste buds caressed her soft skin as she explored the inside of his mouth like it was her first time. Pools of saliva were quick to form around her, marking the giant's impatience. Despite how his body reacted, Felix didn't want to pressure Noelle into doing something she wasn't ready for, so he'd silently drain the fluids and wait for her signal.

Once Noelle got tired, she crawled to the back of the throat. The long way down and the darkness it hid wasn't so ominous when her safety was ensured, and with a soft pat, she let her boyfriend know she was ready. Felix took the hint immediately, and so he swallowed gingerly. His throat flexed tightly around the precious package, pulling it down into his core with utmost precision and care. The wet muscles kneaded her softly, almost like massaging her during the entire trip. By the end of the ride, Noelle almost didn't want the feeling to end, but gravity did her work, making her drop into the spacious sack she had grown so familiar with.

From the outside, Felix was in utter bliss, his eyes closing in contentment as the small bundle of joy in his stomach caressed his insides with every movement. Delicately, in order not to shake his girlfriend too much, Felix adopted a lying position, resting his head on the pillow with a contented sigh. Inside, Noelle was getting comfortable and ready for a long, uninterrupted nap. She was so lucky to be able to just hide in the deepest depths of the man she loved, hidden and protected from the rest of the world. In there, she had nothing to fear, nothing to worry about, and she knew that as long as she stayed there, he was her entire world. For his part, Felix was also grateful for his small partner, a tiny, cute little woman he could just sweep off her feet and hide from the rest of the world.

During moments like this, both of them had the opportunity for some peace. Noelle's thoughts would grow quieter, allowing her to settle and relax, while also knowing she was helping Felix feel better as well. Their relationship was an odd one, sure, but it worked out just fine, and that's what truly mattered.

#g/t #gt #giant x tiny #gt community #giant tiny #g/t community #giant and tiny #v0re #size difference #giant men #gt vore #safe vore #willing vore #willing prey

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spadesolace · 1 year ago

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the idea of yoo - 1.1. alone with yoo (half-written)

previous | next

words: 1.5k

warnings: a bit of homophobia, discussion about religion, implied cheating

the sun shining through a small window, your eyes twitch as the sunlight hits you perfectly. in your line of sight, sight adjusting through the bright yet also dim room. it smells a bit rugged, similar to yeonjun’s perfume he had made you and rei smell before his date, bed is a bit harder than your usual one at home, and you’re still wearing yesterday’s clothes. in the corner of your eye, was the table tennis - you’re at the choi household.

slowly sitting up, looking for your phone that yeonjun had placed on his bedside table, along with some medicine, water, and hangover drink. underneath was a note with messy handwriting.

hey, when you wake up i would be at rehearsals for tomorrow’s dance battle. left some medicine so drink it right away. yeonie

as you hastily drank the medicine and pick up the hangover drink, ready to leave and get some proper meal. the sound of footsteps and chatter was making its way towards your destination. vaguely, you could make up yeonjun’s mom’s voice and yoo jimin.

“yeonjun is at rehearsal, but you can leave that here on his-” his mom sees you by the bed, wearing your coat and getting your stuff, along with hiding some of the letters that you’ve written for yeonjun’s recipe to food critics to try, and letters from jimin.

“yeonjun’s japanese friend, didn’t hear you come in.”

“just dropping off some notes.”

“jimin is also drop-” the faint breaking of glass was heard upstairs, making yeonjun’s mom rush back upstairs.

the last time you were alone with jimin was when you bumped into her in the hallway, the start of it all. it’s a bit awkward, looking like you spent the night - in which you did - but also it seemed like you’re dating yeonjun. deep inside, you’re thinking how pretty jimin is despite it being so early in the morning.

“hi.” she breaks the tension, a small smile plastered on her face.

“hi.” your breath is taken away; standing in front of a girl who you considered could have been sculpted by aphrodite.

“are you and paul-” then you remember, she’s not here for you.

“OH GOSH NO! he is totally 100 percent into you.”

“you know about… us?”

“that’s what the notes and books are for, he wanted to do some extra reading.” jimin seemed amused by it, partially because no one has been that thoughtful to learn more about their interests and hobbies.

the awkward silence slowly crept back, part of you wanted to leave, no longer wishing to take part in this. the girl you developed feelings for is talking to a guy who you helped in writing the letters for, making an image of him in her mind.

you deceived jimin.

you deceived yeonjun.

they fell in love with the image you had made to deceive both of them.

all you could hear coming out of jimin’s mouth was self-deprecating words regarding her first impression during their first date. nothing made sense anymore, nothing held you back.

“you could never be an idiot. yeonjun wouldn’t think of you that way.” you still held back, not wanting to expose yourself. there is the desire to leave and run away, forget this entire thing happened.

“i should probably get back home.” picking your bag up, noticing jimin was holding onto a piece of paper.

“this- its- its nothing really, something i made during the trip.” still she handed it over to you, lyrics; you assume it to be lyrics of a new song she wrote.

“i like one of the lines from the second verse… lonely yet hopeful.” giving it back to jimin, smiling shyly about to leave her in this man cave that is yeonjun’s room.

“he’ll love it.” i love it.

“yeah…”

“i should get going.”

“can i come with?”

you don’t know how it happened, how you’re walking in the middle of an abandoned train track kicking a stone as you pass by the abandoned cart, no longer filled with writings. there’s another one, not that far off that you and rei go to when you need a change in your routine.

“you’re not scared?” stopping in your tracks, slight confusion evident in your face.

“no, i’m used to this route. a change in scenery.” jimin hummed as the stone you were kicking seemed to have merged with the rest of the pebbles.

“you wanna get out of here?”

it feels surreal, you’re in jimin’s car, listening to the radio mostly 90’s music playing, windows down and the wind blowing your hair. months ago, you couldn’t believe that jimin knew who you were, yet here you are.

“where we going?”

“my favorite secret place.”

you stopped in the middle of a forest, a part of you sort of feared where this was going because who would bring someone to a forest if not to kill them? or maybe you’ve been watching too much true crime that rei has been so adamant in you watching it with her. when you saw the clearing, maybe it wouldn’t be that bad to be killed by the girl you like. it’s just a hot spring, and it worried you when jimin started unpacking her duffel bag, only to pull out a small radio. you’re just stuck in this place with her, turning your back at her when she started removing her sundress. you’re not sure if she removed her undergarments but just the idea that she’s probably skinny dipping makes your face heat up.

jimin turns around as your gaze looks everywhere except for her. you looked at her back for a bit, toned, smooth, and her hair despite being wet already it stil remained smooth and silky. so, you stripped, not fully. she only turned back to face you when she heard a bit of water splashing. an embarrassed smile was evident as jimin takes in what you’re wearing.

“oh i almost forgot.” you thought it was from the heat from the hot spring that made you feel this way but confirming that jimin is indeed naked walking around the area and setting up the small radio. you submerged yourself underwater.

“there’s no cell service here, nothing could reach us here.”

“so if you kill me, completely leave me here to decompose and scream, no one would come to rescue me?”

it was a lighthearted joke, one that made jimin laugh as she dipped back into the spring and you still avoided looking at her body. things were going well, talking about interests, family, religion, everything under the sun as you played around in the water.

“i don’t think i’ve hanged out with a girl and not talk about boys before.”

“oh… sorry.”

“no, no… it’s nice, actually.” you nod to her statement, maybe this could be a way to help yeonjun out.

“yeonjun’s nice.” jimin looks at you, pondering. she can’t put a finger on it but she tries to explain her emotions.

“he’s... confusing.”

“how?”

”when i’m with him, i feel... safe. he’s a sweet guy, don’t get me wrong. then he writes these things that feel... not so safe.” you tilt your head as you process everything, you wrote those things, the letters, the messages, everything - you wrote it.

“not safe?”

“makes me wonder, think about things - all this time i was set on this idea of marrying jeno but then here comes yeonjun when i asked god for a sign. god doesn’t know either or he’s not telling.”

“i don’t believe in god.”

“that must be so nice.”

“it’s not…” you slowly submerged yourself into the water, jimin still observing you, everything feels weird. “it’s lonely.”

“i wished i knew what i believed in.” you tune everything out, listening to jimin’s rant about jeno already planning their future wedding, her asking a sign to god if that was what love is. simply accept it and be grateful. but the letter appeared the following day, the letter you wrote and what started this whole thing.

“silly, right?” you shake your head as you swim closer to her.

“no, its not.”

“but you know what’s silly?” everything moved so fast that your oversized shirt was removed from you, a triumphant smile but easily replaced by her laughing.

“did you layer?” now, you’re left with your undergarment and a black tank top.

time went by so slowly, you’re talking to her about life, love, religion, while floating on your back next to her listening to a radio playing old songs. the current song playing was your mom’s favorite song, waiting for the best part, the climax as she would say.

“my mom also told us that every song, movie, story has a best part.” patiently waiting, letting it pass and enjoy each other’s presence and the song you heavily associated with your mom. a part of you wants to reach out to jimin and hold her hand as the song continues on.

“was that it?”

“you asking or stating?”

the best part - is when you actually hold onto jimin’s hand as you float like otters. the song playing in the background as the lyrics perfectly encapsulate what you feel for her. words can’t express your feelings - pain from knowing the girl you like is straight and seeing your only friend but also happiness from getting such a small moment together that you’ll cherish till you leave this little place called kwangya.

you may not believe in god, but if falling in love with yoo jimin is a sin. call me a sinner, then.

taglist [CLOSED]:

@1luvkarina @beawolfbealionbeyou @pandafuriosa60 @txtbrainrot @rinapomu @limbforalimb @yoontoonwhs @noascats @thefckghost @petruchiosstuff

#aespa x fem reader #karina aespa #aespa smau #aespa x reader #aespa karina #aespa #karina smau #karina x reader #karina imagines #karina #yoo jimin x reader #yoo jimin #the idea of yoo smau

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the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf · 2 years ago

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You're waiting for a train...(5)

A Lesson in Planning

Robert Fischer x reader

description - the logistics of the dream begin to come together and get finalised by the group. Y/n's heart yearns for Robert more but she feels absent from those around her.

warnings - non-con touching (because she is not awake! UNCONSCIOUS PEOPLE DON'T WANT TEA!), mentions of surgery, mentions of murder.

word count - 2.2k

a/n - Boy you guys are gonna hate Arthur here! this is an important filler chapter for the plot but the real juicy stuff is still to come!

Previous Part Series Master list Master list

If you want to be added to the taglist - here

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“So now in the first layer of the dream, I can impersonate Browning and suggest concepts to Fischer’s conscious mind. When we get a layer deeper his own projection of Browning should-should feed that back to him.” Eames orated to our group as we sat concepting the plan for the mission.

“So he gives himself the idea?” Arthur questioned.

“Precisely.” Eames continued. “That’s the only way it’ll stick. It has to seem self-generated.”

“Eames.” Arthur leant back in his chair and looked to me and I nodded in agreement. “I am impressed.”

Eames chuckled. “Your condescension, as always, is much appreciated, Arthur, thank you.” I laughed at Eames’ quip, but felt I should cover my face to not embarrass Arthur further.

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I sat in the workspace with Ariadne as she worked on her totem.

She’d decided upon a chess piece with a partly hollowed out centre that would always fall a specific way. We’d actually had the idea together when we’d been walking in the park and had come across a group of old men who’d formed a chess club. When Ariadne had picked up the queen, it had felt right in her hand.

I glanced to my watch and commented on the lateness of the time but hadn’t noticed Ariadne had actually left our desk. I must have zoned out. That had been happening a lot recently. My mind went to Robert. It wasn’t always thinking back on our interaction, most of the time it was just imagining him beside me. Living in the moment with fantasies of him living it with me.

I perked up when Dad and Ariadne walked back towards me, Ariadne gestured for me to show my Dad the mazes but I hesitated.

“Each level relates to the part of the subjects subconscious that we are trying to access.” Dad walked past our designs, assessing the skill and intricacy. Ariadne and I loomed over her paper built mazes. “So, I’m making the bottom level a hospital so Fischer will bring his father, -- um you know, actually, I have a question about this layout.” Dad immediately retreated as if the sight burned his eyes.

“No, no, no. Don’t – Don’t show me specifics. Only the dreamer should know the layout.” I winced at Dad’s harsh tone.

“Dad, she just wanted some help.” I looked up at him.

“Just – “ He pointed at me in a fierce tone but doubted his words. His tone smoothed out. “Just no specifics.”

“Why is that important?” She questioned, amid our staring contest.

“In case one of us brings our projections in. We don’t want them knowing the details of the maze.” Dad feebly explained.

“You mean in case you bring Mom in?” I spat at him. The room went quiet, the tension was thick. “You can’t keep her out, can you? Right. If you know the maze then she knows it. That’s why you can’t build anymore.” I stalked towards him amidst my lecture.

“Cobb is this getting worse?” I appreciated Ariadne’s concern. She had been whisked in to this operation only to find out the leader’s brain was more fucked up than most. Who wants to share dreams with that. “Because the others need to know if it is?”

“Who said it’s getting worse!” He abruptly ended so we knew the conversation was done. There was a lull. “I need to get her home.” He pointed at me. “That’s all I care about right now. Is her.” He stood up and embraced me. My guilt weighed me down. He’d only ever thought of me, and my thoughts were filled with someone else. How selfish could I be.

“Why can’t you go home?” Ariadne fiercely inquired.

“Because they think I killed her.” Cobb said into my hair whilst we stayed hugging. I squeezed tighter at that answer. Ariadne stayed quiet as Cobb left my arms to walk away. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not asking whether I did.” He smiled appreciatively.

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“I will split up my father’s empire.” The word emblazoned on our whiteboard. “Now, this is obviously an idea that Robert himself would choose to reject which is why we need to plant it deep in his subconscious. The subconscious is motivated by emotion, right? Not reason. We need to find a way to translate this into an emotional concept.” Dad addressed us.

“How do you translate a business strategy into an emotion?” Arthur questioned.

“That’s what were here to figure out. Now, Robert’s relationship with his father is stressed to say the least.”

“Well, can we run with that?” Eames perked up. “We could suggest breaking up his father’s company as a ‘screw you’ to the old man.”

“No.” I commented. “Positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time. We yearn for reconciliation, catharsis. His bond with his dad is broken beyond repair. Maybe if we’re gonna be in there anyway, we could do him a little good.” When I trailed off softly, I felt all eyes on me, confused. I especially felt the hot gaze of my father.

“We need Robert Fischer to have a positive emotional reaction to all this.” Dad agreed whilst eyeing me suspiciously.

“All right, let’s try this.” Eames jumped to my rescue. “My father accepts that I want to create for myself, not follow in his footsteps.”

“That might work.”

“Might?” Arthur argued. “We’re gonna need to do a little better than might.” Eames turned towards him with a cheeky smile.

“Oh, thank you for your contribution, Arthur.” He said sarcastically.

“Forgive me for wanting a little specificity, Eames.”

“Specificity?”

“Inception’s not about being specific. When we get inside his mind, we’re gonna have to work with what we find.”

Ariadne had already prepped each of the dreamers with the layout of the maze. I was truly impressed, and I spent every minute telling her that. It was so great to have a girl on the team. I often felt I was drowning in testosterone.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We had entered Yusuf’s dream which would act as the first layer. Ariadne had created a metropolitan city with towering skyscrapers. It was perfect. Complex and confusing if you were not familiar yet still had a sense of believability.

“On the top level,” Eames narrated to us all, as we stood in the direct centre of the road. “We open up his relationship with his father, and say ‘I will not follow in my father’s footsteps.”

I walked around in awe of the world around me. I’d been in many dreams and had created a few for myself, but nothing like this. I bumped Ariadne’s shoulder and whispered.

“This is seriously amazing.”

“you’ve told me that like 5 times, y/n.”

“Oh sorry—”

“No, it’s nice.” She threw her arm around me so we ended in a half way hug. I suddenly remembered the boys were talking.

“Then the next level down, we feed him ‘I will create something for myself’. Then by the time we bring out the big guns – “

“My father doesn’t want me to be him.” I finished. After speaking those fateful words I chanced a glance at my own father’s eyes. But I looked away in shame, missing his own longing gaze.

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“Three layers down the dreams are gonna collapse.” Arthur admitted. “Even with the slightest disturbance.”

“Sedation.” Yusuf proudly stated. “For sleep stable enough to create three layers of dreaming, we’ll have to combine it with an extremely powerful sedative. The compound we’ll be using to share the dream creates a very clear connection between dreamers whilst actually accelerating brain function.”

“In other words, it gives us more time on each level.” Dad explained for the ones who struggled to understand Yusuf’s chemistry.

“Brain function in the dream will be about 20 times normal. When you enter a dream within that dream, the effect is compounded, it’s 3 dreams – that’s 10 hours times –”

“I’m sorry maths was never my strong subject.” I chuckled at Eames’ confusion. “How much time is that?”

I decided to fill him in.

“It’s a week, the first level down, 6 months the second level down –”

“Its 10 years, the third level.” Ariadne said in a gasp. I nodded sadly towards her. “Who would want to be stuck in a dream for 10 years?”

“Depends on the dream.” Ariadne and I looked unamused towards Yusuf’s attempt at humour.

“So, once we’ve made the plant how do we get out? I’m hoping you have something more elegant in mind than shooting me in the head.” Arthur commented whilst swinging on his chair.

“A kick.”

“What’s a kick?”

“This Ariadne,” Eames gently tapped Arthur’s chair so he panicked and fell forward. “Is a kick.” He smiled innocently towards Arthurs unimpressed face. I giggled watching their little bromance.

“It’s that feeling of falling you get that jolts you awake.”

“Will we even feel a kick with that level of sedation?” I questioned.

“I’ve customised the sedative to leave inner function unimpaired.” I gave a grateful nod. Yusuf was truly a gift to this mission. “Let me demonstrate.”

“Arthur.” “Arthur!” Eames and I said in sync.

Arthur reluctantly rises and sits on the chair Yusuf gestures to. Yusuf puts him into a dream.

“You see the sleeper still feels the falling.” Yusuf tips Arthur and he jolts awake just in time to watch his body hit the ground. Eames and I burst out laughing. I wink at Eames as we both get the same idea.

“But Yusuf.” I begin. “He just fell sideways. I think it needs to be demonstrated that it works falling at ALL angles.” Eames and I could barely hold in our laughter as my dad shook his head in disapproval. Arthur was put under 4 more times and shoved off the chair each time. God this was too good. After the final time, he threw his hands up when Yusuf went in for one more IV. He abruptly stood up and walked past me. He slowed down when he reached my shoulder.

“Don’t be so childish.” My smile broke.

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“He hasn’t got any surgery scheduled, there’s no dental, nothing.”

“Wasn’t he supposed to have a knee operation?”

“Nothing. Nothing that they’d put him under for anyway.”

We were coming up with the final stage. And the most important element. Time.

“We need a good 10 hours.” My dad offered up the situation to the room.

“Sydney to Los Angeles.” Saito had very much taken up the role of the silent money. Quiet, observing. Merely here to protect his investment. When dad had told me he wanted to go under with us I wasn’t shocked. Inception is hardly a mission which has a physical outcome a buyer can hold. The only way to get proof is to be there with us. I did worry about safety. He was just another parasite the projections could flock to; this put us all at risk. And I had a feeling this sedation meant a simple kill shot wouldn’t suffice.

“One of the longest flights in the world. He makes it every two weeks.”

“He must be flying private then?” Dad questioned.

“Not if there were unexpected maintenance with his plane.” I smirked at this.

“It would have to be a 747.” Arthur jumped in.

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Because on a 747, the pilot is up top,” I didn’t miss how Arthur directed the answer towards my dad. “and the first class cabin is on the nose, so no one would walkthrough but you’d have to buy out the entire cabin and the first class flight attendant.”

“I bought the airline.” We all flocked our gaze to Saito. “It seemed neater.” Ah of course! Why didn’t we think of that?

“Well then.” We had our stage. “Ariadne?” Dad stopped us as we went to leave. “Terrific work by the way.” I smiled her way but she missed it, taken up in a conversation with Arthur.

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My fingers fidgeted on the lock of the case. Itching to try again. Nothing around me was satisfying, I needed some release. The lock flicked up and I hurriedly unpacked the IV. I inserted it and let it do it’s magic. My eyes drooped, my heart slowed yet my excitement bubbled up. My head flopped onto the rough fabric of the deck chair. As my mind floated me away, a presence loomed in my peripheral.

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*Arthur’s pov*

I’d stayed behind late, hoping to have a word with y/n. She hadn’t seemed herself recently and I worried for the state of her mind when we begin this task.

I made my way to the door, believing I’d missed her. I noticed one of the deck chairs hadn’t been put away so I went to tidy up. I saw five painted nails loosen their grip on the edge of the chair and collapse to the side. There was an IV exiting the vein, I tracked it back towards the silver case.

I ambled my way towards her sleeping frame. So peaceful, yet so much life danced behind her closed eyes. I found myself stroking her soft cheeks. She was so perfect. My thumb caressed the contours of her face and it began to droop lower, until it met the curve of her lips. What was I doing?

I jumped back as if her skin had burnt me. Suddenly I was possessed by a new found drive. I ripped one of the other IV’s out of the case and dragged a chair up to the table. I inserted the tube and let the sedative consume my body.

My mind crumbled down and was rebuilt into her subconscious.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Oh boyyyyy Arthur has gone into her subconscious! What's he gonna find? What's she hiding??

taglist: @jonsncws @h-l-vlovesvintage @theethy @fashionki11a @felicity1994 @bearchermer @idkyoutellmesmh @mimimarvelingmarvel @butterfly-lies-chase-them-away

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anabdaniels · 1 year ago

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Piece by piece- Chapter 3

Chapter summary: Jack and Ana finally go to his ranch to spend the weekend.

Word counting: 5.6k

Warnings: Alcohol, slight self-fat-shaming, Jack speaks Spanish (sensible topic I KNOW), the author regrets nothing.

A/N: 11:30 p.m., it's my birthday and I'm posting this while eating japonese food. Just another normal day.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Previous chapter | Playlist

Jack Daniels smiling openly on a Monday morning was undoubtedly not a common event at Statesman Distillery; he was not the kind of boss who treated his staff as if he was better than them, far from it, but the most probable mood one could find him was being solemn. From everyone surprised by the sight of the smiling cowboy, Ginger for sure was the more shocked one when Jack entered her lab, friendlier than ever.

“Good morning, Elizabeth.” He greeted her with an almost concerning wide smile.

“Did you hit your head on your way here?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“Why is so strange that I’m happy in this beautiful morning?” Jack questioned laying his hands on his hips.

“Because you’re usually insufferable on Monday mornings, and on Tuesday mornings, and the rest of the mornings on the week.” Ginger had a straight expression on her face while answering; she was telling the truth after all.

“You might be right, but I suppose it’s never too late to change.” Disturbingly to her, he still sympathetically smiling.

“If you say.” She shrugged “Anyway, what do you want?”

“Just came to know if the samples of bourbon from our new fermentation process are ready for the presentation tomorrow.”

“They are.” Ginger confirmed while grabbing two small bottles, and handing them to him “These were left over, in case you want to take ’em to Champ to have a look.”

“You’re the best, Ginger Ale.” Jack answered excitedly, grabbing the bottles “What would we do without you?” He said and started to walk towards the automatic door that was opened while Tequila entered the lab “Good morning, Michael. Ain’t it an amazing morning?” Jack patted Tequila on the back while passing by his friend and walked through the hallway.

“Did you drug him?” Tequila asked with a frown, looking at Ginger.

“Trust me, nothing that I could ever develop for the agency or the distillery would make such an effect.” Ginger said with a slightly confused expression.

“Doesn’t make me any more relieved.” Tequila said shaking his head.

Ana sat again at her desk, letting the mug of coffee, the second in that morning, on the wooden surface while turning her attention back to her computer. She loved her job, but some parts of it could drain her energy, and registering test grades was one of those parts. Despite these little inconveniences, she hadn’t much to complain about; she worked just three days a week and it was for the pure joy of teaching, Ana could have dedicated herself only to her hobbies a few years ago, but she was too passionate by her profession to retire so early.

She couldn’t say how much time had passed when the sound of the doorbell interrupted her. Ana stood up and walked to the front door, positively surprised to see Lisa on the other side.

“I’m sorry for not warning you that I was coming.” Was the first thing Lisa said, knowing that her friend wasn’t a huge fan of surprise visits.

“Don’t worry; you’re among the persons I can forgive for showing up in surprise.” Ana smiled and gave way for her to enter “I’m just surprised you’re not at the zoo.” Ana said while closing the door.

“I’m on my lunch break and probably will get late, but is a life-or-death question and I’d not survive ‘till the end of my shift to come talk to you.” When Lisa mentioned the lunch, Ana looked at her watch, just now realizing that was later than she imagined.

“Well, I’m curious. What can be so urgent?”

“Is there any chance I left that ring that my father gave me here when I came to pick you up on Friday?” When she finished the question, Lisa saw Ana lay a hand on her forehead and it gave her a little hope.

“You did. I found it at the bathroom sink.” Ana said while opening the drawer of the sideboard, grabbing the jewelry, and handing it to Lisa “I was planning to text you yesterday, but I got a little distracted.”

“Thank you for saving my life.” Lisa said putting the ring on her finger “But you’re gonna tell me that now you work on Sundays too?”

“I never said I got distracted with work.” Ana raised her eyebrows with a suggestive expression. Lisa thought for a moment, realizing what Ana meant.

“You were with Jack?” Took Lisa a bit of effort to not freak out when Ana nodded “The good Lady above heard my prayers. I thought I’d die before seeing you saving a couple of horses.”

“I hate you sometimes and I hope you’re aware of that.” Ana rolled her eyes despite her discreet smile “Before you proceed, it wasn’t this kind of date. We just went out for dinner, that’s all.”

“Doesn’t change my euphoria about it.” The excited expression on her face confirmed what she said “So, how was it?”

“Well…” Ana thought for a moment before just letting it all go “It was incredible. He’s an amazing listener, has good taste in music, we agree on a lot of important stuff and he’s an old-school gentleman.”

“So, everything you love in a man.” Lisa wasn’t surprised by their compatibility but was happy with Ana’s excitement.

“And the cherry at the top of the cake was his invitation to spend this next weekend at his ranch with a suite all to myself and a lot of animals to pet.” Ana sounded satisfied while said it.

“I’ll expect a detailed email about this on Monday.” Lisa warned while walking towards the door.

“You’ll be lucky if I send you a text.” Ana raised her eyebrows, opening the door for Lisa.

“As long as I had any clue of how it went, you can send the information in a mail pigeon.”

Throughout the week, Ana and Jack exchanged a considerable number of messages, combining things like what hour they would leave for the ranch. When Friday finally came, Ana made sure one last time that everything was in place and that she wasn’t forgetting to pack anything.

She combined with Jack that they’d leave at 2 pm, aware of his punctuality, she was already waiting in the living room. When, through the window, she saw the Bronco parking in front of her house, Ana got up and opened the door. The realization that it would be an intense weekend hit her like a truck when she saw him getting out of the car and walking towards her in that all-jeans look; the combo of the black Stetson with aviator sunglasses itself should be considered criminal for making him look that good, but Jack for sure knew what he was doing when he chose to wear a denim jacket with those goddamn tight jeans pants that he seemed to love to use.

Jack was considerably close to her when he took off his sunglasses and left them hanging on his shirt. The politest he was, he couldn’t help but take a look at her; the well-thought-out choice of boots, jeans, and a leather jacket confirmed that Ana was truly familiar with the rural environment. He took off his hat when stood in front of her, smiling openly.

“Good afternoon, darlin’.” He sounded gallant as always.

“Good afternoon, handsome” Ana allowed herself to look better at Jack now that he was close “Seems that I finally got you in the full cowboy mode.”

“I could say the same ‘bout you.” He answered with a smirk, holding one of her hands and planting a kiss on the back of her fingers “So, ready to go?” He asked while slowly letting go of her hand.

“Yes, just give me a second.” She said with an excited smile and went back into the house, grabbing her travel bag and looking around one last time to make sure she didn’t forget anything. Ana walked back to the door and left the bag on the wooden floor of the porch to grab something in the sideboard that Jack couldn’t see what it was while he promptly grabbed her bag. He was for sure confused when she got out and closed the door with one hand, while in the other she was carrying a thermos with a pump and something that looked like a wooden cup that wasn’t familiar to him. They walked to the Bronco, as usual, he opened the door for her and closed it after she got in, he carefully placed her bag on the back of the car and walked around, getting in too. After putting his hat and sunglasses back, Jack started to drive, alternating his attention between the street and Ana, deadly curious about that wooden object that had a kind of metal straw on it and was filled with something that looked like matcha powder.

“What is this?” The curiosity won and he had to ask.

“It’s called mate or chimarrão.” Ana answered after taking a sip of the drink “Traditional drink from southern Brazil.”

“What is it made of?”

“Just hot water and erva-mate or Ilex Paraguaiensis, if you’re into botanic. And just this was enough to make me addicted to it.”

“So, is a kind of infusion; how in god’s green earth did you get addicted to it?” Jack questioned with a confused smile.

“Well, there is a considerable concentration of caffeine on this, so I think you already have your answer.” She raised her eyebrows slightly, smiling when he chuckled.

“Now you made me curious about this. Can I try it?”

“Course, just don’t blame me if you end up enjoying it and then find out how expensive is one kilogram of erva-mate in this country.” She joked while putting water on the drink, then carefully handed it to him.

“I’ll take the risk.” Jack answered while grabbing the “cup”, taking a first sip and pondering for a moment “It reminds me a little bit of green tea, but tastes better actually.” He said before taking another taste of the mate “By the way, I’d like some explanations ‘bout this cup.”

“It’s a cuia, basically a dried calabash gourd.”

“I’ll already apologize if end up asking too many questions because I’m really curious about the mate and is pleasing to hear you mixing English and Portuguese while you speak.” He admitted raising his eyebrows and took another sip of the drink.

“Considering that you didn’t give up after the first taste of it, I’ll probably keep talking ‘til you get too caught by the subject to be brought to the mate side.” Despite the joking tone, Ana was a bit serious.

“To be honest, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting.” Jack drank the last sip of the mate then handed the cuia back to her “May the erva-mate be with you.” He smiled when she busted into laughter, laying her head on her hand.

“For a second I thought you wouldn’t get my shitty joke.” Ana admitted when she stopped laughing.

“Don’t underestimate my ability to recognize questionable humor. I saw this one coming with no effort, darlin’.” Jack stated with that smug manner that would be insufferable coming from most people, but that man for sure knew the limit to being like that in a fun way, without becoming gross.

The next hour passed like nothing while they talked about some random topics and cracked a few more dubious jokes. When the car entered the propriety and the ranch became more visible, Jack could see Ana’s face shining with excitement while she looked around, not wanting to miss anything. Once he parked in front of the house and they got out of the car, both of them could hear the crazy barking of the dogs and it didn’t take long till the animals appeared.

“Here come the kids.” Jack said while observing the two dogs running towards them like there was no tomorrow.

“Will be harder than I was expecting not to kidnap them.” Ana admitted already melted by the dogs. As expected, they started to insanely smell Jack while shaking their tails furiously and whimpering. Jack stooped, doing the best he could to give both dogs the attention and rubs they wanted. After a while, they calmed down a little bit, but it was just for a few seconds before they turned their attention to Ana, sniffing her and giving those excited little jumps to catch her attention. She didn’t think twice before squatting to caress them; not surprisingly she ended up falling sitting on the ground when both dogs tried to get closer to her at the same time. At that point, she believed she could collapse with the cuteness of the Australian Cattle and the Bernese Mountain dog that, at this point, were too comfortable asking for belly rubs or head scratches.

“I hope you know that they’ll pursue you.” Jack said observing the scene with a smile.

“And I’ll be delighted with it.” Ana mentioned with a smile while hugging the Bernese seated next to her and felt the dog’s nose bump her neck when she stopped caressing his head “Calm down, baby. I didn’t forget you.” She said caressing one of the dog’s ears and grabbing the small silver plate on his collar “Your name is Gus, little one.” Gus seemed more than happy to hear her calling him by his name, shaking his tail vigorously. The other dog, who was comfortable sat on her lap, laid one paw on Ana’s shoulder, wanting attention too “Okay, okay, I’ll give you some love too.” Ana smiled while rubbing the dog’s neck, paying attention to the plate on her collar “And this beautiful girl is Lola.” A lick on her chin and a happy shaking tail were the answers she got from Lola.

The few times someone visited the ranch, Jack may have gotten a little bit jealous when his dogs turned their attention to them, but this time, he couldn’t be happier. Watch Ana sit on the grass playing with Lola and Gus melted parts of his heart that he didn’t even know were still alive; he was fully aware that he was possibly starting to have a huge crush on her and the fact that she was so pleased and excited just for being there and give the dogs a couple of belly rubs didn’t make things easier for Jack to stop the growing feeling.

A few minutes later, the two dogs finally calmed down and lay on the ground next to Ana.

“Am I finally allowed to leave you guys and go to see the rest of the ranch?” She asked looking at them, smiling at how calm they were after a lot of little jumps “I’ll take this as a yes.”

“Trust me, they’ll be freaking out again very soon.” Jack said holding out a hand to her.

“Can’t say I don’t like to know this.” Ana admitted, holding his hand and getting up, patting her jeans with her free hand to take off the dust.

“Nothing that I haven’t noticed already.” He smiled, intertwining their fingers as they started to walk. As they got closer to the wood fence, they saw a horse running excitedly, stopping when he went to the fence, walking back and forth while shaking his head.

“Seems that our boy Horace is excited.” Ana said at the moment she recognized the Clydesdale horse, he was all black, except for the white stockings in the four paws and the white blaze on his face.

“I owe him a couple of rides, to be honest, and his energy seems to be always at the highest level possible. I’m surprised he didn’t jump the fence.” Jack mentioned as they got closer to where the horse was. When they got close, Horace already had passed his head over the fence “Put yourself together, boy.” Jack said while caressing Horace’s head making the horse finally calm down.

“I wonder if he’ll forgive me for being the reason why you were in the city last weekend.” Ana joked while observing the scene.

“Give him a carrot and a little bit of attention and he becomes your best friend.”

“Will be easier than I was expecting then.” She said while slowly approaching her hand to the horse; Horace turned his head to her when noticed the approaching and stood still as she touched him and rubbed his neck, making Horace lean slightly towards her hand “I’m starting to doubt about how much what I’ve heard about your behavior was true, Horace.”

“He’s just a good actor.” Jack said with a wide smile, observing their interaction.

“We’ll see about it.” Ana raised her eyebrows slightly, turning her head when she heard another horse approaching them “If I’m not mistaken, you’re Crystal.” She said while approaching the white quarter horse mare, rubbing behind her ear.

“By the way, she’ll be your horse for the weekend.” Jack smiled a little more when Ana turned her look to him with an excited expression “And judging by your amusement, I imagine that you’ll not be offended if we go to a ride now and leave the rest of the tour for tomorrow.”

“You didn’t mention that mindreading was one of your skills.” She said with narrowed eyes and a sideways smile.

“I’m a man of many talents, sweetheart.” He winked at her with a smirk.

They took the horses to the stable; it was safe to say that Horace was already bonded with Ana since he didn’t miss a chance to lay his head on her shoulder while they were waiting for Jack to saddle Crystal. Jack couldn’t be more pleased with all that: his beloved horse becoming friends with the woman who had a high chance of becoming the lady of the house. Fine, now he was starting to think too far, but, at the same time, Jack allowed himself to be a little bit self-indulgent, it had been a while since the last time he enjoyed feminine company in these circumstances; and the fact that she enjoyed those things as much as him just made Jack more pleased. Once both of the horses were saddled, they went outside the stable; despite being too excited, Horace behaved like a gentleman while Jack talked with Ana.

“So, how much do you remember about horse riding?” Jack asked already imagining the answer.

“Well, I remember the very basic, like tapping the horse’s side gently with the heel to make him move, moving the reins across his neck to make him turn to the sides and pull back the rein to make him stop.” She said after thinking for a moment, feeling a little relief when he smiled.

“You know the essential then.” He couldn’t hide his excitement “And tomorrow I’ll teach you how to saddle a horse.”

“I don’t know if it’s safe for Crystal to let me saddle her.” Ana joked with a smile.

“Is easier than it seems.” He assured “So, couple of additional reminders: never approach ‘em from behind. Crystal and Horace are the most peaceful animals in this world, but it may scare them and they can try to kick you. Giving them a snack, always keep your palm flat ‘cause they can confuse your fingers with food and bite you.” Jack explained with a calm voice and the certainty of one who knows what he was talking about; it for sure demanded Ana a bit more attention to register the information, once he looked more gorgeous than ever while spoked with such propriety of the subject. “Another thing. Do you want to try to mount by yourself or want a hand?”

“Well…” Ana knew that she didn’t have practice enough to mount without help. She looked around for a moment and found her solution “I’ll try my luck.” Intrigued, Jack observed while she calmly made Crystal take a few steps to stop next to a tree stump and then used it as her mounting block, getting mounted without any problem.

“You really have been raised in the country.” Jack said with a smirk and mounted on Horace.

They started the ride at a slow pace and it was more than enough to make Ana look like a child with a new toy; Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her and occasionally gave her one or other advice, especially about the right posture and hand placement. When he noticed that Ana had gained confidence, Jack encouraged her to make Crystal go from walking to canter and, as he expected, she didn’t flinch before did it, smiling openly when Crystal started the canter.

“I don’t wanna be too abused, but we’ll have to negotiate another visit.” Ana said while looking at Jack with a wide smile.

“Darlin’, you’re welcome to come back anytime you want.” Jack answered in a warm tone, smiling at her.

“If I end up stealing your dogs, don’t blame me.” She joked and looked around “Tell me that you didn’t forget to tell me that you have sheep.” Ana said while looking at the little group of animals a little further away.

“Will you forgive me if I tell you that I also forgot to mention that there are a couple of babies?” He asked raising an eyebrow.

“If I can pet them, I forgive you.”

“Problem solved, then.” When the horses got closer to the field section where the sheep were, they got off the horses and approached the fence. As he was accustomed to do, Jack jumped the fence and when he was about to turn to offer help to Ana, she was already by his side. “I never doubted your country skills, but I can’t deny that I’m having a couple of positive surprises.”

“Don’t expect me to know the difference between an Île-de-France and a Merino sheep, but I have a bit of expertise when it comes to surviving in the country.” Ana looked down when something nudged her leg.

“Have the pleasure to become familiar with an Île-de-France then.” Jack said referring to the sheep standing in front of Ana smelling her.

“Don’t give me so much incentive if you don’t want to stay here for the next three hours.” She said while starting to scratch the sheep’s head. A couple of minutes later, a little lamb appeared and was happy to be rubbed on his face, shaking his little tail very much like a dog would do. Ana couldn’t be more pleased with the whole thing; as if all the adorable and friendly animals weren’t enough to amaze her, the fact that Jack had so much way with animals and seemed so satisfied to be among them just made everything more pleasing. After she had met the rest of the sheep and petted all of them, they finally went back to the horses and only then Ana realized that she had a problem to solve. “I should’ve brought a tree stump with me.” She let out a chuckle despite the little despair growing in the pit of her stomach.

“Don’t worry, assistance to mount is between one of my skills.” Jack said with that convinced smile, standing next to her.

“I don’t doubt.” She was still smiling discreetly despite feeling her heart starting to beat a little faster, hoping he didn’t notice how nervous she was starting to get “But is not a good idea.”

“Why not?” He asked raising one eyebrow with a curious smile.

“C’mon, don’t pretend I’m the only one aware that I’m too heavy for this kinda thing.” Ana laughed quietly, expecting him to join her “joke”, but instead he seemed to be just pondering everything while running his tongue across his lips.

“I’ll vehemently disagree and, after all my nursing services the night we meet, I have the propriety to talk ‘bout it.” Jack said calmly with a soft smile.

“I know but-” Her consideration was interrupted when Jack passed one arm around her waist and the other behind her knees, taking her off the ground with no effort. “Jack!” she couldn’t hold back a laugh and passed her arms around his neck.

“I can go as far as necessary to prove my points.” He said with that cocky smile that suited him so well.

“Fine, I don’t think I can argue with that.” Ana couldn’t help but look at his mouth for a second, just now realizing how close they were, a fact that Jack had already noticed and was doing his best to deal with; if it was true that existed a god above, he knew how much Jack wanted to kiss her, the feeling of having her in his arms and her perfume invading his sense of smell didn’t make things any easier, but he wouldn’t risk screwing it all.

“Very good, ‘cause I don’t lose an argumentation.” Jack finished the sentence with a wink and carefully put her back on the ground “Now, we’re gonna put you on Crystal’s back.”

“I hope you know that I don’t have much practice on this part of the mounting.” Ana admitted frowning slightly.

“Don’t worry, there’s no mystery.” He assured calmly, standing next to her “Just bend your leg.” He said patting her left knee, she did as he said and held the saddle with more strength as she felt his hands on her knee and ankle. “Now you just bounce up and I’ll lift you.”

“If both of us end up in the ground, I will blame you.” She said while holding the reins properly.

“I can deal with that.” Jack answered with a smile before helping her mount, smiling a little more when she got easily mounted.

“Well, I think I’ll owe you this one.” Ana said, observing Jack mount on Horace.

“Don’t worry, I’ll think carefully ‘bout how I’ll charge you.” He joked before they started to ride again.

When they went back to the ranch the sun was already going down, after taking the horses to the stable, they went to the house. Jack guided Ana upstairs to her bedroom and, after being sure she would be comfortable, he went to take a shower. Finally, alone, Ana took a better look at the ambiance and hadn’t any doubt that she had been accommodated in the master bedroom of the house. At this point was clear to her that, although the rural man spirit, Jack appreciated the fancy side of life; that ranch was for sure more sophisticated than a lot of city houses without losing the country aesthetic; the varnished and well-maintained wooden floor carefully combined with the wooden furniture was on perfect balance with the whole rustic chic décor of the room such as in the rest of the house.

She for sure would look to the details with more attention, but not now, despite being interested in it, Ana was more excited to spend more time with him. She couldn’t help but think that wanting to be around Jack that much could be a treacherous feeling, however, it wasn’t like both of them didn’t know why they were seeing each other; he left no doubts about being interested in her and she didn’t try to disguise that the interest was mutual. Before getting too carried away with her thoughts, Ana walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

With the sleeves of his plaid shirt rolled up, Jack organized everything he’d need to cook the dinner. Hearing the sound of her coming downstairs, he smiled without even noticing and looked up when Ana entered the kitchen, feeling the genuine happiness that had accompanied him all day went back with full force at the sight of her looking so beautiful in that long floral dress.

“So, my amazing host will also make the dinner? I’m getting too spoiled.” She joked, approaching the kitchen island.

“I want to be sure that you’ll want to come back.” He answered with a smirk while opening a bottle of wine.

“I’m already convinced to come back, but go ahead.” Ana admitted and sat on one of the stools.

“This being the case, we’re at the point where I try to impress you with my domestic abilities.” Jack finished the sentence handing a glass of wine to her.

“The kind of skill I appreciate in a man, especially cooking ‘cause I’ll run away from the kitchen every chance I get.” She admitted before taking the first sip of wine.

“You’re in lucky then, ‘cause my only problem with cooking is the whole pantry-organizing thing.” He said while putting a large skillet on the stove and placing two steaks on it.

“No problem then, because I love to do this kind of organization.” Ana didn’t notice the excitement in her words with the fact that they would work well together on that, even if it was a simple thing, could turn into a problem in daily living.

“I don’t wanna sound hurried, but I’m already imagining how amazing it must be living with you.” Jack admitted with a goofy smile while grabbing a pan with cooked pasta to drain it.

“We’re tied then because the idea of not having to ever touch a pan again sounds like heaven to me.” She said raising her eyebrows slightly and both of them laughed.

They kept talking while he prepared the food and she got herself too amazed by how effortlessly he managed to speak so eloquently while slicing the cooked steaks or how he kept his full attention on her, even while making the alfredo sauce. When the sliced steaks, the sauce, and the fettuccine were put together, she was surer than ever that Jack was putting effort into impressing her and it was working.

As the gentleman he was, Jack grabbed her by the hand while leading her to the table and pulling out the chair for her to sit. After serving the food for her and refilling her glass of wine, he sat next to her, unable not to smile when Ana didn’t flinch before grabbing the fork and trying the food; took him a second to notice that he felt relieved when she let out a satisfied sigh after close her eyes to savor the food.

“I’m ready to negotiate a deep pantry organization since you just dropped one of the best meals I've eaten in my entire life.” Ana said softly with a tender smile.

“I’ll accept the offer.” He answered after taking a sip of his wine “But in the present circumstances, I’m more in need of information.”

“Fair enough.” She agreed before eating another bite “What do you wanna know?” Ana questioned once she swallowed the food.

“You piqued my curiosity ‘bout your country origins after seeming so at home here.” Jack kept his attention turned to her while he started to eat, more curious than ever for her answer.

“My hometown is the kind of place where you’ll occasionally see horses walking around the streets and tractors are as common as cars, not to mention that most of my relatives worked in the livestock business or rice cultivation, I had no way to escape the rural environment.”

“Now it’s making a lot more sense.” He admitted with a fascinated expression “But I’d like a bit more of geographic clarification.”

“Is a rural town called Quaraí, located at the frontier with Uruguay, in fact, the only thing that separates the two countries there is a bridge that you cross in a ten-minute walk.” She explained calmly and took a sip of wine.

“No me digas que hablas español también.” Ana had to inhale slowly so as not to choke on the wine at the very moment he said the first word in Spanish. Somehow his voice sounded even more deep and pleasant.

“No es el idioma que más domino, sin duda, pero sí.” She answered calmly as if she wasn’t in a mental debate to figure out if the heat running over her body was caused by the wine or by the satisfied smile of the man in front of her.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore.” Jack smiled a little more, holding her hand that was lying on the table.

“I think I have the right to come up with some surprises, considering that I didn’t expect you to be like this.” Ana admitted while intertwining their fingers.

“Like this?” he raised one eyebrow, squinting his eyes slightly.

“You know, even if it may have been rash of me, I wasn’t with the highest hopes about a southern cowboy.” She couldn’t help but laugh quietly “I hate to be the half-full-glass person, but my expectations are really good about this.”

“If it makes you feel better ‘bout it, my expectations are in the sky at this point.” Jack admitted with a smirk “You see, I really hope that this can turn into something serious.”

“Both of us.” She smiled widely “I’m enjoying your company a lot.”

They spent the next couple of hours talking and laughing, getting more enthusiastic as the wine in the bottle dwindled. When they decided to go to bed, they walked upstairs side to side, while talking a little more.

“I didn’t forget that you still owe me a visit to the calves.” Ana said while opening the bedroom door.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to see them tomorrow.” He affirmed with his arms crossed.

“You better do it if you don’t want me to steal the good boy Gus.” She raised her eyebrows.

“As if you’d need to make an effort to steal him.” He said with a charming smile and grabbed one of her hands “Have a good night, Ana.” Jack kept his look locked on her eyes while kissing the back of her hand.

“Good night, Jack.” She said with a sideways smile “And thank you for the hospitality.”

“The least I can do having the most amazing guest on my propriety.” He winked at her and kissed her hand once again before letting it go.

Tagging: @missladym1981 (In case you want to be tagged, lemme know)

#agent whiskey #agent whiskey fic #agent whiskey x reader #agent whiskey x you #agent whiskey fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #jack daniels #jack whiskey daniels #Kingsman: the golden circle #pedrostories

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rising-volteccers · 2 years ago

Note

Hello! English is not my language so there may be some mistake. How have been talking about Roy maybe caught Wattrel, can you write something with Liko going to Friede for help because she found a pokémon egg and she wants to raise him?

Hello there! Your English is good, don't worry about it! This piece ended up being self indulgent with a Pokemon I personally want to see Liko have on her team! Hopefully this is an enjoyable read!

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Liko

With the Brave Asagi due for another system update, Murdock suggested that they have a picnic outside to take advantage of the pleasant weather. The last time they had one had been a calm before the storm kind of situation; while things turned up well in the end, it didn't change the fact that Liko's disappearance the day after left a bit of a sour note to that experience. Friede was all for creating new memories to overwrite–or rather, to look back on instead of the awful ones.

Murdock ensured that they had a pleasant spread like last time, making sure that both Dot and Ludlow could enjoy theirs on the ship too. The difference from before and now was that Dot joined them in picnicking via a video feed, though she kept herself out of frame.

Sandwiches were made–Friede as always getting a little ribbing from his crew about his all carnivore one–and eaten, washed down with homemade juice that was refreshing as the sun got higher.

While the adults conversed at the table, Liko, Roy and the Pokemon were playing together. Friede quietly kept an eye out from his seat, as was his habit these days whenever they were off the ship. Roy had the tendency to run off after his or some wild Pokemon while Liko…sometimes trouble seemed to follow her. Between the two of them, he certainly had his work cut out for him.

Friede's attention shifted to the current conversation of their flight route and supply stock during the trip. When his eyes darted back to the kids, he saw that Liko had wandered further than he expected from the group.

"Hey Liko, where are you going?" Friede called out, casting the table in silence. The girl in question paused to look back.

"Oh, something's catching Sprigatito's attention so I'm checking it out!" Liko yelled in response before she dashed after her starter.

A part of Friede wanted to get up and join her. The rest told him to take it easy and trust that Liko's trouble radar was turned off for today. He didn't want to appear like he coddled her, though he quietly worried for her safety.

"She'll be fine. If anything happens, I'm sure she's smart enough to call for us," Murdock spoke up, as if privy to his thoughts. In actuality, Friede just didn't realize the way his expression became pensive.

"We don't have any connection issues this time. Besides, what kind of trouble can she get into way out here?" Orla piped up.

"Don't jinx it," Friede muttered but released a small breath, shoulders losing the tension in them. "Yeah, you're right. Guess there's no need to worry."

Their previous conversation picked up before long. Roy remained within sight seeing that he was practicing singing with Fuecoco while Wattrel acted as their audience of one. As time passed, Friede couldn't help but notice that Liko had still yet to return.

Before his worry really started to kick in, Sprigatito made its return known by meowing loudly. Friede looked up to see Sprigatito and Liko approaching the picnic site with the girl carrying something in her arms.

Was that…a Pokemon Egg?

"I need help!" Liko called out once she was within earshot. Friede swiftly got up to close the distance between them, his body moving before his brain caught up. The moment he heard Liko calling for help, a spark ignited within him to move and get to her side ASAP.

"What's wrong? Where did you get that Egg?" Friede questioned the slightly frazzled girl.

"Sprigatito and I found it on a bush! I promise I tried to look for its parent but I couldn't find any Pokemon close by that's missing an Egg and it's just cold to the touch and–"

"Woah Liko, calm down! I get what you're saying." He adopted a calmer tone to assure her. His gaze fell upon the Egg in her arms. It looked a little scuffed but it didn't seem like there were any cracks to the shell itself. If Liko found the Egg where the parent wasn't nearby, it could mean that another Pokemon swiped it with the intention of making the Egg its meal. Another reason he could think of was the parent left the nest but got caught by humans, thus leaving the Egg behind.

Regardless of how it was left out in the open for Liko to find, Friede didn't like that the Egg was cold to the touch. It needed to be incubated as quickly as possible.

"Get it back to the ship. I think we still have an incubator or two stored in the ship to use."

"O-Okay…"

Friede left the others to clean up while he and Liko rushed back to the ship. Figuring out what he wanted, Mollie texted Friede that he could find an incubator within one of the cabinets inside the infirmary.

Once they got on the ship, Friede quickly placed the Egg inside the incubator. He knew Liko, the kind hearted soul that she was, worried deeply for it. Had she not found the Egg, nature would have taken its due course.

"Hey, you did good. You found the Egg just in time. We'll have to wait and see but I believe that the little one inside will pull through." Friede placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Cheer up, okay?"

She nodded, gaze falling back to the Egg. Friede resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair and letting out a huge sigh. He didn’t like seeing her so despondent.

“Hm… do you want to look after the Egg, Liko?” Friede wound up asking after a few minutes of silence. This could either help or harm her, depending on whether or not the Egg pulled through or not. His gut instinct told him that whatever little one within it was a fighter so he placed his bets towards a positive outcome.

“M-Me? Can I…?”

Friede plastered on his most assuring smile. “Sure you can! You’re a smart, responsible girl. I’m certain that the Egg would be in good hands with you. And remember, it’s not like you have to raise it yourself! You’ve got me and Mollie to help you out.”

Liko considered his words, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt before she took a deep, steadying breath as if steeling herself. Her expression spoke of determination, a look he came to like seeing since it usually led to personal growth for her.

“Right! Right, I’ll give it my best.” Liko’s eyes darted to the incubator. “How long does it take for Eggs to hatch?”

“Well, it depends. Its environment, how attentive the parent is keeping the Egg warm and the like.” Friede lightly tapped the top of the incubator. “Putting the Egg in here keeps it warm and safe–providing that you don’t jostle it around of course. As for how long, again it depends. We don’t know for how long this Egg was left out there. It could’ve been recently… came to be or it’s been out there for days. It might take a few weeks, I reckon.”

“I see…” Liko fell quiet once more, absorbing everything he said. Friede thought he did a good job explaining, which was why he got blindsided when she asked in an innocent voice:

“How do Eggs came to be?”

Had he been drinking something, he would’ve choked on his drink. Friede fought hard to keep his expression from twisting, instead flashing her a smile.

“Hm, I think we can leave the Egg here for the time being and go help the rest pack up don’t you think? The sooner we do that, the sooner we can head off! I think Dot should be done with the system update right about now…” Friede placed his hands on her shoulder to guide her out of the infirmary.

“Eh? But what about…?”

“Oh look, I think Murdock could use some help carrying those baskets!”

“Huh? Oh, you’re right…”

Friede only relaxed after she went ahead to help. Phew, that wasn’t something he was keen on explaining to a preteen anytime soon…

–

In the following weeks, Liko placed a good amount of her time and attention on the Egg. She carried the incubator around with her whilst on the ship and kept it safe within her room when off of it. Friede certainly took note of all the subtle changes throughout this period.

He noticed that she spent more time reading on her Rotom Phone. Friede later found out that Liko was reading up about caring for newly hatched Pokemon. Pretty sweet of her to be so committed to the little one just waiting to hatch. No doubt that the Pokemon would be well taken care of by the girl.

Roy and Dot too joined in on the Egg hatching bandwagon. Roy offered to look after it during her lessons or if she had other stuff that required her attention. Friede recalled Liko mentioning how Dot was forwarding her all these useful articles for her to read. It warmed his heart to see the kids got along well and sharing the excitement with one another.

He also liked how Liko didn’t shy away from requesting help from the rest of the crew too. Asking food related questions from Murdock, going to him and Mollie for caretaking information, his thoughts proved to be true as he was witnessing her growth over the weeks.

Eventually, it came time for the Egg to hatch. A pleasant day had them docked at a large, empty field on the outskirts of a large city. Half of them were off the ship to do some shopping, leaving him, Liko, Ludlow and Dot left on board.

Friede had been doing a bit of reading of his own–mostly a small lead about the Ancient Adventurer–when Liko dashed into his room. Before he could ask, his eyes landed onto the Egg she carried. It wiggled within the incubator, hairline cracks starting to form along its shell.

“I-I think it’s hatching!” Liko spoke, sounding both scared and excited. He can’t blame her given that she was about to witness one of the miracles of life.

“Alright, come have a sit here. Slowly lift the case so there’s room for the baby to hatch,” Friede gently instructed. He stood up from his seat to give it to Liko. The professor positioned himself behind the girl, just out of sight from a (hopefully) small Pokemon that would hatch on her lap. He wanted the little one to imprint on Liko instead of him.

A hushed silence fell between them as larger cracks formed. The first hint of the Pokemon inside came in the form of a white protrusion on top of a light pink head. As the shell gave way, they saw that it was a short, pink humanoid Pokemon with stumpy arms and legs. The little one opened its grey eyes, looked at Liko gazing down at it before promptly crying.

“O-Oh! What do I–?”

“Gently rock the baby. She’s confused and overwhelmed right now.”

While Liko did so, he quickly rummaged through his closet to pull out a clean blanket. “Use this and gently wrap it around the little one.”

Friede helped her with that, and eventually the Pokemon settled down once Liko rocked her whilst swaddled in the blanket. She heaved out a relieved sigh. Her eyes spoke of quiet wonder as she gazed down at the bundle in her arms.

“Wow. When I saw it was hatching, I just… it was a little scary,” she spoke quietly.

“Mm, I don’t blame you for feeling that way. Seeing a Pokemon hatch for the first time, it’s scary cause you’re worried about messing up but also wonderful cause you got to see a Pokemon born into this world.” Friede gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Congratulations on your new Tinkatink Liko. I know you’ll take good care of her.”

“A Tinkatink… I think I’ve seen their evolution before? Um, the one with the huge hammer.”

“That’s a Tinkaton, its final evolution. They make the hammer themselves from… well, let’s just wait until we get there, okay?” The professor sported a soft smile. “Right now you’ll have your hands full raising this little one but don’t worry, you have us to help you.”

She returned his smile with a smaller but no less genuine one of her own. “Yes, thank you!”

Friede had a feeling that their ship would be a little more lively for a few days, though he certainly can’t blame the kids for being excited with this new addition to their small but loving crew.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Horizons #Pokeani #Professor Friede #Liko (Pokemon)#Hana writes stuff

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