#she's thoroughly amused lol

[rcguevariant]

Rogue watching @leftsomescratches interact with the anon(s) calling him a kitty cat:

[ssahotchnerr]

ellie is an animal person to a FAULT. one time you’re in the kitchen while aaron’s weeding the yard and you just hear

“can we keep him?”

“el- ABSOLUTELY NOT”

and then it devolves into classic hotchner bickering because ellie’s too stubborn to back down from a fight, no matter how pointless it is. you look up, expecting your daughter to have found a frog, a turtle, maybe a stray kitten at the wildest.

you look out the window, and clasped in your daughter’s outstretched hands is the largest opossum you’ve ever seen.

omg stop that’s too funny 😭😭😭

likewise, aaron's expecting to see a frog when he hears ellie's initial question. but when he turns around, sees the opossum in her hand, he literally jumps. like his first initial reaction is to fling it away!!!!! 😭 but the horror is soon replaced - he's impressed.

like you mean to tell him, his little girl is brave enough to catch that thing, while most would be running at the sight of it 😭

and clearly there's no way she can keep it, so he tries veryyy hard to keep his amusement at bay when he's like, "eleanor, no you can not keep it."

of course ellie whines in response, stomps her foot, and aaron turns back to the weeding because he knows her protests are coming (also to hide his laughter). without turning around, again, he says, "ellie, go put it back where you found it."

"why?"

"please."

"why!!!!!!!" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

LMAO maybe he comes up with the excuse you're 'allergic' to opossums, and just outdoor animals to prevent another instance like this 🤭 which ellie buys 🥺 not wanting it to bother you 🥹🥰

you've also chosen to stay inside during this whole thing, deciding this is a Dad matter LOL. but you're thoroughly entertained nonetheless, watching/listening to the two of them go at it as to why ellie should or should not keep the opossum.

so she trudges off to the back of the yard where she found it. and puts it back (aaron did take a picture, don't worry!! plus he needs evidence because there's no way the bau is going to believe this)

aaron also just plainly watches her in disbelief and in awe 😭 ellie surprises him every single day, and this. he'll remember it forever 🥰

and so, ellie wanting to domesticate an opossum absolutely goes down in hotchner family history 😭 like that night at dinner, when jack's home from his friend's and aaron's like, "ellie, tell your brother what you did today. 🤨" ellie's whole face lights up and she grins, "i caught a 'possum!!!!"

jack's equally as shocked, turns to you and aaron for actual confirmation, and his jaw drops as aaron slowly nods his head. hehe when ellie begins rattling off the story of how she found it, caught it, etc.. you and aaron share a look from across the table 🥹 one that's - our daughter is crazy, but love her more than anything in the whole world 🥰🫶🏻💞

[jerzwriter]

It's Christmastime - and Ethan is thoroughly unimpressed. Luckily, he has Kaycee to turn that around - but can she make it happen?

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC) Rating: Teen Words: 1,411 Summary: See above.

A/N: Participating in @choicesholidays winter event - New Traditions - they have a few in here! :) Also, @choicesdecember2024, I think Miracle is the best match! lol

The line felt like it stretched the entire length of the mall, accompanied by all the annoyances that came with it: frazzled parents, sugared-up kids, and the occasional beleaguered adult questioning their life choices. It didn’t take long to determine what group a tall, scowling doctor with his arms crossed in front of his chest belonged to. Ethan Ramsey was firmly in the last group, and Kaycee couldn’t have been more amused.

He should have expected this, she thought; after all, this was their second Christmas together, and he had already survived year one at her side. She smiled at him, the picture of holiday cheer in her red sweater adorned with tiny reindeer. That sweater wasn’t a split-second decision. No, Kaycee had taken months to find the perfect design and purchased two, one for each of them. Ethan was wearing his, too. It would be visible if he took off his leather jacket, but he had made it clear before they left his condo... he was NOT taking off his leather jacket.

Kaycee’s eyes were full of mischief as she gently nudged him with her elbow. “You’re awfully quiet today,” she said with a slight smile.

Ethan let out an exasperated sigh. “You dragged me here against my will. Can’t you just enjoy my silent suffering?”

Chuckling, she stepped closer and leaned into his side. “Stop it, grumpy! You enjoy this, too! You’re just too much of a curmudgeonly old man to admit it!”

He arched an eyebrow, looking at her with a frown. “Negative,” he deadpanned.

“Yes, you absolutely are!” Kaycee insisted. “You’re so lucky to have me here to fix all this bah-humbug of yours! Besides... remember what I promised you later... if  you’re a good sport.”

His demeanor seemed to change on a dime, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite himself. He leaned in close and whispered so only she could hear him. “I seem to remember a promise that involved scanty red lingerie and mistletoe. Can you remind me of the other details again? It might make this whole experience a little more bearable?”

“Sorry, babe,” she answered with amusement. “There will be no reward until we finish the task at hand, and your chances are better if you do it with a smile on your face.”

The line continued to shuffle forward at an excruciatingly slow pace, and though he tried to contain it, Ethan’s grumbling continued. “This is ridiculous.” “You realize we’re adults, Kaycee.” “We really don’t belong here.”

She bit her lip to refrain from laughing, her amusement growing with each mumbled complaint. She peeked ahead and saw it wouldn’t be much longer; the jolly man in red was getting closer with every step. “Stop it, Ethan! You know I’m right about this.”

“Right? Right about what?”

“That this is going to be fun. Admit it—deep down, you’re excited.”

Ethan snorted. “The only thing I’m excited about is how you’ll be repaying me later.”

She looked up at him with a smirk and playfully punched his arm. “If you keep torturing me here, I may just renege on my promise!”

Ethan looked stricken. “You wouldn’t!”

Kaycee didn’t get a chance to answer as they finally reached the front of the line, where an overly excited elf dressed in green and red tights greeted them with an almost eerie smile. “Hi there! Are we going for the basic photo package or the deluxe? The deluxe comes with extra prints, digital downloads, and even a festive frame!”

Before Ethan could say a word, Kaycee jumped in. “Deluxe, please. I want as many prints as possible to send to all our friends and family.”

Ethan’s eyes went wide. “That was not part of the deal,” he protested.

Kaycee remained the picture of holiday bliss when she smiled at his side. “Ethan, but it’s Santa!”

How had he ended up here? He was almost forty. He should be home with a glass of spiked eggnog by the fireplace. He ran a hand down his face and grumbled. “This is absolutely absurd.”

He was about to complain more when a tiny voice from behind interrupted him. Ethan felt the little hand tugging at his jacket just before the words hit his ear. “Mister, are you saying you don’t believe in Santa Claus?”

Ethan froze, turning to find a little boy of no more than six staring up at him. His wide eyes were filled with innocence, almost begging Ethan to offer a reassuring response. Ethan glanced at the boy and then at his parents, standing behind him. They watched with an amused expression as they waited for his reply.

Ethan hadn’t asked for it, but in that moment, memories from his own childhood rose to the surface. When he was about this boy’s age, he would spend his whole year compiling lists for Santa, three to be exact. One was a compilation of all the good things he had done, and the second was confessions of the not-so-good stuff. That one had an attachment with explanations and how he attempted to atone.   Then, there was his Christmas wish list. Each year, when he wrote it, he was sure he wouldn’t receive most of the things he asked for. He might have been young, but he was smart enough to know his family was struggling. He could tell when his Mom put an extra sweater on him instead of turning up the heat, when his dad insisted on taking extra shifts even though he was tired, and when his parents would put a few items back before they checked out at the grocery store. He was young but bright, and he knew.

Yet, every Christmas morning, it seemed like a miracle took place. He had no idea how it happened, but most, if not all, that he wished for would be wrapped beautifully under the family Christmas tree. Back then, he took that as proof positive that Santa was real. There was no other way. He hadn’t thought about that for years, but standing before this little boy, he could feel the emotion welling inside.

There was magic during the holiday season. It didn’t come from mythical creatures in red suits or tiny reindeer – but from the people who loved us the most. It came from parents who worked hard to create that magic, including his own parents, who did without themselves just to see the look in his eyes on Christmas day.

It came in the form of the beautiful woman beaming at his side. The one who knew him better than he knew himself and was not about to let him spend the rest of his days thinking wonder and hope were something that had died long ago. She insisted they had a place in his grown-up life, and looking at her now, it was apparent, the message was received.

He knelt down to the child’s level, his voice soft and tender, his eyes warm. “Of course I believe in Santa Claus. Santa is all about the magic of the holiday season. And you know what? That magic is real. One hundred percent real.”

The boy’s eyes sparkled with his reply. “Really? You mean it!”

Ethan nodded, wrapping his arm around Kaycee, who was beaming up at him with so much affection it made his chest tighten. “Really. It’s all around us – it’s surrounding you and me.”

The boy grinned as he turned and hugged his parent’s knees, and Ethan met the gaze of the woman he loved. “YOU are all the magic I need,” he murmured placing a kiss atop her head. “Thank you for reminding me of who I used to be.”

Kaycee’s eyes filled with tears as she held him tight, he didn’t know it, but he had just given her the greatest gift of all.

“Uhm, so... the pictures?” The now irritated elf asked.

“You heard the lady,” Ethan stated. “The deluxe package, in fact, make it two!”

Before they stepped into the winter wonderland that served as a backdrop to Santa’s throne, Ethan turned to Kaycee once more. “Merry Christmas, baby,” he said with a smile she’d cherish for all time.

“Merry Christmas, Ethan,” she whispered back.

Ethan took her hand and led her down the candy cane-trimmed path toward Santa, knowing precisely what he’d say when the jolly man asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He already had his gift, and she was standing by his side.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[sorrowsofsilence]

I have Noah brainrot now that I've done my nails. Could you write something about reader with XL stilleto nails and running her fingers through Noah's hair. Maybe he's surprised when they first get together that she can do everything someone with short nails can (open jars and cans, do and undo buttons/zippers,etc). Feel free to take it in any direction ❤️❤️

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x fem!reader

Words: ~500

Warnings: none

Note: This was so specific hahhaha, but you know what, I love it. And as a short nail human, I hella respect you long nailed humans because I can barely do things with short acrylics on lol.

Noah had always been a bit of a skeptic when it came to the practicality of aesthetic beauty; especially when that beauty was at the edge of someone’s fingers in the form of long, pointed nails.

Yet, he found himself enamored by her hands, and the way she wielded them skillfully. He was thoroughly impressed with the way that she adapted to intricate tasks, and somehow managed to maneuver things with an undeniably alluring grace.

He watched as she effortlessly unscrewed the jar, something he felt the need to offer help for; but when she popped it off with ease despite the length of her manicure, he smiled.

"It's all about grip," she explained with a mischievous wink. He eyed her hands, thoroughly impressed, as she then moved onto slicing oranges for their picnic, handling the knife with precision and ease. She could even zip up the backpack without any help.

During their afternoon at the park, Noah could no longer contain his curiosity.

"I need to know," he said as he gestured vaguely towards her hands, "How do you manage to do anything?"

She laughed lightly, her eyes shining with amusement. She stared at the freshly done stiletto nails, admiring their shine and sparkle. Sure, they were long; but they were cute as hell.

With a wave of her fingers, she said "It's just practice. You get used to it."

He nodded, chuckling as he took her hand, running a thumb down each one as he held her gently in his palm.

"Besides," she added with a playful smile, "they are quite multipurpose."

Noah smiled again, staring at her warmly. He had always found himself drawn to her confidence- but seeing it shine through in such small actions left him in awe.

Her fierce independence and ability to be unapologetically herself, always made his heart thump proudly. His admiration only grew when he watched her unbuttoning the faux wool cardigan she adorned, as the heat from the sun grazed her skin.

"Noah," she laughed, deftly maneuvering the tiny buttons through their equally small holes as he watched with wide eyes, "see how easy it can be?"

He could only chuckle sheepishly, watching as she seemed to perform magic before him.

Later that night, as they lay together outside watching the stars, Noah felt her fingers slip into his hair. The graze of her long nails against his scalp sent a shiver down his spine, a sensation both surprising and pleasant.

He stole a sideways glance at her, half-expecting to find amusement in her gaze.

But instead, he found something tender; a softness that matched the gentle strokes of her fingers through his brunette strands.

"Does this surprise you, too?" she whispered, catching his gaze.

Noah could only nod in response, words failing him as his eyes closed, head leaning into her touch. Her nails continued tracing paths through his hair as if they'd done it a thousand times before.

"I told you," she murmured with a smile he could feel more than see in the dim light, "They're quite multipurpose."

He laughed then, the sound echoing through the park.

"You were right," he admitted, turning to press a gentle kiss to her palm, “And you surprise me in every way.”

tags:

@xxkittenkissesxx @deathblacksmoke @nyxisnotok @anameunmusical

@sitkowski @sammyjoeee @cookiesupplier @dsireland86

@whenthesummerdies @spicywhenspeaking @lma1986 @calleyx13 @thefallennightmare

@somewhere-diamond @auratheopossumwitch @blackveilomens @skulliecadaver-blog @silentglassbreak

@darkmxgician @sprokat @thatchickwiththecamera @reyadawn @xserenax-13

@into-the-grey @amelia-acero @blend-in-with-the-madness @rumoured-whispers

@anything-more-than-human @blacksoul-2 @sweetwombatpizza

[tthegoldentouch]

Pairing: Aventurine x Reader

Tags: 2.3k word vomit, fluff , you two celebrate New years together (even tho it's like, Halloween rn lol) I very very loosely referenced omikuji here, because the idea of drawing fortune slips with Mr luck is very tempting to me.

It is the evening of the first day of the trailblaze year when you and Aventurine make your way into the New Year fair in Outerland, walking hand in hand as you pull him along whatever catches your fancy.

Today's events unfolded as a result of a previous conversation you shared with Aventurine a couple of months back. According to you, Qlipoth may have saved the cosmos, but one area where THEY fell short was in establishing a reliable calendar system. Seriously, how come Amber eras are this long? You had a feeling that the IPC deliberately promoted the amber era calendar system to avoid granting too many holidays to their employees.

However, when you presented this "absurd" idea to Aventurine, he laughed at you. "Qlipoth has bigger priorities than worrying about the average salarymen at the IPC taking a day off," he remarked, thoroughly amused. And while you do agree with him, Amber era is still a crazy system to you. It doesn't even have a fixed length, for Aeon's sake!!

Honestly, you much preferred the trailblaze calendar system. It was concise, precise and dare you say— better suited for short-lived species. Your grandmother did not live one complete amber era, but she did live 90 trailblaze years. You'd definitely prefer to speak of her as a 90 years old rather than, well, 1.5 amber era old.

(Or perhaps, you're just accustomed to following the trailblaze calendar like everyone else on your home planet. You still thank every stars that Akivilli decided to visit your planet.)

Regardless of your efforts, you couldn't get your completely logical argument through your boyfriend. Maybe the next step is to create a holographic presentation to demonstrate how the Amber era is an irrational and unsuitable system. But no matter, you can save this debate for another time. Aventurine will still be here, as will your personal conflict with THEM. What's really important is convincing your boyfriend to celebrate the upcoming New Year (trailblaze calendar) with you. You are determined to make him take a day off for that, no matter what. (The idea of enjoying a festival with Aventurine is very appealing.)

Fortunately, he has always been rather weak to you.

And so, You find yourself on a planet you've never been to before, accompanied by your boyfriend who's on the same boat, simply because it's closer than your home planet, and they observe New Year's in a similar way to your customs. you're always a little nervous about visiting new planets, but luckily your boyfriend is reliable enough for you to not have to worry about anything.

Dressed in the customary attire of Outerland, you and your partner stroll hand in hand through the bustling crowd, filled with laughter and conversation, making it, in your opinion, one of the most enjoyable experiences you've shared with Aventurine in at least a year (or, 0.00416 Amber Eras).

....See, Amber era is faaaaaar less romantic. It's evident that Qlipoth has little regard for romance (THEY have none whatsoever.)

The majority of the stalls feature wooden structures adorned with vibrant fabrics and intricate patterns, creating a lively and colorful atmosphere. The scent of the crisp night air mingles with the aromas of spices and grilled foods from the various shops, blending into one harmonious aroma. This scent is accompanied by the lively chatter, laughter, bargaining, and sporadic calls of Outerland names, presumably from their friends and family. Aventurine feels incredibly out of place in this vibrant setting, and he would probably feel even more— if it weren't for your firm grip on his hand. Amidst the lively atmosphere full of love and warmth, he cannot help but hold on to your hand tightly, lest he's forced to confront the depths of his loneliness.

You've already taken him to experience every game at the fair (he's won them all, and you've lost half of them), try a variety of sweet and savory foods (he wonders who you'd have given your half-eaten grilled squid to if he hadn't been there), and choose colorful (and silly) masks to wear together (he rather likes these— people won't recognize him by his eyes this way. For now.)

At the end of the seemingly never-ending line of stalls, right next to the open field, stands a rather unique-looking stall. Your eyes immediately light up in newfound curiousity, tugging him by the cuffs oh his shirt along (he's more focused on switching to lace his fingers with yours to properly look at where you're taking him.)

The stall is bright and lacks the smell of roasted nuts or alcohol, being far away from the food section. Instead of displaying jewelry, clothing, or anything else, the only items on the counter are two similar cylindrical black boxes. Each box has a small hole, indicating that this is likely some sort of lottery device. The shopkeeper greets the two of you with a smile, and Aventurine notices the wooden boxes numbered up to a hundred behind him.

Apparently, this is an Izumo tradition, where people draw lots to learn about their luck for the next year. Aventurine doesn't need a paper slip to tell him how his luck will be next year, he can somewhat predict it.

Within the next twelve trailblaze months, he'll embark on at least two challenging missions, frequent your new favorite sightseeing spot until you're both tired of it, get paired with Ratio in a few missions again, take a trip to your home planet just because you missed your friends (and he'll miss you if you're gone too long), attempt to get Topaz investing in another loss project just for amusement (it's worked twice so far), spend most nights hugging you to sleep, earn at least 5 trillion credits, and fall in love with you more (because it seems ∞ is not the end, not when it comes to his love for you. And he's now got solid proof of why infinity is expandable. Hilbert's infinite hotel paradox makes much more sense now.)

(Cheesy, you'd say. And he'd agree, had it not been him being genuine)

You turn to face Aventurine, adorning a smile on your face. Aventurine recognizes that look, those faux pleading eyes you make when you want him to do something with you. (He doesn't quite understand the purpose because he'd indulge you even without it, but you look cute so he's more than fine with it.)

Your eyes shine, failing the puppy eyes look you're trying so hard to pull off. "Aventurine, can we also check our fortune?" He could have mentioned that he doesn't believe in fortune telling and therefore doesn't see it as worthwhile, but—

It's you. So naturally, he agrees.

You each grab one of the two cylindrical wooden boxes and give them a shake. No, Aventurine gives it a shake, while you shake yours like your life depends on it.

Aventurine laughs before quipping, "I don't think shaking it harder is going to make your draw better, love."

Your shoot him a pout, before shaking the box harder "I know, but i don't care"

If you hadn't been so focused on shaking the wooden box, you would have noticed the affectionate smile on Aventurine's face. Nevertheless, his fondness is evident in his tone when he says, "I really hope this works in your favor."

(You feel a silly, affectionate grin spread across your face, and warmth envelops you.)

Finally, both of you draw a stick and hand it to the storekeeper. He matches the numbers and retrieves a paper slip for each of you. You thank him before leaving to find a quieter spot to check your luck.

Aventurine expects to get good luck, so he's not surprised when the slip reveals 「The highest, excellent fortune」 The subsequent description contains several amusing sentences about what he can expect this year. Phrases like "your wish will be fulfilled", "the person you want to meet the most will come meet you" and "never change your mindset" elicit a slight chuckle from him. He doesn't bother finishing the entire slip because it doesn't apply to him either way.

Wish fulfilled? Fulfilling his wish would signify the end of his luck, and as far as he knows, dead people can't come back to life.

Nevertheless, he proudly displays his slip in front of your eyes, blocking your view of your own slip. You neatly tuck yours away and then glance at his with widened eyes before responding in a deadpan tone, "Why am I even surprised?" The exaggerated monotone voice you're using right now is the funniest thing Aventurine has encountered all day.

"Surprise no surprise~ I told you, I didn't need a paper slip to tell me I'll already have good luck this year"

You huff, folding your arms. "Yeah, right. Good for you, Mr. Lucky," you say, and Aventurine responds with a playful wink.

"What about you? Did all that shaking pay off for you?"

At that, You glance at him and offer a smile, but aventurine is perceptive; he notices the brief hesitation before your smile.

He's known you long enough to know when you're trying to hide something.

"Let me see the slip," he requests, and you uncomfortably avert your gaze. Aventurine appreciates how you never lie to him, but he wishes that meant you were always forthcoming instead of becoming completely silent whenever a situation makes you want to lie. He tries again, and you hesitantly place the little piece of folded paper in his hand.

「Bad fortune」

Even if you attempt to get along with others, it won't succeed.

Try to avoid trouble, as you may end up in peril.

Negative occurrences will happen repeatedly.

*Your desires will not be fulfilled. *Requests you make of others will most likely be denied. *Your future looks bleak, and the bright moon of fortune is obscured by dark clouds.

You try to awkwardly laugh to placate his grim expression. "Come on, it's just a little slip! Neither of us believes this seriously."

However, Aventurine is not willing to take any chances. He'd have laughed it off if he were the one to get bad luck, but it's you. It's you, so he feels somewhat resentful towards the shopkeeper for even putting a bad luck slip there in the first place.

"I won't allow any of that to happen to you," he says firmly, and you blink in surprise before bursting into laughter.

"Haha! You're so adorable! Thank you, I feel very reassured now."

You smile at him, but Aventurine knows you better than you think. Although your spirits may have been lifted for now, you're bound to remember this little piece of paper every time something goes wrong for you in the next year, even if you don't realize it yet. And not like he's particularly happy about this, either.

"Let's swap," he says— no, declares, and hands you his slip. "I have enough luck to handle whatever this slip predicts for me, so you can take it."

"W-what?"

"You can take it. My good luck, and all that comes with it."

Your heart flutters foolishly at that, and a blush inevitably spreads across your face despite the frown on your face. Though Aventurine can't see the blush under the colorful lighting, the look in your eyes is enough for his eyes to light up with delight. But that momentary joy is taken away from him when you try to pull your (now his) slip away from him.

"No- no!! You can't take this!!"

"Why not?"

"Because you're the one who needs it more???" You exclaim, like he's saying the most ridiculous thing ever.

Aventurine scoffs, "You didn't just say that to me. You know my luck never fails me"

"Maybe so," you say as your gaze shifts from his face to his hands, and you gently intertwine your fingers with his. (Aventurine wonders what it would be like to have you do this with him forever.)

"But a bad day for me insinuates like, getting to work late or spilling my drink. But a bad day for you….the stakes are much higher, and I don't want to take that risk. Plus, I'm sure your good fortune will rub on me enough to soften whatever blows life throws at me!"

Ah. You really have a way of making yourself even more lovable, don't you? Aventurine's heart tightens in his chest, and briefly drifts into a daydream, imagining how he would have loved to share today's events with his late sister.

("Can you believe it?" He'd tell his sister, "they told me that my luck would improve theirs too, just like you.")

(His sister would have laughed in response, and advised him how he needs to stop telling her about every little thing you do. But she'd be happy too, he knows she would.)

Aventurine's daydream is interrupted as your fingers attempt to open his clenched fist to retrieve the slip. He quickly hides his fist behind his back and gives you a charming smile. "No matter how hard you try, I will never, and I mean never, let you have this,"

After several more failed attempts, you give up. "Alright," you reluctantly concede. "Since you're willing to bear my share of misfortune, let me express my gratitude properly." Aventurine blinks, before he's met with your intense eyes. "Aventurine, thank you for being so kind to me," you say, almost causing him to look away, anything to avoid seeing that sincere and fond expression directed at him.

(He'd gladly take away all your sufferings so long as you continue to smile.)

But your earnest gratitude needs to be met with a proper response, so he smiles and ruffles your hair. "Think I'm gonna need a little more than a thank you." You huff, but pull him closer to your lips.

He had never thought that cotton candy was the sweetest thing in the world until he tasted them on your lips.

[rayroseu]

THE MAJESTIC EXCELLENCY HERSELF 😍😍😍😍💚💚💚💚 also maybe its just me but is it a reach to hope that an ACTUAL Disney villain can cameo in TWST?? 😆 You know like how Mickey randomly appears before us akjdkss

Also i find it interesting how Yuu immediately got up to go to the Maleficent Statue after concluding the dream as "Maleficent is being left out..." She reminded him of One Guy lol 😭 Also Yuu lore crumbs that theyre finally catching up that their dreams is related to the next overblot lol

ALSO AAAAAHHH SEBEKKKK 💚💚💚✨✨✨ I missed hearing his "human!!" FULLY VOICED✨✨✨ Haruki Ishiya san... thank you 😭💚💚💚

I love his attitude change LMFAO and Silver being the polite person he is insisting Sebek to apologize and Sebek just doesnt lol... SOBS... Also agree with Grim lol Diasomnia literally the most dramatic dorm lol

Also I find it so funny that "Malleus evil smile" expression is his Happiest Expression LMFOAOAOA He's thoroughly AMUSED by Yuu calling him Hornton in front of Sebek (of all people) without hesitance 😭😭

Ohhh Malleus loves chaos alright ✅✅✅💥💥 and his family and friends getting along...😭😭💕💕💕

Also the part where the npcs talked about him broke my heart aughh...

He's just talking with his classmates and everyone is already whispering how "he shouldn't be in this school he's going to curse everyone" (OKAY maybe theyre going to be right about that in a few more updates butksjdjs) But aaa knowing the fact he has superb hearing skills.... I like to imagine he's hearing these rumors while talking to Yuu and the knights but he's just ignoring the rumors since there's a few peopke who are treating him like a normal person right now 😭😭

I LOVE HOW THIS IMPLIES LILIA RELIES ON SILVER THE MOST TOO!!! He couldve asked Sebek or Malleus since theyre the people with no sleep problems... but nooo he insisted on Silver waking him up!! AUDGAUHS I thought he's a general who focuses on efficiency... 😭😭 He just wants Silver to wake him up... i know you lilia 🔍🔍🔍🤨🤨

I am in good pain... considering!! in Book 7!! Lilia repeatedly appears to be a reliance for Silver whenever he feels hopeless... I CANT. Lilia is just like more lowkey about how much he actually relies on his son 😭😭💚💚

ROOK BEING IN THE RUINS TOO IS SO FUNNY LFMAOOO THATS ONE OF MALLEUS' TOP INTERSHIP LIST??? ITS LILIA'S P.E VIGNETTE ALL OVER AGAIN LMFOAOAA HE'S GONNA HARASS MALLEUS DOWN IF THEYRE COWORKERS AHFHAHDHA

Imagine them in the ruins and finally Malleus has someone who is enthusiastic about ""boring facts about Gargoyles and Abandoned Ruins"" but its just... got to be THIS GUY Rook Hunt... who once tried to playfully harm Lilia lol

Malleus and Rook Duo is actually so funny though 😂😂 It still cracks me up that Malleus was once invited on Rooks Bday but he didnt attend cuz he's annoying to him and most notably Rook is not even hostile to him??? He just didnt attend bcs he hates his guts omg😭😭💥💥

This fact is so weird to me... What do you mean that some teeth just becomes an automatic RADIO under the right conditions????😭 Is this a foreshadow to Zigvolts Dentistry??? 😳⚡💚✨✨✨

Can a fae teeth play Elvis Presley just by opening their mouths...?? You know like Stitch acting as a phonograph... 😂

But I doubt??? They have radio towers at Briar Valley so it probably doesnt happen????? But It'd be pretty funny if Briar Valley radio just play bardcore music and one poor fae was "cursed" to have "magical radio teeth" playing bardcore everytime lol

My first thought was "Sebek!!!!✨✨✨" here actually 😭💚 Since he's the only freshman we're missing rn...

But I was surprised Yuu thought of Malleus??? That just further implies Yuu recognizes him as a friend that'll help them too 😭😭😭

Its just precious to think that someone finds Malleus reliable, he'll be so happy to assist Yuu if they're having trouble with anything just like how he enthusiastically offered to explain more about the Thorn Fairy since Yuu is curious about it...😭💖💞💖💗💕 I love them to BITS OMFG...

(I'm sad that Yuu is going home too but I'm ignoring that lol🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️ Yuu is a self insert theyre supposed to speak MY language of staying with Mal-)

Its devastating that the freshmen are so hyped up to be working together THEY ARE NOT PROCESSING THE IMPLICATIONS OF YUU GOING HOME... 💔😂 if Yuu truly goes home, theres no reason for them to be gathering like this on the cafeteria anymore... 😭😭💔💔 Making myself sad that they'll buy an extra plate for them during lunch break and not even Grim touches that food... just to honor their friend😭😭😭

Wait so we know that the first night in "sleepover to discover Mickey" consists of Deuce and Ace as Grim and Yuu's companion...

Maybe the next nights (without Malleus' overblot interupption) consisted of Epel and Jack, and then possibly Ortho and Malleus??? (since Ortho is the one who suggested that therell be a fae)

Oh but Im going to cry if at Book 7's ending consisted of Yuu inviting Malleus for a sleepover at Ramshackle despite what happened... 😭😭😭 and and like the stars aligning appears once again but this time he's not at ruined Ramshackle missing his friend... He's at a peaceful sleepover with a friend group auGh... 😭😭😭💖💕💞💗💞💗

[gvcci-bxby]

hii ! can i request aonung x reader ? where the readers lo’ak’s twin ?? i dont really have an idea but i think aonung x lo’aks twin reader would be cool

YOUR BROTHER'S ENEMY

pairing: aonung x omatikaya/lo'aks twin!reader

word count: 1.8k

warnings: none tbh, just lo'ak tryna be protective, also not spellchecked (ill do it later lol)

author's note: omg I loooooved this request. I hope I did it justice!

You sit on the jagged rocks of the Metkayina territory, watching your friends and siblings play and tease each other on the shore and in the ocean water. Your siblings Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Tuk tustled and teased each other with your friends Tsierya and Rotxo. They yelled and hollered, expressing their happiness to be excused from chores, duties or training and be able to have a little fun with each other. 

Next to you, your sister Kiri used her nimble fingers to weave a new top for herself. You felt like observing today so you opted to keep your sister company while she worked on her weaving and sat on the shore. The sun shines bright, a warm breeze passing by every now and then. It was a lovely day, and you were thoroughly amused by watching your family and friends play together. 

You sit in peace until a figure appears next to Kiri, causing a dark shadow to cast across you, fully blocking you from the sun. You turn your head to look up and you see that its Aonung. At the sight of him you blush. 

“Hello, Aonung,” you say, glancing away to look out at your friends splashing about in the ocean. Aonung smiles, watching your cheeks ignite with a light flush. “Hello, y/n; why aren’t you in the water too?” 

You shrug, gesturing towards your older sister Kiri. “Someone had to keep Kiri company while she weaves.” 

Kiri rolls her eyes, knowing that your coyness is due to your budding affection for Aonung. Aonung walks around you and your sister, placing himself beside you on the rocks. Your breath hitches, the close proximity to Aonung making you nervous. Ao’nung leans towards you, his arms brushing against yours. You feel your anxiety reach its peak, but you try to hide it as best as you can. “Why don’t you go in the water, Aonung?” you ask now that he’s nestled in beside you. 

Aonung glaces at you. “Why would I go into the water if you aren’t there too?” 

Before you could respond, Kiri makes a gagging noise, inching herself away from you and Aonung. “You guys are so gross.” She mutters, shaking her head. You and Aonung laugh, both amused and embarrassed by your sister’s comment. 

From the ocean, however, your twin brother Lo’ak fumes as he watches Aonung seat himself next to you and subsequently laugh with you. While his relationship with Aonung has become better, more civil, he still wants Aonung far away from his twin sister. 

“Bro,” Neteyam says, pointing the group’s makeshift ball towards Lo’ak. “Catch this!” But Lo’ak was too occupied with stalking towards the oceans shore, where you and Aonung sit. 

You knew that Aonung and your twin brother Lo’ak had issues, in fact you’ve bear witness to their rivalry many times, but you believed that things were calmer, and their relationship was turning more positive now that your family had settled into the Metkayina village and their way of life. However, you were also aware that Lo’ak didn’t like you hanging around Aonung. 

“Oh no,” you mutter, as you see Lo’ak approaching you, Aonung and Kiri where you sit on the rocks. Beside you, Kiri peeks up and notices her brother coming her way too. Her eyes flicker down as she prepares to pretend she doesn’t exist, so she doesn’t have to interact with her upset brother and foolish, lovesick sister. 

“You,” Lo’ak yells, pointing at Aonung. “Need to stay away from my sister.” 

Your stomach twists into a knot as you prepare yourself for a very public showdown between your brother, yourself, and Aonung. Aonung tenses next to you, rising from his seat to confront your angry brother. 

“Lo’ak, calm down.” You say, also rising from your seat. “There’s no need to be angry.”

“There is a reason to be angry when someone like Aonung is trying to make a pass on my twin sister.” Lo’ak yells back, still stalking forward. In several steps he meets Aonung, chest to chest. 

You’re quick to intervene, wedging yourself in between the two boys. “Lo’ak, stop it. We were just talking.” You say, a hand on both Lo’ak and Aonung’s chest. Now, your other siblings and friends watch from their spots in the water with bated breath, hoping a physical altercation doesn’t ensue, again. 

You begin to push your brother back, letting go from Aonung. You pass a glance at Aonung who meets your eye. “Sorry,” you whisper, pushing your brother back further and further. “Lo’ak, let’s go.” You mutter to Lo’ak, grasping his arm. Quickly, Lo’ak flips, grasping your bicep and tugging you off the beach. 

“Don’t talk to him again,” Lo’ak says firmly, guiding you off the sandy beach and back into the village. You sigh, glancing back to look at Aonung who stands alone in the middle of the beach and your other siblings in friends who are making their way onto the sand from the water. 

You struggle against Lo’ak’s grip, your emotions raging at your twin’s behavior. The day had started out so smoothly, the weather was great, and emotions were happy. Aonung joining you on the rocks only illuminated your feelings, glad to be able to spend time with him and be in presence. Then, Lo’ak had to go and ruin everything. 

--- 

It’s been a day since the incident between Lo’ak and Aonung and to everyone’s amusement, you still haven’t spoken a word to Lo’ak. Your parents, Jake and Neytiri have taken notice as you and your twin normally get along well. They’ve decided to let the two of you parse out your feelings, whenever those rise to the surface, and stay out of it. Although Kiri hardly approves of your affection for Aonung, she attempts to provide comfort to you, mentioning how Aonung spoke about how he wished to spend more time with you. This made you feel better, knowing that Aonung missed you, but that dwindle when you realized you would never be able to spend time with him when Lo’ak always had his eye on you. 

Now, you sat in your room, sulking, when Lo’ak entered your room. “Can we talk?” Lo’ak says, setting his bow and arrows down. “I don’t like it when we’re mad at each other.”

You say nothing, turning your body away from your brother who seats himself on you bed. Lo’ak’s tail flicks behind him and he knows that you are mad at him for his actions towards Aonung. He didn’t expect you to understand his issues between Aonung and him, but he did expect you to be on his side, regardless of your understanding. “Y/n, please.” Lo’ak says, scooting himself closer to you. 

“What is there to talk about, Lo’ak? You embarssed me in front of Aonung and everyone yesterday.” 

Lo’ak sighed, looking down at the floor. “Aonung is not a good person, y/n. His actions against me prove that.” 

You toss a glance at Lo’ak, a little sarcastic laugh. “And you haven’t been just as cruel to him?” 

Lo’ak hisses, his emotions getting the best of him. “Sister, I don’t expect you to understand but I expect that you stay away from him because of what he’s done to me and our family.” 

You gasp, your tail flicking with anger. “No, while Aonung and you have had your problems, Aonung and his sister, their entire family, has done their best to welcome us to their clan.” You say, your voice rising with every word. “And I think what you have to do is get over whatever happened and move on. I want to be able to spend time with Aonung without you breathing over my shoulder.” 

Lo’ak fliches at your words and as he opens his mouth to respond, you beat him to it. “I think you should leave.” You say to your twin, annoyed by his presence. Lo’ak listens, taking steps to leave your room. 

Several hours later, you walk through the village bringing fish and other foods that you acquired back home. You walk on the path towards your family’s home, balancing the large basket of food in between your arms. 

“Let me help you,” A voice says next to you. You look over and see that it’s Aonung prying the large basket from your hands. You blush, allowing him to alleviate the weight you’ve been carrying. 

“I’m sorry about my brother yesterday,” You say, feeling the need to apologize. 

“Ah,” Aonung says. “He still doesn’t seem to like me very much.” 

You laugh, “Lo’ak is unreasonable and stubborn sometimes. I think he’ll come around some day.” 

“I hope so,” Aonung says, glancing down at you. “I’d like to take you out sometime without being in fear of my life.” 

You blush at his comment. “I’d like that too.” 

You reach your house shortly, and Aonung drops the basket at your front door. You expected Aonung to quickly walk away, afraid of Lo’ak spying him from inside the house. Instead, Aonung stands idle, glancing at you. “Would you want to sneak away later tonight, with me, to hang out for a while?” Aonung says hesitantly.

Too quickly, you say, “Yes, I’d love to. Where should I meet you?” 

“Where the village meets the forest, maybe around dusk?” 

You nod, a big smile across your face. “Okay, I’ll meet you there.” You walked through the threshold of the door, lugging the basket into the house. Tuk is quick to come over, inspecting the food you brought back home. Already, your stomach tingled with anticipation over then evening that’s to come. 

At dusk, around nine, you sneak away from your home while the rest of your family begins to wind down. Thankfully, you feel as though your family won’t notice your absence as they are all wrapped up in their various activities. You slink away, weaving through the homes, towards the back of the village. Your hands were slick with nervousness and excitement, your tail twirling with eagerness to see Aonung again. 

Once you reach the treeline, you see Aonung sitting on a large boulder. Once you reach him, you wrap your arms around his shoulders, letting his large harms wrap around your waist. It had been a long time since you had been able to be alone with Aonung like this and be able to show physical affection. “I was hoping you didn’t get caught by your parents.” Aonung says

You shake your head. “I’m better at sneaking away then you think.”

Aonung laughs, and you begin to walk deeper into the forest. You converse with each other, catching up on how Aonung is doing with training under his father and his excitement for the future in a leadership position once his father allows him to. Aonung asks about you too and you fill him in on things that he’s missed hearing about. 

You and Aonung are deep in conversation as you walk through the trees, too deep to realize that Lo’ak has been following you the entire time. Lo’ak noticed you sneak out of the front door, knowing that you sneaking away was most likely to see Aonung. 

“Aonung,” Lo’ak yells again. “I thought I told you to stay away from my sister!” 

You turn quickly around to see that Lo’ak was approaching you from behind, and you sigh, not surprised that he had been following you. Aonung turns around, too, putting his hands up in defense.  “Lo’ak, let’s talk this out.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about, bro. I told you to stay away from y/n and here you are, sneaking away with her after curfew.” Lo’ak says, angrily. 

“Lo’ak..” you say, your voice trailing off. 

“Lo’ak, I’m not going to hurt your sister; I really like her. I’d love nothing more then to move past all the issues we’ve had between us so that you can see that I really do care for your sister.” Aonung says, in a calm tone.  You are surprised by Aonung’s calm tone and admire his strength to go up against your irrational twin brother. 

Lo’ak crosses his arms, his eyes narrowing and flicking between you and Aonung. Lo’ak’s chest rises with each breath, and you can tell he’s considering Aonung’s words. 

“If you hurt my sister as much as one time, you’re dead. Do you understand me?” Lo’ak says, after a moment. You smile knowing that Lo’ak is finally seeing Aonung’s genuine intentions and will finally leave you alone. You also smile because the way Lo’ak threatens Aonung sounds so much like your father, Jake. 

Aonung laughs, nodding. “I understand you.” 

Lo’ak backs up, stepping away from you. With one last look between you and Aonung, he turns and walks away. You let your breath out that you’ve been holding since Lo’ak approached you out of nowhere. 

Aonung turns towards you, as he still laughs shaking his head. “Your brother is something else.” 

You laugh too. “He’s just protective of his sisters.”

Aonung reaches out, letting his fingers brush your cheek. “I’m fine with that; I’m just glad I can finally do this.” Aonung brings you close by your hips, leaning down to place a soft kiss on your lips. Your skin sizzles with excitement, a blush creeping across your whole body. 

You are pleased that now you can be free to hang around Aonung without fear and that your twin brother, Lo’ak, is finally being rational. 

[potatoplace]

Mutual Cycles

Feyre x Rhys

Written for ACOTAR Omegaverse Week: Day 7

Summary: Rhys has been irritated all day, but when he comes home he finds just the thing to fix that problem.

Words: ~1.6k

Warnings: somnophilia, A/B/O dynamics, knotting, smut, Rhys being a simp for Feyre, not proofread lol

Author's Note: I wanted to get something out for the last day of omegaverse week, and I want to say thank you so much for the moderators of @acotar-omegaverse-week for hosting it! It's been so much fun to get back into writing and read all of the amazing fics coming out of it. I hope we have one again next year :)

18+ only

🩵💜🩵

Rhysand was seated at his desk, Keir standing in front of him, Cassian and Azriel flanking his chair. Keir was prattling on about some reason why the Darkbringer’s forces were not ready to be rallied. Rhys entertained two minutes of his excuses before cutting him off.

“I do not care what your reason is, Keir, you have already had three months to rally the Darkbringers. If you do not confirm for me that they are ready to fight within the week, I will gladly drag you down into the dungeons myself and let Mor have her way with you,” he growled, thoroughly incensed with his uncle, who looked surprised and afraid. Perfect.

This pathetic excuse for a male had annoyed him far too many times, perhaps he should just end his life now and save himself the headache of coming back down to this cursed court so soon.

One of Azriel’s shadows opened the door behind Keir, who gladly took the cue and scurried away. Cassian shut the door behind him, then turned to look at Rhys, a questioning look on his face.

Rhys let out an angry sigh, looking to his right at the Shadowsinger. “I wasn’t done with him yet, brother.”

Azriel quirked a brow at him. “Unless you decided that a week’s time is already up, yes, you were.” Rhys scowled at him.

“What’s wrong with you, brother?” Cassian asked, an amused smile playing on his lips. “Normally you let him go on for five minutes at the least.”

“Nothing,” Rhys sighed. “He just annoyed me faster than usual is all.”

“Maybe a training session would do you some good,” Cassian suggested. Rhys considered it for a moment, then inclined his head in agreement. “Az, will you be joining us as well?”

“No, I’m suspicious of Keir’s motives. I’ll stick around here for a bit longer.”

Rhys stood and walked around his desk, clapping his hand on Cassian’s shoulder. “Just us then, brother. Let’s go,” he said, winnowing the two of them to above the House of Wind.

🩵💜🩵

An hour later, Cassian had banned Rhys from the training ring for the day, saying that he was only getting more temperamental with each round they fought.

Rhys had glared at him and flown away, heading for the town house. The chill winter wind did nothing to cool the pool of rage within in him, though.

The moment he hit the pavement outside the house, he could smell her. His mate, his sweet, delicious smelling omega.

He swung the door open and entered the house, looking around for her. This time of day, she was normally taking lunch in the garden or working on paperwork in as she ate. He glanced out of one of the window facing the garden, no Feyre.

He made quick work of checking the first floor, his mate nowhere to be found.

He took the stairs two at a time, needing to see her now. Her scent was stronger on this floor, and he took deep lungfuls of her intoxicating scent, lilacs and pears, so perfect and just for him.

He looked in his office, but his omega was not there. Rhys opened every door along the hallway leading to their bedroom, with no luck.

The last door he opened, he struck gold. His omega’s sweet scent was overwhelming, and there she was, laying on the bed underneath the covers. His little omega was sleeping, taking a short nap most likely.

Lucky for him to find her, ready and waiting to be devoured, the perfect water to soothe his fiery temperament.

He slipped the blankets off of her, revealing her soft body clad in a black satin nightgown, so short it almost gave him a peek of the treasure between her thighs.

He sank down onto the bed, parting her legs and placing himself between them. He took a few greedy breaths in, instantly feeling his anger cool. This. This was what he needed.

His omega’s pretty pink little cunt.

He licked slowly up the length of her, gathering some of the slick leaking from her on his tongue. Yes, this is exactly what he needed, and used his fingers to gently part her lips, lapping at her center. Her taste was divine, perfect, all he ever wanted to have on his tongue again.

His cock was straining against his trousers now, the base of it swelling slightly already, just from a few heavenly tastes of his omega’s pussy.

Feyre was stirring slightly, a soft whine escaping her lips when Rhys brushed his tongue against her clit. He rubbed soothing circles on one of her thighs as he sucked gently on the little bud, entranced by the way her rib cage was moving faster now, and her eyes fluttered open just as he used his other hand to push a digit into her.

“Alpha,” she whined, a hand grabbing his hair and pulled his face further against her, the sight of her mate between her legs nearly enough to finish her then. He obliged her, moving his finger slowly in and out of her, making sure to curl against the spot that he knew made sparks fly through her body, lapping at her clit. Her thighs clamped down around him as she came, slick pouring out her and right onto Rhys’s tongue.

He licked her clean before he moved up her body, placing a kiss on his omega’s lips as he misted their clothing, leaving nothing between them but the delicious brush of skin.

“Omega,” he purred, nosing her neck to the side and sucking on her neck. Feyre sighed, a soft, contented sound, and pressed a kiss to his neck, nuzzling into it. He bit down, causing Feyre to gasp and stiffen slightly before he sucked and lapped at it again, and Feyre went limp beneath him again.

His cock was throbbing at this point, leaking at the tip and his knot half formed. It brushed against Feyre’s thigh and he groaned into her neck, even just the feeling of his omega’s skin was cauldron blessed. He lined himself up with her weeping cunt, and pushed in in one stroke. Their breath caught in their throats, Feyre was not quite prepared for the stretch of his length, or the immediate press of his knot against her, and Rhys was overwhelmed by the feeling her walls hugging him so tightly.

He gave a few powerful strokes, relaxing his omega’s cunt before he pushed the base in roughly, and he loved the way his omega’s breathing was coming in small gasps.

“Omega,” he muttered against her neck again, his world consumed by her in this moment. Her scent, her presence, her cunt were all that occupied his mind as he rocked back and forth gently, a hand coming down to rub at the apex of her thighs.

He bit down on her neck again where the mating mark was, leaving a fresh new set of bite marks over it, and Feyre came again with a strangled cry, Rhys following right behind her, his knot inflating fully and sealing them together.

Feyre wrapped her arms and legs around him, needing to be as close to him as physically possible, even if they were already locked together for a good while.

Rhys rolled them to their sides, and slid a hand through her tangled hair. He took in her flushed face and watchful eyes. “I missed you, omega.”

“I missed you too, alpha.” She paused for a moment. “Are you in rut?”

Rhys furrowed his brow at her, confused by the question. Until he thought a bit about it, that would explain…

“That would explain why I wanted to kill Keir more than usual, I suppose. And why the moment I saw my mate’s pretty little pussy my knot started growing.”

Feyre blushed, her cunt clenching around him at his words, and both of them groaned. “Mm, that would make sense love. It would also make the fresh mating bite you gave me more logical. Not that I don’t love to refresh it every now and then,” she smirked.

Rhys let out a low laugh, knowing his mate would be covered in bite marks by the time his rut was over. “Good thing I have such a sweet omega, hmm?” Feyre’s cute little smile was enough to draw him in for a kiss. “I love you, darling.”

“I love you too, Rhysie,” she replied, and this time it was his turn to blush.

“You always save that for the sweetest moments, love.”

“That’s because every moment with you is the sweetest, Rhysie,” she said lovingly with a smile on her lips. He wrinkled his nose as he smiled, kissing her again and pulling her body further into his, her head against his chest.

Her body was flushed, growing warmer with each minute they spent pressed together.

“Darling?”

Feyre nuzzled into his chest, not bothering to look up at him, knowing what he was going to ask.

“Are you in heat?”

She looked up at him, her face more flushed than before. “Yes, but only because your rut set it off.”

He laughed lowly, taking another kiss from her. “At least this way we’ll be miserably hot and turned on together, darling.”

She pressed her lips to his again before threading a hand through his hair. Feyre rocked her hips gently, testing how much she could move. Her body needed more of him already, even with him sealed inside of her.

“A whole week of uninterrupted time with my alpha?” Feyre’s smile was dazzling, her happiness overwhelming down the bond. “Count me in.”

[goorehound]

Silco / Viktor Chapter 2

chapter 1

ao3

Still workshopping how I want this to look, so if anybody has any feedback please let me know! And for the people who showed interest in chapter 1, I’m voluntelling you to read this (and share your thoughts if you’d like!) @hextechdystopia @eyeofclaws @greaseofficial @dubiousbread488 and the last person it won’t let me tag lol.

Summary:

Silco, a newer (and far from proud) resident of Piltover, is struggling to raise his freshly teenage daughter Jinx in the uppercity after a messy divorce. Teenagers are difficult, and a new school is always an adjustment.

Viktor, a begrudging and very overqualified high school teacher (after a falling out with his old business partner) is desperately trying to keep his promising student afloat. If only her father were not such a stubborn bastard that refuses to work with him.

Lately, broaching certain conversations with Jinx had become more of an art form, learning when to apply pressure and when to offer her space to fill the silence of her own volition. And Silco had been waiting patiently, until all that remained in Jinx’s bowl was the dregs of her overly sweet cereal. Perhaps the time to apply some pressure, then. “I asked you a question.” He prompted quietly, eyes examining her expression.

Surprise graced it first, brows raising high - then confusion, as they lowered back down into a furrow. “Oh. I forgot.” She spoke as he brought a spoonful of porridge to his lips, exhaling an amused breath at her absentminded behaviour. Often, she had more important things going on to bother focusing on measly breakfast conversations.

“Vandalism. At school. Have you done any?” He asked, giving up on his breakfast. Eating in the morning only ever made him nauseous, but he’d learned the hard lesson that if he skipped a meal then Jinx would follow suit and it was really not worth the bickering. Modelling certain behaviours and healthy habits was sometimes the only way to encourage Jinx, which he’d grown accustomed to. She loved to mimic. He recalled her, chubby cheeked with wide eyes, following his every footstep. Trying to brush her teeth exactly like him, giggling whenever he smiled, copying how he built his blocks into a tower. His little shadow. Oh, simpler times. It was cute the small ways in which that fixation lingered.

“Sometimes.” Jinx shrugged noncommittally, pulling him from his reminiscing. “When I get bored, I guess, doodling on the wall or whatever.” Minor, then - but she did have a very specific art style, and colour scheme, unique enough to be noticed. Not worth the hassle it could turn into. Jinx partaking in graffiti was not alarming in and of itself but the fact that it was at school? He thought he had warned her thoroughly of the risks of being placed in a Piltover school. Jinx slurped loudly from her bowl as he pondered this.

“I see.” Silco brushed a hand through his hair before rising from his chair and collecting their dishes, once she had drained the remnants of her own. “Perhaps we should be more cautious at school, hm? Like we discussed.” He spoke calmly and with an air of finality. “It isn’t worth the risk, you know how uptight they get about their decor.”

Clearly this did not sit well with his daughter, and he heard her irritated groan above the droning sound of the sink as he rinsed the silverware. The sound alone told him exactly with what level of dramatization that she had rolled her eyes, and he braced himself for whatever complaints would follow. “Who cares? I don’t even want to be at this stupid school.”

This had become a recurring theme of conversation over the last two months, and there had been an uptick in frequency as of late. Silco could admit that he was tired of this back and forth, he did not feel he’d had enough hours of sleep to handle this once more. He only hoped his patience would win out.

“You were excited to start. It will take some adjusting, but the opportunities at this school will be a benefit.” Silco scrubbed the washcloth within the bowl in a soothing rhythm, focused intently on it. It was already pristine.

“I don’t need it.” Jinx barked back, and Silco could feel the daggers she was glaring into the back of his head. Scrubbing the lip of the bowl, there could be food caught in the chips.

“You don’t need school?” Silco asked incredulously, fingers hesitating in their compulsive cleaning. That was new. The complaints had only ever before indicated that she may want to be in a different school, perhaps back in Zaun - but no school at all was an interesting development.

“No. Vi hasn’t done school since she was 15,” Jinx pointed out, proud of her statement. As if she’d caught Silco out in some way with this fact. “And Pops is fine with it, he even helped her get a job.”

When the bowl clattered to the bottom of the sink, Silco knew he would not be proud of whatever words flowed out next. He was a man of great restraint, but there was something about a teenager that tried the patience in a way nothing else could - especially when the teenager was your own. It seemed as though she had a sixth sense for what the most aggravating, skin crawling thing she could say next to push him to his limit.

“That is because your sister lacks any potential to be anything besides a hired muscle, or a mindless drone in the mines, and she is as witless as your Pops.” Silco bit out ruthlessly as he dried his hands off, already feeling the regret curdling in his stomach. These were not helpful things to say, and he knew it. “I will not hear another word about you not needing school, child.”

The silence was suffocating. Exacerbated by the drip, drip, drip of the sink in front of him, and he really must fix that. Jinx could fix it, if he asked, but somehow now did not seem like the most opportune time. He should really turn around and face the music, much as he loathe to admit he’d made a glaringly obvious mistake. Akin to a bull in a china shop when it came to parenting he was recently developing the outstanding talent of shoving his foot in his mouth.

Jinx’s expression was as devastated as he had imagined, pinched somewhere between distraught and wrathful. Being the cause for such strong and conflicting emotions on her face felt like a swift blow to the kidney.

“Grab your bag, please, you will be late for class.” Silco spoke quietly, watching her lip tremble to hold something back. Either tears or a shouting match, he was sure. “We can pick up whatever snack you would like on the way over.” He added to hopefully balm over some of the anger.

“You suck.” Jinx said with finality as she threw herself out of the chair, hands balled into fists and body jittering with restless energy. He hoped he could talk her down before she unleashed this rage on some unsuspecting student. Or teacher. Silco had made quite a mess of this morning, hadn’t he?

“I’ll meet you in the car.” Silco replied without acknowledging the minor outburst, going about adjusting his vest and hair as he snatched his keys off of the ring. The walk down from the top floor of their apartment would give him time to calm, to simmer down until guilt won over frustration. He would take the morning off, he told himself soothingly, and he would get in some more sleep.

—————

After picking up an ice cream, without a single comment from Silco about how that was a terrible way to start the day, they drove with Jinx’s music blaring at an impressive level. It eased her nerves, he thought, noises reflecting back the chaos that was her beautiful mind. Also, it proved useful to drown out Silco’s voice entirely, which he assumed was a big part of the reasoning behind it.

When they pulled up to the lot is when he turned the music to a tolerable level, making an attempt to meet Jinx’s eyes. She was putting very good effort into pretending he was not present.

“I’m sorry for what I said about your sister, and Vander.” Silco watched some tension seep from her shoulders. Normally not a man to often make genuine apologies, but Jinx was ever the exception. “Your sister struggled with school, and it wasn’t fair of me to use that against her.”

“She is smart.” Jinx finally conceded and looked over, no longer existing in a realm where Silco was a buzzing mosquito with nothing important to say. “And I don’t want to be here.”

Silco heaved a breath and reached over to fix a flyaway hair in the sea of blue atop Jinx’s head. “We can talk about that more later. Play along for now, hm? Check out the library. Take advantage.”

Jinx did not seem necessarily happy in regards to the fact that he did not immediately bend to her will and withdraw her from classes that moment, but she no longer seemed to be trying to make him explode with her thoughts when she deigned to acknowledge his presence. So, that was progress.

Some form of assent was muttered as she left the car, and Silco gratefully unpaired her phone from the stereo system to play something a bit less abrasive on the ears.

Absolutely he was due for a nap, as much as that aged him to say, he could not wait to be wrapped in his duvet and dead to the world for the next few hours.

[bonezone44]

Too Depraved 4 TV (ages 56+)

Joel x afab!Reader x Ezra x Tommy

Word Count: 2500

--I'm not doing my usual set-up for fics, LOL! This is F I L T H. It's "Daddy Joel", "Uncle Tommy" and "Uncle Ezra."

oral (m & f receiving), fingering, p-in-v, creampie

special thanks to : @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog for the idea and @toxicanonymity for 'Uncle Tommy' and also @iamasaddie for sharing a Tommy photo this morning. We're all going to burn in hell together. 🙏😘

++++++++++++++

“Uncle Tommy and Uncle Ezra are downstairs watchin TV,” says Joel. “Why don’t you go join ‘em and I’ll meet you there in a minute, alright?” He stomps over to the fridge, thoroughly dismissing you.

The two men’s eyes light up as you make your way down into the basement. The room is small and cramped. The walls are wood panels and the floors are cold concrete. There’s a wall of boxes on one side of the room next to a computer desk. The computer is off and the monitor is black. You’ve seen Uncle Ezra use it the most, selling electronics on eBay and watching funny videos. Anytime Uncle Tommy was around, he was lounging on the couch, much like he is now, with a beer in his hand.

“Hey there, sugar,” greets Tommy as he puts his beer down on the coffee table in front of the TV. “How ya been?”

“Fine,” you say, shifting awkwardly. You look at the thick, plush couch, unsure where to sit. The recliner is open, but you know that’s Joel’s. 

Ezra finishes his beer and tosses the can into the trash by the computer desk. It’s close enough to be difficult to miss. “You wanna come sit down, baby?” asks Ezra, patting the space between him and Tommy. “Uncle Tommy and I were just watchin the game.”

“O-okay,” you respond and follow suit. You can feel their hungry eyes watching you. Your skin burns. You keep your legs in close and your arms are crossed protectively over your stomach. You feel your shoulders up by your ears. There’s dampness between your thighs.

“Ain’t seen you in a while,” says Tommy as he shifts closer to you. “Joel been keepin you all to himself, huh?”

“I don’t know,” you answer. 

“Yeah, that’s Joel for you.” Ezra chuckles, his eyes lingering on your body. “I find his possessiveness unnecessary, though Uncle Ezra understands why he would be wary to allow his pretty pet to wander without her leash.” His warm, calloused hand finds the bare skin of your thigh. His thumb rubs back and forth. “She is quite the prize, don’t you think?” he says. “Uncle Tommy?”

Tommy grins. “She’s somethin special,” he murmurs, his body shifting closer.

You feel crowded. The heat from their bodies, the smell of beer on their breath, ‘Uncle’ Ezra’s hand gently stroking your thigh. The ache in your cunt.

“Curious,” Ezra says as he scoots next to you, causing you to gasp for air as his body is now pressed along the entirety of your left side. 

“What’s that?” says Tommy, whose eyes are locked onto your face, studying your every response and expression. His own hand finds your other leg, smoothing up and down your thigh, inching closer and closer to the billowing heat between your legs. 

“Curious as to what or … who–” Ezra traced his nose along your temple. “–could have swayed Joel’s selfish nature.” He hums and it’s as if your entire body vibrates in harmony with his vocal chords. “He is not a man to acquiesce easily.”

“What? You think she asked for it this time?” Tommy eyes you curiously. His hand slides from your thigh, cupping your mound over your shorts. You feel his amusement as you tense and gasp with your eyes closed. “Wasn’t us just beggin for a taste?”

Ezra smiles. “Little pets get hungry, too, Uncle Tommy.” Ezra’s finger glides along the bottom of your chin. You open your eyes to see his, hazy and warm, looking back at you. “This one looks ravenous.”

“Only one way to know for sure,” says Tommy, biting his lower lip. He slips his hand under the waistband of your shorts and you tilt your hips forward instinctively, guiding his searching fingers to their imminent goal. You moan as two fingers graze your entrance before sliding between your folds. Tommy laughs. “Oh yeah,” he says, lightly toying with your clit. “She’s starving.”

“Is she now?” says Ezra. “Methinks Uncle Ezra wants a taste, as well.” His mouth finds your neck as his hand finds your breast. His teeth gnaw into your skin–his tongue laving. His fingers dig into your flesh. You feel his hard cock pressed against your side.

You gasp and moan, overwhelmed by the sensations. By their body heat blanketing your sides. The TV is on low and in the back of your mind, you can hear Joel stomping around upstairs. You don’t know how he’ll react when he finds out the two men have begun without him. You don’t know what to say. You couldn’t stop them even if you wanted to. And you really really don’t want to.

“Let’s get ‘er out of these clothes, Uncle Ez,” says Tommy.

“Don’t know why she bothers wearin anything anyway,” says Ezra.

The two men strip you like a doll. Ready and eager to play with you how they please.

Goosebumps rise on your skin briefly before they’re back on you. Ezra sucks on your nipples, toys with your breasts. Tommy’s hand stays between your legs. He slides a finger inside of you, slowly breaching your entrance and pushing it as deep in as he can. He wriggles it around a couple times then pulls it back out, spreading your slick around your lips. Your skin sticks to the pleather of the couch. You can’t bring yourself to check, but you’re certain there’s a wet spot beneath you, glistening in the bright light of the TV.

“Think he’ll let us fuck ‘er this time?” asks Tommy.

Ezra pulls back from your breast. His lips are plush and wet. He hums. “Let’s see what she wants.” His eyes find yours. “What do you think, baby? Hmm?” His eyebrows are high in his forehead. “You want Uncle Ezra and Uncle Tommy to fuck you? You want us to put our cocks in that tight little hole?”

Tommy laughs and plunges two fingers inside of you, stroking your walls, making you writhe and gasp. “I think she likes the idea.”

Ezra chuckles. “I think so, too,” he says. “I think she wants Uncle Ezra and Uncle Tommy to stuff her full and leave her hurtin.” He grins. “I wonder how long it would take for her muscles to recover from such a pleasurable incident.”

“Weeks, prob’ly,” Tommy groans, pressing his hardness into your side. “If we do it right.”

“How’s that sound, baby?” asks Ezra, his lips pressed against your cheek as his fingers pluck your nipples. “Want Uncle Ezra and Uncle Tommy to tear up your little pussy?”

“HEY!” A loud bellow stops everyone in their tracks.

Your eyes open wide to see Joel stomping down the staircase. He’s wearing the same jeans and denim button-up as earlier, but it looks like he’s combed his hair back and away from his face. 

“What the hell is goin on?”

“Oh, come on, Joel,” moans Tommy, his fingers no longer curling inside of you. “What’d you expect?”

“I expected you to fuckin wait,” he snarls. “Two grown goddamn men can’t keep it together for five fuckin minutes.”

Ezra began. “If you would, please, Joel, give audience to our–”

“Don’t you fuckin start with me.” Joel points at Ezra. “I don’t have time for your fuckin diatribes.”

Ezra rolls his eyes with tight lips.

Joel doesn’t say anything else. He simply kneels in front of you and tugs your hips forward, tossing your legs over his shoulders. His mouth latches onto you. He tongues and sucks your pussy lips, flicking over your clit and diving into your entrance. His tongue is moving so fast and his fingers are bruising your skin.

You stare down at him with your eyelids barely open. Your mouth is open and moaning.

Joel slaps his brother on the leg and gestures at you. 

Tommy sighs. “Oh, thank god,” he murmurs. 

Out of the corner of your vision, you see Tommy stand up and unzip his jeans. He pulls his pants and underwear off completely before climbing back up on the couch, standing haphazardly on the cushions.

“Alright, sugar.” He says with a grin. “Open up for Uncle Tommy.”

You comply, not sure how you’re going to maintain your focus with Joel eating you out so voraciously. 

Tommy slides the tip of his cock back and forth on your tongue, before tapping it a few times. You keep waiting for him to shove the whole thing in–you’re braced for it. Readying your throat. But instead he teases you, teases himself. Tommy holds your head in place and you flick the tip of your tongue onto whatever surface of his cock that he’ll give you. 

Your mouth stays open and you can feel saliva spilling out the edges of your mouth. You’re getting hungry for it. Desperate for him to fill your mouth and throat. You try to push your head forward and suck it in already, but Tommy’s grip is tight.

He laughs. “What’d you say, Uncle Ez?” He taps your tongue with his cock. “Ravenous?”

Ezra chuckles, his hands groping your breasts while Joel is still between your legs. “Downright famished for some cock, isn’t she?”

“It would appear so,” says Tommy, mocking Ezra’s cadence.

You start panting, your body trembling. Heat is building up from between your legs and quickly. Joel’s tongue works against your clit with a wet clocking sound. He’s a silhouette in front of the bright light of the TV. Your orgasm hits you like a punch and you keen loudly–just in time for Tommy to finally fill your mouth.

“Kinda tickles,” says Tommy, laughing at you while you moan on the comedown.

Joel pulls his mouth away from you. “Hurry up and get whatcha can,” he says to the two men. “‘Cause once I start fuckin’ her, you’re not gettin anythin else.”

Ezra’s eyes go wide and he rushes to remove his pants. Tommy’s satisfied enough to glide his cock in and out of your sloppy mouth. 

Ezra settles himself between your thighs. He holds his cock, thick as a can of Coca-Cola, against your entrance. He moves it around in tight circles to help stretch you out. “Uncle Ezra has been dreaming of this day, precious,” he says, licking his lips. “Dreaming of–” he thrusts in a little. “--sinking myself into this–” he thrusts in a little more. “--hot, wet hole.” He pushes himself in deeper and deeper and slowly more deeper until he’s in you, full-hilt. He looks up at Tommy. “So hot and wet,” he grins. “She’s tropical.”

Tommy and Ezra start laughing. You can’t see Joel, but you hear him huff.

Your body is exploding in pleasure from Ezra’s slow strokes against your stretched out walls. It didn’t take long for the hurt to give way to warm goodness. You’ve been so focused on sucking off Tommy that your jaw and neck are sore and aching. Your fingers are braced into the cushion beneath you as you try to maintain some kind of composure, lest you sink into the couch and away from Tommy’s salty member.

You get lost in the haze of Ezra’s thrusts and the taste of Tommy. Fire and sparks dance across your skin and you can feel a second orgasm building up inside of you. For a moment, your breasts feel cold and bare, but Ezra leans forward and begins sucking the skin of your neck. Ezra begins murmuring filth as his thrusts pick up in pace. 

“Uncle Ezra takes good care of you, don’t he?”

“You like Uncle Ezra’s big cock?”

“You want some of Uncle Ezra’s hot seed?”

Your second orgasm hits hard and Ezra has to quickly pull out. He pants and moans as he jerks himself off and finishes on your stomach. He falls to the side of the couch with a dazed look in his eyes.

“My turn,” Tommy grins and pulls himself from your mouth. 

But as he begins to situate himself between your legs, he’s interrupted.

“Too late,” says Joel. 

Tommy curses.

Joel shrugs at his brother. “Y’all took too long.” He stands up from the recliner, still fully clothed but his pants are tented. He walks over to your limp body. “Come on,” he says and pulls you up, guiding you back over to where he was before.

You stand on shaky legs while Joel unzips his pants and pulls them down his thighs. He plops into the recliner and pulls you on top of him. For how thick Ezra is, Joel is thicker. You slide down his length with a whimper. 

“That what you needed, baby?” He coos with soft eyes as he rolls his hips upward. “You needed Daddy Joel?” He asks with a nod.

You nod back, relishing in the feeling of Joel inside of you. Your hands cradle his face, thumbs scraping along his scruff. You lean in and kiss him, hot and heavy. He moans into your mouth. You glide your hips up and down, stroking his length with your wet cunt. His broad hands are your asscheeks, tugging and pulling your flesh apart as you slowly ride him. His mouth tastes so good, you wanna swallow him whole. 

You hear Tommy jerking off behind you. He and Ezra are murmuring low to each other on the couch. You wonder if Ezra is jerking off, too. You like to think he is.

Joel pulls back and stares into your eyes. “Come on, baby. Bounce on Daddy Joel’s cock. Come on.” He punctuates with a smack on your ass. You pick up the pace. “Daddy Joel loves his baby’s sweet little pussy,” he groans and smacks your ass again. “Gonna fill that pussy up,” he grunts. He starts thrusting upwards into you, meeting your bouncing hips. “Gonna make a big ol’ mess o’ that tiny little pussy, baby.” 

“Daddy Joel’s gonna fill you up–gonna fill you up,” he groans and his fingers dig bruises into your ass. 

Your body is a blur of pleasure and movements and hot sparkling heat expanding and billowing out until it’s so so tight and then it SNAPS–your cunt clenching around Joel’s cock as he comes in thick, heavy spurts inside of you.

He groans, long and low as he continues to roll his hips. His come trickling out the edges of your used pussy as you sit in his lap. “Good girl,” he sighs and brings a hand to your breast to pinch and tease your nipple. “Good little pussy.”

You don’t hear the two other men behind you, so you assume they finished, too. You’re briefly disappointed you didn’t get to fully experience Uncle Tommy’s cock, but it was enough to taste it. 

You curl into Joel’s chest as he wraps his arms around you and kisses your crown.

++++

Author's Note: NO ONE LOOK AT ME !!!!!

[comradeacerbus]

The Cloak

Haldis shuddered and hugged her knees tightly to her chest, glancing ruefully at her coat and armor. Thoroughly soaked, they hung over the crackling fire to dry. How was she supposed to know the ground was so fragile in that bear’s den? One fell step in the fight with the wretched creature, and down she fell into a spring just below. Looks like she wasn’t sleeping tonight…

Now, here she sat with her teeth chattering, waiting in misery for her armor to dry. Miraak sat across from her, toying with a conjured flame in his hand. Unmasked, his eyes would visibly flick to her occasionally, squinting if he caught her shiver particularly harshly.

A few more minutes of silence went by before he sighed and stood up. Haldis didn’t follow him, just closed her eyes and willed her armor and coat to dry faster.

A heavy weight dropped down on her from above, startling a surprised squeak out of her. Her eyes popped open to behold her counterpart looming in front of her. What he’d dropped on her was rough and scaly…. It was his cloak, the favorite one sewed from Dragonhide gifted to him by one of his acolytes way back when.

She looked at it, puzzled, then up at him. “Um… What’s this for?”

He eased himself onto the ground a few feet away from her. “You sat there looking miserable and expected me to do something about it.”

She frowned. “I wasn’t expecting you to do anything.”

“Yes, you were, and you would have continued until I did.”

She puffed, amused. She’d figured out by now it was his way of saying he wanted to be nice, so she knew not to take his attitude personally.

Nestling into the cloak, she leaned back against the fallen tree behind her and allowed herself to relax. The sheer warmth of that cloak surprised her: it was as thin as any worn leather, but it contained its heat so much better, and it blocked the breeze completely. She finally understood why he never took the stupid thing off.

“Better?” he murmured.

She smiled at him. “Better,” she replied softly. “Thanks.”

He hummed in acknowledgment and made himself more comfortable now that she was content.

A realization came to her. “Aren’t you gonna be cold?”

He looked at her. “You do recall where I was born, yes?” Right. Atmora. Northernmost country in the world, so cold humans all but abandoned it like Skyrim was much better. “The cold does not bother me. You know this.”

“I know. I just figured I should ask.”

Haldis sighed deeply, burying her nose into the cloak wrapped around her to stay as warm as possible. The scaly hide smelled very dragon-y; like leather, metal, and something else very faint, but not draconian at all. Old paper and… She smiled under the cover of the cloak covering her mouth. Smelled like dragon’s tongue and lavender, his tea of choice.

She glanced over at him again. He gazed stoically past the fire and into the darkness of the forest, watching for movement. She thought for a moment, then inched over as silently as possible. Little by little to escape his notice until they were almost close enough to touch.

Choosing to not press her luck any further, she nestled down properly and yawned into the scaly leather.

“I’m exhausted. Do you mind keeping first watch?”

“I do not.“

“Thanks. Wake me up in two hours so I can take my shift.”

“Very well.”

(Apologies for formatting issues, I wrote this on my phone ;u;)

Just a cutesy scene that came to me when I was working out the other day. Not sure if I’ll put it into the fic or not, but the art was fun to make lol Love my anxious ginger girl and her cruddy soon to be lover edgy old man

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#2: I'm Still With You (S5E16)

My favorite pre-canon Richonne scene. 😍 This moment is something special and monumental for many reasons. Plus it features my favorite thing Michonne has ever said to Rick in TWD. To me, the connection, vulnerability, and steam in this scene are nearly equal to some of Richonne's passionate exchanges during their post-canon era. I love that this moment makes it loud and clear that these two have a very powerful effect on each other. And most importantly, I adore this scene for cementing that Rick and Michonne are with each other always. 🥹 What a gift...

A lot of relationships can appear strong during happy times when both individuals are on the same page. However, it's during those challenging periods, when two hold different outlooks and have a multitude of things weighing on them, that the true strength of a relationship really becomes evident.

So part of what puts this scene so high on my list is that it is one of the clearest depictions of why Richonne's relationship is so deep and durable. Because even at this time when circumstances could have easily caused a major divide between them, Michonne and Rick instead choose each other and prove this is a relationship that they sincerely value in the good times and the hard times too.

But, before we get into the #2 scene, we have to talk about some scenes that proceed it in the s5 finale. 🤗

As I’ve said in a previous post, I think this scene where Rick wakes up to find Michonne watching over him and they finally talk about his headspace is extremely revealing of how he views her. Rick telling Michonne, "Well you wanted this place," just really hammered home that in many ways she’s in the wife category to him. Rick was trying to secure this place for team family, but especially for Michonne in a way that he wasn't able to do for Lori. 

The scene opens with Rick asleep after Michonne quite literally knocked some sense into him the prior ep, and it's funny that when he stirs awake, he laughs almost amused as he recalls the wild stuff that happened leading up to this point.

Then Michonne asks, "What’s so funny?" and you see a surprised little look on Rick's face as he asks, "You were here the whole time?" And I like that there’s not an ounce of frustration towards her after knocking him out. He gets it.

I love that Michonne is the one in here with him. Even knowing Rick has been wildin' out she’s still protective of him. Cuz she can knock him out but that doesn’t mean she’s gonna let anyone else come for him. It’s like a visual representation of the sentiment she’ll later express in my golden #2 scene.

Michonne even says she was there with Rick all night, which is such an indicator of her love for him. And then because she knows his laugh meant something, she reiterates "What’s so funny?," and I love that Rick is willing to be vulnerable about his headspace with her when he admits to her that mentally he’s still stuck in the train car from Terminus.

Michonne gives him the rundown of what he missed, and it’s clear she was thoroughly holding down the fort and keeping the peace while he was out of it. 

Then I appreciate that Michonne closes some of the distance between them when she pulls her chair closer and asks, "Rick, what are you doing?"

It’s clear she’s concerned about him, and I like that she asks this way. It’s not accusatory like, 'What were you thinking?' or derogatory like, 'What’s wrong with you?' She wants to know what he’s doing cuz clearly she can tell Rick thinks he’s doing what he has to even though he really doesn’t have to. And if he’d be honest with her, she could help him see that.

Like in this scene, Michonne really could have told Rick...

And she'd be right lol. 😋 However, when she asks this, Rick doesn’t have an answer so then Michonne for the first time addresses the Pete and Jessie situation.

She says, "You could have told me what was happening." And there’s a deeper reason Rick didn’t tell her, beyond what he’ll claim here when he just says "it moved fast." He kept people closest to him like Carl, Michonne, and Glenn out of the loop about the Anderson situation because in many ways his off behavior in that situation was not rooted in clarity but rather in the unresolved wound of losing Lori without closure and the severe PTSD that everything about ASZ triggered within him.

He says it moved fast “and then Noah.” The way Rick says that part feels like he knows how hard Noah’s loss was on Michonne. We saw her grieving Noah a bit in a prior ep too. Which would make sense, especially because Noah, as a kid who didn’t make it, could stir up a lot of pain over losing Andre for her. 😢

Rick says he couldn’t tell her about the gun and, while it could seem like he says it like he couldn’t trust her with that info, he knows what he really means which is what he’ll reveal later - that he couldn’t tell her cuz she had the power to talk him out of it.

Michonne sarcastically says, "nah you couldn’t," cuz she knows Rick knows good and well he can tell her anything. 

It becomes clear that Rick meant he couldn’t tell her because of her influence on him when he says, “Well you wanted this place.” Again, I’ll always love the significance and delivery of this line. And he’s not saying this accusatory. He knows finding a home meant something to her, and it meant something to him that Michonne got what she wanted.

It really feels like during this whole arc, Rick didn’t want to tamper with Michonne's experience in ASZ by roping her into his underhanded plans with Daryl and Carol because they were plans that suggested the place could fall or not work out, and he knows Michonne wanted to believe in this place.

Along with knowing Michonne could talk him out of this approach, I've always felt like part of why Rick kept her out of the plans - plans that normally he would want her fully involved in - was because of his desire to  "give her this place" without the burden of expecting things to go wrong.

Think about pretty much all of Rick and Michonne's scenes in ASZ leading up to this point, especially the scene where he looks right at Michonne as he "signs the papers" and agrees to be a constable with her the day after she expresses to him that she would want a job. Each of their ASZ scenes suggested that even as Rick was spiraling on his own mental journey, everything in him still wanted Michonne to have this place, even if it meant carrying the burden of intense uncertainty on his own.

Fortunately, in this ep, Rick learns that he is no longer with a partner who expects him to carry any burdening issues alone ever. 🙌🏽

So then Michonne adamantly tells him they had to stop being out there, and she's right as always. Then Rick says, "Well we’re here," and I love Michonne’s response to this. She notes what Rick said earlier about still being mentally stuck in that train car when she compassionately says, “Well you just said you weren’t.”

And really it’s true, the poor guy has not been all there in ASZ hence some of his more volatile behavior. And Rick looks like he knows Michonne has a point when he stares at her in this moment.

Then when Carol, Abe, and Glenn walk in (which feels like they are walking in on the Richonne bubble) Rick is caught in the middle with Michonne on one end asking about the gun, and Carol on the other wanting him to lie.

And you can just tell that man does not want to lie to Michonne anymore. But he goes along with Carol’s story even tho Michonne ain’t buying it, looking at Rick and Carol like... 

Later, Carol talks with Rick alone and is in his ear about continuing their trust-no-one approach. And the first thing Rick asks is why she didn’t want to tell Michonne, Glenn, and Abe about the gun. You know those magnets within him are ready to stop with the games that are causing distance with Michonne and come clean to her once and for all. 

Carol seems to suggest that Michonne knocking Rick out might make her untrustworthy of being let in on their plans, but I adore that Rick so quickly and confidently defends Michonne, saying both that he deserved what Michonne did and that, "She’s with us."

He knows and trusts his woman, y'all. And I love that even after Michonne knocked him out and Carol's trying to cast doubts about her, Rick's still like...

In this whole ASZ situation Carol and Michonne reflect two different ways to approach ASZ. And in this scene with Rick and Carol, it’s clear that Rick has already been swayed more to Michonne’s side, especially as he tells Carol, "I don’t want to lie anymore."

This moment lets you know that without even directly talking him out of it, Michonne has again influenced Rick to no longer want to scheme and plot under the table. I know Rick hated feeling even remotely distant from Michonne, and he’s ready to fix that and stop lying to her asap.

Also, now you know I don’t really care to revisit any of those scenes, but all I’ll say about the scene with Jessie in this ep is it’s an interesting choice to have Rick only seen through the window when they talk. It again shows that in this situation he’s not all there, as Rick's not even seen present in the same shot as her, just a reflection of who he is.

But then, in this next scene, this Top 2 classic, not only is Rick directly in the shot with the woman he’s meant for, but the two get all up close and personal too...

Ok so on to my favorite pre-canon scene and top 2 moment. 🤩

I love that after such a compellingly wild journey with Rick’s character arc in season 5, his turning point back to some sense of sanity in the finale is in this moment with Michonne. She’s the person in his life most capable of helping him start seeing things clearer.

It reminds me of Rick’s other mental spiral arc in s3 and how his turning point was also Michonne-related as nearly giving her up sparked him to return to democracy. No matter how off the deep end Rick can go, something about Michonne can always bring him back. 💯

So the scene opens with Michonne approaching the room and softly saying, "Rick, you ready?" which I like especially because in 5.11 she had asked Rick that very thing right outside the gates of ASZ before they ever entered the community.

And in some ways, Rick wasn’t fully ready to let go of the fight and embrace this place back then, which has led to their current predicament. But even then, she still checks in on him now and wants to know where he’s really at with this.

(also the opening shot low-key feels like she's the angel arriving on his shoulder to guide him back to the light, if you ask me.)

This moment of her checking on him also sorta feels like it parallels that scene in The Distance when Michonne approaches Rick outside the barn while he works on a car. There's some similar positioning with him lower and her standing above, but the interesting difference is in 5.11 Rick and Michonne were discussing the potential for other people/communities to pose a threat, and here in 5.16 they have to deal with how Rick is now deemed the threat to the community.

Then I love that all Michonne has to say is just those three words - "Rick, you ready?" - and Rick is ready to completely spill everything. Like details and all with no hesitation. 😋

Rick lays it all out saying how he, Carol, and Daryl worked out the plan to keep guns together, and he lets Michonne know exactly what they took from the armory and exactly what they still have.

Rick says, “We lied to you cuz I wasn’t sure how you’d take it - what you’d do.” which has always been quite interesting to me because like he knows Michonne wouldn’t just straight up turn on him or fight him but I think just the mere thought that what she’d do is pull away from him or be disappointed was enough for Rick to feel he couldn’t risk telling her.

And I like how, as he says this, he holds his hand out to give her the gun as this symbol that not only is he confessing, but he’s ready to “turn himself in” in a sense and let her have the gun and have intel on the plan completely, rather than hide anything from her.

I feel like this moment really hammers home that Rick views Michonne as his partner. They'd been operating like partners and co-leaders so much before arriving in Alexandria, so Rick knows that Michonne is someone in the group who would have and should have been let in on these types of plans, which is why not telling her felt like a lie that weighed on him.

I like that when Michonne hears Rick say this, she puts the windbreaker down, knowing they need to have a moment and talk this out so she can let him know exactly where she stands.

She asks if he thinks she’d try to stop him, and Rick, always finding time to be a little teasing with her, says, "Well you did hit me over the head." You know he's teasing too cuz he literally just defended her doing this when he spoke with Carol earlier lol.

And I appreciate that Michonne wants it to be crystal clear she did that to help him and not for the others. "That was for you." Of course, it’s for him, and doing what she thought was best to help him. 

Even before hearing her say this, you know Rick believes that she did this with his best interests in mind.

And then I adore that he gets extra vulnerable for this next part, with this being his turn to close the distance between them.

Rick stands up and gets super close to her - cuz magnets - and he finally tells Michonne that he didn't tell her about the guns because “I was afraid you’d talk me out of it…you could’ve.” 

Y'all, I love this. 😊 That "you could've" is going to hit my heart every time.

I’ve mentioned other pre-canon moments on this list where Rick has told on himself in terms of what he feels for Michonne. But none more than in this moment right here does Rick outright expose that Michonne has a very special and substantial influence on him.

It’s a big deal one; for her to have this power, two; for Rick to know Michonne has this power, and three; for him to then straight up tell her she has this power.

This is extremely significant, especially because Rick was seemingly at his most dazed during this 5B arc and said himself he was in the middle of losing his mind...and yet even in that disoriented state, he still had enough wherewithal to be aware that Michonne could get him to change course if she so much as talked to him about the situation.

Like homeboy was struggling to know right from left at this time, but one thing he did know was that Michonne had the power to heavily influence his choices and actions.

Rick Grimes won’t just let anybody talk him in or out of things, and yet Michonne effortlessly can do both as we saw throughout s5 and beyond. He also trusts her to know the immense influence she has without manipulating it. And honestly, he picked a good person to give this power to because Michonne is always right. 👑😌 Like fr...

I love that Rick finally came right out with it and told her this because he seemed to deep down know it was the case all along. Michonne means a whole lot to him, he fully respects her wisdom and ideas, and something in him always wants to give her what she wants, and in some capacity, he knows this about himself even here pre-canon.

As this is the season 5 finale, this is when they tie up a lot of arcs and storylines, and it’s fitting after a season where Michonne so fully stepped up as Rick's co-partner and both led alongside him and led him - the season ends with Rick actively knowing that just Michonne’s words, hell even a mere look, could influence his decisions on crucial matters. Even after losing it a bit in Alexandria, he still knows he'd trust Michonne’s gut even over his own. 👌🏽

And for him to say, "I was afraid..." I love the vulnerability. This is the Rick Grimes who has often had to come across as fearless to those they encounter, but here he can be honest and human and let her know that the influence she has over him is strong enough to even make him afraid.

Deep down something in Rick knew that Michonne has his whole heart and that he’ll ultimately be swayed to do what she says. Also, the visual of the two together is just so pleasing and the chemistry is always 🔥🔥.

And then cuz you know these equals stay taking turns sending my heart soaring - it’s Michonne’s turn to have me jumping for joy when she responds to him. (That's part of what makes this a top 2 moment because Rick and Michonne both have a line that just leaves me endlessly beaming 🤗)

First, Michonne so gently tells Rick they don’t need the guns here, and she doesn’t need her sword. It makes me think of the really sweet and sociable honorable mention moment they had in 5A when Rick asks her about her sword, and she says she doesn’t miss her sword but rather misses people they love like Hershel. Both these moments show she's always had such a solid perspective. 👑

Also y’all, as Michonne is talking to Rick in this s5 finale moment, again I have to point out the way Rick is looking at her...Whipped with a capital W. He looks so entranced that he again has to have one of those signature not-so-slick look-up moves he does whenever he knows he’s about to get lost in her lol. 

I mentioned in a previous post that the story knew it wanted Rick and Michonne's journey to be that of an epic love story, hence why so many of their pre-canon scenes feel like they could fit perfectly into a romance. And you know who also naturally knew this - the Andrew Lincoln.

Because honey, the way his eyes always told the story that Rick was in love with Michonne 👏🏽👏🏽. Especially in this season 5 finale scene, all you have to do is look at Rick's eyes to know...

When Andy played our beloved sheriff during this pre-canon era, he basically said I don't really care what other storylines y'all got going on for Rick cuz whenever Rick is in front of Michonne he's going to look at her like she's the one for him really and truly. And I appreciate him for it. 😌

All those special stares between both Rick and Michonne throughout their journey really do add a wonderful touch to this love story. 👌🏽🥰

So then Michonne says, “I think you can find a way,” showing her steadfast belief in him. And then I love that she then emphasizes, “We can find a way.” It's refreshingly letting him know that, in navigating all this, he doesn’t have to do it alone. She will be by his side and they're a package deal. 😊

And then, as you know, what makes this scene such a classic is when Michonne flat out expresses the sentiment that they are forever a package deal when she so sincerely says, “And if we don’t…I’m still with you.” BEAUTIFUL. 😭

Oh I adore it with everything in me. She’s communicated to Rick that she’s still with him in so many different ways throughout the series, but I love that here she gets to look right at him with so much love in her eyes and let him know directly that she’s still with him no matter what. Good, bad, or ugly, she will forever be team Rick Grimes. 👌🏽

And it’s huge for her to say this and for Rick to hear this. Finding a home base has been Michonne's big goal this season and Rick's been aiming to provide that home - but now in the finale, this is Michonne’s chance to tell Rick she found home long ago because home actually isn’t a place - it’s him. And he no longer has to worry about losing her. 

Also with the uncertainty of their world, how deep is it that they found a nice cushy community, a gold mine in that world, and Michonne is saying I still choose you even over the invaluable safety of having this home. As I’ve said before, this is the season where Rick and Michonne both show through words and actions that they will follow each other anywhere.

It’s so moving for Rick, someone who knows disloyalty well from his previous pre-apocalypse relationships (Lori & Shane), now has this woman to say I’m on your side always. And it's big for Michonne to know that the bond she formed with Rick is one she'll be committed to no matter what. Just a precious sentiment and my favorite thing she’s ever said to Rick so far. 🥰

And the way Michonne is looking at him. 😍 She’s in love with him, can’t tell me any different. So I, of course, gotta give major props to the Danai Gurira too because she also helped sculpt this story in the direction of a love story with the way Michonne would always look and talk to Rick.

Then Rick seems to just be taking her in completely as she says this lovely loyal line. Rick's look here feels like yet another moment that suggests he marvels over how he got so lucky to have someone like her be with him like this.

As Rick and Michonne let a silent moment linger between them, it really felt like RJ’s parents were finally about to kiss in this scene. Cuz these two were practically having this conversation...

Instead, Michonne notes how "something is going to happen," cuz she’s not naive or overly idealistic, and then she wisely states, "just don’t make something happen." And in this moment we’re seeing in real time the way Michonne just expressing herself can impact Rick and motivate him to change course.

I'm sure a lot of characters would have assumed Rick was unreachable in his season 5 era, but Michonne can always so effortlessly reach him and get him to try a new approach.

After she beautifully and prudently expresses this, Rick looks at her mesmerized (the usual), and then hands her the gun again, so eager to offer it as this peace offering that says he is with her too and willing to try to go about this her way rather than fight this his way. 

It's a big deal for him to do this and I absolutely love the visual of this whole wordless moment.

I mentioned how in Clear, Michonne hands Rick a bullet as a sort of peace offering to show she’s on his side. And here Rick offers the same with the gun, but I love that instead of taking the gun, the shot draws emphasis on the two’s hands (seriously, Richonne stays giving the most Outstanding Performance by a Pair of Hands 👏🏽) as she softly places a hand over his and signals both that he doesn’t have to give her the gun and that she trusts him to make the right choice with it.

Again, Michonne is the soundest character in TWD, bar none, so in this moment, she knows it’s not necessarily unwise to have the gun, she’s not against the idea of precautions, but she also knows hostility is simply not needed here. And I love the arresting way they can always disarm each other, even without taking a gun. 

And the moment just feels genuinely intimate and romantic which I love. Any time they touch it’s sparks. ✨ Michonne's first initiating touch with Rick was outside ASZ in 5.11 and now she does it again in the finale as touching his hand almost reflects her once again hoping that he’s really ready this time to make this place work.

But even if he's not...she's still with him. 🥹

Rick and Michonne then share this palpable passionate look before she heads out, sounding like a wife as she tells him, "Don’t be too long."

And that eye contact tho. 🔥 Richonne's eye contact at the end of this scene alone deserves its own shoutout. 👏🏽

Y’all, let me tell you what we just watched in this scene were some soulmates. Not just besties, or family, or partners - no, this was an exchange between soulmates. That’s their person, their true love, the one they trust unwaveringly - and somewhere in them during this scene, their hearts know it too. Their minds might need to do some catching up, but their hearts know if you ask me.

At the end of this scene, Rick stands alone in the room and holds the gun, moving his hand almost as if it's Michonne's touch that's most lingering with him. It may sound straight out of a romance film to say that, but that really is an element of what this subtle moment is giving.

Seeing that tiny moment of Rick's reaction to the gun in his hand after Michonne's tender touch just confirmed to me that one of the great perks about this ship is we never have to embellish the spark between Richonne because there really are just that many little romantic details to notice and cherish within these scenes.

Rick’s lingering reaction as she leaves also makes it feel like the gun weighs more than it does as it now symbolizes a weighted decision “to use or not to use.” But he knows deep down because the woman he loves has spoken and touched him literally and figuratively, he wants to make his next move one that she could be proud of.  

And after a scene as romantically coded as this one, I too don't care what other storyline was supposed to be happening during this time...because Richonne was on the fast track to canon. 1000%.

Like truly after this moment there is no convincing me that Rick was healthily falling for anyone else. The chemistry, attraction, respect, love, and desire are far too evident in this scene between Rick and Michonne to suggest anything other than that canon Richonne is just around the corner. 🔥 And I love that Danai also noted this as a scene that really made it clear Rick and Michonne's bond was bound to blossom into more.

In season 5, who Rick was authentically in love with was crystal clear and who Michonne was authentically in love with was crystal clear. And fortunately, the following season, Rick and Michonne finally took the leap and made it crystal clear to themselves and the world that the two were in love with each other. 🙌🏾

This "I'm still with you" scene was an especially blatant sign that Rick and Michonne had developed an unbreakable love. And this moment is deserving of my #2 spot for how much meaning it carries.

The scene powerfully shows that what Rick and Michonne have between them is and has always been so incredibly deep, influential, reverential, beautiful, steamy, and special - and that no matter what they face or where they go, Rick and Michonne will always and forever be with each other. 🥰

[snoopledrooplecheesedoodle]

HI! Sorry, first time doing something like this, I just really liked your fic of the yandere neko cafe!

I was wondering if you could do this request, just if you feeling like it, of course, is just how some of your ocs (anybody really, I like them all, lol) would react to Reader getting gifted some cat ears and actually putting them on?

tysm, keep up the work, u're doing amazing!

Damn even Donut (jk I love him too)? It melts my heart that you like my characters and I think this would be cute. Thank you for requesting from me, I find it very sweet.

Yandere Cat Cafe's Reactions to you wearing cat Ears

Totally ecstatic:

Macchi:

Macchi loves cats and you, combining them makes you all the more irresistible. She doesn't care how you get them because this girl is buying you more. Ooh maybe she'll buy calico ears so you're matching! Maybe even matching outfits too! Wait where are you going, she's just getting started!

Cocoa:

OMG! You look totally fabulous! She has to take some pictures of you and two and post them! Just two cute besties, #purrfectpair! You will be sore from smiling as Cocoa gets different photos from different angles. How can she not when you both look so cute! Wait you know she saw a few items in the mall that would look fab with your ears. She's got coupons! You end up being dragged away on a shopping spree with a very happy Burmese.

Cookie and Muffin:

The twin terrors and fooling around behind the counter (under Shopkeeper's watchful eye) trying to make sweetest drink possible. When it's to their satisfaction they run to get you to try it. Baba look what they ma-Oh my gosh you're just like them! They knew you were perfect for their little family! They drop the drink forgetting all about it, instead asking why you were hiding your ears from them before. You try to explain that they are fake, but the twins are so happy you fake some story about not feeling confident with them out. Good luck getting out of this one because now you'll be wearing cat ears 24/7 to keep up the lie.

Matcha:

Bro's your biggest supporter (bro but gender neutral), you could walk in wearing a trash bag and Matcha would think you were the most ethereal being to walk the planet Earth. You walking in with cat ears makes them want to cry, you look so heavenly. You panic a little bit as they grab onto your ankle and weep while singing your praises. They just want to worship you as you deserve. Definitely wants you to buy a cat collar, not for yourself but for them. They just want to be yours and seeing you looking so cute eggs them on.

Meh:

Shopkeeper:

Shopkeeper finds it amusing that you prance into their cafe wearing cat ears. Do you want them to serve your coffee in a saucer for you to lap at? Don't look so frustrated it will only egg them on further. Besides that, Shopkeeper is neither ecstatic nor completely hating the idea. They love you for you and cat ears will make no difference.

Espresso:

Espresso is pretty nonchalant about the cat ears, if it makes you happy and doesn't harm anyone go for it. If anyone talks bad in public about you wearing them, you get scary cat privileges as Espresso looks more like a panther behind you. Glaring as he shields you from the offending party. He will probably be more into them when he starts drawing pictures of you with cat ears. Besides that, no big reaction.

Cappuccino:

So, you still going to cuddle them? Okay then they don't care. Cap don't give a single fuck, definition of apathy. Only reason they are slightly interested is because they are on you. If you were to do things that cats do to show affection like bring Cap gifts or nuzzle them. You won't be leaving the cafe without being dragged off to a secluded area and being thoroughly marked. Sides that lazy kitty don't care.

Croissant:

Confused Croissant activated. Are you trying to court him? He's flattered immensely but don't you think this method is a little unorthodox? Croissant flushing like you kissed him in public. He isn't used to people going out of their way for his affections, so give him some space. He will accept your silent confession just try not to do something like this in public again please.

Hates it:

Sugar:

Don't get her wrong, she thinks you're cute, but she can't help but find the display childish. She wants you to be happy but at the same time she wants to have sway over how you look. If you wanted accessories, you should ask her. Sugar is a well-known rising actress because of her hardworking attitude and alluring figure. She's got money to spoil you with any accessory you want, as long as she approves. Preferably a nice little pure silver chain she can hold onto.

Butch:

Cats. It's always those fuckers. He works at a cat cafe and such but that doesn't mean he's a cat lover (bro you literally like Shopkeeper stfu). Bares his teeth at this display, you really love riling him up and pretending that you did nothing wrong. He'll rip those disgusting things off your head and get you a proper pair of dog ears. Wait what why is he saying this, he doesn't like you like that?!

Donut:

Darling why did you accept some scoundrel's gift so easily. He'd adore them he bought them but some mangy person, that's too far! He's a model and Shopkeeper pays extremely well he can buy you anything you want. Pouts and complains about the ears getting in the way of snuggle time. Gets more jealous if you refuse to let him replace them. If you insist on cheating on him so openly there will be consequences.

[msilwrites]

Mama Bear's Short Solo Trip, Part II - (Captain Price Fic) - Wake up call

Edit: Part 1 is Here

Possessive! John Price, Possessive! Price, Retired! John Price. Implied Big Boss in SpecGru! John Price, Boss!Price Boss in SpecGru! Price

Y/N was jolted awake by a sharp knock at her hotel door. Squinting at the clock—7:30 a.m.—she groaned as she stumbled out of bed. Opening the door, she found a wide-eyed bellhop holding an elaborate breakfast tray. The poor lad looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“Uh…room service,” he squeaked. "Compliments of…uh, Commander Price."

Y/N blinked, groggily taking in the full spread: eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, juice, coffee, and even a tiny bouquet of flowers. She frowned. “I didn’t order this.”

The bellhop glanced nervously over his shoulder, lowering his voice. “No, ma’am. *He* called the manager personally... and, well, insisted.”

Y/N’s eyebrow shot up. “Insisted?”

“Yes,” the bellhop said, clearly reluctant to elaborate. “He... uh... made it clear that if this wasn’t delivered promptly, there’d be... consequences.”

Y/N tilted her head. “Consequences?”

The bellhop hesitated, looking like he might bolt at any moment. “I overheard the manager on the phone. He sounded... terrified. Said something about, ‘Yes, sir, of course, sir. Right away, sir.’ And then he, uh, told me not to mess this up.”

Y/N stared at him, equal parts amused and exasperated. "Let me get this straight. My fiancé scared *both* of you into bringing me breakfast?"

The bellhop nodded, looking thoroughly mortified. “Yes, ma’am. I’m just doing my job!”

She sighed, waving him in. “Fine, just put it on the table.”

As the bellhop fled, she spotted the inevitable note tucked beside the coffee cup. In Price’s unmistakable handwriting, it read:

*"Proof of life required, love. Eat this and text me when you’re done. Or else. – JP."*

Y/N groaned, flopping into the chair as she grabbed her phone and hit video call. Price answered on the first ring, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Well, good morning, love,” he greeted, his tone warm but infuriatingly smug.

“Did you really call the manager and terrify him into sending me breakfast?” she demanded, holding up the note.

“Terrify?” Price repeated, feigning innocence. “I prefer to call it ‘motivating action.’”

“John. Ugghh, I should have not told you my hotel room number. What is wrong with you?!!” Her tone was stern, but the twitch of her lips betrayed her amusement.

“What’s wrong with me?” he shot back. “You’re the one who thought eight pints and no breakfast was a good idea!”

“I was going to get something later!”

“Later?” he scoffed. “By ‘later,’ you’d be passed out from hunger.”

She groaned, shaking her head. “You’re impossible. The manager and the bellhop were scared out of their minds! What did you even say to them?”

He shrugged casually. “Just told the manager that if you didn’t get breakfast by 8:00 a.m., I’d make a few calls of my own. He got the message.”

“*A few calls*?” she repeated, incredulous. “You made it sound like you’d deploy an extraction team!”

“Well...” he began with a smirk. "Might’ve said something about how I’d prefer to avoid sending a tactical unit to retrieve my fiancée from her hotel room."

Y/N covered her face, torn between laughter and embarrassment. "You’re unbelievable.”

“And you’re alive and fed,” he countered. "Which makes me a damn good fiancé, if you ask me."

She sighed dramatically. “You’re lucky I love you, Commander Price.”

“And you’re lucky I’m patient, sweetheart,” he quipped. “Now eat up and send me your plans for today. I’ll be checking.”

As the call ended, Y/N stared at the breakfast spread, shaking her head and chuckled.

A/N: I was typing this on my phone, hopefully I made no errors. Lol! Also hope that you enjoyed this one, I might write a part III but it's a struggle with just my phone. But I'll try my best, yah?! Cheers!!

[crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf]

Disgrace Chapter 10 : Crosshair x F!OC

Discovery can be an odd thing, sprung on you when you least expect it. You uncover what's in the shadows and dust, learn things about yourself. Deep underground, the forgotten halls hum with secrets and oaths. While our protagonists leave their feelings in the hands of gods, they may not be alone as they dive through the sacred chambers.

Chapter Specific Warnings: Smut, Oral (m & f rec.), Road Head, Thalassophobia, Vore, Gun Fights, Blood & Injury, Gratuitous Nudity, PiV sex, Angst. Fucking that man in new and interesting places.

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Authors Notes: Where did this chapter come from and why does it exist. I dunno. Can you pinpoint when I started trying to use a tablet again? And then can you spot when I smashed my finger and still tried to muscle through it? lol.

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Word Count: 12135

Dynamic: Princess x Guard, Speed running Co-dependancy, A Mangy Cat and his Aggressive little Chihuahua. She's a damsel, she's in distress- she can handle it. Murder is his love language.

<-Previous Chapter - Read On Ao3 {START HERE}

Music Inspo- Temple of Love, Sisters of Mercy

Listen on Spotify - Listen on Youtube

Chapter 10: Temple of Love

Our monotonous journey continued after the brief nap and quiet kisses in the dark. Now the cacophonous sound of the speeder in the tight tunnel was punctuated by the occasional tapping of the trunk hood, the passing air catching under the ruined folds of metal. 

Crosshair tied it shut with the cord I couldn't believe he kept from the pod freighter, but there it was, tapping where the locking mechanism was smashed in. 

The new sound was starting to grate on my nerves. 

Tap. Tap-tap, tap. 

I needed to distract myself before I started ripping my hair out. Unfortunately the only thing I had to occupy myself with…

My eyes focused on Crosshair. 

We hadn't been moving all that long but once the idea had me there wasn't much use resisting it. I scooted a little to lay down, putting my head in Cross's lap and hooking the hem of his pants with my fingers. 

An amused tone lit through him, rumbling in my ear as he stroked my hair.

“Making things more interesting?”

“Not sure anyone could do that, just more… stimulating,”

“Indeed,”

“It's easier to hear you like this,”

“Want me to talk to you?”

“Sure,”

“That doesn't sound committed,”

My brows rose but I wasn't sure he saw,

“Yes, please talk to me,”

He chuckled as I tugged his fly open to expose his shaft, already looking thicker from the promise of my attention. Licking him while still soft, I slicked his skin thoroughly before taking him between my lips. The ridge of skin protecting the flare of his head was more prominent at this stage and I toyed my tongue against it pulling it with my teeth to a sharp inhale from Cross. 

“Mm, good girl,”

It was easier to slide him into my throat like this but that was quickly changing. His member pulsed in my mouth as blood rushed him. I pushed his head past the barrier of my tonsils before he was fully hard, delighting in the popping sensation that was turning into a subtle stretch as he became engorged.  

“That feels nice, Tahny…”

His fingers were ensnaring my hair and I could hear a small creaking from the steering where his knuckles tightened on the plastic. Crosshair's cock was rock hard now as he pushed my head down to grind into the soft palate at the back of my throat. 

I tapped his thigh and he relented, allowing me some shallow breaths before I continued, focusing more on stimulating the sensitive ridge of his head. 

He was moaning soft little praises as my tongue flicked over him, making his leg twitch as I hit a sensitive spot. I honed in on it, pressing the tip of my tongue to rub firmly against it. 

The whine that escaped him sent a white hot wave through my core. I needed to make him do it again, and zeroed in on his weak spot, causing him to jerk under me. 

The speeder swerved slightly but he got it under control. 

“Kriff, Tahny, careful…”

But his hand was rough in my hair, bobbing me over his shaft while his hips gently rocked in a steady rhythm, using my mouth to his content. 

His breath hitched and caught in his chest as he pushed into my tongue with a final groan, filling my mouth with thick, sticky seed. I sucked till his twitching ceased, forcing a few more docile whimpers from the man with a death grip on the steering console. 

Rolling over peevishly, I looked up from his lap with my mouth open, showing my tongue slicked with him before swallowing in a showy fashion. His eyes were glued to me, trying to think of something to say,

“Least your’re getting your protein…”

I snorted, sitting up abruptly. 

“Hot.”

“Sorry… brains a little offline,”

“Uh huh”

Now that I was sitting up, my hair whipped about my face and I felt the velocity of our movement in a sudden pull. 

“Cross, how fast are you going?”

“Mm”

Crosshair glanced at the dash with a shrug.

Before he could answer me properly, the walls of the tunnel fell away from us. The level tunnel had spit us out into a new cavern. We had found the end of the glacier flow with an eruption of water splashing the sides of the car.  

“Nevermind, floor it,”

There was nothing under us but crystalline, glassy water, the speed of our vehicle propelling us over the surface. The slight amount of light from the Iotryke only lit the lake in flickers but the water seemed to glow. It stretched out wide to either side of us before being cut abruptly by steep walls. Our passing made an impressive wake that disturbed the pristine surface. Neither the waves nor the flickering lightning could conceal how deep the subterranean lake really was, opening beneath us like an inky maw. There was only one way to go, the light reflecting off a bank of sand in the distance. 

Crosshair depressed the fuel pedal as far as it would go. It was important we didn't lose momentum. 

I gripped the dash, holding my breath as the speeder closed the distance between us and the distant shore. 

…

Fwoom

A fountainous wake erupted as Cross spun us against the bank, distributing the energy of the vehicle as it once more was forced to a stop in the sand. 

I was soaked, and the water was freezing! 

Shivering, I looked to my companion. His hands were crossed over the top of the steering, head laid against them also dripping and shaking. 

No… he was laughing. Honest to Be'llahl, soft laughter was coming from him and he sat back throwing an arm over the seat and rubbing his face with the other hand. 

“I thought we were dead this time.”

He finally breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. 

“Funny, I was sure the last one got us.”

“Maybe we died a while ago…”

I exhaled sharply in dark amusement,

“Nothing yet to prove the contrary.”

“Mm, was it a good death?”

That was something to think about…

“Not sure falling in a pit after the big shootout is the best way… kind of embarrassing, actually,”

My brow furrowed. We weren't dead of course, but if we didn't find a way through the caves and back to civilization we may as well be. I definitely don't want to be remembered as having fallen in a pit and died.  

My mind had wandered, but snapped back to attention when I realized Cross had lifted himself out of the seat and was leaning on the dash, looking out over the subterranean lake. 

“Look at that,”

He tilted his head towards the glowing streaks drifting into the v shaped gap left by our tear across the lake's surface. Apparently the passing had scared off these creatures which were… what exactly?

I got out of the car, walking carefully to the edge where sand met water. 

The glowing… things, looked like massive bundles of cords, clumped together and floating lazily without any indication it was any more than a plant, except for the reaction to the speeder. 

There was a sharp tap to the small of my back and I jumped, nearly falling into the icy pool. Crosshair's arms caught my waist with a chuckle as I swore at him, arms still flailing slightly. 

“I don't fancy falling into one of those… things,”

I glanced back down at the water, there were other reasons to not want to fall in. The pool dropped off steeply, the lake being a water filled ravine that seemed bottomless from where I stood. The glowing cord fish did nothing against the darkness of the depths. I pushed back against Cross, shivering from more than the cold. 

“Can't you swim?”

It was whispered teasingly into my ear as he felt me lean away from the water’s edge. 

“I can swim just fine… don't tell me you don't find that view…”

I peered into the bottomless, icy water,

“... Unsettling?”

He shrugged against my back. 

“More interested in that one…”

He pointed back across the lake, to one of the water channels burrowing into the cavern. There was the faintest light filtering in, a warm steady glow unlike the flickering false lightning. Moonlight. 

“There's no way we’re reaching that,”

The particular opening was high up in the cave walls on the opposite side of the lake from us. 

“No, but it means there's breaks in the stone, Maybe we'll find more through there.”

He jerked his head behind us, and for the first time I tore my eyes from the water to take in where we ended up. 

The shore was relatively shallow, light blue sand powdery underfoot. Rocky walls made an inlet, almost a lagoon if it weren't completely open to the lake's deep drop off. The height was impressive, making the surface far above us… but the walls…

There were large carved pillars recessed in the rock walls, open indents that might have held carved reliefs or statuary. Script was carved into the layers of stone, making intricate patterns. Wherever we were, it was man made. I couldn't decipher the old Ga'haiian, but I could recognize one pattern.

Be’llahl

“This shouldn't be here…”

“Yet, it is.”

“There's nothing about sub terrestrial temples in the mountains,”

“Would there be?”

“Yes! Ga’hah’s history is unbroken… if there were a temple here it would have been documented!”

I was indignant, and yet, as stated… here it was. 

“It could have been hidden on purpose,”

Chewing on that notion, I plodded through the soft, dry sand to the central indent that should be the entrance. The stone here was rough where the shapes were chiseled into the cavern wall. There had to be a way to open it. I ran my hand along the edge of the indent where smooth grooves wore at the carved door. It slides… up…or down.

Crosshair went back to the speeder, untying the trunk to retrieve the empty canisters. I watched as he started to rinse and fill them with water. Good idea. 

While he busied himself I let myself become engrosses in examining the carved rock face. The reliefs that had been worn smooth still held some familiar imagery… the hands of Be'llahl holding the gifts of art and leisure, raised stars and lush leaves… but all in patches. 

Splash!

My spine tightened at the loud slosh of water. I turned on my heel to find Crosshair surfacing from the freezing lake. 

“Idiot!”

I stomped to the water's edge,

“What do you think you're doing?”

My voice hissed from me. Though there was no need for quiet, it was a compulsion brought by my unease.

“Get out, right now!”

Crosshair only smirked at me. 

“Not till you get in,”

He was doing well to disguise the chatter of his teeth as he stroked the water, keeping himself abreast the calm surface. 

“That's not happening! Those things…”

“Are scared of us,”

The glowing snares of tendrils were drifting away from the disturbed water… such an instinct didn’t exactly ease my mind. 

“It's much too cold, Cross, and you've nothing to keep you warm…”

I toed the black bottoms discarded on the shore.

“You'd better hurry then,”

Irritating. 

“Fine. Freeze.”

I sat in the sand, glaring at his smug face bobbing on the water. 

“Oh no, I'm drowning.”

It was a sarcastic drawl and I sniffed in annoyance, raising my chin as he melodramatically lowered himself below the rippling surface. 

One beat. Two. 

“Very funny asshole,”

Three beats… four. 

I had no doubt he could hold his breath, but my instincts were hammering my brain despite my attempts to soothe myself with logic. The trick was working, winding me tight. 

Curse him. 

“Crosshair.”

I scooted forward to look down into the lake. It was clear, but filled with dark shadows as the distant glow of the cord fish was cut and refracted by the water. 

“Cross. Hair.”

I slapped the surface, causing a small splash. 

He didn't emerge from the shadowy water. 

Perhaps he actually died, pulled off by some undercurrent or sucked up by some creature. Surely following him would be incredibly stupid, and yet I was undoing the ties on the leather vest, dropping the meager coverings and the things he had already discarded into the back of the speeder. 

If he's not dead I'm gonna kill him. 

I hopped into the water. Toes pointed to drop some below the surface, catching my self with my arms before going too deep. Tentatively, I cracked an eye open, it didn't sting much, so I squinted, scanning my surroundings. 

The craggy rocks below the surface seemed to stretch and laugh in the ethereal dancing light. The shadows were deep, and I struggled to make out any outlines with my blurred vision. Still no Crosshair. 

Real dread started to creep up on me. I needed to surface already and kicked upwards. Something wrapped about my ankle, tugging me back down with a jerk before releasing me. 

Prick. 

My heart pounded with sudden adrenaline as I kicked to the surface, gasping air. My body was starting to shake from the cold, making it hard to tread water as I spun, looking into the depths to catch the shadow surfacing near me. 

“N-not… f-f-funny… touch-tough guy,”

The vitrol was caught in the rattling cage of my ribs, all that escaped was a stuttering whine as I weakly batted against the slim chest of the laughing man. He scooped me to him, and I clung to the slight bit of warmth. 

“You must be mad… haven't called me that sinc-”

He was cut off by a sudden cracking against the sand. Blaster bolts fired rapidly, hitting with fountains of powdery blue dust feet from us. 

“Deep breath!”

The command came fast and sharp, I barely had time to comply before being tugged below the water again. 

Cross tucked us into an alcove in a rocky leeway before the lakes deep dropoff. I squinted at his blurry outline, his neck craned to scan upwards. 

Can… can he see anything like this?

Holding my breath was never my forte, and my lungs started to burn. I tapped his arm desperately… we couldn't stay here forever. He stooped, grabbing a chunk of broken rock from the crevice, and motioned for me to follow. 

With a bend of his knees, he propelled himself quickly to the surface. I followed suit, slightly behind with less muscle to push me. 

I surfaced, blinking water from my eyes in time to see Crosshair launch the stone shard at a scanner droid. It fell with a sputtering sizzle before smashing into the soft sand. Cross was already moving, a broad front stroke headed towards the speeder and his weapons. Someone was watching us. 

How did they find us down here?

I splashed after him. A bolt hit the water ahead of me flecking hard, forceful droplets across my skin. Another shot, barely missing… 

The light from the lake was refracting wildly from the frantic disturbance. I gasped as my feet finally sank into sodden sand, pushing against it to throw myself behind the speeder. 

Cross was already there, yanking the back door open to grab the Firepuncher and helmet from the floor. A quick check of the gun and his helmet was on. He scanned over us with the infrared, looking for the assailant. 

“Can you see them?” 

“Not yet. Get under the car.”

He emphasized with a push from his trigger hand, encouraging me to slide under the hovering vehicle. I wedged myself along the long side closest to Crosshair, looking up at him past the rim of the doors overhead. 

It was an odd sight, the man positioned over me. Water still beaded down his skin, nude besides his helmet, which was completely focused on our deadly predicament. I watched as a droplet trailed down the tight muscle of his neck and felt a stir in me, a compulsion to suck the water from his skin. 

Time and place…

Shots scattered across the side of the speeder and Cross dropped a moment before returning fire.

I waited, tense… 

Whoever was shooting was waiting for us to make a move, not wanting to give their position away while we still had the advantage of cover. 

“Tahny…”

Don't say it…

“I'm gonna need you to do something…”

Damn it all.

“Where do you need me, Cross,”

“They have eyes on me, get to the front of the speeder…”

He slipped his belt from the back to the sand, a single mirror still clipped to its holder. 

“Toss this. Hard as you can to the other end of the shore. Stay covered as much as possible.”

I pulled the belt to me, wondering how I was supposed to throw it somewhere useful.

Wiggling my hips, I scooted back to slide out from under the hood, opposite where the shots came from. I couldn't see Cross behind the opened car door, but the barrel of his rifle was resting on the seat. He was scanning the wall lines near the cracked tunnel open to the moonlight. 

“Here goes nothing.”

I whispered, adjusting the belt in my hand to hang like a sling. A deep breath later and I was up whipping the projectile away from me. 

I was back down before I could see it land. A sharp ping and a smell of hot metal signaling a shot landing right where I had appeared. It took them too long to adjust to my position though and Crosshair had what he needed. 

A quick series of shots raced from the seat of the speeder. A crack, then a small explosion erupted across the ceiling. Burning debris scattered, falling the immense distance from the outcrop of stone it was concealed behind. A figure, clad in wisps of black fabric, smoldered through the debris, falling faster than the rest towards the glowing water. 

The school of effulgent tendrils hadn't reacted to the overhead light show, more concerned with avoiding the still churning water near the shore. As the figure hit the lake with a towering jet of displaced water, the cave exploded with light and crackling sound. Arching energy shot across the lake's surface, bouncing away till it was absorbed by the conductive Iotryke. 

A sickening scream pierced the echoing chamber. 

They're still alive…

We had both stood without thinking to watch. Crosshair still had the rifle, but the helmet was once again discarded. We drifted to the edge of the water. 

The figure struggled, trying to swim away from the stinging cords it was tangled in, another shriek ripping through them as electricity arched through the fish that had them. 

We watched them struggle in the middle of the lake, too far to help, but nowhere to escape the sounds of their pain. Or was there?

I turned away from the writhing assassin in the water, the hallowed walls catching my eye. They had begun to glow along the carved channel designs, the zap reengaging the system that controlled it. 

Tapping the soldier's elbow I carefully approached the door indent again. He took a moment to tear his eyes away from the splashing mess to follow, trailing behind me slowly, scanning the glowing walls. 

The writing was still mostly indecipherable, but the design was, as Kahtzi would say, “user friendly.” Glowing lines outlined and encircled a square of stone that now protruded slightly from the column about where a press panel should be. 

I pushed it, the stone depressing unexpectedly smooth. A loud whine rose over the pained shrieks of our assailant, and mechanical clicks echoed out through the cavern. The door panel split horizontally along an invisible seam, sliding into the floor and ceiling with a grind of stone over stone. 

Air rushed past us, as if a great giant was drawing breath, swiftly filling the opened passage that now lay ahead. 

A new hum filled the cave as a second hovercraft zoomed into the cavern from the moonlight. Cross swung his scope up to track them, but they ignored us for now, dropping fast for the water and their flailing partner. 

The next moments seemed to happen in slow motion... As Crosshair made to pull the trigger a large shadow erupted out of the darkened depths of the lake. The round released, blaster bolt smacking into the sleak, dark bodied thing who's jaws widened over the soaked and tangled assassin, lifting them from the water on its tongue. 

Their fingers desperately brushed those of their partner, dangling from their position to reach for them, before they were falling again. The long, toothy mouth snapping shut on the figure with a dreadful crunch before splashing back into the water. Waves crashed onto the shallow shore, the small tide washing around our ankles, threatening to pull everything we had scattered on the sand into the water. 

I dove for the belt, Cross grabbed his helmet and then shots were fired on us, spraying me with sharp sand as we dove back toward the dark shaft in the wall. 

The door slammed shut behind us, but it wouldn't keep them off our backs for long. The passage led to a stone walkway, a bridge, over wide gaps that plunged down the rock face. Water flowed through ports in the walls falling in a thunderous roar to the chasm below. Occasionally a glowing bundle of cord fish squeezed through the channel, bathing the odd corridor in momentary brilliance. 

There was no time to marvel as we tore down the walkway. The sand that clung to us was the only traction on the slippery stone, our bare feet making soft patters that echoed off the flickering walls as we ran. 

Crosshair had slipped his helmet back on, slowing to watch behind us as we closed in on a second arched doorway. I clipped his belt to me and scanned the frame, looking for the next switch. There was a grinding mechanical whine as the door at the entrance opened. 

The rifle fired as Crosshair got sights on the pursuers silhouette. They darted back and I hit the button to let us through into the next chamber. 

Crosshair stayed, taking cover within the framed entrance, defending the only way in.

I stayed close, leaning against the smooth stone walls. My breath was still as we listened. It would be stupid for them to come in for us… 

Cross fired, an answering shot went wide and the clone stood. 

“They went over when I hit them… I need to make sure the job is finished. Stay here.”

He slipped back through, his barrel pointed over the side of the rocky ledge. I watched from the door frame, guiltlessly taking in his musculature as he worked. 

A blaster fired from under the walkway, Cross jerked but it was off by meters. Instead it struck a deposit of Iotryke, alight with lightning. It was a lucky shot, the destabilized crystal exploding from the external energy. Crosshair dispatched the assassin as the fragments rained down on him. 

Shink

“Arhg-kaark!”

“Crosshair!”

I made to run to him but he motioned for me to stop. Glittering debris was still falling about him. There was a sharp chunk sticking from his shoulder. He stood still, I stood frozen, and the crystal shards settled with tinks and clatters on the stone. Finally, I ran to him, picking my way through the shrapnel littered path. 

He took his helmet off, letting it hang from his hand while he observed the sliver of glass like crystal stuck into his shoulder.

“Did it hit your joint?”

“I don't think so…”

He winced, moving it to see. 

“Don’t do that… just … hold on, I have that bacta spray, just… don't pull it out.”

He sighed, but resigned, watching me jog back to the speeder with my arms crossed over my meager chest. 

I grabbed my bag with a sharp tug to dislodge it. As it came free from whatever it was snagged on, I stumbled backwards, tripping over something in the sand. My butt came to a soft thump onto the beach, and I harrumphed at the bit of metal that was the culprit. It was the drone droid that had fired on us in the water. 

The droid popped with a little spark, sputtering in a fearful garble. A soft beeping came from a little display over its no longer functioning turret. 

I took both it and my bag back to the waiting clone. 

“Why did you bring that?”

“It's still alive…”

“Those things aren't living.”

The sudden bite in his temperament I'd chalk up to pain…

“You wanna sit or do I have to climb up there?”

He paused as if to weigh the options and I rolled my eyes, tugging him gently down with me. 

Gingerly, I pressed the skin around the abtrusion trying to determine how far into the muscle it had plunged. A rivulet of blood weld from the wound and drew a line down his bicep. I swallowed hard. Was never a fan of blood, but blood from someone I gave a shyte about never failed to make me ill. 

Pulling the bag closer, I carefully dumped it over looking for the small canister of bacta from the safe house. It was light when I finally lifted it from the scatter and I cursed when I saw the fill line. There wasn't enough to completely close a wound like this. 

“I don't need the bacta, we should save it, I won't bleed out from this…”

“Oh, so your plan is to die of an infection, leaving me to starve by myself?”

“You'll have twice the food,”

“Half the man power, know how, and of course only your corpse for company,”

“You’d drag me along?”

“How else am I supposed to make sure we're in a cool pose?”

“Entwined together?”

“Not if you die first… sicko.”

I had been scanning the meager supplies trying to see if there was something to at least rig a tourniquet. A little box glinted in a passing glow. 

“Stitch!”

“Excuse me?”

I snatched the tiny utility droid up and quickly switched his power back on. 

“Hey, little buddy…”

The droid yawned, stretching it's little arms and blinking… before making a panicked little squeal as it looked about the cave.

01001001 00100000 01100100 01101111 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

I still didn't know what it was saying, but I'd note that as the exact opposite as the ‘affirmative’ whistle. 

“Hey, hey now, it's okay…”

01010111 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100011 01101100 01101111 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110011

Now it was looking at me, it's little hover engine kicking on to circle me quickly. 

“Yeah… Stitch? We have a problem,”

It looked about, seemingly confused since there were no clothes for it to work on. 

“Here…”

I directed it's attention to the crystal dagger stuck in Crosshair's shoulder. 

01010100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101111 01100111 01110010 01100001 01101101 01101101 01101001 01101110 01100111

The droid seemed flustered, but hovered about the shard. 

01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100100 01101111

There's my eager sounding helper. 

“I'm going to spray, then you're going to cauterize the skin so it stays closed,”

“It's going to what?”

01000101 01100001 01110011 01111001

Stitch bobbed with an affirmative, one of its little arms flipping to brandish it's vibroblade attachment. 

“Come now, Crosshair… I know you've had worse,”

I traced a few of the glossy scars already marking the taught bicep, a move that probably would've been more appreciated without the intrusive penetration.

He grimaced and the fight left him, resigning himself to my mercy.  

“Time to get this out of you,”

I muttered to myself, psyching myself up to the task at hand. 

Deep Breath

“I'm going to take it out now…”

Stitch hovered closer poising the little blade attachment over the torn edge of skin. 

I pinched gently around the shard, positioning my fingers to hold the skin how it was, and carefully unsheathed the crystal from the muscle. I started spraying the second the shard was freed, clattering as I dropped it, ghosting over Stitch’s knife as the wound was flooded with blood. The canister ran dry and I dropped it, pinching the skin closed and applying pressure while the droid worked. I watched Crosshair's jaw flex as the knife made careful contact, Stitch connecting the skin as skillfully as fabric. 

Good boy.

It was done. Let's hope that was enough to actually close it, the little bacta there was should work on connecting the tissues within.

“You want to keep this?”

I brandished the sharp quartz at the soldier with a shaking hand. He grabbed it, tossing it over the edge in a single quick motion. 

…

“Better?”

“...not really. I probably should have kept it,”

“Well, you'll always have the scar,”

The corner of his mouth quirked, but his eyes went distant as he slipped into a thought. 

“They’re tracking us somehow…”

I followed his gaze down to the silent, partially smashed droid. 

Stitch also now noticed the mangled robot and dropped slightly at the shock. It made an exaggerated show of yawning before tucking back into the bag, pulling it's limbs in with a snap.

Tough day for a sewing droid.  

I looked back at the scraping sound of metal as Cross pulled the smashed droid over to himself. He ripped it's casing open to pull the display into clearer view. 

There was a pulse beating through the screen. Crosshair stood and walked to the door we came through, eyes locked on the display, then wandered back… slowly. 

He snatched up the travel pack and I dove for the little utility droid as it fell and clattered across the walk way. 

“Hey, careful!”

But he wasn't listening, searching the inner pocket of credits and then the border hems. His fingers slowed over the tag sewn to the inner lining, a rough edge where it wasn't connected properly any more… and pulled out a tiny, blinking rod.

“...oh,”

“Oh, indeed. We should have checked this sooner,”

He crushed the little stick in his fist with a frustrated growl and knelt to me, reaching for something in his belt. 

It was the data stick we took from the assassin in Nohct. He pressed it on and looked over the list of names again. Ours still read ‘Active’ and he peered over the side of the precipice. 

“Neither body is recoverable… can't say how many there are out there looking. Either of them could have had the master list but I doubt it.”

He checked the droid display again, making sure the tracking pulse had stopped. 

“We should move, more might be clever enough to figure out we're underground from the last coordinates,”

“Back to the speeder?”

He looked over his shoulder again, thinking…

“Let’s see what's up ahead first… we don't want it to get stuck but we'll have to move it eventually. Too easy to spot from that open tunnel,”

I nodded absently, already collecting the spilled contents of the pack to move on. 

“We should at least get our clothes,”

I stood, gesturing to his belt at my hips, the only thing adorning me at the moment. He stepped back to look me over, pretending to weigh the options. 

“I think you'll be fine like that,”

“Oh, you do? And if there's more assassins through there?”

“Didn't take you as being shy,”

He was smirking, challenging me, standing aside to gesture that I could go get dressed if I wanted. 

How can you be wounded and still be such an ass?

“Tch”

I padded up the walkway to the unexplored entrance… naked. Why I fell for his goading was beyond me…

The door ground open again and I stepped through, this time looking about the new room. 

More carved stone, a long and wide hall. Water sat in shallow square pools divided by smooth stone walkways that turned the floor of the hall into a grid. The main of these passages were lined with tall, square columns supporting the Iotryke ceiling. 

I walked to the side of one of the pools looking through the shimmering surface at the tiled mosaic magnified through the still water. My face grew hot when I realized the art was of figures intertwined, surrounded by food and drink. They looked wracked with bliss, the content expressions obvious even through the blocky medium. 

Temple of Be'llahl indeed. 

“That looks fun,”

Hummed into my hair as he stood behind me to take in the watery artwork. 

“It's fascinating…”

I sank to my knees to get a closer look, trying to make out what the tiles were made of, the ancient fruits represented.

“I wish I had my recorder… this is an impressive find.”

“Maybe you need a set of goggles, record everything you see,”

“If only… don't think goggles would suit me though,”

I reached out, flicking the surface of the pool to make the water ripple. To my surprise, blue white light sparkled into luminosity from the point of contact, lighting the pool. The rippling water cast an illusion of animation over the mosaic relief. Clever. Cross made an appreciative noise as the art seemed to move in front of us. I heard him pad over to a different pool, flicking it as I had to make the water light and dance. His pool showed a new image, a different… novel position. 

We spent some time investigating the hall, lighting mosaics as we went to temporarily glow and illuminate the room. 

“I want to try this one,”

Cross draped himself over me playfully to gaze into the pool holding my attention. 

“Not with a fresh tear in your deltoid,”

“It already feels better,”

I lightly tugged his injured arm, causing him to hiss between his teeth. 

“Sure it does.”

I swung out from under him, but he caught my wrist and spun me back, pulling me till my breasts were pressed to his ribs.

“I said it's fine, and I want you… so come here,”

He hoisted me up, pressing his lips roughly to mine in a vicious kiss, challenging me to match his ardor… I had ideas for a new game. 

Leaning against his weaker arm to loosen his grip, I shoved away from him. Bolting down one of the narrow channels between the shallow pools. I sent a light, chiming laughter back at his confused and frustrated expression. 

It only took a second for him jump into play, and I marveled at how soft his footsteps were on the stone as he pursued me. He was quiet, but fast, and would over take me quickly if I kept going straight. Pivoting down a perpendicular path I put a few pools between Cross’s path and mine. When he was almost even with me, I turned around completely; heading back the way I came. 

I heard him utter a vexed oath as he skidded on the stone, reversing direction just to see me zig-zag away through the grid of pools. I slowed briefly, turning to playfully kick a splash in his direction, making the disturbed water glow.  

He was closing the distance fast, and I let out an involuntary little scream as he lunged barely missing me. I splashed him again laughing openly as I pushed off. He splashed back, giving chase. 

The game had changed, Crosshair adding his own rules. He no longer attempted to catch me out right, pursuing at a measured distance answering my splashes with his own… watching me, only lunging when I’d teasingly dart closer to him. 

I couldn't read him. Amused yes, but his eyes were different as he watched me bound from pool to pool, splashing him with glows and laughter. He was taught and poised like a predator, watchful like a guardian. I wasn't sure exactly what he was seeing…

Then he pounced. 

Seeing my focus shift, a slow of my gate perhaps, he leapt over the gap, plunging through the pool to grab at my thighs. 

“A~h-Cross!”

And then I was in the water too. 

Spluttering I pulled myself up on the edge of the pool, in a moment a familiar heat pressed to my back arms lifting, spinning me to sit with my feet in the water. Crosshair pressed his cheek to mine, a tension in his jaw as he leaned against me. 

“Always running from me,”

“Since when?”

We'd been attached at the hips since the transport exploded, the few times I was out of sight wasn't exactly by choice…

“Since the moon, you keep pulling away, only really letting me in when we're-...and it's making me sick. You're going to stop. Right now.”

“I don-”

“Yes you do, you know exactly what I mean,”

He pulled back, hesitantly raising his fingers to my cheek to run his thumb along my jaw. 

“I get comfortable that you're here with me and I have you, and then suddenly it's like you're already mourning me, pulling from me, running… you're killing me… this isn't a game, Tahny. I need you to stop.”

I swallowed hard, feeling a cold chill in my skin that wasn't from the water,

“Crosshair… for now lets ju-”

He growled in frustration, turning to tear at his own temple before pinning himself over me, furious,

“Kark for now!”

Then he blinked his face softening,

“I don’t want to be another on and off lover for you…”

His eyes pinched shut, before opening again, slowly. He took a deep breath,

“What if I want to com you everyday, sneak out every night to fall asleep in your arms? What then? What if I request to be transferred to your father's battalion? What if we could make this… more?”

I stopped breathing, guilt striking through me as he pressed on.

“I know you want this too, Trust me, Tah’nyem… I think I l-”

My hand darted up, fingertips over his mouth. His brow furrowed with a look of pain that broke my heart, sending the ice from my skin deep into my bones. If I wasn't drenched from the pool my cold sweat would be obvious. He gently took my hand, squeezing my fingers while drawing them away from his lips as if he recognized the frightened animal that stared back at him,

“Don't you believe me?”

It's too soon…

“I believe you, just… hold onto it, this has all… it's all been so easy, convenient, we haven't had to fight for this yet, we don't know how hard this is going to get,”

I was speaking fast, hoping that he would understand. It was all too naive, to think we could claim such a thing… to think he could com me everyday, and sleep in my arms at night,

“This… it sounds… wonderful, Cross, but we have no idea what this is going to cost, and it won't look like other relationships… it might be too much, you have to know that we don't know,”

I reached up, pulling his face to mine, pressing my lips to his forehead begging him to understand… and he sighed,

“You call all this easy?”

He sounded annoyed but his muscles released their tension, defeated. 

“Very easy… far fewer casualties than usual,”

His lip twitched and I stroked his cheek, making him sigh again against my brow,

“You do want this, don't you? I'm not just…foolish,”

There was no use lying to myself or him, I didn't want to see that look again,

“I want this Crosshair,”

“No more holding back. No more pulling from me.”

“Okay,”

“Promise?”

“I'll try,”

“Tahny.”

…

“I promise.”

He pressed to me tentatively, one kiss, another harder, and then his mouth crushed to mine. Strong hands pulled my hips, skin slipping against the wet stone to slide against him as his mouth pushed me down to lay on the edge of the pool. I mumbled against him, glad the uncomfortable feeling between us was fading as I felt him start to harden against my thigh.

He sat up, hands trailing over my shoulders and down my torso, pausing to squeeze my breast gently as he passed on his way to grip my hips. Sharp eyes followed his fingers, sliding up again to massage my navel, feeling my ribs before leaning in to kiss and whisper against my sternum,

“How hard could this really get?”

“Mm, guess it depends on how long I can hold Duhanis off, he's likely to want to keep his wives on Ga'hah… not like he could keep me anywhere, not like anyone could…”

“You think he'd still be set on you?”

“If that was all it took I would have been rid of him ages ago,”

“Honestly Tahny, if you kicked me like that I'd be more likely to want to kill you than Kriff you…”

“Yeah, that's cause you're normal, I think he's developed a thing for it over the years, besides, he wants to prove he’s not a fool for vying for so long… and then there's the rest of the suitors,”

He snorted dryly, shaking his head before fixing me with a heated, impish glare,

“Here's to your happy marriage,”

I scoffed as he slid his hand between my legs, brushing his fingers through my folds, seeking my entrance.

“That's kriffed Cross…”

Then sighed as he gently slipped a digit inside, coaxing a groan from my throat as he stoke an arousal through me. Leaning in to catch my stiffened nipple between his teeth, he inserted a second finger, working them steadily to ready me for him. His efforts were rewarded quickly as I became slick and breathy for him with only a few strokes. 

“Now that I have your attention…”

He curled his fingers, putting his thumb over my vulva to hold me by my pelvis. 

“What didn't you tell me on the shuttle?”

…

“What?”

“About a Reg not being an issue,”

“Huh…oh! Uh…”

I sat up on my elbows, ignoring the perverse hold he had on my groin, more concerned on where to begin. My fingers tapped a wet little tat-tu on the stone,

“Well, it's never been about the person before… for me…”

This puzzled Cross enough to release me, 

“You'll have to explain that… a little better,”

Afraid of that. 

I sat up further, thinking of the teasing from Kahtzi and Jar’ath. 

“Well, I've never really… wanted someone. The way Kahtzi describes it, she sees someone that has even just one of a large list of qualities and she'll be attracted to them sexually, Might not pursue, but you should see the way she drools over people, and she always finds someone ‘drool worthy’ in a crowd,”

I flicked my eyes to him to gauge if he was following. He was leaning over me, listening, not yet ready to jump to a conclusion… 

“I never felt that compulsion. So, I looked for other reasons to pursue sex. A novel situation, something that would make a good story or memory… but it was more the circumstances I was hot for, The person wasn't an important piece on the board,”

“Isn't this novel for you?”

“Quite. And honestly I didn't notice the difference at first, A soldier on a covert mission… interesting encounter indeed,”

“And the regs, princess?”

There was a bite in his voice, I had better get to the point…

“A novel situation isn't enough to push me into directly disobeying my Vah'hadarr’s wishes, if I was simply alone with a reg… there’d be no danger,”

“But why? Tahny, be direct cause I'm not quiet understanding where I stand in all this,”

“Because I wanted you… obviously! In a very… specific and… unique way, I feel no such compulsion with the others… I can ignore the others, I wanted you and it was almost immediate and…”

I flushed, cheeks going red.

“Enough that when told I couldn't have you it hurt, and not in a spoiled ‘I don't get my way’ kind of pain just… like I would miss something desperately important,”

And then he was kissing me, his wet skin feeling cool against my flushed cheeks. He chuckled low and breathy when our lips parted,

“Was that all? Why be embarrassed over such a thing?”

I sniffed, unhappy at him downplaying such a weight that had been on me,

“You learn to be ashamed of anything that makes you feel… abnormal,”

He grew quiet at that, understanding registering behind his eyes… but also the spark of something else. 

“You've really never wanted anyone else?”

“Not like this, no… why?”

He squeezed me, a teasing tone over taking him,

“I'm your first,”

“Uhg, Be'llahl save me from your inflated ego, I change my mind, I loath you and I'm leaving,”

I began to wiggle away from him, just to be pulled back roughly,

“No you don't, and no more running,”

He firmly gripped my neck and hips to slide me back to lay on the stone again, pulling my ass against his pelvis, reminding me of his cock, firm and waiting for me,

“Didn't you just say mixing sex and vulnerability was making you sick?”

“That was stupid, forget I said it,”

“Uh huh,”

Teeth grazed over my pulse point, before he switched to hard pressed kisses on my clavicle, trailing down my chest and navel to pause before my spread thighs. I could feel his breath against the heated lips of my sex, his eyes searching for mine. 

Then we jumped at the distant, but tell tale sound of the entrance door starting to grind open. 

Isn't there an old saying about assassins coming in threes…

Crosshair stood with an exasperated growl, making me jump at how quickly he moved. 

“What I'm sick of is all these karking interruptions, stay low, stay out of sight”

He hopped out of the pool with a splash, strutting to the Firepuncher a few pools away and I sank back into the water pressing myself to the side. I watched a moment over the edge as Cross scooped up the gun, leaning against a stone column for cover, waiting… then I dropped below the stone lip out of sight. 

The chamber entrance started to move as well, the door settling into its slot. A new black cloaked figure shot into the room with a sharp whine of their strange hover craft. 

A beat, two, the sharp hum of their movement growing louder, the wide open room encouraging them to increase their speed. They were almost even with us, closing the distance unreasonably fast.

I heard the Firepuncher, then felt the blast. 

He must have hit the converter, turning the strange vehicle into a bomb. The small shock wave rippled the glowing pools with a snap, I could hear the receding ‘woosh’ as it made its way over the collection of water in the grand chamber. The faint glow in the room from the pools the pair of us had played in became brilliant as every surface was stirred to life. 

My ears rang, a melodic humming whine… 

“What's that sound?”

Crosshair was back beside me and I lifted myself out of the pool. It wasn't my ears, the room was humming. Then the chamber was shaking. Arms wrapped about my middle, pulling me to stand flush with the column as we waited for what happened next. 

A grating whine rose over the humming, and a section of the floor at the center of the room began to lift. At first the dias that emerged looked hollow, arching up and wide over pillars. As what once was the floor reached the protrusion of ceiling above the lip caught onto another mechanism, lifting with it a hidden panel of stone as stairs began to rise under the dias. 

As the rising column completed itself, we saw that it formed a massive staircase, wide and smooth, the parts in the floor matching up with the hidden passage in the ceiling. 

“We need to get the speeder right now. We don't know how long this is going to stay open,”

I nodded, and we hightailed it back to the entrance.

~~~

The stairs were steep. Even with the head start, Crosshair had to hop out of the speeder to push as it stalled towards the top of the well, threatening to slip backwards. As the lights of the pool room dimmed, the column behind us started to drop again, closing the way back. 

The incline brought us into a low hall, light filtering in from a chamber in front of us. 

“How much we betting that's a way out?”

“We're closer to the surface at least…”

He kept pace next to the slow idling vehicle as I let the speeder ease it's way down the smaller corridor. 

“...We might have a better chance of blasting our way through,”

“I'm sorry, do you see any explosives around?”

“Check the belt.”

Crosshair lazily took the steering so I could check the pouches of his belt still latched about my hips.

“You're kidding me,”

I grumbled, popping open the pouches systematically. 

Toothpicks, tracers, a bit of silk an- wait, hang on…

Going back one, I withdrew the square of fabric that had adorned the breast pocket of his dinner wear. The small glass bottle of perfume carefully wrapped inside… I hadn't realized he remembered to grab it. 

“Keep looking,”

I shot him a glance, putting the silk wrapped bottle back in place before opening the last few pouches. 

“There it is,”

He reached in to withdraw a plastique disk, tossing it to revolve in the air before catching it again. 

“And what's that?”

“Sticky bomb.”

“... Uh huh, and you've just had this?’

“At least one when I kit up, been saving it,”

“Lucky for us I guess,”

But he didn't respond. Light had fallen over the hood of the speeder and I looked up to see what caught his tongue. As the narrow passage opened into a wider chamber, we were confronted with something that, like the temple, shouldn't be there.

Before us stood a tree. The thick trunk silloetted by a steady glow from the passage beyond. Vine like branches stretched overhead, filling the low ceiling so that only small glimpses of the rock through the thick, plated leaves could confirm we were still underground. 

“Well that's… interesting,”

Crosshair's voice was muffled, the dense vegetation absorbing the background echos our soft words had been filling the caves with. I hadn't realized how used to the noise I had been and this new silence sent a chill through my spine. 

I left the vehicle, almost tripping over the high roots breaking up through the floor. Well, some of it was roots; Other bits seemed to be made up of the petrified remains of other plants and grasses, long expired, leaving only the tree. Piles of broken rock in vaguely geometric patterns painted a dim picture of a garden, paths and boxes holding various cultivations now turned to stone. 

Picking my way through the detritus I examined the thick trunk at the center. There was no bark, though the vines that corded and wove around each other had hardened to a smooth brown. Bright green shoots of new growth speckled in between shriveled branches that I now saw also littered the floor in a peat at the tree's base. 

As I craned my neck to look up through the leaves I felt Crosshair wrap his arms around my waist, tucking the disc bomb back into a pouch before pulling me to him. 

“We should keep going, figure out if that light is worth getting excited for,”

“Just a second, I'm curious about what they cultivated here…”

Before he could protest, I reached up to a thick vine and found a foot hold, hoisting myself up the trunk to inspect the thick foilage above. Some of the heart shaped leaves looked bloated and smooth. I reached out and plucked one, it was heavy in my hand and I recognized the visage.  

I offered it to Cross to inspect. 

“Look familiar?”

“Not really…”

“Not at all?”

“... No.”

“The mosaics?”

…

“Really?”

“I wasn't looking at the food,”

Fair enough, I swung down from where I was perched on the trunk. 

“I wonder if it's edible or if it was ceremonial…”

Cross raised it, poised to take a bite forcing me to catch his hand. 

“Don't eat it! It could be poisonous,”

His eyes flicked to mine… then took a bite anyways, albeit a smaller one than the previous position of his jaw suggested. 

“What the Kark is wrong with you?”

“Don't like being told what to do.”

I rolled my eyes. 

“You don't just go around eating ancient temple fruit, what if it's hallucinogenic? Or an aphrodisiac?”

“You think it could be an aphrodisiac?”

His brow rose, lips quirked in amusement.

“Do you know who's temple you're in?”

“You'd better eat some too then,”

He pushed the fruit towards me and I made a face.

“No thank you, enjoy whatever bad trip you get,”

I turned away, just to be caught, Cross pulling me to press against him again. 

“You’re gonna let me try this alone? This one fruit, rare… can probably only be found here…”

How fast he learns what buttons to press. I glared at him plucking the plump leaf looking fruit from his fingers, giving it a sniff. It smelled sweet, nothing to trigger a warning in my brain. Rotating it, I tried to look at the patterning on the skin. As I made to touch my tongue to the broken flesh, Cross sighed, exasperated at my cautious handling. 

“It's not gonna bite you, I already ate some and I'm fine so far,”

I shot him a look that I hoped was piercing, taking a small nibble. It was wonderful. I almost took another bite before I caught myself. Crosshair snickered,

“See, not so bad,”

“Guess we'll see about that… but, if nothing happens we can at least take some of this with us,”

“Speaking of…”

His hands slid from my upper arms to curl around my middle,

“Should we see what's ahead… or will you stay here, with me?”

Fingers tracing lower gripping my hips. 

“We really should see, if it's open ahead it might not be safe enough… to stay,”

He whined in his chest as I pulled from him, stepping around the tree to cross the cavern. The light was warm as I stepped into it, casting little spectrums up my legs as I walked. Cross wasn't far behind, the heat of him following my back like a shadow in step with me, growing darker and more defined as I walked farther into the refracted sunlight. 

My hand flew over my eyes as my face came even with the brilliance, searing my vision. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the almost painful illumination. A cavern was starting to emerge, bathed in streaks of light emanating from directly in front of me. 

A gasp slipped from me as the details of the room came through the glowing exposure. The archway opened onto a balcony, it extended into a small dias before dropping into a sudden, dry ravine… I couldn't make out how deep it was, but the gap was several meters wide. 

Across the ravine was a large circular opening, flooded with light. The wall to the outside seemed like thick glass, catching and refracting the penumbral rays of sunlight as it broke over Trimecca still days of travel away. 

“Stars…”

I walked to the edge of the balcony where a path extended to the light. Where the edge opened, it looked as if fingers rested on the ground. On further inspection, the bridge was roughly shaped like an extended arm, the hand crooked into the symbol of promis and extended as if to pick up whoever stepped off the dias onto the giant palm. 

Knowing what I would see, I looked up, taking in the massive carving of Be'llahl, two arms raised to hold the ceiling, and a third, extending from the chest to form the bridge. Like in the forechambers I couldn't make out the letters that were carved around the glass archway. The face gave me pause, it still looked human, and male, but the mouth was open- and prongs extended from the opening… that was new. 

“So that's god?”

“It appears to be a depiction of Be'llahl, yes…”

I walked to the edge, trying to see the bottom of the dark crevice, then tested the extended hand of the bridge. The rock seemed sturdy, no sound or dust of falling stone.

“You coming Cross?”

He seemed dazed by the bright chamber and kept in close step as I guided us into the palm and across the arm coming to stand in front of the glowing glass… 

No not glass, Iotryke. Up close you could tell the snap of electricity apart from the refracted sunlight. The polished deposit was thick… it was hard to tell but the cross section of the stone wall looked about two meters deep. 

“Shyte…”

Even using an explosive, that's a lot of quartz to blast through. 

“How many of those sticky bombs do you have?”

“Just the one.”

“Great,”

“So you'll have to stay here, die here, with me…”

“You've really been romanticizing that death thing suddenly Cross, I might start getting worried,”

“All clones romanticize death,”

“Can't see why…”

I muttered sarcasticly, turning to look at him… and caught myself. 

Crosshair’s eyes were dilated, more than the light coming in should have allowed. It was spooky… and were the whites more blue than before?

“You feeling okay?”

“No… we need to stay here, Tahny… please,”

He grabbed me, hands hard around my wrists an almost panicked look in his eyes. 

“Hey, it's okay…”

I tried to reach up to hold his face but his head snapped back to the ravine. From this side you could see where the tree roots had eaten through the rock, probably reaching towards water unthinkably far below. 

“We need to go back.”

His hold on me tightened to something painful as he yanked me in the direction of the edge. 

“We’ll go back, and die together,”

“Cross!”

Panic took me instantly as he angled us to the sudden drop. I locked my grip around his arms and threw my weight backwards, rocking him back slightly. 

“You said you wouldn't run anymore,”

“I think this is a little different Crosshair,”

I yanked again, my bare feet scrambling on the stone, but he lurched towards the edge again. 

“No!”

I was shrieking now, trying to get through to him, 

“No! Cross, no, Kark!”

We were almost there, a few more determined steps and we'd be going over. 

“Good soldiers follow orders!”

My voice came out loud but ragged, guilt hitting me, he rocked to a stop,

“Good soldiers… follow orders,”

I sobbed,

“What are your orders, Cross?”

“To keep you safe…”

“Yes… yes, y-you keep me safe,”

I crumpled, wrists still held tight, I can worry about the morality of tapping his conditioning later.

“But we have to go back…”

“We can.. we can go back Cross, but let's take the long way okay… let's go back to the speeder and wait this out, yeah?”

He looked around confused. 

“Take… take me back, Tahny…”

“Okay…”

I stood shakily, guiding him the few steps to the left to bring us back to the bridge. He followed, limp and compliant, but his hands holding my wrists were tight as binders. 

This is why you don't eat strange fruit…

Carefully, I brought us over the ravine and back towards the tree chamber, he was right after all… we had to go back. 

We collapsed on each other against the trunk of vines, Crosshair sighing in relief, pulling me down onto him as he slid to sit. 

“Now, be with me…”

He nuzzled my skin, bucking his hips against my bare thighs. 

“Not yet, li’nen…”

I wasn't sure why but we had to wait. He whined again,

“I need you, Tahny,”

“Shhh, soon… just relax Cross, we can soon,”

I kept talking to him, his anxiousness ebbing as we sat beneath the tree. His hands and lips wandered my skin, lighting off sparks through my nerves I tried to ignore. 

“Soon li’nen,”

Eventually, he dozed off… and I too was safe to close my eyes…

~~~

“Tahny! Get up, we have to move, Now!”

I was jolted awake, Cross shifting quickly beneath me,

“Ow, oh… ow!”

I clawed at my skin, raking at the tendrils that had latched to it. They left bloody marks as they pulled off from where they were siphoning the fluid through the flesh. A raspy slithering noise filled the room and the detached roots shot back into the tree. 

“Oh, varping stars!”

I struggled up with Crosshair, pulling the vines from where they suctioned to us with wet little pops and snaps. We backed away from the tree trunk towards the speeder. I was a little light headed…

“How long were we out?”

“Not very long,”

He seemed sure but there wasn't really a way to tell down here. 

“We need to get out of this karken cave,”

I broke into a jog, hoping into the passenger seat and urging Crosshair to hurry as he slid in behind the wheel. The vines overhead vibrated as the tree tried to locate us with reaching tendrils. 

“We still need to figure out how to blast our way out,”

“There has to be a thin spot in the wall,”

“Not where we could get to it once it's open… how did that quartz shatter earlier?”

“Pure chance, the stray bolt hit it the same time the electricity did, one in a million shot,”

“I'm definitely one in million… or three,”

I smirked at him as he angled the nose of our vehicle through the lit arch and onto the balcony dias proper. It was silly, but it seemed as if the canopy of branchy vines reached after us, only withdrawing with a quiet ‘swish’ as we crossed the threshold. I kept my eyes on the tree for a minute but it was still… turning, I found Cross staring hard at the thick deposit of quartz showing us a blurry glimpse of the outside. 

“I could make the shot, shatter the crystal,”

“The arcs are almost invisible with the light coming through,”

“I can see them,”

I rose an eyebrow,

“and they're sporadic, no real pattern to speak of,”

“That won't be a problem,”

“What if a bolt isn't enough? I don't know if it'll still conduct well if it's shattered…”

He reached into the belt for the disc again. 

“This would normally have a delay, but if I stick it to the quartz I can set it off at will.”

“You can?”

“I shoot it, it goes boom, so yes… should add some extra oomph,”

…

“Sure, fifty-fifty plan,”

He furrowed his brow at me as he got out of the car,

“How do you figure?”

“All plans are fifty-fifty,”

“How do you figure?”

“It either works or it doesn't.”

He snorted,

“Well now it has to work, there's just too many people I’m dying for you to meet,”

In good spirits, he jogged out over the bridge to stick the explosive to the clear wall. I smiled softly and reached into the back for my clothes. 

“Uh-uh,”

Cross was by the side of the vehicle again,

“I'm not done with you yet.”

I was hoisted out of the speeder, brought to the precipice, 

“I said I wanted you hours ago, and by the Maker I will have you, here,”

I was set down on the hand of the bridge,

“Now.”

“Here?”

I glanced around the stone palm that cradled us, it was wide enough, but there was no guard. 

“Here… you trust me don't you?… you still trust me?”

“Have you learned your lesson with eating strange things?”

He sighed, deep and exasperated, nearly turning into a groan,

“No more cave fruit,”

Hand cupped my cheeks as he pressed his forehead to mine. 

“Do you trust me, Tahny?”

I nuzzled his hands and leaned my weight to balance his,

“Of course… I trust you, but why here?”

His stubble scratched against my neck as he purred into my ear,

“It's a place of worship, isn't it?”

He reached into the belt around my hips, withdrawing a slip of gold and tucking something back into the pocket. I raised my brow as he twisted the square of fabric on its angle.

“Are you sure you trust me?”

“Yes, Crosshair,”

He smiled softly, and then, darkness. The silk tied about my head to cover my eyes.

Immediately I clung to him, not having enough time to really familiarize the space and he chuckled.

“I won't let you fall,”

Lips pressed hotly to mine, slow, deliberate kisses as his hands cradled my face. A husky whisper stirred over my ear, 

“I want my name on your lips,”

“Crosshair?”

“Just like that,”

A sharp nip at my neck drawing a gasp from me.

“Ah-ah, every gasp, every twitch of pleasure…”

He bit me again, sucking the skin between his teeth.

“Crosshair…”

“Good girl,”

The kisses started to trail down my body till I could sense him kneeling before me,

“Remember Tahny,”

My thigh was lifted over his shoulder,

“Every gasp,”

His hand slipped under my ass as the other leg was lifted and I clung to him, suddenly with nothing else to ground myself. 

“Crosshair?”

He snickered at the trepidation in my voice, the warm puff of air against my bare folds making me shiver as his weight shifted and I was lifted into the air as he stood. 

I really clung to him now, a slight terror shifting through me as the blindfold made me feel much higher than I probably was. 

“I'm not gonna let you fall… now relax, and remember who you belong to,”

Pressure rocked my hips forward, bumping my quim against his chin, he promptly lashed out with his tongue, sucking me between his lips to make me gasp,

“Crosshair,”

He moaned softly against me, focusing his attention on my clit so that I arched against him. 

“Kri- Crosshair…”

He nipped me in reprimand for my almost slip, ripping a new rendition of his title from me, breathy and gasping as his licking became more intense; Strong tongue flicking against my nerves to drive me into ecstasy. His arms tightened to push me firmer against his face. The pressure building in me had my hands snaked behind his head, hips starting to rock to match his rhythm. I leaned into his strong arms as my thighs began to shake. 

“Oh, Cross,”

As I got closer, his name got louder as it poured from my lips like water to splash and echo through the cavern. 

It started to dawn on me what he was doing, as he carefully edged me with his mouth, pinching me sharply if I forgot my task. His name, over and over, etching it into the very muscle of my tongue to haunt me in the throes of pleasure; to follow me into any lover's embrace. 

“Croo-s.. ha-hair!”

The rocking of my hips became erratic, his tongue rough against me as he groaned deep in his chest, sucking greedily at the dripping petals that ground against him. 

“Crosshair, Crosshair, Crosshair,”

I bucked with each utterance sending myself over the edge till I jerked and stiffened in his hold. 

His injured arm twitched and lost its grip, my hip slipping off his shoulder and I was falling backwards… for a moment. Cross catching my ribs before I fell too far and pulling me against him as I caught my breath. 

“... You dropped me.”

“Did not, I caught you,”

No time to argue, his lips sealing over mine, feeding me the tang of my own sex from his tongue as he lowered us to the carved palm of Be'llahl. The carefully detailed sculpture cupped my back as Crosshair's weight gently pressed into me. I spread my knees for him, letting his hips find their familiar niche against my thighs. Blindly, I groped for his length, sighing once my fingers closed around it. He complied as I led him to my folds, our mingled breath shaking in anticipation as he pierced me. He thrust forward till he was sheathed to the hilt, then flipped us over so I was laying on his chest. 

I cried out against his lips, a little scream of fear as we moved drastically on the suspended platform. 

“Shh… I got you,”

He was guiding my arms to my sides to rest folded on his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around my upper back. Despite straddling him, the position was completely docile; flat against his pecs, my ear pressed over his heart so the rushing, thumping beat was all I could hear. 

He braced with his legs, using his knees to bounce our hips together. I whimpered as his cock hit deep and steady as I was held tightly against him. One hand moved from where it was wrapped about my shoulders to cradle my head stroking my hair as my body shuddered from his forceful kriffing. 

“Don't. Forget… to say it, Tahny.”

His voice hummed in my head, vibrating through his breastbone straight to me. 

“Cross. Ha-hair…”

“That's my girl.”

“Crosshair”

“My girl,”

He thrust faster, the ridge of his head stroking pleasure through me as he ground into the sensitive flesh gripping him. I was getting close again, and completely helpless in his otherwise tender embrace. His panting groans were so loud to me, his heart, the rushing of his breath in his lungs and the chorus bouncing off the walls around us. My voice caught, choking on his name so that all that escaped me was a prolonged hiss…

“C..Cro~s~”

I seized, and his hold on me shifted, lifting my face to claim my lips, wrapping around my hips bearing me down on him. The entirety him pressed deeply inside of me as he climaxed, filling me more.

A sharp breath through his nose as he bit at my lips, kissing hard. Then both hands were on my face, holding it to him. 

“Don't ever forget. No matter what happens, don't forget this… never forget your my girl.”

He was muttering against me between kisses, incoherent streams of pleading. Free to move I reciprocated the affectionate hold, cradling his cheeks pressing my brow to his.  

“Never-never…”

~~~

The steering rumbled under my fingers as I carefully aligned the speeder to the bridge, facing the glowing promise of an exit. 

“You sure you want to do this? We can stay… rest of the galaxy might think we're dead anyways,”

I looked up at Cross, perched on the passenger seat, sights casually resting over the wind shield to aim at the bomb stuck to the Iotryke. 

“Stay? With the tree that will eat you back? No thank you.”

He shrugged, amused with himself if not with a shimmer of disappointment. I could understand, but it was silly of him to have entertained such thoughts. My father was probably having a conniption. Someone would find us… I think…

“Get ready, princess, you might need to floor it,”

I tensed, almost forgetting to breath as he leaned into his rifle. Blind to the signals he was working with I stared straight ahead, hoping the crystal wasn't load bearing. 

The shot was loud in the cavern, the reverberation coming back in a sharp snap as the red bolt darted ahead, hitting the sticky bomb-

There was a cacophony sounding of shattering glass, ripping stone and fire. It shook the walls, and dust stung my eyes as it started to pour from the ceiling. 

I floored it. 

The speeder, lurched forward, out over the ravine on the suspended bridge, listing dangerously to the sides as I shot us over, aiming for the sunlight. Debris rained down on us as we raced through the threshold, a ripping crack as the arm of Be’llahl collapsed. 

Then we were through. 

I slowed as plumes of dust rose around the speeder, chunks of rock and crystal litterered over us as we tentatively looked over our shoulders at the collapsed cavern that would have been our tomb. 

“Guess it worked,”

We turned back to the sun, anxious to start the descent to even ground, ready to live again. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

@feral-ferrule @thecoffeelorian

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[quizzievivicalavellan]

Rescue

In which a brush with danger leads to Aster being gravely injured and true feelings coming to light. Takes place after Gale's attempt at flirting in Act II. Pretending that there aren’t multiple super-easy ways to revive dead party members because it really kills the tension lol.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53341882/chapters/146060362

***********************************************

Internally, Gale was kicking himself. The effect a brush with danger has on one’s desire for other forms of stimulation? Seriously? What had he been thinking?

Well, he knew what he had been thinking.

Ever since Elminster’s visit to their campsite, Gale’s mind was seemingly capable of focusing on only two subjects. One, the great and terrible burden Mystra had so dispassionately thrust upon him. The other, her. While his feelings toward her had been strong before, in the wake of his impending mortality, they had become all-consuming. Her every action, every part of her, endeared her to him further. The practiced flick of her wrist as she called down lightning. The dimple in her left cheek when she smiled. The way she quietly whistled birdsongs during their long walks. As he had said earlier whilst thoroughly embarrassing himself, he found her quite irresistible.

Unfortunately, now more than ever, he doubted that she shared similar feelings. All the way back at the Grove, when he had offered to teach her a bit of magic, he had seen her imagine kissing him through their connection in the Weave, and it had sparked some hope that she might be interested in him. In their travels since, their conversations had been easy and sometimes casually flirtatious, but if she did have deeper feelings, she had not acted on them. And now, ever since they had entered the Shadow-Cursed Lands, she had grown increasingly distant. He saw that lovely smile of hers less and less. In this dismal place, so close to the looming threat of Moonrise Towers, her burdens must have felt heavier than ever, and it pained him that he could no longer lighten them with a joke or a reassuring word. One of the few things he had been able to offer her, and now even that was not enough.

And that dreadfully worded confession certainly had not helped. She had smiled, likely out of pity or embarrassment, but it had not reached her eyes. As kind as she was, she likely just didn’t have the heart to let him down gently.

Gale looked ahead and realized he had fallen behind while wallowing in self-pity. Halsin’s torch at the front of the group had shrunk to a small glowing dot in the endless shadow. Halsin and Aster were at the head of the party, looking for signs of where they might find the other half of Thaniel. Gale was supposed to be in the middle with Shadowheart and Lae’zel, but they had moved well ahead of him by now. Karlach and Wyll had stayed behind to strategize with Jaheira as Karlach got used to the adjustment Dammon had made for her mechanical heart. Which, at the rear of the party, left…

“So, Gale, how is your sad, hopeless pining going?” Astarion asked as he appeared from the shadows.

Ah, speak of the devil. Or the vampire, in this case. Gale started in spite of himself at the rogue’s sudden appearance.

“Not very well, I take it, given that abysmal display. You know, I could give you some pointers; I am very good at that sort of thing,” Astarion bragged with a self-satisfied smile.

Gale groaned. “So you heard that, I take it.”

Astarion laughed. “Every word, unfortunately for you.”

“Just wonderful,” Gale replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. As if it weren’t enough to embarrass himself in front of her, it seemed everyone had witnessed his humiliatingly poor attempt at flirtation. Begrudgingly, Gale admitted to himself that he was envious of the way Astarion was so effortlessly smooth and confident, but he was wary of any offer of help from the duplicitous rogue.

“And why exactly would you help me?” Gale asked, raising a dubious eyebrow.

“At first, it was amusing to watch you two make longing puppy-dog eyes at each other, but at this point it’s just sad,” Astarion replied, absently twirling a knife in his hand. “Without someone to intervene, I fear your mutually oblivious pining would go on forever.”

“Mutual…?”

“Oh, Gale. I know from… experience when an individual is attracted to someone, and it is quite obvious that she likes you. Now, as to why, I have absolutely no idea –”

Just as Gale was rolling his eyes in response, Astarion was interrupted by a shout from ahead. The two of them broke into a run. Gale called upon the Weave, preparing for a fight, but his human eyes had trouble picking out their attackers in the dark.

When they caught up to the others, the fight was already in full swing. A horde of shadows and their cursed Harper victims had ambushed them. Lae’zel was cutting through enemies with ease, Shadowheart struck down shadows with her radiant cleric magic, and Halsin in bear form clawed viciously at the attackers, but more and more kept spilling out of the darkness.

Aster had been calling on her druid magic over nature, but these cursed lands weakened her power, and she was quickly surrounded. Just as he lost sight of her, an owlbear erupted from amidst the circle of shadows and Harpers. He had never seen her take the shape of an owlbear before, and the sight of the massive creature rending attackers with beak and claws was striking to behold.

Just as she had started turning the tide of the battle, however, the shadows redoubled their attack against her, and it proved too much. She began losing hold of her form, a new wild shape not yet mastered, now writhing in agony as a gruesome, twisted amalgamation of owlbear and gnome.

“Aster!” Gale cried out in a pained voice and rushed toward her, incinerating every enemy in his path. By the time he reached her she had lost hold of the shape entirely and was lying unconscious on the ground, covered in blood and bruises.

The others were rushing over to help, but Gale warned them to stay back with an outstretched hand. He drew upon the Weave, summoning immense power and channeling it out into a massive fiery explosion. The shadows and Harpers disintegrated, and the swath of cursed forest in front of them had been reduced to ash.

With the threat eliminated, he knelt down beside her, getting a closer look at her injuries. It did not look good. She was badly hurt, with multiple gashes bleeding heavily, and her breathing was shallow. Please be alright, he thought, I’m sorry I did not get her faster, I should have- I- I’m sorry…

“Shadowheart, can you…?” Gale managed to say around the lump in his throat.

Shadowheart nodded, and her hands began to glow with her divine cleric abilities. She passed her hands over Aster’s body. The bleeding slowed and her breath steadied, but she did not awaken.  

“I have healed the worst of her injuries, but she needs rest. We should get back to Last Light Inn as quickly as possible,” Shadowheart said when her work was finished.

Halsin had started to reach out his thick, strong arms to lift her up, but Gale beat him to it. Gently, he slid one arm under her knees and the other beneath her back and raised her off the ground. Even being a gnome, she was lighter than he expected, taking little effort even for his far thinner arms to lift her. She looked so small and fragile there collapsed in his arms. Guilt washed over him again for falling behind, for not protecting her from those creatures. He promised himself then that if she made it through this, please, please make it through this, he would keep her safe. He would protect her, whatever the cost. 

“Follow me, I know the fastest path back to the inn,” Halsin said, once again lifting his torch high into the air. Before starting off, he placed one of his large hands on Gale’s shoulder and gave him an empathetic smile.

“Shadowheart is a skilled healer,” he said in a soft, reassuring tone, “She will be fine.”

Gale could only pray that he was right.

*********

Everything hurt. Aster’s eyelids felt as heavy as bricks as she struggled to open them, and the bright candlelight that peeked through felt like it was stabbing into her skull. She tried to sit up but groaned at the sharp pain the movement sent through her ribs.

She felt the gentle press of a hand against her shoulder, encouraging her to stay still. She managed to open her eyes the rest of the way and turned her head toward the hand. Gale was there sitting next to her.

“Aster, thank goodness you’re awake,” he said, the relief in his voice almost palpable, but with a twinge of worry still present. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve –” Aster winced, trying to sit up again, “been better.”

She felt the soft push on her shoulder again. “Rest there, don’t try to move. I brought some things for you – potions to help with the pain, a blanket if you’re cold, or a cool cloth if you’re feverish, an extra pillow –” he rambled.

“The potion would be nice,” Aster interrupted.

“Of course. Here.” She felt the rim of a glass vial against her lips and swallowed the sweet, viscous potion.

“Mmm,” Aster moaned pleasantly, the effects of the potion already taking hold. A soothing warmth spread through her, taking the edge off the pain and clearing her thoughts. “Thank you. That feels much better.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Gale asked.

Aster noted the sticky feeling the potion had left in her mouth. “Some water would be nice, if you have some.”

“Water, of course! Why did I not think to – I’ll go fetch some. Rest there, I will return shortly,” he said, already halfway out the door before he finished speaking.

“You don’t –” have to, Aster had started to say, but he was already gone. A few moments later, two others entered the room.

 “Hey soldier!” Karlach greeted, “Good to see you awake.”

“How are you feeling?” Wyll asked as the two of them sat down beside the bed. “When the others brought you to the inn, you were in bad shape. I’m sorry we weren’t there.”

Aster waved away the unnecessary apology. “I feel better than when I first woke.” She sat up to both test and prove her point. It still sent a stab of pain through her side, but it was much more tolerable now. “What happened? How long was I asleep? I remember an ambush… and then I woke up here.”

“Yes, you were ambushed by shadows,” Wyll answered, “Halsin said you changed into an owlbear, but could not hold the shape, and those hideous creatures got the better of you. Gale incinerated them and the party rushed you back to the inn. You’ve been unconscious for hours.”

“Poor Gale,” Karlach added, “He’s been absolutely beside himself. He’s only left this room to go get things for when you woke up. You know he carried you the whole way back here? It’s sweet, how he cares about you.”

Aster smiled shyly and felt warmth in her cheeks, touched to learn of Gale’s rescue and by his attentiveness in looking after her.

Wyll cleared his throat, “Perhaps this is not the time or the place, but I have to ask, I get the feeling that you care for him too. Am I correct?”

Aster nodded and looked away, embarrassed that her feelings were so obvious.

“Have you told him that?” Wyll pried further.

“Not exactly…”

“Why not?” Karlach asked. “Gale may be a genius about some things, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t recognize flirting if it smacked him in the face. I wouldn’t wait for him to make the first move.”

“It’s… complicated,” Aster replied, loathe to explain her reservations, fears, and insecurities. However, looking at how eager Karlach and Wyll looked for her to continue, she supposed she would not get away with that answer. Perhaps it would do her some good to talk about all the worries that had been plaguing her.

“Well, for starters, there’s his tumultuous relationship and fallout with Mystra. It has not been long since things turned sour, and it devastated him. I worry that he is just looking for someone to… fill the void she left. And how am I meant to compare to a goddess?”

“That fucker that asked him to kill himself for her? I’d say you’ve got her beat by a mile,” Karlach replied indignantly.

Wyll gave Karlach a look before sharing his own advice. “Love is not something to be compared; each is its own unique and beautiful thing. And it is clear to me that he loves you, truly, not as a replacement, but as yourself.”

Aster smiled at her friends’ reassurances, but a deeper fear still weighed on her. “Mystra’s task for him worries me as well. I’m afraid I will not be able to convince him not to go through with it. And I’m afraid that if we – if we become something more to one another…” Her throat felt tight, making it harder to speak, and tears stung her eyes. “then it will… it will hurt even worse to lose him.”

“Oh, Aster, come here,” Karlach said with open arms, and Aster accepted the offered hug gratefully. “I know losing someone hurts. But take some advice from someone who’s living on borrowed time herself. Do you know the thing I want most for the time I have left?”

Aster shook her head.

“To not have any regrets. The best we can do is live fully, to embrace whatever opportunities life gives us.”

Wyll nodded. “As the saying goes, ‘tis better to have loved and lost than never loved at all.’ Regret eats at the soul like nothing else does.”

And they were right. If she opened up to him, let herself love and be loved in return, then she would always have the memories of the time they had together, even if the worst happened. Otherwise, she would still be left to suffer the pain and loss, along with the grief for what could have been.

Aster wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thank you. You are the best friends anyone could ask for.” She hugged them both again.

“Aww, so are you!” Karlach replied, hugging her a little too tight in return.

“Always happy to be there for a friend,” Wyll said as he returned her embrace.

At that moment, Gale arrived at the door, jug of water in hand. “Sorry I took so long,” Gale said as he handed the jug over to Aster, who took a long, refreshing swig.

“Well, glad to see you’re feeling better. Karlach and I will go tell the others you’re awake,” Wyll said, getting up from one of the chairs beside the bed.

“Yeah, we’ll go do that,” Karlach added, following Wyll out the door. “No need to hurry though, just take our time…” She winked at Aster as she left.

Gale sat back down next to the bed. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, thank you. Those potions work wonders.”

“Good, good. Glad to hear it.”

They sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Aster worked up the nerve to tell him how she really felt and apologize for how distant she had been lately, spurred on by her conversation with Wyll and Karlach.

 “There’s… something I want to tell you,” Aster said, taking one of Gale’s hands in her own.

“I want to tell you something too, I…” the pause was so long that Aster spoke again, only then they were both talking at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” they both blurted out in unison.

“For what?” they asked, once again at the same time.

Aster chuckled, which caused the pain in her side to flare up again, and the chuckle turned into a wince.

“I’m sorry,” Gale said again, clearly referring to the laughter-induced pain this time.

“You said that already,” Aster replied with a more careful chuckle. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I was distracted earlier, when we were looking for Thaniel. I fell behind the group, wasn’t paying attention… I should have been in position; maybe then you would not have been hurt like this. I’m sorry, I should have done more to keep you safe.” Gale said, clasping both hands around hers.

“There is nothing to apologize for. Things happen, especially in such perilous situations as we find ourselves in. I hear you were the one who saved me, after all,” Aster said with a coy smile. 

“Still, I am sorry – and relieved that you’re alright. Now, whatever reason do you have to apologize? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I have, though.” Aster took a deep breath, preparing herself to finally open up. “I know I have been… distant and ill-tempered as of late. I’ve been upset and angry about so many things, but that is no excuse to treat you that way, especially when you’ve been having such a difficult time of your own. I’m deeply sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize; it can’t be easy to bear the burdens that have been placed on you: defeating Ketheric, lifting the shadow curse, stopping the Absolute. But know that you can always unburden yourself with me, if you need someone to talk to.”

“You’re too kind,” Aster replied, “Yes, those do weigh on me, and it is difficult to witness the destruction the shadow curse has wrought on nature here. But there is another thing that worries me even more. Mystra… It angers me that she thinks she has any right to ask that of you, and that she could make you feel like she’s right.” Aster felt her ire toward the goddess roiling inside like fire, and her arms shook in anger. “You’re smart, and brave, and talented, and kind, and you deserve so much better than being her sacrifice.”

Gale looked surprised at her response. “I… wasn’t aware it bothered you so much.”

“Of course it does! I care about you, and I – I don’t…” Aster felt the tears pricking at her eyes again. “I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered, brushing a hand across his cheek. She wanted to peer into his thoughts, see if he was still genuinely considering going through with it, convince him how much she needed him, but she knew that was an invasion of his privacy. She could only show him how much she cared about him and hope that that would be enough.

“I don’t want to lose you, either,” Gale whispered back, leaning closer to her. “I was so worried about you.”

“Then let’s look after each other, and find another way to defeat the Absolute. We can make it through this together, alright?”

“Alright.”

A nervous, anticipatory silence stretched between them, and Aster realized their lips were mere inches apart.

Gale cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. “Well, it’s getting late. I suppose I should let you rest, yes?”

Gale started to stand up, but Aster tugged him back down by his sleeve.

“Wait, I… I haven’t thanked you properly yet for rescuing me.”

“You don’t need to –” Gale started to reply, but Aster cut him off with a kiss. He was clearly surprised at first, but quickly he was kissing her back, their mouths dancing passionately with long-building desire and anticipation of this very moment.

His lips were soft, and he tasted like a fine red wine, rich with a touch of sweetness. There was an arousing electricity to the kiss, as if sparks were literally flying between them, and considering Gale’s magic, that was probably true. It was everything she had imagined and more.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Aster was delighted to see the big, goofy grin on his face, the flush in his cheeks, and his hair tousled out of place by her fingers. He looked happier than he had in a while, and for her part Aster was so elated she felt like she could fly.

“Well,” Gale said in a low, seductive whisper as he leaned in to kiss her again, “remind me to rescue you more often.”