#sorry in advance i’m literally going to be sick about him

[edsbacktattoo]

guess what i played

[meleeyz]

ekko enemies to lovers? literally metal flowers was SO! GOOD! where reader is a pilte and she goes down with cait and vi in s1?

┈﹒ ꒰ 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗘꒱

ekko 𝒙 fem!reader

୨୧ English is not my first language, so I'm sorry in advance if something reads strangely or is poorly written.

୨୧ Hello darling! Maybe this isn't exactly your idea (?), but I thought it would be fun to have a tension-filled conversation when the reader is supposed to be... you know, kidnapped. Tell me what you think! I'm also glad you liked the metal flowers one-shot 💞💞

୨୧ THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT, THIS IS THE FIRST REQUEST I HAVE AND THAT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY, YOUR NICE COMMENTS ARE ALSO GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN 💓

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

It all happened too fast: Vi shouting warnings, the blue-haired lunatic and her sick laughter had been the least of your problems.

And now you were here, restrained in a damp, dimly lit room, the sack over your head smelling of grease and mildew. Caitlyn’s muffled voice called for you, distant and strained.

You tugged at the ropes binding your wrists to the chair, teeth gritted. The door creaked open, and hurried footsteps approached. The sack was pulled off. A Vastaya man loomed over you, his bat-like ears curling inwards as he studied you for a moment. Then, wordlessly, he left, closing the door behind him with a resonating clang.

Blinking against the sudden light, you glanced around, your gaze landing on someone seated across the room. He wore an owl mask, his posture lazy yet somehow threatening.

Your stomach churned. You’d seen him earlier—watching from the shadows as Silco’s men attacked. He hadn’t intervened then, just observed with unnerving intensity.

“Got something to say, or are you just going to keep staring?” you snapped, your voice sharper than you intended.

The masked figure tilted his head, amusement evident in the way he leaned back.

“Staring at people like that? Kind of counts as harassment, you know,” you continued, forcing a smirk despite the pounding of your heart. “But hey, let me go, and we can settle this properly. I promise I’ll be… kind.”

The voice that responded came distorted through a modulator, low and mechanical. “You should learn to take care of that mouth. If it weren’t for the other two, you’d already be dead.”

Your eyebrows shot up, and despite yourself, you let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, I see how it is. Big bad owl man is bothered by my mouth? Then why didn’t you just kill me outright?”

His laugh echoed back at you, though his tone remained clipped. He stood, his figure tall and imposing as he stepped closer.

“Believe me,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “It was tempting.”

You tilted your head, meeting his gaze—or what you assumed were his eyes—through the owl mask. “Oh, I’m trembling,” you deadpanned. “What a scary owl.”

His movements stilled for a moment, the tilt of his head indicating surprise. You pressed on, determined to keep the upper hand in this strange game.

“Let me guess,” you said, smirking again. “Sitting around in a mask all day makes you feel tough, huh? What’s next—dramatic monologues about justice?”

He chuckled, stepping even closer until he was towering over you. “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.”

“Oh, please,” you shot back, craning your neck to meet him. “You think this is guts? I just call it basic survival.”

For a moment, silence filled the space between you, tension crackling like static. Then, slowly, he reached up, his gloved fingers curling around the edge of his mask.

Your breath hitched, the weight of the moment sinking in as he pulled it away.

The first thing you noticed were his eyes—sharp, golden-brown, and filled with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. His features were striking, all sharp angles and raw intensity but softened.

You blinked, momentarily speechless, which was enough to make him laugh again. This time, it was unmodulated—rich and almost boyish, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, his grin wide. “Cat got your tongue?”

Your mouth opened, then closed as you struggled for a response. The sheer absurdity of it hit you like a freight train. For all your mother’s warnings about suitors back in Piltover, none of them could hold a candle to him.

And, of course, he knew it.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said smugly, stepping back.

You clenched your fists, suddenly grateful for the handcuffs keeping you from doing something you’d probably regret.

“Don’t look so smug,” you said finally, recovering enough to glare at him. “You still kidnapped me, remember?”

“Kidnapped?” he repeated, feigning offense. “Rescued is more like it. You’re lucky I was watching.”

“Lucky?” you shot back. “You’ve got a twisted sense of gratitude.”

“Stick around. You might just learn something.”

You scowled, your cheeks warming despite yourself. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, as you sat there under the sharp gaze of the boy—no, young man—in the room. But his attention was no longer casual. His gaze was razor-edged, appraising.

“Enough games,” he said finally, his voice steady, though it carried an undertone of curiosity. “What do you know about the hextech gemstone?”

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, you were caught off guard. Hextech? You wracked your brain, recalling snippets of overheard conversations.

“It’s… like an energy booster,” you said hesitantly, your brows furrowed. “Anyone can use it to build pretty much anything. Something about it being ‘limitless potential’ or whatever.”

Ekko tilted his head, clearly not expecting you to be so forthcoming.

“You just told me, just like that?”

“Why not?” you replied with a shrug. “You didn’t kill me, which is already better than everyone else we’ve run into today. If you’re not trying to gut me on sight, you can’t be that bad.”

His laugh came low, warm, and rough, as if you’d surprised him again.

“You’re either really brave or really stupid.”

“Bit of both,” you admitted, flashing a quick smile “So, what’s next? We keep playing twenty questions?”

He chuckled dryly, though his next words were serious.

“Alright, let’s talk about your friends. What’s their deal? And what’s your relationship with the Enforcer?”

You clamped your mouth shut, trying to suppress the laugh bubbling in your chest. But the harder you tried, the more it broke free, until you were shaking with quiet.

“Enforcer?” you finally choked out, wiping the corner of your eye with your shoulder. “Caitlyn’s more like… I don’t know, a girl playing dress-up as an Enforcer. Her mother would die if she let Cait face real danger.” You tilted your head toward him, smirking. “Like this.”

Ekko raised an eyebrow, waiting for you to finish.

“Oh, and don’t leave the lovebirds alone too long,” you added, voice dripping with mock seriousness. “It seems like Cait’s taken a liking to the pink-haired one.”

That earned another huff of laughter from him. His gaze lingered on you, sharp yet tinged with reluctant amusement, as though trying to figure out whether you were always this reckless or just putting on a show.

“Alright, alright. My turn. That’s how this works, right?”

“That’s not how this works at all.”

“Sure it is,” you shot back, leaning forward as much as the restraints allowed. “If you were a conventional kidnapper, I wouldn’t have said a word. You’d have had to torture me for information—and, frankly, I don’t think you’d do it. Too soft.”

Ekko’s brow twitched, though he said nothing.

“Anyway, this isn’t a conventional kidnapping, right?” you added, your grin widening.

For a moment, he studied you, clearly debating whether to humor you. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he gestured vaguely.

“Fine. Ask your question.”

You leaned back, feigning nonchalance.

“What’s your name?”

He hesitated.

“Ekko.”

“Ekko,” you repeated, testing the name on your tongue. It suited him. “Alright, Ekko. Next question.”

He crossed his arms, his brows lifting in mock exasperation.

“I said one question.”

“You really need to loosen up,” you teased. “I want to learn how to ride that hoverboard of yours. That thing looks incredible.”

His lips twitched, but he kept his expression neutral.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah,” you said. “My wrists are starting to hurt. Being handcuffed is not exactly comfortable, you know.”

Ekko sighed, dragging a hand down his face, though you could see the faintest glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Pretty Piltie can’t handle a pair of handcuffs? I’ll free you when the time comes.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes.

“Don’t push it.”

“When the time comes,” he said again. “I’ll free you.”

“Ekko!” you called after him, frustration bubbling to the surface. “You can’t just—hey!”

He didn’t stop, didn’t even glance back. The door creaked open as he stepped out.

Outside, Scar leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and a bemused look on his face. He watched as Ekko adjusted the straps of his owl mask, preparing to slide it back into place.

“Something on your mind?” Ekko asked, his tone sharper than intended.

Scar raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the door where you were still yelling.

“Didn’t realize we were starting a dating service for Pilties now.”

Ekko shot him a glare, the owl mask concealing the faint flush creeping up his neck. “What?”

Scar smirked, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

With a sigh, Ekko adjusted the mask, his thoughts lingering on the strange girl tied up in the other room. A rich Piltie liking him? The thought was… well, distracting.

But he pushed it aside. There was work to be done.

“Where’s Vi?” he asked, his voice low.

Scar gestured down the hall. “Waiting.”

Ekko nodded, his mind shifting gears as he prepared for what would undoubtedly be another tense conversation.

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

[allthingsimagines]

State of Grace

“This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right” - State Of Grace by Taylor Swift

Rick Grimes x Pregnant!Reader

Summary: The group is wary of Aaron, until he reveals information that shocks the group to their core.

Takes place in season five at the start of the Alexandria arc!

Word Count: 5k+

Warnings: Swearing, childbirth, fluff, and ooc Rick

a/n: This has been sitting in my drafts for literal years. It’s not great, but I don’t care!! I hope you enjoy! Also, sorry for the formatting I’m on my phone!

—————————————————————————

The group all stood on high alert as they stared Aaron down as he sat tied to the pole. He was an outsider and knew far too much about them for any of them to be comfortable.

Rick was at the edge. He would either fall off and lose himself or pull himself back. The group was doing their best to keep him stable, but after Terminus, the death of Beth, and his own wife being lost after the Prison he was close to being too far gone. The only reason he hadn’t yet was for Carl and Judith. If he hadn’t had them he would’ve been long gone by now.

Aaron was another threat to the group’s safety.

Rick stalked around him as the group watched on. He seemed like a predator about to go in for the kill. Rick had always been an intimidating guy, but after the loss of his wife and the months on the road he wasn’t sure he’d ever fully return to who he had been when she was alive.

When the Prison fell everyone got scattered. Rick had been in the yard, Carl with Daryl, Judith with the kids, and Y/N had been in the sick wing helping Maggie evacuate people. When everyone got separated she’d just disappeared. No one had seen her since that day and there was no indication she was alive. Rick had lost hope a long time ago. She was tough, but it was difficult enough for them to survive as a big group. There was no way she would have made it months on her own.

Aaron gulped as the group discussed what to do, “My job is to convince you to follow me back home.”

Everyone looked around skeptically at his words. Aaron sighed, he knew it would take a lot of convincing, “I know, if I were you, I wouldn’t go either until I knew exactly what I was getting into.”

Aaron looked around at the big group and took a breath to steady himself. He’d been following them for two weeks and still didn’t know half as much as he would’ve liked to about them. He knew Rick was the leader and had two kids. He knew a few others like Maggie, Sasha, and Glenn, but the rest of them were strangers for now. Yet, he knew they’d keep them alive.

Alexandria needed people who knew how to survive and navigate the world they lived in now. The only people in the community who knew how to was himself, Eric, Deanna, Enid, and Y/N. She was the perfect person to teach them, but she wasn’t much help outside the walls since she was pregnant.

“Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack? Front pocket, there's an envelope,” Aaron asked and Sasha complied as she brought it to him.

“There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality,” Aaron said as Rick pulled them out and looked through them.

“No one gives a shit,” Daryl grumbled out and Aaron nodded quickly.

A few others crowded around Rick to look at the pictures when the baby began crying. The teenager tried his best to calm her, but she just wailed. Rick pinched his brow and sighed, “Carl, will you get Judith the binky in my pack.”

The boy quickly complied as he tried to soothe his sister. Aaron’s eyes widened and he felt his heart jump at his words. He quickly leaned forward, pulling against his binds, “Your son is Carl and your daughter is Judith?”

The group all shared confused looks as Aaron looked like he’d had a world ending revelation. Rick passed the pictures to Glenn as he moved closer to Aaron, “What’s it matter to you?”

He kneeled down in front of Aaron and glared down at him, “Why do you need to know?”

Aaron swallowed, trying to compose himself, before looking up at Rick, “Did you have a wife named Y/N?”

Rick physically recoiled at the question and everyone tensed. How would he know her? Carl stepped closer to them, Judith held firmly at his hip as she was quiet now, “How do you know my mom?”

Aaron looked sympathetically at Carl and Judith before looking back to Rick. He looked as if Aaron had flipped his whole world, “How do you know that name?”

“She’s alive. She’s been living in our community with my husband and I for the past few months. She’s talked about your family endlessly- I just didn’t put it together,” Aaron breathed out and he saw the whole group react to his words.

Rick stumbled back and stood deathly still as he paled. Carl moved forward, his eyes full of hope, “How can we trust you? Where’s my mom!”

Aaron nodded towards his bag, “There’s a picture of her in the inside zipper of my bag.”

Glenn quickly unzipped the pocket before pulling out the picture and passing it to Rick. Rick couldn’t believe his eyes as he stared at it. It was her. She was leaning her head on a man’s shoulder, who he assumed was Aaron’s husband, with a bright smile on her face.

She was alive and happy.

Rick let out a choked sob as Carl tore the picture from his hands and broke down as well as he clutched his sister to him. The whole group was visibly affected by his words as they all had bright looks on their faces. Rick pulled Carl into his side and pressed a kiss to his head, “She’s alive. We’re gonna have your mom back.”

Glenn cut Aaron free and he stood up and rubbed his wrists. Rick released Carl, but when he turned to Aaron to say something he noticed the odd look on his face. Rick moved closer to Aaron and felt his stomach drop, “What’s wrong?”

Aaron looked up at Rick and scratched his neck, “I don’t know how to say it.”

Rick pushed down his fear as he stepped closer to him, “Aaron what’s wrong with my wife?”

Aaron met Rick’s piercing eyes and breathed out, “She’s pregnant.”

Rick swore he’d died. There was no way that she’d lived, but now she was pregnant? She couldn’t be.

Rick grabbed Aaron’s shoulder as leverage as he almost fell over, “What?”

Aaron grabbed Rick’s arm, “My husband and I picked her up on the road five months ago and brought her back. We’ve been taking care of her. The baby is doing great and so is she. She helps our leader, Deanna, out as her advisor so she doesn’t have to leave the walls.”

Rick tried to take in deep breaths, but he could hardly comprehend that his wife was alive and now she was pregnant? Rick grabbed onto Aaron as he fell to his knees. He tried to breathe as everything became too much for him.

His wife was pregnant and she’d been alive this whole time. They were going to have another kid.

Aaron squeezed Rick’s arm and sighed, “Rick, she’s full term now and when I left she was having consistent Braxton Hicks.”

Rick almost fell over from how quickly he shot to his feet. Lori had those during both pregnancies and she’d given birth soon after. He needed to be there for her. Especially considering what had happened to Lori.

“What’s that mean?” Carl asked, quickly wiping any remnants of tears from his face.

“They’re false contractions, but they’re meant to prep your body for labor,” Maggie answered, coming up behind Carl and squeezing his shoulders supportively.

“Take me to her. Please,” Rick pleaded with Aaron and he was quick to nod.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll radio my husband to come get us in our RV. We can all fit, but it’ll be tight,” Aaron said, looking around for approval.

Everyone quickly moved to ready their gear and Aaron took that as his sign to radio Eric. He quickly moved towards his radio that had been tossed out of his bag and picked it up, “Eric, we need you to get us at the barn we scouted. They know Y/N. Her husband and kids are with them.”

“Oh my god. Okay, I’ll be there soon. Be safe,” Eric quickly responded.

Rick held Judith tightly to him as he moved over to Aaron and clapped his hand on his shoulder. Aaron quickly turned to him only to find his demeanor much more relaxed, more like the man Y/N had described. Rick let out a shaky breath and nodded, “Thank you.”

Aaron nodded and sighed, “She’s family to me too now. I’d do anything for her.”

Rick nodded as his nerves began to eat at him. The group packed up quickly and they all anxiously waited in the barn to leave. Twenty minutes passed before Eric pulled up and they all quickly filed in. He seemed stunned by the road hardened people that passed by him to get into the RV. The RV was big, but they had a large group now and they were all crammed in.

They all sat packed into the RV, each having their own quiet conversations for a while until Aaron’s radio went off. The whole group turned to look at him as he quickly fished it out.

“Hey, Aaron, you there?” A female voice said.

“Hey, Denise. What’s up?” Aaron responded.

“Just wanted to check in and give you an update. When are you heading back?” She asked.

Aaron looked around at the group and scratched the back of his neck, “Uh, actually now. I’m bringing back that group I scouted for Deanna. Tell her that we’ll be back in less than an hour and they’ll need to get check ups asap just in case.”

“I’ll let her know, but the doctors office is kinda busy today,” Denise said sounding hesitant.

“What? Did something happen?” Aaron quickly asked, sharing a nervous look with Eric.

“No! No, nothing bad, but we’re about to have a new baby around here soon. She wanted me to let you guys know,” Denise said, with a cheery tone to her voice.

The whole group froze as Aaron looked at Rick in slight horror. Rick kissed Judith’s head and squeezed Carl’s shoulder as he tried to be strong for them. The last time, Carl had to kill Lori after she needed a C-Section. Rick knew Carl wouldn’t survive losing his other mom the same way.

Aaron’s eyes softened as he noticed their family dynamic. He remembered what Y/N had told him about Carl’s mom and he could tell it was causing trauma to resurface for them.

“How is she? Everything going okay?” Aaron asked, nervous himself for his friend.

The radio was silent for a few moments until it crackled again and a new voice came over the radio, “She can speak for herself. I’m in active labor, not dead.”

The whole group shared a look of shock. It was her. Rick quickly moved to the front of the RV to stand next to Aaron, his blue eyes wide and unsure of what to do.

“And yes, I’m fine. I’m almost fully dilated, so not much to do but have terrible contractions till they come. Baby Grimes would like to make an appearance soon, so I’d appreciate if you hurried back. It’d be nice to have someone who I actually care about to hold my hand. You too Eric. How’d scouting that group go? They convinced yet?” She asked breathlessly as Rick and Aaron shared a look.

Baby Grimes. She hadn’t let go either. Rick had a child and wife waiting for him.

Aaron held the radio out to Rick and he looked at it nervously. What was he even supposed to say? Rick turned as Carl came up behind him and took Judith from his arms so he could hold her. Carl’s eyes were filled with a hope Rick hadn’t seen in years. Rick swallowed his fears and took the radio from Aaron’s hand.

“Darlin?” Rick said, his voice wobbling as he choked out the words.

The radio was silent for a moment before her shaky voice said, “Rick? Is that you?”

Rick fell to his knees at the sound of her voice. It was his wife. She was alive.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me. We’re okay. We’re all on our way,” He breathed out as a hand squeezed his shoulder and he looked behind him to see Daryl behind him.

A loud cry came over the radio and the whole group from the prison visibly reacted with relief of their own as they finally had a family member back.

“Oh my god, I swore I’d never hear your voice again. Is everyone there? Carl? Judith? Please, please, tell me they’re okay,” She sputtered out through sobs.

Carl snatched the radio from his dad’s hands and shakily said, “Mom, mom, it’s me. We’re okay. Judith and I are okay. We miss you.”

“Carl, baby, I-I-,” She started but broke down into tears and the radio went silent for a second.

The whole group went dead silent as the radio cut out, but quickly reacted as she cried out over the radio. Rick rushed to Carl’s side as he stared at the radio in horror.

The radio cut back in and Y/N’s groans could be heard in the background, “She’s okay! Just bad contractions. She’s gonna need to push soon, so hurry if you guys can. I’m sorry I’ve got to go to make sure everything goes okay, but Aaron knows where the delivery room is. Deanna knows and she’ll have Spencer open the gates as soon as you get there and let them through.”

The radio then shut off and Rick looked up at Aaron in abject horror. What if he missed his child’s birth? What if something happened to her? Aaron squeezed his shoulder and shook him a bit to bring him back, “We’ll be back soon. She’s gonna be okay. We have good doctors and medical supplies to make sure of it.”

Rick nodded, seeming like he was off in a different place. Aaron moved back to Eric’s side and helped direct him the quickest way to Alexandria. Rick sat against the door of the RV, his mind running over every worse case scenario.

Nothing ever went right for him.

Right now he could have his wife and a new son or daughter when he arrived to Alexandria. Or he could lose them both, and he was sure that he would never survive that loss again of someone he loved so desperately.

Eric pushed the RV as hard as he possibly could without blowing anything mechanical. A half hour passed before Aaron finally announced that they were there. They all rushed to their feet and looked out the window to find a fenced in town with guard towers at the gates.

The group had been in one place with high fences before, but this place looked untouched from the apocalypse. Aaron turned to the group as Eric slowed as they got closer, “When we get in the gates, you will all have to turn over your weapons. We don’t allow people to have them, unless they’re on patrol or cleared by our leader Deanna or Y/N. You will all be interviewed by Deanna and then get a check up by one of our Doctors.

Rick and Carl, you’ll come with me. The rest of you will wait until I come and get you or you’re showed to a house. This community is pretty sheltered, so please take it easy around them for now. Understood?”

They all shared nervous looks before nodding in agreement. The RV came to a stop and Aaron and Rick shared a look.

They needed to go.

Carl passed Judith off to Carol as Eric quickly turned the car off and opened the doors and Aaron, Rick, and Carl quickly moved out.

The group rushed towards the gate as it slid open for them. Rick and Carl hardly had time to admire the community before Aaron waved his hand at them, “Come on. Medical center is over here.”

They hurriedly followed after Aaron and Eric as they ran towards one of the closest buildings and people stared as they sprinted past. Rick couldn’t have given less of a shit as he just ran after them.

Aaron barreled towards a house and quickly threw the door open. Rick’s eyes widened at the sound of his wife crying out. Rick shoved past Aaron and rushed toward the room. The continuing cries became louder from the door at the end of the hallway.

Rick quickly grabbed the handle and threw the door open and there she was. His wife was laying up against a mountain of pillows with her legs propped up.

Dear god.

Her eyes pooled with tears at the sight of her husband alive and in front of her. She released the sheets from her clutched hands and reached out for Rick, “Rick- oh my god.”

Rick went to rush to her when a woman quickly moved in front of him, “Woah! Okay, I know you want to see her, but you’re gonna put her and the baby at risk if you don’t wash everything off of you.”

Rick hadn’t really considered that it’d been months since he’d showered properly. He looked at his hands and found they were covered with blood and walker remains. He hadn’t even thought about it.

“Denise he can- he can stand up by my head and he won’t touch the baby until he’s clean. Right Rick? I can’t do this without him,” She said squeezing her eyes shut and crying out in pain.

Rick nodded frantically, desperate to touch his wife himself after months apart.

Denise looked hesitant, but let out a frustrated sigh, “At least scrub your arms and hands with soap quickly and put on that surgical gown just in case.”

Rick didn’t say another word as he quickly rushed toward the other room where the woman pointed. He moved to the sink and scrubbed at his hands so hard they felt raw. The sink turned red as his hands were washed clean of all the remnants of the outside world. Carl quickly sprinted in, turned on the sink next to him, and did the same.

Once Rick felt like his hands and forearms were clean of blood and filth, he put the surgical gown on and rushed back into the room.

“You have to push! Come on deep breath and bear down,” Denise said as she stood between her legs.

She breathed heavily as she pushed for ten seconds, before she laid back and let out a groan of pain. Rick moved to her side and quickly took one of her hands in his own and pressed it to his lips. Rick tried to force back his tears and the emotions threatening to overcome him as he finally had his wife right in front of him.

She tiredly smiled up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears, “Hey Sheriff.”

Rick chuckled before he quickly captured her lips, “Hey darlin.”

Her smile was interrupted as she squeezed her eyes in pain and clutched onto his hand tightly.

“How’s she doin Doc?” Rick asked worriedly, Lori’s death at the front of his mind.

Denise tried to smile comfortingly and said, “She’s doing great, but you’ve got to keep pushing. Baby’s almost here.”

Rick looked down at his wife and squeezed her hand, “You can do it. I’m right here.”

“Me too,” Carl said as he rushed to her other side.

Her eyes brightened at the sight of her son at her side. She took Carl’s hand and nodded as she sat up, “Yeah, I’ve got you two now. I can do this.”

“Fuck yeah you can mom,” Carl said beaming at her.

Rick laughed at his words and she shook her head with a loving smile directed at him, “I missed you, but watch your language baby.”

Carl smirked and he and his dad shared a look as she got ready. Denise smiled at the family before clearing her throat, “Okay, after this next contraction you need to push again. Make it count you’re almost there.”

She nodded and shared a nervous look with Rick. Rick squeezed her hand and quickly kissed her forehead, “You can do this baby. We’re right here.”

She nodded before letting out a shaky breath and squeezing her eyes shut as Denise indicated for her to push. After the seconds of silence she cried out and fell back, but Rick quickly slid his arm around her waist to catch her, “You’re doing great darlin.”

She nodded against his shoulder as she mentally prepared herself to push again.

“I can see the head. One more good push and it’ll be done,” Denise said.

She nodded and she took another deep breath, “That better be a goddamn promise Denise.”

Denise smiled and shook her head, “If it’s not, I’ll give you my bottle of bourbon.”

She let out a shaky laugh and smiled at her, “You’ve got a deal.”

She looked at both of her boys and felt determination swell in her chest. She felt the contraction come on and she pushed with everything she had.

Rick brushed the hair out of her face as she cried out again. Then the room was filled with a sharp cry.

Rick felt his whole body tense as Denise beamed at them as she lifted the baby up, “It’s a girl. She’s beautiful.”

She immediately began to cry as Denise nodded at Rick, “Wanna cut the umbilical cord dad?”

Rick nodded and shared a look with Carl. Carl nodded and quickly moved his arm around his mom to support her sitting up as tears of joy streaked down his face. Rick took the scissors and cut the umbilical cord where she directed as she quickly cleaned his daughter.

Carl helped his mom get more comfortable on the pillows as they waited for Denise. Carl pressed a kiss to her cheek, “I love you mom.”

She smiled up at her oldest boy, “I love you too baby. I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Rick’s eyes were full of tears as he carefully looked over Denise’s shoulder as she checked over his daughter. He hadn’t really felt this way since Carl was born. He felt like he was teetering on an edge as he waited to see his youngest daughter.

Denise turned around and Rick moved to her side. Denise smiled softly as she carefully passed the small bundle to her outstretched arms, “She’s healthy and looks perfect. You did great Y/N.”

She let out a choked sob as she took her daughter into her arms, “Hey sweetheart.”

Rick finally let his tears fall as he looked down at his beautiful daughter. She leaned into Rick’s embrace and gently stroked her baby’s cheek, “You’re so so loved already.”

Carl sniffled as he leaned closer to his mom to get a better look at his youngest sister. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, “This is your big brother, Carl. He’s gonna be the best big brother ever and he’s always gonna be there for you .”

Carl nodded as she lifted her up closer to him so he could see her for a moment. Then she turned and her eyes met Rick’s that were filled with emotion. She moved her daughter now to Rick’s side so he could see his little girl.

“This is your daddy. He looks mean and grumpy, but he’s a softie I promise. He’ll always keep you safe,” She said with a gentle smile as he got to look at his daughter.

Rick brushed his finger over her small cheeks and choked out sob. He pressed a kiss to his wife’s head, “I love you more than anything. Thank you.”

She pulled away from him before she leaned up and kissed him. She pulled away breathlessly and smiled before moving her gaze to her daughter, “You can thank Hope for getting us here. I would have died a long time ago if I hadn’t been fighting for her.”

Rick raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Hope? That’s her name?”

She nodded resolutely and beamed, “Been calling her Hope since I found out I was pregnant. Hope Willow Grimes.”

Rick nodded and smiled down at his daughter, “Hope’s a great name for her.”

She nodded before turning to give her boys a tired look, “As much as I love you both, you reek of blood and sweat. Aaron can take you to one of the empty houses to get cleaned up. Then you can come back and hold her. Okay?”

Rick felt his whole being begging him to stay, but she was right. He pressed a kiss to her head and looked down at his daughter before stepping away, “Kay, but you send someone for us if you need anything.”

She nodded as Rick and Carl moved towards the door, “Got it Sheriff. Will you bring back Judith and the others?”

Rick nodded and smiled, “Promise. Trust me they’ll be begging to come see you as soon as we get there.”

“Well, tell ‘em I’ll give ‘em a pass for not getting a baby gift in time,” She joked as she rocked their daughter gently.

A knock came from the door and they all turned to find Aaron and Eric standing there. They both stepped into the room and Aaron smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, we didn’t wanna intrude, but I overheard you. I’ll take them to the house Deanna is setting them up in. She’s gonna set your group up in three houses. Some of the residents are moving your stuff into a separate house so you guys will be together.”

Y/N smiled and waved them into the room, “You’d never intrude. Come see her.”

Eric moved to her side and smiled down at the baby. Aaron held out his hand for Rick to shake, “Congratulations.”

Rick paused for a moment before pulling Aaron in for a tight hug. Aaron tensed for a moment before clapping Rick on the back. They pulled apart and Rick nodded in thanks, “This is all cause of you. Thank you.”

Aaron smiled at the sight of his husband and friend cooing over the baby, “Come on. I’ll take you guys to get cleaned up.”

The boys hesitantly followed after him and to the house. An hour passed and Y/N fed her daughter as she talked to Eric.

“When you mentioned your husband he wasn’t quite what I pictured,” Eric said as he rocked back in his chair.

She raised an eyebrow at him, “What’s so different?”

Eric rolled his eyes, “Y’know for being in an apocalypse where you don’t have many options you bagged one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

She burst out laughing as she grinned at him, “Oh, I know. Trust me I was fighting off women left and right when we lived at the prison. You better believe if I see Jessie anywhere near him or my kids I’ll throw her out like a farm cat.”

Eric snorted and beamed, “I believe it. I’d love to see you take her down. She’s had it coming for years.”

A soft knock came from the door and Y/N sat up and adjusted her little girl in her arms, “Come in.”

The door slowly opened and her husband came into view and her eyes lit up. Rick came in and walked over to her. Eric smiled at the pair and stood up, “I’m gonna go make sure you guys have everything set up.”

She smiled softly at him as he moved to the doorway, “Thank you.”

Eric nodded and shut the door behind him. Rick had changed into new clothes and cleaned up his beard now. He came and sat at her side on the bed, “You feelin okay darlin?”

She nodded and leaned against his shoulder, “About as good as you can be after pushing a baby out of you.”

Rick chuckled in response and she met his eyes. Rick cupped her face as her eyes lit up teasingly, “Lookin good Sherriff.”

Rick pulled her in and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. After a moment passed they pulled apart and she muttered, “I love you.”

Rick kissed her quickly again and moved back, “I love you too.”

“Wanna hold her?” She asked gently holding her out to Rick.

Rick swallowed nervously and held out his arms and she passed Hope into his arms. Rick let out a shaky laugh as he finally got to hold her. He shared a look of awe with Y/N as he gently rocked her.

She pressed a kiss to Rick’s jaw with a smile, “You’re a natural.”

Rick smiled, his eyes staying on his youngest, “Comes with practice.”

The pair were silent for awhile as they watched their daughter. Y/N let out a shaky breath and leaned her head on Rick’s shoulder, “Who isn’t here?”

The silence was palpable between them as she pressed a kiss to Rick’s shoulder, “I- I just need to know, please.”

Rick nodded, keeping his eyes on their youngest, “Beth. She escaped with Daryl, but she got kidnapped by a group in Atlanta. We almost got her back, but she got killed before we could leave.”

Y/N swallowed back her tears and pressed her head into his shoulder and squeezed his arm, “Y’know no one would ever blame you for that, right? You tried your best and that’s all you can do sometimes.”

Rick nodded silently before pressing a kiss to her head. Y/N reached out to brush her finger over Hope’s soft cheek. Rick leaned back and wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulders and held his daughter with the other, “Anything we need to know about here?”

Y/N sighed heavily, “They’re weak. These people never learned how to survive outside the walls, because they never had to. Deanna understands what the world is and usually lets me call the shots when it comes to anything outside the walls.”

“Any pushback?” Rick said as he gently rocked Hope.

Y/N scoffed at his words, “Yeah, just a bit.”

“Anyone I need to kill?” Rick joked dryly, his arm tightening around her.

“Not yet. Deanna’s son, Spencer, is a liability. He doesn’t appreciate that I completely changed their tactics for runs, even if it was getting people killed. Spencer and his friend Nicholas are pretty much all talk, but they’re not shy about opposing anything I say. Oh, and watch out for Jessie,” She said leaning further into Rick’s chest, annoyance filling her while thinking about the town home wrecker.

Rick narrowed his eyes at her change in demeanor. He gently lifted her chin so she would meet his gaze. Despite having just given birth to their child, she still felt a pang of insecurity claw at her heart. Rick held her chin gently in his hand as his intense blue eyes met hers, “I have killed people to protect you. I would kill anyone to keep this family safe. You are the only woman I will ever want. Tell me you know that.”

Y/N smiled somewhat bashfully at his words. Those words would have terrified her in the world before it fell, but now it was a declaration of the highest love. She nodded and pressed her lips to his. It was almost as if no time had ever passed as they fell back into a routine with one another.

She pulled away breathlessly and met Rick’s expectant gaze. She let out a breath, “I know.”

Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Hope cooed and stretched her arms out with a yawn. A knock sounded out and Rick moved the the door, his youngest cradled securely in his arms. He opened the door and then Carl stepped in with Judith on his hip. Y/N burst into tears at the sight of her daughter. Judith reached out her arms as she saw her, “Momma.”

Carl came over and sat next to his mom and Y/N was quick to take her into her arms. She pressed a kiss to Judith’s head, “Oh, babygirl I missed you so much.”

Judith clutched onto her shirt and snuggled into her mom. Y/N rubbed Judith’s back with one hand and reached over and pulled Carl into a tight hug. Carl sighed and leaned into his mom’s embrace. She pressed a kiss to the side of Carl’s head, “Thank you for keeping him alive.”

She and Carl shared a look of understanding as they pulled away. Rick came over, looking like a true dad with Hope in one arm and his other hand tucked in his jean pocket. Y/N wiped her tears and sat Judith on her lap as Rick came and sat next to her. She looked around at her family and smiled, “I don’t believe in god, but thank whoever the hell is in charge up there that brought y’all back to me.”

Rick smiled and kissed the side of her head, “Damn right.”

Then a knock came from the door and Maggie popped her head in. Maggie rushed over to Y/N as the rest of the group followed in. Y/N swore she’d cried all of her tears, but each hug she gave to the members of the group brought on a new onslaught.

After each member of the group had been properly introduced to their daughter Rick stood off in the corner. He looked around the room, Hope settled safely in the crook of his arm. This was the happiest he’d seen the group in years.

Carl had yet to move from Y/N’ side, as Judith happily sat on his lap playing with her mom’s hand. Rick was certain he had never seen Y/N look so beautiful. She was beaming as she talked to Glenn and Maggie, despite the fact that she’d given birth hours earlier.

“She’s just like Lil Ass Kicker.”

Rick chuckled as Daryl came to his side. He looked down at his daughter lovingly and sighed, “This is what we fight for. Everythin we do is for everyone in this room.”

Daryl made a noise in agreement, “We keep going for shit like this.”

Rick met his wife’s eyes and she was quick to shoot him a wink, before she turned and pulled Carl closer to her into a hug. He sighed, his heart feeling full for the first time in months. Herschel had told him years ago that every day was a choice.

He would to choose to keep his family in the room safe everyday for the rest of his life. No matter what it cost.

[mvltisstuff]

hi omg thought of this while rewatching s2 ep3 with the earthquake but okay so there’s the little montage of everyone being happy and eddie running to christopher - but what if there’s something similar for buck? instead of him being with abby he’s dating reader and reader has a lowkey job (maybe librarian at an elementary school?) so when he gets home the first thing he does is yell for reader and then holds them and they both shed a few happy tears just talking about how happy they are that the other is okay.

you’re honestly the bestest and i am saying this in advance that this is gonna be fabulous, as always. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! <333

something in the orange - e.b

summary: request

evan buckley x reader

gif

a/n: the end of this ask was literally so sweet, i appreciate this so so much and i’m so happy you enjoy my works, that’s why i do them <33

buck was so sick and tired of watching everyone else have someone to run to. he hated having to see everyone in each others arms, watching a warm embrace ensue in front of him, just wanting it to be him instead. it was years on end of him watching kids with their parents, husbands with their wives, friends with their own friends. he always had the quick breakfast with a lay in bed, but he never had the long run of love that was supposed to come with it.

he thought his parents would be able to supply that love for him, but he must’ve been mistaken. they had no issue jumping out on every little thing in his life, nonetheless missing out on it. there was only so much love maddie could give, and he needed every drop of it. he thought maybe, someone mature like abby would come with the cherishing attitude to stay, but it left as fast as she did.

the earthquake had given a huge jumble to bucks brain, being able to save a bunch of people, but just wanted to go home at the same time. it felt selfish, and he hated himself for it, but how could he wish for anything else but just to be with y/n at home? he’s seen calamity and chaos the entire day, a constant strain of it into his shift. he’s seen death, broken bones, sobs, blood, anything that one doesn’t want to see. it took incredible pursuing to make bobby let buck take a break, but he could see he needed it.

he held his phone shakily in his hand, squinting over y/n’s name on the screen being darkened by the sunlight. he was nervous to even press the call button, not knowing if she’d be the one to pick it up, or an emergency responder who had her phone.

“hi, baby,” her sweet voice rang through the phone, leading him to sigh out and he couldn’t contain the light smile that formed on his lips. “are you ok?”

“i’m fine, i just wanted to hear your voice, make sure you’re ok.”

“we’re alright over here, there’s still kids here that need to get picked up, but they’re going pretty well with the evacuations.”

“i’m sorry i didn’t get over there, i got sent in the opposite direction.” y/n was working at the school on the other side of the city. buck was, of course, sent to work on the east side. he wanted to be able to save her, even if she wasn’t in trouble. he wanted to touch her so he knew she was breathing and alright, but he’d have to wait.

“don’t apologize, you’re doing amazing, buck,” she reassures him, letting his mind relax for a moment as she speaks to him. “go do your job, i’ll see you tonight, i promise.”

“i just want to see you.”

“i know, but you can in a few hours. do it for me, ok?”

“i love you, so much.”

“i love you, too, buck.”

the moment his fingers connected with the cold metal of the door, he instantly twisted it open to reveal the dim, yellowish lighting in his home. he felt like the introduction to his apartment felt like the ground stopped shaking. he was so excited to be able to rest, lay in his bed with y/n in his arms.

the thick soles of his shoes thumped against the ground as he threw his bags onto the floor. his shoulders instantly slumped and his feet automatically led to the stairs.

“hey,” y/n spoke, drying her hair with a towel to the side as it rested on her shoulder.

“hi.” he replied, slowly blinking his eyes.

“baby, you’re exhausted.” y/n steps forward down a few steps, standing a few inches taller than buck for once. her hands run over his shoulder blades, wandering over his skin and magically lifting the tension and stress from the earthquake.

“i know,” he says. “i just wanted you so bad today. there wasn’t a minute where you weren’t on my mind.”

“i’m here for good, buck. i’m not going anywhere, and i want you to get some rest.” she grabs his hand, pulling him up the steps and leading him to sit on the bed. he strips down to his boxers, leaving him shirtless as he puts on a warm hoodie that y/n handed him. he stops by the bathroom, washing his face as y/n prepares the bed for the two of them.

“i got you ice water, i left it on the nightstand.” y/n smiles softly up at him as he walks back in. “i turned the AC up, since you like it cold and i turned on the mattress heater.”

“you treat me too well, honey.”

“you did amazing work today, you deserve the treatment of a saint. come lay with me, please?”

“don’t have to ask twice.”

he crawls back into the bed as y/n dims the lights and turns their TV on. the white lights brighten their faces as he leans into her chest. his cheek rests right against the middle of her breasts, over her heart.

her arm is wrapped warmly around under his arm, the other hand rubbing his short hair. one of his legs lay between hers, his hands running against her sides. he breathes softly matching the rhythm of her, letting the noises of her gentle words and quiet noises from the TV lull him to sleep, allowing his deserving body to rest against the person he calls home.

[bebe-writes-stuff]

OMG i love the Sick! clingy! Mikey fic!! It’s really adorable! And yes to part 2 please when you have the time🙏❤️‍🔥 Thank you in advance!

--bro I literally be opening requests and forgetting about them IM SORRY. Anyway go read part 1 or you'll find me in the corner of your room at 2am. This a smut + plot kinda btw--

^ part 1

Y/n lay in bed, her head pounding and her throat raw from days of relentless coughing. The soft glow of the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm yet unwelcome light over her disheveled room. A half-empty mug of tea sat on the bedside table, steam long since vanished. She sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and fatigue.

Just a few weeks ago, the roles had been reversed. Mikey had been the one confined to bed, battling a nasty cold. Y/n had nursed him through it, despite his constant demands for kisses and cuddles. She had tried to keep a safe distance, knowing the risks, but Mikey’s puppy-dog eyes and relentless affection had worn down her defenses. And now, here she was, suffering the consequences.

A knock on her door was followed by it swinging open. Mikey stood there, his face a picture of concern mixed with an air of contrived innocence.

“Y/n,” he whined, dragging out her name as he approached the bed. “You’re ignoring me. Are you mad at me?”

She didn’t even have the energy to roll her eyes. “Manjiro, I’m sick. I just need to rest.”

He pouted, his bottom lip jutting out in that way that always made her heart melt, even now. “You’ve been resting all day. Can’t I just stay with you?”

“Manjiro, no. I don’t want you getting sick again.”

He didn’t seem to hear her, or perhaps he chose not to. Instead, he slipped off his shoes and crawled into bed beside her. Y/n tried to protest, but her voice came out as little more than a hoarse whisper.

“Manjiro, seriously—”

But he had already wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. His warmth was both comforting and infuriating. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back, and despite herself, she relaxed into his embrace.

“You’re burning up,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck. “You should have told me you were feeling this bad.”

Y/n sighed, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Just don’t blame me if you get sick again.”

Mikey chuckled, the sound a soothing balm to her frazzled nerves. “Worth it,” he whispered, holding her a little tighter. “Totally worth it.”

As she tried to muster the energy to protest again, Mikey's voice broke through her thoughts, mischievous and playful.

"You know," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear, "I have a way to distract you from your cold. Make you feel good."

Before she could argue, he leaned over her, his eyes glinting with mischief. His lips found the sensitive spot just below her ear, pressing soft, lingering kisses there. Y/n shivered, a mix of fever and the electric sensation of his touch.

"'Manjiro," she breathed, her voice a weak protest.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes locking with hers, a smirk playing on his lips. "Trust me, Y/n. You'll feel better, I promise."

Mikey's hands were gentle yet insistent, roaming over her sides, his fingers tracing patterns that sent shivers through her.

"You're not playing fair," she managed to murmur, her resolve weakening with each kiss, each touch.

"All's fair in love and war," he replied, his voice a low murmur against her skin. "And this is definitely love.", his kisses growing more heated, his hands more daring.

She felt a warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with her fever. Her breathing shallow as Mikey trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of sheets and the occasional hitch in her breath.

"Relax," he murmured, his lips brushing against her skin. "Let me take care of you."

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. As much as her mind protested, her body was already responding to his touch, her defenses crumbling under his tender ministrations.

Mikey's hands slid down her sides, his fingers grazing her skin in a way that made her breath catch. He paused at the waistband of her pants, his eyes flicking up to meet hers, silently asking for permission. Y/n gave a small nod, unable to find her voice.

With deliberate slowness, Mikey peeled her pants down, his touch sending a jolt of anticipation through her. He placed a kiss on her hip, then another just below her navel, his eyes never leaving hers. Y/n's breathing grew more erratic, her body trembling with a mixture of nerves and desire.

"Mikey," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He smiled, a soft, reassuring smile that made her heart flutter. "Just trust me," he said, his voice a soothing balm to her anxious thoughts.

He shifted lower, spreading her legs gently. Y/n's heart raced as he settled between her thighs, his breath warm against her skin. He kissed the inside of her thigh, slow and deliberate, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She couldn't help but gasp, her fingers clenching the sheets beneath her.

When he finally reached her core, he paused, looking up at her one last time. The intensity in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine. And then, with a tenderness that took her breath away, he lowered his mouth to her.

The first touch of his tongue against her was almost too much. Y/n's back arched off the bed, a moan escaping her lips. Mikey's hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as he began to explore her with a slow, deliberate rhythm. His tongue moved in languid strokes, each one sending waves of pleasure through her body.

Y/n's hands found their way to his hair, her fingers tangling in the soft strands. She tried to stay quiet, but the sensations building inside her were overwhelming. Every flick of his tongue, every gentle suck, drove her closer to the edge.

"Fuck," she breathed, her voice a mix of desperation and need.

He hummed in response, the vibration sending a jolt of pleasure through her. His tongue moved faster, more insistent, as if he was determined to unravel her completely. Y/n's body tensed, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. She was so close, teetering on the brink of release.

Mikey sensed her nearing climax and doubled his efforts, his tongue working her with a skill that left her breathless. He added his fingers, sliding one inside her, then another, curling them in a way that made her see stars. The combination of his mouth and fingers was too much.

With a cry, Y/n came undone, her body convulsing with the force of her orgasm. Waves of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her trembling and breathless. Mikey didn't stop, his tongue and fingers drawing out her climax until she was a quivering mess beneath him.

her in his arms. Y/n's heart was still racing, her body still humming with aftershocks of pleasure. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and love.

"Feel better?" he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

--yurrr which character yall want next? I was thinking Mitsuya idk?--

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Be prepared for what I’m bout to tell you 👀 , ok one where the MC gets kidnapped and tortured for MONTHS like when m6 see MC again they are blind in one eye and have scars literally everywhere and that spark that they had is long gone and at first when the M6 found out MC was kidnapped let’s just say those months were like hell on earth for them . And MC didn’t change like at all they are still the same loving and caring person the m6 knows but something bout them Changed. ( you can add anything if you want,)

The Arcana HCs: What happens when MC takes down Valdemar but gets captured in the process

~ so apparently at least one person wants me to write more angst? I'll do my best but I can't make any promises. enjoy your pain, anon, and sorry in advance to anyone hoping for my usual fluff ~

(CW for mentions of torture, nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks, medical horror, scarring, injuries, and your loved ones getting secondhand trauma from you)

It began as a quick errand to your gateway. You weren't going to be longer than a few minutes, you just wanted to test a theory about how having the Fool's body affected your impact in the magical realms. You didn't take anybody with you, and that was how you found yourself sucked into what used to be Death's domain before Valdemar took over.

Unfortunately for you, they had survived the Devil's demise and had become fascinated with your "back from the dead" situation. It was a week before you were able to get any communication back to your friends through one of their familiars, and another five of strategizing and secret messages before you were able to join forces and get rid of Valdemar for good. For that month and a half, you were kept half-alive on a gurney by day and spent your nights healing and plotting and missing your loved one and preparing to do it all over again in the morning.

Nobody had time to comment on your state when you reunited, you were too busy fighting a full-blown battle against Vesuvia's founding demon, and when you finally made it back home you were able to fall back into a sense of normalcy fairly quickly (you've been dead before, resiliency is one of your strong suits). But as well-developed as your coping skills are, the physical and psychological scars you carry aren't going to magically disappear.

Julian

The first day you were gone, he just figured you had found something exciting and were taking your time exploring it

By the third day, he wasn't nervous, not at all, he knows you love him and wouldn't leave him

By the fifth day, he's worried. Nobody else has heard from you, it's like you've just dropped off the planet

When Malak appears on the seventh day with a message from you in his beak he nearly cries with relief, until he reads what you've written to him

He's immediately assembling everyone he knows who cares about you, he knows he's not an expert when it comes to magic and he needs all the help he can get

He doesn't know what you're going through. Malak doesn't have the means to communicate that clearly with him and you never mention it in your letters

When the dust has settled and Asra's whisked you all back to Vesuvia he gets his first good look at you and feels like he's going to be sick

It's not the scars or the signs of malnutrition and fatigue that turn his stomach, it's that he knows Valdemar's work better than anyone else

Every scar his eye lands on, he's seeing horrific visions of exactly how it was made and he knows exactly what its effects were

All he wants to do is drink you in, and yet he can't bear to look at you

Once he gets you home, he's pulling out his extensive medical kits and dressing and wrapping the wounds that haven't healed fully yet

This is why he traded his memories for the gift to heal anyone he touches, and this is one of the few moments he's wondering if it's a bargain worth striking again

He knows, having been a doctor during the plague, that there are things about him that might remind you of Valdemar

He gets rid of any plague doctor gear he has left, he gets a discreet bag for his surgical tools and keeps it under lock and key, he even switches his big leather gloves out for smaller cotton ones so his touch can stay safe for you. He rarely puts on his double-breasted jacket

He sees and admires your resilience, but he knows what your nightmares are made of

He's already an insomniac, but now he barely sleeps at all and wakes up at the slightest motion to check on you

He's more in love with you than he ever was before, because after you suffered under and then defeated the creature he could never conquer on his own, you came home to him and trusted him to hold you together when it was time to fall apart

Asra

They knew something was wrong as soon as you were taken, they're remarkably in tune with the magical realms

At first he was worried about you, but confident in your abilities to take on any beast. He just wished he was next to you to help

But soon they noticed the bargain mark glowing intermittently on their chest and realized that something was actively threatening the life in your body, and that's when they stopped sleeping

He was calling every contact he had, asking Nadia to use her sight, asking Julian and Portia to write every sailor they knew, calling Muriel to cast stone after stone to get a read on your condition

By night they traveled every corner of the magical realms, seeking an audience with every major Arcana they could find

Until one week in, when he reached the border of Death's realm and found he couldn't cross

They sent Faust in by herself, where she found you slowly recuperating in your holding cell

When Asra saw you through his familiar's eyes his steady magician's hands began to shake

You were able to have a brief conversation with them that night, telling them not to come yet, telling them to go back to Vesuvia and gather as much force as they could until you had a plan, telling them that there wasn't a fighting chance otherwise

He was able to do as you requested, because he knew he wouldn't be able to save you if he burst in now, but every step away from you sent ice through his chest

Now that they knew where you were, they were able to establish a link with you through your shared heart for further planning

Against your warnings, he tried contacting you during the daytime the second week in, and found himself experiencing every physical sensation that you were

Muriel found them in your bed after Faust sent Inanna a frantic SOS, writhing in agony with tears streaming down their face, wailing through clenched teeth and refusing to let go of your connection until they blacked out because as long as they held on they could take it in your place

Every day for the next four weeks, you would get a few hours of sudden blissful numbness, knowing with a sinking heart that realms away he was buried in pillow pile where no one could hear his screams

The first weeks after your return, Nadia kept you both under close supervision in the palace for intensive physical and psychological care. She wasn't stupid and she has the ability to see magic, she had an idea of what had been happening

She only let you two leave once you had been fully healed of all your physical injuries and your mental states were stabilizing

Asra immediately took you out to their sanctuary in Nopal, where you spent the next nine months taking one day at a time

You did have weekly check in visits with his parents and Nazali, who has treated their fair share of POWs, and you were eventually able to move back to the shop and resume a normal life

As grateful as Death is to you for returning their realm to them, neither of you can touch their card without wincing and you never visit your gates or another realm without each other again

Nadia

She has plenty of regrets in life, but one thing she will never be able to forgive herself for is how long it took to notice that you were missing

You had asked her at dinner if you could use her contemplation tower to make a quick research trip into the magical realms, and she had freely given you permission

And the life of a Countess is so demanding, she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and she never checked if you came back that night

When she woke up and you weren't there she assumed you were taking an early start, and then didn't get back around to meeting up with you until dinner

Which is when she sat, and waited, watching the food grow cold and refusing to eat without you, deaf to the servants' whispers as she finally listened to the part of her intuition which had been telling her something was wrong all day

That night she went up to her tower to look for you and then immediately visited the High Priestess's realm

When the High Priestess told her that she saw you passing through your gate, and hadn't seen you return since, Nadia began her realm-wide manhunt for you

She had every one of her sisters keeping watch for you, partnering with Muriel to keep eyes on less populated areas, getting Julian and Portia to spread queries for you, asking Asra to search for you across the realms, offering a large reward to anyone who could tell her anything about you

When Chandra reached her with a message from you in her talons, it had been six days of endless searching

You were in Death's realm, the one place Asra hadn't been able to reach, and you had a plan to overthrow Valdemar for good

This was progress, the end was in sight

Until Chandra shared what she saw of you in a dream with her that night, and she woke up in a cold sweat, tempted to return to her Red Plague state of isolation and apathy

But her pain had a direction, and in the following five weeks every person who knew her name learned of the pure willpower the Countess of Vesuvia possessed

She already had arrangements made for the month after you returned to take you to the seaside for recovery, and you had all of half an hour to thank your friends and catch your breath with them before she bundled you onto her yacht

With the immediate post-trauma care you received, you got a boost to your recovery and were ready to begin trying out a normal life again when you returned to the palace

The one symptom you won't shake for a long time is the nightmares

Nadia never lets you go to sleep without her right there to enter your dreams with you. She wasn't there when your world fell apart, but there is no way she's ever leaving you to fight your demons alone again

Muriel

You had been chattering about your theories to him for weeks, so when he heard you were planning on traveling to your gate, he took you to his casting spot to do it

He stood in front of you as you faded from view, expecting to see you reappear with your trademark grin in a few minutes

And then an hour passed, so he sat down

And then a day passed, so he began to cast

And soon three days had passed, and he knew that you had been taken somewhere, but he was frozen in place because this is where he was going to meet you when you got back

Inanna took things in her own paws and went in search of Faust, who spoke to Asra, who found their way to where Muriel had been keeping watch for someone who still hadn't returned

Once Muriel had someone to shake him out of his stupor he rallied his courage and moved without stopping

He reappeared in town, head high and jaw set, knowing that if he ever wanted to let you do the talking for him again he'd have to find you first

Word spread through Vesuvia like wildfire, one of the heroes of the city had gone missing, and the other one would not stop his search until they were found

He headed deep into the ancient forest to the south to find answers, sending Inanna to patrol with Asra and sending daily correspondence through Chandra

Inanna separated from Asra one week in to find you as you lay in your cell, and that was the only time you ever heard her whimper

She lay next to you the whole night, trying to share her body heat with you and licking your wounds while you whispered the beginnings of a plan to her

The next morning Muriel woke up to his familiar in front of him, covered in blood that wasn't hers, with sharp eyes full of hurt and and an answer to where you were

Every evening for the next five weeks Inanna would come to keep you warm through the night, bringing letter after letter and herbs to soothe the pain

And every morning Muriel would watch for her to appear, covered in blood that wasn't her own, and take a shaky breath of relief when he saw the paper in her mouth that meant you were still alive and planning a way out

When you returned to him, he looked at you and saw himself, fresh from a prison reeking of death and covered in scars

Every evening, he lines your bed with the softest furs and keeps you warm through the night, a burly arm curled around you and the smoothest silk covering the marks that the gurney's leather straps left on your wrists and ankles

And every morning, he'll press feather light kisses across your face in hopes that living in your body will one day be as pleasant again for you as you have made it for him

Portia

You were on Vesuvia's ambassador ship together when you left to do your research

You had been teaching her magic for a while now, and she was becoming better and better at it

So that evening, as you hung your hammocks side by side, she asked to come with you. Show her your gate, show her your world, let her join you on your grand adventures

And you, tired and wanting to sleep but needing to get your questions settled, told her next time

Next time, once you're back in Vesuvia, and Asra and Muriel and Nadia are available in case anything goes wrong, and Pepi can help act as an anchor now that Portia recognizes her as her familiar

She gets where you're coming from, but she's still a little miffed, so after you disappear she rolls over and falls asleep in a sulk, expecting you to join her with a sleepy apology when you return

And now she's waking up like clockwork with the sunrise in her eyes, you aren't in her hammock, and you aren't in your hammock, and she wonders if she was too pushy

And then she wanders the ship, and you've vanished

In her opinion, you're the greatest magician to ever live, but she knows there's no way you could leave a ship in the middle of the ocean, and deeper down, she knows that unlike her brother you would never leave her like this

So she's ordering the ship back to Vesuvia at full speed, sending messenger pigeons ahead of her, and by the time she arrives a week later the manhunt is in full swing

As soon as she's back in the cottage, at the center of the garden where she grows her magic, all caught up with Pepi and fast asleep, her familiar finally has the means to reach you

Portia wakes up in the middle of the night to a frantic Pepi clawing at her arm in a desperate bid for attention, a message tied to her collar

Now she's running through Vesuvia at night, bursting through the door to the shop in tears, because she shouldn't have let you go alone, she should have been strong enough to join you and now you're past death's door at the mercy of the same creature that nearly cost her her brother's life

When all is said and done and you're back in her cottage, soaking up the sun's rays in her garden and regaining your strength with every dish she bakes you, she's still pushing herself to learn magic better than ever before

Because she's still waiting for that spark to return to your eyes, she's still hearing you wake in the night with a hoarse shout, she still sees you flinch every time the cutlery clinks when she sets the table for dinner

And she's not expecting you to live like it never happened, but she needs you to know that next time, she'll be strong enough to fight and bleed and love and suffer next to you

Lucio

He's down in his homeland with you finishing up a job when he loses you

You'd achieved your goal, you were on your second day of the journey back to where you received your commission, and you were passing by his old village

You two had shacked up together in his mother's old crumbling hut and you had laughed at all his crass jokes about it before telling him you'd be right back, you were just doing a quick research trip

So he built you a fire and he laid out your sleeping rolls and he fed the dogs, and you still hadn't returned

So he sat in the ghostly ruins of the tribe he lead to their deaths, and the sun came up, and you didn't return

It took Mercedes and Melchior's obnoxious barking to rouse him from his lost daze, and for one brief moment their familiar bond worked

As soon as he knew you were trapped in the Arcanas' realms, he was on his feet and heading dead north, hoping to find someone, anyone, who could tell him how to bring you back

He makes camp one week into his search near the Kokhuri's burial ground, careful to avoid the graves and praying for enough mercy in the magic-rich place to maintain the strength to continue

That night, he doesn't know how, one of the dogs makes it across and doesn't come back

And the next morning, a sense of dread he doesn't understand forces him from the site, as it is not the place for him to find rest

For the next five weeks Melchior stays in your cell, somehow invisible even to Valdemar, keeping watch while you sleep and relaying messages to Mercedes

Lucio knows that Mercedes knows something, and he knows that Melchior is wherever you are, and he knows he needs someone who can speak to them better than he can

So he shows back up in Vesuvia three weeks into your disappearance, begging for help

Mercedes is most familiar with Chandra, who in turn has practice speaking to Faust, who tells Asra who tells everyone gathered that you're trapped in the Devil's realm at Valdemar's mercy

For once nobody is blaming him, but deep down he's carrying that fact that the creature toying with your life is the same one he handed so much power to

When you make it back and it's clear you'll need time to recover, he leaves the wandering life behind and places himself under Nadia's command to train the palace guards with his years of battle experience so you can rest

He sleeps in the afternoons now, so he can keep watch during the nights and wake you up when you're hit with the phantom pains he's all-too familiar with

[base0h]

Hey slayer. I've been violently ill lately and thought it be best to turn my misery into your profit, so here's a request for you. May I request the asl trio with an s/o that one night got really really sick?? Like I'm talking throwing up in the toilet, body shaking, feeling like you're going yo die type of thing. Thanks, have a great day and I hope you drink water 👋

a/n - nooo! I’m sorry about that anon :( I hope you feel better soon :) sorry in advance but I somehow make things cracky when they’re supposed to be serious 💀

warnings ⚠️ - g/n reader, vomit, comfort

- this guy hasn’t gotten sick once in his entire life, so he doesn’t know what the fuck to do when someone gets sick- (have you seen the way he tried to handle when nami got sick 😭)

- today, you already felt nauseous, sick to your stomach. The thought of eating made you want to throw yourself overboard-

- the rocking waves that shook the boat back and forth only contributed more- you weren’t even sure if this was your sickness, or sea sickness at this point

- maybe both?

- the toilet was your new bestie, the amount of times you threw up in there were countless

- chopper did his best with what meds he had- but nothing really eased the sickness. Your head just kept banging, dizzy from how many times you’ve thrown up

- your captain wasn’t sure what to do- he just kept frantically calling chopper over to see if you were ok.. He knew that maybe his funny antics weren’t going to help you right now

- “Sorry y/n… But I think this is just going to pass tomorrow, hang in there.” -chopper

- You were glad it wasn’t anything serious, but this was horrible

- Don’t you worry, Luffy stayed with you the entire night. He stole a bucket from Sanji for you to throw up in, and tried to tell you funny stories to lighten up your mood

- “Okok- ummmmm. Ok so there was this one time where grandpa kicked me down into a hole at night and-“ (Luffy was abused /with love)

- whenever you tried to sleep, he’d pat your head softly to lull you to sleep, and he tried his VERY hardest not to make any noise

- he ends up making noise but- it’s alright, you still love him (I hope)

- “Y/n! Don’t think about green! Like- don’t think about bushes and stuff! Think about uh… Meat! Wait- no. Uhm….“

- You were getting even more sick at the mention of the color green.. And meat? Luffy no.

- “NO I’M SORRY! DON’T THINK ABOUT MEAT! THINK ABOUT UH- THE SKY? THE GOING MERRY! SUNNY?”

- with him naming random stuff extremely loudly, it was able to distract you from all those gross thoughts, good save Luffy

- you made it through the night (traumatized) but alive. You were glad Luffy was there to stay with you, even though he’s not the best doctor in town lmao

- he loves you, and he’d do anything to make you feel alright :)

- he’s very experienced with almost every sickness, and he’s read about almost every kind of medical book he has in his library

- but nothing prepared him for taking care of the person he loved, because books don’t cover that :)

- you already asked Dragon if you could rest for today, and that alone made sabo so worried. You never had to miss a mission.. This must’ve been really bad

- as soon as the ship docked, sabo sprinted, and I mean SPED towards the headquarters

- my man literally knocked poor koala over on the way 😭

- when he burst through the door like a mad man, he grimaced when he saw how bad you looked

- you were still sitting by the toilet, your face turning green in close intervals

- “Oh hey sabo- how was the m-“ *throws up*

- “Y/N?! ARE YOU OK?!”

- He’s about to faint, but he managed to drag the doctor out from his office, and haul ass back to you for him to check you out

- sabo never knew he could be so tense and anxious, he found out today that he suffered from major anxiety whenever something bad happened to you 😭

- The doctor explained that it was simply a really bad stomach flu, and it would go away by either tomorrow or the next few days

- sabo was glad it wasn’t anything serious! But still, he was worried about you, I mean… You weren’t looking great-

- He tried his best, but whenever you threw up, he felt sick as well- so he comforted you while closing his eyes and covering his ears (he’s trying)

- at one point he had to run off because he threw up too 💀 probably from both feeling horrible because you were going through this. And also, he’s scared of vomit unfortunately

- just because he’s scared doesn’t mean he’s not going to stay with you 24/7! He’s sitting with you, giving you whatever you ask and need

- he tries to talk about anything except vomit and the color green lmao- but he somehow finds a way to get back to it??

- “Yeah on the mission today- we were freeing some of our comrades and one of them- his name’s Steve. He was wearing this AWFUL green shirt and I swear-!” *throws up*

- “I’M SORRY- FORGET EVERYTHING I JUST SAID PLEASE.”

- this poor man is dying, but trying 👍

- like Luffy, this guy has never been sick. EVER

- but he’s an expert at sensing whether or not you’re feeling ok- it’s kinda creepy

- it’s like he knows if a sneeze is coming, and he says bless you early 0-0

- this time, he didn’t catch it since he was off the ship, kicking marine ass on an island

- when he got back, you were- let’s just say.. You’ve been better.

- Whitebeard was worried, and Marco took a look at you right away. No one was as worried as Ace though, this poor guy was on fire, quite literally

- he kept accidentally setting things on fire around him from how worried he was!

- “Ace, don’t panic. Stay calm.” -Whitebeard

- “I AM CALM.”

- no he is not calm at all

- Marco told you that this would just have to pass normally, and he could only give you some anti-nausea meds

- when ace could finally go into your room, he was asking every single question known to man

- “Baby are you ok? You need water? Hugs? Food? A bucket? Meds? Blanket? Marco to turn into a fluffy bird and for you to hold him in your hand?”

- “…what?”

- let’s just say if you need something, he’s on it

- whenever you throw up, he’s like- cheering you on?

- “Great job! Get all that nasty stuff out! You got this!”

- I mean. It helped I guess 💀

- he’ll give you cuddles, hugs, anything to help you fall asleep and get through the night

- you finally fell asleep on him after a couple hours

- but this poor dude needed to pee so bad at around 3am. But the thought of waking you up, only for you to start throwing up again made him so sad..

- he didn’t want you to have to go through it again if you didn’t have to!

- so he sucked it up, and held it until you woke up at 7

- “Oh hey ace.. I feel a lot better now, thanks for staying.”

- “Oh my gosh that’s great! But give me like- 10 seconds I have to pee so fucking bad-!”

- my man SPED to the bathroom, leaving a literal trail of fire 💀💀💀

- he was in there for a while 😭

a/n - ace is so sweet 🥹

[lucysarah-c]

Hello, sweetie, I hope you're having a good day or night. Don't forget to eat your meals and drink lots of water!

I'm actually curious about how Levi would act around an asthmatic S/O. I am currently lying in my bed due to a recent asthma attack. Literally the slightest thing can cause me to have an asthmatic reaction, whether it's the weather or a strong smell, which gives me a horrible flu and that progresses to asthma, so I'm sensitive in that sense. I wanted to know how Levi would be with a S/O like that.

Alternative context: feed my delulu mind, please

Hi!! OMG, thank you! I’m having a decent day, though I’m almost freezing here at the end of the world that I call my country. lol

Oh no, sweetie! I hope you’re feeling better by now. 😔 I’m so sorry to hear that you’re going through something like that!

I don't want to shamelessly promote my long Levi x reader fic, haha, but in "Holy Ground," the reader character is quite similar to you. She has always had very delicate health and also struggles with asthma. Of course, I understand that everyone’s experience is unique. I based a lot of what I wrote in "Holy Ground" on my best friend who has asthma. But I’m sure I made some mistakes, so I apologize in advance.

Overall, I feel that Levi has an intrinsic fear of seeing those he loves fall ill. I delve into this a lot in my fic, but I have a headcanon that Levi struggles deeply when his loved ones are sick because it reminds him of his mother. You can tell him it’s "normal" for you or "just a cold," but he doesn’t easily believe it. In my headcanon, this is probably one of the reasons behind his obsession with cleanliness.

So, I think he would be very overprotective, maybe even a bit controlling. He might insist, "Don’t go outside without a coat; it’s too cold for you." If someone is smoking nearby, he might take their cigarette away and dare them to try arguing with him about it. If dust affects you, your place will be spotless. He would probably be worried sick about you. 😂

I hope you feel better soon! Sending you all my best energy so you recover quickly. Stay safe!

Take care of yourself!

Lots of love! ❤️

[cambria-writes]

Chapter 2: You're too old to be so shy

pairing: astarion x bard!f!reader word count: 5,395 warnings: swearing, mentions of sex and innuendos, implied past sexual abuse/assault, nothing explicitly mentioned, please let me know if anything else should be tagged

a/n: here it is! this has also been proofread twice! still writing chapter 3 but i'm mostly done. hoping to be upload chapter 3 this coming sunday. :)

though i'm still a little sick i am feeling much better!

Your camp is not suited for more than your traveling party. That much is made obvious as soon as the first few tieflings arrive once the sun has set and the stars have come out. 

Gale has been toiling away to prepare enough food for the sizable crowd you expected, and enlisted the help of both Wyll and Scratch—the latter to help gather kindling for the three fires the mad wizard has going on. As soon as you spot Mol, you immediately fix her a look that lets her know you expect impeccable behaviour, if only for tonight. The tiefling girl makes a show of crossing her heart and spitting on the ground. Not... a fantastic response, but at least you can spend an easier night knowing that the ringleader of a bunch of restless children won’t be up to her usual misdeeds. Probably.

As soon as you’ve redressed in your casual clothes, you’re scooped up by Zevlor, who insists on speaking to the entirety of the assembled crowd to sing your praises. When Alfira starts playing a gentle tune along with him, it becomes quite literal. Rolan conjures some pretty fireworks, Volo joins in with Zevlor’s off-key serenade.

It’s a mess, and, blessedly, Komira presses a bottle of some kind of alcohol in your hand.

“It’s one of our better bottles,” she says, conspiratorially, though how loudly she has to speak to be heard over everything else defeats the effort of being sneaky. “As thanks for helping our girl.”

You laugh a little, trying not to sound as uneasy as you feel. “You’ve already thanked me, though,” you say, pulling on the chain to show you are, in fact, wearing her locket. Komira’s face lights up.

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d wear it!” she exclaims, and you frown a little.

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s a pendant, it’s made to be worn.”

“Oh, well it’s such a small enchantment,” Komira says, rubbing at her collarbones. “I just—I had figured you might keep it to sell, you know?”

“Absolutely not,” you say, perhaps a little harshly. You try to soften your tone when you speak next when you see Komira’s taken aback. “I’m sorry, I meant to say that something like this can’t just be sold. The value this locket has isn’t just gold.”

She sighs, just a little, and nods. “Right, thank you. It’s just so strange to be...”

You nod in understanding. Respected, appreciated, treated like an equal; given their initial reception by Kagha and half the grove, you can see how she wouldn’t assume anyone else would have the best of interests.

You put a hand to her upper arm and try to smile in a way you hope is reassuring.

“Hey, no time to be sad or apprehensive. Your family have a long road ahead, you should have fun while you can.”

You and Komira part ways shortly after that. You fiddle with the locket’s chain as you fulfill your social expectations for the night. It’s exhausting; Zevlor catches you another three times during the night, and every time he seems even more intoxicated than the last. Lae’zel walks up to you and confesses just how arousing you are when you fight with blood on your face.

She is the first person whose advances you have to rebuff tonight.

You speak with Halsin, glad to see him among you. Your conversation is lovely and easy, until you try to convince him to mingle with the rest of you. The way he looks down at you—eyes half-lidded and a set to his jaw that you’ve become familiar with—makes you excuse yourself fairly quickly. That isn’t a conversation you feel like having with him, of all people.

Karlach excitedly tells you about Dammon and his offer to help the infernal engine roaring in her chest before showing off and making you try some of her... dance moves? Footwork? You’ve drunk most of the bottle Komira offered you, so you gladly follow and stumble along. You wish her a good night when you’re out of breath and move along.

Shadowheart and Wyll seem to be engaged in quite the debate. You watch them for a while, as Gale hands you a bowl of something that smells amazing, and pay them no mind when you realize they have no intent on murdering each other.

“Haven’t seen our pale friend in quite some time today,” Gale mentions while absent mindedly tossing some scraps behind him and into Scratch’s eager maw. “Oh, well, speak of the devil.”

You turn around to see Astarion emerging from his tent. He almost immediately snatches a bottle of wine from an unsuspecting, far-too-drunk Danis as he walks by.

“He escaped the grove the same time I did,” you say, distracted, following the vampire with your eyes until he settles under a mostly-bare tree, with his back against its bark. When you look back at Gale to say something else, he looks shocked. “What? You didn’t notice I left almost immediately after talking to Zevlor?”

“You left and didn’t tell anyone? On your own?”

You cringe, can tell that there’s a lecture coming on, and raise your hands in defense. “Look, I was covered in blood and gore and was profoundly adverse to socializing in that state. I think it’s perfectly normal and reasonable of me to excuse myself under those conditions.”

Gale fixes you a disapproving look but nods as he moves to spear a fish grilling over another fire. “Can’t hold that against you, I suppose. You would’ve smelled revolting after a few hours.”

“I’m glad you understand,” you reply dryly.

Gale sends you away once you’ve finished the grilled meat and vegetables he’s given you. You spend some time playing with Alfira as she sings, manage to rope Karlach into providing percussions by enthusiastically thumping on an overturned, probably-empty barrel. When everyone is well and enthralled, you discreetly leave your post by Alfira and let the tiefling continue the entertainment.

You begin to wander when your eyes catch the back of Astarion’s head. He’s speaking to one of the tiefling women—Pandirna, you think, pleased to see she’s still standing on her own two feet. She does, however, look very drunk and Astarion looks very uncomfortable. He doesn’t flinch when Pandirna puts a hand on his bicep and laughs, but he immediately looks like a coiled snake ready to strike. You look around quickly and wave down a tiefling who looks... well at least she looks slightly less drunk than Pandirna does, so she’ll do.

You approach tiefling and vampire with a smile. Pandirna immediately begins waving at you in large, exaggerated motions.

“Hey there,��� you greet, taking her hand off Astarion’s arm and taking it into your own. “How about we get you something to eat?” When the woman you had waved down walks over, you quietly ask her to take Pandirna somewhere quiet to rest and get something in her stomach. Or... maybe empty her stomach, you’re not quite sure. You hear Astarion sigh behind you when the tiefling women are out of earshot.

“Thank you, the only thing worse than this wine are her drunken attempts at what she calls seduction.”

You can’t help the bark of laughter that leaves your mouth. No, you don’t suppose you would be terribly receptive to the inebriated stumblings of a group of people you hardly know, let alone have barely spoken more than a complete sentence to.

“I don’t suppose this means you have to come rescue me next time someone wants to declare their undying lust for me?”

Astarion snorts in his wine but otherwise doesn’t offer an answer. You motion for him to move, and lean your back against the same tree. Your shoulders are pressed together, and this is perhaps a little closer than you’d otherwise like to be to anyone, but with decent wine in your body and the small spark of satisfaction of a job well done, you find you don’t quite mind.

You especially don’t mind if Astarion doesn’t mind, and he seems quite content being next to you like this—or, at least, he doesn’t seem terribly bothered by it, which is as good a sign as any.

“You know,” he starts, looking out onto the revelry and taking a moment to look at another of Rolan’s firework displays. It’s... messier, this time. You think maybe he’s gotten into the wine, too. “I never pictured myself as a hero. Never thought I'd be the one they toast for saving so many lives. And now that I'm here...“

Astarion takes a swig of the wine bottle like he’s forgotten what’s in it and screws his face in disgust. “I hate it, this is awful.”

You bend over with your laughter, this time. When you manage to lift yourself back up straight, you feel your chest swell with a strange kind of pride in seeing Astarion smirk. Nothing toothy, condescending or rude about it.

“Oh come on! It can’t be that bad,” you breathe, brushing hair out of your face. “Think about all the goblins you got to kill.”

Astarion makes a show of thinking about it and tilts his head in agreement. “True. That was fun,” he says, taking another swig of the wine, before immediately pulling it away.

“Give me that you big baby,” you mutter, swiping the bottle from his hand and lifting the mouth to your lips.

Right, so it’s not amazing wine, but you’ve definitely had worse. You think for a second that it might make for great cooking wine when Astarion speaks up again.

“But what do I get for all my hard work? A pat on the head and vinegar for wine,” he grumbles, crossing his arms. “I’m just looking for a little more excitement,” he ads, and leans in closer to you after you bring the bottle down. “A little more fun.”

You realize you’re a little too drunk for this conversation, a little too late.

“Hm, right, fun,” you repeat, trying to glean what Astarion’s trying to say. “What.. kind of fun are we considering? Because I’d rather you not eviscerate anyone if it’s all the same to you.”

Astarion sighs, a long and weary sound, as he rolls his eyes.

“I’m not going to—sex, darling, passion? Fun? Have you heard of it?”

A strange and unpleasant sensation rises through your spine, balls in your throat, before heavily settling in your gut.

“Not with you, just to be clear,” Astarion adds quickly, and you think maybe he sees the dread in the bead of sweat that rolls down your temple, the way your knuckles are white around the wine bottle. “I mean—can you imagine? Urgh, no.”

He’s not convincing anyone. Even with... two? Three? Bottles of wine, you can hear the frantic overcompensation in his voice.

“No need to be mean about it, gods,” you answer more or less half-hartedly, taking another swig of the wine bottle. Which is empty. You groan and toss it somewhere behind you where it won’t get away.

“Oh don’t misunderstand me,” Astarion starts, turning to lean his shoulder on the tree to better look at you. Look down at you. You’re beginning to resent how tall everyone is in comparison to you. “If our circumstances were different...” he trails off. Begins to look you up and down in a way you think is meant to be appreciative, but his eyes eventually stop their roaming just above your chest.

“You say you wouldn’t sleep with me,” you bring your hand up to fiddle with the locket’s chain again. “But it lacks an awful amount of conviction if you’re just blatantly staring at my breasts.”

Astarion laughs quietly and turns back to lean against the tree and face the ongoing celebration. You want to ask what he was looking at, just now. It wasn’t you, you know that much. But you wonder which memory got pulled to the forefront of his mind. Wish you could pin it down and dissect it and remove all the necrotic tissues from it. Give it back cleansed, blessed and free from—

“Yes?” Astarion looks at you from the corner of his eye before looking back out at the party. You... hadn’t realized you were staring so intensely. Or how far away from you your thoughts had gotten. “If you keep staring at me like that, someone’s going to get the wrong idea.”

You exhale sharply through your nose—halfway between scoffing and laughing. There’s a retort burning the tip of your tongue, but it feels a little too sharp even to your dulled senses. You instead press your hands to your warm cheeks in an effort to cool them down. At least this much you can blame on the alcohol.

You turn back to ask something else—probably about what his plans for dinner are—but your thoughts are immediately knocked out of your head when you catch a glimpse of something against Astarion’s skin. His shirt has parted and billowed just enough, in just such as a way that you can see a braided leather cord. A very hastily braided leather cord you remember stringing a pendant on.

You take a deep breath to steady yourself. Astarion is a gods damned feral cat. You absolutely never know when he’ll react well to anything you do, especially if it’s anywhere remotely near the  domain of kindness. As far as you can figure, though he hasn’t gotten into any amount of depth of detail about it, his existence as a vampire hasn’t been the gentlest. You can’t say you understand, but you can begin to see why, after decades if not centuries of mistreatment, someone may be excessively apprehensive and wary of any perceived kind act.

It ignites something raw and furious in your wine and exhaustion-addled mind. Makes you want to consume every ounce of cruelty Astarion has ever been fed to replace it with something better. Not softer, you don’t think he’s fond of softness in anything but his clothing. But something brighter, warmer. Kinder.

“Darling, I think you need to go lay down,” Astarion says quietly, right next to your ear. So caught up in your own thoughts, you hadn’t noticed him leaning into you. You feel the rumble of his chuckle more than you hear it. When he pulls away, you can’t place his expression. Guarded, then. “Let me walk you back to—”

“No,” you shake your head before leaning it back against the tree and closing your eyes. “It’s going to be noisy here for a while still. No point lying down somewhere I can’t rest.”

“Oh, of course, now you develop high standards,” Astarion bemoans, but moves away from his spot and walks around to your other side. “So tell me, where were you planning to sleep for the night?”

You shrug and nod vaguely in the direction of the woods. “There’s a clearing somewhere in the woods. I’ll just... lie down and rest for a bit, until things die down.”

Astarion rolls his eyes again. “Alone? Drunk, with a murder cult nipping at our heels, frothing at the mouth?” You wrinkle your nose. Well, yes, of course it sounds bad when he says it like that. It doesn’t even occur to argue your state of inebriation. There’s another few seconds where he crosses his arm, taps the toe of his foot and looks around. You figure maybe he’s trying to find someone to pass you over to, but he doesn’t even make it halfway through scanning the camp before releasing a put-upon sigh.

“I suppose keeping watch while you have a cat nap can’t be much worse than looking over this bunch.” Astarion uncrosses his arms and, with a hand at your back, slowly begins to guide you toward the treeline.

“I still don’t see why I need a sitter,” you grumble, snatching a sloppily folded blanket off the back of a cart. You shrug your shoulders when Astarion raises a brow at you. You’ll just have to make sure to return it before they leave in the morning.

The clearing you’re led to is far enough from camp—and, consequently, far enough from the boisterous celebration—that you can’t hear the sound of Aldira’s lute anymore. You can’t even make out anything being shouted. Your shoulders drop when you let out a deep breath. Though the moon isn’t full, her light is bright, and feels like it washes your nerves and mends their fraying. You rush to the center of the clearing to unfold and lay the blanket on the soft, overgrown grass.

When you lay down, you carefully place your hands just below your chest, over your stomach. You hadn’t planned on sleeping or trancing, really. Just get some needed alone time. Some space to exist without having to worry about choosing your words perfectly or schooling your expression into collected confidence. You glance up at the moon and sigh, content, before closing your eyes.

“This is wonderful,” you breathe out. “Thank you, Astarion.”

You hear him pause as he moves to sit by your hip. He settles in rather quickly after that. “Yes, well,” he starts, with an air of detachment even you can tell is forced. “It wouldn’t do for our noble, valiant leader to be exhausted. I rather like my odds with you.”

You don’t hum or otherwise acknowledge what he’s said. His choice of words tickles at something in the back of your mind, but you’re not quite sure what. It’s strangely discomfiting all the same.

“Wyll and Lae’zel are perfectly capable of taking the helm,” you reply, adjusting your shoulders and settling deeper into the padded ground. “I’m not sure why they haven’t, honestly. Letting a bard lead should be a terrible idea.”

“And yet here we all remain,” Astarion replies back, but there’s a softness in his voice that does make you frown. When you open your eyes, you see that he’s sat, cross-legged, with his back to you. Offering you some kind of privacy. You close your eyes and try to smooth over your expression.

What a complicated man.

“Through sheer dumb luck, you mean.” You hear the sound of a page turning. You hadn’t even noticed Astarion had brought a book along. “If Shadowheart hadn’t happened to have that gith artifact, we’d all be illithid by now.”

“And yet you took her under your wing without knowing that of her.”

“Of course. She was conscious and in the same situation as I was. It would have been unconscionable to leave her in that pod.”

Astarion hums but doesn’t reply for a moment. Long enough for you to hear the sound of another page turning. “You gained a follower nonetheless.”

“She is not a—”

“You can deny it all you want, darling,” he interrupts you, and this time you lean up on your elbows when you open your eyes. Astarion’s gaze remains fixed on whatever he’s reading. “But as far as most of our... party is concerned, you’re the only reason any of us are still alive and in possession of our faculties. Of ourselves. We’d follow you into the fires of Avernus if you had a good enough reason to believe it would save us.”

You frown at the back of his head. You can’t tell if his last words were spoken with venom or reverence. You don’t know what to say to that, and so you say nothing at all. It’s high praise coming from someone with Astarion’s temperament; you don’t want to do or say anything that would tarnish that.

It’s also a heavy burden to lay at your feet.

“Best not to dwell on it, dear,” Astarion says, almost a whisper.

“Right,” you exhale sharply, slowly lowering yourself back down onto the blanketed ground. “Don’t dwell on the fact that everyone’s continued cooperation and therefore survival hinge upon my ability to make split-second decisions in the midst of the absolute worst conditions I’ve ever been in and have no idea how to deal with. No pressure, nothing to dwell on there.”

Astarion makes a sound that’s somewhere between a sigh and an annoyed groan. You hear him snap his book shut. He leans over to lay the book somewhere near your feet. He stays there for a moment, long enough for you to contemplate reaching out, but rights himself and turns around to face you before you can move. The look he fixes you makes you feel like a child being scolded, and you recoil from him accordingly.

“Hells, woman, have you ever relaxed a day in your life? Have you no idea how to decompress?” You open your mouth to answer—a rebuttal half-formed on the tip of your tongue—but Astarion waves you into silence. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. You are going to lie down like an obedient little pet, close your eyes, think of whatever saccharine, tooth-rotting thing brings you comfort, and you will rest.”

You feel your face warm at being called a ‘little pet’, but ultimately simply huff before closing your eyes. You fold your hands carefully over your stomach and do your best to think of ‘saccharine’ things.

When you actually decide to follow Astarion’s instructions, you try to think of the forest at the edge of your family’s property. The few nights a year when your whole family could get together and enjoy food, games and music. You think of Scratch, and of the small owlbear cub you’ve seen creeping around camp when it thinks no one else is watching. You think about how, a few nights ago, you were able to bathe in the cool water by the shore in bright moonlight.

You can’t help but to think that all these moments may be the last you ever get to experience those things. Selfishly, you wish that you could at least have someone familiar with you. A friend from your childhood, maybe, or a distant relative. You wonder if maybe even a past lover would be a comforting presence to you now.

You wince when you hear Astarion sigh heavily, yet again. You expect him to speak right away, but open your eyes when he remains silent. Even from where you lay, you can tell that he’s measuring his words.

“There is... something I can do to help,” Astarion starts, slowly, turning to face you. The look in his eyes as he peers down at you makes your stomach flip in a way you’re not sure is excitement or apprehension. “How do you feel, when I feed from you?”

Frightened, vulnerable and excited, is what you immediately think. You frown and bite the inside of your cheek while you take a few seconds to properly consider the question.

“Warm, at first,” you say, tilting your head back to look up at the sky. “Then cold. Light-headed, after a while. Everything feels lighter, I think. Like I’m floating.”

Astarion hums in acknowledgement. He leans over you, bracing a hand on the other side of your neck. You think you know where this is going.

“And how’s your head, like that?” You don’t expect the tadpole wriggling in your skull, and so you don’t think. You simply allow him into your mind. He does you the courtesy of aiming directly for a single set of memories; that first time he bit you.

You can almost feel Astarion recoil when he feels the terror and beginnings of resignation that licked at you that night. The shock after waking up with a man looming over you that hadn’t been after sex, and the immediately ensuing relief. Blood?, you remember thinking. That’s all?

You see Astarion again in your memories, and his bewildered expression in the face of your lack of anger makes sense, now. Your relief and near-amusement at the time make sense to him now, too. And then there was the bite, itself.

The pain wasn’t unlike what you’ve experienced with tattoos before. Sharp, at first, but eventually the pain fades. Your mind scrambles to hold onto the pain, because the intimacy of having a man with his fangs buried in your neck is perhaps just this side of too much to handle.

And then you feel your mind start to clear. If your thoughts had been a heavy fog, your progressive bloodless state lifts it. Leaves room for little else, in fact; there is Astarion’s heavy breathing beside your ear, his weight carefully kept just above your body, and the smell of brandy, rosemary and... another herb you can’t remember.

You wonder how it was for him. A fleeting thought, but it makes your tadpole squirm. You catch brief flashes of yourself from Astarion’s eyes before an unspeakable feeling floods you. Something like burning, but invigorating. Like the best meal you’ve ever had and the most restful night’s sleep, all sliding down your throat. Something else begins to burn, but Astarion pulls away from both you and the strange connection with a choked sound.

You struggle to catch your own breath, for many reasons.

“I’m—I’m sorry,” you begin to apologize, but when you look over at the vampire his eyes are round and glassy. It’s an expression so sincerely gobsmacked and floored that you can’t help but be shocked in turn.

“That... I saw myself. You—that was me.” Your concern at his sudden lack of eloquence tumbles around your head only for a second until you realize why he’s so shocked, and why, of all things, his own face is what he’s gleaned from your connection.

It makes sense that a man deprived of his own reflection for hundreds of years would be shocked to see it. “Yeah,” you say quietly, nod minutely. You bite the inside of your cheek and argue with yourself for a moment over whether or not you should continue. Looking at the tension in the rogue in front of you, you figure maybe a bit of humour wouldn’t be amiss. “Oh, don’t act so shocked. People tell you how breathtakingly handsome you are all the time.”

Astarion’s brow furrows just a bit, and he waves his hand. Again, he seems to be looking somewhere beyond you. “None of that is relevant,” he says, a bit harshly, and then remains quiet. You give a single nod and look away.

A few minutes pass by, and you’ve just closed your eyes when he speaks up again.

“I’m not fond of the score right now,” he says quietly, and when you open your eyes he’s determinedly looking away from you.

“Wasn’t aware we were keeping track of anything but magical items and smokepowder kegs,” you reply tentatively.

“You allowed me to drink your blood,” Astarion begins, and you catch him glancing over at you for a second, almost like he’s making sure you’re paying attention. “You’ve allowed me to see my own face, after two hundred years,” he continues, drumming his fingers on either of his thighs. “And you’ve let me remain among you despite what I am.”

“Well, hold on, that’s—”

“Please, spare me.” Astarion’s tone is a little drier and stings a little more, as he holds a hand up to quiet you. “You can say that it’s ‘just what’s done’ all you want, the vast majority of the world disagrees with you and acts accordingly.” His hands have stilled, instead gripping his thighs with white knuckles.

You can’t help but feel sheepish. That is, in fact, more or less what you would have replied with. This is simply how you’ve learned to treat people, if given half a chance. Even if the person reaching a hand out has a dagger hidden in the other. You can try and put on a face and say that bards can only write about people if they’re alive to do things to write about, but that’s never been your primary motivation.

“Rest,” Astarion says after a moment. Gentler, softer than before. “If we’re going to go find this... crèche, we’re going to need you to have your wits about you.”

You cease the fidgeting of your hands and flatted them against your ribs.

“Just make sure we’re back at camp when it dies down,” you request, settling deeper into the blanketed ground. “You can’t keep watch over me all night.”

Astarion scoffs. “Of course, dear.”

You feel hazy and heavy when Astarion rouses you. Rather than trance—rather than chancing being presented with things you didn’t want to quite think of yet—you’d chosen to sleep, for the first time in a long time. A light, pleasant and dreamless slumber that left you feeling almost drunk upon waking. Your bleary eyes can barely make out where you are or where you’re going as you walk, but you trust the firm pressure at your back guiding you.

You grab at Astarion’s arm before he turns to leave you at your tent.

“Did you, do you need to fee–to drink?,” you ask, stumbling over your words in an effort to speak them before your fatigue sweeps them away.

You think the look on his face is consideration; you recognize the shift in his gaze, the tension in his brow. You feel it on your own face often enough when put in a position to make any choice on behalf of your companions.

“Darling,” he starts slowly, pulling his arm away just enough to be able to grasp your hand. It feels pleasantly cool against your sleep-warmed skin. “You’ve let me have you not two nights ago.” You swallow thickly at the phrasing. “I’ll manage perfectly fine.”

You drop your eyes to your joined hands. “I’ll trust your judgment, then.”

When you raise your gaze back to Astarion, you’re finding he’s now contemplating your hand in his. He looks leagues away for a few seconds, and you wish you could ask him what he was thinking about it. Or, maybe it would be fairer to say you wish you could trust that you’d get a straight answer from him if you did.

So you stay quiet.

“I suppose a... sip couldn’t hurt.” Astarion moves forward, forcing you to take a step back, as he holds the fabric of your tent open for you. “Best to lay down.”

Your ears feel hot and itchy, and you feel your cheeks beginning to burn. It’s terrible enough to get some kind of excited about this, but the embarrassment you feel for it is almost worse.

You make quick work of making room for and laying on your bedroll—but not so quick as to look over-eager. Astarion kneels patiently by your side as you lay down and take a deep breath. It’s only when he’s barely a hair’s breadth away from your neck—his lips close enough to brush the skin there—that he speaks up.

“This will only hurt a little.”

It’s a lie, but at least it’s what you hope is a well meaning one. You carefully exhale and make sure to release the tension in your neck and shoulder as fangs pierce your neck. It always burns, more than just a pinch, and the initial feeling of intrusion is strange and uncomfortable.

And then the pain fades, slowly and then all at once, and you’re finally able to take a deep breath.

Astarion doesn’t linger long. You don’t think he’s had more than a few mouthfuls before pulling away, softly pressing a cool thumb to the small wounds. He wipes at the corners of his mouth with his free hand. Fingers smooth over your neck before he rights himself.

“Thank you,” Astarion says, and his tone, combined with half-lidded eyes, makes something run up your spine and settle at the base of your skull. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

And soon, it’s as though there was never anyone else with you in your tent. You don’t know what you should attribute your light-headedness to, or the strange rhythm your heart is drumming against your ribs. You think perhaps this is why you hadn’t let yourself genuinely sleep in so long. Your brain’s foggy, your body feels loose and light and your thoughts slip away from you like sand between your fingers.

You close your eyes against the sudden thought that you wish Astarion would have stayed, just a bit longer.

You exhale, deeply, almost a sigh, and you pretend that all your irrelevant, childish thoughts of vampires float away in the air, too.

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[onigirio]

Helluuu, I’m in my Jason grace simp week, and I’m really craving some new headcanons about him (I basically read everything on tumblr😭) if you could, do you mind writing a headcanon on what it would be like to date Jason as a child of Apollo? Thank you in advance <3

a/n) anon you are starting something you will not be able to stop JASON AND APOLLO!READER ARE LITERALLY MY LOVES!! i’m sorry this took so long <3

first of all

descendants of the god of the sky and god of the sun?

match made in heaven

jason is the type to wake up super early to work out

you’re up early because when the sun’s up, you’re up

basically you two watch the sunrise together

and then you watch jason do his thing to make sure he doesnt pass out or to patch him up if needed

you two barely spar because yk

bow vs sword doesnt rlly work out

but jason helps you with your sword skills a lot

and in return you teach him how to shoot

you make fun of his aim all the time it’s hilarious

the two of you guys have dates like this all the time

speaking of dates

MOVIE ! NIGHTS !

jason lost a lot of his childhood

so you make sure to watch the classics together

high school musical, camp rock etc

it usually doesn’t last long because jason probably goes to bed at 8:30

and you start feeling sleepy when the sun is down

it always ends up as a cuddle sesh

which is perfect

please hold jason

he’s so scared he’s gonna lose you

let him know you love him all the time

his love language is definitely acts of service

he’ll carry your quiver for you

or bring you food in the infirmary

he wants to make sure you’re always happy

call me cliché but he calls you sunshine

sunflower, sunny etc

personal fave

“my light”

it’s funnier if you have heliokinesis

and you start glowing when it gets dark

like if jason can’t see you late at night he’s just like

jason: my light where’s my light

you: *glows*

jason: there you are :D

electric love is your song fr

if you ever sing it for him he will cry

oh jason </3

you used to hate the rain

and then one of your dates got rained out

instead of going inside you just

danced in the rain

because jason makes you feel so safe

afterwards you two went home and got warm bc you were worried about getting sick

he loves when you show him original work

art, music, writings whatever

jason feels so special when you show it to him

because it’s like you’re giving him a piece of yourself yk?

gods you and jason? you’re absolutely perfect for each other <3

[i-think-i-did-it-again]

Fuck Buddies II

Warning: swearing, drinking

You throw back the shot of tequila, the familiar burn hitting the back of your throat. The music from the DJ booth is literally making your chest thump and there’s so many bodies pressed up around you that you’re not even sure where yours begins and ends. You can feel Rook and Sophie’s eyes on you and you know you’re worrying them but right now, you honestly couldn’t give a fuck. You just wanted to not care anymore. You wanted to be able to ignore Colson with the different women hanging off him. You wanted to be able to ignore the fact that they’re so attractive that it makes you feel like Shrek in comparison. You wanted to be so indifferent to what was happening that you could smile and give him a cheery thumbs up every time he looked your way. 

It’s not like you planned this sort of arrangement with Colson in advance. It just kind of happened one night. You were drunk and horny and he was there. It was hot as fuck and you were addicted but while you were seeing Colson in this whole new way, lying in your bed panting your way back to reality, he was getting dressed. Your whole epiphany was shattered and you were left lying there, confused and hurt. You scrubbed your body raw in the shower, trying to get rid of the dirty, disgusting feeling that plagued you. You scrubbed every spot his lips touched, every bit of skin he gently stroked. Every move that made you feel like this was more than it was. You couldn’t rid yourself of the embarrassment and the shame. What made it worse was that the next time you saw him, he acted the same as always, like nothing about what you did together affected him. That cut deeper than anything else.

“Hey, you’re kind of going really hard on those tequila shots!” Rook yells at you over the music. “Maybe you should take a little break?”

“I’m fine Rook, stop stressing!” You shrug him off and push through the crowd. 

You feel bad for snapping at Rook but you’re so sick of everyone seeing you as this fragile little girl who needs saving. You’ve been a perfectly fine, full-fledged adult, living alone in LA for the past 4 years, you don’t need anyone to hold your hand and even if you did, the one person you want to has his tongue rammed down the throat of some groupie. 

You find the smoking area outside and decide to hide out until all the alcohol in your system hits. You figure it shouldn’t take long, you’ve barely eaten all day and you had 2 cocktails before you got to the club. You thought celebrating Colson’s birthday would be fun. You’d get to hang out, drink, maybe do some dancing. Instead, you’re hiding and inhaling secondhand smoke from complete strangers. 

“Hey, can I bum a light?” A tall, ruggedly handsome man asks, sitting down next to you. An unlit cigarette hangs from his full rosey lips. He has an accent but your mind can’t exactly place it.

“Sorry, I don’t smoke,” you smile politely at him, trying to ignore his beautiful chocolate coloured eyes. 

“Then why is a beautiful woman like you sitting in the smoking area all by yourself?” He quirks an eyebrow at you and your insides quiver slightly. 

You know you don’t have to answer him. You think you should just tell him to leave you alone. You know you should stop sulking and go back inside with all of your friends but something about the way he watches you makes you want to stay. 

“Would you believe me if I told you I’m a reformed smoker and I just love the smell every now and again?” He chuckles at you and you want to hear that sound over and over again. 

“I would, if you weren’t sitting as far away from all the smokers as you are and if you actually looked like you wanted to be out here.”

“So, Mr Observant, why’d you ask me for a light?” It’s your turn to quirk an eyebrow at him. 

“I wanted to know what was making a beautiful woman, such as yourself, sit out here looking so miserable?”

You look at him and something about his kind and deep eyes makes you want to spill your guts almost immediately. You feel like you’ve seen him before, somewhere but you can’t quite place him. You don’t really want to get into specifics but it would be nice to have an objective party listen to the problem and possibly render a solution. 

“The guy I like barely even knows I exist and if I stay in there,” you nudge your chin towards the club, “I’ll have to sit there and watch as every woman throws herself at him.”

“Oh, I see,” he grimaces and you feel a little bad for the guy. He probably just thought he was going to be able to hit on some random chick and here she is spilling her pathetic love life to him. 

“Sorry, I probably should’ve just lied and said the music was too loud,” you mumble, fiddling with your finger nails like you always do when you’re uncomfortable. 

“No, it’s fine. I get that feeling completely. I’m just trying to think how I could help with your predicament?” 

You look up at the kind stranger and smile. The returning smile he gives you makes your skin erupt with goosebumps and your back straighten. It may be the tequila kicking in but this guy is hot! He’s tall, deep brown hair falls down across his forehead and he has the kindest, warmest eyes. You feel so comfortable talking to him that you almost forget why you came out here in the first place. 

You spot a bleach blonde mop of hair pushing through the crowd and you push your body as far back into the corner of the seating and your new friend spots exactly what you’re staring at. He grabs your chin and turns you to face him. His eyes are boring into your own with such intensity, your breath hitches in your throat. 

“Do you trust me?” he asks barely above a whisper. You can’t speak. All you can do is nod your head. 

He leans into you and presses his lips softly to yours. His lips are slightly parted and you can taste the vodka on his breath. The feeling of his lips on yours is so inviting that you find yourself immediately kissing him back. You run your fingers through his hair, latching onto the strands like they’re the only thing holding you to the earth. He moans softly into your mouth and your body shakes at the sound of his pleasure. You’re so lost in the moment that you almost forget you need to breathe. The aching in your lungs is the only thing that can make you pull away. You gasp as you try to catch your breath. You can’t help but chuckle at how freeing that felt. You look back to the door and the blonde hair has disappeared. You feel a ball begin to form in the pit of your stomach but you push the thought away. He started this.

“What was that?” you giggle, eyeing the handsome man beside you. The tequila has definitely hit your system now.

“I was just testing a theory,” he grins at you before pulling out a cigarette packet from his pocket.

“Oh yeah? And what theory was that?” you eye the cigarette dangling between those sweet lips and almost miss his answer.

“That whoever that guy is feels the same way about you as you feel about him.”

“And what have you concluded from your experiment?”

“That he’s desperately in love with you.”

You burst out laughing, physically holding your sides to stop them from splitting, you're laughing that hard. You have to gasp for breath as you start to calm down. It feels nice to relax and just laugh for once. Whenever you’re around Colson, you feel so on edge that you’re scared you may just fall off the precipice. You never feel like you can relax and just enjoy the moment. You like this feeling of not caring and you want to hold onto it forever but that’s not reality.

“I should go back to my friends but thank you for listening and for one of the best kisses of my life,” you stand and smile down at the man whose name you still don’t know. “I’m Y/N by the way.”

“Give me your phone,” he holds out his hand. You place your unlocked phone in the palm of his hand. He types away quickly before handing the phone back to you. “Call me if you ever want to do it again sometime.” 

With that, he stands and heads over to a group of guys standing on the other side of the smoking area. You stare after him for a few moments before turning your attention to your phone. He’s put his name and number in your phone and the name is jumping out at you like you should recognise it but you can’t for some reason. You head back to the nightclub and as you step in, someone grabs your arm and yanks you towards an emergency exit. You’re too drunk to resist the stranger and you stumble numbly behind them.

The door opens and you’re now standing in a poorly lit alleyway, a very pissed off Colson glaring at you. You’re not sure if it’s the unbelievable tension or the alcohol in your veins but you smile goofily at him. This just seems to piss him off more and he throws his beer bottle against the brick wall. You don’t flinch, you don’t even move as the glass shatters and beer spills everywhere.

“What the fuck Y/N?” he screams at you but you don’t care. “Are you trying to make me look like a fucking fool?”

Your brain can’t exactly work out why he’s so pissed or what the hell he’s talking about but that’s got less to do with the alcohol and more with the fact that you don’t care anymore. He can be as pissed off as he wants, he’s not killing your vibe because he’s having a hissy fit over God knows what. You just stand there, waiting for him to speak again and when he doesn’t you just stare at him. 

He looks hot in a light blue dress shirt with only the last two buttons done up leaving the shirt open enough that you can see all the tattoos that litter his chest and top half of his stomach. He’s wearing tight black jeans, which outlines his crotch perfectly, and black Converse High Tops. He’s practically blowing out steam from his nostrils at this point but you don’t give a fuck. Colson doesn’t scare you, he never has. 

You take a few steps towards him and he watches you warily. You bite your bottom lip as you stand in front of him and his gaze zeroes in on the movement. You lean up on your tippy toes and graze the tip of your nose against the bulging vein in his neck, up towards his jawline. His breath quivers at your touch and you run your fingernails up his arms to his exposed skin on his chest. He’s practically panting now and you love the control. He never lets you take the lead like this and the whole new experience is making you wet. You go to loop your hands around the back of his neck but he grabs your wrists and shoves you away.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” he spits at you and normally the rejection would shatter you but right now you feel nothing but desire. You step towards him again but he moves out of your reach. “I SAID FUCKING STOP!”

“Oh I forgot, we only fuck when you want to right?” you snort and he scowls at you. “I forgot that you’re in charge and I’m just supposed to be here, waiting, ready for when you want to use and abuse me.”

“Don’t act fucking innocent. You love it,” he spits at you and you almost slap his stupid face. You clench and unclench your fists at your side, holding yourself together. “You love when I spank your ass raw, when I pound into you so you can’t fucking walk the next day.”

“Yeah, it’s my great fucking joy in love Colson.”

You turn on your heels and start to leave the alleyway. You can’t be bothered going back inside and pretending like you’re happy to be there. You’re so done with faking it and you’re done with Colson. Yet again, you stupidly thought tonight would be different than any other time with Colson. You can’t keep convincing yourself that anything about your ‘friendship’ with him will change. Friends with benefits is a fucking sadistic concept and no one should be dumb enough to convince themself that it would be any different for them.

“Why were you crying last night?” he calls after you and you stop dead in your tracks, your blood running cold. 

“Wh-what?” you turn around and look at him dumbfounded. You feel like you’ve instantly sobered up just from that one question.

“I heard you before I left. I went to leave but I wanted some water and when I was standing in your kitchen, I heard you. Why?”

“I-I wasn’t, you…you must’ve heard wrong,” you trip over your words as you try to think of some explanation and his features shift. He storms towards you and stands in your space.

“WHY THE FUCK WON’T YOU JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH!?” he screams, as close to your face as humanly possible.

“I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU! FUCK! DO YOU FEEL BETTER NOW?!” you scream back at him and he stumbles back. He doesn’t say anything, he just turns and walks away, leaving you standing alone in the alley, broken and hurt.

[dasher85]

respectfully yours

featuring our Inexpressible duo

Kamisato Ayato x reader | y/n | you

A  short story

venturing out at another nation with Ayato

[ The Commissioner trying to be less affectionate when he's not the Commissioner? Will he succeed? ] 

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Sickness is normal, and yet saddening. The discomfort was bearable but you still regret not being in the best condition. Of all time, your health just couldn't get any better. It's nothing life threatening really but not being able to do normal activities is enough to affect yourself and the people around you.

Still that wasn't the main reason why your heart is in regret but it was simply because you couldn't make preparation for a birthday gift. You couldn't even simply help out for his surprise party because of your poor health. If anything you thought you were being such a disappointment.

"Happy birthday, Ayato…" you said in a soft voice.

He nods, happily with a smile.

"...and you should be there. They prepared it especially for you. I want you to be at leisure, eat the cake, and get the gifts." you smiled reassuringly.

He gently strokes your hair while displaying a warm smile as he slowly nodded. Agreeing to your suggestions. 

"Alright. I will." He then brought your hand that was already in his hold towards him before gently kissing your knuckles. 

You only displayed a smile, feeling genuinely appreciated by him. He rarely does that because he prefers kissing your head instead of your hands but since you have a damp washcloth placed on your forehead, he didn't have much choice.

As soon as he walks out of the room, you instantly close your eyes and sleep. The headache you were feeling was slowly getting worse once more. You've tried to stand up once, but your vision only becomes spinning and you're not able to properly walk. That's just how worse your headache could get if you don't stay in bed for even a minute.

You've taken medicine and herbal teas but only the rainy weather seems to actually ease your headache. You still have the appetite to eat and be able to talk as normal but once the temperature starts to rise by even a degree, you're done for… 

After an hour or so, Ayato returns to check up on you. You were a light sleeper, so his light footsteps have already alerted you awake. 

"Y/n do you need anything? Are you feeling comfortable?" He asked while reapplying water to dampen the clean piece of cloth. 

You slowly shook your head and displayed a warm smile, insisting him not to worry about you. There's literally a team of qualified Doctors that would check up on your condition every day and yet you still find him here quite often. 

"How was your birthday event? Hasn't it only been a few minutes since you've left?"

"It's already been an hour actually but things are all good… they're all happy." He smiled. 

"You should go back there-"

"...but I'm content with staying here with you." He cuts through your words as you sighed, feeling guilty for not being able to accompany him. 

"Ayato… I'm sorry. I also couldn't even prepare any gifts in advance for your birthday" you sadly spoke with a small voice, still thinking about the same matter when you see him again.

He smiled before clearing the strands of hair away from your face.

"Don't bother, I just want you to get better" He then planted a gentle kiss on your forehead before placing the damp washcloth once more.

"Although it would be unsuitable to your request in exchange for your birthday gift… but would you want me to give you a kiss or a hug instead? Perhaps kissing me would be inconvenient, you might get sick as well" you smiled as you waited for him to reply to your sudden suggestions.

His eyes widened and his lips parted in complete disbelief as if you've said something terrible. The look on his face briefly breaks into a surprised expression before it gradually softens into a smile.

"I-" he chuckles as if unable to conceal his burst of happiness.

"I wouldn't mind… getting sick" his voice was calm at the beginning before it quieted down into a mere whisper. You heard him just as clear before glancing at him with a knowing smile.

He smiles back and slowly leans over to you, but before his lips reached yours, you had already pulled him with your right hand. Instantly placing his lips on yours. Despite it all, the corner of his lips lifted in delight before taking  it all in. Much less to your surprise, he's very much passionate and unforgiving about this so-called gift that you're being left breathless despite being bedridden over a fever. He smiled softly afterwards, still evidently slightly out of breath after such a session but his eyes were lost in admiration for you. 

Satisfied that somehow such a request was considered acceptable for him, you finally felt genuinely better over not being able to do anything for his once in a year special day. It's not much of a proper gift but you know he's happy and his feelings are greatly in sync with yours too. Although you wanted to spend more time just talking with him, you can feel that it's impossible to do just that. The smile on your face slowly disappears as you finally rest your eyes closed without saying much of a word.

The headache hasn't subsided and the throbbing pain on your head only grows stronger every time the sun starts to rise. The weather at Inazuma has become somehow way too high for your low heat tolerance.

Unnoticed by you, his once joyous smile slowly returns to an unhappy expression as if your resting figure has taken away all that's left of joy in him.

"Y/n…" he called out your name in a whisper almost unsteady and you instantly noticed the trouble in his voice.

"What is it… What's wrong?" You squeezed his hand that was already holding yours.

"Please get better… Do you want me to cool down the room? I can get Ayaka."

"I would love to… but don't worry I'll get better in a few days"

"You've been bedridden for a whole week now. I've never seen you this ill. Do you want me to bring you back to your homeland? Would you feel more comfortable in the cold weather?"

Somehow the mention of your homeland has brought a wide smile on your face. How you missed the cold chilling winter and white landscape of unending snow. The weather is incomparably colder than it is right now at Inazuma. 

"I really want that… but surely you wouldn't want to do that… my mom would be furious." You once again opened your eyes to meet his concerned gaze.

"You don't want to be on her bad side. She would endlessly scold us both." You smiled in thoughts of the situation as he helplessly sighed with a small smile.

"I can go through that"

"Well I can't. It's scary."

"...but I'm worried, y/n. Yesterday when it rained I thought you were getting better now that the sun's out again…" he sighed, feeling undeniably helpless over your predicament.

"I've been staying at Inazuma for a few years now. Of course I still can't perfectly adapt to the weather, but I'll be alright… eventually. I just need to reduce my outdoor activities and sleep more."

A week ago, you had joined him in Inazuma city. Just the usual stroll together right after he finished his afternoon meeting. You knew you shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight for too long but perhaps you were preoccupied with him explaining about political issues that you completely forgot about the sunlight's harm against you. So you've been on this bed ever since waking up from fainting that day.

"Y/n…" 

He continues to talk but ever so slowly your eyesight becomes blurry and you couldn't make out what he was saying anymore before your hearing gradually becomes silent.

The next thing you knew was waking up to a comfortable cool sensation on your skin. Every breath you inhaled was cold and refreshing. It was so comforting that you kept your eyes closed with a small smile appearing on your lips.

"Honey, wake up now"

That voice… it's so familiar… you instantly opened your eyes just to confirm and true enough, it was your mother.

The window to your room was opened and some winter wind has entered. That simple thing has made you feel healthier than ever. As if a fish that has been returned to the ocean. 

"Mom…" you gulped nervously after seeing her worriedly frowning at your condition. Her golden badge reflects a glint of daylight, seemingly still in her formal wear. 

"...don't worry. I'm feeling much better now" you muttered an attempt to escape from the situation. The moment you glanced to your right side of the bed, you finally noticed Ayato who was also there but it wasn't the moment to even ask or talk to him about anything at the moment because you knew what would be coming next.

"You already knew the sun's heat could harm you… why did you even go out during daylight?" Your mother finally spoke in a calm tone but her question only implies otherwise. She rarely talks but when it comes to the things that could harm you, she's going to throw endless words and questions. 

You could only quietly listen to her without even trying to argue back. After all, it was all true. It's still your own fault for getting yourself into this situation. 

"He only sends you here after you were unconscious for two days… honestly, does he even care about you? Is he waiting for the worst to happen?"

Ayato was right there next to you, just opposite your mother. He only quietly listens as his gaze stays low, away from your mother's burning gaze. The question wasn't directed to him but it was literally pointing towards him.

For the whole five minutes your ears were washed while his soul was shaken and yet the both of you didn't dare to utter a single word.

"Young man, my daughter may love you but I'm unforgiving to whoever that tries to harm her and that includes you. Perhaps it's better to keep that in mind." she warned him mercilessly before finally walking out from your room after being called by her assistant for duty. If it wasn't for that, things could've ended for at least an hour. 

After it was only the both of you who were being left inside the room, you finally sighed in relief while he only smiled at you.

"Well, it was as expected." You muttered before you tried to sit up and he helped you to fix the pillow behind you.

"She's just like you" he then placed a hand on your forehead just to check your current temperature.

"...are you feeling alright though?" You asked him. Although it wasn't pleasant, you're still used to spiteful words unlike him who's probably never been directly scolded before.

"Mmm…" he nods with a smile but his eyes tell you the opposite. After all, he's not simply dealing with a mere politician but the person who has the rights to take you away from him. If that happens, it'll be excruciatingly difficult to claw out other alternatives just to make things better.

You sighed worriedly, "You'll be alright. Nobles are just… exaggerating sometimes"

Before he could reply a knock was suddenly heard from the door and two servants entered after you approved their entrance. One person gives you medicine and the other person proceeds to serve Ayato a nice glass of warm drink before she also serves you a bowl of chicken soup porridge. They both walked out right after finishing their task and leaving the both of you alone once more. 

"It seems like you still get a glass of warm chocolate" you looked at him knowingly. "Did you know during your first winter festival, my mom took that same drink from me and filled it inside a glass bottle just so I could quickly bring it for you."

"The one that you bought for me?"

"Exactly" you displayed a smile as you tried to assure him that he shouldn't be worried about the possibility of being thrown into the disapproval list. 

"...and besides, I'll always return to you. No matter where you are… you'll have me." You slowly spoke while mixing the porridge with a spoon to cool it down.

The cold wind chills that were coming in from the opened window had increasingly lowered the room's temperature. It was too cold for his liking but he was still able to form a gentle arc on his lips. Those words coming from you have gently warmed his heart.

"I'm actually glad that you're still here even after sending me back to maintain my health. There's so many reliable servants you could've assigned for me, that way you wouldn't need to be here. I never want to be the cause of trouble especially when it comes to your work-"

"Y/n, you're my responsibility and I wouldn't want anyone to do that in my stead. I want to bring you back together with me when you're better. So rest as much as you need and I will stay here with you."

"Really? I wanna stay here for a whole month"

He holds his breath in surprise upon listening to your shocking request. Ayato didn't think you'd need a whole month to recuperate. His brain instantly starts to calculate the work he needs to catch up and by then it'll reach a staggering amount. He was in a dilemma. 

"Of course, that's doable…" he smiled.

You looked at him knowingly as you eagerly waited for him to deny your request. You knew he couldn't do that, it's just impossible but you're just curious how he would conclude a solution. Would he choose you or his work?

"...if you're my dedicated advisor for the next two months" he partially believed that you're not joking about that request but it's not that troublesome if it was actually true. 

It's probably difficult to catch up work on his own but it's not entirely impossible for him. After all, he has you on his side and he's confident whenever you're around. From political issues, planning festivals, official affairs to confidential tasks… These all are nothing but a piece of cake for you. If you personally assist him, a two week's work can be done within five days. The only thing is you're not supposed to do these things based on the agreement letter between the both of you. 

"Oh… that smart brain of yours. You actually choose both." 

He let out a chuckle, finally understanding the reason behind your request.

"We can just return tomorrow if needed. I don't want to work for two months." You finally resort into a serious answer. 

"I've got everything covered for at least a week. Besides, we just arrived here a few hours ago. It's alright, just rest here a few more days... I’ll stay here with you."

You nodded happily with a smile. Usually, he always returns the next day after he visits you and rarely has the chance to stay longer. Just a few months ago, you wouldn't mind if his visits were short and would be happy to spend your few weeks at your homeland on your own. But now, it brings you comfort whenever he's around. 

"Y/n… actually I might need to get my coat downstairs. It's getting too cold for me." He suddenly informs you. 

"Is it too cold?". You barely even feel anything, but he only nods.

"You can just close the window, the heating system will regulate the temperature."

"There's something different about the coldness here. It's just unbearable sometimes. Does it not affect you that much?" He questions as he quickly stands up to close the opened glass window. Inazuma has snow too sometimes but unlike here, he could feel the coldness reaching his heart mercilessly. 

"I’m feeling healthier than ever. You’re just not used to it… but it must be just like Inazuma. You know, I'd rather not say"

You both looked at each other knowingly. If there's anyone who could disrupt the weather, it's the same being who could control an element without a vision. Perhaps the weather is just choosing its own people rather than welcoming visitor.

"Ah I see…" he nods understandingly.

"Just wear a coat when you're outside, you'll be fine." You then continued to eat the porridge as he returned to the same seat. 

"I'm done eating, have you finished your drink?" You finally spoke after quietly finishing the porridge. 

"Not yet…" he briefly paused to look at you, "...it's better if you take a nap and rest" he then advised, already guessing the eagerness in your eyes which only tells him you'd want to walk out from this room.

Instead of jumping out from the bed you could only sigh and eventually got yourself into the covers. His lips formed a gentle arc. Never did he expect you'd actually listen to him.

He would tell you not to go outside because it might rain and you still go. He often says that you should sleep and come to bed with him but he always ends up carrying you instead after you fall asleep by the desk. You, disobeying to his words and requests occurred more often than you'd actually do as told. Sometimes you're mature but sometimes you're just like a rebellious teenager. Despite that he couldn't complain much because you could randomly suggest a solution for a difficult problem and it would work out. Now, he already got the gist behind the reason why you always mentioned being the favorite daughter. That surely wasn't your way of exaggerating things. 

"Ayato, come here" you suddenly gesture a hand as you casually called him to join you.

He calmly holds down the ceramic cup, "Sweetheart, I'm afraid I can't take more scolding…"

You laughed, "Nonsense, you told me you could take it just fine".

"I know… but surely-"

His sentence was left hanging when you quickly took hold of his wrist, almost causing him to spill the drink but fortunately he was fast enough to place it by the nightstand. Eventually, Ayato could only slowly adjust himself in bed as he gets into the covers with you.

He smiled worriedly but unquestioningly pulled you closer by his side. On most nights, it was always him who would want to hold you but this time it was you. His heart is genuinely overjoyed and yet at the same time he didn't want to bring any disapproval from your family. After all, your recovery was the main priority, surely there's no room for affection and intimacy. 

"You never once asked me to come over when we're at the estate. How come you're eager today?" he gently whispered. 

"You said it was cold… I thought it's only convenient. No?" You whispered back before slightly turning your body to face him. 

The Commissioner who was currently not on duty helplessly stared back at his significant other who's now comfortably resting on his arm. How could he possibly say 'no' to this especially when it's you who insisted. The second you regained consciousness today, he actually endured the desire to hold you close, and just sat there with a calm relieved expression. Now that he finally got a chance, he's still deliberately trying to maintain a calm and collected mannerism.  

"Alright… have me all you want". His left arm supports your head while his other free hand gently stroking your hair. He couldn't see your face as his chin was almost touching the top of your head but your calm breathing assured him that you were resting comfortably.

Ayato was suddenly woken up by your slight movement after seemingly also falls asleep for a few hours.

"What's the matter? Headache?" He whispered worriedly.

He thought you were uncomfortable but unexpectedly you only whispered to him about your plan to go out and that you've rested enough.

"...are you allowed to go outside when you've just recovered?" He took a deep breath before exhaling to wake himself up but was able to properly question you. 

"Hurry! We still have time before nightfall…" you insisted as you slightly raised your head to hear his reply.

'It's no wonder she's used to all those scolding.' he secretly thought. You're effortlessly brilliant and yet rebellious at the same time.

"Y/n, if it's any other day it wouldn't be a problem but you just woke up a few hours ago. Surely getting a few hours of sleep isn't enough. Give yourself at least a day or two to properly recuperate. If you need anything, I'll get it for you." he tries to reason with you as he securely places an arm around your waist.

"...do you really won't let me go outside right now?" You spoke with complete disappointment in your voice. Your left hand  cupped to the side of his cheeks as your eyes searched into his violet eyes.

"Tomorrow, we'll go tomorrow, is that agreeable?" He tries to gently negotiate with you, deliberately ignoring your little gestures.

"No…" 

He sighed, "Alright, I'll accompany you"

"Yes!" You exclaimed and quickly removed the covers with one hand motion.

Ayato slowly sat up but he had to rush out of the bed because you had already pushed him to the side. 

"Where are we going?" He asked after you've changed into a new pair of clothes from your walk in closet.

He was still fixing the side of his hair in front of a mirror as he glanced at you who's now approaching the mirror too. He had to quickly step aside as you casually took complete ownership over the mirror.

For once he thought, you act quite differently when you're at your parent's residence. It's not in a bad way but it's still something he finds rather intriguing. After all, he hasn't witnessed you act like this before.

"You'll see." You placed down the comb, fixed the collars of your outfit and swiftly walked out from your room.

Ayato has been here a few times, he recently visited the nation a few months ago and it's as cold as he remembers. Unlike him, you're unbothered by the coldness although both of you were wearing the same thick fur coat. Sometimes he questions if his coat was lacking in many ways than yours.

The cold wind made him squinted his eyes with a slight frown but fortunately his hand was firmly holding yours ever since walking out from the mansion's grand door.

"Are you alright?" After walking for a few minutes you noticed his hand was slightly shaking. He shook his head, finally admitting to you that he’s not feeling fine at all. 

“We're close now. Let's hurry…"

He only followed you without question. He's just feeling cold and a little tired from enduring the extremely low temperature. Despite that, he still looks fine from the outside as if he wouldn't need a source of fire.

Unlike his previous visit where he gets to venture in the capital city, this time you bought him towards the winter woods. The forest was just a few minutes walk from the mansion's ground but he could already feel the eerie silence. No chirping of birds, no distant sounds but only the crunching layers of snow once weight was placed onto its clear surface.

The river bank on his right was completely frozen, the unending pine trees grew tall and dense yet you walked unhesitatingly through the unmarked path without any map or a compass. If you weren't here as his guide, his rate for survival would've dropped significantly. 

After seemingly a few more minutes of walking through the pine trees and white path, the both of you finally reached a clearing revealing a frozen lake. The vast sky was clear and yet the setting sun couldn't be seen from any angle.

"I should've bring my skates but it wouldn't be fun without a competition"

"Ice skating?"

"Yes, just gliding across the frozen ice surface."

You proceed to tell him about how most competition would be and the rules that need to be followed while you walked towards the small hut near the left side of the lake.

The door was locked but you bought a key and he was sure that you didn't ask anyone for a key before getting out. How convenient. 

Inside was filled with dry firewood and some other supplies for outdoor activities. From sharp weapons to candles and matchsticks were all placed on shelves with particular arrangements. It was well kept and seems to be regularly maintained.

"Let's make fire, you seem unhealthy"

"...am I?" He smiled.

You quickly turn around to pick up a few chopped logs and hand it all to him before he could tease you even more.

Afterwards, it took you just a few minutes to start a proper fire using the matchsticks but he did help you to arrange the logs.

"Your hands are a lot warmer" he suddenly comments while literally reaching out closer towards the fire.

You stood opposite him with a satisfied smile, you didn't complain though because you knew the glimmer in his eyes was admiring the warmth as if his soul depended on it.

"That's good, now we can wait until nightfall"

You glanced up towards the sky with a smile and casually let your body fall back on the fresh fallen snow. Your back landed just fine on the powder of snow.

Seconds after, you almost instantly propped yourself up because someone suddenly jumped on your left side, scattering bits of snow on your face.

"Y/n are you alright?!" He worriedly questions as his chest rises and falls, evidently anxious of the situation. 

"Wh-what…??" You looked at his anxious frown in confusion but slowly understood that he must've thought you somehow fainted.

"...I'm alright, I'm just enjoying the snow. I'm sorry about that." You smiled while keeping in a laughter.

"Be careful…" he sighed, seemingly a little displeased by your actions. For once, he didn't quite like the idea of you letting yourself fall so suddenly. It reminds him of the few times you fainted because of the sun's heat. 

"It's soft snow"

"What if something sharp is buried underneath the snow?" 

"How unfortunate, you probably need to find a new wife…"

He instantly gave up on complaining while you laughed at his misery. He's beyond worried at the thought of it and you could easily bring up the topic as if it's nothing. 

"...before you get too upset, it's better to just join me" In one motion, you took a hold of his arm and pulled him towards your side.

Obviously he falls down, half of his body facing you. If it wasn't for his quick reflexes to strengthen himself with his left arm, his face would've hit your forehead resulting in a painful crash…

His eyes widened in surprise as his heavy breath mingled with yours. That situation almost gave him a heart attack because he wasn't expecting you to suddenly go that much force just to pull him. It was quite an outstanding strength. Eventually, Ayato calmly nodded, unable to speak and carefully pulled away before lying down on the snow next to you. 

"We should probably duel sometimes, a sword duel". He suddenly spoke as if he's already feeling alright from your terrible joke just minutes ago. 

"You're asking a writer to duel with a swordsman who practices everyday?" You laughed at the thought.

The sky turns dark as minutes pass by, the both of you continue talking about a lot of things but now are currently seated by the campfire. Although the temperature became a few degrees lower during nightfall, it was still bearable.

"Finally, the Northern lights!" You happily exclaimed as he followed your gaze towards the sky. The ethereal greenish dancing waves of lights decorated the once dark sky. It was quite eerie and yet magically enchanting. He never thought of seeing such scenery in his life especially when he's with someone he cherished. 

"I actually thought of bringing you here on your birthday and just giving you a decent gift but it's just tedious for you to come here. So I was going to change plans but before I could come up with another idea… things happened."

Listening to you made his heart leap in joy. As calm as he is while revealing that soft smile, he's just a sucker for every little effort you did for him. Still, he was just grateful to have you by his side. It was enough that he could wake up and witness your beauty everyday. 

"Next time, should you need me to clear my schedule, just inform me" 

"Not necessary, I'll just bake a cake for you. That'll be enough since I know you wouldn't want anything too special…" you smiled at the thought, once more suggesting that you wouldn't want to prepare anything special for his next birthday. 

He was just about to forget all the teasing and ill jokes you've said to him but it seems that's unlikely. Ayato has become unsatisfied with the way you often say things to him. His competitive self has had enough with surrendering against you for so many times today.

Ayato was just trying to be a well mannered person all the while he's staying under your parent's jurisdiction. He didn't want to cause any trouble and bring insignificant distaste towards himself. The thought of making a single mistake that'll lead into a problem in the relationship between you and him greatly troubles him. He's been weighing the scales ever since stepping foot in this nation and yet you seem to be intentionally unbalancing the scales.

"...you're deliberately mistreating me all this while aren't you? Just so you know, I'm counting every debt you need to pay when we return to the estate." He softly whispered while he leisurely gazed at the breathtaking view above. 

"I wasn't…" you calmly replied with a small smile before casually leaned your head on his shoulder.

"How about a kiss every morning, hmm? or... " 

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Check out the [ Story List ] for other sequence in the Inexpressible Series

A/N: hbd to our commissioner who can’t cook without flaws! ^.^ 

[whitegoldtower]

My list of bg3 takes

(Gods fuck I’m sorry in advance ok)

🕸️ Minthara is the best companion.

🕸️ Act 1 Astarion makes me feel unsafe. If I suddenly found myself in Faerûn, I’d be very inclined to avoid him in camp, and I’d probably snap at him for purring at me / giving insincere compliments. Realistically, I wouldn’t find it seductive; I’d find it creepy, no matter how pretty he is.

🕸️ True Soul Nere’s voice is hot and nobody can change my mind about it. I wish we could have him as a Sorcerer companion. I’d snatch him up so damn fast, sprinting through act 1 to get to him.

🕸️ The fact that I’d be less afraid of True Soul Nere than Act 1 Astarion is saying something. When you tell Astarion that he’s overstepped a boundary (“You’re too close”), the way he responds (mockingly and pretty aggressively before telling you to ‘sleep well’ slightly sinisterly) would literally make me black out and have a durge moment.

🕸️ I personally would prefer it if Scratch was a cat.

🕸️ I actually enjoy talking to Gale and Wyll.

🕸️ It’s not hard to just not ask Shadowheart so many damn questions and respect her privacy

🕸️ I want the toad teapot

🕸️ Ketheric’s the coolest of the trio.

🕸️ Auntie Ethel and Raphael are the best villains in the game.

🕸️ I would trust Minthara with my drink.

🕸️ I actually love the goblins and hate having to kill them all. Wish we could have had Sazza and Fezzerk as companions.

🕸️ Why is it that everyone seems to have a problem with Nere’s voice and yet completely ignores the fucking owlbear cub’s voice. Now that’s a voice that almost makes me press the mute button.

🕸️ Let me have those fucking spiders in my camp ffs. Give me the two in the Goblin camp. The pretty ones in Grymforge. The prettiest one in the shadowcursed lands with the cute face (Kar’niss).

🕸️ The mouldy/gone off shit everywhere in game makes my stomach churn. Someone please make a mod that removes it.

🕸️ I wish there would have been more of the Underdark to explore.

🕸️ I absolutely cannot bring myself to take the moonlantern off Kar’niss and hearing him sob as you fight him on top of Moonrise genuinely upsets me.

🕸️ Gerringothe Thorm is such a fucking icon

🕸️ Malus Thorm is the moment

🕸️ I feel sick during the scene with Thisobald because his stomach reminds me of that one monty python sketch “it’s wafer thin!” 🫣🤢🤢

🕸️ if you choose to play a human in a fantasy game, you scare me. DNI.

🕸️ I would, as a matter of fact, sleep with every drow in the game.

🕸️ there is a character with my deadname but spelled a little differently, so I purposefully go out of my way to make that character’s life hell, and that’s my red flag. Like how dare you make my eyes witness those letters in that order on my screen. You will pay dearly.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

ARI FIRST THINGS FIRST I'M SORRY I DIDN'T TAG U I DIDN'T WANNA PRESSURE U OKAY I'M SORRY second of all how many of them can i ask about bc......... what if i wanna know about all of them? what then ari???? have u thought about that?????? okay okay no but i do NEEEED to know about sappy drunk!sugu bc helloo??? that sounds so good and also woLFY SUGU AND LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD????? you're crazy i'm so obsessed already and actually sick!satoru too bc he's gonna be such a baby i need to hear about it OK ONE MORE BECAUSE NOBARA??? OH MY GODD SKATERGIRL NOBARA PLEAAAAASEEE that's literally genius wow i can't wait to hear about all of them i'm so excited!!!!!!!

- @softgirlgonehaywire

MICKEY PLS DONT APOLOGIZE PHSJDHD i wasnt planning on doing it at first cause i didnt know if ppl would be interested 😭😭 BUT then i saw that u and everyone else was doing it so i immediately caved AND IM SO GLAD I DID u picked some of my personal faves !! ari/mickey connection going steady hehe

i’d apologize in advance for making this long but i feel safe w u this is just our average communication let’s go <33 here is some tea for u while u read !! 🍵

OKOK SOOOO first of all ; sappy drunk!sugu x reader….. yes. this one is sooooo special to me its been downright rotting in my drafts since the beginning of time and its literally all written out ?? but i need to delete some stuff n polish it overall….. </3

BUT yeah the plot is basically just: sugu goes out to a bar w satoshoko, gets drunk even though he literally never gets drunk, and so reader discovers that he is, in fact, the sappy kind. (shocker!) it’s just sooooo sickeningly fluffy and he’s so whipped. ☹️☹️ he’s like a puppy. all he can think of is reader and how much he wants to put a ring on their finger HE’S SOOOOO

here are a couple snippets hehe. literally just disgusting amounts of Fluff for my soul

sho 🚬 : anyway he’s been asking me where u are for the past ten minutes pls come i can’t stand him sho 🚬: he’s crying. you: HUH???????? you: WHY??? 😭😭😭 sho 🚬: dude i dont know sho 🚬: pls come get him he’s being so sappy that satoru’s abt to throw up

”— and i have you.” a stutter of your heartbeat, a jolt throughout your chest. his stare almost burns, but you can’t avert your gaze — suguru looks positively lovesick. admiring you with a dreamy gaze, as if he can’t believe you’re real. he reaches a hand out; cradling your face with one big palm, the rough pads of his fingers smoothing down your skin so very gently. smearing his fondness from your jaw to your cheekbone, so loving your breath hitches in the back of your throat. a soft, content sigh spills into the air, like a prayer that doesn’t need any words. his smile is serene.  ”my angel.” that peaceful smile changes shape, shifting into a big, giddy grin. it lights up his whole face. a chuckle leaves his lips, content and delighted. ”i’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

”sugu,” you whine, dragging his name out childishly. ”we need to sleep…” ”sorry,” he only murmurs, muffled into your skin. he doesn’t stop, though, planting a wet smooch on your cheek, and then another. you squirm a little in his hold, and he emits a shaky breath. ”jus’ love you so much…”

i just think sugu has so much love in his chest that he like Never lets out bc he knows it can feel overwhelming unless he shows it in small doses but then he gets drunk and everything just SPILLS out . idk but my knees would buckle

AND THEN ….. wolf/hunter!sugu x little red riding hood!reader OHHHH MICKEY IM SO HAPPY U ASKED…. this concept entered my brain and has Not left even once but its still just this vague idea in my head. im just so interested in fairy tale aus!! i figure its probably gonna end up kinda twisted? or maybe a mix between sweet/twisted if i can pull it off 😭😭 bUT the main idea is that sugu plays the part of both the wolf AND the hunter, reader doesnt know who to trust but sugu is their only option either way. at first i was thinking of making him like a whole Wolf Man but now im leaning towards it being more symbolic … the trustworthy hunter was the ”wolf” all along yk? IM SO FOND OF THIS ONE i cant wait to write it !!! ive been itching to write something a lil more gritty anyhow :33

AND AND SICK!TORU X DOTING!READER ….. our babyboyyyy he’s so :((( he’s just so sick and delirious and trying to convince reader that he’s Fine Actually but he’s just burning up :(((( and so he has no choice but to face the terrifying reality of Being Taken Care of By Someone He Trusts. horrifying. as soon as he’s slightly better he’s just throwing himself over u and begging for kisses though (he’s an opportunist <33)

this is another one that’s just veryyyy fluffy n sweet!! AND another one that i have written out i just need to delete a lot of stuff bc its like . over 10k i think I GOT CARRIED AWAY OK…… 😭😭

aaand here r some snippets from this one!! just overflowing w gojo love <333 he’s our sweetiepie our little baby angel i need him tucked into bed

”really, baby,” he slurs, voice raspy and dry. attempting to get up, arms straining under his shivering body. ”there’s no need f’ —” unceremoniously, his limbs give out beneath him, and he tumbles back down. face falling back into the mattress, as he croaks out a meek little wince. (the sound makes your heart squeeze tightly in your chest.) ”ah,” he hums, muffled into the sheets. resisting the urge to close his eyes. ”that’s… annoying.”

”baby, i think my fever’s going up again…” satoru pouts, looking up at you. ”can you check?” a raise of your eyebrow. you give him a smile. ”this is the fifth time you’ve asked me to check your temperature, toru.” ”just wanna make sure,” he whines. ”please?” an exaggerated sigh. then you’re leaning down, soft lips meeting his forehead, humming against his skin — and, just like last time, and the time before that, his temperature hasn’t gone up. ”you’re good.” ”oh, thank god,” satoru exhales. ”are you sure? like, a hundred percent sure? maybe you should check again. just in case.”

”you’re cute,” satoru croons, still cradling your cheek. tenderly, soft fingertips against your heated skin. all you manage is a meek little furrow of your brows, but that only makes him chuckle again. after a silent moment, you part your lips. ”… you can.” he blinks. still smiling. ”stay forever, i mean.”

yeahhhhhh. yeah. u know how it is. (i am consumed by love for this silly little 28 year old man)

AND FINALLY LAST BUT NOT LEAST … skatergirl!nobara x reader <333333 my most beloved ever. i only have a vague outline but im sooo in love w this concept mickey im overjoyed that it caught ur eye….. just . picture nobara being covered in hello kitty band aids bc she’s not very good at skating but she just thinks it’s SO fun and she goes to the skate park w maki while wearing acrylic nails and she’s just having such a blast :(( grinning and giggling!!! she’s literally my daughter i adore her ….

my idea for the fic is basically just that reader has this weird one-sided rivalry w nobara bc they’re a bit jealous of her + she’s so pretty it makes them angry LOL and they assume that she doesnt notice them at all… but in reality nobara is like HIGHKEY crushing on reader she does these complicated flips JUST to impress them she’s a lovergirl!!! so it’s basically just super duper fluffy n sweet hehe <33

TYSM FOR ASKING MICKEY i had to take my time w this one hehehe . i hope u’ll enjoy these fics when theyre posted although it’ll probably take a while… COVERING U IN KISSES WATCH OUT

[choiscore]

moc ch. 49: a collection of random notes

to @hongism 💌

hi caly! <3 this is anon 🧸 speaking.

today i’m trying something new. im reading the new chapter and annotating every thought i have while doing it so that nothing that i want to say has the CHANCE to be forgotten. this will be LONNNNG. im sorry but it’s what you deserve (in a positive way ofc). so if like there’s a plot twist or something that’ll shake me to my core further down the chapter, im not there yet. that’s why i sound calm. i’ve not started reading yet, that’s the actually the reason im calm at all! now let’s start <3 you’re in for a ride my beloved im sorry in advance.

also i was obviously inspired to do this by @marknee’s post but my thoughts aren’t nearly as articulate and detailed as theirs. this is real this is me 🧍‍♀️ my rambling wouldn’t fit in one or two or even three asks

the first scene with mingi was funny. it’s a first to see him relaxed like this. he cracked a joke AND smiled??? groundbreaking. i love his dynamic with mc and w everyone in the crew tbh. i feel like he has so much to show us yet!!

nightingale. oof, the part where he asks if mc was in bed with san when he told her about him was a low blow. and nightingale implying that san could be lying…. i know you said he’s being more sincere than we think but i can’t help being suspicious of him :-( i love my baby but he IS SUS. also i picture nightingale looking something like a cyborg with the glowing eye is that weird? i dig his look 😎 also we all know that san did some really bad stuff in the past and he’s dangerous dangerous but id really love to see him lose it. just truly be the scourge’s dog. but preferably away from any of the crew members please.

“What if he asks San to kill next time? Then what?” uh this seems like it’s foreshadowing something. i wasn’t that serious CALY IM SCARED

“I did too, at one point. Until San asked to take me to the brig one day. Even when I was fully in the mouth of a monster, I did not feel it. Not until he clamped his jaw down around me.” yeah san scares me im scared of what he’s capable of im shaking in my boots rn but at the same time it’s kinda attractive ngl i just don’t want him to hurt anyone we love!!!! 😭

“You wish to know the ins and outs of how things turned out the way they did if only to know how to avoid the same fate for yourself later down the line.” she is smart yeah that’s what im talking about!!! sick curiosity + being kinda scared + the need/want to feel safe is something i’ll never get tired of. i think it’s human nature to be attracted to extreme experiences and concepts that like push the limits of everything you’ve ever known while also knowing that you’ll never be the same if you really go after those things. that’s part of being alive ;-)

“[…] I climbed over her dead body and I reached into that man’s chest to break it open and squeeze the life of his heart.” is this the same thing she did to the security guard or like she literally opened his chest up? 👁️

fuck san and mc have a lot in common don’t they. they’re both so powerful and dangerous but at the same time they seem so afraid of what they’re capable of… i mean i don’t know if san truly is, but some part of me feels like he’s scared he can lose control and hurt someone he loves… on the other hand, i don’t know if mc knows the true extent of her powers and that >is< scary.

i LOVE jongho and mc’s relationship. they’re one of my favorites my babies i love them!!! not luca giving them 1 (one) chocolate whdnshxhqvdba cute!!! / “Yes, I’ll see you later, woman! We fuckin’ live together, it’s not like you’re going off to war,” i love them i do!!!!

“No, but Vida in general is nothing pleasant.” this is funny because vida in portuguese means life. yeah jongho life is nothing pleasant sometimes you’re right…. also why did you choose this name, caly? im so interested in moc lore 🥸

not san being a fucking menace and scaring jongho??? i can see him standing in the dark staring at poor jongho hiding in his little corner like 🧍‍♂️ also im so intrigued by san and hongjoong’s relationship. he has the same authority as seonghwa, huh? interesting. kinda terrifying. is san scared of hongjoong? 🤔

hongjoong is so petty oh my godddddhhgg i know he’s like that in real life too. changing the course of the ship to somewhere else bc jongho wanted to get off at the next stop? petty bitch

“You’re making a home in a house that does not belong to you, though that is not entirely your fault. San has let you in. Now Nightingale has pulled up a chair for you at the table. I suppose all that’s left is for either Hongjoong or myself to open all the closet doors so that the skeletons can fall out.” it’s not like i haven’t told you this before, but im in LOVE with your writing caly. i don’t have enough vocabulary for this but i could read whatever you write forever. this snippet in particular is so cool, the house metaphor… I love it!

“Did you only fuck me because it reminded you of Hongjoong?” oh fuck here we go im grabbing my popcorn. oh my god mc is going for hwa’s throat but she’s SO RIGHT slay queen / “You were never after anything more than sex but you hoped it would change things?” oop 🫣 he caught her there i’ll say that

jfc how did they start ripping each other apart so quickly the tension snapped in like a second??? also hwa pointing that mc hates hongjoong so much that she considers anyone that cares about him idiots… i mean. i sincerely cannot believe that anyone likes him for the person he is. the captain is not a good person. yes i love him, i do, but he’s goddamn awful. my point being that those who care about him only do because, like hwa said, he gave the crew a safe space AND he manipulated those around him because he has that power. they care about joong because they have to, it’s a safety measure… / “When your hatred turns to infatuation, I’ll be sure to tell you all the ways in which Hongjoong has orchestrated the destruction of your psyche since your arrival here.” I AM ABSOLUTELY SCREAMING / mc is so mad that hwa is implying that she wants hongjoong i can’t wait to see where this takes us i’d pay to see them together djahsnshqvvsbabsjab?-!:!/$/!

“Take a long hard look at yourself, Y/n. A woman who was just on her knees before me. Pliant, obedient, with no control to call her own. Isn’t that where you belong, Y/n? My pretty weapon, my pretty Siren, my pretty treasure.” wow this whole scene w hongjoong. i held my breath the entire time jesus christ it was so INTENSE i don’t even know what to say, my thoughts are still processing. hongjoong is truly worthy of the scourge title, i could feel his madness and the humiliation mc was feeling through the screen…

hoooo okay. why do i feel like san is trying to manipulate mc with sex? with the lovely words and touches just like nightingale said? it doesn’t sit well with me the way he started to eat her out while she was crying, it truly doesn’t…. and not her seeing hongjoong while she’s with san??? this is so twisted oh my god

SAN CALLING HER MY TREASURE WAS SO FUCKING INTENTIONAL AND THE WAY HE KNEW HONGJOONG WAS GOING TO MAKE HER HIS LEFT HAND FOR THE MISSION CALY HE KNOWS EVERYTHING HE DOES!!!!! fuck i don’t trust san AT ALL he probably knows about what hongjoong did to mc and he’s trying to excuse everything his beloved captain does!!! fucking scourge!!!!

ugh caly this was a ride i feel like crying bc i missed moc so much! it’s always such a pleasure to wait and read what that beautiful brain of yours comes up with!!! it’s always worth it. thank you so much for sharing this absolute gem of a story with us. 💗 can’t wait for the interim!

[luimagines]

*walks in tiredly, offers you a mug of tea, downs my own like a shot, makes it like the Wild 100 years ago* Hey there, hope you're doing well today ^^

Probably long ask so uh, warning and apologies in advance. I'm glad the Lustrous ask was seemingly well received? XD It's just a snippet of a bigger thing, I'm writing a full thing for them when I have the time (along with a series for the Fairy Tale prompts, which I also have snippets of if anyone's interested?) which I'll post later and tag you if you're interested, plus you listened to me basically just come into your little corner of the internet and ramble about a crossover of a series you're not familiar with and LU, so it's only fair since it basically inspired me to keep going, so thank you ^^. Although, uh, Citrine/Little Link won't have a good time, apologies in advance, I blame the evil moon people. Yeah sorry he's probably going to pull a Time or Sky in the bad sense. That was an exchange from a draft of chapter 4 and English is not my first language even though I've been using it more for years, so that's likely why it's off, I apologize for that. Also I promised I'd come here and scream about how much I adore your writing of the boys (and once again, thank you for posting, great pick me up after a rough week that really does make me want to walk right into a Guardian beam, so here we go while I can even if I may need to split this in two if I hit the word limit.

Also the small family with Warriors and Wind is so wholesome, I think I went under from cavities alone (or maybe it’s the sleep deprivation, eh), please let the Link’s have parents and parental figures who stick around and don’t contribute to their trauma universe and Wind and Aryll are definitely up there in both deserving and needing it a lot, had to say I laughed at Warriors not being as thrilled by the crab as someone who makes friends with them and seagulls every time I’m near the ocean, they’re neat little fellas ^^, Poor Legend probably ain’t gonna be thrilled to find one on his clothes though, I know I wasn’t before figuring out how to keep them out, also, Reader comforting Aryll- just yes, also Wind’s grandma is the best I don’t make the rules. Sick Reader is such a mood, the boy's reactions hurt to read though it's really heartwarming how much they care, perfectly in character, 10/10, would definitly die over it again. Reader being good with a bow made me chuckle and smile because the irony of being familiar with a bow and seeing Reader and Wild excited of it reminds me of when I first picked it up, sweet and humorous and I adore it. Four getting a taste of his own medicine- *cackles hard in current Minish Cap player and Manga reader of it and Four Swords* That's what you get for your canonical flirting boy! He was as bad as Warriors and look where it got him XD Also he's so gone for Reader's Colors and Reader in general, it's sweet and just really good, I love it so much, plus the Reader’s colors have so much personality and it’s great. The Fear Room, goodness THE FEAR ROOM. I'm going to need to save it in for another ask because there are so many little details that I adore and I am a sucker for horror and it's too good- 20/10, would scare my poor dog again over my pain and elation.

Reader accidentally spilling who’s their favorite (and suffering as a result) also makes me cackle and smile a lot, it’s soft and sweet and each Link being so elated by it is literally so sweet (though Time, Wild, and Twilight literally murdered me during that segment, not a bad cause of death all things considered, but how dare all Link’s be so sweet? Like I’m already dead here, shoveled dirt into my box and everything, no need to try finishing me off), na interesting detail is how Hyrule and Legend both have the almost immediate reaction of asking why, dunno if it’s intentional or not but it’s a very neat touch, like you don’t have to elaborate but either way they’d happy if you did decide to which reflects really well with their characters. Four overreacting the second Reader takes it back (be smothe, smithy boy, specially so you don’t plot), Sky being sweet but oh so oblivious and basically killing Reader and Warriors being flattered, Wind just being triumphant in general and wanting to make Reader smile, Wild basically getting a critical hit in, Twilight and Time existing, it’s just so nice and I am soft. Plus the consistent and cackle worthy betting always makes me wheeze.

Speaking of betting, the Link’s being so gone for a tall S/O is both hilarious, consistency I greatly appreciate and a mood, plus the lines where definitely on point for sudden hilarity (“They got family?” “They took all your height” “And ours too-“ “Twilight wondering why he got none of that” absolutely sent me, great pick me up after a generally bad time existing), and all of them being soft and just so happy their S/O is in their lives and how they can show them off when meeting in each Hyrule is really wholesome, plus the consistent betting and friendly teasing which really sells how they are as close as brothers is really nice to see.

Soft Fierce Deity, honestly the main thing I can say coherently is that if the favorite scenario, and then the meeting scenarios slayed me, then this man came into my house and stole all my bones before killing me again in a good way because I am too soft, I have a really soft spot for the Fierce Deity, and the way you write for him is great and we usually don’t see much for him in any corner of the Zelda (or adjacent) Fandoms, it’s in character sure because Nintendo has a tendency of mentioning deities in Zelda or Link variants and then just refusing to elaborate, but it always makes me happy to see people write stuff for him among other things, 50/10.

How to Be a Heartbreaker delights me, always nice to see Warriors being the flustered one instead and his and Reader’s banter (and Twilight cameo) gives me life, I could probably write a small essay on why it delights me so much, but again word limit so let’s move on, maybe during another ask or something.

... Actually maybe I should save the oneshots for another individual ask, more organized that way.

Anyway, onto there’s only one bed! Also know as, Wild killing me with cackling that had my dog nuzzling me with concern and being my spirit animal all in one go, never change Wild Child, knew there was a reason you managed to bring me back to the Zelda fandom, me trying and failing not to be soft for Warriors, soldier boy deserves good things and it’s really sweet how much he cherishes reader, and me and Legend having the same trauma (aka KOHOLINT, if I could I’d fistfight the Windfish, I can’t go to the beach without a seagull being nearby and remembering Marin, specially with the friendly ones who actually come by just to stare and chirp for a while and it hurts), the fact he doesn’t want Reader to look down on him, because he doesn’t want them to leave him like how he basically lost or was left by most people in his life, the correlation with when he was stranded at sea, Reader comforting him- Just yes, bless the veteran. Flustered Reader is also my spirit animal, and cat Reader delights me to no end,  thank you once more for the wonderful contente and all your work in the fandom!

Also, while the urge to nap has not yet claimed me yet (and with hopefully the Tumblr wordcount not vibe checking me), I saw an ask about Time/Mask/Sprite with a resistance leader s/o? May I raise an idea/au of this au that’s been haunting me every second when I’m not doing anything much? Resistant Leader in the pre-timeskip timeline (aka The Child Timeline) started out as a Terminan Thief, that’s why Mask didn’t run into them when first going to get the Master Sword, they haven’t left Termina yet. The first contact Mask had with them after the timeskip was when they stole his wallet as a Deku Scrub, ran from him on the second day and then vanished on the third day. After the loop starts Thief/would be Resistant Leader Reader is somehow always just there, stealing random stuff from him and generally making his life harder (he would like to know how they snatched the Bunny Hood from his head and the Gilded Sword without him noticing, please? But Thief Reader definitely ain’t going to start divulging tricks of the trade) but always vanish on the third day before he can really stop them to talk, so honestly done and just really wanting to know why someone he remembers as this really amazing, confidente and badass leader would be acting like this (because it honestly doesn’t seem in character, given they were fighting Ganon for so long and stalled him several times on his search for Link) and just really missing a friend and being tired of these loops, he manages to follow them, maybe Reader was in a spot of trouble with other thieves and couldn’t get out of it unless they stole a certain quantity of rupees or rare items, and by the final day they snap and that’s why Link doesn’t see them (maybe the Gorman Brothers? If Reader spoke out and maybe tried using one of his stolen weapons to have a go at them for attacking Cremia and Romani if they’re close, although it’s generally ambigous, maybe it could be someone from Ganon’s former band of thieves who ran to Termina, and that’s why they became a Rebellion Leader in the timeskip? They couldn’t leave, saw what Ganon was going to do to Hyurle went, “Hm. Don’t really like that!” and probably fought their way out, maybe getting other thieves to speak up and rally together as well and it just escalated?) Either way, Mask sees what’s happening and that they probably can’t get out of it alone like usual and helps them because that’s HIS friend lord darn it he hasn’t seem them in forever and thought he wouldn’t ever see them again, the first familiar face since maybe Lullaby and Malon he’s seen in a while, he isn’t leaving them behind (casually raising my headcanon of Fae possesiviness being Time’s fault in the bloodline if we want to figure out where Hyrule’s came from, because the Kokiri are basically another branch of Fae and have fairies near them), and as thanks they not only give him his items of whichever loop his in back but maybe something of their own as well to remember, and help him out with the rest of the tasks or a temple (probably by somehow getting him the dungeon item, or a few dubiously acquired potions ahead of time), but if he had to reset they get caught up in it and actually remember the previous loop, given the way they just SPRINTED through Clock Town on the first day and instead of being subtle like always to steal something, they just bowl him over in a glomp and start checking him over, breaking the pattern.

Cue a bit of panic, several explanations and either an ear pull, cursing or stealing of rupees and holding masks hostage as revenge (and the threat of leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back if he tries stopping them from helping, oh you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve done this now? And don’t want me to get hurt? Well too bad I am not letting you do this alone, News flash, technically I’ve already been hurt I’m not losing the one person who bothered to help me), and now he has an impromptu loop buddy to help him out even if it’s through questionable means after they usually deal with whichever other thief is around first. Maybe if after he defeats Majora and goes to leave he doesn’t tell Thief Reader, assuming they don’t want to come with since he’s caused them a lot of trouble and they’re technically free to do as they please now, only he can’t, because Thief Reader absconded with two more things of him: One of his earring’s, and the Fierce Deity Mask, which they are cheekily  waving to show off to him atop Clocktower, the earring on their own ears. (And seriously? HOW?!) Shenanigans ensue, maybe a chase or two, and Mask acquires himself a travel companion on top of Epona, Tatl and Tael on his search for Navi.

And honestly? Chaotic and bullheaded as they are and probably something of a magpie to boot, he wouldn’t have picked anyone else. You can hold your own and you’ve been ride or die with him twice over now, if that isn’t a sign you’re sticking around he doesn’t know what is.

Or something, idk, I’m running on three hours of sleep, maybe someone with more energy can expand on this into the War of Ages later or I’ll do it myself (Wind would have the best/worse role model ever, given ya know, Pirate and really light footed, feather touched and chaotic thief, Warriors is having heart attacks every five seconds even if he has to admit that when Thief Reader is going for soldier’s who talked badly about him, Mask, Wind, Ravio or Zelda is the most hilarious thing he’s ever seen and that one time they stole Cia's staff and were going to bash her over the head, Ravio is probably side eying them the whole time or seeing a business opportunity, Artemis and them trade tips due to her Sheik alter ego and both Mask and Warriors have to drag them away from one another, the possibilities are endless). I just find the idea of the Link’s with any morally dubious, but clearly cares a lot and wouldn’t hesitate to cut or bite someone for them amusing. Gives way for some interesting dynamics, like say Twilight and cattle raider reader (aka the cowboy/wild west themed rivalry au that I will not elaborate on), or Warriors with an Assassin Reader, or Wild with a mercenary reader, the possibilities are infinite folks.

Also also, if for some reason Mask and Thief Reader got separated before LU, and they reunite as Time and Still a Thief but much closer to their Rebellion Couterpart Reader. And their reunion basically goes like that one Puss in Boots, or the Lion King one scene: Thief Reader: *Holding dagger to throat, teeth bared as they just managed to steal the Fierce Deity Mask for the 10987th time from this strange man they don’t recognize after he gave chase, pauses for a couple of seconds in disbelieving, shocked recognition, dropping the blade*... Link?

Time: *Also in fight mode and ready to kick the attacker off of him and getting the mask back, actually takes a good look at their face and pauses in shock, long dead hope suddenly burning again, hesitant* (... Reader)? Thief Reader: *Not even hesitating to throw themselves at him in a hug with a slightly teary laugh* LINK! Time: *hugging them back just as tight, still somewhat in disbelief* (Reader).

Thief Reader: *pausing as they notice the Fierce Deity’s marks, flashbacks to all the times they told Mask not to over do it on the battlefield with it because they saw how much it hurt and affected him even if the Deity is pretty chill with them, chillingly livid as they level the tone at him, you know the one, pulling at one of his ears* ...Link.

Time, Knowing he is in danger as he recognizes that tone: ... (Reader). *wisely stays silent as they smack him hard on the shoulder and starting the lecture of a lifetime, silently glad Malon also isn’t here because she’d probably join you, but also just glad you’re even here to lecture and get mad at him in the first place after so long* The Chain, watching all this drama and telepathy display go down and who just wanted their stolen stuff back: I can just imagine the sheer confusion and bewilderment as to how Time knows this seemingly random thief who stole their stuff and would have probably dipped sucessfully if not by somehow getting Wild’s Slate, the Fierce Deity Mask and almost all of Legend’s rings at the same time and why they’re arguing like an old married couple about self care of all things. Most amusing reactions probably going for Twilight, Wild, Legend, Warriors and Wind. Or something, i’m probably not making much sense.

Anyway, I’ve probably bothered you with my rambling enough for one day xD Thank you once again for all your work in the fandom, maybe I’ll have more stuff on Lustrous reader or even Vessel reader next I’m by but until then, thank you ^^.

-Signed, Just a Tired Anon on A Stroll 🐚.

Anon!!! Hello again!!

NOT MY BOY LUCKY DX NOT LITTLE LINK!!!!! WHAT DO MEAN BAD TIME LIKE TIME AND SKY?!?!?!

But also, please tag in anything. I'm so intrigued and I want more fairytale stuff. Go ahead. XD

I'm glad you like the oneshots! Please tell me more of your thoughts on the Fear Room o.o I'm not big on horror so I'm glad it got the terror across ^.^*

And Fierce Deity and How to be a Heartbreaker and other because I want to hear all your thoughts. XD

And what do you mean Twilight- wild west au- rivalry?!?!? Hello!!?!??! You can't just drop that and say you won't elaborate!!!!

But this idea with theif! Reader is a good one :D

Clearly, you put a lot of thought into it and there's just so much potential.

The boys are all awkward and shuffling in the background as Time gets scolded because they're not sued to the leader cower back like that and even then he's not even trying to defend himself at this point and they're just staring. "....Who is this person?"

"No clue, but the Old Man finally got what was coming to him."

"I feel like my parents are fighting."

"I know them..." Warrior sighs. "I guess they haven't change at all."

Multiple heads turn to look at him.

He puts his hands up. "I'm not saying anything."