#starving and dehydrated to the point of passing out

[punkshort]

The Farmer's Daughter

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x f!reader one-shot

Summary: Forced to sell your body after your father's farm went under, you find yourself hand picked to service the Roman army on their latest battle away from Rome. What you didn't expect was to be selected to share General Acacius's room for the duration of the journey.

Warnings: language, smut (18+ MDNI), heavy talks of prostitution, mentions of SA but none occur, reader is a (new) prostitute, virginity loss (no blood mentioned just some discomfort), descriptions of battle wounds/blood, food and alcohol consumption, one bed trope, enemies to lovers-ish, unprotected piv sex, thigh riding, angst, possessiveness

WC: 10.2K

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

A/N: I know by this point his character is mostly referred to as Acacius in the film but I'm sorry, I can't wrap my head around someone moaning that name in bed. So let's just ignore that, okay?

How did this happen? Why did fate play you such a cruel and twisted hand?

When you were younger, you expected to be married off to be a housewife to a solider. From what you heard growing up, it wasn't a terrible life. The men were gone most of the time which allowed the women to run the household and raise children in peace. Unfortunately, your mother died during childbirth and your father, a humble farmer, passed away too early in life, leaving you and his few workers to keep the farm operating for as long as possible. To make money, you spent much of your time at the market, selling the food you made on the farm and the goods you weaved and molded from the scraps.

It wasn't enough. You lost the farm after a handful of years and you were on the brink of becoming destitute. Already you were malnourished and dehydrated, but as hard as you tried, you couldn't find work.

That was how you found yourself in a long line of women, standing silently with your heads bowed and your hands clasped as you were all throughly inspected by a senior officer of the Roman army. They were choosing their group of whores to hire to accompany the men on their next battle across the sea. You were left with no other option but to sell your only remaining asset. The thought turned your stomach, but the idea of starving to death was worse.

One by one, women were hand picked to step forward and exit the room. All in all it had to have been close to forty whores hired to service an entire army.

The odds were not in your favor if you were picked.

It came as a relief when you ended up not getting chosen. You breathed a deep sigh and lifted your chin, scanning the room of remaining women and senior ranking soldiers. You would make do somehow. At least you wouldn't be spreading your legs multiple times a night for different men after they've spent the day fighting and working up their appetite.

You turned to follow the women back out onto the streets of Rome, no doubt searching for another way to sell their bodies, when you heard a deep, familiar voice call your name. You froze in disbelief, wondering who could possibly know you, and then you slowly turned.

It was General Acacius. The fearless leader of the Roman army, but you knew him from your stand in the market. Whenever he was home from battle, he always found you and purchased more than he could possibly need, feeding you and your farmhands for weeks. He never said much and neither did you, but you had grown fond of seeing his greying curls and dark, smoldering eyes approach your stall, albeit with a new wound or scar to show for his travels.

You did not even realize he knew your name.

His eyes drifted up and down your worn tunic, noticing the stains and rips and your poor fitting sandals. Your gaze flickered nervously around the room at the other men impatiently looking to wrap up their work and begin their long journey, but remained silent, deferring to the general.

"You will come with us," was all he said, his voice booming in the small room. Your blood ran cold and panic seized your throat.

"But the choices have already been made-"

"I am paying. I believe I am allowed to decide how many whores we bring along."

You clamped your mouth shut, brows furrowing in anger. How foolish you were to assume he was a man of honor, a man who wanted to help you when he bought your meager wares in the market. As it turned out, he was no better than any other, only out to seek pleasure between your legs.

At that point, you knew better than to argue. Your fate was sealed. Begrudgingly, you forced yourself to follow after the other chosen women, walking past the high ranking officials who sized you up as you went.

The army was to travel by ship. Or multiple ships, to be exact. The women were counted off and told to stand in smaller groups, one handful of whores for each ship of hungry soldiers. When your group was assigned, you heard that familiar powerful voice come out of nowhere once again, stopping everybody in their paths.

"She is to travel on mine," General Acacius announced. A few men exchanged confused glances and Acacius grew irritated. "That one," he clarified, pointing directly at you. The other men quickly nodded and shuffled you into another group, and you thought that would be the end of it, but then he spoke again as the others began to board.

"She will stay in my chambers."

If the soldiers were surprised, they hid it well, but you didn't. You whipped around and glared at him defiantly, a litany of disrespectful curses on the tip of your tongue. Thankfully, you remembered your place and who you were speaking to and caught yourself before you got killed, but as you turned to board the ship, you noticed an amused smirk play across the general's lips.

A young solider shoved you into the general's quarters, ordering you to not go through his things or they would cut off your hands, then slammed the door shut, leaving you all alone. The rest of the women had gone below deck, most likely to a shared room that was filthy and freezing cold. You, on the other hand, had a beautiful soft bed and a roaring fire to warm yourself by a small wooden dining table. There was a bookshelf tucked into the corner and your fingers itched to pull the books out and examine them, but you didn't dare. Instead, you sat on the small cushioned bench next to the only porthole in the room, tucking your knees against your chest protectively while you waited for the inevitable.

Sleep took hold of you at some point while you waited for the general to retire. The last thing you remembered was the open sea and the glorious golden sun beginning to dip just below the horizon. When you awoke, it was dark, the only light in the room coming from the fire. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and unfurled yourself from your bench to look around, then nearly yelped when you found the general quietly sitting at the table pouring himself wine.

Your heart raced violently in your chest, knowing full well what he expected of you. And despite offering yourself up earlier that day as a whore, you had decided you would not do it for this man. Because this man came to your booth in the market under the guise of kindness that turned out to be a lie, and it simply did not sit right with you.

"I will not lie with you willingly," you announced boldly with your arms crossed. The general quirked an eyebrow and took a long sip of his wine.

"When was the last time you have eaten?"

You scowled, body vibrating with energy and ready for a fight only to be met with indifference.

"I am not hungry."

"You will eat or you will die," he said, avoiding your eye and standing to collect a plate of food by the door. He dropped it onto the table and pointed angrily at it. "Eat."

"Why?"

"You need your strength, you are frail."

"You do not like your whores thin, then?" you shot back. Acacius clenched his jaw, eyes still cast down. "You wish to fatten me up so you have something to hold onto when you force my legs apart?"

"That is enough!" he roared, fiery eyes finally finding yours and pinning you with an intense stare that had you trembling. "I will not be forcing you to do anything except eat. Now sit down, do not test my patience."

It was a combination of fear and hunger that made you obey, sinking down into the chair opposite his where the plate of lukewarm food awaited you. Acacius sat down and picked up his goblet, watching you from over the rim as you slowly began to pick at the food. You both remained silent while you ate and he drank, the only sound to be heard was the crackling from the fire and the distant laughter and yells from his men in the galley below.

He was right. You hadn't eaten in days. It was no wonder you fell asleep so quickly earlier. You wanted to express your thanks, but you were too stubborn. Instead, you finished your food and put the plate in the basin of water by the door before looking around the room once again. It was easily the nicest room on the ship. You had to imagine most of the soldiers would be sleeping in hammocks stacked on top of one another down below, but the general had the biggest, softest looking bed you had ever seen in your life.

But there was only one.

He watched you from his place at the table, studying your face as you worked out the mechanics.

"I will not force myself upon you if we share the bed," he said, dragging your attention back to him. He was still in his armor, all shiny and clean from the public celebration that took place prior to the army's departure.

"Why am I here, if not to pleasure you?" you asked. You sounded calmer than before but you were still very much on edge.

"You believe I would find pleasure in forcing myself upon a woman?" he questioned before draining his cup. You thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

"Perhaps. Yes."

He stared down at his empty chalice, your heinous opinion of him rolling around in his head and making his chest ache.

"Well, I do not," he proclaimed, standing up quickly and causing his chair to almost topple backwards. He began to unhook his heavy armor, dropping it into a pile on the floor until he was down to his tunic.

"If we were to lie together, it would be because you wish it so," he said softly with his back to you. You swallowed thickly.

"What am I to do here, then?" you asked as he began to turn down his sheets. He slid his tired body into bed and sighed.

"Whatever you like. So long as you stay in this room, you will remain unharmed."

You blinked rapidly, desperately trying to put the pieces together.

"That is all?"

"Yes. That is all. My only wish is you are safe and fed."

You couldn't help it. You had to ask.

"But... why?"

But the general rolled onto his side, effectively ending your conversation and leaving you wondering what you had gotten yourself into.

That first night, you did not share his bed. You slept on the bench by your porthole, curled up small, arms wrapped around yourself protectively until the sun rose. When you awoke, the general was gone, but a plate of food was left on the table for you.

The first week on the ship went exactly the same. You stayed in his chambers, staring out at the sea or sleeping until he returned way past dark with some food for you and a tired look in his eye. And every night, you slept on the bench, still far too distrusting of him.

The second week, the general brought a game with him at dinner time. Two cups and two wooden dice. The idea was you had to guess what you would roll. If you won, you got whatever you bet on the round. It wasn't that entertaining at first since you had only the clothes on your back and nothing else, but what you did have were stories or songs or a slight of hand trick your father taught you when you were young.

You wouldn't realize until much later that it was his way of getting to know you better.

"You released all the cows from the pasture?" Acacius repeated in disbelief. You giggled and nodded.

"I was only six years old! I thought they were being held against their will!"

Acacius laughed, the sound making you grin like a fool and your cheeks warm.

"Alright," he said once he got ahold of himself. "Go on."

You picked up the die and tossed them into a cup, giving it a firm shake and smiling when he shot you a playful wink.

You clapped the cup firmly over the table and before you raised it up, you announced, "One three and one five."

"What is your wager?"

You nodded towards his bookshelf. "One of your books."

He looked up at you in shock. "You can read?"

You gave him a fake look of disgust and nodded. "Of course I can read."

"And you have been here this whole time without picking up a book?"

"Your men told me they would cut off my hands if I touched what is yours."

His face softened and he sat back in his chair.

"No one will touch you," he told you firmly. You stared at one another, the heavy moment weighing between you, the implication of his words impossible to deny. No one will touch you because you are his.

To break the tension, you smirked and said, "So I suppose that means I do not need to wager the books?"

Acacius grinned and shook his head. "Too late, little one."

You rolled your eyes and lifted the cup, pouting when you saw two six's.

"Your turn," you said, pushing the cup to the side.

Acacius collected the dice and dumped them into the cup, shaking it while looking at you curiously from across the table and admiring the way the light from the fire flickered over your beautiful face.

"You can still take a book."

You perked up but shook your head. "That is against the rules of the game, General."

"I make the rules. Take a book tomorrow," he insisted before slamming the cup down. His large hand gripped the top of the cup, keeping it pressed tightly against the table.

"Your wager?" you asked, cocking your head to the side.

He swallowed, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say. The fear that you would pull away from him again fought against the insatiable attraction he had harbored for you for years. But the wine must have won the fight because he said, "One kiss."

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise and for a moment, he thought he made a horrible mistake. But then you squared your jaw and narrowed your eyes and said, "Go ahead."

He grinned, pulse thrumming excitedly in his throat when he said, "One one and one four."

But when he lifted the cup, his face fell. A three and a six.

"Ah, well," he said, shoulders drooping. He yawned and stood to collect the dice. "Better luck tomorrow."

Before you could stop yourself, you stood as well and leaned up to peck a chaste kiss against his scruffy cheek. He looked at you in surprise and you gave him a crooked grin.

"For the book."

He smiled and nodded, doing his best to hide his disappointment as you got yourself ready for bed. You had a small pillow and thin blanket to curl up with by the porthole, and it irked him that you wouldn't take more. He feared you would catch a sickness and your malnourished body wouldn't be able to fight off an infection, but you were so stubborn that he couldn't convince you otherwise.

However, the third and final week at sea had you shivering on your bench. Acacius could hardly sleep knowing how cold you were. He could hear your teeth chattering from across the room.

"I beg of you, please sleep in my bed," he said one night as you began to make your little nest by the porthole. You shook your head.

"I am fine, I swear it."

"You are not fine. Please, I will not touch you, you have my word."

You chewed on your lower lip and looked over his shoulder at his warm, plush bed. He could see your resolve begin to falter, so he offered to sleep on the bench in your place.

"No, do not be ridiculous. You have an army to lead tomorrow, you cannot be tense as a knot because you slept on a too small bench."

"I will if it means you are safe and warm," he said softly, his vulnerability taking you off guard.

"General-" you sighed, but he cut you off.

"Please. I promise I will remain on my side of the bed. Just stop being so stubborn for once in your life."

You scoffed and propped your hands on your hips. "For once in my life? And what would you know of it?"

He squinted at you and crossed his arms. "I know more than you think. I know you would not quit until you broke in that filly when you were twelve years old. I know you nearly pushed a boy down a well when he tried to kiss you in front of the whole school. I know you argued with your teacher over the correct spelling of amaranth and I know you poured every last bit of yourself into a dying farm just to keep the memory of your father alive."

Your jaw hung open in surprise, taken aback by the way he stored all of the little snippets of your life you had given him over the past two weeks only to end it with his own observation of you at the market.

You could feel yourself growing weak for him, the temptation to give in too much to bear. He had been slowly wearing you down since you arrived and perhaps he was right, perhaps you were far too stubborn because the last thing you wanted to do was go back on the proclamation you made that very first night.

So, you chose to be defiant.

"Fine," you snapped, swiveling on your heel and stomping towards his bed. "If you wish to share your bed with a whore so badly, then so be it."

Acacius rounded the bed and slipped in beside you, making sure to leave plenty of space.

"You and I both know you are no whore."

"Oh, you know so very much about me, I forget."

You tugged the heavy blankets up to your chin and tried not to audibly sigh at how comfortable it was in his bed.

"If you are a whore, tell me then: how many men have you laid with?"

You clenched your jaw, angry that he was able to figure you out so easily. Instead of answering, you rolled onto your side, your back to him, and muttered, "good night."

Acacius grinned and closed his eyes, proud of himself for besting you.

"Good night."

The following morning, you awoke earlier than usual. When your eyelids fluttered open, the first thing you noticed was the ache in your bones was gone. The large, soft bed had been enough to cure you in just one night.

Not something you planned on admitting to the general, of course.

The second thing you noticed when you sat up in bed was that the ship was not moving. It was completely still, and you could hear loud, quick footsteps outside your door and above your head. Men were shouting to one another and the clink of swords and armor were echoing throughout the halls. Then, through the walls somewhere above you, you heard the general's deep, booming voice yelling orders to his men. You threw off the blankets and hurried to the porthole, your eyes widening when you saw land and small boats being lowered into the water.

You had arrived at whatever distant land the emperors demanded Acacius claim for Rome, and the soldiers were getting ready to depart for their first fight.

You chewed nervously on your nail, curled up against the wall and peering out the window for hours until the very last boat sailed away. In the distance, you could see the general's broad back covered in armor, his dark curls fluttering in the sea breeze and his massive sword tucked dutifully at his waist.

He had left for war and didn't even say goodbye.

Why would you care if he said goodbye? Maybe if they all die, you could escape to shore and be free, find a new city and make a home for yourself.

Even you had to admit that fantasy was foolish. No matter where you went, your fate would always be the same. You had no money, no prospects, no skills and no family. Your destiny was already written and it was a miracle your first attempt at prostitution landed you in the cushy quarters of Rome's surprisingly respectful general.

Your nerves kept your feet moving all day. You tidied up the general's desk, sorting his papers and maps. You scrubbed at the dishware until they sparkled and you made the bed, fluffing up the pillows and tucking in the loose edges until you had nothing left to do. The room was as neat as possible, not a single item out of place, and yet you still floundered around looking for something to occupy your busy mind.

When the sun began to dip and his room grew darker, you went around lighting candles to allow for more light. You were in the middle of lighting the last candle when you heard a timid knock at the door.

Nobody had ever come to his chambers the entire three weeks besides the general himself. You swallowed anxiously, wondering who it could be and if you should answer when you heard a woman's small voice from the other side of the door.

You decided it was safe and opened the door a crack to find one of the whores you had boarded the ship with waiting on the other side with buckets of water and a basin.

"For the general," she said softly. You nodded and dragged the buckets into the room, trying not to stare at the bruises and dirt littering her dry skin. Your stomach twisted with guilt after she left and you locked the door. The other women were living like cattle and you were living the life of luxury. Not only was the general not forcing you to fuck him, but you were giving him sass at every turn.

It was a harsh reminder of your fortune, of what your life could be like. The thought of living the life of the women below deck frightened you, so you had decided that evening when the general returned, you would give yourself to him to show your appreciation, as well as out of fear he would soon get rid of you if you didn't give him what he wanted.

You remained at your post, staring out at the dark sea until you could see the bobbing of lanterns making their way across the black expanse, letting you know the men were returning for the night. You rushed to warm up his water over the fire, dumping it into the large basin. You poured some scented oils into the bath just as the door unlocked and opened, revealing a very filthy and exhausted looking general holding two plates of food.

"Good evening," you said, standing obediently. Acacius paused at the door, confused by your formality before closing it with his heel and setting down the food at the table. "I have a warm bath ready for you, General," you added, pointing towards the basin. He nodded tiredly and began to work on the hooks of his armor. You rushed forward to help him, once again taking him by surprise until he was stripped down to his red tunic.

"Would you like to eat or bathe first?" you asked. The general sighed and looked longingly at the bath.

"I will clean myself while you eat," he said. He pointed towards the table and motioned for you to turn around.

"May I assist you instead, General?" you asked with your back turned. You could hear the shuffle of fabric falling to the wooden floor and then a sharp hiss when he sunk down into the warm water.

"Assist me with what? Cleansing myself? I believe I can manage," he chuckled. You turned around to stare at the back of his head, his body now submerged in the water and hidden from view, but you could still see his shoulders and arms. They looked bruised and bloodied.

He didn't notice your eyes on him, of course. He was busy scrubbing the dirt and blood from his skin while he looked around the tidy room.

"It is very nice in here, you did not have to straighten up."

It was the least you could do and you knew it but said nothing.

Instead, you shakily lifted your worn tunic over your head and let it crumple to the floor. Nerves fluttered in your stomach as you slowly approached him, the general completely unaware as he continued to scrub his skin.

"I can think of another way to assist you," you said nervously as you stepped into his eyeline. His chin tilted up and he did a double take when he saw your naked form standing before him. His cloth dropped into the water and his jaw fell open in surprise, eyes wide and greedily raking over your body.

"Wh- what is this?" he stammered, gaze glued to your chest. Your fingers fidgeted at your sides under his scrutiny.

"I thought I would show you my appreciation for your hospitality," you explained. "I would like to repay you in some way for choosing me to share your quarters."

A small smile tugged at his lips as he eagerly reached forward, then stopped when he registered your words. He looked up at you questioningly, excitement falling from his face when he asked, "What do you mean, repay me?"

You shrugged and took a hesitant step forward, close enough now so he could reach out and touch your cunt if he chose.

"I realized today my fate could have been much harsher," you explained. "I have not been showing you my appreciation and respect, and in return, I wish to give you my body to use as you see fit."

Acacius frowned and turned his head away, searching for the cloth so he could continue cleaning himself.

"I do not want your body as payment, I believe I told you that weeks ago."

"You said we would not lie together unless I wished it so," you protested. "I now wish it."

"You wish to lay with me out of obligation, not desire. That is not something I want."

Embarrassment and confusion flooded your mind as you slowly stretched your arms across your exposed body, trying to hide yourself out of shame.

"I apologize-"

"Get yourself decent and eat," he commanded without looking up. His voice sounded hard and cold and for some reason, it made you want to cry. You did as you were told, dragging your dirty tunic over your head and sat quietly at his table to pick at your food. You were confused and ashamed, sitting in the tense room with him while you tried to work out what he wanted from you. The idea of wanting a man out of desire never occurred to you. You had grown up under the impression women of your station did not get to experience the luxury of desire, and instead came to terms early on in life that you always had one asset to use at your disposal.

Not one time did you ever imagine being with a man out of affection or love.

"I apologize," you tried again after he had dried off and joined you. He had changed into a clean, white tunic and was clenching a similar one in his fist.

"You may use this," he said, ignoring your apology yet again. He thrusted the tunic towards you and you fumbled when you took it from his grasp. "The one you are wearing looks as if it might fall apart the moment you step outside and feel the sea breeze."

"Thank you," you murmured, fingertips brushing over the soft and expensive material in your lap.

"I will also call for more water tomorrow so you may wash yourself," he said before biting into a chunk of bread.

Your cheeks went hot with shame, still feeling guilt over the mercy and generosity he had shown you.

"I do not know what it is to desire someone," you said after a few quiet moments. Acacius continued to chew and kept his focus fixed on his plate. "I never imagined it would be a part of my life. May I remind you we come from different worlds."

He grunted in response but you noticed his shoulders begin to relax.

"I understand. But you must stop treating yourself as a whore. You are so much more than that, I have seen it with my own eyes. And to watch you debase yourself, to think so lowly of yourself, breaks my heart."

Your breath caught in your throat and you felt tears begin to well up, quickly threatening to spill down your cheeks. How could you have been so wrong? How could you not see the man for who he really was? He was a man who was gentle, kindhearted, protective and most importantly, cared very deeply for you. To what extent, you were unsure, but if he wanted you to desire him and he saved you from being used by countless other men, he certainly must have harbored stronger feelings than you ever thought possible.

"Alright."

His dark eyes flicked up to yours when you spoke.

"I will not debase myself," you said flatly. The corner of his mouth twitched before he looked back down at his food.

"Very well. I am pleased that has been sorted," he replied before shoving his plate off to the side and standing to collect the cups and dice. "Shall we play a few rounds before bed?"

You grinned and nodded, gathering up your plates and dumping them in the water by the door to clean later before joining him back at the table. And somehow, the awkwardness from the evening faded away after a few rolls of the dice.

It had been two weeks docked off shore on some foreign land. You hadn't left his room in over a month and you were beginning to feel insane. You told him as much early one morning when he was dressing for battle. It was still dark outside. Acacius had mentioned he wanted to arrive on shore before dawn so that he might get into position under the cover of night.

"When I return tonight, I will take you up on the deck for some fresh air," he promised as he cinched up his armor. "Do not leave this room when I am not here."

"Why not? Are your men not with you during the daytime?" you asked from his bed.

"It is not my men I worry about," he explained, sheathing his sword after lacing up his sandals.

"Then what do you worry for?"

"I worry about everything," he confessed. His hand was on the doorknob poised to leave, but he stopped to turn to you one last time. "I do not trust the soldiers from this city not to try to climb aboard the ships whilst we are gone. It is important the ships appear empty."

You nodded in understanding before burrowing back in his sheets and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of you looking comfortable and radiant in his bed.

"Behave, my dove, and we may dine on the deck tonight," he said, making you smile wide. He slipped quietly out of his room and locked the door behind him, fearful if he lingered any longer, he may not leave the ship the whole day.

You spent the afternoon reading and bathing and cleaning the general's dirty clothes in the extra water he had brought up after he left. You weren't sure how it happened, but the two of you had fallen into a life of domesticity amidst war without even sharing so much as a kiss.

What surprised you the most was you enjoyed it. You enjoyed tending to his things and cleaning what you could during the day, and then caring for him at night when he returned all bloodied and tired.

It had not once crossed your mind that he may not return until it happened.

That night, you saw the lanterns bobbing over the water, your signal to begin heating up his water for a bath. Your hair smelled like the expensive oils you poured into his water from your own bath earlier. You smiled to yourself when you thought of smelling like him, and him of you.

Heavy footsteps landed on the wooden floorboards above your head and outside your door. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Acacius usually didn't come to his room right away. He typically visited the wounded soldiers in the infirmary, making sure they were well tended to and fed before doing his rounds, assigning a night crew, and then finally gathering food for you both before retiring for the evening.

But more time passed than usual. You could tell because your stomach began to rumble and his water grew lukewarm. You paced around the room, ears straining to hear the voices from the other soldiers, trying to discern anything from their muffled conversations.

It wasn't until two hours went by that you heard a sharp rap at the door and a man's voice echoing on the other side, announcing he brought you food.

Your blood went cold and you wondered if you should open the door, but then you remembered Acacius told you he wasn't worried about his own men, the underlying message being that his soldiers would never touch what was his. So after a moment's hesitation, you swung open the door.

"Here," a young man said, shoving one plate of food towards you. His face was stained with dried blood and dirt and you frowned before taking the food and thanking him softly.

"Where is the general?" you asked timidly.

"He fell in battle," he grumbled before turning away. Your heart plummeted as you reached out and grabbed his shoulder, taking him by surprise.

"What do you mean?" you exclaimed. Fear and adrenaline mixed with something foreign coursed through your veins as you felt your lower lip tremble. The solider shook you off with disgust before stepping back.

"He was struck down. Last I saw of him he was lying still on the battlefield."

When he saw the look of despair on your face, he took pity on you.

"Others were assisting him, his body will return to Rome," he assured you before giving you a firm nod and disappearing down the long hall, leaving you to collapse into a fit of sobs behind the locked door.

The feeling you had in your chest was similar to the way you felt when your father passed, but something was different. It felt like a piece of you went dark, like you may never smile or laugh ever again. Grief consumed every fiber of your being and you found yourself crawling into his bed, face streaked with tears so thick you could hardly see your hands reach for his pillow. You pulled it tightly against your chest and you curled up around it, muffling your wails until your head began to pound and your body felt weak.

You drifted in and out of sleep, tossing and turning until the room grew cold and the fire dissolved into embers. You stood and wrapped a blanket around yourself, sniffling and shuffling over to the fire to stoke the flames wearing the general's spare tunic he had gifted you. After a few minutes, the fire roared back to life and you sat back with a heavy sigh.

Just as you were wondering what you would do come morning and how you would ever be able to move on without him, you heard footsteps approaching. You whipped around in fear and tightened your grip on the blanket. With the general no longer around to protect you, you had assumed the other men would eventually come looking for you, but you had to admit you didn't expect it so fast.

You curled yourself into a ball on your old bench, staring at the doorknob, expecting to see it jiggle and eventually forced open from the other side, but to your surprise the lock clicked quietly and the door slowly creaked open.

When you saw the general appear, limping and bloodied but still alive, you practically screamed. You jumped to your feet and rushed over, moments away from throwing yourself into his arms before you caught yourself.

"Acacius," you whispered in disbelief, the informality slipping easily past your lips for the very first time. He gave you a tired smile and locked the door behind him.

"I apologize for missing dinner," he said. You laughed as two fresh tears trickled down your cheeks. Your hands hovered nervously over his armor as if you weren't sure where you could touch him.

"Apology accepted," you replied before gingerly unhooking the armor around his shoulders. He groaned with relief when you lifted the heavy metal off him and set it against the wall by the door to polish another time. When you turned back around, you gasped at the blood that had seeped through his tunic, staining the yellow fabric a dark red.

"You are hurt," you whimpered, then hurried around his room for clean cloths, healing oils, and salves he kept in his desk. "Take that off and sit down. Allow me to tend to your wound."

He wordlessly lifted the ruined tunic over his head, wincing slightly when the wound at his side pulled, and he sat down at the table just as you instructed. You collected some of the unused water from his bath and set it over the flames to warm up before scooping up some more and setting it on the table next to him.

"They stemmed the bleeding on the boat," he explained. "It just needs to be cleaned and perhaps -"

"I will handle this. You just rest and eat," you told him, pushing your plate of uneaten food in his direction. His eyes fell onto the food and he frowned.

"It is untouched," he said, "why did you not eat?"

"How could I when I thought you were dead?" you snapped as you brought a soaked rag to his side and began to gently pat at the nasty looking gash.

Acacius took a bite of food, the flavors melting onto his tongue and making him groan. He didn't realize how hungry he was and before he knew it, he had eaten all of the food except for the grapes. You were leaning across his lap, bandaging up his wound with intense focus. He sighed contentedly, basking in the warmth from the fire and the soft touch of your hand on his skin. He could already feel his strength beginning to return.

"That should hold," you said, sitting upright to inspect your work. He glanced down and raised his eyebrows at the neat little bandage you had adhered to his wound.

"You did a very good job. Where did you learn such things?"

You shrugged and began to clean up the salves and oils. "On a farm, many accidents happen. You learn quickly how to tend to a wound."

He smiled and sipped from the wine you had poured for him while watching you move around the room, disposing of his soiled clothes and rags and then bringing the bucket of warm water over to the table with a fresh cloth.

When you pulled the other chair closer and sat, fitting your legs between his knees so you could reach him, he began to protest.

"You do not need to -"

"I want to," you said, cutting him off with a warm, wet cloth on his aching shoulders. His eyelids fluttered with a groan, leaning back into his chair and giving in. It felt so wonderful to be washed by your hand, to have you so close and safe while tenderly caring for him. It was all he had been dreaming about for years, ever since the first day he saw you at the market.

"So many scars," you whispered, swiping the cloth down his broad, strong chest. His breathing stuttered when you reached his stomach and he tensed.

"I have been in many battles," he murmured with his eyes still closed. You hummed to yourself and continued to work, diligently and carefully scrubbing away the layers of blood and grime until you cleaned everything you could see.

"Can you lean forward, General?" you asked, "I would like to cleanse your back."

He nodded and with a grunt, sat upright so he could lean forward. You stood from your chair and positioned yourself behind him, taking great care with every swipe of your cloth, afraid of unearthing a new wound under all the filth.

"Back to general now, are we?" he asked.

Your hand paused on his shoulder blade. He sensed your confusion and he chuckled.

"When I first arrived, you called me Acacius," he explained.

"Oh," you breathed before continuing your work. "That was disrespectful, I -"

"No, I quite liked it," he said before you could finish apologizing. "You may call me Marcus when we are alone, if you prefer."

Your eyes widened and although he couldn't see you, he could tell you were surprised.

"That would be highly irregular," you finally said softly, putting down the wet cloth and picking up a bottle of perfumed oil. You sprinkled a few drops into your palm and you rubbed your hands together. "That name should only be used by those closest to you."

He opened his mouth to respond but when your slick hands found his shoulders and your fingers began to dig into the knots in his muscles, he moaned and felt himself go lax.

"Oh gods, that feels incredible," he rasped. The deep timber of his voice sent a wave of arousal right to your core. You continued to work on his back and shoulders, privately marveling at his broad frame and firm muscles under his scarred, bronzed skin. He was truly something to behold. So strong, handsome, and fearless. Yet also kind and gentle. The proximity of his body and the ricocheting emotions you had experienced that evening had you reacting to him in a way you never had before. It was confusing and strange yet also exciting, and the noises you were drawing from his mouth with every roll of your thumbs was causing a dull ache to form between your thighs.

You blinked and cleared your throat, trying to shake the heavy curtain of lust that clung to you.

"What happened out there? One of your men informed me you were dead."

Marcus sighed and sat up straight, the angle causing you to drop your hands from his tight shoulders. One of his massive hands reached back to take yours so he could lead you to stand in front of him, between his knees.

"They had called a truce. They requested to discuss terms of surrender, so I called off my men and went to speak with their king," he began, his hand still engulfing your own as he gazed up at you with his soft, dark eyes. "It was a trap. They ambushed me when I got out of range. It must have been twenty of them," he continued solemnly, his thumb brushing against your wrist as he spoke. "I slayed them all, one by one, but once I took down their final solider, an archer took aim from the wall. I was able to dodge the arrow but I was not quick enough," he chuckled and looked down at his wound. "I am not the young man I once was."

"I cried for hours," you admitted quietly. His eyes darted up to yours again, holding his breath as you spoke. "I had never considered you would not return to me at the end of the day. However, when I got word you had died-"

You paused when a sob got lodged in your throat. You knit your brows together, hoping to stave off your tears while Marcus patiently waited. Eventually, you gave him a watery smile and lifted your free hand to cup his cheek.

"I felt a grief I never thought I would feel again," you said, voice shaking. His eyes searched your face, watching the way your anguish rolled through you at the memory. He swallowed tightly and, with his other hand, gently gripped your waist.

"Tell me," he whispered, "did you feel these things only because you feared for your safety if I was not here?"

You shook your head as one singular tear trickled down your cheek.

"No," you breathed, "it was because I felt like a part of me died, too. Because I could not imagine my life without you."

When you saw the joyful look in his eye, you quickly closed the remaining distance between you, leaning down the rest of the way and slanting your mouth desperately over his. He moaned and dropped your hand so he could cup the back of your neck, pulling you even closer so you were forced to straddle his lap.

"Do you know what you do to me?" he groaned amid kisses that were growing increasingly messy as the heat between you grew. "How badly I want you? How long I have waited?"

Your mind was blank. You couldn't think of a single thing to say, but Marcus didn't give you a chance to respond, anyway. His tongue slipped past your lips, greedily swirling in tandem with yours and forcing your jaw to open wider. The hand on your waist dropped to flatten against your lower back and he pressed you forward so not even a sliver of moonlight could sneak between your bodies.

Underneath your gifted tunic, you were bare. When you joined the other whores all those weeks ago, they told you there was no use for undergarments, that the men would just destroy them if you bothered to wear any, so just like all the others, you never did. It had never been a problem until that very moment, when Marcus had you writhing in his lap, hips stretched wide and cunt free to rub against his thigh. When you first made contact with his leg, the firm muscle brushing against your sensitive clit, you jumped in his lap and moaned into his mouth.

"Tell me, sweet thing," he murmured when he finally broke the kiss. You were panting heavily, eyelids drooping with need as you gazed down at him. "I know you have not sold yourself to a man, but have you ever laid with one before?"

You shook your head and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, holding him close. His lips brushed up against your throat and he began to suck on the sensitive skin there as both of his hands fell to your hips. Gently, he rocked you back and forth, sliding your slick, bare cunt over his thigh. He heard you sigh and smiled against your skin when your head dipped backwards in pleasure.

"Does that feel good?"

"Yes," you whispered, voice raspy and thick. "Oh, yes, it feels... heavenly," you told him with a sigh.

"Good," he grunted, "keep going. Do not stop until you come. I will need you soft and wet before you take my cock."

"Yes, General," you replied obediently, making his cock jump behind his thin loincloth.

Marcus tugged at the back of your loose tunic, stretching the material across your breasts so your hardened nipples poked through. With a low growl, he lunged forward and wrapped his mouth around one, cloth and all. His teeth added a surprisingly tantalizing amount of pressure that had you gasping for air as your hips quickened their pace over his thigh. You must have been leaving streaks of arousal all over him but something told you he didn't mind.

"You desire me, yes?" he questioned when he switched his attention to your other breast. You nodded feverishly, face tilted towards the ceiling as you chased your pleasure.

"Yes," you gasped, "yes, Ge- Marcus."

He groaned so loudly you thought he might wake up the whole ship.

"Fuck, say that again."

You smiled and circled your hips faster, grinding down onto his thick leg. You were so close, you could taste it.

"Marcus," you whined, "oh, Marcus. I cannot wait to feel you inside of me. I just know you will make me feel so good, will you not?"

Suddenly, his hand was back on your neck and his mouth was pressed tightly against the underside of your jaw, not unlike a wild animal pinning his prey against his sharp fangs. You could feel his hot puffs of air fanning across your skin and his teeth scraping your throat. His intensity might have frightened you if you weren't on the brink of an earth shattering orgasm.

"I will make you feel so good, you will never want to take another lover again," he said darkly. The hairs on your arms stood up but you continued to rut yourself as fast as you could against his thigh, your own chest heaving as you fought for air. "And if I have it my way, you never will," he added.

His words were what tipped you over the edge. You cried out his name and clutched at his shoulders for support as your orgasm rolled through you, covering him with your slick.

Your body was still trembling in his arms when he lifted you up and carried you to the bed. You blinked rapidly in response, poised to argue with him about potentially reopening his wound, but before you could get a single word out he had tossed you onto the sheets and climbed on top of you, caging you in.

"Before I ravish you, my sweet, what do you know of coupling?"

You scoffed. "I am no fool, I know how it works."

Marcus chuckled at your snark and sat back on his heels to peel your tunic over your head, exposing yourself entirely to him. A groan rumbled through his wide, bare chest as he stared down at you hungrily, all spread out and ready for him.

"I cannot lie. Ever since you first stood before me naked, your beautiful body has consumed my every waking thought."

"It shows incredible restraint, then, for you to share a bed with me each night," you teased, eyes dancing playfully as he stripped himself of his loincloth.

"You have no idea," he growled, falling back onto his forearms. The tip of his nose nudged against yours affectionately. "I have waited years for this, my sweet."

The idea of any man pining after you, let alone the mighty General of Rome, was a strange and foreign concept.

"I am just the daughter of a poor farmer," you muttered, fingers brushing his peppered curls behind his ear.

"Your station means very little to me," he replied, looking down between your bodies so he could notch the thick head of his cock at your opening. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

Your pulse quickened when you felt the slight bit of pressure he applied. Knowing how it worked was one thing, experiencing it for the first time was another.

"I-I was told it may hurt," you said meekly. Marcus's eyes found yours and he tenderly cupped your jaw.

"Yes, that is true, but I promise it will not last long," he assured you. You swallowed and nodded before spreading your legs wider and hooking your ankles around the backs of his thighs.

"Tell me if it is too much," he murmured. He pressed your foreheads together, lips hovering above yours, ready to soothe you from the pain.

"Go on, then," you said bravely.

Slowly, he breeched your opening and sunk one inch inside of you. You gasped and dug your heels harder into his thighs, but Marcus held steady.

"Speak," he demanded after a few seconds of listening to your heavy breathing.

"It stings," you admitted, "but it is not... unpleasant."

He nodded and pecked a chaste kiss against your lips before giving you another inch. You whined and squirmed a bit but once you settled, he took it as his cue to continue. It went just like that until he finally found himself fully seated inside of your tight heat.

"The worst is over, my sweet," he told you.

You wiggled underneath him, moving this way and that until you got used to the feeling of him inside you. Your hands wrapped around the backs of his biceps and you stretched your neck so you could bite and nip playfully at his prickly jaw.

"I enjoy being full of you," you admitted shyly, eliciting a grunt from the back of his throat.

"Good," he grumbled before drawing back his hips and slowly easing himself back inside your warmth. "Because I intend on having you full of me as much as possible. I fear I will never have enough now that you have given me a taste."

Your jaw dropped open when he began to move faster, gently and steadily working you open, carving a space for himself inside of you forever. The only thing you wanted was to have him as close as you could, so you wrapped your arms around him and buried your face against his neck, molding your bodies together as one.

"My sweet girl," he panted, mouth hunting for yours. "You feel better than I ever dreamed. So fucking tight and wet. I cannot believe my fortune, that you would give yourself to me. I wonder if I did indeed die in battle and have ascended to the heavens."

The stretch was divine, his heavy length dragging in and out of you and nudging against a spot that made your stomach clench and your head grow fuzzy.

"Do not say such things," you scolded him breathlessly. His hips stilled for a moment, waiting for you to continue. "Do not jest about your death. My heart cannot handle it."

His eyes softened and his mouth crashed against yours with a groan, overcome that you would feel so strongly for him. He began to roll his hips again but kept his mouth latched onto yours, swallowing down your whimpers and moans.

"I will never leave you," he whispered against your lips. His thrusts grew quicker but he tried his best to be careful and not drive himself too deep for fear of causing you pain. "I will always return now that I have you waiting for me. I shall be invincible in battle."

You laughed lightly, dragging your mouth down his throat and tasting his freshly perfumed skin.

"Was that all it took for you to become immortal?" you teased.

"Yes," he hissed, "a cunt as snug and perfect as yours is all a man needs to give him purpose."

His hand slithered between your back and sheets, pressing his palm firmly against your spine so you arched underneath him. His knees spread wider so he could get better leverage, and he began to roughly snap his hips. You gasped and grabbed onto his hair, giving it a sharp tug and making him groan. It was lewd yet somehow romantic, hearing the sound of your skin slapping together in the otherwise quiet room.

"Does it hurt?" he managed to ask through clenched teeth.

"No," you whimpered inbetween the soft moans he drew every time his cock slammed back into you. "Oh gods, Marcus, please-"

"What do you need, my love?"

He sounded breathless, his voice slightly strained, and your chest burst with pride. You loved the idea of being the one who made such a strong man so very weak.

"I- I am not sure," you admitted truthfully. "It feels so wonderful, but it is different than before."

As it turned out, you didn't need to figure out what you needed because Marcus knew. Somehow, he managed to know your body better than you. He knew how to make it sing and thrum just for him.

His hand snuck between your bodies and the pad of his thumb found your clit. He rubbed firm, slow circles over the sensitive bud, and his name instantly flew from your mouth, loud and wild. You likely could be heard from shore, but Marcus never shushed you. In fact, he smiled and worked his thumb faster, drawing out more delicious moans with every stroke.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured while sucking a mark into your neck. He could feel your lower belly begin to tense and heard your breath waver, so he circled his hips faster, cock greedily plunging in and out of your soaked cunt, chasing his release with reckless abandon now that he could feel you were close.

"I have obsessed over you for years. Dreamed of having you all to myself, just like this," he continued. He could sense his words had a great effect on you. Your walls fluttered and pulsed around him when he admitted his deepest secrets, so he kept talking.

"Long nights spent on the cold ground in the middle of war, I would dream of you. I would wonder what you would be doing back in Rome. I would pray you did not find a husband while I was away."

Marcus gasped when your cunt gripped around him so tightly that it took his breath away. "The thought of you belonging to another was enough to drive me insane," he groaned before capturing your lips with his.

"I am yours," you rasped when he pulled away, and when your eyes locked, he could see the adoration he felt for you reflected right back. "For as long as you will have me, I am yours."

Marcus's eyes slid closed in bliss after hearing the words he so longed to hear. "Come for me, my love. Come for me and when we return home, I shall make you my wife. I will take care of you. I promise you will never go hungry again."

Your hands grappled with the back of his head, fingers threading through his unruly locks as you pulled him down for a searing kiss. He muffled the sounds of your orgasm, cries of his name dying in your throat while your body bucked wildly beneath him.

It only took a few moments before he joined you. With his hand roughly squeezing your hip, he yanked you towards him. His body stilled, pumping you full of his seed while your tongues danced together in tandem until his shoulders sagged and you began to shake.

Marcus flicked the sheets so he could toss them over your trembling bodies. He planted kisses along the side of your head and jaw, then brushed the hair away from your face until your breathing leveled and your eyes reopened.

"Are you alright?"

You nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I am tired."

Marcus withdrew his hips, sliding his softening cock out from your clutch. You cried out in pain and he instantly jolted out of bed to soak a clean rag in some leftover warm water, then hurried back to press it between your legs.

"Better?"

"Yes," you sighed. "Thank you."

He gave you a quick kiss and slid back under the covers. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest so he could nuzzle your hair and murmur sweet nothings in your ear.

"Must you leave me in the morning? Can you not spend just one day recovering from your wound?"

Marcus kissed your bare shoulder and shook his head.

"The war is almost done. Tomorrow, I will make them surrender so we may sail home and start our life together."

You grinned and burrowed deeper under the covers. "Did you mean that?"

"What is that, my love?"

"When you said you would make me your wife," you said sheepishly. "Or was that just your mind getting lost to desire?"

"No, I meant every word," he said before rolling over and snuffing out the candle next to the bed. "When we return to Rome, I will make you my bride. You will bear my children and I will watch them play in the garden with you by my side."

You hummed and closed your eyes. "That sounds lovely."

You had very little idea of the politics in Rome and how the highest ranking general of the Roman army could possibly announce he was going to wed a poor farmer's daughter, but you knew deep down if Marcus wanted it, he would somehow make it happen. You knew this because his determination always won, on and off the battlefield.

After all, you were living proof of it.

[psychoticwillgraham]

briefly thought i was dying when i was getting ready to go shower bc it felt like I’d suddenly gotten punched straight in the back of the head, back of my throat, and my jaw and ears all at once. like someone just flipped a switch and suddenly owwww :(((( it felt kinda pulsing (the head pain) for about thirty solid seconds and then it just dulled to a small throb where it’s currently at now. legit thought i was having a goddamn stroke in the bathroom buck ass naked and briefly thought ‘aw fuck the emt’s are gonna see my tits’ which was funny that that was my very first thought.

and the head pain isn’t even the whole head. it’s the sides of my forehead and a little bit on the sides of my face. my jaw definitely hurts and so does my ears like when u get an ear infection. the very back of my throat too which is similar to the feeling of strep throat but not actually strep (pretty sure I’m immune to it by now after having literally five times a year every year until i was 19) and yeah the sides of my temple definitely hurt rn. i mean i have been super hoarse for the past five days or so and blowing my nose like crazy in the morning and starting to cough a bit starting earlier today. and I’ve been chugging water for an hour and it’s not helping jack shit so was it rlly just a terribly timed announcement by my body to say i have a sinus infection? or is it a migraine? idk

[clownwritesfanfic]

Drift Away - Five Hargreeves x Fem! Reader

Summary: When Five gets stuck in the subway station all alone, he decides to stay in a comfortable timeline while he tries to figure out how to get back to his family, however, he didn’t plan on falling in love with the lonely woman who lives there.

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word count: 7,984

Warnings: death, slightly canon compliant but not really, implied sex, slight nudity, author pretends to know wtf they’re talking about when it comes to cottagecore living

Disclaimers: Can you tell I love the subway concept but hate how it was executed? I refuse to believe Five would ever stop trying to go home. Also no Fivela in this because that whole mess is one I don’t want to clean up. Reader dresses feminine. Plus size, poc, and trans fem friendly. If you see something that goes against that, please feel free to say something. Five’s body is 24.

———————————————————————

It had been a little over six years now. Six years of being stuck in a confusing maze of timelines and once again, Five was all alone.

At least in the first apocalypse, he found comfort in Delores. But down here, his only company was the rats.

Five was desperate. He wanted to go home, to see his family again, try and stop yet another apocalypse. He wasn’t going to give up, that wasn’t the kind of person he was.

But this place was driving him crazy. He could focus in here. He wanted a shower, clean clothes, a regular source of clean water and good food. He remembered a timeline he visited that looked peaceful, a place he could relax and feel safe to figure out a way back.

He picked himself up off the ground. His body aching and joints creaking. He may have a twenty-four year old’s body, but it sure felt like his body finally caught up to his age.

Five groaned as he stretched, feeling his sore muscles pull and his vertebrae clicking into place. Damn that felt good.

When the train came to a stop at his station and the doors slowly opened, he stepped on board and collapsed on the nearest seat. He was so hungry and dehydrated that he barely had any energy. He hoped it wouldn’t be long before he could get to the timeline he wanted.

It took about twenty minutes for Five to get to the right timeline, and another seven to exit the station. He was so exhausted that the stairs nearly made him pass out. He knew exactly where he was headed and he couldn’t wait to get there.

When he saw the little cottage far in the distance, he felt a burst of energy. He had been dragging himself along for thirty minutes and the knowledge of having good food and fresh water helped him find the strength to continue.

The gate to the property was open, its latch broken. Five made his way to the greenhouse as it was the closest thing and he knew there were strawberries inside from his last visit.

He opened the door, a burst of warm humid air hit him immediately as he stepped inside leaving the door ajar. He made a beeline for the plants and started picking and eating as many ripe strawberries as he could. They were so sweet and the juice ran down his chin.

He was busy stuffing his face when he heard the familiar cock of a gun causing him to freeze in place.

He slowly turned around, one hand frozen in place holding a strawberry near his face, his mouth full of the fruit. The first thing he noticed was the twin barrels of a shotgun a few feet away pointed directly at his head.

Then his eyes moved down to see whoever was holding the gun, was wearing a beautiful dress that stopped right above the person’s knees.

“What are you doing here?” A stern voice spoke out. The gun was obscuring their face but he could make out the long hair that framed it.

“I’m not going to ask again.” They readjusted the gun as a warning when he took too long to answer.

Five dropped the strawberries he was holding and held his hands up. He roughly swallowed what was in his mouth and tried to speak.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean any harm. I’ve been lost for a long time and I’m starving. I didn’t know anyone lived here.” He explained in a soft voice, trying not to startle the owner.

The gun faltered slightly before it was lowered slightly. A pair of eyes stared back at him with an unreadable look.

The person sighed and finally lowered the gun fully, the click of the safety being turned on being heard through the quiet greenhouse.

Five was able to see them fully now, a woman was stood blocking the entrance, and she looked beautiful.

“Come on, you look rough. I got some proper food inside and some clean clothes.” You gestured for him to follow you as you stepped out of the greenhouse.

Five eagerly followed you out, excited to finally eat something proper and get clean. You closed the door behind him and started towards the cottage a few feet away.

A few chickens roamed around the property, most running out of the way as you two walked but there was one or two you had to nudge out of the way with the barrel of the shotgun. You did it with such care and gentleness that you must’ve had to do it many times before.

You opened the wooden door to the cottage and held it open, gesturing for him to go in first. He thanked you as he passed you and took in his surroundings.

The inside was cute. It was small but not cramped, more…cozy. Plenty of room for two people to be comfortable.

You closed the door behind you and propped the shot gun against the wall. You startled Five, causing him to jump a bit when you accidentally clapped your hands together when brushing them off against each other.

“I’m sure you’d like to take a bath quickly. But everything’s pretty old school around here so it will take me a while to get enough water and warm it up. But I’ve got some soup simmering right now.” You put your hands on your hips as you looked him up and down.

“Thank you. Anything is perfect.” Five knew he looked (and smelled) bad. He hasn’t been able to do anything properly for six years and he was grateful for whatever you could provide.

You nodded, feeling weird having a man around after being alone for so long. You gestured for him to take a seat at the dining table as you walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, ladling some of the soup into it. You placed the bowl down in front of him and grabbed some slices of sourdough bread you had made fresh that day and placed it in front of him as well as a spoon.

Five was nearly drooling at the steaming bowl of soup in front of him along with the fresh bread. You chuckled silently to yourself when you noticed his expression.

“It’s potato and leek and the bread is sourdough, made it today. I’m going to go get a bath ready for you, help yourself to seconds if you’d like, there’s plenty left.” You patted his shoulder before you left towards the bathroom.

“Thank you.” He called as you left and dug in. He moaned as the creamy and smooth soup slid down his throat so easily and warmed him up from the inside. He was quick to dip a piece of the bread into the soup and scarfing it down. He hasn’t had a proper meal in years so he couldn’t control himself.

It was about twenty five minutes later when he wandered into the bathroom. He had helped himself to seconds like you said and he also washed his dishes. He didn’t want to be any more of a burden than he already felt.

The bathroom was small. There was a big long metal tub sat on the side of the room, a wooden shelving unit with potted plants on the top few shelves and some different soaps on the lower shelves with in reach of the tub. On the opposite side of the small room was a metal basin full of charcoal that was glowing orange.

There was a window a few feet above the tub that was slightly open for ventilation, there was a door that lead to the outside that was wide open. As Five was busy observing his surroundings, you walked in from the open door. A pole was over your shoulders, two big metal buckets full of water on either side.

“Oh…hello…” You were startled at the sight of him but you couldn’t let it stop you cause the buckets were starting to feel heavier by the minute. You bent down at the knees and slid the pole off your shoulders, causing the buckets to hit the ground with a thump making some water splash out onto the concrete floor.

“I..uh…the soup was really good, thank you.” Five shuffled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. He was impressed by your strength, and watching you do it in a dress was just the cherry on top. He was used to seeing strong women due to his time in the Commission, but none of them looked as soft and feminine as you did. It was clear you were a tough individual and he liked it.

“No problem.” You lifted the buckets up and set them in the pile of lit charcoal and used a stick to move the charcoal around so it surrounded the buckets. “Sorry, I don’t have running water. I’ve gotten used taking cold baths, usually only heating it in the winter but I thought you’d appreciate a warm bath more.” You brushed your hands off and placed them on your hips.

“You don’t have to go through all this trouble for me.” Five felt awkward, he’d never had anyone care about him this much and he was slowly starting to realize how much he craved a simple life like this.

You waved him off with a scoff. “Just gaining some good karma points.” You joked. You reached in the cabinet that the container of charcoal was sat on top of and grabbed some big fluffy towels out and set them on the middle shelf near the tub.

As you checked on the temperature of the water, you explained to Five that all the soap and shampoo was homemade. Despite living in the middle of no where near a forest, you had a neighbour that you regularly trade with. She was an older lady that grew Beehive Ginger, a plant that produced a natural liquid shampoo. You were able to make your own bars of soap pretty easily with the lye you also made. You mostly had everything you needed out here but it didn’t help to build connections with those near by.

As you picked up one of the buckets, holding the bottom with a cloth you picked up earlier and poured it into the bath, Five was thinking to himself how much he wanted a life like this, he hoped he could when he got back to his family and figured out how to stop the Cleanse, but it was tempting to stay here with you.

You poured the second bucket into the tub, it didn’t fill it completely but it was full enough, it would’ve cooled down by the time she was able to grab more water and heat it up anyway and Five was grateful for any amount of water. You scooped up some of the smouldering coals with the bucket and dumped them into the water.

Five gave you a weird look and you let out a breathy laugh. “It will keep the water warm longer. The water put it out and cooled it enough where it won’t burn you, plus, charcoal ash is good for your skin. Helps bring out toxins and such.”

Five nodded and thanked you again. You left to go grab him some extra clothes you said you had lying around and he finally took the opportunity to strip out of his dirty clothing. He wasn’t sure where to put the clothes so he left them in a pile on the floor. When he was fully nude he climbed into the tub and sat down. He groaned when the warm water raised around him. It reached just above his belly button and he took a moment to just sit there and enjoy the warmth. Not wanting the water to get cold, he grabbed a small pitcher that was on one of the shelves next to the various soaps. He scooped up some water and poured it over his head, relishing in the warmth and how it felt as some of the dirt washed right off.

You walked into the bathroom, a folded up shirt, jeans, and a pair of briefs in your arms. You paused when you realized he was in the tub already, you couldn’t blame him, you’d want to clean off as soon as possible if you looked as bad as he did. The tub was high enough where you couldn’t see anything below his shoulders from where you stood.

“Sorry.” You laughed awkwardly. “I’m used to not having to knock. Here, got you some clean clothes. They should fit.” You placed them down on a stool nearby and noticed you hadn’t closed the door to the outside and walked over and latched it shut. “Sorry to get rid of the view but sometimes the goats get too curious and sneak their way in and that usually brings in the chickens.” You laughed.

Five smiled with a huff. “Thank you, again.”

“Stop it. No more of that.” You huffed. “I’ll be around. Just shout if you need something.” You smiled and gathered up his dirty clothing and left.

——————————————————————

An hour or so later, you had his original clothes all washed and hung up outside to dry in the sun.

You were sat at the dining room table, drinking some tea thinking about everything that’s happened so far.

Five entered the dining room and smiled. He opened his mouth to say something before you cut him off. “If you try and thank me one more time I’m going to kick you out.” You semi joked.

He silently laughed and shook his head. “Noted.” He pulled out a chair and sat adjacent to you. “I was actually going to say, I didn’t know how to empty the bath so I just left it.”

You waved your hand. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it later. Tea?” You gestured to the kettle sitting on the stove.

“I’m more of a coffee guy.” He sheepishly admitted.

“Oh, I’ve got some of that.” You stood up and grabbed the container of instant coffee and poured some into a mug and poured the hot water from the kettle into it and stirred it around. You placed the mug in front of him and sat back in your seat. You made it so quickly it was as if you’ve done it many times before. “Sorry it’s only instant. Coffee is kinda hard to get out here so we’d have to go to the nearest town for it which is about two hours away.”

“I’m grateful to be having any coffee at all. I haven’t had any for twelve years.” He picked up his mug and took a sip. It was the perfect strength, slightly bitter but it wasn’t the worst he’s ever had.

“Oh! I forgot to ask if you want cream or sugar with that.” You sounded concerned but didn’t really make a move to get up.

“Oh no, that’s alright. I take it black. This is great.” Five reassured.

“How are the clothes? They comfortable?” You asked as you sipped your tea.

“Great, yeah. They fit perfectly.” A little too perfectly to be honest.

“That’s good. I cleaned your other clothes, they’re outside right now hanging up.”

You both let a comfortable silence go through for a few minutes before you gasped. “Oh my god…I just realized I never asked for your name.” You laughed.

He smiled after taking a sip of his coffee. “It’s…Five.” He hesitated, not sure on if he should tell you his real name but deciding it was the least he could do.

“Five? Like the number?” You questioned.

“It’s…a long story.” He sheepishly replied.

“I got nothing but time…but I won’t make you talk about something you don’t want to.” He was grateful for that. “I’m Y/N by the way.”

He repeated your name. He liked the sound of it. “Do you live alone? I find it odd that a woman who I’ve only seen wear a dress so far has men’s clothes.”

“I….I had a husband.” You looked away.

“Oh..I’m sorry. I didn’t see a ring so I just assumed…” he trailed off when you grabbed the thin chain around your neck and pulled it out from the top of your dress. A simple metal ring hanging off the edge.

“Hard to do any work around here when you’re worrying about keeping a ring on your finger. Plus I’ve never been one for wearing rings. He made it himself out of some scrap metal he had lying around.” You explained as you played with the ring. “We got married officially down at the courthouse. No wedding though. We were never much for big events like that and we didn’t really have anyone to invite anyway.” Tears pricked at your eyes as you thought back to it all.

“If I may ask, what happened?” Five straightened up in his chair, feeling sorry for you.

“He went out one day to check the traps we have out in the woods…never came back. I went looking for him for months but I never found him. He wasn’t the kind of man to just leave. He loved it here. So I assumed something got him.” You sniffed and wiped your eyes. “Sorry…”

“No no it’s alright. That sounds awful. I’m sorry that happened.” He reached out and laid a hand on yours that was on the table. It was out of character for him, usually he wasn’t good at comforting others, but he felt like he needed to. Something drew him to you.

You smiled weakly. “It’s been three years. You learn to cope and move on quickly. Especially with this kind of life. You don’t get to mope around, there’s always stuff to do here so you have to work through it.”

“It must’ve been hard, having to do everything yourself after having someone else to split the chores with.”

“It was. But you get used to it. You sorta look like him too. The long hair and eyes, they’re just like his.” You smiled. “Anyway…enough about me. You can stay as long as you’d like. I’ve only got one bedroom but the couch is surprisingly comfortable. I’ve taken many naps on it. Sorry I can’t offer you something better.”

Five smiled. “Anything is better than what I’ve been sleeping on for the past six years.”

——————————————————————

Five originally planned on staying for a few days. But a few days turned into a few weeks, which then turned into a few months.

He hadn’t given up on finding a way home but he got a little…distracted. He helped you out around the house and small farm you had. You taught him how to do a lot of the more labour intensive tasks and over time you two grew closer.

You were in the greenhouse, collecting some of the strawberries to make jam later when Five appeared in the doorway, a watering can in his hand. He was wearing a green knitted sweater that used to be your husband’s favourite. He paused for a second to admire you and smiled to himself and busied himself with watering the plants.

You glanced over and smirked to yourself and picked one of the smaller strawberries and threw it at him. He tried to hold back a smile at your antics when he got hit with another strawberry, and then another, and another. Finally, he turned to you.

“You’re not going to have enough to make jam if you keep throwing them at me.” He smiled gently at you.

“Ah, they’re just the shitty ones I would’ve fed to the chickens. I think I have enough now anyway.” You took a few steps towards him before you stepped on the handle of a trowel that was left on the ground. It caused you to slip and you dropped the basket of strawberries in shock, you prepared to catch yourself when Five caught you just in time.

You both made eye contact. You felt a shiver go down your spine at seeing eyes that looked so similar to your late husbands. You felt yourself get lost in them the longer you looked and Five felt the same.

The last person he ever loved was Delores, and she wasn’t even real but he loved her all the same. But you made him feel the same way, only a thousand times more. He had started to fall for you over the months of being alone together.

He glanced down at your parted lips, silently asking for permission. You sucked in a small breath and looked down at his. He slowly leaned in, tilting his head slightly before closing his eyes and softly kissing you. When you parted you looked at each other again before Five whispered.

“Was that weird?”

“No…but that’s what makes it weird.” You replied.

At that, Five cupped the back of your neck and pulled you closer, bringing your lips back to his. This time the kiss was more passionate and loving. You held onto his shoulders, gripping his sweater.

You slowly dragged your kisses down his jaw right to a specific spot on his neck and harshly sucked. Five threw his head back and moaned lightly. He hadn’t been given a hickey before but it felt so good. After a few seconds you pulled away and admired the bruise starting to form.

You pulled away from him and walked towards the greenhouse door. He looked at you in confusion, wondering if he did something wrong or if you were just toying with him when you turned around to look at him and leaned against the doorframe.

“You coming?” You smirked with a look in your eyes.

He grinned and stalked towards you with a predatory look on his face. You giggled and took off towards the house with him chasing behind you.

——————————————————————

Five had been with you for six months now. He has since graduated from sleeping on the couch to sharing your bed.

He has been everything you could ask for. Attentive, loving, patient, caring, hard working, etc. He was perfect in your eyes.

You were once again in the greenhouse. It was your favourite place after all. You were sat on a crate, using some shears to tidy up some flowers for the small bouquet you were putting together.

Five walked in carrying two rabbits. “Oh wow look at that. Two this time.” You smiled.

“All because of your traps.” He winked and kneeled in front of you.

“Such a flatterer.” You smirked as you put down the shears and placed the last flower with the rest. “What are you hiding?” You inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” He asked, trying hard to hide his smile.

“I know you. You got that look.”

“What look?”

“That guilty ‘I have a secret’ look!” You laughed.

“I have no such look.” He bit his lip holding back his smile.

“Whatever.” You rolled your eyes with a grin.

“Ok ok you’re twisting my arm.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls something out. “Here.” He holds it out to you.

You gently take it from him and notice it’s a bracelet made of metal. It’s beautifully twisted together making a unique piece of art. “Oh…Five, this is beautiful. Where did you get this?”

“I made it. Used the scrap metal I found lying around.” He looked up at you.

“I love it.” You looked up from admiring the bracelet into his eyes.

“I aim to please.” He looked at you full of love and smiled.

You grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. He placed a hand on your waist and leaned in to the kiss. He was always such a good kisser. It was passionate and full of love and want and always left you breathless.

You both slowly pulled away, leaning your foreheads together as you caught your breath.

“I love you, Five.” you whispered as you softly scratched his scalp.

“I love you too. So much.” He replied, his thumb rubbing your waist.

As much as you’d love to keep the moment going, he slowly pulled away and stood up. “I’m going to go look for more scrap metal, we’re getting low and one of the traps needs to be fixed. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“Oh, okay. Be careful.” You smiled at him as he stood in the doorway.

“I will, love.” He replied softly before turning around and leaving.

Your smile fell as soon as he was gone. Now was as good a time as any.

——————————————————————

Despite finding peace and happiness with you, Five never stopped trying to find a way back home. His family was important to him and even though you were apart of it now, he still wanted to get back to his siblings.

He told you all about his family, his powers, how he got trapped in the future, his true age, everything that lead him to that point in time with you. The only thing he left out, was the subway. It was quite a distance away from your little piece of heaven and he didn’t want you to get stuck by accident like he did.

It was the one secret he kept from you, but what he didn’t know was that you had one of your own.

You had been feeling suspicious for a while about where he was getting all the metal. It was woods and foliage for miles so you had no clue where he was getting it all.

You weren’t stupid, you knew how much his family meant to him and you saw how it effected him being away from them for so long yet again. There would be days where he wasn’t himself, he was visibly depressed and his mind was occupied with the thoughts of his family. He would reassure you that he loved his life with you and didn’t regret a single thing, but being apart from them was hard.

But you were selfish. As much as you would love to meet his family, you refused to lose the one man that made you happy, again.

You waited for Five to get a head start before you went after him. You had to be careful, you knew he was a trained assassin and a former CIA agent, one little mistake and he’d catch you and you didn’t have an excuse thought up if he did. Luckily, you had some training yourself. Not at the level of Five’s but good enough where you were able to sneak up on him a few times before.

You followed a few yards behind him, staying close by but far enough behind where you won’t lose sight of him.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Five reached the entrance to the subway station. He looked around as a precaution before descending the stairs. Luckily, you had ducked down before he could spot you, you rose from your spot as you watched him go down the stairs.

You walked over and looked down from the top of the stairs and sighed heavily.

——————————————————————

A few months later, you were outside feeding the chickens when Five walked outside, he had the messenger bag he always used when going out slung around him.

He hadn’t needed to go to the subway station since the time you secretly followed him but a lot of things needed repairs recently so he had to find some more metal soon.

He walked up behind you and wrapped his arms around you and kissed your cheek. “I’m going out now. Be back soon, okay?” He said softly as he rested his head on your shoulder.

Five has become more touchy and cuddly recently and you’re not too sure why but you’re not exactly complaining.

“I can come with you. I don’t have much else to do right now that’s urgent. Just lemme finish up here.” You replied, throwing the rest of the seed to the birds.

“No no, it’s okay, love. You stay here. It’s safer here than out there.” He tried persuade you.

You huffed and turned around in his arms. “Five, I’ve survived out here on my own for three years before you showed up. I think I can handle it.”

“I know, but please? Just stay here. It gives me peace of mind knowing you’re here safe.” He looked down at you with pleading eyes.

You sighed exasperatedly. “Fine. But don’t be too long or I’m coming after you.”

“I won’t, love. See you soon.” He kissed you before taking off.

Five felt guilty. He had found a notebook that had the answers to find his way back home. He had held on to it for so long but he had no clue how to bring it up to you. He loved you, and he loved his life with you so much. But he also wanted to save his family, and as much as he’d love to bring them here, he knew most of them would refuse to drop their new lives to start over completely. Plus your cottage and garden kept both of you living comfortably and he had no idea what this timelines world was like outside of the small bubble you stayed in.

He was going to scavenge for metal but he was also hoping to study the notebook a little more. He had covered the subway walls in equations while he tried to think of all the possibilities of getting his family safe while also being able to stay with you. He knew you wouldn’t want to leave your timeline, especially since the one he was trying to get back to was turning to shit quite quickly.

Five had walked this path so many times that he was walking on auto pilot while looking down at the notebook and thinking. He had made it to the station and was about to take the first step down when he bumped into something solid.

He looked up and saw a bunch of wooden planks and chains blocking the entrance.

“What the hell?” He muttered to himself.

“I knew you’d come here.” He turned around when he heard your voice. You were stood a few feet away looking disappointed.

“Y/N? What are you doing here? I told you to stay back.”

“I know. But I wasn’t going to let you go down there again.” You crossed your arms.

“You did this?” He gestured to the shoddily put together barrier. “How do you even know about this place?”

“I followed you last time. I knew you were hiding something. Plus I was curious as to where all the metal was coming from. So…what’s that?” You nodded towards the notebook he was still holding.

“You have no right to keep me out of there.” He ignored the question and walked towards you.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want. You’re not going down there again.” You stood your ground.

“Oh yeah? And where else would I get the materials we need?” He was starting to get pissed off.

“Fuck all that! I don’t give a shit about that! What are you doing down there that’s so fucking important?” You yelled, getting frustrated with him diving the question.

“Trying to find a way back home! To my family!” He raised his voice back, throwing his arms up.

“This is your home now, Five. You’re happy here. We both are.”

“This is NOT my home. Without my siblings here, it will NEVER be home. With or without you here.”

That hit you hard. You felt a pang in your chest at hearing that.

“So that’s it? You’re just going to leave as soon as you can? You just can’t WAIT to get away from me huh?”

“Don’t be stupid.” He huffed.

“Stupid?! You won’t even tell me what the fuck is in that notebook or where you go it!” You waved your arms around.

“It’s the answer I’ve been looking for on how to get back to my timeline. Now, take this shit down so I can finish my equations.” He sighed.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. You’re staying here.” You stared at him while he glared at you.

Five got close to you, getting up in your face. “What the fuck is your problem? What makes you think I won’t just blink down there and leave right n-“

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as tears finally started falling down your face.

This startled Five, causing him to back up. It took him a second before he spoke up again.

“What do you mean ‘again’?” He questioned.

You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head, hugging yourself.

“Y/N…” Five warned as he took a step towards you.

You hung your head as your tears kept falling. “I knew about timelines long before you showed up.” You sniffed and lifted your head, looking off to the side. “My husband…he…he found this place years ago. He went on the subway and came back telling me all about it. He was so captivated by it that he kept coming back, taking it to different timelines. I went with him once but we ended up somewhere awful. I never wanted him to go down there again. I didn’t trust it. But of course he was too stubborn and didn’t listen. He went out one day and…never came back. I waited for years. I came out here every day for about two of those years, just waiting for him to walk back up. I wanted to close it off but kept it open just incase he came back. Then you showed up…and I…I thought that you…were him. You looked and sounded the exact same. Even had the same name. But I knew you couldn’t have been him from the way you acted when we first met. But when I gave you his clothes to wear…all I saw was him.” You wiped your tears away.

Five was silent for a while. Trying to process everything you just dumped on him. “So…I was a replacement, for the version that you lost.” He clenched his jaw.

“No!” You looked at him with surprise. “No I swear you weren’t a replacement. Even if he was a version of you and you had a lot in common, you’re also different. There are things you do, things you say, that are so different from him. I never saw you as a replacement. I never saw you as him. I just saw someone so familiar that I felt so comfortable with. You made me fall in love all over again with a whole new person.” You tried to explain quickly.

Five sighed and looked away, scratching the back of his neck. “I need to get home.”

You sucked in a breath. “Five, please. Please don’t leave me alone out here again. I’ll…I’ll do better! I will do whatever you want as long as you just stay here. Please.” You felt tears stinging your eyes again as you reached out and held onto him.

“Y/N…” He sighed. He brought his arms around you and held you close. “I love you. I really do. But I don’t belong here. I’d love to stay with you. I really do. But your Five is out there somewhere. Stuck just like I was. He belongs here with you. I need to be with my family. I’m sorry.”

You sobbed into his chest as you tightened your grip on him.

“I’ll find your Five. I promise. I’ll find him and I’ll bring him back to you. You’re strong, you can take care of yourself while I look for him.” He reassured as he nuzzled into your hair.

“How do you know he’s even still alive?” You whimpered into his chest.

“He’s a Five. We’re stubborn, and if he loved you as much as I do then I know he’s fighting to get back to you.”

You both stood there, the air cold as you held each other. Your sobs mixing in with the sound of the wind. After a couple of minutes, your tears died down and you slowly pulled away from Five. He looked down at you, evidence of his own silent tears on his face.

You reached up and wiped the tears off his face. “I love you, Five. Just as much as I loved mine.”

He caught one of your wrists. “I know.” He whispered before kissing your palm. You both looked into each others watery eyes before stealing one last kiss.

When you pulled away, you leaned your forehead against his, one last time. “Do you promise you’ll find him?”

“I promise.”

With that, you backed away from him and held your hands close to your chest, one of them playing with the bracelet he made you all that time ago. You watched him look at you one more time, smiling, before suddenly he was gone in a flash.

You felt yourself fall to your knees as your curled in on yourself as you sobbed.

——————————————————————

Five had managed to arrive safely in his timeline. He was going to keep his promise to you, but first he needed to see his family.

His heart was still heavy at the thought of leaving you behind but he tried not to let it show. He didn’t want his siblings to pry too much when the wound was still open.

He walked up to the familiar house and sighed before knocking on the door. It opened to reveal Lila.

“Hey there you are. Finally.” She looked him up and down. “What the hell are you wearing?” She questioned.

“I can’t be comfortable?” He countered.

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’ve only ever seen you in suits or a school boy uniform. It’s weird seeing you in casual clothes.” He rolled his eyes at her statement. He certainly didn’t miss her quips. Lila stepped back and opened the door more to let Five in.

As soon as he stepped inside he saw Diego with Grace on his hip. “Heyyyy you made it, Cinco! Come on in, take your shoes off first though.”

Five softly smiled at the sight of his family safe and sound.

——————————————————————

Five found himself back in the subway station pretty quickly. The Cleanse had yet to be stopped and everything was escalating so fast but he knew he had a promise to keep. He hated leaving his family again with no explanation but he refused to let you down.

He was prepared to spend another six years down there all alone just for you. Luckily, he had only spent a few hours searching different timelines when he came across a deli.

He had followed what he swore was an another version of him down there. He hoped it was the one he was looking for.

However, he was shocked to find the entire place was full of doppelgängers. “Hey! Over here.” The Five in the suit that he followed called him over to a booth.

“What is this place?” He sat down across from himself.

“It’s a gas station. What the hell’s it look like? It’s a deli.” His counterpart replied sarcastically, sipping some coffee.

Another Five chuckled in the booth behind him while yet another copy of himself placed down a mug of coffee and two pastrami sandwiches on the table.

“Little light on the sauerkraut don’t you think?” Five joked.

“Yeah, it says it on the menu and I keep telling him but…he never listens.” He shook his head.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Theoretically it is.” He picks up the mug of coffee.

“Oh, you’re not gonna like that.” The other Five points out.

He looks down at the coffee with a frown.

“So! I take it your figured out the subway system by now.” The Five takes a bite of his sandwich.

“Alternate versions of the same moment in time?”

“That is correct. You’d be surprised how long it took some of the Five’s to figure that out.” Five mumbles with a mouth full. It made him think back to you and how you always scolded him if he talked with his mouth full. He hoped you were alright.

Five swallowed and continued. “We’re all you. From alternate timelines, most of us have given up trying to fix the problem.”

He looked at his counterpart, confused. “What problem?”

“The broken timeline, man. There’s only supposed to be one.” Five sipped his coffee.

He thought for a moment. “I don’t get it.”

“Look around, Five.” He sighed. “Does this seem right to you?”

He looked to the side. “Well, no-“

“You think Einstein was thinking of this when he was figuring out relativity? Not a chance. This shit would’ve made his head explode.” He took another sip of his coffee.

“Ok so, what shattered the original timeline?” Five questions.

“Not what…who. And I’ll give you three guesses to figure it out.” A ding is heard through the deli.

“We did!” Another Five from behind the counter shouts.

The Five across from him looks exasperated. “Why you always gotta wreck shit, Brisket Five? Why?”

“By we he means…the family, my siblings?”

“The morons, yeah.”

“I’m familiar with them, yeah.”

“One perfect timeline and the moment we come into existence; boom! Shattered. Into an infinite number of alternate timelines in an infinite loop of time. As we try and save the world- how many times…was it again?” Five leaned over and asked the Five in the booth behind him.

“One hundred and forty five thousand four hundred and twelve.” The Five lowered his newspaper to look at the other two.

“That’s a lot. He’s like Rain Man, that one. He loves num- oh by the way. Look at the artwork.”

He turned and looked at all the framed photos littering the walls.

“All the different ways we made our universe go kaboom. Gold star for consistency, am I right?” He joked.

“We need to fix this.”

“Oh trust me, we tried. That’s why one of us created the commission. By the way that’s why there’s no paradox psychosis here. Uses the same technology that Five did for the panic room. He wanted to undo all the broken timelines, get back to the one and only. But that always fails because…?” He prompted.

“The family is the problem. We’re doomed to save or destroy the world over and over again and infinitum.” He sighed.

“Bingo.” A Five sat at a table holding a coffee chimed in.

“Bingo.” The Five across from him repeated with his mouth full.

“I need to get back to my family. Stop this from ever happening.” He stood up.

“Well…good luck with that. Guess you don’t want your brisket to-go?” The Five reached for his plate and slid it towards him.

He was about halfway to the door when he remembered his promise and turned around. “One last thing. I spent a year in a different timeline with a woman. Her name is Y/N, she said she lost her husband because of the subway and that he’s another Five.”

“Y/N, huh? Only a few of us have met someone with that name, but chances are you’re looking for that one over there.” He pointed to another Five who looked the worst out of all of them. He was hunched over a table in the far corner, head in his arms. “Used to talk non stop about his wife named Y/N and how he had to get home to her. Poor bastard got stuck and went crazy trying to find his way back.”

That’s all Five needed to hear. He walked over to the Five and shook his shoulder. The Five grumbled but lifted his head.

“Hey, I know how to get you back to your timeline. Your wife misses you a lot. She’s waiting for you right now.”

“Y/N?!” He straightened up.

“Yeah. C’mon. She needs you.” He helped the Five stand and lead him out of the deli.

—————————————————————���

On the subway ride back to your timeline, your Five was pacing back and forth.

“Sit down. You’re gonna fall on your ass when the train stops.” Five tried to calm him down.

“I haven’t seen her in years. She told me to stop coming down here but I just couldn’t fucking listen and I ended up leaving her all alone.” He brushed his hand through his messy and dirty hair.

“Hey. She’s strong. She was doing just fine by herself when I met her. I promise she’s okay. She’ll be happy to see you again.” He sighed. He really wishes it could be him, but now that he knew his family was destined to destroy the world no matter how hard they try to stop it, he had to go back and be with them.

When the train stopped in the right timeline, he guided the other Five out. “Ah shit.” He muttered when he got to the stairs and saw it was still blocked off. “Forgot she did that.” He grabbed the other Five and blinked them to the surface. He shivered at the cold air. It must have been a few months since he left considering there was now snow on the ground.

“This way. I’m not sure how long it’s been for her so let’s not keep the lady waiting.” The disheveled Five followed close behind him, growing anxious at the familiar scenery. His heart started beating hard in his chest when he saw the cottage in the distance.

As they got closer, they could both see you exiting the greenhouse, a basket in your hands.

“Oh my god…” The Five whispered. He stood still in shock at seeing you again. You looked just as beautiful as he remembered. “Y/N!” He called out.

You looked around at the sound of your name being called. You had been hallucinating hearing your name in Five’s voice since he left so you were in complete shock when you looked over and saw your original Five a few yards away.

You dropped the basket, its contents spilling onto the snowy ground, and beelined for your husband, jumping right over the fence.

He ran towards you, quickly closing the distance before colliding in a desperate hug. Tears were pouring down both of your faces as you squeezed each other right. Scared that either one of you might disappear.

You looked up from his shoulder and through blurry vision you could see the Five you spent a year with standing in the distance. You smiled at him and mouth a “thank you” to him.

He smiled sadly back at you and nodded. You closed your eyes and nuzzled deep into your husbands neck. When you opened them again, Five had disappeared from view. You frowned, a part of you will always love and miss him, but you had your true Five back now. You could only hope he found someone that made him happy.

You pulled back from the hug and looked your Five in the eyes and smiled through the tears. “Welcome home, honey.”

——————————————————————

As Five stood hand in hand with his family as the Durango slowly consumed him, he thought back to you.

He had no idea what timeline was the right one, but he could only hope, that even if it was a slim chance, that your timeline was the correct one.

As you laid in bed, cuddled up to your husband, you didn’t feel a thing as your timeline disappeared.

——————————————————————

On the twelfth hour, of the eighth day of August, 2024, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

Y/N would say, it was just a normal day as she watered the marigolds in her garden.

[drefear]

Major in English, Minor in Criminology

Murderer!Miguel x Journalist!Reader

TW: smut, cursing, Miguel is a bit of a creep and a dick. Murder, violence, rough sex, light BDSM and squirting, manipulation, voyeurism, probably other shit, he's a fucking murderer.

This is where your English degree got you. 

Tied up in someone’s… garage? Basement? Storage container? You didn’t really know, since you just woke up here. How long has it been since you’d seen sunlight? Your skin felt sticky and filthy from the sweat and grime on you. 

This all started because you, a reporter, wanted to get into more serious reporting instead of stupid “Dairy Queen Price Changes,” or whatever you were supposed to be doing. You instead begged your boss to do something more dangerous and cutting edge, which would be the murder happening near the library in your town. You’d been going there to take notes about the crimes when someone grabbed you from behind and hit you with a heavy, lead pipe. 

And you woke up here. 

The door is metal and the walls are concrete, with a toilet and a sink, and a wrought iron bed bolted to the ground. There’s a slot in the metal door, and there’s blood stains all over. The sheets of the bed, the sink, the floor by the single window that’s been covered from the outside. 

You’ve woken up a few times and can only assume it’s been four days. You’ve flipped your pants inside out and used your blazer as a blanket by now, trying to use your resources to at least be slightly less uncomfortable. Even your throat feels raw and gross, having not spoken since the day you got here. 

Suddenly, the slot opens and food slides through before you sigh. 

“Thank you…” you speak quietly and the slot opens again, sliding through a bottle of water… with tape on the top of the bottle instead of a cap. 

“Did…” you begin to yell, “did you drug this?” 

A laugh is all you hear through the cracks of the slot and you sigh again. If you were any less sane, you’d think the laugh was sexy and raspy, but at this point, you’re sure you’re just deprived from human contact. 

Completely dehydrated and starved since you are basically getting nothing here, you gulp down the bottle of water in no time and begin to scarf down chicken nuggets like it’s no one’s business. 

“Um… excuse me?” You call out, with no success. “Can- is there any way I can take a shower?” Another laugh roared through the door and echoed in the room as you bit your bottom lip. 

‘Don’t cry, don’t cry.’ Your mind played that mantra over and over until you were strong enough to not cry. 

The next day, or so you thought, you woke up stiff and dehydrated once more as you heard another meal slide through the door slot, but you ignored it. You were beginning to hope for death, maybe die of starvation or dehydration instead of giving him the satisfaction of killing you himself. 

A grunt made you perk up and you turned towards the slot to see two eyes peering at you in the humid, uncomfortable darkness. A chill went down your spin as his eyes looked red in the dark lighting, like two lasers, and you squeezed your eyes shut. 

‘You’re just hallucinating, it’s ok. It’s not real.’ 

A second water bottle sliding through the slot made you look back to see the eyes once more, just blankly staring. 

You slowly moved to grab the two waters and back away, like a small animal trying to escape a large predator. 

As you retreat and knock against the iron bed frame, you calm down and think to yourself, ‘I win this round… but what happens when I lose?’

Your conscious wrestles with itself while you nibble on the empanadas he gave you, and shiver on the cold floor. A second goes by before you lock eyes with the man on the other side of the door once more, feeling them first before you gazed back at him. A beat passes before something else slides through the slot. You pick it up and realize it's a thin sheet. Did he know you felt cold? Did he see you shivering?

You covered yourself with the paper-like blanket and sat in silence as he closed the slot, leaving you once again with your thoughts. Why was he being nice? 

Hours later and you could hear him walking around, heavy footsteps across the door. Were you… In his house? You tried to map out a few rooms from where you could hear things echoing before you heard what sounded like a refrigerator opening. 

“Hello?” You called out and all sounds of movement seized. “Can I have more water?”

A few footsteps came closer to the door, but nothing came. “Please?” 

The sound of him walking away was all you could hear before you huffed and pouted. The hot and cold moods were annoying, and you were literally being held captive! You pushed the slot open a bit and saw a bottle of water, open, sitting a few inches from the slot. He was playing games with you. 

A grumble pasted your lips as you wiggled your hand through the slot and tried to grab the water, despite it feeling like your hand may get stuck. As you made a swipe at the bottle, it toppled over and spilled away from you. Laughter filled the room as you realized he had been watching, and you tugged your hand through with rough pull, scraping the top and giving yourself a scratch. You slumped your shoulders as he was still chuckling and sat on the bed, no longer interested in his games. 

The next day was the same, he shoved the food in with the water, but you again didn’t move. You have no energy or attraction to his schemes to play with you like a puppet. A grunt made you turn towards the slot and red eyes looked back at you, but you shoved the finger into the sliver of light and turned back to the wall. 

A few hours later, you sat with your knees tucked to your chest when through the cracks, you heard the voice once more. The rumble of a groan and yawn is all you heard before the door swung open and a large silhouette stood before you, almost reaching the top of the door frame. His big arms held where his head almost hit and you realized that you were in bigger trouble than you previously thought. Most killers were scrawny or at least normal sized, using weapons to kill. 

This man was a monster! 

You were confident that he could use his bare hands to kill you. 

His red eyes glared towards your cowering body as he began to close in towards you. Of course, with your luck, you were already sitting in the far corner of your “bed” as he latched a hand around your bicep and jerked you towards him. Tears pricked your eyes as he turned you around and forced you to bed over on the bed. You felt him begin to tie your hands together with a brittle rope, biting into your wrists with the roughness, and squeezed your eyes shut. 

“You’ll take a shower and I’ll watch.” He said, with the same sexy rasp you thought you’d hallucinated. His words sunk in and your eyes popped open like a champagne cork. “Really?” You perked up and smiled a bit. A shower! It’s what you really wanted, but a second passed and another thought about what he just said made you look down. “You’re going to watch me?” 

“Can’t let you escape because I was dumb enough to leave you alone in my bathroom.” He answered and pulled you up, practically carrying you out the metal door. 

You looked around and saw the cozy insides of a house, pictures on the wall, a centerpiece sitting on the dining room table. He even had the tv on in the living room, a soccer game playing. He was keeping you in his home.

You looked back at him and saw something else now. 

He was fucking gorgeous.

The fullness of his lips, the high cheekbones, his tousled and messy brown hair, and deep olive skin… He was basically perfect. You tried not to look so obvious, but you couldn’t help the blush creeping up your neck. 

Of course you would be turned on by your kidnapper. 

He readjusted you in his arms and basically tossed you over his shoulder, which made you let out a small, helpless squeak, to which he chuckled. You felt something hit you in the back of the head and realized it was the door frame. 

That’s how large he is.

You sighed as he sat you on the counter and you looked around as he started the bathtub. The countertops were all bare, and he had no shower shelves or anything to put any bottles or soap bars on. There were three containers sitting next to you: shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Your brows furrowed as you looked back at him, now staring at you were vacant eyes. He was completely unreadable as he looked down at your clothing and then back up at you. Following his line of sight, you looked down and saw he was just looking at your shirt. 

Then it made sense. 

“You… you’re going to take my shirt off?” 

“I have other clothing for you to wear, but I’m going to cut it off you.” He concluded and when you were about to protest when his eyes darkened while he held a knife. Suddenly seeing your kidnapper holding a knife so close to you made your jaw lock and your throat go bone dry. Your heart rate quickened as he tugged you closer to him and pushed the tip of the blade under the fabric, slicing towards himself. Your eyes focused on his face and you saw how concentrated he was on his knife on you. You stayed as still as possible to avoid him possibly nicking you, and soon the shirt was torn through and you were in your bra. He looked like he was thinking hard as he looked at your bra. The silence was heavy as he just watched you, your chest heaving up and down from the anxiety beginning to really take hold. His lips pursed before he spoke. 

“Why were you at the library that night?” His voice almost surprised you from how quiet the room was, and you hesitated before you answered. 

“I am- I was reporting the murders.” You corrected yourself as he moved the knife towards your cleavage before you leaned away. “Wait-! The straps are removable… so you don’t have to ruin it. You can just unhook it and then unclip the straps.” You pleaded and he just blew a stray strand of brown hair from his eyes. He relented without a word and started unclasping your straps, continuing to question you. 

“So just to get this straight, you went alone and unarmed to the scene where a murderer was finding his victims knowingly?” 

You looked at the ground, ashamed. “Well when you put it that way, I sound stupid.” 

“You are stupid.” He announced and you bite your tongue, seeing as he was a knife-wielding murderer and you liked your blood inside your body. As he continued to unhook your bra, the cups fell off of your body and your breasts were free. He stared, briefly in awe, before he got back to cutting off the rest of your clothing. 

Once you were naked, he just picked you up and placed you into the water before wetting your hair and starting to massage shampoo onto your head. Before you could stop yourself, you blurted out a question you’d been thinking of all day. 

“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” You asked and he froze, then sighing and continuing to clean your hair. 

“I don’t kill women. I kill men who like to assault or hurt women and children.” He grumbled and you stirred in your thoughts before asking more. 

“…Oh.” Is all you could say. He frowned deeply as he began rinsing out your hair. “So… why murder them? Why not report them?” 

“Tried that… cops don’t do shit.” He answered and you just nodded, noticing how he was getting more and more sour. “It… started with my mom. I just hate how these guys beat women and then get away with it.” He continued, and your heart strings were suddenly vibrating with empathy. 

“So why are you still keeping me here?” 

“There’s a few reasons. You know I’m a murderer, you’re being held in a small room in my house, and I hit you over the head with a fuckin’ pipe. I wasn’t expecting you to skip out of here, thanking me for the fun adventure, and promising not to call the fuckin police.” He retorted and you could understand that, which was alarming since you were agreeing with your captor and a murderer. “But the biggest reason is, you weren’t my original target.” Silence fell over you two once more, but this time, it was comfortable… not heavy, but comforting. There was understanding in the air as you thought for a second. You decided to ask the most logical question after being lost in your own head. 

“Who was your target?” 

His mouth closed to a scowl as he poured conditioner into his large palm and moved to rub it into your hair. When it was obvious he wasn’t answering, you sunk into the water a bit more and closed your eyes while you just enjoyed the way he massaged your scalp. 

You knew this was wrong for a thousand, million reasons. Or maybe one reason, but a big ass reason. 

He’s a fucking serial killer. 

But you couldn’t help it, for a weird reason. The way his forearms looked as they massage your scalp in the bathroom mirror made you want to bite them, to drag your fingertips across the tense, veiny skin. This man was doing things for you that you couldn’t have predicted. And for some reason, the fact that he didn’t mean to hurt you was a huge turn on, that he was targeting men who had previously hurt others or done terrible things. You ignored the fact that you might have Stockholm syndrome and directed your thoughts back to the way his biceps flexed in the fogged reflection. Maybe it was how the hot water made your brain hazy with seductive images of you under him, but the droplets on your skin dripped in a way that had you getting wet beneath the water. 

“Hello?” His voice made you jump a bit, the water sloshing up against the side of the tub and soaking his shirt. “Were you even listening?” 

“Yes, absolutely!” You lied, but he didn’t look convinced. His eyes canned your face and you knew that you looked flushed, so you did what anyone embarrassed of their thoughts would do and turned your face so he couldn’t see you. His hand held your cheeks squished between his fingers and turned you back for him to assess, and he didn’t seem pleased. 

“You’re overheating, let me add some cold water.” He announced and turned the faucet back on, letting you sink back into the depths of the tub and your own self-loathing for your lack of ability to conceal your mind. “Better?” He asked and you just nodded, not concerned with the water temperature. He watched you from the corner of his eyes and this made you nervous. You were being watched by a cold-blooded killer, and whether he killed the bad guys or not, it was still scary. He rinsed his hands and cleared his throat as you snapped out of your mental trance, looking up towards him as he stayed stone cold in his expression. “Since I don’t plan on untying you, I’m going to wash your body, but if you don’t want me to touch you, then I could use a loofah or something, like a towel- I didn’t really think this through.” He muttered and you just shook your head. 

“You can touch me.” You spoke softly and he nodded without any emotion, giving you no idea what he was thinking. He began by washing your back and scrubbing a bit, before moving to your arms and feeling you roll your neck to let him get to the nape and around your throat. He was surprised by how trusting you were being, but the truth was he didn’t feel dangerous to you, which was absolutely insane since he had killed people 10 feet away from where you were currently sitting. 

His hands began to wash your chest and before he moved any lower, he looked up at you. “This feels wrong, I’ll just-” 

“It feels good, actually.” You interrupted him and his eyebrows shot up in shock. “I mean-” You began to blush as you realized what had happened, but he smirked a bit before you could say anything else. 

“Would you like… if I made it feel even better?” He asked, his voice dropping a bit as he leaned closer to your burning face. You nodded slowly as his fingers brushed against the bottoms of your breasts, moving to graze your bare nipples and forcing a gasp from your lips. His thick digits twist the pert nubs and you let out a quiet sound like a small animal, giving into the predator in front of it. He keeps a cool demeanor as he teases your boobs and makes you squirm. “Still feel good?” 

“Yes…” you whispered and closed your eyes as his hand slipped under the water to massage the rest of your body, pushing his fingers gently through your folds and pressing directly onto your clit. You yelped in pleasure and shivered as he bent his head to your throat and kissed your pulse point behind your ear. r ear. His lips were soft and full on your skin as he pushed and toyed with the bundle of nerves in between his fingertips. The water splashed as you jerked a bit at the sudden sensations and he chuckled, pulling your soaked body up and throwing you over his shoulder once more. “Hey-!” You protested, but a slap to your bare ass shut you up, followed by a dark laugh. Miguel carried you into the room near where you slept and you saw a single king size bed with tall posts on all corners, being thrown to the center before he reached behind him with one hand and pulled his shirt off over his head. He took your bound hands and placed them on the bulge forming in his pants. It was almost as thick as your forearm and long as well. You blushed red before then meeting his eyes and seeing the shining cockiness reflected. You gulped down the tension between your thighs and looked at him through thick lashes as he stared down at your naked body. It was like he was analyzing you with malintent, the look on his face creating a dark shadow clouding over your morals and conscience. His large hand flattened on your abdomen as he kneeled before you and inhaled between your legs, his exhale leaving goosebumps against your exposed mound of flesh. He was clearly entertained by the prickle of your skin and immediately dove into you like a child on Christmas morning, licking heavily into your lips and lifting your asscheek on his shoulder. Your back arched almost so much it pained you as you jumped from the abrupt amount of sucking on your clit, a strained sound falling out of your mouth. You’d never heard that before, but then again, no one had literally sucked and licked the life out of you like this. 

He reached up a meaty hand and pinched at your nipple hard, twisting enough to make you scream and feel tears forming in the corners of your eyes. You felt his teeth graze against your sensitive peak and your eyes snapped onto where his mouth was currently on you, eliciting a chuckle from him as you shivered. 

“Yeah? You want me to hurt you a little?” He asked in a raspy whisper before slapping your breast a bit. You gasped loud and he smiled, his sharp canines gleaming a bit. 

Miguel moved to hover above you before rubbing his cock against your clit, the friction making you tense up a bit before he grabbed your throat. Your eyes found his, and he bent his head so his breath was warm against your ear. 

“I’m not going to play nice just because you’re a pretty little thing.” 

Without any other words, he shoved his dick in you and the burning stretch of his thickness made you let out a painful whine. The sound made his shiver as he jutted his hips into you even further, his cock nudging something so deep within you that tears pricked the corners of your eyes. He seemed to get even harder when he saw the small bits of pain he caused in you, and that made you hornier. The crazed look in his eyes made you flush and pant while he fucked you rough, practically making you dizzy from the jerky and harsh movements. He grunted as you felt the coil in your core begin to heat and tense, before it snapped and you instantly climaxed. It was the most intense orgasm you’d ever had as he smiled, like a predator enjoying the thrill of the hunt, and you gulped when he grabbed your waist before drilling back into you at a panickingly fast pace. Tears welled in your eyes from the pressure in your abdomen from his violent fucking, but the adrenaline made you begin to build towards another orgasm. This time was different, it was almost a burning feeling in your lower body and a surge as you swung your arms around his neck to help hold on. 

“Fuck, just like that, so fucking tight.” He mumbled, and you questioned if he was even speaking to you or just vocalizing his thoughts to himself, but you were distracted by the crash of the second climax and the sudden, very wet feeling on your stomach. A loud, pregnant growl made you shiver as his hips spasmed and rutted into your in a painful way, so deep you thought you may have hurt something, but you were enjoying this all too much to care at all, and he hovered over you for a moment while he caught his breath. 

“Holy shit, that was fucking great…” He whispered and leaned down before licking the wetness on your body to your breasts. “You are never leaving.” He smirked and you laid on your back, thinking about how you were completely fine with this.

[happypeachsludgeflower]

Okay… but.. but hear me out.

Heavenly calamities, sometimes known as tribulations, are encountered at key points in someone’s cultivation. If a person passes their calamity, they can ascend as a god.

Calamities usually (but not always) involve powerful storms, and from what we’ve seen do not actually have anything to with someone’s spiritual energy, as seen by Hua Cheng who was extremely weak and also dead when he faced his.

Wei Wuxian gave up his core for his brother, was captured and tortured by Wen Chao, and then pushed into the burial mounds surrounded by resentful energy where he fought for three months against zombies while dehydrated and starving.

I’m just saying, this could absolutely have been a heavenly calamity and since he survived, Wei Wuxian could have ascended.

Wouldn’t a god!Wei Wuxian au be so deliciously angst ridden?? Wouldn’t it be such sweetly bitter sorrow to watch as he has to watch from afar as his loved ones are subjugated and slain.

God’s aren’t allowed to interfere in mortal affairs. It’s just such a shame he’s never been one to break a single rule in his life, isn’t it??

[ramayantika]

Devi Sita (Goddesses, Rishikas & Women)

Spring had passed away with blooming lotuses, mating birds, and the call of the koel. Sita, who adored Vasanta out of all seasons, had to spend the most romantic season in captivity by the fearsome ruler of Lanka.

Not one day went by when Sita could breathe in peace. After turning down his advances, Ravan, in a thundering voice, ordered Sita to be sent to Ashok Vatika and to be continuously tormented every day, every moment, until her strong will breaks.

The Rakshasa clan is a merciless one. Their females, the Rakshasis, even more. Their ruthlessness and barbaric ways are known to strike terror in the hearts of people, and ascetics have always been troubled by their repeated assaults.

The Rakshasis, as per the orders of their king, spent no moment to torment Sita. From throwing icy cold water to wake the drowsy Sita to butchering meat in front of her, on some days where they wanted to play with Sita’s emotions a little more, they would narrate how Ravan would butcher Ram’s flesh in front of her.

Spring passed into summer. The humid climate of Lanka made Sita perspire immensely. Sweat clung to her skin, and the sun shone brightly on the fair princess, who sat silently under the shade of one of the Ashoka trees, her mind constantly thinking about the whereabouts of Rama and Lakshman. The summers were brutal for Sita. Though she had spent so many years in the deep forests, she did have plenty of fresh fruits and water to nourish herself, unlike her situation in Lanka.

The Rakshasis starved her, dehydrated her to a great extent, and laughed when one fiery afternoon she fainted. Only when the Lankan queen Mandodari arrived to visit Sita did the queen strictly order food and fresh water to be brought to Sita.

If the days were filled with terror and threats, the nights, though spent alone, were filled with nightmares for Sita, who often woke up screaming Rama’s name, only to feel the cold, gusty wind brush her slender flesh and the rocky bed under the tree where she took shelter.

Yet, Sita, despite all her mental and physical wounds, always admired the beauty of Ashok Vatika. The clear lakes filled with exotic blooms and beautiful sculptures in dancing poses reminded her of Ayodhya. Marigold bushes reminded me of Mithila. The serene fragrance of the yellow and orange flowers made her fondly think of the garlands she wore around her arms and feet in Panchvati. Sita rarely smiled in the picturesque garden. She never got the chance to sit there happily, but there were rare moments in the company of the lush trees and flowers, like one day when a few squirrels nuzzled to her and she smiled truly and lovingly at the small, adorable creatures.

But living beings are capable of sympathy and pity, even for a brief moment at least, but pity and compassion do arise in their hearts. It could be out of guilt or maybe an honest realisation of their crude actions, but somehow, compassion comes out, and the stony hearts of the Rakshasis did melt a little with the cold, stormy showers of monsoon in Lanka.

One night, a raging storm blew by Lanka. The howling winds had extinguished the fiery torches that lit the gardens and courtyards of the grand palace. The Rakshasis too ventured inside to take cover while a frail Sita sat beneath the same Ashoka trees, knees huddled together and arms across her chest with chattering teeth as the torrential rains pelted against her lithe body and her surroundings.

One of them, named Ratangi, combed through her wet, curly hair when her eyes fell on Sita. Sita, who with each day appeared thinner, her lustrous and radiant face etched with greyness and dry texture, signs of ill-health and despair, sat with her eyes closed and her dry lips muttering the name of Rama. Though Ratangi and her companions sat afar, they could read the familiar movement of Sita’s lips to decipher Ram’s name.

Ratangi had pointed to another companion and pointed at Sita. The other Rakshasi rubbed her eyes and said, “She is the enemy, but it would be a lie if I said that I don’t admire her resilience. So many months have passed by, with no sign or message sent by her husband, yet she is steadfast in her belief about him. Such immense strength is admirable indeed.”

Ratangi’s eyes softened towards Sita. Her thick, bushy eyebrows came together in a frown as she said, “Don’t you think we should help her? The storm is brutal, and she is already so thin and frail. It will kill her.”

The other Rakshasi nodded at Sita’s condition but questioned, “What about the king’s orders? And if by any chance the princess gets to know that we have helped her, we will be punished.”

Ratangi dryly commented. “The princess enjoys tormenting this poor woman. She derives a sick joy from it.”

The rain mercilessly pelted the concrete grounds of the gardens. Some of the large ornamental trees had been bent down to combat the rain and winds. Ratangi and her companions looked at each other’s faces and then back at Sita, who had started shivering, but not once did her lips stop uttering Rama’s name.

Ratangi got up in desperation. “This woman doesn’t deserve to die in such a pitiful way. I am getting her over here.”

Gathering a straw hat kept against a wall, she quickly leaped to Sita with large strides and picked her up when the familiar sound of anklets made Ratangi halt in her steps.

“Maharani Mandodari.”

Mandodari, the chief queen of Lanka, stood in the harsh, stormy rain without a cover. She looked at the petite Sita in Ratangi’s arms and caressed Sita’s forehead. “We are all going to pay for this sin.”

Ratangi’s eyes lifted back to the queen, who stood with a passive expression on her face. Mandodari simply said, “My husband doesn’t strictly monitor Sita’s health or her lifestyle here. I can’t free Sita, but as a woman, I can make her life a little easier.” Checking for Sita’s pulse, Mandodari continued, “Sita is to be nursed back to health with treatment by our royal physician. None of the Rakshasis are to be engaged in troubling Sita any longer. Do your guard duties, but none of those sick illusions and cruel remarks. I can’t stop Shurpanakha, but make sure that none of the Rakshasis join her to make Sita’s life worse than hell any longer.”

Ratangi and Mandodari walked to bring Sita inside to provide some warmth to her body. “We have performed enough sins that we have the noose of Yama hanging around us. Let’s leave behind some good deeds, at least for the queen of Ayodhya.”

And from that stormy night on, Sita’s life in captivity in the lovely garden of Lanka improved. She was fed the juiciest of fruits, nutritious grains, and pulses, and nobody ever served her murky water to drink. The Rakshasis sometimes gave some of their garments to Sita, who graciously accepted a few of them.

***

“Why are you still hell-bent that your Rama will free you? Don’t you know Ravan has captured so many powerful warriors and hasn’t even spared the gods too?” Ratangi cries out to Sita, who sits as peacefully as a sage immersed in meditation.

“I am not afraid of death, Ratangi, or my husband. I know Rama, but you don’t. He is kind as a dove, but when in rage, he becomes the destroyer himself.”

Some moments ago, Ravan arrived at the garden to threaten Sita to submit to him. “If you don’t submit to me, O Sita! You will meet with terrible destruction at my hands after a month! This very day, a month from now, I shall devour you."

Sita, who had enough of Ravan’s violent and intimidating threats, especially after the cruel incident where Ravan showed the beheaded Rama to Sita to break her mind, silently challenged Ravan’s final warning with a fixed, fiery gaze.

Ratangi and a few other Rakshasis who had grown to like Sita grew terrified at Ravan’s threat. After the Lankan king left the garden, they rushed to Sita and sat around her feet.

The afternoon sun drenches the entire garden in golden light. The large trees cast dark shadows on the ground, but unlike the hot winds of summer that pricked everyone, the cool winter breeze brings a pleasant sensation to Sita and all the other Rakshasis in the garden.

Sita, in her tree bark garments and long cotton scarves, looks at the shimmering water of the lake. The swans bask under the sun, their eyes closed, as if enjoying the warm company of the sun. Sita smiles and keeps a cheek on her eyes as a small smile curves on her lips.

Ratangi, however, finds no peace, unlike Sita. She asks, “How can you sit so calmly? You only have a month to live. You don’t even accept our help to cross you over to your land. Even if Rama and your brother-in-law Lakshman cross the ocean, how will they penetrate the defences of our kingdom?”

Some months ago, Sita would always sit morose. Shurpanakha never left any chance to insult Sita or scare her with brutal images of Rama’s death. But Sita was a courageous princess, a woman with the resolute determination to survive all odds.

‘My Raghunandan will fight even the gods for me. He is my strength, and I am his. He will fight on the battlefield with your king soon and take me away. And my battle is here in this garden, all alone. I keep winning every day, and I know Rama will avenge me soon. Ravan’s pot of sins is overflowing.’

The other guards gasp. Sita calmly, with a brave look in her eyes, looks at no one but the calm lake. Sita’s words were blasphemous!

Ratangi and her companions look at one another. Astounded at Sita’s indomitable spirit, they closed their eyes and prayed to fate, for they seldom believed in the celestials above to bring Sita and Rama together, at least for one last time.

And what’s a king without his loyal people and followers? Ratangi and her companions grew kind and stretched a hand of friendship to Sita, but in battle they would side with their emperor. A sign of true and maybe flawed loyalty in terms of the ‘greater good’.

Nobody speaks a word. Sita no longer looks at the crushed flowers beneath her feet, but her eyes always fall on the loveliest of flowers that bloom in the garden. The cold doesn’t bother her anymore, and she gladly welcomes the sun on her body.

It’s only a matter of time, and like a lion, will my Rama take me away from here?

A chain of events brought about the ominous sign of Lanka’s destruction. Ravan’s soldiers, servants, and all the guards, Rakshasas and Rakshasis, try their level best to douse the fire burning away their kingdom like a raging forest fire.

Ratangi notices the blazing look in Sita’s doe-like eyes and gulps. The entire Ashok Vatika, too, burns. The dry twigs and leaves serve as fuel to let the fire capture everything in its vicinity. Sita stands on the concrete platform, her head high, and for a brief moment, she sees Hanuman leap across the large roofs of the palace with a fiery grey trail in the sky.

Flames surround Sita, and though she has seen endless fires in her nightmares, this time her face bears a glow as radiant as the enormous orange flames around her. She braces the powerful heat emanating from the fire and draws her eyes close once again with her lips, remembering Rama’s name like the chants of a mantra.

Sita’s open hair flying in the strong winds and the fiery radiance of her face make her appear like Devi Durga, and never did Ratangi think about bowing to another woman except the royal ladies of Lanka. Her head bends down automatically in reverence, fear, and awe at Sita.

Ratangi had seen Sita as the delicate doe-like princess when she was brought to Lanka. She saw how Sita was the rightful queen of Ayodhya after displaying her firm grit to survive and to stay stable after months of mental and physical torment, and tonight Ratangi saw Sita look like a powerful goddess of destruction.

She only mutters one statement after witnessing the surrounding flames destroy everything in their wake. “Lanka is doomed.”

--- xxx ---

The last second chapter of my short story collection titled, Goddesses, Rishikas & Women. There are other stories, some that you all have read, and the rest shall be revealed later in the future.

This scene is my imagination of Sita in Ashok Vatika. I hope I could do some justice to Sita's character.

And if you want to find more updates about this book, you can head over to my id: @samridhi.writes for all book updates and excerpts (meko audience bannani hai apni vahan so you all would mean the world to me 🥹💗💖)

Taglist: @swayamev @jukti-torko-golpo @navaratna @kaal-naagin @alhad-si-simran @houseofbreadpakoda @inexhaustible-sources-of-magic @krishnaaradhika @krsnaradhika @ramcharantitties @krishna-priyatama

[neko-naruto]

not just unfortunate timing

summary: turns out suppressants can fail, Naruto learns this the hard way when it strikes him in the middle of a mission after trying to hide it from Sasuke and Sakura successfully for years

tags/warnings: omegaverse, fluff, hurt/comfort, Naruto's an omega Sakura and Sasuke are making sure he doesn't get fuckin' hurt, check Ao3 port for full

authors note: they make me go absolutely fucking insane your honor

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53140039

"He's burning up, Sasuke! Don't be so combative," Sakura snapped at the rather aloof Uchiha who just scoffed.

"And you shouldn't be so loud, you'll hurt his delicate ears," He spits the words mockingly, throwing Sakura's overblown care for Naruto right back at her. And he can see that she can smell it on the air, he's shocked that Sakura hasn't dropped the H word to try and make him less snappy. They both know what's up with Naruto, the dumb little secret he's been trying to hide by rubbing pine needles and cedar on his clothing. Acting like he's one of them despite the fact they've already been through enough for them to know.

"Guys, it's fine- I'm fine," Naruto said as he stood up and started on his way past them, the two… Beta's of the group, as all Genin, Chunin, and Jonin must be aside from few exceptions for Alpha's. He snuck past the rules by nearly overdosing on suppressants at age twelve, and now he's in the middle of a mission entering heat.

His balance wavers as he makes his way out of the small room that he's been quarantined too until it passes over. Thankfully their mission was a somewhat stationary one with light travel, an escort mission, so they could bunk in a town till it's over. He feels his head go light before he starts to fall but he knows he isn't fainting. Both Sakura and Sasuke try to stop him, their Beta instincts won't allow them to let an Omega (or other Beta) get hurt even with Naruto holding Kyuubi's spirit.

"You're staying in this room until your heat is over, Naruto," Sakura ordered as sternly as she could, pressing a finger to his chest as she spoke, "It's for your own good."

Naruto just whimpered.

Sasuke hoists him up a little bit more, and he's heavy despite being smaller in every way, much denser with something or other. He ignores the pathetic little sounds crawling out of his teammate, "You heard her, it's final."

"Thanks, Sasuke," Sakura said, and she speaks so softly to Sasuke it strikes a couple chords for Naruto despite all the things the three of them have been through and done together.

He drops Naruto on the bed with some gentleness before throwing a blanket over him, "I'll go do the mission while you take care of him. Don't let him starve or dehydrate, he's… a valuable asset to our team," He brushes his hand across Naruto's head to see if he really is burning up, and he most definitely is. Higher than average, Sasuke wouldn't be shocked if this unfortunate event kills Naruto.

Naruto arches up into Sasuke, the one point where there's physical contact which is the back of a cool hand on his forehead, "But Sasuke-"

The Uchiha retracts his hand sharply, "Don't you dare expect any of that 'Beta's always take care of Omega's no matter what' bullshit from me, even if we're more than teammates," He snarls a bit as he speaks and Naruto shrinks back into the mattress.

This is gonna be a long week.

-/-/-/-

The brunt of it hits him on day three and leaves him even more bedlocked than before. His mind is utterly swamped, and his body aches and burns and he refuses to eat any of the food that his teammates bring him unless they're cramming it down for his own good. It's a miserable aspect of existence he's glad he's dodged for a considerably chunk of his lifetime. But now all that has caught up to due to him tripping as he runs from the worst part of his anatomy.

"You're gonna die if you don't drink any water," Sakura tried to coerce, holding the rim of the glass to Naruto's lips. And he reluctantly grabbed the cup and took a couple sips of the ice cold water that shocked his systems. He released a shudder at the cold relief rushing down his dry throat, it felt nice.

He places aside the glass and drops back down onto the bed, he's already partially sweat through fresh clothing he changed into not even six hours ago. He's pretty sure this is what he gets for being Kyuubi's vessel, another aspect of something that shattered his entire life and everything that could've come from it. His breathing is heavy as he gives a small, "Thanks."

"It's what I'm supposed to do, I gotta take care of my mates," Sakura answered with, "Are you hungry yet?"

Naruto shook his head, "I haven't been hungry this entire time, but you and Sasuke keep shoving food down my throat," He wants to curl up under the blanket but he knows that'll make things worse.

"Well considering you've been taking suppressants for your entire life this could kill you, you have no idea how luck you are that me and Sasuke are here," Sakura answered with as she sat down on the edge of the bed, Naruto tossed and turned until he was nestled up close to her. She gently placed a hand on his head, her fingers were ice cold in comparison to the temperature he's running at.

"Then where is he?" Naruto questioned as aggressively as he could manage.

"Doing the mission," Sakura answered with, "He'll be back soon, he better be back soon or else I'll tear him a new one."

Naruto stifles a laugh at Sakura's threat, "Thanks for taking care of me, pretty pathetic isn't it?"

"You still kick all kinds of ass, when it runs it's course we'll pick up on our mission again," Sakura said, "Promise."

-/-/-/-

"It's a trap," Sasuke declared as he tugged a shuriken out of his shoulder and held his palm on the wound.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura demanded.

"I mean it's a trap, that asshole we're escorting set it all up, he spiked Naruto's suppressants when we breaked to sleep last week," Sasuke explained, "Now a bunch of Grass Ninja are jonesing for our hides, if we don't leave now we're fucked."

Sakura felt herself shatter into a million pieces just like that, fear shooting through to her very core, "What?"

"We need to go, we'll stuff his jacket with pine and the rest is in the hands of fate," Sasuke said, wiping down his bloodied hand on his clothing. He grabbed hold of Sakura's shoulders to ground her into reality, she's shaking, "He's going to be killed, he can't do shit until it passes through his system. It's chemically induced this time, he just needs to sweat it out and drink lots of fluids, if he doesn't it could keep going for weeks."

"So you're suggesting we drag him all the way back home even with his current condition?" Sakura asked.

They can't hear the door open and Naruto hobble over to the small kitchenette. But they can smell it the second he passes the final doorway over, he gives this nervous grin as they glance over too him, his hearing was weak and foggy at that, "What are you guys talking about? Is Sasuke okay?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke speaks firmly, "We need to go for it and get the hell out of here, you're gonna get hurt."

"I'm useless like this right now, I'm gonna get us killed," Naruto answered with as he hobbled ever closer to Sasuke and Sakura, again, they both rush over to help him in his weakened state. His legs shake and he revels in the coldness of their touch, leaning into each of them equal amounts.

Sasuke holds onto him tight, tighter than expected or usual considering his average bluntness and sharpness towards his mates, "Our escortee spiked your suppressants, you'll be through the heat sooner than later. It's a trap, Naruto, they want to get you when your weak, which is why we need to go."

Sakura held up Naruto who was being thrown for a couple loops at the new knowledge, "It'll be fine, Naruto."

"I'm leading them right too us," He whispers the words, "I should've known better than to become a Shinobi."

Sasuke wraps his hands in Naruto's messy hair and yanks for a brief second to pull him back down to reality. He yelps and glares up at the ravenette, "Don't fucking say that, that's bullshit, this is a fluke."

Naruto nodded as Sakura rubbed circles on his back, "Right, a fluke, an inconvenience," He nuzzles the side of his face against Sasuke's arm and he freezes up just a bit even though he does enjoy the affection.

-/-/-/-

Day five and they're further away from the village, and the worst of it has passed but the clinginess still lingers with the slightest fog. He still shakes when he walks and he just wants to be with both of his mates whenever he can manage even though they're on a semi-constant vigil while he waits for the chemicals to flush through him. But oh man does he ever enjoy a bath in ice cold water after being so shaky and mentally weakened to remember to change his clothes.

He can actually not feel like he's burning up as cold water washes across every single inch and washes away his troubles just like that. He dunks his head and he can think clear for a very brief moment before all the blood flow heats up his head again and removes perfect cognitive function. He doesn't want to get out of the rushing water unless he absolutely has too and he doesn't even start trudging to the rocky edge of the river until the cold starts to bite too deeply into his skin.

He's shivering as he walks across the moss and grass covered ground, he shakes himself down like a dog. That comfortable sensation still resides in his bones as he towels down with a t shirt he grabbed before leaving. He's more than lucid enough to start a fire, wearing naught but a pair of boxers and a jacket tied around his waist so he doesn't heat up too fast. He tosses the bundles of logs into a small circle of rocks, he debates on wasting the chakra he's still burning through impossibly for a fire jutsu to light it up before deciding to just go for it.

He still has to wait for either Sakura to return with food, red meat to help both him and Sasuke restore the chakra that they've been burning through. Sasuke because he spent a couple nights in the village fighting off every single ninja sent their way and never had a chance to recover it naturally while they were running. Naruto because of the heat that was never supposed to hit him in the first place.

Just a couple more days and he'll be fine, they'll be able to go back their and pulverize the boss that sent those poor Chunin after them. Until then Naruto's just trying his hardest to not lose it entirely as the rush of the heat flows through him.

Sasuke arrives first, dropping down from the branches above and landing with a small flourish. He sends a couple extra sparks of fire jutsu to fire to give it some extra pep and he feels his eyes go blurry just a bit. He take a seat beside Naruto, one leg outstretched and the other hitched, "Have a nice bath?"

Naruto laughed, "It was great! I haven't enjoyed some cold water in what feels like years."

"It's been five days," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes.

"Do you know where Sakura is?" Naruto asked, "I'm starving."

"Don't be so whiny, idiot," Sasuke chided.

-/-/-/-

Naruto falls asleep nestled between Sasuke and Sakura perfectly, a third piece of an incomplete puzzle that he didn't expect to fit into considering their ranks. But he's thankful that they're both there for him, for him to lean and for him to boost ever further into their strengths. He finds himself with his back partially pressed against Sakura's torso, her arms wrapped gently at his waist, most of Sasuke rests atop Naruto, splayed with one arm to reach his other mate. Although they usually wake up in different spots than they fall asleep, twisting and turning and tangling further with each other.

It's a knotted mess of limbs and comfort alike, but when Naruto finds himself blinking awake, trapped underneath Sasuke and held close by Sakura, he doesn't have any complaints on the matter. He snakes a hand around Sasuke's torso to hold onto him and leans back his head to nuzzle the side of his face against Sakura's. He can feel Sasuke start to shift awake along with Sakura but they fall asleep again rather promptly, sliding around to get comfortable and tossing Naruto's weight onto Sasuke instead.

Naruto whispers out a meek, "Love you guys," It's spoken on a whisper and they're both stuck in a state of mostly asleep they shouldn't be able to hear it.

But they both mumble it back regardless.

[whumpay]

WHUMPAY 2023

Well, this is earlier than usual… But, as a thanks for all y’all’s help getting prompts together, I’ve decided to release the list earlier! And, well… With the new ‘Extreme Edition’ addition, I figured a bit more prep time may be warranted.

Rules:

You only have to use one (Or two, if you’re doing the extreme edition.) prompt a day! But you’re welcome to use multiple if you want to, and it still counts for both.

I know the description of the blog says it’s a writing event, but if you want to draw or make other kinds of content, that’s cool too.

Have fun, tag content warnings (such as noncon, graphic violence, etc) and try not to be crushed by the mortifying ordeal of posting your writing.

This is a pretty chill event so you can start posting whenever but I’ll be reblogging posts made to the #Whumpay2023 tag throughout May.

EXTREME EDITION: Made to be used together with the normal prompt list, the extreme edition prompt list has 31 types of whumpees for you to use. This is entirely optional, and you don’t necessarily need to do them in order. I know it says bonus points, but it basically is just bragging rights.

(Prompt list under the cut.)

GROUP ONE: PHYSICAL WHUMP 

Day 1: Heatstroke

Day 2: Asphyxiation 

Day 3: Physical Torture

Day 4: Passing Out From Pain

Day 5: Near-Death Experience

GROUP TWO: MENTAL WHUMP

Day 6: Psychological Torture

Day 7: Betrayal

Day 8: Claustrophobia

Day 9: Lotus-Eater Machine

Day 10: Trapped In Own Body

GROUP THREE: WHUMPER TYPE

Day 11: Intimate Whumper

Day 12: Good Whumper / Bad Whumper

Day 13: Reluctant Whumper

Day 14: Vengeful Whumper

Day 15: Unintentional Whumper

GROUP FOUR: CARETAKER TYPE

Day 16: Bad Caretaker

Day 17: Parental Caretaker

Day 18: Reluctant Caretaker

Day 19: Carewhumper

Day 20: Enemy-To-Caretaker

GROUP FIVE: SICKFIC

Day 21: Working Through Illness

Day 22: Surgery

Day 23: Worse Than It Seems

Day 24: Allergic Reaction

Day 25: Deadly Illness

GROUP SIX: SICK FIC

Day 26: Scars

Day 27: “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Day 28: Self-Isolation

Day 29: “I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”

Day 30: Nightmares

Day 31: Forced Relaxation

ALTERNATE PROMPTS:

X. Sadistic Choice

X. Epistolary 

X. Dehydration

X. Anger Born Of Worry

X. Death Wish

X. Stress Position

X. Gore

X. Just Out Of Reach

X. Hurt/Comfort

X. Magical Whump

EXTREME EDITION:

Whumpee Type:

Day 1. Vampire

Day 2. Young

Day 3. Stoic

Day 4. Winged

Day 5. Whumper-To-Whumpee

Day 6. Immortal

Day 7. Defiant

Day 8. Demon

Day 9. Villain

Day 10. Possessed

Day 11. Multiple Whumpees

Day 12. Robot/AI

Day 13. Cowboy

Day 14. Team Leader

Day 15. Werewolf

Day 16. Team Outcast

Day 17. Mermaid

Day 18. Asshole

Day 19. Fairy

Day 20. Hero

Day 21. Healer

Day 22. Soft

Day 23. Comedian

Day 24. Compliant

Day 25. Monster

Day 26. Traumatized

Day 27. Touch-Starved

Day 28. Stockholm Syndrome-d.

Day 29. Vengeful

Day 30. Ghost

Day 31. Alien

[sparklypinkflightsuit]

The Containment Diaries: Entry 8

Pairing: Virologist!Bob Floyd x Reader AND Aviator!Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

ApocalypseAU

Warnings: Gore, Warfare, Apocalypse Themes, Smut, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Alcohol, Breakdowns, General Sexual Themes, Military Inaccuracies, Science and Medical Inaccuracies, I think that’s it?

- Entry 7 Here -

——————————

18+ Only Beyond This Point

——————————

You floated for days, aimlessly guided by the wind in whichever direction it chose.

You were dehydrated, sunburnt and starving. You hardly even had the energy to lift your head from Bradley’s torso, his hand had barely moved from its place on your stomach in the last 24 hours.

Bob stirred under your arm as he coughed, his throat as dry as straw. He and Bradley had originally huddled their bodies around yours on the first night, as the cold sea air penetrated your wet clothes. They hadn’t moved much since, exhaustion quickly making any movement painful.

You thought you were hallucinating when you first heard it. But the sound disappeared as quickly as it came and you didn’t even bother opening your heavy eyes.

Then you heard it again, unmistakeable this time.

You pried an eyelid open and saw a seagull swoop overhead. Then the noise again; water breaking against land. Waves.

You shot up and Bob and Bradley startled at the sudden movement as the life raft wobbled.

You looked ahead and then twisted your torso as far around as you could.

“Beach.” You croaked, your voice not ready to come out of hibernation. The words made you cough.

“Beach!” You tried again, it came out better this time, and both men sat up as fast as they could and looked in the direction you were pointing.

You were maybe 5 meters from shore, a small desolate beach with shrubs and trees cutting anything further from view, but you didn’t care, you just wanted land.

Your rolled out of the raft and splashed into the shallow water, forcing your legs to work, you dragged yourself to shore.

Bradley and Bob followed, and the three of you collapsed on the beach, panting as if you had just run a marathon.

You stared up at the blue sky as the harsh sun beamed down at you, uncharacteristically hot for this time of year.

You began to laugh, you weren’t sure why, but you began to laugh uncontrollably up at the sky until a tear trickled out of your eye, barely any moisture in your body left to make it.

Bob looked at you with a shocked, confused expression, but as Bradley began to laugh too, Bob couldn’t hold his back, and three of you lay in the sand, giggling.

Eventually once the fit of hysteria had passed, you forced yourself to sit up and look around.

Taking in your new surroundings, you noticed a building poking out behind the tall bushes.

“Hey.” You tapped Bob on the chest, and pointed, “There’s a house, or something, should we go take a look?”

He sat up and turned. “Might be infected in there.” He mumbled.

“I don’t think we have a choice, it’s that or we die from dehydration.” Bradley stated, standing on wobbly legs. You stood and joined him before Bob decided Bradley was right, and you walked through the bush, pushing thickets out of your way as you did.

You made it through and found yourself on a small residential street, kids bikes and soccer balls abandoned in neat little front gardens, clean white and blue bungalows lining the street.

“I think we might be in San Diego.” Bradley mumbled.

You walked over to the closest house, quickly crossing the lawn to the front porch, Bradley running after you.

“Woah woah, wait!” He grabbed your arm, spinning you around. “You can’t just go up and knock, we don’t know what’s happened here.”

You sighed, “Bradley what else are we gonna do?”

He thought for a moment, and then Bob walked over with a baseball bat and held it up to him.

“We now have a weapon.” He shrugged, and Bradley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, he snatched the bat from Bob and walked towards the door.

“Stay behind me.” He instructed, and knocked on the door. Holding the bat tightly he waited, and waited, but nothing came.

He turned back and nodded to you and Bob, then pushed the door open.

Bob placed a gentle hand on your lower back as he walked with you to the door.

The first thing you noticed as you walked into the dark little bungalow was the smell. You flicked the light switch to get a better idea of what you were dealing with, but the power was out, and you imagined the smell was the fridges contents.

You found the kitchen and tried to turn on the tap while Bob and Brad searched the house.

You cursed as no water come out of the tap, and you looked around the kitchen for any liquids you could drink.

After coming up empty, you decided to brave the fridge, and you pinched your nose. Opening the fridge, you were hit with the smell of rotting food which made you gag, but you did find a bottle of Gatorade. You snatched it and closed the fridge quickly. Opening the bottle, you took a couple of big swigs and closed it again, the rest would be for Bob and Bradley, they were bigger and would need it more.

You walked towards the hallway, when you heard Bob curse, followed by coughing.

You ran to the room you thought you heard him in and found Bob covering his nose with his shirt, as he coughed and gagged.

The smell hit you even harder than when you first walked in, a fresh wave of decay and the sound of flies took over your senses.

“Fuck.” You coughed, mirroring Bobs action of covering your face.

In the bedroom were two corpses, both had died sprawled out on the floor. From what was left of them, it looked like they might have died literally tearing one another apart, or something else surely had.

“Oh, shit.” Bradley gagged as he joined you at the doorway, “Let’s get out of here.”

You walked quickly out of the bungalow and took in a deep breath of fresh air, thankful to be outside again.

“Here.” You held out the Gatorade as you doubled over again, one hand on your knee as you tried to push back the nausea.

“You first.” Bradley instructed.

You shook your head, “I’ve already had some. Drink.”

Bradley nodded and took a big swig, and then another, before handing the rest to Bob to finish off.

It was warm but tasted better than anything they had ever drank.

“We need to find somewhere we can hunker down, find some food, water.” Bob said, scanning the empty street.

“Yeah no shit, Dr Obvious.” Bradley mumbled under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Bob straightened and turned to face him.

“I said no shit. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.” Bradley said louder this time, glaring at Bob and throwing his hands up.

Bob was about to retort but you held a hand up to his chest and looked into his eyes.

“Don’t, please.” Was all you needed to say for his eyes to soften, and he nodded.

Bradley scoffed and began walking down the quiet street. You sighed and rolled your eyes as you followed with Bob in tow.

You walked for a while and checked house after house. Anything without broken windows would be fine, but so far every house you’d checked had either a corpse or two, or had been so badly ransacked already that they wouldn’t be suitable as a semi long term hideout.

You had yet to run into anyone living, which was a relief to you, but you also thought it was strange for a city this big.

Eventually you came across an apartment block. It wasn’t huge but it was tidy and clean outside. You walked up the short flight of stairs to the second story, opting to forego any ground floor apartments as they were too easy access for any infected, and began checking the apartments one by one. All seemed relatively ok, but one in particular had a balcony, and was tidier than the others, which helped you make your decision, simple home comforts helping soothe your mind and frayed nerves.

There were two bedrooms, one bathroom and a large couch in the living room which had a small kitchenette attached. It was airy enough to not feel stuffy, and as a huge bonus, you found a small generator in the bedroom closet which had a full tank of petrol, and 6 bottles of water in the fridge.

You raided the cupboards and drawers and managed to find a pack of batteries, a sewing kit, and a radio. You put it all to one side as you were sure you’d need it later.

“I’ll take the couch.” Bradley offered as he passed you the bottle of water the three of you were sharing.

“Are you sure?” You asked, taking a sip and handing the bottle to Bob.

Bradley nodded and walked over to the balcony. He opened the sliding doors and the crisp sea air filtered into the apartment. He leant against the railings silently.

You sighed, “I’ll be right back.” You said quietly to Bob, who nodded in understanding.

You walked out to the balcony and closed the sliding door behind you, joining Bradley in leaning against the railings.

You were quiet for a long moment as you looked out at the sea, you suddenly felt sticky and itchy where the salt water has dried to your skin for the last few days.

“What’s going on?” You asked suddenly, looking over to Bradley.

He didn’t look back at you. “Nothing.” He mumbled.

“That’s not true. Please talk to me?”

A long silence followed, and then Bradley sighed.

“It didn’t bother me… until I met him. I thought it would be okay because he’s just some nerdy scientist - no offence-“

“None taken.”

“But… he’s sort of a hunk, Rue. Now I feel like I don’t stand much of a chance with you, next to Dr Hotstuff over there.” He gestured back inside.

You tried to stifle the laugh, but it came out suddenly and unexpectedly. Bradley straightened and looked at you, confused.

“I’m sorry Bradley, I just never thought you were the jealous type. Do you even realise how beautiful you are?” You asked him, soft eyes searching his.

Bradley shuffled uncomfortably under the weight of your stare. “Does he know about us?”

You nodded, “Yeah he knows everything.”

Bradley stepped forward slowly, and took your hand. “That’s good, because I’ve been dying to do this since I jumped of the ship.” He pulled you closer and then cupped your jaw with one hand, stooping down to capture your lips in a delicate kiss. You softened into him and slid a hand up his chest, he tasted salty but still like Bradley, and you moaned into the kiss.

You could feel Bobs eyes on you, so you pulled away. Bradley sighed but when you looked back up at him he was smiling this time.

“I’m gonna go check the other apartments for food, I’ll be back in a little bit.” You said, and you excused yourself. When you got back inside, Bob was nowhere to be found.

After about an hour of searching, you managed to find a half empty bag of spaghetti, a full bag of macaroni, 4 cans of tomatoes, 2 cans of black beans, a bag of dried red lentils, and several bags of herbs and spices that had not yet been opened. You felt this was sufficient to make at least a few meals from, even if you were feeding two huge, muscular men.

You worried about Bob as you walked back to the apartment, Bradley had made a start on lighting a few candles as the sky began to darken, and had set out blankets for himself on the couch.

You set out the food and ran Bradley through what you thought you could make, with limited use of the generator and stove, and you could hear his stomach grumble loudly.

The door opened and Bob shuffled in, panting. He dropped two large 5litre canisters of water at his feet, his muscles bulging under his t-shirt. You flushed bright red.

“Bradley could you help me with the others?”

“The others?” He mumbled but ultimately followed Bob out the door. You dragged the two canisters inside to the kitchen and a few moments later Bob and Bradley shuffled back, in each with another two canisters.

“Oh my god, Bob, where did you find these?” You laughed, elated.

“There’s a store down the street, I guess the owners were smart enough to stock up, but they were long gone.” He chuckled.

You were so happy that you walked over and jumped into his arms, placing a quick peck on his lips as you jumped back down and began dragging the bottles to the kitchen.

Bob cleared his throat with a grin, “Uh, yeah… so anyway I thought we could use one to clean ourselves up, and the rest for cookin’ and drinkin’, flushing the toilet, that sorta thing.” He shrugged like it was no biggie. But it was in fact a massive biggie.

You squealed at the prospect of getting the sticky, salty sweat off of your skin and hair. You felt so dry yet at the same time so damp.

“Rue, why don’t you go first, we’ll go after you.” Bob nodded, and helped you carry a canister to the bathroom. He closed the bath plug and emptied the canister inside.

While you were alone for that brief moment, you quickly grabbed Bobs t-shirt and pulled him into you, giving him a few chaste kisses, which he returned eagerly, his hands on your waist.

He sighed as he pressed his forehead to yours. “I didn’t realise Bradley was… well, I didn’t realise he looked like that.” He mumbled. You sighed, kissing him again.

“Yeah well he’s jealous of you too. Called you Dr Hotstuff, so…”

Bob chuckled, kissing your nose.

“Ok, I’ll leave you to it, Rue.” And he excused himself from the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

You signed and grabbed a towel from the shelf, placing it neatly on the toilet seat, then discarded your crispy clothes and lowered yourself into the cold water.

You gasped a little until you got used to the temperature, and then got to work scrubbing yourself down, lathering the lovely lavender scented soap bar all over.

You found a small amount of apple shampoo left in the bottle, so you filled it with water and gave it a good shake, you were sure the boys would want to use it too, and once you were done washing your hair, face and body, you climbed out, your skin feeling fresh and tingly.

You dried off and wrapped the towel around you tightly, and rubbed some toothpaste on your teeth with your finger before rinsing. You then left the bathroom in search of some fresh clothing.

You must have left the bathroom more quietly than you’d thought, as you heard the boys talking in hushed voices, unaware you were stood in the hall just around the corner.

“Look I’m not willing to share anymore. I’m developing some really strong feelings for her.” Bradley mumbled.

“So am I!” Bob whispered loudly.

“Shhh!” Bradley hissed.

“Look, I’ve known her longer and Rue wouldn’t want to be forced to choose. We need to let her come to that decision on her own. She’s not doing this to be selfish, she clearly wants us both the same amount or she would have cut it off with one of us by now.” Bob reasoned.

“I don’t care. I don’t take kindly to sharing.” Bradley spat.

Bob scoffed, “An only child I take it?”

You didn’t hear a response, but you imagined Bradley rolling his eyes, and you quickly walked to the bedroom you had called dibs on.

You sat down on the bed for a moment, you suddenly felt insanely guilty for doing this to them. You didn’t want to string either along, but you couldn’t choose between them. It was impossible to differentiate your feelings for the two.

You loved Bob for his intelligence, his consideration, his bright eyes and his sense of authority when the moment called for it.

You loved Bradley for his mental and physical strength, his pride for what he saw as his, that dazzling smile and how soft he could be when needed.

There was no one or the other.

You decided as painful as it would be, that you had to cut them both off. It was the only fair way around the situation.

You got up off the bed and searched the wardrobes for something to wear. You could tell by the clothing that whoever had lived here was likely an old couple, as you could only find dated floral dresses on her side, any pants and jeans belonging to the husband were far too big for you, so you eventually settled on a pretty black floral tea dress and a pair of sandals while your trainers dried out.

You brushed your hair for the first time in days and found a bottle of lotion, which you smeared all over your sunburnt skin. The floral scent made you feel fresh, but your stomach was now in knots over the decision you’d had to make.

Walking out to the lounge you found Bradley stripping down into his underwear and shaking out his sandy clothes on the balcony, you stared at his glistening physique in the last few rays of the sunset for a moment and forced yourself to look away. Bob was in the kitchen trying to figure out how to get the generator going so he could make a start on dinner.

“Hey.” You said softly as you walked up to him, you leaned against the counter top as he turned to smile at you.

“You look and smell incredible.” He chuckled, moving to kiss you. You held a hand up to his chest gently, stopping him from coming any closer.

Your heart broke at the look he gave you.

“Are you choosing him?” He asked you sadly.

You shook your head, “No. I’m… I’m choosing neither. I overheard you two speaking and what I’m doing isn’t fair, but I also can’t choose, so I’m taking a break to clear my head.”

Bob searched your eyes for any indication that you still wanted to be with him, and when he saw the tears brimming on your waterline, he believed you that this was the hardest decision for you.

He nodded slowly, and pulled you in for a hug instead. You sniffed the tears away as you squeezed him, your lavender and apple scent filling his nostrils almost teasingly.

Bradley walked back inside and cleared his throat, you pulled away and wiped your eyes, and his face softened.

“Rue, what’s wrong?” He asked quickly closing the gap between you and taking both of your hands in his. Bob excused himself to get undressed on the balcony as Bradley had done.

“I uhm… I can’t choose between you and Bob, so I’m taking a step back.” You murmured sadly. You found it extremely difficult to look into his golden eyes at that moment.

“But Rue, that’s not gonna fix anything, then we’ll all be miserable.” He chuckled sadly, trying to get you to look at him. “Hey…”

You eventually did look up at him, his expression kind and his crows feat prominent on his slightly pink face, the sun having brought out his scars.

You stroked his handsome face and gave him a weak smile. “I know, but it’s the only fair choice.” You pulled away and turned to wipe your eyes again.

“Rue, I’m sorry if we made you feel bad in any way. I’m just a jealous guy. I’d rather share you than not have you at all.” He said as he came up behind you, his hands wrapping gently around your stomach, his nose nuzzling below your ear as he kissed your neck.

You wanted so badly to just give in, but you knew it wasn’t right. You pulled away gently and turned to look at him again, “I can’t Bradley, I just need some time.” You stated, tears springing to your eyes again. “I’m gonna take a walk. I’ll be back in a little while.”

You left the apartment quickly before Bradley could argue, and let out a heavy sigh and a shaky breath.

You decided to go in search of the store Bob had found to see what else was salvageable, and hopefully by the time you came back the boys would have come to terms with your decision, even if you hadn’t yet.

——————————————

- Entry 9 Here -

I don’t have a Taglist for this series but will be updating my Masterlist as I go! 💛

Likes and reblogs welcome and super appreciated!

[uh-niran-really]

AAAA sososo many ideas, im welcoming myself back into your inbox HAHA!

Prince! Niran au x fem reader please! One where reader is his personal maid and he absolutely spoilsss her, jewelry, fancy clothing, etc etc and she falls head over heels for him. Reader one day plans to confess her feelings to the prince, even tho the chances were slim, she dreamed of being together with him. She was supposed to call him to talk to him in private when she finds him in the garden with lady satya(shes a noble from a highly respected family here so shes 100% fit to marry him)

Reader gets incredibly insecure and upset, so she leaves. She rushes to the king to get herself resigned from her job, too upset to face niran Knowing that she won't ever be able to have him.

Little did the reader know Niran was talking to lady satya on how to get his father to approve of marrying his maid! :00 hes yapping to her about how shes the love of his life, wants to marry her, and when satya tells him the chances were slim he takes her hands and looks at her dead in the eyes, completely serious, and tells her that he's willing to drop everything in his life, his wealth, his status, etc etc just to live a normal life with reader 🥹

Satya sighs in defeat knowing she cant stop him so instead she helps him plan on what to say to the king

When niran comes back to his room hes hella excited but everything in his world Falls apart when he sees a different maid in his room. He kindly tells her to leave but snaps rlly badly when she tells him the reader resigned and shes his new maid now.

Maid gets scared and leaves while niran has a panic attack and a full blown break down in his room, trashing everything and crying his eyes out. He eventually goes out tho and proceeds to yell and order at guards to find reader

Meanwhile, more drama :00

Reader is lost in the forest! :00

She went to the forest to calm down, take a walk with nature but ended up being lost and going too deep in the forest to be in contact with anyone. Shes stuck there for days, health slowly deteriorating as she slowly starves and become dehydrated.

Niran is DEPRESSED. constantly lashing out on guards to search faster or send out more men despite his family refusing his wishes(making his breakdown worse)

To the point that satya had to be over there CONSTANTLY bc he needed constant support or he'll probably self destruct😭

He hasnt eaten or slept in days, leading to satya begging him to do something about his health, anything at all, a bite of food, a wink of sleep. ANYTHING.

But he refuses until he finds her.

Idk how to transition but angsty angst 😈

Once reader is found hes practically yelling at the guards to take her to the clinic to get her checked, for the chefs to make her a hearty and healthy meal, for the doctors to get her checked properly, all while he stressed for her health and safety

Poor boy kept passing out by her side multiple times and panicking when he wakes up due to a nightmare or bc he was scared that she woke up and he wasnt there

For the ending of this hospital sequence, 👀continue the angst bc id like to see how u continue this but the actual story- end it off with happy fluffy ending where he convinces his dad to marry her after he explains the real reason why satya and him were in the garden that day TEEHEE THANK U 🤭

Fem Maid Reader x Prince Lifeweaver - Flirting with Prince Pruksamanee

Content: Angst and Sweet Royal Fluff

Word Count: 6,000+ (oops 🫢)

A/N: Oh my I loved writing this one for you dear! Ahhh such a delight. Our darling Niran is so regal! I love him! Let me know if you want a part 2 to this? Maybe them navigating royal life and having their babies (or making them 👀) But ahhh seriously, I loved this! Thank you as always for your beautiful prompts! Can’t get enough of them!

“It’s beautiful my prince!”

You stand in front of the floor length mirror admiring the new necklace the prince had brought for you. It was a gorgeous gold chain with a rose gold lotus flower charm on it.

“It looks lovely on you my lady.” His words sincere, voice as charming as ever, smile soft and regal.

It always surprised you when he honoured you with such a title, especially since you weren’t noble in anyway. You were just his maid.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Must there be one? You work so hard and don’t you deserve a token of my appreciation?”

You smile at him. Although he was royalty he was so humble and gracious about it. You were his maid but he treated you as if you and him were equals. You loved that about him. He brought you beautiful dresses and gorgeous heels, along with the most exquisite jewellery to match. He allowed you to model it all for him, loving the way they made you look. You often couldn’t wear such things outside of his room, but he kept them for you for whenever you wished to be something you weren’t. He could never resist watching you twirl for him.

“I want you to have this on you always. It’s like a good luck charm. I want you to think of me.”

“I already do my prince.”

Typically you didn’t wear his jewelled gifts outside of the room either. Niran feared you would be seen as a thief, a commoner who only sort to steal from the prince, though you did want to steal something, his heart.

“Then aren’t you just the world’s most perfect girl.”

You fell so hard for him it’s a wonder that you could still do your job. He was a massive flirt, but also kind, honest, genuine. Everything a prince should be, but often weren’t. His brother was a brat. You loved him for how he treated others and for how he prided himself on helping the environment. He was perfect, truly. One day you would confess your love for him, fantasising about running away together. Though sadly he was a prince and soon you were about to learn that the hard way.

——🪷——

“Lady Satya! Oh how lovely to see you.”

“Yes, though we do see each other rather often don’t you think?”

Lady Satya Vaswani of Vishkar. The princes closest friend. Also his betrothed lover. Niran was to marry her due to her status. She was of nobility, and a rather high up one. He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, though he could hardly complain, she was perfect for him in every way. Kind, beautiful, fierce. Niran was fairly certain she was chosen for her ability to reign him in when he got a little wild. Something she always did when they were kids. They looked like the perfect couple. And yet…

“Yes, I suppose you are right. Are you well?”

“Yes, and you Prince Niran?”

The two began to walk around the garden, Lady Satya holding on to his arm. They often loved to walk around the Biolight garden, watching the roses bloom and sneak a peak at the happy couple. These flowers were alive and of the Prince’s own creation, living light. A fascinating invention that saw the Prince propel in popularity. He saved a whole village from starvation one winter. Quite remarkable. The flowers did love the couple, wanting to grow tall whenever they were near, battling one another to sneak a glance at the prince and his lady. Such a perfect couple. And yet….

“Lovely weather we’re having my lady.”

“What’s bothering you my Prince?”

The lady stopped walking, favouring a particular rose that warmed to her right away. It’s delicate petals spreading out to show her its beauty, sharp thorns dulling to show it wasn’t a danger, scent as sweet as a real rose. It was desperate to be plucked.

“Im sorry but, I have something to confess to you.”

Unbeknownst to him you were heading out to the garden. You needed to tell the prince how you felt. He was your reason for happiness. He was so kind, so perfect, so undeniably meant for you. You needed to confess these feelings because you were sure he felt the same way, and if he didn’t, surely he could see your point. You rounded the corner and spotted him with Lady Satya, your heart sank as you heard his next words.

“I’m in love my lady.”

In love. He was in love. With.. her? Of course he was. They had known each other for years at this point. The prince spoke of her often, such sweet words, never a negative thing to say. You watched them, two lovers spending their time among the roses, laughing, giggling, chatting. She was to be his Queen. She was to give him an heir to the throne. They were built to last.

You felt sick to your stomach. You had seen enough of them to know where his heart was. You couldn’t take it anymore, so ran. Away from them. Away from the heart break. Away from him.

“I’m in love with my maid.”

“How typical of you my Prince.”

He grinned at her. She knew him better than anyone, she knew he was serious. He was practically swooning at the thought of you.

“Oh my lady, she’s the one.”

He danced around the roses, being his typical dramatic self, pouring his heart out. Singing love ballads. Lady Satya watched on in amusement at her best friend. She wasn’t thrilled at the idea of marrying him, she didn’t want the pressure of being a Queen, let alone all the duties that came with it. She was quite happy to sit back and let him enjoy this one.

“Oh she’s perfect. You should see the way she looks dressed up in fine dresses, adorned with the most beautiful jewels on her skin. Uhhh I’m in love.”

“In happy for you my Prince, but… are we not to marry? Your father will not like this.”

“You know as well as I do that this is not what we both want my lady.”

“Yes, I do believe I broke your heart with that news years ago.” She giggled.

It was true. At one point in time he was in love with her. Smitten by the idea of making her his. She had plenty of the requirements to be courted by him. She was regal and elegant, had stunning beauty, incredibly smart. But she never felt the same way. If they were to marry it wouldn’t be for romantic love. A thought that broke his heart. They would have children sure, but that would be no fun. He was torn at the thought. But then he met you, his gorgeous little maid. Oh the way he thought of you was enough to make angels cry. Too many times had he stopped himself from kissing your gorgeous lips. Too many times had he stopped himself from confessing his undying love. Too many times had he started at you, wishing he could have you instead.

“But now I have her. She’s the one. Help me convince my father to break off our agreement. I love her Satya.”

He hardly ever used her name without her title, unless it was something of high importance, such as this. He took her hands in his, gazing into her golden irises, pleading with her.

“My Prince..”

“Please.. I’m willing to drop everything for her. My wealth, title, succession, anything. I’d be willing to live a commoners life just to be with her. Do you understand how I feel? She’s the love I need in this life. If he says no.. well I might just run away anyway..”

Lady Satya gasped. What he was saying was weirder than usual, but she understood on some level. Love was often unexpected. She found herself seeing the beauty in a common life. Maybe he did too.

“I beg of you, do not deny me this request.”

“How could I refuse a direct request from you, my Prince.”

——🪷——

You had ran straight to the King, begging for an audience with him, claiming it was of the upmost importance, concerning his son. You were seen rather quickly, for the King feared his son were ill or worse. The Prince did like to get into trouble.

“My King.. I wish to resign.. I can’t work for you any longer.”

The King said nothing, expecting more from you. He wanted an explanation, surely these theatrics weren’t for nought. You drop to your knees to beg for a termination in your contract. You understood what this meant. You would be banished from the castle, forced to live elsewhere. You just couldn’t face Niran anymore.

“I’ve grown too attached.. I fear I cannot effectively work closely to the Prince any longer.. please.. I beg of you my King.”

“What’s changed. You’ve been with him for quite sometime yes? Has he done something to make you uncomfortable?”

“No my King.. the Prince is nothing but kind to me. I am but a lowly maid.. yet he treats me with such generosity..”

“I see. Very well, you shall be replaced. You may go.”

Although your heart broke, it was the right thing to do. You couldn’t work so closely with the man you loved, knowing he was promised to another. It would only get worse when he married lady Satya. You just couldn’t be around him like this anymore.

“Forgive me for the inconvenience.. My King.”

——🪷——

Niran practically ran back to his room, climbing the stone steps in his tower. The sun was set ablaze, much like his heart. He was going to confess his love for you. Lady Satya would seek an audience with the King claiming infidelity in Niran’s feelings. The King would then have no choice but to hear his son out. He would threaten to leave if nothing else worked. You were his lady. He couldn’t wait to see you, almost forgetting just how beautiful you were. He’d ask you to pick a dress, requesting you model it for him, before confessing his love to you. It would feel less pressured that way. It would feel like you were both equal in a way. He got to his door, straightening out his shirt, and tucking his hair neatly behind his ear. With a deep breath he opened the door and stepped inside.

“Y/N my lady I- Who are you?”

“Your new maid your highness.”

New maid. What was this person talking about. He hadn’t requested a new maid. He was so happy with the one he had. You were always so kind to him, not afraid of his status, his power.. You weren’t mindlessly serving him, you were living with him. You accepted his gifts with a smile. A smile he wouldn’t see again.

“Leave. I didn’t request a new maid.”

“Your old maid resigned your highness.”

Those words cut him deeper than any blade ever could. Why would you resign. Did he not treat you well enough? Had you met someone else? Why would you leave without saying goodbye. He tried so hard not to snap, but he just couldn’t control himself. He was in pain.

“I SAID LEAVE!” He picked up a vase of Biolight flowers and threw it at the wall in a fit of rage and heartbreak. “JUST GO!!”

The terrified maid, leaves, narrowly avoiding the pottery shards that smashed off of the wall. Niran couldn’t help but smash up his room. His desk was flipped, his notes flying everywhere. His bed sheets ripped off the bed, tearing in the process, due to the delicately thin silk. He screamed in a mix of anger and sadness. Why did you leave him? He flung his wardrobe open, tearing out the dresses he brought for you, being too critical of each one. Remarking how they weren’t pretty enough, how they looked to common. How the fabric wasn’t fancy enough. Tearing each of them into shreds before laying in the heap of fabric, scream crying for you to come back to him. His world was on fire, much like the sky that burnt so brightly as the sun began to set.

A royal knight came running to his room, hearing the prince in such distress, and seeing a maid running from his room, in tears.

“My Prince! What’s the matter?!” His thick German accent boomed over the sounds he made.

“FIND HER!” Niran screamed at him. He was shaking, practically tearing his hair out over it all. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think straight. He just needed you. “MY MAID Y/N! FIND HER! PLEASE!! PLEASE SIR WILHELM! BRING HER BACK TO ME!!”

“Yes my Prince.”

——🪷——

You walked through the forest with such childlike wonder. The trees towered above you as the suns rays penetrated down through the leaves, which gently swayed in the breeze. If you weren’t so heartbroken, this would be such a lovely memory. You thought of Niran again. He would be in his element here. His gorgeous cream hair flowing gently in the winds currents. You imagined flower petals getting caught in his hair, only adding to his beauty. Nature was his domain. Maybe that’s why you headed into the forest. A gentle reminder of the man you loved.

“You’d love it here.. wouldn’t you..”

You wondered deeper and deeper still, enchanted by all the wildflowers. Niran would know all their names, he’d recite interesting facts about each one, before getting self conscious, embrrassed by it all. He had such a pretty outlook on life. A life he shared with lady Satya now. Your eyes stung with tears. Every flower. Every tree. Every woodland creature. Everything reminded you of him. It hurt. Maybe leaving wasn’t the best idea.. What if he missed you? What if you confessed? The wind picked up and it started to rain. The gentle droplets mixed with your tears as you looked up to see a blanket of reds and pinks stretch across the sky. It was getting dark, the sun tiring from its hard days work. A gust of wind blows you forward making you lose your balance and stagger into a tree with a light thud.

Whilst the day made the forest look so heavenly, the night made it look like a bad dream. The tall trees towering over you menacingly. The moonlight shattering through the canopy, illuminating the swaying branches. Shadows looking like assassins waiting to pounce on you. You spun around, realisation hitting you straight in the face. You were lost. The dark made it so hard to tell which way you had come from. You had no food. No water. Nothing. You weren’t suppose to wonder this far into the forest. People went missing here. You would be one of them. You let out a scream, desperately hoping someone would hear you. Secretly hoping Niran would hear you, though you knew you were too far and beyond help.

——🪷——

It had been days. Days since the search for you began. Days since he saw you. He had every guard in the damn castle looking for you. His sister called him ridiculous, but he didn’t care. He was a shell of his former self. He tried to join the search too but collapsed from exhaustion. He wouldn’t eat and barely drank, so it was no wonder he collapsed. He was sent to his room to rest which only made him worse. He felt so numb. His body shook from the lack of nutrition. He was in a bad way.

Things got so bad, lady Satya had to stay with him constantly. He didn’t do much besides cry and lash out in anger. At one point he grabbed a dagger and attempted to slash his wrist, just to feel something. She grabbed the blade however, her hand getting sliced in the process. Seeing her so hurt by his actions was enough to calm him for an hour or so, before the drama started up again.

Often he went to his window, staring up at the moon. He wondered if you were looking up at it too, thinking of him. Oh how he missed you. His gorgeous maid. His lovely flower.

“I know you’re somewhere out there.. somewhere far away..”

He got so ill with worry he couldn’t care for himself. His cream hair became matted and tangled. It pained lady Satya to see him this way. In all the years she had known him, he had never let himself fall into such disarray. Even as children, he was always the best dressed and best groomed.

“Let me brush your hair for you...”

“What’s the point.. It will only get messy again my lady..”

“Oh my Prince.. It displeases me to see you this way. She’ll be found. Have hope.”

“What good is hope when I feel this way… but.. if it pleases you to brush my hair.. then do so..”

She took a brush and sat on the bed behind him. His hair was an awful mess of tangles, mats, and knots. Depression wasn’t pretty for anyone. It was raw and emotional. This is the worst she had ever seen him. It’s almost like he had died. This wasn’t the Prince she adored. He was always the loudest one in the room. Always lighting up people’s faces with his warming personality. This man however was cold and lifeless.

“Ouch..” He groaned as the brush caught on a hard tangle.

“Do forgive me.. Niran..”

It was rare she ever called him his given name. Even as children, he was always ‘my Prince’. In this moment she wanted to show him she was more to him than a noble lady. She was his best friend and would support him as such. She was gentle to brush his hair out from then on, not wanting to cause him anymore pain than he was already in.

“Thank you.. Satya..”

“Yes.. It’s going to be okay Niran. Will you please eat today?” She continued to brush his hair, seeing it transform back into its usual texture.

“No.. I won’t eat until she’s found.”

“That could be never..”

“Then I shall perish… along with any hopes of romance that I once had.”

She wanted to scold him, but just couldn’t. He was stubborn but she was persistent too. She drew him a bath herself, knowing he wouldn’t want another maid in here. Not when he was so devastated over you.

“Perhaps a warm bath..”

“No..”

“And if she comes back? You want her to see a Prince that can’t even wash himself. Even commoners wash. Are you worse than a commoner? I’ve never known you to deny a chance to relax in warm water.”

Something stirred within him. On some level she was right. She was well educated of course, but even emotionally she tried her best. He sighed and laid down, body weak from the lack of food and water.

“Please Niran.. if not for yourself then for…”

She couldn’t finish that sentence anymore. It was clear that the Prince wouldn’t function without you. He wouldn’t do anything for her as long as you were missing. All his generosity gone. All the love he held for anyone, gone.

“Hmm..?”

“If not for yourself.. then for me.. if not for me… for her..”

“I said no.. I show you kindness because you are my closest confidant, my dearest friend. Do not make me repeat myself my lady.”

She sighed, opting not the waste the water, deciding she would use it to relax herself. One of them had to remain calm in this situation, and it wouldn’t be him.

——🪷——

The royal trumpets were like a lifeline for him. He shot out of bed, and ran to his window to get a glimpse of who was returning. Sir Wilhelm was hard to miss. He was a large man with a big personality. Once he saw him, he stared so intently looking for you. He held his breath, a little too long however, causing lady Satya to smack him for being so stupid. He kept searching for you. His gorgeous maiden. His lover.

Then he saw you.

“Y/N…”

A royal guard bridal carried you, on horseback, inside the castle walls.

“Y/N!!!” He screamed, bolting out the room and down the stone steps. He passed servants and maids who gasped at the state he was in. He didn’t care. He needed to get to you. It had been almost a week. Too long in his opinion. He just needed you. His flower.

Lady Satya ran after him, as best she could in heels and floor length dress. She lifted up her skirts, and ran as fast as her heels would carry her.The pair looked ridiculous. Some even remarking that they were having a ‘lovers tiff’ or that the Prince had ‘met his match’. It was almost comical.

Finally he made it outside just as the royal guards were dismounting their horses. He must have looked so deranged, screaming and raving about some lowly maid, but he didn’t care. He stumbled down the steps, tripping and almost tumbling down the remaining ones. Lady Satya shrieked at him, cursing him for being so careless, but it would be a miracle if he ever heard her over the sound of his own heartbeat.

“Y/N I MISSED YOU! OH MY LADY YOU HAVE NO IDE-“

He was stunned to silence when he saw your unconscious body. You had lost so much weight, the colour drained from your face. Your lips as dry as a desert. You looked so grubby it was hard to see your pretty face.

“Y/N..?”

“She’s alive my Prince. Barely. We gave her some water but we weren’t sure when the last time she ate or drank was.”

It took everything in him not to scream. Not to rip you away from the guards arms and hold you so close to him. Instead he dropped to his knees eyes closed so tight he started to see colours dance around from the strain. The guards stared unsure what to do. The Prince was usually so calm, so rational.

“Take her to the clinic!” Lady Satya screamed at them. “And for goodness sake get a meal started. Honestly..”

She hurried over to comfort her Prince, knowing how much pain he was in. He silently thanked her for being his voice, something he often did for her. She helped him up, practically dragging him up the steps, her dress ripping as he stood on it, making her sigh in frustration. She kicked off her heels and hauled him up as best she could, being his crutch as they walked to the clinic.

“You have servants for a reason, you are aware?”

——🪷——

He stayed by your side the whole time you were in the clinic. He was the one to clean you up, apologising for seeing you so exposed, when you weren’t even courting. He was the one to hold your hand when doctors came to examine you. He was the one breaking down in tears every night wondering why you left. The poor man had been loosing his mind so much that doctors started to question his own sanity. He didn’t leave, he didn’t tend to his duties, he didn’t give up.

Things got so bad he would pass out regularly before waking up screaming from nightmares about you being gone again. One time he fell out of his chair and woke up on the floor and panicked that he couldn’t see you. He worried you woke up without him knowing and left.

Slowly but surely doctors convinced him to eat, claiming it would help his mental state. He refused at first but was reminded by lady Satya that if he recovered first, he could help you recover later. Food tasted too good. The flavours burning his tongue. He could barely stomach the finer foods, opting for plain porridge and dry bread. It was easier to stomach. His water intake improved slowly and he agreed to have a bath, though it pained him to leave you for mere minuets. He worried you would wake up and he wouldn’t be there. A fear he had developed.

He started to feel like his old self again, doctors remarking how much progress he made just by looking after himself. It hardly mattered to him, he only cared about you. The Prince spent his days reading to you, teaching you about flowers and different types of fauna. It was a comfort for him, one he needed.

“The deer is quite remarkable Y/N.. Have you ever seen one? They are such beautiful creatures. I was lucky enough to touch one once.. such a soft coat.. Oh my lady, if you promise to wake, I promise to take you to see one.”

Surprisingly his father stopped by, wanting to see why his son was so interesting in a common maid. He watched as the Prince held your hand tenderly, sadly smiling at your face. He noticed that his son practically lived in the clinic with you, bringing his books and his silk blanket from his room. The blanket draped so lovingly over you.

“We hardly see you anymore, Prince Niran.”

The Prince nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn’t realised that his father was there, too busy focusing on you. He scrambled to stand, his left hand crossing over his chest before he bowed to him.

“Father.. I.. hadn’t heard you come in..”

The King eyed you again, recognising you as the maid who resigned. He glanced back to his son, who very much looked like a deer in headlights.

“I just saw lady Satya not to long ago. She’s rather fond of you, and yet you spend all your time with this commoner. Why?”

The Prince sat down beside you again, hand running over his scalp. He couldn’t hide it any longer. He had to tell his father that he wouldn’t marry lady Satya. He had to explain how he loved you.

“Father.. me and lady Satya aren’t in love.. she’s a remarkable woman, truly a visionary...”

“But?”

“She’s a friend. A confidant. I’ll never experience true love with her. You know what that’s like, don’t you father?”

The King did know. He too had to marry a woman he didn’t love. His heart was set on another noble lady, but she had less status then Niran’s mother. It hurt him deeply to think of her now. The King sighed.

“Are you telling me, you the crown prince, heir to the throne, wish to marry a common maid.”

“Yes father.. I’m willing to give it all up. My status, my succession to the throne, my home, my wealth, my family. I love her.”

“She feels the same?”

The Prince laughed softly. He had no idea if you even felt the same way about him. Judging by the fact you kept the golden lotus necklace around your neck, he chanced a guess, praying to the gods that he was correct.

“Yes.”

“Then this must be why she resigned.” The King turned to leave the room. “Come and see me again when she wakes. We shall have a discussion.”

“Thank you father.”

——🪷——

The moment your eyes fluttered open, he was there. He had dozed off, still lovingly holding your hand. You felt dizzy, but compared to the sensation of your stomach eating itself days ago, you couldn’t complain. Prince Niran looked so peaceful asleep next to you. You wondered how long it had been, but judging by half of his things being in the clinic room, you guessed a while.

“My Prince..”

His eyes snapped open to the sound of your voice, meeting yours immediately. Overcome with joy he pounced, wrapping his arms around you like life depended on it, tears streaming.

“Oh my lady.. you scared me.. please never do that to me again. I fear my heart won’t take another round of such torturous pain.”

His words as smooth as ever. His courtship abilities strong. You wondered why you were still in the castle. You had resigned. That’s when Prince Niran explains everything to you. How he had the whole castle looking for you.

“Why did you leave.. Was I not good enough to you? I would like you to be honest. I am a Prince after all, it’s a crime to lie one. I already allow you to commit crimes on my heart.”

“You and lady Satya.. I.. didn’t want to watch as you fell in love, married and had kids. So.. I left..”

He was a bit surprised by your bluntness, but he did tell you to be honest. He was a little confused as to how you got to that conclusion, laughing softly when you mentioned the garden.

“Oh my dear. I was actually confiding in lady Satya to ask that she beg my father for a termination in our betrothal. I have eyes for another.”

“Oh..”

“If it wasn’t clear, my lady, that someone is you.”

You swore your heart stopped. He loved you. He was breaking off his engagement with lady Satya for you. He wanted to be with you. He could tell you were stunned, so he probed a little further.

“I am hoping that, well, you feel the same way I do my lady?”

“I- Yes.. but.. what about lady Satya?”

“She never was interested in me romantically. Hand on heart, she hates the idea of marriage and kids, and responsibility over the stupid things I do.”

He was so dramatic, but he did bring warmth to your cheeks. You let your mind wonder of what life could be like with him. He could look after you, like your parents always wanted for you. You missed them, but now they wouldn’t worry. You didn’t need comfort, luxury or finer things. You just needed Prince Niran.

“So? My lady, may I court you?”

Your lips landed on his. Fireworks exploding in his mind and yours. It was a pleasant Suprise for him. He could hardly complain. His shaky hands cupped your cheeks deepening the kiss, craving more of you. Your hands tangled up in his hair, wanting the same. His tongue felt so good against your own. Like it was made for just you. It was your first kiss and it felt so perfect, so right, so needed.

When you pulled away you caught a glimpse of him panting softly, eyes opening to stare at your lips again. A small smoulder appearing on his face before pulling you close for another kiss, deciding that one was no where near enough. He needed more of you. All of you.

——🪷——

“I promise you my lady, no matter what happens, I won’t let him belittle you.”

“I’m scared my prince..”

He squeezed your hand tighter, smiling at his pretty little maid all dressed up in a beautiful dress. He took pride in replacing all the ones he had destroyed. The new ones were much nicer anyhow. This one was a deep lavender with gold adornments. The bodice had lace flowers stitched into it, forming the most gorgeous sweetheart neckline. The sleeves were a ballooned shape, made of lavender lace with tiny Biolight vines sewn in. The skirt itself covered with gold stitched to form beautiful flowery shapes and vines. It was beautiful on you. Niran had it made especially for you. Lady Satya helped you change and even offered to do your hair, fixing a Biolight rose above your ear. Both of them did what they could, wanting you to look your best for an audience with the King and court.

“Oh don’t fear, you have not one, but two nobles in your corner! Yes, one’s a Prince and your lover.. and the other wants me to shut up… but wait till you see us persuade him!”

“Dramatic as ever my Prince.” Lady Satya rolled her eyes.

“Naturally.”

You weren’t so convinced that the King would say yes. The entire way to the throne room you panicked that he would laugh at you and call you nothing but a commoner. A lowly girl that wasn’t fit to marry a prince. Prince Niran however had a spring in his step. Lady Satya rolling her eyes again as he dramatically flung the throne room doors open, stunning the whole court to silence.

“Father!”

Confidence dripped off him. He was oozing with pride as he presented you to the court. You step forward, your heart pounding. Many people gasped and whispered about how you were just a commoner playing dress up, and how shameful this was for lady Satya, to see her fiancé so blatantly pining for another. You felt so out of place, wanting to run away again, and yet lady Satya took your hand and lead you further into the room.

“You know why I am here father. I wish to marry this woman. I will give up my status, wealth, place in line to the throne. Please father, your blessing.”

“What say you lady Satya? You seem rather calm about this.”

“With all due respect your highness, the Prince just isn’t someone I’m in love with romantically. I am honoured and humbled by you, but no, I do not wish for this life.”

The King stared at you with intense eyes, watching to see if you crumbled under the pressure. Instead you stepped forward and curtsied as best you could, holding the position until he told you otherwise.

“Rise my dear. Prince Niran, is this really what you want?”

“More than anything in the world father.”

“You’re willing to give it all up yes?”

“Right now if needed.”

He took off his crown and placed it neatly on the floor, taking a step back to show he cuts tied with it all. He was very serious about this. He didn’t want to run away in secret. He wanted a blessing.

“Very well. Then you shall have my blessing.”

The Prince turned to you, lifting you up and spinning you around in delight, before lowering you for a warm hug. You were stunned. You came in here prepared to fight for him. It was too easy. You couldn’t believe it. He so desperately wanted to kiss you, but thought it was best saved for a moment of privacy. He took your hand in his and turned to leave.

“Niran.”

“Yes father?”

“Pick up your crown. See that you show her the proper royal way to behave. If she is to be Queen someday then she’ll need the lessons.”

“You mean..?”

“No one said you had to give up your royalty. You’re a smart man, so see she learns fast. She’ll have to impress the court on your wedding day after all.”

Overjoyed, he bows, holding it for at least ten seconds before thanking his father and rising. You had no idea that this would be the outcome. Never in a million years, and yet, you were to be a Princess, and one day Queen of the court.

A fairy tale come true.

——🪷——

“How are you feeling my lady?”

“Scared. Shocked. Surprised. Take your pick.”

“Yes, it is a bit much isn’t it. The pressure will wear off soon. Once we have the wedding and have our first child-“

“Child?!”

Prince Niran grins. He was kidding. Children were important in a royal relationship, but he was happy to wait. Still the thought of having children with him someday wasn’t so bad. He was gorgeous in every way, your children would inherit that, you were sure.

“So my gorgeous little maid, will you marry me then?”

You watch as your gorgeous Prince drops to one knee, holding the most beautiful ring you had ever laid eyes on. The jewel itself was alive with a tiny Biolight lotus, that pulsed with power, enticing you to put it on. His smile was like starlight. He really loved you.

“Oh my sweet Prince. Did you really have to ask? Of course I’ll marry you.”

[the-name-is-z]

SKELETONS | ch. 58

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: After much discussion with and without Aaron, Rick makes a decision about where the group will go. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; arguments; negotiation; separating from each other; walker-induced injuries

Chapter 58 - Resources

Rick shook his head as he backed away from Aaron, who scoffed.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” He murmured. “If it’s not words, if it’s not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?” No one replied, Maggie and Michonne standing from where they had knelt beside him. “What if I drove you to the community? All of you. We leave now, we’ll get there by lunch.”

“I’m not sure how the sixteen of us are going to fit in the car you and your one friend drove down here in.” Rick stated, pointing accusingly. 

“We drove separately.” Aaron explained quickly. “If we found a group, we wanted to be able to bring them all home. There’s enough room for all of us.”

“And you’re parked just a couple miles away, right?” Carol asked.

“East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route 16.” Aaron replied. “We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came, blocked the road. We couldn’t clear it.”

“Yeah, you’ve really thought this through.” Rick murmured. 

“Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I’d do it here.” Aaron pleaded. “You know, light the barn on fire while you slept, pick you off as you ran out the only exit. You can trust me.” Iris raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. That was not how to convince Rick. He’d probably only get angrier, assume it was one of the ways Aaron was supposedly dreaming of slaughtering them all. There was a long, heavy beat of silence. “I’ll check out the cars.” Michonne offered.

“There aren’t any cars.” Rick insisted, still staring Aaron down. Iris sighed aloud, catching Daryl’s attention. She leaned much of her weight on one of the beams holding up the barn roof. 

“There’s only one way to find out.” Michonne tried.

“We don’t need to find out.”

“We do.” She insisted. “You know what you know, and you’re sure of it, but I’m not.”

“Me neither.” Maggie agreed.

“Agreed.” Iris added, nodding. Rick blinked, shaking his head. He swallowed thickly, still shaking his head when he looked back up.

“Your way is dangerous. Mine isn’t.” He argued.

“Well, that all depends which way you’re looking. Define ‘dangerous,’ Rick. It’s dangerous to threaten someone you don’t know. It’s dangerous to disregard the ideas and opinions of your friends and family. It’s dangerous to lose who you were and who you are in a world that wants to kill you. It’s dangerous to starve and die of dehydration. And it’s dangerous to wander in the woods. But what have we been doing so far?” Iris countered, narrowing her eyes. He huffed at her. “Passing up somewhere we can all safely live, alive, healthy, somewhere you can watch your daughter grow up? That’s pretty dangerous.”

“We need to find out what this is.” Michonne agreed. “We can handle ourselves. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Then I will too. I’ll go.” Glenn offered, nodding. Rick sighed again, looking around the room. He turned.

“Abraham.”

“Yeah, I’ll walk with ‘em.” He agreed, cocking his rifle.

“Rosita?” Rick continued. She nodded. He turned to Glenn. “If there’s trouble, you got enough firepower?”

“We got what we got.” Glenn replied. Rick handed him Aaron’s small pistol. Daryl picked Aaron up from the floor as the others geared up, moving him aside.

“The walkies are out of juice.” Rick explained. “If you’re not back in sixty minutes, we’ll come.” Michonne nodded. “Which might be just what they want.” She said nothing, looking him up and down before ducking out the barn door. The others followed quickly. Rick turned to the rest, looking around. “If we’re all in here, we’re a target.”

“I’ve got the area covered.” Daryl assured, making a circular motion with his finger. He jerked his chin to Iris and she nodded, following as he stepped outside. 

Her eyes blew wide as she absorbed the chaos and destruction the storm had caused. It was a damn miracle they weren’t all speared through by flying trees and debris. The forest seemed like it had paths torn through it, fallen trees and brush laying in great swathes across the landscape.

-

It wasn’t long after they swept around the perimeter that Judith’s cries split through the air. It took Rick a few minutes to quiet her, but she started up again. She was hungry, they all were. Iris cursed it every day. Her pants were beginning to come loose and her belt would not go any tighter. 

“You think they really got a place?” Daryl asked. Iris hummed.

“Dunno.” She replied. “Worth it to check, though, isn’t it?”

“Sounds too good to be true.” He grunted. She hummed again, nodding her agreement.

“Wouldn’t be the first occurrence of dumb luck.” She countered. She turned to glance at him and he nodded, sighing softly.

Iris kept an eye on her watch, planning her next movements if the hour was up before the others returned. Yet, it was unnecessary, since the five of them returned with a car and an RV in tow. It appeared they found a way to clear the roads.

They unloaded the RV, stripping it of all its supplies. And god, was it carrying a lot. Well, a lot compared to what they’d been eating recently. Cans upon cans upon cans of food. Fruit, spaghetti rings, beans, vegetables. Bottles of flat soda. Rick inspected each can carefully, clearly pondering. 

There was an uneasy feeling simmering in Iris’ gut. It was the same feeling she’d had when Rick went off the deep end back at the prison, screaming at ghosts and murmuring into empty hallways. He seemed to be “all there” now, but with something missing. He seemed tunnel-visioned. Iris brushed it off initially, focusing on the ‘here and now’ that came with starving in the woods and outrunning a pack of walkers. But they had a real opportunity here, and while Rick’s concerns were obviously valid, there was a tight feeling in Iris’ chest that prevented her from releasing full breaths. 

“This…” Rick murmured, standing up and facing Aaron with a can in his hand. “This is ours now.” Aaron sighed through his nose.

“There’s more than enough.” He nodded. 

“It’s ours.” He repeated. “Whether or not we go to your camp.”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t we go?” Carl asked suddenly, his face falling.

“If he were lying.” Michonne answered, looking pointedly from Carl to his father. “If he wanted to hurt us. But he isn’t. And he doesn’t. We need this. So we’re going, all of us.” Her tone of voice had such authority that Iris stood straighter. She looked each of them in the eyes, asserting dominance. Judging by the look on their faces in response, no one would speak up against her. They all had to be feeling the same way about Rick. “Somebody say something if they feel differently.” She urged.

Rick glanced down, looking at Judith and then Carl. He glanced over to Daryl, who was sitting on a crate and balancing his elbows on his knees. 

“I don’t know man.” Daryl admitted. There almost seemed to be a sense of guilt for disagreeing with Rick. “This barn smells like horse shit.” Iris smiled softly, looking to Carl, who was watching nervously. She offered him a wink, his shoulders falling as he relaxed a bit. Rick sighed through his nose.

“Yeah.” He agreed. “We’re going.” Michonne nodded again, her satisfaction hidden well behind a stony expression. Rick spun on his heel, facing Aaron again, who was still tied to a post on the floor. “So where are we going? Where’s your camp?”

“Well, every time I’ve done this, I’ve been behind the wheel driving recruits back.” Aaron admitted nervously. Rick raised a brow and he started shaking his head. “I believe you’re good people. I’ve bet my life on it.” He stammered. “I’m just not ready to bet my friends’ lives just yet.”

“You’re not driving.” Michonne snapped. “So if you want to get home, you’ll have to tell us how.” Aaron looked to each of them pleadingly, gulping.

“Go North on Route Sixteen.” He explained, his face falling. 

“And then?”

“I’ll tell you when we get there.” He assured.

“We’ll take twenty-three north, you’ll give us directions from there.” Rick replied. Aaron’s eyes blew wide.

“That’s— I don’t know how else to say it, that— that’s a bad idea.” He stammered. “We’ve cleared sixteen. It’ll be faster.”

“We’ll take twenty-three.” Rick repeated. “We leave at sundown.”

“Don’t worry, princess. We’ve handled our fair share of the dead.” Iris assured Aaron with a shit-eating grin, flipping a knife in her hand. She refused to hide her excitement and satisfaction at their decision. Whether they had to audition or not, she knew what they could bring to the table. Aaron huffed, blinking as he turned to stare into the ground near his feet. 

“We’re gonna do this at night?” Sasha asked, her concern evident on her face.

“Look, I know it’s dangerous.” Rick agreed. “But it’s better than riding up to the gates during the day. If it isn’t safe, we need to get gone before they know we’re there.”

“No one is going to hurt you.” Aaron said firmly. “You’re trying to protect your group but you’re putting them in danger.”

“Tell me where the camp is, we’ll leave right now.” Rick countered. Aaron shook his head, turning back to the ground. Rick stood, stretching his back. “It’s going to be a long night. Eat. Get some rest if you can.” He turned, storming out of the barn with Michonne on his heels. Iris pursed her lips before grabbing a can of pineapple and prying it open with her knife. 

-

"Can we practice again?” Carl asked quietly, coming up behind Iris as she put down her third can of food. She nodded, wiping her hands on her jeans before pulling her roll of throwing knives from her belt. Daryl had since carved a target into one of the barn posts and they had free reign. 

“You sure you’re ready to get your ass kicked again, cowboy?” Iris challenged. Carl replied with a blank stare, just narrowing his eyes as he pulled a knife from the roll. Iris grinned.

“Talk is cheap, punk.” Carl replied as he turned, zeroing in on the target.

“Punk? Oh, you’re in for it now, kid.” Iris laughed as he threw the knife, a few inches off of the centre. “Getting better though.” Iris threw three knives quickly in succession, the three of them triangulating a small space at the very centre. She turned around, grabbing another knife and tossed it over her shoulder, smiling at the soft thunk as it slid home.

“You’re just showing off.” Carl grumbled, walking over and pulling the knives from the wood. Iris shrugged with a cock of the head and a smile. He shook his head while taking up his position, and the two of them continued to practice until the sun set and Rick returned ominously. 

They loaded up into the RV, Iris driving with Abraham at the passenger seat. Rick, Michonne, Glenn and Aaron were in the other car ahead of them, getting directions with the intention of keeping Carl and Judith out of further harm. 

They drove for a few miles before Iris began to get that uneasy feeling again. They breezed past a few walkers emerging from the woods around them but they were getting more and more frequent.

“Iris?” Abraham murmured. She nodded, slowing down slowly. Glenn slammed on the breaks ahead of them as they smacked right into a group of walkers. “Fuck me sideways. They came up faster than a knife fight in a phone booth.”

“Sounds about right.” Iris replied, watching as Glenn blazed ahead, leaving a trail of carnage behind them. She stopped the RV after losing sight of the car. The walkers began to slam against the RV, surrounding them quickly.

“Get us out of here!” Daryl called, grabbing his crossbow and running up from the back. Abraham ripped open the glove compartment and pulled out a map.

“Pick a fucking direction!” Abraham yelled. Iris grunted as the spun the wheel, turning the RV almost completely around and turning down the nearest road.

“Fuck. We lost them.” She grit her teeth. 

“They’ll find us again. We gotta get out.” Maggie assured, checking to make sure everyone was still doing alright. Iris floored it, thanking whoever was listening for the clear road. She could see a water tower in the distance, which meant a town, however small. 

“Good landmark.” Daryl grunted.

“We don’t know what, or who is there.” Iris called, feeling the anxiety creep higher in her throat.

“Wait!” Daryl called over her shoulder. “Do you see that?” She leaned forward, peering through the windshield to see a bright red flare shoot up into the sky. There were soft pops in the distance, the sound of gunshots. 

“Oh god.” Iris murmured, closing her eyes. “Was that them?”

“No way to know.” Abraham shook his head. 

“There is one way.” Maggie offered, tilting her head.

“I can’t put everyone in here in danger.” Iris said, shaking her head as she rested it against the steering wheel. 

“What other choice to we have?” Maggie replied, putting a hand on Carol’s shoulder. 

“We could go to sixteen. Aaron said that road was clear.” Iris proposed.

“What if the flare was them?” Abraham asked.

“Could they really have gotten that far?” Maggie asked, biting her lip. Iris banged her head on the steering wheel. 

“Aaron’s people have flares. We know that anyways. Maybe they use them for signalling.” Iris murmured. “Whatever it means.”

“Risky.” Daryl grunted.

“But if it isn’t them, they would have seen it regardless. And known that we saw it too.” She replied. Abraham huffed in frustration.

“I say we go.” Maggie nodded. Everyone gave mild murmurs of agreement or disagreement, but the majority favoured the former.

“Seatbelts, everyone.” Iris concluded, turning back to the road. She turned again, making their way toward the water tower.

-

“Please! Help me! Anyone, please!” A voice called in the distance. Iris slowed the vehicle as they got closer into the small town. They spotted a light source when they passed the water tower, following it carefully. There were a few walkers milling about but most flooded toward the light and the sound of that person screaming.

“Doesn’t sound like one of ours.” Iris pointed out, driving closer. She pulled into an alleyway in the small industrial town, keeping out of the way of any light sources, though it was all dark. 

“You’re a damn good driver.” Abraham muttered as Iris put the RV in park.

“Thanks.” Iris replied, leaning back in the chair with a sigh. Daryl reached over, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance.

There was a small oil drum fire up ahead that illuminated the walkers swarming the area. In the corner of the alley, standing on top of a dumpster, was a man holding an orange flare gun. He seemed to have no other weapons and was kicking away the walkers grabbing at his feet. It reminded Iris of when they had saved Gabriel. 

“Help! Please!” He cried, waving his arms in their direction. 

“Do we go?” Abraham asked, his voice low.

“Aaron mentioned he was with someone else. They go out in pairs.” Maggie murmured as they stared out at him. Iris pursed her lips. He didn’t post much of a threat by himself. The man cried out in pain as he shifted, and Iris realized he was keeping his weight off of one foot. He was injured. 

“We can’t stay in here anyways. Let’s clear it.” Iris stated. Daryl, Abraham and Sasha agreed, and the four of them pushed out of the RV, keeping it carefully shut behind them. They worked quickly and quietly, a well-oiled machine. They cleared the way toward the dumpster, the man panting and trembling in fear as he slumped down against the brick wall of a building. 

“Thank you. Thank you.” He murmured, clutching his ankle. He looked up, examining their faces. “Iris. Daryl. Abraham. Sasha. My name is Eric, I was with—“

“Aaron. We met him.” Iris nodded. “You have somewhere safe to hole up?”

“I-in there.” Eric pointed, gesturing to a closed door, light pooling out from the small windows above. 

“Anyone else with you?” Daryl asked. Eric swallowed thickly, shaking his head. Abraham helped him stand while Sasha had the others file out from the RV. Daryl quickly cleared the room before ushering everyone inside.

-

TAGLIST:

@heidiland05

@ryoujoking

@catlalice

@maxinehufflepuffprincess

@lowkeyhottho

@fadingpalacebonkpsychic

@hayley1998

@negansbestie

@lizey-thornberry

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Run, human... RUN. part 3

Warnings: violence, blood, extreme physical trauma and sickness, broken bones, ambushed, trapped in a pit, starvation

Enough people liked parts 1 & 2 that I was finally convinced to make part 3 & 4!! Enjoy!! 😁

She was distantly aware of the sound of wingbeats near her ears, the sensation of wind blowing on her face, but nothing more as she passed out into sweet oblivion.

When she awoke again, she felt something soft and comfortable beneath her, a relieving contrast to the hard rocks she'd been sleeping on the past days.

Then the memories came flooding back. The pit. The bat-man--

Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring up at a wooden ceiling.

"Nandeen?" A voice made her jump in her skin, and her eyes darted to the side of the bed she was on, where the bat-boy was sitting, patiently watching her with an intense focus full of curiosity. A different language she didn't recognize was what came out of his mouth.

She stared blankly at the man, still gathering her bearings when he cleared his throat awkwardly, pointing to himself.

"Tyleet." Then he pointed at Alexa, raising an eyebrow. It sounded weird, but it also sounded like a name. Safe to assume he was asking for hers.

"...Alexa," she croaked hoarsely, her voice barely more than a weak rasp of air.

"Nandeen Alexa? Ah-LEX-ah..." Tyleet tried her name on his tongue a few times until he'd mastered and memorized the syllables, grinning happily.

"Where am I?" Alexa coughed weakly as the words scratched in her dry throat, and she mentally slapped her face when Tyleet blinked dumbly at her. Right. Different language.

Tyleet rose from his chair and walked to a different part of the room, returning with a bowl of what Alexa assumed was food, though it sure didn't look edible, all mushy and slimy. She could see flecks of green in it that looked like more of the pain-stealing herbs he'd given her previously.

She didn't complain or try to stop him as he brought a spoonful to her mouth, she just obediently opened and accepted the bite. At least it didn't taste as bad as it looked. It was sweet and sugary, but still somehow with a slightly bitter edge that she assumed was the herbs, like nothing she'd ever eaten before. He gave her water shortly after, the first drink she'd had in so long, and she almost choked as it touched her parched throat, making it ache before she gulped it down greedily, every last drop.

She wished she could drink until her stomach burst, desperate for more water, but Tyleet limited how much he gave her, and she knew why. Her body could go into shock if she was given too much all at once after so long starving and dehydrated. But it didn't stop her from whimpering in protest when he pulled the waterskin away from her dry, cracked lips.

She hadn't realized how cold she was until now, small shivers wracking her body as the herbs took effect and lowered the raging fever.

But Tyleet seemed to notice too from the goosebumps breaking out on her pale and clammy skin, and his blue eyes softened sympathetically. He had a habit of repeatedly surprising her, and he did it once again as he carefully crawled onto her bed, being careful not to jostle any of her injuries.

Alexa stiffened with alarm. What exactly was he planning to--?

Tyleet settled down next to her, but gave her a polite, respectful amount of space. He stretched one leathery wing out to her, draping it gently over her shivering form. He radiated heat and warmth, and Alexa quickly realized that it was the reason there were no blankets in this dwelling: because bat-people had no use for any, not when they were naturally so hot-blooded.

It felt weird to be so close to such a dangerous monster, but she secretly appreciated the gesture, and within a few minutes the tremors in her muscles slowed and then stopped.

She stayed awake for hours, and could hear Tyleet's breathing slow and steady next to her as he fell asleep. When she was certain he was out cold, she sidled over to the comforting warmth, wincing and biting her tongue to keep from crying out in pain as she hesitantly scooted closer to him. She startled when her skin touched his, not realizing how close she'd really gotten but she didn't pull away, despite her instincts screaming at her to.

She could feel his breath on her neck, the immense warmth radiating off him soothing the ache in her bones. It wasn't long before exhaustion overtook her, and she eventually drifted off.

She awoke the next morning to find herself still warm and snug against Tyleet's chest, and her face flushed slightly with embarrassment when she realized that one of his arms was draped around her midsection. She delicately grabbed the intruding arm and took it off her, laying it down next to its owner.

Alexa blinked blearily, reining in her scattered emotions one by one. She was really alive. In the house of a deadly predator. Alone without knowing if her friends had survived.

She glanced over at Tyleet's face, which was still slack and relaxed with sleep. There was something unnerving about it, as though he'd snap awake at any second and pin her with those piercing blue eyes.

Alexa was highly aware of the warmth still cocooning her, the wing-blanket still draped lazily over her. Now that she was up-close, she could see the tinier details of the bat-like wing she hadn't noticed before.

After one more glance to make sure Tyleet was truly unconscious, she couldn't help her curiosity. Hesitantly reaching out, she brushed a light hand down the forearm edge of the wing, marveling at it. She could feel the strong bone that the skin was stretched over, and her fingers wandered to trace the lines on the bottom inner edges of the wing, her fingers skimming over the rough, leathery surface, which felt like rubbing a bunch of tiny microscopic fish scales. It was fascinating to study.

Man, what the scientists back at base wouldn't give to study one of these creatures up-close, Alexa thought in amazement.

Cautiously, she let herself get a bit more curious, going from lighter touches to gently massaging to feel the powerful muscle structure beneath the skin, almost analyzing it and figuring out how the wing could function. How it was possible for it to lift a full-grown man into the air.

Her exploring hands suddenly froze when she felt the wing shiver, and she turned her head to see Tyleet staring fully awake at her with wide eyes in a 'what the heck were you just doing?' sort of way.

Alexa sheepishly broke eye contact as Tyleet pulled his wing out of reach and sat up, yawning in a way that showcased the inhuman wolf-like fangs.

Her eyes followed him as he got up and walked to another part of the room, amazed at how easily he moved without smacking anything with his giant wings, because the building was quite small now that she was paying attention.

Tyleet soon returned with his bag of supplies, setting to work changing out the bandages on Alexa's wounds with swift skill that told her this wasn't the first time he'd done this.

Alexa shuddered and flinched at every small touch that sent sparks of blazing pain through her, especially when he moved to her mangled leg.

She barely stifled screaming as he peeled away the old gauze, smearing an unknown salve on her bloodstained skin before re-wrapping the bad leg.

"Akkria," he grunted approvingly once he was done. Alexa still had no clue what foreign language he was speaking, so she just nodded before trying something out.

"Thank you," she rasped with a shaky sigh.

"...Thank you," Tyleet parroted, watching her mouth closely with intense interest and trying out the words as he cocked his head to the side curiously.

Alexa couldn't help a wobbly smile at that. Maybe she could find a way to communicate better with the strange creature, hopefully convince it to take her home, to the military base. And even if she would be stuck here while she healed, it was funny watching the bat-boy copy her. Like a parrot trying to please its master. Only Tyleet was looking at her like a confusing puzzle he wanted to figure out.

Tyleet brought a chunky broth for breakfast after cleaning up the mess of old bloody gauze, and it filled Alexa with a comforting warmness in her still-aching stomach.

It went on like this for days, Tyleet delicately hand-feeding her, providing more herbs to manage the pain and fever. Alexa started to notice that her leg was healing unnaturally fast, as it should have taken months to heal this far -- but she didn't question the miracle.

She soon had regained enough strength to sit up on her own without assistance, no longer needing to be hand-fed. She had a ton of free time to fill while she recovered, so she often put it to good use working on her communication skills with the monster caring for her.

A lot of it was just pointing and gesturing and making strange grunts and noises like zombies, but Tyleet was surprisingly perceptive, and learned quickly. It was strange to see a creature so human-like.

Once Alexa wasn't so dependent on her rescuer, Tyleet began to leave the dwelling for extended periods of time, presumably to hunt and forage for fresh herbs before returning.

And each time he left, Alexa thought about how she could get him to take her home. But there were a few things she found unnerving about the whole situation, such as how the one existing window in the tiny house was boarded up, as though to keep something from escaping. And how the door was always locked from the outside whenever Tyleet left. She knew that because she'd tried the handle once, after a bit of difficulty walking with her bad leg.

But today she mustered the courage to ask. She was practically fully healed, up and walking with only a slight, subtle limp remaining. She waited until Tyleet returned like usual in the evening.

Alexa was already waiting patiently on the bed when he came in, and she smiled at him. "Tyleet?"

The bat-boy nodded eagerly at hearing his name to show he was listening.

"...I think it's about time I go home." Alexa gestured at the front door with a firmer inflection of tone that she hoped would sound insistent, then she imitated walking with her fingers.

Leave. Here. Go. Out. She was trying to say. She stood up and pointed to her eyes, then at her healed leg, taking a few normal steps forward to prove a point.

See? All healed! I can walk now. Then she gestured at the door again. Go home?

Tyleet's face went blank and expressionless for a moment with an unreadable emotion before he shook his head grimly, pointing at his leg and imitating a limp, before pointing at the same door.

Dangerous. Get hurt again.

Alexa crossed her arms in an exaggerated pout, hoping the urgency of her request was getting through. She needed to get home, it had been more than a week that she'd been missing!

Go. Home. Now. She pointed sharply.

The corners of Tyleet's mouth twitched into a frown, but he didn't budge on his decision, shaking his head vehemently before gesturing meaningfully to the bed.

Stay. Here.

They stared at each other for a few long, tense minutes before Alexa caved with an irritated huff, flopping back down on the bed.

Tyleet sighed and relaxed at that, and Alexa got the distinct feeling that not only was she a guest here, but also... a captive.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

@lumpofsand

@isikedmyself878

@scoundrelwithboba

[entity56]

Living Toy/Doll Whump

Plastic:

Whumpee is dressed up in the cutest, most elegant of clothes and marked up with makeup until their original face is near unrecognizable

Or maybe they're just straight up painted. A COMPLETE reconstruction.

They're put through HARSH training courses, to keep a perfect body shape. Strict diet, strict exercise, strict lifestyle.

Every aspect of their fashion and life is highly controlled. At any point, a Whumper can just strip them wherever they are and put them in new clothes.

These are the most socialized of human dolls, put through hours upon hours upon hours of talking and being played with by whoever their owner likes. If the Whumpee starts passing out from exhaustion or anything of the like, they're taken to the side, injected with adrenaline, and sent back out. Whumpee often goes days without going back to the toy box.

Cloth:

You guys know Coraline? Yeah? Button eyes. Once the buttons are sewn on, the toy completely relies on their owner to be transported.

Whumpee is starved to heaven and back and the signs of malnourishment are, of course, hidden with clothes and makeup in order to make them as light as possible. This is both done by force and by conditioning Whumpee into being terrified of gaining any weight.

Drugging. So, so much drugging. The whumpee is a mere ragdoll. Whumper(s) play with them by moving their limbs around, supported by the earlier point of starvation.

Or they're conditioned/drugged into playing with their abusers, blindly (literally and figuratively) obeying every command like a good doll. Disobeying gets them punished by everybody involved... how delightful!

When being given baths, Whumpee must ONLY be washed with cold water and hung to dry. (This, of course, translates to being dangled by the wrists for hours on end while their clothes and hair dry...)

Touted around in wheelchairs or strollers for transport to be admired by everybody!

Autonomy? What's that? Their existence surrounds being cuddled and played with.

Porcelain:

They're stiff as porcelain (by force or by conditioning, your choice) and kept in a locked glass box to be admired, never touched (this doll isn't for playing, silly!)

Everybody is SUUUUPER careful with them. Gloves MUST be on while handling them, washing must be SUPER careful, and under NO circumstances should you be too rough with them...

...So punishment is often something that doesn't leave a mark, like extended isolation in the 'toy box', drugging, starvation/dehydration, or even things like a mock execution/mock live burial/etc.

General:

Porcelain/hard material dolls are traded, sold and auctioned, having collected dust in their display boxes, their vacant eyes staring straight ahead from being absolutely drugged or tortured out of their mind adding to the uncanny valley and scaring potential buyers away. Cloth/ragdolls and plastic dolls are sold at ridiculously cheap prices at any old 'toy store' or 'garage sale', often with seams damaged (and stuffing falling out) and missing an eye (or two) or a body part.

Don't worry, avid collectors often pay good cash for dolls with certain traits or features, and a lot have spare parts for the dolls that need a little TLC! :)

Either sew their mouth shut, remove their tongue, or sever their vocal cords. Replace their gross, imperfect human teeth with new fake teeth. Remove their nails and replace with perfect acrylic/plastic nails. Sew stitches into their elbows/knees/neck if they're meant to be a cloth doll, or paint their scars with sparkling gold kintsugi style if they're meant to be porcelain. PLASTIC SURGERY. Just... body mods.

[ronanziriano]

Augusnippets Day 9 - Dehydration

Content warning: vomiting

~~~~~~~

When Whumpee was found after being stranded in the desert heat, baking under the sun for who knows how long, Rescuer’s canteen was the most beautiful sight he could ever behold. The moment the lid was unscrewed and the water was offered to him, he snatched the canteen right out of Rescuer’s hand and brought it gratefully to his parched lips. The first swallow was heaven—a cool waterfall rushing down his throat, washing away the roughness of dirt and sand.

He gulped greedily, the desperation for hydration drowning out any sense of caution. He heard Rescuer say something to him as he drank, but the words were lost in the haze of need. More. He needed more.

Before he had quite emptied the canteen, Rescuer snatched it away, and reality crashed back in. Hardly a moment passed before Whumpee was doubled over, the cramps striking suddenly, sharp and unforgiving. His stomach twisted in protest against the sudden deluge of water, and soon a wave of dizziness hit him next, and the world tilted as he struggled to stay upright. He clutched his stomach, feeling the water churn uncomfortably within him.

He didn’t even have time to panic. Whumpee’s body lurched as he felt acid climbing up his throat. He retched, and up came the water in harsh, convulsive heaves. He gagged, coughing and sputtering as his body rejected the liquid it had been starved of. Tears stung his eyes as he heaved again, the sour taste of bile mixing with the water.

At some point Rescuer’s hand had landed on his back, and he was talking, soothing Whumpee or talking him through the bout of puke; Whumpee wasn’t paying much attention to the words spoken, just the low, pitying tone. The cramps continued, relentless, leaving him gasping for breath between bouts of vomiting.

When things finally subsided, Whumpee allowed himself to collapse onto the ground, drained and shaking. His throat burned, his body ached. The overwhelming thirst had been replaced by an equally overpowering exhaustion, leaving him hollow and spent, and he now had both the taste of vomit in his mouth and that sharp stench of it in the air to contend with.

He had been found, he was safe - but it seemed his body still had a long way to go.

@augusnippets

[neostriatum]

King of the Alder Trees

[AO3] [Dreamwidth]

-

The woods were dangerous, he knew. But as he brushed his fingers for the umpteenth time upon the string of his bow, he ignored the warnings everyone knew by heart. His children were already missing, there were none more in his home for the elf king to take.

-

The woods were dangerous, he knew. But as he brushed his fingers for the umpteenth time upon the string of his bow, he ignored the warnings everyone knew by heart.

His children were already missing, there were none more in his home for the elf king to take.

Though he had stuffed his pack with as many apples and smoked sausages and rolls of bread that he could scrounge from his cellar, the forest was large enough that he doubted it would be enough. He drew a breath in, a prayer on his exhale as he stalked through the underbrush, the perpetual gloom of the forest just barely enough light to see in.

Resisting the urge to shiver, he let his gaze scout out the surroundings, attempting to parse whether the flickers he caught were the eyes of roaming animals or the shimmer that preceded the appearance of an elf. Neither were things he was keen to see, but a complete silence boded worse than unexpected – or unpleasant – company.

It seemed prudent to continue onward, and he left the bracing comfort of a tree trunk that he had surreptitiously marked with a dagger, wondering if the oft-cited path through this wood was as mythical as its inhabitants.

His neck itched with the expectation of being watched, but he learned many days ago that indulging such thoughts was a path to madness, and he let his feet lead him between the bushes dotting the ground.

-

Bard was tired, and hungry. Such woods did not allow for a restful sleep, and the feeling of being slowly hounded toward a particular destination would not leave him, no matter what he did to dissuade himself of the creepy unease. He cut off a portion of sausage, rewrapping the rest in its cloth and resolving to eat the rest of the link before he bedded down for the night.

It would do him no good to fall to the temptations that lingered here, to consume all of his food in a fit of madness that would starve him quicker than the poisonous pricks of his fear. He muttered another prayer, taking a precious sip of his water and wondering if the dehydration would kill him first, not trusting so much as dew lest it already be enchanted.

He flipped up the collar of his coat, knowing it would do nothing for the eyes that followed him since shortly after he had entered this cursed place. His wife had already passed many years ago, and his children could well have perished the moment they set foot under the shadows of these trees.

Still, he must try.

-

At some point there was a constant, low drone of noise in his ear. He did not know if it was singing, or speaking, but it was melodic and soothing, drugging in a way that encouraged him to sleep.

Whatever river that was rumored to pass through this wood was yet unfound, and so he grimly ignored what his ears were filled with, knuckles white with the tension it took to keep him upright and following a randomly-chosen path. Bard knew that he could be going around in circles, slowing draining his supplies as well as his sanity.

But still he bade his tired feet to move, in the smallest hope that he would at least be reunited with his children one last time. Belief was scarce, but it was a matter of habit to pray whenever his thoughts were low, a stream of words that combated the sonorous voice that followed him.

He did not realize when his gait slowed, nor when he leaned against a tree that seemed to appear in his path, but the shuttering of his weary eyes was unexpectedly welcome.

-

The light that greeted him when he awoke was soft, and nothing like he had been told to expect. He felt refreshed, and it took him a long moment to remember why that should frighten him.

He gasped, sitting upright so swiftly that the sheets which had been placed over his sleeping form. Coolness wafted upon his skin, and the pleasant sensation made him realize that he no longer bore a heavy leather coat upon his shoulders, nor his quiver or pack. It made his heart thunder, clutching at sheets that felt as soft as the gentle tickle of a stream upon his fingertips, wondering how such pleasure would quickly be warped.

“Ah, he awakens,” Said someone, and that rich, captivating voice was deathly familiar, making a shiver wrack upon his frame, “Peace. You are safe here.”

Bard laughed, “Am I?”

His captor – or host, he supposed, depending on this being’s mood – merely stepped forward, entering his narrow line of sight. And surely such stories must be true, that beauty could envelope even evil, for he never saw a more fair creature. The sight of pale stone eyes fixed upon him caught his breath, trapped by the smooth expression which gave no hint of thoughts toward any direction.

“You are safe here,” The creature repeated, and it was said with such placidity that its finality was assured. He nodded, briefly considering sinking back against the pillows that had cradled him while he slept. As if knowing the precise workings of his mind, more words were spoken in that lilting accent, “Rest. All will be well when you awaken.”

And so he did.

-

The next thing he knew, awareness as brittle as over-dry kindling, was warm weight piled upon him. It was so staggeringly different from what he last felt, be it that whisper of bedding and pale eyes fixed upon him, or of the unending wood pressing down on his mind, that he roused into wakefulness with nary a second thought.

He stared at the sight that greeted him.

A snuffled sigh issued from beside him, and he comforted the child already in his arms out of habit, shushing his daughter and threading a hand through her hair. His actions caught up with him, and he fought a stifled sob, wondering how this blessing occurred and whether it was truly real.

Bard pulled his children closer, listening to their mumbled complaints and refusing to move even as he fought the relieved fatigue pulling at his limbs. His last sight before he was pulled back into slumber was two polished glints from an erstwhile shadow in the room, captivating his fear even as he drifted off.

-

Waking was slow, pleasant in the recognizable forms of his children sitting around him. There was a low voice murmuring in the background, and he sighed at the metronymic quality of it.

It seemed to bring his children’s attention to him, for their excited words overlapped as they piled onto him – he grunted at the sudden weight, arms struggling to hold all three of them as he levered himself into sitting. It was more difficult than usual to do, and he wondered if someone had done something to his bed, that old thing which needed more rushes than he was willing to spend coin or time on.

He spent his thoughts instead on the inexplicable miracle that was his children hale and hearty, even if he could not understand the reason behind his lingering unease and the slow starvation it seemed his body was yet unwilling to leave. He curled his fingers together, breathing in as he listened to the familiar settling of those most precious to him.

“Da!” Bain exclaimed, wiggling in his father’s hold, “You’ll never guess who found us!”

His heart plummeted, “Who, son?”

All of his children turned toward what he could now see was indeed the strange creature he thought of his dreams, who only stared unblinkingly back at the family. Bard felt a shiver slide down his back, and he clutched his children close, even as Tilda seemed unafraid to introduce them, “It’s Thranduil! He found us!”

“Did he now,” He said faintly, wondering if they had already been death-touched and were now awaiting their unwitting ends. It seemed to run against how cheerful his children were, and how his body felt healed of its aches incurred over his long travel through the wood. This Thranduil only tipped his head in mild greeting, hands clasped behind his back as if awaiting further instruction.

Bile threatened to rise up his throat despite his growing misgivings about the situation at hand. This Thranduil seemed to be able to read his mind, a smile blooming on the otherworldly face and illuminating the dreadful visage into a doubtlessly kind beauty.

Oh. Now he felt faint for another reason entirely.

“Thranduil,” He addressed this… this being, feeling the name sit heavily and copper-tasting on his tongue. The smile grew larger,tinted with yet-unknown emotions, “You- Were you the one to help my children?”

It was better, he knew, to make sure the truth was known. And yet it felt a paltry accusation when the other merely relaxed, leaning against what must have been a chest at the foot of the bed, “I know all who pass through my realm, Bard,” And his name in the other’s mouth made him jolt in shock, his children attentive to how he clutched them closer as a matter of habit, “Be at peace. Those unwary travellers who pass through my kingdom and never return to their kin broke many other rules.”

A brow was raised at him, and unaccountably he flushed, remembering at once the feeling of eyes upon his neck as he had trekked through that self-same realm, “I believe you only crossed my borders so willfully out of duty as a father.”

Such words were phrased as a plain remark, but he recognized the undercurrent of askance, and nodded, “Yes, my lord.”

“Am I?” Thranduil said back at him, voice ringing with a silent laugh.

Bard breathed in, cautious. “You are the lord of this realm, Thranduil,” He said, tasting the tinge upon his tongue and treading each word with care, “I am but a simple bowman, who had followed my missing children.”

Said children were blessedly quiet,even Sigrid, who had been learning the ways of a household and how to fend for herself before this ill-timed disaster.They knew the stories of their people as well as he did, raised upon them in the same manner in the hopes of growing wise and teaching their own children. Thranduil merely looked at them, face scarcely shifting away from the amusement that graced his features.

“Few mortals could stay so close to the path,” The king announced with a low voice, as if this was a great secret to be shared, “There have been few others who accomplished the same.”

When Thranduil nodded toward his children, Bard felt his heart seize up and wasn’t sure if it was in awe or fear, “What… does that mean?”

He had asked a question of a fey being, and by rights this Thranduil could require anything of him. But beg of him patience, he needed to know – to know why he was reunited with his children, why they all slept in peace, and why upon a bed of such fine make in a room so undisturbed.

Another smiled graced him, smaller though warmer, “This wood will curse any with ill-intent, causing them to wander until their minds twist upon itself, their feet bleed from many weeks of wandering, and their food is devoured thoughtlessly or forgotten until it rots beyond use. Only those

with pure of heart may find the path at any point in my realm.”

It was a heavy idea, that the qualities of their minds were so easily found, and Bard found himself recalling the murmured stories hearkening back to his grandfathers and grandmothers. A part of him was so profoundly grateful that all of them had survived the terrors of the woods, and he found himself smiling back before he could think better of it.

“You have cared for my children finely,” He said, “And you have restored my health and children to me.”

The gratitude was twined into his words, much like the branches of the ever-tall trees of this king’s wood, solid and sure. Thranduil gave him, this time, a short bow, voice laden with an emotion Bard was now keen to have named, “You are most welcome.”

-

Author's Notes

Written for @bi-widower-dads Barduil month's April 2nd prompt, "Fairytale AU".

Thranduil is a mix of some details about the Erlkönig, particularly how English tends to mistranslate "Erl" as "elf" (Wikipedia), and the original Danish tale of the Elveskud (Wikipedia). Alder trees correspond to the figure in these myths, and the genus itself is both widely-spread and useful in many ways (Wikipedia), which I figure Greenwood/Mirkwood would be.

Because of the referenced fairy tales, imagine the setting thereabouts medieval Swabian/Bavarian (anachronistic but appropriately forested and approximately the same technology level of Men in Tolkien's canon). Since this is Barduil, I leaned into Thranduil's personality, so the referenced folklore is a little less terrifying. Bard knows the genre he's in, though, so the overabundance of caution and dread is thoroughly justified.

[magicalanimedonkeyboy]

Wall of text. Saw Thor Love and Thubder and didn't like any of it so much I wrote a bunch if words about it.

Thor Love and Thunder.

Oof, guess That was a movie. What the hell was with that? One of the most fascist pieces of garbage I've ever seen. It's pretty bad.

Like, it feels like it should have been an anti idolising thing. Afterall, in it the gods are selfish vain beings. Thing is it seems to be that idolising Thor is fine. Children see him as their hero and he kind of just is. No costs to that.

He does give them powers for a time but that's just weird. They're child soldiers at that point. I would think the way the narrative was one of them would have died cause Thor's silly actions.

I just think they should have died cause it seemed so irresponsible. Several children I a group with the powers of Thor with no martial training. It's like kids with AKs. Would have thought there would be an accident.

Another form of idolising is they meet Zeus at one point and Thor says he was his hero. Zeus is played by the guy who played Robert Barathean. King in season one of game of thrones. He didn't get in shape for the movie and I think k that's fine personally. Some body positivity. But that's not what we got.

Zeus wears fake golden abs. He wears a white skirt looking Thing he holds up in a dainty way when he goes down some stairs. Feels like they're making jokes at his expense. like “Look how effeminate he is.”

so we got this joke of a Zeus. Effeminate and soft looking. Thor's idol. Oh no! Oh, and he admits to being afraid of dying. To me this kind of all makes sense. Guess it just shows the differences in our morals. Whatever, guess its fine.

Zeus still shows himself to be very powerful because his words physically affect Thor. Tells him to be restrained and he is. So make no mistake he is Powerful. Then we have him strip Thor and people are just so floored by how Thor looks that several people pass out. Guess it's supposed to be because he's so muscled? He also has tattoos and stuff but they don't look like what I'd consider good.

Must be the muscles cause right after he shows his power by fighting Zeus’ guards after Zeus wants to keep him a prisoner. Thor and company defeat the guards and injure Zeus. Showing that Thor is better I guess. He must already be the best in fact cause he doesn't change from the beginning.

Idolising thing is bad I guess except for Thor because he's perfect. Also nothing is done about the gods not caring. Treating their worshippers as replaceable. And let's get into the worshippers of the gods.

The first worshipper is a man we see in a big desert with his daughter. They seem very weak probably dehydrated and starving. Pray to their God and stuff. We see he cares for his daughter a whole lot. Prays and shit. Lays there holding his daughters grave when she dies out there. A grave, meaning he buried her while starving and dehydrating.

Then he finds an oasis with his God just chilling, having a party. Not giving a shit. Says it's their place as mortals to worship. Gorr gets mad and an evil sword that's there teleportd to him which he uses to kill his own God.

From there he just decides to kill all gods. Sure, that's fine I guess. Christian Bale as Gorr is very under utilized I thought though cause he's mostly just dark and creepy the whole time. No dance to him or anything.

In fact he's so lacking in nuance he literally kidnaps all the children of New Asgard. Not to free them from the gods or anything like that. No, he uses children as a lure for Thor.

This man has by this point already killed tons of gods but for some reason he needs to lure Thor rather than just kill him. Probably juat so he wouod kidnap children to show how evil he is. The man who lost hia child to the carelessness of gods kodnaps a bunch of kids.

I figured he was up to somwthing more, no. They were just lures. At one point near the end a big statue appears to fall on the kids and i thought maybe he used his shadow amgic to teleport them out. No, Thor just comes in at the nick of time and saves them like he always does. Cause hes a perfect hero i guess.

Turns out he wanted the hammer because it's too conveniently a magic key to an altar at the center of the universe despite the hammer only being a few years old.

If Gorr had saved those kids that would at least show he cares somewhat for someone but no, he's just such a flat and evil villain. His kid died so he's willing to endanger a bunch of kids and let them die. Might be like a “Oh, he's so corrupted and changed by all his evil actions that he would even let kids die.” But there was no fall. He seemed to kill one God and then just became totally cool with anyone dying.

God, another thing I just realised. There’s this stuff about giving up on a romantic relationship and instead being happy being a dad but that really seemed to come out of left field. I think the writer was going through relationship trouble when they wrote this. It’s a bit shit. The romantic interest dies and he just raises a kid… a divorce isn’t a death. It’s a silly movie.

Thor also has a serious case of wandering eye. Sees his hammer with his ex, Jane And spends most of the movie trying to get it to come back to him. No good reason why other than he's envious.

Maybe they were trying for a B plot but it just seemed like an excuse to make silly jokes about relationships I think. Seems a little weird cause I don't see it relating to the A plot much at all. Not like his ax decides to leave him cause he's so envious.

His ax is mostly a plot device and portrayed like a dog. Maybe that's how the writer sees loyalty. I don't know but it mostly seems like someone Thor is trying to cheat on but poorly covers his tracks. Maybe it's supposed to be a jealous wife.

Some issues Here. It was mighty in the other movies, so what happened? Well I guess the novelty wore off. The hammer meanwhile has new abilities like a meteor shower like attack.

I feel bad for his new kid at the end though. How long until the novelty of having a kid wears off? Thor is clearly very easily bored.

A bit I don't think I touched on is Gorr's God not giving an afterlife to his followers but the movie implying Asgardians do get one. Feels weird. Is there some kind of energy cost that he was just too cheap to provide? With the afterlife probably existing for some people it feels like some wind is taken out of the plot's sails.

One doesn't even need to say that it's an energy thing. Maybe he's just a vain God who couldn't be bothered to set something like that up cause he's lazy. But then why would Odin? The man only seemed to care about conquest. There's a lovely thought. The colonisers get their heaven but no one else. Guess Odin was old. Maybe he did it after his great conquests when bored or fearing death.

Thor never really had to deal with anything like Gorr did from what I saw. Hardly reflect or related to each other in any way. Gorr is only a problem I guess for Thor just because Thor is a god.

The existence of no afterlife for a god could be something. But that's our marvel movies for you. Villains with a thing to be truly upset about that needs to be changed and heroes who fight against them just because they're affected personally. The heroes even get to live in whole other realities.