#the boy saw a comet and suddenly his life had meaning

[lysjb03]

..if it's not this, then I don't want it 🤷‍♀️ ...

If you being without me doesn't feel like it might kill you, and you just might let it... and me being without you doesn't feel like there's a void in my chest that I might fully implode into.. then I don't want it. I want to drown in someone, and I want them to want to drown with me... because you want to die for love, you always have.

[istoleyoursk1n]

Hii 💕 can I request where Gale,Wyll,Halsin,Astarion are cuddling with a female Tav in the middle of the night the owl bear cub walks up to them and stares before trying to cuddle her as well thank you💕 sorry to bug

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How would the boys react to Tav cuddling with them at night ft. The owlbear cub!

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: ̗̀➛ ASTARION

“Gods, does it really have to join us? Yes? Oh, fine. But don't put the poor thing near me, darling, it smells! Don't give me that look, I said what I said.”

He likes the cub don't worry

It was a quiet night with you and Astarion, one which was spent with a couple of bottles of wine and the occasional silent laughter. All but him and you were awake at this time, bickering and bantering as the alcohol slowly sank in.

It started off with his usual snarky remarks in regards to your companions (Gale), then about the various foes you've both slayed and how they were absolutely hideous. Oh, and how he nearly broke a nail. He’s devastated.

Even so, the both of you were content with each other’s presence. a sudden warmth filling his otherwise undead heart.

Though he didn't admit it out loud just yet, he had never felt more alive in his life. Every moment he spent with you was making up for all the years of suffering he had been out through.

Who knew that one quiet night alone by the campfire could make him feel… hopeful. Hopeful that whatever you both may face, he wouldn't have to stand alone in fear. He has you.

And just when he thought the moment was right. Just when he thought he could finally lean in for the sweet kiss he’d finally come to initiate himself, that was when you both heard a sudden chirp.

The face he made when he suddenly saw his midnight snack the owlbear cub nudging against you was priceless, he couldn't decide whether he wanted to curse it or awe at the poor thing.

I mean. It was an adorable sight. But gods damnit this was supposed to be his moment! Nevertheless, he settled with cuddling both you and the owlbear (to his reluctance, he's still quite bitter about it.)

: ̗̀➛GALE

“Well hello there little one! I wasn't particularly expecting to have another join such a special night but how can I to turn away this fuzzy friend of ours? Perhaps I could put on another light show! Dedicated to the both of you this time. How does that sound?”

He was in the midst of conjuring a few light spells here and there as you two nuzzled up together, giving you a tiny little light show all for you.

He simply adored the twinkle in your eyes every time he began to show a few magic tricks here and there, anything to make you smile of course.

This man would light up the sky with the most brilliant of stars for you, but trust and believe that above all the comets and moons above, you will always be the most radiant thing he could have ever admired.

He probably would have tried to teach you a simple trick or two (assuming you aren't already a knowledgeable wizard such as himself), so both of you could light up the sky together.

He could have written a hundred love letters all in your name right then and there and still, each word could never have captured just how deeply he treasures you.

All his time studying and channeling the weave in all of its forms and yet all of the comforts and powers it may hold could never compare to the ultimate bliss he feels when he's with you.

He was a mere second from pulling you closer, a tiny inch closer from finally pressing a sweetened kiss against those spellbinding lips of yours, and he would have gotten it if it weren't for the damn owlbear pouncing atop him.

He nearly screamed He was all so good at pretending not to be startled. Despite the interruption, he could hardly remain upset for long, not when the cub was this adorable! However, he still managed to wriggle a quick kiss against the corners of your lips before you eagerly brought the owlbear closer to the both of you.

He was perfectly content with sharing you with the cute little thing, both of you felt so warm, and if he could, he’d be sleeping right then and there.

He did in fact fall asleep.

: ̗̀➛WYLL

“Oh! Well, won't you look at that! Perhaps our furry little companion would love a dance lesson of his own? No? Ha! Cuddling it is then, come here! Both of you! Nothing but another sweet thing to brighten up the mood.”

He had spent most of the night dancing away with you in his arms. In the bright glowing moonlight you looked absolutely stunning in ways dreams of his own could never compare.

While he wished for this intimate dance of yours to go on for longer, he was perfectly happy with cuddling up next to you too.

Amidst the silence of the night, he would whisper every sweet little thing he's come to adore about you, describing you in ways that could have made your heart swoon again and again.

You’d always find your own hand interlocked with his as if your hands were the only things he’d ever want to hold onto. His touch was always soft, no matter how smooth or calloused your own hands may be, he treated them as if they were the most fragile thing on earth.

The one thing that would shatter him completely is if, in the midst of cuddling, you decided to gently caress his horns or the ridges on his skin, kissing them would only take the words out of his lips. His heart is wholly yours, he couldn't ask for anything more!

If he could, he’d hum a soft tune, lulling you both into a peaceful rest where for just this night and hopefully many more, you both can be lost in a calming peace.

Everything seemed perfect, specifically the perfect time to finally plant a soft kiss against your lips. A kiss he knew would light his heart ablaze and scorch him completely, body and soul- but then he heard a soft little chirp.

He felt no bitterness at all the moment he saw those wide beady eyes of the camp’s lovely little owlcub stumble along to cuddle with you both. In fact, he practically lit up! He was already scooping up the damn thing as if it was his own child, already pulling the sweet cub into a hug.

The kisses he was going to give to you were given to the little bundle of joy, but don't worry! He does have some left reserved just for you.

: ̗̀➛HALSIN

“Hm, as they say, the more the merrier. Who am I to exclude one of nature’s own from a well-needed embrace. Isn't that right, my heart? Besides, the little one is far too adorable for me to simply ignore.”

He was already practically bear-hugging you from behind, capturing you in his arms so it was a tad bit difficult to escape. Though you could tell he was being as gentle as possible, a single tug and he’d let go of you if you so wished.

His head was buried against the crook of your neck, taking in your scent which he had come to grow absolutely obsessed with. There was always something about the way you smelled that made him all the more enchanted by you.

He wouldn’t say much, not when he was this relaxed, the sounds of nature around you both were enough to fill the silence.

You could tell that he was holding back, his hands trying their hardest to remain where they were rather than completely traveling all over your body. As much as he was able to hold himself back, it was always incredibly difficult to do so.

With your permission, his hands would go everywhere, worshipping each part of you as if you were a true deity. One that he was helplessly bewitched by.

There would be a subtle twitch from his fingers each time he touched another part of your body, almost as if he was resisting to urge to go further but he remained behaved. He would save the far more intimate nights for another day as this was supposed to be something far sweeter.

However, if you begin to touch him back? He’d be on the verge of losing himself entirely. Perhaps even a soft warning would slip out of his lips, attempting to both calm himself and stop you from pressing even further less this was what you truly wanted.

In the middle of all his resistance, he’d eventually lose control, his body once more transforming into a bear just as he always does when things became far too overwhelming for your sweet Druid, it was only the sound of a tiny chirp that managed to bring him back to his senses.

He’d calm down the moment he made eye contact with the owlbear cub, his bear form smiling down at the little creature as if he was truly pleased to see the small creature. What was going to be a rather intimate long night between you two soon became a happy little snuggle pile with you, bear Halsin, and the lovely owlbear cub.

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[happylikeasadsong]

it was a comet

the boy saw a comet

The boy saw the comet and felt as though his life had meaning.

And when it went away,

he waited his entire life for it to come back to him.

It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning.

There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them.

But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again...

And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart.

he's just this lost little boy,

and then he sees the comet,

and his life suddenly has meaning.

and then he waits his whole life for the comet to return,

he has faith that it will

even though science and his intellect tells him it won't, his heart still believes

The boy saw the comet,

and suddenly his life had meaning.

OTH 5x12 the boy saw a comet

[penelopesalvez]

his belief in god and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart . the boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning . ( insp. )

[waterfire1848]

AU where Azulon was adopted, and by adopted I mean, Sozin stole him after his parents conveniently died because Sozin is so old and his genes are probably compromised. Also I could easily imagine Sozin getting desperate enough to steal someone's kid and bury the evidence as I imagine he forgot to have kids due to being angry Roku told him to fuck off or the kids he did have weren't benders so he banished them and didn't want another failure.

Hello, @deadlyangelofpurity !!!

Sozin becomes so focused on the comet that he forgets he's supposed to have children. After Roku dies, Sozin realizes that he needs to have some children of his own. He is the Fire Lord so there are one or two kids with his blood running around but they're all either nonbenders or weak benders so Sozin doesn't claim any of them. He's in his old age when he really starts to see that he needs to have some children, desperately. He goes to his inner council, a group of two or three men that are the Fire Lord's closest allies, are tells them about his worry. One of the men says he knows of a friend, an admiral, who just had a son with incredibly bending ability. After Sozin gets more information on the baby boy, he orders the infant brought to him and his parents killed. To the Fire Nation, the story is that a happy couple and their baby were sadly killed in a fire started by the admiral during a fight. Meanwhile, their Fire Lord just announced a healthy baby boy (with no mother in sight) and named him Prince Azulon, his rightful heir.

It's kept under wraps throughout Azulon's life that he's not related to Sozin by blood. The whole point of the Royal Family's rule is that they receive it by being blood related to "supposedly" Agni. So if it were to come out that Azulon isn't related to Sozin by blood then that opens the floodgates for people to potentially challenge his rule down the line. That being said, it's clear to literally everyone that Sozin had a child very, very, very late in life. (Councilmen: Fire Lord Sozin, I didn't even know- Sozin: Yes, it happened suddenly. One of the servants came to me a few days ago and said that this little one was mine. She saw that he had such firebending potential that she wanted to give him to me. Councilmen: Thank the spirits that there's an heir to the throne now. He'll make a fine Fire Lord one day. Sozin: Yes, he will). Azulon grows up in the palace as Sozin’s son exactly as you would expect. He’s taught to bend, put into academic lessons the moment he’s old enough to read, and into prince lessons once he’s old enough to walk. Sozin both doesn’t spend much time with Azulon because he’s old and because he’s not a good father so Azulon doesn’t really have much care at all.

Time goes by and Azulon lives under the believe that he’s Sozin’s son. Everyone just tells him that his mom was really young which makes a lot of sense to Azulon so he never questions it. Eventually, Sozin passes away and Azulon becomes Fire Lord. A few months before his father dies, he gets into an argument with one of his inner councilmen who starts telling people that Azulon isn't his real son and isn't royal blood. Most view his rants as those of an idiot who is spreading rumors because he's mad at the Fire Lord. Azulon doesn't really question anything because, again, it just seems so crazy, but he can't help but wonder if there is some truth to this and goes looking. When he goes looking, he finds his real birth certificate that was hidden away so no one would find out. (Azulon: FATHER! Sozin, on his death bed: Azulon? Azulon: Why!? Just why!? Sozin: You're going to have to be a little more specific, son. And what did I tell you about disrespecting your father? Azulon: You're not my father! Sozin: Huh? You finally found the truth. I was beginning to think you never would. Azulon: Why? Sozin: I needed an heir, you were strong and a baby. Everything worked out perfectly, wouldn't you say? Azulon: You killed my parents! Sozin: I made you a prince! *Cough! Cough!* What are you going to do? Tell the world? The Royal Family will crumble, the nation will crumble and you will be left with nothing more than whatever you can grab when they kick you out of the palace. Azulon: You don't care at all? I-I really thought- Sozin: It is not my fault that you were an idiot. The choice is yours, son. I'm already dead. There's nothing I can do to persuade you one way or another.) Azulon stays quiet.

Azulon later marries Ilah and has Iroh and Ozai. Ilah passes away seconds after Ozai is born which leaves Azulon with a hatred for Ozai. He can't look at him without seeing another parent killer like Sozin was. Azulon "raises" Iroh and Ozai as best he can while also being Fire Lord but the two brothers are pretty much left on their own. Iroh and Ozai are as close as they can be for having a ten year ago gap but they are still close and Iroh hates seeing his father hurt Ozai so much. He hates it enough that he decides to do something about it, but there isn't much he can do because he's not Fire Lord. That is until he comes across a familiar birth certificate and realizes the truth. Azulon would certainly have a lot of trouble if people found out he wasn't royal blood. The only problem with this is that it would also affect Iroh and Ozai and reveal that they aren't royal blood either. For a while, Iroh sits on this new information and doesn't do anything. Then comes the day that Azulon also burns Ozai's face (in a very familiar fashion) and Iroh stops him and decides that he needs to get Ozai away from here. He gives the birth certificate to the council then runs off with Ozai that night and with enough food and money for them to survive until he can get a job somewhere. (Ozai: Iroh? Where are we going? Iroh: Somewhere safe. Ozai: Is father coming? Iroh: No. No, we don't be seeing father...ever again. Ozai:....Thank you. Iroh: Always.)

Iroh and Ozai get stuck in a massive storm while they're sailing away from the Fire Nation and wind up in the South Pole. Because they are not wearing clothes appropriate for the weather or know how to fish, the two don't exactly have a fun first day. During their first night, a young mother finds them and brings them to her village so they don't freeze. The next morning, Iroh meets Kanna and Ozai meets Hakoda, Kya and Bato. Ozai is absolutely not up for leaving his brother's side and being around children he's never met (it has nothing to do with the fact that he's never been around kids his own age and doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Why would anyone even think that?). Kanna and the village are very iffy about letting two Fire Nationals stay in their home but they also don't like the idea of kicking out a 18 and 8 year old into the cold. Eventually, Kanna agrees to let them stay but says that they will kick them out if the two act like princes or start firebending at them. Since their in the middle of no where and Iroh basically just told the entire Fire Nation that he and Ozai have been accidentally lying to them for years, neither is very intent on getting kicked out of the village. (Plus, Iroh really likes seeing his brother getting to play with other kids....he just has to keep reminding Ozai that throwing snowballs doesn't mean you whack people straight in the face as hard as you can with a snowball.)

[kaijuno]

It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.

[knightprincess]

Forgive me (Echo x Medic Reader) Part 6

Warning: None, just a little bit of light teasing 

Words: 1.6K 

:readmore:

"Will you just ask her already" commented Fives, looking to the trooper so often branded as his twin? Jesse was nearby along with Hardcase, both of them nodding along. Jesse had long since grown tired of Echo's flirting, even more so to watch the Arc Trooper make a fool of himself. Yet none the less, he encouraged all his brothers to find love. 

"Kix" called Hardcase, a sharp chuckle escaping from his chest. "How's your little task going?" asked the hyperactive trooper, a mischief glint in his eyes. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Echo. The Arc Trooper shot a dread-filled look between Kix, Fives, and Hardcase, Rex close by also looking between the group, although his eyes glimmered with curiosity, a small amount of mischief sprinkled in. Kix soon looked up from the datapad he'd been reading over, checking over the list of supplies that needed ordering before the 501st shipped out again. 

"You mean trying to convince Snap to give this idiot a chance right?" questioned Kix, a cheeky grin coming to his lips mere seconds later, a soft chuckle escaping him soon after. Even more so when he saw the horror pass over Echo's features. Almost as if the idea of (Y/N) knowing about his crush on her, was a nightmare come true. Fives stood close by, for the first time at a loss for words, although it suddenly made sense by Kix had been hanging back at the medbay when Snap was there. 

"Makes you wonder what the Wolf Pack thinks of it" announced Jesse, he could recall coming across Comet during the last trip to 79's. The Wolf Pack in their normal booth, howling every now and again. That being a rare occasion Wolffe seemed to be letting his guard down and enjoying himself, although he was still keeping a close watch on the boys. Comet had asked Jesse how Snap was doing, asking if the boys of 501st were treating her right, and if she'd punched anyone yet. Jesse had answered the questions, at the time he'd been tempted to divulge the information about Echo's secret crush, but soon thought better of it. Especially when Echo was so determined his little crush, firmly in the secrecy aisle, determined he was going to put his duty as a soldier before his own feelings and desires. 

"Think of Wolffe as the protective older brother" called Rex, knowing Wolffe had truly taken to (Y/N), as had a few others who had the delight of working with the civvi medic. A chuckle escaped Rex upon recalling an incident that had landed the tough Commander in the military cells for the night. Octavius had been hassling (Y/N) throughout her downtime on Coruscant, constantly bugging her and not seeming to get the hint she didn't want to be around him let alone talk to him. Wolffe in his drunken state had punched the civvi, although he'd been taken back to the military base by Fox, the other Commander had simply told Wolffe to sleep it off and hadn't reported anything. 

"We both have a duty to do" voiced Echo, finally regaining his confidence and will to speak. "Plus I'm a clone, we don't have the luxury of choosing what we do. Of having the freedom to love and live a life outside of the war" elaborated the Arc Trooper. Not seeing the way Rex look down, clearly remembering Cut, who had willingly chosen to desert the Republic and the war in general, he'd chosen to live peacefully on a faraway planet, as a farmer, with a wife and kids. To those who knew of Cut, they considered him to be by far the bravest of the clones, as he'd gone out there and gotten what he wanted, he made something out of his life, that was more than existing only so he could die in a war, only so he could become another name few in the republic would care to remember. 

"Ever think maybe Snap is just waiting on you?" asked Cody for the corner of the durasteel room, the room itself acting like an echo chamber and bouncing his otherwise calm voice around. The room soon fell into silence. Rex looked in the direction Cody's voice come from, whereas Echo and Fives both seemed to freeze in their position. Hardcase on the other hand soon began to move around again, his hyperactive nature preventing him from staying still longer than a few seconds. Jesse on the other merely shook his head before beginning to clean his blaster, a ritual he did before and after every battle, in a way it settled his nerves. 

"I forgot to ask, where is Snap?" asked Hardcase, bouncing on the spot now, Kix was close by, finishing the order for the medical supplies, already guessing Rex had finished his own ordering, for the extra blasters, ammo and plastoid armor they were always in need of. The rations too. 

"She's attending her sister's wedding. Although reluctantly" responded Kix, recalling (Y/N) hadn't been excited about the wedding, if anything she appeared to be the opposite. She had dread in her eyes as she all but dragged herself to leave the military base the day prior. Almost as if she knew the wedding wasn't going to be any fun, but another way for Isolde to torment her further. Another way for her eldest sister to show off and make fun of others. "She'll be back the day after tomorrow unless we get another mission before then" added Kix. 

"Fine, I'll ask her when we return from the Citadel assignment" sighed Echo, finally surrendering to what his brothers had been encouraging him to do for weeks on end. Fives could only grin from next to him, patting his twin on the shoulder, resisting the urge to let the comment that come to mind pass through his lips. Maybe Snap would give him a kiss for good luck. 

"I'll hold you to that" announced Fives, her cheeky grin remaining unmoved. "If you don't then I'm setting you two up on a blind date" commented the Arc Trooper, chuckling as Echo practically begged him not to do it. "Or Hardcase would just outright tell her" added Fives, Hardcase confirming he would do just that, a second later with a small comment Damn right I would. 

"Would be nice to see her smile again" whispered Echo, admitting a truth he was determined few others would know. He knew Tup was right about a few things, such as (Y/N) being a civvi thrust she was free to love as she pleased, something the Jedi were forbidden from doing, even if most had broken the code at some point or another. Yet at the same time, Snap had also proven there were some rules even she found ridiculous, such as the troopers not having proper representation in the Senate, despite them being on the front lines of the war and constantly making the biggest sacrifices. 

"Who would have guessed Snap would have been the one to get our Echo to break the rules" commented Cody, now from beside Rex. At some point, he'd quietly made his way over. The great Captain attempted to hide the shadow of a smirk, fighting to appear on his lips. Although he was unsure which had tickled him more, Cody being under the impression Echo hadn't broken any of the rules before, or Echo being secretly willing to discard the rules when it come to Snap. 

"You act like Echo isn't already a rule breaker. Rex normally has to retrieve him and Fives from the cells after a night of drinking" voiced Jesse from the opposite side of the room, not bothering to hide the enjoyment he was getting out of the situation at hand or miss the chance to tease Echo that bit more. Fives soon chuckled, recalling Rex had been down to the military prison that many times, all he had to say now is I'm here for my Arc Troopers. 

"I recall having to get you from those cells as well. Most recent one being after you thought it would be a good idea to stand up while piloting a speeder" quickly replied Rex, chuckling to see Jesse's cheeks begin to heat up, although he was drunk at the time, it was clear the trooper recalled what had taken place. It still amazed Rex, no one was hurt and no accidents had been coursed. Although there were a few angry citizens and police droids involved. 

"Wait, Jesse got arrested again? Where we me and Echo at the time" asked Fives, amazement lacing his voice to think he'd missed something like that. Or at least hadn't heard about it until now. Echo soon began to chuckle, it quickly registering with him, they were likely already residents of the military prison by that time. Especially if Rex's deadpan expression was anything to go by. 

"Already tucked into the cell that's reserved for us" laughed Echo in response, watching as the realization washed over Fives, and how Kix looked over as it was obvious where the pair were. Even Hardcase had an expression that asked if Fives was serious with his question. Cody and Rex on the other hand merely chuckled to themselves. A comment escaping Cody, regarding Snap being able to keep the boys in order. Another escaping him suggesting it was something he wanted to bare witness to if it ever happened. 

At the same time, Cody began to wonder what the angelic medic would be like when working with some of the others, including the unorthodox Clone Force 99. She'd already shown she could handle the toughest, just as Snap had proven she wasn't afraid to flirt back with those who would find the courage to flirt with her. Especially Gregor. 

Masterlist

[fransizkafkathe3rd]

Hala oturmuş geçmişe yazılar yazıyorum. Neden hala önüme bakmayı öğrenemedim bilmiyorum. Neden gelecek günlere sözler bırakamıyorum?

Yıllardır hep aynı notalara aynı sırada aynı sıklıkla basıyorum. Hikayelerimi oluşturan kelimeler ve insanlar aynı, yerler de. Neden bitmiyor bu aynı şeyi anlatmak? Bitmiyor neden hala aynı şeyleri hissetmek? Neden büyüyemiyorum tüm bunlardan? O kadar isterdim ki geçmişin geçmişte kalmasını. Biten bişeyin gerçekten bitmiş olmasını öyle isterdim ki. Dönüp dönüp aynı şeyleri düşünmemek, aynı şeylere öfkelenip aynı şeylere üzülmemek ne kadar yük kaldırıyordur insanın omuzlarından...

Bazı sosyal kaslarım gelişmedi hiç, suşi söylerken hangisi ne hiç bilmiyorum mesela. Bırakılması gerekilen şeyleri bırakılması gereken zamanda bırakmayı da beceremiyorum.

One Tree Hill'de Lucas'ı anlıyorum mesela. Peyton'a aşıkken neden Brooke'a gittiğini, neden kendini Brooke'a aşık etmeye uğraştığını da anlıyorum. O suçluluk duygusunu, o kaçma isteğini. Biliyorum kalbinden Peyton'ı hiç atamadığını, sadece üstüne toprak attığını. Peyton hep o ilk aşk, Peyton hep o altın sarısı saçlar ve yeşil gözler. Peyton o kuyruklu yıldız gökyüzümüzden kayıp geçen... Yıllar ve yollar sonra dönecek olan o yıldız Peyton. Dünyadan bağımsız o yıldızın dönmesi, kader bu. "yıldızlara yazılmış" dönüşü. Belki bir kaç ömür sonra, belki de beklediğimizden bile kısa zaman sonra.

Son zamanlarda aklımı meşgul eden şey şu, Gönül beni düşünmediği tek gününün olmadığını söylemişti. Biliyorum doğru söylediğini. Aynı şeyi yaşıyorsan bilirsin. Sürekli aklımdasın Kirpi. Olay bu da değil, hiç aklına geliyor muyum bunu merak ediyorum mesela. Hiç özlüyor musun? Nasıl hatırlıyorsun, ne diye düşünüyorsun? Eşin beni biliyor mu mesela? Hiç anlattın mı mektuplarımızı?

Üniversite için şehirden ayrılırken ve üniversite boyunca ben bırakmadığım sürece beni bırakmayacağını ve kopmayacağımızı biliyordum. Yollar, konuşulmadan geçen süre, yüzünü görmeden geçen aylar hiç önemli olmuyor gerçekten sevince. Başta ben de biliyordum bunu ve bırakmayacağımı. Hatta sonsuza kadar sürdürebileceğim bi şey olduğunu da biliyorum. Ama bir yerde bunu yapmamam gerektiğini ve neden yapmamam gerektiğini anladım. Bazen sadece vazgeçmek gerekiyor. Bunu her ne kadar başarıyla yapsam da, hep dönüp dönüp arkama bakıyorum. Gökyüzünü izliyorum o kuyruklu yıldızı bir daha görür müyüm diye.

“It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.”

[coaxedparadise]

the boy saw the comet & suddenly his life had meaning 

[lysjb03]

"the boy saw the comet, and suddenly his life had meaning"

I forgot how poetically stunning this whole show is.. between Lucas and Peyton.. holyyyyyy 😍 I just wanna drown in it all. And the MUSIC.. oh my god.. between the 2 of those things, my little heart just wants to explode

“It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn’t understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again… And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.”

~ Lucas Scott

#onetreehill #love

[moonstrider9904]

Bud

Chapter 4 of The Hunt

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Wolffe x Fem!OC, some Comet x Fem!OC

Series summary: The 104th battalion’s new medic Rose comes into the scene dazzling everyone, ready for anything life as a battalion medic will ofer to her after having spent much too long secluded in a medical station orbiting Rishi. While she forms close friendships with the troopers, she and commander Wolffe never seem to get along. As arguments between them heat up, Wolffe is challenged to make Rose fall in love with him, a game that by no means will end well for either of them.

Chapter summary: After a string on missions, Rose and the wolf pack are sent to Naboo with free time on their hands. While things seem to be developing very well with Comet, Wolffe will have to figure out how to deal with his jealousy the more he has to see Rose and Comet be together.

Warnings/tags: 18+ for mild sexual content--this one's spicy. Hot making out, some biting, sexy dancing, dry humping and hip grinding. Alcohol consumption, insults/language, unintentional voyeurism and eavesdropping, love triangle. Jealousy.

A/N: Another one of my favorites. If you love Wolffe being emotionally constipated, you'll love this chapter :3

Word count: 7.8k

This fic is ongoing and posted to-date on AO3. Cross-posting on tumblr will be in progress over the next couple of weeks. After that, I’ll pick it up where I left off and post any new chapters on both platforms.

When Rose was assigned to the 104th division, even after spending some time with them, she didn’t know completely how highly regarded they were on every level. By every general, by every other battalion, troopers, ARC troopers, captains, commanders alike would shift to a mode of respect whenever the 104th was brought up. In case that hadn’t been clear to Rose before, it became bright as the morning suns of Tatooine that everything they had to offer was wanted all over the galaxy, and sooner than later, they’d been bumped off their base on Hoth to go to a new horizon.

It had been a while of doing that. Hoth, Kashyyyk, at least five other worlds saw the armor of the wolf pack visiting, and in that while, they’d all barely caught a break. Rose couldn’t complain; it certainly beat spending rotation after rotation orbiting Rishi. But the bags under her eyes were getting more prominent than ever, and she was feeling the weight on her shoulders the same as every other member of her battalion was, and it was why the news that they’d be having some time to unload on Naboo dropped on their fingers like perfectly fitted rings.

There was just one bump. One thorn that continued to prick Rose’s back, and she’d done a successful job of keeping things professional for missions’ sake, but unloading on Naboo, spending free time on arguably one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy, both with the man who’s life she’d saved and now she had some sort of item with, and the man who’d made a totally inappropriate move on her at a totally inappropriate time, who’d sparked even more inappropriate feelings within her when he did. Not that she still felt those urges, but Rose knew it would all probably get messy and complicated if there was nothing else to distract from the unwanted facts.

“Alright everyone, listen up,” Wolffe’s voice traveled all over the area they were in on the venator’s hangar, breaking Rose off from her thoughts. “We have a short task to carry out when we arrive at Naboo, after that, we’ll be free for quite a few days.”

Sinker and Boost nudged each other from across Wolffe, both of them with sly grins and clearly reflecting how much everybody was looking forward to some time off. Rose smiled at them, always happy to see her boys happy as well, and from across her, she caught Comet already smiling at her. Naturally, she returned the smile, a charming one that could light up the hangar if the lights suddenly went off.

“Remember we still have to focus,” Wolffe said, his voice a low grumble as he forced Comet and Rose’s gazes back on him. “Three different shipments of refugees are arriving on Naboo at about the same time we are. We have to make sure every refugee accounted for has arrived safely and provide with any necessary supplies for them to be on their way to their camps. The queen of Naboo and Senator Amidala herself are supervising, so we need to get this right.”

“When do we not?” Boost smirked. “Come on, commander, loosen up! We’re going to have a party for days!”

Wolffe scoffed, a tiny smile creeping up on his lips. While the rest of the troopers scattered around the area surrounding their distinctive Plo’s Bros gunships, Boost went over there and nudged him too with a devious little grin.

“Wanna tell me why you haven’t been at each other’s throats as much lately?” Boost inquired as he stood next to Wolffe, arms crossed and looking at the nearby scene where Rose walked up to Comet and made some friendly conversation, inaudible to them both.

“She’s been too busy to keep up her insufferable act,” Wolffe discarded the question, turning his back on the scene with a scowl and an eyeroll that Boost knew all too well.

The trooper couldn’t help but laugh. “Shut up. Does it actually bother you to see her with Comet?”

“Get to your gunship, Boost,” Wolffe countered him.

“And now you’re dismissing me,” Boost laughed again. “You know, you’re actually very easy to read. You’re not even trying to live up to your own little dare.”

“It was your idea.”

“I never told you to do anything, commander.”

Wolffe rolled his eyes again and put on his helmet, finding it provided a very easy way to not have to talk to people. Extending his arm, he gestured at a pile of nearby crates resting next to one of the gunships.

“Want to be funny? Load those crates, and make sure they all get to Naboo like they should,” Wolffe began turning his back on Boost too and headed for his gunship, stepping inside and holding one of the handles above him as more troopers filed in and got ready for takeoff.

“You want me to get Comet to help me?” Boost smirked. “It’d help your case, you know. I can’t imagine you enjoy seeing him with her.”

Wolffe didn’t feel obliged to say anything else to Boost and merely watched as he walked away, clearly amused with the little conversation they’d just had. His helmet did help, but even though his visor was particularly designed for him to see exactly what was necessary for him to have in sight, he caught a glimpse of something he felt he didn’t need from the corner of his eye.

On a different gunship, Rose and Comet were just climbing on and securing the handles like all the other troopers, but they were clearly smiling at each other as Comet teased Rose with their height difference. She was so short that she barely reached the handle, and even in her uniform and few bits of armor, she looked so soft, so curvy, and having her arm extended above her only emphasized the way her black hair fell in rich waves down her back, better as she tilted her head up to look at Comet and giggle, biting her lip and all. Wolffe didn’t need to hear what they were saying to figure out what was happening between them, and it became painfully obvious when Rose let go of the handle and instead settled to hold onto Comet’s forearm, their little smirks still proud and prominent, clearly without a care of who’s sights they attracted.

Nauseating. That was the only word Wolffe would use to describe it. He grimaced as the doors of his gunship closed and sealed, depriving him of the sight that was bringing his blood to a boil seconds ago. Knowing he was out of his mind, he shuddered as he began to realize that Boost’s idea no longer sounded ridiculous, and he knew he’d definitely have to do something about it.

*

No sooner had they landed on the outskirts of Theed when the troopers of the 104th began unloading everything, well aware that the ships carrying the refugees would be due soon. And as always, they did an impeccable job of it and everything was set by the time the gunships were gone and the landing bay had been cleared for the arrival of the refugees.

“Well done, everyone,” Wolffe addressed his pack. “We’ll need a majority of hands here, but if a few of you could head over to our headquarters and make sure everything’s fine with our stay’s arrangements, that would be great.”

“Don’t worry, commander,” Comet began. “I’ll get to it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Rose was just about to make her way beside Comet when Wolffe noticed her from the corner of his good eye.

“Actually, I need you here,” Wolffe said as calmly as he could manage. “We don’t know what state these people will arrive in; some might need aid.”

He had a point. It didn’t settle completely well with Rose, but it also wasn’t something repulsive. Nodding over at Comet, she expressed she’d remain where she was while he walked off in the opposite direction, and though Wolffe was aware he’d manipulated the whole thing, it filled him with satisfaction to see Rose walking away from Comet and heading towards him.

Rose stopped next to Wolffe, but her eyes never fell on him. The commander even noticed how she looked over her shoulder at Comet’s disappearing figure, and Wolffe was once again glad to have had his helmet on, hiding the way he bared his teeth in envy at the attention she gave Comet. Rose then looked forward again, speechless where she’d normally shoot some witty remark at Wolffe for asking her to stay behind with him. The silence was peaceful to some, but deadly to someone like Wolffe, and it only then dawned on him that he had the opportunity to talk to Rose about something, anything, maybe even apologize for what he did on Hoth—no, Wolffe wasn’t one to openly apologize. But having things be that awkward between them wasn’t going to get them anywhere, and Wolffe knew he had to do something about that too.

Still, he also knew time was running out when the first of the three ships came into view, still far along on the horizon, but approaching at a decent speed that would soon render them all occupied for who knew how long again. That much was clear, but how was Wolffe supposed to address her again? Moreover, why was it so hard to address her? Maybe because of how stubborn and arrogant she was, but he was barely any different. Wolffe felt it would simply be best to go with what he usually did, some fine old teasing.

“If any of them need medical care, I hope you have your flowers on hand,” Wolffe told her.

Rose’s gaze remained trailed forward, but a light scoff escaped her. “I bet they’ll be way nicer about it than you.” The medic took out a small piece of paper and started scribbling on it to give it to Wolffe afterwards, and he didn’t know what to say when he noticed the words thank you written on it in fine handwriting.

“Maybe you can learn the two words now,” Rose didn’t bother looking at him when she said the words, and she walked off to the side with a subtle, confident sway in her hips when the ship with the refugees had arrived.

He crumbled the paper in his hand and hid it in one of the compartments of his armor, and the whirring of engines stopped him before he could react in any other way. Now with the large freighter in front of them, its hatch became open and down started coming the refugees, all of them different, shapes, sizes, and origins. The soldiers began leading them down the landing bay and telling them general instructions regarding their stay as well as the supplies they’d be able to take.

As expected, there were a few refugees who needed some medical assistance. None of them were injured with much gravity, but whoever showed signs of injury was taken to Rose. Soon, she had a line of about six refugees who patiently waited for attention, and Rose helped patch them up enough for them to continue on their way. The second ship arrived in time, and then the third one, one by one so as to not overload the landing bay.

Rose knew she had eyes on her as she tended to the wounded refugees. Wolffe could swiftly direct the crowd to where they needed to be and provide with supplies and answers, but he kept an eye on the medic as much as he could. Some refugees she helped with medicine and proper sterilizers, others with her own concoctions of herbs, but in every case, she definitely knew what she was doing. It made Wolffe feel like an ass for a moment, thinking how he ever could have questioned Rose when she was clearly a fine medic in every aspect of the word. Below his helmet, the scar where he’d gotten the cut that first night out with her at the bar began to tingle as if to further remind him what a jerk he’d been to her, and what a perfect excuse this day was to make it up to her and get things over with.

The ships left soon and all the refugees were making their way inside headquarters, signaling another job well done. Rose tidied up her medical supplies and figured it was about time to head inside headquarters and settle down for the next few days; she was anxious to see Comet again already, and she’d spotted a nearby lake that seemed to be the perfect little place for a nice outing. Her mind dwelled on the image, but her thoughts were interrupted when her wrist comm began to ring, a little smile crept on her face and she answered gladly.

“Come in,” she said, her voice audible to the other clone troopers nearby.

“How’s it going with the refugees?” Comet asked her on the other end and made her smile widen.

“They’re all on their way inside now,” she replied. “And how’s it going with the lodging? If you’re done, I was thinking maybe you and I could go to a lake not far from here. I haven’t seen it from up close, but it looks promising.”

Rose could practically hear the way Comet smiled when he chuckled lightly into the comm, and from a few paces away, Wolffe picked up on the details of her conversation.

“That sounds wonderful,” he said, “but I was just going to tell you I might not be able to. Not today, at least.”

“Why not?” Her voice seemed upset.

“A big chunk of the barracks was left a mess by the previous division who used it and now we have to clean it up,” Comet explained. “I just know it was the 501st.”

“Well, don’t jump to conclusions,” Rose chuckled. “I could wait for you to be done, if you’d like.”

“I’d love to, but I also don’t want to make you wait all day. Let’s say Corvis and I have earned the captain’s trust here and now he’s designated us as the official cleaning staff,” Comet replied. “It looks like we’re going to be stuck here a while.”

“I wish I could have gone with you,” Rose said regretfully.

“They needed you there,” Comet comforted her.

“Then I’ll go with you now,” she suggested.

“Negative, sweetheart,” Comet fired back. “You go on to the lake, you deserve to rest even more than the rest of us. Go see if it’s nice down there and you can take me there tomorrow, alright? I’d offer to go tonight, but tonight we’re all going to go drinking and I’ll be the only one sober and looking after the rest.”

Rose chuckled at his sweet words and blushed at the name he’d used for her. “Alright, Comet, we’ll do it your way.”

“Atta girl,” he smiled on the other end of the comm. “Have a good time, alright?”

“You too, or as much as you can, at least,” she chuckled.

“I’ll try,” he sighed.

With a little smile, Rose hung up the comm and began to walk across the landing bay, drawing Wolffe’s attention to her after he’d listened to the conversation. Though having Comet stuck with Corvis and the captain cleaning all day wasn’t part of his plan, he couldn’t deny it fit his needs well, and before Rose was too far gone, Wolffe approached her as best as he could.

“Off to the lake then?” Wolffe’s voice surprised Rose, and she quickly turned around to face him.

Confusion riddled her usually confident face, but the way her eyes looked made Wolffe admit he was feeling abnormally tight.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I won’t take long. I’ve got my comm if you need anything.”

“Actually, I’ll go with you,” Wolffe said.

Her confusion turned into downright bewilderment at his remark, raising a brow at him and everything. She began suspecting all possibilities for Wolffe’s behavior and quickly pressed the back of her palm to his cheek to check on his temperature, which was normal.

“What are you doing?” Wolffe asked her.

“You don’t have a fever, you don’t have any signs of illness, which means there’s no reason for you to be delusional,” Rose spoke with a perfect eyebrow raised at the commander

“No, I’m not out of my mind,” Wolffe replied.

To try and brush off the matter, Rose chuckled and let her enchantress nature shine through Wolffe’s puzzling change in attitude.

“Listen, the lake is a bright, happy place surrounded with flowers and lit up with sunlight, with the singing of birds and not a problem in the world,” she stated, prancing and bouncing around a bit with that deceptively sweet smile of hers. “It’s a place where bunnies like myself enjoy spending the time, it’s not a place for a wolf.”

Not unless he wants to grab a snack, Wolffe thought to himself.

“I appreciate you wanting to frighten me out of it, but I fancy going anyway,” the commander told her.

“Why?” She asked. “It’s not dangerous, I won’t be in any trouble if I go down there for a while by myself.”

“I’m just offering to hang out with you,” Wolffe’s teeth bared slightly.

“Hang out?” Rose scrutinized. “Since when do you want to hang out with me, or simply hang out at all?”

“For shit’s sake, Rose, I’m trying to be nice to you,” Wolffe said bluntly, his hard eyes landing on the medic in front of him in a way that echoed the look he’d directed at her that day at Hoth, when he was dangerously close to her, pushing her dangerously close into giving into her desire, her sweetest instincts.

Rose scoffed at him again. “I don’t want your kindness.” She then scanned him from head to toe, letting out a soft chuckle when she noticed the bewildered look in his eyes mixed with that egotistical anger signature of a bruised ego. “I suppose you can come with me if you want, just don’t be an ass.”

She walked off, leaving Wolffe both furious and deliciously inquisitive. Standing completely still, he stared at her as she walked off decisively, never deviating from her tread to the lake. Shortly after, Wolffe began to follow after her, perfectly aware he was probably stupid for doing it, that he and Rose drove each other insane, but he didn’t care. He needed to take every step it took to reach her to that lake even if it was the end of him—and he knew that woman would be the end of him.

Rose was ahead of him the whole way. Wolffe even slowed down his pace when the lake came into view, and his gaze remained fix on the young woman in front of him as she walked through the flowers, her hands extended and softly grazing against the stems and petals, feeling them as she continued moving forward until she arrived at the lake’s edge. She sat down on the ground and dug her fingers into the soil, reveling in the sensation of natural earth at her fingertips, as if it could breathe life and spirit into her after a long time of being drained. She took a deep breath of fresh air and felt it cleanse all the tension of the past few weeks from her, and on the exhale, opened her eyes to revel once more in the sight of nature.

Wolffe watched from afar at the way she behaved. She gave off the same vibe she had on Hoth when she was out on the snow by herself; Rose gave an aura of innocence that made Wolffe want to fight off even the insects that flew near her, fearing even they’d mean her harm, but he also wanted to claim her right there at the edge of that lake and make her his.

Before standing up, Rose’s attention was caught by a bundle of tiny white flowers grouped together in a way that made them seem like an army. She let out a chuckle and picked out one of the stems as Wolffe approached her slowly, warily, only to see her arrogant smirk shooting at him as she threw the makeshift bouquet at his chest.

“For you, commander,” Rose seemed to spit out the word.

He was no medic, but he recognized the yarrow all too well, and Rose’s message could not have been clearer. Rose turned around, not before smirking at him, and she faced the peaceful lake while feeling Wolffe’s presence behind her.

“Why are you really here?” She broke the silence.

He took a couple more steps toward her until he was just behind her, his body barely away from hers, breath fanning over her shoulder.

“You and I aren’t done,” he whispered.

“You and I?” Rose turned around to meet his gaze. “There’s a you and I now?”

Wolffe scoffed with a smug look, his face tilting only slightly as his eyes traveled down to her lips. “You wanted to kiss me back on Hoth.”

“And it would have been a mistake,” Rose replied. “That’s why I didn’t do it.”

“Not because you don’t like me, like you claimed,” he cornered her.

“That was still true,” she smirked. “You’re arrogant, you throw insults around like they’re nothing, you’re a cocky bastard who gets things done by being an asshole.”

Wolffe didn’t understand why her words were riling him up so much, but he was thankful his codpiece hid the shameless erection that had grown inside his blacks. His sly look turned seductive, and he took his hand to cup her jaw, his touch far gentler than she’d expected it to be.

“And yet I don’t see you walking away from me,” he whispered, leaning ever closer to her until he was barely over her lips. “Are you going to do that, bunny?”

She didn’t say anything, but her eyes whispered desire. Wolffe then leaned in fully and finished the job, crashing his lips onto hers in a hungry, seductive kiss which he growled into while she countered with a soft, breathy moan as her hands grasped at his shoulder pads. His kissing was gruff, his grip on her waist was hard, his free hand ran through her rich black locks to secure the back of her head. Even through his armor, Rose was well aware of his growing length, hardening, exciting her with how far they could get in her state of bliss. His kisses were like a raging fire, and when his lips traveled from her lips to her neck to kiss and nibble at her tender skin, Rose could only see stars around her.

Grunting softly and breathily moaning out the nickname bunny as he gradually took her to the ground, Wolffe was all but ready to finish the game when both of their comms began beeping with Sinker’s voice booming on the other end of the line.

“Everything’s good, fellas!” he was celebrating. “Our lodging is good to go and the refugees have all been accommodated. We can now officially party!”

“So get back here anytime before sundown, we’re going to a bar in the heart of Theed,” Comet continued.

Comet. Rose let go of Wolffe upon hearing his voice. She felt horrible for having agreed to a fling with Wolffe when things were going so well between her and Comet, even if they weren’t formally a couple yet. Kind, sweet Comet who looked out for her, who gave her forehead kisses, who joked with her, showed her gratitude, and who never once criticized her work. The comms were cut off, and Rose smoothed out her hair and uniform hoping she didn’t have any marks on her neck that would tell the tale of what had just happened, and trying to think straight, she began walking away from Wolffe.

“Wait,” Wolffe reached out for her wrist, tugging only slightly and not at all with the brute strength that Rose would have expected from him. “Don’t go.”

“Wolffe, I was right, this was a mistake,” Rose whimpered. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t what I want. You and I don’t like each other… Comet and I do.”

And then she left, making her way back to the headquarters they’d arrived to, leaving Wolffe alone at the edge of a lake, in a place that was clearly not made for him.

*

Rose had tried everything to get her previous encounter with Wolffe out of her mind. She’d showered, dressed in a gorgeous black dress that accentuated her hips with is flowy skirt that went halfway down her thighs, redone her signature red lipstick and made a few waves on her hair to get ready for a night out at the bar. She’d made sure to check for any marks Wolffe may have left, but her skin seemed intact as if he hadn’t been running his tongue and lips on it earlier. At least, that was one less thing she had to worry about.

She’d deliberately taken longer to get ready and told the rest of the troopers she’d meet them at the bar if only to buy her some more time to clear her head before heading there. She knew she probably didn’t have to, but she wanted to apologize more formally to Wolffe before picking up where she’d left off with Comet.

One thing she hadn’t account for were the looks and attention she’d get upon entering the bar, which she felt silly for forgetting since it was merely rutinary. Of course she appreciated it, but she needed to sneak a moment with Wolffe to get it all over with, and it wouldn’t be possible to do it if everyone was staring at her. Everyone, specifically Comet, had his eyes glued on her, and Rose couldn’t help but return his smile with a charming one of her own, earning them a few whistles from the troopers who had undoubtedly noticed how much time they’d been spending together since Hoth, even before that.

“You look stunning,” Comet said as he handed her a colorful cocktail, her first drink of the night.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied as she noticed the dark red shirt he was wearing as well as the black trousers and jacket, and only then did she take a moment to take in the sight of the bar. It had a classier tone to it than the 79’s, especially in its architecture, but there were still lights, a dance floor, and even a little stage where the DJ was poised and played dance music. Being in Naboo, the bar wasn’t overflowing like it would be on Coruscant, in fact, it had just the comfortable amount of people for a nice night out. Rose didn’t see it going wrong any way, but she did want to get her little errand done soon.

“Let me go greet the others,” she told him and winked.

Comet replied with a smile and he sat down with Sinker and Boost again to continue their lively chatter while Rose went off on her mission to find Wolffe, and soon enough, she found him standing at the bar getting another round of drinks. His stern gaze landed on her, unchanged, and all she felt she could do was sigh apologetically.

“I just wanted to apologize again,” she said quietly.

Wolffe shook his head slowly. “No hard feelings.”

“Are you sure?” She asked him.

“Of course,” he told her with candor filling his gaze. He wanted to get in bed with her bad, but he wasn’t willing to make her life hell for it. He wasn’t garbage. “I came on too strong too. I should be the one apologizing to you. I’m sorry.”

Rose smiled sincerely. “I appreciate it.”

“Let’s go back to hating each other, then,” Wolffe smirked and held up his glass.

“To hating each other,” Rose clinked her cocktail with his glass, mimicking his smile, and feeling far calmer than when she entered the bar, she returned to the table back to Comet’s company.

Wolffe watched after her with a turmoil of emotions bubbling in him, and that was something he didn’t like. He knew that, as far as his little bet with Boost went, he could be let off the hook. He and Rose had made out and the lust between them was obvious; it could be proof enough that he could be more than capable of taking Rose into the bedroom. By all means, the little hunt could be over, but Wolffe didn’t quite like the idea of not holding Rose again the way he did at the lake.

He felt her scent linger on him even hours after that had happened. He’d memorized the way her hair felt so soft against his skin, the sound of her breathy little moans, the way her chest heaved as she breathed heavily, aroused by him, willing to let him in. If he thought back enough, he could still feel his hands wrapped around her waist, and he could only imagine his hands on other parts of her body and the way it would make her squirm. Wolffe knew he had to stop thinking about her like that, and in a fit to do just that, he looked at her as she took a seat next to Comet and she brushed her hand over his bicep just before he wrapped his arm around her and their conversation with the others kept going.

Wolffe gulped down a shot of Corellian whiskey to get him through the night.

Over at their table, Sinker and Boost sat across from Rose and Comet, and Boost had just arrived with a little bowl full of chocolates whose major ingredient was liquor. He unwrapped one of them and held it up in front of him while he looked at the squad’s medic with a devious little smile.

“Hey Rose,” he spoke over the music and loud enough for everyone to hear. “If I get drunk on these chocolates alone, you and Comet have to make out!”

Rose didn’t buy it. “I think you’re drunk now.”

“Chocolates, I said!”

Rose and Comet exchanged a look, both of them amused at Boost’s state.

“What do you say?” Rose asked Comet with a purr.

“You’re the one who’s going to give treat their hangovers,” Comet chuckled.

“Not when we’re off duty, I’m not your mama,” Rose snapped her fingers. “But I meant about the making out part.”

“Rose, I could never say no to that,” Comet told her quietly into her ear.

“Eat all the bloody chocolates you want, Boost,” Rose concluded.

Boost, in his own animal-like way, growled and unwrapped several chocolates at once to stuff them all in his mouth, earning a few cheers from his comrades to see how many he could eat at once. Rose playfully rolled her eyes at their guy behavior, and then her gaze landed on Comet with a sweet smile.

“Do you want to try one?” Comet asked her and reached out for one of the chocolates in the bowl, but he only earned a slap from Boost who growled what sounded like the word mine, but no one could know for sure if he still had the civilized ability to talk.

“Here, take this one,” Corvis handed Comet a wrapped chocolate from his table. “Don’t let Boost see it.”

“Thanks, man,” Comet replied. He unwrapped the little round chocolate and held it up to Rose, who took it in her hands and looked at it before directing a charming look at Comet that had him heating up and hearing his heart beating in his ears.

“Ooh, you know what you should do?” Sinker spoke up, not as drunk as Boost but definitely happy with the alcohol he’d already consumed. “You should each take half of the chocolate and make out.”

“Why does everyone want to see us make out tonight?” Comet questioned, and then he looked at Rose again. “It’s your call.”

Rose blushed. “We haven’t done it yet.”

Comet smiled sweetly at her, and it was enough for Rose to make her decision. With a wide grin that had a slight touch of seduction, Rose put the chocolate between her teeth and waited for Comet to make his move. He couldn’t keep resisting her, and he gladly leaned in and took the other half of the chocolate with his teeth, after which the two of them kissed each other proudly, hungrily, moaning softly into each other as the troopers around them cheered and whistled and catcalled them.

From the bar, Wolffe had ditched the shots and now held the whole bottle of whiskey in his hand.

Rose and Comet were grinning widely after their first kiss, foreheads resting on each other as if they’d been lovers forever while the cheering continued in the background. In the happy chatter, drinks came and went. Rose drank just enough to feel easy-going; Comet’s high alcohol tolerance allowed him to drink endlessly and not feel a single effect, and overall everyone was tipsy and having a good time with the exception of Wolffe slumped at the bar.

The commander forced himself not to look at the scene of Rose being unbelievably happy with the man she liked. He was thinking of leaving and would have gone through with it until he noticed Boost had stumbled over and sat next to him.

“Sucks to be you,” Boost slurred, followed by a little hiccup. “Did you know my stomach hurts?!”

Wolffe couldn’t help but chuckle at Boost’s state. “Come on, trooper, you can handle more than that.” He sat Boost up and rested his back on the edge of the bar to then signal at the bartender. “Sorry, he ate too many of those chocolates. Have anything that could help him?”

“I’ll bring him something to digest,” the young female bartender answered kindly and went into the kitchen to perform her task.

Being left alone with Boost now and hearing the cheering and chattering in the background, Wolffe noticed that Boost was looking at him with a sad smile.

“Sorry, commander,” Boost said, his voice still slurring. “She likes Comet, and now he’s got her red lipstick on him.”

“Just forget about that, will you?” Wolffe said, though not with the aggression he expected he’d carry in his words. It was a softer tone of voice loaded with defeat, one that Wolffe was a stranger to and it made Boost lift his head up in alert.

“Woah, Wolffe, are you sad?!” Boost yelled. “Rose has to know—ROSE!”

“No, shh!” Wolffe quieted Boost down before he did anything stupid. “Just settle down and sober up.”

Wolffe snuck a look over at Rose to see if she’d noticed Boost calling her, but it seemed that with the cheering and the music, Rose hadn’t heard a thing. She didn’t suspect anything she didn’t already know, and Wolffe knew it was probably right even though every fiber in his body pushed him to admit otherwise, to not leave things the way they were. He was supposed to be the one holding Rose’s body in one hand and a drink in the other, he was supposed to be the one taking her to bed that night.

“Well, well, well! What do we have here?!” The DJ’s excited voice boomed over the speakers and caught the attention of everyone in the bar. “We’ve got clones here tonight!”

Every member of the 104th cheered except for Wolffe; even Boost made an attempt of raising his hand and cheering, but he was still too knocked over. Lucky for him, his elixir had just arrived, leaving Wolffe to thank the bartender before he looked out at the rest of the bar again.

“And who’s that lovely lady there with you?” The DJ signaled to Rose.

Rose couldn’t help but blush and smile with allure while Comet grinned proudly back at the DJ.

“She’s our medic,” Comet said.

“Oh!” The DJ cooed with excitement. “So she takes good care of all of you?”

“Just Comet!” Sinker yelled out, loud enough for the whole bar to hear.

Rose laughed that bewitching laugh of hers and leaned her head on Comet’s shoulder while he smiled into her hair.

“Oh, well then, how about you come up here and show off? Your other boys need attention too, you know,” the DJ switched the song to one with a heavier beat, ideal to dance to, and turned up the volume a bit while Rose received cheers and whistled.

She loved the attention with or without the alcohol, and with the shots and cocktails she’d already had, she had absolutely no problem getting up on that stage and putting on a little show. Rose knew who she was, and she definitely knew how hot she was as well; plus, her dress would be her ally for that. She got up and grinned seductively at Comet, bending over and hovering barely away from his lips as she emphasized the way her chest looked in that position. Comet, dazed at the beauty of the woman before him, felt himself begin to heat up all over and he couldn’t take his eyes off of Rose as if she’d cast a spell on him.

Rose took a few steps away from him and walked backwards slowly towards the stage, her eyes never leaving Comet’s like he was her prey. Gradually, she began to sway her hips to the beat of the music, and she even added some undulations of her body and ran her hands through her hair, ruffling it up, looking like the goddess of everyone’s dreams.

“Fuck,” Comet said to himself, already with a heavy breath at such perfection, such seduction. Rose was truly amazing. Every move she made was perfect, and for a moment, he couldn’t believe he was with someone as incredible as her.

As he sat at the bar, there was no way Wolffe could ignore the show Rose was putting on. Every time she moved her hips flashed the memory of her at the lake; every time she turned around and ruffled her hair made him remember her scent, her moans. He watched her, prying eyes memorizing her every move, her figure, and like a vow, he swore to himself he’d have her one day.

Whistles and hoots flew at Rose from every side of the bar, and she loved it. Her gaze remained fixed on Comet, and she adored the way his eyes scanned her with lust as if he were studying her. He seemed both nervous and craving, and that only filled her with pride. Fully on the stage, Rose’s moves became more eloquent with the music, now in a full routine that stole everyone’s hearts if she hadn’t already. The bar roared in ovation, and the DJ continued to hail her on stage.

“Come on, troopers, get over here and support your medic!” The DJ whooped, and at his encouragement, the stage and dance floor became filled with the troopers of the 104th and anyone else along the bar who wanted in on the party. Comet joined Rose on the stage as well as Sinker and Corvis, and Boost, now feeling like he could stand, couldn’t miss out on the opportunity either. It left Wolffe alone on the sidelines of the bar, still clutching the bottle of whiskey and taking long sips as he watched.

Though there were now countless people up there with her, all of them yelling out how hot she was, Wolffe could only see her. He was aroused, of course. Her dancing riled him up, filled him with the need to sin. He wanted to growl at her, to howl with her in his arms, but while he sat there counting all the different ways he could make her eyes roll back, Rose was up there on the stage still dancing to the beat, tangled in Comet’s arms, grinding her hips and her ass to him, making out as their bodies swayed together for everyone to see. Seeing him with her like that when Wolffe had been so close to claiming Rose earlier was abhorrent.

The night wore on, and as Wolffe continued to fill himself with whiskey and dread, everyone else did the same with cocktails and passion. No one cared to count the hours, and it wasn’t until the very dead of night that the troopers slowly made their way out of the bar and headed back to their headquarters, most of them tumbling and speaking nonsense.

Comet, with his inhuman resistance to alcohol, remained sober despite all he’d drunk, and Rose took it upon herself to sober up before getting everyone out of the bar, and they managed to take their battalion successfully into the barracks and accommodating them in their bunks and some on the floor with blankets, all of them lying sideways. Rose knew she wouldn’t sleep; she was determined to make sure everyone woke up safely. She’d deal with the hangovers later.

Their barracks on Naboo were probably the most elegant ones she’d been in yet, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if she knew that those were the most luxurious barracks clones ever stayed in in the galaxy. She herself slept in a different room, not too different in aesthetic from that of the barracks, but she had no problem spending the night there to keep an eye on the troopers. She sat next to the balcony, its door open, and the city of Theed lay behind her with a gentle caress of the night breeze on her back.

Comet silently walked up to her. He was smiling, and he held a blanket in his hand which he then draped over Rose’s body.

“Here,” he told her quietly, not wanting to risk waking anyone up. “You’ve shielded me from the cold before, now it’s my turn.”

Rose smiled as she hugged the blanket around her body. “You did the same before I did, back on Aleen.”

“I remember,” he smiled.

Rose opened her arms and let Comet inside the blanket just as she had done on Aleen. He snuggled close to her and wrapped his arms around her, and he rested his lips on her head taking a whiff of her scent. Right there on that balcony, Comet was convinced there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

But not everyone in the barracks was asleep; Rose and Comet weren’t the only exceptions. Wolffe hadn’t gotten an ounce of sleep in the entire night despite how much he longed for it and the release it could give him from Rose’s spell. Comet and Rose whispered to each other, but not a single word escaped Wolffe’s senses, and this time there was no Corellian whiskey to come to his aid.

“You remember that first night on Coruscant?” Comet asked Rose.

Rose chuckled softly and looked at him. “Of course. What about it?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about some nice things you said,” he kissed her temple.

“Like how I have a collective crush on the clones?” She teased him.

Comet chuckled and kissed her lips, amazed as always at how soft and warm they were. “That too, but… I was thinking more about… you and I…”

You and I, Rose thought to herself. This was where her you and I was.

“How I didn’t think it would be possible to be in a relationship during the war, but I would if I found the right man?” She smiled at him, prompting him to reply.

“Yes, that,” Comet said.

“Well…” Rose leaned her head on Comet’s shoulder.

“Would you be willing to?” His voice was full of hope.

Rose smiled with charm at him, her heart fluttering at his words. “Of course.”

Comet lovingly cupped her cheek and smiled at her with all the admiration he had for her. “You’re incredible…”

Rose leaned into the warmth of Comet’s palm and smiled with the same emotion, her eyes sparkling and making Comet’s entire body weak for her. He leaned in closer and kissed her softly and slowly, nowhere near as passionate as their kissing at the bar, but it set off every firework and explosive within them. Rose smiled into the kiss and pressed her body to his as she wrapped her arms around him and let the blanket slide off her shoulders, leaving her bare back exposed thanks to her dress. Comet ran his fingertips over her skin, sending shivers down Rose’s spine, and their kiss ceased just as the heat boiled enough between them. They parted, looking at each other’s eyes with pine.

“I really wish I could do more with you right now,” Comet said, his smile audible to Wolffe even as he whispered. “You and your dancing.”

“Oh, we could do more,” Rose said, her voice tainted with a lustful purr.

“We could wake someone,” Comet stuttered.

Rose grinned seductively as she leaned in closer, slowly, biting her lip. “Then don’t be loud.”

Silence fell on the barracks for a brief moment of peace as Wolffe continued lying still, asleep to the world. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of kissing and faint moaning that his senses became alert. The silent and breathy moaning mostly came from Comet, and it was obvious that he was drowning in his own ecstasy, desperate not to be loud. Slowly, Wolffe looked over his shoulder to get a visual of the scene unveiling between them, and he felt something shatter inside him, something he would have guessed was his heart if he wasn’t so sure he didn’t have one.

Rose had shifted to scissor Comet’s crotch, her upper body leaned over against his with her hands massaging his chest as her hips grinded on his, the slow friction driving them both insane. Both were still fully clothed, but their make out was as hot as it would be without any fabric between. Comet’s hands softly held her ass, moving alongside her hips as she kept grinding, and the trooper had to roll his eyes back to keep from making any noise. Rose watched him squirm, proud of herself for bringing a soldier to the point of crumble, and she stopped grinding before she too was just over the edge.

Wolffe couldn’t watch anymore. He didn’t know how he was supposed to spend the rest of the night, or even the next days seeing Rose and Comet together. Their huffing filled the room with an occasional giggle from Rose, and Wolffe felt his insides fret. He closed his eyes and longed for slumber, anything to take him out of the present moment. For a while, it seemed silence was his ally until Comet’s voice spoke again.

“I love you.”

Wolffe felt like he was going to puke.

Taglist: @zoeykallus @sageislostinspring @misogirl828 @dangerousstrawberrypie

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[weightofdreamz]

Down Boy! | s.f.k |

summary; You’re out walking your dog Comet, when suddenly you’re flung to the ground, your hand previously holding your dogs leash now empty. With his leash in tow, Comet seems to have found someone a little more interesting than a squirrel.

taglist; @gretavanflowerpower

a big thanks to my favorite, @asparrowofthedawn for helping me with the name of my precious mutt, and for inspiring me every time i write <3 love you the mostest <3

As always, hope you guys enjoy<3

It was a gorgeous day, so naturally you decided a walk in the park with your mutt Comet, was a perfect idea. And truly it was, for most of the walk at least. Now Comet wasn’t always the best at heeling or following directions, but he was always well mannered-to an extent- when you two went on walks.

At least, he was until today. As you and Comet were getting ready to leave the park and head back home you suddenly end up with a face full of grass, and an empty hand, once occupied by your dogs leash. At first, you just laid there on the ground, you knew that Comet wouldn’t end up in the road so you knew he was safe. That was until you heard a thud and a gasp, that didn’t come from you.

As you looked up, you saw Comet jumping on a tall lanky man with long brown hair to his shoulders. As you got up to your feet, you shouted at Comet hoping he would listen for once.

“Down Comet! Heel boy!”

As you approached the man you got a good look at his face, he was scruffy, but hell was he beautiful, you could get lost in those eyes. But unfortunately you had to attend to your dog who now has knocked this man to the ground, licking his face.

“Comet, I thought I told you to never run away from me!” As you addressed your dog a second time he finally noticed you, slightly whimpering at your harsh tone.

“Actually it’s totally fine! I mean, I wasn’t expecting it sure, but i’m always down for some puppy cuddles,” the man finally looked at you, meeting your eyes with a big grin on his face.

You grabbed Comet’s leash, then smiled apologetically to the man, “I’m sorry, Comet usually never runs away from me. I don’t know what got into him.” You offered your hand, which the man accepted and you helped him up.

“I’m Sam by the way,” He said with another prize winning grin.

“y/n, and this is Comet. Who you’ve already met,” you said as you looked at your dog, still looking at Sam.

“That’s a cute name, how’d you pick it?” he asked as he scratched Comet behind the ears, Comet’s tail wagging in comfort.

“Well, im honestly a big fan of space, and my last dog was named Orion. So my next option was comet!” you explained happily, smiling while glancing down at Comet, who’s having the time of his life.

“I love space too! It’s all just so interesting, how there’s more than just Earth, there’s the galaxy and all the stars in the sky.” Sam gave you a big grin then, rubbing the back of his neck before he speaks again. “Hey do you want to I don’t know, keep in touch or something? It’s totally okay if you don’t, I mean if you’re busy and stuff that’s totally okay not trying to guilt you or any-”

“I would love to, Sammy,” you cut off his rambling while you reached into your pocket to pull out your phone, unlocking it and pulling up your contacts.

“Here, give me your number so we can talk more, but I’m free right now if you want to walk me to my house?” You smiled as he happily took your phone, entered his number before handing it back to you, giving you a bigger grin he said, “I’d love to, y/n.”

Suddenly, you were glad Comet wasn’t as well behaved as you thought.

Hope you guys enjoyed!! Likes, comments, and reshares are greatly appreciated. Love you all my sunshines<3

[orionwhispers]

Bravado // Tommy Shelby Imagine

(A/N - its been a long ass time and i wanted to ease myself back into writing but this ended up being long and also super super angsty. sorry that this illness imagine came during covid idk whats going on with my imagination lol. love you guys SO much thank you for always being there. reblogs, comments and likes mean everything to me.)

trigger warnings - LOTS of angst. fluff. implied smut. my hc that tommy has a fear of illness, bad descriptions of hospitals. 

He knew something wasn’t right the minute his car pulled into the driveway and you weren’t waiting for him under the great concrete arch, with that smile on your face that made his knees buckle and heart race like he was a love struck teenager.

You were always there as soon as he came home. Barefoot in a broderie dress in the summer with tousled hair and baby pink toenails. Wrapped in a hand knit blanket with fire flushed cheeks and woollen socks in the winter - even running across the gravel and into his arms in the middle of a storm, the ice cold rain whipping across both of your faces as you kissed under the light of the moon.

No matter how shit his day or week or month was, no matter what stained his hands or darkened his heart, no matter what lay heavy and hard deep in his gut, seeing you made everything vanish in the night air like wisps of smoke. You made everything worth it.

He refused to give into fear, he wasn’t that kind of man, so he swallowed all of the nagging thoughts and apprehensions as he came up to the dark foggy windows and the iron cast door. It felt strange turning his key in the lock without the weight of you in his arms or the sticky peach kisses you left down his jaw and neck, the smell of the vanilla in your hair and lavender on your skin.

The second thing that sent a jolt of white hot electricity down his spine was Mary, watching him anxiously and wringing her hands in the hallway. Usually, she was calm and collected, taking his jacket and leather travel bag with her signature placid smile and gentle fingers. Usually she would return to the kitchen and finish up whatever she was making - a hearty roast lamb with rosemary and garlic and glazed potatoes or a pheasant pie with honeyed carrots, always followed by a three layer chocolate ganache cake that was so thick and rich you practically had to saw through the sponge. She would always have dinner piping hot and dripping with gravy by the time the two of you returned downstairs, no matter how many hours it took for you to get... reacquainted.

Now she looked sheepish and pale, her skin almost translucent under the syrupy yellow lights. There was something about the way she stood, as still as a wraith, that made his blood run cold.

“Mary. Where is she?”

“Mr Shelby, I - ” Her voice was strained and hesitant, like a slowly fraying rope.

“Where is my wife?”

She moved forward, creases forming around her eyes. “We tried ringing you in Liverpool but the hotel said that you had already left, so we...”

“You rang me? Why? What’s happened?” He couldn’t hold back the desperation in his voice, and it lingered and festered around them both like a poisonous gas.

“Mrs Shelby came down with something a few days ago, we thought that it was just a common cold but unfortunately she seems to be getting worse.”

He tore upstairs before he could even think, his shoes leaving perfect muddy footprints on the cream carpet. He almost slipped at the top, and he lurched forward, his hands reaching out and holding onto the portrait hanging above the stairs for stability.

It was the oil of the two of you. A soft, personal picture that revealed more than he ever possibly could. The love in your gazes, the hint of a soft, drunk smile on the dangerous gangsters face as you leaned into him, melting into him like butter, him holding onto you as though he couldn’t bear to let you go. It was his favourite photo, one that always washed a sense of calmness over him, a reminder of the woman that he loved and the way he felt around you. But now he felt as if was riding out a terrible storm.

He lived his life with no fear, he was capable and practical and used to the sound of bullets and the copper sweet smell of blood. There was really only one thing, one terrible thing that he couldn’t control, and that was what drove him crazy.

Sickness.

It gnawed at his insides like a rabid dog, clawed under his skin and settled behind his ribs. Losing someone he loved was like ripping out a piece of his heart straight from his chest, and he knew better than anyone what it was like to lose somebody to a violent, quick death - the pull of a trigger or the smack of a fist. At least in those moments he could lock them away in his mind, he could leap in front of a bullet or crack the neck of any man who dared to get too close to you, but there was almost nothing he could do to stop sickness, and the devastation it caused.

When you first met him it had been a surprise, almost amusing, that this powerful God of a man had these small little quirks. His house was always sparkling clean and smelling of Lysol, his fruit bowls were filled with citrus fruits and round, plump blueberries. He always made sure you were wrapped up warm in the winter, always placing his coat around your shoulders and bringing an extra pair of gloves in case you forgot yours. It was adorable, the way he took care of you,

It wasn’t till a little bit later when you learnt of those he had lost. His mother and his childhood sweetheart taken away from him much too soon. It broke your heart when he told you late one night of the sallow tint of their skin and the way he could almost see them vanishing from earth, the way that illness had moulded and changed those he loved the most.

You understood.

Your best friends older sister had died of tuberculosis when you were young. The elderly woman across the street from your first flat had passed away from a bout of horrendous smallpox. Your brother lost his first child to pneumonia. Times were changing but the fear of disease was ever present. Medicine was improving and so was knowledge, but still there remained a huge, dark cloud of what could happen, one that always hung around your husbands head.

——————————————-

All Tommy could think was the worst as he ran through the landing. His heart was in his ears and his bones felt loose, like the sweet liquorice the two of you would share at the pictures. He came to a stop by the bedroom door, tentatively pressing his palm onto the wood and ever so slightly pushing it open, listening to the gentle creak it made.

The room was warm. The lace curtains were pulled shut, and your favourite lavender candles were flickering on your vanity, casting syrupy shadows against the wall. He exhaled loudly as he saw you, bundled up under a mountain of satin sheets and hand crocheted blankets, your hair splayed across the pillows.

He moved to your bedside, pretending not to notice the large, untouched jug of water and the tissue box next to you, hoping and silently praying that you weren’t sick - just asleep and waiting for him, ready to wrap your arms around his neck.

You were silent, your lips parting every so often as you breathed, your chest rising and falling. He reached out gently, as though he was picking up shards of glass, and brushed his fingers against your cheek. Your forehead was beading with sweat, your cheeks flushed, and yet your skin was ice cold to the touch. He recoiled quickly, his heart dropping like a weight into his gut, and he inhaled a shaky, deep breath.

He saw something curled up beside your hands, a fluffy white cloud with sparkling emerald green eyes trained on him. Despite everything, he smiled. He thought of your birthday - of strawberry cheesecake and champagne, and surprising you with a ribbon wrapped little kitten as you woke up. He thought of that day often. How you smiled and leapt onto him with tears in your eyes, his whole world blissfully quiet as he spent the day in bed with you and your new best friend.

He would have preferred a big dog, one with sharp teeth and a menacing gaze to ward of visitors whilst he was away. But you were drawn to the tiny, malnourished runt of the litter who was scared of his own shadow. A kitten no bigger than the size of his clenched fist. A little white hairball who only ate and drank from fine pink saucers. A cat that had a very frustrating habit of crawling in the bedroom right as Tommy’s hand was up your skirt and his lips on the sweet spot of your neck, the tiny thing mewling and crying until you picked him up and nuzzled him into your chest.

He was a horse lover through and through, and never saw himself having time for any other pets. But in the summer when you saw the litter from one of John’s barn cats and fell in love with the sweet baby who mewled and cried and crawled right into your lap - he knew that he would give you anything and everything you wanted.

Including a cat who refused to accept that Tommy was the man of the house.

“Hello, boy.” He said, leaning over to scratch Comet under the chin, using a voice he only reserved for the two of you. “Have you been looking after my girl whilst I’ve been gone?”The cat meowed loudly in reply, pressing his head into Tommy’s palm but not moving from his spot beside you.

Tommy suddenly felt you shift under him and his heart lurched into his throat. He turned to face you, cupping the side of your clammy face as your eyelids fluttered open, blinking under the candlelight. A rush of red hot heat built up in his belly as you registered him, that angelic smile growing on your face, your tired eyes glimmering with recognition of the man you loved.

“Tommy?”

“Hi, Princess.”

You smiled sadly. “You’ve been gone for weeks - I missed you.”

He felt his brows crease as he rubbed along your jawline softly, trying to stop you from falling back asleep. He felt panic in his throat as sour as vomit, and he tried to bite back the nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

“No, sweetheart, I’m early. It’s only Thursday. I left on Monday.”

“Oh.” You said softly, your voice as gentle as the breeze rustling through the trees outside. “Well let me welcome you back properly - let me make you a lemon drizzle or a...” You lifted your head from the pillow and shuffled under your blanket, but he pressed his hands against your shoulder and held you down.

“No. You’re staying right here.”

“But - ”

“No.”

“Hmm. Don’t leave me, Tommy.”

“Never.” He said, his tone firm and cast like stone. He stroked your hair softly as your breathing slowed, but it didn’t nothing to quell the hard thump of his heart in his chest.

——————————-

Tommy left the room as quietly as he could after you had fallen asleep in his arms. He hadn’t wanted to move, not when you were pressed against his chest, looking ethereal but vacant, sweat beading under your brow and your face lacking colour. He wanted to stay with you, curled up by his side, his fingers laced through yours, the sound of your heart thumping in his ears.

But he was a man of action, and seeing you there - your lips cracked and dry, shudders passing through your body and goosebumps raised over your skin - he couldn’t fight the fiery urge to do everything in his power to make you feel alright again.

He found Mary waiting outside the door, chewing on the skin of her lips and swaying on the balls of her feet in anticipation. He grabbed her by the arm, harder than he meant to and something he would apologise for later, and pulled her downstairs, determined to let you rest whilst he got some answers. As soon as they reached the drawing room he spun her around, clenching his jaw and pointing a finger at the anxious maid.

“Where the fuck is the doctor? Why isn’t he here?”

“Mr Shelby.” She said, stepping forward calmly. “We phoned Doctor Moore and he came on Tuesday to see her.”

“Tuesday?” He seethed. “My wife has been ill since Tuesday and no one called me?”

Mary raised her hands in defeat, making it clear that the decision wasn’t hers to make. “He said it was nothing of concern . He gave her some antibiotics and told her to rest. She asked us herself not to call you, she knows how you.. worry.”

He ignored her sugar coated attempt to quell his anger, but if anything it made his vision darken. “When it’s my wife, It is always my concern.”

“Mr Shelby, we were just doing what we were told. As soon as we noticed she wasn’t getting better we phoned the surgery again, but Doctor Thomas was out for the day and said he didn’t think it was necessary to come round again, so we -”

“I don’t give a fuck. My wife is the number one priority. Ring every doctor in England if you have to, get somebody out here now to see my wife.”

He stormed away, anger pulsating through his veins, but he stopped suddenly, and threw out over his shoulder:

“And call Doctor Moore’s ’office. Tell him to expect a visit from the blinders soon.”

———————————————————

Once, when you were first dating, you found Tommy at the door to your flat at midnight, with scraped knuckles and blood dripping from his nose. You let him in, cleaned him up and sat with him in the bath until his skin was clear and his breathing was even. He knew that night, as you were pressed against his chest and his lips were pressed to your scalp that he was truly, madly and completely in love with you.

He remembered waking up the next morning, love drunk and blissful, and finding the bed beside him empty. He found you in the kitchen, wincing slightly and pressing a hot water bottle to your belly as you buttered a few pieces of toast. He rushed to your side with eyes as wide as saucers, concern lacing the features that were usually ice cold and hard as stone. You were completely baffled as he held you at arms length, his bright cerulean eyes trailing up and down your body for any signs of injury he might have missed. You were bewildered at the sight of the powerful man practically on his knees as he made sure you were alright, and you bit back a giggle as his warm palms spread over your abdomen.

“What is it? Whats wrong?”

“Tommy. Sweetheart.” You said softly, bringing his gaze level to yours. “It’s just - you know - that time of the month.”

He brushed off your embarrassment and ran his fingers through your hair, pressing a uncharacteristically gentle kiss to your forehead, sending a swarm of butterflies around the pain in your stomach.

“Do you need anything?” He asked, half ready to run down to the corner shop and buy any amount of painkillers or chocolate bars or your favourite lavender tea that you might need; not caring who saw the seemingly terrifying gang leader in the street with an armful of strawberry laces and salt water fudges.

You smiled like the summer sun and he melted, pulling you close as you whispered in the shell of his ear that you only needed him, and that was all you ever needed.

That was the first time you fully saw the extent of Tommy’s fear, but it definitely wasn’t the last. He knew he wanted you forever and always, and it took only six months of neck kisses and pillow talk, red hot jealousy and possessive hands across your skin and dancing in the rain and falling asleep under the pale yellow moon for him to put a ring on your finger. You were both consumed by your love, as though it was the only thing that mattered, it was insatiable and powerful - the wonderful mix of the devil and his sweet little angel.

And with that, came the good and the bad.

Like when you got food poisoning after Arthur cooked you a Sunday lunch to cheer you up whilst Tommy was gone. He came home to you retching over the toilet bowl with Mary holding back your hair, and swore that he would kill his brother with his own hands. Or when you slipped on ice and broke your arm while out with friends in London, and Tommy went ballistic and tried to ban you from ever leaving the house. It was just in his nature, how he always made sure you walked on the side furthest from the road, kept an arm slung around you whenever you were together, kept his eyes alert and vigilant no matter where you were - always looking out for his girl.

But he had never been like this.

———————————————————-

You were falling in and out of sleep. Waking up drowsy and heavy headed, squinting under bright lights, an ache in your skull and a burning in your throat. Every so often you felt a pinch in your upper arm, a squeeze on your palm, a kiss on your forehead - but you always drifted back into unconsciousness.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when you woke up. The room was dark and you could hear the wind howling and whipping rain across the windows. You felt all too hot and all too cold at the same time, and the bed was damp with sweat. You struggled and tried to sit up, your head swaying and feeling as heavy as one of Tommy’s marble statues; as if you had been carved up and moulded. You could hear voices out in the hall, and unsteadily got to your feet, moving towards the noises.

“Pneumonia?” You heard through the thick wooden door, instantly recognising your husbands voice. “That’s impossible.”

“Sir...”

“Fucking. Impossible.” You knew his teeth were clenched.

The other man cleared his throat.“I know that it’s hard to hear, Mr Shelby, but your wife is very sick.”

“Just...” You felt your heart flutter and clench in your chest as the sound of his broken words, could practically feel his desperation and you wanted nothing more than to hold him. “Just tell me how to make her better.”

The second man spoke again, his voice softening and lowering, something you knew Tommy would hate. “Mr Shelby, the first round of antibiotics didn’t work and that means that it’s time for something stronger. Usually I would suggest the Birmingham hospital but I don’t think it’s equipped for...” He paused, trying to think over his words carefully. He wanted to convey the severity of the situation but also didn’t want to risk getting a bullet in his head from your very protective husband. “...This kind of reaction. I recommend we send her down to London for extra testing.”

“London? That’ll take two fucking hours. How the fuck can you recommend letting my wife travel that far? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“I’m my opinion this is the wisest choice to make, but unfortunately that could mean your wife might get worse before she gets better.”

“Worse than she already is? That’s not an option.”

The man you assumed was the doctor was insistent, trying his best to portray the severity of the situation but failing as your hardheaded husband had already come to a decision.

“I’ll look after her here. She’s safest with me.”

Once Tommy had spoken that was the final result, and the doctor slinked away into the darkness and shook his head. You remained peering from behind the door, your tongue between your teeth and your heart hammering.

Tommy took one look at you and frowned, scooping you in his arms like a baby despite your protests. He ignored you, acting playfully and cheerful but you could feel his heated skin and the see flare of his nostrils. You wanted to help him but didn’t know how, and let him tuck you under the covers once again. He kissed your crown and stroked your hair and you wanted to speak but no words would leave your mouth.

“You stay there this time. You know I have no problem with tying you to the bed.”

You rolled your eyes as he left, and his clenched fists and tightened shoulders told you all you needed to know.

————————————————-

Comet watched from his spot beside you as Tommy wrestled with the fire. He had noticed you shivering despite your high temperature, and bundled you up in blankets whilst sparking matches beside the fireplace. There were raindrops across his shoulders, evidence that he had been outside and to the log store right at the end of the property - a job that had always been for the Groundskeeper. Your precious cat nudged the tips of your fingers as you sighed and watched your husband throw kindling onto the coal, a deep unease settling over your gut.

“Tommy, my love, I’m fine.” It wasn’t exactly true but you felt he needed to hear it. But you could practically see your words wash over him and evaporate like ocean spray.

He was shaking a metal tin in his palm as he worked, and you groaned and let your head hit the pillow as he pulled out two round chalky tablets. You winced as he placed them beside your glass, your mouth already tasting like the sour talc medicine you had come to loathe. He raised his eyebrows and shot you a look that told you he wasn’t far off plugging your nose with his fingers to force you to swallow, and you childishly stuck up two fingers as you took them.

Your stomach rumbled with nausea and you bit back the bile in your throat as you settled into the pillows. You watched your husband as he pulled off his crisp white shirt, revealing his taut tan stomach and the deep ink tattoos that you loved to trace with your fingertips and your lips. There was something about him standing there, with those damn cerulean eyes and hidden muscles, that boyish hair and slender fingers that you wanted desperately around your throat, that made a million tiny fireworks spark inside of you.

But instead you pushed him away from you despite your body wanting nothing but him wrapped all around you. “Don’t get too close. I might have something contagious. I can’t have you getting sick.”

He ignored you, smiling inwardly at the way you always put others before yourself. It was one of the million reasons he had fallen for you. You were sweating out a high fever and shivering in pain, and yet you always thought of him first. He pressed his lips to your temple and pulled you closer, knowing that skin to skin was a way to bring down a fever - even if it meant he had to restrain himself from tugging off your pretty little white nightgown and whatever frilly things you had on underneath.

“I’m not going anywhere. Fuck it if I catch anything.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one who will have to dote on you hand and foot, you big baby.” You teased, pressing yourself into him playfully, finally giving in.

He held you like a child, trying to hard to soften despite the way you felt underneath him. Everything on him was running a mile a minute, and he couldn’t help but want to try everything and everything to make you feel better. His hand was pressed against your temple to always try and measure your fever, his other palm across your chest to try and count your heart rate.

He could hear Mary treading across the landing carpet but he ignored his anxious maid, instead letting himself be completely consumed by the only thing that mattered - you.

This was something he had to do by himself. He was the only one who could care for you he reminded himself. And he let the words tumble over and over in his skull until they were all he could hear.

—————————————————————-

You had been asleep for a long time.

Every hour, after pacing the length of the hall and sanitising his hands and wiping the beads of sweat above your brow and above your breasts he woke you up and held a cool glass to your lips. You mumbled and moaned and pushed him away but he kept his fingers across your wrist - harsher than he ever had before - and kept you as close to him as possible.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had cooked. Perhaps it was last valentines when the two of you had camped out under the stars, drinking icy white wine and sharing stolen, day drunk kisses. That night he had roasted a chicken over the fire and it had burnt to a crisp as the two of you rolled around the grass, his head buried in your neck as you giggled at the poultry going up in flames.

He was trying now though, easy, plain substantial meals that wouldn’t upset your stomach. Boiled egg and dippy soldiers. Crackers with smooth cheese. Bubbly water and ginger biscuits. Each time he went upstairs you pushed him away, your whole body shuddering and almost retching, and he felt like smashing the plates against the wall at his defeat.

It had been almost thirty six hours since he had come home and it had been almost as long since you had eaten something, and his heart thundered and shattered in his chest when he found you gasping and wheezing over the toilet bowl when you had taken a bite of toast to calm him. He rarely left you alone, only for a few minutes to put the still full dishes in the sink, to ring Lizzie and tell her that he wouldn’t be coming for reasons that he refused to disclose, to smoke a cigarette under the grey stone archway, his shaking hands and bitten fingernails barely visible through the sleepy rolling fog.

He had grabbed handfuls of papers and the brass ink pen you had got him for your anniversary and broke his own rule - bringing work into your bedroom. It had always been a sacred space. For candlelight and soft laughter, aching hands and heart shaped bruises, a sanctuary for him to breathe and to love and to be loved fully in return. But he was afraid if he didn’t have a distraction, he might just completely lose it, and he had to be there for you.

So he sat squinting in his glasses, the room almost completely dark save for a few candles because of the migraines that had started to spread throughout your skull, and let himself be drawn into the mess of squiggly lines and numbers that suddenly didn’t add up, with you still centre stage in his peripheral.

After about forty minutes of rereading the same sentence a dozen times to try and make some sense of it, he heard your voice, like a small crack spreading across a sheet of ice, coming from the bed.

“Tom?” You sounded so weak, he practically flipped your cream vanity as he got to his feet and darted towards you. “I don’t feel well.”

He lifted you as you reached your arms up at him like a child. He almost gasped at the sweat pouring from your body but didn’t want to scare you, and instead held your shaking, shivering body against his own. How could you be so hot, yet so cold at the same time? Your skin was prickled with goosebumps yet you were burning with a fever, and for the first time in a long time, he had no fucking idea what to do.

He left you propped up against the headboard and he entered the bathroom. He ran over to the claw foot tub you loved, twisting the faucet and trying to find the perfect medium between boiling hot and freezing cold. He didn’t want to overwhelm you, just try and soothe your raging fever, and he ignored the shelves of expensive bath oils and scented soaps that you coveted, instead opting for a handful of something meant to ease tension - praying to whoever was listening that it would help you somehow.

There was a brutal, awful moment as he lifted you from the bed, limp as a rag doll, where he imagined what would happen if your heart were to stop. He couldn’t comprehend what it would be like to miss the weight of you in his arms, the smell of your skin, the feeling of your lips against him, the shovels stopping and fading into nothing. It hit him square in the chest, as merciless as a bullet, and he had to lean against the doorframe to stop the two of you from plummeting to the ground.

He undressed himself first. Tugging his white shirt off, sliding off his slacks and his underwear, keeping you as close to his chest as he could. Then he pulled your nightgown up and over your head. He gathered your hair and secured it up with a claw clip so that it was away from your face, the heat radiating off your neck as fierce as the fire now burnt down to ash in the bedroom.

He lowered the two of you into the bath, sinking down beneath the eucalyptus smelling lukewarm water, letting it wash over you both. Your teeth were chattering and you were barely awake. He gathered handfuls of water, letting it drip over your shoulders and pulse points, grabbing a washcloth and running it over your raised skin, hating how you barely registered his touch. As he scrubbed over your collarbones and up to your face he saw your lips had turned to an awful, silvery blue, as vibrant as a fresh bruise. He hissed and tugged on the plug, now determined to get you wrapped up in a fresh towel and tucked back into bed.

You were soft and placid and he helped you out, lacking the usual fire that he adored. Your eyes were glassy and missing their vibrance, like the vanishing spark of a lighter - and he felt miles and miles of invisible distance between the two of you. You were unsteady on your feet and he used his body to prop you up as he warmed your arms with a fluffy white towel. You suddenly stopped, lifting your hand to your mouth as you started to cough - a horrible, dry, gasping cough.

He noticed it almost immediately. His eyes darting to the splatter of red against the white, a smudge of crimson that was as loud and commanding as a siren, a warning signal that something was definitely not right. A bead of scarlet that would linger long behind his closed eyelids.

He managed to get you back into bed, remaining calm as he stroked your hair and kissed your temple. He tucked you under the duvet and waited for your breathing to even before he ran downstairs, his heart thumping in his ears as he practically ripped the phone off of the wall.

“Pol? Fuck. I think - I think I need help.”

—————————————————————-

The room smelt like bleach and metal. Unfamiliar and clinical. There was something hard on your chest and covering your mouth, it tasted like wet pennies and was as heavy as a hand over your throat, but for the first time in days you could finally breathe. You tried to sit up, but there was a needle in your chest, a gown you didn’t recognise cut straight down the middle to accommodate it. You struggled and lifted the thin bedsheet above your shivering torso, trying to look around the cold room.

“Careful!”

It was Polly, dressed immaculately despite her surroundings. She reached out and placed a manicured hand across yours, and you smiled at the woman who had always been a calming influence when you had joined the circus of a family. There was concern in her eyes, rimmed with black eyeliner and lifted lashes but still swimming deep around her pupils. That made you frown, and you moved as much as you could to face her.

“What happened?”

She ran her tongue over her teeth, choosing her words. “You gave us quite a fright, love.”

“I did?” Your memories of the past few days were much like a fever dream, blurry and distorted snapshots were all you could really remember.

“Your pneumonia got worse. A lot worse.” She paused, looking over to the door and you followed her gaze. “They found fluid in your lungs.”

“So...” You started, gesturing to the needle in your abdomen and the breathing apparatus around your head.

She nodded. “Yes. You were in surgery. It was touch and go for a little bit.”

“Really?” You were bewildered. You couldn’t remember anything, let alone having major surgery. You looked her straight in the eye, asking her the questions that had been on the tip of your tongue since you had woken up. “Where is he? Where’s Tommy?”

“He’s outside.” She clicked her tongue, reaching deep into her purse and pulling out some hand cream, gently rubbing your dry hands like she was your mother. You leant into her touch despite all of your questions.

“What? Why?”

“I think he blames himself. God knows what goes on in that mans head. All I really know is he was bloody terrified.” She paused, looking over in the distance. “I’ve never seen him so scared, not even on his wedding day.” She smiled sadly, trying to lighten the mood, but it soon faded. “He didn’t leave your side the whole time you were asleep.”

Your heart thumped in your chest, a soft aching that you knew all too well. “I want to see him.”

“I know you do. But right now...” She stopped right as a handful of nurses entered, clad in long blue dresses with white aprons, hair tied back and smelling of strong soap and disinfectant. You lost Polly in the bustle as one spoke softly to you before tugging on the needle right beside your ribs, your eyes just catching hers as she left, a promise to see you soon on her lips.

It wasn’t her you saw next, but Tommy.

The nurses had cleaned you up with wet flannels and bowls of warm soapy water. Your hair had been braided and your face washed, and walked you arm in arm over to the bathroom so you could relieve yourself. A skittish doctor followed after, his eyes darting across you and his touch gentle as he changed your dressings and took your blood - obviously under strict instructions from your husband, and despite everything, you smiled.

You were sat listening to the clock tick. A romance novel you had been given was dangling dangerously close to the end of the bed, but you were too tired to focus on it. You heard the door squeal softly, and the sound of familiar footsteps across the tiling, each small thud sending shockwaves across your spine.

“Tommy.”

He looked tired. Exhausted rather, as though he had been awake all the hours that you had been asleep. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was sallow and bruised. His clean shaven face was dark with stubble and his hair was ruffled and unwashed. You longed to reach out to him and cradle him against you, but he stood in the doorway, lingering like a ghost.

“Tommy?” You repeated, your voice almost a whisper, breaking his already shattered heart once again.

“How are you feeling, my love?”

You smiled softly, like spun sugar and sweet honey. No hospital bed or itchy gown could dull your infectious light. “Better now.”

He approached you almost cautiously. He settled down on the hard chair beside your bed and stroked a line down from your temple to your lips, his touch setting you alight like an electrical storm. There was a sadness in his eyes that reminded you of how he got when things were bad, and you willed him to come back to you. His touch was tentative and he inhaled shakily as you cupped his hand with yours, pressing a tender kiss to the inside of his palm.

“Don’t scare me like that. Ever.” He was stern, as though hoping his words would make it true. “I mean it.” He kept his gaze on your pretty face, trying his best not to stare at the harsh bruising on your delicate flesh or the sickly tone of your skin.

“Tommy I’m going to get sick, even you can’t stop that.” You teased gently.

“I can bloody well try.” His hands cradled your face, pulling you into him and kissing you fiercely, still mindful of the wires and tubes taped to your body. There was something about the tenderness and deep longing in the kiss that when mixed with your total exhaustion and love for your husband prompted tears to start falling from your eyes. You sniffled as he pulled away, concern dripping from his beautiful features, his powerful mind wanting to do everything and anything to stop your hurting.

“Hey, hey.” He said, running his calloused fingertips under your eyes and wiping your tears away. You leant into his touch and he kissed your temple, squeezing you even tighter into him. “You know I hate it when you cry.” He toyed with your hair and winked playfully. “Besides, all you need to focus on is getting better. You’re going to have to take care of me when we get home, this week has given me a fucking stroke.”

You rolled your eyes, kissing the inside of his wrist. “You’re a idiot, Thomas Shelby.” You blinked at the clock looming above you both, wanting to stay in your blissful bubble but also knowing that Aunt Pol would probably be in the vicinity harassing a poor nurse over your results. “You should go and find Polly, let her know that everything’s alright.”

He shook his head and nuzzled his nose across yours, an act so innocent that your heart dipped and swooped in your chest. “Later.” He said, breathless and consumed by you. Everything had been too much. Almost losing you had been harrowing, it had punctured him completely and he just needed to feel his girl safe and warm around him. He needed to know that you weren’t found anywhere.

“I just want to stay here for a while. Just me and you.”

You grinned. “Always.”

[evyisaks]

following the oth/leyton parallels, this quote but make it byler:

“It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.” ― Lucas Scott

[kaijuno]

It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.

[archiebettyveronica]

The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning.