#the slow unraveling

[bluebeesknees]

Stages of dealing with the ex that won’t leave you tf alone

[bananafishdepression]

SPOILER ALERT ‼️‼️

They took the "in another life" a little too seriously 💀

[aventurineswife]

👀 Valentine’s Day is coming up, can we get a date between Reader and Aventurine?

All in, Sweetheart

Summary: When you challenge Aventurine to plan your Valentine’s Day date, he turns it into a high-stakes gamble—one where the currency isn’t credits, but secrets. What starts as a playful game in a lavish casino soon becomes something deeper, as each round peels back a layer of his carefully guarded persona. But when you finally win, the real question remains: is Aventurine ready to reveal what truly scares him?

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Fluff with a Hint of Angst, Slow Burn, Gambling as a Metaphor (for Emotional Walls), Subtle Vulnerability, Witty Banter & Flirting, Mutual Pining, Secret-Keeping & Unraveling Layers.

Warnings: Mild Gambling Themes (No financial consequences, just for storytelling), Mentions of Trauma & Emotional Guardedness, Light Angst (But with a resolution), Aventurine Being a Smooth Yet Emotionally Repressed Disaster.

You should’ve known better than to let Aventurine plan your Valentine’s Day date.

It had started as a casual remark—half a joke, really—when you’d teased him about whether he ever did anything sincerely romantic. His response? That signature grin, all mischief and mystery.

“Why don’t you leave it to me, sweetheart?” he had purred, adjusting the glasses perched on his nose. “Let’s make a little wager. You trust me to plan our date, no questions asked. In return, if I manage to impress you… well, I’ll think of a suitable prize later.”

And now here you were, standing at the entrance of a lavish, high-stakes casino in the heart of an IPC entertainment district, dressed to the nines because Aventurine had sent you a cryptic message demanding you “look like you belong in a game of fate.”

The lights shimmered overhead, reflecting off opulent chandeliers and the golden accents of the room. The scent of expensive cologne, spiced drinks, and polished leather filled the air, and a hum of conversation mixed with the occasional triumphant cheer or groan of a gambler losing it all.

At the center of it all, Aventurine stood waiting for you at a VIP table, leaning lazily against the velvet-backed chair, one leg crossed over the other. His eyes gleamed under the soft glow of the ambient lighting, the black slits of his pupils narrowing when he caught sight of you.

“Ah, there you are,” he mused, his grin widening as he gave you a slow once-over. “Looking dangerously good tonight, my dear. I might just lose my edge if I’m not careful.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the way your heartbeat quickened at his smooth tone. “A casino, Aventurine? Really?”

He chuckled, tapping the side of his cheek. “Come now, did you really expect me to take you to a candlelit dinner and serenade you under the moonlight? That’s far too predictable.” He gestured to the empty seat beside him. “Take a seat, darling. Tonight, we gamble with something far more interesting than credits.”

You arched a brow but sat down anyway. “And what, exactly, are we gambling with?”

His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, his smirk widening. “Why, secrets, of course.”

Your breath hitched slightly. Aventurine wasn’t the type to share much of himself. He deflected with charm, misdirection, and laughter. But now, he was offering—no, wagering—a piece of himself.

“I win a round,” he continued, “and you have to answer a question truthfully. No dodging. No half-truths. But if you win…” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a velvet whisper, “I’ll do the same.”

You studied him carefully. His posture was relaxed, but his fingers twitched near his stack of chips. He was taking this seriously, even if he pretended otherwise.

A challenge. A game. A moment of honesty disguised as a gamble.

You exhaled, reaching for your own chips. “Alright, Aventurine. Let’s play.”

The night stretched on in a series of wins and losses, each round peeling back a layer between the two of you.

You learned that Aventurine hated sleeping in silence. He needed the soft hum of music or the distant sound of activity to keep his mind from wandering to places he’d rather not visit.

He learned that you kept a tiny lucky charm in your pocket, something sentimental you never let go of.

You learned that he had once conned a corrupt IPC official out of a fortune—not just for profit, but out of sheer spite.

He learned that, despite all his maddening qualities, you had never once truly doubted him.

By the time the final round rolled around, you were neck and neck. One last hand. One last chance.

Aventurine slid the last chip forward with a flourish, his golden rings catching the light. “All or nothing, sweetheart.”

You met his gaze, the challenge clear between you. Your fingers hovered over your cards, your heart pounding. If you won, he’d have to answer one last question. Something real. Something raw.

You took a breath and flipped your hand.

A royal flush.

Silence. Then—Aventurine laughed, the sound rich and full of something almost… relieved. “Well, well,” he murmured, removing his glasses and setting them aside. “Seems luck favors you tonight.”

You tilted your head. “A promise is a promise. Tell me something real, Aventurine.”

For the first time that evening, his smile faltered—just slightly. Then, instead of answering, he reached across the table, his fingers brushing against yours before curling around your hand.

“Something real?” he echoed, his voice quieter now. “Alright, then.”

He lifted your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against your knuckles. His grip was warm, steady, and despite everything—the games, the deception, the walls he built around himself—there was something achingly genuine in the way he held you now.

“I suppose,” he murmured, his lips ghosting over your skin, “the realest thing I can tell you… is that you terrify me.”

You blinked. “What?”

His eyes met yours, unguarded for just a fleeting moment. “Because you’re the one thing in this world I can’t bluff my way through.”

Your heart skipped a beat.

Then, just like that, the moment was gone. He grinned, slipping his glasses back on, masking whatever vulnerability had been there before. “Now, how about we celebrate your victory properly?” He stood, offering you his arm. “A toast? A dance? Or, if you’re feeling particularly daring, another round?”

You shook your head with a chuckle, threading your arm through his. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

His smirk softened. “Not when it comes to you, sweetheart.”

And just like that, the game continued.

But tonight, just for tonight, you weren’t playing against each other.

You were playing together.

[johnslittlespoon]

omg it was so hard to pick butttt could i request 1 and 2 from the smut dialogue list (list 3) with buck and bucky!

prompts | "i want to hear you beg" + "arch your back for me" + playing around with smth a little different for their dynamic <33 ~800 words of filth below the cut >:-) this was so much fun ahh thx sm for the request!!

“Oh, baby,” John rumbles appreciatively, sitting back to get a good look at Gale while he rolls his hips languidly into him. “Look at you.”

Golden hair frames Gale’s head on the pillow like a halo, blue eyes half hidden by heavy eyelids, doll–like lashes fluttering each time John sinks his cock in deeper. Messy love bites mark a trail south, scattered across his chest and stomach and increasing in numbers where angular hip bones and soft thighs had just begged for John’s teeth to make themselves at home.

Gale rocks his hips down, dragging his kiss–bitten bottom lip between his teeth to muffle a needy little noise as John’s eyes rake over him. That just won’t do.

John stills, wrapping firm hands around Gale’s thighs where they drape over his own, squeezing gently.

“Keep going,” Gale breathes out, eyebrows knit together in frustration, still trying to fuck himself on John’s cock.

John purrs out a laugh, heart twisting in his chest at the glare Gale shoots him; it’s hard to look intimidating when he’s laid out pliant and pretty and cock–drunk beneath him, but John doesn’t tell him so. He just snaps his hips forward once, watching with satisfaction when the scowl leaps off of Gale’s face as flushed lips fall open to let out a gasp.

“John,” Gale almost, almost whines when he makes no move to continue, lithe hands coming up to wrap around John’s wrists imploringly, and John hums thoughtfully, stroking his thumbs over Gale’s thighs.

“You need something?” He tilts his head, feeling a little thrill at the huff he gets in return.

Gale levels him with an unimpressed look, but the light flush that creeps over his cheeks betrays him.

“I want you to ask for it,” John murmurs. He grants Gale with the smallest roll of his hips to egg him on when he stays silent, and he feels his hands tighten around his wrists.

“Want you to fuck me, John.” 

And oh, that’s something– his cock twitches at the rare vulgarity, and judging by Gale’s sharp inhale, he feels it. But it’s not quite what John’s looking for.

“That’s good, baby,” he praises him, delighting in the way his flush deepens. He leans down, sliding his hands up Gale’s hips as he goes, settling them on his waist. He brushes his lips against Gale’s in a ghost of a kiss, trailing them along his jaw until he reaches his ear.

“But I wanna hear you beg for me, Gale,” he whispers. 

The immediate pressure around his cock as Gale reflexively clenches down has his head dropping into the crook of Gale’s neck momentarily, cursing under his breath. He can’t help but press his hips forward, needing just a bit of relief, sitting back up once he collects himself, determined to keep the upper hand.

“C’mon,” he rasps out, running his hands up and down Gale’s sides, fingers splaying over his ribcage. “I know you can do it, angel.”

Gale does whine this time, high and desperate in his throat, eyes slipping closed to hide from his own embarrassment. But–

“Please, John,” he says, barely above a whisper. “Need you.”

“Jesus, Gale,” John breathes, head spinning. “Good, so good, baby.”

John’s not going to push– that’s already a lot more than he’s usually able to goad out of Gale, and he’s going to unravel a lot quicker than he intends to if he keeps talking like that.

“Arch your back for me, pretty thing,” John prompts instead, beginning to shallowly fuck into him, and Gale does, tilting his head back on the pillow to bare his neck as his spine curves beneath John’s hands.

The sight nearly knocks the breath out of John, and he groans, sliding one hand under Gale to flatten his palm against the small of his back, feeling the way it flexes as he jerks his hips forward.

Gale cries out so sweetly when he really starts driving his cock into him, grasping desperately at John’s arms, face going slack as he finally gives him what he needs, and it gets to John like nothing else, forever dizzy with the knowledge that he gets to make Gale feel so good.

Dragging those pretty noises out of Gale and feeling him tremble because of him is what really does it for John every time, and it’s what inevitably has him tipping over the edge seconds after Gale spills over his stomach with a broken whimper.

John sinks his teeth into Gale’s collarbone just to feel him squirm beneath him as he fills him up, hands digging into his hips, rutting into him like he can bury his cock impossibly deeper, feeling nails scrabble at his back as the softest mewls escape Gale’s mouth.

He laves his tongue over the fresh indents in apology before lifting his head to capture Gale’s lips in a messy kiss, swallowing his gasps and sighs as he gives him a few more lazy thrusts, chest warm and fuzzy and lovestruck. 

John smiles into the kiss, and Gale laughs softly, and god, he’s going to be the death of him.

[itspileofgoodthings]

I don’t even fully know why but “what do I do when I miss you so much?” / “Just wait, and pray desperately” was a knife to my heart in the best way.

[1dfanfictionbookcovers]

This Multiplicity of Powers by HelloAmHere ( @helloamhere )

Maybe there’s a universe where he doesn’t have to keep all his secrets on the inside. But this isn’t that universe. //an X-Men AU.

covers here

[bubblegeon]

When a man harbours desires beyond his control, he is ultimately destroyed.

🩺 RE: REVENGE - YOKUBO NO HATE NI (2024)

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

Me: *three rows into my latest knitting project* This isn't so bad! I'm figuring it out pretty easily, and I can already see it start to take shape! Wow, this is great.

Me: *counts stitches and notices I'm two short* Oh No

[xxwitchylanexx]

No Plot Left Behind

Rebirth Retold Chapter 12

Heavy spoilers for the Mount Corel Area Some dialog taken right from the game to stay canon

Masterlist

*~*

“What’s up with you?” Your feet wobbled unsteady, your back leg catching on an unstable patch of gravel nearly bringing you to the ground, as you looked to the hand that pushed you then traced along the slender arm up to the eyes of the perpetrator. Aerith, obviously, looked at you with curious eyes that swirled like the changing hues of Costa Del Sol’s aqua waters framed by her perfect chestnut bangs. “You look,” she scrunched her nose, the tip wiggling a bit as well, as she debated the right word to describe you, “distracted, almost dreamy.”

You puffed a sharp sigh as you pinched the bridge of your nose. You were growing annoyed at yourself for letting your head wander so much, and as a result you were growing sloppy. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep much last night.” Which was true. How could you? When his eyes haunted you, lurking when everyone else was preoccupied causing goosebumps to break out along your flushed skin and every nerve burst into flame. Even long after your lids had closed for the night they haunted you, your subconscious replaying the whole interaction over and over again leaving you on the precipice of madness.

You could still feel his warm breath fanning against your face as his fingers twisted in the sensitive locks at the base of your neck, his burning stare unwavering from your parted lips. The minty taste of him still coated your tongue and your thighs grew slick as you recalled the vibrations from his husky groan that rumbled from his chest into yours as he pressed you back into the gritty bricks behind you. He left no stone untouched as he stole the very air from your lungs, invoking thunder itself as little bolts of electricity shot through every finger and every toe. And, gods, how you wanted to rock yourself against the half hard length pressing into your inner thigh as he absentmindedly dug his hips into yours.

Those heavenly irises honing in on you like you were tonight's dinner and he had you right where he wanted you before pushing off you, clearly satisfied with himself as that devilish smirk painted against his pretty lips, leaving you simmering hotter than any hell fire Ifirit could conjure.

You weren't sure what pissed you off more: him riling you up and leaving you high and dry or that you were losing to pain in the ass, overly cautious, ex-soldier Cloud- fucking -Strife. And you couldn’t have that.

“Well, sharpen up.” The one and only barked only adding to your fury as the corner of his lip quirked up. Cocky son of a bitch. Your nostrils flared as you swallowed thickly. “Time to get to work.”

Your narrowed irises flicked up to the impending heights you’d soon be climbing through, and as much as you yearn to turn the tides back in your favor, the dumb asshole had a point. You had to return to the reason why they were journeying in the first place, and a treacherous unmaintained mountain is not where you’d want to be caught off guard.

Truth be told, you’ve never had to take this route in any of your travels. Corel was an optional stop to the saucer now that there were easier highways to the resort. You had thought about in once, when you caught a glance at its signs for a scenic hiking trail, but the jagged inclines of impenetrable rock, and the decaying trees that were ripped from the earth- roots and all- deterred you from the endeavor. It didn't help that the very first facility at the entrance was a heap of broken down stone with rusted wires and bent signs around it. You'd pass on the tetanus.

You were thankful that your career has been incredibly successful and that your clients were more than happy to shell out the money for the luxury train that ran through this mountain from the seaport right to the ground elevator of the ‘happiest place on Gaia’. Hell, on a few occasions, where time was of the essence, you’ve even been flown there from Junon’s airport. You wondered if Bill had helped your clientele find alternative trainers in your leave of absence or if they were all still waiting for your return to the theme park.

So anyway, you were not the slightest bit surprised the lifts had a huge out of order side against the side of its coppered tin walls, not that you’d have trusted it. “Out of Service.” Red’s full and resonant cadence read of the sign that everyone was staring at.

“So we gotta walk?” Aerith asked with an exasperated disappointment.

“Ah, you’ll be fine!” Yuffie dismissed loudly her voice a tad to condescending for your liking. “Fresh air, nice view…!” She continued as she stretched her arms far above her head. Sure it’s not a big deal for some of you, but from your understanding Aerith hasn’t exactly had a lot of experience, and hiking a full mountain is taxing even on seasoned travelers, yet here she was proudly running her mouth completely oblivious to how rude she sounded.

“The view ain’t all that.” Barret interjected, his eyes strained on the rock above him. “Not unless you enjoy starin’ at ruined reactors.” You peeked at him from the side taking note at the underlying sorrow in his tone. His face was set in stone but his clenched jaw and fisted hand gave it away that he was clearly distressed. His eyes lost their usual luster and in its wake were hardened darker pools of charcoal showing everything he’d never say; grief, and self-condemnation.

“Right…” Tifa drawled slowly weighing her words carefully to avoid upsetting him further. “You grew up around here, didn’t you?”

He brushed past her, ignoring her question altogether, and stalked towards the gate leaving the rest of you to stare after him. “Let’s get a move on.” He called back though it lack his usual bravado.

Cloud surged into motion after him without a word with you close in tow.

You could relate, if only a little. It was difficult to talk about the past especially if you were trying to atone for past crimes. If that was Barret’s experience as well then this homecoming could be one of the hardest things he may have to face. He’ll talk about it when he’s ready.

However, Yuffie, bless her soul, seemed to be completely oblivious to his torment as she excitedly ran circles around everyone to get up in Cloud’s face and waving her arms frantically- needlessly- to grab his attention. He huffed as his boots dug into the ground to avoid crashing into you, his arms crossing across his chest and brow scrunched together in annoyance.

“Hey, Cloud! Materia’s like… super-condensed mako or something right?”

“Yeah.” He deadpanned.

“So… that means, wherever we find mako… we’ll find materia too!” She pushed passed him, no longer interested in his answer, and ran passed Barret to the entrance only calling back with glee. “Alright! Timeout’s over, team! Let’s go!” A punch to the air punctuated her excitement as she got caught up in her own desire for materia.

Yuffie could be a real pain in the ass, but watching as Barret shuffled after her to explain how group dynamics worked brought a slow lazy smile spread across your face. Her natural ability to ease the weigh off other people is her true talent, and you hoped that whatever future lies ahead doesn't dim her shine. Plus free entertainment was hard to find. You bet your ass that you'd pick up your pace just to stay close enough to hear them bickering.

“What? So does that mean I gotta run everything by you first?” She inquired.

“Yep.” He emphasized the pop on the p to make a point.

“So, that’s the game… fine. Permission to sing, sir?” She sang earnestly.

“What?”

“Permission to scratch my back, sir? Permission to blow my nose? Oh, so tired… whoops! Didn’t get permission to yawn yet! Well? Do I get permission or not?” She asked back to back not even letting him get a word in, not that you think he deserved it. He laid that trap for himself.

“Sure,” He said as sweetly as humanly possible for him, “you can do it while you’re warmin’ the bench.” You chuckled, drawing the attention to the blonde beside you. When your eyes met an idea struck you: if he wanted to play then you’d play. You took a step to the right so you walked side by side, close enough that your hand could ghost along the wrinkled leather of his gloves. You watched the drag of his eyes travel down to your hands, the gears in his head turning as he fell for your trap. You could almost feel how strongly how much he wanted to take your hand in his own, and just when he gave into the desire you stepped away giving him a coy smile and a playful wink.

“That’s an abuse of power! Tyrant! Tyrant!” Your head turned sharply at the sound of Yuffie screeching. “Tifa, tell me your secret. How do you put up with this jerkface?”

You hadn't heard Aerith in sometime so instead of listening to the trio any longer, no matter how much you wanted to, you stopped and searched for the Cetra, your eyes softening as you saw the clear exhaustion plastered on her face. She was at the very back near Red who stayed patiently by her side as her feet were stumbling and slipping against the loose gravel. You waited till they nearly crested the hill where you were waiting to grab her hand, and help hoist her up. Her eyes were swimming with gratitude as she looked up at you, mumbling a quiet thank you as she dusted the dirt off her skirt.

You decided to linger around her in case she needed anymore assistance, and in doing so you had adequate time to really take in the scenery. The walkways began to taper off little by little as you scaled on. The loose grit smoothed down to dry dirt and sharp slabs bulging from beneath with winding pine roots trying to unearth themselves to find fertile soil. The foliage that peppered the ground were so brittle and frail that they nearly crumbled under your touch.

Places like these- locations with reactors- all have similar environments. The Planet’s energy is being sucked up right from its core and distributed to the bustling resorts, and thriving towns. Yet the forests, and plains show the damage. The desert around the Saucer for example, or the highway running between Midgar and Kalm. Yet no one but you ever seems to feel its’ pain.

You’ve been called crazy, understandably so, since you'd learned that most people cant feel or see the lifestream, and honestly you felt insane too. You had been deemed a failure in Shinra’s eyes but you've accepted that these abilities were probably the result of Hojo’s experiment, and with them comes the burden- the weight- of feeling its’ pain yet having no power to help.

You like to think that all of the lucent blue whisps that appeared to guide you in your darkest hours led you here, and now that its led you here. To a path you could do something to make a difference. To people who are willingly embracing you despite your reprehensible past.

You took a moment to catch your breath after climbing the top of a particularly steep crag and held out a hand to assist Aerith again. The two of you shared a look, giggling sheepishly, then you took a glimpse at the nice flat rest stop just ahead. And when you say rest stop you mean a decaying wooden bench and an old vending machine that flickered eerily however it did appear to be functional.

“Hey!” You called to the four in their own little group. “Aerith needs a break.”

Tifa turned first and immediately paced over to lend a hand regardless of you waving her off. “I’d say. You’re beat red.” She fussed as she held her hand to Aerith’s forehead.

“Sorry,” Aerith panted, “my legs’re killin’ me.”

“Let’s rest here.” Cloud declared with his eyes completely and wholly on you that swirled with a needless concern. You offered him an awkward thumbs up from your spare hand as you led Aerith to the bench.

“But, if we stop now, the materia-” Yuffie said with the slip of her tongue, “I mean the mystery men might slip away!” You rolled your eyes at her one track mind. Her obsession for materia was certainly annoying at times. “Hey I know what to do!” She proclaimed as she jumped up and moved into action. She was running up the path onwards with nothing but an explanation as she ran off. “I’ll go on ahead, and scout the area for us! You guys can catch up later. See ya!”

“Catch up later my ass!” Barret grumbled as he took off after her.

Tifa looked between Aerith and Barret as she hesitated who she should stick with. “I think I better go keep an eye on them.” She said as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked to Cloud for confirmation. “Barret’s not himself right now, y’know?”

Cloud nodded in agreement. “I know.”

“Take your time, okay?” She said as she pushed off her knees to a stand, giving Aerith one last assessment prior to dashing off with her boots crunching into the ground in search of Barret until she was no longer in sight.

And just like that it was the four of you sitting in the comfortable silence as Aerith caught her breath. After awhile the ground you had been staring at faded to a blur as you were swept into a moment of dissociation until a pair of black boots ground into your line of sight. You gaze flickered upwards to the man who adorned them, who was no doubt already searching for any signs of distress.

“What about you?” He inquired.

“I'm good.” You shrugged trying to play it cool. “Not my first mountain.” And it wasn't, but climbing and helping Aerith was proving to be quite grueling.

“Right.” He spoke absentmindedly his scrutiny swirling with mismatched emotions stayed fixated on you. You knew he could see straight through you, and it was both heartwarming and infuriating. “Just say somethin’ if you need a break.”

Alas nothing good came from your vulnerability and challenged ego. “Oh please, like you could keep up with me.” Would you ever be able to keep your mouth shut? Aerith ooooed beside you buying into your false bravado and eager to see the events that may unfold between the two of you.

“We’ll see.” He goaded. The sly smirk at the corner making you want to kiss the smugness right off his face and yet you missed it as he faced the next hurdle you'd have to cross. “Breaks over. Let’s go.”

You were pretty sure time stopped as the minutes turned to hours. Your thighs were burning with every step forward and your lungs equally uncomfortable as the air grew thinner. Your palms were aching with each ledge you've had to pull yourself on, and nails cracked from holding on with all the strength you had. Was this mountain particularly wicked or were you starting to decline? Poor Aerith really must be dying.

You were so focused between aiding her and surviving yourself you hadn’t realized Cloud had stopped until you’d walked right into his chest, eyes going wide as the intensity of his half lidded eyes stared down at you. “Shit. Sorry.” The words sounded heavy, sluggish, to your own ears. Why is it he can make your brain liquidate with just a heated stare?

“Can’t keep up?” He asked his attention flickering down to your parted lips. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as you thought.

“Some of us are trying to be helpful.” You shot back. You were practically giddy when the light in his eyes grew darker as they traced the way you tongue swiped over your bottom lip. You pushed at his chest to create some space before the others caught on then turned back to check on your friend. “Doing okay, Aerith?” Your voice the poster for a concerned ally.

“Yep! Feel great! I could do this all day!” She cheered, but the way her legs scuffed the gravel said otherwise. At least she still had some spirit.

“You’ve become one with the mountain.” Red explained just pace behind her.

“Say what?” You asked, the edges of your mouth curling into an amused smile.

“Really?! Thanks mountain!” Aerith exclaimed as she charged forward after Cloud, who hadn’t waited for the rest of you to begin scaling up the scaffolding. You smirked fully knowing what he was trying to hide from sight.

“The hell are you doing, Red?” Cloud asked only sparing Red a quick glance over his shoulder. Your thighs clenched. Down at the base of the cliff you had the perfect angle to stare up the his firm muscles flexing each time he climbed a ledge, or perfect glimpse of his ass as he heaved himself over the top.

“Relax. It happens to all new climbers. “If she passes out, I’ll carry her.” Red reassured him.

Red twisted his head back at your fountain of laughter with a growly rumbling from his chest. Oh, he’s serious. It only made you laugh harder. You could only picture him chewing on her dress while somehow balancing himself on two feet just climb the rock. You had to bite your bottom lip to stop it. “You that strong Red? I had no idea.” Once again laughter tried to overtake you as Red hung by his front paws, his claws anchored deep in the rocky ledge, as his back feet kicked off the side to rocket himself higher only yo sink his nails into the next ledge. It’s not funny. It shouldn’t be funny. Gods he's gonna hate you.

By the time you finally settled enough to climb the wall yourself the others were already trailing down the next chunk. It was odd to see them trust so blindly that you were still behind them. A true trust in your abilities for sure. You paused a second to watch the others move on without giving it a second thought to look back for you.

At the top a gloved hand waited to help pull you up and your heart stuttered in your chest. He waited for you.

With a heave you stood toe to toe. “Thanks for waiting.” You reached up to brush your thumb along his cheekbone.

“You okay?” He asked just above a whisper as he leaned into your touch like he'd missed the feeling from the day prior.

Your other hand tangled in his tank to pull him down to your height. You smooth lips just barely brushing against his chapped ones. “Now I am.” You confessed before pressing just that one centimeter closer to meet him, your mouth melting perfectly against him, and warm fireworks boomed all throughout your body. Turns out, you missed it too.

*~*

All the lighthearted fun came to a end in the aftermath of the Turks surprise parting gift. Two tons of flying steel shooting bullets and bombs at each one of you, and when it hadn't succeeded it switched to scorching fire or squashing you flat. It even burned a whole in your favorite boots. But, things didn’t turn sour until after it had been dealt with.

You found it unsettling that the Turks were also following the robed men. Were they hunting Sephiroth as well or were they after something else? Hojo also holds a special interest in. What did Shinra know about them that your ragtag group doesn’t?

Your apprehension didn't dwindle either, even after you met up with Tifa and crew. In fact the remnants of the old reactor only heightened your discomfort. You hoped beyond the most desperate prayer that the creaking grates held under your weight. A person could get mako poisoning just from breathing it in let alone falling into it.

The aftereffects of the explosion was horrifying even after all these years. Shinra hadn't even bothered themselves to clean up the debris. Pipes dangled precariously by a thread, hunks of ruined machinery falling through any cracks as the ground shook, and gaping holes in the walkways that you could easily fall through if you weren't paying attention. And the smell. It smelled like the babbling Brooks and a soothing breeze blowing across the summer trees and all things that life was made from. But it was twisted with an overwhelming pungent solvent mixed in. The effect on you was immediate. Pain blossomed behind your temples and your head felt pressurized yet faint. Your pulse pounded so clearly in your ears that you nearly believed you had gone deaf. To think that your developing body was submerged in this for months.

The merging of all things from the lifestream, and this man made atrocity was mans way of defiling the very laws of life itself. To drill into something so sacred should be impermissible yet the masses gather round and actually thank them. For what? Convenience? Luxury? What good would any of it be if life were to cease to exist and the Planet to run dry.

“Hey…” Yuffie’s voice droned on in the background, “so, what’s the deal with all these creepy hooded guys anyway?”

That was a question you had been meaning to ask as well. You were fortunate to have avoided them until now. You'd seen them in the distance as they ambled their way to Junon, and you were asleep on the ship when everything went down. Your skin crawled in their proximity. Their aura pulsated in greasy black waves with only one specific order whispering from their empty husks. Reunion. A sickening chill ran down the length of your spine.

“They’re Shinra’s victims.” Barret answered. That tracks.

“Huh…” She paused looking out. l towards the green pool. “Well, they’re in good company. I’ll give 'em that.”

“How do you figure?” Tifa turned to ask.

”When Shinra invaded Wutai it was… Pretty bad.” Yuffie kicked absentmindedly at some debris at her feet. “They leveled towns, killed thousands. And when the dust settled, they forced some bs truce on us.” She retold her story with a far off look that you've worn from time to time. Reliving the flickers of brutality came to easy when you're growing in the middle of it.

“I thought both sides wanted a cease fire.” Barret asked hoping to shed some light on the wars other side.

“The old geezers at the top did, yeah, but the rest of us were pissed!” Her fist met her palm. “They’d been running Wutai into the ground for years!” She yelled as she threw her hands up. “It was the last straw- we were done! Everyone was ready to kick those old parts to the curb. And that’s when Colonel Lodbrok’s team showed up. Three ex-soldiers ready to join the cause!” Your ears perked at the mention. Curious that not one, but three, soldier to defect to Wutai. Seems rather fishy, no?

“Who’d you say?” Cloud interjected as he walked from the back of the group.

Yuffie whirled towards him. “Lodbrok! His squad saved Wutai from those senile old fossils- paved the way forward! They didn’t do it alone though. While the colonel’s crew was rallin’ the people, their friend Viceroy Sarruf agreed to help. Then bam! Revolution. And that is how the interim government was born.” You'd never paid much mind to current events during the times of war. Not when you were fighting your own beneath the plate, and once you broke free you'd spent so much time wandering from place to place to stay hidden you never thought to read up on it. You knew more about the war with the Republic than this one which was kinda embarrassing, really.

“Revolution, huh? Y'all did good!” You snorted as Barret praised the young ninja. She beamed up at with a smile so bright with a childlike laughter as she soaked up the compliments. You forget she’s just a kid, sometimes.

“But… Why the interim?” Aerith asked from the side, her hand trailing through her bangs.

“Because, once this war with Shinra is behind us, the whole country’s gonna come together and decide what kinda government we want. Which is why we’re doing everything we can to make sure the interim ends in independence. Pretty cool, right?” She punched the air with her peculiar ‘ha ha ha’ that she does when she’s excited. And odd tick, but you all had your idiosyncrasies. Then she dashed off calling back at you. “Gonna stand there? Let’s get goin’!” You shook your head, but began to follow after her nonetheless.

But she was fast, and you didn't dare to leave Aerith’s side. You were sure she was doing just fine, but you wanted to be there just in case. In the lack of conversation and Yuffie’s exuberant presence breathing down your neck the ambiance quickly soured with the robes’ miserable groans taking point.

They were identical in most ways. All colorless skin, sunken eyes, and hooded cloaks. You couldn't make out any identifiable features. Well, maybe if you got closer, but you wanted as much space between them as possible. You were scared one touch would be all it took for their curse to grab hold and pull you down into its foreign clutches.

Did they feel pain? Their agonizing moans sounded like they came straight from the gates of hell, but if there was no consciousness, no host soul, who was in there to feel it?

Who were they all? Were they employees of Shinra, volunteers, or were they taken right off the streets and what experiment were they trying to perfect to have gone as badly as this. And lastly, how did it all link back to Sephiroth?

Your foot slipped out from under you and your hand snapped up to grip harshly at the railing beside you praying it wouldn't come loose. Relief washed over you that no one had seen you, it would’ve have suicide for your image, as you caught your breath. You straightened up and released your chokehold on the rusty tube beside you only for your wrist to be ensnared in a vice grip from behind. Your blood ran cold as the others walked on ahead.

You spun around quickly to frantically claw at his hand growing more desperate with each attempt. Why wont he let go?! “An..dy…” His mumbled words were filled with so much sorrow that it nearly broke your heart. His other hand outstretched towards your cheek. “Andro…meda.”

You ceased all attempts to break free as static took over the channel on your brain. What did he say?

Your arm was harshly ripped from his grip and your entire body pulled inti the firm planes of Cloud’s chest, your feet trembling as you stumbled back into him. Cloud was saying something in your ear an inquiry of sorts, but you were now hyper focused on the man in front of you. At first nothing stood out except the number 88 tattooed alongside his jaw like the other robed men, but the longer your eyes remained you could start to see what he once looked like. Salt and pepper hair that was thinning around his hairline, deep crinkles around his almond eyes like he had smiled a lot with the accompanying laugh lines that now looked out of place. Thin and cracked lips but arched at the top, and indentations on the bridge of his button nose like he wore glasses at one time. For a second you thought you'd seen a glint in his eyes like for just one mere second he had some clarity, but any trace was long gone now.

“Y/n?!” Cloud barked against you as he roughly grabbed your chin to look at you. His eyes were narrowed and sharp, his entire being vibrating with the need to take action. You hadn't meant to scare him so.

You closed your eyes and burrowed into his neck, breathing him in for comfort. “Yeah, sorry. I’m good.” You gave a weak smile to reassure him then stepped back to give him space though his hand stayed open like he hadn’t wanted to let go.

You wouldn't turn back to that shadow now solely focused on steading your legs. You couldn't unpack what just happened yet. Not now. It didn't go unnoticed when Tifa slowed to your side her eyes darting between you and Cloud then back to you as she undoubtedly fret over you. Cloud wasn't any better as he stayed three paces behind you, and didn't let his attention stray once.

You couldn't afford to lose your focus, but his face was burned into your skull. He knew her name. No one knew her name.

Their conversation about mako, and materia was distorted to the whispers in your head. Only when the surface began to bubble did you hear a world shattering cry. “It’s coming.” You whispered as you dug your ear into your shoulder to cease the ringing.

There was a hand on your shoulder, and an inquiry on their tongue, but you attention moved to the surface when the gargantuan beast breached the surface scattering mako droplets from its body through the air. It was breath taking, and frightening. It’s body was anything but smooth. Crumbly rivets swirled about it’s frame yet it was brilliantly silver and harder than any scale you’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s thick corded muscles twisted mid air to reveal the largest materia core recorded in history, before rotating once more to signal its depart. You saw your own reflection in its saucer sized eye, and with it tiny flashes of devastation that disappeared as it dove back into the mako disappearing with a piercing cry everyone heard. A few beads of mako landed on your cheek that your thoughtlessly brushed away. A weapon.

“Whoa!” Yuffie cried as she fell against the metal grate, the vibrations rattling clear under your feet.

“The hell was that thing?” Barret screamed and arm raised in defense.

“A weapon.” You answered, your eyes unmoving from the swirling green below you.

“That's correct.” Red spoke as he trotted over to your side. “Tutelary creatures said only to appear when the planet is in grave danger. Hojo has sought them for years.” You blinked the haze away to look down at him, your hand coming up to scratch absentmindedly at his head.

“Did you see what was inside it?” Yuffie burst and bounce with excitement. “That had to’ve been the biggest freakin’ materia ever! Just gotta figure out how to catch that overgrown fish.”

“The guardian of the planet?” Red asked astounded with the audacity of the little ninja.

“Whatever! I’m not about to let a materia that beautiful get away! And just so we’re clear, it’s mine- I called-”

“Shut up, Yuffie!” You snapped. “Are you so willing to destroy the planet for materia?! How is that any better than Shinra.” You spat and stormed off before you could say anything else. It was like you to lose control, but everything was happening so fast and you couldn't figure out how to handle it all. The man, your mother, the weapon, and now- How could she be serious?

Your foot steps against the metal clanged on even when the fury began to settle into ashes, and with it came some clarity. Guilt gnawed at your innards. You knew why she was so obsessed with materia, and obtaining it, but unchecked desperation was a deadly affliction. If not for the guardian of the planet where would she draw the line? Greed is what lead humanity here in the first place, and with the fiends emergence you'd think all planet dwellers would head its warning.

The soles of your boots halted at the edge of an old elevator. It appeared to be fully functional. All the thick braided cords were connected and intact. The door opened and shut accordingly, and it held your weight appropriately. Perhaps you should wait for the others before continuing onward.

It wasn't long until they came lumbering up the hill. You pushed off the operating console and skippered to the side to allow someone more skilled to have access to the panel. Tifa nudged up to you, looking around her hair that often fell into her face. “You okay?”

“I'm fine.” You said smile that didn't quite reach your eyes and a playful head tint to dissuade her concerns.

Stepping into the elevator was a bit, well much more that a bit, cramped. You body was quickly pushed towards the side as they filed in one by one until Cloud, at last, crammed in in front of you, his chest encroaching on your side in favor of being shoulder to shoulder with Tifa. With a ding that chimed above your heads the doors rattled open into coal mine. Before long the elevator dinged on the lowest floor and opened up into an old mine. You hadn't had a moment to look around lest you wanted to be left behind.

The grand peak you had read about in text books now stood grand before you, the point glinting in the afternoon sun. Of course the anchored gears into the sedimentary looked amiss, but it was once a coal mine after all. Now you stood on the on neglected tracks that once carried said coal straight to the heart of Corel only now the bascule bridge denied you passage.

“Dead end?” Yuffie huffed, very much the petulant child she could be.

“For now. Can’t cross till we lower it.” Red explained.

“Well this sucks.” She announced as she kicked the pebbles near her feet.

You gaze slides to Barret, who became the object of interest to everyone, and it was comical how long it took for him to realize all eyes were on him. “What?!” He barked, his meaty palm shooting up to the top of his head.

“You know this area… don’t you?” Tifa asked sheepishly obviously tip toeing around the obvious sensitive subject.

He scratched at the short hairs on his scalp looked to the mountain. Was the far off look in his eyes retelling all of his fond times or reliving the tragic events that occurred a long time ago? Eventually his hand lifted off his head to point up to the peak. “Control room’s up there at the top of the cliff.”

“How do we reach it?” Aerith asked.

“Through the mine.” He answered through clenched teeth. “Won’t be a walk in the park though. Place’s been abandoned for years.”

Near the base of the bridge cloaks of black stumbled erratically. It all happened so fast that it took everyone by surprise. At every obstacle thus far they had always halted their movements, and waited for the clear path to open up so imagine the horror that lanced through each of you as the first one stumbled right over the side to meet its inevitable demise into the craggy valley and into the unforgiving river that raged below.

“We’re workin’ on it! Just wait a minute!” Barret pleaded.

The hair on your arms and neck raised with alarm as the energy behind you began to change. The once gentle and resolute radiance was permeated by the same bleakness your robed friends were plagued with like a drop of black dye in the clearest of waters. Your breath froze in your lungs as an almost inaudible pressed in your ears, and everything in your being screamed at you to not look over to what you know you’ll see, but you couldn't run from this. You couldn't run from him.

Your fears were confirmed as Cloud took uneven unsteadied steps towards the edge. At first the others hadn't noticed anything was amiss, but as you took even paces towards him Cloud’s unresponsiveness registered on Barret’s radar. As his foot hovered over the edge you finally closed the distance roughly wrapping your arm around his bicep to yank him towards you. You gripped the sides of his face and pulled till he was level with your own.

Your thumb traced absentmindedly along his cheek your gaze piercing into him as an inner war waged on inside him. His eyes were not his own. The same color sure, but his pupils were nothing but dark slits not unlike the Midgar Zolom. “Cloud.” You called your throat constricting around the emotions welling in your heart. Your pulse sped up when your voice seemed seemed to have a clear effect on him. The foreign stare flickering back and forth from this unknown entity, and his own inner person. You could still feel him in there, the Cloud you were so utterly enamored with. “Cloud, come back to me.”

He gripped his head, falling back a step, and screamed in pain. His face set in utter torment before his knees buckled under him and his entire frame falling into you. He nuzzled his nose under your collar and hands clutched your sides hard enough you'd bruise, but his desperation to be as close to you as possible didn't deter you from hooking you arms under his to slowly walk him backwards to the test stop behind you. You refused to falter under his weight your sheer willpower enough to carry his burdens and your determination to be his pillar could overcome your own limitations.

Barret was quickly at your side to assist you and with his help you could comfortably lay him across the bench to rest since he was unable to hold up his own weight. You fetch one of the vacuumed cushions you always made sure to pack and ripped the wrappings off it with your teeth. Once the fabric inflated to its original state you slide it under his head.

“Perhaps the mako got to him.” Red speculated. “Regardless, he’s clearly tired.”

“Cloud could rest here while a couple of us go and lower the bridge, yeah?” Yuffie suggested. A pit of guilt licked at your lower stomach.

“Works for me.” Tifa agreed. You tried to step away just to offer your assistance but Cloud’s outer hand curled around your thigh and held tight. You looked down to where he clutched you. His arm was trembling, and cold, his eyes were squeezed tights and sweat trickled from his hairline. You couldn't bring yourself to try to pry him off, and truthfully you didn't want to leave his side. It was a unrealistic fear, but what if you went the others only to learn he'd leaped. “You should stay behind.” Tifa said as she looked over your shoulder, her voice wistful for something he could clearly not give her. Her gloved fingers tucked the raven strands behind her ears then the her hand fell to her bicep to rub the skin there absentmindedly. “He needs you.” She admitted with a tight lipped smile.

You only nodded in agreement. You had a feeling this cut her deeper than any normal childhood friendship bond could. You could hear the heartbreak, alongside the indisputable worry everyone of you were experiencing, tucked into every word. It was painted in her downcast eyes and inward shoulders.

“When that thing rings,” Barret pointed to the operating phone in the booth to the left. “you’ll know we’re done.” You nodded in understanding. “And you,” he pointed to where Cloud’s head flopped lazily to the side, “don’t move till you’re good and ready.”

“Alright, put your minin’ helmets on and follow me!” Yuffie broke out into a fit of youthful laugher. Whether so was trying to lift everyone's spirits or was genuinely oblivious to the disaster this trip had turned into you could only wished her ability for lightheartedness could be contagious.

*~*

You weren't really sure how long the ago they'd left spending most of it in your head, and the rest of it on the man laying in your lap. Your knew Aerith, and Red were probably just as lost as you were with the latest events, but you surprisingly was not handling it well.

You thrive on chaos and danger. It’s the been the only constant in your life, and you had made a home within it, but it felt like your like world was crumbling from under you.

The only thing you were sure of was that Cloud and the men were connected, and that means everything ties back into Shinra, and more so Sephiroth.

“I know you want to talk about it.” You said your tender gaze unwavering from Cloud’s relaxed face. “I just don’t even know where to start.”

“What do you make of these people?” She asked.

You stared out at the small group that have congregated at the base of the bridge. They no longer showed any signs of impatience, but that lingering thought still stuck to you. “Why did they jump off?”

“I don't know.” She admitted quietly.

“I think they're puppets.” You felt her cerulean depths slide onto you, watching with interest. “They haven't been impatient before right?”

“I don’t think so. They usually just wait around when they have no other place to go.”

“Exactly. Why jump off this bridge when there was no clear path, unless they were told to.”

“But Cloud-” She started.

“Is connected somehow.” You finished for her regardless of if she drew the same conclusion. You twisted your head to her, leaning the weight of it against the bench. “You felt it too, right?”

“I smelled a change for just a moment.” Red concurred from his place below the bench where he stretched his paws.

“It’s Sephiroth, I think.” Aerith said after sometime. “With the weapon appearing, and his search for the promised land cant be a coincidence. I just wished i knew more.”

“I’m sure with time we will soon understand.” He was right, but it didn’t really bring any reassurance.

You needed the information now if you were to help him. Was it possible that the hosts were still somewhere in the disabled bodies? You swallowed thickly before you opened your lips thinking about the incident that started todays downwards spiral, “That man… the one that grabbed me, knew my name.”

Aerith looked at you quizzically. “Y/n, he didn't say your name.”

“He did. I was named, on paper at least, after my mother who became Project Andromeda or Project “A” after she fell into a coma while she worked in mako research.” The two of them shared a look. “She was pregnant at the time so Shinra seized the opportunity to put her on a vent and submerge her body into mako in one of their many reactors to see if they could create a Cetra.”

“Let me guess, Hojo?” Red drawled.

“Who else.”

“So that man…” Aerith started, but then stopped. If she was thinking what you thought she was thinking you were grateful she didn’t put it in words.

You shuddered a breath, “He must've knew her or of her to know her name.” Or loved her, but you couldn't let yourself go there. Not yet. “It was a classified project.”

“I see.” Was all she said, and that’s really all there was to say. The only one who you tell you was him, and he’s in no position to spill.

When you looked back to your lap one gorgeous blue staring back at you without a trace of his earlier discomfort, and a true smile spread across you face. The weight that had settled on your chest was finally lifted. He's okay. “Morning sleepy beauty.”

He nuzzled his cheek farther into the fat of your thighs. “Hey.”

*~*

“Hello, hello! This is special agent Yuffie! Can you read me, Commander Cloud?” Her voice rang through the speakers as bright as sunshine. Cloud shook his head, amused by her perpetual cheer, and walked over to the phone. “How you doin’? Feelin’ better?”

“I’m good.” He responded.

There was some chatter that filtered through as if there was a struggle for the phone, before Barret’s husky timbre spoke through the static. “We’ll take a cart back down. You three follow the tracks till you hit the bridge in town. Figure we link up there before heading in. You copy?”

“Copy.”

“Oh, and set our route while you’re at it, will ya? The gentler the ride, the better. Don’t want anyone losin’ their lunch.” He chuckled.

“I’m beggin’ ya, Cloud please!” Yuffie pleaded like her life depended on her.

“I wouldn't mind some excitement, but whatcha gonna do?” And the line went dead.

Cloud faced everyone still here and squared his shoulders. He had a part to play. “Time to go.”

Cloud did what he could to push his growing fears back where it came from, but this latest episode had rattled him. He’d seen what was happening to Broden back in Kalm but he reasoned with himself that his time was farther down the road. ‘Don't take your youth for granted.’ He’s only twenty-one years old. He should have had years left, but it was hard to ignore the signs when he almost just walked ,off the cliff. He would have too, if it hadn’t been for you.

He wasn’t sure how or why but your voice had acted like a beacon, a light in the dark, to lead him back through the thick muffled void that threatened to swallow him whole. Your grip on his arm kept him grounded, and once he found himself pressed to your bare skin with your scent lining his nostrils he could finally feel himself again. When he woke he thought he might have died for a moment when your sweet face beamed down at him like the world was right again, and honestly he would've welcomed death if it had meant he got to be in that position every day with your fingers in his hair and the heat of your body seeping into his own.

But reality came knocking, and shit has to go on so he’s doing what he does best: put on a brave face and push forward.

When you reached the divergence in the tracks he quickly shot over to the navigation map to oversee what route their cart was charted to take. Once he figured which route lead where he opted to give Barret his thrill as a thank you, but he couldn't bare to move the level as your hand covered his. He swallowed thick as he met your eyes, then darting down to the sheepish grin, and back to your eyes. He let you pull his hand into the safer option.

“I owe Yuffie.” Was all you said and who was he to deny you when all he wanted was breathe the same air as you.

He was thankful for the fiends that provided him with something to occupy his mind from the darker thoughts that lurked between his ears but really you were proving to be all he needed to pull him off his axis. Your shining braid twisting through the hair as you moved around fiends, soft skin that brushed against his own from time to time that spread goosebumps in your wake, your bell like laugh as you bantered with Aerith and Red. Every little detail made his chest puff with longing, and he didn't know how much more he could take before all the desire in came to a head. He was no longer confused about what he felt, and he didn't give a shit if anyone else was looking anymore. He was done wasting what time he had left. He loved you, clear as day. It was fact. It was as true as the sun rising each day or the very blood that pumped through his veins. Youve stolen his heart that very first day you'd looked into his eyes, and he’d be damned if you didn’t keep it till his time was up.

*~*

Bonus scene 1

“So, Red…” Aerith started a hint of mischief playing on her tongue.

“No.” He flat out refused any whims she may be thinking. His delivery pulling out yet another one of your heart clenching laughs.

“I didn’t even say anything yet.” Aerith pouted.

“You didn’t have to.” He countered.

“One squeeze?”

“No.”

“Please? If not for me, at least for Cloud?”

He shrugged, feeling glad for once to be pulled into the silly banter. “I mean, I am kinda curious…”

A low growl emanated from beneath the tufts of red on his chest. A warning to heed.

“How ‘bout this?” Aerith started. “At the next inn, we treat you to a foot massage!”

“I was trained to give impeccable hand massages.” You chimed in though the thought of you treating him to one too had heat rushing to his face. At least he was in the front.

“Not you too.” Red sighed. You held your hands up in defeat and Cloud couldn’t contain the light laugh, your head turning quickly to eye him up.

“Did you just laugh? Guys!” You bounced on the balls of your feet. “Cloud Strife, just laughed.”

Bonus Scene 2

“Who’s this?” Aerith inquired as the both of you watched this cute little ball of golden fluff fly around Cloud even as he aimed to swat the creature away. To your delight it’s determination won out in the end as it chirped happily as it settle onto Cloud’s shoulder.

“Think of him as a tagalong.” Yuffie skipped directly into you too, wide smile in tow. She’s always so elated to stir up more trouble.

“Wait a sec…” Aerith whispered as low as possible into your ear. “That is uncanny.” She pointed between the tiny cluckatrice chick’s spikey coat and the near identical style of the merc’s hair.

“I know, right?” Yuffie cried out. “Meet ‘Cloud jr.’”

You stepped closer, as steady as you could as to not frighten the chick, and reached a finger out to scratch the tuffs just under its beak. The chick chirped and spread it wings, soaring around your head on its route to Cloud Sr.’s unamused face.

“Kill me.” Everyone chuckled at Cloud’s dismay, but the attention quickly shifting to Mama Cluckatrice’s grand entrance giving you ample time to soothe Cloud’s ruffled feathers.

With a quick look around to make sure no one else was looking you spun your finger around one of the front locks. You leaned in so your lower voice could be heard. “Don’t worry. You’re cute too.”

This was a very heavy chapter and the bonus scenes at the end just didn't fit the mood of the chapter all together but still moments that would be canon in this spin. Im hoping to have the next chapter out quick since it should be a smaller piece. Until then my friends.

[crustyfloor]

brain fart but when I watch the kiss scene over and over again I can't help but compare some of Ivan's expressions to that of an frustrated child trying to put on a straight face to get what he wants, he looks so stoic in every scene in a way that it just looks put on(?) ill think about it more later

[infamous-if]

how many chapters will the whole game be?

I...have no idea. My first outline was a good 20 or so chapters (yikes) but i managed to merge a lot of things in the demo that flowed much better so that already cut it down. i follow the outline but i also give myself wiggle room because sometimes the pacing works better

im just vibing we'll see idk

[canisalbus]

I thought your dream story was amazing and so intense and yeah bad, lol clearly, but that has manifested itself as a whole AU in my head. Geriatric V and mentally ill M experiencing doomsday in a pastel grandmacore cottage be reminding me of an a24 film or some cult movie where you are experiencing the -wrongness- What a whole concept.

.

[aventurineswife]

A kinda specific and maybe long but fun idea i had for a req:

Essentially, {and bare w me, i’m half asleep writing this lol} Reader x Sunday, and Reader is a childhood friend of his, who he loved, and someday when they were older, Reader was tragically killed in an incident. Sunday however, in a grief stricken state, decides to rebel against his original goal for the sweetdream paradise (penacony arc reference) and decides to shape it into a dream instead where he’s happily married to Reader, although for the sake of the dream he’s altered their memories. ending is essentially up to you!

{some additional ideas i had if you wanted to, were things like an argument between gopher and sunday, or robin and sunday, in whichever points of the story you wanted}

alternatively, a different Aventurine version would be interesting, mostly w the same set up but Sunday met Reader during Aventurine’s mission on Penacony, liked them, and Aven has to basically fight off the dream and Sunday.

but yeah, that’s pretty much it, everything else is up for creative liberties! i hope this one is at least somewhat interesting lol xx and srry if some of it doesn’t make sense 😓🤍

“Sometimes, the hardest part of letting go is realizing that the dream was never real”

Summary: In the idyllic yet hollow world of Sweetdream Paradise, Sunday crafts a perfect life with you—his lost love, altered memories and all—to escape the sorrow of reality. But as others begin to break through his illusion, and you start to remember fragments of a different fate, the dream begins to fracture. Torn between love and the harshness of truth, Sunday must finally face the choice to let you go, or remain forever in his self-made paradise.

Tags: Sunday x Reader, unrequited love, grief, loss, dreamscape, bittersweet ending, altered memories, memory manipulation, moral dilemma, angst, hurt/comfort, alternate reality, surrealism, slow unraveling, denial of reality.

Warnings: Grief, themes of manipulation, psychological trauma, implied death of Reader, reality distortion, emotional conflict, bittersweet resolution, morally ambiguous decisions.

A/N: Don't worry, anon! I appreciate all the details, the more details the more I can try to understand what you want exactly! Though I probably changed some bits of it here 😪

Sunday had always been proud of his role within Penacony, the creator of Sweetdream Paradise—a place where sorrow could be stilled, where suffering dissolved into an endless realm of serene dreams. It was a comforting reality he believed people needed, a soft oblivion to cradle them. Yet, in the depths of his mind, his peaceful philosophy hid a darker purpose, shaped by the ache of a loss he could never endure.

You had been his friend, a constant light in his youth, a companion who grounded his dreams. For as long as he remembered, you were there, with laughter that melted his worries and eyes that could see through his layered philosophies. But the day you were lost, taken too soon in a tragic incident, the world itself had hollowed out for him. The pain of your absence haunted him like a shadow, feeding a grief so deep that he was willing to defy his original purpose. In that moment of desolation, he turned Sweetdream Paradise into something far more personal—a realm where you still lived, where you loved him just as much as he had loved you.

In this new dream, Sunday made alterations. He reshaped your memories, softened the sharp edges of reality, and wove a seamless history where you had married him, where together, you built a life free of tragedy. In this dream, he could protect you eternally, shielded by his crafted illusion.

You woke to sunlight filtering through the windows, lying beside Sunday as the golden morning glow danced over his features. His eyes opened, catching you with a familiar warmth, and he reached over, brushing his fingers across your cheek.

"Good morning." he murmured, voice low and rich, as if savoring the simplicity of that greeting.

Every day was like this—a gentle, perfect rhythm that never seemed to break. You didn’t remember a world outside of this home, this life with him. And as you looked at him, you felt safe, loved, yet there was always a faint unease, like a fragment of something forgotten.

But the days went on, filled with laughter and love. Sunday seemed devoted to making sure you never doubted this world, his every word a reassurance that here, you were whole and happy.

One evening, as Sunday worked quietly at his desk, a visitor shattered the peace of his dream. It was Robin, standing just inside the doorway, her expression dark with a kind of wary sadness.

“Brother, you need to stop this,” she said, folding her arms. Her gaze fixed on him, seeing through the veneer of the dream. “This isn’t right. This… this paradise you’re keeping isn’t reality.”

Sunday straightened, his face hardening at her words. “Who are we to deny people peace, Robin? Haven’t we seen enough pain? Haven’t they?” His voice broke slightly, the facade slipping as he glanced toward where you sat by the fire, unaware of the intensity in his voice. He softened, as if trying to protect the dream from any trace of discord.

“You’re keeping people trapped. Yourself included. And for what? A fantasy? Is that really what they would have wanted?” Robin’s voice grew more urgent, her frustration showing. “They’re gone. You have to accept that.”

Sunday’s fists clenched at her words, every fiber in his body resisting the truth. “How could you understand?” he whispered. “In this place, they’re alive. I’m not hurting anyone. I’m giving them peace. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Robin stared at him, her gaze a mix of pity and sorrow. “At what cost, Brother? You’re keeping yourself from moving on, holding them hostage in a world that isn’t even real.”

In an alternate version of Penacony, Sunday’s paradise faced an even stranger twist. Aventurine, the cunning Stoneheart known for his strategic mind, was on his own mission in Sweetdream Paradise, seeking information that only Sunday could provide. But as he delved into the fabric of this dreamscape, he found himself questioning the reality around him, the shimmering dream where Sunday lived an idyllic life with you.

Aventurine confronted Sunday one night, his tone half-amused, half-concerned. “Interesting setup you have here,” he remarked, eyes gleaming with curiosity as he took in the flawless surroundings. “I almost believed it myself… almost. But what happens when the dream can’t hold itself together anymore?”

Sunday’s gaze narrowed, his protective instincts flaring. “What do you mean by that?”

Aventurine shrugged, his gaze flicking to you, sitting quietly, oblivious to the tension. “Everyone in this place… it’s all too perfect, isn’t it? You’re clinging to a memory, one that doesn’t belong here.”

In a rare flash of anger, Sunday stepped forward, his eyes darkening. “This isn’t any of your concern, Aventurine. Leave.”

Aventurine met his glare, his smirk slipping. “You think you’re the only one who’s loved and lost? Reality has its flaws, Sunday. It’s messy, painful… but it’s real. This—this is just a prison you’re keeping yourself in.”

Sunday’s voice trembled, caught between anguish and fury. “Better a beautiful dream than a brutal reality.”

Aventurine’s gaze softened for a brief moment, though he couldn’t abandon his sardonic tone. “But at least in reality, they would have remembered you for who you are, not a god in a gilded cage.”

In the end, it was you—within the dream—who finally confronted him, feeling the intangible pull of memories you didn’t recognize. “Sunday… something doesn’t feel right,” you whispered one night, as he sat beside you. “I keep… remembering pieces of something different, something that feels like it wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

Sunday’s face grew pale, fear creeping into his eyes. “No, you don’t have to worry about that. You’re here. We’re together. Isn’t that enough?”

But as you searched his eyes, you could feel the truth breaking through, the dream trembling under the weight of reality. “Sunday, what are you not telling me?”

He looked away, his heart shattering as he realized he couldn’t keep you here forever. Slowly, he whispered, “I… I just wanted to keep you safe. To give us a life that didn’t end in sorrow.”

With a trembling hand, you reached out, brushing a tear from his cheek. “It’s okay to let go. You have to keep going… even if it means letting me go.”

Sunday’s shoulders shook, the dream beginning to unravel around them, pieces of the illusion fading as he looked into your eyes one last time. “I… I don’t know if I can.”

But in the final moments, he felt your hand slip away, leaving him alone in the vast silence of his own grief. And as he awoke from his dream, Sunday found himself in a world still plagued by loss, his heart hollow yet somehow freer. Though you were gone, he understood, at last, that he had to face reality, no matter how painful it was.

And in that pain, he found a fragile hope—a sliver of light breaking through the dark.

*cutely posts all my drafts that have been dying to see the light* 😇💖

[1introvertedsage]

I’ll take my time with you because I want to know you. All of you. In the deepest ways possible.

[b-blushes]

i'm already psyching myself up for a super strong Sort It Out Saturday tomorrow..... i can do it...... you can do it........... we can do it..............!

[gaybd1]

so sokka's problems mostly swept under the rug because he doesn't have time to deal with huge and heavy emotions when he has to step up and keep his tribe and his sister and then later the gaang safe. i keep thinking about what that must mean after the war is over, how sokka would get the first real calm in his life for years and suddenly be hit by a train of trauma that needs unpacking. maybe not directly after the war, but a few years later, when things have stabilized, he just emotionally collapses and needs help from the gaang (and specifically zuko cmon now) in order to pull himself back up

YES I obsess over this concept.

WOULD he deal with it in a healthy manner? Ever? Or would he just keep himself busy, keep moving onto the Next Big Thing because that’s all he knows how to do? Would he throw himself into his work? Massive engineering projects to improve the world? His new version of saving the world, and we’ve SEEN the changes between the first show and Korra. Did he do all of that? To keep himself from thinking about his trauma? Does he become a workaholic? Does he end up spending less time with loved ones than he ought to because he’s so busy giving them a better world to live in??

I DON’T KNOW but I do know that boy wouldn’t WILLINGLY go to anyone else about his issues because HE is supposed to be the responsible one and burdening anyone else with his insignificant problems (from his perspective) is UNTHINKABLE