#they do a vital job but the way people with good intent get caught in the crossfire without a discussion happening at all is kinda fucked

[festivalinhell]

I'm glad I stopped interacting a lot on Reddit for a while. Probably going to do it again tbh... Like you post one thing thats like "I don't let myself be boxed into gender standards made up by cis het dudes. I see being genderfuild-genderfucky as an act of rebellion and you should too (with the implied caveat of "if thats your gender identity of course") and got deleted for being "Truscum" like fuckin what?

The whole post is about how there is literally no right or wrong way to be trans. That we should be free to be ourselves rebelliously. But my meme-y "and you should too!" PSA style title is all that matters to reductive internet denizens.

Anyway, Tumblr is better, hairy trans women with big hogs and no HRT, and non-OP transmen are shaking hands and having hella affirming fuck sessions while not letting the patriarchal chains hold em back. Just the shackles on the headboard they built together.

[quindolyn]

heyyyyy, can you do harry imagine where when they fight with the death eaters fem reader rescues sirius from bellatrix because she know he is the only relative harry has and gets hurt, so in the hospital harry visits her and thanks her and she tells him that she loves her? like lots of fluff😻

To Be Lovable || Harry Potter

Word Count: 4069

A/N: Hey love, I hope you enjoy this! It was a lot of fun to write.

Warnings: mentions of a broken bone, let’s just pretend that Sirius’ name has already been cleared, obviously not canon, I believe that that is it.

Masterlist

Life had fucked Harry Potter over, that was for sure. It basically said “fuck you” and gave him the responsibility of saving muggle and wizardkind alike. Robbed him of a family, of a childhood, of any semblance of the confidence he so desperately needed. 

But life always outs. Life will always find a way to straighten itself out, even the scales. Life had given Harry Sirius Black, so it was doing a pretty good job so far. Just as life had fucked Harry Potter, it’d fucked Sirius Black too.

When life gave them each other it slowly started mending its wrong doings with Sirius’ false imprisonment, Harry’s lack of a father figure, their shared lack of affection of any sort. In Harry Sirius had found a friend, a son and in Sirius, Harry had found a father, someone to care.

You had spent the last five years watching Harry suffer trial after trial all while you suffered a trial of your own, the trial of loving him from afar. As much as you adored Harry, and you really did, how could you not? From the blush that painted his cheeks at the slightest compliment, to the way his glasses sat crooked on his nose, to the messy black mop of hair that sat upon his head the boy was completely and utterly loveable. But it was because of the love you harbored for the boy that you refused to confess your feelings to him, he had more than enough on his plate. The Boy Who Lived most definitely had better things to do with his time than deal with the feelings of a hormonal teenager. Perhaps that was life’s way of fucking with you, making you love a boy who didn’t have it within him to love you back.

Life didn’t get to fuck with Harry Potter anymore, he’d done more than his fair share of suffering, of grieving, he’d more than served a punishment he’d never earned. That’s all you could think about as you saw Bellatrix point her wand at Sirius’ form, laughing maniacally as a jet of green light shot from the tip of her wand, aimed directly at Sirius. 

Head thrown back in laughter, eyes closed, it was clear that he wasn’t going to be able to dodge the curse leaving you with no other option but to full on tackle him. You threw your body at him, aiming to take him down at the knees but failing rather miserably instead wrapping your arms around his chest and instead of knocking him to the ground, making him stumble backward.

Regardless, on the floor, or a few inches to the right, you still managed to knock him out of the curse’s path. Sirius hadn’t realized who was on top of him or that their intentions were good rather than evil, in the heat of the moment, with curses flying to and fro you were flung from his body as he knocked you onto the floor.

As you landed on your side, your arm trapped beneath you, you heard the distinct, sickening snap of what couldn't have been anything other than bone. The sound rang through the din in the room, impossible to miss but yet no one seemed to offer you so much as a glance, anyone except Sirius that was. 

“Shit” He swore, bending down to access the damage, gently turning you on to your back so that he could get a better look at your arm, “I’m so sorry (Y/N).”

“It’s fine Sirius,” You slurred, not daring to look at your arm, the pain you were feeling was enough, you were more than fine without visuals to match. Having never broken a bone before you were not ready for the immense pain that festered in your arm, sharp and stabbing it felt like every single nerve in your arm was being bludgeoned over and over again, mercy be damned.

“You’re slurring your words (Y/N),” Sirius scolded, not angry at you but rather at himself, “You’re not okay and it’s not fine. Now did you hit your head too?”

You thought for a moment, had you hit your head?

Yes, you remembered the thump of your skull against the hard stone of the room hidden deep within the Department of Mysteries, and the more you thought about it, the more clearly you could feel that the dull thrum of pain was still present where the initial impact had occurred.

 “Y-yeah,” You stuttered out, your vision blurring as the man kneeling above you started to fade, “I think so, it hurts.” Black spots began to dance through your vision, the cacophony of noise in the room became a low buzz as the sound of your blood rushing through your veins overwhelmed you. It became the only thing you could hear.

You heard the faint noise of Sirius letting out a slew of curses, not all of which seemed to be in English as his hands moved to your scalp, gently pressing down until a sharp pain coursed through you. 

“Fuck,” Someone, swore, him or you, you weren’t sure. It was very possible it had been either of you as Sirius pulled his hand away from your head and back into your visage. His middle three fingers were soaked in blood, your blood. Crimson and dripping from his digits the metallic scent flooded your nostrils making you work not to gag as you found the stench to be truly nauseating. 

He spoke again, or at least you thought he did as you could faintly make out the whisper of his voice and the moving of his lips.

Faintly you wondered if you heard the familiar voice of a certain bespectacled boy, frantic as he approached you, and the glimpse of dark, messy hair you caught almost convinced you of such. But as more and more blackness took over your vision it became harder and harder to tell until you were completely swallowed, and your eyes blinked closed into a dark, dreamless sleep.

“She’s not exactly asleep,” Someone was talking.

“Well she sure as hell isn’t awake,” There was someone in the room.

“If you’d let me finish Mr. Weasley-”

“Oh shut up,” This voice was new, deeper than either of the previous ones, its posh accent distinctly different than the other two, “No need to condescend the boy just tell us if (Y/N)’s going to be alright. Harry’s going to want to know when he finishes his business with Dumbledore.”

Harry? Was Harry alright? Stupid question, if precedent was anything to go on, he probably wasn’t.

At the mention of his name you felt a wave of energy surge through you, it was only with that energy you were able to blink your eyes open. They desperately wanted to close as the harsh white light of the room flooded your irises but you refused to let them, instead squinting so that the light entering your vision was limited. 

“As I was saying,” The first voice continued, “She’s in a medically induced coma, this isn’t a restful sleep this is because she can’t afford to be conscious right now and when she wakes up she’s going to be in a whole world of pain and having the six of you here isn’t going to help her.”

No one seemed to notice your new state of consciousness as they continued their conversation, voices tense with worry as they batted back and forth in a game of verbal racketball, a question met by an answer which was countered by another question.

You were too out of it to take offense to their neglect as you felt that surge of energy start to slip away from you, like sand through your fingertips. Grasping onto the last whispers of it before it drifted away from you entirely you cleared your throat, the sound minuscule but apparently just loud enough to catch the attention of a certain red headed girl.

“(Y/N),” This voice was unmistakable Ginny. You turned your head to face the source of her voice, met by the blurry outline of unmistakable Weasley red, they really should just patent it at this point, hair surrounding a pale face. “(Y/N) you’re awake!” She lunged towards you gripping your arm in her hand, albeit a little painfully, but all pain, and sound, and sight seemed fuzzy, like remembering a dream from the night prior.

At Ginny’s words, all heads in the room snapped to your form where you laid in the hospital bed, looking as though you’d seen better days. Which granted, you had. 

It took a second for them all to register the meaning behind what Ginny had announced, but as soon as they did they went into a flurry, a healer rushing to take your vitals, moving her wand up and down your body, muttering incantations under her breath. Molly was at your side, gazing at you with brown eyes swimming with worry as she ran a hand down the side of your face which was still lolled to the side. Two identical boys stood at the foot of your bed while two girls, the previously spoken of redhead and her curly haired friend stood back, giving the Healers space to move about. 

Sirius stood over Molly’s shoulder, his eyes drowning in guilt as he failed to return your gaze. 

“Where am I?” Godric you sounded awful, and it felt like there was gravel in your throat, irritating you even as you merely swallowed.

“St. Mungo’s darling,” Molly answered promptly, trying and failing to suppress a sniffle, “You were hurt at the Department of Mysteries.”

You remembered, oh you undoubtedly remembered. The ache in your arm and head was more than enough to remind you of what had occurred, it was reinforced by the dark haired man looming in the corner refusing to meet your eyes.

After a good deal of fussing both by the Healers and Molly people finally started to stream out of your room, first Ginny and Hermione, followed by the twins and finally the Healers and Molly. 

That left just you and Sirius, who still refused to meet your eyes, in the small room which smelt of dittany and blood. 

It was silent for a minute, then two, before you simply couldn’t take it anymore, if he wasn’t going to say something you would, “S’not your fault Sirius,” Your voice was still rather hoarse but it had improved significantly after downing the three cups of water than had been placed in front of you. 

“You were just trying to save me, you did save me and now you’re hurt.” His head which had previously been hung raised to finally meet your eyes, the shame he carried in his eyes was palpable, remorse etched into his face. A face which reflected every year he’d lived on this planet and then some. 

“M’gonna be fine Sirius, you didn’t know it was me I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” You shook your head lightly to refocus your eyes but that just amplified the pain already pounding in your skull.

Reluctantly Sirius trudged towards you before pulling a chair up to your bed and eventually resting himself in it, not looking at your face but rather at the foot of the bed. “Why’d you do it (Y/N)? Why’d you go to all that trouble to save an old man like me?” There was none of his usual humor in his voice, only a sorrowful curiosity.

“You’re all he has left Sirius,” This drew his attention, craning his neck to look at you, his eyes, accompanied by his continued silence urged you on, “You can’t die on him because then he’ll have no one.”

For the first time since you’d tackled him in the Department on Mysteries however long ago, Sirius Black smiled. Unlike his usual smirks or grins, the one that graced his face was gentle, and perhaps a bit hopeful as well.

“Not so sure about that love,” He let out a laugh so light it was barely a laugh, more like a puff of air, “He’d still have you, wouldn’t he?”

You willed yourself not to give away your true feelings for Harry to his godfather of all people, but the nervous grin that adorned your face was a dead give away to his already good guess.

“He cares about you (Y/N),” Sirius was merciful, sparing you from verbalizing the feelings that the both of you now acknowledged existed, “We had to drag him away from you at the Department of Mysteries.”

“That was Harry?” You perked up, “I didn’t just imagine him?”

“Nope,” He replied, popping his p, “He almost punched Moony when tried to drag him away from you.”

Not knowing how to respond to that you simply didn’t.

“He had to meet with Dumbledore to discuss something, that’s why he wasn’t here when you woke up,” Sirius explained.

“Oh, its okay, I’m sure he has much better things to do than come visit-”

You were cut off mid sentence by the sound of feet thumping down the hallway outside your room. Both you and Sirius turned your heads to watch someone fly by the cracked door of the room, his voice booming as he called out for you, then Ron, then Hermione. 

“Sir, I’m going to need you to be a little quieter,” The stern but kind voice drifted into the room from the hallway.

“Where is she?” Yup, that has Harry. The sound of his voice was ingrained in your head and had been for countless years now. 

You and Sirius stayed silent, still watching the door, listening to the tense conversation taking place between Harry and the St. Mungo’s staff member before you heard Hermione’s voice cut in, trying to calm the two men down.

“Well it sounds like he’s going to be in here soon,” Sirius said, standing up from his chair, gazing down at you.

“It does,” You agreed.

“I will never be able to thank you enough (Y/N), not only for saving my life today but for being such a good friend to Harry, giving him the love that he deserves.” Tears brimmed at the raven haired man’s eyes as he laid his palm atop your hand.

“Of course Sirius,” Your voice cracked mid sentence as you too were gulping down tears.

Leaning down Sirius pressed a fatherly kiss to the crown of your head just as Harry burst through the door.

“Speak of the devil,” The older chuckled, pulling back to his full height as Harry bounded towards you, completely ignoring the presence of his godfather. 

“(Y/N)!” His long legs got him to you in no time at all, when he reached you his eyes snagged on your broken arm before meeting your own. 

Sirius sent you a silent wink as he slipped from the room, you hadn’t noticed him even make his way towards the door. He made sure to shut the door tightly behind him so that you and Harry would be granted some privacy.

“Hi Harry,” You let out a watery chuckle as you took in his appearance, he looked like he’d gotten caught in a wind tunnel with his hair all messy, and the fabric of his tight fitting t-shirt clinging to his chest. 

“Don’t laugh,” He frowned down at you as he settled himself next to you on the bed, “You might hurt your lung or something.”

You smiled at his clueless, over protective behavior, “S’not my lungs that are hurt H, just my arm and my head.”

“There’s nothing just about it,” He countered, “You’d be fine without your arm but you need your head (Y/N/N), can’t go walking around without it.” 

You opened your mouth to say something but you didn’t get the chance before he started talking again, pushing himself off up the flimsy mattress to pace next to your bed, “What the hell were you thinking jumping on Sirius like that?”

You rolled your eyes at his outburst, “Bellatrix had cast the Killing Curse at him, Harry, he was going to die if I didn’t do something!” Your voice raised against your will as you got defensive, you may have loved Harry but that didn’t stop you from getting aggravated with him when he was being an idiot. Take now for example.

“You could’ve died (Y/N)! Don’t you understand that? You could’ve died and I-”

“But I didn’t Harry! I didn’t die and I’m fine now.”

“The hell you are! You’re lying in a hospital bed at St. Mungo’s with a broken arm and a concussion, if that's your definition of fine then I’d hate to see what not fine is!”

“I’m a big girl Potter, I can take care of myself,” You argued, pushing yourself up on the bed so that you were sitting upright, independent of your pillows. How was he being so daft? You’d saved the closest person he had to real family and now here he was, completely railing on you.

He was so caught up in his own head, continuing to pace up and down the length of the room that he didn’t seem to notice when you started swaying, no doubt because you had lifted yourself up too quickly and your head should’ve been resting on your pillow. 

“You may be a big girl (Y/N), but clearly you shouldn’t be left to your own devices because what would possess someone to do something so idiotic?”

You tried to swallow the anger you felt bubbling up in your stomach, threatening to explode in an eruption of words you weren’t quite ready to say out loud. But as he went on and on you found it harder and harder to swallow your feelings until they inevitably bubbled over.

“You idiot,” You cut him off, too fed up with him to listen to what he had to say, “I wasn’t going to let Sirius die because he’s the only family you have Harry! You love him and it would kill me to see him ripped from you, just like so many other good things have been ripped from you, because…”

You went silent, all of a sudden your voice seemed very loud in the sterile room and you realized it’s because he finally shut up. 

“Because why?” He asked turning so that he was facing you, “Because why?”

“Because I-” You felt a rush of heat flooded your face and quickly averted your gaze from the boy, focusing instead on the clock hung on the wall opposite your bed. 

You were quiet for a moment, hoping he would show you mercy and continue on with his ranting but he didn’t. Harry never did stand down from a fight, especially not one that he could win. 

Coming to terms with the fact that the only way this was ending was with a confession from you, you gulped. And with your saliva you swallowed your pride, turning back to face the boy who still hadn’t taken his eyes off of you. 

“Because I love you, okay?” You admitted to him, letting your vision glaze over so you wouldn’t have to see the eventual look of guilt wash over his features before he gently turned you down, apologizing, calling you beautiful, telling you how you deserved someone better. Even though there was no one better than him.

You thought he looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he stared at you, unblinking. 

Eventually, after what could’ve been a couple of seconds or could’ve been a couple of hours, he spoke, “Y-you love me?” He sounded incredulous like he didn’t really believe you.

And that’s when it hit you, he didn’t really believe you. 

As a wave of indescribable sorrow washed over you, at the notion that the beautiful boy in front of you really had no clue just how beautiful he was, you maneuvered yourself so that you could stand up, throwing one leg over the edge of the bed, and then the other.

Pushing yourself up into an upright position you were immediately swaying, ready to collapse onto the floor, and Harry must’ve observed that as he came back to his senses as he looped his arms under yours, pulling you into his toned chest, hard from countless hours of Quidditch practice.

“What do you think you’re doing (Y/N/N)?” His voice was softer now, meant for only you to hear.

“Was gonna show you how much I love you,” Your voice was muffled by the fabric of his t-shirt as you abandoned all of your inhibitions, you needed to tell him how you felt, “You clearly don’t believe me when I tell you and that’s ridiculous Haz because you’re lovely and wonderful and you light up my day every time I see you. I can’t imagine my life without you,” You paused your ramble, not noticing the brilliant shade of vermillion his face had turned.

“No, I can imagine it without you Harry and it’s horrible, it’s not a life worth living.”

“Don’t say that (Y/N),” He cut you off, a frown gracing his enviably red lips.

“Would you let me finish Potter?” You sniped playfully, “I love you, Harry, I’ve loved you since we were first years and it kills me that you don’t see how lovable you are. Because you are lovable Harry,” You pulled back a bit to rest your chin on his chest, gazing up at him, “You are completely lovable, and that’s why I put myself in harm’s way today, because if it meant saving someone you love, then it is worth it. It will always be worth it.”

You watched as tears spilled down his cheeks, but you could tell by the smile pulling at his wobbling lips that they were happy tears, “Y-you love me?” 

How your heart could break at three simple words baffled you but it did, “I love you, Harry, I have loved you and I will always love you.”

A smile overtaking his entire face split it in half, a toothy grin you’d like to see on him more often, “I-”

“You don’t have to say it back H, the fact you’re not turning me down right now is more than enough. You don’t have to say it back, we can take it slow,” You cut him off, not wanting to rush him.

“I want to though, I want to say it back.” He insisted, sounding like an eager puppy.

“Really?” You couldn’t suppress the optimistic lilt to your voice.

He nodded surely, still grinning down at you. “I love you (Y/N).”

You had to stop yourself from crying, or screaming, or jumping in the air, or some combination of all three, but that’s all you wanted to do. You wanted to scream and jump and cry but you preferred being in Harry’s arms much more. 

“May I kiss you?” Harry’s voice dropped to a whisper you could barely hear.

“Yes please,” You giggled, standing up on your tippy toes as he leaned down to capture your lips in his.

You poured all the passion of the past five years into that kiss, all of the stolen glances at him, all of the nights spent sobbing, thinking that he could never love you back. All of the sacrifices, all of the hugs, and the smiles you shared. They were all poured into the kiss and they all meant so much more now because being part of something so beautiful could only make those memories better.

Harry wrapped his arms around your back, pressing your body to his while being careful to mind your hurt arm. You dug the fingers on the hand of your healthy arm in his thick hair, using it as an anchor to pull yourself closer to him.

You pulled away first, taking big gulps of air in an attempt to refill your empty lungs. 

“You love me,” Harry stated simply, staring down at you adoringly.

“I love you,” You agreed with a small nod of your head.

“I can’t believe you actually love me.” He smiled again, this grin even goofier than the last, making his emerald eyes shine.

You smiled at the look of childlike happiness that adorned his face, “And I can’t believe it took me this long to tell you.”

tagging: @randomoutsiders @weasleyposts @kittykylax @amourtentiaa @superbturtlemakerathlete

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff/Reader - Land of Thieves - #ChapterThree

Gif is not mine got from google, idk who made it but i truly appreciate it.

Read on AO3 (EN) ///// Ler no AO3 (PT)

Summary:  When you were a child, you swore that no matter how high the reward in your head, she could always count on you. Life as an outlaw in the west is not easy, but you believe that train robberies are still easier than asking a pretty girl to dance. Land of Thieves, also know as your love story with Wanda Maximoff in the Wild West.

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit violence

"Howard Stark, the oil millionaire, has exclusively revealed to The Saint Denis Times, details of his new investment in the Heartlands in New Hanover" 

You heard Steve read the contents out loud to you. You were sitting in his tent, leaning your back against the wood that held the tent upright. Peggy and Bucky were standing, while you and the twins were sitting on the ground, all listening intently to the captain's words.

- And then they narrate information about where the meeting will take place, and even the time Stark will be negotiating! - exclaims Steve.

- Rich people are stupidly confident. - Bucky comments, and everyone laughs briefly. 

- The problem is who else will have the same idea as us. - You tell Steve, and he puts his hand to his chin thoughtfully. - With this information in the newspaper, a lot of people will be aware of the amount of money coming into Saint Denis.

- We have some advantages. - Peggy says. - Mainly the location. And besides, this kind of work will only be targeted by the bigger gangs. Who do we know that is in this area?

Steve runs his hands through his hair, and closes his eyes, as if trying to remember something. He exclaims after a moment.

- Where was the last time you heard of the Panthers? - He asks Bucky, who shrugs his shoulders.

- Three years ago. - replies the man. - They don't rob banks, Steve.

- That's even better then. - Steve says, but then turns to you. - Our only problem will be the O'Driscolls, they are the only ones who know we are in this area and have enough people for the job.

You exchanged a look with Pietro, and he nodded slightly. You sighed before you spoke:

- They' re not the only ones who know we're in the area. - You confessed and everyone, except Pietro, looked at you with surprise and curiosity. You felt quite embarrassed. - I had a little disagreement with Lemoyne Raiders yesterday afternoon.

Steve frowned at you, but you held his gaze. You did what you had to do to protect Pietro after all.

- Define exactly what kind of misunderstanding.

- We killed fifteen of them. - Cut Pietro off, and Steve looked at you in disbelief. Wanda also looked quite shocked.

- You went into a gunfight with a shoulder wound? - Steve looked at you seriously. - Have you completely lost your mind?

- She was helping me. - Pietro stood up, but he sounded almost embarrassed when he said it: - I got caught cheating.

- You must be joking. - Wanda's voice sounded and you watched her stand up and pinch her brother hard on the arm. Pietro complained with a groan. 

Steve massaged his forehead impatiently.

- You guys are unbelievable. - He grumbled, and Peggy patted him on the back as she stood up, signaling him to sit down. 

- Here's what we're going to do. - She began to speak in a calm but authoritative tone. Steve and I are going to set up the whole bank scheme, and we're going to find a way to use the O'Driscolls against themselves, in case they get the idea to rob Stark as well. I'll send Maria to find out about it. Wanda and Monica go to Limpany, find out if any Raiders are left alive to describe what these two look like, or if anyone is willing to talk. 

- What about both of us? - Pietro asks, pointing at himself and at you.

- Potts always needs help in the kitchen. - Informs Peggy and you both let out a groan of discontent

Pietro grumbles slightly irritated - We are no longer children to be grounded. 

- The first step is to stop your childish attitudes then. - Peggy replies, with an almost ironic expression. - Why don't you try to behave like Wanda, she went to get her engagement present and remembered to bring a newspaper with vital information!

Feeling your face getting very hot, you grumbled loudly " for heaven's sake" as the "adults" laughed at Peggy's insinuation. Tucking your face into your knees in embarrassment, you ignored the giggles. Wanda also blushed a lot, but you didn't notice from the position you were in.

The meeting ended shortly after, with Bucky signaling that he would be in charge of the weapons, as he usually was, as well as being the one with the sniper rifle, providing support from a distance.

You hurried back to your tent, since Pietro was frowning at the punishment, and Wanda had to go to Limpany later today. You watched her walk toward Carol's tent, where Maria and Monica were staying, as they refused to leave Carol's bedside until the woman was better, and then you looked away as Monica left with Wanda toward the horses.

Lying on your bed for several minutes, staring at the ceiling, you were startled to feel something being thrown against your body. Blinking in confusion, you picked up the object. It was some kind of luggage, you recognized as you turned. Then you looked at the two-letter border and turned your head quickly to the place from which it had been thrown.

Jumping out of bed, you almost tripped on the carpet, but kept your balance before throwing both arms around your friend, hugging her tightly. Nat laughed, but returned the squeeze.

- I missed you too. - She mumbled into your hair. You laughed, pulling away to look at her for a moment, before depositing several kisses on her cheek, making her laugh. It had been a habit of yours to greet her this way after long trips since you were little. - What happened while I was away?

She asked as soon as you let go. 

- I'm grounded. - You shrugged, she raised her eyebrow.

- But you're too old for grounding now. - she joked. - Sorry, actually it starts tomorrow. - She sneered with irony, but you still laughed.

The two of you sat down on your bed, you placing Nat's luggage on the floor while crossing your legs as you sat down. She took off her boots and stretched her legs against your lap, letting her feet dangle, you played with the fabric of her pants in the area of her shins.

- How are you? - she asked after a moment. - You look different.

You grimaced. - Different?

- Tired I guess. - She explained. You shrug. Nat was always very good at reading you, well everyone else was in a way. Subtlety was not your strong suit.

- Well, this must be the quietest moment I have had in weeks. - You joked, but Nat frowned. 

- I thought things would be quieter here. The south is less wild, isn't it? 

You bit the inside of your cheek, thinking a little.

- I don't know, Nat. Everywhere there is someone who wants to shoot us.

- Where did you get this? - She asked after a moment, you looked at her, and realized that she was signaling with her eyes the wound on your shoulder. You gave her a sideways smile.

- In a fight I didn't have to buy. - You sneer and then add. - It was an ambush a few miles away.

-Is that why Peggy punished you? - she questioned, and you laughed.

- Oh no. I am grounded for getting into a shootout with a local gang, all because of a card game.

Nat blinked for a few seconds.

- I'll pretend you didn't say that.

You laughed at her expression and she nudged you, muttering something like "idiot," which made you smile more. 

- But how about you, did you manage to find what you were looking for?

- Of course, sweetheart. - said the girl in a smug tone, and you rolled your eyes, smiling. - I was going to tell the captain how things are in New Austin, but when I passed his tent he had a serious expression and a hand on his head, as if he had a migraine. I knew right away that I had to talk to you first.

- He was worried that yesterday's fight would jeopardize the plan. - You said.

- I think he was worried about you. 

You looked away, not knowing what to say. A moment passed in silence, until Nat nudged your leg lightly with her finger, a mischievous look on her face.

- I brought a present for the birthday girl. - She joked, making you laugh uncomfortably. - But I don't think you'll care much.

You frowned and asked her why in a confused tone. Nat laughed before adding:

- Another redhead is going to take all your attention, as far as I know. - She teased, and you looked away, blushing at the insinuation.

- Everyone decided to tease me about it all of a sudden. - You grumbled, making Nat laugh.

- Because it's fun. - She retorted, and you just crossed your arms. Seeing your embarrassed face, she lifted one of her legs, only to push your face away with her foot. You let out a loud exclamation, laughing as she pushed you away.

You spent the afternoon together, playing and talking. You were not impressed by how much you missed Natasha, after all, you had always been very close. Being a few years older, she joined the gang a few months after you, and a year before the twins. Peggy was the one who found her, you knew that she had no family and that she had run away from a convent in Saint Denis just as you had run away from an orphanage when you were a child; the difference was that Nat was already fourteen when she did. And then she joined the gang, and became a kind of big sister to you. 

When Nat left your tent to go talk to Steve about the information she got from New Austin, you decided to get out of bed for a while. Walking over to the campfire, you felt a twinge of pain as you felt an arm rest on your injured shoulder, and Pietro quickly apologized, changing his position only to leave his hand under your healthy shoulder.

- What is it, Pietro? - You asked him.

- I wanted to apologize. - He spoke clumsily, and you looked at him in confusion. He looked down at the floor. - For your birthday, you know, I got you stuck here because of Limpany.

You punched him lightly in the stomach, smiling.

- Don't be an idiot. - You said. - You know I don't care about birthdays, and besides, we take care of each other.

Pietro smiled pushing you lightly with his hand on your shoulder as he agreed with his head, his cheeks flushed.

- I'll make sure we do something fun at least. - He said as he walked beside you to the fire. He looked around, as if thinking of some activity. - Maybe Potts will let us go fishing.

- Is this your idea of fun? - You scoffed as you sat down by the fire. Actually, you liked fishing, but you didn't miss opportunities to mess with your friends. Pietro laughed, sitting down beside you.

- I meant you, me, and Wanda. - He joked, but you refused to look at him. - Unless of course you prefer I stay here.

- I'm not saying anything. - You grumbled, grabbing a stick out of the grass to stir against the embers of the fire. Pietro just laughed at your grumpy posture.

It didn't take long for Potts to get your attention, asking for help with the supply wagon. You and Pietro were in charge of peeling vegetables for the next few hours.

On the morning of your birthday, you woke up to someone jumping on you. Honestly, you were more surprised to realize that the bed could withstand the commotion than to watch Natasha wake you up excitedly. She was always so loud when she knew she was annoying you.

You thanked her for the gesture by pushing her off the bed, and laughed when you heard her fall on her ass on the floor, complaining that you were a brute. You stretched your body and then stood up, intending to wash your face. 

Steve came over to greet you as soon as you left your tent, and he had a gentle smile on his face.

- Happy birthday, Y/N. - He spoke as he gave her a short hug. - Let's celebrate tonight, shall we?

You nodded, embarrassed by the attention. You spent the next few minutes getting hugs and compliments from everyone. When Pietro gave you a tight hug, you laughed, watching him get a mischievous expression as he held a package in front of you.

- Get ready for my amazing gift. - He said, waving his right hand over the box, imitating a gesture of suspense. 

- Ready I am. - You jokingly replied. 

Grabbing the package, you opened it carefully, appreciating that he had taken the time to wrap everything. You let out a surprised sigh as you looked at the new set and sheet of classic playing cards. Opening the deck, you looked at the details on the cards, impressed with the quality of the edition, noticing that it was one of those special versions, with gold scratches, and you let out a giggle of excitement when you saw the acrylic sticker that came along with the set. It was a collectible card, and on this one you saw the picture of "Erik Lehnsherr", the famous German gambler.

- I loved it, Pietro. Thank you. - You said to him, hugging him by the shoulders. 

- We are all going to enjoy this present. - Nat added, smiling at you both. You laughed, putting the set back in the box, you would replace your old one as soon as you got back to your room.

Nat also had something in her hands, but she didn't wrap it, probably because of the rush of the trip, but you loved it anyway. She had a mischievous smile when she lifted the bottle to her face.

- Scotch whisky, miss, limited edition 1802. - She narrated in a voice that made you laugh a little. You kissed her cheek and hugged her tight.

- Thank you, Nat. - You said when you let go of her, she just smiled at you.

Waving to you, Natasha left in the direction of Steve's hut, she probably needed her chores assigned to her. Pietro asked you if you wanted to join him in hunting some rabbits and you said you were just going to get your rifle.

Bucky stopped you on your way out of your tent.

- I also have a present for you. - he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

You smiled, grabbing the package he handed you. Hanging the rifle on your healthy shoulder, you tore the ribbon from the gift, opening it carefully. You looked at your new scout jacket, the brown fabric glistening in your eyes. 

- Oh, Bucky, I love it. - You tell him, looking at him tenderly. Bucky looks slightly embarrassed, but hugs you tight.

- I thought that one was getting small. - He comments, pointing at your clothes. It was an affectionate comment, since he was also the one who had given you the jacket you were wearing several years ago.

He smiled at you one last time before leaving. And you went back inside the tent only to leave the jacket on your bed, not wanting to get it dirty during the hunt, and intending to wear it later. 

Pietro was waiting for you at Knight's side, but you reminded him that you were only allowed to hunt on the outskirts of the camp. He rolled his eyes, but agreed, and you walked together toward the hunting area.

It didn't take long for each of you to hunt two rabbits, the animals were plentiful in the area, and even though Pietro was not as good a hunter as he was a thief, he still knew how to shoot.

You knocked his hat playfully, and he laughed at you. You walked back to camp amid giggles and playful shoving, while you bet on who could get there first.

You left the carcasses in the wagon destined for the skinning, and you let out a surprised exclamation when you saw Thor behind the counter.

- Why are you already up? - you asked in a worried tone. The man just smiled at you.

- I wasn't going to miss your birthday, kid. - He replies, and then gives a small pat against his own chest, where you watched him get shot a week ago - Besides, I'm healing quickly. I should be back in action soon.

- I'm glad to see you feeling better, Thor. - You told him and he just nodded, picking up one of the carcasses you and Pietro had left and beginning to skin it.

You and Peter were walking back to the kitchen when Potts just pointed to the creek, signaling for you both to clean yourselves up. You both exchanged an amused look, and giggling, walked towards the water to wipe the rabbit's blood off your hands.

- Do you know when Wanda will be back from Limpany? - You let the question slip and Pietro gave you an insinuating "you can't even hide it" look, and you felt your cheeks heat up a little. He shrugged.

- Actually, she was supposed to come back last night. - He said, not looking worried. - Maybe she and Monica decided to wait a little longer to see if anyone who had seen us would show up.

You grumbled in agreement, without really thinking about it, and then, as you finished wiping away the blood that remained between your fingers, the possibility hit you.

- Pietro. - You called out to him, and he looked at you curiously as he noticed your frown. - Do two women alone in a city that makes money from brothels sound like a safe idea to you?

Pietro blinked in confusion.

- But Wanda and Monica are scary. - He retorted, and you almost agreed, until you remembered.

- Not when they're disguised as society ladies. - You spoke up, feeling a sense of panic settle in your stomach at the possibility that Wanda was in danger. 

You stood up at the same moment as Pietro, and he nodded towards Potts, who seemed distracted by the inventory of the supply wagon.

Sneaking through the woods beside the camp, you grabbed the reins of Knight as quietly as you could while pulling him into the woods, with Pietro and his horse at your side. When you reached a more remote area, you quickly mounted your horses and headed toward Limpany.

- Damn it, Y/N, I hope you are wrong about this. - Pietro said with a worried look on his face. You swallowed dryly, wishing you were.

Limpany was noisy and busy. You let out a low groan as you noticed the several wagons parked at the entrance, a symbol of an oil company painted on each one.

- I think Stark's employees have just arrived at the Heartlands. - You said to Pietro as you tied your horses against a fallen log at the entrance to Limpany.

- Interesting choice for the first stop. - He mentioned it in an ironic tone. You smiled. 

- Wanna bet that half of them are married? - You said in a tone of irony and irritation. Pietro nodded, accepting the bet.

You signaled for him to adjust his hat, to hide as much of his face as possible. But judging by the number of strangers in town at the moment, you would hardly be recognized. Even in daylight, there were a considerable number of prostitutes on the streets, snuggled up against various men. You looked around trying to spot Wanda or Monica, but were unable to find them. You noticed that there were several horses tied up in front of the Brothel, and the Saloon and nudged Pietro on the shoulder.

- I think we'll need to look inside the brothel and the saloon. - You warned him and he nodded his head in agreement as he noticed the horses. - If we split up, we can find them faster.

Pietro turned his head to you quickly with a frown.

- Not a chance. - He denied it, and seeing that you were going to try to argue, he added: - You have a bruised shoulder, I'm not leaving you alone.

You sighed in agreement, knowing that he was right. It wouldn't help if you ended up getting hurt more.

- Let's try the brothel first. - you said, walking toward the building. A sign on the door caught Pietro's attention, and he poked you on the arm to make you read the "No weapons" sign.

- That's a problem . - He said, and you pushed him aside, blocking the view of anyone leaving the brothel for him. You took off the belt with the holster and handed it to him.

- You keep it then. - You grumbled, and he looked at you with confusion.

- Why am I the one who has to wait? 

- Because you're a pretty boy, honey. - You sneer, and he continues with the same confused expression. - You walk into this brothel with no one with you, and ten harlots will jump on you, very much in search of what's in your wallet.

He sighed and shrugged, knowing that you were right. That didn't stop him from retorting:

- It's not like the girls aren't going to jump on you too. 

- The difference is that I have a few minutes head start before they realize that I don't work here.

- Next time, wear a dress and you'll get a free pass. - teased Pietro, and you just pushed him away with amusement.

- Well, wish me luck. - You said, flashing him a nervous smile. 

You heard Pietro whisper a "good luck" to you when you were already on the stairs, and then you went in. There was a counter, but judging by the number of customers, there must have been a total rush in the place, and you took advantage of the lack of a receptionist to sneak up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

You saw a lot of things you didn't want to see, from the breasts of strangers, to men with their swinging cocks on display. Occasionally you bumped into half-naked people, and watched with some amusement as a man was kicked out of the room with his pants down. It was a chaotic environment to say the least, and you didn't worry about being recognized, as there didn't seem to be any harlots available to notice you.

The most embarrassing part was checking the rooms. After the fifth open door where you interrupted somebody's fucking, you let out an impatient grumble as you walked to the end of the hall. Then the coat hanging in the corner of the door caught your attention. The sheriff's badge glowing prominently against the cloth.

You opened the door next, surprised to find only the sheriff, naked and asleep. You went into the room and started to look around for some more interesting information. Then you heard footsteps against the wood, and as you turned around, the vision took your breath away.

Wanda was wearing a simple purple dress, the corset marking her silhouette. She pinned up her hair, and applied a little make-up, highlighting her lips and her emerald orbs. Suddenly you couldn't formulate a sentence. 

She looked at you with a mixture of concern and seriousness, closing the bedroom door.

- What are you doing here? - She asked in a low tone, and it took you a considerable moment to be able to think of the answer. You worried that she might think you had hit your head.

- You were gone a long time. Pietro and I thought...

- Pietro is here? - she exclaimed and looked quickly at the sheriff who had moved slightly.

- Sorry, we thought you guys were in trouble.

Wanda looked quickly at you, and then shifted the weight of her feet, before walking towards the small dresser in the room.

- We were in trouble. - She confessed and you straightened your posture at the information, feeling your chest fill with concern. - That's why I brought him here.

You felt your cheeks heat up a little and swallowed the bad feeling in your stomach. 

- I think you did what you had to do. - You grumbled, and Wanda frowned at you. When she understood what you were implying, she let out a nasal laugh.

- I didn't have sex with him, my God! - She clarifies and you blink in surprise, relief replacing the bad feeling from before. - I just lied and said I would. And then when he got here, I hit him over the head.

- Oh, right. Got it. - You nod, looking at the ground. 

- We ended up in trouble, though. Those men from the factory, they've been surrounding us all night. 

- Why didn't you go back to the camp? 

- Because he said he would report you and Pietro. - Wanda explains, pointing at the fainted sheriff. You shake your head, confused. The redhead walks over to the bedside table and pulls out two wanted posters, each with a drawing very similar to your and Pietro's face. 

- I don't understand, Wands. - You sigh. - Tell me everything from the beginning.

- Y/N, the one thing you need to understand is that this town is involved in a lot of shit that goes way beyond a local gang. - Wanda pushed you slightly to the right, bending down toward the sheriff. He didn't wake up when she cut a golden key from the necklace he was wearing. You looked at her curiously. - We're going to need this to free Monica.

- Monica's in jail? - You exclaimed, and Wanda gave you a wry smile.

- It was a temporary incident.

Wanda grumbled, but then you heard the door slowly open, and she assumed a serious expression. Before you could turn around, Wanda pulled you forward by the arm, and you felt your heart race as your bodies came closer together. And then you held your breath as you felt her slip both arms around your waist, wrapping her arms around you. Wanda wrapped her face around your neck, pressing your body against hers. You let out a deep groan, and barely registered the words coming from a voice in the doorway:

- Sweetie, are you using this room? 

Wanda made sure to press against your body with her arms and keep her face against your neck as she answered.

- Clearly.

The other woman laughed despite Wanda's harsh reply, and you thought she whispered "enjoy it" before she left, but you weren't sure of anything anymore.

Wanda's body seemed to warm against yours when you were alone, and you decided to face the window at the far end of the room, to keep your body from not obeying your reason.

Wanda released you softly, and you felt her hands slide down your spine and then back to your front, until she released you completely. She took a step back, her cheeks flushed and her gaze on the floor.

- Sorry about that. - She whispered without looking up. You felt your face flush.

- I never imagined that our first time in a brothel would be like this. - The only stupid comment your brain could formulate came out of your mouth before you could control it. You wouldn't judge Wanda if she never spoke to you again after that ridiculous joke, but she didn't care. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she said:

- And how did you imagine it would be?

You almost said "less clothes", almost. In reality you just choked in surprise and felt your knees weaken at the intensity of her gaze. But then the moment was broken when you heard a banging sound on the windowpane. You frowned at Pietro, who was standing outside.

- Tell me you're not hanging over the edge. - You complain as you open the window.

- Of course not, I don't know how to climb buildings. - He replies with amusement. - I found a ladder.

Wanda slaps Pietro on the head, looking at him seriously.

- You two have completely lost your minds. - She says. - Great idea to go back to the same place where they tried to kill you.

- Look little sister, you are being very ungrateful. - he debated stubbornly. - And why am I the only one getting beaten? It was your girlfriend who came up with the idea.

You grumbled at the nickname, and closed the window in Pietro's face. You didn't look at Wanda as you picked up the wanted posters and the key to the jail from the floor, but when you noticed her confused expression, you grabbed her by the hand, pulling her out of the room and toward the exit of the brothel.

You went around the building, finding Pietro on the opposite side from where you had left him. In his presence, you remembered to let go of Wanda's hand, and didn't notice the almost disappointed look she got when you did.

- Monica is in jail. - You tell Pietro, who looks at you in surprise. You hand him the key.  - I need a drink. - You announce as you leave for the saloon. 

When you get to the bar, you notice that it is as crowded as the brothel, but the people here are more focused on who drinks more than who gets laid more. You stand in the far corner and wait for the bartender to serve you. You feel a slight burning sensation on your shoulder, and as you reach out to touch the bandage, you groan as you feel them wet with blood. 

You buy a whiskey, and pour three shot glasses full into your mouth, feeling your throat burn. You can barely feel the bruise now.

Preparing a fourth glass, you let out a mixed exclamation of surprise and pain when someone pulls you by the shoulder, turning you around.

- I know you! - says the unknown man, clearly drunk. You try to argue, but he starts shouting. - Yes, yes! You shot those guys!

He is starting to draw unwanted attention, and you really hope that everyone is too drunk to notice anything. Before you can push him away, someone pulls him off you. 

You watch in shock as Wanda lands a clean punch to the man's jaw, and he staggers for a few seconds before falling onto a table. As he falls, chaos ensues and suddenly people start fighting among themselves. You always hated bar fights. Wanda quickly pulls you out and you both duck and dodge a thrown chair just before you walk out the door.

- Thanks for that, I guess. - You tell her, letting yourself be pulled toward the horses by the hand.

Pietro and Monica are already there, waiting for you. You notice that Pietro seems almost shy around the other woman, and you make a mental note to tease him about this at another time.

- Let's go before you cause a second shooting in this place. - Wanda says, and she gives your hand a gentle squeeze before letting go, which leaves you with a tingling sensation. 

- It's good to see you, by the way. - You say to Monica as soon as you mount the Knight's cell. Monica smiles at you, saying that it was very good to see you too.

- Race to camp? - suggests Pietro, and you all exchange mischievous glances before you speed up the gallop of your horses. Your laughter mingles with the wind as you ride at high speed.

Pietro won the race, typical you thought. Since he was a child, he was as fast on foot as he was on horseback. But even though you lost, you enjoyed the ride, laughing with your friends as you dismounted from your horses. Wanda and Monica entered the camp first, and you and Pietro snuck out the back, not wanting to be seen running away from punishment. You were very lucky that Potts believed you were just playing fight at the far end of the creek, as you and Pietro used to do when you were kids.

You walked around the camp, feeling extremely tired, and then you remembered that you hadn't really rested for a long time. Sighing, you found a space under a tree high enough to provide some shadow, and sat down. Putting your hat in front of your face, you thought about closing your eyes for a moment.

Feeling a gentle pressure on your feet, you were startled awake. Blinking in confusion at the dark, you realized that your hat was on your face. Removing it as you let out a yawn, you looked around in confusion as you realized that you had been asleep for a few hours, judging by the color of the sky, which already signaled sunset.

Nat smiled at you as she watched you adjust to your surroundings, and she offered her hand to help you stand up.

- You have a bed, you know. - She teased, and you just gave her a corner smile, wiping some of the grass off your pants.

- I was just going to take a nap. - You retorted as you walked towards your hut, Nat not following you, as you noticed the bucket full of fish she was carrying.

- A six-hour nap. - She teases, drawing a quick laugh from you. She turns in the opposite direction, dumping the bucket on Thor's cart, who is the one who usually skins the animals that arrive at the camp. You go into your tent, looking for some clean clothes.

You don't smell so bad, but you decide to take a bath anyway, after all you have been in a fight today. You remember to grab your new jacket before you leave for the deeper part of the stream, where everyone usually bathes.

Arriving at the edge of the creek, you leave your clothes on the high part of the grass, so they don't get wet, and begin to undress. You are already without your boots and blouse, ready to unbutton your pants when Pietro pushes you into the water.

- Really? - You exclaim in a mixture of irritation and humor, while he laughs. You think he is an idiot, but you laugh too. 

Pietro pulls his own shirt over his head, and then quickly takes off his pants and shoes. He takes a few steps back and then runs, jumping into the creek, and splashing water everywhere on impact. You laugh as he pretends to drown.

- Since when do you shower often, now? - You tease him by getting out of the water to take off your wet pants. Pietro pretends to laugh.

- I'm a very clean boy, if you ask me. - He retorts, splashing water in his face.

You pretend to agree, grimacing. He rolls his eyes at you. You assume a suggestive expression, and nod for him to look away. He laughs, but turns away so that you can remove your underwear. 

It was common for you to shower with other members of the team, especially with those who grew up with you: Wanda, Pietro, Monica and Nat. Much because you had been doing this since you were children. Besides that, living in an outlaw camp, it was all about sharing. It was funny to think that if you were not who you are, or if someone from the outside saw the life you were leading, you would probably be forced to marry Pietro now. It was nice to have that level of intimacy with someone, but you can't help but think that it wasn't the same showering with Pietro, as it was with Wanda. Everything was different with Wanda, but it was also the same. You couldn't explain it.

You become quiet as you get lost in your thoughts, and Pietro splashes some water on your face, causing you to let out an irritated exclamation. 

- You were making that strange face again. - He jokes, while lowering himself into the water. You only realize that he is taking off his own underwear when he throws the recently removed, completely soaked item onto the grass.

- What face? 

- your "I'm overthinking things" face. - He explains with an amused expression.

- I don't know what you're talking about. - You retort, looking away, he rolls his eyes, and you are silent again. You rub some of the soap you brought on your body before handing it to Pietro.

- I reckon you think too much. - He grumbles, and you let out a wry laugh.

- It's kind of the function of our heads, you know.

He laughs as he rinses his hair.

- I meant that you don't have to do this. - He says. - You can just act, you know.

- No, Pietro. I don't know. - You grumble, not really understanding what he was saying. He dips his head in the creek to clean the soap, and then walks away from you, leaving the soap on top of the little wooden box where it is usually kept.

- I mean that if you keep thinking about what you have to do, you'll miss the chance to do something. - He says, coming back to you. - If there is something you really want to do, just do it. Don't think about it so much, because when you make that expression, I know you're finding a thousand reasons not to do what you want to do.

- What if I want to punch you in the face? - You tease him, feeling nervous about the direction of the conversation. Pietro laughs at your attempt to divert the subject.

- As if you needed to think about it. - He says, grumbling, and then he assumes that serious expression, but his eyes are tender. - I think you need to tell her how you feel. Wanda will be pleased to hear it.

You look away just as he says this, your cheeks flushing. And then you almost fall back when you hear Wanda's voice:

- I will be pleased to hear what? 

The girl asks in a curious and suggestive tone of voice, Pietro looks at his sister with amusement. And you look away very quickly when you see her unbuckle her dress.

Nat is also with her, and helps her take off her corset, while you stand in the middle of the stream, too interested in the water.

- Now, little sister, you know it's very rude to meddle in other people's affairs, don't you? - Pietro joked, and Wanda laughed.

- It becomes my business when you speak on my behalf, doesn't it? - She retorted, as she turned to thank Nat for helping her out of her dress. - Besides, it's not as if we have secrets from each other.

- I was just telling Y/N that we should do something together. All of us, like when we were children. - You could never get tired of Pietro's innate ability to lie so blatantly. - She suggested we go to the theater, and I said that since you had never been, you would be pleased to know.

Wanda looked at Pietro with a slight suspicion, probably wondering if she actually believed his words. But then she smiled.

- Yeah, I'd be very pleased indeed. - She jokes, and looks at you. She frowns when she notices that you are staring down, playing with your fingers with a certain nervousness. She can't tell what's bothering you, and concentrates on taking off her own dress.

-Of course, little sister. - Pietro says in a suggestive tone, and walks over to you again, standing beside you and putting his arm around your shoulders. - We both know very well that you would love a date...

- Pietro, you're naked, get out of here. - You interrupt him, pushing him in the stomach. He laughs, stumbling to the side with your shove. Wanda and Nat laugh a little, you don't notice the redness in Wanda's face.

Nat and Wanda join you at the creek next. You can't help but feel hyperconscious in Wanda's presence, so you turn away, counteracting the energy that seems to pull you toward her.

- I think I saw Potts bake you a cake earlier. - Nat commented as she grabbed the soap left on the grass. She was very comfortable with her own body, and did not mind showing it to the rest of you. Not that any of you were going to look at her maliciously, but you had to admit that it was at least an image to get used to, breasts swaying in front of you. It was not something you saw often.

- I think I'll try to save some. - You say, and looking at the confused and curious expressions of your friends, you add, - For Bruce, and Carol.

Your friends look away quickly, all assuming an almost sad posture. But Wanda looks at you tenderly.

- They will get better, soon, you know. - She comments, and you look at her, trying to believe her words. - Potts says that Carol's fever has gone down since Maria and Monica returned.

- I think if that happened to me, I would want my wife by my side too. - Pietro commented and you nodded in agreement. And then he took on a mischievous look. - By the way, since Carol improved by seeing her family, maybe Nat should visit Bruce. That might cheer him up.

Nat blushed at the insinuation and jumped towards Pietro, who ran away from her attempts to hit him, while she laughed. You and Wanda laughed at the scene.

- You were trying to get beaten up that whole time, weren't you, boy? - Shouted Nat as she chased after him, Pietro was lucky that running had always been his greatest skill, you thought as you looked at Nat's angry expression. He was confident enough to dodge and still throw water at the girl, which seemed to irritate her even more. You laughed at the interaction, but suddenly realized that while they were playing, you were alone with Wanda. Without clothes.

You turned your face slowly to look at her, watching her loose red hair cascade against her neck. The sun was very low now, and the light made her even more beautiful. You swallowed hard as she turned her face to you, the ghost of her laughter still on her lips.

- One of these days Pietro is going to get a real beating. - Wanda jokes and you blink, trying to stop staring. It takes a moment, but you laugh at the joke.

- One of these days Pietro is gonna get real beaten up. - Wanda jokes and you blink, trying to stop staring. It takes a moment, but you laugh at the joke.

- If he's lucky, it won't be Nat. - You reply in the same tone, and Wanda nods in agreement. She starts rubbing soap on your arms, and you try not to stare. 

- You look distracted, almost oblivious. - She says, and you look away, watching Nat finally catch up to Pietro, jumping on top of him and knocking him into the water. You hope they don't drown.

- Why is everyone telling me this? - you retort in an amused tone, Wanda smiles.

- Because it is the truth. 

You look at her expecting her to say something else, but she just lathers her hair a little, pushing it to the side. Your gaze has moved down to the collarbone that was once covered by her hair, now exposed. Your brain seems to shut down and you can't look away even when she looks at you, a shy smile at the corner of her lips.

Pietro lets out a shout between laughs, and you are startled, turning your head to look. He had climbed up a high rock to get away from Nat, who was circling around to catch up with him. You looked away when you noticed his exposed intimacy in the air. 

And then you almost choked when you looked forward again: Wanda, who before had been with her chest completely submerged in water, had stood up and her breasts were right in front of you. She was looking at Pietro, laughing, the movement made her chest jiggle a little and you felt your face get very warm. 

You stumble backwards, feeling your heart racing. Determining that you had reached the limit of nudity for the day, you turned around, leaving the creek. As you moved, Wanda turned her head to you quickly, asking if you were all right. With the image of Wanda's abundant breasts in your mind, you just nodded your agreement without looking at her, hurrying to put on your clothes as quickly as possible. You didn't notice Wanda's flushed face as she watched your naked back.

Properly dressed, you grumbled that you were going to wait for them at the party, and left, finally breathing normally once you were in the area of the cabins. Steve frowned at your reddened face, but you hurried to the campfire area before he asked questions you didn't want to answer.

You only came out of your tent when your breathing and heartbeat were normal again. The images of Wanda's breasts were still in some corner of your mind, but you pushed them away and tried to smile when Steve approached you.

He began to tell stories of his army days, and you tried to pay attention. Peggy and Potts listened intently, and Peggy laughed as she remembered the shared memories, since she and Steve served in the same squadron.

Letting your gaze wander around the camp, you stared at Carol's tent for a second before deciding to go there. Your companions were too distracted by their own conversation to notice you leave.

You opened the tent carefully, and the interior was a little dark, so it took a few seconds for your eyes to get used to the surroundings. Carol was lying on a stretcher, and you were glad to find her awake while she listened to Maria read something attentively. The two women smiled at you when they saw you, and you almost apologized for interrupting the moment, but seeing the tenderness in their eyes, you preferred to believe that you were not disturbing them.

- Hi. - You greeted and stood in the doorway, awkwardly. Maria smiled and stood up, giving your arm a gentle squeeze before leaving, giving you and Carol a bit of privacy.

- Come give me a hug, birthday girl. - Carol asked in a playful tone. She looked better.

You rushed over, giving her a quick hug, not wanting to squeeze her too tightly, for fear of hurting her. 

- I heard that you got better. - You commented, sitting on the edge of the bed. - I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but Pepper didn't want anyone here.

Carol giggled weakly.

- Oh yes, she said I needed to rest. 

- Maria was the only one who could come in. Even Pepper wouldn't deny her that after weeks of not seeing you.

The blonde nodded in agreement, a shy smile on her lips. You were quiet for a moment, and as you watched her like this, looking so weak and tired, you felt your stomach clench with guilt and anger. 

- Sorry about that, Carol. - The words escaped your mouth quickly, and you looked at the floor, feeling a wave of shame in your chest. Carol frowned, and looked at you with confusion. - If I had been a little faster, you wouldn't be hurt, and you would be with Maria...

Carol held up her hands quickly, asking you to stop apologizing tenderly, and you felt your eyes water, but you obeyed her.

- I can't believe you've been thinking all this time that it was your fault. - She said, and lifted one of her hands to caress your face. - Sometimes services go wrong, child. In fact, it can happen quite often. - She tried to joke, but you didn't smile, and she turned back to a serious expression, trying to reassure you.

You blinked, looking at her expecting her to be angry, but found only tenderness in her eyes.

- We are your family, Y/N. When we are out there, we protect each other. And sometimes that will get us hurt, but we keep going anyway. - She speaks as she looks you in the eye, her fingers tucking some of your hair behind your ear. - You were so brave when we left Armadillo. Helping Bruce when Fury was shot. You could have gone along with the plan, but you knew something was wrong.

You closed your eyes quickly, the memories hitting you with intensity. Carol wiped the tears that streamed down your face. You tried to push the images of Fury being shot away, but they seemed to stick in your head. Taking a deep breath, you opened your eyes, meeting Carol's tender expression.

- I miss him, Carol. - You confess, and she nods.

- I miss him too, Y/N. - She says, and pulls you close, hugging you tight. - He would be proud of you.

You hug for a few moments before you let go, now sitting on the bed next to her. Carol plays with the fingers of your hand before speaking.

- You know, I think Fury's only regret is not going to be at your wedding. - She jokes, and you smile sadly, blushing a little.

- I think he would love to organize something like that. - You remark, and she smiles. You fall silent again, until she lets out an exclamation.

- I have something for you! 

- What? - You ask in confusion, and then she moves on the bed and reaches for the bedside table. She pulls out a small package.

- I was happy to hear that Maria managed to retrieve this from my things before she left New Austin. - Carol said and then she held the package out to you. You gave her a grateful look before accepting it.

You carefully unpacked the box, and let out a sigh of contentment as you read the title of the book, "Otis Miller and the Lady with the Black Heart. You loved that collection of books, and after the Armadillo fire, you had lost every volume you had. You thanked Carol as you flipped through the pages quickly, she laughed at your expression completely focused on the present. She knew how much you loved adventure books.

Carol adjusted her own posture on the bed, sitting up completely, you frowned with concern, but she just smiled assuring you that everything is fine. The movement caused the blanket to lift off her body a little, and your eyes were quickly drawn down to the tip of the large bandage on her belly.

Noticing your gaze, Carol gave you a weak smile.

- Don't worry about this. - She spoke, and then lifted the edge of her blouse. She let you run your fingers over the bandage. 

- Does it hurt too much? - You asked worriedly, but she nodded and added:

- Not anymore. I just feel a little itchy. - She admitted. 

You remembered a few weeks ago, the image of Carol stumbling toward the wagon where you were standing, a huge bloodstain on her belly. Bucky caught her before she hit the ground. You couldn't sleep properly for days. 

- If you can shoot, Steve will want you at the bank job. - You joked and Carol laughed. 

- I think Maria is going to tie me to this bed for a while. - She comments and you raise your eyebrows.

- I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, Danvers. - You joke and she laughs, her cheeks flushing, pushing you lightly on the shoulder.

- You're hanging out too much with Pietro. - She grumbles and you shrug your shoulders. - Speaking of him, or more precisely, his sister. - She starts and you look away, letting out a sigh and dreading the direction of this conversation. - Last time I asked you, you said that, what were the exact words, "you had great appreciation for her friendship and her company."

Carol teased you about your shameful confession last year, after you had had too many beers and she asked you why you didn't ask Wanda out on a date. She laughed at your sulky face when she debauched your choice of words.

- Suddenly everyone is comfortable nagging me about this. - You murmured, and Carol wiped away tears of laughter before turning to you, an expression suggesting that it was obvious the reason why, but noticing your confused face, she added:

- Are you really oblivious to your displays of affection, or are you pretending to be so that you don't have to deal with the commitment? - Carol asks with an expression that plays with seriousness and teasing. You look away quickly, feeling your face heat up. The question was a very good one actually, but before you could sink into your own thoughts, the blonde next to you nudged you, looking at you with amusement. - You don't have to overthink this. I'm not repressing you, you know. I don't think you mean any harm.

- What if you are right? - You let it slide, without really thinking about it. - What if I'm afraid to deal with my feelings? - Carol frowned at you and you bowed your head. - I just... I don't know what I would do if she rejected me. I would have made things awkward between us, and then I would have lost her friendship. And then things got weird with Pietro too, and...

- My God, girl, breathe. - Interrupted Carol, holding you by the shoulders. She had a curious expression. - Even if Wanda rejects you, which in my opinion seems ridiculous and unlikely, you would still be friends. You've known each other for a long time, Y/N. It's not like she's going to leave the gang because of this.

Carol jokes last, but you are startled by the possibility. She rolls her eyes at your panicked face, and lets out a giggle. 

- That would never happen. - She assures. - And you don't have to confess anything you're not ready to say. You can wait until things are normal again.

- It's not as if I haven't waited until now. - You mumble, but it's low enough that Carol doesn't understand. You just shake your head to signal that it's not important.

- I've kept you here long enough. - She says after a moment. - Go enjoy your party a little.

You smile at her, and thank her for the gift again before getting up to leave. 

[anubislover]

Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 19: Lying Hearts

“How can anyone stand to live in a city like this?” Nami grumbled as the light glinted off of yet another painfully white building. True, the setting sun had lessened the glare slightly, but after an entire afternoon of it, she was developing quite the headache, even with the sunglasses.

Law shrugged and continued walking at a leisurely pace, still unaffected. “I’m sure if you’re born somewhere like this it’s easier, but people can learn to tolerate almost anything given enough time, I suppose.”

“Do you think you’d be able to learn to tolerate bread?”

“I said almost. I’d sooner die of starvation.”

She shook her head with a chuckle but kept pace, following his lead. Instead of heading straight back to the submarine, Law had insisted on a few detours through Atifakuto—partially in case anyone had grown suspicious and decided to follow them, but also to scope out potential escape routes under the guise of sightseeing. Nami, for her part, had been exceedingly helpful in this, mapping out in her head which stairways lead where and pointing out various places to hide. If Law found her compliance suspicious, he didn’t say anything; it was in their best interest to work together, especially with some potentially valuable goods on the line, so her behavior was easily rationalized.

For her, however, there was more than artifacts or even belli at stake. This heist had to go well. She needed Law to trust her enough to open up about why he was so obsessed with Amber Lead. Perhaps if he could do that, she wouldn’t even have to sneak into his quarters to take a look at the ledgers. She could just ask and he’d let her in like a rational human being.

Of course, in order for either of their plans to succeed they needed to know where the vase was. Luckily, the rest of the Hearts hadn’t been sitting idle on the submarine. They’d been investigating every possible gallery, art collector, museum, and auction house their prize could possibly be at. The second they had a lead, they’d call on the mini Den Den Mushi.

Until then, though, Law and Nami were forced to meander about the city, planning and killing time.

“So, while we wait for some intel, what else are you going to buy me?” she asked as they wandered the fourth level. They’d passed quite a few shops, and while most had stocked dull business suits similar to the last store, Nami felt her bags were tragically light. They were in a beautiful-if-blinding city, and she was walking away with only one outfit? What a travesty.

Snorting dismissively, Law glanced down at her with a clear look of are you kidding me? on his face. “Nothing. I told you I was only getting you one outfit. I’m your captain, not your sugar daddy.”

“You know, for a man who wants this little job to go well, you’re not putting in nearly the effort you should,” she quipped, a sly smile on her lips, eyelashes fluttering prettily. “I’m supposed to look professional and put together if I’m gonna pull off being your lovely assistant. That means I need matching shoes and accessories. Maybe a cute leather purse or briefcase to really sell it.”

“If you want those so badly then buy them yourself. Or,” he smirked, halting his pace to turn around and catch her chin between his fingers, tilting her head up towards him as he stepped in close enough so she could feel his body heat, “you earn them by doing certain favors for daddy.”

Her cheeks only pinkened a little at his innuendos while she stuck out her tongue and shoved him away. Last night’s dream wasn’t quite as close to the forefront of her mind anymore, but that didn’t mean his smirk didn’t do things to her she’d rather ignore. “Pass. You should know by now that it takes more than clothes for me to play nice.”

“Mmm, I do. That’s what makes it so much fun,” he purred, gold eyes glinting in wicked amusement. One gloved hand was shoved into his pocket while his free arm slung itself casually over her shoulder as he continued stalking along the fastidiously clean road. “But since you’re currently insisting on being a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man to provide for her, you can instead borrow some shoes from Ikkaku, and she might still have a pair of glasses or something from the time she pretended to be a receptionist at a Naval base.”

Brown eyes widened at his statement. Not because he was suggesting that she borrow clothes or anything, but the bombshell he’d just casually dropped in light of her recent discovery.

“Was this for one of your plans?” she asked, shoulders stiffening.

He shrugged like it was no big deal, though he did give her a curious glance at the way she tensed beneath him. “Yeah. We needed someone on the inside, and they’d put out an advertisement for an attractive female in her early twenties. It’s not like Uni or Penguin could do it.”

“But…holy shit, Law, are you serious?” she hissed, dragging him over to an unoccupied part of the street behind a solitary gated tree so she could scold him in private. There weren’t too many people about, but the last thing they need was to get unwanted attention because they’d caused a scene, even if Law totally deserved to get chewed out at the top of her lungs for being such an asshole. “Ikkaku has Marine brothers who want her dead and you sent her into the lion’s den? What the fuck?!”

Caught off-guard by her anger, Law’s eyebrows shot up briefly before furrowing. “She told you about them?”

Damn. In her shock and anger on her friend’s behalf, she’d forgotten that this was a subject she wasn’t technically supposed to know. But instead of admitting guilt, she doubled down and threw on her best poker face.

“Yeah. She told me,” she lied easily. Too easily. It came as naturally as it had back in the days she’d been working under Arlong, getting close to pirates by lying through her teeth and then robbing them blind. How many crews and captains had she deceived before Luffy? Nami had honestly lost count, but once she’d joined up with the Straw Hats, lying to a supposed ally hadn’t been quite as instinctual.

But this isn’t Luffy, and Law’s keeping way more secrets than I am, she rationalized. It’s just a little white lie anyway. He’d be way more pissed at Shachi and Penguin for telling me. I’m looking after those guys.

Law’s expression hardened, and for a moment she wondered if he’d seen through her bluff. She didn’t think she’d gotten too rusty in the lying department, but Law was smart and distrusting in general, so she couldn’t quite tell. Trepidation hung heavy in the air as she waited for him to speak, mind going a mile a minute coming up with new lies and explanations to appease him. Worse came to worst, she could throw the guys under the bus, even if she didn’t really want to, but they were his best friends, so Law would doubtlessly be more forgiving towards them, right?

Thankfully, it seemed his anger came from a completely different place, as he snarled quietly through clenched teeth, “Nami-ya, I am, as you have pointed out rather frequently in the past, a control freak. Do you really think I would devise a plan that required sending my top mechanic into a Marine base if there was even a chance she could be recognized? Especially by her utter shit of a brother?”

She flinched at the vitriol in his voice. It seemed she’d touched a nerve, and unless she wanted to lose all the progress she’d worked for, she knew it was best to back down. “Sorry. You’re right.”

“I’ll accept your apology if you tell me what prompted her to tell you,” he stated, crossing his arms. “It’s not information she makes widely known, even to those who are permanent members of my crew.”

Well. At least this was easy enough to justify, and she’d be doing both Law and Ikkaku a favor, right? Sure, the guys would obviously tell him later, but being the first to warn him might earn her a few more crumbs of trust. “There was an article in the paper about Marine reinforcements coming to the Grand Line. Ushi was interviewed. He seemed pretty intent on taking down the Heart Pirates.”

Law froze, his frown deepening into a dark sneer. The tic in his jaw and the way his fists clenched reminded her of his reaction to Ikkaku having been attacked on Grimm. “That fucker will stay away from Ikkaku if he’s got any brains in him.”

“You’re pretty protective of her,” she said. Sure, he’d perhaps phrased his defense in a way that implied his priority was the plan, it was clear from the hiss in his voice that Ikkaku’s safety had been genuinely considered.

The brim of his hat hid his eyes as he stated, “I’m protective of all my crew. She’s just…it’s hard to find submarine engineers, let alone ones as skilled as her. Ikkaku’s hard to replace.”

Well that stinks to high heaven of bullshit, she thought. Sure, the Surgeon of Death had a rightly-earned cruel reputation, but he’d shown time and again his crew meant a lot to him. Stepping in close, she used her finger to lift his hat enough to see his expression unobstructed. “Is that why you let her sass you? Because if she walked you’d be dead in the water?”

The gold orbs glared down at her, though the held no heat. “Everyone on the crew is a vital component. Like gears in a well-oiled machine. You’ve gotta take care of them to make sure they don’t break.”

When Nami merely raised a disbelieving eyebrow, he sighed, body deflating slightly. “Look, Nami-ya, everyone on my crew, we’ve all got shit in our pasts. Some have overcome it. Some still carry the scars. Ikkaku…hers is one of the few that’s actively still trying to get her. So yeah, maybe I’m a bit more protective, but it’s for a damn good reason.”

Ok, now that was a fair point. “I’m surprised you haven’t just killed him.”

“Oh, I want to,” he snarled. “No brother should try to hurt their siblings. They’re supposed to look after them. The only reason Ushi-ya still draws breath is because Ikkaku begged me to spare his pathetic life.”

It suddenly dawned on Nami that, despite his criticizing Luffy for not being more bloodthirsty, Law was…surprisingly merciful in his own ways, too. He didn’t murder Ikkaku’s brother, despite having clear reason to, just because she asked. He rescued Jean Bart from a life of slavery despite not knowing him. And while she didn’t fully understand the Ope Ope no Mi’s powers, she wondered if his cuts didn’t draw blood because he didn’t want them to?

She wasn’t sure if he had a complexity addiction or if he genuinely wanted to minimize bloodshed, but once again another side of the incredibly fascinating man had been revealed.

Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he gave Nami a sadistic smile. “Doesn’t mean I let him off the hook with a sternly-worded warning, though. Wanna know what I did to him the last time we met?”

Nami turned a bit green as she remembered Jinzo’s still-beating heart in his hands. Complex and caring towards his crew or not, he was still a twisted bastard. “Fuck no!”

Briefly he pouted at not getting to regale her with the gory details before shrugging. “Pity. It was quite the eventful evening. In fact, it was also the night of mine and Drake-ya’s first kiss.”

“How the hell are those two things connected?!”

“Well, I had to distract him somehow. He was guarding my poor mechanic like a dragon would a virtuous princess.”

Before she could demand more details, or even snort at the idea of Ikkaku being virtuous, the sound of the mini Den Den Mushi reached their ears, interrupting the conversation.

Looking around to make sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers, Law pulled out the little snail phone and clicked down on the top. “Guessing you’ve got something for me?”

“I do,” the snail answered, and Nami recognized the faint accent that indicated they were speaking to Cousteau. “Only one place that specializes in North Blue history. Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. It’s an auction house and gallery on the fifth level, a block away from the Elevate Deliverer Restoration Church.”

“Well that’s a needlessly long name,” he quipped, rolling his eyes. Mentally, Nami had to agree, though it also sounded vaguely familiar. “At least that makes it easier to find. Anything else I should know? Other landmarks, nearby guard stations, that sort of thing?”

There was a moment of hesitation before Cousteau replied, “No station, though there would probably be at least a few guards wandering around at night. It’s, uh, right by a fountain. Blessings from the White City.”

Nami’s eyes widened a little. Oh. Now she remembered. That had been the church with the huge stained-glass windows. The one in her book, by the tribute to Flevance.

“…I see.”

The little snail chewed its lip, clearly concerned. “Captain, if you want, I can do all the surveillance—”

“It’s fine,” he cut in, tone sharp before smoothing out, “I saw it earlier. In fact, I’m glad it’s so close. Nami-ya and I will check out the gallery. We’re nearby and I’d rather see it with my own eyes to get the lay of the land. Unless anyone else has a better lead, you and the others can head back to the ship.”

“Understood, sir. Anything else you need?” he asked, sounding relieved.

“Just tell Clione I might have a job for him later on, so don’t make any evening plans.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.”

The call ended, and Nami peered up at Law, expecting signs of the same darkness that had crossed his face when they’d visited the fountain earlier. Instead, his face was totally blank, staring down at the tiny snail, expressionless.

Somehow, that was far, far more unnerving.

“Law?” she asked, touching his arm hesitantly.

As if awoken from a trance he shook his head before smirking down at her. “Well, hope you don’t mind one last detour before heading back to the ship? I know it’s more stairs but look on the bright side; at this rate, the definition of your calf muscles will be a thing of beauty.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond, turning on his heels and heading towards the direction of the stairs to the next level. Frowning, she began to doubt whether or not this was all a good idea. She didn’t know exactly what his deal was, but she really felt like he was too close to this. But she had the feeling trying to talk him out of it would be an exercise in futility, and would set her back far more than any lie she might spin.

Oh well, she sighed internally, jogging to catch up, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid. He’s sensible enough to keep a cool head, no matter what his problem is. It’ll be fine.

While it wasn’t far, it took longer than either of them would have expected to actually find Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. Mainly because it was a surprisingly nondescript building compared to the opulent churches and museums nearby. Honestly, based on the exterior, one could easily have passed it by. Like everything else the building was pristinely white, the windows boasting small arches over them and flower boxes containing white impatiens. Really, the most impressive thing about it was the marble plaque out front boasting the company’s name in gold leaf.

But the two pirates didn’t really care about the appearance; it was what was inside that counted. That, and the information board out front, which stated in bold, black letters that there would be a showing and auction of North Blue artworks at 8pm that evening.

“Why don’t you just Scan the place, grab the vase, and walk away? Seems like that would be easy compared to putting on this charade?” Nami asked, eyeing the building. It was hardly Harpin’s mansion; it would take almost no effort for Law to use his powers to steal every item of value inside it, replacing artifacts, paintings, and money with pebbles and potted plants with a mere flick of his fingers, then teleporting them away to safety.

Really, if he weren’t such an ass, Trafalgar Law would be a thief’s dream partner.

Of course, he was an ass, so he gave her a look that implied he considered her question to be phenomenally stupid. “Because there’s no guarantee that the vase is even in there—for all I know it’s being kept in a secondary location until the actual event for security or health reasons. It is a relic from a city that suffered a notorious death toll both before and after the World Government had quarantined it,” he explained lowly. “On top of that, my Room would draw too much attention, so if it’s not in there, we’ll have blown our whole cover and probably the operation.”

Though disappointed that they couldn’t just whisk it away with his powers, she conceded that he had a point. Versatile and useful as they were, the Ope Ope no Mi’s abilities did have their drawbacks. Actually infiltrating the auction house was a safer move.

Yet for a moment, she saw Law glare at the building, as if he were equally frustrated that they couldn’t just grab their prize and go. Perhaps even a great mastermind like him sometimes wished to take the direct path. “At least we can be sure it’ll be presented at this auction,” he reassured, almost as much to himself as her as his hand rested on Nami’s lower back while he escorted her away. “Makes it easier to come up with a plan and contingencies when I actually know the target. My crew did good.”

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger in thought. She supposed he was right, and the pride in his voice when he mentioned the Hearts’ contribution…well, she knew better than to argue with that. Seemed the lesson he learned on the last island was sticking. “Still too bad we don’t have blueprints like Harpin’s house, though.”

“It can’t be helped. That was a job I’d been planning for months. This is more…spontaneous. Why? Scared and looking to back out?” he asked, glancing down at her with a challenging grin.

Nami scoffed. She was a thief that specialized in robbing pirates. Sure, she was a scaredy-cat, but when treasure of some kind was at stake, there were few risks she wouldn’t take. “Not a chance. Just pointing out that we’re going in more blind than last time.”

“Maybe, but at least our prize will be out in the open and not in the home of a former Marine with tentacles. Hell, we might even get it legally.”

“Law,” she started, brow furrowing. She wasn’t scared, but she did have a reasonable concern, especially with how intent he seemed on this one item. “What are we going to do if we don’t win the vase?”

The pair stopped by the Flevance fountain, Law taking a long moment to stare solemnly at the beautiful white angels. Without a word he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin, pressing it to his lips before flipping it into the water.

When he turned back to her, his gold eyes were as hard as the statues’ and twice as cold.

“Simple; we take it from whoever did.”

XXX

Hidden in a small cove on an unpopulated section of Atifakuto’s coast, the sight of the Polar Tang’s sunny yellow hull was a welcome relief after a whole day of the city’s stark white walls. Law seemed to agree as his tense posture relaxed into a comfortable slouch, even giving a few of the guys a small grin when they called out to them. To Nami, of course, the submarine was still far from the Sunny and thus would never be home, but she couldn’t help but smile at Law’s reaction. The Dark Doctor really did have some softness deep down.

Of course, that didn’t last long, as the moment they were within the safety of the cargo bay he was once more all business. “Dinner is in an hour. Rest up, brush up on your notes, do whatever you need to prepare for the auction tonight; I’ve got a few more dominoes to put in place,” Law stated. He’d been silent for most of the walk back, though Nami attributed that to him mentally filing through all the information they now had and formulating his plan. Much as she missed and loved Luffy, having a captain who didn’t just go rushing in like an idiot was a nice change of pace.

That didn’t mean she appreciated his tone, though. “Say please,” she quipped, hip jutting out. She might have decided to be more compliant for the sake of gaining his trust, but that didn’t mean she was going to let him boss her around.

Besides, if she were too accommodating, he’d probably grow suspicious and then she’d be right back at square one.

He scowled but apparently decided it would be a waste of time to argue. They were on a tight schedule, after all, so her attitude would have to be tolerated. For now. “Please,” he grumbled before marching off, beckoning Clione to follow him. The biologist glanced between the two, bewildered, but smartly said nothing before chasing after his captain.

Flashing a self-satisfied grin at Law’s retreating back, Nami practically skipped to her quarters. Even though they weren’t as prepared as she’d like, so far, things were going well. Perhaps they couldn’t just use Law’s powers to swipe the vase, but by obtaining it through legal means, they wouldn’t have the authorities after them, which would be nice. Besides, it wasn’t her money that would be spent at the auction.

Her research of the North Blue had taught her a few things, including just how valuable things from Flevance were. After all, things made from the white ore had been in high-demand during the city’s heyday; now that it was in ruins, any remaining artifacts would surely triple in price. And, admittedly, if that fountain had been anything to go by, the vase could very well be extremely beautiful. Something any art collector or historian might want for themselves.

Once more, she wondered why the hell Law wanted it. He collected coins, not art, so she doubted it would be something he wanted just for the heck of it. What was his obsession with Flevance—

That train of thought was derailed when Nami walked into her room. She blinked then rubbed her eyes, certain her vision was still messed up from the sun, because Ikkaku was still sitting at her desk, working on some little device, practically in the same position as that morning. Really, the only difference was the lack of towel around her head, though her curly hair was a tangled bird’s nest.

“Have you even moved today?” Nami exclaimed loudly, flabbergasted.

The mechanic jumped a few inches out of her chair, a pen cartwheeling through the air before falling back onto the surface of the desk with a clatter. Apparently since she’d had the room to herself, she hadn’t felt the need to put the earplugs back in, leaving her vulnerable to Nami’s loud voice. “Damn, girl, you scared me,” Ikkaku said with a breathy laugh. She glanced around, noticing the time on the clock and the fact that her hair had dried completely. “Guess I was in the zone.”

“You haven’t been working all day, have you?” Nami asked, plopping her shopping bag on her bed. “At least tell me you had lunch.”

“Sounding an awful lot like Law there,” she teased, pushing away from her desk to stretch. There was an audible pop from her back, and her dark eyes closed in relief. “Like me, too. The boys and I are always bugging a certain workaholic captain to eat something and not subsist solely on coffee and aspirin. But to answer your question, yes, I did have lunch.” She pointed at an empty plate that had been shoved into the far corner of the desk, a few grains of rice stuck to the surface. “Bepo brought me some onigiri.”

“Good. If you didn’t, I’d be dragging you into the galley and force-feeding you a sandwich, then charging you a cooking and inconvenience fee.”

Snorting, Ikkaku cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, further releasing the tension sitting hunched over in one spot for hours had built up. “Dinner’s soon enough; even if I hadn’t eaten, I could have waited. And good luck making a sandwich with no bread on board.” Despite her dismissal tone, though, she gave a wry grin. “But thanks for caring, I guess, even if it does come with a price tag.”

“What are friends for?” Nami shrugged with a smile that was a little forced. It was such an alien feeling, this sudden awkwardness. Since first arriving on the Tang, she and Ikkaku had gotten on like a house on fire. It was almost inevitable, being the two women on the ship surrounded by men dealing with that insanity together. Hell, even if that hadn’t been the case, Ikkaku had practically sacrificed herself for her back at the club on Grimm. A companion like that was more than she’d even dared to dream of before she’d met Luffy.

Was it really right for Nami to act like she didn’t know about her brother? Should she just tell her that the guys told her about Ushi? Really, what was the point of keeping it a secret? It wasn’t that Nami thought she’d slip up and spill the beans—lying was her specialty, after all—but Ikkaku wasn’t some mark or stranger. She was her friend.

Hell, even if they were on opposite crews, she’d even dare to call her nakama.

The issue resolved itself, however, when the other woman’s expression turned a little melancholy. Ikkaku sighed as she rested her cheek on her fist, her other hand idly playing with the pen. “Heh. Funny, I used to ask myself that question a lot when I was younger. I didn’t really have friends back on my home island. I lived with my Gramps in a lighthouse, so besides the occasional trip to town, it was a pretty isolated life.”

“What about your brothers?” Nami asked, masking her interest by taking her purchases out of the bag so they wouldn’t wrinkle before the auction. A swell of relief surged through her. If Ikkaku talked about Ushi herself, the whole charade of pretending not to know about him wouldn’t even be necessary! She just had to carefully press for the right crumbs of information, maybe even offer up a couple tidbits about her own life in exchange. No big deal. Tit for tat, right? “Nojiko was my best friend growing up. Hell, probably my only friend until Luffy came along.”

A dark look crossed Ikkaku’s face. “Yeah, well, Nojiko on her worst day was probably a way better sibling than all of them combined.”

“I don’t think you’ve talked about them much. I basically just know that they exist and said you wouldn’t really make it as an engineer because you’re a girl.”

A long sigh escaped her lips. “That’s…the nice version. Didn’t want to unload my shitty childhood on you, especially since yours sounded worse. I mean, my island was never taken over by pirates, and I didn’t work for the guy who murdered my mom.”

Well, that was certainly true, but then again, people with healthy, normal childhoods seldom became pirates. Or at least, those that did rarely lasted long on such cutthroat seas. Nami should have realized there was more to the mechanic’s past than some run-of-the-mill misogyny. “Maybe, but I don’t mind. We’ve all gone through some rough shit, right? We wouldn’t be in this line of work otherwise.”

“True. I just…I guess I just like to pretend he doesn’t exist most of the time.”

“He?” she asked as if she didn’t already know.

Ikkaku’s calloused hand dropped the pen to instead clench into a tight fist, and there was a haunted look in her dark eyes as she stared off into space. “Ushi. He’s the oldest. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid of him. Spent our childhood making our other brothers use me as a punching bag. When he wasn’t doing that, he gave me almost hourly reminders that I was a burden on the family, that no one really loved me, that I’d never amount to anything.” There was a hitch in her breath and a pause, and Nami noticed her close her eyes tightly for a moment. As if she were fighting back tears. It was a look she’d never expected to see on the tough, vibrant woman’s face. “Then, when I was seven, he tried to kill me.”

“What?!” Nami exclaimed, dropping her blazer to the floor in shock.

“Yeah. Joras had a huge fucking forest, and he led me into it to look for mushrooms or some shit. Can’t remember. Next thing I know, he’s shoved me into a pit, and by the time I’d climbed out, he was long gone and it was night. I think…I think it was supposed to be my grave, ‘cause it was really fucking deep. Or at least it seemed that way. Maybe I’m misremembering.”

Somehow, Nami doubted that. Sure, memories could get warped with age and fear, but some details remained solid for the rest of a person’s life. “But, you got out, right? And I’m sure your parents must have been worried sick!” She could almost picture it. A young Ikkaku, sticks and leaves caught in her messy curls, knees and elbows scraped, face covered in dirt and tears, frightened but once more able to smile when she was finally found, her mother and father scooping her into their arms, scolding her for worrying them but just so relieved she was safe…

At least, that’s what Bellemere or Mister Genzo would have done if Nami had gone missing.

From the bitter laugh that escaped her throat, Ikkaku hadn’t been so fortunate. “I spent three days wandering around those fucking woods, scared and cold and wondering if I was gonna die out there. My parents didn’t even notice I was gone.” After a long moment of silence, her fist unclenched and some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. “Gramps found me, though. When I didn’t come home after two days and a storm rolled in, my brothers Nausagi and Fukuro ran two miles to the lighthouse to tell him what Ushi had done. Maybe they realized he’d gone too far. Or they were scared I’d come back as a vengeful zombie. Either way, Gramps rescued me and demanded custody. Mama and Pops were glad to hand me over. One less mouth to feed, and I wouldn’t be causing their Future Marine Hero any more trouble.”

“That’s…that’s horrible.” And yet Nami could tell she was getting the abridged version of the story. “Tell me your grandfather was a better guardian.”

Despite the childhood trauma she’d just confessed to, Ikkaku merely shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. He was. Gramps was crazy, but he loved me and taught me how to fight. Told me to never lose my smile, ‘cause that’s my best protection against a world that’ll try to break me.”

“Bellemere said something similar to me and Nojiko. ‘Whatever happens, never lose your ability to laugh. If you can survive, happy times, lots of ‘em, will come your way’.”

“Smart lady.” She tried to casually run her fingers through her hair, only to find them caught in the tangled knots. She let out a light chuckle at her predicament and added, “I think she and Gramps would have gotten along pretty well. Well, assuming she liked salty former smugglers who had the gumption to threaten Law with a shot gun. Not that he didn’t deserve it a little.”

Nami had to smile at that, and she could only imagine what he’d said that had nearly gotten him shot. It was definitely something snarky, a shit-eating grin on his face while he provoked a protective grandfather just because he could.

Noticing Ikkaku’s hair situation, she abandoned her suit to instead pick up a wide-toothed comb. “Well, I’m not sure about Bellmere, but I’d certainly love to meet him.”

“Of course you would.” Leaning back in the chair, she allowed Nami to carefully put her thick curls to rights. “How was shopping? Boss show you the blinding sights of the city?”

“It was…enlightening,” she said cautiously. There was still so much to sort out, and every time she thought she had an answer to one of her questions, four more popped up in its place.

Grabbing the pen she’d been playing with earlier, Ikkaku handed it to her over her shoulder. “Here; I made you something, since I doubt you’ll be able to bring your Clima-Tact with you. Kinda why I was so focused—I wanted it to be ready by tonight.”

Curious, Nami inspected the item. It was a plain black ballpoint pen maybe a bit longer than her hand. There was an almost unnoticeable jolly roger engraved into the middle, and she ran her thumb over it idly. “You spent the whole afternoon making me a pen? I could have just as easily brought my stylus.”

“Oh, but a stylus is only good for writing. This is so much more useful. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’, right? Click the top.”

She did so, and instead of an ink-filled nub, a small syringe, similar to an epi-pen, popped out. Her eyes widened in realization as Ikkaku explained, “Inside’s a powerful tranquilizer. Should knock any fool out in minutes if injected into the bloodstream. Takes longer if it’s ingested. It’s non-lethal to humans, so it should be safe to use on anyone you’re looking to knock out. Assuming they aren’t really Fishmen in disguise.”

“Why? Does it react differently for them?”

She grimaced. “Yeah. Severe allergic reaction. Anaphylactic shock typically. So, unless you want that on your conscience, humans only.”

Tucking the pen away for later, Nami nodded in understanding and went back to combing her hair. “Gotcha. Doubt it’ll be a problem, though. Jean Bart said this place is pretty humans-only.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s impossible for someone to have that kind of bloodline. If it’s diluted through a few generations, a lot of the time you can hide it and pass for human.”

“Hmmm, hadn’t thought of that.”

There was a moment where Nami could tell she was mulling something over. Even faced away from her, Ikkaku wasn’t hard to read, and it was only a matter of time before she voiced whatever question was on her mind.

While she waited, the ginger took the time to appreciate the texture of Ikkaku’s hair, combing out each curl individually so it wouldn’t frizz. The thick, black locks were coarser than her own, yet surprisingly soft despite her hard life at sea. Hair maintenance was extremely difficult living on the ocean, the salt and fluctuating weather of the Grand Line wreaking havoc on Nami’s much finer strands. And while Ikkaku was far more feminine than one would expect upon first meeting her, in the time they’d roomed together, she didn’t seem to put much more extensive care into her shiny locks than some leave-in conditioner.

Guess she’s just got some good genetics, Nami thought appreciatively. Either that or she’s hiding some amazing shampoo formula, and damn if she is I’ll never forgive her!

When Ikkaku at last broke her silence, the hesitation in her voice was palpable. “Hey, it was a Fishman who held you prisoner all those years, right? You ever…blame all Fishmen for what he did?”

It was an unexpected question, but a fair one, Nami supposed. Arlong had committed a crime so heinous she knew she’d never forgive him, and she knew there were plenty of people, especially ones who spent years abused by such a monster, who would project that hatred onto an entire race. But why even ask?

“I…not really. I mean, I can’t say I never lumped them all together in my head, since Arlong and his crew were my only baseline for Fishmen for a long time.” She bit her lip, thinking. “But that was when I was a kid. My view of things was a lot more black-and-white, mostly because I was bitter at my situation. As I got older, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was stupid to think all Fishmen were like him. He was the one who hurt me, so he’s the only one who should get my hate.”

“So, you don’t hate them all?”

She shook her head. “Nah. Hell, I was even able to forgive a member of his crew. I’m sure you heard about how Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon?”

Ikkaku craned her neck up to look at her, dark eyes widening in shocked understanding. “Yeah? You saying the Fishman he defended—”

“One of Arlong’s crew. Hatchi. Like all of them, he hurt me too, but it was on his captain’s orders, and he clearly regretted it.” Well, it had been a bit more complex than that. Hell, when they’d first encountered him again, she’d nearly gone back on her promise to Camie to rescue him. Even if he hadn’t abused her like the others, he’d still been complacent in it. Still destroyed villagers homes, held her hostage, attacked the Navy ships that tried to come to the rescue. He hadn’t been blameless in the least. She would have had every right to demand that he be left to be killed or enslaved. That it was karma come to bite him in the ass.

Yet what had swayed her, apart from Camie’s determination to save him, was her own friends’ reactions to seeing him again. Those who knew her past had immediately been ready to turn the ship around and leave Hatchi to his fate. Of course she’d expected Sanji to be her knight in shining armor and want nothing to do with someone who had abused a lady, even by proxy. Zoro and Usopp had been a bit more surprising, though perhaps it shouldn’t have been. They knew what she’d been put through. Had fought and bled for her. Despite their sometimes heated disagreements, Nami knew she could count on them to always have her back.

The one who shocked her the most was Luffy. He might have flip-flopped between reason and his stomach, but the fact was, her loving, forgiving captain had actually held a grudge on her behalf. Hatchi and Arlong hadn’t done anything to him personally, but his nakama had suffered, and that wasn’t something he’d easily set aside. That genuine show of solidarity and loyalty to her had melted what ice had still been around her heart, which allowed her to truly forgive the octopus Fishman.

Yes, Hatchi had hurt her, but her hatred was solely reserved for Arlong, not his underlings who genuinely felt remorse.

“I’m not a saint or anything but hating Hatchi…it seemed pointless. He wasn’t the one who killed my mother. And blaming all Fishmen for the actions of one seemed pretty shitty. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t kill Arlong if I had the chance, though.”

Nami could practically feel the tension drain from Ikkaku’s shoulders, and she couldn’t hide her smile before she looked away. “That’s good to know. That asshole deserves it, from what you’ve told me. He and my brother should meet, then get sacrificed to some kind of horrible sea monster. Plenty of hungry Sea Kings out there to feed.”

“Couldn’t happen to a nicer pair of guys,” Nami giggled as she ran the comb through the last strand of hair. “Though, that might be cruel to the Sea King. Poor thing deserves a better meal than shit like them.”

“True. We’ll just have to think of something else then. We can ask Law; he’s always got great suggestions.”

A shudder ran down her spine, though she had to admit, it wasn’t as horrified as she’d like. She justified it with the fact that Arlong was scum who deserved whatever painful death the likes of Law might propose. So did Ushi, from the sounds of things. Though, Law had said Ikkaku had begged him not to kill her brother. Why? Did she still care about Ushi due to their familial ties? Or was there something else?

Maybe she just doesn’t want her brother’s death on her conscience, Nami thought, putting the comb away and proceeding to raid the closet for shoes. I just hope that doesn’t come back to bite her someday.

XXX

Dinner on the Tang was certainly livelier and noisier than breakfast. Mainly because the crew didn’t have to walk on eggshells while waiting for Law to get his caffeine hit. Most of the time about a dozen different conversations could be heard, utensils clattered against plates, insults were tossed about, and laughter filled the air. But at the moment, the whole galley was silent save for Nami, who was telling the Heart Pirates—save for a few who’d been sent out on last-minute errands—all about her crew’s wild adventure on Skypiea.

“…so, after Luffy beat the crap out of him, Enel flew off to the moon in his gold airship, and we escaped the island with the help of an octopus balloon, our ship loaded with treasure!”

There was a pregnant pause as the Hearts stared at her in a mix of awe and disbelief. She’d had their undivided attention ever since Law announced that the Straw Hats had found Noland’s lost city of gold, all but demanding she tell the tale and not skimp on the details.

Naturally, those details made the story even more bizarre, practically unbelievable, but she gave them what they asked for, so they couldn’t complain. Even Law’s jaw had dropped once or twice in incredulity. Mostly at the part where Luffy’d been eaten by a giant snake and thus been hidden from Enel’s senses.

Finally, a few of the crew managed to find their voices.

“An orangutan nearly wrecked your ship with singing?” Shachi asked, face utterly baffled.

Penguin grabbed his hat and smacked him over the head with it. “That’s what you’re stuck on? That’s from way back in the beginning of the story!”

The ginger punched him in the shoulder in retaliation, which quickly devolved into a childish slap fight. “Well it’s weird, ok?”

“Weirder than Straw Hat punching Kami or the knock-up stream business or the ship that flew to the moon?”

“Yeah! You ever met an orangutan that could sing?!”

“No, but that’s not the point!”

“You met Monte Blac Cricket?” Ermine interrupted, eyes so wide the whites could be seen even under the rim of their hat, though their mouth quickly split into a smile. “Holy shit, I’d wondered what had happened to him!”

“Wasn’t he your friend or something?” Seiuchi asked through a mouth full of rice.

They shook their head, looking a little wistful, a faint blush rising to their cheeks. “Just a neighbor. The people of Lvneel were dicks to his family and anyone who associated with them didn’t get treated much better. But I always thought there had to be some truth to Noland’s story.”

“Because a city of gold is so fantastical it’s gotta be real?” Nami asked, amused. She’d half-expected everyone to laugh at her like the people on Jaya when she’d asked about Sky Island—she’d even glossed over that part, finding no reason to recap such a blow to her pride. Yet instead, they’d been respectful, even entranced by her tale. It seemed to help that she’d been able to fill in a few blanks with what she remembered from Noland’s ledger, thus adding credibility to the man himself instead of just imagining the lying fool the king’s slander had reduced him to.

Usopp would probably love these guys, she thought fondly. Not that they’d likely believe his fantastical lies, but they’d probably at least let him spin his yarns to his heart’s content.

“Because you don’t tell a king about a city of gold unless you’ve got something to show for it,” Uni interjected wisely, ladling some more curry onto her plate. He paused to smile at her with his eyes, the bottom half of his face still distinctly covered by his bandana despite it being dinnertime. This close, Nami couldn’t help but try to subtly look for signs of scarring, and in fact could spot a line of slightly-paler skin peeking out just over the edge. “That, and history’s rarely all that accurate. Full of lies and twisted to suit a certain narrative.”

“That’s the World Government way. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of it tonight,” Law stated, leaning back in his chair as he munched on some onigiri. The bulge in his cheek might have been comical, but the glint in his eye was humorless. “Can’t wait to hear the dumbass assumptions people make about us Northerners.”

Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the room, though an angry tic formed on Nami’s forehead.

“Are you saying the stuff you had me study is going to be a load of crap?” she demanded, pointing her finger accusingly. Of course she knew history was skewed at best, but she’d spent days cramming! Had weird sexual dreams about him because of it!

Yes she was blaming the book for that and no one could stop her.

He shrugged and took another bite of rice, unbothered by her irritation. “It’s the information you’ll need to be able to regurgitate if anyone asks you about the North.”

“Yeah,” Penguin chimed in, nodding sagely. He and Shachi had finally been pulled apart by Jean Bart and had resumed eating like nothing had happened. “These people aren’t interested in the truth. They just want to feel superior to the ‘uneducated masses’.”

“Buncha pretentious pricks,” Shachi sniggered, balancing a spoon on his upper lip. “Bet they’d have a fucking fit if they found out El Dorodo’s not only real, but in the fucking sky!”

“I mean, can’t say I’d blame them,” Jude grumbled, playing a bit with his food like a grumpy child. “I figured we’d be the ones to find it, but this whole time we’ve been sailing around in a submarine for nothing!”

“You got something to say about my ship?” Ikkaku snapped, glaring at her crewmate. Behind her, Crozier, Cousteau, and Ermine made slashing motions across their throats, silently reminding him that disparaging the Polar Tang in any way in front of its chief engineer was a sure death sentence.

Before he could say anything, Uni thwapped him on the forehead with the spoon, apparently taking just as much offense. “How can you say it’s been for nothing—we’ve found tons of cool shit down here! May not have been El Dorado, but there have been some amazing sunken cities. And fish! We’ve discovered more aquatic animals than any other ocean explorer,” he pointed out excitedly, Cousteau nodding in agreement. “I mean, we’ve seen deep-sea fish not recorded in any book! Extracted hallucinogenic venom from puffer fish! Taken samples of bioluminescent plankton! We’ve seen octopi punch fish!”

“You ever figure out why they do that?” Shachi asked, cocking his head.

“Best I can figure? Spite.”

As weird as this little tangent was, Nami found herself giggling a bit at how excited Uni was. She didn’t know him too well, given how he was one of the quieter, more reserved members of the crew, but it was endearing to see him so animated and giddy as he discussed marine life.

“Plus, it’s cool to study navigational currents and everything, and underwater topography. The maps I can make from that kind of intel are really good,” Bepo added, twiddling his claws a bit beside her.

“Right! And if that’s still not enough to convince you, who needs a city of gold when you can get your hands on more sunken treasure than most pirates see in their lifetimes?” Uni asked, puffing out his chest.

She couldn’t help it—Nami’s eyes lit up with belli signs at the thought of how many sunken ships the submarine probably came across, all that gold theirs for the taking. Most treasure was basically lost once it hit the bottom of the ocean, but the Hearts’ ship and diving equipment turned the ocean floor into their personal piggy bank.

It seemed Jude had the same thought. “You’re right, you’re right,” he conceded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, it’s a great ship, and we’ve definitely found more than a city’s worth of loot—and yes the fish are cool Uni put the spoon away—but it’s still annoying to find out that we’ve been searching the wrong place this whole time.”

“Eh, happens to every pirate crew,” Jean Bart said, sipping his drink. “You find a treasure map only to discover the gold’s already dug up. Same with legends of lost cities. The fact that the Straw Hats actually found El Dorado and came away with a profit just means they’ve got the Devil’s luck on their side.”

“Or the favor of some god. Probably not that Enel guy, though,” Shachi said with a smirk. “And hopefully nothing from Joras, either.”

There was a murmur of agreement among the crew at that, though Ikkaku looked more uncomfortable than amused. Nami wasn’t the only one to catch that, though, as Uni reproachfully smacked the side of his head with the spoon.

“Dude. Don’t joke about the eldritch horror gods, yeah?”

“Sorry,” the ginger said, blushing slightly as he wiped away the curry splattered across his face.

“Eldritch horror gods?” Nami asked, recoiling at the thought. What the fuck?! Joras sounded vaguely familiar and given the context she guessed it had to be someplace in the North Blue, but she sure as hell didn’t recall reading anything about that! Was this something related to Northern culture, or were the guys just fucking with her?

“Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, Nami-ya,” Law stated with a smirk, though she didn’t miss the glare he sent Shachi’s way. “We’ve been sailing under the ocean for over five years and I’ve yet to see a sleeping god who can turn you mad with terror.”

“No, just an underwater ruin or two that talks about him,” Ikkaku muttered, picking at her food.

Underwater ruins with tales of sleeping gods? Sounds like something Robin would be interested in, Nami thought, nervous sweat running down her neck. Not that she’d be able to blame her. Sure, the archeologist was macabre as hell, but Nami could appreciate her thirst for knowledge, creepy or not. Who knew what history and cultures had been lost to the seas? Maybe there were even Poneglyphs down at the bottom of the ocean!

Damn. Robin and Law would probably get along great. She wasn’t sure if she was frightened or comforted by this thought.

Uni seemed to notice her unease and patted her shoulder. “We’ve seen some strange stuff down there, but nothing more dangerous than Sea Kings. Which, I mean, aren’t exactly friendly guppies, but they’ll leave us be. The Tang’s Seastone coating and electrical defenses ensure that.”

Though she still found the whole concept horrifying, she was appreciated how hard Uni was trying to keep the peace and not make things needlessly frightening for her. The whole crew had a morbid sense of humor, but while she’d mostly adapted, she still found this whole conversation creepy. It made her feel a little guilty for wanting to pry into his business. Yeah, it was annoying to know the crew was hiding stuff from her, but Uni deserved a little privacy, right?

“Yeah, and if there were anything more, Uni’s fish buddies would warn us ahead of time!” Malamute added.

“Fish buddies?” Nami asked, eyebrows lifting to her hairline in surprise. So much for respecting his privacy. “Wait, can you talk to fish?”

The man in question stiffened beside her. “I, uh, I can understand fish a little,” he said, looking nervous. His large hands twisted the napkin in his lap, and he refused to look at her. “It’s a Haki thing.”

“Haki can do that?” she asked, surprised.

“Observation Haki can do a lot of things, and Uni’s the best at it on the ship,” Law cut in harshly, glare brokering no argument. “It’s a skill that’s saved our asses plenty of times.”

Nami blanched at his defensive tone. “Hey, I’ll take your word for it, but you don’t have to act like I insulted his mother or something.”

“It’s ok, Law,” Uni said, shrugging a bit, though his face seemed to sink a little further into his bandana. “I know she didn’t mean anything by it. It’s a fair question, and it is a weird talent.”

“It’s not weird. It’s fucking useful as hell and I won’t hear anyone belittling my crew.”

“I’d never belittle him—” Nami snapped, starting to stand up to give Law a piece of her mind before Bepo’s heavy paws fell on her shoulders, gently but firmly keeping her seated.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly. “Law doesn’t mean you. It’s just…the last person outside the crew that found out, he was extremely cruel about it. Beat Uni to a pulp and even threatened to sell him as a freak show attraction before Captain found them.”

“Oh my god,” she replied, anger cooling quickly as she covered her mouth in horror, imagining Uni bruised and bloody on the ground at the hands of some bastard. Well, that would sure as hell explain why Law had taken such offense. If such a thing had happened to Chopper because he could speak to animals, she’d likely be just as pissed. From the scowls on the rest of the Hearts’ faces, the whole crew felt similar. Her gaze flicked to the fuming captain. “I’m guessing he ended up on your operating table?”

“I wish,” he growled, gold eyes glinting in fury as he crossed his arms. “Marines showed up before I could cut out his heart. Must have been his lucky day, but luck won’t be enough to save him if I ever run into Hyena-ya again.”

“Hyena?” she asked, the name not ringing any bells.

“Bellamy the Hyena,” Bepo explained, snout wrinkling in distaste. “He’s also from the North.”

Oh. My. God, Nami thought, wondering if the world was really so small. “You said Bellamy, right? Blonde hair? Spring powers? Asshole with a stupid grin?”

Law cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Seems you’ve encountered him before.”

She ground her teeth as she remembered the way he’d mocked Luffy’s dreams in the bar. “Yeah. On Jaya. His crew laughed at me for asking about Sky Island and his first mate tried to buy me. Later he stole Cricket’s gold, so Luffy went after him. I didn’t see the fight but given what an ass that guy was…yeah, Luffy wiped that stupid smile off his face.”

Once more the room fell silent, but quickly broke out into thunderous applause.

“Hah! I would have paid good money to see that!” Ikkaku laughed, spirits lifted.

“If he hurt Cricket, I’m glad he got the beating he deserved,” Ermine said with a grin.

Uni smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily. “When you see Straw Hat again, shake his hand for me! That guy’s a dick.”

Even Law was put in a better mood, though there was still a malicious edge to his smirk. “Good on Mugiwara-ya. Still wouldn’t mind doing some permanent damage to the fucker myself, though. Bad enough he insulted my crew, but that bastard should pick his idols more carefully.”

Nami’s brow furrowed at that. His idols? The hell did that mean?

She didn’t have time to vocalizing that question, though. Sweat ran down her neck when said smirk then took a more lecherous edge as he rested his chin on his fist, eyes glinting with mischief. “But Sarquiss-ya tried to buy you? I might have prioritize kicking his ass, then. I’m the only one who gets to be your sugar daddy.”

“Oh shut up! You didn’t even buy me new shoes!”

“You got her a suit but no shoes? For shame, Boss,” Ikkaku giggled, getting up to help Seiuchi and Jude clear the tables. “I thought you were supposed to be a ladies’ man.”

“I’m a cruel bastard who doesn’t do something for nothing. She can borrow yours.”

Sauntering over, she playfully poked him in the forehead. “Says who?”

Law snorted and childishly poked her right back. “Me. Your captain. The guy who pays your salary.”

“You pay me to keep the submarine running and sass you when you’re being an idiot.”

“I don’t pay you for that.”

“Mmmm, you’re right; that’s a service I provide for free.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say those two were siblings,” Nami chuckled under her breath.

“Right? When I was first recruited I was convinced they were secretly related,” Uni agreed.

Bepo gave them both a smile and said quietly, “I think it’s good for them. Especially Law. I think he secretly likes having a little sister again.”

Brown eyes widened at that little tidbit. Law had a sister? What happened to her? Bepo had stated the past tense, so there was either some kind of falling out or…

…oh no, she thought, turning to watch Law continue to bicker good-naturedly with Ikkaku, his expression annoyed but the glimmer in his eyes belying that he was enjoying himself. Another piece of the puzzle that was the Surgeon of Death had fallen into her lap, but it wasn’t a particularly happy one. Sure, people died or were killed all the time, but Nami couldn’t imagine what she’d be like if she’d lost Nojiko. And depending on how young they’d been or how she’d died, that could really fuck with a guy.

“Nami-ya.”

Her attention was yanked from her musing as Law called her name. He was on his feet, plate clean and smirk dangerous as he regarded her. Nami wondered whether this would be the last time she’d see him in a genuinely good mood for the rest of the evening. “It’s seven o’clock. Time to get ready to watch history be defiled by pretentious morons. And for your obnoxious thunder god’s sake, make sure you’re wearing shoes you can actually run in.”

( @ninhaoma-ya, @awesomi, @vannahfanfics)

[imagine-loki]

Omega Mine

TITLE: Omega Mine

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 21/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Loosely based on: Imagine Loki discovers the Avengers have an omega who has healing powers living with them. He’s an Alpha and he wants her, badly. 

RATING: M (eventually ) 

NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

Loki rose again, keeping your hand in his as he did.  He gave you a brilliant smile and settled your hand on the crook of his arm.  Clearly, he was going to escort you that evening.  You weren’t surprised.  Loki liked the spotlight and being the center of attention.  His pranks around the tower said as much.  But this press conference wasn’t the kind of spotlight he wanted, not with how he had been tortured and forced to attack Earth.  He didn’t want to relive that trauma, for obvious reasons.  You and the team all understood that and no one would fault him for wanting to stay near the team’s Omega, to stay near his Omega.

You smiled up at him, letting him feel your calming aura.  Everything would be alright.  Loki gave you a warm smile in return, grateful that you were there to support him.  

“Are we ready to head out?” Steve asked.  Everyone was there and Nat had finished inspecting their outfits.  

The team agreed and you all took the elevator down to the lobby to the waiting limo.  You all squished in the elevator together and Loki pulled you safely to him, not letting anyone hurt you.  He eyed the limo when he saw it, clearly having never seen such a vehicle before.  

“It’s called a limousine,” you explained when he’d helped you in and followed after you.  “They’re used for special occasions, usually by rich people.” Loki nodded along to that.  He was a prince and understood status devices.

It wasn’t far to the conference hall, which was good when you had the entire team in a limo at once.  You stepped out of the limo onto a red carpet, where the press was gathered to take pictures of you as you headed inside.  They always wanted to comment on what designer designed your dresses and suits for any event you went to.  The Avengers were famous, as one would expect with how often they saved the world.  Since you were a member of the team, despite not being a hero and on the front lines, you were just as famous.  Being a celebrity was something you were still getting used to. 

Steve glanced to you as you stepped out of the limo.  Loki was there and had offered you his hand like the prince and gentleman he was in order to help you out of the limo.  You appreciated the help in the long gown.  You gave Steve a reassuring look when you caught his glance.  He was always so nervous in social situations.  Especially when Bucky couldn’t reassure him easily.  They played down how they were still mated in front of outsiders, as people outside the team wouldn’t understand. 

Steve relaxed when he felt your aura and saw you nearby.  The team’s Omega was vital to their stability.  You all gathered for the press and posed for pictures.  Loki remained next to you, a proper escort.  Escorting you also gave him something to focus on beside the Midgardians taking his picture and gossiping about him.  His posture was stiff and he had a hard time relaxing when there were so many people ogling him for the wrong reasons.  You squeezed his arm, drawing his attention back to you.  He gave you a smile and a grateful look as your aura wrapped around him, wrapped around all of the team.  

Finally, you got to go inside and up to the stage where Steve and Thor would be announcing Loki as the newest member of the team.  You listened politely to the speech, your presence reassuring Loki as the pair spoke about him.  You watched the press too, watched and made sure they were accepting Loki.  It was your job to read people and you were damn good at it.  It was part of what made you such a good Omega for the team.  Steve explained to the press that Loki was joining the team and an official Avenger from that moment forward.  Thor reassured them that the Battle of New York had not been Loki’s fault or choice.  There was no doubt in his words and he left no room for doubt or disagreement.  He expected that since the team trusted Loki, that the Midgardians needed to do the same.  

A few questions were asked after and Loki made a couple of polite comments when prodded to do so.  

Once that was over, you started the mingling part of the evening.  You couldn’t stay on Loki’s arm the entire time, which clearly disappointed him.  The press didn’t fail to notice how Loki doted on you.  They could clearly see that there was no mating mark on your neck, that your collar remained the plain silver of an unclaimed Omega.  Clearly, Loki hadn’t laid an official claim yet, but it was very clear to anyone who looked at the pair of you that he was an Alpha courting an Omega, one who had stated his intentions and was now waiting for the Omega to accept or deny his claim.  That knowledge would keep any other Alpha at bay, unless they were idiotic enough to want to challenge Loki for the right to court you.  

This was the old way of the castes, the way things were supposed to work.  There were too many Alphas in recent history who would just take an Omega they wanted.  

Loki wasn’t like that.  

It was well known that an Alpha was at his most dangerous and volatile while he was waiting for the acceptance or denial of the Omega he was courting.  So it was amazing that he would leave your side in the group of the press.  However, he also accepted that you needed to have independence and your own life.  You were in public, in sight of him and the team.  So he allowed you to mingle, to check on each member of your pack to make sure they were alright.  He stayed at your side as much as possible, but didn’t overbear.

He was answering questions for a reporter with Thor when you went to talk to Nat, intending to get her to go with you to the ladies’ room.  None of the team would forgive you for leaving the ballroom on your own.  Not when Nat, Loki, Lady Loki, Happy, or any of the team really, would be willing to escort you.

A hand wrapped around your arm as you were walking toward Nat.  You turned to look to see who had touched you even as your instincts screamed this was wrong.  It wasn’t a member of your pack.  Your pack could touch you casually.  You scarcely even noticed when they did.  

This person wasn’t pack.  

You looked up at the hulking man in the suit.  Alpha.  Predator.  His grip tightened on your arm as he caught your scent fully, as your fear spiked at being accosted.   

“The Avengers brought an Unclaimed Omega,” he growled.   “Just begging to be claimed and knotted,” 

Your eyes widened as the scent of his lust and power hit you.  He wasn’t as strong as Loki, not hardly, but he was an Alpha and part of you demanded you submit.  You weren’t going to submit.  Not to him.  

“N-no,” you tried, but your voice stuck in your throat.  

The Alpha was moving, dragging you out of the room.  The team was all busy mingling and didn’t see.  Didn’t sense.  

“Quiet, Omega.  You’ll be claimed and mine soon enough,” the Alpha snarled, trying to overwhelm you with his power.

You had to stop this.  Had to.  Do… something, anything.

The team hadn’t been training you for nothing.  “NO!” You shrieked, using your magic to throw a blast of light in his eyes at the same time as you whirled, driving your foot into a very delicate piece of anatomy.  Nat had been drilling you on self-defense for months.  

The Alpha howled as he doubled over, clutching at his crotch with one hand, the other still managing to maintain his grip on your arm.  

You didn’t need to shriek again.  The team was alerted at your first shriek and were there in a moment.  Bones crunched in his hand as they were removed by Bucky’s metal hand.  Loki pulled you away from him a moment later and into his strong safe arms, surrounding you by his scent.  

“Are you hurt?” Loki asked you gently as the entire team held weapons aimed at the Alpha who had dared touch you.  

You shook your head.  “J-just a bruise,” and you were clearly shaken up, but no one would fault you for that.  

Loki nodded and slid his suit jacket off.  He wrapped it around your shoulders, surrounding you in his scent and safety.  He handed you, quite literally, to Thor.  A look passed between the brothers.  Thor nodded as his arm wrapped around you, pulling you to him.  His other hand held Mjolnir.  

Loki trusted Thor more than anyone else on this realm.  The pair had fought side by side for centuries, since they were old enough to hold weapons.  He trusted his brother at his back.

And he trusted his brother to protect his mate while he dealt with the danger.

That Alpha was so very, very fucked for daring to mess with Loki’s mate. 

[feeling-weirdy]

Maybe a post Endgame AU where wanda and Vision are both alive but dealing with trauma from IW? Especially vision who's not used to the feeling or nightmares? Just angst and fluff I'm a sucker for

Disclaimer; Thank you for giving me an excuse to start this AU I’ve been thinking on!  I realized after I finished writing this that you said post Endgame.  I hope it’s okay that I changed that bit. 

Posted on Ao3 if people want to be notified of updates!

TW: for a little bit of choking

Peace.  Silence.  Sadness.

Waves of emotions and thoughts flooded through his mind until he felt himself dissipate into nothingness. Just as he had hoped, Wanda had been the last person he saw before the inevitable happened.  It shouldn’t have been her, but it was.  She had stood before him, her energy aimed straight for the stone until there was nothing left.  'I just feel you' he had told her and he meant it. Her warmth filled his body until he could feel nothing else. He could die a peaceful death, a gift he had never expected to receive.

His thoughts were put to rest, feeling his mind completely shut down as he found peace. At least until he could feel a small tug.

Suddenly, he felt himself being pieced back together.  That couldn’t be right.  His programs slowly came back online, his system completely rebooting. Vision remained kneeling in the dirt, but this time the being standing in front of him was not the love of his life.  The monster they had been avoiding for so long stood before him, having used the time stone to bring him back to life.  He had undone everything Wanda had just accomplished.

“No!”  Wanda screamed, Vision felt his attention be pulled in her direction st the sound of her voice.

“Wa-”  A large, meaty hand gripped at his throat, raising him from the ground like he was nothing.  The circuits and wires in his throat collapsed and his mind began to glitch.  This wasn’t right.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.  The mind stone should have been destroyed.  It had been destroyed and now...

The lights of his eyes flickered as his programs began to shut down one by one.  Vision gasped for air, hoping words would spring forth, but the grip on his neck only tightened.  Thanos used his free hand to reach for the stone, a disgusting smile sliding across his face. He could feel his large fingers dig into his metal skull, synapses keeping the stone in place breaking as Thanos ripped it from his forehead.  Vision’s eyes had rested on the auburn-haired girl still frozen in fear on the ground.

This couldn’t be it.  It couldn’t...

The last of his programs shut down, causing his vision to blackout yet again.

“Wanda!”  Vision screamed, his systems came back online in a snap.  Had he been asleep the whole time?  Raising a hand to his forehead, he could feel the space where the stone had been just moments ago.  The intention had been covered by a new plate, but the stone was gone.

His eyes scanned the room, searching for answers to where he was and what had happened to him.  The room wasn’t his bedroom, nor was it Wanda’s, but it was familiar.  The group had been in this room what seemed like hours ago.  Large windows spanning in front of him allowed him to see the vast vegetation that spread across the land, hidden safely behind the barrier that still protected the city of Wakanda.  Swirling vectors on the machine next to him caught his eye, proudly displaying the message he had been desperately longing for since earlier this morning.

-SEPARATION COMPLETE-

He recognized the mind stone diagram as well as the detailed breakdown of his internal workings.  His consciousness had been fully detached from the mind stone. 

Relief washed over him, his head falling in what he could only describe as utter bliss.  Shuri had done it.  He no longer needed the mind stone to function. 

“Ah, so you’re awake.”  The girl’s familiar voice sang behind him, his attention falling to her as she made her way around the table.  “And how are you feeling?”  Shuri immediately set to work, scanning him quickly as he tried to fully process what he just read.

“Remarkable.”  Vision reached up again to where the stone had rested previously, the lack thereof having been extremely obvious.  It was going to take some getting used to not having it there.  “It’s almost like...a weight has been lifted from my mind.  There is certainly a difference, yet I feel the same.”

“I wouldn’t worry.  It will take some time to get used to, but you are fully disconnected.  No mind stone required.”  Shuri smiled at him, pride swelling in her chest.  Not at all hiding the emotions that she certainly felt at her accomplishment.  Despite whatever happened here, she had no doubt been hard at work focused on her job.

Scanning the area once again, he noticed how entirely empty the room was.  The shock of reawakening having completely distracted him from those he wished to be reunited with.  His eyes widened, the thought of Wanda’s screams filling his memory.  “Where are Wanda and the others?”

“Wanda is on her way now.  She should be here any minute.”  Pressing a few buttons on the display she summoned from her wrist band, her confidence bringing him a good deal of comfort despite what he had seen.

“And Thanos?”

She was quiet for a moment, uncertainty clouding her face making it difficult to discern the meaning behind her silence.  Even from the small distance, they held between the two of them, Vision could see how desperately she was trying to not make eye contact with him.  Forcing herself instead to focus on the display in front of her.  Vision climbed off the table, pushing himself up into a standing position with a grunt.  He didn’t like how quiet she had suddenly become.

“Well?  Where is he?”  Her face contorted, looking away from him for several moments.  With a deep breath, Shuri walked toward him, placing a hand on the center of his chest.  Putting a gentle pressure to his chest, she nudged him back towards the work table. 

“You should really get some rest.  And I really should run some more tests before you get up and about.”  Shuri shook her head.  “There will be time for answers later.”

“My functions are working perfectly, but I must insist that you answer the question.”  Vision stepped forward, his voice becoming more firm as he felt irritation bubbling up inside of him.  Shuri took a step back as he came forward.  She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.  

“Vis?”  A familiar soft voice spoke up from behind him causing his body to turn in one swift motion.  Wanda stood across the room, her eyes filling with tears.  Her hands lifted to her mouth in disbelief, her legs wobbling slightly, taken aback by the very idea that he was alive.

“Wanda...”  Her name dripped from his mouth, a smile forming on his lips as he watched her.

“Vis!”  Wanda ran across the room, quickly closing the distance between them as she jumped into his arms with a laugh.  “You’re okay...”

“I’m more than alright now,” Vision said softly, nuzzling his nose into the nape of her neck.  Her warmth overtook him, allowing him to fully relax.  He trailed kisses up her neck, across her cheeks before reaching her lips, crashing their mouths together in one euphoric kiss.  The stress and the collection of emotions they had felt over the past few hours preparing for this moment all came out at once.  Wrapping his arms around her small waist, he pulled her against him deepening their kiss.  Wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, Wanda moaned quietly into his mouth desperate for more.

Shuri cleared her throat from behind them, forcing him to pull away.  

“I do really need to have you checked out first,” Shuri said awkwardly, completely aware they had completely forgotten she was standing there.

Vision ignored her, focusing his attention back on Wanda.  While he had been caught up in their reunion, he hadn’t forgotten the small limp she carried as she ran to him.  Something had happened to her and he was going to find out what.

“Are you alright, my love?”  Concern filled his voice, allowing his hand to fall down her arm and grab her wrist.

“I’m fine, Vis.  I really am.”  She was relieved, happy beyond measure, but even he could see that behind all that there was something more they were pushing down.

“And the others?  What happened?”

Wanda and Shuri shared a look.  “He removed the stone.  Thankfully...”  Wanda sighed happily, gripping onto his hand.  “Shuri had already completed disconnecting you from the mind stone.  You don’t need it anymore.”

“So what you’re telling me is that he has possession of the mind stone.”

“He does...as well as the other five.”  She paused again, squeezing his hand.  “A lot of people are gone, Vis.  Steve, Tony, Bruce...a lot...b-but you’re safe.  I’m safe.  We’re here together.  Everything’s going to be fine now.”

It was a lot of information to process in just a few short sentences, but even he couldn’t stop the strange wave of emotions that followed them, crashing over his systems again and again.  Stark was as close to a father figure as he had and had been a dear friend even longer; the fact that he was gone was definitely something worth noting.  

“Perhaps...”  Vision started, his words trailing off as he reached for the exam table.  “Perhaps...I will sit down.”  He had seen the way Wanda had grieved the loss of her brother, studied humans coming to grips with their loved ones no longer being there.  This feeling that overwhelmed him was almost too much to bear.  

“If you’ll lie down here, I’ll check your vitals.  Make sure everything is in tip-top order.”  Shuri insisted, helping Vision lie back on the table to continue her scans.  “Once I am finished, you two can take one of the back rooms for the night.”

“Thank you, Shuri.  For everything.”  Wanda continued speaking with her, but their voices faded in his mind as he processed what he had learned.  Thanos had made half of all life disappear from the universe, including many of their closest friends.  The weight of the mind stone had been lifted, but a far heavier one had been thrust on top of him.  Vision was going to have to find a way to get them all back.

Shuri spent the next hour running every test she needed before giving him a clean bill of health.  No abnormalities had been found and it seemed like everything was working beyond how she had expected.  

The couple retired to one of the many bedrooms that Shuri had pointed out to them.  Having no real preference, they accepted one of the middle rooms before saying good night.  Wanda walked into the room, taking a deep breath.

“Wanda...are you sure you’re alright?”  Vision asked once more.  He couldn’t quite place it, but he could tell something was eating at her mind despite her attempts to make herself appear happy.

“I’m more than fine,” she assured him.  “Really.  You’re alive.  It worked.”  A bright smile covered her features as she walked back toward him.  “Everything is fine.”

“But everyone else...”  His voice trailed off, flashes of memories of those they had lost spilling into his mind.

“Is not our problem.”  Her voice was stern, unexpectedly so.  “Vision...we can’t keep sacrificing our lives for the team.  It seems like all we’ve done for two years is give and sacrifice for them.  At some point...we have to look at what’s best for us.”  Gripping onto his hand, Wanda looked up at him pleadingly.  “I almost lost you three times in the past twenty-four hours.  I had to kill you myself...”  Her voice broke, sequentially breaking something deep inside him.  “I cannot lose you again.”

Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Vision nodded.  “...Very well.”

“Let’s get a little sleep, okay?  We can figure out what to do in the morning.”

Wanda hopped in the bed, the smile returning to her face as she turned to look at him. She pulled the sheets open for him, waiting patiently for him to occupy the space.

After everything that had happened, sleep was the last thing on Vision's mind, but denying her was out of the question.  Vision shifted into some comfortable clothes and slipped in the bed beside her.  Wrapping his arm around her back, he pulled her tight against his chest.  Yet again he had been granted some semblance of happiness and he was not about to let it go again.

Wanda had been right about one thing: they deserved a moment to themselves. However, he could still feel a push inside him; a force deep down begging him to go out and do something. Vision kept the voice at bay, deciding instead to focus on this moment right now. The moment where both of them were alive and could finally be happy.

[beyondthetower]

Will of a Captain, Heart of a Father (Dimitri x Byleth)

Summary: After a routine mission in a nearby village, Byleth gets hurt protecting Dimitri. The guilt Dimitri feels as he beats himself up about it is nothing compared to the guilt that Jeralt’s blame inflicts. 

Characters/Pairing: Dimitri x Byleth, Jeralt

Word Count: 2.1K (AKA too long)

Warnings: Minor language

A/N: The result of me being mad about Leonie thinking she was more important to Jeralt than Byleth was.

It has been a routine mission; nothing they hadn’t handled before. Rhea had given the Blue Lions the order to help stop a rogue of bandits attacking a nearby hamlet. They had outnumbered the enemy easily. Their skill had far surpassed that of the bumbling thieves. Yet, somehow, she still got hurt. 

“Get Manuela,” Dimitri demanded as he pushed his way into the monastery’s entrance hall. In his arms, Byleth’s limp body was fragile and bleeding. “Get Manuela!” 

The student, stunned into silence by the initial site, jumped into action and ran off toward the infirmary to get Manuela. The Blue Lions swirled around him. Mercedes got to work healing what she could, reminding him over and over again that there was only so much she could do. She was just a student after all. Annette hovered over her shoulder, offering words of encouragement, and Ashe jogged off behind the boy toward the infirmary. 

Ingrid motioned to Felix and Sylvain to help her keep the growing number of students back. She mumbled something about keeping it quiet, and tried to shoo away a few girls who had been craning their neck to see what the commotion was about. 

“Who is it?” a student asked as Felix pushed the wall of onlookers back. 

“None of your business,” he spat. 

“Is that the new professor?” someone called out. 

“It is!” another student yelled. “It’s Professor Byleth!” 

“What the hell is this?” Jeralt and Alois bounded around the corner at the sound of the growing commotion. 

Fear grew on Jeralt’s face at the sight of his daughter. It was hard for Dimitri to watch. He glanced down, struck by his only child’s limp body, and rage could be seen swelling in his face. The other Blue Lions stood back, heads lowered in shame. It was well known that their professor was the daughter of the Captain, but rarely did they think about what that meant. To them, she was the more-than-capable former mercenary that taught them everything they knew. To him, she was everything.

Dimitri started explaining things quickly: that he had turned to see her taking a hit from a swordsman that had been hiding nearby. He threw his lance instinctively, and while his hit had been fatally accurate it came just a second too late. 

“Give her to me.” Jeralt reached out and entangled his arms briefly with “Give me my daughter.” This time, the ferocity in his voice caused Dimitri to recoil. He let Byleth’s weight shift into Jeralt’s arms and stood back. 

“What happened?” Manuela ran over, brushing Byleth’s hair out of her eyes and checking her vitals quickly. Before anyone could answer she stepped to the side and ushered Jeralt and Alois toward the staircase. 

They all hurried off, disappearing behind the stone arches and leaving the Blue Lions standing quietly, praying that their Professor would be okay. 

- - - 

Jeralt sat beside Byleth’s bedside. Manuela had been cautiously optimistic about her wounds. Mercedes, who was now fluttering around the infirmary behind him, had done a good job slowing the bleeding until Manuela could get to work. 

“She’ll be fine, Captain,” Manuela had told him that afternoon. “It was just a close call, is all.” 

There had been plenty of close calls before, so why was this one any different? It wasn’t the first time she had been stabbed. It wasn’t the first time she had been stabbed near-fatally. Even so, the nervous thumping in Jeralt’s chest was keeping him on edge. 

“Listen, kid,” he heard himself say. “I need you to do me a favor and wake up.” When she didn’t, he frowned. “I know you can hear me. You used to do this all the time as a kid. Thought it was the funniest thing in the world.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “It was cute when you were eight. But now...well now I need you to wake up or I’m going to make my way downstairs and throttle that royal brat for letting you get hurt. And you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Captain Jeralt.” Dimitri was standing in the doorway, his face flushed with surprise. Whether or not he had heard that comment wasn’t clear. Because he stepped back, in surprise, and bowed low. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Jeralt let his glare linger on Dimitri’s face for a moment longer than he normally would, before sighing and looking back down toward Byleth. 

“Again, sir, I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies. I can’t tell you how terrible I feel-”

Jerlat pushed himself onto his feet quickly. “Save your breath. Mercedes already told me what happened.” 

Dimitri could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. “Sir, I-”

“I said, save. Your. Breath.” 

There was a moment, however brief, that Dimitri seriously considered standing his ground. He had been wandering the grounds all afternoon, worrying over how the professor had been fairing. She did mean a lot to him. It was becoming more clear by the hour. But, much like when he had seen Jeralt earlier that day, something in him softened at the sentiment that what the Captain needed now was some time alone with his child. 

“Of course, Captain,” he said proudly. While his heart was begging him to stay, his feet turned and pulled him out of the room and back into the hallway. 

Outside in the hallway, Mercedes hurried up to him, her head bowed in shame. “Your Highness I am so sorry I didn’t mean to get you into any trouble. He just asked what happened. And I couldn’t lie.” 

Dimitri tried to smile. He rolled his shoulders back and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, Mercedes,” he said. “You did the right thing in telling him. She’s his child after all. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He offered her a low bow before heading back to his quarters. 

He couldn’t sleep. Long after the sun had gone down, and the monastery went quiet, Dimitri stared up at the ceiling, panicked. It was all his fault. She got hurt protecting him. Just like all those years ago in Duscar. People that tried to help him got hurt. They always did. There was a realization nagging at him, one that had been stirring since he watched Jeralt carry her away earlier that morning: He cared for her. 

Suddenly, Dimitri was at the infirmary again. He looked up, and his hand was on the cold iron door handle. He paused, listening intently for any sign of movement inside. Slowly, he pushed the door open. The room was still. A few other students had been added to the floor since earlier that afternoon. He was grateful to see the chair beside the professor empty. Jeralt must have been convinced to get some rest. 

Dimitri fell into the chair beside her, looking forlornly at her bruised face. It had been his fault. He knew that already, of course, but seeing her resting in the hospital bed confirmed it in the worst way. The scene replayed in his mind over and over that day. He tried to remind himself that she was fine. She was lying there now, breathing and healthy, with just a few superficial, fixable wounds. But he wouldn’t shake the feeling of despair. 

“Dimitri?” 

His head shot up at his name. “Professor?” he whispered. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. Or intrude for that matter. I-I just needed to know you were okay. I felt so bad for the accident and-” 

“Could you get me some water?” 

“I-of course.” Dimitri fumbled with the tray and gently handed her the glass. 

Byleth began sipping at her water, avoiding Dimitri’s gaze as she pushed herself more upright and settling into her seated position.

“You got hurt protecting me,” Dimitri reminded her. 

She swallowed a gulp of water and nodded matter-o-factly. “And I’d do it again.” 

“Don’t say that.” Momentarily forgetting himself, Dimitri sank back into his seat. “Your father would kill me.” 

“My father?” 

Dimitri nodded slowly, remembering the look on Jeralt’s face  “He really let me have it when he met us. He would have throttled me if he hadn’t needed to get you to Manuela. And when I tried to visit later to see how you were he kicked me out faster than I could apologize.” 

Byleth glanced down, trying to hide her smile. “He seems to be forgetting that you are the student and I am the teacher. It’s not your job to protect me.” Dimitri opened his mouth to disagree, but she went on. “He’s just not used to me going on missions without him,” she explained. Then, glancing back up at him, added, “And he’s not so good with expressing his concern.” 

“Well I read him loud and clear,” Dimitri assured her. “I just. I wanted to say how sorry I was. You wouldn’t have been put in this position if you hadn’t been covering for my lack of perception. I should have seen that guy coming.” 

“We can’t always see everything coming,” Byleth reminded him. “That’s what teams are for. Tell me. What if you were in this bed, and Ingrid was beating herself up about you jumping in to save her?”

He smiled but he didn’t respond. She already knew his answer. 

“Exactly,” she agreed. “Dimitri?” 

When he looked over at her he realized how tired he was. He blinked slow, and tried to smile to cover it up. “Professor?” 

She must have caught on, because she smiled back at him. “Get some sleep.”

Dimitri sighed. He thought about telling her that it was impossible, whether she was injured or not. But instead, he nodded, and got to his feet slowly. “Of course, Professor,” he said politely. “I hope to see you back on your feet soon.”

Byleth sunk back into her bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. “Of course you will,” she told him. “Who else is going to teach you?”

Dimitri left the infirmary for his nightly stroll. Of course he wasn’t going to get much sleep. The voices had quelled themselves for a few hours while his thoughts had been consumed by Byleth. But as they did every night, they began to mumble in the back of his mind, keeping him. At least her voice wasn’t among them. 

- - -

Early the next morning, Byleth was thanking Mercedes for her breakfast. Aside from leaving to get a few hours of sleep, Mercedes had been doting over her. While she hadn’t been anywhere near her in battle, it was as if she still felt the kind of guilt that comes with a friends getting hurt in combat.

“Well would you look at this.” Jeralt was standing in the doorway, beaming down at Byleth. “It looks like you finally listened to me.” 

Byleth put her tea down and rolled her eyes. 

“You say that 

“Listen,” she said. “I heard you were rude to Dimitri.”

“Dimitri almost got you killed. So you can imagine I would take a tone with him.”

“He didn’t ‘almost get me killed’, dad.”

“Oh? And how did you end up here?”

“Because I made a decision to help a comrade.” She locked her eyes on him harshly. “Something that I learned from you.”

Jeralt was quiet for a moment. He had the recognizable glower he often wore when he realized Byleth was right. When it happened, the two would find themselves in staring contests. Typically, Byleth one. This time was no exception. 

“Well did you need to listen so well?” he asked gruffly. But either way, he crossed the room and a few long steps and sat at the foot of her bed. 

“Yes,” she admitted. 

Jeralt sighed. 

“Does that mean you’ll apologize?” 

“What?” Jeralt asked. “Of course not. But-”

She stared at him expectantly. 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I won’t keep doing it. But I’m not going to apologize. Who do you think I am?

“Excuse me, Captain?” Alois stood in the doorway, looking nervously between the two of them. 

“What?” Jeralt snapped. 

“Seteth is looking for you. He says it’s urgent.” 

“Of course it is.” He looked back down at his daughter, and it could have been a trick of the light, but she looked a lot older then. Like an actual adult. He wasn’t expecting it to hurt as much as it did. “I love you kid,” he said gruffly, and ruffled her hair the way he used to when she was young. “Don’t forget that. And don’t go off getting yourself killed for these brats.” 

“I love you too, dad.” 

Jeralt smiled. She didn’t say it often. So when she did, he knew how much she meant it.

[legends-of-apex]

Loba x Reader x Crypto: ‘Something More’ (Part 2/2) SMUT 18+

Summary: A continuation of Part I in which Loba, Crypto and The Reader go back to the Reader's room in the legends compound to decrypt the files taken from Pathfinder's chip. Inevitably, Loba's proposition is brought up and smut ensues. You can also read this on AO3 if you prefer!

A/N:  Hello! Here's the second and final part. This chapter does contain smut after the cut. I've spent the best part of a month on this so I promise there is still a plot as well :D Hope you like it! And I would love to hear your thoughts!  Reader's pronouns aren't specified however they are referred to as having a vagina/breasts etc. so please keep that in mind x Warnings under the cut!

Words: 7, 788

Warnings: This fic contains heavy smut including oral (reader receiving and giving), fingering, penetrative sex and scissoring

The rest of the match went relatively uneventfully, with the three of you finishing fourth after being ambushed by another squad. There hadn’t even been enough time to see who it was before you blacked out. When you awoke, a bright light beaming down upon you made you squeeze your eyes shut again. Forcing yourself to sit up, you felt the familiar rubber of the med bay beds beneath your fingertips. When you dared open your eyes again the lights weren’t so bad and you could actually look around the room. Your head felt heavy, your mind off-centered. A nurse was wrapping your fingers around a glass of water before you could ask for one to soothe your aching throat.

“Hey, can you tell me where you are?” He asked you. Bright eyes brimmed over the top of his surgical mask. He was the same nurse from every other time you were revived after a match and he always had the same questions.

“The med bay back at the compound?” You asked, cautiously lifting the water to your lips.

“Yeah! Well done out there today. You guys were great!” He took the empty glass from you when you were finished and set it down by the sink, his black scrubs rustling as he moved around the room, looking at the various monitors that hung like cobwebs from the walls, “How are you feeling?”

“Just a small headache. The usual.” You answered, knowing if you gave even a slightly different answer you could end up stuck in here for days. The headache you had post-match was always the same, pounding and everywhere all at once. It probably had something to do with the serum they used to revive you after the match but you were more concerned about Loba and Crypto right now. You hadn’t seen them go down.

“Great! Well, you’re all healed, vitals are great. You’re free to head out.” He seemed to sense your eagerness to leave and for that you were thankful.

Loba was waiting for you outside the room when you stepped out, pushing herself off the wall and uncrossing her arms when she saw you. She walked towards you with her arms open, engulfing you in a hug when she reached you. With her six-inch heels and already naturally impressive height, she almost dwarfed you, your chin only just being able to rest atop her shoulder. You knew she was just glad you were okay, but displays of affection were rare for her. Even if the hallway you were in was empty. Usually, she wouldn’t be caught sharing any shred of weakness, but after a match? She always got a little sappy, even if she would never admit it.

“Shall we go wait for the hacker?” She pulled back to look at your face and you nodded before taking her hand, walking towards Crypto’s usual med bay room. His name printed on the outside of the door. Loba peered through a tiny window in the door. “Is he still in there?” You asked. It was unusual for anyone to be kept so long and he knew not to say anything that might prolong his stay. Unless there was some kind of complication? You tried not to think about it.

Loba scoffed. “Oh please, he wouldn’t leave without seeing you alive and well first. He’s still in there alright.” She spared a glance your way and recognised that look on your face. You were worried, even though the chances of any post-match complications were extremely low, nearly non-existent. “I wouldn’t worry, sweetheart. He was downed last so they’ll have had less time with him than us.” She saw that did very little to calm your nerves and decided to change the subject to take your mind off of it. She lowered her voice, knowing for sure that there were cameras and microphones all over this place. “Hey, we might get some promising information out of that chip, huh? Any information we can get on them brings us one step closer, no matter how small the step.” All you did was nod when usually you’d be beaming with excitement at the prospects of new information on the Syndicate and you weren't doing a particularly good job of hiding the fact that you couldn't care less about anything right now except for Crypto still being in that room.

“You really give a shit about him, huh?” she asks and you look to her, confused.

“If it was you in there I’d be just as worried.” Loba sighed and took your hand again, bringing your knuckles to her lips before squeezing your fingers gently, careful not to scratch you with her nails. That meant more to her than you knew.

The door before you opened with a click as Crypto finally emerged, hands already stuffed back in his jacket pockets by the time the door shut behind him. The look of relief on your face was enough to tell him you’d been worrying. You had dropped Loba’s hand in an instant and went to hug him, opening your arms a little first and waiting for his permission. He felt himself sigh into your arms, his own wrapping around you tightly as he could. However brief, he would always treasure each touch you gave him. You made him realise how much he craved being held, being close to people. It made him forevermore thankful that he was lucky to be as close to you as he was, even Loba as well to some extent. You shared a piece of your life with him, your kindness, your time and occasionally: your bed. Whilst you did the same for Loba, he never found himself growing jealous, only more thankful to have you when he did.

“You still got the chip?” Loba asked him over your shoulder. He nodded. “We had better get to it. The decryption might take a while.”

The first thing you did when you got back to your room was kick off your shoes and flop down, face-first, on your bed. All the running and the stress of the games could really take its toll. Meanwhile, Crypto headed straight for your PC, plugging in all kinds of strange contraptions and external hard drives no doubt filled with some kind of dodgy software. Loba asked if she could use your shower to which you told her there were already fresh towels in there ready to be used as you gathered a bundle of clothes for her to wear when she finished.

You looked to your broken arm shield emitter and groaned as you were getting changed into more comfortable clothes than your games gear, the realisation that you actually had to fix it dawned on you. You struggled to your feet and pulled up a chair beside Crypto at your desk and released the shield from your arm with a whirr. Most of it had survived, only a few small grenade fragments lay buried within it. Easy fix.

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I overheard some of what you guys were saying earlier. Loba had her communicator still on. And I just want you to know that although I did tell Loba about us sleeping together, I haven’t said a word about… you know, you. Your identity. That’s yours to tell and I would never betray that information to anyone, even Loba.” You were one of two living people with the privilege of referring to him by his real name in private. By telling you about his past, even just by telling you his name, he put so much trust in you. And you wouldn't betray that for anyone.

He stopped typing to look at you, letting you know he was sincere. “I know you wouldn’t. I trust you more than anyone. But thank you for the reassurance. And I’m sorry that you heard that, I don’t wish for you to be treated like an object.”

You knew then that he didn't quite trust Loba’s intentions with her proposition but were quick to reassure him. “Oh, don’t worry. Loba asked if I was down for it beforehand. And it’s sweet that you two want to make me feel good, but I don’t require any payment for what I do for you two, especially in that kinda way. I do it because I care about you.” Tweezers in hand, you carefully began removing the fragments from your device. It was a good excuse to not have to look Taejoon in the eye during the conversation.

“Heh, that’s precisely why Loba thought you to be deserving of such an arrangement. And I have to say, I agree. You need to let us give back to you, though it doesn’t have to be in the form of what Loba was suggesting. In any way that you choose.” You could have laughed. On their own, they were amazing enough, both more than proficient and attentive lovers but together? You couldn't help but groan at the thought. “ Trust me , as long as you two are up for it that arrangement is totally fine by me! I couldn't think of anything better.”

You see Crypto’s head move suddenly in the corner of your eye, you turn to see Loba looking the softest you had ever seen her. Her hair was damp, falling all the way down to her waist. A pair of your baggy sweatpants hung low around her hips. She looked comfortable, her eyes held no sense of impending danger and you swore it was the first time you had seen her so at ease.

“Is that my shirt?” Crypto asks and she shrugs, looking down at the plain black material. “I don’t know, is it? It’s… cute?”, You sheepishly turn back to face Crypto as Loba dives straight onto your bed, stretching out on her back. “Maybe?” you offered, knowing damn well it was his from the last time he had stayed over. He wasn’t going to pry it off of you as you slept, especially since you looked so comfortable. It was his pair of sweatpants too, but he didn't need to know that. A low grumble sounded from your stomach and you took that to be the perfect topic change, “How about take-out?”.

“Lovely idea, I’m starving!”

You phoned up the best pizza company you knew, the woman on the line informed you that it would take a while because of the games. People liked to go for pizza after watching the apex games apparently. “We’re going to have to wait a while.” You said solemnly, hopping onto your bed behind Loba and taking your hairbrush from her hand. Her hair was long and so very soft. Crypto politely excused himself to also take a shower whilst you played with her hair. You combed through it with your fingers first. Loba released a long breath as you dragged the brush from the edge of her forehead, down her scalp and all the way down her back, holding the ends in your other hand. “So Crypto’s down for your idea.” You gently gathered her hair together in a bunch before letting it fan out again over her back, the strands so long they reached the covers below.

Loba leant back a little, resting on her palms. “Oh? I’m not surprised. He seems like he would do anything that involves you. That poor boy looks at you like you’re made of gold.” She chuckled, looking back at you over her shoulder. You pecked her lips, her skin was soft and supple with a subtle hint of cherry lip balm. “Ugh, I can’t wait to devour you.” She groaned, “If he doesn’t get out of that shower in the next two minutes, we’re starting without him.”

“So impatient!” You laughed, “Hair up or down?”

“Eh, leave it down.”

Crypto made his way out the bathroom still towelling off his soggy hair. He set his jacket on the back of your desk chair, along with his waistcoat and every other piece of his games gear apart from his baggy trousers and t-shirt. The pendants on his necklaces jingled together as he moved around, like a cat with a bell.

Far too impatient for subtly it seems, Loba decided now was the best time to initiate things “She looks good enough to eat, don’t you think Crypto?” He stops in his tracks, towel still raised to his head with his mouth hanging open before he cleared his throat and straightened his posture. He hummed in agreement, taking the towel and folding it in half before laying it over the chair behind him. He now leaned his back against the desk so he could face you, bare arms crossed over his chest as he looked at you. You couldn’t help but blush at Loba’s words and the way he was looking at you, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks.

Loba now turned to face you, mischief and wanting in her eyes and leaned in close. “We would love to take care of you if you’ll have us, of course.” She pressed a single kiss to the side of your neck, your skin tingling from the warmth of her lips, “What do you say?” You turned your attention back to Crypto who looked at you in question, his head tilted. Neither of them were moving without your say so.

“Sounds perfect.”

With that pushed you back so your head lay gently on the pillows. Her finger wagged in Crypto’s direction when he took a step forward, telling him to stay put. He gulped and leant back against the desk again. “Well then. Just relax and let us take care of you, hm?” She ended her question with a smile, already sliding downwards onto the bed in front of you. Placing her hands on either side of your sweatpants and giving the outside of your thighs a light squeeze. She looked up at you through her lashes, asking if she could take them off. You nodded and soon she had them tugged off, your socks soon followed.

She leant right down, pressing a kiss to the cloth of your underwear, her lips putting the lightest flutter of pressure on your heat. Your mouth fell open and she laughed quietly, seeing a dark patch on the fabric of your underwear. “Mhmm already dripping for us, Crypto.” she called back to him over her shoulder, “What do you say we take these off as well? No need to be shy. We already know how beautiful you are, sweetheart.” You nodded again, her fingers delicately taking the band of your underwear and making quick work of shimming them off your legs. A string of words, no doubt in Portuguese left her, as she took a moment to look at you. She had spoken far too quickly for you to have any hope of understanding what she was saying.

Her hands were on your sides in an instant, and her lips were back on yours as her hands made their slow descent back down towards your heat. Her kisses a rough contrast to the preciseness of her touch. She kissed with her heart it seems, everything else was calculated. A shiver wracked its way through you when her fingertips reached the hem of your shirt, but she didn’t lift it, only gently massaged the bottom of your stomach and over the tops of your thighs. Circular motions everywhere except the place you wanted them to be.

Her lips left you as you whined softly, “So eager.” she smiled at you again, before leaning in to kiss your neck as her fingers finally touched where you so craved them so much. A moan escaped you as she wasted no time in finding your heat, circling her two fingertips within its wetness before dragging them up and down your slit. Over her shoulder, you could see Crypto standing biting his lip so hard it looked like it would bleed, face flushed.

Sucking gently on the soft skin of your neck, Loba pressed her two fingers right onto your clit. You couldn’t help the noises that escaped you or how you clung to her so desperately. She soon switched back and forth between gently massaging all-around your folds and slowly circling one finger directly to your nub. She was teasing you. The alteration driving you insane, legs beginning to shake. Just as you felt the dam about to burst she drew back away from you entirely, leaning back on her knees as she brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked on them lightly.

“How does she taste?” Crypto asked, his face warm. Loba leaned back from you and you near-whined at the loss.

She brought her fingers back down your heat and gathered some of your wetness onto her fingers again, standing and extending her fingers in his direction. “Like honey. Want to try?” He bypassed her altogether and walked towards you. “Suit yourself, Hacker,” she rolled her eyes.

“May I?” He asked so softly you nearly melted then and there. “Yes, please.” You managed and before you knew it he was sliding one of your legs over his shoulder, shortly followed by the other. He began by pressing the gentlest of kisses to your thighs.

“Ooh nevermind.” Loba went back on her previous statement with an approving nod of her head, “One second.” The glare he sent in her direction could’ve stopped a charging bull but Loba just waved him off and laid down beside you, pulling you into her lap so she could support your body. Crypto tugged you down towards him so the back of your head rested against Loba’s chest. Warmth radiated from Loba’s body beneath you in a constant wave of gentle, comforting heat but your focus wasn’t on her right now.

The moment his mouth made contact with your core, your body went lax. His tongue came right after and your back arched with such ferocity that Loba almost lost her hold on you. When the most desperate noise left you, you felt the vibrations of his laughter roll through you and his hands gripped the tops of your thighs more firmly to keep you in place. His eyes flickered up to you for a moment, soon after your hands found his hair, tugging lightly on the damp ends in an attempt to have him closer.

Loba’s lips ghosted over the shell of your ear “I know you said he was good but you really weren’t kidding,” she whispered before her mouth before she latched her lips back onto your neck.

Tugging his hair seemed to only spur him on more as the groan he emitted was borderline feral, bringing his tongue to circle over your clit at such a pace that the pressure built within you to the point where you were about to burst and likely would have had to not pulled back for a second to quickly catch his breath and get a better look at you.

“I know you want to come on his tongue, beautiful. Go on.” Crypto was back between your legs then, doubling his pace. “Come for us.” She whispered just as Crypto decided to wrap his lips around your clit and suck. You lurched upright, grip tight on his hair as you grind your pussy against his lips. When he slowly coated one of his fingers before slowly pressing it into you and pumping to the rhythm of his mouth, that was it for you.

Your body barely felt like you controlled its movement anymore as pleasure wracked its way through you in gushing waves. A drawn-out moan you’d probably be embarrassed about later escaped you as you went limp in Loba’s arms. Crypto helped you ride it out, wanting to make you feel the best he could. His tongue didn’t leave you until your pussy ceased its tensing then releasing around his finger, pulling it out of you and to his lips immediately. Loba’s arms kept you steady as your body slowly returned to normal, cold air stinging as Crypto left you. You missed his mouth and hands on you immediately but Loba was quick to distract you by helping you rid yourself of your shirt all whilst trying to keep her lips latched on to yours. Her fingers so swift in how they undressed you and herself that you were suddenly reminded that she was a thief, quick hand movements were her speciality. Her hand came to cup your bare breast for a moment, glee in her eyes at the sight. Once you helped her out of most of her clothes, you felt Crypto’s lips on the side of your neck. His mouth leaving marks no doubt right beside the ones Loba had made already. A hand in his hair again had him whimpering. Loba noticed and released you so you turned to face him, your mouth finding his as you stood on shaky legs. His lips were swollen but still soft. He kisses you like it was the last time he would have the chance, one hand gently cupping your face as his other arm wrapped around you.

“I’m going to let you two have this round.” You pulled back from Crypto and looked at her with confusion, she hadn’t even had any kind of pleasure yet and she still insisted you and Crypto go ahead. “I like to watch.” She clarified with a smirk, seating herself in your desk chair, legs folded neatly over one another. Her lacy black bra and panties somehow made her even more attractive but comply with her wishes you would. Plus you wanted the chance to repay Crypto for his services.

Soon enough, Crypto is stripped of all but his boxers, seated upright at the edge of your bed and facing Loba’s general direction. Running your finger over his cheekbone, you look down to notice just how hard he is. “You like eating me out that much, huh?” You asked as you swung one leg over both of his and knelt so you could grind against him, wringing your arms around his neck. You felt just how hard he was then and Crypto looked like he might have came if you weren’t careful, his mouth opened slightly, eyes closed. His hands found the bottom of your back to keep you steady as you slowly grinded onto him, feeling the hard outline of him pressing against your sensitive lips. “예수 그리스도'' He moaned at the feeling, bottom lip now trapped between his teeth.

“Really wanna ride you.” You told him and his eyes snapped open, hand gently cupping your cheek as he brought you in for another kiss.

“Then ride me.”

You sat back from him to run your fingers over his clothed cock, feeling it twitch with your touch. Soft moans fell from his mouth with each drawn-out stroke, he was so terribly sensitive. Tentatively tugging down his boxers, you freed his member from its confines and rubbed along the shaft before thumbing its tip. His throat hitched.

“If you keep touching me like that, this is going to be over a lot quicker than either of us could have hoped,” His hand found your bare pussy again, fingers gliding through your folds to make sure you were still wet enough to take him, “Let me know when you’re ready.”

Leaning further forward so your hips rested against his, bracing against his strong chest for support, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m ready.” You told him. Without a word, Crypto reached down and aligned the two of you before oh-so-slowly lowering you back down onto his lap, feeling his length buried within you to the hilt.

You moaned together when he filled you, Crypto burying his head in your shoulder when you began to move, his hips rocking to meet the rhythm of yours. It felt delicious, his length rubbed your walls in all the right places and you felt a pressure begin to build quickly within your stomach again. His moans were so soft you almost had to strain to hear him but his strong grip on your hips as you swayed atop him telling enough.

Looking over your shoulder for a moment, you saw Loba lazily rubbing herself through her underwear, her eyes utterly transfixed on you and Crypto. One particularly measured thrust on his part hit your most sensitive spot directly and had your attention turned all the way back to him immediately. Gripping his hair as you rode him, you felt the pressure of his teeth on your shoulder as he bit back a moan. You slowed your pace and tilted his face up to see yours.

“Be as loud as you want baby, we wanna hear you,” you assured him and he looked at you through half-lidded eyes, skin flushed and lips bitten. You felt his cock twitch inside of you.

Pulling you back towards him so you were flesh to flesh, his hips snapped up into you with renewed vigour as his lips found your neck. Right next to another small mark Loba had left not a few moments earlier, he tentatively suckled on your skin until it bloomed. He swore he wasn’t a jealous person, he just wanted things to be even. His lips slowly trailed down towards your chest until he found one of your breasts, ready and waiting for him.

You let your head fall back. His consistent pumping up into you, filling you over and over and his tongue on your nipple combined with the knowledge that Loba was watching and enjoying all of this was quickly becoming too much for you to handle. You felt his cock twitch within you again.

You cupped his face in your hands as you brought him away from your nipple to press his swollen lips to yours again. That was when he reached between you and let his fingers trail over you clit. A cry escaped you. You were reaching the point of overstimulation and it felt like heaven.

When his thrusts became distractingly fast, you had to leave his lips but still held his face in your hands. “Come for me baby,” you told him and he felt his mind going numb. A few more thrusts and he was spent, all low moans and mumbles as he buried his face in your chest. His warm release within you felt so good, coating your walls and making you feel so wonderfully full. The coil in your stomach was wound, near the point of breaking now, but it wasn’t enough for you to reach your peak.

You just held each other for a few moments, petting over his hair as you relaxed in his arms. Even though you hadn’t come a second time that didn’t matter all that much when he still managed to make you feel as good as he did. When he caught his breath he looked up at you and frowned, “You didn’t-“

Loba was quick to interrupt him. She was up from her chair and walking towards you the moment you had regulated your breathing, “I’ll take care of that, pretty boy. Go take a minute.” With one last kiss and a groan as he pulled out of you, he reluctantly lifted you off his lap and sat you gently on your bed. He usually held you for hours after sex so this was new for him but just as he was learning to trust, he was also learning to compromise.

Loba bent down beside you as Crypto got up from your bed, tilting your chin upwards with her fingertip. “Ooh what a mess he made, hmm? Guess I had better help you clean up.” You were already oh so sensitive but your release was building again, all worked up from Crypto’s cock but surely going to be finished by Loba’s fingers.

Her touch was so different to Crypto’s, so delicate yet precise. She Plucked your body as if you were a harp, and she was a harpist with the most experienced hands. Her hands trailed over your shoulders and your chest, a nipple pinched and pressed deliciously between her fingers. With a few strange movements of your legs, Loba manoeuvres you by your hips, weaving your legs together. She draws her fingers up the underside of your thigh then down your lower leg, teasingly with a wicked grin plastered across her face as she does.

Loba scoots you closer together, her hands exploring your thighs as she goes, until you’re so close to her that you can feel the heat of her pussy against your own. She pulls you in for a kiss again and you take a handful of her full breasts. Loba rocks forward suddenly, rubbing your dripping cores together. She was most definitely keeping herself busy whilst you were with Crypto because she was soaking. Your pussy was so sensitive, so worked-up again that even the slightest touch had you reeling. Another slow grind and Loba’s eyes flutter closed. A twist of your thighs and you were fully locked together, her core providing yours with a delicious pressure. With a groan, Loba favoured a rougher rolling motion, her nails clawing at your thighs as your clits rub together.

“Shit!” Loba cries and her hips jerk into yours more sloppily. It was rare to see her so needy. The pressure from her clit on yours and the way her face contorted in pure pleasure had your insides twisting until you felt the dam burst for the second time that night. You found her lips again as you felt her too reach her release soon after, panting between kisses and cursing. Her movements slowed, as did your own until you were faced with the task of untangling from one another. “Guess we were pretty worked up, huh?” She asks and you nod in agreement, “You still have another round left in you? Pizza guy won’t be here for another twenty minutes…”

You were exhausted, dripping wet and still trying to catch your breath but you still managed to stifle out another “Yes, please.” You couldn’t get enough of them and you were dying to have them both at once. You felt more than just lust for these two. They made you feel loved, feel safe. All three of you had issues with connecting to people, whether it was simple distrust or even trauma but you were lucky enough to find one another. All the time spent with them trying to take down the Syndicate made Loba and Crypto learn to trust other people again. Not only that, they learned to care for you and in-turn allowed you to care for them. And being cared for wasn’t something either of them imagined would happen any time soon. Your tenderness and love made them feel human again like they were more than just their past.

“What do you think? Up for round three?” You looked to Taejoon and saw him sitting where Loba had been. When he moved one of his hands away from his lap to smooth his hair back from his face, you saw his cock was already erect again.

His chest heaved. “Are you sure you can take any more,애인(lover)?” Sitting up on your elbows now you looked at him and then to Loba who lay beside you, trailing her smooth fingertips up and down your arms. Excitement bubbled within you again.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

They were both beside you in an instant. You weren’t sure who was touching where and frankly you couldn’t care less. Feeling both their bodies on yours at once felt amazing, your skin tingling all over as you knelt sandwiched between them. Despite your oversensitivity, you welcomed the metallic fingertips that found your folds again. You were so, helplessly wet. Your multiple releases, coupled with Loba and Crypto’s had your thighs and sheets a mess. The cold metal of Crypto’s fingers were a wonderful contrast to the warmth of your pussy as he trailed along, up and down your lips, purposely avoiding where you wanted him to touch.

He left your lips in favour of hooking a finger inside you again. The friction was welcome but it wasn’t enough. “Please!” You whimpered and you heard Loba chuckle.

“Oh, baby girl, are you eager for his cock again? It’s a shame we aren’t at my place, you could’ve had mine as well.” Crypto raised a brow at that. You just whined at the thought of Loba’s strap.

He hummed as he found your clit with his thumb as he continued to draw his finger in and out of you. “Crypto, please!”

“I think you should tell him what you want him to do, sweetheart.”

“Please fuck me. I-I need-” You cut yourself off with a moan of his name and Crypto thought he might just die. He leant down to kiss your lips, rougher than usual now but still gentle. When he pulled back from you and gave you a chance to lay back, he had his dick in his hand and took his sweet time coating the tip in your juices, slowly dragging it through your folds.

“Ready for me?” he asked and you nodded. He tugged your knees around his hips and he leant between your legs and slowly entered you, inch by inch until you felt that wonderful fullness again. He let out a shaky breath and a gasp as he entered you. You felt so warm, so soft and so unmistakably you that he had a hard time moving for a moment for fear he might lose composure too soon and leave you disappointed for a second time. When you gave him the okay to move, Loba began teasing your breasts again, but you had other ideas for her.

“Sit-” A particularly drawn-out thrust from Crypto had your words misforming, “-On my face?” you asked her. Seeing as how Loba hadn’t garnered all that much from tonight’s proceedings, you were eager to make her feel good.

Her lips twisted into a smirk as she drew back from your chest, “Oh, sweetheart, I thought you’d never ask.” Crypto slowed his movements to let you two get comfortable. Loba now knelt beside your head, swung one leg over your head as you lay flat upon the bed so she now kneeled directly above you. It was the perfect access point. None of the pressure was on you, only what you wanted there to be.

Pulling her down by the hips until her core ghosted so close to your lips that your exhale made her shiver, you made sure you had a good enough grip on her even if all her weight was on your mattress. Crypto took Loba’s chin aiming for the heavens as his queue that you were comfortable again and started back at a slow pace. He always liked to alternate between almost teasingly slow, slow enough that you got needy when he pulled fully out of you, before you the exact pace that you needed from him.

Loba tried not to grind against your face but your actions did nothing to deter her from it. She was extremely responsive to any stimulation she received and your tongue was right up there as one of her favourite ways to be pleasured. Your strokes were careful, teasing and just how she liked it. Although your body jerked forward with each thrust from Crypto, Loba didn’t seem to mind and simply rocked her hips along your face in time with his movements. Each time he pulled back out of you only to fully sheath himself inside you again, a small gasp or moan escaped you. The vibrations just made Loba’s experience even better, small rhythmic cries falling from her lips.

When you felt Crypto’s fingers on your mound again, you had to lift Loba off you slightly to breathe. He always knew exactly where and how to touch you and even though you couldn’t see him, you could hear his soft laugh at the sound you made when he circled your clit. The feeling of being filled over and over by his thick member was divine in and of itself, his girth allowed him to rub your walls with ease especially at the angle he had you in now. Your legs wrapped around his hips and he kept your lower half-raised slightly off the bed. But combined with his hands? It was difficult to concentrate on anything but.

The more you got distracted by Crypto, the needier Loba became, jerking her hips in tiny thrusts to enable some kind of friction. Your fingers dimpled the backs of her thighs to keep her in place as you tried to make up for your few distracted moments. She was getting close now, you could feel it. The poor woman wasn’t used to actually being on the receiving end of such things until she met you.

“I think I’m going to come,” Crypto said with a sharp intake of breath, followed by a barely spoken curse.

“Me too.” She whined, “Pick up the pace, Hacker.” She leant back on her heels to the point where she was nearly sitting on your chest now, a hand in your hair and the other keeping herself steady. Unable to tear her eyes away from your face as you worked on her, an intense ripple of pleasure rushed through her when your eyes met hers. As you tugged her clit back between your lips and sucked all whilst flicking it with your tongue over and over, she was done for. Her head dropped back and her hands now gripped your head with all her desperate strength as she cried a far louder noise than you had ever heard from her before. Her release fell from her entrance right onto your wait tongue, making sure to keep up the intensity until you felt her body relax within your arms.

“Shit!” Crypto cursed and you felt his cock again twitch within you as Loba rolled off to your side, “Are you close?” He asked, voice strained and breathless.

“Yes!” Now that Loba was off of you, you were free to reach forward and cling to him, nails digging into the back of his shoulders and dragging him back down onto the bed with you. With the new angle, his cock hit right where you needed it, the tip brushing over your g-spot over and over as his hand continued to work on your clit. You were almost there now, he could feel it. You felt so good, clenching and releasing around him as a new rush of moisture left you. Loba decided at that moment that sucking one of your nipples into her mouth was a good idea. Suffice to say: It was and it very nearly finished you off. You looked up at them above you, their focus solely on you as they worked and shaped your flesh to bring you the most pleasure they could.

It was only when Crypto leaned in to kiss you that you finally came for the third time that night. Neither he nor Loba ceased their efforts until your orgasm fully ceased. Wave upon wave of glorious pleasure washed over you. Your release was enough for Crypto to come again too, his face buried in your neck as he whimpered. Your oversensitive walls welcomed the sensation of him filling you again.

Loba collapsed at your side and Crypto basically flattened out on top of you before realising that maybe wasn’t the best idea and rolling off of you. Their hands were still on you. Gentle, loving caresses as you caught your breath and fully came down from your high. Your skin still pleasantly tingled from their touch, small shivers still coursing through from your orgasm. All three of you were spent and thoroughly satisfied.

Your muscles still felt soft but you knew you would be sore in the morning. All you wanted to do right now was to lay with them. Feel their arms around you and them in yours. Have Loba hold you from behind whilst Crypto buried his face in your shoulder and clung to you like a Koala bear. You just wanted to drift off in their arms.

But then the doorbell decided it was going to ring.

Crypto moved to get it but Loba stopped him. “No no no, you go to the bathroom. I’ll get it.” Before pulling Crypto’s shirt over her head again and attempting to fix her hair, she covered you with your sheets, a wad of cash in her hand ready for the delivery driver. She looked adorable in such a long t-shirt, so long it came to her mid-thighs. A plain black t-shirt with no shape and clearly sex-tousled hair yet she still looked like she belonged in a magazine.

“Pizza’s finally here!” She exclaimed, kicking the door shut behind her, a large flat box in her hand. Her other hand was empty and the massive bundle of cash was nowhere to be found.

“How much was the pizza, Loba?”

She shrugged as she set the box down atop your covers, “No idea, you know I like to tip big!” Crypto returned from the bathroom, wearing only his pair of sweatpants you had given Loba earlier, “Off you go, your turn.” She nodded towards the bathroom. She was very responsible when it came to after sex. As much as you wanted to sleep afterwards, she was always adamant you go clean yourself up first. It was one of her rare ways of showing how much she cared.

When you were finished, you toddled out of the bathroom and back towards your bed, feeling decidedly underdressed before Taejoon noticed you rummaging for something comfortable and tossed you the very shirt he was wearing that day, with a smile. That left none for him but he didn’t seem to mind. As you pulled the fabric over your head, you couldn’t help but inhale his scent that lingered.

The three of you sat on your bed in relative silence, eating the lukewarm pizza until your hunger ceased. For once, Crypto was the first to interrupt the silence when he left the bed to check up on the decryption status, “Another nine hours until the decryption is complete”.

Loba yawned, both from tiredness and at the thought of waiting nine hours for anything, “Well, in that case, we had better get comfortable.” She took the empty pizza box from your bed and discarded it by your desk.

After gathering up all the courage your tired brain could muster, “So… what do you say you guys both sleep here tonight?” You asked. Crypto was already stretched out at your back, his arms wrapping around you and his warmth seeping into you when he said, “No, I think we should awkwardly go back to our own rooms and talk in the morning.” You scoffed, knowing he was joking, he took every given opportunity to have you in his arms.

Loba stood at the edge of your bed like she was actually considering what he said to be something other than sarcasm. She rarely stayed with you after sex. Even in her own apartment, she would place a kiss on your temple then leave no doubt to pull some kind of heist. It was almost like she was afraid to get too attached to you like someone might take her from you as well as everyone else she had ever loved. But now, as she looked at you, your eyes all soft all and pleading, she thought back to only a few hours ago in the medbay when you fretted over Crypto and had told her you would do the same for her. She realised she could more than just meaningless material things and vengeance. She finally felt like she deserved more.

She sighed, “Well, alright. Not like I’m doing anything else tonight.” And so she clambered beneath the covers and into your open arms. “Have we done enough to satisfy?” She asked and you couldn’t help but laugh. Your legs were already beginning to ache and your entire body felt like each nerve ending and been caressed.

“Just being able to spend time with you both is already enough,” Her hand came to cup your cheek, thumb tracing over your cheekbone. You felt Crypto place a kiss on the top of your head as he allowed himself to relax a little more, his body near-painted onto the back of yours, “But yes, thoroughly. You’re both so wonderful that I never really thought to stop and wonder what it would be like to have you together and it was better than I ever could have hoped for. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Oh sweetheart, you do so much more for us than we could ever hope to repay.” She pecked your check.

“More than we deserve.”

“That’s not true, Ta-” you cut yourself off, “That’s not true. You shouldn’t have to worry about the Syndicate or Revenant trying to take you out every ten minutes. You deserve to be happy and safe a-and loved. As long as I’m around, I’ll do my best to make sure you feel that way. Because I know that’s not something neither of you have had in a very long time.”

Taejoon tightened his arms around you, holding you closer to his chest. He placed one hand over yours as you rested it on Loba’s side, his fingers interlocking with yours. That meant so much more to him than he would ever let on in front of Loba. Meanwhile, you could see the water pooling in the corners of her eyes as she looked at you so endearingly. She brought her lips to yours for a moment, in the softest kiss you’d ever felt from her before she nuzzled her nose into your cheek.

Sandwiched between them in a mess of warm and tangled limbs, you felt safe and for once,  they did too. Loba was the first to drift off to sleep, her grip on you going lax as her breath evened. You felt Crypto shift behind you slightly, his arm beneath you no doubt beginning to go numb.

“It’s alright, you can rest. We’ll still be here when you wake up.” He whispered, voice as soft as he could make it.

And so you did. With Loba sound asleep in your arms and Taejoon wrapping you up in his, you let your tired limbs melt into the soft mattress below and your heavy eyelids close for the night.

Tagging (Thank you for liking/ rbing that post to be tagged :D ): @kumiakum @dragon-chica @lonelyintheclub @wintergirlsoilder2 @itsthedoctah10 @quinn-lee @askloba @julestheengineer1 @smolminimonnie @peachymochimochi @korean-crypted-trash @speakinjapanese @lilacburned​  @bring-me-the-videogames​ (If you’d like to be untagged, please let me know!)

[detroitbydark]

Title: Tell Me That Your Soul Lies Now

Relationship: Sev/OC/Scorch

Warnings: Mention of blood and needles used in medical care

Summary: A Stowaway complicated what should be an easy night.

A/N: Based on a HC that Sev and Scorch both end up at Kyrimorut and adopted to Walon Vau. Love, Family, and the ties that bind come into play. I hope you enjoy!  

The Midnight Duke was an unassuming Corellian life class transport, a pre Clone Wars relic retrofitted to meet clan Vau's very particular, discerning tastes. 

Quick, fast, and armed to the teeth it got the job done ferrying Walon Vau’s adopted sons from one bounty to the next. The sons themselves were more than competent to take it from there with efficiency and expertise bred from a jar on Kamino and a lifetime of training by one of the most ruthless Mandalorians to ever exist. 

Dust settles in a thick layer over the Duke’s matte black hull. Its exit from the outer rim asteroid belt had been… dicey and it would need a new coat of paint in the coming days.

It had a lot of things, typically a dead body in storage wasn’t one of them.

“Fek!”

“Wha-“ Scorch barely misses his brother’s arm as he snaps back a step, exposing the open cargo hatch for inspection with a put-upon indignation only he was capable of. There’s a duffle of ordinance, kit and-

“What is this?” Sev’s growl reverberates through his buyce accusingly. Scorch eyes the curled up figure draped in a thick layer of clothes reminiscent of the mining colony they’d just left. 

“People-cicle.” What the hell did he expect him to say? He hadn’t stored a body away. He was in charge of the bounties. The heads of the two marks had been in the bounty bag which was now very empty and in need of laundering because A. Trandoshan blood stank to malachor and B. Human blood was just messy.

“Maker if I know.”

The sun over Kyrimorut was quickly beginning to sink down into the mountainous waste to their north and with it went the warmth of the late season day. They just needed to finish post mission once-over and they could take the speeders the five kliks from the airfield to the warmth of the karyai and a hot meal.

“Maker,” Sev growls again, “Buir is not going to be happy about this”

Buir. It still felt wrong to call the Sarge anything but Sarge. Scorch was sure he’d get used to it eventually. Sev had, oddly enough, but Scorch didn’t really question his vod’s rush to accept their former trainer as his father. The sullen commando had always sought Walon Vau’s approval. It was no worse than the vode of Skirata’s clan and their hero worship of their Kal’buir. 

“We’ll dump it off and be done with it,” Scorch offers, “Animals will take care of it and that’ll be- wait.” A quick blink through his HUD menu brings up an advanced heat scan.

Sev toes at the body with his boot. “What am I waiting on?”

“They're still alive. I got a vital readout. It’s not much but-“ The two clones stand shoulder to shoulder staring at the prone sentient.

“I slot ‘em and we pretend we never saw a thing?”

“The old man’s gonna know either way. Not sure what gets us in more trouble.”

At his side, Sev grunts. Wal’buir knew things.  It was uncanny and downright terrifying. As cadets they’d never been able to get one by the old Mando - not that Sev had ever tried - but Scorch had plenty and had more than a few scars to prove he’d been caught. 

“Kriff.” Sev lets out an uncharacteristic laugh. “Bring it back and Skirata will probably adopt it.”

Scorch can’t help the grin that spreads across his face, “or marry it off.”

“I’m not gonna carry it.” 

The argument that he’d saved both their shebs earlier is about to leave his mouth when a small feminine whine rises from the half frozen sentient. “Well that settles it”

“Marriage,” they both agree in unison.

It’s been a while since he’s been around a woman not already wed or destined to be wed to one of his extended family. Suddenly the idea of carrying the unfamiliar being doesn’t seem so off-putting. 

At least it wasn’t the bounty bag.

———

Buir was going to let them have it. Sev could handle the dressing down from Kal Skirata but he wasn’t sure he could handle it from Vau. 

His stomach twists in knots. The early signs of panic, the ones he was intimately familiar with - brought about by the only father figure he’d ever known - were beginning to make themselves known. He can feel his heart rate picking up. The thick nerf hide sticks to each finger as his palms begin to sweat in his gloves.

He wouldn’t have been able to get away with slotting the grubby stowaway and dumping the body, of that he is sure, there was no good way to keep it clean. Either the Duke or he were going to be covered in it and the water pumps at the strip had gone out a week before. They’d brought the replacement back but it would take one of Kal’s boys to plumb it up. 

“Ordo’s going to have kittens.” Scorch’s voice rings clear through his comms.

“Yeah, Bes is pregnant with what...” He rattles off the names of the clans ad in his head and begins assigning them to parents. “Number three?”

“Yeah, he’s always got a kad up his shebs when she’s carrying. This is going to royally piss him off.” 

Sev watches as Scorch readjusts the woman in front of him. She’d started shivering after they’d yoinked her from her spot in storage. Still hadn’t woken but It was a good sign. Her body seemed to actively be trying to warm up. They figured they’d help it along and wrapped her snugly in a thermal sheet from the emergency kit. Before Sev had at least been able to see her nose, a set of dark brows and fluttery lashes, nothing too unlike those some of his sister-in-laws had, now it was only the closed lids of her eyes visible. For all intents and purposes she looked like a bantha wrap he’d gotten from a food cart last time they’d been on Coruscant. 

Per the limited data from their HUDs she probably wasn’t in much better shape. She seemed stable, but it wasn’t guaranteed even with the vheh’yaims medical center and the clan’s skills she’d survive the long haul. They’d spent two days in hyperspace and she spent that time in a minimally heated interior storage compartment. The bloody marks along the hatch’s interior showed that she hadn’t had as comfortable a ride as they had. It was another thing they’d need to clean up but it could wait a day or two.

There were no ration wrappers, no canteens of water in the hold with her. They’d looked. 

Hypothermia was her biggest issue but dehydration wasn’t far behind, and the ease with which Scorch had lifted her left him to believe that malnutrition had been an ongoing issue. The bulk of her was the thick rough clothes the miners had worn. 

“We take her to Wal’buir before Skirata gets his turn. Let buir decide what to do.” The speeders rumble to life as they take off from the small airfield and head in the direction of home.

It takes less time then he remembered to cover the distance from the airstrip to the sprawling compound they called home.

“Look,” Scorch notes merrily, “they left the lights on for us.”

By the time they’re pulling up to the vheh’yaim Sev feels his breath coming rapidly. 

“Maybe the old man’s having some ti’haar with the neighbors?” Scorch sounds hopeful as he pulls his buyce off one handed and clips it to his belt. “We get her into medical and then have to explain our fek up. Mij should still be here.” He hopes aloud that the family doctor was still rotating through before heading back to Enceri. 

Mij Gilamar was a good a doctor as any clone commando, null, or trooper could ever hope for. If their guest made it through the next few days she’d do good to thank Gil.

Sev throws his leg over the speeder and grabs for his kit and the bounty bag while his brother jostles the woman into a better hold. The lights shine through the low windows peering into Skirata clan’s karyai and Sev can imagine his buir sitting by the warm fire drinking the potent Mandalorian liquor and busting Kal Skirata’s gett’se about something.

“Su cuygar Ad’ike.”

Or not.

Both men snap to. Instead of “Sir” an acknowledgement of “Buir” is barked. If Vau notices the near comical response he doesn’t let on. His golden eyes are narrowed firmly on the package in Scorch’s arms.

Sev isn’t sure he’s ever seen his brother lost for words and Scorch must decide today wasn't going to be the day.

“We brought a present. Heard Kal’buir is trying to settle Mereel down. Think this will work?”

Vau, emotionless stony Vau, stands for a moment before the hint of a sly smile flashes at the corner of his mouth. Sev’s heart jumps. The smile falls away with such quickness that had the man himself not trained him to be the best, Sev would have questioned if it had ever been present to begin with.

“Shall we get our guest set up? Maybe you boys can explain how you managed to bring home a stray while we do?”

Yeah they we’re in trouble. He can hear Scorch gulp through his comms as Vau turns away and heads towards the main entrance of their home.

Growing up with so many brothers, child soldiers who were destined to grow up too soon, Sev had never been privy to concepts like privacy. It shouldn’t irk him that eyes follow them as they enter the vheh’yaim, following their father through the one of the many different spokes off the main karyai toward medical. The low flicker of fire light catches on the rich golden plates of Mij Gilamar’s beskar’gam.

Without much more than a tired sigh, the silver haired Mando finishes his drink and rises from his spot near the fire to follow.

Sev finds himself thankful that even amongst the faces like his own, Ordo Skirata’s was not present. He wasn’t in the mood to hear what Kal Skirata’s golden child would have to say. He’d have to hear it eventually but he hoped he could at least grab a shower and hot meal before he had to deal with the Null.

Scorch elbows him in the side and Sev casts him a questioning glance. “In your head again, vod?”

“Just worrying about Ord’ika.”

“I would be less concerned about Ordo,” Vau remarks casually, “and more about me.”

To their left, Mij Gilamar huffs out a laugh as he motions for Scorch to lay the patient out. “Let’s worry about the aruetii first shall we? Where’d you pick this one up?” the doctor asks as Scorch begins to help him liberate her from the thermal blanket and then layer after layer of thick and dusty fabric. 

“New asteroid mining station in the outer rim, Kappa Black,” Sev offers, “and we didn’t know we even had her on ship.”

It takes gett’se to openly admit that in front of his training Sergeant but Vau says nothing.

Scorch picks up where Sev leaves off as the last layer of outer clothes is tossed aside. Sev had been right. There really wasn’t much to the woman underneath the bulk of gear.

“We picked off the bounties. Cake walk.” The demolitions expert chirps happily but Sev can hear the well hidden undertone of anxiety in his voice. “We got in. We got out. Didn’t stop to sight see.”

Vau looks down his nose, glancing slowly from one to the other and then to the girl being hooked up to tubes and monitors. “It appears you didn’t stop to check your ship over either.”

“We had to leave in a hurry. She’d tucked herself behind gear,” Sev explains, knowing it wouldn’t be good enough, “We-“

A cry rises up from the bed as the woman’s eyes shoot open. He knows panic when he sees it.

“Fierfek!” Mij curses as his recently placed central line is caught along the bed and yanked from her neck. Fluids flow freely, mixing with a steady stream of blood as the doctor grabs for gauze and fights to press it against the puncture. 

“Some kriffing help would be good,” he grunts as he manages to dodge a fist. 

Sev steps in. He manages to grab both wrists in a single movement, pressing them to the bed as her lower body twists and her legs kick out. He tries to judge his own strength, his hands swallow her wrists. 

“Restraints are in the drawer.” He hears Mij but his eyes are focused on the woman under him. “No! The other drawer.”

“Sorry Doc, gotta lot of drawers here.”

Sev ignores his brother as a leg swings wildly his way, its knee connecting with solid beskar along his back. She doesn’t even flinch. Sev positions his body over hers, swinging a leg over her hip and looping his feet over her thighs. She doesn’t stop fighting. 

“Stop!” He snarls down into her face, voice coming out gruff and modulated through his buyce. Stark blue eyes focus in on him as she suddenly goes deathly still. They stand out against the warm tan of her skin, only a shade lighter than his own. Her hair is a tangle of unkempt curls and knots. She looks feral and wild, bears her white teeth like an animal. Sev adjusts his grip as she begins her fight again, thrashing and bucking under him.

“I said stop!” He snarls again, and something changes in her eyes. Fear flashes. Her snarl turns into a frightened “o” of surprise before he feels her muscles begin to go slack underneath him. He glances to his side in time to see his buir remove the hypo from her arm.

Mij grunts. A bead of sweat glistens at his grey temple. “Always prepared, right Walon? I hope you took into account her body mass because I don’t feel like dealing with a heart that doesn’t want to beat.”

Vau smiles, holding up the still half full syringe and flicking it lightly with a well manicured nail. “This isn’t my first time. Now Sev’ika, please climb off our guest and let’s try this again,” the black armored Mando says calmly.

———

“I don’t like it. It’s too convenient.” 

Scorch rolls his eyes behind the mirrored visor of his buyce. Ordo Skirata has made himself known shortly after Mij had gotten their little stowaway stabilized. She’d be sleeping off the worst of  her hyperspace sickness. If she did decide to wake again they could all be secure in the fact that Scorch himself had tightened down her restraints.

The hot brand Doc found behind her left ear had answered more than a few questions she wouldn’t be able to answer for a while. A slavers mark denoting property of the Mining Guild. Between that and her poor condition, Scorch couldn’t blame her for hopping the first ship off the asteroid belt she could find.

 It did make them thieves technically, but he had strong feelings about people being property and it really hadn’t been the first time they’d creatively acquired something. He’d tried to ask Sev his opinion but he didn’t seem much for banter after they’d found the brand. Even Wal’buir had seemed a bit more disgusted than usual.

Then Kal Skirata showed up at the med bay door with his eldest in tow and a few of Omega’s commandos, Niner and Fi, trailing behind.

And now the adults were talking and it was his job to shut up .

“It doesn’t matter if you like it or not at this point,” Mij was saying firmly, “I’m not about to put a sick girl out.” His eyes flash challengingly to the Skirata clan head. “There’s nothing you can do to change my mind about it either, Kal.”

For his part, Kal Skirata has been fairly quiet, standing to Ordo’s side with his arms crossed loosely over his chest and a contemplative look on his face. Every now and then Scorch would catch old Kal’buir trying to sneak a peek at their acquisition. Scorch also noted both he and Sev had placed themselves between the other men and the bed. He could think of a star cruiser worth of smart things to say, but not one could account for the near-defensive position Sev was taking or Scorch’s own flanking of his brother.

“Besany’s pregnant-“

“Oh really?” Scorch can’t help himself. The words just come out because kriff, was Bes never not pregnant? “I wasn’t aware.” 

Sev snorts to his side as does Niner hovering behind the Null. Fi barely manages a suppressed smile as Ordo’s eyes narrow. Scorch rolls his shoulders, loosening the stiff joints up. It was always about Kal’s boys. It was always cowing down to Nulls. It got old fast. Next to him Sev’s neck pops as he rolls it.

“You got an issue, Scorch?”

“And if he does?” Sev’s voice cuts in. 

It had been awhile since there’d been a good family tussle. It might be time to take it outside and fix that.

“Scorch. Sev.” Walon Vau’s crisp, aristocratic voice cuts through the tension and posturing “Stand down. It’s late and I’m tired.”

Kal tips his head to his Null son. “You too Ord’ika. Everyone is concerned for the safety of the women and children, but if I know your wife she would no sooner have us dispose of an escaped slave as she would one of your deserter vode.”

“We’ve had squads do worse to get here,” Niner adds levelly.

“True, ad’ika,” Skirata agrees pleasantly, taking a step toward the bed. Sev’s sudden step forward seems to reignite the tension as he blocks Kal’s line of sight. The older man casts an appraising look at the Commando and Scorch feels every muscle in his body coil in anticipation. Kal Skirata could play the good natured ba’buir all he wanted, but below the surface he was anything but. He was as cold blooded as it came before you got his family involved, but once you crossed one of his boys Scorch wasn’t sure there was a star system you could hide in that the old Mando merc wouldn’t find you in.

Scorch wasn’t sure where he and Sev placed in the family tree but he wouldn’t be caught unawares if it was time to find out.

“She’ll be our charge,” Vau says cooly, stepping between the two Delta commandos.

“And if she’s brought trouble with her, what then?”

“We let Sev slot ‘er and Mird will have a nice treat,” Scorch offers as if they were speaking of troublesome roba. The mention of Mird is enough to get a shudder from both Niner and Ordo and a wet sound of agreement from the creature itself as it slinks in between Fi’s legs.

The strill circles around its master’s feet before giving Sev and Scorch a cursory sniff. 

“Walon,” Mij Gilamar’s voice is low with warning.

“Lord Mirdalan is an excellent judge of character.” The golden furred creature leaps to the bed with predatory grace. Scorch watches the strill stare expectantly at the sedated woman before turning twice and curling up on her legs. “See?”

Fi, who’d been quietly observing - for once - speaks up after a moment. “It may just be me, but I’m not sure Mird’s approval is necessarily a good thing.”

[lesserfandomappreciation]

Goodness that is some high praise, thanks! Take care as well sweetie!

This came out a lot longer than I expected, I do apologize for that. 

Fell for the sarcastic bestie ( BOTW ) 

Sidon

They are a very odd duo. Sidon is happy, polite, boisterous and princely, while his friend can give a man a verbal lashing that will leave him in smithereens. Several heads turn when the two wander the domain entirely unsure how that friendship formed. Frankly, neither of them know either but they’re more than happy to keep the relationship alive.  

What Sidon does know is that his feelings have... morphed into something new. Who could blame him? This is someone who has been there through thick and thin, seen the most vulnerable parts of his heart. Someone who never fails to bring him cheer through the best of jokes when he least expected it. It was inevitable. And hopefully, they felt the same.

Unfortunately a part of his mind, the same one that tells him to be he’ll never match his sister’s expectations, likes to tell him otherwise. It’s just a friendship. He’s lucky to have that with them. Pushing it would not lead to success. After all, all the hints he has been dropping, all his little attempts at pushing through have had little success. Why bother trying? Yet still, still, he tries so damn hard. 

Multiple tries having failed, Sidon rallies one last attempt. He knows his friend can be a bit dense at times but if this failed, then he would simply let things go. Friendship would be enough for him and his broken heart. S/o knows something’s up when the prince takes them to where they first met and begins to fidget silently.

“My friend... there would be no greater honor for me than to be able to pursue your heart. Freely, if you would have me.”

There was a lot of scenarios he was braced for. Seeing them grow flustered and try to respond in kind, managing to get it out that they have been feeling deeper emotions for him for a long time... There is nothing else in the world in that moment that can wipe the smile off his face when he leans in to the close the gap between their lips. 

Revali

They have been quipping and jabbing at each other for longer than the sun’s been shining above the Rito village. Kindred spirits of wit who have found a friend in the other, enjoying tearing each other playfully as much as they push each other to do better, to be better. The village knows who is behind the mad laughter echoing off the mountain tops in the early morning.

Revali has never been one for dealing with uncomfortable feelings in his chest. Not when he can ignore it. But this feeling has persisted. And it only happens around his friend. With time and enough self-reflection the Rito champion realizes what he is feeling isn’t an inherent need to be a pain in the ass, but rather wanting to be around them more as something other than a friend. And he is intent on making that a reality.

Thus, the torment of the Rito village begins. Revali is not a subtle bird. What he thinks is a “subtle hint” is enough for the densest Bokoblin to pick up on. Turns out his friend could give those beings a run for their money in terms of density. Nothing works. With each failure, Revali turns up his efforts to a higher level - more smooth lines, more showing off, more trying to keep their attention on him. Every villager knows when an attempt has failed, for no one can miss the Champion flying up to his Divine Beast to mope privately.

Left with no choice, Revali has to take his least favorite option. Months after having started this relentless crusade the two are traveling in a less populated area of the mountains when Revali blocks them, leaning around the mountain rock. His friend is rightfully confused but doesn’t get the chance to ask anything before he speaks up.

“I’m only going to say this once. You drive me crazy. You know that? But I don’t mind, so long as I’m the only one who gets to drive you crazy.”

The look in his eye, how close his face is to theirs because of his leaning, the soft fondness in his voice - they can’t help but feel the heat rising up in their face with every puzzle piece that falls into place all while they try to give a quip in response. But just like they know him well, he knows them well. The champion smirks when he pulls them into his arms and holds them closely. Feeling their nod of agreement sends his heart soaring. 

Bazz

They are a welcome relief in Bazz’s life. ‘Head of the Zoran Domain Guard’ is a title that bears weight he must carry. Cheery and friendly as he is, the formality of it all on the guard feels too much, too overbearing. They are then the perfect remedy, always having the perfect word on hand to make it difficult not to laugh in the middle of the job. The witty back and forth is something he has come to greatly enjoy, with a couple jabs of his  to keep things interesting. 

Bazz is no fool to his own heart. ‘Warriors must know their true selves’ are words Seggin lived by and instilled into his own son from an early age. Reflection is a vital part to any person’s life but Bazz follows this to a T. When his heart starts beating faster just from hearing that his friend is nearby, when his hand aches wanting to hold there’s and the sound of their laugh after thinking of a quip all are clues that he quickly uses to find the truth. He’s in deep. 

However, unlike in the case of his Highness who is too subtle, and the Champion who believes showing off is flirting, Bazz has the distinct advantage of being direct. The next time they are together, he happily tells them “I like you, and would like to spend more time with you if you’d have me,” hoping for a yes but understanding if it’s a no. It’s monumental effort that keeps him from balking when they respond in agreement saying that they need more friend hang out times. Unaware entirely of his intent. 

This may be more difficult than he anticipated. 

This persists for weeks. Every direct comment, every word simply not being caught at all. Bazz was certain he saw the words bounce off their ears at one point. He knows it’s not rejection - he’s seen them reject others before, he’d know if he were in similar circumstances - but it is draining. The next time he’s meditating, he’s reflecting on his actions, trying to think of a way to move forward when it hits him. Words sometimes fail on people. But action? Action is unmistakable. 

It’s by coincidence that the next day they are training together - the time is a cathartic session for both of them. Bazz reminds them exactly how he got his title, but it’s an enjoyable session of private sparring. It’s when they’re finally, blessedly, giving their poor muscles a break that the subject of combat being a form of communication and Bazz sees an opportunity. Gently his hand tilts their chin towards him while he gazes into them with a smile. “Since we’re on the subject of ‘actions over words,’ would you mind if I showed you how I felt towards you?” 

[dc41896]

Light

Pairing: Andy BarberxBlack Reader

⚠️: Small bit of angst, mention of divorce, slight sexual content(its very quick), fluff throughout!

This wasn’t exactly how you planned your night out going. What started out as you arriving at a quiet lounge looking to unwind from a stressful week turned into you joining a new handsome acquaintance back at his apartment stumbling through the door as you both fumbled with the others clothes.

“Sorry,” you’d each lightly chuckle after getting stuck on a button or trying to pull down stubborn jeans.

“This um isn’t really something I normally do,” you admit shyly as your back touches the mattress, heart pounding in your chest.

“Honestly I don’t either, so trust me I get it,” Andy smiles out of breath, bare chest hovering a mere inches above your body. “We can stop though if you want.”

“No, I want to! I mean like I want to continue not to stop if that wasn’t clear. Also sorry that came out really eager. I’m excited but not like this is my first ever time you know and now I’m rambling and killing the mood I’m sorry.”

Chuckling, his thumb traces over your red tinted lips making you smile. “Don’t apologize, your rambling is cute.” Your hand caressing the back of his neck slowly brings your soft yet hungry lips together as your bodies follow close behind becoming tangled in each other as well as the sheets below.

Now here you were, sore yet comfortable being woken up by your vibrating phone across the room. Squinting your eyes trying to adjust to the foreign space around you, the bed feels more spacious than before as you turn to find Andy gone and his side of the bed neatly made.

“Right, I should probably get going,” you thought as your feet touched the carpet below carrying you to each garment you were previously wearing before reaching your phone with missed calls and texts.

Carla: Hey boss man needs you to come in asap

Carla: And it’s looking like you might want to come in uniform...

Y/N: Ugh, alright give me a couple hours

“Morning,” a deep voice speaks slightly startling you. “I uh wasn’t sure if you might want coffee or tea so I made both.”

“Oh, thank you.” Small smile spread on your lips, you carefully take the coffee from his hand enjoying its freshly brewed smell and warmth. There’s a hint of awkwardness between the both of you as you slowly rock back and forth on the balls of your feet, while Andy peers down in his mug tapping his thumb against the rim.

Maybe that’s why you both never did this before. To avoid situations like this wondering how the other was feeling and what was the right next move.

“This um tastes really good.”

“Thanks, it was actually a gift from a friend. I’m getting low so I should probably ask where she got it from,” he chuckles to himself.

And so returned the awkward silence as you both stood sipping from your cups with cars speeding by outside.

“Cmon Y/N this doesn’t have to be difficult. You’re both adults who are highly capable of talking about their feelings,” you thought setting down your coffee on the dresser next to you. “Just spit it out and get it over with.”

“So-,” you both speak at the same time giving you two a much needed laugh.

“You go ahead.”

“No no you go. Mine can wait,” you smile waving your hand for him to continue.

“I was just gonna say that I’m...I’m leaving soon so um if you need a ride anywhere I can drive you so, you know, you don’t have to pay for one.”

Luckily you had a good poker face to hide your embarrassment and the sinking feeling in your gut from his words. Of course you’d be the one wanting for it to grow into more and break what’s possibly known as the cardinal rule of one night stands. Arms crossed over your chest, you busy yourself trying to find your shoes avoiding his eyes.

“Um yea! Thank you, I was actually gonna ask the same thing so it’s um funny you said that.”

“Oh, looks like we were on the same page then,” you both chuckle.

“Ehh I’m not so sure about that,” you thought as he bent down before handing you your other shoe. Lips slightly parted, it seemed as if he had more to say when you finally met his bright, blue eyes. You hated to admit it, but you honestly hoped he had more to say; specifically about your situation.

However, yet again you were disappointed watching him clear his throat nervously scratching the back of his neck as he picked up your nearly empty mug. “We can leave after I take care of these.”

“I can do that if you want?”

“No no I got it. Don’t worry,” he smiles walking towards his kitchen leaving you to gather the last of your things.

“Trust me, that’s the last thing on my mind,” you quietly speak to yourself before joining him in the center of the apartment.

———

Sneakers squeaking against the shiny hospital floors, you hurriedly make your way to your next patient’s room hoping they were much more pleasant than your last. Long story short, they weren’t a fan of having a new physical therapist.

You weren’t entirely mad though, you understood how frustrating it could be to get used to one person then have to change to someone entirely new. Heck you felt a bit overwhelmed yourself once you learned you’d been given a new schedule and entirely new set of people you’d have to care for.

Lightly knocking on the thick glass shielded by a curtain you quietly enter the bright room once hearing a soft “come in.”

“Hi, I’m Y/N and I’ll be Jacob’s physical therapist while he’s here,” you warmly greet extending your hand to the woman in front of you. Long dark hair framing her slender face, you could see the pain through the brave image she upheld.

“Hi I’m Laurie, Jacob’s mother. Me saying this is nothing against you, but I was expecting his usual therapist, Zoe.”

“It’s okay I understand. Zoe had to have a change of schedule due to personal reasons so I’m taking over for her patients.” Lightly nodding her head, the door sliding open steals both of your attention as the last person you’d expect to see entered the room.

Clearly he felt the same way stopping in his tracks once meeting your familiar brown eyes.

“Um hi...”

“Hi Mr. Barber I’m Y/N, Jacob’s new physical therapist,” you smile once again holding out your hand. Were you currently wishing you could run away, crawl in a hole, and scream to your hearts content? Yes, but at the end of the day you still had a job to do and you wouldn’t let an awkward interaction get in the way of that.

“Nice to meet you,” he smiles back similarly maintaining his professionalism while shaking your hand. “And you can call me Andy.”

“It’s nice to meet you too Andy.”

Feeling his lingering touch as your hands part instantly bring you back to last night making you flustered and what seemed like a wave of heat run across your body. Clearing your throat, you mentally collect yourself before standing next to the beeping machines monitoring Jacob’s vitals.

“So just like Zoe was doing, I’ll basically come to make sure his arms and legs get movement and try to limit any further muscle deterioration.”

“And will this only be once a day like before?,” Laurie asks from the other side of the bed smoothing Jacob’s hair down.

“That’s what he was scheduled for, but I can make a note for it to be increased to twice if you’d like? And before I leave for the day I can try to come back to work with him.”

“Thank you. If you’re too busy though you don’t have to-,”

“No it’s fine! If I can’t get to him, I’ll try to send someone to see him.”

Putting on your gloves, you begin gently extending and flexing his arm before eventually moving to his hand and fingers as you continue your conversation with Laurie. At times Andy would join in asking his own questions about his son’s recovery, but mostly just stood by the window gazing out at the rest of the city. He’d try to steal glances here and there taking note of little things like how the lone strand of hair that didn’t make it in your bun dangled ever so perfectly down your soft cheek.

Then there was your plump lips. How you’d innocently bite them when intently listening to Laurie go on about a new study she read about coma patients and treatments. How he could still feel them against his own from last night and how warm they were. How part of him wished you’d come back so he could feel them again.

Being so wrapped in his thoughts, he didn’t realize how his admiring caught your attention making you quickly glance in his direction before returning your attention to Laurie.

Once finished with his other leg, you removed your gloves making notes on the paper attached to your clipboard.

“How is he?,” Andy asks arms crossed over his chest.

“He’s good. No sign of muscle stiffness or rigidity. He actually still has a bit of strength intact, which will definitely be good for starting the more rigorous therapy if he wakes up.”

“Oh ok good,” he nods. “Thank you.”

“It’s part of my job, I feel like you don’t really need to thank me.”

“Nonsense. You’re taking time out to help our son which we greatly appreciate,” Laurie adds with a soft smile from the leather recliner next to the hospital bed.

“Well you’re welcome,” you smile collecting your things to leave. “I’ll try to come back after my last patient to work on him again. It was nice meeting you both.” Giving a small wave as you leave the room, Andy sits at the edge of the bed looking at his sleeping son.

“She was nice.”

“Hm? Oh yea, she was,” Andy quietly speaks grazing a thumb over the back of Jacob’s hand.

“Cute too.”

At this Andy just shakes his head lowly chuckling to himself before turning to look at his amused ex wife.

“So where’d you guys meet?”

“What makes you think I know her?”

“A bit of woman’s intuition. Also the fact that you looked like you saw a ghost when you walked in helped further prove that point,” she laughs.

“It was last night at the lounge downtown. We were both at the bar alone so we started talking.”

“Must’ve been some conversation. I haven’t seen that look in your eyes in a while.”

“Y-Yea, you could say that,” he shyly admits nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Did you ask her out?”

“Laurie...”

“If you don’t want to talk about it I understand and won’t pry, but Andy if you’re holding back because of me, the divorce, or Jacob don’t. We had our time and it was great, now don’t be afraid to create more great times with someone else. Plus I know Jake would want to see you happy.”

Looking down at his hands with a sigh, he knew Laurie was right. He really did want to get to know you more, but what if you didn’t feel the same? Especially now knowing a portion of the baggage he was carrying.

“I don’t know...I mean I want to but it’s not just me she’d be adding to her life you know.”

“I get it, but you won’t know how she feels about that until you ask her,” she replies carefully standing up from her seat. “I’m going to the cafeteria, want me to get anything for you?”

“No I’m fine. You want me to go instead? You really need to rest your leg.”

“My leg is fine Andy, plus I still need to walk on it to help it heal. Oh, you can do me one favor though,” she adds stopping in front of the door.

“What’s that?”

“If Y/N happens to come back while I’m gone, talk with her.”

Closing the door behind her, Andy was left with his racing thoughts on what he’d say the next time he saw you.

Or better yet all the possible ways you could say no. Wait, was this even allowed? Given, he wasn’t your direct patient, but still he didn’t want you to get in trouble or possibly lose your job. “This is probably a bad idea,” he spoke to himself with hands covering his face.

The sound of someone clearing their throat makes him quickly sit up to see your nervous smile as you close the door behind you. “I uh just finished with another patient down the hall when the nurse asked me to bring these extra washcloths while she finishes up. She should be here in the next few minutes to clean him up.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“No problem.” Placing the white cloths on the nearby table, you turn to leave with hand gripping the cold, metal handle before being stopped by Andy calling your name. He looked flustered as his hands rested on his hips and his eyes shifted from you to the floor below.

“...We need to talk.”

Taglist: @fumbling-fanfics @honeychicanawrites @honeychicana @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @melinda-january @lovelymari4 @literaturefeen @damnitaa @curlyhairclub @fullofmelaninsarcasmandepression @nunubug99 @felicity-x0 @ellixthea @jojolu @jnk-812 @brwn-sgr @captainsamwlsn @wildfirecracker @nina-sj @iammyownlover @chaneajoyyy @secretmysteriousperson @plokyu23

If you wanted to be tagged, have asked to be tagged but don’t see your name, only want to be tagged for certain people I write for, or no longer wish to be tagged just let me know🤓!

[hailbop1701]

PlatonicKirkxReader

Please don't do that again...

Request from @thottiewithashotgun!

"A platonic kirk/reader, based off your Reaper/reader story, where she experiences his allergic reaction for the first time"

I really hope you like it! ❤

The planet was hot and sticky with humidity, you wrinkled your nose at it but kept silent as you and the Captain explored. You eyed your surroundings carefully as Kirk examined the native flora; you smiled at his childlike curiosity. “Careful, they might bite.” you teased and Jim looked up with a huge smile. “Nah, I’m too amazing to eat,” he said getting back to his feet brushing off the knees of his uniform pants. You rolled your eyes and looked up towards the sky; you used your hand as a sun shield. A type of alien bird chirped and squawked above you circling almost like vultures. This made you frown, looking back over to the Captain you saw that he was wandering further into the thick brush, “Jim!” you chided crossing your arms. The man in question froze and looked back at you with wide eyes, “I saw something!” he said pointing and you shook your head. “We can’t go any further unless we move the entire landing party. Spock wouldn’t be pleased,” you said in your no-nonsense tone. 

Kirk huffed grumpily but moved back to where you were standing. He stared at you for a moment longer than usual, furrowing his brow in concern, “Aren’t you hot?” he asked, gesturing at her black uniform. You gave a humorless laugh, “Of course I am but I wasn’t going to traipse through an alien jungle wearing my dress.” you said looking down at your black pants and shirt. The silver Starfleet insignia glinted in the sun. After your explanation, Kirk nodded, “Yeah I can see where the dress would be a hindrance.” he said with a light chuckle. You scowled, “Sometimes they can be ridiculous,” you muttered turning toward your bag. 

Kirk laughed as you rummaged through the little bag on your hip, “I can’t believe you still use that old thing.” he said eyeing the bag with fascination. “I can carry more with it,” you mumbled only paying half attention. The bag wasn’t that big but you still tended to lose things in its depths, you pulled out a few specimen jars and held them out to the waiting captain. “You’re like a mother with a purse,” he snickered taking the jars from your hands; that earned him gloves to the face. “Get the samples on that side. I’ll get some from the stream,” you said turning in the other direction. “Don’t get eaten and stay where I can see you!” you called at Kirks back. He waved an unconcerned hand, “Yes mom,” called back. 

Shaking your head you kept a peripheral eye on your charge while you filled specimen jars with the water from the stream. You labeled the jars before putting them away back in the little case they came in. Pulling out your tricorder you fiddled with the controls and scanned your surrounding area; it pulled data and stored it for the science nerds to play with later. Looking over your shoulder you spot the Captain squatting by a mass of purple and orange flowers; he waved his hand over them and they seemed to follow the movement intently. The sound of footsteps made you turn away from Kirk; Commander Spock by you now. Back straight and hands clasped behind him. 

You gave him a smile, “Hey Spock,” you greeted squinting against the light that glowed behind him. He inclined his head in his greeting, “I see you put the Captain to work, “ he said voice cool. Your lips twitched, you looked back over to the blonde for a moment. “Yeah I figured if I kept him busy he wouldn’t wander off,” you said with a chuckle. With a sigh, you stood up putting your tricorder away. The Vulcan in front of you held no emotion in his face but slight amusement danced in his eyes, “A logical tactic, “ he said and took the little case of vials when you offered them. “Hey, Spock did you see the flowers! I think they like me,” Kirk said jogging over to you and the Vulcan. He handed you his samples but Spock plucked them from his hand hands instead, “Captain flora hold no emotion,” the Vulcan said patiently. Jim pouted ever so slightly; he seemed to get over it rather quickly because he was smiling again, a real genuine smile. He held up a lovely teal flower, it twirled between his fingers before he put it in your hair gently, “for the best thing and only thing to come out of section 31,” he said with a wink. You gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair, “Jim, you’re the best brother I never wanted,” you said and the man clutched his heart with a grin. “(Y/N) that just warms me up inside,” 

You raised an eyebrow mirroring Spock at that moment, Kirk looked between the two of you amused. “Do they teach a class on that?” he asked lightly. He let out a cough and tried to brush it off; it almost worked too if you didn’t notice the redness creeping from his hands up past his neck. “Jim?” You asked voice filled with concern, he tried to wave you off but couldn’t pull any air. He gasped and doubled over, your hands immediately steadied him and lowered him to the lilac grass. You made sure he was on his back before checking him for bites, or punctures. You picked up his hand and examined it quickly, ‘that’s the source,’ you thought with a grimace. Blisters began to form at a rapid pace. ‘Rash, blisters, asphyxia. Allergic reaction.’ you concluded. Spock knelt on Jim’s other side tense, “Jim, I need you to relax for me. You know what’s going on. Relax sweetie,” you whispered to him gently placing a hand on his forehead. “Do we have a medical kit?” you asked the Commander seriously, “It’s with Nurse Davin, she was beamed back aboard the ship with Ensign Clark. He sustained a broken ankle,” he said and you growled in frustration. 

“Okay, call for beam up. I’m going to do something to help him breathe,” you said pulling out supplies. You pulled out the pen you were using earlier along with a flint; Kirk reached up a hand and gripped your forearm in a vice. You whispered encouragement to him as you pulled a knife from your boot. “Jim, I’m going to perform an old medic trick. It’s called a tracheotomy. It means I’m going to be cutting into your throat,” you said sparking the flint so it caught fire. The captain’s eyes widened making you frown guiltily. “I know it sounds horrible, but it will help you breathe,” you said running your knife over the fire. You looked him in his panicked blue eyes, “I need you to trust me,”  you said evenly. 

“Beaming in three minutes,” Spock said calmly from the side, you paid him little attention. Kirk choked gripping your wrist, his eyes searched yours before letting you go and doing his best to relax. You took a deep breath and moved your fingers an inch below Kirk’s Adam’s apple, you took your knife and made a small incision. You pulled your pen apart until it was just tubing and gently eased the incision open before sliding the tube in. You felt Spock at your shoulder tensed and waiting; you breathed a sigh of relief when Kirk took a shuddering breath through the tube. He opened his eyes and looked up at you, he brought a shaky hand up to grip yours. He went to speak but his voice came out as a pained squeak. 

"You'll be okay, I promise." You whispered to him and felt the distinct feeling of the transporter pulling you upward. Looking around you saw Scotty looking at you and the Captain worriedly from behind the glass partition. Medical burst into the transporter room with McCoy at the forefront. "What in the hell happened?" He asked voice raised. You told him what you had done and pulled the flower from your hair, "I think this may have been the cause," you explained. Spock took the sprig from your fingers and you watched as the medical team loaded Kirk onto a stretcher and took him away. You followed with Leonard walking briskly beside you, "You did good," he mumbled and you gave him a shaky smile. "Does that happen often?" You asked looking up at him and McCoy sighed running a hand through his hair. "More than you think," he grumbled. You both entered medbay and went your separate ways. He went to take care of Kirk while you washed your bloody hands in the nearest sink.

For a solid two hours, you sat and watched as nurses and Dr. McCoy fuss around the Captain. He was breathing regularly again; the tube is gone. You were propped up against the far wall watching people come and go, "He'll be alright," a voice gruffed from next to you. You smirked and looked up to your right; John, no Leonard leaned against the wall arms crossed. "I know," 

"Spock already put a commendation in your file." He chuckled and you rolled your eyes. "Just doing my job," you sighed and he bumped your shoulder gently. You smiled gently and pushed off the wall gliding over to Kirk's bedside. "Can I borrow a Padd?" You asked McCoy with a single glance over your shoulder. His eyes hinted green in the dimmed lights of medbay; he gave you a sweet smile before disappearing into his office. You sat down on an abandoned stool next to the biobed and settled in to watch over Kirk. Nurse Chapel strode over to your side, Padd in hand, "Doctor McCoy said that he was called to the lab and that you requested this." She said kindly. You smiled taking the device, "thanks Chris," 

The woman nodded, "oh and he also told me to tell you that he expects you to meet him for breakfast in the morning. No excuses!" She said with a laugh. You chuckled and shook your head; she took another quick glance at Jim's vitals before moving on. Crossing your legs you set the Padd on your knees, logging in you resolved in working on your mission report. 

Later when you felt a gentle tap on your leg. You looked up blinking the fogginess out of your eyes; Kirk gazed at you with his pretty blues. "Hey, kiddo" you murmured reaching out a hand to ruffle his hair. Jim groaned in protest but did move to stop you, "Hey lifesaver," he croaked. You set your borrowed Padd down on the bed to reach over to grab the cup of water Christine brought earlier. You held if for Kirk and guided the straw to his mouth; after a minute you took the water away. 

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked looking around with a frown. You followed his gaze and saw that medbay was now a skeleton crew. "Guess it's later than I thought," you sighed and rubbed your tired eyes. You looked back at your friend again, "You should get back to sleep," you advised picking up your Padd again. "Thank you for, you know," Jim whispered shifting, his voice rough. You took his hand giving it a soft squeeze, "no thanks are needed. Just do me a favor," you said eying him seriously. "Don't you ever do that to me again," you said with a half-hearted glare. Jim smiled lightly, "no promises but I will try." He chuckled. 

"I guess that's all I can ask for." You mumbled letting him go and fixing his blanket. Jim grinned, "I'd hate to scare the big sister I've never wanted," he said cheekily. A low laugh made you both look up to the end of the biobed. McCoy stood there, arms crossed and a smile playing on his lips. "Good to see you awake Jim," he said walking around so he stood beside you. "Bones looks like you only pulled my ass halfway out of the fire this time," Jim said with a grin. Leonard hummed in agreement, he placed a hand on your shoulder, "do you mind if I steal this one for a bit?" He asked and if Jim's smiled could grow bigger it would have. 

"Course Bones! She didn't sleep at all by the way,"  he tattled. You shot him a glare as you were pulled from your stool, "traitor," you hissed. Jim's laughter echoed behind you as you were being guided out of medbay to the officer's mess. On the way, you passed by Spock whose eyes were glued to a Padd, “Lieutenant Commander (Y/L/N), Doctor.” he greeted formally. “Hey Spock, Jim’s awake if you wanted to see him,” you greeted. The Vulcan gave a nod and moved to continue on, “Oh, and give him a nice long lecture on how he needs to wear gloves when coming in contact with foreign flora.” You called after him. Spock hesitated before nodding again; he pulled up your report and disappeared into medbay. “Rat me out again Kirk,” you dared. Leonard snickered and gave a snort, “He’s going to be hearing about this for the next couple of hours, you know that right?” he asked as you both got moving again. “Yup. Don’t hate the player and all that,” you grinned skipping ahead of him a little bit. 

[monaownsmyass]

And They Were Roommates

Requested fic by anon (if you have any fic ideas or requests you'd like me to write, you can leave me an ask!)

Book: Queen B, (after) Chapter 13

Pairing: Zoey Wade x MC (Bea Hughes)

Genre: Fluff

Rating: G, none

Word count: 3,140

A/N: Zoey and MC have a impromptu sleepover after making up from their fight a few weeks ago. Took shorter than expected cuz I wanted to get it done today so here it is! I think this might be my fav fic of mine so far :)

Tag list: @ineedskyecrandall @kamilahsayeet2063 @avalawrencefl @lovekamilahsayeed @thequeenkamilahsayeed @heygmicheelle (lmk if anyone would like to be included or removed in my next fics.)

"Have you gotten the chips yet?"

"Yeah, do you have the chocolate?"

"First thing I grabbed!"

Zoey wrapped her arms around my waist from the back and rested her chin on my shoulder. Together we peered into our shopping cart, almost overflowing with snacks. Underneath was our weekly grocery but it was entirely hidden.

"Babe, this is a ridiculous amount junk food," Zoey laughs.

"I mean, it's not like we're gonna finish it in one night. We could always keep it for some other time or even throw a party or something," I protested with a smile.

"This is basically an invitation for diabetes and an aneurysm."

"I don't see you making any effort to put some back though," I challenged.

She just laughs and lets go of me as we continued making our way down the aisle.

It was past sundown and we came to the grocery store with the only intention of stocking up our fridge with groceries. However, on the way, Zoey suggested we have a 'sleepover night' since we made up even though we live together and it's been weeks since the fallout. I'm not complaining though, I thought it'd be really fun especially if it means spending more time her.

And of course I suggested on getting some snacks 'cuz what's a sleepover without 'em? But we may have went a little overboard.

We headed towards the checkout and unloaded all the items onto the conveyor belt. My phone kept going off so I pulled it out to check it. Poppy was spamming my notifications again. The bitch just won’t leave me alone.

I scrolled through the 52 messages and rolled my eyes. I turned my phone on silent then looked back to Zoey who was already paying. I helped her place all the foodstuff back into the cart. Before leaving, I caught Zoey place the tips of her outstretched fingers to her chin and then bring it forward in the direction of the cashier. The cashier returned the gesture.

Wait, did Zoey know sign language?

As we made our way out of the grocery store, I turned to Zoey. "Were you communicating in sign language to the cashier?"

"Yeah, they had hearing impairment. You know ASL too?"

I shook my head. "I mean, I only know the basics like 'yes' and 'no'. I didn't know you knew sign language."

I loved finding out new things about her. It was a pleasant surprise every time.

Zoey let out a small chuckle. "You still have lots to learn about me, babe." She gave me a mischievous look. "Which is exactly why this sleepover is vital!"

I laughed at her as we reached our car and transferred the grocery bags once again. We drove back to campus, blasting music and jamming out to it on the way. I looked over to see her singing her heart out and making exaggerated facial features while bouncing up and down. Moments like these with Zoey made me so glad I was dating my best friend. I smiled at her and joined in.

When we arrived, Zoey and I piled the groceries onto our arms, refusing to make a second trip to the car and back.

We almost made it to our dorm room when Zoey stopped dead in her tracks. I bumped into her, causing me to almost loose my balance and drop everything I was carrying. Fortunately, I managed to prevent myself from falling.

"What the hell, Zo?"

"It's here!"

"What's here?"

She was looking down so I tried to peak over her shoulder to see what she was staring at. Being taller than me, it was no use.

Finally, she stepped aside to unlock the door and I saw what she was talking about. It was a package right at our doorstep.

"What's that?"

"You'll see." She entered and placed all the food on the kitchen counter before going out to retrieve the box.

I put the bags I were carrying beside hers and followed her to the dining table where she took a knife to cut open the tape sealing the box.

"Voilà!" she exclaimed and flip the lids open in a flourish.

The object inside was still wrapped up in plastic but I could make out some fabric through the clear wrapping.

"Here, this is for you! Catch!" She tossed me a plastic bag with the fabric in it and took one for herself.

I held it up and finally figured out what it was.

"Zoey Wade, you did not!"

"But yes! I did!"

I ripped open the plastic the same time she did and we unfolded the material to show it off to the other.

"You got us matching onesies?!"

She nodded enthusiastically with the biggest, cutest grin ever.

"I got us penguins 'cuz I remember you saying you like them. Also, they're so cute! Just like us!" she said with a laugh.

I didn't even bother with a reply, I was too excited. I pulled her by the face into a kiss. Her soft lips met mine, kissing me back. It was brief but if I wasn't already giddy with excitement, I definitely was now. "Thank you, Zo!"

We quickly changed into our respective onesies and modelled for the other.

"Aww, you're the cutest penguin ever," Zoey spoke in a soft and gentle voice that made me blush.

"No, you are!" I rushed to her to embrace her in a hug. "You're so soft," I giggled into her shoulder.

"Now we know our cuddle game is gonna be strong later," she laughed along with me. "Come, we have to set up the pillow fort."

I nodded but refused to let go off her. Human Zoey was a fantastic hugger but Penguin Zoey only made it better.

"Maybe I should've gotten you a monkey onesie instead," she teased and turned her head to kiss my temple. Then, she gently pried me away. "I promise we'll continue this later."

I finally let go and we got to work, building our pillow fort in the middle of the living room. It took us longer than we'd like to admit to set up the blanket as the tent. Whenever we'd secure one side, the other would come undone. It only made us crack up harder the more often it happened.

"Okay, okay, I got this side, you go grab the other!"

I rushed to the other side and made sure it would stay in place. We cautiously let go of the blanket and backed away. To our surprise, it didn't fall.

"Yes!"

We tossed a bunch of pillows into the blanket fort and hung fairy lights all over, including inside. We switched off the main lights a took a step back to admire our handiwork. We snaked an arm around each other to side hug.

"Good job, babe," Zoey smiled, squeezing me into her.

"You too, beautiful." I gave her a peck on the cheek in reply.

"Alright, time to call for pizza now!"

"Can you do it on your phone? Poppy has been blowing up mine so I'm avoiding it at all cost."

Her eyes widen. "Still? It's been so long!"

"I know," I sighed. "I'll probably block her tomorrow or something. Tonight, it's all about you and me."

"You got that right," Zoey murmured and gave me a small kiss on the lips.

She grabs her phone and dials up the pizza place. Once she was done, she went into her room and came out holding a folded picnic blanket.

"C'mon," she said and stretched out her other hand for me to hold.

I accepted her warm hand in mine instinctively, loving the way it fits perfectly. "Where are we going? What's up with the mat?"

"The delivery guy said he couldn't come up to the dorm to deliver it. The best he can do is meet us at the courtyard. So I thought we could maybe stargaze while we wait."

My heart skipped and my breath hitched. Stargazing with Zoey? How could I say no? Who in their right mind would say no?

“In our onesies?”

“Only if you want to.”

"Of course I want to!" I blurted and immediately dragged her out the door with her chuckling at me.

At the courtyard, Zoey spread open the picnic blanket and laid it on the ground. She sat on it and reached up to grab my hand, pulling me down to sit beside her. We laid down on our backs and looked up at the sky. It was clear and the stars seemed to twinkle extra bright tonight.

Zoey's hand moved around in search of mine and interlaced our fingers together when she found it. I gave it a squeeze and smiled into the night, never felt so contented before. Just two people in penguin onesies under the night sky, holding hands.

"Do you recognise any constellations?" I asked her.

"I can't say I do, are you some kind of astronomy expert that I didn't know?"

I laughed. "No, but my dad used to point some out to me when I was a kid. He'd take me outside and we'd just sit and watch the stars."

I glanced at her and saw a small smile play on her lips. That in turn made me smile. I was sharing a meaningful, nostalgic moment with her and that sent a thrill through me. I couldn't express how grateful I was that I could share this with her.

"Tell me about them." She looked at me and then back at the starry sky.

"That one is the Ursa Major, or the Great Bear," I said softly, just loud enough for her to hear. I pointed to the sky and traced the stars with my finger. She moved in closer to me to see where I traced.

"And that’s the Big Dipper. It consists of the seven brightest stars of the Ursa Major." I continued to move my finger in the air.

It was really cute that her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she was listening but the she squinted. "That doesn't look like a bear."

I laughed again and said, "Almost every constellation doesn't look like their names, darling. You should see Corvus."

"That's a little weird."

"Why don't you go ahead and name one then," I insisted.

"Okay," she replied and pointed to the brightest star in the sky I could see. "I'm calling that Bea Hughes."

I started giggling and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter furiously.

"Then that one should be called Zoey Wade." I indicated to the star that was directly beside the one she chose.

She grinned at me and I squeezed her hand once more. "Perfect."

She rolled into her side and I followed suit. Facing each other, we stared at the other for a while with our hands still interlocked. I brought my other hand up to brush the stray strands that fell in her face. I rested my hand against her cheek and gently stroked her smooth skin. She closed her eyes.

I looked at her in unabashed adoration. It wasn't the first time I was blown away by her and I was certain it wouldn't be the last time. My eyes trailed over the features of her face. She was perfection.

She opened her eyes and I gasped as a wave of emotion flooded me. My heart was beating a million miles an hour as realisation dawn on me when I gazed into her brilliant eyes.

I loved Zoey Wade.

I loved the way she tossed her head back when she laughed. I loved how her eyes lit up when she was talking about something she was passionate about. I loved the way she looked at me. I loved that she remembers the smallest things about me even when I don't recall mentioning it to her myself. I loved getting to know new things about her. I loved the way she brightens my day just by seeing her

I was in love with her.

I reacted the only way I knew how to; I pulled her into me to hug her and immediately buried my face in her neck.

"I adore you, Zo." I kissed the skin where her neck and shoulder meets.

"I adore you too."

We stayed like that in comfortable silence until we heard someone shout 'oh my god!' and footsteps coming closer.

I felt her turn her head to the source and sigh. Me with my face still in her neck whispered, "Is that the demon I hear?"

"Unfortunately."

Poppy stopped right over us and crossed her arms. I looked straight up at her and Zoey shifted to look at her too.

"This is why you've been ignoring me?!" she practically screeched. "You've been ignoring me to lie around in the middle of the lawn in stupid animal suits? With her?"

"Why? Jealous?"

She scoffed. "As if, Farmsville!"

"Shoo shoo, we're in the middle of something," Zoey said unamused while waving her hand at Poppy.

Poppy started shouting at us but we weren't paying attention any longer.

"Ughh! Fine! You will regret this!" she huffed and finally stomped away.

"Oh, just in time," I said as I saw the pizza delivery person.

We paid for our pizza and headed back up to our dorm.

Once we stepped passed the door, I heard Zoey's phone buzz and then laugh.

"What's up?"

"Check your phone."

Still on silent, I whipped out my phone and saw the notifications. My eyes widen when I saw both Zoey and I's ranking on The T increase. I scrolled through the feed and saw a picture of us from just now at the courtyard, cuddling.

"Poppy thought she could submit this and ruin us!" Zoey said between giggles. "Obviously it backfired 'cuz now everyone at Belvoire thinks we're the cutest couple on campus."

I went through the comments.

'Omg, they're so cute!' 'I didn't know they were together but they look good.' 'They're perfect for each other!' 'And they were roommates...'

I snorted and glanced over at Zoey who looked beyond ecstatic. "Suck it, Poppy!"

I laughed at her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Y'know, we do make a pretty cute couple."

"Only 'pretty cute'?" Zoey teased and returned my hug. "We're fricken' adorable!"

I brought her in for a kiss and she grabbed onto me a little tighter. One hand was on the back of my neck and the other went around my waist, gripping it. The way she kissed me was electric. Surges of energy ran through my veins, making me come alive. The passion and yearning poured into the kiss made me breathless. Being in love with her only amplified the feeling.

Zoey broke the kiss, panting but mostly laughing.

"Sorry, babe," she said, trying to catch her breath. "I just remembered we're both in penguin onesies."

I broke into a fit of giggles. God, I loved this girl.

"Damn right we are," I confirmed, beaming. "Must look pretty ridiculous but it's sure as hell comfy."

Zoey grinned back at me and grabbed my hand to lead me into the pillow fort. We took the pizza with us along with a bottle of wine.

"Cheers!" We clinked glasses and took a swig after she poured some out.

Even though we had a TV in the living room, Zoey brought out her laptop 'cuz our pillow fort was blocking it. She set it up and started playing 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

I turned to Zoey. "How did you know this was my favourite classic?"

"Who doesn't love a good Hepburn movie once in a while?"

We dug into the pizza while enjoying our wine. After we were done, we got into a comfortable position. She laid back, propping her head up using the pillows as I laid my head on her chest, arms wrapped around each other as well as our legs. Some of the snacks we got earlier surrounded us for easy access. She was right, cuddling with the onesies was on a whole other level.

"Can we just stay like this, forever?"

"I'd love to but I think we have other obligations," she joked.

"Can we at least do this every weekend then? Penguin onesies, pillow forts and all?"

"Sounds good to me."

The movie continued and eventually, Holly Golightly started singing 'Moon River'. I heard Zoey singing along softly.

'Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday.'

I gazed up at her and she looked back at me, still singing.

'Oh dream maker, you heartbreaker, Wherever you're going, I'm going your way.'

Mesmerised by the beautiful sound of her voice, I just stared at her in wonderment while she sang the rest of the song.

"You're unreal," I spoke in amazement when she was done.

She giggled and kissed my forehead. "That's you, darling."

I laid her head back onto her chest and listened to the gentle thump in her chest as the movie carried on. A while later, I looked up to peer at Zoey only to find her eyes closed.

She must have fallen asleep. Thinking back to my recent revelation when we were stargazing, I started speaking quietly, just above a whisper. I couldn't hold it in.

"You probably can't hear me, but I have to get something off of my chest," I said. "Kinda funny that were in penguin onesies. 'Cuz penguins mate for life. Not that I'm saying we'll be together for the rest of our lives even though I really hope we do."

I exhaled slowly and continued, "What I mean is that, after the whole situation at the Zeta's, I thought I lost you for good. I can't tell you how lucky I am that you're giving me a second chance. We're in this together and I mean it. I'll always be by your side no matter what."

I closed me eyes. She may not hear this part in person but I hope she hears it in her dreams. "What I'm trying to say... what I'm saying is that, I love you, Zo."

Instantly, I could hear her heart begin to pound rapidly. My eyes shot open as butterflies invaded my stomach. Did she hear me?

I felt her hand that was resting my my thigh twitch. I look down to see the barest movement of her fingers. Her ring and middle finger down while the rest were stretched out.

My own heart started racing in recognition. One of the only signs I knew.

I love you.

I squeezed her, hugging her tighter to let her know I saw it. I felt her tighten her hold on me in response.

We drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace with me being lulled by her heartbeat, knowing that my love loved me back.

(More fics!)

[thyra279]

Aziraphale is right on Armageddon

I’m not entirely sure how posting/reposting on Tumblr actually works, so I’m making a post of what was originally a response to this excellent post by ileolai I really think that Aziraphale is given quite a hard time for how he handles things in relation to Crowley leading up to the Apocalypse.

In defence of my BAMF boi Aziraphale (referring to the TV series as I don’t remember all the differences in the book):

No, he shouldn’t have told Crowley at the bandstand that they aren’t friends/are over, he should have told Crowley when he knew the location of the Antichrist, and he might have been naive to think that he could change the minds of God/the Metatron/a higher authority. I hate that he lies to Crowley after figuring out the location of the Antichrist.

Crowley’s (admittedly desperate) plan, however, was romantic af but not any better morally or much worse practically. It would not have worked long-term. It would have been selfish, short-sighted and cowardly and gone against everything they stand for and believe in.

If they HAD actually escaped (for all they know, at least, discounting Adam’s choices), Armaggedon would still have gone ahead, the War would’ve taken place, and one side or the other would have won. The winning side would realise either straight away or eventually that one of their own had deserted from the war. Whether the next day or in a few millennia, eventually, surely, someone from the victorious side would have come across them somewhere.

(Might’ve taken me three run-throughs to capture the screenshot because I kept getting too caught up in watching the scene.)

Also, again, there’s the sticky moral issue of the two abandoning Earth and all the creatures thereof to the sole custody of either Heaven or Hell. The world would have ended, Crowley and Aziraphale would have been together, yes, but always looking over their shoulder, and only for a limited time until they were discovered and punished for desertion/their relationship.

Now, it seems there were two other things they could actually do. First, Crowley’s other suggestion: Kill the Antichrist, murder a child. Comes with its own lovely set of moral dilemmas #utilitarianism. Not something either is particularly keen on doing, although it is Aziraphale who gives it a go: He IS willing, in the end, all other options exhausted, to kill in order to save them and the world. (Granted, it kind of  makes sense that he should do it; he’d at least be thwarting evil whereas Crowley would be going directly up against “his side”. But still, it’s going directly against the Great Plan.)

The only option that could possibly, potentially, mayyyybe work is to convince a higher-up to actually get the whole Armageddon called off. It’s the only way to save everything - the world, humanity, Crowley, their relationship; the only potential long-term solution. So, he goes to see the Archangels, to get them to either call off the war or (possibly?) kill the Antichrist. Aziraphale tells them some of what he knows, but he is smart enough not to tell his superiors that he already knows where the Antichrist is. He lies to them too and keeps the information to himself until he knows what the Right thing to do is to save the world.

Don’t think I’ve seen this talked about this anywhere: While speaking to Archangels, he also tries out quite a clever plan to help out Crowley, whose massive cock-up and cover-up in the wrong Antichrist fiasco will be found out as soon as Warlock reaches Megiddo: He suggests to the Archangels that Crowley did it all on purpose to trick Aziraphale and keep the real Antichrist safe.

(adorbs)

He’s not exactly making himself look great here, but it’s worth it if he can convince the higher-ups that Crowley is really a demonic strategic genius who was actually protecting the Antichrist all along.

After the Archangels tell him to piss off and the Bandstand scene (RIP), where he declares that can’t be on their side anymore and Crowley is the one to leave, he tries to get to Gabriel once again, which obviously fails. After Gabriel’s “What are you?”, he looks at him running off towards the bandstand, which is in focus although it isn’t in the rest of the scene and reminds of us him and Crowley, and we get the lovely, romantic (?) “I’m soft”. It’s pretty clear already that he has no intention of fighting in any war (or against Crowley). Then, after telling Crowley’s he’s being ridiculous for wanting to run away (and Crowley saying he’ll run off and forget about Aziraphale), he tries once again to explain why the war shouldn’t happen to the archangel thugs and to get them to see what they, as angels, should be doing and why it is vital that the world (and A and C’s role in it) continue.

He is clearly terrified. The archangels clearly aren’t there with good intentions, and yet he Stands Up to them and tries to make them see reason: They shouldn’t want the war, that’s not what they, the angels are there to do - they should be upholding one side of the moral coin, letting humanity choose between good and bad. (As an aside, I love all the “Aziraphale is terrible at being an angel” fun, but I - and probably god, and possibly even Aziraphale himself - think that he is the best angel: Even with the Arrangement, he has actually been doing the exact job of Heaven and Hell, upholding this careful balance between Good and Evil, allowing people to choose, navigating via his own moral compass, and taking care of humanity ever since giving away the sword, as a good principality should). He’s already saying pretty clearly that he’s on the side of The World, that he doesn’t want the war.

His last hope for actually avoiding the Apocalypse (and saving his and Crowley’s continued existence together) is God herself. Obviously and beautifully, he doesn’t get through, and the Metatron is no better than the other bureaucratic, dogmatic, powerhungry arsewipes in Heaven. He’s exhausted all other options, all hope of a long-term real solution for him and Crowley, and so he calls up Crowley to let him know Adam’s location so that they can go off in desperation and try to stop/kill the Antichrist. It won’t save them, but it might just be possible for them to save the world.

After his discorporation, he takes a very public, burning-all-bridges stand in Heaven and gives a metaphorical two-finger salute as he yeets back to possess people like a demon. He finds Crowley and is very much set on the task at hand - getting to and stopping the Antichrist - even though he and Crowley clearly have a lot of personal shizzle to discuss. At the Airfield, finally, he’s the one who actually does try to kill Adam to save the world.

Also, Aziraphale comes up with the brilliant distinction between the Great Plan and the Ineffable Plan, which implies that Heaven and Hell might be going against God, and that he and Crowley (and Adam) might just under Her protection, and would give Crowley and himself an out if only their bosses were flexible/good enough to see reason.

When it works and Armageddon IS actually avoided, he greets Gabriel coolly and unwieldingly while Crowley tries out a sycophantic (and fabulous) grovelling bow.

He has Taken A Stand and he’s not moving. For all that he frets and wiggles, he’s the guardian; constant, secure with a steady, certain inner moral compass that is much too good and intelligent to constantly align with Heaven. Crowley is the snake; wiley, slippery, flighty, constantly moving (and I mean that in the best way, I love Crowley as much as Aziraphale).

He grounds Crowley. When Crowley is finally giving up, saying goodbye to Aziraphale, refuses to give up, knowing exactly how to get Crowley moving again - pulling out another card in his… infinite variety… of ways to surprise and touch and steady the demon.

Morally, it’s like that old philosophy conundrum, the trolley problem with more heartbreak: If you could only save one, would you save your loved one or a group of strangers? When push comes to shove, Aziraphale cannot let himself throw the random bunch of strangers to the wolves, choosing his own unhappiness over the unhappiness of humanity. Add to that the fact that avoiding the Apocalypse is also the only long-term way to possibly save Crowley their relationship. (TV) Crowley is more concerned with saving Aziraphale and himself. Not a bad instinct; a very human one, in fact. His world IS Aziraphale, he moves around the angel, grounds himself in him. Aziraphale’s own happiness and well-being is contingent on Crowley being in the world, but he is willing to sacrifice that to save the actual world. He IS committed to Crowley, it’s just that Crowley can’t be in Aziraphale’s world if the world doesn’t exist. Aziraphale might owe Crowley an apology for throwing him under the cart for this, but he’s a damn good person/being and a really damn good angel.

I was gonna tie this down better to this thought I’ve been thinking a lot, but this got so long that Imma just gesture vaguely towards it, it’s not hugely related to the events of Armageddon: Aziraphale has to be constantly selfless everywhere except for with Crowley. He gets to be selfish in his relationship with the demon. Crowley, on the other hand, can only ever be allowed to be selfless and good through his relationship with the angel. Aziraphale being selfish allows gives Crowley a space to be giving and loving (in whatever way) and kind.

I know there are already lots of lovely fics out there exploring these things in profound and beautiful ways, but I got started on this essay journey, and I was damned if I wasn’t gonna finish it too.

So *sniffs* yeah.

[sethrine-writes]

Devil-sitter May Cry, Ch. 7

Pairing:  Dante x F!Reader, Vergil x F!Reader (Undecided)

Words:  2071

Warning:  Vergil being Vergil

Story Summary:  Low on cash and desperate for a job, you reply to a flyer for a babysitting position. Little did you know that the opportunity to watch over two special boys would bring your life so much mayhem and adventure…and, perhaps, a chance at a family of your own.

A/N:  Whew, what a hot minute it’s been for this bad boy! I’ve not forgotten, just merely had a bad case of the “wtf should I do next?” But I got it figured out! Let’s get into the thick of it, shall we?

------

Chapter 7 - Not Necessarily Needed

Finding things that both V and Nero could eat together had become somewhat of a challenge for you.

Nero was the child every parent hoped for - nonplussed by veggies or fruits or temperatures, and cleared his plate every time with absolutely no fuss. V was the complete opposite, finding issues with flavors and textures at nearly every meal time and only eating small portions, though you could hardly blame that last part on taste and more on his underlying medical conditions.

Since taking up babysitting them, you felt you were starting to learn how V operated, taking careful consideration of the things he wouldn't eat and asking what it was he didn't like about the foods he ignored. It was quite the conundrum, but you were more than willing to learn how to incorporate things in a way that would be more enjoyable for him during mealtime.

So, you had promised to make the boys a special dinner that they would both enjoy, keeping exactly what it was a secret, much to the lament of two curious minds. Another evening scheduled for babysitting meant you would be in charge of dinner for the boys, so it was the perfect time to try it out.

Luckily for you, the little grocery store on your way to Devil May Cry wasn't terribly crowded. The inside was much bigger than you anticipated, however, longer rows of nicely lined canned goods and sections for both a tiny little meat market in the back and a nicely stacked produce section immediately to your right.

Despite yourself, you were immediately drawn to the stack of packaged strawberries on display, their sweet scent enticing you into grabbing a carton, and then a second one, for good measure. They would make a great snack later into the evening, and both Nero and V seemed to love them, much to your relief.

You smiled at the thought of the two boys, remembering what you had set out to get in the first place and beginning your trek through the store to find the ingredients you would need.

Peering down the aisles, you scanned the shelves slowly and with purpose, almost missing the pair of familiar faces at the end of one aisle and having to do a double-take when your mind caught back up with you.

It was rather odd seeing Vergil, of all people, in a grocery store rather than at the shop. It was almost just as strange seeing him dressed down from his usual get-up, though the nice slacks and collared shirt looked very becoming on him. He also seemed a bit more relaxed, though you weren't completely sure if it was because of the different environment, the clothing, or that he simply felt more comfortable-

You were staring, you realized rather abruptly, blinking a few times as you reorganized your thoughts, almost wanting to laugh at how easily your train of thought had derailed.

With an amused huff, you moved towards the pair, catching V's attention as you got closer. His eyes lit up considerably, and you were sure he was smiling excitedly, though it was thoroughly hidden behind the simple cloth mask shielding his face from his cute little nose downward. It was a necessary precaution, you knew, but it still felt like a crime to hide his sweet smile from the world.

"Papa, look!" he exclaimed excitedly while tugging at his father's hand, breaking away seconds later to excitedly wrap his thin arms around your legs.

Vergil didn't appear too worried that V had wandered away, and part of you had a feeling that the demon hunter already knew you were approaching almost as soon as you stepped foot in the same aisle. 

"Hey there, V," you greeted with a chuckle, carding your fingers through his hair as he pulled back to look up at you with happy eyes. "I was just on my way to the shop, but I had to stop to get a few things. Looks like you and your dad had the same idea, hm?"

"We don't have anymore soup," V lamented, leaning a bit heavier against you in a feigned show of dismay.

"Truly a tragedy," you answered with a mocked tone of seriousness, smiling and winking at V when he peeked up at you. His following giggles were too precious for words.

"Where's your partner in crime, huh? Surprised I haven't seen him yet."

"Nero stayed home with uncle Dante," V explained, his voice lowering to that of a not-really-at-all whisper as he added, "they're working on something secret."

"Vitale," Vergil spoke suddenly, his tone baring a light warning. V gasped and popped his little hands over his mask-covered mouth as he moved back to his father's side. His eyes still held a giddiness to them when he looked back up at you, however, so he wasn't in trouble, just being reminded to keep the secret, whatever it may have been.

You looked up at Vergil, then, who seemed to still be focused on the selection of canned soups before him, seemingly deep in consideration, though you knew better than to doubt how very much aware he truly was of his surroundings.

"I'm surprised to see you without your, ah, katana," you spoke as a means of small talk, hoping you had remembered the style of his sword correctly.

"It tends to frighten the public without need of it," he replied matter-of-factly, eyes darting to you for a fraction of a second. "Why are you here?"

The question caught you off-guard, and for a moment, you felt as if you were being reprimanded for something you didn't know you had done.

"I...well, I had an idea for a dinner the boys would both like," you explained while looking down at V and smiling, "or, well, I hope they do, at least. I just needed to pick up a few things before-"

"You're not needed, tonight."

The statement alone shouldn't have made you feel any sort of way, really, but Vergil's intimidating self made it feel like a jab in the chest. It was just the way he was, succinct to the point of almost too harsh, too serious at times, but it still hurt for reasons you could not explain.

You were well and truly confused.

"Dante said you both had a job-?"

"It was canceled this morning," he answered. "Dante tried calling you, though claims you did not answer."

Your brows furrowed in further confusion before realization dawned on you.

With a quiet, barely muttered curse under your breath, you reached for your cell phone in your pocket, flipping it open to find you had three missed calls and a voicemail from the shop, of which you had labeled DMC in your contacts. From the time stamps, he must have tried to get a hold of you right after you left for the bus.

“This stupid thing,” you groused, frustrated and just on the side of embarrassed for basically having left the house for no reason.

“I’m so sorry,” you started aloud as you pocketed your phone once more, “I should have looked before I left the house. Stupid ringer hasn’t been working properly...oh, but that’s no excuse. I guess...I guess just give me a call on my home number the next time you guys need me.”

An apologetic smile crossed your lips as you looked down at V, who seemed to understand that you wouldn’t be visiting that day and held a particular kind of disappointment in his gaze.

“I’ll see you in a day or two, okay, kiddo? Say hello to Nero for me.”

You then looked back up at Vergil.

“Sorry, again. I’ll be more mindful to check my phone before I leave the house, just in case this happens again.”

Unsure how else to end the conversation, you gave a curt nod and turned around, mumbling about how stupid you were for not having checked your phone, of all the days to forget, c’mon, it really had to be today?

As you began your walk of shame down the aisle, you were unaware of the way V looked at his father imploringly, tugging lightly at his wrist to gain his attention. You missed the way Vergil caught on to the look his son was providing, missed how the usually stoic man’s intense stare followed you for a short moment, how his calculating gaze actually softened just a fraction...

"We don't have plans."

You paused in your retreat, turning back around to fix yet another confused stare on Vergil, who looked rather stiff all of a sudden despite having done nothing but intently look over the cans of soup before him.

"I'm sorry?"

"For dinner, that is," he clarified, gaze cutting over to you briefly, purposefully. "Nothing set in stone, though knowing Dante, he'll want to order in, as usual. It's quite tiresome, eating from the same three places everyone can agree on."

There was a moment of silence as you ruminated on what was said, feeling as if, perhaps, you were missing something. You may not have known Vergil very well, just yet, but you knew enough to figure that he wasn't much for saying things without intent, and it definitely felt like there was some intent hiding somewhere in his words.

Vergil's eyes cutting over to you once more had you jumping into action at their piercing intensity, stepping closer subconsciously and speaking nearly without thinking.

"W-well, uh, I did have plans for dinner...for the boys, of course," you stammered through, hoping you had caught on correctly to what was being implied behind his words, "and it'll be another hour or so before the next bus comes around. I'd be more than happy to cook for everyone, if you don't mind me waiting around."

You could see the line of Vergil's shoulders visibly relax, his posture not as stiff as it had been before, and it took you a moment longer to realize that the seemingly apathetic man had actually been nervous over what you would say. The knowledge alone was nearly jarring.

There was no way a man like him would be nervous over a woman like you. What a silly notion!

"I've no doubt no one would object to your presence, or your cooking, if the praises of young minds are anything to go by," Vergil responded coolly, "though for your recipe, do keep in mind how voracious the two at home can be."

"I've seen how much Nero puts away," you mused with a chuckle, "so I can only imagine what Dante is like. I'll make sure to double everything."

"If cost is any concern," Vergil spoke up suddenly, finally meeting you head-on for the first time during your impromptu meeting, "I'm prepared to cover anything you hadn't anticipated in your budget."

The sincerity behind his words was...actually rather sweet, if you thought about it. Granted, you hadn't anticipated needing to double the recipe, but you were certain you had enough to cover everything you needed. Still, that he had offered to pay the extra was actually very kind of him.

"I should be able to cover it," you answered with a smile. "Dinner's on me, tonight. You can cook for me, next time."

You meant it as a joke, following up your nonchalant words with a light chuckle. It was a moment too late that you realized your joke could have been misinterpreted or in poor taste, however, and you nearly spluttered in your haste to rectify yourself.

"Oh, I-I didn't mean it like- what I meant was-"

"It would only be fair," Vergil cut in, his icy gaze having moved back to the canned goods as he finally selected something from the shelf and placed it in his hand-held basket.

"Right, yes," you agreed in a rush of breath, mentally hitting yourself for being so damnably awkward in that moment.

You were a trainwreck, truly. And it wasn't even a Monday!

"I'll just...go grab everything, then. I'll, uh, meet you at the strawberries when I'm done?"

You were met with an affirmative hum, followed by V's excited little gasp as he looked up at Vergil, speaking for the first time since you had addressed his father with a much more chipper outlook.

"Ooh, strawberries?! Papa, can we get some?"

Perhaps you would only need one carton of the fruit, after all.

------

Tag List:  @v-vic, @astridstark13

[saladejin]

Call An Uber? | 05

BTS x Reader | idolverse au, uber driver!Reader, translator!Reader | Fluff, flirting, super slow burn, angst and hurt/comfort, mature themes and eventual smut

Summary: Your normal life with a normal, yet inconsistent job gets drastically changed when your dreams come true. Sounds boring right? What happens when all of this occurs, but you’re still doing something you love AND getting a large sum for it? Now there’s something to think about, and it’s definitely not what you’re thinking.

Warnings: Mild swearing

Word Count: 4k 

< masterpost >

A/N: Hey there tumblr readers! This story might not seem all that angsty or plot-heavy in these first few chapters, but I promise it builds into it. I apologise for all the slow burn, I just can’t help myself ^^;

»»————- <<prev | next >> ————-««

       Getting home after the calming car ride seemed a tad anti-climactic. Weariness from the day piled high onto my shoulders, and as I threw my bag into the corner of my bedroom, I all but flopped onto the bed unceremoniously.

The small apartment wasn’t much, but it was enough to sustain me. The landlord was polite at least, and the rent was luckily just within my budget for now. It consisted of a small kitchen and a cosy living room all in one tiny, yet open space. A door led into the one and only bedroom of the apartment, which was also lacking in spaciousness, but it wasn’t as if anyone else was living here. All in all, it was adequate despite not really being something I was used to.

Laying silently on the bed allowed my thoughts and memories from the day to shroud my mind. I remembered how helpless and overwhelmed I’d been feeling when escaping into the carpark of the building, and how my responsibilities had come crashing through like swelling waves of inky ocean water. 

Feeling lost was one way to describe that moment, but Yoongi had consoled me to a point where I felt stable and supported. Even if he didn’t mean to show it directly, of which I wasn’t so sure, his way of letting me know he cared hadn’t been lost on me. I was usually good at noticing these things, so it was surprising to see that he wanted to show the gentle side of him tonight. I guess I really was finding out how these boys lived. I was seeing their thought processes with my own very eyes, something vital that was missing in my connection with them before.

Things were happening quickly, but I was ready to let them happen with welcoming, open arms. I was going to absolutely thrive in this new lifestyle, so why let stress weigh me down like a pile of bricks? I just wouldn’t let it.

Rolling over to smooth down the pale bedsheets with my fingers, I couldn’t help but let my mind drift to the sharp eyes of Yoongi, the dazzling smile of Jimin, Namjoon’s dimples…and just all seven of them. I needed to let them know how their fans felt, and I needed them to let me know if they had any doubts about their popularity and future. This could be one of my purposes, and a goal combined with many, many ARMYs. If I had the chance to console them, just like Yoongi had with me, then I would jump at the opportunity with no malignant intentions. I only wanted to help them and share with them the happiness they had given me throughout the years. To groove out their misgivings and straying negativity that allowed unnecessary stress and anxiety to build.

This was my purpose.

~

The days scorched hotter and hotter, meaning another short meeting for us at the firm. Nobody wanted to stay inside a sticky office filled with the sounds of stuttering air conditioners and electric fans, so Bang PD let everyone go home earlier than usual. When I say earlier, I mean mid-afternoon anyway, so it’s not like it’s actually early.

I’d finally started out with my new job, and so far things had gone swimmingly. The staff were continuously friendly, and the workload was nothing too devastating. Since the company had been a little short on multilingual interpreters, the amount of language related jobs had been growing over time. I could have been overwhelmed, but instead it was somehow smooth sailing from the get-go.

Things were going splendidly, but I wondered about what was going to happen with my Uber job. Would I just stop? It wasn’t like I needed the money from it now, so what would even be the point of it? Meeting new people from all cultures and backgrounds wouldn’t even be an issue at all. Maybe, just maybe the idea of giving up my job as a glorified taxi driver was an imminent one.

~

The office had been bustling today, but I knew it was because everyone was focused on preparing for the upcoming BTS concert. One of the company’s translators held out some papers from where he sat in his wheeling chair. “(Y/n)-ssi, could you please drop these down to the stylists? I translated the articles like they asked, so they’ll want to have a look as soon as possible.”

“Of course. I was about to bring them some coffee anyway. They’ve been working tirelessly,” I smiled at him and grasped the papers. It seemed the marketing management had wanted select articles about their fashion sense, hair styling and makeup to be translated from various languages.

I scurried to the kitchen area where I’d already started on the coffees. Someone had graciously told me how most of the stylists liked their drinks, and I knew they would need it after how much they had been testing makeup supplies and hair products downstairs. I shuddered at the thought of having my fingers sticking together from the amount of hairspray circulating the room.

The basement was pretty much where everything happened. Practices, auditions, coaching etc. You name it.  After dropping off the notes and coffees, I was showered with gratitude from the stylists and was shocked to see just how tired and worn-down they were. The thought that something big was about to happen caused excitement to curl deep within the pit of my stomach.

Maybe there’ll be new hair colours soon?

“No worries, make sure you get some rest!” I reminded them before letting the door to the changing room click shut.

I was right about the hairspray thing, it was seriously suffocating in there. At least they had some air vents open for ventilation, but I felt bad for those kind-hearted men and women. They would most likely be staying there way into the hours of the night too.

I began to walk back towards the elevator, but my eyes were caught by a bright light flooding from one of the main practice areas. One of the doors had been left wide open, and I glanced inside to see a very expansive room enclosed by pure white walls. The floor was made up of tawny brown floorboards, or maybe vinyl, I wasn’t quite sure. I think it had only recently been renovated.

“(Y/n)? Hello!” a clear and high-pitched voice made me jump in my skin. I looked further into the room to spot Jimin resting in one of the black, wheeling chairs of the studio area. His fading blonde locks had been swept back completely, and I could tell he was tired and sweaty from practicing.

To his left was Hoseok, who seemed distracted until Jimin’s exclamation, and the last person in the room was none other than a certain Kim Taehyung. As soon as the youngest of the three found out I was hiding in the doorframe, his eyes blew wide.

“Hey Jimin, Hoseok-ssi and Taehyung-ssi,” I bowed, as was the custom, and made my way into the room. You really had to spin around to take everything in, it was incredibly large for a practice studio.

I turned when I heard footsteps and was greeted by a very bright and bubbly Taehyung.

“(Y/n)? Ah, it’s so great to meet you finally!” He bowed also and I instinctively reached out to shake his hand, smiling once he brought both of his warmer ones together around my own.

They’re so big, what the hell.

Ripping my line of sight away from his long fingers, I glanced behind him to see Hoseok making his way forward too. “Hey there! I’m also glad to meet you (Y/n).”

I exchanged similar greetings with the fiery red-head, but stepped back when Jimin intervened with a low-pitched whine.

“No, no.” He ran forward and grasped his two bandmate's shirts gently to pull them away. “Don’t crowd her, we’re all smelly from practice!”

His disgusted expression made me grin again, and I shook my head. “Don’t worry about that, a little sweat won’t kill me.”

Hoseok laughed while playfully batting away Jimin’s hands. “Sorry about that, we are kind of gross right now.” He started airing out his shirt rapidly while strolling over to where three water bottles rested along the wall. I noticed that they were the only people in the room and puzzled over the thought. they were usually here with a manager or something, weren’t they?

“What were you guys practicing? And where are the others?” I queried, and watched as Taehyung flashed me a boxy grin. Jimin just groaned and ran his fingers through his hair yet again.

“We’re practicing for the concert, but I only came a couple of hours ago, the others are just at home I think,” Taehyung explained, patting Jimin’s back heartily. “Jiminie and Hoseokie-hyung have been here all day. They’re so fit!”

I glanced over at the two dancers as Hoseok jumped over to tickle Tae lovingly, Jimin just smiled at their loud antics. I was beyond surprised, as none of the members even seemed too tired. They were simply out of breath despite the sheer amount of exercise they’d undergone.

“That’s amazing! You all have so much energy to be able to practice so much.” I earned all of their attentive gazes, Hoseok instantly gracing me with his own beaming smile.

“Thanks! We’re just having a little break, but we’ll start again soon. Would you like to watch?”

My heart almost leapt out of my chest at the thought.

“Would I? Of course I’d love to watch you guys dance.” I clapped my hands together in excitement, eyes bright and shining with an uncontrolled delight. This made Taehyung reach forward with both hands to make a 'flower' under my flushing face.

“How cute!” He cooed, and Jimin pulled him away again. An eye-smile was stretching across the shorter boy's face in the most endearing way possible. Hoseok laughed, following with a “very cute, very cute” and ran off to start the music again.

All three of them were in light clothing, but Hoseok was wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt while the other two adorned button-ups varying in style. All three wore long black Puma pants, most likely because of the ambassadorship they were part of.

“Ah, I don’t want to mess up in front of (Y/n),” Jimin tilted his head and looked at me with a somewhat pained expression. When I raised my eyebrows at him, he pouted and shook his hair out of his downcast eyes. I felt like I needed to step in.

“Jiminie, you’re an amazing dancer, you’d even make messing up look good. Plus, it’s only practice.”

“Yeah Jimin-ah, she won’t mind,” Hoseok helped me out and as the music started blaring from the speakers again, the rapper jogged over to jab Jimin teasingly in the side.

From the words of encouragement, Jimin brightened and smiled in my direction again before joining the others with a serious glint in his eye. I sat against one of the pristinely white walls to watch the action unfold before me, knowing I was about to witness something magnificent. Taehyung started moving his hands and bobbing his body to the beat in that hilarious way he usually did in mock dance practices, and I couldn’t help but snort in amusement.

“Oh, Taehyung is improving! It must be because we have a lady in the room,” Hoseok teased and shook his head, breaking out into chuckles when Tae moved to hit his shoulder in protest. His bashful smile switched focus to me, and I nodded my head in approval.

“I'm loving the skills though.”

Suddenly, the starting track for ‘Fire’ began rumbling loudly through the speakers, and my ears perked in recognition. Was I actually going to see this performed in front of me? I knew this dance all too well from the countless videos I’d seen.

“Are you guys ready?” Hoseok hollered into the open space, and I watched them line up a few metres back from the large mirror. They must’ve been planning to perform this at the upcoming concert, but I wasn’t sure why they needed so much practice seeing as they literally performed it at most live events.

I suddenly threw my cardigan across the room and jump to my feet, rolling up my sleeves in determination. I didn’t even care if they thought I was the strangest person in the world right now, because this was ‘Fire’. “I’m so joining in!”

As the first ‘bultaoruene’ resonated against the pale walls, I ran into the middle of the room and launched straight into the first part of the dance. Despite wanting to come across as serious, I couldn’t keep a cool and collected demeanour and opted instead to laugh loudly. The others were no different, and as my arms started moving wildly, Jimin fell to the floor in a breathless wreck. Hoseok exaggerated his surprise by cupping his hands around his mouth and cheering me onwards while Taehyung mimicked him with his own loud whoops. All three ended up on the ground as I continued to dance, biting my lip to feign seriousness.

I didn’t try to replicate their dancing, as I knew I couldn’t reach their level, but I still shook my hands rapidly and squeezed impassioned eyes to parody something that resembled it. The music stopped, and I fell to the vinyl floor as well, my breathing shortened due to how much I was cackling. Hoseok had stumbled over to pause the track, and I could hear him suffering just as I was.

“Oh my-Oh my God that was great. Did you learn the whole thing?” he gasped out, making his way back over to where I was sitting with my head pressed into the cold floor. My whole body was shaking and erupting with shamed giggles, and when I rolled over, I hid my face in my hands to stop the embarrassment from showing.

“I’ve seen it too many times to not dance to it.”

“I was not expecting that, you have to dance with us, I’m begging you.” Taehyung ran over, his deeply toned sentence breaking up into various airy chuckles. Jimin was the last to get to his feet, but his face was completely reddened and his hair was even messier than before.

“We’ll teach you the rest. I think we’ve practiced the actual dances enough for today, don’t you think hyung?”

Hoseok exhaled loudly, his eyes crinkling with his smile after regaining his composure. 

“Yes, you’re right. And the newest member of the dance line needs some instruction.”

I was still on the floor, but at the agile dancer’s statement I fell over again. Taehyung and Jimin both smiled at the sight of my pained expression.

“Guys, I wouldn’t be able to dance the whole thing properly, let alone with phenomenal dancers like you right there.”

“Thank you for the compliment, but you are going to learn this. No buts.” Taehyung held out a helping hand, and I grasped it to help me get back on my feet. I then turned to Hoseok.

“Okay sonsaeng-nim, where do I start?”

All three boys laughed again, and Hoseok straightened himself, puffing out his chest to seem scholarly. Taehyung pointed towards him with a grin that only widened.

“Hobi-hyung is literally everyone’s dance teacher, he’ll make sure you get it perfect.”

At this, the greyish-brown haired boy rushed to line up beside me and looked sideways expectantly. Jimin , but chose not to line up. I nudged Taehyung into a straighter position with my elbow as Hoseok began pacing in front of us, massaging his chin with two fingers thoughtfully. He lowered his voice to sound gruff and strict, and I had to blow out my cheeks to keep it in.

“First lesson of the day, the chorus choreo.”

“Yes, teacher,” Taehyung and I recited in unison as if being scolded. Jimin nearly fell over again until Hoseok waved his hand dismissively and the whole act was dropped. I fell into the boy beside me, suddenly embarrassed once more, but not being able to contain myself any longer. Taehyung patted my shoulder comfortingly while stifling his own noises.

“Honestly, we weren’t joking about you learning the dance though,” Hoseok started and meandered over to grasp both my forearms, tugging on them to lead me forwards. I groaned and sent a look that screamed ‘help’ towards Jimin and Taehyung, but they both just snorted.

I internally cursed Jimin for betraying me like this. I’d thought he was my friend.

“Jimin-ah, Taehyung-ah, you’re going to help too.” Hoseok beckoned them over, and I could only grumble in more complaint.

“Okay, just get Jimin to show me some steps and I’ll see if I can do it properly.” I straightened my arms, which were still being pulled by Hoseok, and tapped my feet a couple of times to get ready. The red-haired dancer eventually dropped his hold, but looked down at his hands as if he’d touched something strange and foreign.

Jimin nodded at my request, and I paid close attention as he lined up in front of the mirror and ran through the starting choreography to the chorus. As both he and Hoseok showed me a slowed down version, I managed to get it all memorised. Taehyung clapped his hands to congratulate me, but his face fell when the phone in his pocket started buzzing incessantly.

“Sorry guys, it’s my turn to help Jin-hyung with dinner tonight. I have to go,” Taehyung fake sobbed, and I watched as Jimin went along with it to hug him comfortingly. Hoseok pretended to cry as well, and I couldn’t help but think this whole scene looked like he was about to be sacrificed to the Devil or something.

“Bye (Y/n), I hope I’ll see you soon,” The lively boy called as everything returned back to normal, and I couldn’t help but revel in the easy-going atmosphere surrounding me suddenly. I hadn't even met two of these people yet, but somehow I'd managed to skip past all the initial awkwardness of first meetings.

“Of course, definitely soon!” I vowed, and the singer left while grabbing one of the sports bags that rested by the door, continuing to walk backwards and wave rapidly. He was just too cute, and the way his eyes glimmered with hope just before he left was etched deeply into my mind. Even long after he was gone.

“We’re fine to teach you something, before we have to go anyway,” Hoseok turned back to us, and I almost face-palmed at the thought.

“Please don’t waste your time, I don’t even have a dancer’s body,” I spoke, my voice drawling out in protest.

“(Y/n) you do! Even if you were playing around before, you could still dance,” Jimin fought my statement, and I scoffed at his widened eyes. He was seriously against people belittling themselves.

“Plus, everyone gets better with practice,” Hoseok joined in, nodding his head cutely as he slammed his hands onto his hips. Jimin ran through the dance again, and I sewed their teachings together to try and copy him. I was shorter and had a different body shape to both dancers, but it wasn’t too difficult to try and alter the moves to accommodate for that. It was safe to say I actually ended up pretty proud of the outcome.

“I just don’t like how I can’t flow properly when I come up from the first move,” I grunted, trying out the steps again. Jimin hummed considerately before moving to stand behind me.

“Move your hands super quickly, and maybe keep this arm up so it’s easier.” He lightly grasped one of my forearms while I stayed frozen in position, and I actually saw in the mirror how it could help me. I was very much aware of how gentle his touch had been and how close his body was to mine. It didn’t help my racing thoughts when his warm puffs of breath made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle.

“And since you have to move your feet soon after, maybe don’t put so much weight on them beforehand,” Hoseok chipped in, and moved my other arm down so I could focus on my feet this time around. He’d been firmer than Jimin with his touch, but the singular fact that both of them had touched my arms in the span of a minute was enough to leave me breathless. I followed his instruction and gulped when the dancer’s lips quirked up into a knowing smirk.

The fucker knows what he’s doing.

“See, speed it up and try it now!” Hoseok bounced to get on my other side while Jimin stood and watched his partner offer his own extra tips. I found out just how useful a wall-sized mirror was when learning to dance, and when complimented by Hoseok’s timely sound effects, it wasn’t hard to get down the moves.

“Pa, pa and... boom! See, you have it. You’re a natural.” Hoseok reached up to exchange a sharp high-five, and I complied before covering my face again. This was almost too embarrassing. I just knew how badly my cheeks were flaring with flames of blazing pink.

“See hyung, I told you she was cute when she blushed.” One of Jimin’s fingers came to poke my cheek, just like he had done that one time in the car.

I reeled away from him. “Ah, don’t tease me, how rude!”

Hoseok and Jimin chuckled, and I heard the older dancer agree with my words in another fresh bout of mockery. “She’s right Jiminie, don’t embarrass her too much or she might just faint because of you.”

I growled, and they both stifled their laughing.

“As if I would faint, it’s not like I’ve never received a compliment before.”

“Ooh, cocky.” Hoseok tilted his head back and I smiled as both boys shook their heads at each other with crossed arms.

“Hey!” I pushed both of them away using their broad chests, scrunching my face up. Knowing it wasn’t convincing in the slightest, I inwardly cursed my continuous failure to hide emotions.

“But seriously, she has that natural aegyo,” Hoseok pointed out with wide eyes. Jimin’s jaw slackened in surprise before he agreed wholeheartedly.

 “I’m leaving, before my face burns clean off,” I then announced, pointing an accusing finger at the two chuckling dancers who were making their way over to gather their belongings and drink bottles.

 “Remind me to never be alone with you two again.”

“But (Y/n) …” Jimin licked his lips and smiled sweetly. “We’re not making any promises.”

The duality of this man truly scared me.

“Whatever, I should actually get going though,” I noted forlornly, not continuing to joke even though I really wished to do nothing but. The boys both nodded with their spirits also seeming to dampen slightly, but Hoseok lifted his head to smile with that signature sun-like glow of his.

“It was really fun to dance with you, please consider learning with us again (Y/n).”

“It sounds like you’re trying to sell me something, but sure I’ll think about it.”

Jimin erupted into giggles and slapped his elder on the shoulder before curling into him, just like he usually did when he laughed really hard. Hoseok merely pressed his lips together and tilted his head to seem hurt.

“Please do,” he agreed in a broken whisper, but I steeled my throat from letting anything close to laughter escape its clutches. I would be here for way too long if I couldn’t control myself.

“Okay bye!” I shout, listening to their farewells before ducking out into the chilled hallway.

Time had seriously flown by, and I remembered that I would have been home hours ago if I hadn’t been so severely side-tracked. I sighed with weariness as I finally made my way towards the steel doors of the elevator, listlessly passing a trashcan full of several empty coffee cups.

            Copyright © 2020 by salade. All rights reserved.  

tagged: @l4life​, @joyful-jimin​