#they need to get away from Bison and live happily together

[unfilteredcurse]

And here is my Street Fighter OTP - Sagat X Vega, a.k.a. TigerViper! 🐯🐍

[jungle-angel]

Home is the Warmest Place (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: You and Rhett know that despite your hardships of the past, your home is everything to you

Warnings: Mentions of breastfeeding

Rhett lay fast asleep on your bed with one arm curling around one of the twins who lay all swaddled up in his blue blankie, peacefully asleep in the circle of his father's arm. Tatum's soft little whimpers drew Rhett from his deep sleep, his gravely groan following the heaviness that had filled his whole body.

"Alright my little ghoul," he groaned. "I think you're wantin your momma."

Very carefully he picked Tatum up and cradled him in his arms. The day had turned to a dusky blue sky as the snow kept falling, the thick forests and the Abbott land completely covered in white. Rhett calmly rocked Tatum in his arms, but it was clear that his baby son needed to feed soon, his tiny pink tongue poking in and out of his mouth.

"You hungry buddy?" Rhett cooed to his tiny son. "Yeah, I know that look, that's the 'I want momma's boobies look'."

Rhett felt a hotness beginning to bloom in his chest, the sight of his tiny little son in his big arms filling him with a feeling of pure love that he held for you and the rest of the kids.

He headed downstairs, following the tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen, only to find Amy and Hannah playing happily on the living room rug while Tanner managed to stay asleep in his little wicker sleeping basket.

"Hey darlin," Rhett greeted happily, kissing your cheek and making you giggle. "Whatcha cookin tonight?"

"I'm cooking that roast that your dad gave us two weeks ago," you informed him happily.

Rhett groaned, his eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head. Royal had gotten some beef butchered a few weeks before the snow had hit, the freezer filling almost to the top with the beef, elk and bison meat he had gotten on the hunt with Thomas Rainwater and one of Wes's uncles. You and Rhett had planned on doing a store run after the fervor of the Thanksgiving holidays had died down, but the birth of the twins had come much sooner than expected, leaving the drop-freezer in your pantry sparse and almost empty. The rib roast had been somewhat of a lifesaver along with the fact that Cece had told Royal to clean out or else he wouldn't be getting any until he did.

"Did he wake up?" you asked, looking up from the potato pot boiling on the stove.

"Yeah I think he's hungry," Rhett answered.

"Mind watching the potatoes?" you asked.

Rhett nodded and carefully handed a still whimpering Tatum off to you, carefully placing him in the curve of your arms before you were off to the big sectional in the living room and opening your shirt to feed him.

"Daddy, Daddy," Amy chirped. "Can I try the potatoes?"

"Nope, not yet doodlebug," he told her. "Daddy's gotta take the meat outta the oven first."

Amy made a little pouty face before she zipped off to the living room to peer into Tanner's sleeping basket.

Out of the oven came the roast, filling the whole house with its savory smell, the herbs, the spices, carrots, pearl onions, celery, red wine and garlic all mixing together. As soon as Tatum was full and good, you put him into the sleeping basket next to his brother, the two of them fitting in perfectly as you placed a crocheted blanket over the two of them.

You took care of plating the food while Rhett loaded a few more logs into the woodstove so that it would burn through the night and warm the whole house. Dinner was eaten with the girls chattering away, the boys asleep in their basket, the dogs in and out of sleep near the boys and the cats probably lurking about the house. You felt Rhett's hand clasping yours under the table, holding it tightly as he leaned in and kissed your cheek.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Love you too," you whispered back.

[messrmoonyy]

please please Tess being alive and living in Jackson with reader and Joel and Ellie and Tommy and Maria and everything is happy and nice and no one dies

When the snow gives way to spring

Tess servopoulos x fem!reader

A/N- I will say straight up this is a little shorter than my normal weekly uploads because I’m sick rn and just not been in the mood to sit down and write. But. Enjoy all the same. I did remove her backstory because she reminisces a little bit in this and I needed her to be single pre outbreak .

Warnings- absolutely none. It’s tooth rotting domestic fluff

Word count- 1.9k

Masterlist

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3

The world was currently in that odd part of the year where winter was ending and spring was on its way, where some days she didn’t need a jacket but others she had to layer up. The snow was starting to disappear, patches of green grass sprouting up in spots that it had melted, flowers were reappearing in the window boxes and the sky was looking more blue than grey.

Tuesday had blessed the world with one of the warmer days, when Tess could walk home with her jacket slung over her arm because the sun was warming her skin just enough. She’d just dropped her horse back to the stables, after being called upon by Joel in the early hours. Tommy had the flu and even though it was meant to be her day off, Joel had asked her to cover the ski lodge route with him.

So she’d reluctantly sacrificed her morning wrapped up in bed with you, scribbled out a quick note and left. At least it was one of the nicer routes. Though honestly all the routes weren’t that bad. There was never more than a few stragglers around. And the horseback rides through the woods were actually quite therapeutic.

People smiled and waved at her as she made her way home, they’d accepted her, Joel, Ellie and you into their town with ease. And you were all solid parts of the community now. It did throw her off balance sometimes though, at how stark the contrast was in Jackson to Boston.

In Boston she had power. Control. People moved out of her way when she walked by and knew that she was not to be fucked with. But in Jackson everyone had equal levels of power, she didn’t need to exude a scary confidence that made people fear her. People liked her. They didn’t turn the opposite way when they saw her coming, they’d walk up to her and start conversation.

It had taken some getting used to. But now she’d have it no other way. She’d never felt more like her pre outbreak self, never felt at such… peace.

The added levels of safety were a bonus too of course. She no longer had to worry about keeping you alive. You could handle yourself of course, but she’d always panic. She’d always feel obligated to take care of you, because you were hers. And she was yours. But now she didn’t have the ever looming fear of you getting snatched up by FEDRA officers coming back from a run. Or some wannabe drug Lord trying to prove a point by hurting you to get to her.

She could walk around town and hold your hand. Could dance with you when Maria held her little get together in the Tipsy Bison at the weekends. She didn’t have to hide away her affections anymore in fear someone would see her, see you, use you as a target.

She’d could happily leave home for the day and know you’d be perfectly safe. And vice Versa. It was nice not to be so stressed all of the time. You were happier. She was happier. No worries of if you’d die tomorrow, Instead she could actually picture you both growing old together now. It was nice to think about.

You had joked in the past that you two would end up like Bill and Frank. Grumpy. Old. Hating the world together. Not that she’d ever deeply believed it could happen. She’d never really believed that she would last to reach old age. But now she could see it.

She was starting to feel it too. Though you enjoyed telling her she wasn’t old at all.

She liked having a house to go back to. A home. The apartment she had shared with you back in Boston had never really felt like home. Too decrepit and too many rules. Rations of food and water. Constant bright lights shining though the windows at night from the wall. Gunfire and explosions the chosen ambience.

But now she woke up to the sun. Or the sound of horses or birds. She had an entire house with you. One that you had both made a home. You were everywhere in it and she loved it. The framed pictures of you both, of you with Ellie, of the four of you all together. The slightly wonky knitted blanket that you had secretly been working on with one of the women in town that you’d gifted her for Christmas. The flowers you liked to keep around the house when they were in season. The fairy lights. The boots that weren’t falling apart, that were sat by the door.

As she walked up the porch steps a smile pulled at her lips seeing the daffodils in the pots by the front door were blooming. She’d never really been one for flowers but you’d wanted to plant them. And she couldn’t deny you of anything. And they were nice to look at. As she walked through the front door she could hear music coming from the kitchen, you humming along to it happily, and it made her smile grow more.

She hung her coat on the rack by the door and kicked off her boots, quietly making her way through to the kitchen. You were washing dishes, hips swaying along to the song playing and she watched you for a moment. She leant against the door frame and was almost overcome with emotion.

If someone had told her back when she’d first met you all those years ago, that she would still be alive. That she would still be with you. That you would both be safe. She’d have thought they were off their head on pills. And yet there she was. There you were.

She wasn’t young anymore, yet in those quiet moments like that she could pretend she was. She could remember what it felt like to fall in love with you when she was young, could smile to herself and wish she could go back and talk to herself. Tell her not to worry. Tell her that fighting her feelings for you was a pointless thing, because the future would be exactly that moment. Together. Safe. Happy.

Watching you there she felt like she was back home. Pre outbreak. No infected roaming the planet, no real threats other than if her boss at work was going to be in a good mood or not. Or if you were going to have burnt your attempt at dinner again. She wondered if you’d have liked Detroit.

She’d had a nice apartment. A decent job. You wouldn’t have even really needed to work if you hadn’t wanted to. Though she knew you would’ve, you were no housewife.

The wife part did sound nice though…

She walked over to you, wrapping her arms around your waist from behind and pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.

“ hey you “ you turned your head to look at her, capturing her lips in another kiss before turning back to the dishes.

“ I thought we weren’t working today “

“ hm. Tell that to Joel “ you laughed a little, shaking your head and placing a mug onto the drying rack. Tess rested her chin on your shoulder and gave a small sigh, relishing in the pure domestic warmth the moment held.

She didn’t know what had gotten into her really. Why she was so overcome with emotion. She was just so suddenly aware of how lucky she truly was. How much she loved you. Loved your home. Loved her life now. Which was strange when she really thought about it. The world was a mess and people died every single day. Yet she was safe and content. And so were you. And that’s all that really mattered.

“ was everything okay? “ you asked, drying off your hands and then turning around in her embrace.

“ all clear “ she confirmed “ Joel was telling me today he was planning to go scope out that museum Maria told him about. Wanted to know if we’d go with him. Make sure it’s all clear, find a safe entry point “ Joel had been planning something big for Ellie’s birthday. Some way to make the kid have at least one day of pure and simple happiness.

She was much better now. She didn’t have so many quiet days. But still.

“ she’s gonna lose her shit when she finds out about it “

“ Maria said there’s a whole hall about space. So yeah. She’s gonna lose her shit “ she could already picture the joy on her face. She definitely wanted to be there for that. And she wanted you there too. And she knew Ellie would.

Ellie loved you. Maybe even as much as she loved Joel. You were the first one to trust her after all. The one to convince both Tess and Joel that taking her was a good idea.

“ is he going today? “

“ was planning to set off early tomorrow morning “ you nodded and your smile grew as you clearly thought about something “ what? “

“ why don’t we tell Joel me and you will just scope it out? That could be nice. Like a little get away “

“ yeah nothing says romantic getaway like camping out at an old museum “ you rolled your eyes and wriggled from her grasp but she grabbed you back around your waist and pulled you back “ hey don’t get grumpy I was joking “ she said with a laugh, nuzzling her face against your neck. It actually could be nice. Some time alone without Joel waking her up or Ellie charging in because she found a feral cat and wanted to adopt it.

Not that she’d change any of that for the world.

“ so you’ll ask Joel? “

“ I’ll ask Joel “ you turned around in her arms again and beamed a smile at her. You always got your way and you were always just as smug about it. Not that she really cared anymore. She’d do anything and everything if it meant you’d be happy.

“ it’ll be nice. You were joking that it wouldn’t be romantic but I’m gonna romance your fuckin pants off. You watch “

“ oh you are? “ she asked with amusement in her tone, watching you cook up the ideas your head

“ yup. We’ll be like the modern day Romeo and Juliet. Or. Juliet and Juliet? “

“ don’t they both die? “ she asked with a quirked eyebrow

“ I’m trying to be romantic now and you’re ruining it “ she couldn’t help but laugh at you. Not because she was making fun of you. Because you were.. sweet. You pressed a quick kiss to her lips before escaping her arms again, pulling open a kitchen drawer “ trust me I have this all planned already. You’re gonna come back from this trip and you’ll be ruined for anyone else “

“ as if I’m not already “

“ I’m serious! “ you called, disappearing into the hall and returning a moment later with a notepad and pen “ I’ll make a list of things we’re gonna need. It’s like what a couple days for a trip there, look around, then back? Will you get Maria to let us out with our horses tomorrow? Oh! No. Just your horse. That’s step one. That’s romantic “ she watched you in amusement as you scribbled things down

“ sharing a horse. Romantic. Got it “ you looked up at her and raised an eyebrow

“ why are you still here? Joel. Maria. Off you go. Go go! “ she shook her head but did as she was told, first walking over to you and pressing a kiss to your head and then your cheek.

“ yes ma’am “ she joked before heading for the door.

“ I love you! “

“ love you too, you sap “

[aoxue]

DJ IS BACK WITH ANOTHER AU IDEA! SL has inherited a ranch from his estranged relative and has absolutely no idea what to do with it OR how to tend to horses. include as many characters as you please >:)

Alright for this AU ask we're having a songxiao Hallmark movie because I've never actually done something like that before

Song Lan is a lawyer at a big city, high power law firm. He went into law hoping to further efforts for climate justice, conservation, etc., before repeatedly finding that most environmental law positions are about helping big actors find loopholes in environmental policy to keep getting away with things. So now he's in, like. Contract law, and it's fine, but not something he's very passionate about, and the firm he's at keeps him too busy to think too hard about it.

He inherits this ranch from some distant, distant relative he's never heard of? Song Lan thinks it's a scam at first, but the paperwork all looks legit. He's friends with Lan Xichen (from college, now a music professor) who tells him to take a much needed break after this most recent big case and check it out. Recurrent minor role as the supportive friend from home who encourages the main character to go out and live a little.

White Snow Ranch is a small operation in a space that once housed a much larger business. Luo Qingyang is the foreman who keeps things running, and she lives on site with her family. Xue Yang is an unreliable stablehand who hasn't been fired yet because he's got such a knack for fixing the machinery around the ranch. He has a side gig that pays him way more per hour doing survey work for Jin Oil, who have been trying to buy up land in the area.

White Snow has a handful of horses at any given time, breeding and selling to local buyers. Some of the other space in the stables gets rented for people to board their own horses. A-Qing is one such boarder. She's a teenage girl who wants to Win The Rodeo This Year. She's the one who does the most to teach city slicker Song Lan how to ride and laughs at him a lot.

Her older brother, Xiao Xingchen, is the kind and attractive large animal vet who makes calls to farms and ranches across the county. He's an environmental activist on the side. He's a pest to the oil companies and corporate farms that keep snatching up land in the area, and the office of Jin Oil's CEO have multiple numbers from him blocked. Romance arc naturally commences.

Song Lan is getting pressured to sell the ranch from pretty much the moment he arrives. Instead of folding (because what is he going to do with a ranch), he (with Xingchen's help) talks to the locals and looks into the sales of land to Jin Oil. And what do you know, the company has been doing subtle but illegal things with their contracts that have been shorting the landowners. Through Hallmark magic, they can press charges, beat the company, and get some kind of a win for he locals in about a month with no retaliation. Because love, hard work, and justice always win, forever (i.e., the 90-minute run time)

Seventh point because I've already accidentally gone over and that's that Song Lan transfers ownership of the ranch to Mianmian, since practically, this is already her gig, which gives her more freedom to make some more radical business decisions and rejuvenate White Snow. They start raising bison in addition to horses as a species restoration effort, for one thing. Maybe they use some of the space for solar panels or wind turbines as a clean energy thing, and maybe Xue Yang keeps that running smoothly. Song Lan keeps doing law stuff with a more environmental justice lean and he and Xiao Xingchen move in together. A-Qing achieves her rodeo dreams. Happily ever after, roll credits

[moralesispunk]

How they react when you cry at a TV show/ Movie

For: Frankie Morales, Din Djarin, Marcus Moreno, Pero Tovar, Marcus Pike, Agent Whiskey, Dave York and Oberyn Martell

x Gn Reader (Pero x afab reader)

Summary: how the Pedro boys would react when you get upset watching your favourite TV show or movie (this may or may not be inspired after I watched the Flight episode of Greys)

Warnings: reader upset over their favourite character death/ one mention or pregnancy with Pero

Frankie

You had finally convinced Frankie to watch your favourite show with you, starting from the beginning again. You had only made it a few seasons in before starting again with Frankie so when one of your favourite characters died it was your first time watching this part. He was so engrossed in what was going on that he didn’t realise you had been crying until you were gasping for air and shaking next to him. At first he panicked thinking something had happened to you.

“Whats wrong, baby?” he turned to face you.

When you couldn’t talk through the tears but waved towards the TV he realised you were crying at the show and so he pulled you into his side, cradling your head and shoulders as he gently rocked and hushed you. He did have to bite back a smile, knowing he would definitely tease you later about this.

“It’s okay, let it out.”

When you tried to say you were sorry through the tears, that you were being silly and it was just a show he told you that you weren’t being silly at all and asked if you wanted to put on an episode of something funnier before bed. He gently held you against his side until the sniffling stopped, then he started to tickle your side to really make sure the tears stayed away.  

Din

The long journeys through hyperspace could be boring sometimes and so whenever you went into the bunk to relax you would put on an old show on your holo projector. Once Din had the ship settled in hyperspace, he climbed down the ladder to check on you and the kid. When the bunk door opened he saw the kid happily asleep in his hammock and then you curled up in the corner with a hand over your mouth trying to keep your tears in. He panicked thinking you had been hurt the last time you were off the ship and didn’t tell him but as soon as he seen you watching the show you had told him about he put his hand on his hip and beckoned you out the bunk. 

“I thought you were hurt,” he said, “come on, lets not wake the kid up.” 

He helped you up the ladder but as soon as you went to sit in your seat he gently gripped your arm to stop you, moving your bodies so he was on his seat and you were lying across his lap, curled into his chest. He let you mope around for a while, gently holding you against his chest, before distracting you as he spoke about the next planet you were going to.

Marcus M

You felt Missy was now old enough to watch one of your favourite shows with you and so started from the beginning for the third time to watch together. You knew one of the saddest episodes were coming but thought since this would be the third time watching it you would be fine. You were wrong. Missy was a little upset but no where near you so you managed to hold in the tears as you walked out her room and climbed into bed with Marcus. You let the tears flow and he chuckled quietly, putting down his book and taking off his glasses as he pulled you onto his chest. 

“Oh honey, still as sad as the first time?” he rubbed your back. 

“Sadder! How can it get sadder every time?” you cried, your tears now leaving a wet patch on his grey t-shirt, “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry, it is a sad episode. Remember I cried when I watched it too!”

“Oh yeah, you cried like a baby,” you laughed.

The both of you stayed curled up like that as he put on a funnier TV show for you both to have on in the background as you laughed at his reaction when he first watched the show.

Pero

Pero had never been to see a play before; mercenaries do not have that much downtime. Recently Pero decided to “hang up the sword” and take over the Blacksmith shop since he did not want to leave his wife for prolonged periods of times, especially since you were not carrying his child. As soon as you said you had to visit the nearby town for materials for your seamstress shop, he had the horse and cart packed for the journey. It was a short journey and easy enough to collect all the materials you needed. On the walk back to the cart, Pero saw you watch the people fill into the theatre to watch a play.

“Do you want to go watch as well, mi amor?”

“Its okay Pero, I know it is not how you would wish to spend your afternoon.”

“I wish to spend my afternoon with you, that is all,” Pero took your hand and walked you towards the theatre.

You hadn’t been to see a play since before you met Pero and were happy to be back in the excited atmosphere. It was a play you had never seen before, one that had you in tears by the end. Pero hadn’t noticed, his eyes half shut with sleep, until the play ended and he turned to face you. Your face was tear stained and eyes puffy.

“Mi amor?”

“It’s fine Pero, hormones,” you tried to laugh it off but it didn’t quite reach your eyes.

He gently took your hand, placing a kiss to the back of your knuckles and helping you out of the seat, wrapping an arm around your waist in an unusual public display of affection as he walked you back to the cart. He let you sleep against his shoulder the whole way home, tired from tears and carrying his child, pressing kisses to your head and squeezing your leg every so often.

Marcus P

This man will be crying with you. With your work lives quite hectic for now, the both of you decided to find a TV show to watch together when you got home to spend some time together after work, curled up on the couch with a takeaway. This night you watched a particularly sad episode as you lay between his legs, your back pressed against his chest. You tried to hide your tears, facing forwards and letting them run down your face, but when you heard Marcus sniffle from behind you decided to turn and face him. The both of you laughed hard at how puffy each others eyes were, his arms tightening around your waist as he pulled you tighter against him. 

“I’m glad I’m not the only one crying,” he spoke into your neck, his voice a little muffled.

“Me too,” you laughed, the tears still falling down your face.

“I think we should put something a little more lighthearted than this now, hm?”

“I think thats a good idea,” you laughed, turning your head to press a kiss to his cheek.

Whiskey

When Jack got home from his mission the last thing he expected was you curled up on the couch with a box of tissues and crying at the TV. 

“Sweetheart, whats wrong?” he walked over to you, placing his hat on the rack and sitting by your side.

“This show! Why do they make it so sad?”

“Well, I could ask why you keep watching it if it makes you this sad?” he teased.

When he saw that your lips didn’t move from their pout, he gently pulled you onto his lap, your legs straddling his waist as you pressed into his neck. He kissed down your neck until your breathing calmed down a little and he finally pulled you back to look at him.

“How ‘bout you let me make you forget all about that show, hm?”

Your face finally cracked into a smile, leaning forward and taking lips in yours. After a minute of breathless kissing he stood up and wrapped your legs around his waist, walking towards the bedroom.

“Hell, why don’t we see if ol’ Jack can make you forget your own name...”

Dave 

When Dave came home from work and noticed the light was still on in the living room he knew you would be watching your favourite show because you preferred watching it on the big TV. What he didn’t expect was to find you hysterically crying on the couch. He dropped his briefcase, quickly by your side and holding your face.

“What happened?”

“They-they-”

“Shhh, its okay deep breaths you can tell me,” he rubbed his thumbs back and forth over your cheeks.

“They killed him off!”

“Who did?”

“The show! They just- they just killed him off!”

“I thought you were hurt!” Dave’s suddenly worried face was covered in a grin as he let his back fall against the couch.

His hand came up to his chest, literally breathing out a sigh of relief as he laughed.

“Its not funny,” you sighed, letting yourself fall back next to him.

“Oh, honey,” he moved his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side and rubbing circles on your bare shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

He reached for the remote, clicking off the paused show you had been watching and putting something funnier on the TV as he let you curl up into his side, chuckling every so often but also pressing kisses into the top of your head.

Oberyn

He hadn’t expected you to cry so much at the play, almost regretting bringing you as he watched you wipe away the tears that were flowing down your cheeks. You turned to him, cheeks red and slightly embarrassed as you huffed a laugh. Oberyn reached out and wiped some of the tears with his hand before wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you onto his lap. 

“It’s okay, my love, I’ve got you,” he whispered into your ear.

He sat back in his chair more comfortably, letting you curl into his chest as he rubbed your back while you watched the rest of the play.

Permanent tag // @phoenixhalliwell @asta-lily @hb8301 @princess76179 @sarahjkl82-blog @spideysimpossiblegirl @blackmarketmummy @bison-writes @dihra-vesa @evyiione

[thebakingqueen5]

KW 2021: Tease

Day 6 for Kataang Week 2021 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt Tease!

I might have stuffed up the use of this word and its definition in context but shhhh it’s fine and this is cute.

Links: FF.net | AO3

Summary: Another year, another summer, another week of prompts celebrating our favorite couple. Kataang Week 2021 Day 6. Tease (verb): gently pull or comb (tangled wool, hair, etc.) into separate strands. Aka the take on the “tease” prompt that no one (not even me) expected.

Word Count: 1.8K

It had been a tiring, tension-filled day.

The war ended five, maybe six months prior, and the four nations were still partaking in the grueling process of learning to work together after a century’s worth of fighting. Considering that a group of teenagers were the reason there was any hope of amity in the first place, it came as little surprise that most of the pressure to arrange and facilitate treaties and peace talks fell on the Gaang, much to their chagrin.

And so here they were, utterly exhausted after a long day of trying to convince the Earth King and Zuko that violence was, in fact, bad, and stressed out of their minds, aching for a distraction.

It certainly didn’t help that tonight, of all nights, Katara’s long, dark hair was refusing to cooperate despite her having just stepped out of the shower a mere 10 minutes past. No matter how many times she ran the whalebone comb through her thick locks, nothing seemed to help, and her patience was quickly dissipating.

“Spirits, Zuko and Kuei are going to drive me absolutely crazy, sweetie.” Aang ranted as he entered her room, closing the door shut behind him as he made wild gestures with his hands.

“They’re both so… stubborn! And self-righteous and it’s getting us nowhere!” he huffed in frustration. “I wish they could just- oh.”

The airbender immediately faltered, finally noticing the appearance, or rather the clothing, of his girlfriend seated in front of a square mirror, nightgown riding quite high up her thigh.

“Sorry,” he blushed, eyes darting around the room to look anywhere, absolutely anywhere except at her to keep what little modesty they had left between them. “I didn’t know you had already showered and changed- I really should have knocked.”

Katara rolled her eyes, a slight pink tint rising to her cheeks as she returned to the task at hand: attempting to tame the lion’s mane she called her hair resting atop her head at that very moment.

“It’s fine, Aang,” she laughed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “No need to be embarrassed, really. Besides, it’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”

The waterbender snuck a quick glance at her boyfriend, and, quite frankly, she wasn’t sure he could get any redder if he tried. A tomato would have been jealous of the vibrant hue of Aang’s face, and he couldn’t stop staring at the floor, gaze entirely focused on the wooden boards beneath him.

The boy remained silent, and guilt began to fill Katara’s stomach.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” she frowned, standing up. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I can go change if you want-”

Aang instantly looked up from the ground, quick to clarify his thoughts. “No, sweetie. It’s not that! It’s just- you look absolutely beautiful, and I don’t want me subconsciously staring at you to make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy around me.”

Katara’s eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise, and she patted a spot on the edge of the mattress, beckoning for him to come sit near her before turning back and glaring at herself in the mirror.

“Believe me, sweetie, there is very little you can do to make me feel uncomfortable around you. Honestly, it’s a bit of a compliment knowing that’s how I seem in your eyes,” she said shyly.

The airbender grinned and walked up to her. Feeling a little emboldened, he tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek, chin barely reaching an inch above her shoulder.

“You could be wearing a potato sack and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me,” he murmured as his stormy eyes met her cerulean ones through the mirror.

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow and gestured to the mess on her head. “Even with this bird’s nest?”

“Always,” Aang smiled earnestly. “Speaking of, though, do you need some help with that?”

“I appreciate the offer, Aang, but I’ve been trying for the last half hour now and you aren’t exactly the most experienced with hair.”

“Well, maybe a new perspective is just what you need.”

He gently pulled her back towards the mattress a few feet away from the dresser with the mirror and sat her down in front of him. Rolling her eyes, the waterbender handed him her comb, but he simply cast it aside, instead using his nimble fingers to work through the knots and tangles in her hair.

Katara was right- he did have minimal experience with hair, not having much of his own, but he often played with hers when they spent time together. He knew what relaxed her and what didn't, which gave him the perfect means to seize this opportunity and prove her wrong, while also, of course, helping the two unwind and spend some time with one another.

The waterbender had already been quite frustrated when she had started working through her hair, and her movements had reflected that. She was stressed and antsy, and she combed harshly and roughly, only compressing the knotted hair to the end of the strand and making it harder to get out. Between that and the day she had, she had been close to tears and Aang’s gentle touch was just what she needed.

Much of Aang’s stress had been alleviated when he had entered the room earlier in simply being able to see and embrace his girlfriend. Because of this, he was able to take his time and the change of pace was nice for the both of them.

He worked slowly and methodically, fingers lightly massaging the top of her scalp before moving down to dampen and separate her wavy tresses into individual strips of hair with the help of some waterbending. He took care to not tug too hard on any one strand, having heard many a horror story from Katara in the past with her unable to tolerate anyone else handling her sensitive locks. The airbender was determined to make it a pleasant experience for the both of them, and it was.

In fact, Katara had been mildly shocked by the sheer love and effort she felt Aang direct into detangling her hair. It was sweet seeing him put so much energy towards trying something new just to help her, and the tension in her mind that had been knotted up began to unravel as well.

“Halfway,” Aang whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts. His gaze was still intense and focused on her unruly strands as she sighed softly and leaned ever so slightly back into him.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she murmured back. She closed her eyes as Aang’s rhythmic yet feathery touches to her scalp soothed her and then gave herself a quick look in the mirror through her peripheral vision- her hair was already looking a lot better and far more tame than it had been 15 minutes ago.

“That’s alright, just have a little more faith in your amazing boyfriend next time, yeah?” he winked with a smile, hands moving the hair he had untangled to the front as he directed his concentration to the last section.

This section was by far going to be the hardest-  most of the strands were embedded into a few large and messy knots creating quite a complex network. Nevertheless, Aang was up to the challenge. He began humming an old Air Nomad folk tune, one of the many they’d perform at Yangchen’s Festival, causing Katara to hum along with him as he spread apart the last few unruly waves of hair.

After finishing, he steadily ran his fingers through her hair like a comb, taking extra care to caress the nape of her neck and back of her head as she sighed happily, and gave it one last sweep with the whale-bone comb.

“All done,” he said, tucking a lock behind her ear when she turned around to face him.

The waterbender beamed before lightly pushing him down on the bed as they both sank into the mattress.

“I take it you enjoyed it?” Aang laughed, looking up at her.

“Very much so,” Katara responded. She then carefully angled herself so that she was lying pressed up against Aang’s side, head resting in the crook of his neck.

“It was pretty relaxing for me too,” Aang blushed. “You know I love playing with your hair and this just kinda took it to another level. I’d be happy to do it for you in the future if you ever find yourself fighting with that comb again, that is.”

“I’d like that, Aang. A lot,” she smiled shyly. “It was great to just… unwind. Have you there with me and just relax. I was basically about to cry when you came in and you just melted all my worries away with those magical hands of yours.”

The airbender chuckled, snaking his arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers. “Glad to hear it, sweetie. It’s getting late though, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Time for some rest?”

Katara wordlessly nodded, sighing and closing her eyes as Aang did the same and blew out the candles lighting up the room.

“Thank you for this, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you too, Tara. Good night.”

The two were taken away into the dream realm, but an unspoken custom was crafted that night. It became a ritual, a way for both of them to calm down and escape the high stress levels of their everyday lives.

When Katara found her dad kissing Malina and it felt like her whole world was crumbling down around her, Aang had snuck into her room that night and combed and plaited her hair until they drifted off into each other’s arms.

When Aang had confided in the waterbender about feeling anxious and insecure about becoming a new father after she had informed him of her pregnancy, Katara had shown up to the stables with a comb and some apples for Appa in tow. The two ended up assuaging each other’s concerns while leaning back against the fluffy bison, much to their attention-seeking flying lemur’s annoyance.

Whether they were stressing over not being able to find an old book from the Southern Water Tribe after moving to Air Temple Island or had just come home after a near-death experience with the most dangerous bloodbender in the world, one of the two would always sit the stressed one down and grab a comb.

It never became a chore or something they dreaded; it was almost a secret love language for the couple. It was a way of reminding each other that no matter what was going on in their lives, they would always find time for each other and help one another. It pulled Aang and Katara out of some of their lowest, darkest moments, and it only accentuated their highs.

Such a simple, pure act born out of nothing but love and a desire to help- it should’ve been insignificant, a one-time thing, but it became so much more. To Katara and Aang, it meant the world.

[just-jordie-things]

hey ummm... could u maybe do 59 w Zuko 🥺?? i <3 ur writing by the way!!!

prompt 59: kissing so desperately their body caves into the other person’s ___

“He’s a fool!”

“He’s learning”

“Well he’s terrible at it!”

There was a pause as Iroh debated on what to say to you now, but as he tilted his head to the side, regarding you with an awkward look on his face, he nodded.

“...yes…” He agreed slowly.

You let out a growl of frustration, before furiously kicking at the ground, sending a chunk of dirt and grass flying into the air.  You looked like a child learning earthbending, if that child was an amateur, and if you had been born an earthbender.

“I can’t believe him!” You shouted, and began pacing in circles again.

Iroh sighs as you repeat the same actions and words that you had been for the past fifteen minutes now.  Normally you weren’t so hotheaded, but no one brought this frustration out of you like Prince Zuko.

“Spirits I could just-! I could-! I could kill him if he wasn’t already dying!”

Your voice cracked as you threw your hands around, and finally, Iroh sees that you’re beginning to break.  You’d been so angry, it was only a matter of time before what you were truly upset about shone through.

“Lady (y/n), why don’t we go inside? I’ll make you some tea” Iroh suggests, calm and collected as ever.

Sometimes, you didn’t know how he did it.

Zuko was a challenge, that had never been a secret.  In all the time that you’d known him- which was literally your entire life- he had always been hot or cold.

Some days he was kind and charismatic, and honestly fun.  You fell in love with him all over again on these days.  In one of the villages you’d travelled through, there had been a festival, and he’d danced with you in the streets like he hadn’t a care in the world.

Other days, he was stoic, and cruel.  He could have his guard up so high that he might not even look at you.  You almost hated him on these days.  When he would let his own greed and desire cloud his judgments, and his personality.  He once went an entire day without speaking or looking at you.

You had challenged him to an Agni Kai, although you weren’t a firebender, just to get a reaction out of him.

This had not been amusing to him, however.  He’d called you silly and immature for challenging someone of his status and power to a duel.

After that, you went three days without speaking to him.  It had tortured him more than fighting you could have, and once you finally gave in and let him apologize, he swore to never treat you that way again.

Things were different now, though.

You weren’t on a Fire Nation ship anymore, and your travels to capture the Avatar had been put on hold, or so you’d assumed.  Since coming to Ba Sing Se, Iroh had opened a tea shop that was doing spectacularly, and you and the man had happily rebuilt your new lives.

You couldn’t help but feel that the way you lived in the Earth Kingdom was how you were always meant to be.  You were more happy living in the lower rings of Ba Sing Se than you ever had been living as a young noble in the Fire Nation.

Zuko did not share the same sentiment.

Nonetheless, you persuaded him into joining you on walks about the city, or trips to the market for groceries.  He seemed to enjoy that a little more than working as a waiter in his Uncle’s shop.

And then, you’d convinced him to free the Avatar’s sky bison! You weren’t sure how you’d done it, you’d merely mentioned that Aang and the others might leave Ba Sing Se before they catch the three of you if they had the means to travel- that being Appa.

Last night, when he’d returned to the small apartment, his mask in hand and a torn look on his face, you weren’t sure if he’d gone through with it.  He looked so distraught that you thought he’d given up.

But he told you and his Uncle that he had freed the animal, and you could have kissed him, you were so happy for him.

You could see him changing before you, for the better, and it made your heart swell with love and admiration.  A hope filled you, that maybe Ba Sing Se would be where all of you could be your happiest.

That didn’t last.

This morning he’d woken up with the flu.  He was sweating, shaking, he’d even thrown up once or twice.  He was burning up inside and cold to the touch, and you’d worried to no end over his well being.

You weren’t afraid of some little sickness, Zuko was strong and could get past anything, but you quickly learned of how he’d come to be so ill, and any sense of concern flew out the window.

You left his side, tore your hands out of his, and stormed out of the apartment.

Now here you were, pacing around outside with Iroh trying to calm you down.

“I mean- who gets sick because of moral conflict?” You asked, stressfully running your hands through your hair.

You’d been wearing your hair down instead of in it’s usual Fire Nation style top knot, and you often found yourself repeating this anxious action.  Especially when it came to Zuko.

“He’s different, Lady (y/n), you know this,” Iroh reminds you, folding his hands together.  “But you know you can talk to him about this-”

“I know,” You grumble, and suddenly drop to the ground, sitting down and hanging your head in your hands.  “I just- I just can’t believe that his intentions are so corrupt that he can’t do one simple good thing without his body shutting down on him.  I hate him”

“No, you don’t,” Iroh says calmly.  “You care too much, I’d say”

You look up at him, your eyes glossing over with tears, and your lip beginning to quiver.

Iroh smiles at you sadly, and as he walks past you, he kindly pats your head.

“I’ll give you some time to yourself,” He says.  “You come in when you’re ready for that tea”

You nod back at him, and push your head into your hands while you try to stop your tears.

I should be angry, you tell yourself.  Not crying, like a baby.

I can’t believe him.  He’s so insufferable and he could be so cruel, and here I thought he’d changed for the better.  How can he change if he gets a little cold every time he does one good thing?

Your tears keep flowing, whether they’re ones of heartbreak or irritation, you can’t tell, but it doesn’t matter because they don’t stop.

“(y/n)?” A familiar raspy voice calls, and you wished you had the energy to whirl around and punch him right in his perfect face.

You settle for giving him the middle finger over your shoulder.

Oh, if you had done that a year ago, you’d risk a death sentence.

“Uncle says you’re upset-”

“What gave him that idea?” You asked bitterly, and turned to look at him with a scowl.

He didn’t falter at the mean look, but he did weaken at the sight of you in tears.  And despite your protests, he sat next to you.

Zuko still looked like a mess.  He was pale, and his skin was glistening with sweat, but he still had a blanket wrapped around himself to keep away the chills.  That didn’t stop him from shivering every few minutes.

“Zuko, I really don’t want to talk to you right now-”

“Fine, then don’t” He replied, ever so blunt.

You groaned, and realized you’d have to leave if you wanted privacy.  So you moved to stand and go inside, but he stopped you, grabbing your hand, and pulling you back down next to him with ease.

Even when he was weak he was strong, you thought, and you scoffed.

“But I still need to talk to you” He told you.

“I don’t want that either” You bit back.

“What did I do to you?” He asked, genuinely confused.  “Just last night we were fine, you- you were happy, you hugged me! I thought I did the right thing…?”

You stared at him blankly, before shaking your head at him.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” You mumbled, mostly to yourself.  “Zuko, you’re a wreck,”

He didn’t need you to tell him that, but it still hurt a little from how venomous your words were.

“I mean, seriously, I have never seen you look shittier.  And do you get why, Zuko?”

You didn’t give him time to try to answer.

“It’s because you’re so mentally conflicted on whether or not to be a good person, that it’s making you physically sick”

You shake your head and turn away from him so you can roughly wipe the tears off of your face.  You hate that you’re crying in front of him, but at the same time, you don’t care anymore.  You’re just so tired of all of this.

“And here I thought,” You mumbled, your voice weak and cracking from the tears in your throat.  “Like an idiot, that we could actually be happy here.  How can we be happy if you’re throwing up over it? Spirits, I can’t believe I’m still so naive”

“I’m sorry” Zuko mumbles, hanging his head.

Unknowingly, the conflict he’s facing only gets worse, because now he’s hurt you in the process, and it pains him to think he’s done something so awful that it’s brought you to tears.

“I don’t want you to be sorry,” You cried, “I want you to want to be a good person, and you are, I know you are, I’ve seen it, you just- spirits you just make it so hard to love you sometimes,”

At that, Zuko perks back up, turning to look at you with wild swiftness, even though you’re sobbing and hanging your head in your hands.  You probably haven’t even realized what you’d said in your state of despair.

“And I don’t know what to do!” You cried out, looking up at him.  “I don’t know how to help you- if I can help you- and I just- mmph!”

Before you could continue on ranting at him, he’d leaned forward and kissed you, his clammy hands flying to your face to bring your lips to his roughly, like he couldn’t have possibly waited another second.

And as angry as you still were at him, you threw your arms around his neck, fervently kissing him back.

You were still crying, your salty tears slipping between our mouths, but neither of you cared.  In that moment, all you cared about was being as close to him as physically possible.

His wool blanket fell off his shoulders and suddenly you were pressed into his almost uncomfortably hot and sweaty chest, and yet, you couldn’t have cared less.

He was here, he was finally kissing you after years of anticipation for someone to make the first move.

You were all but in his lap when you finally parted, panting, your wide eyes meeting his with shock.

“I do want to be better,” He says, brushing a stray strand of hair away from your face as he whispers to you.  “And I do want us to be happy here”

“You do?” You ask, hopefully, your own hands reaching out to cup around his face.

Zuko nods, smiling faintly at you.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n),” He apologizes, bringing his forehead down to yours.  “Please forgive me”

“I forgive you” You hum back.

“For the past three years,” He clarifies.  “For dragging you around the world and wasting what was supposed to be the prime of your life”

You chuckle, your thumb stroking around the edge of his scar, your eyes lovingly following the movement.

“I think that I followed you” You reminded him.

You were right of course, you had somewhat snuck onto the ship before his departure.

His lips quirked into a wider smile at the memory.

“Right, of course,” He murmurs.  “How could I forget?”

“You were a busy man, Prince Zuko,” You hum teasingly.  “Now come on, we should go inside and make you some tea before you get me sick, too”

You stand, taking his blanket before helping him up, and carefully wrapping the blanket around his shoulders like a cape.

“I love you too” He breathes out, and you pause for a moment, processing his words, before looking up at him with a brilliant smile.

You adjust the blanket, before standing on the tips of your toes to press a light kiss to his cheek.

Wordlessly, you take his hand and bring him with you inside.  Your frustrations effectively melted away, replaced with a feeling of content and ease.

For the first time in a long time, you truly felt everything was okay.  Even though nothing was alright in the world, you’d be just fine.

___

xoxo ~ jordie

[milkywinnie]

"𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧" || PRINCE ZUKO

𝟎𝟎. 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (2,579 Words)

"You know, I live with many regrets, but the biggest things I regret at this moment was not bringing a jacket..."

You huffed, shivering from the cool breeze that swept past in your direction. Shakily, you rubbed your hands together, and lifted them next to each other to ignite a small flame from within your palms.

'It's so cold that I have to spare my breaths.' You sighed, spreading out the map down on the wooden surface. "I need to find a village soon. My food supply is running low." Ever since you had escaped from the Fire Nation and its kingdom, times have never been harder, especially knowing that you're constantly on the run.

The water currents shifted and swayed in a variety of directions, signaling the upcoming of a dangerous storm. "Oh no...! This can't be any good." You clenched your fists, discarding of the flames rising upon your palms, and rushed to find a secure shore to rest upon.

The tides raised chaotically as you let out a muffled scream as the waves crashed against the frail boat. With haste, you tucked the letter securely into your bag, before you felt your body being submerged into the icy waters below you. 'I can't go out like this...! I have to find the Avatar!'

But the air escaping from your lungs refused your desire to call for help. Desperately, you clung onto a scrap from the broken boat. "Someone, please..." You coughed out, your consciousness slipping from your being, feeling your body become lethargic, and your mind hazy and clouded.

In the distance, figures approached you, but they were too late - you had passed out.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

When you woke up, you realized that you were in an area unfamiliar of your own. "W-Where the hell am I...?" You murmured softly, lifting yourself from upon the firm polar bear skin you were snuggling upon. All you could actually recognize was the throbbing headache that was pounding against your head.

"Hey, I think she's waking up!" A feminine voice exclaimed, causing you to rise from your dazed state. "Who's there?" You stated in a demanding tone as you scrambled from the floor to get into your fighting stance. "O-Oh, don't worry! I'm not a threat to you!"

You skeptically glanced over  at the pretty, young girl in front of you. Her long, deep brown hair that was braided into a singular braid. Her sapphire-colored eyes shined brightly - maybe out of fear or bewilderment from your actions.

Her custom tribal clothing let alone made you immediately aware of the fact she was from the Water Tribe, and knowing your directions, most likely from the southern district.

"My name is Katara, and I come in peace. My brother and I found you washed upon a glacier." She introduced herself, extending a hand out in your direction. Relaxing your posture, you shook her extended hand. "Thank you for rescuing, I'm in your gratitude." You thanked her, before pulling your hand away.

"I'm sorry, but where is my bag? I must continue my venture as quickly as possible." You wondered, looking aimlessly in multiple directions in search of you beaten and probably soaked luggage, much like your cloak.

"Oh, everything was soaked to the bone in that bag, so my tribe took the custody into warming it up." Katara explained, placing a bowl of soup down on the low tea table in front of you. "I'm sorry, but I must be on my way! I have to meet up with the Avatar!" You instantly froze at her statement.

"The Avatar?!" You yelled, rushing up to her to clutch her shoulders tightly. Katara, obviously, flinched from your sudden burst of energy, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes... His name is Aang, and he brought us back here while we were trying to reach out to you."

You were completely stunned with the news that you had received. "T-This is amazing! I'm actually speechless!" You gasped in amazement as you giddily embraced the younger girl into a hug. "Yeah, I definitely agree!" She beamed, hugging you back. Now that you've realized that your hunt was over, you felt a little more at ease.

"Wow, Katara, real professional, and you say I couldn't snuggle up with her while trying to warm her up." A make voice whined with disbelief. "And I'm going to assume that he's the brother you speak of, right?" The both of you giggled, pulling away from the rather warm hug.

"Hey, the name's Sokka, gorgeous." "And I'm not interested, lover boy." You hummed, winking playfully at the boy in front of you. His brown hair was shaved amongst most of its perimeter, leaving him with a parting on the top of his hair, which was formed into a bun. The boy, most likely the same age as you, eyes burned in your direction, mentally plotting as to what to do next.

He wore a familiar uniform, much like Katara's, but with his own weaponry slung around him. "But now..." Sokka began, before aiming his dagger, which was constructed into the form of a boomerang, pointing directly at you.

"What are you doing within this region?" He sneered shakily, but his voice demanded answers. You chuckled at his brute approach, watching how Katara attempted to calm her elder brother down. "Me? I'm just a mere traveler who sought to travel the world..."

The lies slipped past your lips with ease as you faked a wry smile. "It was so frightening on my own, and I appreciate such kind, humble citizens like yourself saving me." Sokka and Katara exchanged glances between themselves, watching their facial expressions shift into ones that displayed guilt.

"It's no problem, miss, really." Katara comforted, patting your shoulder gently. Sokka released a stream of incoherent words muffled under his breath in defeat.

"Fine, she can stay a little while longer, but by sunrise she must go." Sokka declared, looking over at you. you could feel his distraught, suspicious demeanor still wavering from off of him, but for now, you knew that you were in the clear.

"Great! Now you can stay, and even meet the Avatar!" Katara grinned happily, pulling you along outside of the tent. You squinted from the harsh sunlight that was being emitted, and reflecting from the pale white snow. Looking further, you noticed several little children and adults in awe, watching an entity fly throughout the cool winds.

You couldn't believe it, you were in amazement to the sight you were viewing. There he was, flying his in the bright blue sky. "Amazing..." Was the only word you could muster as you watched what took sight from above. Well, it was amazing up until the point where the poor boy crashed into the watchtower.

"My watchtower!" Sokka cried out, rushing to the pile of rubbish that as left behind for him. "That was amazing!" Katara gushed before rushing to Aang's side to help him up. "Definitely, I dare say that I am impressed." You smiled, clapping your hands together. Though the Avatar was much younger than you thought, it he was intriguing.

As Sokka was digging through the broken watchtower, Aang released a powerful gust of wind, causing snow to topple down upon him. You tried to muffle your giggle by covering your hand over your mouth.

"Great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender, together you can just waste time all day long." Sokka taunted, patting the snow from off from his body. 'A waterbender, huh? Duly noted.' Your [e/c] eyes glanced over at the pair of teens conversing happily about their abilities, knowing that you couldn't put your input of your firebender powers.

'People fear others from the Fire Nation, they hate them...'

Sokka noticed your discomfort, and decided to approach you. "Hey, it's okay to be uncomfortable around benders. They're overrated, anyway." Sokka blushed slightly from your little laugh, watching as you shuffled closer next to him.

The invite to converse with another was refreshing, along with Sokka's vivid personality. Despite his misogynistic conceptions, you could tell that he was genuine with his passions., and you liked that especially about him.

"Hey, I've gotta go train my men, but you're allowed to observe, if a girl like yourself is into that type of thing."

You had to scoff at Sokka's comment. "Although I'd love to show you off at your little lesson, out of gratitude, I'll watch."

Sitting on the frozen water, you watched as Sokka assembled the team together with haste. While he was getting everything together, you quickly looked around for your bag, and an escape route, if things went in the wrong direction for you.

You were astonished to see a flying bison that was sleeping on the floor across from you. Its arrow symbols that trailed up and down its body made it easy to realize that it was Aang's, but then again, only the Airbenders wielded such useful and kind creatures.

'Maybe the flying bison wouldn't mind helping me...' You pondered, also mentally noting to grab your bag as well. Hopefully, no one bothered to look through it, or else you'd be given away.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a Firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" You quickly realized that Sokka's training has begun, and decided to pay a bit more attention to him.

Not to mention that his "men", were a group of little toddlers who clearly didn't want to be here, especially one kid, who was desperately trying to go to the restroom. "I gotta pee!" He cried out, trying to hold his bladder best that the poor boy could.

"Just let the boy go, Sokka." You intervened, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Though Sokka was ready to protest, you asked, "Actually, who else needs to go on a potty trip?" Every other kid raises their hands, and Sokka sighs at the sight.

You send them off to the bathroom, watching as Sokka slaps his forehead in embarrassment and disgust of his mini crew mates. "It's okay, Sokka. They're just little kids, after all."

After Sokka's failed lesson, Katara approached the two of you. "Have you seen Aang? Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago." Katara's voice wavered, concerned for the younger boy as she looked around for him.

"No, I haven't seen him around, but I'm sure he's fine, Katara." As if on cue, Aang exits the bathroom with a childish grin. "Wow! Everything freezes in there!" The children laughed at his statement as Sokka becomes upset from the constant interruptions.

"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here. This lesson is for warriors only." Sokka grunted, making a shooing motion towards Aang. You barely managed to suppress a laugh. "I think your lesson is gonna be cut short, Sokka." You mentioned, directing your eyes over to the children playing around the bison.

"Haha, yeah!" Aang nodded, noticing your presence. "Hey, you're the girl Appa and I saved!" He grinned, making his way over to where you and Katara stood. "Appa?" You raised a brow at the unfamiliar name.

"Yeah! Appa's my flying bison, and I'm Aang!" He introduced himself, smiling proudly. A slight smile crossed your face as you waved politely.

"Nice to meet you, Aang. My name is-"

"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka yelled, finally done with putting up with all the chaos going on around him. "What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on." He seethed, pointing his finger directly into Aang's chest.

"What war? What are you talking about?" Aang stopped playing around at the mention of a war. He was so stunned at the fact that the world he used to know was changing all around him in an instance, and that scared him.

Though the feeling wasn't as severe as it were have been for you, knowing that your father had left for the war, and knowing that he would never return back home was always a sad thought. Knowing this, your mother was forced into careers that wasn't a pleasant lifestyle, but was something that she could provide for you.

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka's jaw dropped in surprise, unable to  believe that Aang was unaware of the constant war that was occurring for over one-hundred years. "Something's not right here..." You murmured softly to yourself, mentally connecting the dots as to why Aang didn't know everything that had transpired.

You were about to investigate deeper with Aang, but he was gone with the wind, along with Katara following after him. "Now that there's no more distractions, care to observe in peace?" Sokka flirtatiously wiggled his eyebrows as you rolled your eyes in amusement. "Sure, after I find my bag. I have a change of clothes in there." You motioned to your beaten up satchel.

"Fine, go look through your purse, I'll start again with my men."

"Sure, ponytail, but you'll be upset when I won't see what's going on."

And you wished you were out there when a sudden strike was laid upon the once peaceful village, and the heat of the attack made it all to familiar as to the enemies that were fighting.

"The Fire Nation..." You growled in disgust, quickly changing into your other outfit that covered more of your [s/t] skin, and covered your hair. You reached through your bag, grabbing your silver-trimmed fan with thin blades that structured the weapon.

You rushed out of the tent to see a large, metal ship heading in the direction of the village, already see part of the once frozen grounds melted with ease. "Oh no, they've already started attacking." You muttered, running up to where Sokka was tightly wielding his weapon, his hand shaking out of either fear or anger.

"You told them about us being here!" Sokka yelled, jabbing his pointer finger in my direction. "Maybe you just infiltrated our home, so that they could take over!" "And why the hell would I do that when I'm on the run from them!?" You shot back, aiming your weapon into his chest.

"Well, because we don't even know a lot of information about you like your name?!" Sokka defended his case, crossing his arms in protest. "Well, I tried to tell it to Aang, but you interrupted our conversation, dumba-"

"What the heck is going on here?"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[NOTE]: Thank you all for reading my Zuko x Reader Story! The purpose of this story was not only to relive one of my first childhood crushes, but to allow everyone who is new to this community to experience a proper fanfic that follows the plot of the story, and still with a hint of romance with our best boy, since I am aware that there is not many! Please know that this story will be a slow burn, and will have some moments of smut, so be aware!

Any who, please make sure to like, comment, and share this story to others who may enjoy it as well! Much love, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter, lovelies!

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #707: The Slap (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

2:23 p.m. at Smash's Mansion.......

Bowser: ('Scoffs') I don't believe your ass already, Ridley. There's no way you actually managed to get a lady's number!

Ridley: (Glares at Bowser) Why? You think just because I'm some monsterous space pirate, I wouldn't have any chances on scoring with anyone?

Hades: (Rolled his Eyes) You practically put the words right out of our mouths on that one.....

Ganondorf: You're appearance alone does seem more threatening.in the eyes, compare to the rest of us.

Bowser: (Gives Ridley a Smug Look on His Face) We have more chances of getting any woman than you wish you can.

Ridley: Really? (Crosses his Arms Together) Then by all means, tell me what exactly you imbeciles have to impress the ladies that I don't!?

Ganondorf: Well, I have muscles, dark magic, a evil, dominate personality....

Bowser: I can kidnap any princess no problem. (Shutters a Little in Fear) As long as it isn't Daisy.....

Hades: (Puts on the Most Smug Like Grin He Ever Had) Do you have any idea who you're asking this to? I'm motherfucking Hades! I can get any woman I want with little to no effort.

Sephiroth: (Smirks Confidently While Holding Onto a Cheerful Pichu in his Arms) I'm already a fan favorite in this town. Isn't that right, son?

Pichu: (Happily Cheers) Pichu!~

Mewtwo: (Crosses his Arm While in an Uninterested Manner) Love and romances are beyond my interest......

Dark Samus: ...................................

Bowser: See, even Dark Samus gas a chance at getting more numbers than you can!

Ridley: ('Groans') Forget I asked.....All I know is that I have enough charm and personality to get as much beautiful ladies than you hooligans can ever dream of havi- (Sudden Feels Someone Tapping his Shoulder) Hm? (Turns Around at the Person) What do you- (Eyes Widened at the Person) want?

The person in question was none other than Chun-Li, who is now glaring harshly at the space pirate in complete silence.

Bowser: (Eyes Widened at the Woman Presence) Holy shit, is that Chun-Li-

Ganondorf: (Sliently Shushes at Bowser)

Ridley: (Confused at the Woman Glaring at Him as he Slowly Raises his Finger Up) Uhhhhhhh.........Can I....help you-

Then, without warning, Chun-Li suddenly gives the space pirate three, stinging slaps across the face. The third slap she delivered was so hard that it caused Ridley to crash on the club's table.

Bowser: (Immediately Got Up From the Table Along with Everyone Else) Oh shit!

Ganondorf: That escalated quickly.....

Sephiroth: (Still Holding Onto Pichu) It's more unexpected if anything..........

Mewtwo: Whatever Ridley did to her, he deserves it.

Dark Samus: ...............................

Ridley: (Groans and Winces in Pain from the Slaps he Has Gotten) What did I....do......

Chun-Li: That...was for murdering Samus' parents, you heartless monster! (Gives Ridley One Final Glare Before Walking Away) ('Hmph')

'A Bit of Silence'

Bowser: Soooooooooooo uhhh.......('Clicks is Tongue') You guys wanna talk about what just happened, or-

Hades: Mheheheheh....Aheheheheh....AH!-

Meanwhile at the Living Room.......

Samus: (Smiles Softly as She Sees her Girlfriend Making her Way to the Sofa) Hey there, beautiful stranger~ What took you so long? And where your bottle of water?

Chun-Li: I uh.... (Looks Down While Shyly Twiddling her Fingers Around) Didn't get the water bottle......

Samus: Really? How come?

Chun-Li: Well.....you see, I didn't get it because.... u-ummmm...........(Finally Sighs in Defeat) I can't lie to you like this, Sammy......

Samus: (Frowns a Little in Worry) What do you mean? What's wrong?

Chun-Li: (Takes a Deep Breath Before Speaking) I didn't go to the kitchen to get water. I....went to the dining halls to see one of your mortal enemies, Ridley, in person. A-And by seeing him in person, I mean....... slapping him across the face.....

Samus: (Eyes Widened in Complete Surprised) You bitch slapped Ridley!?

Chun-Li: I-I-I wouldn't go as far as to put it like that! But....('Sigh') If you insist, then yeah..... it's the truth.

Samus: (Almost at a Loss of Words) Holy shit.........

Chun-Li: (Immediately Feels Terrible as She Bows at Samus) Gomenasai! I didn't mean to do something like that! I felt really bad about what happened to your parents and, well, I-

Before Chun-Li could even finish her sentence and much to her very surprise, Samus gives her a sudden yet loving and passionate kiss on the laps, which lasted about a few seconds before she slowly pulling away.

Samus: (Takes a Deep Breath Before Speaking) I love you~

Chun-Li: (Immediately Blushes Bright Red) Really? I-I-I mean!.... Y-You're not... really mad at me?

Samus: What? (Chuckles Lightly) Of course I'm not mad at you, 'hon. I was more surprised that you actually went over there and did it if anything. That and....(Smiles Softly While Blushing Herself) It really made me happy that you did all of this for me. I mean, I know everyone else in this mansionwould've done the same for me, but..... I'm still thankful.

Chun-Li: (Stares at Samus for a Few Seconds Before Smiling Softly Herself) Sammy~ You don't need to thank me for something like that. I just....Did what I thought was right....or at least justifiable. I mean, really, take it from someone who dealt with someone taking their love ones away from them in a young age. Or.....more so.....(Frowns a Little) a father......

Samus: (Begins to Frown as Well) Oh no. I'm so sorry. Who was the guy who did that to you?

Chun-Li: ('Sigh') An evil dictator name, Bison. Hate him with a passionate.....But at least he's finally dead now. So I don't have to worry about him anymore.

Samus: That's good at least. Again, I'm really sorry you had to go through with all of that...... Losing your own father and everything......

Chun-Li: (Smiles Softly) It's okay, Samus. I may still miss him to this very day, but......in a way, his passing......kind of helped that there's more to life than just mourning and being miserable. I may had some stressful times along the way, sure, but....thanks to a few of my closest friends, colleagues, and Li Fein, I still manage to pull through in the end and I'm proud of myself for that.

Samus: (Smiles Softly) As you should be. You are the Strongest Woman in the World after all. (Winks at Chun-Li)

Chun-Li: (Giggles Softly While Blushing) Oh geez....People still call me that nowadays?

Samus: Oh definitely. You do have some impressive feats in your arsenal.

Chun-Li: Maybe. (Gently Holds Samus' Hand with Two of Hers) But I believe you're just as strong as me and any woman in this world. I know losing a love one and...even living with someone who harmed them in the first place, can be pretty tough at times. But as long as you can help your head held high and keep living life to the very fullest, I'm positive you'll continue doing just fine in this world. Don't you think?

Samus: (Simply.Nodded in Agreement) I understand it completely thanks to you. And hey, if you ever feel like you need someone to talk to and all of that, I'm always here for you.

Chun-Li: (Happily Nodded as Well) Thank you so much....... S-So uh....

Samus: Hm? What's up?

Chun-Li: After that kiss you gave me.....(Starts Blushing Again) You really meant it when you said you love me?~

Samus: (Starts Blushing Herself) Oh! Uhh.....Yeah. I....guess I really did. (Chuckles Lightly While Rubbing the Back of Her Head Back and Forth) Sorry about saying it out of nowher-

Before Samus could even finish that sentence, Chun-Li pulls her in and gives her a loving, passionate Kiss on the lips. Causing the Bounty Hunter's blush to turn bright red.

Chun-Li: (Pulls Away From Samus For a Few Seconds While Giving her a Playful Smirk on her Face) Don't be. I love you too, Sammy~

Samus: (Almost Speechless) C-C-C-Cool- (Gets Pulled into Another Kissing Session with the Strongest Woman in the World)

Bonus

Hades: (Continues Laughing his Ass Off at Ridley) AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Ridley: (Sighs in Annoyance as He Rubs his Slapped Cheek Up and Down) Are you done laughing now or-

Hades: (Holds his Finger Up as He's Still Laughing at the Still Annoyed Space Pirate) HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ('Inhales Deep Breath') AHHHHH!- (Suddenly and Finally Calms Himself Down) All done now.

Ridley: Finally-

Hades: HA! Now I'm done.

Ridley: (Growls at the God of the Underworld)

Ganondorf: Okay! As entertaining as that situation was, I think it's about time we start figuring all of this out.

Bowser: (Smirks Smugly at Ridley While Snickering) Yeah. Like wondering what you did to piss off "the Strongest Woman in the World"

Ridley: (Glares at Bowser) I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!? Seriously, she just slapped me and blamed me for killing Samus' parents-

Hades: Which you definitely did, by the way.

Ridley: SHUT UP! A-And another thing......(Starts Getting Flabbergasted) I-I didn't even know the woman who Samus was!!

Ganondorf: Yeah. How does she knows who the Bounty Hunter is anyways?

Mewtwo: They're in the romance relationship with one another.

Ganondorf: (Turns to Mewtwo With Genuine Surprised in his Eyes) Wait. Seriously?

Mewtwo: (Simply Nodded) That's right. Why else would a veteran Street Fighter go as far as to slap someone like Ridley across the face three times? It's one of the many ways for any partner to defend their love ones honor, after all.

Bowser: Huh. (Chuckles Lightly) Well, good on Samus for scoring someone like her.

Ridley: (Still Irritated).Yeah. Sure. Good for her. Who gives a shit!? I'm still in pain here!

Hades: Oh give it a rest already, you blantent pussy. So you got bitch slapped by your arch nemesis' girlfriend. Big deal! You can just walk it off and-

Before Hades can finish his sentence, one of Dark Pit's girlfriends, Misako, comes out of nowhere and gives him a hard hitting punch in the gut, followed by a flying kick to the face by Kyoko, another one of Dark Pit's girlfriends, instantly causing poor God to fall down into the ground in utter pain.

Hades: (Groans in Pain)

Misako: (Walks Up to the Beaten Hades) That was for making our Angel Boi watch Boku no Pico, jackass! (Gives Hades a Middle Finger Before Walking Off)

Kyoko: (Turns Away While Crossing her Arms and Following Misako Behind) ('Hmph')

Sephiroth: (Still Holding Onto a Giggling Pichu) Well, what do you know? Another unexpected chain of events.

Bowser: (Chuckles Lightly) Yeah. And it's two for the price of one.

Hades: That brat.....punched me in the gut......Why.....Why would she punched me in the gut?........

Ridley: Not so funny getting your ass kicked, doesn't it?

@keyenuta

@26shann

@caleb13frede

@cyber-wildcat

@miki-13

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

[carnistirs]

retrouvailles

↳ @taangweek 2020 Day 4: Future

This one could go for past as well, but I’m dropping this today because the setting’s technically in the future. Here’s 7k+ words of Aang and Toph being soulmates.  

Read it on ao3 or under the cut

retrouvailles {French} the happiness you feel upon reuniting with someone after you've been apart for a long time

‘

“Are you alright, miss?” a voice asks, soft in the clamor of the snack aisle—

It’s violent, the way Toph’s ripped away from her little daydream, and her body’s still flinching as her eyes and ears slowly readjust to the people around her. There are no flying bisons and wingled lemurs here because they don’t exist, because she’s in a goddamn grocery store.

She tiredly lifts her gaze up – all the way up – to an angelic figure leaning over her, what with the lovely features and the bright light brimming around his shaved head. He’s all broad shoulders and lithe muscles and effulgent tattoos, and even though he looks like an incredibly kind person, something about him sets her teeth on edge. Like she should know him by now even if she’s never met this man in her life.

“Was I blocking you,” she replies, unable to help the flatness of her voice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Toph moves to walk around him, oddly reluctant.

“No, wait—” the guy blurts out, panicked, his nimble fingers reaching out to curl lightly around her shoulder blade—

And they say it’s like nothing else matters, that touching your soulmate for the first time is like sating a hunger you never knew you had.

She’s always thought that was a fat load of bullshit – what, you meet the stranger that’s supposed to be your other half and it’s happily ever after just like that? – but here she is, a hypocrite to her own thoughts.

Toph hones in on the warmth that’s molded around the curve of her shoulder, feeling a far too pleasant burn smear its way down her spine. She leans away from the stranger by a few inches, just to test it their limits, but fuck, it hurts. She’s met him for a total of three minutes and the sensation of not touching him already leaves her with an ache she can’t even begin to understand.

He makes a hurt noise in his throat when she leans away, jarred by the abruptness of their separation. His hands follow after her, touching the points of her elbows this time, and Toph feels the tremor in his hands, hears the quickness in his breath.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, tightening his fingers around her skin. “I know we don’t know each other, but—”

“This is so stupid,” Toph groans, but she’s slipping a palm over his wrist thoughtlessly, touching the thrum of his pulse. “Why a fucking Walmart of all places?”

Her soulmate’s mouth twitches into a smile. “Why not a Walmart?”

Because it’s the lamest place ever, she wants to say, but then she catches his smile and she stutters to a stop. She gazes at his pretty grey eyes and knows them, has seen them in multiple lifetimes.

(It’s you reverbrates in the space of her chest that used to be hollow, that used to be a void tundra.)

There’s a soulmark on her forearm now – long, golden vines with leaves that twist into the complimentary ones wrapped around his own skin, and the longer they touch, the more intertwined their vines become. It’s both thrilling and unsettling since, so far, Toph’s lived through twenty years of her life with a bare forearm.  

“So,” Toph ends up mumbling, because she knows where this is going to lead and because someone has to eventually, “your place or mine?”

‘

“Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?”

“I don’t see why not.”

‘

Her soulmate’s name is Aang, a vegan pacifist whose happiness seems endless, and the while he’s chirping to her about his life like an excited hummingbird, she finds it harder to fathom why the fates specifically chose him for her.

“I’m talking way too much about myself,” he chuckles in embarrassment, pink dusting over his cheeks.

Shrugs. “I asked.”

Aang’s curled up with her on his couch – his apartment had been closer -  idly playing with one of her hands. Their tea sits on the coffee table, cold and forgotten, but she’s too stupidly inebriated with the feeling of his hands on her own to care. Toph doesn’t mind the constant touching, surprisingly. It feels so much better than anything else, and there’s this still moment where they watch his vines crawl from his fingers over to hers.

“What about you?” He’s close enough for his cheek to brush her shoulder. “Tell me about yourself? Pretty please?”

“I’m an art student,” she grins back, unwittingly, at his enthusiasm. “I go to BSSU.”

He positively beams at this. “I go there too! Why is it that I’ve never seen you around campus before?

“Different curriculum maybe?

Toph feels the heat of his gaze wandering everywhere, stiffening slightly only when it drops to the puckered skin on her right leg. “Is there a story behind this?” she hears him ask quietly, his fingers hovering over the scar, but not quite touching it.

“You’re going to think I’m fucking crazy.”

“Try me.” Aang’s isn’t sporting that bright smile anymore, but his face has softened completely. “If you want, that is. You don’t have to tell me.”

It’s strange and new and terrifying, but he’s a gentle breeze in their bond, surrounding her without suffocating her, smoothing over the points of her body that are maybe a little too rough, a little too jagged.

“Well, there’s this forest near the house I grew up in,” Toph starts, drumming her fingers along his soulmark. “I walked through it so many times that I practically memorized it. I really thought I could navigate myself through the forest blind, so I put on a blindfold—”

(The darkness doesn’t welcome her, not the way she wants it to.

Her bare feet press into the earth and she doesn’t feel the vibrations of the earth moving around her, doesn’t hear the songs of squirrels skittering up the old trees, of worms writhing in the dirt. She feels disconnected from everything, small and insignificant.

She carefully glides along the flat surface of the boulders, but misses her next step, falls down and keeps falling—)

“Anyway, now I have a permanent reminder of how much of a dumbass I was,” she says, half bemused, half self-depreciating.

But Aang opens his arms, his face silently pleading, and she hesitates a little. Her soulmate is a stranger wrapped in odd, familiar skin and when they’re pressed together, it’s like they’re speaking an old, sacred language only their bones know.

They should be in bed right now like most soulmate couples their age – or at least kissing, maybe - but she supposes she’ll fail at that too amongst other things.

So, Toph leans in, biting back a satisified hum when his arms coil around her shoulders. He smells like clean laundry and a hint of cinnamon, and when he sighs in content, she feels her muscles relax.

“I like to stand on the edges of high places,” Aang noses against her hair, probably unaware that’s he’s doing it too. “My friends can’t stand it when I do it, but I can’t help it. I never have the urge to actually jump,” he adds in a small laugh, “but I like to imagine that there would be a way for me to somehow catch myself if I do. Then I remember that it’s not possible and I feel this...incredible loss.”

An unexplainable loss you never had in the first place. Yeah, she gets it.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.” His eyes languidly trail after the uplifted bend of her mouth. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

There’s an anxious spike of hope blooming in the pit of Toph’s stomach and it’s not coming from her. She doesn't exactly know how she knows this either, but it's all Aang she's feeling.

It’s coming from him.  

Which is ridiculous because Toph shouldn’t be able to feel him like that. Soulmates don’t work like that. There’s soulmarks and the constant need to be close, but not this invasion of other people’s emotions—

“Yeah, sure,” she says.

Everything is okay. Everything is fine.

Get a fucking grip.

‘

“Some bonds only need an hour of touching and they’re okay for the whole week,” she says at the threshold of his front door, lingering. “Maybe we’re like that? I mean, it doesn’t hurt to try, right?”

“O-Okay,” Aang stutters, brows furrowed, looking like he really wants to follow after her like an imprinted duckling.

Toph lets go of his hand then and the sharp sting she feels should have been taken as a warning. She takes a step back though, forcing herself to play dumb to his white fingers clenched around the door frame and the sudden pallor of his face.

Her fingers tingle in a particularly awful way as she waves goodbye to him and the discomfort is rudimentary, really. It’s nothing she can’t handle, considering she’s had worse done to her skin.

She makes it as far as the turn of the hallway, right when Aang’s out of her view.

Pain grips at her right arm and the numbness flares outward, careening her into the wall. She can’t fucking breathe because it feels like her lungs are being scraped out by a rusty spoon, like her ribs are being branded by hot iron—

Aang barrels into her at a frightening speed and they go teetering to the floor, but he curls his body around hers protectively, possessively, breaking her fall. He’s mouthing something frantic against the hollow of her throat, but she can’t hear it because she’s too overwhelmed by the sensation of his pain pressing down on top of hers.

Whatever she’d felt earlier is vaulting back tenfold and it’s so strange to feel her own emotions looped back to her through a feedback that’s experienced through him. She feels him desperately wanting to take away the unseen hurt throbbing in her while trying to compress his own down and, gods, this isn’t normal.

“Um,” Toph whispers, her voice trembling with her body as she clings to him. “Okay, that was a dumb idea. I’m sorry—”

“Maybe you should stay with me for a couple of days—”

She doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “We have school. How are we going to do—”

“There’s an exemption form we could fill out online. It’s for soulmates who have recently bonded. It’ll get us out of classes, just – please, please don’t leave.”

“I don’t have extra clothes on me or a toothb—”

“You can borrow my clothes. You’ll drown in them because you’re so tiny,” Aang laughs, hoarse, sliding shaking fingers into her unbound hair. “And I have an extra toothbrush you can use. We’ll figure it out, Toph, please.”

What the fuck, what the fuck—

“Alright.” She closes her eyes, surrendering herself to raw instinct by sticking her nose to the skin underneath his jaw. “I’ll stay.”

‘

“Choose well. A sky bison is a companion for life.”

He’s holding an apple in his hands and his legs are jittery – like it’s impossible for him to stay still. The baby bisons are circling their mother in the air and his breath catches because he’s never wanted anything more in his life.

There’s a small bison just a few feet away, looking like it’s waiting for him. It appears to be the runt of the litter, but that’s okay because he’s the smallest in his class too. If it accepts him, then perhaps they can grow together.

Biting his lip, he carefully approaches the small bison and offers the apple to it.

It – no, the bison is a he – sniffs the fruit along with his extended hand before opening his mouth expectantly.

He tosses the apple in and allows himself to pet the bison on the nose while the latter chews. He doesn’t expect the bison to nuzzle into his touch with a pleased rumble, but the creature does anyway, leaning too far in until he loses his balance and falls on his rear end. The bison licks at the whole of his face, pulling happy giggles from his mouth and he knows, then and there, that he’s found the one.

“I guess this means we’ll always be together,” he smiles wide, hands rubbing on either side of the creature’s muzzle—

‘

Toph blinks awake to find herself plastered to Aang’s back with both of her arms snaked around his chest. One of his hands is clasped in hers, their fingers twined, and she has a leg thrown over his hip as if she’s slept with him like this their whole lives.

His bedroom is small and simple, but there’s a slight airiness to it that reminds her of the temple in her dreams – or not dreams, apparently. She sees this temple in the sky in quick flashes while she’s awake too, and if they don’t show her in the company of monks, then it’s always with that six-legged bison.

“I can hear you thinking,” Aang mumbles sleepily.

She presses her face to his shoulder. “Shit, did I wake you up?”

“Yeah, you waking up actually yanked me out of sleep too.” Gently tightens his fingers around hers, reassures her that he’s not upset. “It’s not a big deal. What’s bothering you?”  

I think I’m seeing your memories from a past life never quite leaves Toph’s mouth.

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

And maybe that’s the wrong thing to say because Aang just turns in her hold and exhales into her neck, slipping his arms around her waist. His fingers tease the hem of a shirt that’s too big on her and he asks in a hushed tone if it’s okay. Toph nods, her skin shivering in loose delight once his palm slides underneath the shirt to splay itself flat against the small of her back.

The moonlight peeking through the curtains shows her one side of his face – the argent in his eyes, the fan of his inky lashes, the indent of his cheekbone. Objectively, he’s stunning, so she could have done a whole lot worse.  

“You know I can tell you’re lying, right?” The corner of Aang’s mouth lifts, amused. “I can feelthat something’s wrong.”

“Can we just—” Opens her mouth and shuts it, frustrated inside. He rubs his thumb in calming circles against Toph’s skin and she still doesn’t know if she likes how one touch can clear her muddled thoughts just like that. “Can we just pretend that we don’t have some weird telepathic-empathic thing between us? Just for tonight at least? Fuck, it’s a lot to unpack on the first day.”

His hurt is muffled, but it’s there and she feels it her chest, taking root. “You think it’s weird?” he whispers, sounding like an open wound.

“Doesn’t this freak you out?”

“Yes, of course it does.”

But underneath the blanket of her own emotions, she senses fear for this bond. Fear at the thought of Toph rejecting him so quickly. She tightens her leg over his hip instinctively, telling him no, she’s not rejecting him. She doesn’t think that’s even possible at this point.  

He presses a smile into her clavicle, relieved. “Do you remember dinner? When you were groaning after taking the first few bites of the pasta?”

Toph blushes. “Don’t make fun of me! I didn’t know artichoke sauce was even thing!” Or so delicious. “I was caught off guard, okay?”

“You were happy eating what I made for you and I felt that happiness,” Aang says, so soft. “It felt beautiful. You felt beautiful, Toph.”

(And I’d give you the whole world to keep you happy forever, he sings into her veins even if he doesn’t realize it yet, even if he’s just as scared and lost as she is.)

What an optimstic fool he is. “I might drive you nuts,” Toph throws back instead.

“Oh, I know you will.”

She pinches Aang’s side, cackling at his high-pitched shriek even when the sharpness of her index finger and thumb on his skin echoes against her own.

‘

“Where the hell have you been!”

“Chill, Sparky,” is Toph’s lazy response as she waltzes into her apartment, leading Aang in by their tangled fingers. “I texted you.”

“‘Be back in a week, dude’ doesn’t give me much to go by. A fucking week? You could have been dead for all I knew!”

“Stop projecting your sibling issues onto me. I’m here, aren’t I? Besides, when you found Sokka and Suki, the three of you didn’t leave your room for more than a week, you dirty hyprocrite!”

“At least you knew where I was the whole—” Zuko abruptly closes his mouth, his gaze darting to the towering man at Toph’s heels. “Aang? Wait, how do you two know each other?”

Toph lifts both their arms, showing him the fresh knitted vines gleaming on their skin. “He’s my soulmate. How do you two know each other?”

“I know Sokka and Sukki,” Aang chimes in cheerfully. “Wow, what a small world, huh?”

“How’d you two—”

“Anyway,” she interrupts brashly, not in the mood to retell their romantic, fateful meeting at Walmart, “Aang’s gonna be staying here for a week and then I’ll go back to his place for another week, and so on and blah blah. At least until the bond settles. You get it. Let us know when dinner’s ready,” she adds, practically yanking at Aang until they’re both confined in her bedroom.

Aang taps the end of her nose. “That was mean.”

“Please,” Toph makes a point of rolling her eyes. “Zuko barely said a word to me after touching the other two. They burst into the apartment like a fucking hurricane, almost doing it right there in our living room. So fucking rude.”  

‘

She’s in the shower when she suddenly feels absolute terror choking at her, nearly making her slip on the tiles.

Toph barely wraps herself up in a towel before she’s barging out of the bathroom, extremely thankful that her room’s close by. Aang’s on the floor, back leaning against the frame of her bedroom door, quivering fingers curled around one of her older sketchbooks. Aang blindly reaches for her when she approaches, pulling her down onto his lap and burying half of his face into her shoulder blade.

“Is my art that terrifying?” Toph tries to joke, but he doesn’t even smile.

The drawing had been done in charcoal, dark and blurry around the edges, and she almost doesn’t remember drawing it. There’s an enormous centipede thing crawling out of a cave, its legs reaching out to take, to steal. The only colors on the sketch are the red lips and the grey eye markings of the Noh mask it’s wearing on its face, but she’s not sure if that makes it better or worse.  

Aang’s voice is a quiet, little thing when he asks, “Where did you see this creature?”

(“My old friend, the Avatar,” the monster utters in a serpentine hiss. “It’s been a long time.”

“You know me?”

“How could I forget you? One of your previous incarnations tried to slay me,” it accuses, the white mask flickering into the face of an older man with a mustache and a long beard, “maybe eight or nine hundred years ago.”

“I didn’t know that.” It’s difficult, keeping his emotions out of both his face and voice. “Why did he – or I – try to kill you?”

The thing changes again – a beautiful woman this time, with long brown hair and familiar, sad eyes.  

“Oh, it was something about stealing the face of someone you loved.”)

“A nightmare, I think,” Toph answers carefully. “Actually, you know what—”

She rips the page out of the sketchbook and crumples it tightly in her first. It feels like an ugly omen against her palm, riddled with malice and sadism, and she chucks it into her trash can.  

“You didn’t have to do that. That was your work,” Aang murmurs, his guilt gnawing at her.

“It was a creepy-ass drawing. I don’t know what I was thinking when I drew that.” Pause. “I have better stuff on my desktop if you want to look.”

He kisses her shoulder, smiling sweetly. “I hope the creatures on there are less frightening.”

“Don’t be such a wuss. Wanna see what a badgermole looks like?”

‘

After their soulbond settles, they’ve learned that they can get through the day by themselves relatively alright as long as there was skin-to-skin contact for at least an hour beforehand. It no longer hurts to be away from Aang, but it is uncomfortable as fuck, like an itch burning inside that’s screaming at her to scratch it until it’s bloody and raw.

Which is fine.

So ridiculously fine.

The lecture is a drone in the back of Toph’s mind as she doodles along the corner of her notebook page to take her mind off the itch. The mintiness of the gum she’s snacking on ebbs away suddenly, turning into something vastly different.

She chews again, tasting raspberries, fruit juice, bananas, and...almond milk?

Aang is waiting for her outside the door when her class ends and as soon as he sees her, his entire face lights up like the sun. His content rolls over Toph in a soothing whisper and she subconsciously mimics his smile, her body humming with want.

In spite of the protesting noise she makes, Aang scoops her up in his arms until her feet are dangling above the ground. He nuzzles his cheek to hers, his breath warm against the ridge of her ear, and he twirls them once because he can’t help himself. She hisses at him to put her down, but it doesn’t really bother her as it normally would with literally anyone else.  

“Did you have a smoothie?” Toph asks.

“Yeah.” He keeps his hands pasted to her hips, his eyes bright with excitement. “I tasted the gum you were chewing earlier.”

“I want to say that I’m surprised, but am I really at this point?”

A deep chuckle as he cups her face in his palms. “Don’t be so glum. Think of all the possibilities! What if you’re really hungry, but you don’t have time to get food because you’re taking a test or something? I could eat something and you’d be able to taste it.”

“Oh, yeah, super cool. What if you’re hungry and I decide to get a hamburger?”

He blinks, his grin faltering. “I’m vegan, Toph. You know that—”

“You’re not actually eating it – you’re only getting a taste. Like you said, all the possibilities. You ever want to try a steak? Or a milkshake with actual milk?”

Toph bites back a smile, doing a poor job of concealing how much she really enjoys it when he gets all flustered.

‘

“Do you believe in reincarnation?”

“You drunk already?” Sokka passes a bemused glance at her. “I don’t remember you being that much of a lightweight.”

It’s warm in the bar – she can tell by the slight flush on Sokka’s cheeks that has nothing to do with being intoxicated – but Toph still burrows her nose deeper into the wool scarf coiled around her neck, still tightens her coat around her. Aang may be on the other side of the city, but he’s somewhere outdoors, somewhere cold, and the alcohol isn’t making her any warmer.

Aang doesn’t do well in colder weather, but he’s having fun with his friends even if he’s getting the both of them sick. She can feel him missing her, missing the press of her fingers on his skin even though they’d seen each other hours ago.  

“You have two soulmates,” Toph grumbles. “The idea of past lives shouldn’t be that fucking implausible.”

His shoulder gently bumps against hers. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“I’m not upset—”

“Okay, okay, let’s start over,” Sokka smiles at her, completely genuine and not at all mocking. “Why do you suddenly believe in reincarnation?”

“I have these dreams,” she says, her brows knitting together as she curls her hands tighter around her glass. “Well, I used to think they were dreams, but then I’d see something while I’m awake. They’re always about Aang in this completely different life and it’s like I’m a passenger in his body, just going through the motions.”  

“And you think these things are actually his memories from a past life.”  

Toph exhales quietly, the lines of her body losing their tautness. She feels mildly less insane now that someone’s acknowledged it for her.

“They feel too real to just be my imagination. It’s always him in the same timeline.”

Sokka hums, thoughtful. “Maybe they are his memories, Toph. Who knows? Soulbonds can’t be explained, but people accept them anyway. For what it’s worth, I believe you.”

“If this is you making fun of me, I swear to—”

“No, I really mean it! Like, if I didn’t end up with Suki and Zuko – or either of them – in a previous life and reincarnation’s just a thing that’s giving me a second chance to actually be with them, then that’s pretty cool. Fate’s doing me a solid.”

“Second chances,” Toph muses, more to herself than anything.

“Yeah, why not?” He downs the rest of his glass. “On a side note, what else are you feeling from Aang since the bond started? Something tells me you guys are...not normal.”

Toph starts to respond, but then she hunches over the counter, shoulders shaking. It slams into her out of nowhere and she has to clamp both her hands over her mouth to muffle the uncontrollable laughter. She’s yanked further and further into Aang’s joy, feeling it so keenly that the corners of her eyes begin to prickle with tears.

“What is happening,” Sokka blurts, alarmed and concerned. “Are you having a stroke—”

“One of Aang’s friends did something stupid and funny,” she hiccups out in short breaths, still guffawing. “It might – it might have been Bumi.”

Sokka gawks at her, frozen in place. He then orders another round of drinks for the both of them.

‘

Monk Gyatso lies against the wall, just bones and dust, and the omniscient rage of a thousand lives sinks down on him—

‘

The weight of his grief completely buries Toph, so much that she collapses in a public restroom. Her fingers scrabble at the tiles beneath her, desperate to clutch onto something, anything, as the memory consumes her. Something vibrates in her pocket for a long, long time, but she’s too busy screaming soundlessly into her palm to notice.

Panic slips into Toph, making her blood run cold, and the longer she ignores her phone, the more frenetic her soulmate feels—

“Toph?” is his voice on the other line, wildly frantic, when she finally answers the call. “Did someone hurt you? What’s wrong, where are—”

“I—” Her breath comes out in harsh pants. “It’s o-okay. You don’t need to come.”

Rustling, like Aang’s already preparing to step out. “No, no, that’s not what it feels like,” he argues softly, and now there’s pain in his voice because she won’t let him come to her, won’t let him take care of her—

Her chest squeezes tighter, aching. “I slipped. I’m, uh, good now.”

“Toph, please.” His voice breaks and she screws her eyes shut, tasting saltwater in her mouth. “Please let me come to you. Tell me where you are.”

So she whispers back that she’s at the tea shop near their school, the one owned by Zuko’s uncle.

Aang rushes into the women’s restroom ten minutes later – a feat in itself, considering the usual commute is twice that amount – and she’s never wanted him to see her like this, hunched under one of the sinks and sobbing over a memory that isn’t even hers.

He sucks in a sharp breath like Toph’s pain cleaves him. His eyes are red-rimmed and she can’t even look at him because she’s so sorry. She’s sorry that he’s lost his people, sorry that he’s lost his home, sorry that he’s lost his entire culture.

The way he stalks over to her is noiseless, ghostlike even, and then he’s plucking up all the bird bones of Toph’s body, folding himself around her and concealing her from the rest of the world. It makes her cry harder, if anything, to the point where she’s dry-heaving against his chest, but it helps when she pushes her hands under his shirt to touch the tight skin around his hips.

She tells him everything. That he was raised by Air Nomads in another life. That he was something called the Avatar. That they lived in a world where people could manipulate the elements as they pleased.

That they lived during a long, long war.

“You controlled the element of air first,” Toph rasps out later, when it finally doesn’t feel like her lungs are going to give out on every inhale. “You and Appa got caught in this storm, and then you did something that left you frozen at the bottom of an ocean. Katara and Sokka found you, but when you came back to the Southern Air Temple, everyone was dead and it had only felt like you left days ago, but a fucking century passed—”

To his credit, Aang doesn’t once ask who Appa is or what the Southern Air Temple is supposed to be. His heart beats faster and his skin jolts at the familiarity of her words, but he holds her still.

“Breathe, T,” he says, rocking her, sweeping her dark hair away from her neck so that he can kiss the small space behind her ear.

She does. Inhales for four seconds, exhales for six—

It’s a breathing technique that Monk Gyatso had taught Aang. Had taught her.

Their soulmarks cling to each other distressingly, her aurelian leaves and vines overlapping his.

“Do you ever dream of me?” Toph asks, calmer.

“I have many daydreams about you.” And that’s mischief slanted against her nape, rounded out by his mouth. He’s soft and playful now, making her sink further into his embrace. “When your memories come to me, I don’t actually see anything.”

Tries not to be too disappointed. “Oh.”

“No,” Aang smudges a smile against the corner of her mouth, gently thumbing a tear-stained cheek. “You were blind in your last life, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t see. You didn’t need to. You felt these vibrations in the earth and it allowed you to see and hear things no one else could. You were the greatest earthbender that ever lived.”

“She sounds way cooler than me.”

He tips her face up. “You’re just as cool as she is,” Aang breathes, and there’s a brush of lips against hers, slow and sweet. “Just as beautiful.”

(I found you again, her soul thrums out, the loudest it’s ever been inside her.)

Toph twists in his arms, chasing after his mouth. It’s almost too much and not enough at the same time, tasting his honeyed delight and feeling it mingle with her own. His hands shove themselves up her sweater to frame the space of her back as he parts his mouth, allowing her to—

“Gee, it looks like you guys are fine in here,” comes a monotonous drawl that has them breaking apart, sputtering. “And here I was, worried for no apparent reason.”

“Mai!” Aang practically yells, his ears turning beet red. “When did you – why are—”

The other girl waves a dismissive hand. “Toph and I were going over work. What was supposed to be a five-minute restroom break turned into a forty-minute one,” she adds pointedly, raising a brow.  

“Sorry,” Toph says sheepishly. “I had a thing. Like a panic attack or whatever. It’s gone now, so no biggie.”

Aang, severely disagreeing with her on that last statement, wraps her up tighter in his arms.

“We’ll continue tomorrow,” Mai says then, and it may just be Toph’s imagination, but she thinks she sees the former’s face soften a bit. “Get some rest.”  

After Mai leaves, Aang plays with her loose hair. “We should probably leave too.”  

“Yeah.”

But Toph’s leaning in, pausing only a few inches away from his lips and grinning when he automatically closes the distance. She feels that buzzing of happiness again and whether it’s his or hers, it doesn’t matter.

‘

Aang’s shoulders are still quivering as he drops shaky, open-mouthed kisses along the crease of her hip. He’s been pulled apart to pieces, beautifully and painstakingly, and the remnants of bliss still drumming within him makes it slow to put those pieces back together.

She only knows because she feels the exact same way. She feels everything.

“You’ve ruined me for anyone else.” His voice is wrecked and his lips are so kiss-swollen, but he’s still this hopelessly exotic thing sprawled between her legs. There’s an indelible glaze to his to expression that makes him look so thoroughly fucked, and when he rests his chin on her stomach and looks up at her with soft, needy eyes, something inside her chest just melts.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Toph husks out with a laugh.

“Yeah, why didn’t we,” he murmurs back, still loopy, nosing the skin around her navel.  

Toph strokes her fingers along the arrow inked on his head, pulling a quiet mewl from him. The arrow tattoos on his body are the same design, the same placement – just the wrong shade of blue. These lines are darker than the ones she sees in his memories.

Maybe the effervesent, illuminating blue that once marked Aang as an airbendering master doesn’t exist in this world.

“Can you skip your classes tomorrow?” he asks.

“Why?”

His answer is a trail of wet kisses up the flat stretch of her belly. “Because I want to keep doing this.”

“Really.” Toph plays off as nonchalant, even when her heart skips a beat. “You want to render us incapable of walking by the time we’re done?”

“Toph, I don’t think I’m able to walk now,” Aang chuckles, before looking up at her from beneath his lashes, coy. “But I still want you in my bed whether we’re having sex or not. I just want you.”

His want reverbrates in the apex of Toph’s thighs and she wishes she can be as open as he is. She wants him in her bed forever, but the words become stifled in her throat, never leaving her mouth. He smiles at her though, tender and adoring, like he knows what she’s trying to say.  

She rolls them over, straddling his hips. Gratification seeps into her at the way his pupils dilate, at the way he takes her in breathlessly.

‘

He’s upset – so very, very upset – and she doesn’t know why.

Toph feels it two blocks away from his apartment and it spurs her to walk faster, to the point where she’s running.

After letting herself in, she finds Aang leaning over the kitchen counter, the stiff lines of his back obvious through his thin shirt. She leans her back against the counter and presses her elbow to the nimble fingers constricted around dark granite.

“What’s up, grumpy?”

Her soulmate breathes out noisily, his shoulders bunching forward like he’s trying to make himself much smaller than he is. He doesn’t turn to face her, doesn’t immediately trap her in his arms like he usually would after a long day apart. He leans against her though, heavy, part of him trying to disappear into the pale abyss of her skin.

“We weren’t married to each other,” Aang whispers, horrified. “I was married to someone else. A non-bender, I think. I don’t recognize her voice.”

And there’s really no point in getting angry with Aang or this mystery woman because the past is the past, but jealousy festers anyway, scratching at her bones. She tries to taper down it to keep him from feeling it, but he flinches, looking even more miserable than before.

She tries for apathy then: “So? It was in the past – a past we’re only barely starting to get details from.”

“But I was still seeing you. I had kids with this woman, but I was still sneaking around with you—”

“Okay, so I was a side chick. Whatever, that’s fine—”

“It’s not fine,” a muscle in his jaw jumps, “none of this was fine. I’m seeing this from your persepective, remember? You weren’t okay with this.”

“Why does it fucking matter?” Toph spits, a small part of her regretting it when Aang’s mouth pinches into a thin line. “Maybe we never got together. Maybe sex on the the side was our only option. Whatever the fuck we did in that lifetime, it’s got nothing to do with what we have in this one!”

(“She’s beautiful,” he murmurs, gazing down at the newborn. “Did you decide on a name?”  

“Suyin’s kind of pretty. Has a nice ring to it.”

Tightly swallows. “Toph, is she – is she mine?”

“Don’t worry about it,” the woman in bed mumbles. “It’s not your problem.”

“But—”

“I’m not repeating myself, Twinkletoes. And she doesn’t belong to anyone but me.”)

Then Aang grazes her side with feather-light hands, silently asking for permission. She’s still bristling in her skin, but he makes the frustration and shame go away with just a brush of his palms on her body.

She wants to stay mad at him, wants to stew in silence all by herself, but she physically can’t, not when he’s already made a home for himself in the space of her ribs.

Toph pulls him in with an incoherent grumble, binding her arms around his torso to anchor him back to earth because he feels like he’s going to float away. He shivers against her, mouthing soft apologies against the column of neck as he clings onto her. Even on her tiptoes, her head barely reaches his chin, but she leans on them anyway because she doesn’t want him breaking his neck trying to bury himself in hers.

“Maybe I leave my wife when our kids are older,” he says, his teeth scraping over her shoulder. “I leave her for you.”

“You really think that happened?”

“Yes,” comes Aang’s response, but even that sounds a little unsure. Like he desperately wants it to be true. The uncertainity makes him press into her until there’s no visible space left between them. “Why wouldn’t I do that for you? We’re soulmates. I don’t believe in any lifetime where you’re not always by my side.”

Toph rolls her eyes. “You’re such an embarassing idiot sometimes.”

Aang smiles, his tongue flicking against her jawline. Heat simmers at the pit of Toph’s stomach, rising languidly, and his hands are at the back of her thighs. “I need you,” he sighs, catching her mouth with his.

“I know, you dumb airhead.”  

She quickly finds herself hoisted onto the counter before she’s tipping her head back, letting him unbutton her flannel and kiss his way down—

‘

“Don’t worry,” Katara says. “We’ll find you a teacher. There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there.”

There’s a deep wrongness in him as he stares back at Gaoling. Like he’s making a mistake by just giving up and leaving—

“Not like her.”

After he climbs onto Appa with reluctance, he doesn’t immediately lift the reins. Sometimes, there are rewards to being patient, to sitting still and letting the winds carry their answers to you. When he listens to the currents around him, he catches a flurry of hurried footsteps headed in their direction.

Delicate hope grows in his chest.

“Toph!” Happiness etches itself onto his face, wide and open, when the small girl runs out of the forest. “What are you doing here?”

“My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world.”

It’s a bold-faced lie.

But when Toph smiles, something inside his own stomach flutters wildly—

‘

“Are you alright, miss?” a voice asks, waking her, his mouth lightly tracing the curve of her ear.

“Fuck off,” Toph mumbles, still face down on the table, in spite of her fingers reaching out to rest along the nape of his neck. The taste of coffee – the strong kind – lingers on her tongue. “M’ tired. Why’d you drink coffee? And a goddamn red eye at that.”  

Aang tugs at her hair teasingly. “Because I almost fell asleep while driving over here to get you.”

“Ugh, you’re going to keep me up all night.”

“I can think of a few things we could do to pass the time,” Aang smirks, nuzzling his nose along her cheekbone. “Or, well, one specific thing actually—”

Toph snorts. “Dork.”

He snatches her up, fingers digging into her side as he drags her onto his lap. Peals of laughter escape her while he tickles her relentlessly, so much that the harder she laughs, the more she feels him eventually shaking with laughter too, amplifying the sensation. One of the campus librarians shushes them sharply and she feels Aang hiding his face into her throat to escape the blame.

“What’s that?” he inquiries out of nowhere then, reaching for something on the table—

“No snooping!” Toph hisses without any real heat, swatting his hand out of the way to shove the tiny book into her backpack.

It’s a flipbook that she’s still working on, showing Aang peacefully bending all four elements. She had originally wanted to illustrate him kicking Ozai’s ass, but she doubts he would like the violence of it, so she’d gone with this instead.

Aang perks up in excitement. “Is it for me? My birthday’s in a couple of weeks, you know.”

Rolls her eyes. “Just wait and find out, Twinkletoes.”

She stands up in an attempt to gather her things, but as soon as she does, the feeling of a thousand pins pricking at her legs washes over.

“Your legs are numb,” Aang glances over with both bemusement and sympathy, on the verge of discomfort himself. “Here, I’ll carry you.”

“Nah, let’s just wait—”

But Aang pulls her arms over his shoulders, picking Toph up until she’s literally hanging onto his back, before he grabs her backpack. She hates being picked up in any manner, but it’s a losing battle with a cheerfully persistant soulmate like him. She yanks on the lobes of his ears, but he just grins, hitching her body higher.

“Yip-yip,” Toph says.

“Do I look like a flying bison to you?”

“You’re right, that was a terrible comparison,” she replies. “Appa is obviously a hundred times better than you.”

Aang makes an affronted noise, but Toph rests her head on his shoulder blade and kisses the elegant line of his neck, placating him. The brisk air hits her face once he walks out of the library and Toph tucks her face harder into his skin.  

“I had a dream that you were looking for someone to teach you earthbending,” she whispers, wistful and smug. “You wouldn’t settle for anyone but me. Said I was the best out of all of them.”

“There’s no one else like you,” Aang replies easily, thumbing nonsensical patterns under her thighs.

He’d said that in his past life as well.

“Hey, Aang?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think we ended up together.” Because the snippets of his memories where he’s an adult are a lot sadder, filled with such hurt and longing. “I think we might have crashed and burned.”

Aang breath falters in her ear and he grips her harder, refusing to lose her to their past failures, to whatever broke them.

“We’ll do better this time, T.”

‘

(And they do.)

‘ [end notes: 

BSSU = Ba Sing Se University

To clarify, what's normal for soulmates in this universe - (1) soulmarks appear as soon as soulmates touch each other (2) the need to be touching - the limits of this can vary with every soulmate bond, it all just depends.

As you can see with Aang and Toph, they obviously have a lot more going on with the XD

I hope this wasn't too confusing with the way Toph was receiving Aang's memories. Anything in italics was her seeing a memory. If anything was in parenthesis, that meant that Toph experienced the memory before the present time. Let me know if the italicized text isn’t showing like it does on the ao3 link. Tumblr’s being shitty for some reason. 

If this was all confusing anyway, go ahead and yell at me]

[fantasticstoryteller]

Dragon Lands ch. 6

“Really?” asked Izuku, quivering slightly with his need to write this new information down. His mind whirled with the possibilities—a medicine that could postpone heats. That would be—revolutionary. “How does it work? Does it block the hormonal triggers? Does it fool the body into thinking it’s not time for a heat? How does it work?”

Katsuki, from his space at the edge of the tent (not that he wanted to move away from Deku, but the healers made it clear he had to start sitting up on his own) chuckled. The two women had no idea what they were in for, now that he was mostly awake and able to quiz them. The two women had been surprised when he’d sipped a tea they’d given him and he’d labeled each and every ingredient in it—and the looks on the two faces had been priceless. He was almost sorry the other dragon wasn’t there to see it—almost.

Izuku shot him a grin, knowing what he was thinking before turning back to the two women. “Ah, well,” Kikyo said uncertainly.

“Know how it works we do not,” Kaede said solemnly. “Symptoms, aye, suppression works. Permanent, it is not.”

All three in the tent caught the flicker of relief on Izuku’s face before he leaned forward. “So, what have you noticed about the medicine after you administer it?” His eyes sparkled as he went into depth on his passion and his mind whirled as he tried to figure out if this could apply to dragons.

The tent flap opened and Shouto came in from his latest errand (dumping the human waste a suitable distance from the camp). He saw intense Izuku trying to badger answers out of the two healers and went to sit next to Katsuki. “What did I miss?” he asked in a low voice, so as not to interrupt the three.

Katsuki smirked. “Deku knows everything in that murky tea they keep giving him.”

“Amazing.”

“It’s Deku.” Katsuki’s tone implied that amazing thing would have been if Izuku hadn’t known.

The two of them watched the animated (well, Izuku was animated) discussion about hormones and triggers for a moment. “Do you—think he’s well enough to see the valley yet?” Shouto asked.

Years ago, Shouto and Katsuki had gotten together and tried to think of absolutely everything that Izuku would need in his valley home. While they hadn’t exactly found one that was perfect, they had been able to cultivate herbs and crops in the valley—to make it better. The two of them were anxious for Izuku to see it, to see if he’d like it—or if they needed to search more.

“I don’t think so,” Katsuki replied, keeping his voice low. “He looks like that now, but he’s about to collapse again.” He got up and caught Izuku before he collapsed and gently lowered the boy to the blankets.

“He’s—energetic,” Kikyo said, still looking slightly stunned.

Shouto could see how much strain Katsuki had been under by not being in touching distance, so he stayed where he was. “He’s always been fascinated with healing,” he told the two. “He wants to be a dragon doctor.”

“In any event,” Kaede interrupted, “healing well he is. Well enough to move soon he will be.”

Practice at decoding what the old woman said made mental translation easy. “How well will he move?” he asked the women as Katsuki took one of Izuku’s hands in his own again. He fought the urge to be there and take the other one—this conversation was important. “Well enough to be carried by dragon?” he added.

“Depends,” Kikyo said turning her attention, “on if you mean you in full dragon form or in your current half-dragon form.”

“Aye. Smoother you fly as half-human,” Kaede added. “Smoother would be better, so aye. Well enough. Safe enough.”

“And will he still need the two of you?” asked Katsuki.

“He would—if he were not as knowledgeable about medicine as he is. We can instruct him on the proper dosages and how to wean himself off the medicines before he does himself harm.”

Katsuki’s head shot up and he glared at the two of them. “The medicine is dangerous?” he demanded.

Neither healer flinched at his tone. “Only if he takes it too long,” Kikyo told the dragon. Izuku was still sleeping, and Shouto took comfort in the deep, rhythmic sound of his breathing. “All medicine is like that—safe only when it’s needed.”

Katsuki nodded and relaxed a little. “This tent marvelous is,” Kaede said as she limped over to the most recent bag of bandages that Shouto had brought. “Warm without blocking air, and well padded too.”

Katsuki nodded. “I got it from one of the migrating humans.”

A sliver of dread pricks at Shouto. “Did you kill them Bakugo?” he asked.

“Fuck no!” spat Bakugo. “I fucking traded for the tent. Three of those large meat things.” Katsuki couldn't be bothered with remembering what an animal was called most of the time.

Oddly enough, Shouto could picture the exchange. He could see Bakugo winging over the migrating human camp, dropping the three bison, and telling everyone who hadn’t fled that he wanted the big red tent over there. Shoutu felt certain the humans would have been terrified that Bakugo was going to eat them, and had probably worked faster than they’d ever had in their lives to get the tent ready for Bakugo to take. Then they’d probably stared in shock as he winged away with the tent, leaving the meat behind.

He couldn't stop the chuckle that rose from his throat at the mental image. “Fuck you!” snarled Katsuki. “Shut up!”

Izuku grunted softly and opened green eyes. “Kacchan?” he asked.

“Hey,” Katsuki said as he gently helped Izuku sit up again. Shoutou made his way over to where the two of them were, unable to hold back any longer.

“What happened?” Izuku asked groggily.

Shouto looked at Katsuki and then glanced at the two healers. None of the other three seemed concerned. “You collapsed,” Shouto told Izuku. He braced Izuku’s body with his own and took Izuku’s free hand.

“Too excited you were,” Kaede said as she shuffled over. She peered into each of Izuku’s eyes and nodded. “Too excited for as little healed you are,” she told him. “But worry not, well healing you are.”

“It will take a few days before your stamina is back to normal,” Kikyo informed them. She risked her arms by taking one from Katsuki so she could feel his pulse. “Your growling is interfering with my count,” she told the dragon firmly. Katsuki subsided—slightly. “Good,” she said relinquishing the hand back to the dragon who rubbed it against his face. “Your pulse isn’t too fast or too slow, right where it should be. Good.”

Kaede had hobbled over to the fire. She turned and bent a one-eyed glare on the two dragons. “Getting better he will not be if never sitting himself he is!” she told them.

Katsuki growled—but moved away, still holding Izuku’s hand. His red eyes glared at the two women as Kaede stirred what was in the pot. Shouto had a harder time complying. He wanted Izuku to get better, he really did—but he kept remembering him pale and burning with fever. He was afraid that if he let go, Izuku would vanish.

Izuku turned his head to look at Shouto. “I’m okay,” he told the dragon with a smile. “I really am.”

“Better getting all the time,” Kaede said as she ladled stuff into a bowl. She passed the first bowl to Kikyo who sipped the broth inside (the two women had started showing Katsuki the food wasn’t poison after Izuku nearly choked on the first bowl) before passing an identical bowl to Izuku.

Izuku’s hands trembled as he held the bowl to his mouth, but were steady enough the food didn’t spill. Shouto’s own hands twitched with the need for help, but Bakugo glared him down. Izuku lowered the bowl and looked at the two healers. “Needle leaves?” he asked.

“Blood still thick is,” Kaede said as she ladled a third bowl. “Weak against disease still you are. Needle leaves help will. Besides,” added the old woman as she took a sip of her own bowl of soup, “good for cold this soup is, healthy you to keep.”

Shouto and Katsuki were no longer paying attention to conversation. Heading towards them was another dragon. Neither of them were sure why another dragon would be paying a visit, but the distinctive sound of the wing-beats labeled the incoming dragon as Enji.

Enji was rare among the dragons—unlike the others he could transform into a fully human state, and that was what walked into the tent. “Izuku. Bakugo. Shouto. Healers,” he said simply to greet everyone.

Katsuki bristled; he’d never liked Enji. “The fuck do you want?” he growled.

“Kacchan!” admonished Izuku. He looked up at Enji. “Sorry about that, Sir.”

Enji smiled, a rare expression for his human face, and the features softened. “There is no need for you to call me ‘Sir’,” he told the human. “We may not be related yet, but we soon will be. Besides, I like to think you’ve been part of the family since long ago.” Izuku flushed, but the two dragons at his side could tell he was pleased, so they said nothing. “I actually came to speak with the healers,” Enji continued as he looked at them. The two women looked startled, and Shouto shifted. He had thought he’d be taking one of the healers to his father, not the other way around. “I understand,” he said eagerly, “that the two of you have a method of postponing heats.”

“Know not if on dragons it works we do,” Kaede said slowly.

Izuku looked up from his soup, eyes sparkling once again. “That depends,” he said happily, “on how it works!”

[rm4ever]

The Legend of Avatar Katara:

Summary: Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, all of the nations lived together in harmony. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attcked. Only the Avatar, the master of all the elements, can stop them. But when the world needed him the most, he perished in a mysterious iceberg. A new Avatar, named Katara, a Southern Water Tribe member, has to master all of the elements and stop the war. But I believe, Katara can change the world.

This is an original story by me, and yes, I do also love Avatar. Probably one of the best shows I’ve watched. Sooo I hope you all like this Avatar fans :D

A/N: Timeline for now: The year is 1086 (This is my AU). Sokka is 2 yrs old, and Katara isn't born yet, but this is the year that she will be born. Hakoda and Kya are 38 yrs old in this, and Aang is 100 yrs old.

The 100 Year War in the show ends at the year 2000, and it started at the year 1000.

(I did so much fucking Math in this so now im tired af so if I have any mistakes pls tell me, I'm desperate.)

Summary: On a weirdly sunny day in the South Pole, a young couple discovered a mysterious object.

"Hakoda! Have you found any fish yet?" The woman asked.

"Yes..?" The man, Hakoda, answered.

"You're too busy looking at your muscles, are you?" The woman asked while doing air quotations.

"Kya, I don't think there is going to be any fish. It's so hot today, and plus, you're pregnant. You shouldn't be here anyways." Hakoda replied to his wife, ignoring what she just said.

The wife, Kya, made a pouty face, and looked to the distance, but she saw a humongous-spherical shaped iceberg. She tapped on Hakoda's shoulder, who was still listing reasons on why she was not supposed to be there with him.

"What is it?"

"What is that?!" She said while pointing to the iceberg.

Hakoda turned around and gasped a little. "Something we need to avoid. Come on, let's go back now, Kya."

"But I can see a person inside! It's really cold out here, so he or she can die!"

Hakoda sighed and said, "Then how do you suppose we can get them out?"

"Well, it is sunny today, so the ice will be weaker, and we can use your "mighty club" to destroy some pieces!"

"I can't argue with you, no?"

"A woman has her ways. Now, row faster so we can help them!"

"But-"

"No excuses."

Hakoda swerved through the chunks of ice that was on the water, and they finally arrived to where the 'thing' was. It was very clear that there was someone in there, as well as a big cow or something.

"Well? Start hitting it already!" Kya said.

"Okay, okay!"

After multiple hits and complaints, they finally penetrated some parts. A big blow of air rushed out of the iceberg, and a small boy with weird tattoos on his body appeared. He was wearing yellow and orange colored outfit that was way to thin for the weather. It may be sunny, but it was still very cold.

"Gah! What is a boy doing here? Wait, let me see his condition." Kya said while putting her hand on the boy's forehead.

"He's ice cold. He's going to die soon..."

"Being out here for so long with such thin clothes can do that to you. I wish we could've found him sooner. Plus, what are those weird blue tattoos he has?" Hakoda asked.

"Hakoda...I think he's an airbender."

"What?! Aren't they extinct?"

"Well, they are going to be soon. But yes, they are. The Fire Nation eradicated them, though they deny it and just say it was a fire that happened and burnt them all." Kya says sadly.

"Why would the Fire Nation do such a thing anyway? The Airbenders were pacifists, so they wouldn't attack them at anytime."

"I'm not sure, but their reason was because of the Avatar. The last Avatar, Avatar Roku, was a Firebender and the next Avatar was going to be an Airbender. They wanted to end the Avatar cycle so they killed every single Airbender, so that the Avatar would not get in their way. But apparently, one survived. This boy...could be the Avatar."

"FInally...after nearly a century of war, we have hope. We can defeat the Fire Nation." Hakoda says with a tinge of happiness in his voice.

"But...he's dying, Hakoda. This may be the last Avatar." Kya comments.

After a moment of silence, a new voice speaks.

"W-who...who are you? And where am I?"

"I am Hakoda, and this is my wife, Kya."

Suddenly, he sneezed and a large gust of wind came down.

Kya gasped and said, "Oh! You're an Airbender! What's your name?"

"My name is Aang. Anyways, where are the other Airbenders?"

After a look of sadness from the both of us, Hakoda broke the silence.

"The Airbenders all...died. I'm sorry."

"Hakoda!" Kya exclaimed.

"What? He has to know the truth!"

"..."

"O-oh. I'm the last one then?"

"Yes. We're sorry." Hakoda says sadly.

"It's fine...I'm just going to miss Monk Gyatso."

After another long silence, Kya continues the conversation.

"Are you the Avatar? You can trust us, I promise."

"Are you sure you aren't going to hurt me?" Aang said.

"Definitely." Hakoda says.

Aang takes a deep breath and starts explaining. "I ran away from my home because...because I was being sent away from my mentor and friends. And now, everyone is in danger because of me. I'm so so sorry."

"Well, if you didn't run away, the Avatar cycle would stop, and there wouldn't be anymore Avatar, and now, we have a chance to stop the war once and for all." Hakoda says.

"That's right! But, I don't really feel so good." Aang comments.

"I'm sure you're fine." Kya lies. We both know he's going to die soon. He looks so young too. "By the way, what is that giant cow-thing?" Kya finishes.

"Oh! That's my flying-bison, Appa! I don't really say he's my pet, because we're the best of friends. Isn't that right Appa?"

The bison licks Aang when he finishes, and then sniffs the both of us, and Appa also licks us. It's kind of disgusting, but cute at the same time.

"Well! I think we should go home now, right Kya? Let's let this little boy rest." Hakoda says excitedly.

——————————————————————————————————

The boy was getting paler when we arrived back at our village. We tried to help him to get better, but we aren't very skilled to treating people. We aren't used to this either. So, we put him in our hottest room, but it's not helping. I wish we could've helped this boy further, but there's not much we can do about it.

"I'm going to die soon, aren't I? I feel so sick too...I hope the next Avatar will be better than me." Aang says with a tinge of regret in his voice.

"You're doing the best you can, and I'm sure the next Avatar will appreciate that." Kya says.

"At least I can see Monk Gyatso now, as well as all my friends. I'm glad that I met you two!" Aang says and smiles brightly, before the light went away from his eyes. Kya put her hands on his eyelids and closed his eyes.

"I'm happy he had a peaceful death. I wonder who's the next Avatar is going to be." Hakoda says.

Then, a kick comes from Kya's baby, making Kya and Hakoda laugh.

"Whoever the next Avatar is going to be, I'm sure they'll be the ones to stop the war. And I have a feeling this little girl here in my belly will help with that cause." Kya comments.

"Girl? How are you so sure?" Hakoda asks while his eyebrow lifts up.

"Oh, call it a mother's sense." Kya answers happily.

"Dada! Dada!" A new voice that came from a toddler.

"Well, I hear a certain boy is going to play with you now, Hakoda." Kya exclaims.

"It is playtime now, after all. Have a nice rest sweetie."

Kya smiled at this as Hakoda left the tent to play with Sokka. The baby in the womb started kicking again.

"You're gonna be a real feisty one, aren't you?"

A/N: Ah, if only Kya knew. Anyways, thoughts for my story? I hope you guys are going to like it! I won't be updating consistenlty because I do have other stories, as well as (ugh) school.

Uh...bye?

(idk how to end these things okay-)

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous)

Penguin Logistics and Rhine Labs were never strongly associated; the unofficial leader of RI’s RL faction, Silence, was cordial with Penguin’s actual leader, the Emperor himself, and their interactions didn’t need to go any further. For most of their time side-by-side, the two groups really had nothing to bridge them together.

Until, that is, one arctic explorer joined from Rhine Labs. Magallan, the bright-eyed cold-weather drone specialist loved by her colleagues, had already spent some time with the Emperor. She’d visited the far north many times, and being a Liberi with some penguin-like features herself, she got along quite well with the true avians there. It was only natural that she’d find the Emperor absolutely adorable. What the employees of Penguin Logistics hadn’t quite expected was for Maggie, as the Emperor called her, to become an honorary member of PL...in a sense. After all, it’s not like his girlfriend wouldn’t be involved in the company’s affairs somehow, right?

As for the logistical concerns of their relationship...that’s not our place to speculate.

A week after she first arrived at Rhodes Island, Magallan learned that the Emperor spent a substantial amount of time in a sector of RI dedicated to him and his people; essentially, he bought that portion for his people as another of his bases, but after some time working with the Doctor and his people, it made more sense to make it their main post. He was commonly found in their office, playing hip-hop or some of Sora’s music while doing paperwork, which made him easy enough to find.

“Excuse me,” Magallan called out into the lobby of Penguin Logistics, “but is Emperor around?”

“Oh, hey, Miss Maggie! He’s in his room in the back - you can’t miss it.” Exusiai directed her from the couch, where she was splayed out, a magazine in her hands.

She nodded, mentally preparing herself. It had been awhile since she’d seen him, honestly, and even knowing he wasn’t the sort to change, what she wanted to ask him today...she had good reason to be nervous. Like Exu had said, it wasn’t hard to figure out that the room that smelled like fish and liquor was his, especially with the rap tracks pouring through the crack under the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. “Hey, Emperor? Do you have a minute?”

“Maggie?” The music turned down several notches, enough for her to hear the skittering of his feet across his room. A minute or two later, he opened his door. “As I live and breathe. When’d you get here?”

“A week ago. I was getting my workshop and everything set up, but I heard you were here, so...Gotta minute?”

Emperor swung the door wide open, gesturing around an office/bedroom in wild disarray. “Sit anywhere, move anything, don’t matter. I’d get you a throne, but Bison’s out right now.”

“Bison?” She perched herself on his bed, legs dangling over the side. “Is he new?”

“Yeah, new intern. Good kid, needs to learn to let loose. You’ll meet ‘em. Whatcha wanna talk about?”

Maggie blushed. “Right. Um...Do you want to go ice-skating some time?”

“Hell yeah! I know just the spot.” He crossed his flippers. “You alright, Maggie?”

“Oh, I’m more than alright,” she smiled.

Emperor nodded. “Good shit. When you wanna go? I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”

“So we can go tonight?” Maggie hopped off the bed and walked over to where he was standing by his desk. “If that’s alright with you, I’m gonna go home and change. Call me when you’re good to go?”

“Sure thing, Magpie.” He stretched his neck up and clicked softly and happily as she ruffled his feathers in just the right way. There were a few people who could get away with something like this, but he only asked for it from Magallan. No one else knew the right spots without being told.

After a good ruffling, she kissed his forehead and went on her way. A quick shower, a can of sardines, and a rifle through her closer later, and Magallan was ready. The phone rang not long after she’d gotten dressed. “Hello?”

“Hey doll, how’s it kicking?” Emperor chuckled, a very birdlike variant of the sound. “Texas is gonna take us out there; they froze a lake out near Chernobog fighting that rabbit-girl from Reunion the Doc’s got on ice in the medbay, and it’s pretty lit.”

“Sounds good to me. Wait, we’re taking care of someone from Reunion?”

He made a noise she understood to be shared confusion. “Beats me, Magpie. We’re on the way to grab ya, if you’re good.”

“I’m ready when you are.” Maggie giggled. “Poor Texas, though.”

“Don’t worry, I worked somethin’ out for her, too.”

A voice from the front seat. “Hi, Maggie!”

“Hi, Sora!” She giggled again. “Alright, I’ll see you soon.”

“Sure will. Tex, juice this puppy, we ain’t got all day!”

-

Magallan and the Emperor rode in the back of the car, the penguin sitting in Maggie’s lap, while Sora flirted with Texas in the front. As they drove at impressive speeds, propelled by the Lupo in the driver seat’s lead foot, the two of them made small talk, catching up from their time apart and falling back into their lovey-dovey rhythm. They’d always had a way of picking right back up where they’d left off, but because of their frequent absences from each other, it meant not much progress in between. And frankly? Both of them were tired of that. The Emperor didn’t just keep a bunch of cute girls (and Bison) around because they were effective; he needed distractions, and having a couple of Angels for his Charlie certainly made that easier...but Maggie wasn’t just another girl. His little Magpie was a Liberi closer to him than the vast majority, a well-blended mix of cheerful and rational who could temper his admittedly over-the-top personality if it needed to be, and she was cute as all hell, which amplified her other positives because he’d be paying attention to her regardless. To Magallan, the Emperor was simply incredible - a penguin, a penguin of all things, with enough mastery of Ancient language to become a successful rapper renowned for his skills and owner of perhaps Terra’s greatest logistics company (if not in size, then in spirit)? He was utterly fascinating to her, but it went further than that. The Emperor was a bad boy, the kind of person who took what he wanted when he wanted it, and yet he showed her nothing but patience. If he’d wanted, he could have had at any time, but something held him back. That kind of self-restraint was so hard to explain with the rest of his character, it had to mean something, didn’t it?

They arrived at the lake, and while Texas parked the car, Magallan and the Emperor headed directly for the ice. With one click of her heels, Maggie had her ice skates ready to go, and her date simply extended a flipper for her to hold as he slid on his feet.

“I’ve never seen a penguin skate,” she mused, watching him more than the lake around them. “Have you been practicing?”

“When your lady loves the ice, ya gotta stay fresh, so every now and again I come out for a skatin’ sesh.”

Maggie chuckled. “A rhyme for every occasion.”

“It’s not about memory, but flow, you see. Tell me, doll, why’d you invite me out this eve?”

“I wanted you back around once I had my feet on the ground; I never guessed I’d be so blessed to find you in the same town.”

He chirped for joy. “You’ve been practicing, too.”

“Gotta keep up with my boo.”

“I’m glad you do...damn.” He shook his head. “Missed the perfect line.”

Maggie smiled. “You make mistakes? I thought they were just fakes to trick the fools who don’t grasp the stakes?”

“When we’re the only two here to hear? No joke, though - shoulda said ‘Damn, I love you.’ Waste of a verse, might as well toss me in the hearse.”

“...Could we instead turn back on that subject and converse?”

Emperor looked up at her, bemused. “You know I love you.”

“I do...it’s just, you’ve never said it before.”

“Like you said, I make mistakes.” He shifted his weight to one foot as they rounded the lake’s steepest curve. “Not saying that more often is high on that list.”

She blushed. “Empy...”

“Oh, why you gotta be so damn cute.”

“When we get back,” Maggie asked, “do you wanna come over to my place for a nightcap?”

Expressing the cocktail of emotions the suggestion flooded him with wasn’t an easy task. “You askin’ me to come over?”

“At least for a drink...maybe more.”

“Lordy, lordy, lordy.” He set his other flipper to his head. “Ladies ask me back all the time. Never thought you’d follow the line.”

Magallan rolled her eyes. “Then stop holdin’ out on me, Empy.”

“Alright, then. Tonight’s the night.”

“Alright!” Without warning, she picked him up and began twirling. “You don’t wanna know how long I’ve been waiting, baby.”

Emperor flapped his flippers rapidly as if he could slow his spinning down this way. “Whoa, whoa, I getcha, I getcha, but I’m gonna retch if ya don’t quit twirlin’!”

“Sorry!” She straightened out as she let her radial momentum dissipate.

“It’s fine, you’re excited.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “We’ll go whenever you wanna.”

Maggie chirped happily. “We’ll let them have a little more time...and then you’re all mine for the night.”

[arthurmorganuniverse]

A Place For Us

Pairings: Arthur Morgan x F!reader

Word Count: 4,434

Summary: Arthur has let you tag along on his latest hunting trip. Only you’re now caught in a snowstorm and need a way to keep warm. (AKA the ole’ sharing a bed trope)

Warnings: Poorly written smut ahead my friends. Tread carefully. Also, I twist property law to suit my purposes. Law aficionados, look away. 

Notes: Might make this a series of drabbles or something for this particular pair. Like, one about when they go hunt the bison. Might have Arthur get her the white Arabian. Maybe when they get back to the main camp they keep buying stuff to take back to “their” cabin, etc. Let me know if I should! 

You and Arthur had been on the road for several days now hunting down something he called a “Ghost Bison.” While you were excited that he’d asked you to come along, you hadn’t ever traveled this far on horseback before. Your ass felt permanently glued to the saddle and you were exhausted. Not to mention that the skies were looking rather ominous today, dark clouds signaling a storm on the way.

You hadn’t mentioned anything to him, of course, since you didn’t want to mess this up and make it so he’d never invite you along again. The two of you had never really had much of an opportunity to spend time alone together before, and although you were terrified that you’d make a fool of yourself, it had been too good of a chance to waste.

Even so, despite you keeping your complaints to yourself, he still seemed to catch on easily by himself. He stopped and camped regularly enough, making sure you ate and drank plenty and got moments to stretch off of the giant Shire you’d grabbed on the way since it was the only one big enough to handle carting everything back. 

Judging by Arthur’s frequent glances towards the sky, he also was beginning to share your worries about the storm. You were getting closer to where the bison was rumored to be, but finding shelter from the inevitable snowstorm was going to be difficult. Your meager tents were not going to get the job done.

Finally, after yet another full day in the saddle, and with the clouds looming above signaling the snowfall would hit at any moment, the two of you came across a decent looking cabin. To find anyone out this far into the mountains was a miracle, and you just hoped the folks living here would give you shelter without anyone resorting to violence. Hell, you’d even sleep in the small barn off to the side, no arguments. Anything was better than trying to risk the coming storm in the small tents you had.

Arthur silently signaled you to hold back while he walked towards the house. You did as you were told but brought your revolver out just in case. 

“Hello? Anybody home?” Arthur called out as he raised his hands up. “Weapons are away. Just looking for a dry spot to sleep tonight!” The weapons were technically away, although the both of you had your fingers at the ready. 

He rapped on the door, and after a few moments of silence tested the doorknob. It opened easily and he peeked inside, keeping his hand on his holster in case anyone was trying to get the jump on him. Finding nothing, he finally gestured to you to follow. 

You hitch the horse to the porch and walk inside, surprised to find the place looking somewhat decent. It was a little dusty, but the overall appearance of the place was clean and well kept. After poking around in some cupboards, you see that the kitchen is fully stocked, which could be helpful if this wasn’t a trap. After further inspection, you also find a massive bed in one of the rooms, covered in at least four quilts and even some fluffy feather pillows. Both the living room and the bedroom boasted a good sized fireplace as well. All in all, this place seemed almost too good to be true. Where were the owners? 

“You look like you’re thinkin’ what I am, so I’m gonna go take a look around outside, see if I can’t find our host,” Arthur stated as met up with you in the kitchen. “Stay around the cabin and keep your gun handy.” 

“I will. Be careful.” 

Arthur nods and squeezes your shoulder when he passes on his way to the door. He shuts it quietly behind him as you stare vacantly at the space he’d just left. You could still feel the weight of his hand on your shoulder, heavy and comforting. You blush at your stupidity, acting like a little girl just because some fella touched her innocently. Never mind that he’d never touched you before. 

You shake it off and keep your hand on your holster as you wander around the house, taking stock of anything that might be valuable. There wasn’t much, as it seemed whoever lived here was more of a practical soul, even if the everyday things were made to be comfortable. There were no womanly touches to be found, but the person did enjoy plush linens and good sturdy furniture. You’d even found an enormous copper tub in the other room, along with a huge stash of sandalwood soap. You hoped you get a chance to use it, as you hadn’t had a proper wash in four days. There was only one bed in the house, leaving sharing the bed the only option so you would feel better about sleeping next to Arthur if you knew that you at least smelled okay. 

You continue your search, rifling through a little writing desk until you find a series of letters. 

“Well, well. Good to meet you, Elijah Foster,” you mumble as you read the address. You skim through the letters to find any hints of what kind of person lived here, hoping it was someone that Arthur wouldn’t have any trouble dealing with. 

Based on the stack of letters, it was a single man with no family, as he often complained about having to live alone. He mostly wrote back and forth with some friend of his talking about the good ole days and swapping homestead advice. It sounded like he was just an old man. 

You wander towards the back door and poke your head out, listening for anything suspicious. There was nothing more than the usual sounds of nature, which could be both good and bad. Still, you trusted that Arthur could handle himself, so you won’t too worried. Instead, you take note of the chicken coop and large garden that could prove to be handy soon, then head back into the relative safety of the cabin. 

Moments later, Arthur comes in through the back door, blowing into his hands to warm them.

“Found an old fella out near the well. No wounds or nothin’. Was probably doin’ chores and his heart just gave out. I buried him not too far away.” 

You nod and show him the papers you’d found. He quickly glances through them, coming to the same conclusion you did. 

“I’ll go carve his name tomorrow. I want to head back out to this shed I saw on my way back right now. Looked like a smokehouse, so we might find something for supper.” 

“Sounds good. If not, there are lots of things here in the kitchen too. Dear Elijah sure loved his food,” you chuckle, waving Arthur off as he heads back outside. 

With the news that it seemed safe to stay, you let your guard down a little bit, peeling off your filthy jacket and hat. You set them off to the side, wondering if you could convince Arthur to stay long enough to do some laundry. You were sure he needed some clean clothes too. 

Upon inspection, the wooden stove seems in perfect working order and already has a stack of kindling and wood ready to go next to it. You set the kindling inside and light it up, knowing it will take a while to get to a good temperature for even cooking. While the stove warms, you hum and go through the cupboards as you try to figure out what to make for supper. Arthur comes stomping back inside moments later, arms filled with goods and grinning happily. 

“I was right about the meat. He had a whole root cellar going on underground. Found some ham, bacon, and some sort of sausages. The best part is the place was filled with home canned goods and even some fruits and vegetables. Got some peaches and apples, even found some eggs and butter. Figured we could do with a little treat.” 

“We can make all kinds of stuff with that! I am starving right now, so we’ll make something quick. Maybe the sausages and a potato hash? Might have the stuff to make some fry bread with it. Then maybe a cobbler for dessert. We’ll save the bacon for breakfast and make some fried apples too.” 

“If you say so,” Arthurs deadpans and settles all of his finds on the dining room table. 

You quirk an eyebrow at him. “You still don’t believe that I can cook.” 

“Didn’t say that, Miss. Just haven’t seen any evidence to support your claims.” 

You should probably be offended, but a smiling and teasing Arthur was such a rare treat that you could only bring yourself to blush and smile back. 

“I’ll show you. Out of my kitchen, mister. You should get both of the fireplaces going. The chill is really starting to hit this place.” 

“Good idea. I’ll get the tub filled too. Try not to burn my food, woman.” 

“So rude. Now, where did I put that poison?”

Arthur laughs as he heads outside. You focus on cooking while he comes in and out, carrying loads of firewood and huge buckets of water. The poor man was certainly getting a workout today. You were sure he was looking forward to a bath now. 

Dinner was nearly done by the time he joins you in the kitchen, poking his head over your shoulder to look at the cobbler you were putting together. 

“The man sure liked his comforts. That bed is big enough for four. I think the two of us will be plenty comfortable.” 

You were glad he couldn’t see your face, as the reminder of where you’d be sleeping tonight must have made you resemble a tomato. You stick the cobbler in the oven to avoid looking at him and begin to dish out the sausages, potatoes, and bread you’d put together for supper while Arthur continues looking through the cupboards. 

“There must be forty pounds of beans here. Could feed an army. Would be good with some of that bacon.” 

“I am not making you any beans if I’m supposed to be sharing a bed with you, Arthur Morgan.” 

“That’s probably smart thinkin’,” he chuckles, sitting at the dining room table as you set the plates down, along with a pitcher of water he’d pumped earlier. 

You roll your eyes as Arthur playfully makes a big show of sniffing his fork before he takes a bite. Your smile quickly turns smug as his eyes widen. 

“Now why in the hell have I been eating Pearson’s slop if you can cook like this?” 

You giggle and take a bit of your own food, pleased as he starts to dig in with relish. 

“Pearson would never give up his job. Besides, this is pretty simple. Hard to mess up sausages and hash. The real test is my cobbler.” 

Arthur grunts, shoving an entire half a sausage in his mouth as he chews happily. The meal soon became a quiet affair as your hunger caught up with you as well, and the two of you went to work devouring every bit quickly. The cobbler went by just as fast, with Arthur’s moan of delight being compliment enough. 

Once your bellies were full with nary a crumb of leftovers in sight, the both of you leaned back into your chairs, sighing in contentment. 

“Pearson can keep cooking for the rest of them, but I’ll only eat if you cook for me. You’re not gonna let me starve, right? You’ll cook for me again?” Arthur asked as he rubbed his belly, his soft smile sending your insides fluttering.  

“You’re ridiculous. Yes. If we happen to be in camp at the same time and Pearson won’t kill me for using his supplies, I’ll cook for you again.” 

Arthur helps you bring the dishes to the sink and even dries them while you wash. The easy way that the two of you work together makes you feel like you’ve done this millions of times. 

When everything is clean, Arthur heads to the bedroom while you sit down on the sofa near the fire and begin pulling off your boots. They have a couple of new holes after this trip, making you cringe a bit. You’ll have to find a new pair before these fall apart completely. Arthur comes out a few moments later, carrying one of his union shirts. You were very familiar with those shirts, as they were usually fairly tight on him and highlighted his impressive back muscles. 

“Thought you could use something to wear to bed. You can take the bath first.” 

You accept the shirt, knowing the thing will probably reach nearly to your knees and cover you well enough. 

“You sure? You’ve worked hard, so I don’t mind waiting.” 

“Nah, it’s alright. The water will be dirtier for you if I go first. Little thing like you can’t hold much dirt.” 

You snort over your shoulder as you head to the bathing room. “You’d be surprised.” 

You strip quickly once you shut the door behind you, glad that you wouldn’t have to put any of those clothes back on when you were done. Everything you had was filthy. You didn’t even have a clean pair of bloomers to wear. The coals under the tub had kept the water nice and warm, and you sighed as you slid into the blessed comfort. Arthur had even set out a couple of washcloths and a bar of soap on the end table near the tub. 

As you wash the days of grime away, you peer out of the window and see that the snow is finally coming down hard. It’s probably a pretty good guess that the two of you might be snowed in here for a couple days unless Arthur wants to tough it out. You really hope he doesn’t. 

You quickly finish up in the tub, wanting to leave Arthur with plenty of warm water, and dry off, wringing your hair out as best you can. You slip on the shirt and take a little sniff, pleased that it smelled like Arthur. Looking around, you find an unopened container of tooth powder, so you wet a washcloth and do your best. 

You take a deep breath and open the door to find Arthur lounging on the sofa, his boots and hat already off, and he was near to dozing off by the looks of it. He cracks open an eye as you step out, then slowly sits up straight, staring at you wide-eyed as you shyly stand there. 

“It’s all ready for you,” you mumble, the cold air reminding you of just how exposed you are right now. 

Arthur audibly swallows as his gaze travels from your hair drying wildly and loose, to your bare legs, glimpses of your thighs poking from underneath his shirt if you shifted. 

Finally, he clears his throat and picks up the clothes he had handy, holding them in front of his lap as he hurries past you. The door closes behind him without another word. You quirk an eyebrow at the door, then shrug and bank the fire in the main room before heading to the bedroom. 

The bedroom is sufficiently cozy, with the fire a gentle heat now and the windows weatherproofed. You slip under the covers on the right side, knowing Arthur will want to be on the left and closer to the door. After that it’s just a matter of trying to remember to breathe despite how nervous you were. 

You lose track of time and the warmth seeps into your bones, making you drowsy, and you close your eyes for a few moments. Eventually, the gush a cold air hits your face as Arthur enters the room and quickly shuts the door behind him. 

The room is suddenly filled with the scent of sandalwood as the freshly bathed man settles his things around. You can hear him putting his guns on the nightstand before the bed dips a little and the blanket is moved to allow him to slip underneath. 

The bed is big enough that you aren’t touching each other, but you can feel the heat of his skin and he settles onto his back next to you. 

“Night, Arthur.” 

“Night.” 

You nervously listen to his breathing, your heart going crazy being in such an intimate setting with a man and not being allowed to touch. Eventually, you heard him drift off, and allowed yourself to follow soon after. 

~

You were so damn warm. Too warm. The air around you nearly stifling your ability to breathe. Your eyes flutter open and you sleepily look around. It’s barely morning, just a hint of light showing through the window. 

There’s a heavy weight across your back and waist, so you peel the blanket back to peer under. Arthur has molded himself to you during the night, his legs tangled in yours and his arm across your waist. His skin is so unbelievably hot, and you guess that’s what woke you up. Your shirt had been ridden up a little too high for comfort, but at least you weren’t completely exposed. 

This was nice, though. You knew the proper thing to do would be to sneakily climb out of his tangled limbs, but it was so good. It had been a long time since you’d felt this safe and secure. 

Your plan was simply to fall back asleep like this and deal with the awkwardness in the morning. As you closed your eyes and began to let the heaviness of slumber take you over again, it seemed like a great plan. 

Until he shifted in his sleep, pulling your hips closer to his lap and settling something hard and warm against your backside. 

Suddenly all the blood in your body pooled downstairs, making you throb and dampen as you realize what that is and how close you are to it. 

You slowly peer over your shoulder and see that Arthur is still fast asleep. And apparently having a great dream, judging by the twitching appendage that was being rocked against you ever so slightly. 

You bite your lip and debate stopping him. Waking him up and acting like nothing was wrong was probably the polite thing. A good girl would even smack him and demand he apologize for acting like an animal even in sleep. 

No one had ever said you were a good girl. 

Your hips seemed to move of their own volition, pressing harder against his erection as his movements sped up. The massive hand that had been gripping onto your waist slowly slid up until it was cradling one of your breasts, somehow gentle with them in sleep. Arthur grunted and pressed his head into your neck, nipping at the skin lightly. 

You couldn’t hold back the moan as Arthur suckled a little harder on your neck, and you felt the jolt as he woke up, stilling almost instantly. 

“...Y/n?” 

He was trying to pull his arm off of you, but you clutched it hard. 

“I’m so sorry. Fuck, I’m just gonna...” Arthur tried to pull away again, but you tugged him closer, peering at him over your shoulder. His breath hitches and you know what he sees. Your lips chewed from trying to keep quiet, hair mussed and bite marks on your neck. Debauched. 

“Arthur, please.” 

He gulps and settles back, letting you bring his hand back up to your breast. 

“You really want this? I don’t think I’ll be able to stop once I start.” 

You hum and wiggle your butt against his erection, pleased to hear his whispered curse. 

“I want this. Want you.” 

You can feel him nod behind you, then he slides his hand slowly down your body, reaching underneath the shirt that was now bunched up to your waist.

“Easy girl, I got you,” Arthur mumbles as his hand reaches your core. 

“Darlin’ you are soaking wet.” 

His fingers part your folds, circling around to gather up your essence on them before slowing slipping one inside. 

“Shit, you are so ready to go. Feel so good. Take one more for me.” 

His hips are slowly grinding into you from behind, betraying how excited he is despite the calmness of his voice. He slowly slides another finger inside as his thumb circles your clit. 

“There’s a good girl,” he groans against your neck. 

You can’t help the little giggle that escapes. 

Arthur props himself up to lean over and look at your face. 

“What is so darn funny? Ain’t polite to laugh while a fellas trying to make you feel good.” 

“I’m sorry, it feels amazing. Really. You’re just so adorable I couldn’t help it.” 

“Adorable?” Arthur crinkles his nose like you’d just insulted him. 

“You talk to me like I’m your horse,” you giggle again, unable to stop it. 

He groans with embarrassment and presses his face back into your neck.

“Just have to make it so you can’t laugh then.” 

He pulls his fingers out, leaving you feeling horribly empty. You can feel him messing around with his own pants, trying to pull and kick them off under the covers. Then he picks up your leg and slings across his hip, his cock now laying heavy against your core. 

He slides it around, coating it before settling it against your opening. 

“Last chance to back out. You sure you want me?” 

“Yes. Do it, please.” 

Arthur slides in embarrassingly easy, grunting and tightening his hold on you as he fully sheathes himself. 

“You are so tight. I’m worried I’m not going to last long,” he mutters as he starts to thrust. 

You are pretty sure you’re not going to last either, because you’d barely started and you could feel your orgasm building up. You could hear how wet you were, every thrust creating an embarrassing squelching sound. He speeds up, his hips slamming into you, and the room is filled with the slaps of skin on skin. You can’t even think anymore, the only sounds you’re capable of making are whining and grunting his name. Arthur leans across your back to kiss and suck on your neck, one of his hands reaching under you to rub your clit.

“You feel so good, darlin’. You’re so tight and wet. And you sound so pretty. Am I making you feel good?”

“Yes! Please, I’m so close!” You moan loudly, thrusting your hips back to meet his.

“Oh god, sweetheart, I’m going to cum soon. I can’t hold off anymore. Cum with me.” He whispers in your ear, biting the lobe, and you let go, screaming his name into the pillow. He thrusts hard three more times and cums with a loud, guttural groan into your neck. You both stay like that, breathing heavily as you come down and he strokes your stomach. After a minute, he finally pulls out, leaving you cringing as you feel yourself spill onto the sheets. 

It’s quiet as you both catch your breath. You can hear Arthur’s heartbeat slowing down as you lay on his chest. You wanted to know what this all meant. If this was just sex for him or if he was sweet on you. You had no idea how to go about asking him without sounding desperate. 

“I can hear you overthinking.” He chuckles into your hair. He leans back and tilts your chin up, forcing you to meet his eyes.

“So what’s it gonna be? This a one time thing, or is it more?” 

“I’d like it to be more,” you answer shyly, and he seems pleased with your response as he pulls your closer to him and leans over to peck your lips. 

“Alright. We can do whatever you wanna do. You call the shots here.” 

“Well, I don’t know how smart it is giving me that much power, Arthur Morgan.” 

He chuckles, grabbing a handful of your hair and playing with it. 

“Don’t think I’d mind if it’s you.” 

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence for a few moments before the urge to find the outhouse became too great. After taking care of business and freshening up, you make breakfast while Arthur goes looking through all the papers in old Elijah’s desk. 

“Here, look at this one.” 

You wipe your hands off on the dish towel and hold the paper near the window, seeing that Arthur has found the deed to the property. 

“You know,” Arthur says thoughtfully, rubbing his hand across his beard. “He didn’t have nobody else. It’d be easy as hell to write something up and say he sold it to us. Go to town and have ‘em file it up. It could be ours.” 

You stare at him in wonder. “Really?” 

“Not gonna leave the others in the dust, of course, but we could have a place out here for when we need it. Or to just get away sometimes. Just the two of us.” 

You’re absolutely beaming with you throw yourself at him and he pulls you into a hug, placing a kiss onto the top of your head. 

“A place for us.” 

[thefloorisbalaclava]

I need that promised Dinner Date for Mechanic!Frankie!!! <3

Of course!

Pairing: Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales x F!Reader

Warnings: Two awkward cuties who haven’t been on a date in a long time and another kiss. A longer one this time.

[mechanic!frankie masterlist]

Frankie smiled down at his phone as he read the text “Dinner tonight. My place” for the fiftieth time that morning. He couldn’t believe it was actually happening. He thought that the kiss you two shared might have scared you away, but here you were inviting him to dinner.

“Hey boss,” one of his mechanics said as he walked into the office. Frankie fumbled his phone, making it fly up in the air before landing on his desk. “Am I interrupting something?” the man asked, amused.

“Uh...no. What’s up?” Frankie cleared his throat and stood up.

“Is she hot?” The worker grinned and leaned against the doorframe.

“Get out,” Frankie said calmly.

“Wait, is it that woman that brings her car in like three times a week? She’s fucking hot, man. Way to go.” He clapped Frankie on the back as he walked past him out the door.

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Frankie rolled his eyes and began cleaning his tools.

“It’s a compliment, boss.”

“Hot? No...she’s gorgeous, beautiful, stunning...so much more than hot.” He stared off into space dreamily as he spoke.

“Man, you got it bad or maybe you got it good,” the man joked.

“One more thing like that outta your mouth and I’m sending you home.” He put the wrench he was cleaning down roughly and glared at his worker. “Be respectful, please.”

“Yes, boss. Sorry, boss.” The man walked off and busied himself and Frankie went back to daydreaming about you. 

He found himself feeling bad for thinking so much about the small kiss you two shared. It wasn’t like anyone could read his mind, but he still felt a little guilty. He also felt guilty for wanting the day to go by as fast as possible so he could get to you faster.

He closed up shop and headed home to shower and dress in some of his nicer clothes. He knew you wouldn’t have a problem with anything he wore but he still wanted to look nice for you.

Should he tell you he was getting ready?

just got home. be there soon, he texted and left it at that. You didn’t need to know that he was showering and all that.

After his shower, he looked at himself in the mirror. The towel sat just below his tummy and sucked it in, imagining how he would look if he was a bit more svelte. He’d definitely fit into his clothes a little better. He wondered if you liked your men a little more toned than he was.

“You’re an idiot, Francisco,” he sighed before walking away from the mirror and getting dressed.

The button up shirt he chose was one of the nicest he had. It took him about ten minutes to decide how many buttons he should leave undone. He didn’t want to look like he was trying to hard although he really was. His hair was almost completely dry by the time he finished dressing completely. He looked in the mirror again and tried styling it in different ways. He was so used to wearing a hat that his hair never seemed to look right without it. And his stubborn, errant curls went wherever they wanted anyway.

“Screw it,” he said quietly, standing up straight and giving himself a once over. He turned to the side and looked at his butt. “Hmm...” Then shook his head. “What the hell am I doing?” Before he did anything else stupid, he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

Right after he knocked on your door, he regretted not asking if he should bring anything. You opened the door and greeted him with a bright smile.

“You made it,” you said happily.

“I did. What...did you think I’d stand you up?” he asked as he walked inside.

“No, but, uh...” You looked him up and down and he felt his face getting hot. “I’m surprised some other woman didn’t snatch you up before you got here.”

“Oh,” he chuckled sheepishly, looking down at the floor.

“What I mean to say is that you look very nice. I mean, you always do but...you look nice.”

He shrugged. “Thanks.”

“Any time. Uh...you can come into the kitchen if you like.” 

He hung up his jacket and followed you in, watching you move to and fro. “Anything I can help with?” he asked.

“Nope, you’re my guest.”

“Okay. Smells good,” he commented.

“Thanks. It’s not quite as delicious as what you made me for dinner, but I hope you’ll like it.” You placed a plate on the table. “Please sit.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“I put wine out but if you want something different just let me know.” You made yourself a plate and sat across from him.

“Wine is...fine,” he said, shaking his head. “Sorry.” He picked up his fork and took a bite before nodding happily. “I knew it.”

“What?”

“It’s delicious.”

You clapped your hands together. “Good!”

You two talked about everything. It was easygoing and fun and something Frankie had avoided for so long. He knew he had just had dinner with you the other night but there was something even more pleasant this time around.

He smiled at the way you got a little more talkative and expressive when you got wine drunk. You laughed at his jokes, you even finished some of his sentences. Before he knew it, you were sitting in the chair next to his and had it turned so you could face him.

“Want some more wine?” you asked after finishing another glass of your own.

“No, I still have to get home, you know,” he joked. You both laughed then just looked at each other.

“So...” You put your glass down and held out your hands. “Lemme see your hands.”

“Hm okay.” He put his hands in yours and you turned them over, surveying them, feeling them. “Rough, I know.”

“They’re lovely hands,” you told him.

“What are you gonna do to ‘em? You gonna read my palms or something?”

“No, I just wanted to...” You looked at him and forgot what you were going to say. “Um...hold...them...”

“That’s fine with me...” He said your name quietly then you said his and then you were kissing. You both sighed into it like you both had breathed the very air you need into each other’s lungs. You let go of his hands so you could lock yours around the back of his neck, fingers tucked into his curls. Your tongue touched his first and he made a small sound before doing the same. Every time one of you pulled away it just started all over again. Neither of you could get enough.

The softness of your lips, the softness of his. Urgent yet not greedy or forceful. Sweet yet passionate. He’d never forget that you tasted of wine and that you smiled when you kissed. You didn’t have to know that he had opened his eyes a few times just to look at you.

When you finally pulled away from each other, you were both breathless.

“Um...wow,” he said quietly.

“Was that okay?” you asked.

“Okay? That was more than okay.” He touched your face softly and you smiled at him.

You both lingered at the door--him outside, you inside. You couldn’t bring yourself to say goodnight so you just kissed him again.

“I had a wonderful night,” he said, “Thank you.”

“Me too. I hope we can do it again sometime.” You ran your fingers over his knuckles then he turned your hand over so he could kiss the back of it.

“We can. I’d love nothing more,” he admitted. He leaned in for one more kiss which you gladly gave to him. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Francisco.” You closed the door and smiled dreamily to yourself before twirling around the living room. 

Frankie could see you through the window and he chuckled before driving off. He touched his lips. Everything he had kept himself from all those years he had found again on your lips.

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[royalbluehues]

Sidereal, Part 9

A/N: Boom. Didn’t think you expected that.

Title: Sidereal

Author: royalbluehues

Rating: General

Warnings: Major sass

Pairings:  Loki x Reader

om·nip·o·tent (adj)

(of a deity) having unlimited power; able to do anything.

Part 9: Omnipotent.

Three days have passed, and you went along the same schedule: sleep, if you could, munch at a piece of bread, sit, speak to Bjorni for a bit, sit some more, sleep, and then start all over again.

Today was the first day since your meeting with Frigga that you came out of the rooms that the king had allowed you to reside in.

The king did not call you yet. The fear that he would grow annoyed at you and send you away held you from confronting him on the matter. But with that fear, also came irritation.

You needed to get a move on. This resistance was only going to get stronger, and eventually would turn your loyal subjects against you.

You sat on one of the small stone benches in the garden, watching as two birds flew from branch to branch, circling around one another.

“Goldfinches. They originate from Midgard.” You jumped at the sound of the voice, turning your head to the right to see that it was Prince Loki.

“By the Nor- you scared the living soul out of me.” Prince Loki smiled apologetically and stood next to you, hinting to wanting to sit down. You, unwillingly, scooted over, leaving space for him. You folded your hands in your lap, crossing your legs at the ankles, turning your torso a bit away from him, your lips pressed into a tight line.

It was quiet for a moment, and you refused to look at the prince. “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted. It was-” he paused, evident that he was trying to find the right word, “ignorant… of me. I was only speaking on behalf of Asgard.”

Your head turned to meet his, your eyes turning cold. “I thought that it was the King’s job to do so. I did not appreciate being humiliated even further- far more than I already had been.” You stood abruptly, walking towards one of the paths that lead to the gardens.

You passed roses, bushes with berries, trees that were beginning to bear fruit. “And I apologize for that. But you must know that as the son of a king, it is also my duty to take heed when I see a problem.”

Your anger and annoyance were rising again, and you turned to face him. He was taller than you, so much you had to crane your head up to look at him. “My family’s death is not just some problem,” you hissed, “nor is taking back my kingdom.” You stared at him, giving him your iciest glare, wishing you could wring his throat right then and there. His face was unreadable, his green eyes challenging yours. You cocked your head to the right, softening your stance and allowing your voice to honey a bit, “As the daughter of a king, I was taught when to stay quiet and when I should give input. Perhaps you should take heed in a lesson teaching such skill. It is something that all rulers should learn. Even little princes.”

You turned around, feeling quite satisfied with yourself, and started towards your route. You listened as the birds sang happily as the breeze weaved through the plants.

“Need I remind you that you are here to ask for my armies and for help. It’s best if you refrain from speaking so condescendingly.” You heard the prince say from behind you, making you turn to face him again.

You scoffed, “Your father’s armies, my prince- not yours. And most likely never will be yours. And need I remind you,” you snapped, “that you are speaking to someone who is of higher rank than you.” You watched as he clenched his jaw, outrage pooling in his eyes. His eyes pierced yours, so much that they nearly made you squirm. You raised your chin, standing a bit straighter, watching as he neared you, towering over you once more.

“Do you know who I am? What they call me? I am the god of lies, my lady. I manipulate situations with just a single word, I can make even the most unswayed person doubt himself,” he smiled ruthlessly, “I can make your little pitiful excursion crumble with a breath. Maybe it is you, little princess, who should think before she speaks.”

Your mouth was open just a fraction, eyes wide, unable to get anything past. The prince stepped back, folding his hands in front, releasing a breathy laugh when you didn’t say anything. “What’s wrong?” He mocked, “Has your daring tongue turn leaden?”

You blinked, your regality returning to you, as well as your wit. “Is that the best mind numbing retort you could possibly think of? How sad of you that you must feel the need to throw such mindless threats as that. If it pleases you so much, allow me to return the favor: I am a turning. I control the phases of the moon and the sun. I can crumble Asgard with a snap of my fingers,” you spat, “I can darken your world in an instant, I can cause death to wreak havoc on your lands. Do you know what they call me my prince? Do you know who I am? I am a Queen. I am the goddess of the moon and sun. My children are the stars, the very ones who guide the wandering traveler.” Every word you spoke caused adrenaline to surge through your veins, “Believe me, my lord, I can easily, without a given thought, lose you. I do not wish to bicker on with a man who has the mentality of a five year old, threatening me, no less,” you scoffed, “with tattling on me to his father. I do not think it wise if we speak to one another for the remainder of my stay, which I can assure you, will not be long. Good day.”

Before he could utter another word, you left. You could feel your hands shaking and his stare on your back even after you made it to the castle.

How dare he speak to you as such? Oh, how you wished you could have back slapped him across the face for good measure.

But one thing was true: you needed Odin’s answer and you needed it now. You walked to the King’s study, the servants pausing from their work to catch eye of the fallen Queen that had emerged from the closed chambers.

The two guards at the door allowed you to enter into the study, were the King of Asgard was scribbling away at a letter.

The doors closed behind you, and the King still scribbled away, making you wait until he finished his writing.

You stood straight as a board, hands folded. The old king set his quill down, folding the letter, poured hot wax over it, and pressed his sigil into it. Only then did he look up, setting the letter aside. “Princess.”

“Queen, my lord. I was a princess up until the death of my father.” Done were your formalities. What you needed now were answers.

“Yes, yes. Of course. Have you eaten anything? You look like a skeleton. The dress is quite baggy.”

Annoyance flickered through your being once more, “I did not come here to speak about my appearance. My lord, I’ve come to hear what you have decided. I need an answer.”

Odin sat in his chair, the scene all too familiar to you, his face already speaking his decision for him. “Yes, well, perhaps maybe another day or two would be nice-”

“No,” you spoke firmly, “I cannot waste another day. I can see that what I have requested you have declined, which you have every right.”

“I do.” He agreed, his golden eye patch glimmering from the fireplace. “Please take no offense. It is that I do not want too, I do, but Asgard is not in it’s best place to enter into a war.”

You scoffed at his pathetic excuse, “Of course. And it was not my parent’s will to be murdered, and yet it still happened. You are the peacekeeper between realms. I understand that Bjartsjord is not part of the nine, but we are still allies. We assisted your father in defeating Malakeith and the dark elves in the First Battle of Svartalfheim. We supply you food and trade. I do not think you understand the consequences.”

Odin rose from his chair, and leaned on his knuckles. “Pray tell.” His voice was sharp, but you were not easily shaken.

“If Bjartsjord falls, so does the entire fabric of our universe. I am a turning. I rule over the sun, moon and stars,” you emphasized, “ and there isn’t a bone in my body that does not doubt that there are plans to assassinate me that have yet to be initiated. If I die, my lord, so do you, because I am the very last turning alive. I am the reason why your crops are harvested each year, why you have the separation of morning and night, why Hel’s demons haven’t feasted on you. The list could go on and on, but I am losing time.” The king’s eyebrows were pulled together, his single steely eye piercing you. “I will ask you once more: will you assist me in taking back my kingdom?”

The council had gathered, sitting at the table where Ake would call them to. Boren held the letter in his hand, reading each word in silence as each of his companions gazed at him with worried expressions.

Boren sighed when he finished, setting the letter down and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well?” Aslen spoke, his mustache puffing up a bit when he spoke.

Boren cracked an eye open, “The girl has requested an army. Just as we feared.”

“And has he complied?” Canute, another member, asked.

“It didn’t say. We can only hope that the boy we sent out will kill her before she makes any action.” Boren’s voice was monotonous, the headache he tried to alleviate earlier returning.

“Boren, if I may ask, where are you getting this information from?” Aslen questioned, his bushy eyebrows raising in curiosity.

Boren’s blue eyes peered at his fellow councilman, his scarred lip turning ever so slightly. His fingers flipped over the letter in front of him, revealing the sigil of the Valknut. “The King of Asgard himself.”

Part 10:

Part 1: The Ascent.

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