#to keep her coddled once more- to never let go of her daughter again

[cmdrfupa]

Winters Blessing

Suguru x Reader

an: idk yall. This has been sitting in the files for a minute and I finally found how I wanted to go about this. Little to no proofreading so uh.. Slight copium ig.

Cw: claustrophobia mention, reader and Suguru have a child, mentions of death, Cursed Child Arc which is a warning in itself.

Suguru looked curiously into the crib, "She looks just like me." You didn't say anything, instead keeping your eyes on the sleeping child. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Soft golden light spilled from the windows as the night's snow flurry was underway. The gentle winds blew against the window.

"If I told you, what would be different?"

"I would've helped." his tone was neutral.

"You wouldn't have chosen us nor dismantled your following," noticing how closely he looked at the baby, you inched closer to him.

Suguru's views caused too much chaos, so you left. You followed him longer than you should have, choosing to stop trying to find ways for him to spread his opinions without aggressive forces. You were understanding (complacent) until you found out you were expecting, and his actions became more volatile. " I did what was necessary." The emotional turmoil was evident in your voice, a testament to the unresolved struggles.

The strings of white, green, and red lights twinkled around the window trimming. You kept the house toasty as small gusts of winter chill swept across the floor of your older home.

Suguru smiled, "Fair point," accompanied by a light laugh. A bitter taste lingered at the edge of his tongue. "We wouldn't have been able to agree, true. But when two parents have conflict about their child, the healthy option would be to have a conversation." He felt like a teenager again, the sick side effect of love, the kind that makes you do things you never thought you would. It was a pathetic realization that he would've done anything for you and still would.

"Healthy conversation? Geto, please," the subtle rise in your voice caused the baby to stir. You rubbed her back lightly. "I tried telling you. More than once. Just for you to have your assistant put me in your room like some concubine without a voice."

He tried to ignore the ache from the formality of you calling him Geto. "I did that to keep you safe. Did you think I was just going to let you roam? I don't trust those ingrates."

"That's not the point, Geto."

"Then what is? You're not giving me a good excuse," The lack of understanding between you was palpable.

"The point is you didn't give me a chance to help from the beginning. When we left Tokyo, you were confrontational about literally anything I said. You were tired and underappreciated. We were on the same team. But you never let me into your world enough to be there for you."

You stepped away from the crib, attempting to step directly into his sight.

"You say that as if we were ever the same. "We weren't then, and we aren't now," Suguru said. He wanted to touch the child's dark hair, but he held back. He placed his hand on the crib railing. That action alone would make this more challenging than it is. "Almost 10 years of knowing me in my truth and your views on life and humanity are weak. You are weak. You walked among non-sorcerers for too long, and it made you soft. You coddle them as if it's your purpose. I've been fixing what you've had a hand in ruining." Suguru's voice was sharp. But, it hinted at your old bond beneath his pointed words.

"And that is why I stopped trying to tell you."

"Not a good enough excuse. It is my child. My blood." You were just as stubborn as he was; he was out to hit a nerve. "Will you resent this child as they grow older? You do know she will be a sorcerer who appreciates her place in the world. She won't be weak, like you." his lips turned up, looking down at his daughter. Her hair haloed around her cherub face as she slept peacefully. "Your child is better than you... honestly rather shameful, no?"

"Hallway. now." Your eyes said everything. You opened the door, holding it for him.

Suguru wasn't stupid enough to argue. Without another word, Suguru walked out to the hallway, grinning.

"Suguru. You have some nerve coming to me like this when I tried to be understanding for years." Looking into his eyes was setting a trap, but you needed him to see you. "My view on life and humanity might make me look weak. But you kept me. You loved me. I left everything and everyone behind for you. To support you. To understand you more. And all I was given was dust."

The smirk on his face was disgusting. It made your skin crawl. "You wanted to support me? Fine. You left everything behind and stood by me." tone dripping with condescension. "But I kept you with me because your weakness made me look stronger amongst fools who lead with emotion." Already a tiny space between you, he takes a step forward. "The minute you don't get your way, you run. Just to be in need. Always needing to be saved. Never necessary.."

"Don't you dare." the heat in your chest pooled as you cut him off; this was beyond anger as Geto attempts to manipulate your emotions. "If I've always been weak and never necessary, tell me why you loved me. And don't lie."

"What I thought was love was simply us being teens. Even then, you accepted me and my flaws." He pauses again, a flicker in Suguru's eyes. A sense of longing in his voice has already faded from him. "But I know you're not the same anymore, and neither am I." Exhaling, he knew he wasn't lasting against you for long. "You're too compassionate and open. I'm cold and willing to set the world on fire for my goals. Perfect disastrous match." His words didn't match his feelings. Suguru was losing his inner battle.

The silence was thick as his brown eyes couldn't look away from you. You had him. He was letting you in.

"I've only read your thoughts once before."

“And that time, you asked me.” He tsked, putting on a face of disappointment. “Shame on you for not getting my consent this time, sugar.”

“You didn’t look away. You know how this works Geto.” You quickly retorted. “And consent wasn’t an issue when it was your followers I was doing this on.”

Since that one time in school, he had kept you from accessing his thoughts and feelings. Knowing that eye contact was key to your technique, Suguru made it a habit to look at the tops of your brows when he spoke to you. There would've been no success if you'd discovered his plans before he was considered defected. But he was tired. He was tired of hiding emotions and thoughts that made his will waiver. He needed you to see him, all of him.

"Why are you letting me in now?"

"Because you have power over me, I don't want to forfeit that."

"How did you find me?"

"I had one of the cultists following you since you left. You went to Gojo. That makes me believe you did it out of spite." Suguru sucked in a breath and clenched his jaw before continuing. "Did he try to turn you in for being an accomplice?"

You shake your head. "I stayed with him during the pregnancy. I didn't have much of a choice, considering the other option was being sentenced to death for my collaborative efforts. You weren't an option, Ever."

Your words sliced him open. Was he so horrible that a death sentence was more appealing that coming back to him wasn't an option? A grotesque feeling of shame filled his body.

"Why are you back? Is it the child?"

"Both you and the child..” hesitance spread across his face before he shook his head. “And I have business in Tokyo.”

Was your defection inevitable?” The locks that kept the gate his emotions locked up rusted and fell off. You heard everything. felt everything.

“When Yuki and I spoke. She understood what I felt but we saw different ways of achieving that goal. I saw eradication as the only way.” His eyes were stuck as he saw you in his mind. You were in his temporal lobe and only planned on going deeper. “If I didn’t go that route of taking others' lives, I would’ve taken my own.”

The way your throat tightened was a threat for tears to spill. 

You took a deep breath, placing your hand on your chest before tapping it lightly and the room slowly dimmed. The surroundings transform into a cold, sterile interrogation room. Geto was seated across from you, bound to a chair with restraints unseen by the naked eye, unable to move or escape. With a harsh light overhead and a tense feeling pressing down on you both, you broke the silence, “Geto. Speak.”

“It wasn’t supposed to go this way. I let things get out of control. I lost myself. I lost my best friends. I lost you.” His words spilled out, no longer playing tug of war as it was a losing battle with your power no longer holding back.”The way things felt. Like I was second best despite being told I was the best with Gojo. Seeing how life was worth nothing to those fucking ungrateful, ancient, careless fucks who look down on us from the safety of their hiding spots. I needed to be heard. To be seen by them.”

The lights grew brighter as Suguru's emotions intensified. He hung his head, tears dropped down the front of his robes. “Geto.”

“Then you. A fucking child. Our child. You hid a child from me!” The walls drew in, the space between you closing as the sterile room became a claustrophobic nightmare. “I know I wasn’t the strongest. I knew I was unstable. But you didn’t even give me a chance to fail.”

 Shaking your head with confidence, you clenched your fist. “That is a lie. I gave you ample chances. Every day was a chance and you being the strongest would’ve meant nothing.”

A harsh, anger-fueled laugh left his throat before Suguru spit on the floor. “You gave me a chance to come to you so you could feel better about leaving me. You already knew you were leaving me the day I told you I’d leave no stone unturned when it came to getting the ending I wanted. Being pregnant was just a convenience. And you’re lucky it happened the way it did.”

“Thats not true. Geto, I-”

“Yes, the fuck it is.” Eyes bloodshot, Geto struggled against the restraints, failing to get up. You walked over to him and kneeled to look directly into his face. “You what? Loved me? You never loved me as much as I loved you. You gave me part of you while the rest of you stayed behind at that hell on earth of a fucking school.”

“You don’t know shit.”

"That child is your reminder. A reminds of my love for you. That if they handed you stones to end me and watch me die, I'd be a part of you for the rest of your miserable, lonely life.” It was like watching Jekyll and Hyde with how much he tried to hide his true thoughts. “No matter how far you ran, I’d be right there looking at you through the eyes of that precious angel. Our angel.”

“So why didn’t you get rid of me? Tell me to stay behind or leave me with hopes that you’d return?”

“If anyone were to ever try and forget me, you’d remind them of what I did. Of who I was at my core.” He wiped his wet cheek on his shoulder, trying his damndest to stop from tearing up as he let out a half-hearted chuckle. “God I really hate your stupid technique. It’s too potent.”

“It works when it needs to.” You stood up, your domain dissipating as you gave Suguru space to get up. “You were never going to be forgotten because I was never going to stop you. I just needed you to be here. To be present.”

The familiarity of your home embraced you as the pale-colored hall was now in view. “You were going to keep me grounded and out of my own way and honestly, I fucked up.” Suguru took your hand. His cold fingers squeezed yours as he needed you to see his soul in yours one more time. “When I’m done, you’ll see my efforts haven’t gone to waste.”

“What are you telling me, Suguru.”

The heater roared to life down the hall and the chills that crept up your body were soothed by the rush of warmth.

“I’m telling you that I don’t regret a single thing. My defection, my love for you, our child. You will remind them of who I am because you know the real me.” A punch to the chest after every word, the truth cemented behind tired eyes. “You made me feel known. And I won’t ever regret being known by you.”

Showing understanding with nothing but a nod, you touched his cheek gently. Suguru closed his eyes for a moment, releasing every bit of tension he’d held onto for the last 2 years without you. “There is always love when I’m with you. I’ll carry it with me until my last breath.”

Tears at your waterline, you smiled, attempting to combat the somber energy that now filled your home. “Niina should be getting up soon. Do you want to help feed her? I can make dinner for us if you want to stick around for the rest of the evening.”

“Are you certain?”

“Sugu. I want you to meet her. You can be a dad, see our little mastermind in action. It will be good for you. For us.”

It was a night that felt suspended, heavy with stillness, where the world seemed paused in the embrace of winter’s grip. Calm and serene as if the world knew to slow down for you to enjoy your last night together in the stillness of December.

[saltysplayt00ns]

Tearing Page 733 hind

Tch MAAAAAAAANNNN!!!  I’ve been waiting for this page to come up, cause this is just blatant kique misogyny and sexist of making females complacent of something as serious as a scratch of the muzzle from a short fuss - right here and insulting of the characters who are in Asmundr Comic. It's like the movie: thing of a clone of the person.

Page 93, 94 & 104

Lifa is just acting way too submissive on this when Lifa, who would never put up with this, Lifa of all dogs who know the red-flags of manipulative and threats of harm from unbalanced power dynamic,

Page 143 & 265

LIFA who has told and taught the family to stick together and work as a team in a no mercy environment, protect your own and think with a clear mind -  is blatantly letting family abuse slide by. And immediately go to the next Subject cause showing how evil Marduck is then Lifa’s family basically falling apart is far more important. If it was Ronja, Jahla or a female family member - bet they would be ridiculed, belittled, practically coerced to apologize. While If it was Rogio or Ranach or Roamer getting hurt or pitied or had been killing people ( which they did ) , they would be coddled and sympathized - which is what’s happening here, Rohgir being sympathized for basically wounding his sister and daughter of Lifa and it's not bluntly told but implies for Jahla to be “ understanding “ so they can move on and be a happy family again. Ignoring/brushing the problem off doesn’t fix it.

Heck THIS IS NOT HOW ROHGIR ACTED EITHER, this is like a 180 of Rohgir’s personality.

pages 263, 265 & 297

yes, he is blunt and crass and yes secretive, and would take risky decisions that would protect his family to live another day, but in any way shape or form would never raise a paw to another because his eugenic uprising would have him be Marduck 2.0 AND RANULFR .

Kaine and Lifa should be shocked/horrified since this is The one who Rohgir's family + pack fought in a war against his father's ideology of being the superior species ( that he disowned as a a father ) , that also tried to also non-consensually mate with Niita; his aunt and Lifa's sister . Stressed or not you should never resort to hurting your siblings unpurposely.  Why are the Akiulfrs even under him as subordinates? at this point if he is willing to attack the triad  leaders who’re equal to him as family . That implies he's willing to hurt his own members who HAVE no equal power over him that are no blood related members. It would be a full on rebellion.

Page 389 & 656

Roughhousing is okay, but everything is not fun and games when someone literally gets hurt. Most would even ask if it’s ok to do certain things or if a simple “ ow “ or “ stop, that hurt “ would immediately be apologized/stop all together. At least sensible people. Intentionally hurting someone needs to be stopped because you'll enable it and once enabled,  it will lead to toxic to dangerous behaviors, interactions or/and abuse. You see it all the time and you see it now.

—-------

The author really doesn’t know what he wants to do with the majority of the characters, cause literally everyone is a villan who is misunderstood or the moment he makes them a villain and then changes his mind and back peddles to make them not a villain but a misunderstood, sympathizing character. I rather suck a gallon of pure lemons before I sympathize with Ranach and Rogio.

—-------

Lifa like...this is your son, siblings or not you shouldn't be hurting each other nonetheless intent on killing. the fact Jahla doesn't even mention her biting Rohgirs neck that can kill or paralyze his spine is already a reflag of their own. why you hiding that fact saber teeth can puncture and do damage, they obviously don't break.

DIALOGUE REWRITTEN

Lifa could have said: Lifa: “ This is not like him to… “ // ( To keep secrets yeah but not to twist the truth. )

Jahla: " he clawed my muzzle off …before banning me from the Island."

Lifa: " What...??!!”

Kainen: " He may be dealing a lot with a large pack..,"

Lifa cutting Kainen off: " It does not excuse my son to resort to retaliation. Threats, but not of family and certainly NOT of his own." 

Jahla: "we talk to him as a family then? Perhaps if he sees us be fine..."

Lifa looks off in frustration and disgruntlement: "We would, but Marduck would not approve. We would already be off to find the others if we did." // ( discard the page of that Marduck introduction and he is shown later after Jahla found him by the family describing him. )

Kainen, licking lips nervously, looks over to the Beacon and where Marduck went: " He's one of Father's own and makes it clear every chance he gets." // ( In a better scene Kainen indicating Marduck attacking the Rabishu and I Kainen to prove a point when he tried to leave. )

Jahla In deep thought, scrunching eyebrows: "Perhaps, I can talk to him. I am familiar with Father just as much as he is, just tell me what I need to know about him." // ( cause the old Jahla would be gun-ho excited of learning more about Father, after all she broke with Rhovanion, monologue a poor excuse with Rome, studied the hidden languages, taken in Father's creation; Avanti - is now acting hostile of a dog she barely even given a chance. )

And that would lead to the next Page Jahla encountering Marduck NOT CRAMMING IT IN ONE PAGE. it's like the dumbest thing to state an “ oh” .

Plus it's the same pose of 3 dogs sitting overhead/bird eye view and discussing. Plus Lifa’s face is Rogio like a copy + paste of Rogio.

—--

We got now mothers enabling their kids to stay with strangers ( Feomeh with Diarko ) , Mothers letting their son do all the talking and leading ( Liari & Ralei  ) , mothers letting male family members keep their rank after disobeying a command from the leader ( Ronja and Roamer ) ,  and now excuse sibling physical assault (Lifa and Jahla ) ps. Forgot about the Nubia situation and Feaf of disregarding a non-consensual agreement to bearing a Hybrid child from the quote ' golden ' in quote lioness a few pages ago. Thanks to the commenter for jogging my memories ♥

[blossom-works]

Lonely Bed

Warning: Angst

---

The first thing you do when you come back to Helheim is put your daughter to bed. You make sure she has Ow Ow with her. The stuffed owl is clutched so tight that it might have a dent in it in the morning. Your daughter is ten years old, but right now, you want to cradle her like she was an infant again. Whether it was for her or your sake you do not know. It gives you a little bit of paradise to go back in time. Back to when your daughter smiled with her nubs of teeth. Back to when your home felt complete. Back to when your husband was alive...

She finally drifts off to sleep once more. You kiss her forehead as you bring the covers just up to her chin. When you kissed her head, you smelt the shampoo your husband used on the pillow. Yes, you did not put your daughter to sleep in her room, but yours and Hades. You guess it is just your room now. Some may say that you coddled her in your bed because you did not want to leave her alone after losing her father, but that is simply not true. 

You did it for you. Your heart cannot take it to see the other side of the bed so empty and cold. You do not want to see the cold, empty spot when you wake up. You want somebody there to keep you warm, just like what Hades used to do. He was your own personal heater. A pillar in your life. Now that pillar is gone, but you cannot let the foundation fall apart. You are a widow now but still a mother. You are still Helheim’s queen. Your responsibilities outweigh your grief. Never did you think that you would have to watch over the Netherworld by yourself. 

Rummaging through your closet, your fingers graze over one of Hades’ jackets. Throwing the hanger to the floor, you raise the article of clothing to your face, burrowing it in the soft fabric. Musty and earthy is what Hades smells like, with a hint of herbs. A masculine scent that suited him well. You pathetically make a mental note to tell the maids to refresh Hades’ clothes to preserve his scent. Your husband is already dead, the least fate could do is let you keep this comforting scent. 

With a heavy heart you throw the jacket over you, letting it rest on your shoulders. Looking back at your daughter, you step out the chamber’s doors. Your heels can be heard down the hall. The castle is quiet. It feels cold. You tightly hold onto the edges of the jacket, pulling it closer around you. Using your left arm, you push open a set of double doors. Now, you are in the throne room.

Behind the thrones is a big portrait of Hades and his brothers. You never minded that he did not swap it out for a portrait of your family. It never bothered you because on Hades’ side table is your family’s picture. Swiping your finger over his face, you remember the day like it was yesterday. The pit in your stomach gets deeper as you wish it was that day. Your daughter was one in this picture. She is sitting on your lap. Hades is on your right, standing next to the chair you are sitting in. His left hand is on your left shoulder, he is practically on top of the chair from how close he is. 

Instead of looking straight like most portraits, you two are looking down at your daughter. She has her arms out in front of her and she is looking to a bit to the side. Hades’ bird, the cockatoo, caught her attention. By then, she and the bird were well acquainted with one another. You have a big grin on your face, your pearly white teeth are showing. You remember having to tighten your grip on her to make sure she did not fall off your lap. Hades, oh your beloved husband. How you wish he was here with you. Your husband’s other hand caressing his daughter’s head. A few of her white strands are sticking out, but it makes the picture look cuter. He has a small smile on his lips, similar to his smile in the portrait with his brothers. 

A couple tears start to drip onto the glass, distorting the photo. Standing in your husband’s jacket and holding onto one of the greatest captured moments of your life, you weep. Your tears have started to create a small pool in the frame. Gathering yourself for just a second you hold onto the arm rest of Hades’ throne and sit in it. Turning the photo vertically up, you hold in close to your chest, like your daughter with her owl. The drops of saltwater drip off the photo and onto your clothing. Silently, you let yourself go again. Silently, you wish your husband never entered to competition. You want to scold him for being so stupid and yell at Hades for leaving your family. You want to hit him for not thinking about you or your daughter. 

A chirp snaps you out of your sorrow. Another chirp follows. Looking to your right you spot the cockatoo. An old fellow he is. It is a descendant from the cockatoo Hades got a long time ago. If you remember correctly, this bird is only a few months older than your daughter. How time flies. 

Wiping your face dry, you set the photo back on the side table and release the bird from its cage. It flaps its wings and flies around the room, making one trip around before landing on Hades’ throne. Without telling it what had happened, it already knows that its master is gone. Sitting back down, you pet its head with the back of your fingers. 

From its beak, a small chirp comes out. It sounds melancholy compared to the others. Offering your hand, it jumps on it. Softly, you kiss its head. In your moment of sadness, you forgot that there is another who will dearly miss Hades. 

“Sorry about that little fellow. I guess I let my emotions get the best of me.”

The bird chirps like it understands you. It nuzzles its feathery head under your chin and flies back to its cage. There are more birds like it around the palace, but Hades always kept one in the throne room. He considers them all his pets but that one is his true pet. Hades always inspected the chicks to see which would gain his favor. He called it a “promotion”. You never knew why he had this “promotion” and you never will. 

Sighing to yourself, you pick up the framed photo and say goodnight to the bird. Your free hand holds onto Hades’ jacket as you make your way back to your chambers. The place still feels quiet and cold, but the photo in your hand brings a bit of warmth. Picking up the hanger you put up Hades’ jacket, but not before placing a feathery kiss on the collar. Putting your weight on the side of the bed you place the family photo on the nightstand, slightly turning it to face you. 

Carefully, you unfold the covers and slip under them. You give one last look at the photo and then turn to your side, facing away from it. Throwing your arm to cover your daughter’s body, you drift off to sleep. 

Years later:

“You wanted to see me mother?”

Standing up from your throne you walk up to your daughter and cup her cheeks. How beautifully she has grown in the past decades. She has your facial features, but Hade’s eyes and hair. “A perfect mix” he called it. When you allowed her too, she even got the same vine tattoos her father had. Even to this day she is her father’s daughter. 

“Why do you insist on tormenting the souls here in Helheim? It’s more than the usual and more than what I usually do.”

Your daughter bites her lip and looks at the tips of her shoes. “You know why, mother.”

Sighing out you caress her cheekbones. Yes, you do know why. Looking back at it, you regret letting her watch Hades’ match. Your late husband was so confident that he would win so he, and you, allowed her to watch the match from a projection screen. Ever since then, your daughter has grown some sort of a resentment towards humans. She is not allowed to leave Helheim, so she takes her anger out on the souls here. Luckily, she does not despise humans like her late uncle though.

Taking her hand, you guide her to sit on the step with you. The portrait of your late husband with his brothers is still above you. The photo of your family back when your daughter was a small child still sits on the side table. The cockatoo, long gone. 

“I guess I can’t entirely blame you. Since your father’s passing, I have started to look at humans in a different way. I still have compassion for them, but my care is elsewhere.” You intertwine your fingers with hers. “All I ask is that you too, show them compassion.”

She squeezes your hand and looks at the photo of the younger her. Vaguely, your daughter remembers that day. Really, she remembers wanting to get her late father’s bird. For as long as she can remember, she has always been a lover of birds. Probably because it is a love her father instilled into her since she was born. Ow Ow, the stuffed owl Hades gifted her is her most prized possession. No one other than her and you are allowed to touch it. 

“I will try.”

[gilded-gheists]

Seeing as campaign two is twenty years after the end of the first one, is it unlikely for Marion/The Ruby to have known about Vorugal's keep and hold on what was Draconia? As a very close main city, surely Nicodranas would have known about the dragon being there, and by extension, Marion would have.

Although probably not one of the reasons (was the reason for her agoraphobia stated? there doesn't need to be a reason to have agoraphobia obviously but I'm curious as I'm halfway through CR2 and just skimmed her wiki to check) for her agoraphobia, it would make sense that, perhaps she was either in her early 20's (to make her around 40) or perhaps a child (to make her in her 20's/30's) when news of Vorugal taking over the area spread to Nicodranas, as it was certainly a place of territory, hell they even let him hunt sea beasts so who's to say Nicodranas citizens haven't seen ice crackle across the ocean? Perhaps she's seen such things. Perhaps such an event, the close threat, was enough to form agoraphobia in her? Or maybe she's just lived with it her whole life and I'm creating a theory out of thin air.

This is just a loose thing I thought was neat as I'm watching CR1 and remembered Draconia is in Wildemount and all whilst watching episode 64.

(spoilers to disprove the theory or to add to it as a headcanon are fine! I've spoiled myself on the whole story, my memory is just REALLY shit-)

[myrcella]

“I will hunt you, and I will break you!”

-—

This outburst far exceeded the vanity table incident a few days prior. Castle Dimitrescu seemed to respond to its mistress’ unbridled anger in tandem, croaking and cooling, and a flash of lightning broke through the window as if on cue—as if Alcina was equally as entwined with the village.

Your body jolted, but you were steeled by one of your daughters’ hands on your shoulder: Bela looked at you with unseen empathy. If it were any other moment, the gesture would have been a funny and fond one to reflect on—who was the elder and younger here?—but now there was pity in her eyes, and you were grateful.

“She will calm.”

“We have seen her worse...”

“But an ugly man thing never managed to touch us before.”

Daniela was the last to chip in, and her tone was clipped. She was skittish, the girl who played so often with fire and cackled when she burned. She was uncharacteristically afraid, now. It made you terrified.

Rose instinctively felt the panic in the air too. Four little limbs beat hard in yours, squirming and wriggling in a silken blanket, and an exhausted red face looked around, crying. Despite your wife’s reprimands to the man-thing who had been flung down several floors, the child was indeed in the castle, but very much claimed.

“Oh, Rosie...”

Your chest thundered but you ignored it for the baby, who needed your heart more than you did. You coddled her to your chest, pressed your nose into her downy hair that smelled milksweet. She was still human, so fragile and malleable. It wouldn’t be much longer...

“Mama is here. Don’t you worry... Don’t cry... You have all you need here, I promise... You’re better here...”

(Sometimes you did wonder if you said such things to yourself to soothe your guilt.)

Every minute was a small century, before the door to the room slowly opened. The familiar imposing figure of Alcina ducked below the doorway to sluggishly enter, and when she straightened, her eyes were glazed and jaw set firmly. She had not calmed completely, not yet, but you knew she needed you.

“Alcina...” It was barely even a whisper. Your voice was caught in your stomach.

“Mother, that awful creature! Just awful!”

“He shot me! In the chest! Right here! It hurt!”

“Even the flies didn’t want his stench!”

“And you had said he was tasty before!”

“No, definitely stale!”

Cassandra had crooned and glided over, shadowed by Daniela. Bela distanced herself as the air cleared, consigning herself to the darkness as she usually did. The girls were old enough to reconcile themselves, though. They could fight, they thrilled themselves in violence.

“Daughters.” Alcina was clearly struggling to level her tone. Her eyes were still fading away from the golden that they turned when she was annoyed... or excited. “I am glad you girls are safe. The man-thing is... displaced for the time being. However, I expect he will be back as a thorn in our side ere long, and I expect he will be harsher.”

Her gaze snapped from the girls to you, who would ordinarily wait in excitement.

“Go, you three. Keep hunting him. I want him broken. Never mind what I have been instructed.”

Bela, Cassandra and Daniela almost immediately fluttered away to whatever recesses they occupied when ordered. Then it was just you and your wife—the Countess who had to take a breath before gliding merely an inch away from you.

You were daunted. You stepped back at first and pressed Rose harder against your chest. You hadn’t meant to—you’d panicked and you were still anxious—but the hurt was clear in Alcina’s eyes.

“Do not fear me,” she said. She was agitated. Her voice was stressed. “Please.”

She had perhaps only said ‘please’ once or twice in all the decades. So your fear relented, and you melted back into your rightful place—against her large body.

“Draga mea, concubină mea,” Alcina breathed with raw adoration, having to kneel to meet even a fraction of your height. One of her hands dwarfed your head, easily. She placed both to your cheeks, cupping your face, pressing her forehead to yours with closed eyes. You copied her, the surprising warmth of her skin like a safety blanket when she touched you. And when she had a moment of reprieve, finally, she kissed your lips chastely.

“He didn’t hurt me...” you answered the unsaid question. He hadn’t, but he had grabbed the babe from your arms and unsuccessfully tried to wrestle her away, thus Rose’s distress. “He wants her. I can’t give her up, Alcina. S-she...”

“No.” Alcina’s word was firm. “You shan’t give her up. I promised you a child, you and I, and this is her. She was never his. I made it so for you.”

She looked down hurriedly at Rose, whose chubby face was stained with tear tracks. Her tiny hand was rubbing at her eye but she had seemingly soothed a great deal, her head tilted towards you.

“See, she seeks your comfort. She has forgotten... him.” Alcina hissed even the mere implication of the man through her teeth. “I will never submit.”

For a few beats, you regarded her. She had been your lover through so many eras, but she still reduced you to the young peasant girl you had once been, dying in the dirt, before she lifted you up and saved you with the gift. She had lived so much longer than you, seen and devoured so many, and yet she chose you as her equal in perpetuity.

“Hold me. Hold us.”

Alcina needed no further instruction. Her long arms wrapped very easily around you in your entirety, encasing Rose too in the embrace. It grew an uncomfortable position quickly, so she guided you to move to her lap when she sat in one of her favoured armchairs of this room. There, you were once again small and naive and her protege, looking to her for guidance.

You had known for some time there was something far more frightful beneath Alcina’s surface, something untouchable and something you were once unsure you would see. But the situation with the man-thing was spiralling out of control, and whatever secret was in Alcina’s skin was broiling steadily.

Still, when you met her gaze, you felt her love. Her kind loved deeper than what you had been born as. They loved for so long, so fiercely and primally loyal—bound physically as well as emotionally to each other. Since she had marked you the bond between you both had never faltered. It was in your very blood, and you were in hers.

“I won’t let him continue,” Alcina said, quietly. More to herself, you assumed. You kissed the corner of her mouth and she looked at you with gratitude. Then, hungrily, she took your chin between her fingers and opened your mouth up to hers, kissing you more resolutely. “Sângele din sângele meu.”

“In vecii vecilor,” you said, dutifully.

Rose quieted between you and her eyes had drooped closed. Whatever beast raged inside Alcina had retreated for the time being.

Another one, however, still stalked the bowels of your home.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

into the woods

PAIRING: alpha!bucky barnes x innocent omega!reader

WARNINGS: age gap (reader in her 20′s, bucky in his mid to late 30′s), smut, a/b/o dynamics

A/N: this has some acotar vibes because i was reading it while writing this but i hope you enjoy it. have fun xx

The High Lady of the North, is what they called her, or at least what they refered her. to whenever they spoke of her as seeing the daughter of one of the most powerful men in all the land was a rare sight. Those who knew her, knew her from her time at school and those who didn’t merely gossiped about her. They knew what she was, an omega, the first omega born in a family of alphas who had ruled over the land for centuries. Her birth had been celebrated as a gift to fertility yet, the most desired omega in all of the land was yet to participate in one of the Spring Celebrations where omegas going through their first heat would be chased by eager alphas into the woods. Y/N absolutely hated the mere idea of being thrown around like a piece of meat for alphas to go after and she was thankful that as years went by no sign of a heat was yet to come. Servants at the mansion would comment maybe she was an infertile omega while some commented she was merely buying her time. However, despite all those comments and all those titles thrown at her by people who did not know her, one person did know the reason why the omega High Lady was kept apart from everyone else. That person was James Barnes, Bucky for short. He, like everyone who surrounded her was an Alpha yet his task was merely to look after her whenever she wanted to venture around, not that she enjoyed to be out of her little walls for long.

He was quiet, a far cry from how loud every Alpha she knew was yet in his quietness and lonely demeanor, he had a power that kept everyone else at arms’ length. He wasn’t a brashy young Alpha who couldn’t control his nature, no, his inner wolf was always restrained with just enough of a facade that kekpt everyone else away. No one dared defy James Barnes unless they wanted to be beat to a pulp. That reputation had earned him a reputation which led to the job he had occupied for the past 3 years, starting during her 20th birthday. It hadn’t taken him too long to grow attached to her and her little quirks. Yet again, he was an alpha and she was an omega so he guessed biology played a role in it. 

She herself wasn’t much of a outgoing omega, instead keeping to herself with her piles of books and flowers. However, recently, she was even more hidden from everybody, staying in her room covered by her blankets and vanilla candles and god blessed anyone who attempted to bother her. As the days went by, it became perfectly clear to everyone what was happening; the 23 year old omega was starting her heat. 

     - I don’t need to be coddled! - she snapped at Bucky as he stood by her side. He wasn’t closer than he usually was, actually, he was even trying to keep his distance. Despite his control, he knew how strong first heats were and he knew how easily they could trigger a rut even in the most experienced Alpha. However, he couldn’t help but find it amusing how irritableshe was. 

     - I’m sorry, m’lady. - he chuckled. 

     - You find it funny? - she crossed her arms, cocking her head to the side in a menancing manner; yet, she merely looked like an upset child in that ridiculous periwinkle dress. - I’m to be bait for horny alphas and you think it’s funny. 

    - You’re being overdramatic, you’re not going to be bait. Everybody does it.

    - You didn’t do it.

    - I’m not an Omega. 

    - You didn’t join the other alphas either. - she noted, continuing her distance from him. - It’s sexist!

    - No one is going to touch you if you don’t allow it. You can’t force a mating bond onto someone, m’lady.

    - Call me m’lady one more time. - she rolled her eyes. 

    - Sorry, Y/N. - he smiled and she couldn’t help but forgive him and he couldn’t help but not take it seriously. He knew she wasn’t sleeping, way too overwealmed by pre-heat and preparations for it. Just last night he’d seen her carrying more pillows into her bedroom along with a full supply of food. - You still remember how to mask your scent?

    - Yes. 

    - Then they won’t even be able to detect you. They’re young alphas and will go for the omegas whose scent is stronger, you’ll most likely spend the night by yourself. 

The two continued to walk past the meadows, her eyes never leaving the woods close to her childhood home where she was certain to be thrown into the next night. She wondered if Bucky was right and that would be enough. Maybe he was right about forcing mating bonds but she knew they could force something else ... she wasn’t naive. 

    - You’ll be okay. - he reassured, noticing how lost in thought she was. - I’d never let them harm you.

    - You think I’ll smell bad? - she changed the topic.

    - No. - he chuckled at her question. - Omegas always smell sweet. Haven’t meet an Omega who didn’t. 

    - Even the one you brought to your room last week? - he had unbelievable control but he was still an Alpha and a very desirable one. While he’d gotten used to having a few ruts every year, lately it appeared as every month he was going into ruts and after an Alpha goes into rut, well, they need to mate. He expected her not to have noticed, her room was very far removed from everyone else’s, standing in the highest floor, far removed from every Alpha and Beta in the house. Yet, he should’ve known how attentive she was, how observant, how no detail went unnoticed. 

   - I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble.

   - You didn’t. - she didn’t look at him, continuing her walk around the gardens of the grounds she had grown up with. Roses of various colours were starting to bloom once again, creating a palette of soft hues which reminded her of soft spring paintings which hanged in the big halls of the old house. - They’re expecting me to find one, you know, a mate. They say they’re not but I know they are. 

   - Y/N ...

   - You could go. - she argued, the same thing she’d been trying to convince him for the past days. - If you go, no other Alpha will try to even go after me.

   - I’m too old for even participate in those things, besides you can take care off yourself. 

She decided not to rattle him, childish crushes set aside, she knew he could be the one to keep every other young and power hungry Alpha away from her but Bucky was a hard one to convice. He was in his mid thirties and despite his good looks, he remained unmated, mostly hanging around with Omegas and Betas whenever his ruts were particularly bad. Staff would tell her he probably had no mate due to his actions in the war years ago, but Y/N didn’t really believe them. Nevertheles, he remained set in stone in the idea of not even attending the event, always saying “An Omega’s first heat close is way too dangerous”. She’d always retort if it was dangerous then he should be the one to protect her, yet he shrugged it off. So, she was once again back in her own and as the hours passed faster and faster, she found herself staring at her own reflection dressed in white. The same features as her mother’s stared back at her, yet she was no Alpha woman and her own biology reminded her. Her skin was starting to boil hot, a reminder of what was yet to come. She hoped it wasn’t as bad, she hoped she could bathe in the river coursing through the woods for the evening.

She emerged from her house, walking up hill just to beginning of the the woods. Several other new omegas were around, much younger than her, eager to take this new step and find their omega. Y/N, on the other hand, felt like this was merely another joke from the world yelling in her face that she was an omega. She, the daughter of an Alpha leader, the lady who’d inherit all the estate including the woods, the High Lady of the North, was an omega. There was only one reason why they were excited about a heat, it meant she could produce children, alpha children to continue the bloodline. She was merely a dark weak branch in the tapestry of her family. Her eyes scanned the Alphas who were about to participate, no Bucky in sight. She didn’t know why she had hope he’d come. Part of her understood it was dangerous, after all Bucky was fresh out a rut, his rut having started around the time her pre heat started so it was no good to have him around. Nevertheless, she wanted him here. Her hands clutched the lotion Bucky had given him as she ran into the woods with the other omegas, their white dresses disappearing into the dark green. 

Bucky watched her from the crowd which had gathered to see the High Lady’s first attempt of a Spring cerimony. They clearly had nothing better to do, he thought to himself. How come her heat was that important? She was still a bright, intelligent woman who no question would well suceed her father as leader of the North court. 

     - You think she’ll come out mated? - one of the maids who’d come to see the spring cerimony asked.

     - Don’t think she wants to. - he commented, mostly out of politeness. The last thing he wanted was a rookie Alpha laying a claim on his omega. 

     - I surely hope so. We were so blessed when her pre-heat started so sudden 5 nights ago.

    - I thought it didn’t start up to 3 days ago. 

    - No, it was definetely 5 nights ago.

Shit.

Y/N continued to run through the woods, rubbing the lotion onto her scent glands in her wrists and junctures between the neck and shoulders. However, no matter how much her mind wanted to keep running, the heat was starting to overtake her and her legs were growing weaker and weaker until she tumbled onto the ground. Her head hit the ground, her eyes looking onto the stary sky as she heard the sounds of mating and footsteps. She just knew it was only a mere of time til someone found her and took her, but they only never be her alpha. No, it wasn’t the alpha she wanted. 

She clenched onto the locket which was the only relief against her own skin, praying she could gain some strength to get up and continue to run. She didn’t want this, she didn’t want any of the alphas she’d seen. They weren’t her alpha. They’re not alpha, her mind yelled at her. They’re not Bucky. 

The footsteps got louder and she reached for a sharp rock, preparing herself for whoever attempted to go after her. However, the person who emerged was someone who she had not expected. Standing away from her was Bucky, breath ragged and sweat covered forehead. Once his eyes set on her, his nostrils flared and he took a step back, faltering in his movements. 

    - Yo...you scared me. - she hiccuped, trying to move from the floor. 

    - Why aren’t you wearing the lotion, omega? - he’d never called her omega, he’d never dare to call his lady anything other than what she wished, yet Y/N couldn’t complain about being called omega by him.

    - I am. - ever the argumentative, she showed him the empty tin of lotion yet Bucky could still smell her, and how fucking sweet did she smell. - Bucky, I don’t feel good. 

    ��- Shit ... - he shut his eyes. Control yourself, he told himself over and over again, but her scent was just intoxicating. It filled every single sense, every crock of his brain, telling him to take her, to take his omega, the same omega that was laying on the ground. The omega whose mere pre-heat had trigged his rut.   

    - Bucky ... - she clenched her stomach. It was bad, very bad. Her skin felt like it was burning and her inner thighs were starting to get wet due to the slick which just kept appearing. She didn’t kknow what to do, no one had told her what a heat felt like, no one had told her how to calm down. Looking at Bucky only made it worse, her mind yelling at her to be near him but his eyes were clear, don’t get close. - Alpha, please. 

That name. Being called by his title by her of all people made him want to take her right there. No matter how hard he tried that’s all he could see in his head, making her feel better, knot her. 

    - It hurts. - she cried out. - I don’t know what to do.

She had heard from other maids who were omegas what to expect but she didn’t exactly know what to do. She was an omega in a family of Alphas; her father was an alpha, her mother was an alpha and so had their parents. She was the first omega to be born and it wasn’t her parents didn’t care about her they just didn’t know how to exactly raise an omega. It didn’t particularly help that she didn’t act like a stereotypical omega, or what an alpha family expected, so she was treated no different. Bucky also didn’t think her family talked much about mating; she was a high lady after all, the one who’d continue the family line. He wanted to help her, he really did but everytime he looked her, his inner wolf wanted nothing to but to lay his claim on her. 

His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of helping her clashing with doing what’s best for her. Bucky, an old alpha, definetely was not the best for her and he wasn’t fit to be the mate of the high lady, he wasn’t fit to be anyone’s alpha much less someone’s mate. 

    - I want it to stop. - she took him of his thoughts. In the absence of his attention, she’d managed to lean against a tree, her hands pulling at her dress, attempting to get some cold air.

    - Not gonna stop for three days. - his voice was lower and she couldn’t help but feel entranced by him. She’d never seen him like this, acting like a pure alpha whose voice dripped dominance. His eyes shut again as her smell surrounded him once more. God, why did she smell so good? 

    - Make it stop. - she begged him. Him, out of all alphas, some sons of high lords themselves and here he was, the lower of the lowest born alphas. - Alpha.

    - Don’t call me alpha. - he would lose it if she called him alpha even just one more time. He was barely keeping himself away from her, despite how much he wanted her. God, he wanted her. He’d always wanted her. The other alphas weren’t enough, no one would ever be enough for her. 

His mind race with ways to help her. He could always try to lead her out the woods through the other side and sneak her back into her nest so she could go through her heat away from any eager alphas; yet, he doubted she could walk much at this moment and carrying her was not an option, not when she’d be so close to him, her skin touching his would end it for him. Yet again, he’d rather be damned than not help his Y/N. He couldn’t bare having her go through this when she didn’t want to. She deserved better than this, she deserved all the choices that were offered to her ancestors, no matter what biology dictated. Bucky would rather watch the world burn than to let her go through this a second longer. 

With his mind set on taking her back to his bedroom, he told himself he could control himself. He was in his thirties, he’d had ruts before and he could conttrol himself. He took a deep breathe in before getting up and walking up to her. Her scent got stronger and stronger but his mind wanted her well, wanted her to be completely and fully happy. The alpha put his arms around her and picked her up, her legs dangling from the his arms. Intuitively, her nose rubbed against the scent gland on his neck. Her body slightly cooled down and she cuddled against him, happily surrounded by the scent of pinewood and ash dust. Despite her being much calmer, he himself could feel his blood boil. Her scent was starting to morph with his and all he could think about was her being absolutely owned by him. Yet, he had to keep those thoughts quiet. This was his lady after all and he owned her vasalage. 

The night had dawned in and the once familiar woods were dark, filled with noises he knew too well and the sound of the creek passing by. He held her close to him, attempting to make his way through the darkness and out of the woods. A sudden noise had him stopping in his tracks. She looked up at him, with those eyes which just screamed trust within him, and a feeling of overwhelming possesiveness took control of him. He held her tight against his chest as his eyes zoomed onto the figure which made their way straight at them. He knew him. He was the son of a lord ruling over the south and Bucky absolutely hated him. He’d heard way too much about the young alpha to want him to stay away from his omega. 

   - Evening, m’lady. - he looked at Y/N, completely ignoring Bucky. She rolled her eyes, gripping Bucky’s shirt as much she could. - Bought Barnes with you?

   - Move along, Michael. She’s not interested. 

   - I didn’t know you spoke for her now. - he took slow steps towards them, stalking them like a predator to a prey. - Unless you’re thinking about taking her just for yourself. 

   - Go away. - Y/N managed to speak through her heat, although even speaking made her uncomfortable. 

   - You stink, Barnes. - he snickered. - Yet again an omega in heat and an alpha in rut is never a good match is it?

   - It’s none of your business. 

   - If you change your mind m’lady, just let me know. - he winked at Y/N before disappearing into the greenery. 

Bucky’s eyes grew darker, his insticts taking more and more of his thought process. He wanted to hurt him for even daring looking into his omega’s way but her mewling had him back on his mission to take her back to her bedroom, back to her nest.

Y/N, however, had her eyes set on Bucky. Was he on his rut? He didn’t look like he was on a rut and she had grown up in an house of alphas. She knew what a rut looked like and she knew no omega wanted to be near an alpha in rut. But Bucky wasn’t acting domineering, he wasn’t angry, he wasn’t making advances, he was just stoic. Maybe she wasn’t enough of an omega for him, people always told her she wasn’t enough of an omega. She wasn’t enough for him. He probably looked at her like a silly rich omega and the mere thought of it made her heart ache.

   - What’s wrong? - he stepped outside the dense greenery, seeing her house in the horizon. 

   - Is Michael right? Are you on your rut? - Bucky was pensive for a while. He didn’t want to scare her but he also didn’t want to lie to her. - I thought your rut was finished.

   - Got triggered. - he replied. - I’m not gonna hurt you, I’d never hurt you.

   - Does it hurt? 

   - Not my first rut, sweetheart. 

   - Is it because I’m not a good omega? - he snapped his head towards her harshly. No, his mind yelled out, you’re my omega how could you not be the only thing in this whole world which was good and bright. - Am I just not enough?

   - What are you talking about, sweetheart? You’re being delirious.

   - I know how alphas act around omegas, any omega. - he grip grew loose on his shirt as she looked down, unable to look at him. - Am I just ... not enough?

   - Y/N ...

   - You don’t need to sugar coat it for me. Nobody wants me. My parents didn’t want an omega, no one wants me to rule and not even the type of person biology dictated would want me wants me. 

   - You think I don’t want you? - his eyes grew dark, the baby blues replaced by dark blue all consuming. - You’re all I fucking think about ever since I met you. Ruts without you are a fucking nightmare because all I keep thinking is to find you and mate you. You’re my only omega. 

   - Then why won’t you mate me?

   - I’m not good enough for you. 

   - You’re my alpha. It hurts whenever you bring another omega to your room because all I want to do is be your omega and now, now you’re pushing me away. You don’t want me just like everybody else.

   - Don’t you dare say that. - ever. - Don’t you dare ever tell me I don’t want you.

   - Then do something about it.

She was just being defiant now, a sparky little omega. One of the many qualities which he adored about her; yet again he loved everything about her. He knew she was his omega, she had triggered his rut way too easily and based on the timing of his last rut and her pre-heat it wasn’t stupid to assume he’d triggered hers. Nevertheless, he was not the right person for her. She already had a tough time trying to get people to take her seriously as high lady, if she sported his mark on her lovely neck, it’d only make it harder. He wasn’t a particularly good partner to have, much less for a high lady. Nevertheless, those words stroke a chord on him. How dare she think she was not enough? Looking back at her, he could see it clear as day, the heartbreak scetched onto her lovely features. His instincts finally got the upper hand over his better consciousness and suddenly his lips were on hers. Strawberry laced flavours had him growling for more, for her body yearning for him and then the innocent kiss started to descend as he tasted her skin. 

His touch was soft and rough at the same time yet all she could think of was of him, having him. Her alpha. Her skin grew hot and cold in waves, his touch alone making slick run down her legs. 

   - You want this, omega? - he nipped at her scent gland in her neck. - You gotta tell me.

   - Please, Alpha. 

She leet out a small moan as he pushed her dress up, his fingers wandering close to her core as his lips kissed her skin leisurely. She wanted him, she wanted him so badly. His knee lodged between her legs, close to her pulsating core as he laid her down on the grass. She looked tempting, like a gift wrapped in white tafeta. How could he say no to her? How could he say no to his omega? He looked at her with lust filled eyes, head cocked to the side before leaning down to place a slow kiss on her lips, his hand massaging her breast, thumb teasingly rubbing her pebbled nipple.

His other hand replaced the pressure from his knee against her core, finger separating her folds as he started to circle her clit, his kiss silencing all her slow and earning moans. Her nails digged on his shoulders as she attempted to mutter a faster between his long kisses.

   - Shush princess, alpha is going to make you feel all better. - his voice was low, almost mocking how yearning she was. 

   - I want you inside of me, please.

   - You don’t need to beg, omega mine. I’m all yours. 

His hand moved to hold her waist as he aligned his cock with her entrance. His eyes searched for hers, wanting to look at her before he did it yet as he looked into her eyes all he found was love and trust. Someone loved and trusted him. His omega loved and trust him and that was all he could ever want. He leaned in to kiss her again before fully slipping inside of her. He went slowly, watching the way her face contorted with pleasure just for him, listening to her little moans before he was fully sheathed inside of her. The two moaned in unison and he stilled, looking for any sign of discomfort in her face.

   - Move, alpha. Move. - she begged, nails dragging up and down his shoulders. 

   - Whatever you want, sweetheart. - he leaned to kiss her again as he started to move in and out of her. She moaned out a breathy moan, hands holding onto him as he moved to kiss her neck, her scent making him drunk with pleasure. 

She was filled with him and all that yearning only seemed to heighten everytime he moved. He was her alpha and she was happy being filled by him, being his. He nipped at her neck, continuing his movements so he could hear all those lovely moans. God, he was drunk on it, her scent and her moans. He moved his hand to feel himself against her stomach. God, she looked pretty, so owned. Those waves of heat were back again as she started to clench around his cock. His movements quickened as he let out a groan against her skin, his thrusts were no longer controlled and merely looking for release until she let out a high pitched moan. 

   - Fuck, omega. - he growled, before biting her skin as ropes and ropes of white painted her walls. His knot inflated, keeping them connected. He didn’t think he’d be able to ever leave her. - Fuck, Y/N, I’m sorry.

   - You marked me. - she looked at him playfully, kissing down his jaw. - You’re stuck with me. 

   - I think it’s the other way around, m’lady.

   - High Lord James Barnes, it has a ring to it. 

   - Don’t say that. - he hide in the space between her neck and shoulder, licking the fresh mark on her neck. - I should take you back to your nest, sweetheart.

   - You’re joining me right?

   - A heat is three days, omega. We’re going to have fun. 

taglist: @kitty4860​

[mcheang]

In another’s eyes

Inspired by https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13849241/1/Signed-Gifts

Basically Adrien finds Marinette’s signature on his blue scarf and connects the dots.

Adrien is hurt that Marinette let him believe his father gave him the scarf. He understands why but it hurts worse after all this time thinking his father finally gave him something new. It’s having new hopes crushed

He visits Marinette and gently confronts her over it, chiding her to tell him the truth next time instead of letting him believe a lie.

Frantic, Marinette wildly points out that he lets their classmates believe in Lila’s wild promises. How is she any different from him?

Pause.

Adrien never really thought about it that way. He just wanted his classmates to be happy. But if he told them the truth, they would be sad and Lila would also be angry at him and probably akumatized.

If he kept the truth from them, then wasn’t he being a hypocrite?

Marinette worried she said something she could never take back. “Adrien...”

He held up a hand, needing to think.

What was the Chinese saying again? “Do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”-Confucius

Well, Adrien wasn’t one to deny an ancient philosopher’s wisdom.

Adrien: no, you’re right, Marinette. I’m a hypocrite for scolding you for something I’ve done as well

Marinette: you haven’t-

Adrien: but i have. Please don’t sugarcoat this, Marinette. Don’t try to spare my feelings when the truth is more important.

Marinette was nervous and predictably, she rambled. “Well, if you are planning to expose Lila, you would also be in trouble because while i constantly doubted her trip to Achu, you were aware of her playing truant.”

Adrien paused and took a breath. “I know. And I’ll accept my due punishment. But what matters is making things right. We need to tell everyone that Lila is a liar.”

Marinette: but how? They don’t believe me. And who knows if they’ll believe you!”

Adrien frowned, thinking again. “Don’t you have Jagged’s number?”

Marinette: Yup. I barely got him to cease suing Alya’s Ladyblog for Lila’s interview. He doesn’t really follow her anymore.

Adrien: do you think he’ll help us expose Lila?

Marinette: we can ask. But I think it’s a safe bet. The only reason he didn’t go after Lila herself was because she up and vanished after turning into Volpina.

Jagged was thrilled to sic Fang on Lila

Marinette: we said expose! Not kill

Jagged: I never feed Fang rotten food. He’ll just sit on her or chase her up a tree

Adrien: thank you. I’m just worried Lila will be akumatized again, though. The last time, Ladybug chewed her out for claiming to be BFFs; though after hearing Lila pronounce herself a better self-proclaimed heroine, it’s not that hard to see why Ladybug was angry (Adrien may have been upset with Ladybug but I imagine he would try to justify her behavior later. seriously, who wouldn’t be angry after hearing Lila insult her like that? He’s not very sensitive to others’ emotions)

Jagged: you can’t keep everybody happy. And sometimes you shouldn’t. Some people don’t deserve to be coddled. And besides, once the witch is exposed, who is to say the others won’t be akumatized?

Adrien paled. He didn’t consider that.

Marinette: well, we could try to keep an eye out for akumas. And maybe even get the heroes to stand guard?

Adrien: good idea. But how to contact them?

Marinette: leave it to me. I’ve seen the heroes jump on rooftops plenty from my balcony.

Jagged: just say the word and set the date, and your uncle Jagged will be there faster than you can say “Croc”

Marinette soon called Adrien and Jagged to tell them that Ladybug would be happy to stand by and even offer her own testimony that she is so not friends with Lila.

However, after hearing how Lila framed Marinette, Ladybug wanted Marinette absent in case Lila blamed her for Jagged exposing her.

Jagged: well, she’s not totally wrong.

Marinette: uncle Jagged!

Jagged: what, you did call me for this.

On the day of Lila’s downfall, school had just ended and students started heading home. Marinette was one of the first, having to work at the bakery. Chloé and Sabrina also left, not bothering to stay around and chat with the peasants.

To the lingering students’ surprise, a popular and familiar rock song began blasting into the air as a tour bus drove up to the school.

Jagged: hello Dupont College! Are you ready to rock!

Students crowded up and screamed.

Lila paled and could not escape the gravity of the crowd.

Jagged: now where’s my guitar? Fang, if you don’t mind?

Fang waddled up, guitar on his back.

Jagged: now Fang’s been with me since he hatched from an egg. And he’s the best pet a rocker could ask for.

Alya: what about your cat?

Jagged: cat? Since when did I own a cat?

Alya: but Lila said-

Jagged: who? Sorry miss, but I think you must have confused me with someone else.

A pause for the class as Jagged started playing a guitar riff.

While the crowd cheered, the class stared at Lila.

Lila: he doesn’t like his kitten to be brought up

Ivan: he doesn’t even know you

Lila: he does! Right, Adrien?

Lila glared at him meaningfully. But Adrien ignored her and just sang along. He promised to maintain a guise of friendship, but no more lies. Though if Lila was exposed, maybe their deal could be considered pointless now. Still...better not to antagonise her so openly.

Nino: you’re asking the wrong person. The only other people in class who can get close to Jagged are Chloé (same hotel) and...Marinette. That’s how she knew you were a liar!

Jagged: hey, what’s going on over there?

The student body turned to stare, annoyed at the interruption.

Aware of unwanted scrutiny, Alya quickly said, “oh, we were just having a priority one class meeting. Sorry! We’ll keep it down.”

The class dragged Lila off, and Ladybug secretly followed. Adrien reluctantly did so too.

Surrounded, Lila could not run away, so she burst into fake tears.

Lila: why are you being so mean?

Mylène: do you think her tears are real?

Kim snorted. “Doubtful. But I don’t think she’s worth bothering about anymore.”

Alya: what? She lied!

Kim: and we believed a con artist. But unless we lost a lot of money or whatever, what’s the point of doing this?

True. While Lila had promised favors, that didn’t mean the class had stop working hard on their own. And Alya’s credibility was also her fault for not checking her sources and getting more proof.

Alya huffed. “Fine! But she just gets away scot free?”

Max: unlikely. There is the matter of forging doctor’s letter and skipping school.

Lila: you can’t prove that!

Alya: I can just call your mother right now.

Lila: and tell her that you’re bullying me?

Alya: no, we are just going to ask her some questions. And if she was duped by you, too, I don’t think she can deny the truth if we walk up to her office and make a scene.

Adrien: is that really necessary?

Alya: Mrs Rossi must really believe her daughter. She may think us all bullies if we expose Lila but the presence of her colleagues will influence her. Besides, our questions are simple. Was Lila really sick? Was she at Achu?

The class dragged Lila to the embassy and made such a ruckus that Mrs Rossi came out, especially when she saw her daughter in the center of it all, yelling at them to be quiet.

Mrs Rossi was angry but answered their questions that Lila had never been sick or to Achu while Alya filmed her. But there was the akuma plague. At this, the class told her the truth and even her observing colleagues backed them up.

Lila was distraught. Where was the freaking akuma?

Ladybug was lounging on the roof, her yo-yo stuffed with butterflies. As long as she didn’t use her lucky charm, she was in no danger of detransforming.

When Adrien didn’t back Lila, she told everyone he knew she was a liar.

Adrien admits his faults and realized his lesson now. The class knew why Marinette kept the scarf secret so they could sort of understand why he wanted to keep everybody happy. He also was the one who got Marinette back into school, so they forgave him.

Lila was expelled once Damocles saw the footage and Mrs Rossi confirmed it.

Lila was sent to boarding school instead where everyone knew she was a compulsive liar. Nobody took her seriously there.

As for Adrien, he was always determined to hear the blunt truth, tired of being sheltered.

[the-broken-truth]

Remembering a Mortal Kombat one, what about Pletonic Hanzo Hasashi having only one of his daughter survive the massacer from the Lin Kuei?

Before and Now? What the difference?

( like an au where he has two children instead of one )

👩

Broken Truth (Looks at the ask): Hm, If Hanzo had a daughter that survived the Shirai Ryu Clan Massacre. Hm... Since He still has a family member, he would be overprotective of his daughter. Let's find out how protective by letting the words weave together!

SUBTITLE: DAUGHTER OF THE SHIRAI RYU

When Sub-Zero attacked the Shirai Ryu with the aid of the Lin Kuei, Hanzo was utterly destroyed when he watched Sub-Zero freeze and crush the neck of his son before attacking him, leaving him in a critical place to die.

But that night - there was one more survivor because the Head of the Shirai Ryu and that was the 13-year-old Heiress of the Clan.

[Reader] was the eldest daughter of Hanzo Hasashi and was a very skilled ninja since a young age, she was able to hide from Sub-Zero & The Lin Kuei while her clan was being slaughtered, she stuck to the shadows and watched as Sub-Zero killed her brother and injured her father before leaving with the fragments of his clan. That's when she made her move to save her father and look for any kind of survivors.

Hanzo woke in the Medical Wing of the Clan House with another member of the clan keeping an eye on him, who explained that his elder daughter was the one who saved him, patched him up, and went to find other members that could be saved - she was about the save 10 members of the clan.

At the mention of his daughter, Hanzo shot up and ignored his wounds before pushing himself up to find her - she was located in the clan house, bandaging another member of the clan before he snatched her up to her feet and hugged the girl as if she was going to disappear in the next minute.

While the Shirai Ryu was rebuilding, Hanzo kept the closest eye on his daughter - he would find any excuse to keep his daughter at his side or keep her in her room, guarded at all times. He began calling her 'The Shirai Ryu Treasure' and he wanted to keep that treasure safe.

When [Reader] reached the age of 16, she explained to her father that she was tired of her father cooing over her and coddling her - she was a Shirai Ryu - the Heiress of the Clan - but she was being treated as if she was a gem of some kind and it was getting to her. She begged her father to treat her the same as any other member of the clan and train her to be the next clan head or she was going to train herself to hone her power.

As much as Hanzo didn't like it... he agreed to his daughter's wishes and began training her to be the next head. She was strong and calm in her power but it still scared Hanzo that he would lose his daughter the same way he lost his wife and son.

[Years Later - When Kuai Liang revealed the truth]

When the letter of peace came from the Head of Lin Kuei to speak to the Head of the Shirai Ryu, it was [Reader] who convinced her father to listen to what he had to say because something about the massacre was not right.

When they arrived and Frost attacked, it was [Reader] that put her down until Kuai froze her and explained that it wasn't him that killed the Shirai Ryu that night but the dark wizard - Quan Chi - that pretended to be him and controlled the Lin Kuei to attack Hanzo's Clan. This confirmed that [Reader] was right and they decided that they were going to get revenge on Quan Chi.

While Hanzo was away, he trusted his daughter to rule over the Shirai Ryu and she did so with kindness and power, never skipping on her training and creating new techniques to add to the Head Family Scroll - she even learned how to use her fire to heal those in pain.

Hanzo was happy that his clan was growing again and was in good league with his once enemy and his daughter was growing into a promising Clan Head with a rival of power and moral - Frost.

[END]

[youwontlikethisblog]

The Art of Subtlety in YSBTLF

Now I have yet to really talk about Betty and her development. Currently I'm on the episode where Betty goes to the bank to secure a loan through Terra Moda and it got me thinking.

Slowly we've been seeing the change from Armando's behavior towards her. Now it's been very subtle. One of my favorite scenes that display's the subtlety of his behavior is when Betty and him are being driven around by Don Hermes.

Right as they are leaving the building where they went to sign some documents to start the process of Terra Moda seizing Eco Moda Betty and Armando are talking.

She often jokes about her ugliness and as a person who in society has been outcaste by the mere fact I'm fat, I get that. We don't use it as a way to downplay our worth, better yet to find the humor in something that hurts us deeply. This is something Betty does often. Usually Armando agrees or goes along with it. The scene however caught my attention because after Betty jokes that she didn't get hired due to her ugliness she laughs and walks away and Armando stays behind and nods slightly, as if understanding that her ugliness could cause that BUT we then hear Don Hermes lovingly say "My beautiful daughter, did everything go well?" and Armando's face lights up. He sports a slight smile and stares at Betty as she laughs and tells her dad that everything went well.

The more I watch this show the more I realize that we see a lot of contrast between Betty and Armando's personal lives. While Betty's parents are very present in her life, constantly at the fore front of her ethics and morals as well as there to keep her grounded and realistic, though at times one can assume over baring and over protective, her parents love her deeply and you can tell. They treat her as their most precious possession.

However Armando's parents are a different story. His father always expects the worst of him, his mother coddles him but with conditions. His parents are only ever shown or involved when it comes to the company and/or his relationship with Marcela. Often when they do talk it's always about the company or again the relationship he's in with Marcela. It never goes more than that. We don't see them interact outside of that which causes that parental relationship to seem cold and distant. Kind of like a trophy child. Not really there to celebrate or show love when times are bad. Just there when things are on their terms. They show more interest in Daniel, Marcela, and Beatriz than they do to Armando and even then it's not saying much. In shorter terms, they suck.

So this scene in particular is one of my favorites for that reason. We see Armando, who at first was annoyed and being all pipirs nice to then engaging in conversation, joking, and letting his guard down and that's the thing. Often we see Armando with his guard up but around Betty slowly we begin to see him let his guard down.

Now in particular the reason why I bring this up is because from the get go I've always been interested in the complexities that Armando's character offers, but Betty is this different story. While Armando is complex in dark ways, Betty is complex is light ways. Her complexities aren't a form of harm rather a form of self preservation but still seeing the best in people, while Armando's complexities are in self preservation at the cost of others.

They both struggle in a sense with self worth. While Betty's self worth is rooted in her image and the way society treats her due to her not being societies beauty standers, Armando's self worth struggles are deeply rooted in his person's worth. Meaning that he doesn't find himself worthy as a human if he isn't succeeding, which makes him extremely arrogant. Betty's insecurities make her extremely humble and though being humble isn't a bad thing when there is no balance, her self worth is to the ground and due to this she allows people to step all over her and she often is a people pleaser because of this.

She lets people push her around and doesn't stand her ground when people are rude to her about her appearance. She does when it comes to her work but not as person and because of this she begins to idolize Armando because, unlike everyone before, he sees her as a person, when it comes to work.

This draws the lines, clean and crisp lines.

At work Armando defends her. He defends his decision to hire her. He defends her degrees and her experiences as an economist. This means a lot to her, because as mentioned before, she wasn't getting hired due to her "ugliness" and here comes a man that looks past that and hires her over the pretty one. We understand Betty's crush. We understand why she begins to idolize him even though he shows really crappy behavior at times.

First he constantly yells at her, laughs behind her back, allows his best friend to secretly see her as if she were this attraction in the tent of strange and ugly phenomena at the circus. To then being subtly annoyed when certain people mock her and make fun of her, though this gets him half points because he still allows his best friend to do this.

To end my analysis of Armando's behavior towards Betty up to this point I'll say that as this continues Armando begins to soften up towards her and while no one else picks up on it, Betty does. Which feeds her idolization of him.

Up to this point of the show Betty has been unconditional, even when she has needed to set aside her true feelings for him, she places his before her own. With Claudia, instead of ruining his night she stayed in the room all night long to which later we see Armando feel guilty over it but he gets no gold stars over that. That was a dick move.

Betty constantly shows loyalty, unconditionality, support, and most of all, team work. When he fails she always places herself to take the blame with him. She doesn't let him feel alone in his failures. Betty truly shows to love him. As a friend, as her boss, and as a girl who idolizes him and this moves him because to this point Armando hasn't had that. His parents do not show him unconditionality. His fiancé shows no team work or support and his best friend... he sucks. He is a terrible friend. Here is this girl who gives him all of this and for what? She doesn't ask for anything in return except to work for him. That's why we see the subtle change in him and Betty deserved that and more.

When they went to that cocktail with RagTela, where Armando started to hit on Ms. Colombia, I forgot her name, Betty doesn't seem jealous or hurt by that. In fact she seems unbothered and stayed in her lane, once again the lines being crisp and clean. However later on, when Betty tells Armando that they've got a meeting with Macro Textil and she sees Armando's face light up and ask how he looks, we see a subtle change, jealousy. She showed some of that with Claudia but Armando probably interpreted that as Betty being frustrated that due to that she had to sleep in the office that night. Here he doesn't pick up on it. She laughs dry only to cover her tracks and gets the man his cologne and throughout their meeting with Macro she shows to be a good wing-woman, minding her business of course.

Now let me skip some scenes. They're trying to negotiate a payment plan with Macro Textil. At this point what Armando has said isn't very convincing and Betty steps in, our bright Betty manages to say stuff that makes them think over their offer. At this point Armando has had all eyes on Ms. Colombia but he turns to watch her, with a slight smile on his face, a brief second of staring at her lips and completely absorbed into what Betty is saying and doing.

Now I want to bring us back to the main scene of this post. Betty sitting across her old boss. We have seen two scenes of her old boss and her interact before. Not only to drive the plot, but I believe to show the difference between a boss who was fond of Betty, after all he did say he was happy and pleased to help her with Terra Moda after being her boss for two years and a boss who is... more than fond of her but confused about it(to be fair Armando is so stupid when it comes to feelings the dude isn't even aware he's got them to begin with.) Betty's behavior is respectful and friendly towards her old boss. You can tell she's comfortable talking to him and so on and her old boss is the same. He's respectful and friendly towards her.

Why do I think this is important to the plot of the story?

It got me thinking. When I was working I got pretty close to my manager. He was married and older than me and we got along great. We talked, we joked, we had work discussions and we'd talk about life and stuff. However it was always very respectful and friendly, like a boss and their employee. My manager was very gentleman like. He didn't let me carry heavy stuff(As a fat woman I'm not used to that lol) however the line was there, Boundaries were there. Obviously we didn't have conversations that were too personal or even that personal at all. I could see Betty and her ex-boss being the same. A simple boss to employee friendship but if I had a... ship of sorts with my boss like Betty does with Armando my sensors of red flags would be blaring.

Think about your greatest friendship with one of your bosses. It's respectful and friendly but you don't cross lines, right?

Now I keep comparing their behavior to my manager's and mine.

That is why they show us, unlike with all the other Banks Betty has talked to, their interactions. To show a clear and distinct line of work related ships. Her ex-boss is truly fond of her but he doesn't cross boundaries and neither does Betty.

My ex-manager was respectful and we talked like an older brother and younger sister would. That was our work dynamic.

Betty's behavior has always been respectful and friendly towards Armando. Their work dynamic has been that she's the smart one and he's the pretty one and it works for them.

Betty's emotions start to blur when Armando's behavior towards her starts to blur. We go from seeing back to back scenes that show separate life styles and personal lives to having them blend in and once their personal lives begin to blend in so do their work lives.

During this day, before Betty goes to talk to her old boss, we are shown the scene when she tells him that Macro Textil was on their way to sign a contract with them that very day. Armando is between Betty and Mario and he talks to Betty. Constantly saying "Betty we did it!" and things along those lines but after each sentence he goes to Mario and repeats the same thing up until he goes to hug Betty.

[EDIT: This allows us to view Armando's personal dilema. Your brain often blurts the first thing that comes to mind and seeing as Armando isn't that bright when emotions are involved, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind and that is Betty. His first thought is to talk to Betty, to celebrate with her (since she is the reason why that business deal is even happening) but he is prioritizing her, picking up on it and then going to his best friend to celebrate it as well. It shows us subtly the change in him.]

He doesn't even do that to his best friend. Once again, the lines blur. Armando is the first person in this work related relationship to blur the lines and Betty follows suit.

Yes, the hug was work related. Yes he was excited over the fact they could release the new fashion collection they'd been working on BUT he hadn't done that for other deals that they had managed. He didn't do that with the first collection he launched. He's hugged her, up to this point, two other times. Once after the meeting with Daniel where Betty gave him lessons on economics and later when Betty was crying.

This is their third hug. I'm not reading into that hug but what follows before and after.

As I said when writing we're told to keep what drives the plot, character development, and overall story; everything else is thrown out the window. So these subtle changes, behaviors, and quirks we begin to see coming from Betty's interactions with Armando explain why it was so easy for her to be manipulated by this man. They are important because they are meant to show us what is okay and what is not. What is normal and what is not and in small ways their work dynamic begins to shift and the first person to do that is Armando.

because he didn't feed the illusion of love when that sinister plan was created, he fed it when he started to get confused about her. When he started to blur the lines.

Betty didn't just idolatrized him because he defended her work. She did it because he fed her feelings towards him. When Betty showed loyalty he showed to be more fond of her. He went from constantly yelling at her, being indifferent towards her, to trying to watch his tone and temper. When Betty showed unconditionality he showed kindness. When Betty showed support he showed loyalty and little by little we begin to see these two blur the line between personal and work.

The changes are really subtle that they fly over your head but when you pay attention to the actual story and not the romance you can tell when they start and that is one reason why I love this novela because very much like real life these changes are subtle.

Betty's love was really subtle and you can pick up on when she starts to fall in love, whereas with Armando his change goes from being so subtle that you're confused yourself to it being so bam in your face you can't deny it.

In any aspect their relationship begins to blur during these episodes and the clear contrast of that is with seeing Betty interact with her old Boss at the bank.

In the future episodes this theory is proven right when we no longer get clear cuts of scenes that show the difference between their personal lives better yet we get a very muddy and blurry view of their personal and work lives.

Betty's moral, ethics, and emotions begin to change when Armando begins to change. Up to this point Betty has been consistent with her morality, though close to stumbling her father has been there to keep her on the right path. She has been the sweet and loving person she's always been but her character has been consistent up to this point and it's important to note that and why everything that happens after this is the way it is because as an audience we have been warn over and over again and so have these characters but just like in real life we don't always pay attention to the subtle changes until their domino effect starts to make too much impact.

also sorry if this doesn't make any sense it's currently 6:40 am and I've been writing this since like four lol.

[half-bakedboy]

oh look, it’s my future (read on ao3)

Pairing: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand Rated: General Summary: “I know that face,” Owen said, effectively breaking TK out of the Carlos-induced stupor he had found himself in for who knows how long.

“What face? I’m not making a face,” TK said defensively. He tried to take another bite of his ice cream but realized that while he was distracted, it had almost all melted to a puddle at the bottom of his dish.

“That’s the ‘oh look, it’s my future’ face,” Owen said easily.

A Season 2 Episode 10: A Little Help from My Friends Extended Scene

TK sat next to his father who was probably trying to tell him about how delicious his ice cream was or that throwing the party for the little boy was something he would never forget and they all should be so proud of themselves for making his dreams come true, but TK couldn’t focus on anything.

Well, anything besides his boyfriend.

Carlos was crouched down, ice cream cone in hand while a friendly neighbor girl leaned forward to take a few bites. She had her fingers in her ears and a worried look on her face, one that TK knew Carlos wouldn’t be able to resist. He had heard her say that everything was too loud, but she was okay with not having ice cream if it meant that Shaun was happy. Carlos had apparently decided that wouldn’t do and reminded her that every kid at the party deserved at least a little bit of sweetness. He brushed his finger over the tip of her nose and held the cone out for her much on.

TK could see the trail of vanilla trickling down the side, coating Carlos’ fingers, and smiled even wider. Carlos hated when his hands were sticky. Even when he was cooking his extravagant meals, he would run his hands under the warm water over and over against just to make sure they weren’t anything but sparkling clean. (Sometimes, TK would pull Carlos’ fingers into his mouth to make sure they were clear of any remnants of meal preparation before Carlos reminded him that the kitchen wasn’t the bedroom and ‘ Dammit, babe, your team is right there. ’)

Carlos knelt down as the little girl grinned, showing off her face covered in runaway ice cream that hadn’t quite made it past her lips. He smiled right back at her and TK thought his heart might have stopped for a moment. She pursed her lips as Carlos brought a towelette up them, scrunching her face in distaste when he cleaned the ice cream off of her. His laughter broke through all of the other bright noise and TK was grateful to have heard it.

Before she ran off, she hugged Carlos tightly, throwing her hands around his neck while his wrapped awkwardly around her waist. Even with the dirty towelette in one hand and a half-eaten ice cream cone in the other, he still hugged her back as tighter as he could, doing his best to avoid the pigtail protruding from the side of her head.

“I know that face,” Owen said, effectively breaking TK out of the Carlos-induced stupor he had found himself in for who knows how long.

“What face? I’m not making a face,” TK said defensively. He tried to take another bite of his ice cream but realized that while he was distracted, it had almost all melted to a puddle at the bottom of his dish.

“That’s the ‘oh look, it’s my future’ face,” Owen said easily, shrugging even as TK gaped at him.

“What are you—“

“Oh, stop with the panic, will you, kid?” Owen scoffed, pointing his spoon in Carlos’ direction. “Your future is over there entertaining every kid on this block with the dopiest smile on his face and you’re over here panic watching .” Carlos was leaning into the driver’s seat of the police cruiser, kids piled in the other side as the sirens went off and on wildly. A joyous and loud, ‘Happy Birthday, Shaun’ echoed through the air as the kids cheered into the megaphone attached to his cruiser.

“I’m not panicking , dad,” TK said quickly, stirring at the liquid in his cup and trying to break the chips that sank to the bottom with the edge of his spoon. It was busywork, but it meant he didn’t have to look his father in the eyes and admit that yeah, maybe he was panicking just a little.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with looking at the man you love and dreaming of what your life could be like together,” Owen reassured, squeezing TK’s shoulder comfortingly. “About two months after I met your mom, I watched her help a little boy about Shaun’s age get a toy off of a top shelf and I thought ‘one day, that could be our kid’. And look at you now.” TK couldn’t help but laugh and glance over at his dad, a soft smile on his face.

“Yeah, I still can’t reach toys on the top shelf,” TK joked, grinning even wider as his dad shoved his shoulder playfully.

“Your ice cream melted!” TK looked up just as Carlos spoke, “Did you want me to get you—“

“No, I’m… I’m all set,” TK said, pulling his bottom lip into his mouth when sudden nerves bubbled up inside of him. Owen patted his shoulder again and stood, walking next to Carlos and holding out his hand for the half-eaten ice cream cone Carlos had pinched between two fingers. Carlos blushed and handed it over, immediately grabbing another towelette to wash off his hands.

“Thanks, Cap— Owen,” Carlos corrected. TK wasn’t sure if it was of his own recognition or if the raised eyebrows his dad shot at his boyfriend helped, but he was grateful Carlos finally nixed the professionalism. When Owen was out of earshot, Carlos sat down, draping an arm easily over TK’s shoulders. “I can’t decide if I’m scared of him or not,” Carlos contemplated, a pout forming on his lips. TK pushed forward just enough to press a gentle kiss to his mouth, letting his tongue trail along Carlos’ bottom lip to taste the flavor of chocolate on his skin.

He pulled back with a hum and muttered, “Tasty.” Carlos blushed as he glanced around as if to make sure none of the kids were watching and TK leaned back into his arm with a chuckle. “You were really good with her,” TK noted, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious that his heart had just stopped singing.

“I like kids,” Carlos replied, his eyes never leaving where the little girl was now dancing with Marjan and Paul. As cute as the kids were, TK was more relieved to see his team stress-free for what felt like the first time in weeks. “Plus, I couldn’t just let Arabella miss out on all the dessert, now could I?” Carlos asked.

“Of course not,” TK agreed, resting his hand on Carlos’ thigh and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “I was just reminded that no one can resist my boyfriend’s charms.”

Carlos rested his hand on top of TK’s as if on instant and they smiled over at each other, uncaring for the excitement around them once they had locked eyes. TK flipped his hand over so that their fingers could entangle and for a moment, he tried to figure out when the motion had become so easy - when things with Carlos had become so natural. He couldn’t figure out when he started looking at Carlos like his future instead of just his right now and he was sure that should have been scarier than it was.

“Officer Carlos!” A cheery voice yelled from a few feet away, effectively breaking both of them out of their lovestruck stares. TK glanced up to see Arabella with her hands over her ears again, beckoning Carlos over with a dramatic wiggle of her elbows. He couldn’t help but laugh as Carlos pushed himself up without a second thought and started walking over. As if he realized how immediately he fell to a child’s beck and call, he turned around and shrugged bashfully.

“Duty calls?” He explained and TK’s future flashed in his mind; Carlos getting up off the couch during movie nights to go cuddle their daughter to sleep after she wakes up from a nightmare, coddling her when she falls off her bike for the first time, teaching her how to prepare the incredible meals he always cooks and wiping flour off of her cheek as a right of passage, dropping everything for her in the same way he had always done for TK.

“Mind if I join?” TK asked, because if that was Carlos’ future, it was his, too.

But he could think about that later. He grabbed Carlos’ outstretched hand and held his own out to Arabella. As if she couldn’t resist, she pressed her ear into her shoulder to keep out the noise and grabbed TK’s hand solidly in her small one. It was a perfect moment by any definition as they laughed and danced together, him and Carlos swinging Arabella to the beat of the music blasting from one of the ice cream trucks. As much as TK looked forward to his future with Carlos, he wasn’t about to let the right now pass without savoring it, especially when it felt so right.

[klbwriting]

Walls - Chapter 4

Fandom: Six of Crows

Pairing: Kaz/female!Reader

Summary: Kaz finds out about something Rollins is planning and tries to stop it

Taglist: @itsemy01 @sagewrites111 @aysegust @moondustmarauder @marinettepotterandplagg @bi-disaster101 @thedelusionreaderbitch @maybe-potato @malfoy-wife15 @fornarniaandforthefandom @rika90 @spawn0fsatan​ @aelnpruz​ @carlalyz​ @a-disappointing-teen-author​

           Being 12 in the Dregs was the perfect time to learn.  Kaz was young enough that Per Haskell and the older members thought he was still green, too young to really know how to listen and learn, so they let him sit in on meetings, let him carry messages around town, and let him organize and clean offices alone.  He used all of this time to absorb all the information he could about everyone.  Who was paying who and how much, who wasn’t sleeping with their wife that night, or who had just bought a boy from a slaver, everything he could learn to use at a later time.  So when Haskell sent him to the Emerald Palace was a note for Pekka Rollins Kaz took it gladly, desperately wanting to learn some secrets.  However, when he read the message, his heart jumped to his throat.  

I’ll have some Dregs waiting for Mellar and that girl by the Crow Club after 10 bells, they’ll rough her up good, give her a lesson for you.  Make sure Mellar knows and stays by the backdoor so she can’t get into the club.  You owe me. – Haskell

           He knew that the ‘her’ being referred to had to be Y/N.  She was the only person that Mellar was in charge of overseeing.  He wasn’t sure what lesson Rollins wanted to teach her this time or why but he knew he had to stop it.  He delivered the message as promised but instead of returning to the Slat he looked around, figuring the way that Mellar would probably take her to get to the club.  He waited on a street that wasn’t normally crowded, bordering the back of some taverns and the canal.  He stood, biding his time, his knife already in his hand.  

           It was dark and the street in front of the Emerald Palace was filling up just as Mellar walked out, Y/N following behind him.  He glanced around, not a care in the world, he was Pekka Rollins’s enforcer, no one would touch him.  Y/N was the daughter of the most powerful slum lord in the Barrel, she was safe outside of her home.  At least, that’s what Mellar thought as he started down the side street near the canal, wanting to get this business over and done with.  Y/N had been lippy with him all day and he couldn’t wait to see her get what was coming to her, harden her up some.  He past in front of Kaz without noticing.  Y/N stopped.  She would find Kaz no matter where he was, she looked at him and he sent her a smirk before he jumped out of the shadows and onto Mellar’s back.  He put his arm around to the man’s front and started stabbing, not caring where he hit or if he got cut in the process.  Mellar let out a cry and fell to the ground, struggling to get away.  

           “They heard him…one of the barkers is coming, give me the knife,” she said, snatching it away from him. Kaz looked at her as she started stabbing herself.  “Hide!” Kaz dove into an alcove between the taverns, holding his breath as a barker ran past him and to Y/N.  

           “Just wait until your father…” he started.  She growled and held up the knife.  

           “What in the hell are you doing stupid girl?” came Rollins’s voice.  Kaz could see him walking up to her.  He looked between Mellar’s dead body and her, shaking his head.  “Well, guess there’s a little bit of fight in you isn’t there?”  He reached out, grabbing her by the hair to drag her back to his club, but she slashed the knife out, cutting his arm pretty bad.  He growled and she instantly cowered back, knife falling to the cobbles. He had her hair still, so he bent down and picked up the knife.  Kaz almost revealed himself then, wanting to save her, but he knew he couldn’t.  They were outnumbered by 3 fully grown men, the odds were against them and he wasn’t foolish enough to try to play hero.  

           “Maybe you should get a taste of what Mellar felt,” Rollins said, stabbing the knife into her shoulder, pushing it in up to the hilt before pulling it out again.  Y/N was panicking, her breath coming in short pants. “Here, a night in the canal should do you good.”  He pushed her back and Kaz watched with horror as she fell back into the water, starting to sink.  Rollins told the others to clean up Mellar’s mess before heading back.  While they were distracted Kaz slid out and dove into the water.  It took him a few seconds to find her floating just under the surface.  He didn’t want to do this, it was too much like Jordie, but he couldn’t let her die in there.  With all the will he could muster he slid one arm under her arms and swam towards the nearest set of stairs.  He pulled her up, taking his shirt off and tearing off his sleeve.  He wrapped it around her wound, tying it as tight as he could hoping that would be enough until he could get her somewhere a little safer.  

           Once the barkers had finished with Mellar’s body Kaz picked Y/N up, trying to be gentle while also ignoring the bile in his throat.  He swallowed down the sick and climbed the stairs, keeping to alleys and side streets that were less crowded until he found the old burned out pleasure house near the Slat.  There was a door that only swung open enough for a child or maybe small adult could fit through.  Kaz set Y/N’s unconscious body against the wall and slid inside before pulling her in after him.  He carried her to an old bed on the wall and laid her down. ��She was still breathing so he left to find something to use as a better bandage.  He found an old cotton dress, something worn by one of the girls probably, and tore off a piece.  He set about dressing her wound properly and once that was done and he knew he wouldn’t need to touch her again he vomited in a corner, his body shaking as he came to terms with what had happened.  He had been able to keep the images and feelings at bay while he helped her, his need to save her had overridden his sickness.  That was something to keep in mind for later, this could be overcome, but only when a stronger feeling came around.  

           “Kaz?” he heard her whisper.  He moved over to the bed and sat down on it.  She was awake, face still lacking color due to blood loss.

           “You’re alive, we’re in that Dove’s Nest pleasure house that burnt down,” he said.  She nodded slowly, eyes starting to focus.  

           “He stabbed me, threw me in the canal,” she said.  

           “And yet somehow you don’t have gangrene,” Kaz said, trying to take her mind off of the betrayal she had suffered.  She laughed a little, but he knew his ploy hadn’t worked.  Her life was a betrayal, from her father’s abuse, to those around her laughing at his actions, to the saints and gods that did nothing to save her.  Kaz was the only person who hadn’t betrayed her, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he did.  He would have to if he wanted to destroy Rollins’s life, he just hoped she would understand.  “Where is your mother?  Why isn’t she helping you?”

           “My mother died having me,” she said.  “I think that’s when my father decided I was a demon incarnate, come to bring him shame and suffering.”  She tried to move her arm but just whimpered.  Kaz tried to help her sit up but she waved him away.  “Don’t force yourself, I don’t want to make you feel more uncomfortable than you already do.”  Was he that transparent to her?  

           “Is that why he does this to you?” he asked, motioning to her shoulder.  She nodded.  

           “He thinks it will harden me, make me more like him if I suffer enough I will want to make others suffer.  It just does the opposite, I never want anyone to feel like I do ever again,” she said. So noble, Kaz wished he could be more like that sometimes.  Imagine being able to take all the bad around you and try to make it good.  She was trying to rise out of the swamp she was born while Kaz was nesting deep in it, building a nice summer home for him to spend his days.

           “Get some rest,” he said softly, wanting this conversation to be over.  This was too draining for him.  She didn’t fight him, just laid her head down and closed her eyes. He could hear her breathing even out so he snuck out, finding food and water for when she woke up.  He set himself up next to the bed and leaned his head back on the drooping mattress, watching her sleep.  His eyes closed and he dreamed about killing Mellar again, only this time he finished the job, and in the dream she kissed him and he didn’t feel sick, he felt like flying.  

           In the morning she woke up after him, seeing just a note left nearby telling her to eat and drink and then get home.  She smiled softly and ate the crackers he had left.  She looked around the room and smiled a little.  This could be a nice place to stay.  As she walked back to the Emerald Palace she started planning how she could make that old brothel a little home for her.  However, that dream ended the moment Rollins told her to come to his office.  

           “Its time you start taking responsibility around here, I’ve coddled you too long,” he said.  “Seeing that killer instinct last night made me realize, you’re almost grown now, time for you to be a lieutenant in my gang, time for your first real job.”

           “And what job is that?” she asked.  He smiled.

           “You are going to rob the Black Tips safe house past West Stave, take your new guard with you, gather some lions and get it done by tomorrow night,” Rollins said, motioning for a young man a of couple years older than her to follow.  She glanced at him and he smiled at her, it was kind and she almost fell for it.  Her father knew she was starting to get feelings for someone, she was at that age that things like that happened, so he was pushing someone from his crew for her to fall for.  And since Kaz was unreachable, someone she couldn’t ever actually be with, maybe she would let it happen.  She would keep Kaz in her heart, locked away in that place only soulmates get to stay. Maybe someday she could take him out and let those feelings really grow, but not now, not until the Dime Lions were dead and Kaz was sitting on their ashes.

[shima-draws]

At last, here she is...best girl Olivia!

As usual, all of her info is under the cut c:

Olivia

Age: 18

Hair color: White (with pink/purple streaks)

Eye color: Green

Element: Fire

After a lot of debating I decided that Olivia is actually Jasper and Mouna’s daughter--if you don’t know them they’re two older OCs that I’ve had for a while! (I figured I might as well give her parents already existing within the ATS-verse anyway, and I planned on Jasper and Mouna getting together and having a child somewhere down the line so it fits.)

When she was born, Olivia was very weak, and most healers feared that she would not make it—similar to how weak and frail Jasper was when he was born. Because of this, Jasper and Mouna are both fiercely overprotective of her (Jasper more intensely) so she was sort of suffocated by their attention. She grew up within the Spinelrose Guild and was treated more delicately by the rest of the guild members, especially because of how slow her development was and how often she was ill as a child. She originally had a difficult time making friends because Jasper was so afraid she’d get into trouble and get hurt, and the other kids didn’t want to accidentally put her in danger. Olivia was pretty isolated from her peers as a kid, and that frustrated her, because she didn’t want to be treated differently from everybody else just because of her fragility. Unfortunately she was never really strong enough to make her point, and just ended up being coddled by the guild as a result.

As she developed into a teenager, Olivia eventually outgrew her sickly physique and started to become stronger, both mentally and physically. She started to speak up about her parents’ treatment of her more—she knows that they just want to keep her safe, but she feels smothered by their hovering tendencies. Mouna eventually realizes how important this is to her and starts to back off, realizing how strong her daughter has become. Jasper, however...it’s harder for him to let go lol because she’s his only child and he knows how difficult it was to grow up as the weak link, the one who got ostracized because of their general health and well-being. It doesn’t help that Olivia is very clumsy and gets into little accidents all the time, which just makes his stress skyrocket.

Even worse, Olivia is a fire elemental, which is considered to be one of the most dangerous simply because of how destructive it is without proper control. When Olivia was a kid Jasper forbade her from practicing any of her magic, too worried that she’d end up hurting herself. Of course, Olivia has a bit of a rebellious streak, so she tried it once by herself and inevitably ended up burning the side of her face with her magic. (By now the scar is almost faded, but you can still see it.) Both of her parents flipped their lids, and Olivia was so terrified that she decided to never use her magic again, viewing it as a curse. Mouna tries to tell her that her magic is a blessing, something that encompasses life, and that she just wasn’t ready to use it so freely without any training. But Olivia is insistent—scarred both in the literal and metaphorical sense, she refuses to use her magic, scared that she’s going to hurt herself again, or worse, somebody else. 

As the years pass Olivia starts to feel more and more unsatisfied with her current life—she likes the guild, likes her friends and her family, but she feels as if there’s more she could be doing with her life. Since she’s refrained from using her magic all these years, and because of how much of a klutz she is normally, she’s not really a strong fighter, and is pretty useless on guild missions. Seeing the rest of her guildmates put their all into what they do, and being able to succeed in it, drives her to eventually seek escape and try to start off with a clean slate. When she turns 14, Olivia decides that she’s going to leave the guild and travel to someplace new in an attempt to be more independent and maybe find a purpose for herself.

Of course she realizes that if she tells her parents this they’ll probably refuse her, so she corners her uncle Terrence instead. Seeing her drive, Terrence decides he’s going to escort her to make sure she arrives safely. Olivia initially refuses because this is something she wants to do on her own, but Terrence warns her that the world is a dangerous place, and since she doesn’t know how to fight or use her magic the trip would be near suicidal if she went on her own. Terrence tells her the best option is going to stay with Spinelrose’s sister guild, Amethystus, and receive proper training in order to hone her magic and her fighting skills. That way she’d still have a direct line with Spinelrose in case something goes wrong, but she’d be far enough away to be independent.

Olivia prepares to sneak out in the middle of the night, but she gets caught by both Jasper and Mouna (because Terrence is a good uncle and he told them lmao). Fearing that they’re going to stop her, Olivia stands up for herself and makes it clear that this is something she needs to do. Much to her shock, Jasper and Mouna encourage her to follow her dreams and come home a new woman. It’s a very soft moment when they all hug each other goodbye, and there’s lots of tears :’) Olivia leaves home knowing that her parents are worried, but they’ll support her decisions because they love her.

After their crazy trip (where Olivia second guesses herself a million times and wonders if she can really survive out in a world this chaotic), they finally arrive at the Amethystus Guild! Olivia literally bumps into Ginni and from there, they form an instant close friendship. Ginni respects Olivia’s desire to be independent and is somewhat envious she made the decision to leave her guild in order to become stronger. Olivia admires Ginni’s confident personality and her fearlessness. Together they get into LOTS of trouble lol, mostly led by Ginni who is a notorious troublemaker within the guild, with Olivia just along for the ride.

During all this, Olivia meets the guild’s official blacksmith and, upon seeing the incredible things he can create by using fire magic, starts to rethink her opinions about her own “cursed” fire magic. The blacksmith, normally a very closed off, grumpy, and rude person, notices Olivia’s conflict about fire, and decides he’s going to train her in order to help her overcome her fear. Through a lot of practice and very intense sessions, Olivia is finally able to confront her trauma and move past it—leading to her discovery that she’s a talented natural at using elemental magic, finding that it comes very easy to her and is something she can control without thinking too much. This is a rare skill, for normally it takes an elemental years of practice and training to have perfect control over their magic. On top of that, her fire is very pretty and beautiful to look at, a reflection of her soul. Her master berates her from hiding something so beautiful and pure for so long lol

Olivia finds passion in blacksmithing, and trains under her master in order to create beautiful and powerful weapons. She does get burned a few more times during this, leading to some relapses, but her master tells her it’s part of the job and something that every elemental will come across: they aren’t always the perfect masters of their magic, and sometimes can hurt themselves without meaning to. But being able to understand what went wrong and how to fix it will make her stronger. Within a couple years Olivia flourishes and evolves into one of the guild’s most fiercest fighters, with an excellent handle on her abilities!

Olivia and Ginni grow up together in Amethystus, and are pretty much inseparable. When Ginni gets kidnapped by the Forces and is missing for several weeks, Olivia is beside herself with worry. After Ginni returns with Kaz in tow, Olivia is one of the first people to accept him and trust him fully, because she believes in Ginni more than anybody else. (Kaz develops a soft spot towards Olivia because of this, and is forever grateful for her support.) Over time Olivia starts to realize just how awful Kaz’s life at the Forces was, and grows very sympathetic towards his situation. She understands wanting to start over somewhere new with a clean slate, though Kaz’s circumstances are much worse than hers, because she still has a loving family and home to return to someday. Olivia becomes determined to make Amethystus a home like that for Kaz, as well as Hiro, who they discuss recruiting to their side from the Forces. As Kaz continues to reveal more of his past, as well as Hiro’s, Olivia and Ginni both get very gung ho about going to fetch Hiro LOL because they both want him to be safe (though Kaz assures them Hiro isn’t in any sort of danger, being the colonel, as well as too intelligent to put himself in trouble).

Kaz meets with Hiro, who was actually sent out on a mission to fetch him, and they negotiate Hiro acting as a double agent for Amethystus to spy on the Forces. Hiro had already been planning on leaving the Forces at some point, so he sees this as a perfect opportunity to get back at them for years of mistreatment. Over the course of the next several months, Hiro routinely reports back to Amethystus of the Forces’ plans, their current hideouts, and everything he knows about the higher ups. During all this he and Olivia meet, and at this point Olivia has started to refer to the colonel as ‘Hiro’ in her head, because it’s too confusing for her to call him the colonel, and she reasons that since Ginni gave Kaz his name she might as well give Hiro his. (Also because she believes that he’s a true ‘hero’ for enduring all of that suffering for so long, so it fits ;D) She calls him Hiro by sheer accident, but luckily he takes to the name well haha and they start to grow closer >:’) Hiro comments on how close Kaz and Ginni have become and the two start betting on when they’ll get together lol

Eventually Hiro’s position as a double agent is discovered by Mallary and so he finally breaks away from the Forces (and Mallary’s manipulation) and starts living permanently at the guild. Olivia’s pretty happy about this. She can’t explain why but she feels very safe and at ease around him, and she’s the person he’s the gentlest and softest around—unbeknownst to her, this is because he’s fallen in love with her, but she’s completely oblivious to his feelings. She’s pretty dense when it comes to romantic stuff like this whoops. Olivia finds Hiro’s intelligence incredible and likes that he’s such a skilled fighter despite not being that strong physically. Hiro likes watching her do her blacksmithing duties and always has expert things to say on her craftsmanship. They get along very well! Olivia’s never felt more at home than with Ginni, Kaz, and Hiro, and likes the tight knit little group they’ve formed. She becomes very fond and protective of them and, upon realizing how important they are to her and how much she’s changed because of them and because of her decision to join Amethystus, she decides to cut her hair as another sign of her growth as a person, and as a sign of change! She finally discovers what she wants to do: become a master blacksmith, and work alongside her friends to protect everything they can, including taking down the Forces to set free all of the people forced to work for them, and bring peace to the land.

When the time comes to finally take down the Forces, Olivia starts to develop feelings for Hiro as well, though it takes her a while to figure out because she’s never really been in love before, and mistakes a lot of her attraction for simple admiration. As Hiro continues to put his life on the line for their group and do anything he can to protect them, Olivia starts to discover that maybe she wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life with him. There’s a point where Hiro gets injured so badly in battle he’s certainly going to bleed out, so he pleads for her to use her fire magic to cauterize his wound. Olivia’s trauma comes crashing back in and her worst fears are confirmed: her magic will end up hurting the people most important to her. Hiro tells her that by doing this, she’s going to save him, that her magic is life itself. Encouraged by his words, Olivia burns Hiro to save him, though it’s an extremely painful thing for her to do :’( But it’s at this moment she realizes that she definitely is in love with him, and would sacrifice anything for him.

Not long after that, Mallary attacks, enraged, and accuses Olivia of stealing everything important away from her. It’s a really emotional battle;; Mallary basically vents out about being the one left behind, the only one who couldn’t find a happy ending, and who had the only people she cared about taken. She says some really nasty things to Olivia about Hiro lol and this really makes Olivia mad, so they basically duke it out over Mallary’s twisted feelings for Kaz and her perceived ownership of Hiro. And Olivia’s just like. Bitch you don’t own him!! He’s not an object or a toy for you to play with!! Yeah. It’s nuts

After the grand battle with the Forces comes to an end and everything is resolved, Olivia decides to confess her feelings to Hiro, but it doesn’t...really go as planned. Hiro gently rejects her, but Olivia takes it the wrong way, still not realizing how head over heels for her he is. Shortly after this, Hiro and Kaz part ways with the guild, deciding to go on their own personal journeys of self discovery. During the year they’re gone, Olivia laments over her feelings for Hiro, miserable that she didn’t realize how she felt until it was too late, and miserable because she might never see him again. Eventually she tries to move on from that, but Ginni repeatedly tells her that Hiro is literally holding a torch for her lmao and that she shouldn’t let it go so quickly. Olivia protests constantly and strives to work harder to become a better blacksmith and stronger guild member, trying to put her feelings aside and ignore them. 

Of course, when she and Ginni eventually reunite with Kaz and Hiro, Olivia realizes that shit I’m still in love with him and my feelings haven’t gone away, they’ve just grown stronger during the year we were apart;; luckily for her Hiro’s gone through a lot of self reflection and feels ready to be in a relationship with her, so, after a rocky road of awkward confessions and pouring out their feelings, they FINALLY get together. 

The four of them go on a journey together! There’s some problems when Hiro runs into his childhood friend and first love, Lorelai, but in the end he shows he’s pretty damn dedicated to Olivia and it’s super soft. I just. I just love them so m u c h //shakes fists

AND THAT IS ALL FOLKS!! Most of it anyway lol

Extra personality traits:

-Very compassionate and caring about others—she’s a very motherly type. She’s able to get people to open up to her easily because of how friendly she is. She also settles disputes within the guild often, being the mediator between arguments

-A social butterfly. Probably the most social one out of the group, and the one most used to conversing with other people

-She’s got a lot of self-esteem issues because of her upbringing (and really, I promise Jasper is not a bad parent!! He’s just concerned), but she’s learned how to handle it better. She’s definitely way more confident than she was before!

-Tends to be very indecisive when it comes to big decisions, and is hesitant about fighting—though she will put her all into it if the stakes are high. She CAN whoop your ass 

-Super passionate about blacksmithing! It’s her true calling, and something she throws herself into fully. She’s very artful with her work and makes gorgeous pieces, and tends to ramble on about the specifics even when nobody understands lol

-A bit oblivious and airheaded sometimes. She’s completely unaware of several of the guild members’ feelings for her, including Hiro’s.

-VERY affectionate. Because she was isolated from other kids as a child, she’s very touchy feely and loves expressing her affection through casual touches. And lots of hugs!

-Since she’s the sweetest and nicest person in the group, she is terrifying when she’s angry. She’s super protective of her friends and won’t hesitate to leap into action to keep them safe, often getting very fierce when she does so

-She hates being alone. Being raised in an atmosphere with so many people around, she isn’t used to being by herself, and her instant source of comfort is being near others

-Isn’t afraid to tease her friends or state her opinion when it really counts

[seokmingiggles]

powdered sugar.

@ofrosesandteacups​ requested on 201220: "Would you do a fluff Yoongi one shot where he goes home for the holidays with his girlfriend for the first time (but he's previously met her family when they've come for a short visit) and although he's nervous, he finds that since his girlfriend is the youngest of her family with a wide age gap between her and her siblings (like 8 years older) she gets babied by them/gets them to do things for her by being cute/whining which he's seen bits of in Seoul but she usually independent and tends to take care of him and the rest of the boys so he teases her for it? Also I really enjoyed 'Comfortable' and I'm excited for whatever else you create!"

Pairing: Min Yoongi x female reader

Genre: fluff, established relationship, holiday season.

1.85k words

Warnings: brief mentions of alcohol consumption, (dialogue heavy).

On the drive home from your parent's Christmas Eve dinner with the rest of your family, your boyfriend enjoys hearing you whine as he reminds you of the way you're coddled by your older siblings. Later on, he continues to pamper you when you return home. Alternatively, Yoongi wants to baby you every once in a while because you're just so darn cute.

A/N: Thank you for the request (and for all the support you've shown for me so far)! This one was a bit tricky for me to think about since I am the eldest of my family. I tried to put myself in my step-sister's shoes (who is younger than me by nine years) to come up with how the reader would feel being the youngest. I hope it turned out okay! I kind of made it turn into something else near the end (it felt like I was around 600 words for a long time, and then it suddenly became 1.8k). Please enjoy :)

•• "Wait, no, when Jun got hit when we opened the champagne! That was the highlight of dinner, I swear. My cousin is hilarious."

You laughed again just picturing your tall relative hiding in the corner of the kitchen behind your (much smaller) aunt, but still getting the cork to his head despite his efforts.

"Yeah, Junhui is something else, that's for sure," Yoongi grinned, keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead of him. One of his hands was on the steering wheel, while the other encased in yours. "Do you want to know my favourite part about seeing your family again?"

You glanced over at your boyfriend, interested in what his opinion was, "I bet it was the turkey my mom made. I know you love her cooking."

"Well, yes, that's a given," Yoongi silently thanked your mom again when he remembered the delicious care package she put together before you left, "but actually, I love seeing how different you act when you're surrounded by your siblings."

"I should have known." You rolled your eyes despite knowing he wouldn't see the action under the passing streetlights.

"It's true! I keep forgetting you're the youngest when it's just you and me. You always insist on taking care of me and asking how I'm doing, so it's funny to see your siblings pull that stuff on you when you're all together." Your boyfriend's face was illuminated crimson from the traffic light. He glanced at you, "You're the baby. The little, tiny baby-"

"Ah, stop it!" You smacked his hand situated on your lap.

"Be careful, (Y/N)-ie, that dish just came out of the oven!" Yoongi ignored your gentle warning and continued to tease, quoting what your siblings had said earlier, "Let me do it. You can go sit down at the table."

"Now you're just as bad as them, Yoon."

The light turned green.

"You just rile them up when you walk around all cute and pouty. I'm scared to open the champagne bottle. Can someone else do it for me, please?" Now he was quoting you.

"And I had the right to be scared of it! You saw how it hit Jun's forehead!" You still couldn't get over how the cork managed to find him. "Are you telling me that I'm not normally that cute around you?"

Yoongi scoffed, "You already know I think you're cute. It's just that you're so different around your family."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all. But it catches me off guard. They're all so cautious about their youngest doing things on her own." Another stoplight. "But little do they know what a big girl their baby sister has become!"

He had the audacity to poke your cheek as he laughed; a cold sensation on your skin warmed from the champagne—you’d had both yours and Yoongi's portion as the boy knew he'd have to drive you both home afterwards.

"Yoongi," you dragged out, "please! I could be teasing you at how stiff you were when you first walked through the door tonight."

"That's not the same."

"Isn't it? It's nice to see you again, Mr. (L/N). I swear you corrected your posture as soon as my dad opened the door."

Now Yoongi was whining out a complaint.

"They like you already; my family has for a while. I don't know why you still act so proper around them."

"I'm only being a good son-in-law."

"Say that again after you propose, Min."

"Yes, ma'am."

You finally were met with silence, a nice change from your boyfriend's loving teasing. You leaned your head against the top of the passenger seat and watched the colourful lights pass by. The radio was quietly playing in the background; a Christmas hymn barely heard over the noisy car, crunching over the gravelled-down streets.

"Do you want me to propose?"

You almost missed Yoongi's words from your ears being tuned to the gentle orchestral arrangement playing from the speakers.

"Of course I do," you cooed. "I love you, so yes. Without a doubt, one day, when we both feel ready to take that step."

"You know we've been together for years now, (Y/N). It'll be our sixth in the spring. Maybe it was because I saw your siblings with their spouses tonight; it got me thinking about it all. Your eldest sister already has a daughter too." He paused, eyes still focussed on the snowy road, "It made me wonder if you'd want that too someday. With me."

You couldn't help the smile that formed across your face at picturing a lifetime with the boy next to you. You squeezed Yoongi's hand intertwined with your own.

"That sounds perfect, Yoongi. Any future with you sounds perfect."

The car finally reached its designated parking spot in front of your condominium unit. Yoongi put the vehicle in park and removed the keys, but you both remained in your seats with hands still laced together.

You turned your head to the side to see Yoongi already giving you a fond gaze.

"I love you," he whispered. Anything louder would seem deafening under the delicate snowflakes beginning to fall, instantly melting as they hit the glass of the car's windows. "Merry Christmas, (Y/N)."

"Merry Christmas, Yoongi. I love you too."

The two of you exited the car and collected the cards and small presents arranged in the backseat that your family so graciously handed to you after dinner. Of course, also not forgetting the leftovers your boyfriend was so enthusiastic about too.

You unlocked the door to your home as Yoongi had the assorted gifts held tightly to his chest with the oversized Tupperware of food in his hands, carrying it like some prized possession.

He walked over to the small decorated tree in your living room to add the few new additions of prettily wrapped boxes beneath the shrubbery after dropping the food in the fridge on his way. He plugged in the lights and admired the way the tree sparkled.

He found himself looking beneath the tree at one small box in particular. "Hey, could I give you a gift tonight, love?"

You were in the entryway hanging up your jackets and putting away your boots. Once finished, you made your way to see Yoongi sat on the floor next to the tree: his portrait glowing from the gleaming lights.

You smiled at the view; your boyfriend never failed to take your breath away. "I don't know, technically it's not Christmas yet."

"It will be in ten minutes."

"Hm, I suppose I can let it slide just this once."

You made your way closer to Yoongi, taking a seat in front of him on the carpet.

"Can you close your eyes for me?"

You obliged his request, but quipping, "Your idea of a gift that can't wait until tomorrow better not be a kiss, Min Yoongi."

You felt a soft peck on your lips.

"You know me too well, love."

But you also felt something small placed in your hands.

"You can open your eyes now."

As your eyes fluttered back open, revealed to you was a small box. It was no bigger than your palm; black velvet with a forest green ribbon decorating it, turning into a delicate bow resting on its top.

You looked back up at Yoongi, who only nodded his head to encourage you to open it.

Pulling at the ribbon, your breath hitched when you carefully opened the lid.

It was a necklace. In the shape of a heart, it looked even more golden from the warm-toned twinkling lights of the tree next to you.

"Yoongi, it's beautiful," you gasped, already removing it from its container.

"It's a locket," your boyfriend commented, taking it from your smaller hands so he could show you.

Upon opening it, you were met with two small photos on each half of the heart. The left side had a tiny family photo with you, your parents, and your siblings at your graduation a few years back, and the other side contained an old photo of you and Yoongi around the time you first started dating.

You almost felt like crying; the gesture was so thoughtful.

"Your mom found these photos buried away and gave a few to me. I know how much your family means to you, so that's why I chose this one," he pointed to the one with you grinning in your cap and gown and smushed in the middle of a hug by your siblings, "and I'm fairly certain that I also mean a lot to you, so I wanted to include a photo of us." Yoongi brushed his thumb against the right half of the heart housing your younger faces.

"This is the most thoughtful gift I've ever received, Yoongi." You released your grip on the velvet box and moved to embrace the boy, "I can't thank you enough. You're so wonderful to me."

"Merry Christmas, my love," Yoongi returned the hug, smiling into the top of your head. "Would you like my help to put it on?"

You reluctantly let go and sat in front of him once again. "I think you've spent too much time around my siblings, Yoon. You know you don't have to treat me like a baby the way they all do. I'm capable of doing things myself even if they say otherwise."

"I know you can, (Y/N), but you're my baby. I think there are different rules. Here, let me help you."

You sighed with a smile and shook your head at Yoongi's persistence, but turned around in your spot nonetheless. He carefully maneuvered the necklace around you, fiddling with the clasp until the sides hooked together properly.

You spent a little while longer in the gentle ambiance of the decorated tree and watched the dainty snowflakes fall from the sky. It was past midnight now; the world was quiet. Silenced by the powdered sugar fragments drifting down from the heavens and covering the earth in a blanket of icing white.

You fiddled with the chain around your neck, leaning back into Yoongi's warm chest, having moved from your spot on the floor and to the couch.

You felt him press a kiss onto the back of your head, his protective hold around you tightening ever so slightly. Maybe it was from the coziness being in Yoongi's arms, or possibly from the big dinner you had a few hours ago—you felt yourself beginning to drift off, not fighting the all-encompassing tranquillity.

It was only at the sound of your breathing becoming heavier when Yoongi realized the predicament he found himself in. He smiled, wanting to coo at how cute you looked asleep in his arms, but he chose not to wake you.

Instead, he planned on bugging you about it when you inevitably woke up, saying something about how his little baby didn't even make it to the bed because she was so tired.

Yes, like your siblings, you were his baby too. Until you had your own, and maybe even after then as well, you'd be his baby.

••

[lilbabycee]

tidal // steve rogers 🌊

↳ summary: tony doesn’t trust his kid and steve has to play mediator, although those duties don’t come without a reward

↳ relationship: dad’s best friend!steve rogers x stark!reader

↳ request: steve defending his soft girl when she starts crying when someone yelled at her...maybe she thanks him by putting her mouth to good use @donutloverxo + what about dad’sbestfriend!steve x reader?...I need me some Steve please!! (anon)

↳ word count: 5.4k (this has no business being this long)

↳ warnings: angst, smut, dirty talk, slight degradation, some light fluff kinda

↳ author’s note: i do love a stark!reader so this was so much fun for me - enjoy my loves! x

The relationship that you have with your father is complicated. It reminds you acutely of the foamy sea that you used to tentatively wade in and simply stare at with a wide-eyed, childlike fascination when your parents took you to the Maldives or Seychelles or Ivory Coast, each summer a different place and a different tide. There’s a sense of predictability to it, a routine you have in a language that is understandable to nobody but the two of you. He pushes and you pull, coordinating your movements in a choreographed dance so as to safely row your canoe filled to the brim with trust and love through the rocky seas of life. 

He’s made a mark on you that will always be a permanent imprint on your soul much like the way that water stains the surface of the sand but it’s not as if you perceive that as something negative. You attribute the best parts of yourself to your mother and father and although their DNA isn’t housed inside your body, you’re more Tony’s child than he could have ever asked for. He hears so much of him in the tone of your voice and sees Pepper whenever you cross your arms over your chest and pin him with a look he knows too well - her influence is all over your mannerisms - and the both of them in the charming brightness of your smile when you let yourself laugh freely.

The moment he saw you, barely hours old and sleeping deeply - something that he found out that you would carry with you throughout your years - he’d thought you were cute (all babies are cute and the hundreds of other babies he’d seen in the past few weeks were also cute). But when you’d instinctively gripped Pepper’s finger tightly in your impossibly tiny fist and blinked awake sleepily, he’d fallen in love with your pretty eyes first, the way that you stared through him like you already knew him and it was then that he knew you were his as much as he was yours.

Of course, things weren’t- aren’t always as picture-perfect as they seem. He knows that there are days when you haunt his nightmares, dreams where he can’t protect you plaguing his conscience and causing him to crowd you with what he thinks is love. Rather, it’s an overbearing and often patronizing kind of attention that feels like a thousand sharp needles piercing through your skin. You’re very in touch with your emotions, a quality about you that Tony is sure that you must’ve learned from your mother, while he has the tendency to avoid sentimentality like it’s a disease and that’s where those arguments start, the ones that flare up and spread like forest fires.

In fact, you’re having one of them now. Tony knew how this was going to end before it even began but he can’t help but always engage because he’s as stubborn as he raised you to be. His jaw is set and his nostrils flaring as he stares at you - you’re his progeny, his baby, half of his heart who is standing in that way that reminds him of his wife with crystals in your eyes that make him wonder if you ever wear that diamond necklace he bought you last year.

“You never take me seriously,” you accuse, narrowing your eyes at him which causes a fat teardrop to spill over and run down your cheek. His eyes soften briefly at the sight of your emotional state before he looks away, the painful tugging at his heart trying to pull him towards you. He won’t give in to it: that’ll mean you win. “See - you can’t even look at me, Dad-”

“Sweetheart, I take you plenty seriously,” Tony gnaws on the end of the pen in his mouth, still sitting in front of the holograms of all of the data he’s been trying to process for the past few hours. His feet are propped up on the table, casually crossed at the ankles and shoulders completely relaxed, leaning back in his chair and balancing precariously one of the wheels, sitting in the exact same way that he always told you not to. He taps out a rhythmic beat against his leg with his fingers, eyes darting around the room as he pretends to be interested in everything but you. 

His entire posture radiates the feeling that he doesn’t give a shit about you or what you have to say and it makes your heart sink to your stomach despite the fact that you know this man. You know that he’s just putting on a front and he’s really listening because he was the one who drilled into your head that you always have something to say that’s worth listening to. Yet you cannot for the life of you accept that this man in front of you is acting so coldly when his own daughter is trying to tell him how she feels.

The scoff that comes out of your mouth is involuntary and Tony can’t fight the twitch of his lips because it sounds so much like him, but he only lets it linger for half a second, not allowing you to see how affected he is. Both him and Pepper were under the impression that once they had kids, Tony would finally take the steps towards being willing to share more of himself with the people around him. And he did, for a while. But once you hit those teenage years, he was forced to come to terms with the fact that you wouldn’t be his baby forever - you’d grow up and think your own thoughts and breathe your own air in an environment that he hasn’t polluted with his own ideals. 

His heart beat out of his chest every time he thought about it and he had to face the facts: he was scared. And so he went on the defensive, coddling you and trying to shield you from the harsh realities of the world that he had to face from such a young age. Unfortunately for the both of you, you didn’t appreciate being spoon-fed by your parents your whole life: you have a sense of maturity and independence that Tony is terrified of and it manifested itself in rebellion, a phase in your adolescence hat had almost gotten cost you your life in more situations than he cared to admit. 

“I’m not kidding, Dad,” you reply, your head feeling as if it’s under construction because the unbearably loud banging on the inside of your brain is driving you crazy because he’s deflecting and you know it. A river of tears slide their way down to your chin and you don’t even bother to wipe them. “And you keep making jokes like this isn’t serious-”

“I haven’t been making jokes,” Tony points out calmly, playing around with a bunch of numbers that don’t mean anything to you and distractedly manoeuvering some stupid data table that is somehow more interesting than his own child. 

As much as you try, you genuinely can’t help it when you stomp your foot, the loud noise breaking through Tony’s nonchalance and causing him to arch an eyebrow at you. 

“This isn’t some temper tantrum, Dad,” you tell him, the strength in your voice breaking down and causing it to crack. Your hands come up to clutch your head tightly in a futile attempt to bring yourself back to Earth, tired of the way that your emotions throw your brain into orbit. Your feet are on the ground but it doesn’t feel like it, your rage burning your skin and setting a bonfire in the depths of your body. “You fight me on everything - first it was college then it was working for S.I then it was becoming an Avenger… you think I’m still some little kid-”

“Because you’ve proven time after time that you can’t fend for yourself,” Tony cocks his head as your eyes lock, daring you to challenge him on his statement because the two of you know how much validity it holds.

“That was one time!-”

Tony sighs, shaking his head in what you assume is disappointment and while in any other scenario your heart would’ve sunk, this time it stays where it’s been for the past ten minutes, perishing in the flames licking the sides of your stomach. He gathers some of his papers and tucks the pen in his mouth behind his ear before he starts to make his way to the door, leaving you to stare at his back as his hand drops on the handle and he addresses you again. “One time that you could’ve gotten killed, Y/N, so we’re not doing this today-”

“You know what, Tony?” 

You’ve never called him that before - not even when you’re in large crowds and everyone seems to be yelling Dad! - and you know it’s vindictive and a step too far but it’s exhausting being treated like a helpless child. This has the desired effect, freezing him in his tracks and as he turns on his heel, you know that you may have crossed a line but you can’t bring yourself to care because your fury has consumed your whole body and the heat is boiling the blood running through your veins.

“What did you just call me?”

“Anthony,” you inform him matter-of-factly, hands on your hips while the hardness of his eyes halts your racing blood flow, the iciness freezing your bones while hot rage seeps out of every single one of his pores so palpably that you can almost see the steam spilling out of his ears. “You can fuck right off until you decide that I can be trusted enough to make decisions for myself and you know what else? You can-”

“Hey, hey, what’s going on in here?” 

You bite back your next words as soon as that rich timbre caresses your ears and the rigid posture of your body begins to slowly melt at the sound. You don’t even have to look behind you to know that it’s your dad’s best friend - ever the hero - coming to diffuse the ticking time bomb that is this argument between you and your father.

“This isn’t your battle to fight, Rogers,” Tony doesn’t peel his eyes off of you at all, not even sparing his friend a glance. 

And as much as you don’t like Tony at the moment, you can’t help but agree with him.

“Steve, he’s right,” you tear your eyes away from your dad, turning around so that you can glance over at the golden man whose presence alone has wrapped you in a comforting safety blanket that already makes you want to stand down. 

“No, neither of you are,” his blond hair is pushed back away from his face and you’re momentarily distracted by the hard lines of his jaw and the thick beard that covers them. He’s speaking in that same low voice that he uses to rally the Avengers when he’s clad in red, white, and blue, and you have to discreetly squeeze your thighs together at the sound. 

The rational part of your brain knows that this is not the time to be ogling your dad’s best friend but you can’t help the way that your heart starts beating double time when he enters a room and how his warm gaze sets your entire body alight, not unlike the way that your unbridled anger is making you feel right now; the only difference is that Steve triggers a deep desire for something unknown tucked away so secretly that it only awakened when you met him.

But you know he’d never do that to Tony - shit, you don’t know if he’s still holding a candle for a love once lost all those years ago and frankly, you don’t want to risk embarrassing yourself by feeling the poison sting of rejection dealt from the sickeningly sweet lips of America’s apple pie. The lethal mix of sugar and malice would only rot your heart and you don’t know that you could survive the decay.

“In fact, both of you are acting like children,” he booms, his hands landing on his hips while he shakes his head disbelievingly at your familial dispute. Steve opens his mouth as if he’s about to continue, but Tony simply holds a hand up and it almost immediately shushes the supersoldier.

“No need, Capiscle,” Tony cocks his head to the side almost mockingly, his eyes still glued resolutely on your wet face. “I just wanna say this: if you are going to be so ungrateful of everything that your mother and I have sacrificed for you, then you can get the fuck out of my house. You have no idea what we’ve had to go through just so that you can live a safe, healthy lifestyle in which you don’t have to want for anything. The fact that you have the audacity to speak to me like that is a testament to how much we’ve failed as parents because you are the fruit of all of our labor: a spoiled little brat with no conception of the real world because everything revolves around you, doesn’t it princess?”

He spits the endearment out and you can only assume that it is because it has left as bitter a taste in his mouth as it has yours. Throughout his heated rant, your hands started shaking and at first, you couldn’t figure out why but you soon realized that it’s because Tony’s never yelled at you like that before. He barely even raises his voice at you because he’s never wanted to be anything like Howard but today, it seems as if he could no longer contain all of the pent up frustration that he’s had with you that has been building for years. 

And because of this, you’ve been rendered speechless with no visible emotion on your face save from the seemingly endless stream of tears that spill from your glassy eyes. You don’t know what hurts more: his words or the fact that he’s still staring at you like a stranger.

“Tony, that’s enough,” Steve intervenes when the silence between the three of you stretches on for what feels like an eternity. He positions his body so that he’s blocking you from your father’s cold stare. “I’m not gonna let you talk to her like that-”

“Oh, come on, Cap,” Tony scoffs and you don’t have to be able to see him to know that he’s folded his arms over his chest. “You don’t even know what-”

“And I don’t need to know,” the broad man in front of you interrupts him loudly and you can do nothing but watch the altercation happen because even if you tried, you can’t pick your feet up off the floor. “Whatever she’s done or said to you doesn’t warrant you speaking to her like that. You’ve fought her at every corner, what do you expect? For her to just lie down and take it? She’s your daughter: you should know as well as I do that she’s as hard-headed as you. You need to take a step back and stop being a backseat driver - she’s an adult now and can make her own choices, Tony.”

And with that, Steve circles an arm around you and lifts you up into his arms, his waist trapped between your legs and your arms gripping his neck. A moment passes when Steve breezes past Tony where your gazes meet and the usual sweetness of his hazelnut eyes has turned bitter with guilt and resentment. You avert your stare as quickly as you can to bury your face in Steve’s muscled shoulder and as your cheek rests on it, you’re reminded all too vividly of the way that Bucky or Sam or Steve (or your dad) used to carry you to bed when you had fallen asleep between the pages of your textbook or face down next to a cold bowl of whatever Pepper had cooked for you that night. 

Really, you’re almost convinced that you must’ve dozed off during the short trip from Tony’s lab to your bedroom because when you finally snap back to attention, you’re still in Steve’s arms but he’s standing still in front of your bed. And neither of you say anything for some time, letting the moment breathe while Steve soothes you silently, rubbing a hand up and down the length of your spine as quiet sobs wrack your shaking body.

“Hey, hey,” he hushes you, eventually sliding you down his body and placing you on the bed. You’re sure that your face still reflects your previous mental state but you feel significantly better now, the hive of bees that were slamming at the insides of your heart have tired both you and themselves out and are now resting. You look up at Steve with wide eyes, wet lashes brushing your skin lightly as his baby blues drill into yours so deeply that you’re sure that he must be able to see inside your head by now. “I’m not gonna ask if you’re okay because the answer seems kind of obvious, but I will ask if you need anything?”

You hesitate before giving him an answer, torn between confessing those powerful feelings for him that you’ve tried so hard to repress and letting him go. Instead, you grab one of his hands between both of yours, tugging on it so that he kneels in front of you. 

“You didn’t have to do that for me back there,” your eyes flick up to his quickly and you can’t help it when you start to play with his fingers, consciously having to stop your mind from wandering to unsavory places. “I-I know you and my dad are, like, best friends, so I never would’ve asked you to put your friendship at risk and stand up for me like that… it was, uh- it was really sweet of you, Steve, so thank you-���

Steve jerks his head back and for a tense second, your heart drops because you’re sure that you’ve offended him but then he says:

“Y/N, you don’t have to thank me- not at all, I mean- it was the human thing to do,” Steve insists, forcefully grasping your chin in his large hand to make him look at you. The disbelief that sparkles in his eyes lights up your soul and makes a shy smile spread across your lips. 

He leans in to plant a chaste kiss on your cheek like he usually does, but you decide there and then that you really are tired of having your dad take the reigns from you every day. You want to be able to confidently grab life by its metaphorical balls and take a leap of faith off of what is admittedly a very steep cliff. So you grip his face between your hands and redirect his lips to your own. 

He’s completely unresponsive for several seconds, causing a scorching hot wave of embarrassment to flood your face - a part of you wants to hold out hope and pray that maybe he’s just shocked by your bold move but you’ve learned not to cling onto unrealistic expectations so you move back, eyes squeezed shut because you can already taste the sourness of rejection on your tongue. 

But he knocks all of the breath out of your body when he climbs on top of you and crashes his lips back on yours, cradling your face between his wide palms as he slides his tongue into your mouth. It’s messy and raw as your teeth clash with his almost violently but the feeling of his soft lips on yours soothes that ache, their warmth curing the hurt in your heart. He swallows any breath you have left in your lungs as your lips move in tandem with his. 

When you pull away because you think you’re about to suffocate, Steve presses his lips down the column of your neck, sucking a bruise right underneath your ear and playfully biting your earlobe. The rough sensation of his thick beard on your sensitive skin makes you giggle breathlessly and your chest heaves as his hands move smoothly down to your waist, hooking his thumbs in the waistband on your shorts. 

But then his hands stop moving and you look at him with confusion written all over your face. He lowers his head to your abdomen, resting his forehead on your stomach and your hand instinctively weaves through the golden strands of his hair. 

“Steve?-”

“You want this, sweetheart?” he kisses your stomach and moves right in between your legs, looking up at you as his thumbs still toy with the stretchy material of your black shorts. 

“Of course-”

And you don’t get to finish your sentence because you gasp as Steve whips off your shorts with unprecedented speed. He takes your panties right with them, throwing them somewhere to the side - you don’t care to notice where because Steve’s eyes are more black than blue and his gaze is locked on your core. 

This is when you get an idea.

When you take your t-shirt off, you’re only left in the black bralette that you normally wear around the house, so you whip that off too without any preamble. Steve’s eyes are so focused on the bounce of your breasts that it gives you the opportunity to muster up all of the energy you can, locking your legs around Steve’s waist (your eyes can’t help but travel to the obvious bulge in his blue jeans) and flip him over so that you’re sitting right on top of his erection. 

“Wh-”

You shush him, pulling at the bottom of his shirt so that he gets the message to take it off. He does as he’s told but narrows his eyes at you. You almost don’t notice because you’re staring at the glorious expanse of his sculpted upper body. You’ve always thought that he looked like a Greek statue and right now, the way that the sunlight streaming through your window bounces off of his smooth skin and brings out the green in his eyes only emphasizes the fact that he’s a true work of art, a masterpiece in his own right. 

Pushing yourself up so that you’re nose to nose with the supersoldier on his back underneath you, you lean down just enough so that your lips ghost over his when you speak. 

“I’m supposed to be thanking you,” you press your lips against his momentarily, watching the way that his eyelashes flutter when you slowly slide your hand down his powerful chest, over his muscled stomach and down to his jeans-clad crotch to boldly palm his dick. 

“Honey, you don’t have to-”

You cut him off with another quick kiss, moving down his body with the grace of a trained dancer (you can thank your mom for over ten years of ballet) so that you can unbuckle the black belt at his narrow waist. Steve props himself up on his forearms, staring down at you with hooded eyes and your eyes keenly follow the swipe of his tongue over his cotton candy lips.

You take your time pulling his zipper down, noticing how his eyes follow the movement of your hands as you push his jeans down his thick thighs. Your mouth is close to watering at the sight of his white Calvins which are very obviously tented in the front and you snap the elastic band of his boxer briefs playfully before pulling them over his erection.

It’s impossible to stop the way that your eyes grow comically large at the size of his cock, something at the back of your mind wondering whether or not you’ll be able to fully take him down your throat. He’s heavy in the both of your hands, the tip flushed red and leaking pre-cum. 

But it’s the cocky little smirk on Steve’s face that steels your resolve. 

“What’s wrong, baby? Too big for you?” he teases you in a surprisingly steady voice, inhaling again to continue his jeering, but his head falls back and his breath audibly stutters because you flatten your tongue and lick a broad stripe up the underside of his dick.

“You were saying?” you taunt right back, a smile of your own gracing your face. He doesn’t have a reply to that, instead moving his hand down to grip the back of your neck tightly, guiding you back down to his cock.

The tip of your tongue swirls around the head of his length before you take the bulbous tip between your lips, sucking lightly and enjoying the way that his blunt fingernails are stabbing into the skin of your neck. You don’t tease him for much longer, one hand on the base of his manhood while you relax your throat and attempt to take all of him in your mouth. Your fight your gag reflex tooth and nail, reveling in the quiet sighs and moans from the man above you.

What you can’t swallow you work with your hand, your other hand coming up to toy with his balls and roll them between your fingers and palm. He controls the speed at which you bob up and down his cock and you keep watching the array of emotions on his face, feeling the power and control that you have over him surge through your body.

“God, doll,” he groans, his lower lip between his perfect teeth. “You’re such a good girl, takin’ all of me like that.”

His words spur you on and you really push your boundaries by taking him all the way down, so close that your nose is being tickled by the dark blond hairs at the base of his cock. What you’re not expecting is the way that Steve applies pressure to the back of your neck that’s just enough so that you can’t move. Your eyes sting as he keeps your head down, making you swallow and choke as small tears leak from your eyes. You’re forced to breathe through your nose as Steve groans when your gag reflex kicks in, your throat constricting around the heavy weight of his dick.

“Such a good little slut, huh?” he smirks, running the pad of his thumb over your cheekbone. “You look so pretty with my cock in your mouth, baby, suckin’ your dad’s friend off like a little fuckin’ whore.”

You can’t help the way that a loud moan falls from your lips, though it’s almost entirely muted by the thick cock in your mouth. 

“Oh, you like that?” Steve’s confidence is only making you wetter. He eases up on your neck, allowing you to withdraw about an inch before he pushes you back down. “You like being called a slut, pretty girl?”

You nod as best as you can under the circumstances, fighting back another moan.

“That’s good, honey, because you’re gonna be my little cockslut from now on, hmm?”

And finally, he pulls you off of him completely, reveling in the way that your eyes are glossy with tears and your lungs gulp down huge breaths as thin strings of saliva hang from your lips. 

“Messy girl,” Steve reprimands you condescendingly, but his voice sounds strained and he looks like he could cum just from drinking in your disheveled state. “You’re gorgeous, doll.”

You can’t stop the smile that grows on your face at the praise, and Steve cups your face gently and leans in to give you a sweet kiss. 

“You gonna let me cum in your mouth, sweetheart?” he murmurs against your lips, nudging your nose with his. 

“Yes, sir,” you tease playfully, not wasting any more time and wrapping your lips around his dick once again, running the tip of your tongue against the prominent vein down the side while you bob your head up and down. You’re more determined than ever to push him over the edge, wanting to be the one who has complete control over his pleasure. 

“That’s it, just like that- shit, baby, I’m gonna cum,” he warns you after he takes your face between both of his hands and fucks your mouth, your jaw relaxed as he uses you to chase his orgasm, eyes closed and head hanging back as he loses himself in the throes of desire. 

You bask in the sense of satisfaction that you get from the way that his cock twitches in your mouth and the shout that he gives when the evidence of his release floods your mouth. You happily let it slide down your throat, sucking on his tip lightly as you do. The tangy taste lingers on your tongue and as you pull off of him with a pop, you have to wipe around your mouth because you’re sure that he’s made a complete mess of your face. 

“Holy fuck, darlin’,” he heaves, pulling you up to rest against his chest but not before you take the time to admire how beautiful he is. A light pink flush that’s started at his cheeks has traveled down his neck and bloomed on his chest - you love the way that it’s burning the tips of his ears. With your chest pressed against his, he ghosts his fingers up and down your back while his lips press against your shoulder.

“Your dad’s gonna kill me… and I didn’t even get you off, baby,” he mutters, only a second away from pouting and it makes you grin. 

“He won’t because he’s not gonna find out… and I didn’t want you to,” you reply simply, lightly circling one of his nipples with the tip of your nail. “Besides, you have plenty of time to do that later.”

Steve readjusts himself so that his back is leaning against the headboard and you’re perched in his lap, straddling his thighs. His brows are knitting together and a frustrated frown mars his pretty face. 

“No, I want to,” he insists, warm hands landing on your hips and rocking them back and forth so that your clit catches on the muscles of his legs. You bite your lip so as to suppress a moan. “It wouldn’t be-”

“Y/N, babe, are you in there?”

The two of you still as a knock followed by Tony’s soft voice bleeds through the door. 

“Shit,” you curse quietly, scrambling off of Steve and grabbing the nearest article of clothing that you can find. 

“I know you don’t wanna talk to me right now, but I don’t wanna leave things like this so I’m comin’ in, sweetie-”

“Dad, no!”

But it’s too late, the door opening just enough to reveal your father’s face whose whiskey eyes immediately land on yours. Thankfully, you were able to pull on Steve’s shirt and your shorts, but you can’t say the same for the six-foot-something supersoldier who has skillfully rolled underneath your bed, still naked as the day he was born. 

“What’s going on in here, hon?” Tony quirks an eyebrow at you as he pops his head around the door, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as his eyes scan the room. 

“Nothing,” you say breathlessly, running a hand over your face as you silently pray that your dad won’t catch his friend hiding beneath your bed with no clothes on. 

“Okay?” he draws out the word, obviously confused as your eyes meet his. “I just wanted to say so-”

“We’ll talk about it later, Dad,” you try to smile and move towards him so that you shoo him away from your room.

“You sure?”

“Positive,” you affirm, putting your hand on top of the one he has wrapped around the side of the door and squeezing it reassuringly. 

“If you say so,” Tony lets go of the door, spinning on his heel and starting to stroll down the hall. You let go of the breath that you weren’t aware you were holding. “And give Bucky back his shirt!”

A laugh bubbles up in your chest as your heart warms watching your dad throw a wink at you over his shoulder, knowing that the choppy seas have stilled and the water’s calm once again, the tide returning to its regular routine. You shut the door with a click before turning back to see Steve sitting casually with his back resting against the side of your bed.

“So, uh,” a cheeky smile graces his face. “Same time tomorrow or?”

tagged: @literaturefeen @evnscvll @donutloverxo @stargazingfangirl18​

[adsosfraser]

The Stone’s Toll - Chapter Eight

Read on AO3

“Tante Jenny! There is a rider near the gate!” Fergus shouted through the front doorway and sprinted away.

His dirk was poised in his grasp, ready to protect against any danger. The mule sauntered through the archway and snorted when its rider pulled against the reins to stop. 

 Claire slid off the horse and slammed into Fergus almost immediately. She gathered his body up against hers into a hug and rested her chin over the small curls that were growing even longer than before atop his head. 

“M-milady?” He stared, dumbfounded at the sight. 

 “Oh my Fergus, I’ve missed you so much my darling boy.” She smoothed the hair at the back of his head. Her tears fell unbidden into the little brown waves and began to soak through his hair like a steady rainfall. Fergus didn’t mind, he was also soaking her dress with his own tears. 

 “You have been restored maman.” He stated, still shocked. It didn’t pass her notice what he called her.

 “I love you mon fils. Let me look at you.” She pulled back slightly from the embrace to hold onto his cheeks with her hands. She brushed the hair that was on his forehead back and noticed the subtle changes of the boy. The bones of his face were slightly more defined and he had lost more of the roundness associated with adolescence. She even spotted two hairs on his upper lip that were darker and thicker than the soft downy hairs of the rest of his face. It would be years until it would fully develop into a beard, but she could tell what a handsome man Fergus would be. He just needed to do some more growing.

 She slowly noticed the pallor of his face and the dark purple and red hues under his eyes. The way the flesh of his bone was practically nonexistent. He clearly wasn’t getting substantial meals these days. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead again and her heart skipped in fear at the blazing temperature of it. 

 “Dear God, Fergus, you're burning up.”

 “Do not worry Milady. It’s only the winter sickness.” 

 There was a bulk inside the sleeve of his shirt and she pulled back the fabric to see Jenny’s attempt to bandage him. A long deep gash split through the skin of his inner arm. The skin around the wound was red and swollen, and she could see the tell tale signs of infection from the puss oozing from the centre.

 “What on earth happened to you Fergus?” 

 “Tis simply a scratch, Milady, dinna fash.” He tried to mimic his Scottish family’s accent, and if Claire’s concern wasn’t in overdrive at the moment, she would have laughed at how cute the boy was. “Milord said I was a brave lad that day. And braw.” He beamed with confidence and pride.

 “I’m sure you were.” She hugged him tight into her side. “Come inside, I need to examine your wound.” 

 “Fergus what stray ha’ ye brought in today? We dinna need more mouths to feed, especially wi’ young Jamie in his sickbed now too.” Jenny called around the corner of the kitchen, fixated on chopping the potatoes for supper. 

 “Auntie, Milady has returned to us.” He beamed, leading her inside on his arm. “I always told you she would.”

 The knife Jenny was holding clattered onto the floor. She crossed herself as all the colour drained from her cheeks. 

 “Blessed Michael defend us.” Her hand clutched at her heart. 

 “Jenny- I.” What words could she possibly say now? “It’s so good seeing you again.” She stared down where Jenny was protectively holding her middle. “A fourth?” 

 “Thank Christ yer here. We dinna have time to waste.” And without a single inquiry over her return, Jenny dragged her up the stairs to the children’s room. 

 The children were all tucked tightly into their beds. Wee Kitty gurgled in her Bassinet. Her small breaths were interrupted by sharp whimpers of pain. Claire’s heart fell at the somber scene before her. 

 “Ian?”

 “That useless, floppy-haired nonce can bide.” 

 “Fergus go fetch some water to boil, and lots of clean cloth. Do we have deer or chicken bone to boil?”

 “Aye.”

 “Great, can you make a broth out of it with whatever vegetables we have? Oh and um-” Her brain paused, racking her memory for the proper words. “Garlic or Rosemary too. They won’t be able to stomach any solid foods for a while, so they’ll need to sip on broth to keep their strength up.” 

 Jenny left for the door but paused near Claire. She squeezed her shoulder. “I dinna ken how yer here, or where ye’ve been these past months, but I am glad to have ye back. Just know I’m going to have some choice words wi’ ye once they all heal.”

 “I’d imagine you would.” Claire smiled brightly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I missed you too Jenny.”

 Once she had situated the children in the sick room. She brought Fergus along with her to inspect the gash across his arm. 

 “You never did tell me.” 

 “It was a bayonet, from a redcoat. I was holding wee Kitty and they thought she was a sack of grain so they lunged for me. I protected her maman.” He grinned with pride at the memory. 

 “Oh God, Fergus.” She embraced him, careful of his arm. “Though that never should have happened, I’m proud of what you did. My brave boy.” She patted his hair affectionately. “How long ago were they here?”

 “Less than a fortnight maman. A week after they were gone, les enfantés were struck with la petite vérole.” 

 “Those bastards!” They had not only brought fear, pain, and strife into her home- Jenny’s home, she corrected herself, they had brought their disease as well and the threat that carried. 

 She returned her attention to his arm and carefully cleansed it. Jenny had brought alcohol down for her and she told Fergus to be prepared for the sting. He assured her he wasn’t afraid. With the puss and dried blood removed, she carefully poked around the wound. Claire asked if any of it was painful but he immediately gritted out a non. It wasn’t healing on its own and she was concerned. She couldn’t stitch it up with the infection she assumed was waging a war inside it, so all she could do was wrap it in clean cloth every few hours with garlic paste. When Claire went up to the Laird’s room to check on Ian, her breath quickened and her hands became slick with sweat. Ian insisted he didn’t need any coddling and he didn’t want to see his wife up there until he was healthy. Jenny and her worked simultaneously together to heal young Jamie, Maggie, Kitty, their father, and Fergus. They were thankful for the snow to help bring down fever, but also cursed the season for bringing sickness in the first place. Ian sprang back instantly and returned to work on the farm the next morning. Maggie and Kitty were worried for the scars left by the smallpox lesions, but Claire assured them they wouldn’t be terrible. It had spared their faces, and only a small amount of red dots lined their arms. Jamie was proud to add more scars onto his list, and proud to say he fought the monster and won.

 When her nephew and niece's fevers began to break, Fergus took a turn for the worse. She had prayed that the smallpox would pass over him, but it came back with a vengeance. The infection from the bayonet wound and the virus coupled together, left Claire severely worried. 

 She worked tirelessly with Jenny by her side. Never once did she leave Fergus’ room and her sister had begun to worry about her as she simply stared blankly off towards the wall clutching the sickly boy’s hand in hers. Jenny had found her in such a state many times, as if her mind wandered off but she didn’t want to bring it up. When no one was looking, Claire would open the small case of vials and a syringe from her leather travel bag. Fergus didn’t notice the slight pinch of the needle to his rear and grumbled no complaint to her in his delirious state. The Reverend couldn’t smuggle much medicine, most of what he pilfered was what had been discarded behind the hospital in a dumpster. But this small amount of penicillin he had managed, made Claire want to reach out through the veil of time and kiss him in thanks. 

 The infection was healing nicely, but there was still the smallpox coursing through his body. With his body pulled between fighting two foreign enemies, his energy was quickly fading into a weakened state. 

 “Claire, it’s time. We have the certificate ready. I’ve sent the priest down from the kirk to-”

 “No! I will not give up on my son!” She yelled with such ferocity, that Jenny stumbled back a few steps. None of the anger seeped through to the limp hand of Fergus that she was holding, and she kissed it gently while her body shook with rage at the suggestion. 

 “If the lad doesna earn his last rites, dinna say it was my fault.” Jenny slipped away to care for her now rambunctious children, who had bounced back from their sickness immediately. 

 That night, she never slept, and took up her usual spot beside his bed. It would get worse, before it got better. Claire was elated at the signs that his fever would soon break. 

 “Would you like me to tell you a story?”

 “Mmm.” 

 “Well, there once was a brave knight. He found a faerie at the bottom of the standing stones, and knew right away that she was his. He loved her, and protected her fiercely. They were blessed with three beautiful brave children. Two angels, and one son of their heart.” Somehow it was easier for her to pretend she was speaking about someone else. “There was a great evil that the knight had to vanquish. It was-“ She pursed her lips in thought. “It was threatening their angel babies, so the knight had to leave his faerie and guard their daughters in heaven. The faerie returned to protect her son.”

 Fergus while laid fevered and asleep. Claire smoothed back the crusty hair from his forehead sticky with sweat. “Je t'aime mon fils. Être fort.  Je sais que vous êtes.” Fergus stirred slightly. 

 “Je t’aime maman.” His smile and voice were weak. 

 She kissed his forehead and he slumped back into his slumber. 

 Jenny stood in the doorway smiling, on the verge of tears at the sight. It felt such a personal moment between mother and son, that she didn’t want to interrupt. But when Claire lapsed into silence, she took a tentative step into the room. 

 “The worst of it is over.” Jenny said, both as statement and question. 

 “Yes.” 

 “Good, now we can talk sister.” 

 “Yes, I believe we should.” 

 “Why- why’d ye leave my brother? I’ve kent ye well over these past few years, and I’d

never imagine that you’d just give him up so willingly. Ye’d die wi’ him if it came to it.” 

 “He made me promise that- well we knew how Culloden would end up, everyone could 

feel how much of a defeat it would be. He forced me to-“ Her brain felt muddled, keeping track of all the half-truths in her mind. “board a boat to France for the safety of our child.” Tears sprung into her eyes at that admission and her hand extended from her stomach absentmindedly, as if she was holding her belly at six months, the furthest she had been in either of her pregnancies. “Red Jamie couldn’t escape the fate of Culloden but his wife the Stuart Witch could, no one would recognise me. But I- I came back for Fergus and you, Ian, your children. I know that’s what he would’ve wanted. I just wish I knew, if he really-”

 “Ye eejit he isna dead! That dunderheid is holed up in a cave somewhere on these lands, 

grieving ye terribly.”

 “He’s- he’s alive?” A lump formed in her throat. “I didn’t want to hope that-“ 

 “Why on earth would ye think he’s dead! If ye had written letters to us. To let us ken ye 

were safe, we’d tell your daft arse to come back home! But of course, ye couldna spare us that much mind.” 

 “I’m sorry Jenny, I wasn’t in a safe place to send you letters. A man wanted to marry 

me.” Yes, years ago. “After I lost- he put me in an asylum when I refused his advances. I had to escape him after I lost-“ Jenny’s expression softened and she nodded, not in understanding, but in acceptance of what she had done. It didn’t do well to dwell on the past for too long. 

 “Well ye seem dead on yer feet, I’ll go take out all this anger on Ian.” Claire chuckled 

and then kissed Jenny’s cheek. “Wi’ him out and healthy again, the Laird’s room will be free enough but I dinna want ye to be lying in that sickbed so soon.” 

 “It’s yours now.” 

 “Ye ken Jamie and ye will always be Laird and Lady to the tenants. And no, Ian and I

occupy the same room we have fer years. I just stuck him in the Laird’s room because I was irritated at him groaning and shivering in our bed.” 

 Claire laughed, but felt bad for poor Ian who had unknowingly become the subject of 

Jenny’s ire these past few days. 

 She was in the courtyard, while Jamie made his way back to Lallybroch. A deer slung over his shoulders and buckets of water weighed down his arms. He took in the sight of his wife and nearly fainted. The buckets he had carried dropped to the ground with a snap and rolled across the yard. The stiff deer slumped to the ground over the mud. 

 It was the first word he had croaked in months, “Sassenach.” The sound didn’t reach her ears but she could read off his lips the endearment she knew all too well.

 Even with Jenny’s confirmation, she couldn’t believe the apparition before her. But could she have imagined him this way? Haggard and weary from months living in a cave. A bonnet slanted across his red hair to hide the bold colour. His beard had grown considerably from the scruff she was so familiar with. But the thing she couldn’t possibly imagine in her head was the haunted look on his face. The dark circles under his eyes and the gaunt nature of his face echoed his grief.  

 “No I’m. This isn’t- the after effects of the electroshock therapy” she mumbled. 

 She felt woozy, and her head was full of fluffy clouds. She regained her balance swiftly but stared unwavering at Jamie. His heart chilled, as if she was staring straight through his soul, but couldn’t see it. 

 “Claire I dinna ken what ye’re saying lass.”

 She gasped at his hand on her forearm. “You’re real.” 

 “And so are ye. Christ when Jenny told me to get my hide back here, I dinna ken it was really true.” She fell into him and he wrapped his strong arms across her back. 

 “Oh, God. Jamie. Oh God.” Claire’s breath rattled onto his cheek. “Just hold me.”

 She trembled in his arms, months of exhaustion, fear, pain, and heartache expressing themselves. 

 “I’m sorry Jamie. I’m so sorry. I - the stones.” 

 “What’re you apologising for lass?” He choked out. “Claire -the bairn?” She couldn’t meet his eyes. 

 She felt the need to run and hide as she did in the arbor of Fontainebleau. She didn’t want to face what was before her, what was behind. How could she let Jamie forgive her when she couldn’t herself? As if she were putting a sheet of metal between her and her heart, she suddenly felt nothing. 

 “She’s dead.” She said simply, staring at a chipped stone on the ground. 

 This time Jamie did collapse, and took Claire tumbling down to his lap. They held tight to one another, and Claire was the one to comfort him now. His tears soaked the wool of her bodice as he rocked them back and forth on the steps. When his eyes couldn’t produce anymore tears, he slowly peeked out of his shell. Jamie rose slowly from his spot on the steps when the sun crawled below the horizon and carried her with him to the Laird’s room. 

 Claire stripped him down to his sark and was prepared to ask for water, when she saw someone had already completed the task. She resumed her task and shed his final layer, exposing his naked body. It was filthy and covered in scratches, but beautiful to her all the same. When she began to direct him into the washing tub, he objected and began to take off her clothes with a practiced hand. As he reached for the final string of her shift, she moved his hand away. 

 “No, tonight I bathe you.” 

 She pushed him down into the small tub and his knees poked out of the water. The ewer sat on the wooden table near the tub, and she plucked it up with her fingers. She grabbed a sponge as well, and began her ministrations, leaning over the lip of the tub to reach him. She grabbed some scissors as well, trimming the beard that had grown over the months in the woods. 

 “Can ye ever forgive me?” A dejected Jamie asked. 

 “For what?” She knew, but she wanted to hear the words coming from him. 

 “For sending you through those stones, for breaking our family.” 

 “I already have.” 

 “What did she- Was she like her sister?” 

 “I don’t know.” Claire worried at her lip. “I- um. I lost her when I went through the stones. I only know she was a girl, because I felt her presence when I came back. She said she loves us.” She began to scrub harder against Jamie’s arm with the sponge to distract herself. 

 The pang in his chest nearly brought his head below surface of the water. All the air in his lungs fled and he was left with nothing. He stopped Claire’s arm and brought her hand to his, squeezing it tight. 

 “Will you ever forgive me?” 

 “Fer what lass?”

 “Not being strong enough. Not protecting her in the one way I could. Not returning to you soon enough.” 

 “I’ve already forgiven ye for anything ye could ever possibly do. And yer not to blame for any of those.” 

 “Then you’re not either. If there is, it’s God for being a cruel bastard. You say you can forgive me for anything, but I’m not sure I can give you what we want anymore.” 

 “What I want is you by my side. Come in the water Sassenach, let me hold my wife. Let me carry this burden wi’ ye.” 

 With the dim light of the fire and candles dotting the room, she was confident he wouldn’t be able to see her body fully. She slugged out of her shift, weighed down by weeks of exhaustion and crawled in between his legs. Water splashed out of the top of the tub, but they paid it no mind. Jamie repeated the ministrations Claire had provided for him, but even more gently on her smooth skin. When she began to doze off tucked safely between his thighs in the water, they were both wrinkly like prunes. Jamie carried her body wrapped tight around his, and placed her on the fresh sheets. 

 He held her naked on their bed. The smooth skin of her back was pressed against the soft tufts of hair on his chest. They needed to talk, but for now, neither wanted to leave the warm bubble of each other’s arms. Jamie was still processing what it all meant, and so was Claire, even after months of enduring it herself. No words could repair the loss they both felt, and the heartache of time spent apart. It would just feel like a hollow repetition of events after their first born. But tonight they would just simply be. Claire looked down at her sleeping husband. For the first time in months, she felt safe. She lightly traced the skin of his face, from temple to cheek, and saw the familiar smile ghost his peaceful rest. She spread a grin in response, the first one that reached her eyes in months.

[alexhogh7137]

The Battle Between Love and Fire-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Chapter Forty-Eight Continued

Chapter Forty-Nine: "..Now, what has your leader been doing while we were gone hmm?.."

Word Count 3.6k

Warnings: angst

2 Months later..

Time has seemed to fly by you and your loved one's, these last few months. You have watched your daughter go from a tiny infant to a chunk-a-munch. She is so perfect to you and to everyone around her that it is almost overwhelming. Everyone wants to hold her, coddle her and protect her. Even though that is a sweet gesture, you have become almost selfish. Wanting to keep her all to yourself. Of course, you don't give in to your selfish urges, but it has gotten harder these last few days. Especially, when you get a letter from Wessex. Daario wrote to you, asking if Asta was big enough to travel to Wessex. Your stomach rose to your throat, causing you to vomit. Ivar came to your aid almost instantly, but you did not want to tell him what made you actually ill. 

Ivar "Sweetheart, you must tell me. You were fine seconds ago." 

"I read a letter-"

Ivar "What letter?" You take the piece of parchment out of your clothing and hand it to your husband. What is the use of lying to him, or holding back information that he will find out eventually? He takes the paper from you and instantly becomes infuriated. 

"What should we do?"

Ivar "We go to him, of course."

"We what?"

Ivar snickers and then clears his throat, "If he wishes to see Asta, then we take her to him-"

"Are you cra-"

Ivar "No, let me finish." You hold your tongue, "The sooner he is out of our lives, the better we all will be..hmm?"

"What are you saying, Ivar?"

Ivar "I am saying..I do not have a reason to kill him Y/n. But if I see him with Asta, and with you..I will have a reason to have him killed."

"Is that justified?"

Ivar "Don't you want him-"

"Yes, but it does not feel right."

Ivar sighs, "Y/n..my love. Look at yourself. You became ill at the thought of him being near Asta. And you are questioning my strategy?"

You take a deep breath, "You are right."

Ivar "I will get our men ready, we are not going alone. All of us are going to Wessex."

"All of us?"

Ivar smirks, "All of us."

When Hvitserk finds you, he isn't happy to say the least. He is holding Asta in his arms, bouncing her so she stayed quiet with all of the commotion happening in Kattegat. 

"Hey-"

Hvitserk "What did the letter say Y/n?"

"He wishes to see Asta."

Hvitserk "That is it?"

"He said he 'misses her beautiful face' and mine."

Hvitserk scoffs, "And you agreed to go?"

"Ivar wants him killed Hvitserk-"

Hvitserk "So do I-"

"And I do as well. He is a threat to this family. My impression of him has changed, and I do not want him alive to see Asta grow old."

Hvitserk "So what is the plan here huh?"

"Ivar did not tell you?"

Hvitserk shook his head, "He will not talk."

Ubbe "This is going to be fun aye?!" He shouts from across the yard, raising his axe in the air. You could not help yourself but to laugh. "I knew this day would come-!"

Torvi "Oh hush!" Ubbe walks away laughing. "Give me her, I will watch her-"

"No Torvi, she is coming with us."

Torvi "She is what?"

"It is all part of the plan."

Torvi huffs, "You are using Asta as bait?"

"No, I am bait." Hvitserk almost vomited hearing those words come out of your mouth. You have been used most of your life and now you are willing to be used yet again. 

Torvi "You-?"

"Yes. He wishes to not only see my daughter but me as well. And so he will-please excuse me." You walk away, leaving Hvitserk and Torvi behind you, speechless. You find Ivar talking to Ubbe, wanting to know what they are saying to one another. 

Torvi "What are you going to do?"

Hvitserk "Are you really asking me that question?"

Torvi "Yeah, I guess not."

Hvitserk "Everything was fine..everything is always fine until he writes to us. I told her that I did not trust him. But she did not listen-"

Torvi "She has a big heart Hvitserk. Do not blame her for Daario's actions."

Hvitserk "I'm doing no such thing, but I did warn her."

Torvi "And she heard you. But she believed in the greater good, like she always does. This time, it didn't work out in her favor."

Ivar "I want you to have eyes on her at all times, no matter what." Ubbe nods, "No matter what you see, I need her to be watched at all times."

"I have another stalker now, huh?" Ivar turns around and Ubbe starts to laugh, "You might see more than what you bargain for."

Ubbe shrugs, "I will stop anything before it goes too far, Y/n. That is a promise."

"Good. I expect his head on a spike by nightfall."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You rode in the carriage with Ivar, holding Asta the whole way to Wessex. Your warriors rode close behind Hvitserk and Ubbe while your dragon's flew ahead. You felt nervous, scared and sick to your stomach at the thought of what could happen to you today, but the thought of his demise is what is keeping you strong. Ivar kept talking to you, not allowing you time to think, or overthink. 

Ivar "I am not going to let him hurt you, do you understand?"

"Mhm."

Ivar "I won't. You are my life Y/n, I won't let him go too far."

"Okay."

Ivar "You just have to trust me, my love."

"I do. We are here." You reach the gates and wait for the guards to open them for you. Getting off of Ivar's carriage, handing Hvitserk Asta and walking to the doors of your kingdom felt like the longest walk of your life. It felt like you were walking to your death, even though you know that that was not going to happen, something inside of you just dreads that moment. Daario comes out of the doors and greets you with open arms. 

Daario "You came!" He picks you up in his arms and spins you around while your husband watches. Once he places you back down, he looks at Ivar in the eyes, "Welcome Ivar." Ivar forces a smile and bows to Naharis. Which caught you off guard. 

Ivar "We got your letter and of course, we came right away-"

Daario "I see that, I am so glad that you all…" he looks at the multiple vikings joining behind Ivar and his two brothers. He pauses and takes it all in. "You brought guards?"

"I always bring guards with me Daario. I am a mother now, I can never be too safe."

Daario scuffs, "Right, of course. Speaking of Asta, where is she?" You pause and then look at Hvitserk. He hesitates before walking from behind Ivar, towards you and Daario. You swallow deeply as Daario's face lights up at the sight of your only daughter. 

Daario "She has gotten so big!" He holds his arms out, asking to hold her. Hvitserk looks at you and you just look down at the ground beneath you. Hvitserk bites his tongue and holds in every urge that he has as a parent, and hands her over to Daario. 

Daario "Oh my God..she is so perfect."

Ivar "God?" He looks up at Ivar, "You are a Christian?"

Daario "Is that a problem?"

Ivar holds in his smile as he thinks to himself, 'reason number one', "no, no problem at all." Daario does not respond, only looking down at Asta who was picking on a piece of his clothing. 

Daario "I think she likes me, my queen."

You force a smile, "She must." He chuckles as she continues to coo in his arms.

Daario "I cannot wait to become a father one day. What do you think Y/n? Do you think I will do well?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, of course you will. You're a natural."

Daario "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh nothing. Um, Daario..where is Helga?" He did not answer, only looking at Asta. "Naharis, I asked you a question. Where is Helga? She always greets me when I return."

Daario "She sadly passed away." And in that very second, he sealed his fate. There was no way that you will be leaving Wessex with Daario still in charge of your kingdom. 

You hold in your grief, "When and how?"

Daario clears his throat, "She fell ill, many of us did. But she did not pull through."

"And why did you fail to inform me of my people falling ill and in telling me of a woman who I saw as a mother figure, died?!"

Daario "I feared that if I told you, you would not have come. And I missed you Y/n. It has been months since I have seen you."

You force yourself to comply, "You are right, I would not have. But nonetheless, I am here." He smiles, "Did you bury her?"

Daario "Of course, I can take you there if you'd like."

"Yes, please. But first, give me Asta." He hands her to you instantly. You then hand her to her father while Ivar crutches his way towards you, whispering in your ear "I will be right behind you, you just won't see me." And then kisses your cheek. You mouth 'i love you' and then you walk with Daario. He offers you his arm and with a sick stomach, you comply. You know in your heart that he either killed her, or had her killed. You will know everything before he joins his precious God. 

…

Daario "I am truly sorry for your loss, my queen." He says as you fall to her grave. You could not hold in your tears any longer. Grief clouded your judgement and all you could say to her was 'I am so sorry'. 

Daario "Why are you apologizing?" He asks as he joins you on her grave sight. 

"I couldn't save her..or my best friend."

Daario sighs, "You shouldn't blame yourself," he takes your hand in his own, "this was not your fault. Nothing ever was." You look at your joined hands and then up at him with tears in your eyes. "As a matter of fact, her last words were 'tell Y/n I love her and I will see her in the next life.'" You knew that that was a complete lie. Helga shared the same faith in the gods as you did. She would have said 'i will see her in Valhalla' not in the 'next life'. Another reason to believe that he was the cause of her sudden death. Meanwhile Ubbe, Ivar and Hvitserk are behind the wall of the castle. Watching everything he does. 

Ivar "If he does not attempt anything, we still have reasons to kill him-"

Hvitserk "I am not allowing him to live..not anymore. I do not care if you change your mind at the last minute, Ivar. He dies today, do you understand me brother?" Ivar is taken aback by the way Hvitserk spoke to him, but nonetheless, he nods in agreement. He knows that his brother is fuming, so why get mad at him? They share the same enemy. 

Ubbe "He killed her?"

Ivar "Of course he did Ubbe-" 

Ubbe "Why would he do such a thing? She was an old woman, she could do no harm to him."

Ivar "Isn't it obvious Ubbe? She knew too much. She saw too much. He had to eliminate her."

Ubbe sighs, "I knew something was wrong here."

Hvitserk "Well, he won't live past midnight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you recollected yourself, you and Daario got off of the dirt beneath you two and he embraced you. 

Daario "I am truly sorry."

"Thank you."

Daario "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" You look up at him and you find him with an egotistical grin on his face. You knew what he was thinking at that point in time and instinctively, you wanted to run but you did not. 

"What did you have in mind, Naharis?"

Daario paused before he spoke, "I do not know. Perhaps I could give you a need that has not been fulfilled by your crippled husband..hmm?" Oh how you wished to kill him right then and there for speaking about Ivar in such a way, but you controlled yourself. 

"A need?"

Daario chuckles, "Every person has that need. You know exactly what I am talking about, my queen." He stops in his tracks, making you halt, "I can help with that, if you'd like." You look him up and down, trying to be seductive and it works in your favor. 

"Why don't we eat first? I am starving."

Daario smiles, "Yes, yes of course. Anything you'd like, I will have them prepare-"

"I will put in the order. I am queen of Wessex, they take my orders now. Not yours." He smirks and then watches you walk ahead of him. You may be seducing him, but he will not penetrate you. That is a promise. 

Ivar and Hvitserk join you instantly after you pass the wall that they were covering behind. Ivar holds you close, asking you exactly what he said before he joined you all. You tell him exactly what is going to happen and he almost fainted. However Hvitserk, almost lost his temper. 

"He told me that he could make me feel better in a way that you couldn't." Ivar looks at you and then at Daario, who was now walking into the castle. 

Ivar "Oh is that so?"

"That is what he said, but not word for word."

Ivar "Uh huh.."

Hvitserk "Ivar.." he crutches his way into the castle, "Ivar..remember the mission here hmm?" He says as he stops his brother from killing him. 

Ivar "He belittled me-"

Hvitserk "Another reason to kill him, I know. But now is not the time."

Ivar "Oh it isn't?"

"No, it is not. If you kill him now, my people will hate you and me for allowing it. But if we follow through with our plan, my people will understand why he had to die." You place his hand on his chest, "And he is wrong my love. You do please me. In so many ways." He looks down at you and his eyes melt as he hears those words. 

Ivar "I do?"

"Of course you do. And when we get home, how about we-"

Daario "Y/n, what can Asta eat?"

"Small foods.." he stops to think and then he heads back into the kitchen. 

Ivar "Yes, we will. I love you." He leans down to kiss you and you kiss him back. Hvitserk took Asta from a guardsman as she began to cry. 

Hvitserk "Shh..shh little one."

"She is hungry. I have to go feed her. I will be in my bedroom." 

Ivar "Would you like someone to go with you?"

Ubbe "I will guard the door."

"Yes, thank you Ubbe." Feeding Asta took longer than usual. She is cranky, wanting to go home but that is not possible. Not quite yet. 

Ubbe "Is everything alright in there?"

"Yes, we are coming." Shortly after, you and your people sat around and ate together. Some of your people looked absolutely sleep deprived. Some looked so ill that they barely touched their food. You did not know what exactly was going on with your people, but you will find those answers. 

…

Daario "How was the food?"

"Splendid like always."

Daario "Good, very good." 

Ivar "So Naharis..what have you been up to lately hmm?"

Daario "Just been keeping things in order is all."

Hvitserk "But you said many of you fell ill, did you not?"

Daario "That is right."

Hvitserk "So what happened then, hmm?"

Daario "It was spoiled food. The animals we inhabited were ill and we did not know it. But we are alright now."

"Is that so?"

Daario "Yes, my queen." You nod and stand up, "Would you like me to fulfill the next task, my queen?"

You look at the people at the table, including Ivar who was about to strike. "Oh, if you'd like to."

Daario "My king..if you'll excuse us."

Ivar forces a smile, "Of course." He watches the man take you upstairs and shortly after he closes the door, he looks at Hvitserk and Ubbe. Giving them the green light. 

Ivar "Now, what has your leader been doing while we were gone hmm?" He asked the people at the table the main question that you have been wondering since you all arrived. He was just not prepared for what he was going to be told. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the door closed, all you heard was the cell door slamming. It was so vivid that you jolted, catching Daario's attention. 

Daario "Hey..are you alright?"

"Oh, fine. Just fine."

Daario "Then why did you flinch?"

"I just had a flashback-"

Daario "Of what?"

"Does not matter. I am alright."

Daario "Hey, I would never harm you Y/n." He caresses your cheek, "How could I ever harm you, hm?" You do not answer, "Can I kiss you?" Before you could answer, his lips crashed to yours. You get pushed backwards slightly from his force. Hvitserk and Ubbe can't tell specifically what is happening from the small cracks in the door. 

Hvitserk "Now?"

Ubbe "No no, he has to go further."

Hvitserk "How far is too far then huh?"

Ubbe "Quiet brother.." Hvitserk scoffs and then tries to refocus through the crack. 

Daario keeps kissing you until he pulls back, out of breath. "I've been waiting to kiss you from the moment I met you."

"So why have you stopped?" He chuckles before kissing you again and again, before slamming you onto the bed. You were not expecting him to do that, so you let out a tiny whimper, alarming Hvitserk instantly. As Daario starts to undress, you watch Hvitserk and Ubbe slowly open up the door. 

Daario "I've been thinking of this moment for a long time, my queen. I am going to take my time..undress." You do not do as he asks and he gets angry, "I said..undre-" he was not able to finish that sentence. Hvitserk stabs Naharis, but it was not fatal. Daario turns around before falling to his knees. And that was when you heard the most beautiful sound to your ears: your husband's crutches. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ivar enters the room and is pleased to see a fresh wound in Daario's stomach. But he is not pleased to see you terrified, sprawled out on the bed like a meal. He walks over to you, offers his hand and gets you off the bed. Once he made sure that you were alright, he focused his attention on the man on the floor. 

Ivar bends over, "Does it hurt?"

Daario "You used me?!'

"Used you? No, I did not use you."

Daario "You played me!'

"Did you really think that I would sleep with you?" Daario does not answer, "I needed a reason to have you killed."

Ivar "You have more reasons than this one, my sweet."

"What do you mean?"

Ivar fixes his posture, "The leader here, starved your people and worked them to the point where they collapsed on your doorstep." He inhales deeply, "And if they did not do as he said, he beat them until they couldn't bare the pain..then they went back to work." 

"Is this true?" He did not respond, so you look at Hvitserk, who was about to strike him again.

Daario "Yes..!" Hvitserk holts, "Yes..that is true." You kneel before him, forcing his face towards you so that he looked at you in the eyes. 

"How could you? I trusted you!"

Daario "You should've listened to your husband..and his broth-" you hit him in the mouth so hard that you thought in that moment that you broke your hand. He spits blood out onto the floor before looking back at you, "You are right, I should have listened. But I won't make the same mistake twice." 

Daario "And what mistake would that be?"

"Allowing you to live." You look at Ubbe, and he lifts him off of the ground and forces him out of the door. 

Daario "What are you going to do to me?!"

"Something I should have done a long time ago. Take him to the front of the yard."

Daario "No...No! NO! Y/N PLEASE-" Ivar holds you back for a moment while Hvitserk, Ubbe and multiple Vikings dragged him out of the room. 

Ivar "My love, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I shoul-should've listened to you and Hvitserk. I don't know what I was thinking."

Ivar "Do not blame yourself, my love. He was very convincing even I thought that he was a good man the first time we met." You nod, "He will be taken care of and your people will thank you for it."

"Yes but this also means that I have to stay here."

Ivar "what?"

"This is my kingdom Ivar. With Helga dead and Daario being killed.. I have to lead them." Ivar does not know what to say nor what to do, "We will figure it all out, with your help. But right now, we need to take care of the problem."

Ivar "Yes, my queen."

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