#well it'll be an ending that leaves the reader wanting more (if it lands correctly) but ah well

[desperatepleasures]

ough ok I think I shall once again cut the baby in two and end Another Bite after ch4. then if I get around to the other stuff it can become a series and I won't have to worry about it having the absurd pacing issues it'd have if I kept it as 7 chapters.

[kakiwrites]

the firework spell

Genre: fluff

A prince Justin x reader

Synopsis: you asked the renowned wizard, howl if he could help you with the annual botany spell. He comes into the castle, Sophie in tow, wanting to catch up with the former scarecrow. What happens if a jealous and sulking howl notice the way you look at the prince and devises a plan that could benefit the both of you?

 a/n: hey guys! I've been thinking about this the whole morning and I'm so excited to start working on it. I am very sad that prince Justin isn't getting the recognition he deserves. He just… deserves the world- requests are open so please don't be shy to leave a request! I really don't bite. Let's get started!

 "master howl, so great to see you again."

 "Please, we're old acquaintances. Call me howl."

 You smiled at him, before going back to the table you set up in a small opening in the botanical garden of the castle. You had everything you needed, the spellbook, cauldrons, and ingredients all for the yearly botanical spell that helps the kingdom grow their crops.

 You laid them out in front of you just as howl approached the table and leaned over to look at the certain materials you had set up for use. Howl picked up a small bundle of roses and brought it to his nose, sniffing the scent. He smiled before putting it down.

 "madam Suliman is finally letting you do this spell alone? That's nice of her." howl said in a joking tone. You giggled pouring in a muted green liquid into your cauldron. You looked up to see him pouting at something behind you. You followed his gaze to see Sophie and prince Justin chatting and laughing. The prince's eyes glistened in happiness.

 It made your heart clench.

  Don't let it show.

 Nobody has to know.

 Nobody has to know that you've fallen in love.

 Fallen in love with the very prince who seemed to be more fond of Sophie.

 You bit your bottom lip, turning back around to continue on the spell. Howl glanced at you before finally turning back around and examining the ginger before throwing it into the concoction.

 "Sophie insisted on coming with me. She almost hit me with her broom, which is much scarier than it sounds." he laughed, turning towards you, only to see you trying to keep your frustration and pain off of your face. You forced a giggle before opening a bottle to take in the fragrance before pouring it into the cauldron. "I don't get why she's so adamant in seeing the prince. She has me after all." he sulked, pouting once more, skimming through the spellbook opened on the specific spell to see if you were doing it correctly.

 "Maybe she's just tired of dealing with your attitude." you tried to joke, looking beside you to see howl staring at you. It was like he was trying to see through your façade, trying to see what was truly on your mind You felt yourself getting smaller under his gaze. You turned away, pretending to be fixated on a passage in the book.

 "you're in love with him."

 "w-wha-"

 "you're in love with the prince." howl said a matter-of-factly. He was just trying to grasp at it himself. You looked at him, shocked that he uncovered It so quickly. Was it that obvious?

 You stayed silent, keeping your eyes on the text on the page. "I don't know what you're talking about." you tried to play off, sprinkling some different flower petals in the cauldron.

 Howl groaned, pulling you away from the table and making you look at him, his hands gripping your forearms. He bent down to meet your eyes, letting you see how his sparkled in excitement. "don't you lie to me~ you can't hide it (y/n), you're in love with the prince!" he said, his voice rising in volume. You covered his mouth, hoping Sophie and the prince didn't hear him.

 "ssshhh! You don't have to yell it out." you said before pulling away. "what's it to you? You don't have to rub it in my face that Sophie chose you and I settled for just watching him from afar." you muttered, going back to the spellbook, trying to distract yourself by reading through the steps once.

 Howl frowned at that. As much as he wanted to console you, he didn't know what it felt like. Sophie fell into his arms and he didn't have to experience waiting for her or just watching her from a distance. He stared at the desk, deep In thought. What could he do to help you? After a few moments, he perked up, taking the bulky book you were reading from off the table. You grumbled at him, seeing him flip a couple of pages before landing on something that made him smile from ear to ear. He dropped the book back down, letting you skim through the spell.

 "a firework spell…? What are you trying to say?"

 "well, when the prince opens the bottle, outcomes little sparks of life. The ingredients are interchangeable so we can make it whatever color you wish. We can also slip in your confession letter so it'll pop out at the end-" howl explained excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

 You placed a finger over his mouth, silencing him. Now that you think about it, that could work. Prince Justin might see what you truly feel. You blushed at the thought.  You pulled away from the wizard before rubbing the bridge of your nose. "no. I don't have the courage to do that."

 "oh come on (y/n)~ you'll know what prince Justin truly feels about you and I'll get praised by my Sophie." he pleaded, trying to look into your eyes and persuade you.

 You contemplated. What If he felt the same? Oh, that would be a dream. But that might be just it, a dream. Is it a risk you're to take? Your heart might feel a bit lighter if you let your feelings be known. You sighed defeatedly before looking up at the raven-haired man.

 "fine-"

 "yes!"

 "you'll have to take me in if he rejects me. It was your idea in the first place."

 Howl nodded his head happily, pushing away the old ingredients and sorting out the newer ones. You looked over him, seeing him read through and check the list. He looked back at you with a cheeky grin before pushing you to the other table. "I'll do the first half of the spell, you write out a confession letter to put inside it," he said, handing you some blank parchment and quill.

 You looked over at the prince's figure disappearing and reappearing between the leaves before taking a deep breath, dipping your quill in ink, and letting your heart do the writing.

  You folded your letter and shoved it in the bottle howl placed on the table. He was pouring in the last of the dyes while muttering the spell under his breath. He twists the cap back on and gave it a little shake. It was done. You take it from the table and admired it. The liquid inside was swirling with yellows, pinks, and greens, and your note floating among it all. You looked up at howl and smiled at him thankfully. He smirked back.

 "you can give that to him once we finish the botanical spell. We have a couple of things left to do," he said, pulling the cauldron towards you. He started handing you the final ingredients while you muttered the spell. he could Your mood turned changed drastically. You seemed more happy, nervous, and giddy all at once. He took that as a good sign. He felt proud of himself. The spell began to take effect after you added the final ingredient. Flowers started to bloom around you and plants started to perk up.  You heard Sophie and the prince gasp at the wonderful sight.

 You looked over at howl, shifting your weight from foot to foot, trying to keep your composure in. "are you sure I could do this howl? What if this backfires? What if something happens?" you rambled nervously.

 Howl chuckled before pulling you into a side hug. "there's nothing to worry about. Nothing will happen either if you give in to that pessimistic attitude of yours." he said, smiling at you, making you feel at ease.

 "howl! We better get going before Markl and heen destroy the house!" Sophie yelled out. Howl smirked, taking the firework bottle and shoving it into your chest before walking off and catching up to his beloved.

 "Why are you smiling like that, howl?"

 "I just did something that'll make you feel happy and want to cuddle me when we get back home."

"and what is that?"

 "I'll tell you on the way~" he teased Sophie. He looked back and waved goodbye one last time before taking Sophie by the waist and hoisting her up into the sky.

 The prince turned around to meet you. You stumbled towards him, pink dusting your cheeks. "are you okay miss (l/n)" he asked, getting ready to catch you just in case you fall. You just gave him a small smile before handing him the liquid-filled bottle. Justin stared at the colors inside it in awe. "is this for me?" he asked, giving it a little shake and watching the colors swirl around.

 You nodded your head, looking everywhere but at him. "I recommend you open the bottle in your quarters. You wouldn't be able to see the surprise under all this sunlight," you explained before bowing and running off without another word. You just couldn't handle his soft gaze on you. You just felt unworthy.

 But the prince felt otherwise.

  Julian followed your disappearing figure into the hallway, his words stuck in his throat. He wanted you to stay and keep talking to him. He always loved your voice when you explained how a certain spell worked or your laugh when he cracks a joke. Did he do something wrong for you to run away from him like that? He frowned, pressing the bottle into his chest before walking through the hallway and into his room.

 He made sure the door was closed before he placed the bottle on his desk and popping the cap open. At that moment, small sparks of pink, yellow and green fire exploded all around him, lighting up his quarters. He watched in amazement, seeing all of this life, all of this color, come out of such a small bottle.

 The letter popped out last, fluttering toward Justin. He caught it mid-air, turning it in his palm. The writing looked like exactly yours. He unfolded it and let eyes read through the heartfelt words slowly.

 Prince Justin,

 I know it's common for you to get love letters like this so I highly doubt you would even acknowledge mine so I'll just keep this short for you:

  I love you.

 When you disappeared, I did everything in my power to try and get you back. I was so scared because not only was the kingdom going to lose a brilliant prince but also because that would mean that I would lose you. When you came back, I felt so relieved. I didn't have the heart to tell you my true feelings then so stayed back and admired you at a distance instead. Even though you don't accept my feelings, I wish that you would find someone who you would love as much as you loved Sophie.

 I promise to stand by your side either way.

 Love,

 (y/n)

 His eyes lit up. So all of this time, he thought he did something to make you upset but now he knew that it was the exact opposite. You loved him.

 And he loved you too.

 He placed the note in his coat pocket before running out of the room, past the maids and servants. He reached your door and knocked. he kept knocking until you answered, your eye peeping in a small crack before opening it fully for him.

 "prince Justin-"

 "I read it. I read your note."

 Oh no. he read it. Was he going to reject you now? Well, you wouldn't complain and fight it anymore. That's what he felt, there was nothing else you could do but respond. "look, It's alright if you don't return my feelings-"

 "I came here as fast as I could. I wanted to tell you right this second that I love you (y/n). You wrote about how you hoped that I would find someone I loved as much as Sophie. That person is you. I love you as much, if not more than Sophie."

 Did he just-

 "prince-"

 "Please, call me Justin, I called you (y/n). It's only fair." Justin stopped for a moment to trying to keep his composure. He couldn't stop smiling. He continued, "not only did you make colorful displays of light come out of a bottle, but you also made my heart explode of realization and love." he said, taking your hand and caressing it. "can I… kiss you?"

 You blushed. The prince reciprocated your feelings and now he wants a kiss. You shakily nodding your head, hoping this wasn't just a dream.

 Because if it was, you weren't sure if you wanted to wake up.

 Justin's hands moved to your waist, yours moved to rest on his shoulders. He pulled you toward him with care, closing the gap between the two of you. His soft lips moved against yours, you swore you could see stars. After a while, he pulled away for air. His eyes swimming with love bore into yours.

 At that moment, you felt your love-filled heart combust.

 And that is all! Oh my god, I did not expect this to be this long but I love it! I love how cheeky howl was here hehe. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did~ requests are open so please don't be shy to leave anything in my ask box~ love you guys ❤️💕💖

General taglist (don’t be shy to comment your tumblr @ below): @tokyoghoose @macaronnv @reogou @lnarizakis @midnightangelfox @wumboho

[imperial-martian]

Bruised & Broken ][ Armitage Hux x Reader ][ Part Four

Author’s Note: I’m not sure how happy I am with this chapter, so feedback would be greatly appreciated. It’s shorter then what the other chapters usually are. Most chapters are over 3,000+ words and this one is just under 2,500. I hope you like this, and I’m excited to work on the next chapter- which I think will mainly be viewed from Hux’s perspective! Enjoy!

Trigger Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of scars, thoughts of physical violence, pretty much just angst

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE, PART FOUR

Tags: @songforhema, @edmunds-torch, @christmasallyearsthings, @indelwen-of-mirkwood, @agirlinherhead, @runhbo, @redsacrament, @lafy-taffy, @khaleesi-of-assassins, @dath23321, @fangirl570, @ahsfan23, @ah-callie, @aestheticcomatose, @starrmoondaisy, @thekeywordisbalance, @the-avid-book-reader, @starxdame, @thuutthuutbilly, @hoki-lokison, @stareyedplanet, @steve-thotgers, @llama259, @averillian, @songofcosplay

Although your eyes were red with tears and your face flushed with anger, the first thought in your mind was to alert everyone about what was to come. The minute somebody came into view, you spoke, not bothering to properly acknowledge them in any way. "Where is the General?" Were the first words to leave your lips the minute you came across the guards which were stood feet away from the interrogation center.

Both of their heads turned to you before they shared a quick glance with a furrowed brow. "She's by the medbay with Dameron," one of them replied, and without skipping a beat you were marching your way towards the directed area.

Finn had spotted you walking urgently and turned to Rey, nudging her shoulder before nodding in your direction. "Should we go see what's so urgent?" he asked the uprising Jedi.

She shook her head. "We can go confront her afterward, I can sense how tense she is. Something is wrong and we have no right to interfere between her and General Organa," she replied. "They will inform us in their own time."

Finn did nothing but nod in acceptance. "Let's go put the bastard back in his cell," he said the minute you had reached Poe and the General, walking towards the interrogation center while gritting his teeth. He was ready to land a well-deserved punch to the ginger's gut if he had to.

While Finn and Rey dealt with Hux you had reached the medbay and turned down Poe's invitation to small talk with a quick hand, calling on the General immediately. "General Organa."

The woman in question turned her head towards you, spotting the urgency in your face and facing you. She was quick to grab your arms and urge you away from everybody else to speak in private. "What have you gathered, dear? What has he told you?" she inquired.

"They've planned an attack," you informed, "he's refused to tell me anything else, and I fear I've angered him now," you sighed, pausing for just a moment, "I think it's best to prepare for a transfer soon. We can't risk what they have planned. The attack was already established before we captured General Hux, maker only knows what they are preparing for now that they strive to get him back."

General Organa was quick to take charge, walking back to the medbay and informing the nurse in charge of tending Poe to speed it up and send him to the control center within ten minutes. "Follow me Y/N, we need to gather the others. We're to have a meeting and discuss what actions should and need to be taken to ensure the safety of us all. We can't lose again, not after Hosnian Prime." Determination filled her voice, and the demeanor of a powerful General seemed to flow through her as she sprung into action, quickly walking in the direction of where Rey and Finn had begun walking after leaving Hux in his cell.

The General's strifes were long and quick, causing you to jog a bit every time she got too far from you until finally, she stopped. "Finn, Rey, follow me," she ordered, walking just as quickly towards the control center.

The other two had matched your stride and stood beside you, there eyes looking at you for questions. You only shook your head and said, "you'll find out in a minute," to which they reluctantly nodded, an eery feeling settling in the pits of their stomachs.

When Poe has arrived the meeting seemed to kick into gear in seconds. "We can't waste any time," she started, "Y/N informed me that they are planning to attack at any moment. We give everyone three days to pack everything aboard the ships before we head to D'Qar and settle there," she explained, looking at everyone.

Poe was the first to step forward and speak. "Three days won't give people enough time to gather everything. They'll be so panicked, and just after we settled into a home now too," he argued.

General Organa sighed, "we don't have much of a choice Dameron. We can't risk losing more than we already did. It'll cost too many casualties!" her voice was raised in frustration. "I refuse to let them win. We leave in three days by night, I'll tell everyone to pack light. We leave no traces of where we're going. If we leave in time, they'll have no clue if I've planned this correctly. We'll have to shut down all navigations and raise all shields to ensure they don't track us," she explained, her fist clenched white with determination.

Finn looked at General Organa. "What will be of Hux? What do we do with him?" he asked.

The General looked at Finn first before shifting to you. "Y/N, he seems to only talk to you. No matter how much you angered him back there, gain his trust in three days and gather whatever information you can from him. If he's indifferent by the time we leave we'll have to kill him."

The words, "Kill him," caused your breath to catch in your throat and fear to claw at you. Two parts within you seemed to conflict with itself. One was screaming at you to help and save him, telling you that he didn't deserve to die. The other was telling you that he did, that after all he's done killing him would be mercy over torture. One side was emotion and feeling, and the other was reason.

"Yes General, I'll see what I can gather," you nodded, meeting her eyes.

"Good, Finn and Poe start gathering whatever you can and place them in the Falcon. Rey, come with me, we'll be needing to make an announcement to everyone. Y/N, go to Hux and do whatever you can. Do something to gain us leverage over the First Order," she ordered, and with firm nods from everyone, you all dispersed.

When you arrived by the cells you had a moment of conflict. You debated whether to wait till the morning to see if he would be in a better state then, or go see him now and see what you could do. Both were going to end up the same way in your mind, but one seemed more favorable than the other.

In the end, you decided to wait till the morning and hope to the maker above that you had better luck with him then than you did minutes ago in the interrogation room. With dawn closing in you knew Hux would need to be checked for infections once again, but you couldn't trust the other nurses. However, you wouldn't be sure that he wouldn't just strangle you the minute you walked into the cell.

You took a chance and waited the night, walking back to your quarters as everyone gathered around the makeshift stage- what really was just a tree trunk -that General Organa and Rey stood on to make the announcement. With a small yawn and heavy heart, you walked into your quarters, not bothering to change as you fell asleep the minute you landed in bed, all the emotions of the day crashing down on you in that moment.

When you awoke the next morning you were slow to get dressed, a trace of uncertainty from the day before left you with a cold sweat. It was nothing you couldn’t push through to do your job, however, it was enough to keep you cautious. No matter how badly you wished for things to be the same, after last night you knew there was no chance for what little bond you had to remain.

You thought he had been harsh and cold to you before, but you were not prepared for how he acted when you walked into the cell. Had it not been for the dread that seemed to wash over you the minute you walked in, everything would have seemed normal until you turned to look at Hux.

His eyes had always seemed to take your breath away, their bright shade of blues and greens never seized to capture you. Usually, you would see the beauty hidden behind his eyes, now you saw the brightest fires of fury and hatred. It left you stock still and fearful.

If you didn’t think General Hux was frightening before, you did at that moment. He looked ruthless, as though if he could he would rip you apart without much struggle. He even looked as though he was considering it.

It caused you to feel nothing short of hesitation as you stepped deeper into the tiger's den.

With a confidant- or what you wished was -voice, you asked, “has the infection worsened?” Kneeling on the dirt, you opened the kit, getting nothing more than a bandage and disinfectant wipe. A majority of his wounds were healed at that point and it was best to leave the more valuable equipment to more valuable patients- or in other words, fellow Rebels.

“It hasn’t,” he replied, short and to the point, nothing for him to waste his breath on. “But please, get on with it. I’d rather not have my time wasted,” he said, and you could swear you heard an underlying, ‘with the likes of you.’

You wouldn’t admit it- not even to yourself -but it stung a little. It would make your task a whole lot harder now that you knew he truly wanted nothing to do with you.

“Armitage,” you tested, earning a sharp, deadly glare from him. You sighed gently. “Why don’t you join us?” you paused to gauge out his reaction, and when he gave none you continued. “Please, Armitage, do you realize how powerful you could be on our side?”

He chuckled. “Do you think I’m not powerful within the First Order? I’m feared,” he growled out, getting close to you just to prove his point. You sunk under his gaze, giving in for just a moment. “I’m a General Y/N, do you not realize just how powerful I am? I gave the order for an entire system to be destroyed. People cower just hearing my name.” He hung over you as you stood, finished with accessing him.

“If people cower hearing your name, why haven’t they?” you asked, nodding to the guards behind you. You didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Don’t be so cocky Hux, it’ll be your downfall. You’re not as powerful as you make yourself put to be. Kylo Ren has proved that,” you stated, glancing at the large scar already forming on his skin.

He growled, and he swore he would have you pinned against the wall if he knew he wouldn’t have been shot dead right then in there. “You say that as though you know what authority I have. You have no idea,” he spat, his anger reaching its surface quickly. His patience was thinning.

“I can do nothing but convince you to join us, Hux,” you shrugged as you backed away. “Just know that you’ll be killed if you don’t end up cooperating.” With that, you left his cell.

You were beyond frustrated with Armitage now. He was full of himself, even as a prisoner, and you weren’t sure you could change that. You knew that convincing Armitage would be a lot harder then you thought, and you weren’t sure you could do it by yourself.

With that thought in mind, you made your way to the cantina. Spotting just who you were looking for- and you were grateful that Poe was sat beside them -you made your way over and sat across from them.

“Y/N, how’s your business with Hux going along?” Finn asked, looking up from his trey of food. His attention was completely on you the minute his fork his the trey and he leaned forward.

You groaned before answering. “He’s an absolute handful and is actually why I came over. I’m glad Poe is here too, I feel as though you both might have some useful advice,” you started, looking at them with thankful smiles.

“What’s up?” Poe asked, crossing his arms.

“I’m having a hard time trying to convince Hux to accept defeat and join us or at least give us something to work with. How would you guys go through with my task?” you questioned, a look of hopefulness in your eyes.

Poe sighed for a moment. “Truthfully, I wouldn’t bother with a bastard like him,” he said. “He has no worth to us and frankly would be better off dead, but since Leia put you up to a task that she expects to be at least partaken in, then I guess I’d just have to give him the facts. He’s going to end up dead if he does not listen, whether he wants to or not, he’d have no choice.”

You nodded. “I told him that, but he’s so full of himself,” you admitted. “I don’t want him to die,” you mumbled. “I hate seeing people die, it’s why I became a nurse, to save people, but I don’t know how I can convince a man like Hux. He seems to headstrong in doing things his way.”

Finn spoke up before Poe could, “if you really want to convince Hux to join us if you really think he could be an asset, convince him that his life here could be so much better then his life in the First Order. Convince him so well that he really has no other choice.”

Poe agreed, “if you did that, and gave him no doubt that the First Order could be better then what he could get here, then I can see him joining us. I see no other way then that.”

You smiled at them both, a plan already forming in your mind. “Thank you guys, you might have just saved me a whole lot of late-night struggles,” you said before darting off to your quarters.

You had one chance at this, and it was a risk you’d have to take. It would end up coming down to the line, but if you were able to go off his previous emotions, and even build them up, then perhaps you’d be able to win him over. If not to the Resistance, then at least to you. It as nothing more then wishful thinking, but if that was what you had to go off of, it was good enough.

It only helped that when you’d see him next a little companion would seem to have attached to Armitage, no matter the displeasure of anybody on the site. It would be a little ginger tabby cat that would end up saving you a whole lot of time with this plan.